Afternoon News Brief

The investigation by State Police continues this afternoon following a serious motor vehicle accident at the intersection of West Main Street and Lewiston Road. There were two people in each vehicle and all four were taken to Erie County Medical Center; one of the individuals had possible life-threatening injuries and was flown in by Mercy Flight helicopter. One vehicle stopped on the grass in the triangle between West Main Street and Lewiston, and the other vehicle stopped partly over the curb and partly in Lewiston Road.

 

43-year-old Andrew Draper and 45-year-old Crystal Mounts both of Batavia are each charged with petit larceny after a theft from Walmart in Batavia. Draper and Mounts were transported to the Genesee County Jail for prints and photos and were issued appearance tickets. They’re scheduled to return to Batavia Town Court early next month. Draper was additionally charged with criminal contempt after being found to be in contact with a person who had a full stay away order of protection against him.

 

At least some adults in the country may get updated COVID-19 shots this fall, as government advisers voted yesterday that it’s time to tweak booster doses to better match the most recent virus variants. Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration wrestled with how to modify doses now when there’s no way to know how the rapidly mutating virus will evolve by fall – especially since people who get today’s recommended boosters remain strongly protected against COVID-19’s worst outcomes. The logistics will be challenging. Many Americans haven’t had their first vaccinations yet, including young children who just became eligible – and it’s not clear whether tweaked boosters eventually might lead to a change in the primary vaccine. But the FDA’s advisers said it’s important to go ahead and study updated vaccine recipes in children, too. And a third company, Novavax, is awaiting FDA authorization of a more traditional kind of COVID-19 vaccine, protein-based shots. Novavax argued Tuesday that a booster of its regular vaccine promises a good immune response against the new omicron mutants without a recipe change. Advisers to the World Health Organization recently said omicron-tweaked shots would be most beneficial as a booster only, because they should increase the breadth of people’s cross-protection against multiple variants. The FDA will have to decide the exact recipe, but expect a combination shot that adds protection against either omicron or some of its newer relatives to the original vaccine.

 

GLOW With Your Hands is on the search for volunteers to help support the day long, hands-on career exploration event for GLOW Region students, scheduled for September 27. Annually, the event averages roughly 100 volunteers, with 50 – 75 individuals working directly with the students. Some volunteers will be paired with students individually for assistance. There are several skilled trades and fields that students can learn more about, including agriculture, bricklaying, electrical wiring and heavy-equipment operation. Additional information and volunteer applications are available here: https://www.glowwithyourhands.com/volunteer.

 

The co-owner of the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres is continuing to recover after recently experiencing an unexpected health issue. The family of Kim Pegula released a statement yesterday saying that she is resting and rehabilitating but didn’t reveal any additional information about her condition. They also said they were grateful for the care she has received and thanked everyone who has sent well wishes. Pegula and her husband Terry have owned the Sabres since 2011 and they purchased the Bills in 2014.

 

The race for New York governor is now down to two candidates after Governor Hochul and Long Island Congressman Lee Zeldin win their respective primaries. Hochul secured the Democratic nomination by beating New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and Long Island Congressman Tom Suozzi yesterday. Zeldin, a Republican, came out on top against Andrew Giuliani, businessman Harry Wilson, and former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino. Hochul is now one step closer to winning a full four-year term but Zeldin will try and defeat her to become the first Republican to be elected as the Empire State’s governor since George Pataki. Election Day is set for Tuesday, November 8th.

 

The state Attorney General’s office has teamed up with law firms and reproductive rights groups to launch a new legal hotline. The hotline will provide guidance and resources to patients and healthcare providers who are looking for information on their legal rights to access and provide abortions. The hotline is available free of charge and can be reached by calling 212-899-5567. Attorney General Letitia James says now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade it is important to ensure people have access to safe abortions.

 

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown has taken a tour of the remodeled Tops store that was the scene of a mass shooting last month where 10 people were killed. Brown was joined on his visit to the Jefferson Avenue location yesterday by the president of the supermarket chain. Brown says he feels good about the changes that have been made so far and that the store is still expected to reopen by the end of July. The man accused of carrying out the shooting, 18-year-old Peyton Gendron, is behind bars without bail.

 

The state Department of Transportation says a construction project in Monroe County began today. According to the agency, drivers can expect to have to deal with delays due to single-lane closures along Interstate 490 westbound in the area of Exit 26 in Perinton. Exit 26 connecting westbound traffic on I-490 to State Route 31 will still remain open. Construction is scheduled to continue through August and more information can be found by visiting 511ny.org.

 

The Genesee County Office for the Aging will be giving out coupons at the farmers markets in Batavia and Leroy starting this Friday from 10 am to noon. Every Friday they will be at the Alva Place farmer’s Market. They will also be handing them out at the Genesee County Office for the Aging, 2 Bank St., Batavia, every Tuesday in July from 10 a.m. to noon at the outside patio and in the Community Room if it is raining.