Evening News Brief
Written by Tom Tharp on June 23, 2021
The State of emergency which has existed since March of last year is being allowed to expire tomorrow and will not be renewed. Governor Cuomo says “The emergency is over. The state of emergency that I had declared in consultation with commissioner Zucker, a health emergency, it expires tomorrow. It will not be renewed, it will punctuate the expiration of the emergency that we have been in because New Yorkers rallied and essential workers rallied.” The ending of the state of emergency removes Cuomo’s emergency powers and puts the power back in the hands of the legislature.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the state will provide $25 million in child care scholarships to essential workers beginning today. A release from the governor’s office says essential workers include: health care providers, Pharmaceutical staff, Law enforcement, Firefighters, Transportation workers, Food delivery workers, Grocery store employees and others. Child care costs will be covered for essential workers whose income is less than 300% of the federal poverty level, the state says this amounts to about $79,500 for a family of four. It will be paid up to market rate for each region across the state for children aged six weeks to 12 years. The state says parents can apply through a single online application and the providers will be paid directly on behalf of the parent. The online applications open today and will remain open until funds are depleted. To learn more or apply follow the link at wbtai.com. https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/contracts/funding/COVID-relief/essential-workers.php
The City Church and St. Anthony’s are announcing the opening back up of their Tuesday Night Activity Nights on July 6th. They offer basketball, four square, a game room and the Liberty Arts room will be open. The gym floor has been recently updated and is ready to be played on! This will occur every Tuesday night from 6-8 p.m. at the St. Anthony’s Community Center located on 114 Liberty St. in Batavia.
Have an ezpass? You might want to check your bill and make sure its right. Trucking companies are saying that the ezpass system has been overcharging them since the tolls went fully automated. The truckers say that they were charged twice, once for the truck and once for the trailer. Officials pointed to a malfunctioning reader at exit 55 as the culprit. Other drivers have said that they were charged twice, charged for driving far further than they actually drove, or received tolls in the mail when they had the tag. Check your statements to make sure you aren’t getting overcharged.
