Evening News Brief
Written by Tom Tharp on February 11, 2021
The allocation of vaccines to Genesee and Orleans counties has been cut in half after an increase was promised. The drop in vaccines being delivered to the counties comes alongside more people being eligible to receive the vaccine starting February 15th and state and federal government opening more distribution centers and President Biden saying that the national guard would be deployed to help with administering vaccines. Critics say that more vaccination centers won’t matter if only a handful of vaccine doses will be delivered to them each week. Governor Cuomo says the new centers and clinics are necessary in order to make sure vaccine distribution is racially equitable. Health Director Paul Petit says “We’re pushing out the vaccine as quickly as we’re getting it, week by week we don’t have any dosses left because the supply coming to the state is then allocated to the regions. It is hindering everybody.”
Wyoming County will be getting some help with emergency communications after Governor Cuomo announced a grant for 5 counties across New York State of 29 million dollars. Wyoming county will get nearly 6 million of that in order to build new towers and improve connectivity to upstate public safety agencies and channels. Niagara and Orleans counties were awarded nearly $6 million each in phase one of the Statewide Interoperable Communications Targeted Grant Program.
Covid Update: Genesee county has 13 new cases and 19 people have recovered. 3 people in the community over 65 years of age have passed away. Orleans county has 10 new cases and 13 people have recovered. 3 of the new cases are at Orchard Rehab and nursing. Genesee county has 82 active cases and Orleans has 67.
Genesee county is looking for a few good students to help redesign the County flag for the Genesee 2050 comprehensive plan. The department of planning is reaching out to Superintendents to get students involved in a competition to design the new flag. Students are encouraged to submit their designs and finalists will be chosen by the committee and then have an online vote by county residents. Submissions are due by February 28th. Information about the contest including guidelines and how to submit designs can be found on the genesee2050 website.
Section 5 has announced how it will handle the post season tournament schedule for high risk sports. On Wednesday the Section V Athletic Council met and determined the tournament structure for winter high-risk sports. The team sports of boys basketball, girls basketball, and ice hockey will have a closed sectional tournament in which only the top eight teams in each classification will make their sectional tournament. Wrestling will hold class sectional tournaments starting on March 12, 2021.
