Monday News Brief

An investigation is underway into what caused a crash in Ontario County that left two college students dead. State Police say 21-year-old Olivia Moore and 21-year-old Francesca Ward, both from the United Kingdom, were in a vehicle that was traveling on Interstate 90 in Manchester early in the morning on Saturday when the vehicle struck a guide rail end. Both Moore and Ward died at the scene and two other students from Temple University in Pennsylvania were taken to a hospital to get checked out but were not injured. It’s believed the students were heading to Canada at the time of the tragedy.

 

Eight people have been displaced after a fire damages their home in Rochester. Crews were called to the scene on Norton Street last night after getting a report of an attic fire. They were able contain the flames to some furniture and the attic walls and the fire was put out in under 30 minutes. The four adults and four children who were in the home made it out safely and no injuries were reported. There’s no word yet what sparked the fire.

 

We have an update for you from the Amherst Police Department. The missing 70-year-old man that prompted police to call for a Silver Alert has been found. Facility staff members last saw John Allen on Saturday. He’s been taken to the hospital for evaluation.

 

 

 

 

U.S. border agents have caught three men who illegally crossed into the country on a freight train from Fort Erie, Ontario. The men crossed the International Railroad Bridge over the Niagara River and Unity Island. They were processed and returned to Canada. In the last 60 days, border agents have stopped 24 people who were not U.S. citizens attempting to enter the country in the vicinity of Buffalo.

 

Western New York is one of the slower regions of the state and the country in the recovery of jobs lost during the Covid pandemic. Historically, the Buffalo area trend is toward falling deeper during downturns and taking longer to recover. In addition to the lack of population growth, the wave of retirements that happened during Covid had an impact. As a result, Buffalo and other upstate metro areas across the state still have fewer jobs than was the case pre-pandemic. They also have fewer workers, which contributes to slowing the recovery. (As of February 2023, Buffalo shows a 2% decline in jobs; Rochester, a 3% decline.)

 

Drivers in our region are paying even more money to fill their vehicles following yet another increase in gas prices. According to Triple A today, the national average price per gallon is $3.61; the state average is a dime higher at $3.71. In Batavia, we’re paying $3.65; that’s 3 cents higher than a week ago and 23 cents more than it was a month ago today.

 

Buffalo residents will find out more today about what Mayor Byron Brown has planned over the next few months. That is because Brown will be giving his annual State of the City address. The Buffalo News is reporting that during his speech, the mayor is going to call for an increase in property and residential taxes and also higher fees for sanitation services. The overall price tag of his proposed budget is $582,000,000 (million), which is a $16,000,000 increase from last year.

 

State Attorney General Letitia James is calling a weekend gun buyback event in Niagara County a success. There were a total of 505 weapons turned in during a 3-hour period on Saturday at the Saint John’s African Methodist Episcopal Church in Niagara Falls. The Attorney General says every gun that’s off the streets is a potential tragedy averted and another step in protecting communities statewide. In exchange for their weapons, people received gift cards ranging from $25 – $500, depending on the type of firearm they surrendered.

 

The legislature is expected to be back at the State Capitol today to finally start voting on a brand-new state budget. The conceptual agreement announced by Governor Hochul calls for $229,000,000 (billion) in spending. Included in the fiscal plan are changes to the state’s bail reform laws, funds to improve public safety and $1,000,000,000 that will be invested in mental health services. The budget is now 1-month late because the original deadline to approve it was back on April 1st.

 

 

The latest data from the New York State Flu Tracker shows the spread of the virus is now showing signs of declining in our region. During the week ending April 22nd, the areas with the highest number of cases were Erie and Monroe Counties, both with 19. Wayne County had 6 during that same time period and Genesee County reported 2 cases. Overall, more than 332,000 state residents have gotten the flu since the season began.

 

New York State Police are alerting the public of a computer scam that’s circulating in the area. Troopers say when logging into a computer, a message on the screen may appear. The message states the computer user should contact Microsoft due to a virus. The victim will then call the phone number provided in the message and then speak with someone who identifies themselves as a representative of Microsoft’s Security Office. The person on the other end of the phone tells the victim their bank account information has been compromised. State Police advise anyone who receives such a message to not provide any personal information. Scammers can use your personal information to steal your identity and commit fraud. State Police offer the following tips to protect against various scams:

*Take a pause. Scammers create a sense of urgency to prey on victims’ emotions and their love for family members.
*Verify any supposed emergency by calling friends and family before sending money. This is especially important if a potential victim has been warned not to do so by the caller.
*If the caller purports to be a bail bondsperson, ask where the relative is being held and contact the facility directly.
*If the caller purports to be a law enforcement officer, get the exact agency name, hang up, and call that department directly.
*Be suspicious of anyone who calls unexpectedly asking to be sent money.
*Never send cash through the mail.
*Never purchase pre-paid debit cards or gift cards for the purpose of transferring money.
*Develop a secret code or “password” with family members that can be used to verify the identity of family members over the phone.
*Ask a question that only the real family member would know the answer to, such as “what was the name of your first pet?”
*Set Facebook and other social media settings to private to limit information available to scammers, such as the names of relatives.

 

ELSEWHERE…

 

A library book checked out in New Jersey 44 years ago has finally been returned. “Back to Basics” was checked out of the Hopewell Branch of the Mercer Library on July 25th, 1979, making it overdue by around 16,000 days. A maintenance worker found it recently in a box of donated books. No word on where the book has been or who returned it. Late fees are 10-cents a day but the library has capped those at just $6.

 

 

A federal judge is denying former President Trump’s request for a mistrial in his civil battery and defamation case. Cross-examination of writer E. Jean Carroll resumed in New York this morning following the ruling. Trump’s lawyer Joe Tacopina had argued that Judge Lewis Kaplan had made “pervasive unfair and prejudicial rulings” in the case. The judge’s decision follows last week’s dramatic testimony from writer E. Jean Carroll who told the court that Trump raped her and shattered her reputation. The trial is now in its second week.

 

 

The Powerball jackpot is starting to grow. Lottery officials say no one picked all 6 numbers in Saturday’s drawing. That means Monday night’s jackpot in the multi-state lottery game will be worth $60,000,000 (million). As for Tuesday’s Mega Millions jackpot, that’s worth $52,000,000. Please play responsibly.

 

 

 

The Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates again at this week’s meeting. The nation’s central bank has been raising rates to combat inflation. Analysts predict the rate to jump from 5% to 5.25% when the announcement is made Wednesday.

 

 

May 1 in history…

 

…In 1941, General Mills introduced Cheerios cereal

 

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1967, Elvis Presley married Priscilla Beaulieu in Las Vegas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1971, Amtrak began service.

 

 

 

 

 

…In 2016, the iconic elephants of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus performed for the final time. The curtain came down on the long circus tradition after decades of protests by animal rights activists.