Western New York

14 Stories

Seeds Are a Literal Gift From This Company

Fruition Seeds, which grossed $22M in 2022, is making a dramatic shift, relying on public support

(Newser) - A multimillion-dollar organic seed company is ending sales and giving hundreds of varieties away, declaring "we can no longer commodify our beloved kin, these seeds, or ourselves." The cocozelle zucchini, now $14.25 per 100 seeds? No charge. Catnip, kale, mint? All free, reports the AP . Petra Page-Mann...

2 Cows Got Lost. Even Joaquin Phoenix Ended Up Involved

For 2 years, a rural Western New York town has been embroiled in a culture war

(Newser) - Events in a rural Western New York town have "inspired death threats, rowdy protests, shadowy figures skulking in the woods, intercessions by Fox News and Joaquin Phoenix, stolen chickens, county and state legislation, and a court battle featuring a rotating cast of lawyers." Per a feature in the...

Man Rails Against Seizure of His 750-Pound 'Son' Albert
Man Rails Against Seizure of
His 750-Pound 'Son' Albert
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Mar 23, 2024 1:05 PM CDT

Man Rails Against Seizure of His 750-Pound 'Son' Albert

Albert is an 11-foot-long gator, and New York DEC authorities say his owner was harboring him illegally

(Newser) - Hamburg, New York, is known for its ample snowfall , the Erie County Fair, and ... alligators? The Western New York town south of Buffalo picked up the latter honorary last week, when local authorities seized an 11-foot-long, 750-pound reptilian resident from a home there, where a man had apparently been keeping...

Western New York Jolted Awake: 'Felt Like a Car Hit My House

Strongest quake in 40 years hits the region, which includes Buffalo, Niagara Falls

(Newser) - A small earthquake rumbled through Western New York early Monday, alarming people in a region unaccustomed to such shaking but apparently causing no significant damage. The US Geological Survey preliminarily reported a magnitude 3.8 earthquake centered east of Buffalo in the suburb of West Seneca at about 6:15am...

After Buffalo Storm, Complaints of 'Embarrassing' Response

County executive calls out the mayor, who suggests his critic is too stressed

(Newser) - In Buffalo, the driving ban is now lifted, the region's death toll from its historic blizzard has risen to 37, and the snow has stopped falling. The blame game, however, appears to be just starting. Amid questions about how Buffalo, of all places, has been so slow to dig...

Buffalo Area Buried, and the Snow Keeps Falling

Some areas of Western New York already have 5-feet-plus, and it's not supposed to stop till Sunday

(Newser) - Buffalo is accustomed to snow. This weekend, however, the city and surrounding parts of Western New York are getting a storm for the books, with some areas already buried under several feet of the white stuff, and precipitation expected to continue through Sunday morning. In Orchard Park, about 20 minutes...

'Inexcusable' Assignment at Middle School Spurs Outrage

'Blatant racism,' remarks one parent who's publicizing the Spanish homework at NY school

(Newser) - A Western New York middle school is making headlines for a Spanish homework assignment that's drawing cries of "blatant racism." CNN reports that the assignment distributed last month to sixth graders at the Williamsville Central School District's Mill Middle School, located in a suburb of Buffalo,...

Billionaire Rebels Against Taxes—Over Goose Poop
Billionaire Won't Pay Tax Bill
Due to 'Minefield of Poop'
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Feb 11, 2018 6:54 AM CST

Billionaire Won't Pay Tax Bill Due to 'Minefield of Poop'

Tom Golisano says infestation of geese is ruining his property, won't pay up until town fixes problem

(Newser) - Billionaire Tom Golisano says he tried stringing up fishing line, spraying smelly repellent, and even posting a wolf decoy, but nothing could rid his New York lakeside vacation home of the Canada geese that turned his lawn into a minefield of poop. His next line of attack? Refusing to pay...

NY Has Corny Salute to Women's Suffrage

3-acre corn maze honors native Susan B. Anthony

(Newser) - An upstate New York farm is marking the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in the state in distinctly fall fashion, with a corn maze in the shape of Susan B. Anthony. Stokoe Farms' owner Suzanne Stokoe says she wanted to honor one of Rochester's most famous citizens with...

2 Small Planes Collide Mid-Air, Kill All Aboard

3 New Yorkers were part of a group flying out to get breakfast

(Newser) - Two private planes collided Sunday in Western New York, reports the Buffalo News , killing all three aboard. The two aircraft—a Cessna 120 and a Piper Cherokee—were apparently part of a larger group of six flying out of the airport in Hamburg, NY, en route to get breakfast in...

Body Found in NY Shooter's House

Cops think it's Spengler's sister, but no ID yet

(Newser) - Human remains have been found in the house that William Spengler burned down yesterday, in the ruse he used to fatally lure firefighters to the scene. Police in the Western New York town of Webster announced the grisly find this afternoon, reports the Democrat and Chronicle , and believe it is...

Next Up in County Jail? Advertising

This night in the pokey has been brought to you by...

(Newser) - Money's tight for many a local government these days, and Western New York's Erie County is looking to squeeze a buck or two out of an unlikely place: its jail. The county is selling jailhouse advertising to bail bondsmen and attorneys on high-def TVs outside its booking area and in...

Snow, Wreck Strand Hundreds in Western NY

'13 miles of bumper-to-bumper cars': trooper

(Newser) - Hundreds of motorists were stranded on a western New York highway today after an accident caused a backup and the idling cars became stuck overnight in heavy snow. A 10-mile section of Interstate 90 was closed in both directions in Buffalo's eastern suburbs, a state trooper said. The highway was...

Driver Gets DWI After 11-Mile Ride Sans Tire

Oh, and he's been unlicensed since 1977. And couldn't keep right

(Newser) - So your blood-alcohol content is 3.5 times the limit and you haven't had a driver's license in 33 years—let's go for a drive! And so a tire falls off—let's keep going 11 miles without it! Western New Yorker Duane Bush is charged with doing just that, along...

14 Stories