Beth Adams

Fifty people registered as organ donors in the first two hours of an enrollment drive this week at St. John Fisher College.

It is just one event scheduled on Wednesday in a statewide effort to boost the number of New Yorkers on the registry.  New York ranks last among the 50 states in the percentage of adults ( 32 % )who are registered.

Members of St. John Fisher's men's lacrosse team are encouraging people to sign up. Organ donation is an issue close to the heart of their head coach, Dave Dobbins.

In celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, a local nonprofit is recognizing a long-time employee.

Young Kim is 37 years old. She's been working at Unistel Industries on Blossom Road in Rochester since 2002.

Unistel is a nonprofit that provides job training and placement for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Young and her colleagues work on assembly lines at the company, which is the country's number one supplier of spices for the U.S. military.

Monroe County is recognizing the latest graduates of its Nurse-Family Partnership Program.

The program pairs expectant first-time mothers with registered nurses to guide them through pregnancy and provide education and support when their baby is born.

"My nurse, she was like, the best,” said Regina Simmons. “I just loved it. I just wish every mother would be able to experience this program."

A recent CDC report says less than half of pregnant women in the U.S. got a flu vaccine during the last flu season.

That's why local health care providers say they want to make sure expectant mothers understand that the flu shot is safe at any stage of pregnancy and while they are breastfeeding.

A longtime town supervisor and former congressional candidate is leaving government for a job in the private sector.

Gates town supervisor Mark Assini is resigning on November 7.  He isn't saying yet which company has hired him. But he tells WXXI News he was approached about the position within the last two weeks.

Local health care practitioners say they're seeing an increased interest in a product often touted as a source of relief for everything from arthritis to depression.

CBD, or cannabidiol, is a chemical compound of cannibis. In New York State, the CBD sold over the counter is sourced from hemp, and unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) the active ingredient in marijuana, it doesn’t cause a euphoric high.

"I can't say it's a wonder drug, and many people will,” said Terry Mandelaro. “But I can tell the difference when I do not use CBD oil. I can tell the difference."

When it comes to how people of color are portrayed in local media stories, there is a disconnect between what community members and the media perceive.

That's one of the findings of a series of polls commissioned by Causewave Community Partners for its Shaping our Stories report. The surveys questioned 550 residents statistically reflective of local demographics and 46 members of Rochester area media outlets. WXXI News participated in the survey.

You may have to go to the Adirondacks to see the most vibrant colors this fall.

If the relatively warm and wet weather continues for the next several weeks, the fall foliage season will be delayed and less vibrant than normal in Rochester and the Finger Lakes and other parts of upstate New York.

That's the word from Taryn Bauerle, an associate professor of plant science at Cornell University.

The same thing happened last year, but Bauerle says this isn't harmful to trees.