Wednesday News Brief

The Affordable Connectivity Program, which was set up during the COVID-19 pandemic, is set to expire in April. This will mean your Internet bill could increase by $30 in May. A total of 4,871 households in Genesee County receive the benefit. If you didn’t enroll in the program, your bill won’t be impacted; however, experts suggest you keep an eye on your bill just in case there is a mix up with your provider. As it stands now, Congress has not passed a renewal of the program.

 

37-year-old Chad Burgess of Rochester has been arrested in Batavia, following a traffic stop on Lewiston Road. He initially attempted to flee the scene but was caught by sheriffs and state troopers on Park Road. Burgess was found to be in possession of large quantities of narcotics with the intent to sell. In addition to this charge, he’s also charged with criminal possession, concealing, altering or destroying physical evidence, criminal use of drug paraphernalia and unlawful fleeing a police officer. Burgess was arraigned in Genesee County CAP Court.

 

The latest data shows that the spread of the flu is still a problem across our region. During the week ending February 17th, Monroe County led the area in cases with 509; Erie County had 410. That was followed by Niagara County with 136 cases of the flu and Livingston County with 84. Doctors are still advocating that anyone who has yet to receive their flu shot should get one immediately.

 

The Lockport man that’s been missing since January 26th has sadly been found deceased. The City of Lockport Police Department says they found the body of Bryon Brinley on Tuesday. The circumstances of his death remain under investigation.

 

 

 

 

 

Testimony is going to continue today in the murder retrial of Timothy Williams. Yesterday, the defense and prosecution finished picking the jury that will decide if Williams killed 14-year-old Wendy Jerome of Rochester on Thanksgiving in 1984. The first witness, a retired police officer, testified that Jerome’s body showed signs of trauma when he got to the crime scene. The trial is expected to take a few weeks to complete.

 

If you’re traveling in the direction of Rochester and points east today, please keep in mind there is a high wind warning in effect there from 2:00 this afternoon through 7:00am tomorrow. Damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines, so please do be careful if you must drive through that area; travel may be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.

 

New York is expanding access to mental health care for students. Governor Hochul is putting $20 million in startup funding towards school-based mental health clinics while launching a rolling application process to secure state funding. The governor also announced the creation of the Youth Mental Health Advisory Board, which will allow young New Yorkers to make their voices heard. It’s part of her efforts to expand school based mental health programs for kids across the state and protect them from harmful social media features.

 

A Lockport woman is now facing multiple charges in connection with a fatal crash in Cheektowaga. Authorities say 51-year-old Jennifer Hylkema was leaving a parking lot on Transit Road Monday night when her vehicle was struck by a car driven by 24-year-old Alondra Ramirez-Santiago. It is alleged that Ramirez-Santiago was under the influence at the time. Hykelma was pronounced dead at Erie County Medical Center and Ramirez-Santiago is in jail without bail.

 

Nearly $6 million in federal funding will be used to curb cyber attacks in New York State. Governor Hochul says the Cybersecurity Grant Program will expand access to cybersecurity information, tools, resources and services so local municipalities have access to the most sophisticated cyber defenses. The money comes from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. During the first year, the program will focus on implementing multi-factor authentication and cybersecurity training for local governments.

 

The three-game winning streak of the Buffalo Sabres has been snapped after the team suffers a tough loss on the road. Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens each had goals for the Sabres who fell to the Florida Panthers 3-2 at FLA Live Arena last night. Buffalo goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen faced 37 shots in the contest and was able to stop 34 of them. Buffalo’s next game is tomorrow night in Tampa against the Lightning.

 

 

 

Two of the biggest names in music are bringing their latest tour to the Darien Lake Amphitheater later this year. Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan will be performing as part of the 2024 Outlaw Music Festival on September 17th. Dylan and Nelson are going to be joined at this show by John Mellencamp and the band Southern Avenue. Seats for the concert go on sale this Friday at 10:00am through Ticketmaster.

 

ELSEWHERE…

Freddie Mercury’s London home is on sale for $38 million. The Queen front man lived at Garden Lodge for over a decade. It has a Japanese sitting room, a double height drawing room, music center and a bar-library. Mercury bought the property on the spot in 1980, according to Knight Frank, the British real estate company handling the sale.