Armstrong Williams takes on the news of the week and asks the questions you want answered. Don’t miss our weekly town hall. Williamsville man arrested by FBI for child pornography possession and intent to viewby Michelle Husain (WICS) — A man was arrested in Williamsville by the FBI and Williamsville Police Department for possession and access with intent to view child pornography We read the court documents and have the details on the investigation Trader was charged with possession and access with intent to view child pornography The FBI received information in January that Trader had purchased or received child sexual abuse material over the internet those of which included victims under the age of 12 There is a detention hearing set for May 5 with the United States District Judge Trader is currently in custody of the United States Marshall (WKBW) — The SPCA Serving Erie County announced that a total of 22 dogs were rescued from "deplorable conditions" inside a Williamsville home and eight additional dogs were brought to the SPCA on Tuesday the dogs appear to be Shih Tzu/Poodle mixes They are expected to be sedated and shaved starting Tuesday any immediate treatments and appropriate medications that may be necessary The dogs have been signed over to the SPCA is receiving assistance from family members and is cooperating with the investigation The SPCA said if you wish to contribute to the ongoing care of these dogs and possibly more, you are encouraged to visit YourSPCA.org/AprilRescue There is no information as to when these animals may be placed up for adoption We followed up and spoke to the SPCA on Wednesday We want to hear what’s going on in your community Share your voice and hear from your neighbors with assistance from the Williamsville Police Department executed an arrest and search warrant in Williamsville The operation involved the use of flashbangs "FBI can confirm that The FBI Springfield Field Office conducted activity based on a federal arrest and search warrant in Williamsville Wednesday morning alongside some local and state partners," said an FBI spokesperson FBI said no additional information can be released at this time WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. (WKBW) — On Tuesday, parents in the Williamsville Central School District learned more about a proposal to push back the start times across all schools the students voiced their support for the change "I appreciate that they approached this solely from a research perspective," Williamsville East High School Senior Samuel Lee said. "They supported their scientific findings. I'm all for it." You can watch our previous report below and read more here While many voiced support for the change regarding start times on Tuesday those against the change expressed their concerns on Wednesday A group of Williamsville North High School students argued that the shift would cause more harm than good They were determined to ensure their voices were heard before the school board cast its vote The group of students strongly oppose the later start time citing the impact it will have on extracurricular activities "What we're going to see is the time is pushed a full hour all those extracurricular activities are going to get pushed," Williamsville North HS Junior Grace Stierheim explained "As a student who is involved in a lot of sports I have a younger sibling and a part-time job and then go to work and still have time for family and friends," Stierheim said "I know there will be things that I have to stop attending because school will be leaving too late," Williamsville North HS Junior Eli Feldstein said Feldstein said he was open to a time change but feels the proposed one-hour shift is excessive "I think a lot more people would be happier if it was only a 45-minute change A lot of people were expecting it to go to 8:30," Feldstein added The new change will accommodate the 6-hour and 50-minute day at the high school level Time will be taken from longer periods and passing times in between classes Williamsville North and Williamsville South will not change period lengths Williamsville East will with a one-minute reduction All of the bell schedules will also be similar across all high schools in the district A major factor behind the proposed time change is high school students needing more sleep "I feel like it might be better to do campaigns promoting sleep hygiene Not having screens and going to bed with no phones around you at all instead of this very intrusive change," Hinklin added The community feedback period remains open until Feb The school board will review the feedback and vote on the matter the changes will take effect in the 2025–26 school year Williamsville got out to a big first quarter lead in the Greenville Sectional Williamsville is in the Class 2A supersectionals for a second year in a row Carson Doran and Blake Shoufler each scored 12 points apiece Friday to lift Williamsville to the Class 2A Greenville Sectional championship the Bullets' second-straight Class 2A boys basketball sectional title who broke an ankle in December of 2023 and missed out playing in Williamsville's run to a fourth-place finish in the Class 2A state tournament a year ago "All that work I put in last summer to get back to this moment but we really worked hard this summer and going into this season We've got one more (win) to go before we get to Champaign." Williamsville finished fourth in the Class 2A state tournament last year the team's then — and current — leading scorer Having a target on the team's back this season has made this run even more memorable so far "We weren't even expected to win the regional semifinals To get to do it with Blake this time is incredible because he didn't get to experience last time." Williamsville's defense had four blocked shots Jackson Sanders had one of those blocked shots to go along with seven points and four rebounds the pressure was off our back and we were able to do our thing More: Chatham Glenwood boys basketball summons another late rally for elusive sectional title Williamsville's defense turned Auburn over seven times in the opening quarter as the Bullets (31-3) raced out to a 12-0 lead after one quarter the first quarter hurt us," Auburn head coach Seth McCoy said we were getting them to do some things we were hoping to do and credit to Williamsville: they're an unbelievable team It's really a bummer that we had to meet each other here." Sanders said his coach stresses winning the first four minutes of every game While Williamsville only had two points through the first four win the first four minutes (and) I thought we did that We know (Auburn is) a great team and they weren't going to roll over." The Trojans got within five points when Jacob Barth scored back-to-back layups in the third but the Bullets controlled the fourth quarter More: Staunton's Ethan Sharp is the SJ-R's athlete of the week The Trojans cut down on turnovers on the second and third quarters with three in the second and just one in the third But Auburn's four turnovers in the final period along with nine made Williamsville free throws Clayton Kessler led Auburn (30-5) with 16 points Contact Ryan Mahan: 788-1546, ryan.mahan@sj-r.com (WICS) — As a part of the Plains girls soccer invite the Cardinals clashed with Williamsville for control of the Sangamo conference with just one conference game remaining on the schedule Pleasant Plains took advantage of the opportunity and delivered a 1-0 win with the only goal coming from Grace Sabatka the Cardinals secure an outright conference title (WKBW) — Morning routines may look a bit different next school year for Williamsville families On Tuesday night, parents learned more about a proposal that is months in the making we told you about the district considering pushing back the start times across all schools with the goal of helping students perform better in the classroom We previously heard from two Williamsville South students and the principal who voiced their support for the change. You can watch our previous report below and read more here This is what a school day would look like for the district: This proposal has sparked plenty of questions and Tuesday night the students voiced their thoughts "I thought they brought up some interesting points," Williamsville East High School Senior Samuel Lee said I would like to mention that I appreciate that they approached this solely from a research perspective I find myself studying late at night until 2 a.m I just don't have enough sleep to function for my test." "I am also supportive of the proposal," Williamsville East High School Senior April Yang said "I think a big concern a lot of my friends had was if the school's start time is later they presented us with research that shows that students get more sleep." there was an hour in between school ending and sports starting that wouldn't change and would start around the same time," Williamsville East High School Senior Tabitha Swiatek said "It just seems like you would get more sleep than just do better in school overall The school board plans to vote on this proposal in February If passed, the new start times would go into effect for the 2025-26 school year during which 16 of its graduating student-athletes signed their letters of intent to continue their journey to the college level We caught up with Lillian Johns and Blake Shoufler to talk about their next steps Easton Blankenship (Kankakee Community College Baseball) Carson Doran (Illinois College Men’s Basketball) Drew Farnsworth (Illinois College Men’s Track and Field) Riley Holliday (Millikin University Volleyball) Lillian Johns (Western Illinois University Women’s Soccer) Kaedyn Locke (Illinois College Women’s Golf) Emillie Mikus (Lewis and Clark Community College Women’s Soccer) Hannah Nation (University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy Women’s Cross Country and Track and Field) Izabel Nowack (Southwestern Illinois College Softball) Brayden Saling (Millikin University Baseball) Blake Shoufler (Illinois College Men’s Basketball) Bryson Trickey (Illinois College Men’s Soccer) Addison Wherley (Carroll University Women’s Swimming) Louisa Wilson (Lewis University Women’s Cross Country and Track and Field) Sawyer Woods (John Wood Community College Men’s Soccer) board members for the Williamsville Central School District voted to reject a proposal to change start times This proposal would have changed for all students in the district starting in September The district said the goal was to help students perform better in the classroom It was a controversial proposal with some parents and students concerned about ride accessibility and even the ability for students to have after-school jobs Peoria Manual raced to a 20-0 lead en route to a 52-29 victory over Williamsville and its first state berth since 2019 in the Class 3A supersectional at the Bank of Springfield Center on Monday The Bullets (31-4) didn't convert their first field goal until Carson Doran's 3 with 5 minutes and 10 seconds left in the second quarter Supersectional preview: Chatham Glenwood, Williamsville advance to boys basketball supersectionals "Words can't even explain it," Richardson said All of the hard work we've been putting in is paying off which took fourth place at last year's 2A state finals summoned its most wins in school history and achieved its first repeat sectional title Senior guard Carson Doran generated 11 points while senior teammate Blake Shoufler had 10 the impact they've had on this community and this program — it's generational," Williamsville coach Nick Beard said "I've got a six-year-old at home who lives for Bullet basketball and these kids are pretty good basketball players but they're better human beings and they're going to be really successful in life." — Williamsville's starters: Blake Shoufler Reid Bodine and Jackson Sanders; Manual's starters: Reginald Postlewaite Williamsville 0 with 3:25 left in first quarter Joshua Humbles leads Rams with four points Dietrich Richardson leads Rams with six points — Carson Doran scores Williamsville's first basket with 5:10 left in second quarter Williamsville 6 with 3:29 left in second quarter Dietrich Richardson and Terrence Paige lead Rams with eight points apiece Dietrich Richardson leads Rams with 14 points AUBURN — It would’ve been understandable to experience déjà vu after the opening quarter of Friday’s Auburn and Williamsville Sangamo Conference boys basketball regular season finale game there were throwbacks to Auburn’s three-point low-scoring win over the Bullets in last month’s Sangamon County Tournament title game: the standing-room only crowd students quick to cheer for a great play or a play gone wrong and The final three quarters at Auburn’s Doglio Gymnasium were anything but that January game at Lincoln Land Community College’s Cass Gym as Bullets 7 in the final Class 2A statewide Associated Press poll Williamsville, with its 27th win set back in 1991 when the Carey McVickers-led Bullets finished fourth in the state tournament The Bullets finished this regular season 27-3 and a perfect 9-0 record in the Sangamo Conference More: Riverton's Allgaier looks ahead to new season as reigning NASCAR Xfinity champ 6 in the final 2A poll) jumped out to a 12-2 lead in the first quarter on the back of eight points from senior Cooper Carter Once Williamsville senior Carson Doran hit a 3-pointer with 30 seconds left “That’s a heavyweight battle right there,” Williamsville coach Nick Beard said (Auburn coach Seth McCoy) does a great job with them We didn’t shoot it well that night — that was well-publicized that’s been talked about a lot — and I told everybody after (the County) game they put too much time in and those were the same shots we got in the County Auburn won the Sangamon County Tournament championship over Williamsville 32-29 on Jan including 13-for-21 from behind the 3-point line (14 of 27 overall from deep) but they’re capable of not (struggling),” McCoy said you get out to those early starts and it’s almost a kiss of death (because) things are going kind of so easy we kind of forced some things and weren’t as patient as we should’ve Brayden Saling said the team was concerned but refused to panic “Coach told us we have to keep our composure and we’ve got to keep attacking,” Saling said and we knew that we were going to get good shots The Bullets got 42 of their points from behind the arc and 10 more at the free-throw line But Williamsville senior Blake Shoufler said the Bullets’ inside threat with Jackson Sanders is good enough to force teams to guard everyone Shoufler and Brayden Saling both finished with 18 points apiece for Williamsville Sanders and Garrett Timm each had eight and Doran finished with six exact shots we got at County,” Shoufler said “We knew that coming in that we can make those shots but we stuck together and once we saw a couple fall Any potential third game would come in the Greenville Sectional finals — that is if Auburn wins the Greenville Regional and a sectional semifinal and Williamsville advances out of the Pittsfield Regional and its own sectional semifinal — on Friday More: Rochester girls basketball realizes potential with another upset for 3A regional title McCoy said his team will be ready with a few new wrinkles the Trojans played their 2-1-2 defense all night Playing a man-to-man or different zone could be in the works if a season series tiebreaker comes to fruition “Hopefully we see them again in two weeks,” McCoy said “We honestly tried not to run a lot of stuff offensively (Friday) I think there are positives to grow from offensively and I think there are still a lot of areas offensively we can get better at.”  Carter Hunley added 13 points for Auburn and pulled down 10 rebounds for a double-double March 16, 2025 by Leave a Comment – With the Wayne boys basketball team leading Williamsville South by nine points at halftime of Saturday’s Class A Far West Regional coach Bill Thomson delivered a few words of encouragement to Richie Miles “I told him to keep shooting and to trust himself,” Thomson said The sophomore guard scored 13 of his 16 points in the third quarter – including 11 in the final 2:35 – as the Eagles held off several late charges by the Billies to secure a 69-61 victory at Rush-Henrietta High School and earn a second consecutive trip to the state semifinals I think that I am going to make two or three more.” Which is exactly what happened with the Williamsville South defense surrounding Wayne standout Cam Blankenberg Miles’ corner three gave Wayne a 42-35 lead with 2:35 left in the third He added two more in the final minute as the Eagles closed out the quarter with a 14-6 run to take a 51-41 advantage into the fourth quarter did just that by scoring  eight points in the fourth quarter Carter Lampke led the Billies (19-6) with 24 points and Noah Redd added 13 Wayne defeated Williamsville South 58-41 in 2024 regional Thomson scouted Williamsville South during its 60-48 victory over Lackawanna in the Section VI crossover game on Tuesday and expected the Billies to go toe-to-toe with his team “We were very well prepared that this could be a very physical game,” Thomson said “We did a good job of finding everybody and trusting each other.” Both teams struggled to find a rhythm during the first half but Wayne eventually opened up a 33-24 lead at the break on the strength of 22 points by Blankenberg The junior scored eight in the first quarter before erupting for 14 in the second He went on a personal 8-0 run over a 1:47 span that included a banked three from the top of the key another 3 at the 1:15 mark and a transition dunk that made it 28-20 with just over a minute remaining “On the court he just has an incredible basketball IQ,” Thomson said “He’s got a 6-6 frame with point-guard skills and ballhandling ability and he never waivers “He is basically our coach on the court during timeouts and between quarters our coaching staff will ask him for insight on what we should be doing based on what he sees out on the floor.” The Eagles move on to play defending state champion Glens Falls (Section II) at 3:15 p.m Saturday at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton 66-49 on Saturday and has won 52 straight games head to Binghamton on a seven-game winning streak “We stuck with it and worked hard this season “It’s unbelievable to go back to the final four and have this opportunity,” added Blankenberg Filed Under: High School, Pine Pieces Copyright © 2025 · Magazine Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in GREENVILLE — The Williamsville boys basketball team summoned the 1-3-1 defense to devastating effect — perhaps not unlike Auburn the previous night The Bullets raced to a 21-0 lead behind a gamut of turnovers and 3s and never eased up in a 57-35 running-clock victory over Staunton in the Class 2A Greenville Sectional semifinal on Wednesday Williamsville (30-3) will vie for its second straight sectional title against fellow Sangamo Conference foe Auburn (30-4) on Friday at 7 p.m The Trojans defeated Pleasant Plains 50-39 on Tuesday "We were getting steals and forcing turnovers," Williamsville senior guard Carson Doran said "That just led to offense and good shots for us." Auburn semifinal result: Auburn boys basketball avenges Pleasant Plains in Class 2A Greenville Sectional win Playoff scores, schedule: High school boys basketball playoff results, schedule for the Springfield area Staunton (28-5) turned the ball over on its first seven possessions and wound up with 12 by the end of the first quarter for a 23-3 deficit Williamsville also converted 11 of its 12 3s in the first half for a 46-14 halftime advantage Doran certainly contributed to the early onslaught not only at the point defensively but he also scored 14 of his game-high 17 points before the break speed them up and lead to points for us on the other end," Doran said of the 1-3-1 Back and better than ever: No. 3 Williamsville boys basketball reloads thanks to reunited group of senior guards Regional champions: What to know about each boys basketball regional champion from the Springfield area Senior guards Blake Shoufler and Brayden Saling delivered 13 and nine points Senior forward Reid Bodine added eight points while junior guard Garrett Timm had two 3s for six points and Saling poured in three 3s apiece in the first half "It started yesterday," Williamsville coach Nick Beard said of the team's hot shooting "We had the best practice of the year and shot the heck out of it in practice I was so confident coming into tonight that we were going to shoot the ball well because guys got in the gym after Friday night (against Quincy Notre Dame) and weren’t content." The Bulldogs were making their first sectional appearance since 2009 Senior Ethan Sharp led Staunton with 14 points and eight rebounds I’ve never coached a kid like that," Staunton coach Ty Laux said of Sharp our kids saw how he played and learn from him "You could not take Ethan Sharp off the floor this year our absolute best player and just shows if you really outwork everybody what kind of impact you can have MASON CITY ILLINI CENTRAL 30: David Bard led the Cougars with 14 points while Brody Folkes had 11 in the Class 1A Brimfield Sectional semifinal loss while Malachi Persinger had 18 for Peoria Christian (WKBW) — There have been mixed reactions over a proposal to rearrange start times for students in the Williamsville Central School District The district wants to start school about an hour later for high school students some parents and students are concerned about ride accessibility and even the ability for students to have after-school jobs We previously spoke to students who were for and against it "What we're going to see is the time is pushed a full hour, all those extracurricular activities are going to get pushed," Williamsville North HS Junior Grace Stierheim explained. You can watch our previous report below and read more here A distinguished panel was hosted on Tuesday night that featured professionals from regional schools that have changed their start times The forum was moderated by Williamsville Central School District Superintendent Dr more than 1,600 submissions have been received by the Williamsville Board of Education Community feedback is being accepted until February 7. Click here to submit feedback Brown-Hall mentioned several pressure points that a majority of respondents have raised the increased need for the cost of childcare a safety concern for children waiting for buses in the dark disruptions of family routines and work schedules," Dr He also noted the potential benefits of a start time change based on research and data how it has a positive impact on attendance and improve focus and engagement," Dr Gary Snyder is a former principal of Princeton High School in New Jersey He said attendance and tardiness improved after the school pushed its start time to 8:20 a.m good morning,' and having conversations," Dr walking in with their head down and not recognizing the world yet." Larry Wahl of the Webster Central School District in Monroe County said his district shifted start times by more than an hour to 8:45 a.m "Absenteeism did go down in terms of late arrival and there wasn't a significant impact on grades Williamsville North High School junior Savannah Hensley viewed the virtual forum and felt it was one-sided because no students were represented from said school districts She also raised concerns about how New York State's child labor laws could impact students who work after school "When you're pushing back the school day later and pushing back sports as well kids who do sports and work are only able to work a certain amount of hours and that's decreasing the number of hours that they can work and then the money they can make to be able to pay for higher education," Hensley said Hensley wants to know what metrics school leaders plan to use to measure the success of a time shift "We currently have a 95% graduation rate I want to know how much it will be seen as successful?" WILLIAMSVILLE — The Williamsville boys basketball team made its second state finals appearance last season — sans starting point guard Blake Shoufler Shoufler was averaging a team-best 15.9 points and 4 assists per game until his junior season was halted by a broken ankle in December It would be another nine months and uncountable hours of rehabilitation and training until his next game “When you go out with an injury like that,” Shoufler said “it sucks and you can’t go out there and play I tried my best by being the coach and that also played to my advantage when I came back you’re already kind of the coach on the floor Top performers: Blake Shoufler, Carson Doran keep Williamsville unbeaten in Sangamo Impact players: Here are the top breakout performers in boys basketball around Springfield “We’ve had a target on our back all year and we’ve shown that we can handle anything thrown our way,” Shoufler said Shoufler has always been all about basketball with his dad The former Milford High School and Illinois College point guard regularly served as Shoufler’s travel ball coach at B.I.G Shoufler's physical therapy program included visiting a specialist in St Louis every two weeks for the first five months of recovery “Ever since I was born and played basketball,” Shoufler said “I’ve always been in that point guard role and learning from (his father) so he’s kind of passed down those coaching thoughts to me.”  Lincoln basketball clicks: Why Lincoln boys basketball appears stronger than ever ahead of the playoffs 'A true North Side kid': Meet Lanphier’s star forward Shaun Hatchett Jr. Doran has also provided a good measure of respite Shoufler said Doran sometimes steps in at point guard Doran starred in the Sangamon County Tournament championship game and generated a game-high 17 points with five 3-pointers in a 32-29 loss to Auburn I just try to do that to the best of my ability and help the team win,” Doran said Doran transferred from Chatham Glenwood but has been acquainted with Shoufler through B.I.G That travel ball team also included Saling and senior forward Reid Bodine — not to mention Pleasant Plains senior standout Cooper Schallenberg and Maroa-Forsyth senior Mitch Williams Doran said the chemistry was already there “just playing with my boys is a great feeling.”  This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page — The results are in for the Williamsville Community Unit School District #15 Board of Education election Trevor Compardo secured a seat with 598 votes Incumbent Thomas Ray followed with 546 votes (WKBW) — Starting your day at high school before 8 a.m where the district is looking into pushing back the start times across all schools Decklan Coleman and Gianna Burton told me that waking up early enough to get to school by the 7:45 a.m I have to study more with my morning classes South principal Keith Boardman is leading a committee looking into pushing back the start times across the Williamsville district and the elementary schools start between 8:15 a.m When could Williamsville high schools start instead “There are multiple national organizations that say 8:30 a.m You should be starting high schools no earlier than 8:30 a.m.” Boardman said but Boardman told me they’re still researching before making a final recommendation to the school board recommendations will likely come this winter Below you can hear from voices of the community on what they think of the change in start times that is actually the latest your body wants to sleep Teenagers in general have a natural biological rhythm that says they want to stay up later and later,” Dr Amanda Hassinger with UBMD Pediatric Sleep Center said “Those first two periods [of the school day] “My personal opinion is that this is a necessary change,” school board president Crystal Kaczmarek-Bogner said “I think it would give everybody an extra hour of sleep and that can’t be negative,” Decklan said “I think it would be a lot more helpful for us,” Gianna said The Chatham Glenwood boys basketball team just continues to find a way to win It’s been the team’s motto since the beginning of the season and it’s pushing through it and finding a way to win.” It's a motto that has especially resonated with this particular bunch The Titans (23-9) lost their leading scorer for the season with a knee injury at the onset before senior forward Mason Neumann missed significant time due to a couple ankle setbacks ‘Imagine if we had Mason (Marshall),’” senior guard Cam Appenzeller said “It’s terrible that he can’t be with us (on the floor) Appenzeller takes charge: How this star pitching prospect elevated Chatham Glenwood boys basketball to win over Rochester Marshall led the team in scoring the past two seasons, twice reaching The State Journal-Register's all-area team Marshall still soaked up the celebration with his teammates and said it’s not about him but the team everybody working hard every day at practice and every day during the games — everybody's giving it their all,” said Marshall who will play baseball at Lincoln Land Community College Oh Titans: Glenwood rallies to force overtime, beat Central in 3A sectional semifinals shooting 33.6% from long range this season provided the initial spark against Mount Zion with two 3s in the first quarter and credited Marshall for elevating his confidence in the gym over the offseason Neumann subsequently hit two 3s in the second quarter for a 20-16 halftime lead He finished 6 of 13 from the field for a team-high 14 points and five rebounds “Missing him halfway through the season was tough,” Appenzeller said of Neumann’s absence “but he’s been really good for us and he started off the game hot making plays and he kept us in the game along with Kurmann and all the rest of the guys.”  Rejuvenated backcourt: No. 3 Williamsville boys basketball reloads thanks to reunited group of senior guards It was Glenwood’s first sectional title since 2013 and third overall The Titans next meet Troy Triad (29-6) in the Class 3A supersectionals at the Bank of Springfield Center on Monday at 7:30 p.m after the latter knocked off Centralia 28-26 in the Marion Sectional final that’s all I’ve got to say,” Marshall said as his teammates beckoned him over for a photo Senior guard Brayden Saling uncorked 21 points in the second half against Quincy Notre Dame and Williamsville has been on a roll since the 55-33 Class 2A regional final victory Williamsville (31-3) next meets Peoria Manual (21-12) in the Class 2A supersectionals at the Bank of Springfield Center on Monday at 6 p.m  The Rams have won eight straight games with 6-foot-7 senior point guard Dietrich Richardson who committed to Bradley University in October Manual took its revenge on Macomb 65-46 in the sectional semifinals after falling to the Bombers in the same round last year The Rams then earned its first sectional title since 2019 with a 62-49 win over host Sherrard on Friday We didn't get the finish we wanted last season Our goal this year is a state championship."  the Williamsville Central School District’s proposal to alter school start and end times was ultimately not brought to a vote at Tuesday night’s school board meeting which had sparked ongoing controversy among parents and students Many parents and students showed up to voice their concerns and oppose the change “Let’s try not to fix something that isn’t broken.” “This is not a change that is wanted or needed One of the key points raised by parents was the potential negative effect on elementary students particularly concerning their sleep schedules high school students also voiced their worries noting how later start times could interfere with after-school sports and jobs “And ending our school day at 3:40 will push back my athletics...and therefore push back when I can start working.” Darren Brown-Hall responded to the decision acknowledging the significant pushback from the community We always get pushback when we’re trying to affect any type of change But this is the reason why we instituted the comment period so we can hear from our community...Right We are part of a team...We are a Williamsville team.” the Sweet Home Central School District’s school board approved a proposal to adjust start and stop times for the upcoming school year Sweet Home Superintendent Michael Ginestre expressed optimism about the changes “We’re excited about the possibilities and the opportunities this opens for our students,” he said Ginestre explained that the two main factors driving the change were to add an additional 15 minutes of instructional time for students and to address the ongoing school bus driver shortage For the past three and a half years that I’ve been in the district Sweet Home students will see a six-minute earlier start time at the high school where the start time will move from 8:55 a.m aligning it more closely with the high school schedule Ginestre noted the adjustment to middle school schedules was a major shift We’re moving the middle school more in line with the high school So the middle school right now starts at 8:55 Sweet Home has faced pushback from parents Ginestre revealed that he received over 60 emails expressing concern mostly regarding how students in grades 6 through 12 will now ride the bus together He acknowledged that the decision was a tough one and that it would impact everyone in the district but emphasized that the district has been discussing and preparing for this change for over a year and a half “We worked really hard with teachers to prepare for this change,” Ginestre concluded As Sweet Home prepares for the new school year with adjusted start times both districts continue to grapple with the complexities of balancing community feedback WILLIAMSVILLE — Williamsville had jumped out to a 11-0 start behind its shooting and defensive prowess Warrensburg-Latham's 14-0 start was in large part to its scorching-hot offense it was the Bullets who overcame cold shooting as Williamsville won its own Williamsville Holiday Tournament title with a 40-32 win over the Cardinals for the Bullets’ first own tournament title since 2017 The Bullets (12-0) didn’t stop shooting 3-pointers just because they started off 0-for-8 and were trailing 15-4 nearly 11 minutes into the game “We just got to get that lid off (the basket) first and when that first one goes down you gain that confidence,” Williamsville senior Carson Doran said keep attacking the zone and we knew shots were going to fall at some point.”  When senior Brayden Saling, The State Journal-Register's reigning Small School Boys Basketball Player of the Year, splashed in from the corner his first made 3 with 5 minutes it opened the floodgates as he and fellow senior Blake Shoufler drained three in a row combined By the time the second quarter clock ended the Williamsville players were within 19-16 “We knew sometime shots were going to fall and we just (needed to) keep putting them up,” Shoufler said get to the free-throw line and eventually they'll fall Saling and Shoufler tried from even further behind the 3-point line while it may look counterintuitive to many observers he has the utmost confidence in his players’ ability to dial in sooner than later “We've got too good of shooters to talk about shot selection or how far they're back,” Beard said “We felt at halftime that (the first half) was our bad half That's about as bad as we could have played More: Auburn completes dominant run in the 2024 Waverly Holiday Tournament, plus other results The shooting struggles returned in earnest for both teams in the third quarter even though Williamsville was able to take its first lead when Carson Doran and Shoufler started the period on a 5-0 run But the teams were just 6-for-25 shooting combined in the third with Williamsville going three of 14 and 1-for-6 from behind the 3-point arc who missed the holiday event last season through the Bullets’ run to a fourth-place finish in the Class 2A state tournament due to a broken right ankle scored eight of his game-high 17 points in the fourth quarter alone as Williamsville turned a 27-25 deficit into an eight-point win over the final eight minutes Williamsville finished 14 of 41 from the floor “We knew they were going to hit,” Warrensburg-Latham coach Tim Martin said so we've got to be able to weather the storm.’”  it was their defense that kept the home team from facing a larger margin when the shots weren’t falling More: Boys basketball holiday tournament schedule, results for the Springfield area Warrensburg-Latham senior Brayden Hickey scored 11 points for the Cardinals (14-1) No other player had more than seven as the Cards were held to their lowest offensive output this season The Cardinals’ previous lowest score was 51 The team has only failed to reach the 60s just three times “Coach Beard does a great job with his team,” Warrensburg-Latham coach Tim Martin said “The way they hedge any type of ball screen so we had to try and adjust how we did some things there's a reason why a lot of polls are ranking them second in the state and our team's trying to come up and experience environments like this Shoufler said the packed house made the win even more special “It was electric in there; surreal,” Shoufler said during an interview inside the makeshift media room next to the boys locker room normally used by athletic trainer Kurt Turner “It's awesome to get these fans out here and I appreciate every single one of them.” March 14, 2025 by Leave a Comment One school is trying to win back-to-back regional finals The other is making its fourth regional appearance in program history It’s a rematch from 2024 as Wayne and Williamsville South meet at Rush-Henrietta High School in the 2025 NYS Class A Far West Regional WAYNE EAGLES (22-2 / Finger Lakes East / No. 7 NYSSWA)vs.WILLIAMSVILLE SOUTH BILLIES (19-5 / Erie County Interscholastic Conference II / No. 11 NYSSWA) Saturday March 15 How they arrived here: Wayne defeated Midlakes (78-17) Newark (66-53) and Geneva (46-39) to reach the sectional championship The Eagles knocked off top-seeded East in the sectional final 61-55 to advance to the Class A regionals Williamsville South cruised to a 82-45 victory over No The Billies carried that momentum through the sectional playoffs as Williamsville South defeated No The Billies followed up with a 60-48 victory against the A2 champs Lackawanna in the regional qualifier Trends: Wayne enters regionals having won six in a row with three of those victories coming by 30-plus points In this stretch the Eagles have outscored its opponents 394-243.Williamsville South also reaches regionals with six straight victories and five by 10-plus points The Billies have scored 60-plus points in each game during this streak and have held its opponents to 50 or less in the past four outings Williamsville South has outscored teams 262-183 Players to watch for Wayne: Cam Blankenberg Jr History 101: It’s a rematch of the 2024 Far West Regional that Wayne won 58-41 Wayne is making its second state quarterfinal appearance in program history Williamsville South makes it to the regional for the fourth time in program history The Billies sit with a 1-2 record in the Far West Regional with its only win coming in 2016 against Batavia What’s at stake: A spot in the NYS Class A semifinals against either Westhill (III) or Glens Falls (II) March 15, 2025 by Leave a Comment — A 9-0 fourth-quarter run was not enough and the Pittsford Sutherland girls’ basketball team saw its season come to an end Saturday afternoon with a 66-62 loss to Williamsville South in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class A Far West Regional at Buffalo State College The Knights had a 59-55 lead with 4:26 remaining but were outscored 11-2 over the remainder of the contest “It was one of those games where you got over the hump but we just couldn’t sustain it,” said Sutherland head coach Dan Judd “We just couldn’t get that next stop to push it out.” Petra Hunt converted a pair of free throws and next trip down the floor the sophomore guard took a pass from Payton Hamilton and buried a 3-pointer to tie the game at 55 Maddie Littlefield hit a runner in the lane for the Knights’ first lead of the second half Hunt added two more on the next possession to force a timeout from Williamsville South “We were able to get downhill,” Judd said “They were using a lot of resources on Lucy (Bush) and Petra Payton and Taylor (Hamilton) were able to attack.” The loss snapped a nine-game Sutherland (18-7) winning streak “It’s a fantastic group of kids,” Judd said We just couldn’t quite close it today.” Williamsville South (16-9) used a half-court man-to-man defense that extended beyond the 3-point arc to pressure the Sutherland offense Holy Cross commit Kimora Berry marked Bush “I did not predict that she would guard Lucy,” Judd said She had a really good game with a kid going to Holy Cross guarding her.” A Bush 3-pointer followed by a Taylor Hamilton basket gave Sutherland a 26-23 late in the second quarter Jayla Young responded for Williamsville South with a 3-pointer Berry closed the half with a steal and layup for a 30-26 Billies’ lead Williamsville South will play either Ardsley (I) or Johnson City (IV) next weekend in the state semifinals Hunt hit three 3-pointers and led Sutherland with 23 points Filed Under: Pine Pieces Moor Pat General Manager Jack McAuliffe discusses the taproom's rotating selection of craft beer The recent closing of 12 Gates Brewing outside Williamsville is the latest sign that business conditions have changed for craft breweries in the region those who want proof that craft beer joints still sit on solid ground need look no farther than Williamsville Irishman and Sorrentino’s may come to mind but five others tilt even more beer forward RationAles is one of five newer beer-forward taprooms that are located within a half-mile of each other in Williamsville RationAles and Steelbound Brewery & Distillery taproom launched operations within the last three years they have turned the village into a walkable craft beer district who lives in the village and is one of four owners at RationAles “If you want to become known as a destination then having multiple options creates critical mass.” Hannah Prenevau pours an EBC Blueberry Wheat at RationAles in Williamsville wine and spirits almost exclusively made in New York State The district gelled as a decadelong craft beer boom and strong competition within an ever more crowded alcoholic beverage industry – infused with more seltzers cocktails and mocktails – continue to drive change What happened in Williamsville helps explain the transformation and the departure of its brewer for a teaching job in Lockport last summer led One-Eyed Cat owners Jay Woodworth and Brandon Farrell to stop making beer in their nanobrewery They were already selling drafts from other breweries when they shared an idea with those in the industry about doing so on all 14 taps Industry trends were part of the reason that One-Eyed Cat owners Jay Woodworth and Brandon Farrell stopped making beer in their nanobrewery and began offering beverages made throughout New York State ‘Do you want to order beer from us?’ ” Woodworth said spirits and other beverages made elsewhere across New York State The decision followed the spring launch two years ago of RationAles who all have brewing and restaurant experience They instead chose to buy a property on the main village drag and sell beer wine and spirits – almost exclusively made in New York State – at a far smaller up-front investment Such taprooms represent the only segment of the craft beer industry that has grown in sales volume since 2022 “I felt the beer was getting better overall in the craft beer industry and that there was going to be a lot more competition,” said Nau a former Ellicottville Brewing Company brewer who once ran an EBC taproom in Fredonia Nau saw how craft beer reshaped Ellicottville and East Aurora business districts He saw Williamsville in similar terms with the arrival last November of a Steelbound taproom The beer-forward purveyors said the smaller size of their operations and locations – all of them along or within a half-block of Main Street – make them more nimble and visible than 12 Gates which picked a remote corner of a commercial park off Wehrle Drive when they opened in 2015 with hopes to sell lots of beer to bars “We were too big to be small and too small to be big” as the craft beer climate changed Woodworth and Nau said their strategies allow them to offer a rotating variety of popular beers that surprise customers especially those familiar with trending and popular breweries and styles across the state Moor Pat took a different tack from the start It opened when owners Mike Shatzel and Peter Braun were traveling extensively to find the hottest beers in the world and bring them into Buffalo Road trips included Other Half in New York City which built an empire atop dry hopped hazy IPAs that pack rich citrus flavors into craft beer’s most popular style Moor Pat and other bars and restaurants the duo operate across the region continue to serve as havens for beer geeks “The biggest thing that we’ve been kind of moving toward is variety making sure we have every style and a cheaper beer,” McAuliffe said “We have Utica Club in a 16-ounce can for $4 so if your buddy’s not a craft beer drinker prepares fish fries and other food at his Williamsville taproom Moor Pat features a limited menu but fills bellies with award-winning fries and beer-brined chicken wings One-Eyed Cat has always offered award-winning Pork Bellies BBQ on its pub menu who also owns the Creekview Restaurant next door Oliver’s in North Buffalo and Ladybird Deli + Bakery in Hamburg and we didn’t want to do distribution,” Schutte said Breweries that emphasize production now compete heavily off premises for tap space Britesmith sells so much beer in his restaurants that Schutte and his culinary director plan to open a second brewery in May on Niagara Street in Buffalo who has lived across upstate New York and other parts of the U.S “There is the ability to do a craft beer bar without any food “but Buffalo comes to expect good food with their craft beer.” The outdoor patio at Moor Pat in Williamsville is a great place for a brew and talk Britesmith Brewing, 5609-11 Main St Now the only craft brewery in the village proper it opened in March 2020 on the site of a historic blacksmith shop The creek-side outdoor beer garden hums with chatter Moor Pat, 78 E This “Tap Room” spelled backward has the sound and vibe of a cozy European brewpub a wheat beer tempered with citrus and bitter orange notes always sits on the first tap of its 20-line draft system A pilsner almost always flows through tap 11 IPAs and more claim the other 18 in a spot that prides itself on its offerings “We’re not a brewing company,” owners say on their website also creates signature cocktails for the taproom which has a state farm brewing license that allows it to sell craft beer spirits and other alcoholic beverages made in New York One-Eyed Cat Brewing, 5893 Main St cider and Bootleg Bucha rotate regularly on draft sours “and a good variety of other stuff” are always on Belt Line and other regional favorites are common along with Strangebird from Rochester and others in the Finger Lakes mocktails and Pepsi products are available along with pub fare and award-winning barbecue served in a setting focused on music and conversation RationAles, 5444 Main St Erik Coleman and Wes Froebel opened this taproom and restaurant in March 2023 It serves state-made alcoholic beverages almost exclusively but is considering adding favorites from nearby states is a regular staple on the 20-tap draft system as well as something from Big Inlet Brewing in Mayville Relationships built by the owners across the Buffalo Rochester and Finger Lakes regions make for an interesting mix in a spacious indoor-outdoor location able to host special events Steelbound Brewery & Distillery taproom, 5191 Main St The latest taproom for this growing Ellicottville-based brewing and distilling enterprise took over the former Hooked restaurant site last November in the Mosey Hotel Craft beers and distilled spirits bearing the brand name dominate the beverage list The mothership opened in 2018 and principal owner William Bursee and four partners have proposed a $10 million Steelbound Hotel and Conference Center on that site at routes 219 and 242 They have taprooms in Springville and Dunkirk and are considering others out of state Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Jillian Lenhard explains her concerns about the proposed changes to school-start times in the district to the Williamsville School Board on Tuesday A district committee spent more than a year reviewing whether to change start times for Williamsville schools members released their recommendations to begin high school later and to move the start of middle and elementary school earlier District officials touted the benefits to older students and cited research showing teens do better when they get more sleep high schoolers would start nearly an hour later while middle and elementary school students would begin more than half an hour earlier After weeks of pushback from a vocal segment of the Williamsville community the School Board on Tuesday rejected the start-time changes without bringing the proposal to a formal vote “This is a solution in search of a problem,” Board Member Mark Manna said The plan ran into fierce opposition on several fronts Parents of elementary students said the proposal to move their school day an hour earlier would unfairly burden the district’s youngest learners and their families High school students and parents said pushing their day later would hurt students who have after-school clubs They said teens need more sleep but starting school later isn’t a panacea and an opponent of the school-start times changes listens to another speaker criticize the proposal at Tuesday's Williamsville School Board meeting Other critics said the introduction of the proposed changes was rushed and lacked transparency They urged the board to listen to the community spurn the time changes and focus on what they considered more important priorities This is not a change that is wanted or needed and you need to put it to bed,” said Dana Hensley including two high schoolers who joined her in speaking out against the proposal Williamsville set up a committee in fall 2023 that reviewed the available starting-time research gathered feedback from focus groups and attended a national conference on the topic Research has shown teens who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to miss class struggle to concentrate or perform poorly in school The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends teens get between eight and 10 hours per night Final recommendations are to be sent to the School Board in December with board members expected to approve a final plan in February There are numerous reasons why teens don’t get enough sleep such as smartphones and demands on their time But experts say start times are one factor within the control of school administrators That’s why groups including the American Medical Association support starting the day at 8:30 a.m Some local districts have changed school start times while others have considered making a change but decided not to act led by Williamsville South High School Principal Keith Boardman say the research guided their recommendations which they made public at January’s School Board meeting Principal Keith Boardman talks about some of the benefits of a later start for high school students The committee proposed the district start the school day at its three high schools The district’s six elementary schools operate on different timelines Transportation requirements are the reason school starting times are staggered now and why they would need to remain staggered under the proposed restructuring A student gets off a bus outside Williamsville South High School in January A district committee recommended starting school later for high school students citing research that shows teens benefit from getting more sleep School Board members asked how the time changes would affect high school students with after-school activities and raised concerns about elementary students waiting for the bus in early-morning darkness Members of the district committee said students families and school employees would adjust and pointed to other districts that had successfully made the switch However, the proposal drew growing criticism, and a virtual forum held earlier this month didn’t placate opponents of the plan Board members said more than 1,600 people left comments about the start-time proposal on the district website is shown on a screen at the Williamsville School Board meeting Tuesday night expressing her opposition to the board to the school start-time changes proposed in the district phone calls and in-person reactions at the grocery store or other venues with Board Member Scott Bulan calling it the most controversial topic of his tenure every one of the dozen speakers urged the board to reject the start-time recommendations Their remarks were greeted with applause from the audience “This initiative will not be adding an hour to the day for students to increase their sleep Students will stay up late on their phones Students will still sleep in and be tardy,” but what would change is the time they have after school for sports Several speakers said the Maryvale School District a Williamsville parent and Maryvale special education teacher said the same students who were late when school started at 7:30 a.m O’Brien also said Maryvale High School saw lower participation in after-school activities and saw athletes forced to miss class to compete against teams from districts with earlier schedules “When my district implemented a later start time negative consequences that we try to fix every year Several School Board members said they accept the research touting the benefits of more sleep for teens district officials and even the board failed the community in how the proposal was crafted and presented without stakeholder buy-in “It’s embarrassing to me because of how this was done,” Board Member Michael Buscaglia said The Williamsville School District has weighed a plan to have high school students start their day at 8:50 a.m Superintendent Darren Brown-Hall on Tuesday took responsibility for any concerns members had with the process But he said it stemmed from a request from some parents and students for later starting times for the high schools and his goal was to make sure the board had the information they needed to make the right choice to realize what missteps we made and how to do it better,” Brown-Hall said School Board President Crystal Kaczmarek-Bogner suggested sending the recommendations to a committee to obtain more details about scheduling for sports after-school activities and transportation This would delay any introduction of the changes from September to the 2026-27 school year at the earliest But most of the board members said they wanted to assure the district community the idea would not return anytime soon A motion to accept the proposal died when it failed to gain a second “We have to do it right,” Vice President Maureen Poulin said Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox Email notifications are only sent once a day students in the Maryvale school district will have the opportunity to take college courses from elite universities … (WICS) — Despite the snow Friday night brought plenty of quality high school basketball action across Central Illinois We were able to get four games on the night starting with Williamsville who remained undefeated after beating a tough West Hancock team Eisenhower had to go on the road where they took down Rochester 70-57 Heading east both Tolono Unity and Warrensburg-Latham grabbed wins on the road Other scores: Jacksonville W by forfeit v Lanphier The Williamsville-Sherman School District is mourning the sudden death of a seventh grader from Williamsville Junior High School Superintendent Tip Reedy posting on the school district's Facebook page asking for prayers for the boy and his family There will be grief counselors for students at school The district is encouraging parents to have a discussion with their children about the situation (WICS) — Williamsville High School has canceled the remainder of the 2024-2025 junior varsity girls' basketball season they said the main factor behind this decision focused on the current number of healthy players within the high school girls basketball program Blake Shoufler was just a guy in street clothes and a knee brace at the end of the Williamsville bench Shoufler casually talked with a recruiter from Illinois College after helping his Bullets team to a 46-41 win over Pleasant Plains patiently waiting for his turn to talk to the senior guard while other Bullets fans gazed on admiringly Top performers: Drew Hayes triggers key run in Lincoln boys hoops win over Chatham Glenwood the good life he’d always enjoyed as an athlete is back after a trying several months rehabilitating from the injury that ruined his junior year “It’s just so nice to be on the floor and contribute again,” said Shoufler who didn’t have as good a shooting night as normal but still finished with 12 points for the Bullets (23-1 5-0) in a Sangamo Conference matchup with Pleasant Plains but I think I worked hard to get better and I feel great.” who seems to be involved in every play at both ends six assists and three rebounds a game for a Bullets team that will be dangerous in the postseason He has re-established himself as a top player in the conference after an injury that had about an eight-month rehab timetable but he was a great teammate,” Williamsville coach Nick Beard said “He was almost a second coach for us on the bench and he relishes every opportunity he has to come out and put the uniform on While this was a competitive game throughout Williamsville pretty much always had a four- to six-point lead and where Pleasant Plains (14-10 didn’t convert enough of their open-look shots developed from their usual good ball movement A 1-3-1 trap defense early on seemed to stifle the Cardinals 2 state-ranked Williamsville built first-half leads into the double digits Pleasant Plains had chances to get even at the end but just couldn’t finish enough of their chances “I was proud of the way we played in the second half in a tough environment here,” Cardinals coach Kyle Weber said but we’ve just got to be a little better on each possession We need to cash in more on our opportunities.” Brayden Saling led the Bullets with 15 points while Reid Bodine added eight and Garrett Tim added five Senior Cooper Schallenberg led the Cardinals with 17 points who has been at the Bullets helm since 2013 likes how his team has competed throughout the season and we’ve got three or four guys who can lead us in scoring,” Beard said We shared the basketball and our defense created some opportunities for us.” Adrian Dater is a freelance writer for The State Journal-Register He can be reached through the sports department at sports@sj-r.com WILLIAMSVILLE — The gym at Williamsville High School complete with a scoreboard that can show high-definition video But Friday night’s boys basketball game between the host Bullets and visiting Riverton had as great an old-school buttered popcorn wafted through the gym from the concession stand while cheerleading squads from both schools entertained a standing-room-only crowd mixed among some who might have been students here when Jack Kennedy was President Fans from both sides had plenty to shout about but it was Williamsville that prevailed in the end over the Hawks in a Sangamo Conference showdown The Bullets improved to 18-1 on the season and bounced back after suffering their first loss last week against Auburn in the Sangamon County Tournament championship while the Bullets held on at the final buzzer intercepting an inbounds pass under their own basket with 2.2 seconds left to end it Williamsville had leads of 18-8 and 20-10 in the first half but the Hawks stubbornly persisted and nearly pulled out a win because they’re just going to keep bringing it we got some free throws at the end and got some stops More: Auburn boys basketball nicks Williamsville for second straight Sangamon County title Bullets coach Nick Beard wasn’t at all thrilled at how his team played in the second half But he was happy at beating a team that came in with a 16-2 record and getting its second straight win after suffering that first loss last week They’re really physical defensively and took us out of a lot of what we wanted to do We had a chance to kind of put the hammer on them But we played well enough to win,” Beard said Beard made a very smart decision by not calling a timeout with the 2.2 seconds left right after the Bullets threw away an inbounds pass If Beard had called a timeout to devise a defensive play that would have given Riverton time to draw up a play of their own Williamsville put heavy pressure on the inbounds pass and intercepted it around the top of the key “We tried to throw a read on the ball real fast We just bodied them up and made the right play.” More: Beardstown forces out Elliott Craig as football coach, will remain as AD, teacher Carson Doran added eight points for the Bullets while Brayden Saling added six and Jackson Sanders had three whose injury in December of his junior year put a major crimp in Williamsville’s state title hopes (the Bullets still finished fourth in the state) said his team isn’t getting big-headed despite a gaudy record so every single day we know we’re going to get teams’ best shot,” Shoufler said “Every game is going to be the other team’s biggest game of the season Said Beard: “We lost to a good Auburn team Every night in this conference is going to be a battle Riverton coach Matt Mead said the Hawks will move forward after nearly knocking off the Associated Press' Class 2A third-ranked Bullets New research suggests that teenagers who get more sleep are better at coping with change and stress California was the first state in the nation to require school to start no earlier than 8:30 a.m A similar law goes into effect in Florida in 2026 the largest suburban school district in Western New York with 9,500 students A district committee including administrators and teachers last year looked at research on the health and academic impacts for students “I think we all know that mental health issues for students has been a massive issue And I think we’re all recognizing that we need to do everything we possibly can to help our students succeed,” Williamsville South High School Principal Keith Boardman said Boardman was tasked with leading the initiative we are slow to react on what we know the research says is in the best interest of kids,” Superintendent Darren J “We know that the research says that starting later Children between 13 and 18 should be sleeping eight to 10 hours a night according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine Adolescents’ circadian rhythms are affected by puberty with most having a later sleep onset and wake time according to the American Academy of Pediatrics In addition to lack of sleep affecting health and academics youths also have a greater risk of car crashes related to insufficient sleep Studies have shown that students who sleep longer have improved moods and better mental and physical health Williamsville’s three high schools start at 7:45 a.m. Elementary school start times vary from 8:15 a.m Boardman said the committee researching the issue went in without preconceived notions and came out convinced that changing the start times is the right thing to do as I started digging into the research,” Boardman said The committee also looked at the effects the changes might have on transportation Brown-Hall said the district administrators made their minds up that a change has to occur Williamsville Schools Superintendent Darren J Brown-Hall said research shows starting school later benefits teenagers “What that change looks like is not what’s been made up and that’s why we are holding the focus groups That’s why we’re getting input from students When the district asked for volunteers to serve on focus groups this fall Buffalo Public Schools changed start times last year in an effort to address the bus driver shortage Experienced school board members and those endorsed by district teachers unions carried the day in several competitive districts Some newcomers may have jumped in the race this year because there are fewer incumbents running high schoolers would start nearly an hour later while middle and elementary school students would begin more t… The Williamsville School Board on Tuesday night rejected a district committee's recommendation to start classes later at Williamsville high sc… (WKBW) — A Williamsville man was arraigned in Amherst Town Court Tuesday and charged with one count of third-degree grand larceny The Erie County District Attorney's Office said that between September 27 and October 4 Berry allegedly stole about $5,000 in donations from an online fundraiser supporting Hurricane Helene relief efforts According to the district attorney's office the 35-year-old transferred money from the PayPal account for personal expenses Back in October, we met with Berry as he was collecting donations and emergency supplies He was set to haul a trailer filled with the donated goods to the impacted area Berry faces a maximum sentence of seven years in prison and is set to return for a felony hearing on February 26 The Williamsville East boys hockey team stood strong early in Saturday’s state semifinals a couple mistakes cost the Flames against one of the strongest programs in New York Williamsville East coaches and players look on against Williamsville North on Feb The Flames' season ended Saturday in the Division II state semifinals The Flames (18-4-2-1) surrendered four second-period goals on their way to a 4-2 loss Saturday morning at the LECOM Harborcenter Skaneateles (22-2) advances to Sunday’s finals with a chance to win a third straight Division II championship while Williamsville East fell despite holding a 45-21 shot advantage for the game The Flames controlled play early against the two-time defending Section II champions but couldn’t beat senior Danny Angelina who stopped 10 Williamsville East shots to keep the game scoreless after one period taking away most every scoring chance Skaneateles had in front of the net and blocking at least as many scoring chances as got through We were a little worn out,” Flames coach Mike Torrillo said Senior Flames goalie Jacob Sexton stopped seven first-period shots but the first shot of the second period is one he’d like to have back Senior Lakers forward Tyler Calkins took a shot from the left faceoff circle that Sexton got a piece of but the puck trickled past him and into the net two minutes in Any hopes of a comeback were doused moments later when a three-goal surge in three minutes gave the Lakers a 4-0 lead and that led to that second goal,” Torrillo said “We can’t leave Jake hanging out to dry like that.” Nathan Sucher managed to break the shutout for the Flames in the period’s final four minutes He took a Jacob Pullen pass between the faceoff circles and beat Angelina to make the score 4-1 after two minutes The Flames only scored once despite managing 17 shots in the second period Williamsville East forward Brody MacDonell celebrates his goal against Williamsville North on Feb MacDonell scored Saturday against Skaneateles in a 4-2 loss Brody MacDonell’s eighth goal of the season halfway through the third period gave the Flames a glimmer of hope in the game’s final minutes he took a Gavin Ryan pass and beat Angelina high to make the score 4-2 Angelina hasn’t allowed more than two goals in a game all season and he closed the door from there to maintain that streak “It would have been nice to get that third one “We got a lot of pressure there at the end The loss didn’t do much to diminish Torrillo's feelings about his team If you’re somewhat aware of locally-made craft beer, then you’re probably familiar with Steelbound Brewery & Distillery Steelbound beers like the QB1-referencing Allentown IPA can be found all over Western New York But Steelbound is more than just another local brewery churning out Bills-themed suds. The company is increasingly getting critical praise for its distilling, and the Indian-American food in its taprooms offers beer pairings you just can’t find anywhere else in Western New York. The new location on Main Street in Williamsville prominently features both Steelbound’s award-winning spirits Steelbound’s director of sales and marketing says the approachable yet upscale vibe on Main Street in Williamsville makes it a perfect match for the new Steelbound location The current other locations in Western New York are in Ellicottville “We wanted to be close to our crowd in Buffalo,” Navi says “Main Street in Williamsville is poppin’ and it’s such a great location It’s going to be a place where a lot of people come for networking and events.” Steelbounds’s distillery is currently riding high on a number of recent awards The distillery’s bourbon won Best of the Best award at the 2024 Los Angeles Invitational Wine & Spirits Challenge for its smoky and “savory tea” flavors Steelbound’s reposado tequila won a bronze medal at the 2021 Great American International Spirits Competition “We’re an upscale brand available for a reasonable price,” Navi says “Most of our whiskies and bourbons are $25 to $30 a bottle and they compete with other bottles that are $60 you’re getting better value from us than anywhere else.” the signature Steelbound cocktail is the Blueballs Remedy ($12) There’s also classics like the Bees Knees ($12) In addition to those accolades for its spirits Steelbound also collected some awards at the most recent National Buffalo Wing Festival The Indian Sweet Chili and Garlic sauce developed at the Dunkirk location won second place in the Best Creative Sweet Wing Sauce category Steelbound also won Top Three finishes in the Dry Rub and Sriracha wing sauce categories Those award-winning wings are available at the new Williamsville location They headline an Indian-America fusion menu developed by Chef Ohm the head chef at Steelbound’s Dunkirk location One menu highlight is the gunpowder scallops ($18) which is a vegetarian dish of Indian lentils cooked in a house made curry ($16) There’s also a breakfast menu available that’s meant to cater to guests from nearby hotels It includes classics like build-your-own omelet ($14) lox bagel ($17) and a breakfast sandwich ($14) Navi talked about raising the visibility of Steelbound’s spirits and how that can be difficult inside New York’s Kafka-esque distribution system He has hoped that the new Williamsville location would spur interest and help bring some great spirits to the public “The new restaurant is a great place to hang out drink and eat some amazing wings,” he says “But it’s also a place where people can get to know our distillery.” Hours at the time of publishing (subject to change): Monday to Thursday 6:30 p.m Want to share info or news with us? 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