Afternoon News Brief
Written by Tom Tharp on February 1, 2024
Two men have now been charged for their alleged roles in an assault that happened on Christmas Day. According to authorities, 22-year-old Brucewayne Beaman and 33-year-old Guy Mustgray the second allegedly attacked a man in his 60s near Bay Street and Portland Avenue in Rochester. The victim was rushed to Strong Memorial Hospital where he is still recovering from serious injuries. Both Beaman and Mustgray are charged with attempted murder.
Sheriff William Sheron Jr. announced Wednesday that he will not be seeking reelection for another term as Genesee County Sheriff. Sheron’s current term ends on Dec. 31, 2024, at which time he will retire. At the time of his retirement, Sheriff Sheron will have served 47 1/2 years with the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, starting in 1977 as a 9-1-1 Dispatcher. He was Deputy Sheriff for the Jail, Road, Patrol, Sergeant, Investigator, and Chief Deputy then Undersheriff before he was elected Sheriff in 2016.
Three teenagers are in some legal trouble after being arrested following a vehicle pursuit in Orchard Park. An officer was in a neighborhood off Powers Road yesterday when he saw the vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed. The officer tried to pull it over, but the driver reportedly refused to stop, triggering a chase that ended near the Ridge Road exit of Interstate 90. A 17-year-old suspect and two 18-year-olds were then taken into custody. An investigation revealed the vehicle had been stolen.
The rollout of legal weed in NY has been slow and fraught with trials and many applicants to open stores or cultivate are still waiting for approval from the state. Part of the issue was a lawsuit which blocked part of the state from opening up to cannabis. Another was the social equity plan which prioritized people who had a criminal record involving pot. This long process has urged members from a variety of cannabis industry groups to launch the ‘Cannabis Conference.’ The group is coming together to work with officials to find solutions to the ongoing challenges facing the cannabis market. They’re laying out 12 priorities to fix what they say is a “delayed” and “flawed” rollout of the retail cannabis market. Last week the Cannabis Control Board canceled its meeting to approve a handful of licenses saying in part, “OCM is working hard to process this major backlog of applications.” While in Buffalo, Governor Kathy Hochul expressed her frustration with the rollout and said she had a part in the board canceling its meeting.
Get ready to loosen your wallets and your belts. Girls Scout Cookies are on their way. Whether you enjoy Thin Mints, Adventurefuls, Caramel deLites, Peanut Butter Patties, Peanut Butter Sandwiches, Lemonades, Toast-Yays, or Trefoils, all varieties will be $6 per package and 100% of all proceeds stay local within Girl Scouts of WNY. To purchase cookies you can reach out to a registered Girl Scout or visit the Girl Scout website here to find out where you can purchase cookies.
New batches of your favorite local maple syrup may be hitting the shelf a little early this year, thanks to the warm winter forcing local farmers to start production a few weeks sooner than normal. It’s already that time of year for Merle Maple in Attica. Time to start harvesting the sap from their thousands of maple trees. Greg Zimpfer, who has worked at Merle Maple for 40 years, says they usually start tapping trees in late February or early March. He also says the Maple Syrup and other products will taste just as good this year.
