Morning News Brief
Written by Tom Tharp on November 30, 2023
Police responded to a shots fired incident in Batavia in the area of Oak St and N Lyons St Late wednesday evening. Apparently someone drove by in an SUV and fired shots which hit a home on the 40 block of Oak Street. Police went door to door interviewing residents and searching the roads and sidewalks. This is not the first time this area of Oak Street has been hit with gunshots. The last incident was on August 28. No suspects have been named.
The New York State Department of Transportation is reminding drivers to be cautious near snowplows, following a close call in the Rochester area. NYSDOT shared video on social media Wednesday of a car apparently trying to outrace a plow as lanes merged on an expressway on-ramp. The plow ended up hitting the red sedan. No injuries are reported. Plows can’t go as fast or slow down as fast as normal traffic and they have reduced visibility while at work. And, most likely, if you hit a plow the plow will be fine but the same can’t be said for your vehicle.
Two men face charges after police said they discovered illegal cannabis sales at two smoke shops in Greece. Police executed search warrants Nov. 14 at the GSpot Smoke Shop locations on Dewey Avenue and Stone Road. They also searched a warehouse on River Street in Rochester and a home in Greece. Detectives recovered more than 150 pounds of cannabis, along with cash, cannabis-infused ingestible products and equipment used to make edibles. 28 year olds Anthony Gingello of Greece, and Charles Infantino of Rochester, are charged with criminal possession of cannabis. They were arraigned and issued appearance tickets.
The maximum-security prison of Attica is on lockdown “following several acts of violence,” according to the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. The violence at Attica Correctional Facility in Wyoming County allegedly began with incidents pitting inmates against other inmates, leading to staff members being assaulted — including one being stabbed multiple times. DOCCS said it is working with police to pursue prosecution. The facility, infamous for a deadly 1971 uprising that gained national attention, is undergoing a full search that is expected to take several days.
There is a new effort to bolster the healthcare industry in Western New York, as a special class of “graduates” celebrated the beginning of a new chapter in their careers Tuesday night. Catholic Health’s first Nurse Residency Program graduation will bring in 12 new nurses into the workforce. In November 2018, the Department of Labor stated that the Buffalo-Niagara Falls Metro Area had more than 15,000 hospital workers, however, that number dropped sharply during the pandemic; in no small part due to high rates of burnout among nurses. Early in the fall of 2021, the industry lost 2,000 workers, before it rebounded. Since March 2022, the number of hospital workers has steadily risen but there are still 1,300 fewer hospital workers now than there were five years ago.
Savarino Companies may have gone under and left the Ellicott Station unfinished, but that doesn’t absolve them of their responsibilities. The City of Batavia wants it’s money back. Genesee County Economic Development Center officials have severed their ties with Savarino Companies and asked for more than $1 million of tax benefits back according to Senior Marketing and Communications Director Jim Krencik. One of Savarino’s Ellicott Street properties was also fined for neglected property maintenance, along with a number of others, for an extra $30,000 for city cleanups of grass, weeds and debris. Savarino halted work on the project this summer after shutting down his company due to financial issues stemming from New York State refusing to pay for a construction project at SUNY Alfred State after much work was done. He is currently suing for damages.
Christmas in the City — an annual festive tradition that happens the first weekend in December — will be bringing the usual favorites of Santa Claus, hot cocoa, a parade down Main Street and cheery carolers, along with some new additions. The main event at Batavia City Centre runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and will offer gift-giving shoppers plenty of options with 42 vendors and 64 tables so far throughout the concourse. The Great Lakes and Attica Regional Railroad model train club will be joining the action this year. The club will have three train boards set up with various displays, including a Christmas village and town theme. Santa will be there from 1 to 5pm. Shops on Main Street will also be providing special treats for shoppers. The Christmas Parade will start at 6pm and run from near the City Centre down West Main Street. And finally, the little big band, Serendipity Swing, will be performing at the Main St Theatre at 7:30. Tickets at the door are 20 dollars.
Another Chick-fil-A is headed to Western New York, this time in Niagara Falls. According to reporting by Buffalo Business First, the sixth franchise will be built in the Esporta Plaza on Niagara Falls Boulevard. According to Business First. Benderson Development, the owner of the plaza, has filed site plans with the Niagara County Planning Board for the 6610 Niagara Falls Blvd. property. The developer plans to build a 5,000-square-foot location, with 51 parking spaces. If approved, this new location would run adjacent to the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls.
