Morning News Brief

A fire at a Pavilion apartment home may have been started by a cell phone that was charging on a bed according to investigators.  At around 7pm on Sunday the fire department received a call for a fire on Big Tree Road.  Residents said a 13 year old smelled smoke and found the fire on a mattress.  Him and his father then shoved the mattress out a window but the fire spread through the house.  All occupants escaped safely.  It was unclear if the structure is a total loss, but it was heavily damaged on both floors with obvious heavy flame damage in the front of the second floor.  Pavilion, LeRoy and Stafford fire departments responded, as well as FAST Teams from Batavia and Alexander.

Police are investigating a home invasion that resulted in a dead man in Rochester.  A man in his 20s was found shot in the chest in a home on Kenwood Ave at around 4:30pm Saturday.  The man who called 911 said the deceased broke into his house and he shot him with a shotgun, killing him.  Others attempted to break in and fired several shots into the house before fleeing the scene once the first man was shot.  The Major Crimes Unit responded and conducted the investigation. As a result of the information obtained so far, no charges have been filed at this time.  

The second homicide of the weekend was around 2AM on Sunday when police responded to shots fired at Thomas Ryan Recreation Center on Webster Ave.  They found a 16 year old boy with gunshot wounds to the face and a 17 year old boy dead in a field at the park, shot multiple times in the upper body.  Police say during the preliminary investigation, it has been determined the victims were hanging out in the park at the recreation center with a group of four to six of their friends when a suspect approached and shot 2 of them.  The other boy was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition.   No suspects are in custody.

Western New York drivers are still feeling less pain at the pump as the cost of gas continues to fall across the area. According to Triple A, the average cost for a gallon of regular fuel is now 4.05 in Batavia. That’s down 10 cents from this time one week ago and is 45 cents less than what people were paying a month ago. The state average is now 3.90 and nationally it’s 3.72.

President Biden will give a speech  in the same location where President John F Kennedy promised to send a man to the moon but this speech will be about curing cancer.  Chris Carragio has more.

The VA Hospital in Batavia honored those who were killed on the September 11th terrorist attacks by setting up flags on the lawn for the 2,977 victims.  More than 20 volunteers from the VA, National Fuel and the American legion helped.  The attacks involving 4 hijacked jetliners 21 years ago were remembered across the country with flag raisings, first responder fundraiser events, moments of silence, speeches and ceremonies. 

Lei Ti Campground in Bethany held their annual auction fundraiser for One Soldier at a Time and raised 9,200 dollars.  One Soldier at a time runs three primary programs.  One provides gifts for wives and mothers of military members deployed overseas for Christmas, Valentine’s and Mother’s Day.  Another provides care packages for soldiers on deployment.  And the third, that this donation will benefit, assists veterans who are homeless, impoverished, in PTSD housing or in similar hardships with care products to take care of them from head to toe, from hair-care products to socks and shirts and ties, and for veterans who have passed, suits “so they can be buried with dignity.”