ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and Senator Patrick M. Gallivan joined together today in Orchard Park to sign legislation to strengthen the state’s law against texting while driving.

The bill, co-sponsored by Senator Gallivan (R,C,I-59th District), gives law enforcement the authority to pull over a motorist who is text messaging, e-mailing, transmitting images, or playing games while driving -- making it a primary traffic offense. Previous statute considered texting while driving a secondary offense, meaning police could only stop a texting driver if they had committed an additional infraction like speeding or failing to stop at a traffic signal.

“Today is about one thing – saving lives,” said Gallivan. “We have seen far too many tragedies caused by driving distracted to sit idly by any longer.

In keeping with the mission statement of community support, American Repertory Theater of Western New York has created a website and Facebook Page dedicated to opening up online forums to discuss issues facing WNY Artists. This new Website Public Forum page is entitled "The Voices of Western New York Artists."

These public forums are designed for all members of WNY Cultural Groups, media, individual artists and anyone with an opinion that faces Artists in Western New York.

Those visiting The Voices of WNY Artists website and the Facebook page are encouraged to post opinions, offer links to blogs & websites, announce upcoming shows and, most importantly, utilize their voices for the sole purposes of creating dialog and being heard.

RUN BY FALLS POWER - Street Cars Operated By New Current - Nov. 19 1896

   The cars of the Buffalo Railway Company began yesterday to move by water-power. The mighty energy of Niagara Falls, harnessed to turbine wheels, and transmitted over copper wires to Buffalo, supplied the force that turned the wheels of traffic and brought nickels to the coffers of the street car company. The success of the transmission of the power was completely and fully demonstrated.

  There has not been at any time since the first dynamo began to revolve at the Falls, any doubt that the energy could be brought successfully to Buffalo. Never-the-less, the experiment was the greatest ever attempted in conveying such a volume of power to such a distance, and cautious people waited until yesterday, when the first practical application of the power in Buffalo was made, before crowing too much over the new force that is to revolutionize business and bring mills and factories and people to the Electric City.