Morning News Briefing

National Grid has filed a customer assistance proposal with its New York regulator that would provide up to $50 million in financial assistance to support its most economically vulnerable residential customers as well as businesses that are struggling because of the pandemic’s financial impact. John Bruckner is National Grid’s New York president and says…National Grid’s relief package offers an important opportunity to provide customers with financial assistance to lessen their hardship. Bruckner noted that funding for the programs will be targeted to customers who are in arrears and/or unable to pay their energy bills due to financial hardship stemming from the pandemic.

Five new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Genesee County. New infections involve residents from Alabama, Elba and Oakfield. Two are under the age of 20, one is in their 20’s, another in their 30’s and the fifth person is in their 60’s. Fourteen new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states. One of the positive individuals is hospitalized.

Federal investigators have found that the 2018 limo crash in upstate New York that killed 20 people was likely caused by poor maintenance that resulted in brake failure. The crash was the deadliest transportation disaster in the United States in a decade. The stretch limousine careened through an intersection in the town of Schoharie and crashed into a parked SUV, killing a group of people out celebrating a birthday, along with the driver and two bystanders. The NTSB found that ineffective state oversight also contributed to the deadly crash.

Sheriff’s deputies arrested 36-year-old Kamie Marie Sedore of Rochester. She was charged with felony counts to include second-degree forgery and falsifying business records in the first degree. Sedore was arrested following a complaint at the Genesee County Jail in Batavia. She allegedly identified herself as another person and signed paperwork stating that the fingerprints she provided were for the false identity provided. She was issued an appearance ticket for Nov. 10 in Batavia City Court.

Although the City of Batavia’s general fund ended with a deficit for the 2019-20 fiscal year, the municipality is in good shape when it comes to fund balances – not only for the general fund, but for the water and sewer funds as well. That is the assessment of Laura Landers, a certified public accountant who conducted an audit of the city’s basic financial statements for the year ending March 31. Landers gave her final audit report to City Council earlier this week.

One state has been added and two states have been removed from New York’s travel advisory…that word from Gov. Andrew Cuomo. On Tuesday, Colorado was the state added to the list. Virginia and Arizona were removed.

The Bills have played two home games in a mostly empty Bills Stadium this season due to the pandemic. There was hope that could change before the team’s next home game on Oct. 15 against the Kansas City Chiefs. Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said Monday that conversations were happening, and continuing Tuesday, to try and get some fans in the stands. But the Bills said, for now, fans will not be able to watch the team play in person at the Bills Stadium, per current state regulations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.