The Buffalo Fire Department needed extra crews to battle multiple early morning vacant house fires Wednesday. As YNN’s Ryan Burgess tells us, several neighbors say these fires were preventable.

That's Stevie. (Photo Credit: ESPN)

If you weren’t aware already, Bills wide receiver Stevie Johnson is freaking awesome.

And I’m not just saying that because Johnson is one the league’s brightest young stars. It’s because he just genuinely seems like an awesome guy in real life. Example: Johnson decided to take in Buffalo’s uniform unveiling last week…as a fan. Since he’s locked out as a player, Johnson simply bought a ticket and watched from the stands. As fans recognized him, he mingled and signed autographs. Awesome.

Johnson’s a unique character, and one aspect of that is that he dresses in a unique way – as evidenced by the photo to your right and the video below.

 Johnson swung by the ESPN Offices today to talk fashion and some other topics. This is definitely an interview worth watching. Johnson hits on a number of topics, including his big drop against Pittsburgh, if he thinks he can improve in 2011, Ryan Fitzpatrick , the time he got made fun of on ESPN for wearing a “wife-beater” tank top to a press conference, Buffalo’s new uniforms, and his own sense of fashion.

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A plan for a new attraction on the waterfront is running into issues. As YNN’s Kaitlyn Lionti reports, a tenant-owner situation with the Naval and Military park and the city of Buffalo is holding up the plans.

Bernice Radle, chair of Young Citizens for ECC, today made her case to shift the college's allied health programs to downtown Buffalo directly to the ECC Board of Trustees. The young professionals advocacy group, formed in April in response to ECC's plan to build a $30 million Health Sciences Center for Excellence in Amherst, is keeping the heat on high.

Radle's pitch to the Board of Trustees comes after her group's successful effort to convince members of Western New York's state delegation to support a change in ECC's plans. Young Citizens for ECC points to the college's 2007 proposal, which would have consolidated ECC's allied health programs to its City Campus, as an inspiration for shifting gears on the $30 million project.

Bringing ECC's Health Sciences Center for Excellence to the transit-accessible City Campus, rather than its "isolated" suburban campus, says Radle, couldn't be better timed alongside the growth of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. Here's a transcript of Radle's remarks:

Hello, my name is Bernice Radle. I am here to speak on behalf of Young Citizens for ECC, an organization of young professionals dedicated to the future of Erie Community College. It is in the true spirit of collaboration that I address you today on behalf of my colleagues.

I am here today to suggest a proposal, but not one that is original to Young Citizens for ECC. In 2007 the ECC Board of Trustees put forward a plan to relocate the college's allied health programs to the City Campus.

The 2007 plan was the right plan.

The 2007 plan is even more relevant today than it was four years ago. Since then more than 3,000 new jobs have been created at the medical campus with another 2,000 are on the way. If ECC is to become more competitive, it must become a direct participant in the development of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

ECC was the first to embrace this approach before setting it aside. In fact, ECC's 2007 plan to relocate its allied health programs to the City Campus was introduced long before the UB Medical School and Health Sciences Charter School were slated to move downtown. It was ECC in 2007 that introduced a progressive, forward-thinking plan to link students directly to the job, internship, and networking opportunities of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

We believe it is time to pick back up that banner, and do what's right for the region and our young people.

A plaque in the office of County Executive Chris Collins reads, "In God we trust, all others bring data." In that spirit we offer the following datum points to support ECC's original 2007 plan to bring its allied health programs to the City Campus:

    * ECC's mission statement suggests the college "strives toward a future where education is accessible and convenient to all." The City Campus is the most convenient and accessible campus in Western New York by car or by transit, with direct linkages to the Metro Rail, 35 bus routes, three major highways, an intercity bus hub, and 32,730 parking spaces. While the City Campus is more accessible to Southtowns motorists than the North Campus is, transit access at the City Campus is an especially important consideration for City of Buffalo households, 31.4% of which do not have access to an automobile. The place to build is the City Campus.

    * ECC is under-prepared for the huge demographic shift represented by the Millennial generation, the cohort born between 1986 and 1995. RCLCo, a leading real estate market research firm, recently conducted a national survey revealing a staggering 88% of the people of this generation prefers to work and live in urban environments. This makes the Millennials the most urban generation since at least before World War II. To remain competitive ECC must prepare for this major generational shift. The place to build is the City Campus.

    * The Brookings Institute reports the City of Buffalo is falling behind regional gains in associates degree attainment, with a share of the City population with associates degrees at 8.4% in 2009 compared to an MSA share of 10.7%. Young Citizens for ECC would like to inspire the Board of Trustees to bridge this gap in associates degree attainment by investing where the need is the greatest - at its City Campus. If this gap were bridged, and the City's associates degree attainment achieved parity with that of the MSA, the return on investment would be staggering. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the annual median earnings in 2009 for an associate degree holder is $7,020 more than for a high school graduate. Increasing the City's share of associates degree holders from 8.4% to 10.7%, therefore, would result in an additional $28,606,500 in new income being generated in Buffalo every year. The place to build is the City Campus.

    * The American Association of Community Colleges reports more than 50% of all health sciences workers in the United States receive their training at community colleges. The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus is and will continue to be the source of the vast majority of the region's new health sciences jobs. Does it continue to make sense to locate most nursing spots and all dental hygiene, dental assisting, health information technology, medical office assistant, ophthalmic dispensing, respiratory care, dietetic technology, and bio-manufacturing spots at ECC's North Campus rather than at the doorstep of this growth engine in downtown Buffalo? Keeping ECC's allied health programs in Amherst does not help grow the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. The place to build is the City Campus.

Establishing a stronger relationship between ECC and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus will be vital to making the region's health sciences sector more competitive while ensuring an equal sharing of its blessings. To increase access to a quality education, bridge the degree attainment gap, and prepare the region's young people for the jobs of tomorrow, ECC must refocus its allied health programs to its transit-friendly City Campus, not at its car-dependent location miles away from job and internship linkages.

This opportunity must be seized. We believe refocusing ECC's proposed $30 million Health Sciences Center for Excellence to downtown Buffalo can generate the buy-in and consensus needed to move this project forward. ECC's 2007 plan is the most realistic, achievable, and inspiring. It can be done, and we'd glad to support it.

Young Citizens for ECC believes the potential of the City Campus to re-brand the college and attract top talent is vast and largely untapped. People want to be back in urban settings. The momentum is moving cityward. Let's get it right. The place to build is the City Campus.

President Obama addresses the nation on the federal budget and a number of other issues. He says his focus is getting people back to work and strengthening the economy. Our Erin Connolly has more.

Listen to Brad Riter live on weekdays from 3-6 p.m.
You can purchase tickets for tomorrow’s Team Gary Bisons Benefit Bash here.

Hour One: Brad talks about what the Sabres’ affiliation with the Amerks means to the Rochester fan base and wonders why anyone would buy MySpace for $35 million. Nick Mendola also sticks around to promote FC Buffalo‘s match against the Bedlington Terriers tonight at All-High Stadium.
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6/29/11 Brad Riter Hour One

Hour Two: Brad is joined in studio by WNYMedia.net’s Chris Smith to discuss the marriage equality bill and a column in Buffalo Business First that defends Carl Paladino. New York State Senator Mark Grisanti also calls in to talk about his decision to vote in favor of same-sex marriage, the new legislation regarding UB 2020 and the other things accomplished during the legislative session.

Download audio file (062911br02.mp3)
6/29/11 Brad Riter Hour Two

Brad and Chris with Sen. Mark Grisanti
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Mark Grisanti 6/29/11

Hour Three: Buffalo Police Officer Gary Sengbusch and his family join Brad in studio to talk about his recovery and a benefit the Bisons are hosting tomorrow night. Tickets are available here.
Download audio file (062911br03.mp3)
6/29/11 Brad Riter Hour Three

A Wyoming County community is undergoing major revitalization in its downtown. As YNN’s Kate McGowan explains, the reconstruction is an effort to draw visitors in.

Sabres GM has $15 million available for shopping spree when free agency begins Friday.

The Buffalo Common Council’s Committee on Education took up the issue of school attendance Wednesday.

SUNY schools across the state are about to become a little bit pricier. State officials passed a bill that allows annual tuition hikes. Our Rachael Paradis has more.

Staff and volunteers at Kenmore Mercy Hospital paid tribute Wednesday to veterans and those currently serving in the Armed Forces. They held an early 4th of July celebration, and paused for a moment of silence outside.

According to State Police, 71-year-old Charles Ricotta was charged with driving on the shoulder of the road. Trooper Kevin Dobson died on March 26 when he was struck by Ricotta’s pickup truck during a traffic stop on the eastbound side of Interstate 290.

A ban on the sale of spray paint to minors and fines against parents are among changes that city lawmakers are considering after vandalism at Buffalo's Olmsted parks.

Buffalo police were called to the foot of Porter Avenue Wednesday afternoon for a call of a body in the water. YNN’s Meg Rossman joins us now with the latest on the recovery, and what witnesses had to say.

Visit Buffalo Niagara and Convention Center officials unveiled the new and improved area on its Court Street Plaza.