Afternoon News Brief
Written by Tom Tharp on November 23, 2020
Erie county is an orange zone right now and, Governor Cuomo says, it is heading towards being classified as red. By Wednesday says Erie County executive Mark Poloncarz, the decision will be mad as to whether Erie county will be back with the most restrictions since March. Among the restrictions are Mass gatherings prohibited, only essential business can be open, restaurants can only provide takeout, schools go to 100 percent online education and houses of worship are restricted to 25 percent capacity or 10 people whichever is more. Lancaster NY has the highest positivity rating at 9 percent and Erie county is at 7.25 percent.
Areas of Monroe County are now orange zones. Parts of Gates, Brighton, Irondequoit and Rochester are now at a high enough positivity rate to be elevated from yellow to orange meaning lower capacity at houses of worship and mass gatherings. High-risk, non-essential businesses will have to close, and restaurants will be allowed to have outdoor dining only. Schools will go full remote pending testing that will allow kids to go back to school if they test negative.
Over the weekend there were at least 2 charitable events in Batavia. The first, stuff the cruiser, involved local law enforcement officers collecting toys for children who might not otherwise find many presents under their trees. The Leroy police, Batavia police, Genesee county sheriffs, the state police, the DEC, the Genesee county probation department and the Corfu police all participated. Also at the VA hospital in Batavia the veterans of Wyoming county raised 2100 dollars for the American legion post 637 to bring hot red osier meals to residents and staff feeding 175 people.
The Buffalo Bills are at the top of the AFC east because they won this weekend, even though they didn’t play. Because the Dolphins, Patriots and Jets all lost their games the Bills were brought up to 1st place. The Bills will play the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday in LA.
The DEC of New York State announced a contest today for hunters to submit essays and photos about why they hunt or trap. The winners of the contest will be showcased in the 2021-2022 New York hunting and trapping regulations guide. Submissions must be sent in by January 31st. Guidelines can be found on dec.ny.gov.
With the holiday travel season kicking off this week, Western New York drivers will be spending less to fill up their vehicles. According to Triple A, the average cost for a gallon of regular gas in Batavia is two-18…the same as last week but well below the 2-dollars 67 cents a year ago.
