Afternoon News Brief
Written by Doug Thompson on January 14, 2022
The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Chill Advisory for Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming Counties from tonight at 6pm till Saturday at 1pm. This means extremely low temperatures and wind chills of 20 degrees below zero. Exposed skin could turn to frostbite within 30 minutes. They advise us to stay indoors if possible and when traveling, cover up and limit time outside.
In addition, a winter storm watch is also in effect from 6pm Sunday through 6pm Monday. Travel could be very difficult to impossible, with hazardous conditions that will likely impact the morning or evening commute.
Governor Hochul says New York State is getting additional help from the federal government in the ongoing fight against the coronavirus. The governor said yesterday National Ambulance Contract Teams will be arriving in the Empire State in the coming days. Members will be going to hospitals all across Upstate region to help out workers who are struggling to treat a growing number of patients. In a statement, the governor thanked President Biden for sending the necessary resources to help fight the winter surge of new COVID-19 cases that are being fueled by the omicron variant.
This from Dan Ireland, Rochester Regional Health and United Memorial Medical Center president, 75% of COVID admissions to UMMC, are for unvaccinated people. As of yesterday, the Center’s occupancy rate was 86% and all COVID patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit have not had the vaccine. Ireland encourages everyone qualified for the shots and the booster, to get vaccinated. This will not only protect individuals and families, it will also free up space in the hospital.
Confer Plastics in North Tonawanda is providing a $10,000 grant to the Friends of the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge. The money will be used to expand a trail near the visitor’s center. It will also help to make the trail more handicap accessible, including interpretive signage, trail markers and Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant benches.
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown says he’s not going to get in the way of the Great Northern grain elevator being demolished. Local preservationists had asked the mayor to step in and save the structure which was damaged in a windstorm last month. Brown says city officials don’t believe the building can be salvaged. A ruling from a State Supreme Court judge last week cleared the way for the building to be knocked down, but there’s no word yet on when that’s going to happen. The grain elevator has stood in the city since 1897 and is the last of its kind in North America.
Rochester police are asking for help from the public in tracking down the person who pulled the trigger in a triple-shooting. They say a three-year-old child and two adults were shot yesterday at a home on Glendale Park. The child initially had life-threatening injuries but their condition has improved while the adults suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Police say the shooting appears to have been the result of a domestic incident. They’re asking anyone with information on the case to dial 911 immediately.
The investigation continues into what sparked a fire at an apartment building in Rochester that displaced 12 people and left a firefighter hurt. Crews arrived at the scene on Rowley Street yesterday and found flames in the basement and smoke spreading throughout the building. They were able to contain the blaze in about 40 minutes and all of the residents made it out safely. The firefighter was taken to nearby hospital for treatment of a minor upper body injury. The residents affected by the blaze are being helped by the American Red Cross.
The Buffalo Bills will begin a journey this weekend that they hope brings them one step closer to winning a Super Bowl. The Bills are taking on the New England Patriots in an AFC Wild Card game at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park. These teams played twice this season with the Bills and Patriots winning one game each. Weather could be a major factor in the game as both cold temperatures and gusty winds are expected. Kickoff for Saturday’s contest is scheduled for 8:15pm.
The Buffalo Sabres have finally snapped their six-game winless streak and picked up their first victory in nearly a month. Jeff Skinner scored twice; Mark Jankowski scored first for Buffalo, which was his first as a Sabre. He’s now made 41 goals in his NHL career. Final score was Sabres 4 and the Nashville Predators 1. Buffalo got a strong performance from goaltender Aaron Dell who stopped 29 of the 30 shots he faced. The Sabres will be back in action tomorrow when they take on the Detroit Red Wings.
