Afternoon News Brief

The man accused of a string of sexual assaults in the Park Avenue neighborhood in 2022 is heading to prison after reaching a guilty plea.  Prosecutors said 27 year old Hayden Cypressi, raped one victim and tried to rape three others, all of whom were strangers to him, in separate attacks between May and October 2022.  Cypressi pleaded guilty today to attempted rape and sexual abuse.  He was sentenced to 18 years in prison, plus 15 years of post-release supervision. He will also have to register as a sex offender.

The stretch of i90 between Batavia and LeRoy was closed down due to an accident around 8 this morning caused by a pickup truck running into the back of a tractor trailer.  Mercy Flight responded with an airlift for the driver of the pickup truck who was trapped in the vehicle.  A Semi trying to stop for the accident also rolled over after jackknifing and animal control was called to help with 2 dogs in that truck.  The driver of the pickup was taken to the hospital and the highway was reopened by 9.  

The City of Batavia Police Department is currently seeking qualified applicants for crossing guard positions. The position is part-time during school arrivals and dismissals only.  Crossing guards play an important role in ensuring the safety of children going to and from school each day. If you are interested in this part-time position you can contact the City of Batavia’s Human Resource Department.

Governor Kathy Hochul says she’s putting retail theft rings on notice. Speaking in Latham, the governor said she’s preparing to launch a multipronged strategy to fight shoplifting, including 25-million-dollars to create a specialized retail theft unit within the New York State Police. The governor says she’s going to try to replicate what’s been done to reduce gun violence across New York State, touting a 36-percent drop in shootings outside of New York City over the past two years. Hochul also touted the dramatic drop in car thefts across Rochester, Albany, and Buffalo.

A 40 year institution on the west side of Batavia has closed.  The Family Diner on Pearl St Rd opened in 1980 and closed on Sunday.  The owners, the Swimline family, said that COVID shutdowns sealed the deal for the end of the restaurant.  Food costs went up, cost of help went up, customers no longer wanted a sit down place to eat, and fast food restaurants became more popular.  The costs cut into the benefits of doing business and make it no longer worth the extra time and effort.  

Gas Price Update:  Drivers in Batavia are seeing a slight rise in the price of a gallon regular gas.  It is up 1 penny from last week at 3.25.  This is the same price it was a month ago.  The State average is up 2 cents from last week at 3.32.  This is also 5 cents up from last month.  The national price is 3.35 which is up 9 cents from last week and up 21 cents from a month ago.  Triple A is expecting the price to continue to rise as demand increases in the warmer weather.  Domestic reserves and production also continue to fall as government policies cut into refineries and gas companies.