Latest news with #ChrisScanlon
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Chippewa to be closed to traffic weekend nights following reported stabbings
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Chippewa Street in downtown Buffalo will be closed to traffic during late night, weekend hours until Labor Day after three people were stabbed in a large fight over the weekend, Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon said Thursday. The closures will take place from Delaware Avenue to Franklin Street from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. The Vintage Room at 88 West Chippewa St. is temporarily closed after a large fight occurred over the weekend, according to B-District Police Chief Tommy Champion. The fight spilled out into the parking lot and across the street. Three people were reportedly stabbed in the fight and suffered non-life threatening injuries, Champion said. Scanlon said the Chippewa closures are intended to keep patrons, business owners, and police officers safe. 'By reducing vehicular traffic during those peak hours in this corridor, we're creating a pedestrian friendly environment that's safer, more walkable, and better suited for a night life activity and beneficial to all the restaurants and bars down here in this area,' he said. Scanlon is collaborating with Buffalo police and the Chippewa Alliance in this effort. It is unclear when the Vintage Room will be reopened. Kayleigh Hunter-Gasperini joined the News 4 team in 2024 as a Digital Video Producer. She is a graduate of Chatham University. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Buffalo Common Council asks for amendments to proposed budget
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Buffalo Common Council is asking for six amendments to acting Mayor Chris Scanlon's 2025-26 proposed budget. Council members said the amendments focus on making affordability a priority while 'reining in' increasing overtime costs and maintaining public services. Scanlon announced his $622 million budget in April, which includes a hotel occupancy tax, selling city-owned parking ramps, a proposed property tax increase and more. His proposal has been met with critiques from local leaders about its ability to fill the $70 million budget hole. Scanlon announces $622M city budget, proposes 8% property tax increase One of the amendments asks for formal agreements to be made between the city and venues or organizers who use the city's police, fire and sanitation services for events. More specifically, the council is asking for reimbursements from the entities for 'city-related expenses' through a memorandum of understanding. A property tax circuit breaker program was also proposed, citing concerns of effects of the proposed tax increase on low-income homeowners. The council said it would provide 'targeted relief' to people whose tax liabilities are higher than a 'defined percentage' of their yearly income. The council wants representation on the Buffalo Parking Authority — which has received approval in the state's budget and would pave the way for city-owned parking ramps to be sold off to the authority — to 'promote transparency' to the public. Caps to departmental overtime, particularly in police and fire services, was listed as an amendment, along with switching to one annual bulk trash pickup model. Any reduction in trash services would be returned to residents through fee reductions. The council requested the restoration of funding for art programs that was cut in December 2024 and $403,000 in funding for cultural and anti-violence initiatives. The amendments follow concerns from local leaders since the announcement of the proposed budget. Buffalo Comptroller Barbara Miller-Williams previously called the budget 'technically balanced,' but took issue with the city relying on nonrecurring revenue sources. New York State Senator Baskin, along with Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz and Buffalo mayoral candidate and State Senator Sean Ryan, questioned the proposed sale of parking ramps and whether it will fill the budget gap. Poloncarz concerned by 'serious issues' in proposed Buffalo budget Scanlon has previously said that his proposals are not one-time revenue sources and that the Buffalo Parking Authority, would bring around $40 to $50 million in cash, as well as $2.5 million in revenue every year. 'It's not a gimmick, it's money that would come in — a large sum of money — that we could use over the course of several years while we fix the budget,' Scanlon told WIVB News 4 on Friday. 'If you look at the four-year plan, it's laid out, how we would do that, but also, it would provide a yearly revenue as well and again, alleviate the City of Buffalo of any maintenance and capital costs associated with those.' The council will vote on the budget amendments on Tuesday, May 27. Katie Skoog joined the News 4 team in April 2024. She is a graduate from the University at Buffalo. You can view more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Scanlon says new location for Buffalo Animal Shelter to be announced soon
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon joined WIVB News 4 on Thursday to discuss the Buffalo Animal Shelter, his recently announced repaving plan, and other topics on the minds of Buffalonians. A new location for the Buffalo Animal Shelter has been decided and will be announced in the next couple of weeks, Scanlon said. A public-private partnership is currently being finalized. On Wednesday, the acting mayor announced a $17 million repaving plan of over 190 streets. When asked about the historic amount, Scanlon said large-scale projects will be done on Jefferson Avenue, Bailey Avenue, and Main Street, as well as spot repairs throughout the year. He also said they have repaired nearly 2,500 potholes since March. Scanlon said he is working to bring small businesses downtown, as well as more residents and that he wants to convert office space into residential space. View the entirety of this month's Ask the Mayor in the video player above. Kayleigh Hunter-Gasperini joined the News 4 team in 2024 as a Digital Video Producer. She is a graduate of Chatham University. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Food trucks to be brought downtown to celebrate Buffalo's birthday
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Buffalo Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon has announced a pre-birthday bash celebrating when the city was incorporated all the way back in 1832. The party takes place on Thursday from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. in Niagara Square near City Hall featuring various local food trucks. Participating food trucks at the event include: Breezy Bowls Fat Bob's Smokehouse Mad Sauces Maria's Bene Cibo Pizza Amore Polish Villa The Cheesy Chick World of Desserts Dirty Bird Chicken N' Waffles Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
7 officially file to run for Buffalo mayor
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Seven candidates are officially in the race to become Buffalo's next mayor — with a potential eighth candidate on the way. Thursday was the deadline for mayoral hopefuls to submit their petitions to get their names on the primary ballot. Six Democratic Party candidates — Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon, New York State Senator Sean Ryan (the party's endorsed nominee), Buffalo Common Council Member Rasheed Wyatt, former Buffalo Fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield, community advocate Anthony Tyson Thompson, and Greater Jefferson Avenue Business Association member Michael Gainer — all turned in at least 2,000 petition signatures from registered voters by 5 p.m. Another candidate, community organizer James Payne, has mailed his petition to the Board of Elections, the campaign told WIVB News 4. The Board of Elections must receive the petition by Monday in order for Payne to go on the ballot. On the Republican side, James Gardner, a former law clerk for Erie County Court Judge Kenneth Case — and the party's endorsed nominee — also received enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. Challenges will be accepted for a few weeks, which means candidates could potentially get kicked off the ballot. News 4 spoke with Scanlon inside the board's Eagle Street office, and the acting mayor said the petition process was both humbling and motivating. 'It's an indication that our campaign is being supported by people, residents of the City of Buffalo – live here, work here, raise their families here and are supportive of our campaign,' Scanlon said. Scanlon said he turned in more than 7,500 signatures. Wyatt, who has represented the city's University District on the Buffalo Common Council since 2014, delivered nearly 4,000 signatures. Whitfield, the former Buffalo Fire Commissioner, filed around 4 p.m. — and his campaign is hosting an end-of-petitioning celebration Thursday night. The primary elections will take place in late June, and the general election is slated for Nov. 4. Dave Greber is an award-winning anchor and reporter who has been part of the News 4 team since 2015. See more of his work here. *** Mark Ludwiczak joined the News 4 team in 2024. He is a veteran journalist with two decades of experience in Buffalo. You can follow him online at @marklud12. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
