Wednesday News Brief

The state Division of Consumer Protection has issued a warning about home improvement scams. The agency says such scams and contractor fraud are one of the top five things it investigates yearly and there are ways for people to protect themselves. They include doing extensive research before hiring someone and getting at least three estimates before making a final decision. Also, have a contract detailing the kind of work you want done, the contractors’ contact information and a detailed pricing breakdown.

 

 

Starting today, a major change to New York State’s Move Over law will be going into effect. Drivers are now required to slow down and move over to avoid colliding with all vehicles that are stopped along a roadway. The goal is to prevent travelers, pedestrians, highway workers and first responders from being hurt. The law has been in place since 2010 and data shows that nationally, nearly 300 people are struck and killed roadside each year.

 

26-year-old Tyler Vogel was arraigned Monday night in Lancaster Town Court on two counts of Making a Terroristic Threat and two counts of Aggravated Harassment. The Erie County District Attorney’s Office says Vogel allegedly sent text messages to two victims separately threatening to physical harm or death if they did not comply with his request to cancel a pending high-profile case happening in another county. The DA’s office declined to provide more information on that case to protect the victims’ identities. If convicted, Vogel could face up to seven years in prison.

 

A baby and a teenager remain in critical condition today; the crash happened in Ogden Monday afternoon. Police responded to the area of Washington Street and Whittier Road shortly before 4:15 p.m. for a report of a two-vehicle crash. Investigators determined a westbound van failed to yield the right of way at a stop sign and was struck by a southbound van that was unable to avoid a collision. Three people in the westbound van were hospitalized. The 37-year-old driver was treated and released, while the 18-year-old and 6-month-old female passengers remain at Strong Memorial Hospital. The driver of the southbound van was treated and released. The crash remains under investigation, but police said criminal charges are not expected to be filed.

 

A man convicted of carrying out a murder in Rochester two years ago has found out his punishment for that crime. Yesterday, a judge sentenced 33-year-old Charles Holley to 25 years to life in prison. Holley was found guilty of shooting and killing 29-year-old Devon Wilburn in the area of Dewey and Magee Avenues in March 2021. Holley was on parole for robbery at the time of the homicide.

 

The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance is offering a timely reminder for taxpayers. The fastest and easiest way to file tax returns, check refund status and receive money as quickly as possible, is to combine electronic filing and direct deposit into your account. Many state residents quality to e-file for free with the Direct File and Free File programs; find out more by visiting tax.ny.gov.

 

Assemblyman Steve Hawley has joined his colleagues in the State Assembly to call for an independent and public review of the state’s COVID response. On March 7th, 2020, former Governor Cuomo declared a state of emergency, which shut down the state for over a year. And it was four years ago yesterday, that Cuomo decided to have Covid-positive patients stay in nursing homes. Overall, during the pandemic, approximately 80,000 New Yorkers died and many businesses struggled. In May 2022, Governor Hochul called for a study of the state’s pandemic response; however, the final report is not yet available.

 

Medical residents at the University at Buffalo are giving people the chance to get their eyesight checked following the upcoming solar eclipse. A clinic is happening on April 8th and it will run from 4:00pm until 9:00pm at the UBMD Opthalmology/Ross Eye Institute on Main Street in Buffalo. Viewing the eclipse without the proper protection might lead to eye injuries and the school wants to make sure any problems are caught early so they can be treated. Walk-in appointments will be accepted.

 

With their latest road trip in the rear view mirror, the Buffalo Sabres will be back on home ice tonight. The Sabres are hosting the Ottawa Senators at KeyBank Center. Buffalo last played Sunday when they beat the Calgary Flames 4-1, and are still in the hunt for a playoff spot in the competitive Eastern Conference. Face-off is set for 7:00.

 

The Amerks are in Syracuse tonight to take on the Crunch. They won their last game on Sunday at home against Utica, 4-1.

 

 

 

ELSEWHERE…

The New York judge presiding over Donald Trump’s upcoming hush money trial is imposing a gag order on the former president. The order prohibits Trump from publicly commenting on witnesses, prosecutors and court staff. The move comes as the former president’s trial is scheduled to begin on April 15th. Trump pleaded not guilty last year for allegedly covering up $130,000 in hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.

 

 

A lucky lottery player could be just a few hours away from winning the fifth-largest prize in the history of Powerball. The jackpot up for grabs tonight is now $875 million after no one matched all the correct numbers on Monday. The odds of actually claiming the jackpot are an astronomical one in 292,000,000. The drawing will be streamed live online. Meanwhile, someone in New Jersey won the over one-billion-dollar Mega Millions jackpot last night.

 

 

 

See’s Candies is gearing up for Easter. The 102-year-old candy maker has to prepare four million chocolate Easter eggs in time for the holiday. Workers at the See’s Candies South San Francisco factory have been hard at work for months now making the eggs with various fillings like Bordeaux, vanilla butter cream or peanut butter. While the popular smaller sized chocolate eggs can be made in minutes, the larger ones take more time and are decorated entirely by hand.