Friday News Brief

49-year-old Kenneth Robinson, Jr. of Batavia has been charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance. This resulted from a traffic stop early in the morning last Sunday, during which the officer found a bag containing crack cocaine in the vehicle. Robinson was arrested and transported to the Genesee County Jail for processing and then released on an appearance ticket. He’s scheduled for Stafford Town Court on July 13th.

 

 

Monroe Ambulance took the driver of a delivery vehicle to the hospital after her vehicle was knocked on its side in a collision at the intersection of routes 237 and 18 in Kendall. The delivery van was headed north yesterday afternoon and failed to yield at a stop sign and flashing red light at the intersection. The delivery van then struck a small bus that was carrying 10 workers who had been working on a new solar project on West Kendall Road. None of those workers were injured. Photo credit: Tom Rivers

 

Residents may find it a bit easier to breathe outside today, but an air quality health alert has been issued for a third day in a row. There are still concerns about particulates and chemicals in the air due to the wildfires in Canada. Smoke from those blazes has settled over the region and forced residents to be indoors much of the time as of late. The good news is air quality is expected to improve in the days to come.  More specifically, the Air Quality Index in our region is expected to hover around 100 throughout the day today, with 0- 50 ratings thought to pose little to no risks. Later this weekend, the wind patterns are expected to blow the smoke west of our area and into the southern states. Strenuous outdoor activities are still not advised, as the pollution level may pose a moderate health concern. This is especially true for anyone sensitive to ozone or particle pollution who could subsequently experience respiratory symptoms.

 

State Police have released the results of their latest “Click It Or Ticket” enforcement campaign. From Monday, May 22nd, through Sunday, June 4th, more than 38,300 tickets were handed out across the Empire State for things such as seatbelt violations and distracted driving. There were also nearly 400 people arrested for DWI and Troopers had to investigate over 2,400 crashes. During last year’s “Click It Or Ticket” campaign, over 40,000 tickets were issued.

 

 

Three teenagers have been arrested following a high-speed chase that happened in Monroe County. The pursuit began yesterday after police responded to an apartment complex in Henrietta after receiving a report of people trying to steal cars. One of those stolen cars hit a deputy’s cruiser but no one was hurt. The chase continued in Pittsford and Bushnell’s Basin before ending on Interstate 490. A 13-year-old, 16-year-old, and 17-year-old were all detained and later charged.

 

 

A bookkeeper who used to work with the Southtowns Regional Chamber of Commerce is now facing some prison time. The Erie County DA’s office says that 46-year-old Cynthia Matla has admitted to stealing $168,000 from her former employer. From 2019 until 2022, Matla used the chamber’s debit card and issued checks to herself to pay for personal expenses. Matla could be ordered to spend up to seven years behind bars when she’s sentenced in August.

 

 

 

ELSEWHERE…

A family from Las Vegas claims they saw aliens in their backyard after something fell from the sky. On Wednesday, KLAS-TV released 9-1-1 call audio from the morning of May 1st. The caller told the dispatcher there were two non-human beings up to ten feet tall with large eyes staring at him from his backyard in the northwest valley. It happened about 40 minutes after something streaked low across the sky. A bright green flash was seen across Nevada, Utah, and eastern California at that time. The flash was also recorded on a Las Vegas Metro police officer’s body camera. Nearby Nellis Air Force Base says it is not involved with whatever happened that night.

 

 

 

The Mega Millions jackpot has reached $240,000,000 (million) ahead of this evening’s drawing. And whoever wins Powerball tomorrow night will get a $308,000,000 grand prize. Both drawings will be streamed live online. Please play responsibly.

 

 

 

 

 

Grocery retailer Trader Joe’s is recalling jars of their instant cold brew coffee, saying they could contain pieces of glass. The company says the products have been pulled from shelves, but customers may have some affected jars stored at home. Products with 2024 expiration dates of June 13th, November 26th, or December 30th are impacted. No injuries have been reported.

 

 

 

 

 

It’s still not clear if horses are going to get the green light to race at the Belmont Stakes in New York as smoke from Canadian wildfires create poor air quality for the region. New York Governor Hochul says it’s going to be a last minute decision. This comes as New York State is instituting enhanced measures to protect horses and spectators ahead of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday.

 

The Pope’s “night went well” in a hospital after abdominal surgery. That’s according to the Vatican. The surgery was on his abdomen and was not considered urgent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Half of American adults say they disapprove of affirmative action. A Pew Research Center survey shows that half of Americans don’t think colleges and universities should take prospective students’ racial and ethnic backgrounds into consideration. A Supreme Court decision is expected this month on the issue, based on two cases involving Harvard and the University of North Carolina.

 

Mortgage rates are down for the first time in three weeks. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is averaging 6.71% and is down from 6.79% from the week before. Economists say homebuyer’s biggest obstacles are elevated rates and low inventory.

 

 

 

Today is Friday, June 9th, the 160th day of the year.

June 9 in history…

…In 1790, the first copyright given for a book was registered to “The Philadelphia Spelling Book.”

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1822, the first patent for false teeth was given to Charles Graham.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1943, Congress authorized legislation signaling the go-ahead for a withholding tax.

 

 

 

 

…In 1973, Secretariat won the Belmont Stakes en route to winning horse racing’s Triple Crown.

 

 

 

 

…In 1980, comedian Richard Pryor suffered third-degree burns over most of his body while free-basing cocaine. He was on coke and freebase when he got severely burned and was hospitalized for more than two months. Jennifer Pryor, who was not married to him at the time, said she was at the house before the fire and feared he would hurt himself.

 

 

 

…In 2022, two people are rescued at Mars M&M factory in Pennsylvania after falling into a tank of chocolate.