Afternoon News Brief

Wyoming County sheriff’s deputies have caught a man wanted for a 2017 double murder in Pennsylvania. It began during a traffic stop on April 21st, when a vehicle was pulled over for multiple traffic violations. The driver, 25-year-old Lonelle Fogan of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was found to be driving with a suspended New York drivers license. He was also allegedly found to possess drugs. A rear seat passenger identified himself as “Raevon Fogan” of Philadelphia. He did have a valid Pennsylvania license, but Raevon Fogan was a known alias of Richard Smith, for whom a warrant had been issued. “Raevon Fogan” was taken to Wyoming County Jail, where more interviews revealed he was indeed Smith. The warrants were in connection with an August 2017 double homicide in Colwyn, Pa. in which two males ages 16 and 20 were killed. A 15-year-old male was also injured in the incident. Smith was arraigned in Warsaw Town Court as a fugitive from justice. He was committed to Wyoming County Jail pending extradition.

 

 

Two individuals face multiple charges following a month long investigation into organized retail theft from Wal-Mart Stores. An Asset Protection Associate at Warsaw Wal-Mart contacted the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office late in March. He reported multiple incidents where a male and female had entered the store, produced fraudulent receipts, and utilized the receipts to both steal merchandise and then to return stolen merchandise. The total amount of merchandise stolen by the suspects was over $3600 ($3,680.76). Through investigation, Wyoming County Deputies were able to identify the suspects as Rodqrick McGowan and LaShaunda Baker. Deputies, with the assistance of Asset Protection, also tied both suspects to thefts spanning across the State of New York. The investigation continues. Both individuals have been charged with felonies and will be back in court to answer the charges over the next couple of months.

 

A traffic alert for you…Traffic delays will be experienced from Monday, May 9th through Thursday, May 12th, from 7am until 6pm…Workers will be resurfacing Walnut Street (Rt 98), Law Street, and Chestnut Street (from the City Line to the Traffic Circle to Jackson Street). While work is being performed in this area, the roadway will be reduced to a single lane for all through traffic. Local traffic will be permitted to and from their residence/property but should plan accordingly for delays. All residents/businesses within the work area are asked not to park on the roadway during the operation. This is weather dependent work; if work is postponed it shall progress the next workday. Please contact the Bureau of Maintenance at 585-345-6400 Option 1 if there are any questions.

 

Money is being made available to help New Yorkers who meet income-eligibility requirements stay cool this summer. Officials have announced expanded eligibility for $15,000,000 in cooling assistance through the state to help low-income residents who don’t have air-conditioning units. The expansion is expected to help thousands of people statewide, and eligibility criteria will vary by house size. The program covers the cost of an AC unit and installation for all New Yorkers who qualify and applications are already being accepted.

 

Governor Hochul has signed off on a bill that allows candidates who are charged with a crime to be removed from the ballot. The legislature passed the measure yesterday, just a short time after former Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin said he would sign the necessary paperwork to take his name off the ballot ahead of the Democratic primary in June. Last month, Benjamin resigned from office after being indicted on bribery and fraud-related charges. In a video posted on his Twitter account, Benjamin said he’s innocent and thanked his constituents and supporters for the opportunity to serve. And Governor Hochul announced this morning that she has appointed a downstate congressman to be the state’s next lieutenant governor. Antonio Delgado currently represents NY’s 19th Congressional District, which includes the Hudson Valley and Catskills.

 

 

A group that has sold millions of albums during a decades-long career will be making a visit to Western New York this summer. Boy George and Culture Club are scheduled to perform at Artpark in Lewiston on Wednesday, August 31st. Back in the 1980s, the band had seven straight Top 10 hits in the United Kingdom and six Top 10 singles in the United States. Tickets for the show go on sale Friday at the Artpark box office or through Ticketmaster. They’ll cost between $20 and $77 each.

 

 

 

Halley’s Comet won’t visit the inner solar system until 2061, but you can still catch the meteor shower it produced, the Eta Aquarids this week. The second and final meteor shower of spring is about to peak, and it will present a unique opportunity to enjoy a well-known comet that is billions of miles away from Earth. Most meteor showers are created when the Earth plows through a field of debris left behind by comets orbiting the sun. Most of the debris is small, generally the size of a small pebble or grain of sand, but when it hits Earth’s atmosphere, it burns up and emits a bright flash of light – in other words, a ‘shooting star’. The Eta Aquarid meteor shower will peak in the early hours this Friday, May 6; and according to the American Meteor Society, if it’s a clear morning, you may count between 10 and 30 meteors per hour between 3 and 5am.

 

A Level 2 sex offender was jailed April 15 after failing to register an address change, Le Roy police said. 33-year-old Stephen Smith of Pleasant Street was charged with failure to register an address change. Police said the charge was a felony because he had been convicted of the same charge in 2016. Smith was originally convicted in 2011 for having sex with a 15-year-old girl in Le Roy, according to the state’s sex offender registry. He was sentenced to six months in jail and 10 years of probation. Smith was committed to Genesee County Jail without bail.

 

 

 

Organizers of the upcoming Bark in the Park in Clarence say they still need vendors and volunteers to help make sure the event is a successful one. The gathering is scheduled for Saturday, May 28th from 11 a-m until four p-m at Clarence Town Park. Tickets will cost six-dollars at the gate for adults and kids 12 and under are free. All proceeds go to local groups who help take care of animals. More information can be found online at clarencebarkinthepark.org.