BUFFALO, N.Y. — 10 Years Ago This Week
On December 14, 2012, the names Newtown and Sandy Hook would be indelibly etched into the American lexicon when a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at an elementary school in Connecticut.
It remains the deadliest mass shooting at an elementary school in the United States and the fourth-deadliest mass shooting overall.
The mass shooting prompted another national call for gun control measures and led directly to the passage of the NY SAFE Act a short time later.
Unfortunately, mass shootings have continued with disturbing frequency in the years since.
The incident at Sandy Hook Elementary remains the deadliest mass shooting at an elementary school and the fourth deadliest overall in the nation's history.
20 Years Ago This Week
The dam broke on the first of what would become a flood of sex abuse scandals and coverups involving pedophile priests in the Catholic church when Cardinal Bernard Law stepped down as Archbishop of Boston, Massachusetts, submitting his resignation to Pope John Paul II.
Later, the diocese would pay out close to $100 million ($165 million in today's money) to more than 500 victims.
Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, who had turned 100 years old, was recognized as the only Centurian to hold a seat in Congress.
In those days there was a popular fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association which involved people being "arrested" and then spending time calling friends who pledged money to MDA to gain their "release".
This week's News 2 You Pop Quiz: Do you recall the name of this once popular effort to help MDA? (For the answer, watch the video attached to this story where you will also learn why the effort has been disbanded.)
This was also right around the time that "speed dating" was becoming a popular way for singles to meet and try and find mates.
30 Years Ago This Week
Following heavy snowfall, the Buffalo Bills were hiring people to shovel out Rich Stadium for a contest scheduled against the Denver Broncos. It was also the game where the "12th man" was unveiled as the latest honoree on the Bills Wall of Fame.
The Bills, in the midst of their unprecedented run of appearing in four consecutive Super Bowls, wanted to honor the fans who helped the team lead the league in attendance for several years as well.
However, things were not so cheery at several long-time manufacturing plants locally amid times of uncertainty for workers.
Employees at two General Motors Saginaw Division plants learned those plants (Tonawanda Forge and the gear and axle plant on East Delevan Avenue) were being put up for sale.
Both were eventually sold to American Axle, which ended up closing them down some seven years, and five years later respectively.
Meanwhile, the 800- workers at Bethlehem Steel's galvanized mill in Hamburg learned tier plant had been sold. A series of owners ensued before the plant was shut down in 2009.
There was a fire at Depew High School, the cause of which no doubt had investigators shaking their heads... and which might cause you to scratch yours as well some 30 years later. It was accidentally started by some students who were trying to dry out their wet textbooks in a microwave oven.