Local Bars Can Serve Early For Bills London Game, But Must Apply

For a small fee, bars and restaurants in the Mohawk Valley and across New York will be allowed to serve alcohol earlier than normal for this Sunday's Buffalo Bills game.

The Bills are traveling across the pond for a showdown in England to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars - part of the NFL's ongoing NFL Europe action - with a kickoff of 9:30 a.m. eastern time.

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State law prohibits establishments in NY from serving alcohol prior to 10:00 a.m. on Sundays, but, Governor Kathy Hochul said they will allowed to pour starting at 8:00 a.m. this coming Sunday in order to serve Bills' Mafia members, and football fans in general, who are going out to watch the game. However, businesses will need to apply for a special permit to do so.

The fee is $35 and applications will need to submitted to the New York State Liquor Authority. The deadline for businesses to apply is Friday, and checks must be received by 3:00 p.m.

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You can reach the NYS Liquor Authority and review all of the requirements here.

In addition to getting state approval, establishments must also get approval from their local municipality, asking for a waiver of the 30 day notification, via NYS Liquor Authority website:

Licensees must ask their Municipality for a 30 Day Notification waiver*. The language needs to read in part “….waives the 30 day notification requirement and are in no objection to the Sunday morning start of alcohol service of 8 am for (XYZ business.)

This one-time exception does not cover all of the NFL's European games, which there are several throughout the year, and typically air at 9:30 a.m. eastern time. It is only for the purpose of this Sunday's contest involving the Buffalo Bills.

The Top 25 Most Baffling UFO Sightings Reported in New York This Year

When residents of the Empire State spot something unexplainable in the skies, they report it to the National UFO Reporting Center. There's been about 80 new sightings so far in 2023 that raised a few hackles.

NUFORC does investigate what people saw to determine if they actually witnessed alien activity or something else. Oftentime, these reports turn out to be false flags. For example; someone from NYC reported seeing a strange, square-like object in the sky on July 22. They provided a photo to NUFORC, who then ruled the person saw an "advertising banner behind a private aircraft."

However, there have been several creepy reports that couldn't be brushed off with a logical explanation. And some of these reports had photo or video evidence attached.

Scroll through New York's top 25 weirdest sightings of 2023.

World's Largest Dish of Pasta, and a Wedding - Utica, NY, Feb 14, 2004

The Guinness Book of World Records affirmed in 2004, that the World's Largest Dish of Pasta was made in Utica, NY with the Keeler Show. Now with WIBX, Keeler worked with Tony's Pizzeria and other to create a dish of pasta weighing over 7,000 lbs. and the event included an actual wedding. The dish of pasta weighed 7,355 lbs. (3,336 kg) and lasted in the Guinness Book for several years. The dish was assembled and the wedding was held at Sangertown Square in New Hartford, when Keeler was hosting a 6 night a week television show, The Keeler Show, on FOX 33 TV in Utica and FOX 68 in Syracuse.

Gallery Credit: Bill Keeler / Nancy L. Ford

Which Dog Represents Your Central NY Hometown?

Every city and town in Central New York has a dog breed that perfectly matches its personality. What is your hometown's true dog identity?

Central NY is unique -- in that every city seemingly has its own unique personality and vibe. I recently moved to the area from Connecticut and have made a point to visit as many places as possible.

What strikes me most is that every city and town feels very different from one another. They're not defined by their local attractions, but their overall character.

And that got me thinking: Could I find a dog breed that could perfectly represent each and every city? The answer is an obvious yes.

So buckle up and stretch out your scrolling finger to enjoy the dog slideshow.

Gallery Credit: Megan