Friday News Brief

Looking ahead on the calendar, the Genesee County Health Department is offering a rabies immunization clinic on Thursday, May 16th from 4pm until 7pm at the Genesee County Fairgrounds. We’ll remind you between now and then. Vaccinations are free for dogs, cats, and ferrets, but voluntary donations are accepted. Animals must be at least three months old, and each animal must be leashed or crated and accompanied by an adult who can control the animal. There is a maximum; the limit is four pets per person. For more information, please call 344-2580.

 

Monroe County deputies are looking into vehicle thefts at Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport. Nine vehicles have been taken since the start of the year, and eight of them were rental cars. The suspects are approaching people who are returning their rental cars and pretending to be employees before asking those folks for their keys. Four arrests have already been made in connection with these incidents.

 

New York would expand access to booze by allowing movie theaters to sell liquor and continuing to let people buy takeout cocktails from bars and restaurants under a series of measures unveiled yesterday. The state Assembly passed the measures, which are part of the larger state budget agreement. The state Senate is expected to follow before it’s sent to Governor Kathy Hochul’s desk for signature. The deal was struck between Hochul and leaders of the state Senate and Assembly after a series of closed-door talks. Movie theaters in New York are only allowed to sell beer and wine, according to the New York State Liquor Authority, but this new legislation would add liquor to the mix. The measure comes with guardrails in an attempt to maintain a family-friendly environment at theatres that have licenses to sell booze. People would only be allowed to purchase one alcoholic beverage per transaction, and theaters must stop selling alcohol once the credits start rolling in for the last showing of the day.

 

Governor Hochul says the soon-to-be passed New York State budget will help crackdown on retail theft. She said yesterday that $40 million of the fiscal plan will go towards dedicated retail theft investigation teams on the state and local level. The budget also includes legislation that makes it illegal to foster the sale of stolen goods and increases the penalties for criminals who attack retail workers. Business owners will also have access to a tax credit to cover the cost of security cameras.

 

Ground has officially been broken on the site of a brand-new Fairlife plant in Webster. The dairy producer’s 745,000 square foot facility is going to be located on Tebor Road. Fairlife manufactures products using a process that removes lactose and most of the sugar found in milk. Coca-Cola, which owns Fairlife, received millions of dollars in incentives to get this project started. It’s expected that the new facility will create 250 new jobs for the regional economy and it’ll be fully operational by the end of next year.

 

Six people have now been arrested in connection with a vehicle pursuit in Cheektowaga. Authorities say on Tuesday night, police spotted a vehicle that was reported stolen out of Buffalo. The driver of that vehicle refused to pull over for law enforcement, causing a chase that ended with other vehicles being struck at the intersection of William Street and Harlem Road. Four individuals were taken to a hospital for treatment. There’s no word what charges the suspects are facing.

 

Two men and a teenager are recovering after a fight broke out near RISE Community School on West Ridge Road. Around 6:30 last night, Rochester police officers responded to the 1600 block of Dewey Avenue for the report of a male stabbed. Upon arrival, they located the victim, an 18-year-old male, with at least one stab wound to his upper body. The victim was taken to Strong Hospital, where he is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. A preliminary investigation indicates an argument involving several people took place outside RISE Community School and continued to the back of the property, into a field where police say the victim was stabbed. A second victim, a 19-year-old male, suffered an injury to his upper body but was not stabbed. He was transported to Strong Hospital for treatment. Around 10:00 p.m., a third victim, a 14-year-old male, arrived at Rochester General Hospital. He was stabbed at least once in the upper body during the same incident. His injuries are non-life-threatening. There are no suspects in custody.

 

Buffalo Bills General Manager Brandon Beane is sharing his thoughts ahead of the upcoming NFL Draft. Beane said yesterday that he is not against trading up or down in next Thursday’s draft. Right now, the Bills own the 28th pick in the first round. Beane also announced the Bills used up all 30 of their allowed pre-draft visits to talk with players who stopped by the franchise’s headquarters.

 

 

 

Prospective homebuyers are feeling the squeeze as mortgage rates rise. The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate jumped above 7%, its highest level in nearly five months. Rising rates can add hundreds of dollars a month for borrowers. The timing couldn’t be worse with spring being the housing market’s busiest time of the year.