Thursday News Brief

One resident is testing the new ordinance that bans livestock within city limits except for specific exceptions. Jill Turner has continued to keep a goat at her home. She brought it indoors following passage of the ordinance but neighbors reported her to police. Turner apparently was on the receiving end of many complaints regarding the noise and smell her animals produced. She has also been reported for harassing her neighbors. Turner now faces many charges.

 

 

33-year-old Emily Nichols of Batavia has been arrested by Genesee County Sheriffs and charged with welfare fraud. It’s alleged she failed to report the wages of her husband, resulting in her receiving $7885 in SNAP benefits for which she was not entitled. Nichols was arraigned in Batavia Town Court and released on her own recognizance. She’ll return to court at a later date.

 

 

An air quality health advisory is in effect today for all Western New York counties and eastern Lake Ontario regions due to smoke from wildfires in Canada that continues to blanket us. The state Department of Health recommends people limit their outdoor activities and to avoid any long-term exposure to the smoke. People who are more susceptible to breathing problems or have heart disease should be particularly careful. And if you have to be outside, you should consider wearing a mask to protect yourself from particulates and chemicals. Genesee County is handing out free facemasks while supplies last. You can pick up a free mask from 8 to 4:30 at the Emergency Management Office on State Street Road and at the Old Courthouse in Batavia. To check the air quality index in your area, head to https://www.airnow.gov/. By the way, a shift in atmospheric conditions and the forecast rain on Monday should both improve our air quality starting this weekend.

 

State Police are continuing to look into a tragic accident where a site inspector was killed on the Thruway. According to Troopers, 45-year-old Brett Decker was in a work zone between Exit 48 and Exit 48A yesterday when he was hit by a construction vehicle. Decker walked into the right lane behind a dump truck that was backing up and ended up being struck. He was pronounced dead at the scene and no one else was hurt.

 

A Lockport man is in jail without bail after being charged with murder in connection with a woman’s death. Niagara County deputies were called to a house on Windermere Road to do a wellness check yesterday and arrived to find the victim had passed away due to several head and facial injuries. Their investigation led to the arrest of 64-year-old David Fermoile, who was already at the home. The name of the woman hasn’t been released.

 

 

 

Following a blizzard last year that took dozens of lives, Erie County officials are considering the creation of a winter storm rating system. County Executive Mark Poloncarz has asked the county Legislature to approve a contract that would allow a group called the Research Foundation to begin its work. The project would include a review of the communications during the December storm that devastated the area. Poloncarz said after the disaster further proactive steps need to be taken to warn the public should a life-threatening storm approach again.

 

Members of the Seneca Nation say an agreement has been reached in principle with New York State on a new gaming compact. If approved by the Seneca people and Department of the Interior, the compact would be in place for 20 years. The current agreement that was signed back in 2002 is scheduled to expire in December. Seneca Nation President Rickey Armstrong Junior says negotiations focused on getting a fair deal that provides critical services and secures the future of gaming operations.

 

New York City is challenging upstate counties that declared a state of emergency on the grounds that it’s unconstitutional. The lawsuit is an attempt to void the declarations in counties, including Genesee and Orleans, which would then allow buses of asylum seekers to come from the Big Apple. The lawsuit claims that those emergency orders obstructed New York City’s efforts to relocate migrants “in a manner that is explicitly permitted by law and required by a statewide emergency,” and is requesting that the state Supreme Court invalidate each counties’ states of emergency. It also asks to prohibit the locales from taking steps that “restrict or frustrate” the effort to address a statewide emergency, which Governor Kathy Hochul declared on May 9.

 

Three teenagers are continuing to recover after they were struck by gunfire in Rochester. The shooting happened last night following a crash on Frost Avenue in the city. A 13-year-old girl was spotted on Genesee Street and the 14-year-old and 17-year-old victims went to a nearby hospital in a private vehicle. All three individuals were treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Anyone with information on this case is asked to dial 911.

 

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has been selected to be the cover athlete for one of the most popular video game franchises in history. Allen will be on the front of the Madden NFL 24 video game when it hits store shelves on August 18th. He’s the first member of the Bills to ever be chosen for this honor. Allen says the opportunity to join the short list of cover athletes for the Madden franchise is humbling and surreal.

 

The Fourth of July is less than a month away, and plans have been announced for how Rochester is going to be celebrating the holiday. A fireworks show will take place on July 4th at 10:00pm, and the best place for people to see them is the area of the Broad Street and Court Street bridges. There will be parking available nearby in the Court Street garage and the Sister Cities garage. The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra is also performing the evening of July 7th at Parcel Five from 5:30 to 10:00pm.

 

 

 

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Christian evangelical leader Pat Robertson has died at age 93. Robertson founded the Christian Broadcasting Network in 1960, and started the popular long-running program “The 700 Club.” He was also the first evangelical leader to launch a serious bid for the U.S. presidency in 1988. Pat Robertson’s death was announced this morning by the Christian Broadcasting Network. No cause of death was given.

 

An actor known for roles in “Better Call Saul” and “Bob’s Burgers,” among others, is behind bars on January 6th riot charges. Federal prosecutors say Jay Johnston helped attack the U.S. Capitol in 2021. He surrendered on Wednesday at the FBI’s Los Angeles field office. The feds say he was a part of a mob that stormed a Capitol tunnel as police were retreating. The 54-year-old faces multiple charges including civil disorder. Johnston was dumped from “Bob’s Burgers” when his alleged involvement in the riot came to light.

 

A new clue that one person thinks could be linked to the Zodiac Killer has been found in the Sierra Foothills. The clue was discovered from satellite images by an amateur sleuth who saw a 25-foot wide rock formation that looked like a bulls-eye about ten miles west of Tahoe. The Zodiac Killer used a similar bulls-eye pattern in the taunting letters he sent to police in the 1960’s.

 

 

 

Actress Shannen Doherty says her breast cancer has spread to her brain. The “Beverly Hills 90210” star was first diagnosed in 2015. She shared the update on Instagram with an emotional video that captured a vulnerable look into her health journey, documenting the moment where she was crying while getting radiation treatment.

 

Its not clear if horses are going to get the green light to race at the Belmont Stakes in New York as smoke from Canadian wildfires create poor air quality for the region. New York Governor Hochul says its going to be a last minute decision. This comes as New York State is instituting enhanced measures to protect horses and spectators ahead of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday. Hochul has directed all tracks to pause workouts through today, saying there will be no racing at any facility if the air quality exceeds 200. If the air quality is between 150 and 200, the horses must undergo a pre-race vet examination before the race.

 

Rory McIlroy is still speaking out against LIV Golf, one day after a merger with the PGA Tour was announced. The four-time major champion told reporters he “still hates” it. He added that he hopes it goes away after the 2023 season and expects that it will.

 

 

Today is Thursday, June 8th, the 159th day of the year.

June 8 in history…

 

…In 1786, commercial ice cream was manufactured for the first time in New York City.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1824, the washing machine was patented.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1869, Ives McGaffey of Chicago patented the suction vacuum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1872, Congress authorized the penny post card.

 

 

 

 

…In 1969, then President Richard Nixon announced that 25,000 U.S. troops would be withdrawn from Vietnam by the end of August.

 

 

 

 

 

 

…Also in 1969, the New York Yankees retired Mickey Mantle’s number seven.

 

 

 

 

 

…In 2021, National Geographic officially recognizes the “Southern Ocean” as the world’s fifth ocean.