Afternoon News Brief

The name of the man who was killed in an officer-involved shooting in Rochester has been released. According to officials, 35-year-old Brendon Burns was shot Monday in the city’s Park Avenue neighborhood after he threatened police with a weapon. Burns was allegedly involved in multiple crimes before his death, including a pair of shooting incidents. The state Attorney General’s Office is also involved in the investigation.

 

 

 

Batavia City School board members unanimously approved nearly $36,000 in settlement funds Monday from a lawsuit in which the district claimed injury, malice, oppression and fraud against Juul Labs. Batavia was one of 143 districts involved in the lawsuit against the makers of the popular vaping products, alleging that the company “fraudulently and intentionally marketed” its products to children and that those products caused numerous health, financial and structural damages to the district and students. Superintendent Jason Smith said that the expected proceeds were going to be invested into the city district’s “preventative and restorative” program called Vape University.

 

 

Senator George Borrello will be in Batavia for a Town Hall Meeting early on Tuesday evening, April 11th, from 6 until 7. Everyone in the community is welcome to hear the latest updates on state and local issues, ask questions and offer comments. The event will be held at City Hall, One Batavia City Centre.

 

 

 

 

An internal investigation is underway after a sniper rifle fell from the roof of a building during Buffalo’s Saint Patrick’s Day Parade. Photos show the rifle, which was the responsibility of a member of the city’s police department, dropped from the top of the building in the area of Delaware Avenue and Allen Street on Sunday and hit the sidewalk. Another officer grabbed the weapon and brought it to safety. There’s no word yet if the officer who originally had the rifle will be punished.

 

 

The spring burning ban is in effect statewide, through May 14th. Included in the exceptions are campfires less than 3 feet in height and 4 feet in width, small cooking fires, and ceremonial or celebratory bonfires. Fires cannot be left unattended and must be fully extinguished. Burning trash is illegal statewide in all cases. The annual burn ban has been enforced since 2009, and is estimated to have decreased the number of wildfires by more than 40%.

 

 

The latest data from the New York State Flu Tracker shows the spread of the flu virus is still slowing down in our region. During the week ending March 11th, the area with the highest number of cases was Erie County with 19; Ontario County with 12. Monroe County had the second-highest total with 11; Niagara County, 6; Genesee County had 3 and Livingston and Wayne counties had one each. County Health departments continue to advocate getting vaccinated against the illness, as it is never too late to get the flu shot.

 

A Buffalo father is facing a long prison sentence for his role in the death of his infant son. Prosecutors say that 39-year-old Reginald Jordan shook the child violently back in 2019, and an autopsy revealed the baby died of blunt force trauma to his head and neck. Jordan has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and could be ordered to spend up to 25 years in prison. He’s currently being held in custody without bail.

 

 

 

A recently published study places New York State next to last when it comes to affordability for seniors on a budget. The study was done by networking company Seniorly and looked at eight financial metrics impacting seniors, including health care, retirement income and taxes, as well as the relationship between retirement income and cost of living. The study found that more than 31 percent of retirees in New York spend 30 percent or more of their income on housing. It’s also reportedly one of the least tax-friendly states for seniors. New York came in 49th, with Massachusetts in 50th place; by the way, Wyoming landed in first place as the state most affordable for seniors, followed by Utah, Montana, Idaho, Virginia and Colorado.

 

 

The losing streak of the Buffalo Sabres has now hit four games after the team suffers a blowout defeat on home ice. Jeff Skinner, Tage Thompson, and Dylan Cozens had a goal each, but the Sabres were still beaten by the Nashville Predators seven-to-three at KeyBank Center last night. Buffalo goaltender Craig Anderson was able to stop just 14 of the 20 shots he faced before being replaced in net by Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. The next game for the Sabres is Friday against the New Jersey Devils.

 

A multi-time Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter will be bringing his latest tour to Western New York this year. Former Genesis member Peter Gabriel is going to be at KeyBank Center on Friday, September 22nd. Gabriel has sold millions of albums and is known for songs including “Sledgehammer,” “Solsbury Hill,” and “In Your Eyes.” Tickets for the show go on sale to the general public this Friday morning at 10:00am through Live Nation.

 

 

 

A lot of people are looking for work these days, and the Department of State’s Division of Consumer Protection is offering job seekers some tips to avoid employment scams. The agency says people should be weary of employers who ask for personal information before an interview or who only communicate through text message or a messaging app. It’s also recommended that folks do research on organizations before applying since scammers promote non-existent job opportunities. If you’re trying to find a job, some reputable places to look include the state Department of Labor’s website.

 

An asteroid the size of a skyscraper will fly between the Earth and the moon this weekend. Astronomers say the asteroid is twice the size of the one that blew out windows in Russia ten years ago. It will buzz past Earth at half the distance of the moon on Saturday. People in the Northern Hemisphere with telescopes six inches or larger will have a chance to see the space rock over the southeastern horizon Friday evening. And, the Virtual Telescope Project will show a live stream of the asteroid at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday.

 

 

Today is Red Cross Giving Day. The non-profit is urging people to donate blood, time or money to the cause. Information on local blood drives and volunteer opportunities is available at RedCross.org.