Friday News Brief

A local utility company is warning customers of a possible scam involving criminals posing as employees looking for payment on late bills. National Grid has put out a notice about the scam after customers reported emails and phone calls from scammers demanding immediate payment on late bills. In some of these cases, customers have even been promised discounts on their next bill.
It’s not a new scam. The caller will provide a name, office location and an identification number; in some cases, they’re spoofing the caller ID and return number of National Grid. Customers getting these calls say they have received threats to end their service immediately unless they provide payment information. They have also been asked for Social Security numbers and National Grid account numbers. National Grid reminds customers that, while they do contact customers with past due balances to offer payment options, they never demand direct payment through prepaid debit cards and in fact, don’t accept payment through these cards. They’ll also never threaten immediate disconnection. Anyone who has been a victim of this scam is asked to contact local law enforcement. Additional suggestions to help you avoid becoming a victim of this scam and others, are listed below:

Customers are reminded that if they are provided a phone number to call that does not match the numbers on their billing statements, that it is likely a scam.

The following tips are provided to avoid becoming a victim of scams targeting National Grid employees:
· Be vigilant and on the watch for scams
· Protect yourself by verifying that you are talking to a National Grid representative, like asking for the last five digits of your National Grid account number. National Grid says that all representatives will know your account number.
· Do not provide your personal information over the phone if the caller does not know the last five digit of your account number.
· National Grid will not contact customers demanding wire transfers, Green dot, Money-Pak or other prepaid card services for payment.
· Payment to National Grid will always be left up to the customer’s discretion.

 

23-year-old Noemi Morales of Syracuse was arrested on Veteran’s Memorial Drive in Batavia. She’s charged with conspiracy and grand larceny. It’s alleged Morales stole over $8,000 in property. She was released on her own recognizance and is scheduled to return to the Town of Batavia Court at a later date.

 

A teenager has been arrested in connection with a stabbing that happened at the LaSalle Preparatory School in Niagara Falls. According to police, the 15-year-old suspect stabbed a 17-year-old boy during a fight on Wednesday night. The victim suffered an arm injury and was taken to Oishei Children’s Hospital. The 15-year-old is now facing an assault charge.

 

 

 

Buffalo police have confirmed that Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz has been named in a domestic incident report. The alleged incident between Poloncarz and a woman happened last Saturday at a home and the woman says she was pushed against a window after seeing Poloncarz’s text messages. She does not plan to file charges against Poloncarz and he’s characterizing what happened as a bad breakup. He also said that he didn’t hit the woman.

 

New York State’s Labor Department is launching a process to connect migrants with jobs. Governor Hochul says the latest effort will allow asylum seekers to immediately start working once they are granted legal work authorization. She also says this move will allow new arrivals to move towards financial independence. Hochul has also sent a letter to the Biden Administration requesting the president take action to reduce the strain the migrant crisis has put on the state’s resources and facilities.

 

As reported by Tom Tharp this morning: Ellicott Station’s future is up in the air as the construction company, Savarino Companies, has announced a ceasing of operations. City Manager Rachel Tabelski says that the company has not been in contact with the city since the announcement and the city has received calls from other developers and construction companies about continuing the work. City officials plan to meet with staff from the New York State Office of Homes and Community Renewal in September, which has been in the works since the city learned about lower-than-expected income requirements at Ellicott Station. First promised as market rate, then workforce housing, the apartment complex’s application surprised city officials earlier this year with low to very low-income levels, prompting them to reach out to HCR for assistance to see what could be done to raise those income levels to allow for workforce housing tenants. Genesee County Economic Development Center CEO Steve Hyde said Wednesday that the agency is working to determine the next steps to be taken and that the agency had already found the company to be in default of its financial agreement.

 

The Buffalo Bills will be in the Windy City this weekend as they take the field for their final preseason game. Buffalo is set to take on the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field and most of the Bills starters, including quarterback Josh Allen, are reportedly going to play. Last week, Buffalo was defeated by the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-to-15. Kickoff tomorrow is scheduled for 1:00.

 

 

ELSEWHERE…

 

Lego is now selling Braille versions of its toy bricks. The toy maker said the release of the Braille bricks “marks a significant milestone in the development of more inclusive learning through play experiences.” The “LEGO Braille Bricks – Play with Braille” set will feature both Braille and printed letters, numbers and symbols on each brick. English and French versions of the set are now available to preorder on Lego’s website. The release comes ahead of World Blind Awareness Month in October.

 

The actress who played Alice Garvey on Little House on the Prairie has died. Hersha Parady died Wednesday in Norfolk, Virginia after a battle with a brain tumor. She was 78. Hersha Parady became a household name co-starred on the Emmy Award-winning show for four seasons, alongside Michael Landon, Melissa Gilbert, and Karen Grassle.

 

 

 

 

The Maui government is suing a utility company over its alleged negligence that caused recent deadly wildfires. A lawsuit filed Thursday claims Hawaiian Electric Company “inexcusably kept their power lines energized” earlier this month despite wind and fire warnings from forecasters. The National Weather Service cited that strong winds could knock down power lines and spark fires that would spread quickly due to dry conditions.

 

At least two school districts in eastern Kentucky canceled in-person classes this week after a rise in illnesses. Officials say it’s due to COVID, respiratory viruses and strep among students and staff at Lee County and Magoffin County schools. Both districts have seen drops in attendance since the start of the school year.

 

A suspect is in custody for allegedly leaving a possible exploding toilet outside a shopping mall near Los Angeles. Police say shoppers were evacuated from a mall in Glendale Thursday night after a suspicious toilet was left outside a movie theater, and that a note on the toilet suggested it could be a bomb. The Los Angeles County Bomb Squad was brought in and set up an X-ray machine to see inside the toilet, and determined it was empty. Police arrested a male suspect a short time later.

 

The Powerball jackpot for tomorrow night’s drawing will be at least $345 million. As is always the case, the drawing will be streamed live online at Powerball.com. Please play responsibly.

 

 

 

 

 

Today is Friday, August 25th, the 237th day of the year.

August 25 in history…

 

…In 1875, Captain Matthew Webb of Great Britain became the first person to swim the English Channel with no assistance.

 

 

 

 

…In 1900, German philosopher and poet Friedrich Nietzsche died at the age of 55. He became the youngest person ever to hold the Chair of Classical Philology at the University of Basel in 1869 at the age of 24.

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1921, The United States signs a peace treaty with Germany.

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1998, former child actor, Gary Coleman pleaded innocent to the charge that he hit a woman (Molly Shannon) in a mall after she had sought his autograph. Coleman was working at the mall as a security guard.

 

 

 

 

…In 2001, singer and actress Aaliyah was killed in a plane crash in the Bahamas at the age of 22. The small Cessna plane crashed a few minutes after take off, killing everyone on board with exception of four passengers who were pulled from the wreckage, but later died. Aaliyah had been filming a video for her latest release “Rock The Boat” on the island. The 22-year-old Aaliyah had just wrapped shooting the music video for her hit single “Rock the Boat,” and her team was eager to get back to the US.

The detailed background: Aaliyah — who was an anxious flyer — allegedly had reservations about boarding the aircraft after learning that it was overweight. The pilot had reportedly explained that the aircraft would be too cumbersome with eight passengers, including Aaliyah’s 300-pound bodyguard, as well as their bags and cameras.

The “Romeo Must Die” actress supposedly grew even more flustered when they arrived at the airport and spotted the small plane. Claiming she had a headache, the Brooklyn native fell asleep in the cab while her team sorted out the mess, according to Russell’s testimony.

A little while later Aaliyah reiterated her concerns. At this point, one of her team handed her a sleeping pill, causing her to fall into a deep sleep, after which Aaliyah became unconscious and was carried onto the plane.

Her worst fears were realized just after takeoff. The small, two-engine Cessna failed to gain altitude and crashed about 200 feet from the end of the runway, killing Aaliyah and all eight members of her entourage.

A subsequent autopsy revealed that Aaliyah had suffered extensive burns and severe head trauma, which had rendered her chances of survival minimal, at best.

It was later disclosed that the aircraft exceeded its allotted weight by several hundred pounds, the New York Times reported. In addition, the weight was improperly distributed, making the aircraft difficult to control while in the air. Meanwhile, the pilot had reportedly faked his license and was under the influence of alcohol and cocaine at the time of the accident.