Afternoon News Brief

Timothy Szurgot of Rochester has been indicted by a Grand Jury in Genesee County. He’s accused of the crime of criminal impersonation and criminal possession of stolen property in the Town of Batavia, where it’s alleged he knowingly possessed stolen property – a 2018 Ford Focus – with intent to benefit himself or a person other than the owner, for the value of the car, which exceeded $3,000. At the time of his arrest last October, Szurgot was remanded to the Genesee County Jail.

 

 

 

Brian Miles of Rochester has been indicted of the crime of attempted forgery and criminal possession of a forged instrument. It’s alleged Miles attempted to defraud while at the ESL Federal Credit Union in Batavia during which time he filled out a check that belonged to another, for the purposes of personal financial gain. Miles has also been indicted for the crime of criminal possession of a controlled substance (crack cocaine), which he was found to have following his arrest at the credit union.

 

 

 

The LeRoy Central School District is proposing a tax levy increase of 9.1% and spending plan of just under $10.7 million in 2023-24. Both the Superintendent and Business Administrator noted that the state has under funded the district for years in Foundation Aid. With the new State budget, they’re trying to correct the state aid formula for schools. The spending plan will be voted on next week.

 

The Genesee County Parks, Recreation & Forestry is offering the last of their free spring birding walks tomorrow 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. To sign up or for more information, please call 344-1122.

 

 

Events will be taking place across Buffalo this weekend to mourn the 10 people killed in a shooting at a Tops supermarket. Last May 14th, Payton Gendron opened fire at a grocery store on Jefferson Avenue in what prosecutors say was a racially-motivated hate crime. In addition to the victims who tragically died, three people also ended up being hurt. Gendron has already been sentenced to life in prison and could get the death penalty if convicted on federal charges.

 

 

New York State Attorney General Letitia James is suing a gun accessory manufacturer for allegedly helping the Buffalo mass shooter. The AG has filed a lawsuit against Mean LLC, which manufactures an MA lock that is supposed to limit the amount of ammunition in a semiautomatic weapon. In the Buffalo shooter’s manifesto, he wrote that he was able to easily remove the lock from the AR-15 he used and add 30 rounds of detachable magazines. James alleges Mean LLC falsely advertises that installing an MA lock on a weapon makes high-capacity weapons legal in New York. The lawsuit aims to bar the company from doing business in the state.

 

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has announced some brand-new legislation that’d provide free meals to all schoolchildren. The measure, called the Universal School Meals Program Act, would give free breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack to all kids who are in school regardless of income. The bill would also expand access to free meals during the summer months. Data shows that one in six New York children face hunger, and Gillibrand says she’s looking forward to getting this legislation passed.

 

 

Crowds have started to gather at Highland Park in Rochester for the start of the 2023 Lilac Festival. The festival is one of the largest of its kind in all of North America and features food, vendors, art, and live music as well as a close-up look at the city’s lilac gardens. The event, now in its 125th year, will run through May 21st. For more information, go to rochesterevents.com.

 

 

A liquidation sale of the contents of the former Radisson hotel in Grand Island is now underway and will continue daily until all of the items have been purchased. Among the things people can buy include carpet, chandeliers, patio furniture and sofa beds. Last year, a developer from Utah said he was planning to convert the property into apartments, restaurants, and even a fitness center.

 

 

 

Fans of the Buffalo Bills now have some dates to circle on their calendars after the NFL released the team’s 2023 schedule. The Bills will start on the road when they take on Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets on Monday Night Football September 11th. Buffalo will also be battling its regional rival the New York Giants and the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. The Bills are coming off a season where they won 13 games and an AFC East title, but were defeated in the playoffs by the Cincinnati Bengals.

 

ELSEWHERE….

 

A Minnesota man who invented a rocket-powered toilet and a jet-powered coffee pot has come up with a motorcycle that runs on beer. Ky Michaelson said the beer-powered bike he created in his garage in a Minneapolis suburb has a 14-gallon keg with a heating coil instead of a gas-powered engine. The coil heats the beer to 300 degrees, then super-heated steam in the nozzles propels the bike. Michaelson said he’s not a drinker so he can’t think of any better use for beer than to run his motorcycle.

 

 

A YouTuber who intentionally crashed a plane to get views will plead guilty to a federal charge and could spend 20 years in prison. Trevor Jacob posted video of the crash to YouTube in December of 2021 and implied it was an accident. The former Olympic snowboarder jumped out of the plane prior to the crash, using a selfie stick to video himself while parachuting. Jacob disposed of the wreckage but recovered the cameras that had been onboard to record the moments of the crash. The video’s been viewed nearly 3,000,000 (million) times. Jacob will be sentenced later this year.

 

 

Michael Jordan’s warm-up jacket from the 1992 Olympics “Dream Team” is up for auction. The Reebok jacket is estimated to bring 1 to 3 million dollars. The online auction that began Thursday runs until June 28th.

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 12 in history…

 

In 1831…the nation’s first indicted bank robber, Edward Smith, was sentenced to five years hard labor at Sing Sing Prison.

 

 

 

 

 

In 1908…Wireless Radio Broadcasting is patented by Nathan Stubblefield.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 1932…The body of the kidnapped son of Charles Lindbergh was found in a wooded area of Hopewell, New Jersey. On March 1, 1932, Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr. (born June 22, 1930), the 20-month-old son of aviators Charles Lindbergh and Anne Morrow Lindbergh, was abducted from his crib in the upper floor of the Lindberghs’ home, Highfields, in East Amwell, New Jersey, United States.

 

 

In 1955, Sam “Toothpick” Jones of the Chicago Cubs became the first black man to pitch a no hitter as he beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, four-to-nothing.

 

 

 

 

 

In 1982, The U.S. Football League was formed.