Afternoon News Brief

BATAVIA CITY POLICE REPORT: 42-year-old Enrique Pellot of Rochester is charged with menacing, criminal possession of a weapon and coercion. He’s accused of using a knife to threaten a woman in the parking lot of the Batavia Police Department. Pellot was arraigned in Centralized Arraignment Court. ALSO: 42-year-old Christine Caplis of Batavia is accused of failing to appear in court to answer to a charge of theft of services. She was arrested earlier this month; her sixth arrest since December 2021. ALSO: 33-year-old Misty Schutt of Attica is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance and failure to stop at a stop sign. She was arrested following a traffic stop in the City of Batavia and was allegedly found in possession of crack cocaine. Schutt was issued an appearance ticket. ALSO: 22-year-old Evan Maynard of Batavia is charged with falsely reporting to a law enforcement officer. Upon investigation, it was reportedly found that Maynard made a false report and that he pawned several items at a pawnshop over the weekend. Maynard was issued an appearance ticket.

 

FROM THE SHERIFF: 37-year-old Brian Daggar of Elba is charged with petit larceny. It’s alleged he stole merchandise over the weekend from a location on Veteran’s Memorial Drive. Daggar is scheduled to return to Batavia Town Court on march 14th.

 

 

Members of the Buffalo Fire Department are mourning the death of colleague who was killed while battling a blaze in the city. The four-alarm fire happened on Main Street yesterday and Jason Arno, a 37-year-old firefighter, was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials say the fire might have been caused by workers who were using torches on the exterior of a building. No other injuries were reported. (Released photo)

 

 

 

The man who is accused of attacking former Long Island Congressman Lee Zeldin has made another appearance in court. Prosecutors say David Jakubonis assaulted Zeldin while he was making a campaign stop in Monroe County last year, but Zeldin wasn’t hurt. Following his court hearing yesterday, Jakubonis gave a statement where he said he’s grateful for the treatment he’s received for his alcohol addiction since the incident. His lawyer says Jakubonis did not apologize to Zeldin because he can’t make any admission of guilt while charges are pending.

 

 

The family of a Cheektowaga police officer who was seriously hurt in the line of duty has provided an update about his condition. Troy Blackchief suffered multiple injuries including a skull fracture after being struck by a stolen vehicle in the area of Union Road and Genesee Street last month. Now, his family says that he’ll be going to a facility in Chicago to continue his rehabilitation for at least four weeks before returning to this area for a procedure to have a new skull bone surgically placed. Blackchief is a 17-year-veteran of the force and works with both the patrol division and SWAT team.

 

 

A federal trial is unlikely to be held this summer for the man who shot and killed 10 people and injured three others at a Tops store in Buffalo. The Buffalo News is reporting that’s because the defense lawyers for Payton Gendron say they need more time to review evidence in this case. Gendron has already pleaded guilty to state charges for opening fire at the Jefferson Avenue store last May and was recently sentenced to life in prison. Federal prosecutors have not said yet if they’ll seek the death penalty against him.

 

 

Ontario County Sheriff David Cirencione has released new information about what led up to a deadly officer-involved shooting. Cirencione says law enforcement began pursuing Brandon Zurkan Tuesday night after he was spotted driving recklessly in East Bloomfield. The chase ended when Zurkan crashed his vehicle in Canandaigua and raised a gun towards deputies, leading to them opening fire. Zurkan was taken to a hospital but later pronounced dead. The deputies who shot him are on administrative leave.

 

The New York State Department of Health is encouraging people who have underlying medical conditions to make sure they’re up-to-date on their COVID-19 booster shots. Underlying medical conditions that put people at risk of severe illness from the coronavirus include diabetes, heart or lung disease, and obesity. In December, the health department updated its guidance for booster shots, which are available for both adults and children. For more information go to covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov.

 

The 4% sales tax on clothing and shoes in Monroe County has been eliminated for purchases under $110. The change is permanent and is expected to save shoppers an estimated $12 million per year. Monroe County Executive Adam Bello reflected that other necessities such as groceries, medicine and diapers are not subject to sales tax. He believes since clothing and shoes are also necessities, there should be no tax on them. The sales tax exemption applies to purchases in stores located in Monroe County and includes online purchases. County leaders hope the move will help local retailers attract more customers.

 

 

Work began today on removing the Lake Erie-Niagara River Ice Boom. Crews believe they’ll be able to get the boom out of the water without any trouble because there’s currently a minimal amount of ice on Lake Erie. Last year, the boom wasn’t able to be removed until the end of March. The boom has been put in place each year since 1964 to prevent ice buildup from Lake Erie from flowing into the lower part of the Niagara River.

 

 

For the first time ever, a job fair is going to be taking place at the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester later this month. The event is happening on Monday, March 13th from 4:00pm until 7:00pm. There are a variety of positions available including maintenance, guest services and environmental services. Full-time and part-time jobs need to be filled and anyone 16 and older who is interested in finding out more information can visit museumofplay.org.

 

The Buffalo Sabres will be back on the road tonight as they hope and avoid a second straight defeat. The Sabres will be visiting the Boston Bruins, who currently have the highest point total in the National Hockey League with 99. Buffalo is coming off of a disappointing 5-3 loss against the Columbus Blue Jackets Tuesday. Face-off tonight is scheduled for 7:00.