Monday News Brief

GENESEE COUNTY FACES MAJOR WATER INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS

Genesee County could be looking at hundreds of millions of dollars in water infrastructure spending over the next two decades.
Legislature Chairman Christian Yunker says estimates for Phase Three of the county’s water project call for 200 to 300-million dollars in work over the next five to ten years, followed by another 250 to 300-million over roughly 20 years.
Officials say expanding capacity is becoming increasingly important. Yunker says some businesses interested in locating in Genesee County have already gone elsewhere because the county cannot provide enough water.
The long-term plan would increase supply, address shortages and eventually allow the county to close Batavia’s roughly 115-year-old water treatment plant.
Yunker says officials are pursuing state and federal funding wherever possible to reduce the burden on local taxpayers.

FELONY ANIMAL CRUELTY CONVICTIONS REDUCED FOR LE ROY MAN

A state appeals court has reduced the felony convictions of a Le Roy man accused of putting bleach in the eyes of two dogs.
Robert Williams was convicted in 2023 of two felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, along with two counts of criminal mischief. He was sentenced to six months in jail and five years of probation.
The Fourth Department Appellate Division has now dismissed the felony animal cruelty counts, replacing them with misdemeanor animal cruelty convictions.
The court ruled prosecutors did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the dogs suffered the level of serious physical injury required for the felony charges.
The dogs received treatment and recovered. The appeals court left Williams’ probation sentence in place.

STATE SENATOR BRINGS DATA CENTER TOUR TO BATAVIA

State Senator Kristen Gonzalez visited Batavia Sunday as part of her “NY Fights AI Data Centers” tour.
Gonzalez met with local labor groups and residents before holding a listening session at Eden Cafe focused on concerns surrounding large-scale data center development.
Gonzalez sponsored the Responsible Data Center Development Act, which passed both chambers of the State Legislature earlier this year. The legislation would establish regulations covering public involvement, labor agreements and energy-efficiency standards.
Governor Kathy Hochul issued a temporary statewide moratorium on new hyperscale data centers in July. Advocates are pushing for longer-term rules once that pause expires.

METRO MATTRESS REOPENS IN BATAVIA

Metro Mattress is back in business on Veterans Memorial Drive in Batavia after the previous ownership declared bankruptcy and closed the store last fall.
John Brown and business partner James Trent have revived the Metro Mattress name and reopened several former locations across New York. The Batavia store had a soft opening in May and celebrated its return with a Genesee County Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting Friday.
Brown says the location required very little work because the existing store and signage remained in place.
The company has opened six locations since December and is bringing back several former Metro Mattress employees. Brown says having the right staff in Batavia has been a major part of getting the store back on its feet.

IRANIAN CURRENCY HITS RECORD LOW

Iran’s currency fell to another record low Monday as the United States prepared to impose a new round of economic sanctions.
The rial dropped to roughly two-million to one U.S. dollar on informal currency markets, continuing a steep decline during nearly six months of war.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the new sanctions will increase pressure on Iran and could include penalties against other countries that continue doing business with Tehran.
The economic pressure comes as negotiations remain stalled over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran and Oman are working on a possible agreement for managing shipping through the critical waterway.
An Iranian security official warned that countries supporting the new American economic measures could be viewed by Tehran as committing an “act of war.”

U.S.-CANADA TRADE WAR ESCALATES

The United States and Canada are moving deeper into a trade war after negotiations between the longtime allies collapsed late Friday.
President Donald Trump’s administration has imposed 50-percent tariffs on roughly 20-billion dollars worth of Canadian goods, affecting products ranging from steel and manufacturing materials to consumer goods. Canada says it will respond with retaliatory measures beginning September 8th.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney accused Washington of asking for too many concessions, saying the United States “asked too much and offered too little.” U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer blamed Canada for the breakdown, saying the new tariffs are a response to Canadian retaliation.
No additional negotiations are currently scheduled, raising concerns about higher consumer prices and the future of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.

TWISTED DESTINY WINS KANE MEMORIAL AT BATAVIA DOWNS

Twisted Destiny delivered a dominant performance Saturday night to capture the 50-thousand-dollar Robert J. Kane Memorial Pace at Batavia Downs.
After Howlenthehills grabbed the early lead, driver Shawn Gray quickly sent Twisted Destiny to the front, and the four-year-old never looked back.
Twisted Destiny reached the half in 56-and-one before turning up the pressure on the backstretch. He covered the final half-mile in a blistering 54-and-three and pulled away to win by two-and-a-quarter lengths over Howlenthehills.
The winning time of one-fifty-and-four was the third-fastest mile in Kane Memorial history.
It was Twisted Destiny’s fifth victory of the season for trainer Virgil Morgan Junior.