Friday News Brief

Three people have been arrested in Batavia after a report of shots fired in the area of Washington and Willow Street around 11:20 Wednesday night. Officers responded to the scene and while there, multiple shots were heard coming from the area of Dellinger Avenue. Using Batavia Police Department pole cameras, detectives were able to make a description of an involved vehicle. At 1:11 early yesterday morning, four males were located walking in the area of Chase Park and North Spruce Streets. Their vehicle was located and evidence of weapons discharge was found on the men and the vehicle. One was released and 20-year-old Tmario Ayala, 18-year-old Bryson Gentile, and a 17-year-old male, all of Batavia, were arrested and charged with Criminal Possession of a Weapon and Reckless Endangerment. No injuries were reported. Here’s a link to the comprehensive story, as reported by our news partner, The Batavian:  https://www.thebatavian.com/howard-owens/three-arrests-made-in-alleged-gunfire-incident-in-the-city-of-batavia/635873

 

Dangerous heat is expected to blanket most of the Western New York region today and officials say people should take precautions to stay safe from high temperatures. A heat advisory will be in place until 8:00pm in Genesee, Monroe, Ontario, Wayne and Cayuga counties. Residents should make sure they’re properly hydrated and plan to spend less time doing outdoor activities. People should also check in on elderly neighbors to ensure they’re OK. The latest forecast can be found at NOAA.gov.

 

A Lockport man is now facing a long prison sentence after admitting to being involved in the sexual abuse of children. The Niagara County DA’s office says 53-year-old Ronald Sponaugle pleaded guilty to abusing the young victims at different times. He was arrested as the result of an investigation that was conducted by the Lockport Police Department. Sponaugle could be ordered to spend up to 25 years behind bars when he’s sentenced in September.

 

 

 

A Rochester Firefighter is on trial for sending child porn and using a fire department computer to do it. Brett Marrapese is accused of uploading child pornography using an IP address associated with the Rochester Fire Department. He’s charged with multiple counts of production, distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography. He’s since been suspended from the Rochester Fire Department without pay. The FBI accuses Marrapese of communicating with at least 110 minors and more than 1,500 images or videos of child pornography were found on Marrapese’s cell phone. In June, the FBI said it was still working to identify and locate some of the children depicted in those pictures. Marrapese is being held in the Monroe County Jail pending a detention hearing.

 

 

As reported by Tom Tharp this morning: The Buffalo Fire department is dealing with losing one of its own vehicles in a fire on Wednesday. Buffalo fire officials say the Buffalo Fire Department Repair Shop suffered extensive damage Wednesday evening when a fire broke out. Buffalo fire responded to 39 Seventh Street at around 5:30 p.m. The damage is estimated at $750,000, with severe damage to a reserve pumper as well. Officials say the fire is under investigation.

 

A 13-year-old has been arrested for their alleged role in recent vandalism that happened at the Martin Luther King Junior Park casino in Buffalo. Mayor Byron Brown announced yesterday the teen had been taken into custody and that police are working to track down additional suspects. The teen is charged with burglary and also criminal mischief. The damage to the park is estimated to be about $50,000.

 

 

Gas prices are at an eight-month high. Triple A reports the national average price for a gallon of regular gas today is $3.73. That’s the highest the average has hit since November.  The state average is $3.79. In Batavia, we’re paying $3.70; that’s 10 cents more than it was a week go but 81 cents lower than the price a year ago today.

 

 

Fans of the Buffalo Bills have been making donations to the Muscular Dystrophy Association in a show of support to injured running back Nyheim Hines. He suffered a knee injury while on a jet ski a few days ago and is expected to miss the 2023 season. Hines has been a national spokesperson for MDA since 2021, and used the “My Cause, My Cleats” program to raise awareness. In a statement, the MDA said it’s wishing Hines a full recovery and called Bills fans some of the most generous in the NFL.

ELSEWHERE…

 

Randy Meisner of The Eagles is dead at the age of 77. The band announced the news on Thursday, revealing he passed away the previous night due to complications from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). In their announcement, they remembered Meisner as “an integral part of the Eagles and instrumental in the early success of the band.”

 

 

Americans will only be able to buy LED lights from retailers as a ban on incandescent light bulbs begins next week. The ban officially starts on Tuesday. It’ll only be illegal for stores to sell the light bulbs and companies to manufacture them, but it won’t be illegal to own. The Department of Energy said LED lights provide more light using less energy and last a lot longer than incandescent light bulbs. Any manufacturer who violate the ban may face a max penalty of $542 per illegal light bulb.

 

 

Bud Light maker Anheuser Busch is laying off hundreds after the recent boycott over its partnership with a transgender influencer. Earlier this year, the beer lost its spot as the top seller in the U.S. after transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney appeared on the can. Now the company is laying off nearly 2% of its workforce in the United States.

 

 

The estranged wife of accused Gilgo Beach murderer Rex Heuermann is returning to their home New York home. Asa Ellerup, who filed for divorce from Heuermann, can be seen yelling “Don’t talk to me” to reporters as she and her son sit on the home’s front porch, along with their dog. Their daughter was also at the home, along with what appeared to be a detective.

 

This month is on pace to become the hottest month on record. That’s according to new data from the Earth observation unit of the European Union’s space program and the World Meteorological Organization. The organizations said the first three weeks of July have already set the record for the hottest three-week period. July 6th set the mark for the hottest day on record. This comes after June broke the record for the hottest June ever. Much of the U.S. has been hit by heat waves along Asia and Europe.

 

The Mega Millions jackpot just keeps growing and is continuing to head towards the $1 billion mark. The top prize up for grabs in this evening’s drawing will be at least $910 million after no one matched all six winning numbers on Tuesday. Mega Millions has surpassed $1 billion four times in its history, including back in January. The drawing will be streamed live online at megamillions.com. Please play responsibly. Consider this: Suppose you had $1 billion. You could spend $5,000 a day for more than 500 years before you would run out of money. Breaking it down even farther, it means you would have to spend over $100,000 every day for the next 25 years in order to spend $1 billion. In area: One billion $1 bills would cover a four-square-mile area or the equivalent of 2,555 acres. In length: If you laid the $1 bills end to end, the trail would measure 96,900 miles. How much would $1 billion dollars weigh? One billion $1 bills would weigh around 10 tons. If you want your winnings in quarters, it will weigh 22,680 tons. If you took the quarters and put them into quart jars, you’d have 435,337,917 jars. Melt those quarters down, and the molten metal would equal 3,419,136 quarts – that would fill an Olympic size swimming pool one-and-a-half times. How tall: Take one billion $1 bills and put them in a stack (we’ll wait) after about 30 years of stacking, your pile would measure 358,510 feet or 67.9 miles high. How fast can you go through that money? If you were really dedicated, and could spend $20 per second, you could spend $1 billion dollars in 578 days (1 year, 214 days). You’re gonna need some caffeine, but you can afford it, so go for it.

 

The Jonas Brothers are going on a brand-new world tour, and one of the stops is going to be right here in Western New York. The group will take the stage at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on November 27th. The Jonas Brothers have sold millions of albums, and are best known for hits including “Burnin’ Up” and “Year 3000.” Tickets will go on sale to the general public at 10:00am on August 4th.

 

Today is Friday, July 28th, the 209th day of the year.

July 28 in history…

…In 1866, the metric system was authorized for the standardization of weights and measures throughout the United States.

 

 

 

…In 1868, the 14th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified. It granted citizenship to “all persons born or naturalized in the United States,” which included people of African heritage who had just been freed from slavery after the Civil War.

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1875, the first nine-inning Major League Baseball no hitter was pitched by Joe Borden.

 

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1933, the first singing telegram was delivered. It was a birthday greeting sent by a fan to Hollywood singing star Rudy Vallee.

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1945, 14 people died when a B-25 bomber crashed into the side of New York’s Empire State Building.

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1951, Disney’s film “Alice in Wonderland” was released in New York.

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1978, “National Lampoon’s Animal House” opened in movie theaters around the country. The movie went on to become the highest grossing comedy of its time and launched “Saturday Night Live” cast member John Belushi into super stardom.

 

 

…In 1982, comedian Andy Kaufman and professional wrestler Jerry Lawler brawled during a live taping of NBC’s “Late Night With David Letterman.” The shouting match, which began with Kaufman’s taunts of the wrestler, escalated into violence as Lawler knocked Kaufman to the floor with a blow to the head. Kaufman retaliated by throwing a cup of coffee on the wrestler. The brawl was later confirmed as a setup.

 

…In 2019, a 16-year-old won $3 million at the first Fortnite World Cup in New York. His prize was the largest won in e-sports history.