NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y.- The Niagara County Department of Health (NCDOH) received confirmation today from the NYSDOH Wadsworth Rabies Laboratory that a raccoon submitted for testing yesterday was rabid. The raccoon had contact with a dog on 20th Street in the City of Niagara Falls and was subsequently captured by a wildlife rehabilitator and euthanized. This is the first rabid ground animal confirmed in the County this year. Previously, only three bats were confirmed as rabid in 2011. Confirmation of rabies in a wild animal in the City of Niagara Falls is unusual. However rare, rabid animals have occasionally been identified within the city over the years since the rabies prevention program began in the county .

This year the Niagara Falls Memorial day parade will be held: Saturday May 28,2011. The Parade will assemble 10am at the city market (19th Street and Pine Avenue)

The parade will step off 11am sharp and will proceed east up Pine Avenue towards Hyde Park Blvd. The parade will end Hyde Park Grounds) at Pine Avenue and Robbins Drive.

A Veterans Ceremony will be held immediately at the parade end on the site of the new Veterans Memorial to be constructed. A full status report of phase 1 of the Veterans Memorial will announced. Application for active duty, retired, reserve, veterans who are serving or have served in the US Military will be available.  For more information you may email  mrimmen@sysr.com or  nfvmc1@gmail.com

To commemorate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day last April, The Princeton Review, in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council, published a comprehensive guidebook focused on institutions of higher education who demonstrated an above average commitment to sustainability in terms of campus infrastructure, activities and initiatives.

From the Buffalo-Niagara region, only Niagara University was included on that list of the country's most environmentally responsible colleges.

One year later, Niagara is making preparations to celebrate that distinction and, more importantly, inspire awareness for the Earth's natural environment by presenting over 20 eco-friendly exhibitions as part of Earth Day 2011.