Afternoon News Brief

30-year-old Chandah Sundown of Batavia has pled guilty in Town Court to Disorderly Conduct, in connection to welfare fraud charges. The original charge was 11 counts of filing a false instrument and one count of grand larceny after failing to report that the father of her children was also residing in the home and earning income. Sundown was given a one-year conditional discharge and has made full restitution of $8,353.

 

 

41-year-old Beth Ann Jeffers has been indicted on multiple felonies, including two counts of promoting prison contraband and criminal possession of a controlled substance. She is accused of introducing or being in possession of contraband while in the Genesee County Jail, including cocaine and fentanyl with the intent to sell.

 

 

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney will be at the Old Courthouse (7 Main Street) in Batavia next Tuesday, April 4th, starting at 10:00am for a roundtable discussion with the agricultural community. She wants to hear from farmers about their priorities for the 2023 Farm Bill. Every five years, Congress passes Farm Bill legislation that sets national agriculture, nutrition, conservation and forestry policies. Here is the link to RSVP to this event:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdDEf8Tq7leEWsxbmvNat9BHAPmlJHtLIC9iagM_ZCWHlOaFw/viewform

 

 

Just weeks after it was the scene of a deadly stampede during a concert, the Main Street Armory in Rochester has been sold. According to public records, the building was purchased for $550,000 by “900 East Main Street Rochester LLC,” but just who is behind that company is still unknown. A massive group of people stormed the exit of the building earlier this month following reports of gunfire. Three women were killed and several other victims ended up being hurt.

 

 

New York State is getting $100,000,000 (million) to help close the digital divide. Governor Hochul says the federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act will help connect 100,000 households to affordable, high-speed Internet. The program is geared towards underserved communities in rural and urban parts of the state. Senate Majority Chuck Schumer helped secure the money, saying it’ll help connect communities to good paying jobs, higher quality education, and better healthcare. Last year, New York helped more than 1,000,000 (million) low-income households enroll in a nationwide affordable connectivity program.

 

The state Department of Motor Vehicles is taking action to increase the number of people who enroll to become organ donors. The agency says customers who register a vehicle at a DMV office will be asked if they would like to consider joining the organ donor registry. If they say yes, they will be able to submit their application at that office and will have the phrase “Organ Donor” printed on the front of their DMV photo document when they request a new one. Currently, over 8,000 New Yorkers are on the national transplant wait list.

 

 

A Buffalo man who was involved in a hit-and-run that killed a pedestrian has found out how long he’ll be spending behind bars. A judge has sentenced 36-year-old D’Mario Caesar to spend 7-1/2 to 15 years in prison. Prosecutors say Caesar was speeding when he struck 31-year-old Brandyn Mallory on Broadway in Buffalo back in 2017. Mallory later died of his injuries at Erie County Medical Center.

 

 

 

Governor Hochul announced Wednesday $2.5 million in new state funding for the victims impacted by the May 14 Tops shooting in Buffalo. This funding will help the Buffalo Urban league partner with the Community Health Centers of Buffalo to operate the Buffalo United Resiliency Center through June 2025. The new funding will also help the BURC hire new employees and ensure it has the support to serve victims and survivors of the shooting. The Community Health Centers will work to address Access to housing, Access to transportation, Emergency and long-term food access and Assistance with rent, utility, and other areas.

 

On Wednesday Bills Safety Damar Hamlin was in Washington DC to support the Access to Automated Electronic Defibrillators Act. The Act would direct the Department of Health and Human Services to supply grants for schools and nonprofits to purchase and install defibrillators and develop emergency response plans for heart attacks such as the one that struck down Hamlin on the field against the Bengals. Hamlin has been championing people learning CPR and is now pushing for more access to equipment across the country.

 

 

One of the biggest names in music history will be bringing her brand-new tour to Western New York this summer. Diana Ross is set to perform at the Chautauqua Institution on Sunday, July 2nd. The 79-year-old Ross will sing hits from her career as a solo artist, and from when she was a member of The Supremes. Tickets for the show go on sale tomorrow morning, and more information about the concert can be found on the Chautauqua Institution website, chq.org.

 

Today is Opening Day for Major League Baseball, and some rule changes have been made this year to help speed up the game. The most visible change is the new pitch clock, which affords pitchers just 15 seconds to deliver their next throw, and 20 seconds with runners on base. Those runners may have an easier time stealing bags because the bases are 20 percent bigger.