Thursday News Brief

Chautauqua County officials are issuing a warning to people throughout our region about an ongoing property scam. There have been reports of people getting notices in the mail from a company called Admiral Realty LLC offering to buy their property. The letter asks individuals to sign and return the document within three days or the offer will be rescinded. But officials say this company isn’t legitimate and that anyone who gets one of these notices should throw it out.

 

Erica Gibbs, the Batavia teenager that had recently been reported missing, has been located and is safe. The Batavia Police thank the citizens for their tips and other agencies, which assisted in the investigation.

 

 

 

 

 

Illegal cannabis shops across New York are facing tougher penalties in an effort to protect the state’s licensed dispensaries. Governor Kathy Hochul says unlicensed pot shops now risk being fined $10,000 a day and repeat offenders could be charged $20,000. If shops continue selling weed after receiving a violation, the state can pursue a court order and shut them down. Authorities have taken advantage of recent legislation, seizing roughly $10,000,000 (million) worth of products from 31 stores in the last two weeks. Hochul says she wants to send a message that illegal cannabis shops will be caught and stopped.

 

 

The Genesee County Health Department has scheduled another anti-rabies clinic. There is no charge for the vaccine, 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 at all times. Limit 4 pets per car. The next anti-rabies clinic will be at the Genesee County Fairgrounds on Thursday, August 10th from 4:00pm to 6:30pm. (The next one after that will be in the same location on Thursday, October 12th, from 4:00pm to 6:30pm). For more information, visit GOHealthNY.org or call 344-2580 (x5555).

 

A Buffalo man is now facing up to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to a manslaughter charge. The Erie County District Attorney’s Office says 23-year-old Joshua Eddy attacked two people with a knife during a dispute in the area of Ideal Street and East Lovejoy Street in Buffalo last June. One victim, 32-year-old Hasheen Wilson, died of his injuries while a 27-year-old man survived. Eddy is scheduled to be sentenced in August.

 

 

 

 

Assemblyman Steve Hawley is slamming the Majority’s recently passed legislation that would make it illegal to organize, sponsor, conduct, promote or participate in any contest, competition or derby where the objective is to take wildlife (A.2917). This would include bans on hunting competitions for coyotes, rabbits and other animals. The legislation passed the state Assembly yesterday afternoon, and had a Senate sponsor from Buffalo and an Assembly sponsor from Manhattan. Hawley believes this silences the voices of people in rural areas such as Western New York. Assemblyman Hawley noted, “This anti-hunting bill is yet another example of out-of-touch, big city legislators imposing their will on our constituents,” said Hawley. “This is the same tactic that was used by big city lawmakers on the mandate of overtime pay on our farm workers. This proposal would not only be damaging to our rights as New Yorkers, but its effects on our local agriculture and animal population control will have negative consequences. The Majority needs to start considering the needs of all New Yorkers, not just those in the cities.”

 

Fortunately, there’s a happy ending to this next story. But the details are scary. Yesterday afternoon on Jackson Street, a two-year-old child apparently crawled through a second-floor window, onto a first-floor roof but then fell to the ground. According to a witness, the child stood up quickly after falling and started walking. Investigation by law enforcement revealed the incident was an ‘unfortunate accident’ and also quite fortunately, the child was not injured.

 

The Batavia Muckdogs split their double-header in Jamestown last night. They lost to the Tarp Skunks in the first game 9 to 2 but had a strong performance in game 2, to win 7 to 2. They’re back home tonight for the final game of their 3-game series against Jamestown. They take the field at 6:35.

 

The Genesee County Spartans semi-pro football team will be honoring the Batavia Titans this weekend. The Titans won the semi-pro football championship in 1998. At that time, Kenny Mistler was the owner of the team. He and as many of the ‘98 Titans that are available to attend, will be honored at half-time this Saturday evening on the new field at Genesee Community College behind the Call Centre. The game starts at 7:00.

 

 

 

The Buffalo Bills have announced the promotion of Eric Washington to assistant head coach. Washington has been a member of the Bills since 2020 and previously served as a senior defensive assistant. Before joining the reigning AFC East champions, Washington worked with both the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears. He will now be closely aligned with Bills head coach Sean McDermott, who has taken over the role of defensive coordinator.

 

Fans of the Buffalo Sabres can circle some dates their calendars now that team has revealed its preseason schedule that’ll kick off the 2023-2024 campaign. The Sabres are set to play in seven preseason contests, including home games against the Boston Bruins, Columbus Blue Jackets and Pittsburgh Penguins. Buffalo has also been chosen to play in the Kraft Hockeyville game against the Toronto Maple Leafs September 27th. Tickets for these contests are not yet available for purchase.

 

 

13WHAM Weather Authority Forecast, from Meteorologist Marty Snyder.

Today: Limited breaks of sun this afternoon through quite a few clouds at times. There is a small risk of a shower, especially to the south, but most areas will remain dry. High: Mid to upper 70’s. Wind: ESE 5-15 mph     Tonight: Mainly cloudy with the slight chance of an isolated shower. Lows will be in the lower 60’s. Wind: SE 7-12 mph     Tomorrow: Mainly cloudy with some breaks of sunshine and a slight chance of a shower. You’ll notice a little more humidity tomorrow. Highs tomorrow will reach the upper 70’s. Wind: E 7-15 mph     Saturday: Showers and storms are likely. High: 79 Wind: SSE 5-15 mph

 

ELSEWHERE…

 

The Coast Guard confirms the submersible used to view the Titanic was found demolished on the ocean floor. Rear Admiral John Mauger said a robotic sub found parts of the missing Titan 1,600 feet from the bow of the Titanic. Mauger said there was some catastrophic failure and gave his condolences to the family members affected.

 

 

Math and reading scores among 13-year-olds are down. New test scores released Wednesday by the National Assessment of Educational Progress show math scores are at their lowest since 1990 and reading scores are at their lowest since 2004. The decline in math scores was the biggest since federal testing began in 1973. The National Center for Education Statistics said the academic recovery it had hoped to see in the more than two years since the return to in-person learning has not materialized. It went on to say the latest data shows there are signs of risk for a generation of learners.

 

Washington is the most expensive state in the U.S. to buy gas. According to Triple-A, the price for a gallon of regular unleaded is averaging $4.91 statewide. In the Seattle area, prices for regular gas have jumped nearly 75 cents since January.

 

 

 

 

A new poll is showing an increase of Americans who believe a person’s gender should be determined based on their biological sex. The poll was conducted by NPR, PBS NewsHour and Marist poll. It says 61 percent of Americans define gender as the sex listed on a person’s original birth certificate and is the only way to define if someone is a male or female.

 

The Writers Guild of America strike show no signs of letting up. The group held a huge rally alongside a number of other unions in Los Angeles Wednesday. The strike against the big Hollywood studios is now in its eighth week with no sign yet of any deal.

 

 

 

There was no grand prize winner in last night’s Powerball drawing, pushing the jackpot up to $427,000,000 (million) ahead of the next chance for a win on Saturday. Meanwhile, tomorrow night’s Mega Millions jackpot is up to $320,000,000. That works out to a cash option of around $168,000,000. Please play responsibly.

 

Today is Thursday, June 22nd, the 173rd day of the year.

June 22 in history…

…In 1874, Doctor Andrew Taylor Still began the first known practice of osteopathy (a branch of medical practice that emphasizes the treatment of medical disorders through the manipulation and massage of the bones, joints, and muscles)

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1938, heavyweight boxing champ Joe Louis knocked out Max Schmeling in round one of their boxing re-match at New York’s Yankee Stadium.

 

 

 

 

…In 1964, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Henry Miller’s book “Tropic of Cancer” could not be banned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1969, award-winning actress Judy Garland died at the age of 47. She was perhaps best known for playing Dorothy in the “Wizard of Oz.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1970, then President Richard Nixon signed a bill changing the voting age from 21 to 18. In 2007, Austria became the first member of the European Union to adopt a voting age of 16 for most purposes. The voting age had been reduced in Austria from 19 to 18 at all levels in 1992. At that time a voting age of 16 was proposed by the Green Party, but was not adopted.

 

 

…In 1981, Mark David Chapman pled guilty to killing John Lennon outside the singer’s New York apartment.

 

 

 

 

…In 2008, legendary comedian George Carlin died after suffering a heart attack. He was 71. Carlin, often hailed as one of the late 20th century’s most influential and controversial comedians, was best known for his comedic routine “Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television.” In 1978 the U.S. Supreme Court agreed with Carlin that the words in his routine were indecent. That ruling prompted the Federal Communications Commission to ban the use of those words from radio and television broadcasts when children could be listening.