Afternoon News Brief

41-year-old Melvin Huntley of Batavia now faces the possibility of life in prison. Late yesterday afternoon, a Genesee County Court jury found him guilty of repeatedly raping children. The jury deliberated for two days before reaching the verdict; the most severe convictions are for felony predatory sexual assault, which carries a maximum penalty of 25 years to life in prison. Huntley was first arrested in July 2021 following a sheriff’s investigation. He remains in Genesee County Jail without bail, pending sentencing on January 11.

 

Yesterday marked 1,000 days since the World health Organization declared the start of the pandemic on March 11, 2020. Much has changed since then; however, a new letter from the New York State Education Department and Department Of Health suggests we may be heading backward. Both are urging the community and schools to consider re-masking students when in public indoor spaces as a precaution ahead of the holidays. This comes as the nation is being hit by what many are calling a rare “tripledemic” seeing an increase in COVID, Flu, and RSV cases. In addition to considering masking up, the Department of Health advises residents to stay up to date on vaccines, wash their hands often and stay home when sick to ensure that everyone stays safe as the holidays approach.

 

A lengthy investigation by The Genesee County Drug Task Force, which culminated in the use of a search warrant, resulted in the arrests of two women: 38-year-old Jennifer Moton of Rochester and 50-year-old Angela Bateman of Batavia. Moton is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance (a class B felony) and promoting prison contraband (a class D felony). She is currently on probation for previous drug charges, and was allegedly found to be in possession of 150 bags of cocaine and allegedly entered a secure area at the Genesee County jail with it. Bateman is on parole for previous drug charges and was allegedly found in possession of a small quantity of cocaine and also charged with maintaining a place where controlled substances were being sold. Both women were arraigned and held without bail.

 

For the first time since the start of the season, the death of a Monroe County resident has been connected to the flu. The person who passed away was between the ages of 75 and 84 years old. From October 1st through November 26th, there were more than 4000 lab confirmed cases of the virus in the county. Officials say that it’s never too late to get a flu shot, which will help protect you and others from getting seriously ill.

 

 

Governor Hochul has signed off on a new piece of legislation that’s aimed at cracking down on those annoying telemarketing calls. The bill requires telemarketers to give customers the choice of being placed on a do-not-call list at the beginning of certain calls. Under current law, telemarketers must inform people that they may request to be added to their company’s do-not-call list but most individuals hang up before the list is mentioned. The governor says this legislation will protect New Yorkers from receiving unwanted calls.

 

Offensive lineman Dion Dawkins of the Buffalo Bills has been nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award. The award honors players from all 32 NFL franchises for their outstanding community service and also their play on the field. Following a mass shooting at a Buffalo Tops store back in May, Dawkins decided to host a cornhole and kickball tournament that raised 20-thousand dollars for victims of the tragedy, and he has also launched the Dion’s Dreamers Foundation to support young people who live in underserved communities. The Man of the Year award winner will be revealed during the NFL Honors ceremony ahead of the Super Bowl.

 

The Buffalo Sabres will be back on the road again tonight as they try and pick up a second straight victory. The Sabres are going to be visiting the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena in Ohio. The Sabres are coming off of a 6-3 win on Sunday night against the San Jose Sharks. Face-off for this evening’s contest is set for 7:30.

 

 

Officials with the City of Buffalo have announced that a new app is now available that will provide residents with important information. It can be downloaded by going to the app store on your phone and typing in Simplicity. From there, choose Buffalo and the city institutions that you want to follow and make sure your notifications are on. Mayor Byron Brown believes the app will keep the city on the cutting edge of innovation and prove to be a useful resource for residents and visitors.

 

Country music superstar Shania Twain is bringing her brand new tour to Western New York next year. Twain is scheduled to perform at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on October 20th. The Grammy Award winner is best known for songs such as “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” “From This Moment On” and “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” Tickets for the concert go on sale December 16th through Live Nation.