Ashland school officials are demanding transparency regarding property tax funding for private school vouchers, arguing those public funds are benefiting private institutions. Superintendent Rob Prater stated that approximately $870,000 (11% of Ashland’s $7.8 million levy) funds vouchers for about 7% of its students. Leaders want the public to understand the program’s impact, especially after a recent operating referendum passed. The district pays over $13,000 per voucher student—a cost projected to rise by nearly $70,000 in 2026—money that could benefit public schools. Ashland residents will receive a tax insert detailing their property taxes funding private school vouchers, a transparency effort also underway in Washburn and Superior.

On Nov. 26, the Lake Superior Band of Chippewa hosted members of the University of Hawai’i Maui College to share knowledge on proper deer harvesting, tanning, and cultural practices. This exchange, led by Tribal Elder Wayne Valliere, repaid a favor to Ikaika Nakahashi, an ethnobotany lecturer, for annually hosting University of Wisconsin Stevens-Point students. The tribe’s deer management expertise will help Nakahashi and his colleagues educate islanders on turning the invasive axis deer—estimated at 20,000 to 60,000 on Maui—from an environmental threat into a valuable community resource.

With all the equipment and materials donated by local businesses you’ll soon see a bench honoring a fallen Sikeston Department of Public Safety officer. Members of the Sikeston Veterans Park Committee, DPS and an area nursery are already busy helping lay a base for the bench in Veterans Park.The bench will be dedicated to fallen DPS Officer Henry Franklin who was killed in the line of duty in October.

Two young children died Thursday morning in a fire called out to the Perryville Fire Department, Perryville Police Department and Perry County Sheriff Department at a home in the 700 block of Bruce St. Officers were told by family members who had gotten out of the residence that the two small children remained in the upstairs bedrooms. Officers made attempts to enter the home but were unable to due to the amount of smoke. One child was a boy and the other a girl.An investigation continues.

Five area food pantries received the contents of a tractor-trailer, 36,000 pounds of food, including Heart, Love & Soul in Niagara Falls, Care and Share Food Pantry in Ransomville, the Wilson Community Food Pantry, St. Brendan’s on the Lake in Newfane, and Newfane First Baptist. Goodman Farms also loaned a box truck to deliver food, with Wilson girls and boys basketball teams helping unload.

The man who allegedly strangled his girlfriend to death and killed his newborn baby in their Buffalo home in October died in jail on Wednesday. The Erie County Sheriff’s Office said Kidane Haile, 30, was found dead in the showers at the Erie County Correctional Facility in Alden around 9 p.m. Wednesday night. The death is being investigated as an apparent suicide.

Niagara County fire investigators are looking into a early Thursday morning fire that destroyed a barn in Newfane. The fire was reported about 2 a.m. at 7007 Ridge Road. Sheriff’s deputies arrived to find a 20-by-24 foot barn behind a home fully engulfed in flames.

A Christmas movie that was filmed around Western New York last February, including at the SPCA, is set to premiere this Friday. “A Royal Christmas Tail” will be playing at the North Park Theater in Buffalo and will release worldwide on the Great American Family Channel on Sunday.

Atlantic City’s mayor was concerned about an investigation into child abuse claims becoming public and harming his career, a DCPP worker testified Thursday. According to BreakingAC.com, Alysen Quay said she observed no physical injuries on his teenage daughter during a body check at that time, and that the girl denied any abuse.
Marty Small is on trial for allegedly abusing his daughter and then asking her to lie about it after he was criminally charged.

40-year-old Newfane man, Kevin Ferber, is in custody following a Wednesday stabbing incident in Olcott. Niagara County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the area of 5927 Main St. about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday for a report of a stabbing. Arriving deputies located a man suffering from several laceration wounds.

A fire caused an estimated $1 million in damages to an apartment building on Main Street in Williamsville on Wednesday. Fire crews responded to a fire at 5403 Main St., where four people were taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

A large fire caused $2.5 million in damages early Wednesday morning at family-owned feed mill and farm supply store Reisdorf Bros Inc. in Wyoming County, officials said. Three firefighters were injured.

U.S. District Judge Lawrence Vilardo denied a motion to dismiss the indictment of Tops shooter Payton Gendron because the grand jury lacked a fair cross-section of the community.

The towns of Porter and Wilson will receive a portion of $32 million in state funds to help local governments with road safety enhancements.
Porter and Wilson are getting $700,000 to install shoulder and curve warning signs on Youngstown Wilson Road.

The Borough of West Wildwood will be patrolled by North Wildwood Police Department officers for at least the next decade, or until the West Wildwood department is dissolved or merged with North Wildwood’s, under a contract approved by the borough and the city.The possibility of dissolution or merger was mentioned numerous times throughout the agreement.

A Philadelphia man 43 year old Aaron Watson who stole more than $1,000 in cash and a bottle of liquor from a Vineland liquor store while armed with a gun was sentenced Friday to 27 years in prison, Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae said. Watson was convicted Sept. 17 after a three-day trial on charges of robbery, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, aggravated assault and possession of a weapon by a convicted person.Watson will not be eligible for parole for at least 19 years. He will be subject to five years of parole supervision upon release.

New Jersey and five other states want the regional power grid operator to keep price caps in place to prevent even larger spikes in electricity prices.According to the Press of Atlantic City New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy joined the governors of Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Illinois and Virginia in writing to PJM Interconnection, asking the grid operator to extend a price cap that would prevent rates from “increasing exponentially in 2026.”The move comes after electricity rates increased by 20% this year in New Jersey, with an unspecified additional increase expected next year.The current price is capped at $329 per megawatt-day.