Morning News Brief

A conceptual agreement may be in place but it’s still a month past the deadline and the legislatures haven’t looked at budget bills yet. The New York State Budget was supposed to be done by April 1st but there hasn’t been a full decision made on it yet. The housing debate will happen outside the budget, as Governor Hochul confirmed they could not come to an agreement on the New York Housing Compact, which had the goal of building 800,000 homes over the next decade. The Governor included the ability to override zoning restrictions along with some funding in her proposal, while the legislature proposed more funding to incentivize growth. The Governor says they have an agreement to ban natural gas in new construction in small buildings by 2025 and in large buildings in 2028. Opponents have questioned the affordability of the transition, and some lawmakers want the State to set the standard. The next extender needs to be passed by Tuesday for state workers’ checks to go out. Lawmakers expect an extender vote this afternoon.

In a little more than two weeks, the 2023 PGA Championship will start at Oak Hill Country Club. Thousands of people will be coming to Rochester, and though the tournament will only run a week, leaders say they have been planning for much longer. During the week the PGA Championship is in town, May 15-21, an estimated 200,000 people will join in on the fun. All those people in one spot might have some worried about security. Monroe County Sheriff Todd Baxter says you can expect to see a lot of police. Apart from local and county law enforcement, the state Division of Homeland Security has also been part of the planning process since the beginning. Paul Di Lella, the state’s assistant commissioner of emergency management, said his department is there to assist. Law enforcement says that safety is their top priority for the tournament.

Terry Smith is the proud owner of the newest Habitat for Humanity home. He put in 500 hours and 3 years helping to build the home on Oak Street. Smith walked into a Restore location a few years ago and filled out an application to be a homeowner. Smith works for a concrete company and has plans to build a patio and have friends over. City Manager Rachael Tableski, and many other volunteers were in attendance to welcome Terry Smith and his family into his new home. Genesee County Habitat for Humanity is currently working on another home on S. Main Street and potentially a second home soon.

New York Attorney General Letitia James has announced that 505 guns were turned in the Niagara Falls Gun buyback last week. 9 buybacks were held on the same day with over 3000 guns turned in across the state. The guns turned in included 185 assault rifles, 1,656 handguns, and 823 long guns. These figures include the 505 guns collected from the Niagara Falls event, which included 19 assault rifles, 280 handguns, and 106 long guns. Since 2019 gun buybacks have bought over 7000 guns from New Yorkers.

The Buffalo Bills have selected their draft picks for the year. They finished with 6 new players. In the first round they got Tight End Dalton Kincaid. In the second Offensive Guard O’Cyrus Torrence. Third round gave them Dorian Williams, a Linebacker. In the 5th the Bills picked up Wide Receiver Justin Shorter. In the 7th Offensive Lineman Nick Broeker and CornerBack Alex Austin.

Emmanuel Baptist Church still has lots available at their brand new community garden. The fence is almost completed. The raised planters are built and ready to be laid down. The fertilizer and fill is on the way along with water barrels, tools and everything else for a successful growing season. Plots are 4 foot by 3 foot and can be used for planting vegetables, flowers, herbs and more. They are 20 dollars a plot but if you come out and help set up once the pieces are all in place on a day to be announced later the plots are free. If you are interested in a plot call the church at 585 343 4905.