Friday News Brief

34-year-old Anthony Armstrong Jr. of Rochester has been indicted for the standoff on Walnut Street in Batavia. He faces multiple felony charges, including 1st degree burglary, unlawful imprisonment, and criminal possession of a weapon; as well as multiple misdemeanor criminal mischief charges. These all stem from the March 20th incident at 46 Walnut Street that began with a 9-1-1 hang-up call. Armstrong and a tenant in the apartment house had gotten into an argument and the tenant wanted Armstrong removed. Armstrong then entered another apartment in the building, barricaded himself inside and held the tenant against their will. He was armed with a knife and made threats to harm himself and created for the victim perceptions of fear for their own safety. Armstrong damaged property and refused to allow the victim to call for help. After approximately five hours, Armstrong was taken into custody, brought to the hospital for evaluation and then released to the custody of Batavia Police.

 

 

The Jamestown-area resident who was arrested following a search that lasted nearly two weeks has made his first court appearance. Yesterday, 34-year-old Michael Burham was in a South Carolina courtroom to answer to a charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Burham was taken into custody Wednesday and was wanted by Jamestown police in connection with crimes such as murder, arson and rape. There’s still no word yet when he’ll be extradited back to this area.

 

 

Governor Hochul says action is being taken to reduce the danger that’s posed by xylazine. Xylazine is a non-opioid that has been found in drug supplies and it can have serious health effects, especially when mixed with fentanyl. It’s also not responsive to Narcan, which is used to help stop overdoses. The governor says drug-testing strips will be available for free from the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports and Office of Mental Health. The strips detect xylazine that might have been combined with other drugs.

 

 

 

Thousands of runners are going to be in Western New York this weekend to take part in the Buffalo Marathon. The 26-point-two-mile and 13-point-one mile races will be held on Sunday. There will be road closures in place near the marathon route, so drivers may want to plan ahead. Registered runners should know there’s no race day packet pickup this year. For more information, go to buffalomarathon.org.

 

38-year-old Carl Wilson of Buffalo has been convicted of aggravated bank robbery. Investigation revealed that he and an accomplice, armed with a pistol and wearing masks and gloves, entered the Clarence Community and School Federal Credit Union in Clarence. He ordered all the employees to the ground and demanded money. Wilson went behind the teller line and went through their cash drawers. . He was sentenced to serve 72 months in prison and has to pay restitution of nearly $148,793.90.

 

 

Students and staff at Webster Schroeder High School are going to be getting a day off today due to classes being canceled because of a fire. The fire happened yesterday and was later connected to a piece of shop class equipment. Everyone at the school ended up being evacuated as a precaution and didn’t return for the rest of the day. There were no injuries reported. (Photo: WIVB-TV)

 

The man who pulled the trigger in a shooting at a Dollar General in Cheektowaga is going to be spending time in prison for committing that crime. Prosecutors say 43-year-old Travis Green walked into the store on Union Avenue back in 2017 and requested an application. He later became upset and went out to his vehicle, grabbed a rifle, and opened fire towards the business. One customer was shot but survived their injuries. Green is facing up to 25 years behind bars when he is sentenced in July.

 

 

Two Ontario County residents have been arrested after being accused of abusing a three-year-old girl. Investigators say that 38-year-old Luis Rodriguez and 29-year-old Stephanie Chavez attacked the child over a period of several days. They were taken into custody yesterday at an apartment complex in Farmington and are charged with assault. Officials haven’t revealed how badly the girl was hurt.

 

 

With a lot of people hitting the road for the holiday weekend, police across New York State are going to be keeping a very close eye out for impaired drivers and reckless drivers. A special enforcement period gets underway today and it will run through May 30th. Drivers can expect to see an increased number of sobriety checkpoints and more patrols on the roads. Folks who are planning to drink are urged to make sure they have a safe ride home. If you spot someone driving erratically, please call 9-1-1.

 

ELSEWHERE…

 

An overdue library book in California has been returned after nearly 100 years. The St. Helena Public Library in Napa Valley says a book called “A History of the United States” was due back in February of 1927. Napa Valley resident Jim Perry, who said it’s been in his family for five generations, finally returned the book earlier this month. Perry said he decided to return it because it had the library’s name stamped on it and was unaware of its significance. Overdue fines for the book would have totaled over $1,700, but fortunately for Jim Perry, the library stopped collecting fines in 2019.

 

 

An increasing number of Americans are pessimistic about retirement. A Gallup poll showed that 43% of those who have yet to retire expect they’ll live comfortably when they do retire. That’s down from 48% last year.

 

 

A new study is zeroing in on the 12 most common symptoms of long COVID. Hundreds of symptoms have been reported but among the most common are ongoing fatigue, brain fog, thirst, dizziness, and chest pain. Others include a cough, abnormal movements, upset stomach, loss of taste, lack of sexual desire, and feeling sick after physical activity.

 

The Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots continue to climb. The prize up for grabs for Mega Millions tonight is $169,000,000 (million). And, whoever is lucky enough to pick all six winning numbers for Powerball tomorrow night will get $211,000,000. Both drawings will be streamed live online. Please play responsibly.

 

 

May 26 in history…

…In 1836, the United States House of Representatives adopted the Gag Rule. The rule was adopted to restrict needless, long discussions in Congress.

 

 

 

 

…In 1896, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, comprised of 12 “smokestack” companies, made its debut.

 

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1977, George Willig scaled the World Trade Center in New York City. Known as the Human Fly, Willig attached himself to a window washing mechanism and walked straight up the building. He was arrested and fined $1.10, a penny for every floor.

 

 

 

…In 1994, Michael Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley in a secret ceremony in the Dominican Republic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1995, Warner Brothers animator and cartoon producer Friz Freleng died at the age of 89. He created such popular characters as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Sylvester and Tweety.