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It's safe to say anyone over the age of 30 remembers where they were the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, and what they were doing when they heard the news that three hijacked airplanes had crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. And that a fourth plane had crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pa., after passengers and crew fought back against hijackers, preventing them from striking a fourth target. I was working nights at The Buffalo News back then, so I was awakened by a friend's phone call telling me I needed to turn on the television. I remember not being able to process the magnitude of what I was seeing. I called my editor and asked where I was needed. The answer was simple: Just get here. Back then, we published seven print editions through the day − pre-internet, so no website to consider − and the newsroom was busy doing what we could to digest what had happened and update coverage with what we knew for each edition. What I remember most was how quiet it was since we were all in shock. People are also reading… At home, my future husband − an Army reservist − had gotten a call to be prepared for deployment at any time, so he was ironing his uniform and shining his boots while watching the devastation. His deployment didn't happen for another year, but his unit was prepared for whatever was to come. We've lived with and covered the ripple effects from that morning for 25 years, and this week, our newsroom will remember and reflect along with the rest of our country. Welcome to The Short List, and thanks for reading. The goal of this column (which I've been writing as a newsletter for the past six months) is to keep you up to date on what's going on each week in the Buffalo Niagara region and what's coming in The Buffalo News. It should inform and enlighten you, but I also hope to highlight stories that will entertain and delight you. I won't just tell you what happened; I'll also tell you why it matters. Let's dive in. What you should know: On Sept. 11, 2001, Sgt. Ann Pearson dialed the roster of soldiers in her unit of the New York Army National Guard. She told them to prepare to head to Lower Manhattan as it became clear the nation’s largest city had been attacked and needed help. Nearly 18 years later, Pearson dug up that same roster. This time, she was calling her fellow soldiers to ask if they were experiencing health effects from their service at ground zero all those years ago. “That was pretty tough to do,” Pearson told reporter Jon Harris. "The stories were not good, at all, and a lot of people didn’t know. … People were just mysteriously having health issues." Why this matters: The plane crashes, and the collapse of the twin towers, created huge dust clouds that filled the air and left city blocks covered with a toxic cocktail of ash, debris and particles such as asbestos, silica, metals, concrete and glass. The scale of the health effects is devastating. An estimated 400,000 people were exposed to toxic contaminants, physical injuries and physical and emotional stress in the days, weeks and months after 9/11. Research has shown an increased cancer incidence among 9/11 responders and survivors, and 69 cancers have now been linked to exposure to toxic dust at ground zero. In Case You Missed It: We see a lot of weather events in Western New York, from lake-effect snow in the winter to summer heat waves that sometimes make us wish. Last week, we saw two wild and somewhat unexpected evenings. The National Weather Service has confirmed tornadoes struck in five areas within the eight counties of Western New York following a cluster of severe thunderstorms on Wednesday night. Then, torrential rain caused widespread flash flooding on Thursday night, swamping roads, basements and vehicles. The extraordinary rainfall came fast, with some areas receiving 2 to 3.5 inches of rain. In Sports: I've mentioned before a long-running joke in our newsroom that Buffalo really only has two seasons: Bills season and waiting for Bills season. The wait is over, with the team heading to Houston for the season opener at 1 p.m. Sunday. Keep an eye out for our season preview, which includes a look at whether general manager Brandon Beane and first-year head coach Joe Brady are ready to carry the weight of Super Bowl expectations and how Josh Allen at age 30 compares with other elite quarterbacks. We spend an unconventional day off with standout cornerback Christian Benford. Plus, we look into the crystal ball for game-by-game predictions, highlight games to watch and run down MVP candidates, top rookies and which players will be on the hot seat this season. But it's not just Bills season: The Sabres will announce the roster this week for next weekend's "prospects showcase" against the Boston Bruins. After their rain-delayed win against U-Albany, the University at Buffalo Bulls will be on the road the next two weeks, facing Florida International then Penn State, and high school sports will be going full speed ahead now that classes have started. #EveryDayAPhoto: We all know that Western New York is an amazing place and every day, our photographers endeavor to find an image that reflects that wonder. For more than eight years, they have tried to look at things differently and remind us to take the time to enjoy our surroundings, and our #EveryDayAPhoto gallery has become one of our most popular features.