Morning News Briefing

Genesee Community College says it currently has one student under COVID-19 precautionary isolation, which is routine for a student arriving from a foreign country.  The state SUNY tracker reports an estimated two positive cases in recent weeks. The college said it has eight rooms available for on-campus quarantine and one room is currently in use. Meanwhile, The Livingston County Department of Health and SUNY Geneseo reported a small cluster of positive COVID-19 cases among the student population on Sunday. Four female SUNY Geneseo students in their 20s who reside off-campus in the same house have tested positive for the virus.

An 88-year-old woman was rescued from flames that extensively damaged her Hartshorn Road home in the town of Batavia. The Saturday night blaze was discovered by East Pembroke Fire Chief Don Newton. Newton immediately called for a second alarm which brought firefighters from the Town of Batavia, Corfu, Darien and Alexander. The unidentified woman was rushed to ECMC in Buffalo…her condition this morning is unknown. Investigators have not ruled a cause of the blaze but they said they are suspicious of an electrical outlet on the porch. Genesee County Fire Coordinator Tim Yeager credited a swift, team response, for the successful outcome.

New York State’s COVID-19 positive infection rate continues to remain below 1%, although barely. Gov. Cuomo says the rate currently stands at 0.99%…that’s the 37th straight day the rate has below 1%. According to the governor, the numbers continue to reflect the work of New Yorkers, who ultimately flattened the curve. Genesee is in the Finger lakes region, which has a positive rate of 0.60%. However, the Western New York has a rate that has climbed to 2%.

Accepting a federal grant is on the agenda when the Batavia City Council business meeting gavels into session at 7 p.m. tonight. The Council will be asked to approve a resolution to amend the fire department budget to acknowledge a FEMA Assistance to Firefighters grant of nearly $69,000. Lawmakers will also vote on three other measures involving the fire department and the receipt of various grants.

Police in schools will be one of the topics discussed this afternoon when the Genesee County Public Service Committee meets at 4:30 p.m. The session will lead off with a discussion of revised Memorandum of Understandings involving School Resource Officers for Byron-Bergen and Genesee Valley Educational partnership. The meeting will also include a potential amendment to the Public Safety Radio System maintenance agreement.

The investigation continues after four people were hurt when two vehicles collided Saturday night on Bliss Road in the Town of Oakfield. Deputies identified the drivers as 32-year-old Jason Klinkbeil of Alabama and 20-year-old Triston Guthrie of Wilson. Deputies said Klinkbeil was detained for suspected impaired operation by drugs. Charges are pending a blood test.

Batavia’s Board of Education meets tonight and the Superintendent will provide members with an opening day presentation. According to the agenda, the Board will accept the resignation of a long-term substitute 5th grade teacher and well as leave of absence requests from eight staffers. The meeting, held at the Batavia High School Library, begins at 6:30 p.m.

Genesee Community College Associate Professor of History, Derek D. Maxfield appeared on C-SPAN Saturday sharing what his research uncovered about the excruciating conditions at a POW camp in Elmira, NY. Maxfield became an expert on the subject while writing his first book, “HELLMIRA: The Union’s Most Infamous Civil War Prison Camp – Elmira, NY” which explores this notorious time period in the history of Elmira.