WBFO Women's News Desk

The Boys Scouts are no longer just a boys' organization, with the launch of the region's first all-girls troop in Niagara County and a few others across Western New York.

The New York State Senate passed a bill Tuesday to legalize paid gestational surrogacy for couples who are unable to have their own children. But it faces an uncertain future in the Assembly, and opponents range from feminist icon Gloria Steinem to the Catholic Church.

It may be hard to believe, but it has been 25 years since the murder of Nicole Simpson, a longtime victim of domestic violence by her husband, Buffalo Bills Hall of Fame running back O.J. Simpson. A music video - with Western New York roots - has been produced as a call-to-action anthem, marking the anniversary.

Upon completion of Leadership Buffalo, Dr. Genelle Morris completed a short questionnaire about what she could contribute to a mentor-mentee relationship. It was shortly after that Morris received a list of potential mentees as part of an effort to increase women-to-women mentor partnerships. On that list was the name Stephanie Peete, who was very specific about her requirements for a mentor.

Holly Gagnon is one of the few female CEOs in the gaming industry, but the third at Seneca Gaming Corporation. June marks her second anniversary leading four entertainment facilities in Western New York, which boast some 15 million guests per year served by more than 3,600 employees. June also is expected to reveal the completion of a $40 million renovation project that Gagnon said will "change the entire gateway" to Niagara Falls. WBFO's Marian Hetherly sat down with her to talk games of chance.

In her latest non-fiction book, Wearing the Letter P, Grand Island resident Sophie Knab tells the story of her mother and other Polish women who were taken from their homes, their families and their country and sent away to forced labor camps in Nazi Germany during World War II.

She was there in Thailand as U.S. military personnel participated in a daring rescue watched around the world. She represented the U.S. Government as its spokesperson, providing a voice on behalf of those who worked to save a youth soccer team trapped for days in a flooded cave. Air Force Captain Jessica Tait wraps up a visit to Buffalo Monday, having shared her story and some advice to local students since Friday.

More than 200 women last week said they would boycott the upcoming NWHL season for multiple reasons including a lack of resources. Now, Pegula Sports and Entertainment says it will no longer operate the Buffalo Beauts moving forward. WBFO's Nick Lippa spoke to NWHL and Victory Press writer Melissa Burgess about what's next for the league.

Suneel Ram, 22, is near death. For 20 years, the Canisius College junior has been living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. You may not have heard of Duchenne, but the genetic mutation is always fatal and usually takes young men by their mid-20s. That is what drives a sense of urgency behind a new local project aimed at finding a cure.

Habitat for Humanity Buffalo is busy hosting its third annual Women Build Week. This year's project list includes renovating one older house and constructing two new homes. As WBFO's Chris Caya reports dozens of women are volunteering their time and their talent. 

Hundreds of the world's best women hockey players have said they will not compete in North America this upcoming year until they "get the resources that professional hockey demands and deserves." This could threaten not only the upcoming Buffalo Beauts season, but the NWHL itself.

Brenda McDuffie was not born in Buffalo, but she has spent her professional career making the city a better place to live. She retains no Brooklyn-born accent, but the public housing she grew up in remains her inspiration to tiredlessly help disadvantaged residents gain the diverse quality-of-life skills needed to provide for themselves and their families. McDuffie chairs the Erie County Industrial Development Agency, is a member of the Greater Buffalo Racial Equity Roundtable and, this year, celebrates 20 years as President and CEO of the Buffalo Urban League.

Dr. Janet Sung arrived in the United States in 1972 with only her CPA husband John and the $200 their native South Korea allowed its emigrants at the time. Fifteen years later, the couple opened their own radiology practice in a renovated Pizza Hut with pink doors in Cheektowaga. She was the only doctor and had only one x-ray, one mammogram and one ultrasound machine. Little did she know, in 2002 the Erie County Legislature would honor the business, then known as Windsong Radiology, as the largest free-standing diagnostic imaging center in the United States - and it has continued to grow, now serving more than 400,000 visits annually at five locations across Western New York.

Kathleen Garvey, 67, has reinvented herself several times. She began her career as a registered nurse, then taught nursing in Houston and at D'Youville College in Buffalo. At the end of the Vietnam War, she used those nursing skills in the U.S. Army Reserves, then on active duty and again in the reserves, eventually obtaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. However, after two decades of military service, it was time to reinvent herself again. Garvey graduated law school and worked on Medicare appeals and the Erie County Medical Malpractice Reform Model. Most recently, she began her own elder law practice, but continues to volunteer with veteran organizations.

Patti Jones has considered herself a typical female since she was a very young boy named Peter. She earned her degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology, joined the family machine and tool design company, taught skiing and snowboarding, raced sailboats, was "happily married to a wonderful woman" for 24 years and had a daughter. It was at the age of 50 - in 2004 - she formally transitioned and has since been dedicated to Western New York's LGBTQ communities as an activist and mentor. Jones shared her journey with WBFO.

Leslie Zemsky has perhaps the best job title in Western New York. As Director of Fun (and Vice President) of her family-run Larkin Development Group, she is helping infuse "whimsy amongst the warehouses" of what was Buffalo's first business district. A lifelong philanthropist dedicated to numerous nonprofit causes and board memberships, Zemsky began a creative new adventure in 2002 when the family sold its Russer Foods and bought the Larkin Terminal Warehouse at 726 Exchange St. Since then, the area has blossomed into a vibrant community hub powered by her altruistic energy, called Larkinville.

Down in the Valley is Margaret "Peg" Overdorf. Hang your head over the Michigan Avenue Lift Bridge and you can hear her wind blow. This year, Overdorf is celebrating 40 years as Executive Director of the Valley Community Association, from which has bloomed a renewal along the Ohio Street Corridor to the Buffalo River. You may not recognize their names, but the VCA, Overdorf and her close-knit army of volunteers are leaving their mark on our region, serving families and turning former polluted dumping grounds into waterfront destinations.

Amherst Central High School celebrated International Women's Day with sessions designed to raise awareness about women's issues. WBFO's senior reporter Eileen Buckley talked to some students honoring women from across the globe.  

During the housing crisis a decade ago, an estimated one-third of civil filings in New York State Supreme Court were foreclosures. "It was huge numbers," remembers the Hon. Paula Feroleto, "so the court had to adapt how cases were treated." Today issues like the opioids crisis, jailing people with mental illness and Buffalo's influx of refugees are requiring new thinking. As Administrative Judge of the Eighth Judicial District, Feroleto's role is to supervise all 95 judges and 850 employees in Western New York's 22 courts while preserving justice for all.

Few Western New Yorkers have led a hospital and fewer have been women. Then there is Sheila Kee. She has led three local hospitals, the Community Health Association of New York State and the Western Region for the state Health Department. Since September 2008, she has served as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, where her imprint can be found on many transformational initiatives. However, her career sprung from one of the most important periods in American politics.

Ellen E. Grant is a fellow at the Weiss Institute, an initiative of Say Yes to Education that marshals best practices and the latest research to address inequities and boost economic development by supporting young people from early childhood to adult success. It is the latest of many leadership hats worn by this savvy woman over 60, who grew up in Buffalo's public housing to become a nurse, a social worker, a licensed therapist, an executive coach, a college instructor, Director of Cornerstone Manor, Vice President at BlueCross/BlueShield of Western New York, President and CEO of Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, Erie County Commissioner of Mental Health and City of Buffalo Deputy Mayor.

Althea Luehrsen has been CEO of Leadership Buffalo since January 2012 and is Co-founder and Vice Chair of Women Who Lead WNY. Through service, diversity, inclusion and openness to change, she believes giving back to her community is key to the success of the region. She does this every day, not only by freely sharing her 40 years of work experience, but through numerous board memberships and nonprofit causes. No wonder her career is full of accolades and her mantelpiece with awards.