Morning News Briefing
Written by Michael Baldwin on November 19, 2020
A county grand jury has handed down a six-count indictment against a man accused attempting to ram a state trooper vehicle. Carlton Burrows faces a top count of felony first-degree reckless endangerment. According to a press statement, prosecutors allege that on July 14 on Veterans Memorial Drive in the Town of Batavia, Burrows recklessly engaged in conduct that created a grave risk of death to another person by driving a motor vehicle at a NYS Trooper. He also allegedly attempted to ram a Batavia City police vehicle.
Some late changes to the 2021 Genesee County budget require using a bit more of the fund balance, but that won’t affect the property tax levy or tax rate…that word from County Manager Matt Landers. The county legislature’s Ways & Means Committee forwarded resolutions to both amend and adopt the $143 million spending plan and to finalize the tax levy at its next full meeting on Monday. The proposed plan calls for a tax rate of $9.80 per thousand of assessed value.
Nine Genesee County residents remain hospitalized with COVID-19. Health officials reported Wednesday that 17 new cases were confirmed. The latest infections involve people from Alexander, Batavia, Darien, Elba, Le Roy and Pembroke. In Orleans County, health officials reported nine new COVID cases.
Justin T. Gladney has been indicted for first-degree rape, a class B violent felony. It is alleged that in June in the City of Batavia, he engaged in sexual intercourse with a person by forcible compulsion. Gladney is also accused of second-degree rape, a Class D violent felony. He allegedly engaged in sexual intercourse with a person under the age of 15.
The National Rifle Association will pay a $2.5 million penalty and be banned from selling insurance products in New York after state regulators found the organization violated the law for most of the last two decades. The state Department of Financial Services and the NRA entered into an agreement last week to end the state’s three-year investigation into the gunowners-rights organization’s insurance offerings, including Carry Guard, a controversial product that covered legal costs for policy holders who claim they acted in self defense.The state’s investigation found the NRA earned commission on more than 28,000 sales on insurance products to its New York members, which the organization marketed in the state despite not having a proper insurance license.
More than two thirds of New Yorkers polled say the holiday season will look different this year — but it won’t be ruined by the ongoing pandemic. That’s the word in a new Siena College Research Institute poll just released. It says 68 percent of responders say the holiday spirit will prevail.
Governor Cuomo has made it clear that local governments and their police departments need to come up with a new police reform plan by April or risk losing out on state funding. Under the governor’s executive order, they must develop a plan that “reinvents and modernizes police strategies and programs based on community input.” However, this directive is specific to just local municipalities, which means it doesn’t apply to the New York State Police. In June, the governor signed legislation requiring state troopers to wear a body camera while on patrol in order to improve transparency. However, it’s still waiting to be implemented.
A grand jury has indicted Judd A. Farewell Jr. for third-degree grand larceny, a Class D felony. It is alleged that on May 31 on Coe Avenue in the Village of Oakfield, that Farewell stole a four-wheeler.
