Monday News Brief

Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has filed a lawsuit against State Attorney General Letitia James in an effort to force her to turn over interviews from the sexual misconduct investigation that led to his resignation. Cuomo is arguing that he needs the witness statements in full to defend himself against two sexual harassment lawsuits linked to the investigation. A federal judge declined to release similar records in a separate case filed by Cuomo last year.

 

33-year-old Johnny Koonce, Jr. of Batavia has been arrested. He’s charged with criminal contempt, aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle and failure to stop at a stop sign. It’s also alleged he violated a stay-away order of protection by operating a vehicle with the protected party as a passenger, and having been convicted of criminal contempt in the past five years. Koonce, Jr. was held at the Genesee County Jail pending CAP Court arraignment. ALSO: 31-year-old Samantha Balduf of Depew has been arrested in Batavia and charged with petit larceny. It’s alleged she swapped the price tag on an item of lesser value and paid the lesser price for an item she purchased at a store on Veteran’s Memorial Drive. Balduf was issued an appearance ticket for a later date in the Town of Batavia Court.

 

Days of heavy snow combined with clogged gutters can create ice dams on your roof. Some residents report seeing icicles 15 feet in length hanging from their homes. Unfortunately, this slow drip can have major consequences — as the water could get into your house, starting from the attic and working its way down, and not only turn into a mess but also an expensive insurance claim. If you have a roof shovel, you can use it to scoop snow and ice off the roof from the ground; it’s a good idea to get rid of the buildup before it freezes.

 

Some brand-new data shows the spread of the flu virus is slowly on the decline across our region. During the week ending January 13th, the county with the highest number of infections was Monroe County with 686. That was followed by Erie County with 286; Niagara County, with 104; Wayne County had 85 and Ontario County, 83. Anyone who hasn’t received their flu shot yet can find a clinic at vaccines.gov.

 

We’re saving a little bit of money when it comes time to fill up our vehicles. According to Triple A this morning, the national average cost for a gallon of regular gas is now sitting at $3.08. The state average is $3.26 per gallon. In Batavia, the average price comes out to $3.29; that’s down 3 cents from a week ago and down 17 cents from a month ago today.

 

The road to the Super Bowl has come to an end for the Buffalo Bills as the team suffers a heartbreaking loss at home. Buffalo kicker Tyler Bass missed a 44-yard-field goal attempt with under two minutes left as the Bills fell to the Kansas City Chiefs 27 to 24 last night. Quarterback Josh Allen had two rushing scores and also threw a touchdown for the Bills; but in the end, they had their six game winning streak snapped.

 

ELSEWHERE…

Newly released deposition video shows former President Trump saying he saved the world from “nuclear holocaust.” The video is from Trump’s deposition in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ fraud lawsuit against him and his company. In the deposition Trump says he believes there would have been a nuclear holocaust brought on by North Korea if he weren’t elected. He goes on to say there may be a “nuclear war now.” Excerpts of the video of his questioning were made public last Friday by the AG’s office. James has accused Trump and the Trump Organization of inflating their assets to secure favorable bank loans.

 

Eating dark chocolate could reduce the risk of high blood pressure. A new study in the journal Nature Scientific Reports found that dark chocolate might also decrease the risk of blood clotting. While an exact cause couldn’t be determined, experts say the findings may warrant further research for any benefits in combating cardiovascular diseases.

 

 

Panera Bread’s “Charged Lemonade” drinks with caffeine are at the center of another lawsuit. A woman filed a lawsuit in Delaware Tuesday, alleging that she suffers long-term and permanent cardiac issues after drinking “Charged Lemonade.” According to the lawsuit, the woman drank two-and-a-half “Charged Lemonades” and started experiencing symptoms like body shakes, heart palpitations and shortness of breath. The woman allegedly went to the emergency room and was treated for atrial fibrillation, which the CDC describes as an irregular heartbeat. Two previous lawsuits blamed “Charged Lemonade” for the deaths of a Florida man and a college student.

 

Today is Monday, Jan. 22, the 22nd day of 2024 with 344 to follow.

The moon is waxing. Morning stars are Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Uranus and Venus. Evening stars are Jupiter, Neptune, Saturn and Uranus.

January 22 in history

…In 1949, Journey lead singer Steve Perry was born (happy 75th!)

 

 

 

 

…In 1968, restaurateur Guy Fieri was born (happy 56th!)

 

 

 

…In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in the Roe versus Wade case. The justices ruled the Constitution allows women the right to an abortion.

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1988 James Taylor released the album “Never Die Young.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…In 2002 U2 released the EP “U2 7.”