Friday News Brief
Written by Doug Thompson on April 28, 2023
Richard Castillo, Jr.
40-year-old Richard Castillo Jr. of Oakfield has been sentenced to 5 years in prison with 10 years of post-release supervision for rape in the 2nd degree. He also pleaded guilty to similar charges in Genesee County and agreed to an additional 5-year sentence. He repeatedly raped a child under the age of 15 from 2019 through 2021, in the villages of Oakfield and Elba.
27-year-old Nathan Crawford of Batavia has been arrested and charged with petit larceny. It’s alleged he stole merchandise from Kohl’s. Crawford was issued an appearance ticket and is scheduled for Town of Batavia Court at a later date.
The Genesee County Park & Forest is cancelling tomorrow morning’s Birding Walk due to inclement weather. The next Birding Walk is Saturday, May 13th from 7:00am to 10:00am at DeWitt Recreation Area. You’ll learn things like how to identify birds by sight and sound. The walk is about one mile long over easy terrain. For more information, please call 344-1122.
Interior of the St. John’s African Episcopal Church
Area residents are being urged to turn in their working and non-working firearms during a gun buyback event tomorrow. It will run from 10:00am until 1:00pm at St. John’s African Methodist Episcopal Church in Niagara Falls. People will be paid in gift cards ranging in value from $25 to $500, depending on the type of weapon they surrender. Since 2019, gun buyback events have helped remove more than 4000 firearms from New York’s communities.
A free, anti-rabies immunization clinic is scheduled for Thursday, May 18th from 4pm until 6:30 pm at the Genesee County Fairgrounds. Vaccinations are free for dogs, cats, and ferrets, but voluntary donations are accepted. Animals must be at least 3 months old. Each animal must be leashed or crated and accompanied by an adult who can control the animal. Limit 4 pets per car maximum. For more information, please call 585-344-2580, extension 5555.
Governor Hochul announcing that agreement has been reached on the state budget – 4/27/23
Nearly a month after it was due, Governor Hochul says a conceptual agreement is in place on a brand-new state budget. The governor said last night the fiscal plan calls for $229,000,000 (billion) in spending, which is two billion more than her original proposal. Included in the budget are changes to the state’s bail reform laws and money to continue cracking down on gun violence. The legislature is expected to vote on the new budget in the next few days. The original budget deadline was April 1st.
Brittni Iverson – 13WHAM Photo
The death of a Rochester health care worker late last year has now been ruled a homicide. Brittni Iverson was an employee at the DePaul Addiction Services Center and she died in November, hours after she was involved in an altercation at the facility on Dewey Avenue. The case has been turned over to the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office to decide whether charges are going to be filed. In a statement, DePaul said it would fully cooperate to ensure justice is served.
Adiam Tsegai
David Balkin
Officials at SUNY Erie Community College say the search for a new president is about to get started. A search committee will be choosing who is going to replace David Balkin, who resigned in December after just 10 months on the job. The committee is scheduled to hold its first meeting next week, but there’s no word just how long the search is going to take. The current acting president, ECC Provost Adiam Tsegai, is a candidate for the job.
The Erie County Sheriff’s Department will be doing its part this weekend to make sure the car seats children ride in are safe. A free car seat inspection event will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the East Amherst Fire Hall on Transit Road. Deputies will be on hand to ensure that seats are properly installed and to answer any questions that parents may have. Anyone who can’t attend can check out the list of area car seat safety events at trafficsafety.ny.gov.
Dalton Kincaid
The Buffalo Bills have used their first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to bolster their offense. The reigning AFC East champions worked out a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars to move up from the 27th overall selection to the 25th pick to select Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid. He played in 55 games during his college career and will work alongside tight end Dawson Knox. Round two of the NFL Draft begins tonight at 7:00.
Kim Pegula – file photo
A prayer and healing vigil for Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres co-owner Kim Pegula is set for tomorrow. It’ll be at the Eastern Hills Church on Greiner Road in Williamsville from 3:00 – 4:00pm and include prayer, worship, and a message from the Pegula family. Kim Pegula has been recovering from medical issues that she’s been dealing with since going into cardiac arrest at the family’s home in Florida last year. The service will also be streamed on the church’s Facebook page.
ELSEWHERE…
Highlights from this date in history…
1967… heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali (at the time, known as Cassius Clay) refused induction into Army. He was later stripped of his WBA and WBC crowns as a result of his actions.
Rush Limbaugh
2006… accused of “doctor shopping” in an attempt to illegally acquire prescription pain medications, radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh was booked into the Palm Beach County, Florida Jail. Limbaugh was released on $3,000 bail and later reached a deal with prosecutors that allowed him to avoid jail time.
File photo of unidentified woman grieving over the loss of a loved one.
2020… The U.S. confirmed cases of COVID-19 pass one million. The death toll surpasses the number of U.S. soldiers killed in the Vietnam War at 58,365 deaths.
And highlights from today’s news…
The escaped peacock is now back at the Bronx Zoo.
The runaway peacock is now back at the Bronx Zoo after spending the night in a nearby tree. Neighbors started calling the bird Raul when they spotted him perched in a tree just before eight p.m. Wednesday night. The bird flew from the zoo and allegedly pecked one man in the leg that was trying to get him out of harms way. More than 100 peafowl are free to roam zoo grounds and one the last time one of them flew away was 2011. It comes two months after an Owl broke free from the Central Park Zoo, but Flaco has yet to return to captivity.
Brittney Griner cried during an emotional press conference.
WNBA star Brittney Griner says she’ll never play overseas again unless it’s for the Olympics after being detained in Russia. Griner was imprisoned for ten-months in Russia after cannabis vape cartridges were allegedly found in her bag at an airport near Moscow. Griner admitted Thursday there were some tough times behind bars but looking at pictures of her family got her through it.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland
Fan voting for the 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame comes to an end today. This year’s nominees include George Michael, Cyndi Lauper, Iron Maiden, Warren Zevon, The Spinners, Willie Nelson, and Kate Bush. Fans can select up to five nominees a day. Cast your votes here: https://vote.rockhall.com/en/
