Friday News Brief

44-year-old Rashawn Gosier and 38-year-old Cynthia Gosier both of Buffalo have been arrested in Batavia. They’re charged with petit larceny and conspiracy. It’s alleged they stole merchandise from a store on Veterans Memorial Drive. Cynthia was released on appearance tickets; Rashawn was held at the Genesee County Jail pending arraignment on an active arrest warrant issued by New York State Parole. Rashawn Gosier has a criminal record, including an arrest in Batavia in 2018 following a stabbing. At that time, he was charged with assault and attempted murder. It was found during police investigation that both Gosier and the victim knew one another through a mutual third party.

 

 

Police have identified the woman who was found dead inside her home in Yates County earlier this week. Officials say the body of 89-year-old Jane Saylor was discovered at her Penn Yan home by a home health aide. It’s believed her husband, 89-year-old Ronald Saylor, killed her by strangling her with a bath towel. Ronald Saylor suffers from dementia and remains hospitalized. So far, no charges have been filed against him.

 

 

 

With a lot of people hitting the road for the holiday weekend, police across New York State are going to be keeping a close eye out for drunk drivers. It’s part of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee’s STOP-DWI campaign that runs through Monday. People who are planning to drink alcoholic beverages are being urged to ensure they have a safe ride home. Anyone who sees suspicious or dangerous activity on the roads should dial 911 immediately.

 

 

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz has found himself as the subject of new complaint. It’s alleged that a committee chaired by Poloncarz awarded a 60-thousand-dollar grant to the Italian Cultural Center located in North Buffalo. The Buffalo News reports the person who notified the county about this money believed it was not appropriate because Poloncarz was in a relationship with the center’s leader. Poloncarz’s office says all funding was approved by the appropriate parties.

 

No explosives have been discovered following a bomb threat made against the Amtrak station in Niagara Falls. Law enforcement rushed to the station yesterday after receiving a report of a bomb inside the building. The building was evacuated as a precaution while the property was searched. It appears train service was not impacted and anyone with information on the threat is asked to call police.

 

As reported by Tom Tharp this morning: The sales tax on cigarettes in New York State will increase by $1 starting today. The state’s current sales tax on a pack of 20 cigarettes is $4.35, and will now jump to $5.35 statewide. The average smoking rate in New York State is 12%. Vendors will also be required to display health advisories in close proximity to the products and outside the stores, warning customers of the dangers of nicotine addiction and smoke inhalation. Those signs will be on display by September 30 and will be up until June 2025, according to the American Lung Association.

 

If you saw a smiley face and other messages in the sky yesterday, you weren’t imagining things. It was Nathan Hammond flying in his 1956 deHavilland Chipmunk to skywrite above Rochester, Batavia and Buffalo. It was meant to get your attention about the Batavia Airshow tomorrow and Sunday. Hammond started writing in the sky about 20 years ago using paraffin based smoking oil. He says there are only 4 skywriters in the US and about a dozen worldwide. His plane is going to be part of the finale for the show both days. The Airshow is from 5 to 9 pm both days and gates open at 2:00PM.

 

 

Food lovers will be making a trip to Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park this weekend for the National Buffalo Wing Festival. It is set to run from noon until 9:00pm tomorrow and from noon until 7 p.m. on Sunday. The event is going to feature the opportunity to taste a wide variety of wings and there is also going to be eating competitions and cook-offs. Tickets cost $20 each and there’s no cost to park. More information can be found at buffalowing.com.

 

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has announced the launch of a brand-new coffee blend that’s going to end up helping people in need. Allen’s 17 Blend was created in conjunction with PLB Sports and Entertainment. Proceeds from all sales will go to benefit kids being treated at Oishei Children’s Hospital. An exclusive dark roast single serve will be available at Wegmans stores as will a limited edition Josh Allen coffee cup.

 

 

ELSEWHERE…

 

More than 14 million people are expected to pass through the nation’s airports this Labor Day weekend. The TSA is bracing for a high-volume of travelers today through Wednesday, September 6th. Today is projected to be the busiest travel day with nearly 3 million people passing through security checkpoints.

 

 

Donald Trump’s election trial in Georgia will be broadcast live on YouTube. The judge presiding over the Georgia indictment of the former president ruled yesterday that all of the court proceedings will be live streamed on the court’s YouTube channel following requests from media outlets to allow cameras in the courtroom.

 

 

 

Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene says Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is not fit for office. McConnell, who is 81, appeared to freeze up while speaking to reporters on Wednesday, raising concerns over his health. McConnell had a similar freeze moment during a news conference in July.

 

 

The top Powerball prize tomorrow night will be at least $420 million after no one chose the winning numbers for Wednesday’s drawing. The next drawing will be streamed live at powerball.com. Please play responsibly.

 

 

Today is Friday, September 1st, the 244th day of the year.

September 1 in history…

 

…In 1752, just ten months after Pennsylvania sent its request, the Liberty Bell arrived in Philadelphia. Weighing about a ton, the Bell measured roughly 12 feet around the bottom lip and 7-1/2 feet around its crown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1890, the first triple-header in baseball was played thanks to Tom Oyster Burns. The Brooklyn Bridegrooms swept the Pittsburgh Alleghenys.

 

 

 

 

…In 1939, Hitler invaded Poland from the west. Two days later, France and Britain declared war on Germany, beginning World War II.

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1985, French and American scientists discovered the wreckage of the Titanic. The ship sank in 1912.

 

 

 

 

…In 1997, the minimum wage in the United States increased to $5.15 an hour. In August 1996, Congress passed and President Clinton signed into law a two-step increase, lifting the minimum wage from $4.25 to $5.15. The first step of that increase went into effect October 1, 1996 and the second step on September 1, 1997.

 

 

 

 

…In 2005, legendary blues singer Fats Domino resurfaced after he was reported missing in the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. The singer and his family members were taken to a medical center in Baton Rouge and then taken in by JaMarcus Russell, the starting quarterback at Louisiana State University who helped Domino and his clan by running multiple errands for groceries and prescriptions.