Afternoon News Brief

The State Department of Environmental Conservation tells us there is an Air Quality Advisory in effect for Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming Counties today, until 11:00pm. This is due today to high-levels of ground-level ozone, most often created by car exhaust and out-of-state emission sources mixing with oxygen. This form of ozone should not be confused with the protective layer of ozone in the upper atmosphere. During times of elevated pollution levels, people are advised to consider limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity to reduce the risk of adverse health effects. People who are especially sensitive to pollutants include the very young and those with pre-existing respiratory problems such as asthma or heart disease. Anyone with symptoms should consider consulting their Primary Care Provider. For more information, the New York State Air Quality Hotline can be reached by calling 800-535-1345.

 

The Genesee County Office for Aging tells us that the Farmer’s Market Coupons that they hoped could be handed out starting today will not be available until sometime next week due to printer problems. The coupons will be good for free produce at any certified Farmer’s Market in Genesee County. They expect to have coupons available sometime next week.

 

With the recent drier than normal weather and forecasted above average temperatures, Genesee County officials are once again asking residents to conserve water. Although there is plenty of water throughout the year on average days, without conservation efforts, keeping up with demands during hot dry stretches becomes difficult. The County is asking everyone to pitch in on water conservation efforts through the peak of summer heat.

 

 

The Canadian Government has announced that the travel restrictions for COVID 19 will continue at least until September 30th. What this means is, Americans crossing the border must be fully vaccinated and are mandated to use the ArriveCAN app to submit information. They may also be subject to random arrival testing. Representative Brian Higgins is not happy about this; he reflected that 2-1/2 years of border restrictions, with most people being vaccinated on both sides of the border, are breaking the US Canada relationship and economies.

 

41-year-old goaltender Craig Anderson is returning to the NHL for a 20th season. He signed a one-year contract yesterday worth $1.5 million to remain with the Buffalo Sabres. He posted a 17-12-2 record with a 3.12 goals-against average and .897 save percentage in 31 starts in 2021-22. He began playing in the NHL in the 2002-03 season and joined the Sabres last July on a one-year contract worth $750,000.

 

A traffic alert for you to stay mindful of: Work on Richmond Avenue in Batavia is scheduled to begin next Wednesday, July 6th. Milling and paving as well as work on the sidewalk on the north side of the street will start the $2,650,000 project, from Oak Street to State Street. Once the North side is done the work will shift to the sidewalk on the south side from Oak to Ellicott Ave. No street closures are anticipated but delays should be expected.  Meanwhile, Governor Hochul has suspended construction-related lane closures for road and bridge work, to help ease travel during the holiday weekend. The temporary closures began this morning and will end at 6:00am on Tuesday, July 5.

 

The state Department of Health has issued a reminder to all New Yorkers about the dangers of fireworks. The agency says in order to prevent serious injury, people should only use legal sparkling devices and leave the use of other types of fireworks that are illegal to professionals. Data released by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission revealed there were over 15,000 fireworks-related injuries that required emergency department treatment in 2020, with many of them happening around July 4th. The health department is also recommending that people use earplugs when watching fireworks displays to help protect their hearing.

 

Coming off of his big primary victory earlier this week, the Republican nominee in the race for New York governor has made a stop in Buffalo. Long Island Congressman Lee Zeldin visited Erie County Republican headquarters yesterday where he was joined by state GOP Chairman Nick Langworthy. Zeldin is predicting that Governor Hochul will lose Erie County on Election Day and claims he’s already spoken with a lot of people who are upset with her. Should Zeldin win, he would become the first Republican to be elected as the Empire State’s governor since George Pataki.

 

With a lot of people expected to be on the roads for the Independence Day weekend, members of Genesee County law enforcement agencies as well as police across New York State, will be keeping a close eye out for drunk drivers. Travelers can expect to see increased police patrols as part of a STOP-DWI campaign that runs through Tuesday, July 5th. Folks who are planning to drink are urged to make sure they have a safe ride home. Anyone who sees suspicious or dangerous activity while they’re traveling should dial 911 immediately.

 

The start of the Erie County Fair is just a few weeks away, and today tickets for the popular event will go on sale. They can be bought by visiting the fair’s official website at ecfair.org, and adult admission is going to cost $13.50 when purchased online. Organizers say children 12 and under can get into the fair each day for free and there’s also going to be no cost for parking. This year’s fair gets underway in Hamburg on August 10th and it runs through August 21st.

 

Good news for someone from Western New York…The Winning CASH4LIFE Jackpot Ticket worth $1000 a day for life, was sold in Niagara Falls. The New York Lottery today announced one jackpot ticket was sold for the June 30 CASH4LIFE drawing. It was purchased at the Tops Markets, located on Niagara Falls Boulevard in Niagara Falls. The winning numbers are 6-9-20-31-34 and Cash Ball is 2.

 

No one has won the top Mega Millions prize in several weeks; all lotto players are hoping tonight is their lucky night. The jackpot up for grabs in this evening’s drawing will be $360,000,000. The cost of a ticket to play is $2.00, but the odds of picking all of the winning numbers are one in over 302,000,000. Tonight’s drawing will be streamed live online. Please play responsibly.