Thursday News Brief

SUNY BROCKPORT EMPLOYEE DETAINED BY ICE IN BATAVIA

A union representing SUNY employees is calling for the release of a SUNY Brockport worker who was detained by federal immigration agents outside his Batavia home.
United University Professions says German Machado, an information technology technician at Brockport, was taken into custody Tuesday morning as he was preparing to leave for work. He is being held at the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in Batavia. The reason for his detention has not been publicly explained.
Machado’s wife says the couple fled Venezuela in 2016 after she faced threats because of her work as a journalist. They applied for asylum that year and are still waiting for their case to be decided.
The union says Machado has a federal employment authorization document valid through 2029, allowing him to legally work in the United States.
UUP President Fred Kowal says the union will push for Machado’s release and ensure his due-process rights are protected.
Union members are also planning a support event Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the SUNY Brockport student union.

BATAVIA CITY COUNCIL APPROVES $164,500 FOR STAFFING, FIRE TRUCK AND GRANT APPLICATION

Batavia City Council approved several spending measures Tuesday, committing at least 164-thousand-500 dollars toward three city priorities.
Council agreed to spend 6-thousand-500 dollars to apply for a state BRICKS grant worth up to 15-million dollars. If awarded, the money would help expand the David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena and potentially create a larger community and recreation center. City officials stressed the project remains in its early planning stages.
Council also authorized about 68-thousand dollars for temporary staffing overlap in the city’s human resources and finance departments. Two longtime employees are expected to retire in the coming years, and officials want their replacements in place early enough to receive extensive training before those departures.
Another 90-thousand dollars from Fire Department reserves will pay for a new 2026 pickup truck equipped with a cap and emergency lighting.
Six council members voted in favor of the measures, while three members were absent.

BATAVIA DOWNS GOES PINK FOR BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

Batavia Downs is turning October into “Pinktober” with a series of events supporting breast cancer awareness and local cancer organizations.
The facility will be lit in pink throughout the month, including the infield fountain and racetrack.
A fundraiser for the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester is planned Saturday, followed by a Roswell Park benefit October 24th. Both will feature dinner, auctions and prize drawings.
Batavia Downs will also host its Pink Hatters and Friends Night October 22nd, along with a mobile mammography screening event October 26th.

FORMER GENESEE COUNTY JAIL TO JOIN MEDINA SANDSTONE HALL OF FAME

Batavia’s former Genesee County Jail will be inducted into the Medina Sandstone Society Hall of Fame later this month.
The West Main Street landmark was built between 1902 and 1903 in a Victorian Gothic style using Medina Sandstone. It also once served as the Genesee County sheriff’s residence and later housed Sheriff’s Department offices.
The county completed a roughly two-million-dollar restoration of the historic structure in 2022 and 2023.
The jail will be inducted October 22nd alongside Belhurst Castle in Geneva and the Titusville Presbyterian Church in Pennsylvania.

SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS TO INCREASE 3.6 PERCENT IN 2027

Social Security recipients will see a 3.6 percent cost-of-living increase next year.
The Social Security Administration says the adjustment will add an average of about 75 dollars per month to retirement benefits. Nearly 72 million Social Security beneficiaries will see the increase beginning in January, while higher Supplemental Security Income payments will begin December 31st.
The increase is tied to inflation, but some older Americans say it still will not keep pace with rising costs for food, healthcare and gasoline. September consumer prices were up 3.7 percent compared with a year earlier.
The maximum amount of earnings subject to Social Security taxes will also rise next year, from 184-thousand-500 dollars to 192-thousand-300 dollars.

HARRIS EXPANDS MIDTERM CAMPAIGN SWING AS 2028 QUESTIONS LINGER

Former Vice President Kamala Harris is expanding her late-October campaign schedule on behalf of Democratic candidates ahead of the midterm elections.
Her final stretch will run from October 21st through the 30th, with stops planned in Nevada, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Wisconsin and Georgia, along with a virtual event in Florida.
Harris is scheduled to campaign with candidates for governor and U.S. Senate, including Aaron Ford in Nevada, Scott Colom in Mississippi and Chris Pappas in New Hampshire.
She’ll also campaign in Wisconsin before finishing with a three-day swing through Georgia.
The travel schedule includes several states that will play early roles in the Democratic Party’s 2028 presidential nominating process.
Harris has said her current focus is helping Democrats in November, but she has not ruled out another run for president after losing the 2024 election to Donald Trump.

GENESEE COUNTY GIRLS SOCCER ROUNDUP

In Genesee County high school girls soccer action Wednesday night, Jasper-Troupsburg edged Notre Dame 2-1.
Le Roy and Pavilion/York finished in a 2-2 tie.
Byron-Bergen shut out Alexander 4-nothing, while Attica rolled past Pembroke with a 5-nothing victory.