🌱 City Honors Workers Who Died + Employment Rates + Anthony Doerr

Good morning, everybody! It's me, Hannah, and I am finally back with you all! Today I bring all the local news you need to know right now. Including updates on...

• Local employment rates
• BABEL speaker series
• Steady gas prices

But first, today's weather:

A little snow at times. High: 32. Low: 24.

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Here are the top stories today in Buffalo:

1. On Sunday, Mayor Byron Brown honored two local Buffalo workers who passed away recently. Jason Arno, the fireman who died while fighting a four-alarm fire in downtown Buffalo, was one of them. The other is Rhondesia Belton, who passed away in Rochester while working for the city's traffic violations office. (WGRZ 2)
2. Buffalo has taken longer than most of the nation to get back to pre-pandemic employment rates, but is on track to be back at equilibrium this year. A shrinking labor pool, however, with current unemployment rates at only 3.5% and about 13,000 jobs to fill, results in wages continuing to rise and positions continuing to go unfilled. (The Buffalo News)
3. Anthony Doerr, acclaimed author of "All the Light We Cannot See," is speaking at Kleinhan's on Thursday, March 30. He is coming through part of Just Buffalo Literary Center's BABEL series. (Niagara Frontier Publications)
4. Rinaldo R. Pearson, 47, has been arraigned on hit and run charges. The incident was fatal to the 31-year-old pedestrian Pearson allegedly hit while driving under the influence. (WGRZ 2)
5. As national gas prices rise, western New York's remain relatively the same. The local Buffalo average is $3.36 per gallon. (WGRZ 2)

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Today in Buffalo:

• Little Tykes on the Trails! Tifft Nature Preserve, 9:30 AM
• Cinematography! Squeaky Wheel, 6:00 PM
• 90’s Pop Culture Trivia Night Week 2! Hofrbauhaus, 6:00 PM
• Rust Belt Comedy Showcase! Nietzsche's, 9:00 PM

From my notebook:

• Mixed Breed Boy: "Just a lil puppy #blep from #adoptable Mason to start your day 👅 " (City Of Buffalo Animal Shelter via Instagram)
• Allentown Home: "* willing spring into existence with this post * Irving Place - Allentown" (Buffalo Homes via Instagram)
• Snowy Dog: "WEATHER REPORT: It snowed again ❄️ #dogsofbuffalo #weatherreport #snowmuchfun #dogsinthesnow #buffaloweather #marchsnow" (Dogs Of Buffalo via Instagram)
• Drunk Peter Pan: "Drunk Theatre Buffalo’s Production of Drunk Peter Pan Puts a Boozy Twist On a Classic Story 📆 Tuesdays, March 7 - April 25 (excludes April 18) ." (Step Out Buffalo via Instagram)
• #FlockOfAllColors: "TOMORROW join us for a brand new exhibit by Stitch Buffalo. #FlockOfAllColors will feature a hundred colorful birds hanging above your head in the center of the Main Palm Dome. " (Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens via Facebook)

That's it for today! I'll see you around.