Afternoon News Brief

29-year-old Patrick Casanova of Medina has been sentenced to 2 to 4 years in state prison; he pleaded guilty to assault when he admitted to punching a woman in the face, which fractured her orbital bone and damaged her sinus.

 

 

 

An arrest has been made in connection with a shooting in Rochester last week that left one person dead. According to investigators, 19-year-old Sincere Vazquez shot 20-year-old Anthony Stevenson-Sutton while he was in a vehicle on Depew Street last Friday night. Stevenson-Sutton passed away at the scene and Vazquez was also hurt in the incident. Vazquez is now facing multiple charges including murder and will be arraigned at a later date.

 

 

President Biden has approved a major disaster declaration in the aftermath of a deadly blizzard that devastated this area back in December. That means more federal funding is going to be available to help local governments cover the cost of both responding to the storm and cleaning up after it. Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown says that this money will be critical to help the city successfully recover. The storm was responsible for taking dozens of lives and causing millions of dollars worth of damage.

 

The Diocese of Buffalo has announced that a priest has been placed on administrative leave for a second time. The diocese says the decision to put Monsignor Peter Popadick on leave was made after a child sexual abuse complaint was filed against him. He is currently serving as the pastor at Saint Aloysius Gonzaga in Cheektowaga. Popadick was previously put on leave after being accused of molesting a child, but was allowed to return to the ministry after an investigation couldn’t substantiate that claim.

 

 

Gerald Berg of Lee Center in Oneida County was sentenced to four months of weekends in the Orleans County Jail, plus five years of probation for attempted promotion of prison contraband. Berg admitted to trying to bring fentanyl to the Albion Correctional Facility. He told the court that he was aware it was a dangerous substance for someone to use.

 

 

The Rochester area’s first Whole Foods Market is scheduled to open April 12 at 2740 Monroe Avenue in Brighton. The long-awaited announcement comes one week after a judge ruled in favor of the project’s developers in a lawsuit filed by Wegmans-backed community groups. Festivities will kick off at 7:00am on opening day. The first 500 shoppers in line will receive a Whole Foods tote bag and gift cards. The store will be open from 8:00am until 9:00pm on opening day, with giveaways, free samples and live entertainment planned. Whole Foods said the store would feature more than 500 local items from Western and Central New York.

 

Saint Patrick’s Day is tomorrow, and police in New York State will be doing their part over the next few days to make sure everyone gets to and from their celebrations safely. Their latest crackdown on impaired drivers begins today and continues through Sunday. Travelers will see an increased police presence on the roads and additional sobriety checkpoints will be set up. Police say people can ensure they get home safely by having a designated driver or by using a taxi or rideshare service.

 

Families across the Empire State will be finding it a bit easier to access childcare thanks to the launch of a brand-new online tool. Governor Hochul says this tool will allow parents to see if they are eligible for monetary support from the state’s Child Care Assistance Program. Families can fill out a questionnaire that lets them know if they meet the basic criteria and puts them in contact with a department of social services in their area so they can apply for funding. For more information, go to ocfs.ny.gov.

 

Officials at the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester have announced the finalists for this year’s World Video Game Hall of Fame. The nominees include The Last Of Us, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Angry Birds, Quake, Wii Sports, and GoldenEye 007. Games are judged based on their longevity, influence on culture, and international reach. Voting is open until March 22nd and can be done by going to museumofplay.org. The induction ceremony will happen May 4th.

 

Hundreds of students from around the region are expected to attend the second and final day of the Buffalo National College Fair today. The event is at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center and there’s no cost to attend. The goal of the fair is to allow people to get a look at what a variety of colleges have to offer, all without having to leave Western New York. If you’re unable to attend or would like more information, go to buffalocollegefair.com.

 

 

 

The playoff hopes of the Buffalo Sabres have taken a hit following a disappointing loss on the road. Zemgus Girgensons, JJ Peterka, Tyson Jost, and Ilya Lyubushkin each scored, but the Sabres were beaten in a shootout by the Washington Capitals last night 5-4. Buffalo goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 35 of the 39 shots he faced in the contest. The next game for the Sabres is tomorrow against the Flyers in Philadelphia. The puck drops at 7:00.