Monday News Brief

38-year-old Michael Sweet of Batavia has been arrested and charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance. He was allegedly found to be in possession of methamphetamine during a traffic stop investigation. Sweet was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Town of Batavia Court on April 9th. ALSO: 37-year-old Jared Burns of Batavia has been arrested for falsely reporting; this followed an incident on Clinton Street Road. It’s alleged Burns called the Sheriff’s Office Emergence Dispatch to falsely report an incident that he claimed was about to occur. Burns is due to appear in Batavia Town Court on April 9th.

 

The Jackson Street Water project will resume today, with the installation of interconnections on Ellicott Street. Loss of water should be expected from Main to Liberty Street and possible surrounding areas, depending on necessary valve closures. If discolored water occurs when water pressure is regained, it’s best to avoid doing laundry or cooking until the water once again runs clear.

 

A Dyngus Day celebration will be held today at the Polish Falcons Nest on South Swan Street. A Polish platter will be available at $13 per plate from 4:00-6:00pm, or until sold out. Eat-in or take-out is available and pre-orders are suggested. For more information, please call 343-0225.

 

The presidential primary poll site for Ward IV in Batavia is the ARC Community Center. Stop by Tuesday to vote: 38 Woodrow Road. Enter through the rear side doors toward the back of the parking lot. All polling sites are open Tuesday, April 2 from 6:00am until 9:00pm. (WBTA Photo)

 

 

 

 

According to Triple A this morning, the national average cost for a gallon of regular fuel is now $3.54. Right now, the state average is $3.45 a gallon. In Batavia, the average price calculates out to $3.36. That’s up a nickel from a week ago, up 9 cents from a month ago but down 6 cents from a year ago today.

 

 

 

We’re just seven days away from the solar eclipse, and border patrol officials in the United States and Canada have issued an alert. While the border will be open during the April 8th event, there will likely be long traffic delays. The region is in the path of totality, and it’s likely drivers will want to stop their vehicles and see the eclipse while it is happening. There will be additional staff in place at the border to keep crossing times to a minimum.

 

Police across New York State will be cracking down on distracted drivers over the next several days. It is part of the “Operation Hang Up” campaign that runs through April 8th. Drivers can expect to see increased patrols and there will also be radio, TV, and social media messages to inform people about the dangers of distracted driving. During last year’s campaign, more than 2,600 distracted driving tickets were issued. Penalties range from fines to drivers license violation points and even license suspension.

 

Someone in Rochester or the surrounding area is $50,000 richer after purchasing a Powerball ticket. The New York State Lottery says the third-prize ticket was bought at the Wegmans store located on East Ridge Road. The numbers for Saturday’s drawing were 12, 13, 33, 50, 52 and 23. No one hit the jackpot, which means the prize up for grabs tonight soars to $975 million There hasn’t been a grand prizewinner in the Powerball since January 1st. Please play responsibly.

 

 

 

ELSEWHERE…

AT&T said it has begun notifying millions of customers about the theft of personal data recently discovered online. The company said it has already reset the passcodes of current users and will be communicating with account holders whose sensitive personal information was compromised. It is not known if the data originated from AT&T or one of its vendors. The compromised data is from 2019 or earlier and does not appear to include financial information or call history. In addition to passcodes and Social Security numbers, it may include email and mailing addresses, phone numbers and birth dates.

 

April is National Donate Life Month and state residents are being urged to join the state’s organ donation registry. They can do so through the Department of Motor Vehicles by completing the donation section on their license or non-driver ID application. Registration can also be done when a person signs up to vote online or when they want to apply for licenses or certifications from the Department of State. There are more than 8,000 Empire State residents waiting for a life-saving transplant.

 

 

There’s no clear origin to April Fool’s Day. References to the first of April as a day of trickery date back all the way to Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” in the 14th century. The first recorded April Fool’s Day was in France in 1582. It’s believed that April 1st was celebrated as New Year’s Day before the Gregorian calendar changed it to January 1st. Those who didn’t get the word about the change were called “fools,” and people played tricks on them. That grew into a tradition of playing pranks or telling lies on the first day of April.