Tuesday News Brief

BATAVIA POLICE REPORT BURGLARY, LARCENY, DWI AND DRUG ARRESTS

Batavia Police made several arrests over the past two weeks, led by a burglary case involving a Batavia woman.
Nineteen-year-old Gianna Williams is charged with second-degree burglary and second-degree criminal contempt after police say she entered a residence in violation of an order of protection. She was arraigned in CAP Court and released.
Other arrests include Dennis Ramsey, charged with petit larceny after allegedly stealing alcoholic beverages from Tops, and Trevon Armstrong, who is accused of stealing a set of vehicle keys and refusing to return them.
Jessica Rivera of Le Roy and Tyara Davis of Batavia were each charged with second-degree harassment following separate physical altercations. Taylor Bess of Lockport also faces a harassment charge after allegedly sending threatening messages over social media.
Police also charged Brian Ace Junior of North Carolina with driving while intoxicated following a traffic stop on East Main Street, while Lisa Austin of Batavia is accused of possessing cocaine during a traffic stop on Ellicott Street. All were issued appearance tickets or traffic tickets and released pending future court appearances.

 

GENESEE COUNTY NAMES INTERIM MENTAL HEALTH DIRECTOR

Genesee County has named an interim leader for its Mental Health Department following the departure of Director Lynda Battaglia.
Deputy Director Peter Mittiga will serve as interim director while the county searches for a permanent replacement. County Manager Matt Landers says Battaglia has accepted a new position in Erie County but will continue working up to seven-and-a-half hours a week during the transition to assist Mittiga.
Battaglia brought more than 25 years of experience in mental health administration to the county and also served as an adjunct professor in the University at Buffalo’s master’s social work program, teaching courses on forensic social work and suicide prevention.
Mittiga, who joined Genesee County in 2022, will begin representing the department immediately. He’s scheduled to attend Monday’s Human Services Committee meeting, where he’ll present a budget transfer request and discuss a contract renewal for security services shared by the Mental Health, Social Services and Motor Vehicles departments.

 

ROAD CLOSURES BEGIN TODAY FOR STREET MILLING IN BATAVIA

Drivers in the City of Batavia should expect traffic delays beginning today. Ganson Avenue, Morton Avenue, Maple Avenue, Cone Street, Garfield Avenue, Warren Street and Union Street from Richmond Avenue to Oak Street will be closed to through traffic from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. today and Wednesday while crews mill the roadway. The streets will remain milled for about a week as sewer structures are repaired before final paving begins. Motorists are urged to use alternate routes and avoid parking on the affected streets during work hours. Residents and businesses should also expect delays. The project is weather dependent and could be rescheduled if rain moves into the area.

 

 

 

GCEDC HIRES LAW FIRM TO DEFEND STAMP ZONING LAWSUIT

The Genesee County Economic Development Center has hired a Buffalo law firm to defend the agency in a lawsuit challenging the zoning agreement that created the STAMP industrial park in the Town of Alabama.
The GCEDC Board approved retaining Phillips Lytle as special counsel after a lawsuit was filed by the Tonawanda Seneca Nation, the Sierra Club and an Alabama resident. The suit argues the town exceeded its authority when it approved the 2012 zoning agreement that paved the way for the Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park.
GCEDC officials say the law firm has already worked with the agency on STAMP-related environmental matters and will represent the agency if legal action moves forward before the board meets again next month.

 

POWERFUL EARTHQUAKE IN COLOMBIA KILLS MORE THAN 100 PEOPLE

A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake has left at least 111 people dead in western Colombia and injured at least 87 others.
Officials say roughly 1,600 buildings were damaged, including more than 60 that completely collapsed, after the quake struck near the community of San Jose del Palmar. The earthquake was felt across Colombia as well as neighboring Ecuador and Panama.
Colombia’s president has declared a state of emergency as rescue crews continue searching collapsed buildings for survivors. Authorities say the quake, the strongest recorded in the country this century, was followed by more than 20 aftershocks. Airports in several cities have suspended flights while damage is assessed, and officials warn the death toll could continue to rise as crews reach remote communities and continue searching through the rubble.

 

TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER CALLING FOR NEW CHILDHOOD VACCINE RECOMMENDATIONS

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing federal health officials to revise childhood vaccine recommendations, including spacing routine immunizations into separate medical visits and recommending separate shots for measles, mumps and rubella rather than the combined MMR vaccine. The order also calls for additional vaccine research.
Public health experts quickly raised concerns, saying delaying vaccinations could leave children vulnerable to preventable diseases between appointments. Medical organizations also note the combined MMR vaccine has been extensively studied and remains safe and effective, with decades of research finding no link between vaccines and autism.
While the executive order changes federal recommendations, states—not the federal government—continue to decide school vaccination requirements.

 

 

INJURIES CONTINUE TO MOUNT AS BILLS RETURN TO ORCHARD PARK

The Bills returned to Orchard Park for training camp Monday, but the biggest story was who wasn’t on the field. Running back Ty Johnson, center Connor McGovern, rookie corner Maxwell Hairston and several others sat out, while safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson left practice early after appearing to aggravate a leg injury.
On the field, the Bills’ defensive front continued to impress. Ed Oliver spent much of the day disrupting plays in the backfield, while Dewayne Carter added another would-be tackle for loss. Josh Allen connected on several deep throws to Khalil Shakir and D.J. Moore, who continues to stand out in Buffalo’s offense.
The Bills are back on the practice field Tuesday as they prepare for Saturday’s preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers.