Friday News Brief
Written by Doug Thompson on October 6, 2023
A road construction alert for you to keep in mind for next week: Commerce Drive and Federal Drive will be paved on Wednesday and Thursday, October 11th and 12th. Once that work is completed, the workers move on to a portion of Treadeasy between the railroad tracks near Summit Lubricants TO the city-line. Residents, business and property owners will have access during roadwork; however, expect delays when they pave through driveways. For more information, please contact the Town of Batavia Highway Department at 343-1729 (ext. 218). Motorists will experience changing traffic patterns to include one-way movements, temporary closures, and flagging operations as the paving project progresses. All efforts will be made to get motorists to and from their destination with minimum delay. This work is weather dependent. If work is delayed it will be rescheduled for the next available date.
GO Health is offering a free rabies vaccination clinic next Thursday, October 12th from 4:00pm until 6:00pm at the Genesee County Fairgrounds. Vaccinations are free for dogs, cats and ferrets. Animals must be at least 3 months old, be leashed or crated, and accompanied by an adult who can control the animal. There is a limit of four pets per car, please. If you’d like more information, please call 344-2580, extension x5555.
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced $6.7 million in funding has been awarded to create and preserve 52 affordable rental apartments across five separate developments and communities in the state; this includes $1.6 million earmarked for 16 apartments in the Brooks Village complex at 750 Genesee Street, Rochester. Efficiency measures predicts a yield of 20% reduction in energy use following this investment. Each of the apartments will be affordable to households earning 50% or less of the average median income. The awards are provided through New York State Homes and Community Renewal’s Small Rental Development Initiative (SRDI), which supports the creation and preservation of multifamily rental developments with five to 20 apartments.
State Police have arrested a Wyoming County man: 30-year-old Cody Speta of Pike has been charged with criminal mischief. This followed an investigation that found he caused damage to the victim’s video camera and wiring. Speta was arrested and released with an appearance ticket for Pike Town Court; where he is due to appear at a later date.
49-year-old Brian Smith of Buffalo has been indicted and charged with four counts of wire fraud. He’s accused of submitting false documentation to the Small Business Administration during the COVID-19 pandemic. Smith misrepresented his income so that he could receive relief loans for which he did not otherwise qualify. He then used the nearly $120,000 he received for personal expenditures at adult entertainment clubs, hotels, restaurants and cash withdrawals. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Rochester police officer who was injured in a shooting that took his partner’s life has testified in the Kelvin Vickers murder trial. Yesterday, Officer Sino Seng told the jury about the night he and Officer Anthony Mazurkiewicz were hit by gunfire while taking part in an undercover operation. Seng says a barrage of bullets were fired towards them and that he lives in constant pain due to his injuries. Testimony is expected to resume today.
The City of Buffalo is getting some help with clearing its roads of snow and ice in the coming months. The New York State Thruway Authority has given the city six snowplows. The plows are from the state’s designated surplus fleet, and they’ll be returned once they’re no longer needed. The city has already bought four new plows that will cost over $900,000 each.
For the second time in the last few months, nurses at Rochester General Hospital may be going on strike. A vote to authorize such a move is scheduled for next week when the nurses hold a candlelight vigil. They claim hospital officials aren’t listening to their concerns about staffing levels as negotiations on a new contract move forward. Nurses walked of the job for a few days in August before returning to work.
The Buffalo Bills will be playing in London this weekend as they look to extend their current winning streak to four games. Buffalo is set to battle the Jacksonville Jaguars as at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in England. The Bills are coming off a dominating 48 to 20 win over the Miami Dolphins last weekend and have a record of three wins and one loss. Kickoff Sunday is set for 9:30am.
ELSEWHERE…
Spider webs fell from the sky across California’s Central Coast Wednesday morning. The natural phenomenon called ballooning was seen in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito counties. It occurs when spiders use their webs to fly through the air like a para-glider. Spiders use ballooning to disperse after they hatch. The webs were reported in a dozen cities including Santa Cruz, Salinas, Monterey, Hollister, and San Jose.
NFL Hall of Famer Dick Butkus has died at the age of 80. The Chicago Bears released a statement from the Butkus family that said he died peacefully in his sleep overnight in his Malibu home. The linebacker spent his entire career with the Bears after being drafted by the team in 1965, and was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979.
The Powerball jackpot is now up to an estimated $1.4 billion. No one matched all six numbers in Wednesday night’s drawing so the jackpot rolled up to what would be the third-highest Powerball jackpot and fifth-largest in U.S. lottery history. A single winner in Saturday night’s drawing could claim a lump-sum cash prize of more than $640 million. Please play responsibly.
Today is Friday, October 6th, the 279th day of the year.
October 6 in history…
…In 1927, the film “The Jazz Singer,” starring Al Jolson, premiered in New York City. It was the first film to use a pre-recorded soundtrack.
…In 1951, businessman Will Kellogg died at the age of 91. He founded the Kellogg Company to manufacture cereal products as breakfast foods.
…In 1956, Dr. Albert Sabin developed an oral polio vaccine.
…In 1979, Pope John Paul the Second became the first pontiff to visit the White House.
…In 1996, country singer Tim McGraw and Faith Hill were married.