Spectrum News 1 Buffalo

Oftentimes, children entering foster care don’t have much. One organization is building bicycles for kids in the system. Tamani Wooley talks with Arin Cotel-Altman about what this means to her and her two girls.

Organization building bicycles for kids in the foster system Oftentimes, children entering foster care, don’t have much. One organization is building bicycles for kids in the system, so they have a fun activity to do this summer.

Summer can be ruff with soaring temperatures that leave us panting for relief. Some people call the worst of the heat "the dog days of summer." Here's the "tail" of where that phrase comes from.

What are the dog days of summer? Sirius is a star in the constellation Canis Major.

According to the New York State Board of Elections, if Robert F. Kennedy Jr. hits the 2% or 130,000 voter threshold in this year's presidential race, "We the People" would be a new, official political party in the state with ballot access for two years. Ryan Whalen reports.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could start new political party in New York If RFK Jr. hits the 2% or 130,000 voter threshold in this year's presidential race, "We the People" would be an official political party in the state.

Leaders of upstate manufacturing companies under contract with the MTA for its capital projects say they're concerned Gov. Hochul's decision to pause congestion pricing in New York City will have a negative economic effect on the rest of the state.

Upstate MTA vendors concerned about impact of congestion pricing pause A watchdog group estimates the pause puts 100,000 N.Y. jobs at risk.

Cleveland Police Officer Jamieson Ritter, 27, was shot and killed while responding to a call just before 1 a.m. Thursday, police officials confirmed.

According to a press release, Ritter graduated in 2019 from Syracuse University and was originally from Webster. He graduated from McQuaid Jesuit High School in 2015.

Cleveland police officer killed on duty early Thursday, officials say He was 27 years old and had been in the department for four years.

President Biden on Wednesday held a high-stakes meeting with more than 20 Democratic governors as fallout from his debate performance intensifies.

Gov. Hochul emerged from the meeting declaring that Biden was “in it to win it.”

Biden hosts Democratic governors amid debate fallout Many of the governors are acting as Biden campaign surrogates. Some have been floated as potential replacement candidates if Biden exits the race.

New York's tourism industry has rebounded in a big way since pandemic lockdowns began more than four years ago, according to a new state report on travel released ahead of an extended Fourth of July weekend.

Tourism rebounds in New York, but hospitality jobs harder to fill But some challenges remain.

The annual Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest will see a slate of competitive eaters wolf down as many franks as they can in New York City on Thursday — but this year, the event’s biggest star will be chowing down 1,900 miles away.

Nathan's Famous Independence Day hot dog contest set for NYC Instead, he'll compete against soldiers at a U.S. Army base.

Many Americans weren't letting worries about their pocketbooks keep them from traveling and enjoying fireworks as they celebrate their nation’s birth with parades, cookouts and fiery splashes of colors against the evening sky.

Americans to celebrate Fourth of July with parades, fireworks All signs point to big celebrations for Americans this Fourth of July.

It’s a busy time of year for animal shelters. With fireworks blasting off, pets can run off and find themselves lost.

Experts discuss pet safety during fireworks

Following a 49-day hearing that wrapped up in January, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced its recommended changes to the federal milk marketing orders.

USDA releases draft of updates to federal milk marketing orders The formula hasn't seen updates in years.

Gov. Kathy Hochul has nominated James Caras, most recently the special counsel to the current speaker of the New York City Council, to sit on the state’s ethics watchdog panel, her office announced Wednesday.

Hochul names latest nominee to Commission on Ethics in Lobbying and Government James Caras is her pick.

It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it. And Miki Sudo is up to the task.

Miki Sudo hopes to break record at Nathan's July 4th contest She also addressed Joey Chestnut's absence, saying that while she will miss him in the competition, she's excited about a new men's champion emerging.

Independence Day looks mostly dry and partly sunny. The exception will be along the NY/PA state line, where a few afternoon showers and storms are possible. Meteorologist Kaylee Wendt has your forecast.

Showers and a few downpours around overnight; dry for the Fourth of July Mainly dry for the holiday Thursday.

The 2016-17 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey reported more than 50 million people at that time were stalked.

Being aware of stalking dangers, and how to avoid them It’s an issue that’s affected millions of people in the United States, but one we don’t hear much about.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation into law Wednesday aimed to increase access to state parks by removing potential financial and regulatory barriers.

Hochul signs bills aimed to increase access to state parks They are part of the “Get Offline, Get Outside” summer campaign.

For families caring for loved ones with Alzheimer's disease, help can be hard to find. However, a local program is offering a lifeline to caregivers.

Local program offers respite for Alzheimer's caregivers The CDChoices program provides respite care for families caring for loved ones with Alzheimer's and dementia in New York.

The Fourth of July is here. What will the weather be like for the fireworks and what goes in to the light show? Meteorologist Kaylee Wendt explores.

The science behind fireworks and the best conditions to view them Here's how a Fourth of July favorite works.

How can we avoid being bitten by a tick? SUNY ESF associate professor Brian Leydet said technically ticks can live anywhere, and they spend a lot of time in areas where animals are passing through.

What's leading to the rise in ticks upstate? It's expected that the number of the ticks in the area will only increase as time goes on.

Wall Street’s record-breaking rally kept going Wednesday after weak reports on the U.S. economy kept the door open for possible cuts to fedrates.

Wall Street hits records as a slowing economy boosts hopes for lower rates The S&P 500 rose 0.5% Wednesday to set an all-time high for the 33rd time this year

The Governor's Traffic Safety Committee, New York State Police and STOP-DWI are working to keep roads safe and stop drunk and drugged driving. One choice, a DWI crash survivor says, could completely change or save your life.

Crash survivor urges planning to avoid DWIs this July 4 Wendy Peters was critically injured in a 1997 crash in Oswego County that killed the drivers of both cars.

Olympic fever is quickly coming up for summer sports fans, but there's some even younger athletes paving their way to the games in 2028. Kevin Hayes - Spectrum News takes to the canal waters of Buffalo to show off some world-class rowers.

Buffalo rowers head to World Championship trials R.J. Rubino and company at Row Buffalo have some of the most talented athletes on the water in the 716, but how about the world?

The Buffalo native inked a one-year, $825,000 deal with the Sabres on Monday when free agency kicked off. He says he grew up watching Lindy Ruff coach some legendary Sabres teams, like the 2006-2007 squad.

Buffalo native Dennis Gilbert says playing for Lindy Ruff is 'extra special' The Buffalo native inked a one-year, $825,000 deal with the Sabres on Monday when free agency kicked off.

A fourth person has been infected with avian influenza, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday. The dairy worker in Colorado had been in contact with cows that tested positive for H5N1 bird flu.

CDC reports 4th human case of bird flu A dairy worker in Colorado is the latest person to test positive for H5N1.

With the long holiday weekend nearly here, many people will no doubt be planning to take a hike. Breanna Fuss spoke with Chuck Bartlett, supervising park ranger for Erie County Parks, about trail etiquette, safety and more.

Trail safety tips for your hiking adventure in New York state There are more than 700 trails across New York state.

The Memorial Trail replaces the former Overlook Trail at Valentine Flats. In addition to four new viewing areas at scenic locations throughout the new trail, crews also installed a split-rail fence to maintain a safe setback.

First phase of work on new Memorial Trail at Zoar Valley complete In addition to four new viewing areas at scenic locations throughout the new trail, crews also installed a split-rail fence to maintain a safe setback from the gorge.

Of the 71 million people who are expected to travel over the 4th of July holiday this year, 85% will go by car, according to AAA.

What does that means for drivers? Traffic.

The best and worst times to drive over the Fourth of July weekend One of the worst times to be on the road is July 3rd from 2 to 7 p.m., according to the traffic analytics firm INRIX

In her dissent from a Supreme Court opinion that afforded former President Donald Trump broad immunity, Justice Sonia Sotomayor pondered the potential doomsday consequences.

Supreme Court opinion conferring broad immunity could embolden Trump He recently reposted a meme which suggested that former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, a prominent Trump critic, committed treason.

The following are the dates, times and locations for Independence Day 2024 fireworks displays in Western New York.

List of Independence Day fireworks displays in Western N.Y. for 2024 These fireworks displays are open to the public.

At a donor event in Virginia on Tuesday night, President Joe Biden offered a new explanation for his shaky performance in last week’s debate against former President Donald Trump.

Biden blames extensive travel for debate performance While Biden spent six days preparing at Camp David for the debate, he traveled extensively in the days and weeks leading up to last week's debate.