Local News

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments say that with the arrival of spring we all should be more vigilant for rabid animals.
The Health Department experts don’t want you to be taken in by cute new- born wild animals that are prevalent this time of year.
Rabies is most often seen in raccoons, skunks, bats and foxes – but any mammal can be infected…including domestic cats and dogs. The best advice: if you encounter what appears to be a sick animal or one just not acting normal, leave it alone.
The next fee rabies vaccination clinic for your pets will be held at the county fairgrounds on May 19th.

The Batavia City School District has decided to move its Universal Pre-kindergarten program from Jackson Elementary to the Robert Morris building for the 2022-23 school years.
Space concerns at Jackson Primary was given as the reason for the move. The program is for four-year-old’s. Registration is open now through May 1st.

Our Monday gasoline price report shows a continuing downward trend.
It’s not a lot…but it helps.
The average price of a gallon of regular in Batavia is at $4.28, down 4-cents from last week.
Nationally, the average prices is down 8-cents.

Tax Day is one week away, and the state Department of Taxation and Finance is reminding New Yorkers to file their returns, even if they can’t pay what they owe. The agency says people who have to pay should reach out to them if they want to avoid or reduce penalties and added interest on their debt. One thing they can request is an Installment Payment Agreement which allows them to make monthly payments toward their unpaid tax balance.

The Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots keep growing and that means there’s a lot of money up for grabs over the next couple of days. The prize for tonight’s Powerball drawing is 288-million-dollars. And tomorrow night, at least 106-million bucks will go to whoever picks the winning Mega Millions numbers

Kenrey Benjamin

A Genesee County grand jury has filed an indictment against a Rochester man accused of entering an apartment at 66 Lake Street in Le Roy, with the intent to cause serious injury by attacking a man with a knife. 36-year-old Kenrey Benjamin is charged with two counts of first-degree burglary, class B violent felonies punishable by up to 25 years in prison; and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and attempted first-degree assault. Benjamin had been off parole since September 2020 after serving a five-year prison term for assault in Monroe County.

‘Historic or unprecedented’ – that is how Governor Hochul described each of the items in the 2023 state budget in a press release. There are several items listed, including $31.5 billion earmarked for school aid, including $125 million for full-day kindergartens and preschool. $2.2 billion is set aside for improvements to SUNY and CUNY schools. The Budget also creates a new property tax relief credit, the Homeowner Tax Rebate Credit, for eligible low- and middle-income households, as well as eligible senior households. Under this program, basic STAR exemption and credit beneficiaries with incomes below $250,000 and Enhanced STAR recipients are eligible for the property tax rebate where the benefit is a percentage of the homeowners’ existing STAR benefit. This $2.2 billion investment will help approximately 2.5 million homeowners. Governor Hochul also promises that New York will become the leader in offshore wind energy.

Recovering from the Pandemic:
The Budget supports pandemic relief programs that are intended to provide a lifeline for vulnerable New Yorkers experiencing difficulty meeting their basic needs. As part of an agreement with the legislature to spend $2 billion in pandemic recovery reserves 2023 budget includes:
• $800 million in state funds for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), which has so far paid or obligated $2.1 billion for people behind on rent; this supports more than 160,000 low and moderate-income households at risk of housing instability;
• $800 million for hospitals still experiencing financial distress from the Covid-19 pandemic;
• $250 million in assistance for folks behind with utility payments; and
• $125 million in homeowner and landlord assistance; and
• $25 million in other one-time, non-recurring investments.

The national average price of a gallon of gas is down to $4.11. New York’s average is down, too, but it’s still higher than the U.S. average, AAA reports. In NY, the average price dropped seven cents from a week ago, to $4.22 per gallon. Comparing these prices to 2021, there’s still a long way to go if New York, or the U.S. in general, hopes to find relief at the pump. At this time last year, the national average was $2.86 per gallon while New York’s was $2.89. In Batavia, the average price per gallon is $4.28 that’s up one cent since yesterday but down 4 cents from a week ago today.

The losing streak of the Buffalo Sabres has now hit three games following a road loss to the defending Stanley Cup champions. No Sabres were able to score yesterday as the team was beaten by the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-0. The last shutout the Sabres experienced was on March 6th against the LA Kings. Buffalo goalie Craig Anderson made 23 saves. The Sabres will finish up their four game road trip tomorrow night against the Toronto Maple Leafs with the anticipated debut of first overall pick Owen Power. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00.

Tax Day is less than one week away, and the state Department of Taxation and Finance is reminding New Yorkers to file their returns, even if they can’t pay what they owe. The agency says people who have to pay should reach out to them if they want to avoid or reduce penalties and added interest on their debt. One thing they can request is an Installment Payment Agreement, which allows them to make monthly payments toward their unpaid tax balance. Anyone with questions can contact a tax department representative from 8:30am until 4:30pm Monday through Friday (518-457-5181), or visit tax.ny.gov.

The Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots keep growing and that means there’s a lot of money up for grabs over the next couple of days. The prize for tonight’s Powerball drawing is $288,000,000. And tomorrow night, at least $106,000,000 will go to whoever picks the winning Mega Millions numbers. The cost of a ticket for both games is just $2.00. Both the Powerball and Mega Millions drawings will be streamed online. Please play responsibly.

Governor Hochul announced the highlights of the 2023 State Budget in a press release where almost every item is labeled as either historic or unprecedented.  Among the headline items are a 20 billion dollar investment into healthcare with 1.2 billion in bonuses for frontline healthcare workers, 31.5 Billion dollars towards school aid including 125 million for full day kindergartens and preschool and 2.2 billion for improvements to SUNY and CUNY schools.  Clean energy gets 4.2 billion dollars to mitigate climate change and create green jobs.  Governor Hochul promises that New York will become the leader in offshore wind energy.  And lastly the budget includes keeping to-go alcoholic beverage sales legal.

Boy Scout Troop 6006 honored 3 new Eagle Scouts Sunday at the First United Methodist Church in Batavia.  Luke Geiger, Nicholas Grover and Aidan Clark were presented with their Eagle Badge, recognizing their achievement of earning enough merit badges, completing a service project and serving as an example of a model scout for a certain number of years.  They were also presented with Congressional Awards by Congressman Chris Jacobs.  They will be presented with awards at a later date by Assemblyman Steve Hawley who was unavailable because of State Budget Meetings.  

Assemblyman Steve Hawley put out a press release saying that the 220 Billion dollar state budget is “more than what Florida and Texas spend on their budgets combined” and that “New Yorkers needed decisive action to be taken to lift our economy and restore public order, but instead, they were given a band-aid budget full of half-measures that will make little impact on the well-being of everyday people.”  Republican lawmakers complained that the budget was completed by Hochul’s staff and herself without transparency and it doesn’t solve the problems that plague the state, instead focusing on paying off labor unions and donors.

The DEC is hiring for summer seasonal positions for those who love the outdoors and want to work at a Department of Environmental Conservation facility.  The DEC operates 52 campgrounds and 5 day use areas throughout the Adirondacks and Catskill Parks and they need over 500 seasonal employees with all levels of experience and skills sets.  Opportunities range from supervisors, lifeguards, security, maintenance, cleaning staff, and booth workers. Some positions start as early as May, but varying start dates can be accommodated based on school and work schedules.  Those interested in summer employment with DEC or looking for more information should visit www.dec.ny.gov.

The Tampa Bay Lightning shut out the Sabres Sunday night 5 to 0.  The last shutout the Sabres suffered was March 6th against the LA Kings.  Craig Anderson made 23 saves.  Buffalo will visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday for the anticipated debut of first overall pick Owen Power. Puck drop will be at 7:00 p.m.

A case that had international attention in Buffalo has come to a conclusion.  The police officers who were accused of assaulting 75 year old Martin Gugino as they cleared a downtown buffalo square of protestors during the 2020 Summer unrest have had all charges dismissed and been cleared of all wrongdoing by an arbitrator.  Gugino was recorded approaching the line of officers as they marched across the square and reaching out to touch their service weapons on their belts before they pushed him away and he fell hitting his head on the pavement.  Gugino spent 4 weeks in the hospital and sued the city, the police department and the mayor’s office.  A spokesperson for the Buffalo PD said both officers are expected to return to duty next week.

The University of Buffalo Police Department is investigating after Allen West, US Army Colonel and former Texas Republican Party Chairman came to speak on campus and was met with protests and alleged violence.  The Young Americans for Freedom campus club brought West out Thursday to speak at an event called “America Is Not Racist—Why American Values are Exceptional” as a black republican and military man.  Protestors outside the event room blocked doors and chanted they were “black and proud” and when attendees left the event chased them to their cars and across campus and allegedly assaulted several by punching and kicking them.  The protestors have said they felt threatened by online conversations which called them “animals” and “target practice.”  University of Buffalo have released a statement saying they are investigating the alleged violence and the social media threats.

The Penguins at the Seneca Park Zoo are not available to be seen right now.  They are being quarantined to keep them safe from the Avian Flu which has caused the deaths of millions of birds and foul across America so far.  At least one farm in Monroe County has had confirmed cases.  The penguins will be quarantined and cared for until the zoo deems it safe to bring them back out.

Earth Day is coming up and the City of Batavia wants to mark it by having residents “Adopt a Park” by volunteering to clean city parks.  Saturday, April 23rd come out to one of the 35 acres of playgrounds and public lands in Batavia.    Groups and individuals are encouraged to assist the City with improving parks through litter and debris pick-up in an effort to help keep parks and playgrounds clean and attractive. Director of Public Works, Brett Frank said “On behalf of the City of Batavia, we’d like to thank all of our residents for the pride they take in keeping our parks clean and thank them in advance for their participation and support.”  

The Buffalo Sabres lost again on their road tour of the United States, this time against the Florida Panthers 4 to 3.  The Sabres started off with a 2 goal lead with Mark Pysyk, Jeff Skinner and Victor Olofsson all finding the back of the net in the first 20 minutes.  But then the Panthers sunk 3 unanswered goals bringing their score to 4.  Next up the Sabres stay in the Sunshine State visiting the Tampa Bay Lightning at 5:00 p.m. Sunday.

Western New York drivers are continuing to see falling gas prices when it comes time to fill up their vehicles. According to Triple A, as of this morning, the average cost for a gallon of regular fuel is now $4.31. That’s down 3 cents from last week but is 11 cents higher this time one month ago. The state average is $4.26 a gallon while nationally it’s $4.15. In Batavia, the average price per gallon is $4.30, the same as it was yesterday but down 4 cents from a week ago.

On this date in…the future…April 8, 2024, there will be a total solar eclipse, and Western New York is in the path of totality. During a solar eclipse, the moon gets between the sun and the Earth. In a total solar eclipse, people who are in the path of totality see the sun’s bright disk totally covered by the moon for a short time. The moon will begin to cover the sun at 2:07 p.m. Using a safe solar viewing method, we’ll see more and more of the sun covered by the moon for the next 73 minutes. This time is called a partial phase because the sun is partially covered by the moon. Totality begins at 3:20 p.m. and lasts 3 minutes 38 seconds, plus or minus a few seconds, depending on your exact location. After totality, the moon gradually uncovers the sun in a second partial phase. The eclipse ends for us at 4:33 p.m. So make a note on your calendar…April 8, 2024.

Three finalists have been named for the superintendent position at Attica Central School. The finalists will visit the district on three separate days later this month and different district stakeholders will interview each candidate throughout the day. Meet and greet forums will also be conducted 3:30 to 4:15 p.m. each day in the Attica Middle-High School Library. They are open to the public. Final interviews with the Board of Education will follow the meet and greet forums. It’s anticipated the new superintendent will start his duties on July 1. The three finalists are: Brian Swatland, who is currently principal at Williamsville East High School in Erie County; he will visit the district on April 20; Dr. Kiel Illg has served as assistant superintendent of Lackawanna City Schools since 2019. He will visit the district April 21; Dr. Sean C. Kinsley is the principal of Barron Collier High School in Naples, Florida where he has served since 2021. He will be on hand in the district on April 25.

It was a routine traffic stop for minor traffic violations but further investigation revealed a prescription drug selling operation. The case began last August 19th when 60-year-old Harjeet Ghotra of Niagara Falls Ontario was pulled over on Route 20a in Warsaw; it was discovered he was driving with a suspended license and over $30,000 cash in his pockets. It was later learned that the company Ghotra worked for, ‘MKG Wholesale of Cheektowaga’ apparently was a front for criminal diversion of prescriptions and prescription medications. It was found the company bought diabetes medications from people in WNY and sold it out-of-state. Ghotra was charged only with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle; a representative for MKG appeared in court last month and accepted a plea deal that included the county receiving that $30,000 plus in cash. It still remains unclear who exactly owns MKG; the site on which it’s located only has on it a two-unit apartment building. By the way, the FBI declined to pursue the case.

It took longer than they would’ve liked it to, but Governor Hochul and lawmakers have finally come to an agreement on a new state budget. It calls for 220-billion-dollars in spending which is four-billion-dollars more than what the governor proposed earlier this year. The budget includes changes to the state’s bail reform laws, investments in education and infrastructure and the suspension of a state tax on gasoline; that 16 cent reduction in price will be in effect from June 1st until December 31st. The Senate and Assembly are expected to have all of the budget bills passed by the end of today.

Home health care workers are getting a subsidy set aside in the new state budget to increase their wages. More than $10 billion of the $220 billion budget will be invested into healthcare. $4 billion will go to support the wages and bonuses for health care workers. Governor Hochul said the plan is to provide nearly $7.4 billion for a $3 wage increase for home health care aides. And, she promises, that’s just the beginning. Critics say this increase only sets the wage at 15.20 an hour and several fast food restaurants are offering more for new hires. The field of home health aides is understaffed and overburdened with some workers working well over 100 hours every week.

The four-game road trip of the Buffalo Sabres is off to a disappointing start following a loss to one of the best teams in the NHL’s Eastern Conference. The Sabres went ahead 2-0 early but were defeated by the Carolina Hurricanes by a final score of 5-3 last night. This clinches a playoffs berth for the Hurricanes. Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch and Victor Olofsson each scored for the Sabres while goaltender Craig Anderson stopped 27 of the 31 shots he faced. Up next for the Sabres is a game against the Florida Panthers tonight, starting at 7:00.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz has laid out his vision for the months ahead during his State of the County address. In his speech yesterday, Poloncarz talked about several initiatives such as installing new air filtration systems in schools, grants for arts and cultural organizations and the future of a countywide broadband network. Poloncarz also spoke about the county’s $250,000,000 commitment to help build a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park. He said $75,000,000 will come from the county’s 2021 year-end surplus and the remaining funds will be borrowed.

For the first time in almost two years, Social Security offices are back open for in-person services. The offices closed in March 2020 because of the pandemic. Since then, people could only communicate with Social Security online or over the phone. Appointments are recommended although the offices are taking walk-ins.

Spring only started a few weeks ago, but officials at Six Flags Darien Lake are already looking ahead to summer. The theme park is holding an in-person hiring event for summer jobs tomorrow from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Six Flags Darien Lake Hotel. There are about 1500 positions available including ride operators, lifeguards, food service and security. Anyone who can’t make the job fair can apply online or visit the park’s human resources office Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce Home opens this afternoon at 5, and closes at 9:00. Tomorrow the hours are 10 to 5 and then on Sunday, 10 to 3. The show is taking place at the David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena on Evan Street. Admission is $3. There is a door prize of a $500 gift certificate to your vendor of choice. Make sure you stop by the WBTA booth and say hello.

Two state senators from the GLOW region are making their bids for re-election official: Senator Rob Ort is seeking the 62nd State Senate District that includes Orleans County; George Borrello is seeking the 58th, which includes Wyoming County. Both have filed petitions to run again on the Republican and Conservative lines.

The deadline for candidates to sign up for the New York State Trooper entrance exam is fast approaching. They have until this Sunday to fill out and submit their application for the exam, which will be given through April 30th at 54 testing centers across New York State. A study guide has been posted online for people who will be taking the test. The starting annual salary for a New York State Trooper is $59,000 but increases to more than $84,000 after the first year.

Governor Hochul announced an agreement had been reached on the state budget late Thursday night.  She says the agreement brings the state closer to an enacted budget.  Alcohol to go, an increase in home healthcare workers wages, 600 million for the new Bills stadium, and changes to bail reform are in the budget.  Another item of interest for state residents is the suspension of the state gas tax.  Starting June 1st and going through the end of the year this will drop 16 cents a gallon of the price at the pump.  The budget is reported to come in at 220 billion dollars and none of these decisions are final yet.  The budget is now 8 days late.  During the announcement Hochul also called on counties to suspend their own gas taxes to help out.

Home health care workers are getting a subsidy set aside in the new state budget to increase their wages.   More than $10 billion of the $220 billion budget will be invested into healthcare.  $4 billion will go to support the wages and bonuses for health care workers.  Governor Hochul says, “We’ll provide nearly $7.4 billion for a $3 wage increase for home health care aides. That’s just the beginning.”  Critics say this increase only sets the wage at 15.20 an hour and several fast food restaurants are offering more for new hires.  The field of home health aides is understaffed and overburdened with some workers working well over 100 hours every week.  

For the first time in almost two years, Social Security offices are back open for in-person services.  The offices closed in March 2020 because of the pandemic. Since then, people could only communicate with Social Security online or over the phone.  Appointments are recommended although the offices are taking walk ins.  

The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce Home Show will be going on this afternoon and evening from 5 to 9.  Saturday 10 to 5 and Sunday 10 to 3.  The show is taking place at the David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena on Evan Street.  It’s 3 dollars for admission which comes with a 1 dollar off coupon to all vendor locations.  Come visit WBTA’s booth where you can talk with our on-air broadcasters and staff!  There is a door prize of a 500 dollar gift certificate to your vendor of choice.

They beat them in Buffalo but couldn’t take them on their Home Ice.  The Sabres lost to the Hurricanes 5 to 3 at the PNC Arena Thursday night.  This clinches a playoffs berth for the Hurricanes.  Tage Thompson scored his team-leading 32nd goal of the year, Victor Olofsson scored his 17th, while Alex Tuch scored his 10th goal of the season.  The Sabres play another team that has already clinched, the Panthers tonight at 7:00 p.m down in Florida.

A 345 million dollar, 3,400 acre solar farm is coming to the Town of Byron. The New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment granted approval for Excelsior Energy Center, LLC to build and operate a 280-megawatt solar farm with 20 MWs of battery storage available, in the Town of Byron. This will generate enough to power 74,000 homes. The creation of new jobs, long-term revenue and economic development to both the town of Byron and Genesee County are anticipated.

Our local health department reports the number of confirmed Covid cases in Genesee and Orleans counties doubled in the past week. As of yesterday, Orleans had 54 new confirmed cases with 35 lab-based tests and 19 at-home tests. Genesee has 62 confirmed cases with 41 from labs and 21 at-home tests. The 54 cases in Orleans this week compares to 25 in each of the previous two weeks. In Genesee, the 62 cases compares to 33 the previous week and 23 the week before that. The federal CDC continues to rank our two counties as low for Covid community spread.

Overdraft fees have had harmful effects on millions of consumers nationwide. In some instances, consumers can be charged as much as $35 for a purchase of $5 or less. New York Attorney General Letitia James is leading a multi-state coalition of attorneys general to call on the CEOs of JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, U.S. Bank, and Wells Fargo to eliminate all overdraft fees on consumer bank accounts. In a letter to each financial institution, Attorney General James urged each bank to eliminate overdraft fees by this summer to create a fairer and more inclusive consumer financial system. Numerous studies have shown that overdraft fees have disproportionately affected vulnerable families and communities of color by unnecessarily saddling them with additional debts that they cannot afford. The consequences are devastating to consumers’ financial health and, in the worst-case scenarios, result in individuals losing access to banking services.

Anyone who has Spectrum for television services can expect an increase in rates due to what the company is referring to as “the growing cost of programming.” For new customers who have a promotional price for their TV, Internet or Voice plan, the new regular plan price will not take effect until the end of the promotional period. A spokesperson for Charter Communications, Spectrum’s parent company, released the following statement: “TV programmers continue to raise fees annually to carry their content, driving higher costs across the entire industry. As a direct result of the growing cost of programming from the TV networks we carry, we are passing through these increased fees to viewers.” According to Spectrum, here is what you can expect:

Broadcast TV Surcharge from $17.99 to $21.00/month.
Spectrum TV Select from $76.99 to $79.99/month.
Spectrum TV Receivers from $8.99 to $9.99/month.
For new customers who are paying a promotional price for their Spectrum TV, Internet or Voice plan, the regular plan price does not take effect until the end of the promotional period.

The Buffalo Bills have signed one of their best players to a contract extension that will keep him with the team for years to come. According to NFL-dot-com, wide receiver Stefon Diggs has agreed to a new four-year, 96-million-dollar deal which includes 70-million-dollars in guaranteed money. The 28-year-old Diggs has been a member of the Bills since 2020 when he was acquired in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings. This past season he caught 103 passes for 1225 yards and 10 touchdowns. The hope is that he would retire a Bill.

The Buffalo Sabres will be kicking off their four-game road trip tonight in search of their second straight win. The Sabres will be taking on the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Sabres are coming off of a 4-2 win over the Hurricanes in Buffalo on Tuesday night. Face-off for this evening’s contest is set for 7:30 p.m.

Following weeks of controversy surrounding his speech, SUNY Brockport students finally had the chance to hear from convicted cop killer Jalil Muntaqim. He was originally scheduled to talk on campus last night, but due to security concerns, the speech happened virtually over Zoom. During his address, Muntaqim, who was formerly known as Anthony Bottom, discussed his involvement with the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army but never talked about murdering two New York City police officers decades ago. Instead, Muntaqim claimed he was put behind bars for fighting white supremacy.

Nearly one week after the original deadline, there still isn’t an agreement in place on a new state budget. Lawmakers continued their discussions on a variety of issues yesterday, and the New York Post is reporting that they may end up adding four billion dollars to the 216 billion dollar proposal laid out by Governor Hochul earlier this year. Most of the delay in getting a deal done has been connected to debate over criminal justice reforms and other things such as additional spending for childcare, temporarily suspending a state tax on gasoline and how much taxpayer money will go towards a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills. The budget was supposed to be passed by April 1st and has been late for three years in a row.

Officials at the University of Rochester have announced that a COVID-19 booster shot mandate that’s been in effect for students, staff and faculty has been put on hold. The school is making the policy change after New York State announced it wouldn’t enforce the booster requirement for health care workers. However, the university is still urging people who are able to get their booster to receive one. Everyone who is on campus must be fully vaccinated against the illness unless they have an exemption.

Governor Hochul has announced that a $62.4 million grant will be used to support and strengthen country-level emergency communications utilized by local first responders. This grant is through the 2022 Statewide Interoperable Communications Targeted Grant Program. Individual counties can apply for funding to improve infrastructure, address communications deficiencies, implement national communication channels, and enhance regional connectivity between counties and systems. This will give first responders the ability to share information and data in real-time during an emergency. Apply for funding soon; the application deadline is May 11.

A 345 million dollar, 3,443 acre solar farm is coming to the Town of Byron. The New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment granted approval for Excelsior Energy Center, LLC to build and operate a 280-megawatt solar farm with 20 MWs of battery storage in the Town of Byron which is enough to power 74,000 homes.  The GCEDC said it would create new jobs, provide long-term revenue and economic development to the town and county.  The project will create 290 jobs during construction, three to four full-time positions, and opportunities for landscaping and snow plowing throughout the life of the project.  It is estimated the project will provide $117.5 million in economic impacts.

Gov. Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers inched closer to a budget agreement on Wednesday — six days after the spending plan was due — but they didn’t cross the finish line.  After being in session for just over five minutes, the Senate adjourned until later this morning, ensuring that there won’t be any budget bills ready for the chamber to vote on until at least then.  Hochul and the Legislature are keeping details of the budget talks close to the vest, but Senate Deputy Majority Leader Mike Gianaris confirmed that one major sticking point is close to being settled. He said there’s consensus on making some changes to the state’s 2019 criminal justice reforms that ended most forms of cash bail.

Genesee Community College’s Forum Players will be presenting Alice In Wonderland by Brainerd Duffield, an adaptation of Lewis Caroll’s famous work that takes a darker tone April 21-23rd at 7:30pm.  In this version of the show, wonderland is a nightmare allegory for growing up and the Players warn that this is a show for adults and isn’t suitable for children under 16 years old.  You can contact the Stuart Steiner Theatre box office for more information and ticket sales.

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to announce the next edition of its Java with Joe E. morning presentation group on Thursday, April 28 at 9 am. This month  Director Ryan Duffy will share the local connection of Joseph Burke and “The Swedish Nightingale,” Jenny Lind. Burke was a backup musician for Lind when she traveled around the world with P.T. Barnum. Burke had a summer home in Alexander, NY where Lind visited several times.  The event is free to the public.

Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs will be staying in Buffalo for several more years.  Diggs signed a four-year contract extension with the Bills, reportedly worth $104 million, meaning Diggs will play for the Bills for the next six years.  According to a tweet from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, he would make $70 million guaranteed.  In total, Diggs would be paid $121.4 million over the next six years of his contract. According to Schefter, the hope from both sides is that he would retire a Bill.

22-year-old Tarrance Williams of Batavia has been indicted by the Genesee County grand jury; he is charged with third-and-fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell. Williams is accused of possessing cocaine.

Staff at Attica Correctional Facility had to initiate the hazardous materials protocol when an unknown substance was found on a letter in the mailroom. The incident was reported to officials yesterday morning; the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision was alerted, as were the state police, Attica firemen and Wyoming County’s hazardous materials response team. Fortunately, nothing came from the investigation; staff, incarcerated individuals and the community at large were not at risk.

Anastasiia Sobol is a student from Ukraine currently attending college in Canada, studying Business Marketing. She previously lived with Jim & Lorrie Gammack of Darien Center as an exchange student while attending Batavia High School during her senior year. With the war going on in her homeland, her family is unable to pay for school for her. The Gammacks have been raising money for Ana through a GoFundMe site. They have also been talking with the U.S. State Department and are in touch with representatives in Washington to try and get a visa for Sobol to return to the U.S. to live with the Gammacks during the summer. Meanwhile, she’ll be staying with friends in St. Catharines, Ontario. According to information available on travel.state.gov, the State Department says that generally, a citizen of a foreign country who wants to enter the United States first needs to get a visa. However, the application process and wait time for an interview depends on many factors but could take 300 days or more.To help the Gammacks assist Ana, search ‘Help Ana the Exchange Student’ on the GoFundMe site. So far, they’ve raised a little over $8800 of their $10,000 goal.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz has revealed why a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills isn’t going to be built in Buffalo. In an interview with The Buffalo News, Poloncarz said there are several reasons why the facility can’t be constructed in the city including cost and potential legal battles associated with displacing residents. Last week, it was announced the NFL franchise will build its new stadium in Orchard Park which is where the team currently plays its home games. Poloncarz says the stadium deal won’t raise property taxes for Erie County residents.

The Buffalo Sabres have defeated the Carolina Hurricanes for the first time since 2016. Jeff Skinner, Dylan Cozens, Casey Mittelstadt, and Victor Olofsson each scored for the Sabres as they beat the Hurricanes 4-2 at KeyBank Center last night. Sabres goaltender Craig Anderson contributed to the win by stopping 32 of the 34 shots he faced in the contest. Up next for the Sabres is a road game against the Hurricanes tomorrow.

Alton Brown, the famous chef and television personality, criticized Buffalo’s main culinary attraction, Buffalo Wings, on an episode of Hot Ones. That was back in 2018 when he said “if you want great Buffalo chicken wings, you don’t go to Buffalo.” He visited the city again earlier this week, and this time Buffalo natives sent him to where they thought the best wings were and he has recanted. Brown now says, “I have had the best buffalo wing of my life and yes, it was in Buffalo.” This time around, he reportedly went to Bar Bill in East Aurora and La Nova on the West Side for the wings.

Orleans County now has its first confirmed case of the avian flu. It was detected in a backyard flock; that’s the word from the Cornell Cooperative Extension there. No other details are available at this time, including what type of bird, or how many tested positive in that location. The state Department of Agriculture and Markets announced last month that the spread of so-called ‘bird flu’ among fowl suggested the need to ban all live shows and exhibitions in the state that featured chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese. The state will reassess the status of the ban next month, at which time the Extension will be able to determine if fowl will be included the annual 4-H Fair in late July. Meanwhile, poultry owners should keep their birds away from wild ducks and geese and their droppings. Outdoor access for poultry should be limited at this time. The current outbreak of avian flu is rapidly expanding nationwide; however, the current findings do not present an immediate public health concern.

A Pavilion man is indicted on charges that he seriously injured a state trooper and attacked other police officers as they investigated a domestic dispute. 52-year-old Daniel Knauss faces 7 counts; the most serious charge is assault on a police officer, which is a class C violent felony punishable by up to 15 years in state prison.

Organizers of the Erie County Fair have announced three more musical acts who are going to be performing this year. Trace Adkins, Terri Clark, and Lonestar will take the stage on August 14th. Tickets for the concert go on sale June 10th at 9:00 a.m. with tickets ranging from $35 to $55 each. This year’s fair will run from August 10th through the 21st.

Some new data shows the spread of COVID-19 is on the rise again in Monroe County. There were 594 new infections reported yesterday which is nearly double the number that were announced on Monday. Health Commissioner Doctor Michael Mendoza says most of these cases are mild and there hasn’t been a large increase in hospitalizations. He says people should take precautions to avoid contracting the virus, such as receiving a COVID-19 vaccination or booster shot.

Negotiations continue today at the State Capitol as lawmakers work towards passing a new state budget. As has been the case for days, the main issues that still need to be addressed include funding for the new Buffalo Bills stadium, possible changes to the state’s bail reform laws and the temporary suspension of a state tax on gas. Earlier this week, the Legislature approved a budget extender that will keep the government running through Thursday. There’s still no word on when a final vote on the budget will happen; they’re hopeful by sometime over the weekend.

U.S. officials say the White House plans to extend the pandemic pause on student loan repayments through Aug. 31. An official announcement could come as early as sometime today. The pause on student loan payments was first put into place in March 2020. It’s been extended five times.

A New York State Supreme Court Judge is dead apparently of suicide.  John Michalski of Buffalo was found dead at his Amherst home Tuesday night.  He was under investigation for his connections to Strip Club owner Peter Gerace with whom he had a decades long friendship.  Gerace, owner of Pharoah’s Gentlemen’s Club in Cheektowaga, was arrested on federal charges related to drugs, bribery and sex trafficking.  Michalski’s home was raided by authorities in March but no charges were announced.  Michalski and his wife were reportedly cooperating with the authorities.

The State Budget has still not been decided after missing the deadline on April 1st and an extension being voted on Monday.  The 216 billion dollar budget, the second largest in the nation behind California, is being held up because of ongoing discussions about the Bills Stadium, Bail reform, the state gas tax, and tax breaks for developers.  Lead democrats say that progress is being made and the sticking points are being worked out.  Democrats are committed to keeping the contentious Bail Reform legislation and Republicans are demanding it be rescinded.  Downstate Democrats are opposed to the state giving 600 million dollars towards the new Buffalo Bills stadium while upstate politicians are mostly in favor of it.  There is hope for a vote today and lawmakers are supposed to start a 2 and half week vacation tomorrow.

City Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr has another first place award under his belt for shooting after finishing in first place in the Super Senior division and 30th overall in the Tactical division at the 2022 United States Practical Shooting Association Multigun Nationals last weekend in Clinton, S.C.  He was first out of 139 competitors in the 3 day 12 course competition.  Jankowski, who is sponsored locally by Offhaus Farms and POTF Shooting Range, has captured numerous pistol, rifle and shotgun shooting competition honors over the past several years.

Buffalo is back on top of the wing game according to someone who should know.  A famous chef and tv personality Alton Brown disparaged Buffalo’s main culinary attraction, Buffalo Wings, on an episode of Hot Ones back in 2018 saying, “if you want great Buffalo chicken wings, you don’t go to Buffalo.”  He visited the city again on Monday and this time Buffalo natives sent him to where they thought the best wings were and he has recanted saying “I can say, I have had the best buffalo wing of my life and yes, it was in Buffalo.”  He reportedly went to Bar Bill in East Aurora and La Nova on the West Side for the wings.

The Buffalo Sabres have beaten the Carolina Hurricanes for the first time since 2016.  The final score was 4 to 2 Tuesday night setting the Sabres record at 26 and 34 and 11.  Rasmus Dahlin, Jeff Skinner, Dylan Cozens and Victor Olofsson scored for Buffalo and Craig Anderson made 32 saves.  Having beaten the Hurricanes on home ice Buffalo will now travel to Carolina for a game in Raleigh on their’s Thursday night.

44-year-old Tyrone Thigpen of Summit Street is accused of pulling out a rifle in front of a woman and her two children during an argument. The incident occurred on Batavia-Elba Townline road; the arrest followed a report of a dispute that turned violent. He is charged with felony aggravated family offense, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, fourth degree criminal possession of a weapon and second-degree menacing. He was arraigned in Town Court and committed to Genesee County Jail without bail.

For the 2022-23 budget year, the Batavia City Council decided to add a little more in for themselves. They hadn’t had a raise in 9 years. So, effective April 1st the new annual salary for a city council member is 5,000 dollars. That’s a 43 percent from the 3,500 they were earning. City Council President will get 7,000, which is the same percentage up from the 4,900 it was previously. The council stressed during their meeting that this will not raise any taxes and the tax rate remains the same with or without the pay raise. The total increase for the budget will be $14,100.

A former member of the Buffalo Bills is in trouble with the law after being arrested in Lockport. According to the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, 34-year-old Alex Carrington was pulled over on South Transit Road yesterday after deputies say he was speeding and driving his vehicle without a headlight. Deputies say Carrington appeared to be intoxicated and asked him to get out of the vehicle but he refused. A taser was later used to help get him into custody. A search of his vehicle led to the discovery of a gun and two loaded magazines. Carrington is facing several charges including DWI and criminal possession of a weapon.

The Buffalo Sabres will be finishing up their four-game home stand this evening against one of the best teams in the National Hockey League. The Sabres are hosting the Carolina Hurricanes at KeyBank Center. Buffalo is coming off of a 5-3 loss to the Florida Panthers on Sunday that snapped the team’s streak of scoring points in eight straight games. Face-off for tonight’s contest is scheduled for 7:00.

Rochester Mayor Malik Evans has announced that he’s tested positive for COVID-19. Evans says right now that he’s not experiencing any symptoms of the illness. He’ll continue working from home and follow the proper health and safety protocols. He’s also urging state residents to take the necessary steps to minimize their own exposure to COVID-19.

Another day has come and gone without an agreement in place on a brand-new state budget. One thing lawmakers were able to accomplish yesterday was passing a stopgap budget measure known as an extender to temporarily fund the government. That means thousands of state workers who were at risk of having their paychecks delayed will receive their money this week. Among the issues that still need to be resolved before a budget deal can be reached, include possible changes to the state’s bail reform laws, allowing restaurants to provide alcoholic beverages as part of to-go orders, and the temporary suspension of a state tax on gasoline. Lawmakers are hopeful a budget will be approved by the end of this week.

According to a State Comptroller’s Audit of the Albion Central School District they have been asking for too much in tax revenue. It turns out, they have 17 million dollars from 2017-2021 that was apparently not needed. Albion asked for 24 million. The comptroller’s office found that they overestimated their budget and did not properly use their retirement contribution reserve nor could the district explain how the finance committee was involved in the budgeting process. They met last night; it was the district’s first board meeting since the audit. The school board voted to pass a corrective action plan that will be submitted to the comptroller’s office. The board did not discuss details of the plan. As for what happens with that 17 million in excess property taxes, it’s unclear at this time; no one from the district would comment at the board meeting Monday night.

The City Yard Waste Station on Law Street in Batavia is opening next Monday for City residents. It will be open 12-6 Monday through Saturday through November when the hours shift to 11-5. City residents may bring yard waste material; which is grass, leaves and tree limbs to the Law Street Yard Waste Station. There is no spring curbside pickup of these materials. Stumps, rocks, fill, and building materials are not accepted.

According to a State Comptroller’s Audit of the Albion Central School District they have been asking for way too much in taxes.  How much, over 17 million dollars from 2017-2021 apparently was not needed.  Albion asked for 24 million.  The comptroller’s office found that they overestimated their budget and did not properly use their retirement contribution reserve nor could the district explain how the finance committee was involved in the budgeting process.  On Monday night, at the district’s first board meeting since the audit, the school board voted to pass a corrective action plan that will be submitted to the comptroller’s office. The board did not discuss details of the plan.  As for what happens with that 17 million in excess property taxes, that’s unclear because no one from the district would comment at the board meeting Monday night.

The Batavia Police Department has released their numbers for 2021.  All told, the police responded to 1,115 domestic calls, 658 mental health calls, 805 thefts, and 868 disturbances.  There was one murder investigation, 13 rape investigations, 11 robbery investigations, 49 aggravated assaults, 61 burglaries, 12 kidnappings, and 41 DWI.  Patrols conducted 2,526 traffic stops and issued 1,490 traffic tickets.  The police participated in de-escalation training and implicit bias training, and an officer wellness program was available.  For a complete look at the numbers check out our news partner the Batavian. 

A man traveling through Mt Morris was stopped for speeding and police found something more than a ticket worthy offence.  36 year old Ottawa, Ontario resident Badri Ahmed-Mohamed was found to be transporting 58 handguns in his trunk.  He was arrested and is being held in Livingston County Jail on a felony weapons charge.  The officer who made the arrest was sworn in just 15 days ago and says that when he approached Mohamed for the speeding stop the driver was shaking and acting very suspicious and said there was something illegal in the car.  That’s when the officer asked to be able to search the car and found the weapons.

For nine years the Batavia City council has gone without a pay raise as inflation and costs of living have steadily increased.  And for the 2022-23 budget year they have decided to add a little more in for themselves.  Effective April 1st the new annual salary for a city council member is 5,000 dollars.  A bump of 43 percent from the 3,500 they were getting.  City Council President will get 7,000 which is the same percentage up from the 4,900 it was previously.  The council stressed during their meeting that this will not raise any taxes and the tax rate remained the same with or without the pay raise.  In total it increased the budget by 14,100 dollars.

The City Yard Waste Station on Law Street in Batavia will be opening Monday April 11th for City residents.  It will be open 12-6 Monday through Saturday till November when the hours shift to 11-5.  City residents may bring yard waste material which is grass, leaves and tree limbs to the Law Street Yard Waste Station as there is no spring curb-side pickup of these materials. Stumps, rocks, fill, and building materials are not accepted.

Administrators with the Le Roy Central School District are busy working on the 2022-23 budget; they presently propose close to $28 million in expenditures, an increase of a little over $800,000 from the present school year. School districts do not yet know how much state aid they will receive, which is a significant portion of every district’s revenue. Without knowing that number, administrators in Le Roy cannot say what the anticipated tax levy will be and what that will mean for the tax rate on property owners in the district. Under the property tax cap, the district can increase the levy by 2.39 percent. The school board will meet tomorrow evening at 6 in the auditorium of Wolcott School.

47-year-old Thomas Moynihan the Second of Alexander has been arrested after allegedly violating a stay-away order of protection on at least 5 different dates. He is charged with criminal contempt in the 2nd degree and released with an appearance ticket; another arrest followed for allegedly violating an order of protection/disobeying a mandate, which resulted in another appearance ticket…both of which are scheduled for April 12 in Town of Alexander Court.

Election officials in Albany are encouraging candidates in the state to carry on with campaigning as the state appeals an upstate judge’s decision striking down recently drawn congressional and legislative maps. The State Board of Elections said that election-related deadlines ahead of the June primary will remain in place pending the appeal. That includes the filing period for designating petitions this week, due by April 7th.

Lawmakers will be back at the State Capitol today as they continue working on passing a brand new state budget. The April 1st deadline went by without a deal in place, meaning the budget has now been late three years in a row. State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s office says if the budget isn’t approved by 4:00 this afternoon, paychecks for some state workers could end up being delayed. There are reportedly several issues that still need to be hammered out before a budget agreement is struck including possible changes to the state’s bail reform laws, the temporary suspension of a state tax on gasoline and how much money the state will contribute towards a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills.

This morning, oil prices were hovering around the $100 per barrel mark. They dropped after news that the U.S. will release one million barrels of oil per day from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. With this in mind, according to Triple A, today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $4.19, that’s down 6 cents from last week. One year ago, the price was $2.87. The New York State average is 4.29, down 6 cents from last week. A year ago, the NYS average was $2.90. In Batavia, the average price per gallon is $4.32, down 4 cents from a week ago.

With Tax Day just two weeks away, the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance is reminding folks that they can file their documents for free. Anyone whose 2021 income was $73,000 or less can submit both their state and federal returns by using software available on the tax department website. And to get your refund faster, the agency suggests e-filing your documents and setting up direct deposit instead of sending them in through the mail and waiting for a check. Anyone who has questions can contact a tax department representative from 8:30am until 4:30pm Monday through Friday or visit tax.ny.gov.

Andrew Cuomo

Former Governor Andrew Cuomo is suing the state ethics commission over the money he received for his book about handling the COVID 19 pandemic. The New York State Joint Commission on Public Ethics wants him to pay back the cash from his $5.1 million book deal because he allegedly used state resources to write and publish the book. The lawsuit is an effort to block the Attorney General’s office from investigating whether he should pay back the money.

Sabres

The 8-game-points scoring streak of the Buffalo Sabres has come to an end after a late rally falls short on home ice. Kyle Okposo, Tage Thompson, and Jeff Skinner had a goal each as the Sabres lost to the Florida Panthers 5-3 at KeyBank Center yesterday. Buffalo goaltender Dustin Tokarski made 35 saves. Up next for the Sabres is a home game tomorrow night against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The state Department of Transportation says people who travel on Interstate 390 through Greece and Gates will have their travel plans affected by a construction project set to begin today. The agency says the left lane along I-390 north will be closed at Lexington Avenue while the left shoulder on I-390 south is going to be shut down between Ridgeway Avenue and Lexington Avenue. Crews will be out working from 7am until 3pm through Friday, but their schedule is weather-dependent.

Last month, a group of California elementary school students launched a free hotline featuring on-demand inspiration and advice. The small school’s project has since gone viral, receiving thousands of calls hourly. If you call 707-873-7862, you’ll hear a cheerful, young voice listing your options: “If you’re feeling mad, frustrated or nervous, press one. If you need words of encouragement and life advice, press two. If you need a pep talk from kindergarteners, press three. If you need to hear kids laughing with delight, press four.” Some of the advice includes, “You are okay;” and “The world is a better place with you in it.” Oh, and if you’re feeling sad or angry, you should ‘go get a cookie, a smoothie, or an ice cream’. I asked and you’ll be glad to know, it’s okay to have both a cookie and ice cream.

Other suggestions from the elementary school children…
· If you’re nervous, go get your wallet and spend it on ice cream and shoes.”
· “If you’re frustrated, you can always go to your bedroom, punch a pillow or cry on it and just go scream outside.”
· “If you’re mad or frustrated, you can do what you want to do best or you can do flips on the trampoline.”
· “If you’re sad or angry, go get a cookie, a smoothie or an ice cream.” I asked and you’ll be glad to know, it’s okay to have both a cookie and ice cream.

Other pieces of advice could save a great deal of money on therapy:
· “You are OK.”
· “Don’t give up – power through.”
· “The world is a better place with you in it.”
· “Choose weird.”

And finally, a cognitive-behavioral approach:
· “If you’re feeling up high and unbalanced, think of groundhogs.”

You may have seen the ads proclaiming his innocence online or on television.  Former Governor Andrew Cuomo is suing the state ethics commission over the money for his book about handling the COVID 19 pandemic.  The New York State Joint Commission on Public Ethics wants him to pay back the cash from his $5.1 million book deal because he allegedly used state resources to write and publish the book.  The lawsuit is an effort to block the Attorney General’s office from investigating whether he should pay back the money.

Bob Bialkowski, City Councilman at Large, attended the Back the Blue Rally Saturday afternoon held at the Brockport Veterans Club.  Also in attendance was Assemblyman Steve Hawley who spoke at the gathering.  The event was to protest the invitation of convicted cop killer Anthony Bottom who now goes as Jalil Abdul Muntaqim.  SUNY Brockport invited Muntaqim to speak as a political prisoner of the state after he was convicted in the 1971 planned murder of 2 police officers in New York City.  He was freed in 2020 because of parole reforms.  Brockport initially planned for him to speak in person but the event has been moved online because of the controversy surrounding the speech.  This rally was hosted by State Sen. Robert Ortt and retired New York Police Department Captain Alison Esposito.

 A local woman who has benefited from the Habitat For Humanity wants to help another family who is moving into a Habitat house.  Angelina Pellegrino wants to sell your stuff at a benefit yard sale at her home at 150 State St in Batavia on May 21st and 22nd from 10 to 4.  There are two Habitat homes near completion and Pellegrino said proceeds from this year’s yard sale will go directly to the families moving into those homes.  If you have items you’d like to donate you can contact Pellegrino at (585) 356-4867 or angelinapellegrino@ymail.com.

Grand Island’s amusement park, Fantasy Island, is getting ready for a May opening.  IB Parks and Entertainment LLC of Chicago says the shuttle loop coaster, Scrambler and Ghost Train will be ready by memorial day. The new operators say that they plan to have 80 rides, splash park rides and other attractions added as the year goes by.  The park expects to hire 200 seasonal workers.

The Buffalo Sabres lost to the Florida Panthers Sunday afternoon 5 to 3 at the Keybank Arena.  This win puts the Panthers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the first team to get a spot.  Jeff Skinner, Tage Thompson and Kyle Okposo all scored and Dustin Tokarski made 35 saves.  Next up Buffalo will be hosting the Carolina Hurricanes Tuesday at 7pm.

A convicted killer for hire from Rochester is on the run after failing to return to a halfway house Monday.   64 year old Dominic Taddeo was transferred from a medium security prison to a halfway house in Florida and was awaiting official release next year.  He went to a scheduled appointment but never came back.  He is now listed as escaped according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Taddeo was a mob hitman who killed 3 men in Rochester and attempted to kill a mob boss.  He claimed to be a part of La Cosa Nostra.  When he was arrested for a firearms violation in 1987 he made bail and then disappeared for 2 years before being caught and imprisoned.  He was sentenced to 30 years for drug conspiracy, bail jumping and illegal weapons possession and 24 years on top of that.  

Governor Hochul has lifted her previous executive order delaying the implementation of the “Safe Staffing Act,” which requires all long-term care facilities in the state to provide at least 3.5 hours of individual care to each resident, each day. The law had previously been suspended due to pandemic-related staffing shortages.  There have been worker shortages and other issues during the COVID 19 pandemic but Hochul says that nursing homes have to meet their residents’ needs.  No punishments for not having 3.5 hours a day have been announced.

The Batavia Kiwanis Club Easter Egg hunt is back on this year after a 2 year hiatus.  It will be held on Saturday April 16th starting at 9am at Centennial Park.  Age groups will be birth through 3, 4 to 7 and 8 to 10.  In addition, last year’s new tradition, the Golden Prize Egg will still be given. Starting on Saturday, April 9th, there will be a Golden Prize Egg hidden daily at Centennial Park. The egg will be hidden at different times each day to allow for families with different schedules to search and have an equal chance of finding the egg. The Golden Prize Eggs are restricted to kids age 12 and under, although older siblings and family members can help search! 

Its not quite Shark Tank but it is an opportunity to sharpen your idea about starting a new business and it does have prize money.  Genesee community college is hosting a Pitch Competition for people who have a business idea to come and pitch the concept and find out if they can convince a customer or an investor that their plan is a good one.  GCC’s Business Idea Pitch Competition is on Tuesday, April 19, from 9 a.m. to 1pm.  The competition is free and open to the public and prizes of $100 for first place and $75 for second place will be awarded to the most outstanding competitors in the “most likely to succeed” and “most creative” categories. Pitches will be judged by local business leaders.

The Buffalo Sabres beat the Nashville Predators 4 to 3 Friday in an arena with the first sold out crowd in 2 years.  This was the final night for Announcer Rick Jeanneret.  Jeanneret has been the Sabres announcer since 1971 and a banner was added to the Keybank Arena rafters in his name.  Tage Thompson scored twice and Victor Olofsson scored once.  The Sabres host the Florida Panthers on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.

The Batavia Police Department needs your help in identifying a person of interest in a larceny, during which a bucket of small liquor bottles was taken. This occurred at Kwik Fill on Sunday, March 27th around 11:30 pm. Anyone with information on the identity of the person is asked to call police at 345-6350; the confidential tip line is 345-6370.

Another recall…A popular brand of antiperspirant is being recalled because it may contain a potentially cancer-causing chemical. It’s the latest such recall involving aerosol health and beauty products in the past few months. Unilever is recalling two versions of Suave 24-hour Protection Aerosol Antiperspirant. The company said an internal review found unexpected, slightly elevated levels of benzene from the propellant that sprays the product out of the can. Benzene can result in cancer, but Unilever said that based on an independent health hazard evaluation, the amounts detected in the recalled antiperspirant would be unlikely to cause health issues. That’s similar to recent recalls involving shampoos, conditioners, sunscreens and other antiperspirants.

The products are:

Suave 24-Hour Protection Aerosol Antiperspirant Powder — 4-ounce cans with UPC 079400751508
Suave 24-Hour Protection Aerosol Antiperspirant Powder — 6-ounce cans with UPC 079400784902
Suave 24-Hour Protection Aerosol Antiperspirant Fresh — 6-ounce cans with UPC 079400785503

The recall affects all of the products above with expiration dates through September 2023. They were sold at retail stores nationwide and online.

District Attorney Kevin Finnell reports that the case against two men accused of stabbing two migrant workers to death at the Blumer Dairy Farm in Alexander last month, has yet to be scheduled for a grand jury presentation. He noted that the investigation is ongoing and both he and the attorneys for the accused are talking about a possible resolution. Prince N.K. Wilson, 23, of Albion and Raul S. Cruz, 18, formerly of Albion and now of Warsaw, were arrested and charged with second-degree murder for the March 11 stabbing deaths of two men. Elibander Morales, aka Ivan Cruz, 30, and Marceleno Gomez-Hernandez, 29, were both pronounced dead at the scene in a bunkhouse at the farm on Route 98. Investigators have continually been working on the case and have released little information. (Pictured: From left, Prince N.K. Wilson and Raul S. Cruz)

A lower-court judge declared New York’s new congressional and legislative district maps unconstitutional Thursday and ordered the legislature to quickly redraw them, a process that could delay the state’s fast-approaching party primaries. Judge Patrick McAllister said in his ruling that maps redrawing the state’s congressional districts were gerrymandered to benefit Democrats. McAllister also said those districts must be redrawn, along with the legislative districts, in a way that attracted at least some bipartisan support. The judge gave lawmakers until April 11 to try again. If they can’t come up with a map that the judge agrees with then a court appointed expert would be paid to draw the map. In a joint statement, Gov. Kathy Hochul and state Attorney General Letitia James said they intend to appeal. An appeal could send the case to a mid-level state appeals court or New York’s Court of Appeals, who could set the judge’s decision aside; Democrats appointed all seven members of that high court.  The state’s primary elections are scheduled for June 28 and candidates have already begun campaigning in the new districts.

Job and employment data released recently by the NYS Labor Department indicate a strong labor market for Genesee County. In the report dated February 2022, there were 21,500 non-farm jobs in our county, up from 21,000 one year ago. The total number of private-sector jobs grew from 15,900 to 16,300. The county’s unemployment rate for February 2022 was 4.1 percent, down considerably from 6.2 a year ago and the lowest rate for any February since at least 1990. The total labor force (the number of people working or seeking work) grew from 29,000 to 29,200. The total number of local residents employed in February was 28,200, up from 27,200. The number of employed in February 2020 was higher at 28,600, which was the highest level since 2009 when it was 29,600. The total unemployed — people still in the market for jobs — was 1,200, down from 1,800 a year earlier and lower than in 2020, just before the start of the pandemic, when it was 1,600. The February total for Genesee County was the lowest since at least 1990. The state’s unemployment rate is 5.1 percent and the nation’s is 3.8 percent.

If you’re looking to cross the border into Canada, as of today, that trip just got a little easier — fully vaccinated visitors are no longer required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test to enter the country. Travelers will have to submit their mandatory information using the ArriveCAN app before getting to the border. If you are not vaccinated, you will still have to take a test and quarantine for 14 days, unless you have an exemption. Officials say they may pull random travelers to submit to a COVID-19 test, regardless of their vaccination status. Those that are not fully vaccinated will still have to provide proof of one of the following: A valid, negative antigen test, administered or observed by an accredited lab or testing provider taken outside of Canada no more than one day before their initially scheduled flight departure time or their arrival at the land border or marine port of entry; or, A valid negative molecular test taken no more than 72 hours before their initially scheduled flight departure time or their arrival at the land border or marine port of entry; of entry ; or A previous positive molecular test taken at least 10 calendar days and no more than 180 calendar days before their initially scheduled flight departure time or their arrival at the land border or marine port of entry. It is important to note that positive antigen test results will not be accepted. Fully vaccinated travelers entering the United States from Canada or Mexico at land points of entry or ferry terminals do not have to show proof of a negative test. U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents also do not need to provide proof of vaccination status at land points of entry or ferry terminals.

Western New York drivers are handing over just a little bit less cash when it comes time to fill up their vehicles, although gas is still high. According to Triple A, the average cost for a gallon of regular gas is $4.36. That’s down a penny from last week but is still 57 cents higher than this time one month ago. The state average is $4.33 a gallon while nationally it’s $4.22. In Batavia, the average price per gallon is $4.35; the same as it was yesterday and down one cent from a week ago.

Despite lengthy negotiations, lawmakers have come up short in their effort to pass the state budget on-time. The midnight deadline went by without an agreement on a spending plan for the new fiscal year. There are reportedly several issues that still need to be hammered out before a deal can be completed including possible changes to the state’s bail reform laws and a temporary suspension of a state tax on gasoline. Governor Hochul says she’s continuing to have conversations with Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and is confident an agreement is close. However, there’s no official word yet on when the Legislature will vote on the budget.

The Buffalo Sabres will continue their four-game home stand tonight as the team looks to get back on the winning track. The Sabres are set to host the Nashville Predators at KeyBank Center. Buffalo is coming off of a 3-2 shootout loss to the Winnipeg Jets Wednesday night and are currently in sixth place in the Atlantic Division with 59 points. Face-off for this evening’s contest is scheduled for 7:00, with a tribute to long-time Sabres play-by-play announcer — Rick Jeanneret – planned just before puck drop.

New details have been released about the recent raid of State Supreme Court Judge John Michalski’s home. Sources tell The Buffalo News that members of law enforcement searched the Amherst residence last week for evidence of tax crimes. Investigators are reportedly trying to determine if an online retail jewelry and clothing business that’s being run out of the residence is following the proper federal and state tax laws. So far, no charges have been filed against Michalski.

The man who is accused of shooting three Buffalo police officers earlier this week has been arraigned on multiple charges. Erie County District Attorney John Flynn says Kente Bell shot the officers during a high-speed pursuit Tuesday. Officers Trevor Sheehan and Christopher Wilson were treated for their injuries and released while Officer Joseph McCarthy was shot in the lower abdomen and underwent surgery at Erie County Medical Center. Bell is charged with three counts with attempted murder of a police officer and also criminal possession of a weapon. If convicted, he’s facing a sentence of 50 years to life in prison.

The Supreme Court of New York State has rejected the Democrat redistricting map that the legislature proposed.  Judge Patrick McAllister said in a Thursday ruling that maps redrawing the state’s congressional districts were gerrymandered to benefit Democrats. McAllister said those districts must be redrawn, along with the legislative districts, in a way that attracted at least some bipartisan support.  The judge gave lawmakers until April 11 to try again.  If they can’t come up with a map that the judge agrees with then a court appointed expert will be paid to draw the map.  Governor Kathy Hochul announced that her office would be appealing the decision.

The job market in Genesee county is doing pretty well according to a New York State Labor Department report for the month of February.  The Unemployment rate is down to 4.1 percent which is the lowest it’s been in February since 1990 and down from 6.2 percent this time in 2021.  The amount of people looking for work or actively working, the number of non farm jobs and the number of private sector jobs are all up while the number of unemployed people is down.  The same can’t be said for New York State where the average rate of unemployment and underemployment is 12.2 percent and the national rate is 9.4.

Your Skippy Peanut Butter may be tainted with stainless steel fragments according to Skippy Foods LLC.  The company is recalling over 150 thousand pounds of peanut butter after a piece of machinery used in making the peanut butter dropped some metal in the jars.  Skippy reduced fat creamy, reduced fat chunky, and creamy peanut butter blended with plant protein are part of the recall.  Check out wbtai.com for the complete list of products being recalled. 

Products subject to the recall include:

SKIPPY Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter, 40oz with a Best if Used By date of MAY0423 or MAY0523.

SKIPPY Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter – Club, 2/40oz with a Best if Used By date of MAY0523.

SKIPPY Reduced Fat Chunky Peanut Butter, 16.3oz with a Best if Used By date of MAY0623 or MAY0723.

SKIPPY Creamy Peanut Butter Blended With Plant Protein, 14oz with a Best if Used By date of MAY1023.

A man in Batavia is nearly 600 thousand dollars richer thanks to a 1 million dollar winning scratch off ticket bought at Harry’s Niagara on East Main Street. Carl Ribbeck Jr bought a 25X scratch off game and found it was worth a million bucks.  He took the lump sum option which awarded him 579,390 dollars after taxes.  

St Paul Lutheran Church and School is having a Chicken Barbeque Sunday from 11 to 2 to benefit their school.  You can reserve your meals early by going to the church office or calling 585 356 8789.  Tickets are 14 dollars a piece.  This is a drive through barbeque. 

The U.S. Marshals Service continues their search for a missing child who has been taken on the run by her fugitive mother. 35-year-old Adrienne Grace Marean was charged earlier this month by the Bridgeport Police Department in West Virginia for allegedly violating a Family Court Order. She had been ordered to transfer custody of a minor child last month and is believed to have fled that area with the child. Marshals have focused their efforts in locating the missing child and Marean in the Dunkirk and Fredonia areas in Chautauqua County; however, it’s possible she is somewhere else in the Western New York area. Marean is believed to be driving a gray Toyota Prius with New York license plate, JJR1907. She is described as a white female, approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighing about 165 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Marean or the missing child is asked to call 9-1-1 immediately.

Nearly 162,000 pounds of select Skippy peanut butter products are being voluntarily recalled because some of the jars may contain small fragments of stainless steel. Skippy Foods announced the recall Wednesday evening, saying roughly 9,350 cases of three products with specific code dates are affected. The stainless steel fragments are from a piece of manufacturing equipment. According to Skippy, internal detection systems at the manufacturing facility were able to detect the equipment issue. And there have not yet been any reports from consumers about fragments found in the peanut butter. The list of affected products is available on today’s Afternoon News Brief page, by clicking ‘Local News’ under the Local News tab at WBTAi.com.

Below is a list of the affected products and their corresponding code dates, which are found on the top of the lid:

SKIPPY® Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter, 40oz Best if Used By MAY0423
Best if Used By MAY0523
SKIPPY® Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter – Club, 2/40oz Best if Used By MAY0523
SKIPPY® Reduced Fat Chunky Peanut Butter, 16.3oz Best if Used By MAY0623
Best if Used By MAY0723
SKIPPY® Creamy Peanut Butter Blended With Plant Protein, 14oz Best if Used By MAY1023

If you have one of the above products, you are encouraged to return it at the store you purchased it from, contact Skippy Foods Consumer Engagement at 1-866-475-4779, or visit the company’s website.

Legislators unanimously approved all the bids for the new Genesee County Jail project. Companies from Western and Central NY bid for a total of over $57 million dollars, which is 2.7 million dollars less than what was budgeted for the work. The Pike company had solicited the bids and county legislators were satisfied with the answers provided about the project. They are scheduled to break ground on May 9 on land next to County Building 2 on West Main Street Road. Work will take place over 20 months; they hope to be finished by January 2024.

The number of new confirmed Covid cases in Genesee and Orleans counties remains at a low level. For the last 7 days, there were 33 new cases in Genesee, an increase of 10 from the previous week. In Orleans, the number of new cases was 25, the same as in the previous week. The federal CDC continues to rank the two counties as low for Covid community spread. Statewide the percent of Covid tests that were positive was 2.54%; the seven-day average for positive tests is 2.45%. Governor Hochul continues to advocate for getting tested if feeling sick and limiting exposure to others, when you’re ill. She also encourages New Yorkers to take advantage of the tools we have – getting vaccinated and boosted – to help limit infection and severe illness. A second booster shot is now available to adults 50 and older. Please check with your doctor to determine if it is appropriate for you.

Officials with the Better Business Bureau are warning Rochester residents and people who live in the region to be wary of an old scam that is making a comeback. It’s the card-skimming scam, and it involves placing a small device at the gas pump at a service station that captures credit card information when a card is inserted. Better Business Bureau investigators say signs to watch for include any indications that the card reader has been tampered with or if the card reader was placed over something. Attendants at the gas station may not have been aware their card readers have been tampered with, so it’s a good idea to alert them if you spot a device on one of their pumps.

New details are emerging about the Buffalo Bills’ new stadium agreement. Under the memorandum of understanding between the Bills, New York State and Erie County, the Bills will extend their current lease at Highmark Stadium on an annual basis until the new stadium is finished. Any necessary maintenance will be done by Erie County and the Bills, including inspections of the upper deck. The Bills can get out of the lease prior to the end of an extension if the stadium is finished before the end of the extension period, or if all sides agree there’s a health and safety risk at Highmark Stadium.

Rick Jeanneret – Sabres

The Sabres fell to the Winnipeg Jets last night in a shoot-out, 3-2. Buffalo moved to 24-33 and 11 overall this season, though they recorded their best March record in years at 8-3-and-3. They’re on their way to an 11th season without qualifying for the playoffs, which would be an NHL record. Not a desirable one, but a record none the less. Tomorrow night, the Sabres host the Nashville Predators. They’ll also celebrate the career of their longtime play-by-play announcer — Rick Jeanneret — before puck drop.

Catholic Health says it’s dealing with a data breach. Catholic Health System officials said yesterday about 13-hundred patients have been impacted by the data breach. (SIGH-ox) Ciox Health provides health information management services to Catholic Health. Catholic Health says the situation involves unauthorized access of a Ciox employee’s email, and the patients impacted will receive a letter from Ciox Health.

33-year-old Roy Watson Jr. of Batavia was arraigned in Orleans County court for second-degree burglary and two counts of criminal mischief in the third degree. He allegedly entered a home on Park Avenue in Medina without permission and broke a window, door, doorframe and some household items. He pleaded not guilty.

Amherst is getting a Costco. The Office of the Amherst Supervisor says construction is expected to begin in spring of 2023. The big-box wholesaler will be built at the former site of Tony Roma’s restaurant on Ridge Lea Road across from The Boulevard Consumer Square. There are Costcos in Rochester and the Syracuse area, but this will be the first Buffalo-area Costco.

Legislators unanimously approved all the bids for the new Genesee County Jail project.  Companies from Rochester, Utica, Shortsville, and Ontario bid for a total of 57,272,800 dollars which is 2.7 million dollars less than the Pike company budgeted for the work.  Mark Bollin of the Pike company, which solicited bids across the state, went into detail about the companies that submitted low bids and answered questions from legislators about the project, which is scheduled to break ground on May 9 on land next to County Building 2 on West Main Street Road. He said work will take place over 20 months, hoping to be finished by January 2024.

A second booster shot is now available to adults 50 and older and health officials say it can be beneficial for some but not everyone.  The booster shot is meant to boost antibody levels and is recommended for those who are at risk of serious illness or death from COVID 19 and its variants because of advanced age or being immunocompromised only if they have not had COVID in the past several months.  Doctors say those eligible for another vaccine should consider factors like their health, age and whether they have recently had a COVID infection, in deciding whether to get the shot.  Antibodies drop off after 3-6 months but the t-cell immunity created by infection or vaccination stays effective in the body longer.  At this time immunity caused by infection has shown in multiple studies to be longer lasting than that given by vaccination.

The Batavia Ramble Art and Music festival is planned to be back this July after having been on hiatus during the COVID pandemic for the last 2 years.  It will be held at Jackson Square July 2nd and is to be filled with art displays, family-friendly activities and, of course, a line-up of hometown bands for a Saturday full of live music.  Look for more details as they become available on the GO Art and Batavia Ramble Facebook pages.

If you are a fan of Star Wars and also want to benefit kids with serious illnesses, someone has made something for you.  Don Burns, a Batavia High graduate and member of the 501st Star Wars cosplay organization that raises money for charities by dressing up as Star Wars characters, has been part of making a Star Wars fan film right here in Batavia.  Burns, now a teacher in Rochester, was executive producer of the film, Tomorrow & Tomorrow.  Burns dressed up as Darth Vader and recited one of Shakespeare’s famous monologues in the Richmond Mausoleum.  So far, the film has raised $1,200 for Make-A-Wish.  You can watch it on the Batavian’s website.

The Buffalo Sabres lost to the Winnipeg Jets 3 to 2 in a shootout Wednesday night.  6 of the last 7 games the Sabres have played have gone to overtime.  Zemgus Gergensons scored both goals for the Sabres and Craig Anderson blocked 25 shots.  The Sabres are back on home ice Friday when they host the Nashville Predators at 7pm.

Unemployment rates in the GLOW region continue to decline compared to a year ago, according to state data just released. The Department of Labor statistics show less unemployment in each of the four counties when comparing February 2021 to February 2022. Each of the counties was below 5 percent most recently — a change from the height of the COVID19 pandemic two years ago. Orleans and Wyoming counties were tied for the GLOW region’s highest unemployment rates as of this past February. Genesee County’s unemployment rate last month was 4.1 percent or about 1,200 people. That compares to 6.2 percent or 1,800 people in February 2021.

The Medina Police Department issued a warning this afternoon to local residents and nearby communities. Scammers are using the department’s phone number and calling residents. People who answer the call are told that they are wanted on a warrant and the only way to clear up the issue is to pay money. Medina police say this is not how they, or any other law enforcement agency handles warrants. If you are contacted, Medina Police advise you obtain as much information as you can without engaging in a lengthy conversation with the caller; once you disconnect, call 911 or Medina Police (585-798-5602) and speak to an officer. People should never give the caller money or information about their financial accounts.

Geomagnetic storms are in the forecast, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center…more simply put, forecasters tell us we may be able to see the Northern Lights here in Western NY. The current storm has a rating of 3, which can make auroras visible as far south as the New York/Pennsylvania state line. The lights may be visible starting as early as 8 p.m. this evening through 5 a.m. tomorrow. Historically for us, auroras tend to show off their colors after midnight and into the wee hours of the morning.

Health officials in Western NY say the new surge in COVID-19 cases can be traced to the onset of the latest subvariant of COVID-19, known as BA-dot-2. The variant was first confirmed in Monroe County last week and has led to a 70 percent increase in cases. The CDC says the variant is now the most dominant one in the country. Yesterday, health officials reported 352 new COVID cases, most of which came from home test results. Hospitalizations remain steady right now.

Congressman Chris Jacobs along with NYS Republican Chairman Nick Langworthy held a press conference at a gas station Tuesday morning to call on President Biden to “get out of the way of the American Energy Industry and allow affordable, domestically produced energy to flow to the American People.” Jacobs blamed rising gas and heating costs on the president’s canceling of the Keystone XL pipeline and destructive policies against US Oil production. They also held a voter registration drive at the event.

Officials with the Seneca Nation say they’re releasing casino revenue sharing payments totaling 564-million dollars to New York State. Governor Kathy Hochul says about $418,000,000 dollars from the settlement will go toward the new Buffalo Bills stadium. The move followed hours of deliberations this week. Seneca Nation blames the state for causing restrictions of the accounts used to pay salaries and services. Officials say the state made a move on their bank accounts while Seneca Nation waited for a review of its revenue sharing payments. Nation officials say the move resulted in a freeze of its accounts, but state officials say their move was justified.

Steve Hawley

Assemblyman Steve Hawley joined his colleagues from the Senate and Assembly Minorities in calling on Governor Hochul and the legislative Majority to amend the state’s bail reform law, seeking to restore judicial discretion that would empower judges to keep criminals they know to be dangerous off of the streets. Hawley has spoken out against the danger this law poses to communities since it was first passed in 2019, after reports emerged throughout the state of violent acts being perpetrated by offenders released, sometimes repeatedly, due to bail reform.

It’s less than a week until opening day at Sahlen Field in Buffalo. The Bisons will take on the Iowa Cubs at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 5th. This marks the first opening game for the Bisons at Sahlen Field in three years due to pandemic-related changes. This year, fans can enjoy improvements made to the ballpark during that time, and can expect several theme nights planned throughout the season.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday the state has received the full $564 million from the Seneca Nation to resolve the nation’s outstanding gaming compact dispute and more than $418 million will go towards the new Buffalo Bills stadium.  According to Hochul, the remaining funds “will go directly to the counties and cities of Western New York and be reinvested to support the local economy and communities.”  The price tag of the stadium is expected to be $1.4 billion, with the state on the hook to contribute $600 million toward it. This directive from Hochul would mean a significant portion of the state’s contribution would be covered by the funds received from the Seneca Nation.

There is a winter weather advisory in effect in Wyoming and Livingston counties till 1pm today.  The National Weather service is predicting a wintery mix of ice and snow with ice accumulations up to a few hundredths of an inch which is enough to make roads slippery and cause spinouts and fishtails.  The snow could also limit visibility.  They are urging drivers to slow down and take corners and turns slowly to avoid losing traction.

Congressman Chris Jacobs along with NYS Republican Chairman Nick Langworthy held a press conference at a gas station Tuesday morning to call on President Biden to “get out of the way of the American Energy Industry and allow affordable, domestically produced energy to flow to the American People.”  Jacobs blamed rising gas and heating costs on the president’s canceling of the Keystone XL pipeline and destructive policies against US Oil production.  They also held a voter registration drive at the event.

Darien Lake Amusement Park, the largest employer in Genesee County, at least during the spring, summer and fall months, will be hosting a hiring fair April 9th.  They are looking to fill 200 lifeguard positions and over 1500 positions total.  Darien Lake is rebranding their water park as Hurricane Harbor and adding a new water ride this season.  Most positions are available to persons 16 years of age and older; however, the park does have a select number of positions available for 14- and 15-year-olds.  There are several ways to apply.  For more details check out wbtai.com.

HOW to Apply:

Simply text the word “JOBS” to 585-207-8400; or

Complete a job application at www.sixflags.com/darienlake/jobs; or

Visit the Six Flags Darien Lake Human resources office in person Monday to Friday from 10 am to 4 pm

Applicants with employment-related questions can call 585-599-5108  

For more information on Six Flags Darien Lake and Hurricane Harbor, visit www.sixflags.com/darienlake

Go Art, the Batavia Society of Artists and the Genesee Wind Ensemble are getting together on April 12th from 7-9 pm to help people with intuitive painting.  The idea is that as a person listens to the wind ensemble play throughout the building they will create art unencumbered by normal constraints of “getting it perfect.”  No overthinking will be allowed at this freestyle painting event.  All are welcome, there is a charge of 5 dollars for non members.

50-year-old Brian Beach of Albion has been sentenced in Orleans County Court to 18 months to 3 years in prison, for felony criminal contempt of court. Despite close to 200 charges filed against him for repeated acts of domestic violence over the years, he had avoided state prison because victims in Genesee, Orleans and Livingston counties failed to cooperate with prosecutors…that is, until 2019 when he violated an order of protection. Less than two weeks after his release from prison, he was arrested again and is now presently sentenced to another prison term.

US marshals are searching Western New York for a missing child that was allegedly taken from West Virginia by her mother. 35-year-old Adrienne Grace Marean was charged by police in West Virginia for allegedly violating a family court order earlier this month. Marean had been ordered to transfer custody of eleven-month-old Iris Chidester last month but allegedly fled with the child. According to the U.S. Marshals, efforts to locate Marean and Chidester have been focused in the Dunkirk and Fredonia areas but she could be in other areas of Western NY. Marean is believed to be driving a gray Toyota Prius with New York license plate JJR1907. Marean is described as a white female, 5’7″ tall, around 165 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Chidester is described as a white female with brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information is asked to call 911 for immediate assistance.

A Batavia man has been arrested on a grand larceny charge after allegedly taking money from his employer. 55-year-old Curtis Williams was arrested and charged with a felony. According to Batavia Police, he stole over $1000 from his employer over an extended period of time, the exact amount and timeframe was not provided. Williams was issued a Batavia City Court appearance ticket for April 12th.

Rhonda Saulsbury

Rhonda Saulsbury is the City Assessor for Batavia. She announced today that beginning Friday, April 1, Change of Property Assessment notices will be mailed to property owners within the City. She noted that Batavia tries to maintain 100% equalization rates of sales price to assessment ratio, which means that assessments should reflect approximately what the home should be able to sell for. Because high sale values have continued to increase upwards of 9-22% above present assessments, this will result in the need to send out just over 4400 notices later this week. Anyone who finds they disagree with the assessment value, may request an appointment in April for an informal review.

Six Flags Darien Lake is hosting a spring hiring event on Saturday, April 9 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Six Flags Darien Lake Hotel. Their plan is to fill 1,500 positions for the 2022 season including 200 lifeguards and ride attendants. The park is making the application, hiring and training process easy. Candidates can gain immediate interviews and land jobs the same day in more than 10 departments including ride attendants, lifeguarding, food service, games, admissions, and retail in preparation for their opening on May 27. Most positions are available to persons 16 and older, but there are some jobs available for 14 and 15 year olds. Text JOBS to 585-207-8400 for more information.

A new poll shows Governor Hochul still has a big lead over the two Democrats who are looking to defeat her in the June primary. According to the Siena College Research Institute, the governor has a 40-point advantage over New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and is 41 points ahead of Long Island Congressman Tom Suozzi. But, if former Governor Andrew Cuomo decides to enter the primary battle, Hochul would have just an eight-point lead over him. To get on the primary ballot, Cuomo would have to launch a petitioning campaign and gather thousands of signatures.

After lengthy negotiations, an agreement is reached on the construction of a brand new stadium for the Buffalo Bills. The over one-billion-dollar facility will be built near Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park which is where the team currently plays its home games. Under the terms of the deal, the Bills have also agreed to stay in Western New York for the next three decades. Funding for the stadium will come from multiple sources including New York State, Erie County and team owners. There is no word yet when construction will begin.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz

Now that a deal on a new stadium for the Bills has been hammered out, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz is making a promise to residents. He said yesterday the facility will not cause an increase in taxes because the county already has a plan to pay the $250,000,000 it’s required to contribute to the project. Poloncarz also says that because the stadium will be owned by the state, the county won’t have to provide any financial help for renovations and maintenance. The Bills’ current lease ends in 2023 and the county is now working on an extension to cover the time between its expiration and when the new stadium opens.

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The Buffalo Sabres have snapped their two-game winless streak after rallying from a four-to-nothing deficit to earn a victory on the road. Olofsson scored two goals while Hinostroza, Okposo, Tuch and Thompson had a goal each as the Sabres defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 6-5 at the United Center last night. Buffalo goalie Dustin Tokarski stopped 16 of the 21 shots he faced in the game. Up next for the Sabres is a home game against the Winnipeg Jets tomorrow night.

Should the weather cooperate, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says the process of removing the Lake Erie-Niagara River Ice Boom will begin today. In he last few days, the amount of ice cover on the lake has reduced and the temperature near the boom has risen above freezing. The boom was installed years ago to limit the amount of ice entering the Niagara River from Lake Erie. Last year, crews started removing the boom on March 22nd.

New York Attorney General Letitia James has sent letters to the largest credit card companies and major debt collectors operating in New York, warning them of new state regulations that prevent them from suing consumers for old debts. The Consumer Credit Fairness Act of 2021 goes into effect next month and reduces the statute of limitations for consumer debt collection from six years to three years. Among other changes, the new state regulations come on the heels of similar nationwide regulations Attorney General James’ letter makes it clear that her office stands ready to enforce these regulations to protect vulnerable New Yorkers. The new rules also and require debt collectors to give consumers detailed information about the origin and history of the debt they seek to collect. Attorney General James urges New Yorkers to know their rights and to report debt collectors to her office if they fail to follow the law or if they engage in conduct that is deceptive, harassing, or abusive. Their office help line is 1-800-771-7755. The Consumer Credit Fairness Act of 2021 strengthens consumer protections by requiring debt collectors to be more transparent and honest when communicating with consumers. In her letter to the industry, Attorney General James warned debt collectors of their duties under federal and state law:

• Limit Communications With Consumers. Debt collectors have for years had a duty under state and federal law to avoid harassing communications; the new regulations now add bright line rules to that general obligation:
o Debt collectors may not call consumers more than seven times in any seven-day period;
o After making contact with a consumer by phone, debt collectors must wait seven days before calling again;
o Debt collectors cannot call you between 9pm and 8am, local time;
o Debt collectors cannot contact consumers by any or all means of communication (email, text, phone, and so on), or at a consumer’s workplace, if a consumer asks them not to;
o Debt collectors generally cannot contact consumers via work email address, public social media postings, or through third parties (though they may under some circumstances contact third parties to obtain information about a consumer’s location).
• Tell Consumers the Facts — Debt collectors must provide consumers with key information about their debt within five days of their first communication. These “validation notices” must include:
o The name of company or person the consumer originally owed the debt to;
o The date and amount of the original debt; and
o An itemization of fees, interest, payments, and credits that have been added to or deducted from the original debt.
• Take Debt Disputes Seriously — Consumers have a right to dispute a debt, and debt collectors must provide information on how to dispute the debt in the validation notice. Once a consumer disputes a debt, the collector must stop all attempts to collect from that consumer until the collector provides information supporting their claim to the debt.
• Give Consumers Full Information About Any Debt Lawsuit a Debt Collector Files. Debt collectors who file a lawsuit against a consumer must include in the very first filing made in that lawsuit detailed information about the debt, including the name of the original person or company the consumer owed the debt to, the last four digits of the consumer’s account number, the date of the last payment, and itemization of the amount sought. They must also attach the original contract creating the debt (in most cases).
• Avoid Suing or Threatening to Sue Consumers for Time-Barred Debts. Under longstanding New York regulation, debt collectors are required to have reasonable procedures in place to determine whether debts they hold are time-barred, and to notify consumers, before accepting a payment from them, if the debt they are collecting is time-barred. CFPB regulations clarify that suing or threatening to sue a consumer for a time-barred debt — even an implied threat to sue — is an automatic violation of federal law.
• Be Aware of New, Shorter Statute of Limitations Applicable to Consumer Debts. From April 7, 2022, creditors cannot sue or make a threat to sue consumers (implicitly or explicitly) on debts that are older than three years, down from six years in most cases. Moreover, any payment a consumer makes after that three-year period cannot be used to revive the time-barred debt.
o Consumers are cautioned that until April 7, 2022, if they make a payment on a debt that is too old for a lawsuit, the payment may renew the creditor’s ability to sue them for the full amount of the old debt.

Attorney General James urges New Yorkers to know their rights and to report debt collectors to her office if they fail to follow the law or if they engage in conduct that is deceptive, harassing, or abusive. Consumers who are having these experiences with debt collectors are urged to file complaints with OAG online or to call OAG’s consumer helpline at 1-800-771-7755.

US marshals are searching Western New York for a missing child that was allegedly taken from West Virginia by her mother.  The U.S. Marshals Service said 35-year-old Adrienne Grace Marean was charged by police in West Virginia for allegedly violating a family court order on March 7. Marean had been ordered to transfer custody of eleven-month-old Iris Chidester in February 2022 but allegedly fled with the child.  According to the U.S. Marshals, efforts to locate Marean and Chidester have been focused in the Dunkirk and Fredonia areas but she could be in other areas of Western NY.  Marean is believed to be driving a gray Toyota Prius with New York license plate JJR1907.  Marean is described as a white female, 5’7″ tall, around 165 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Chidester is described as a white female with brown hair and brown eyes.  The U.S. Marshals Service asks anyone with information to contact 304-623-0486 or 911 for immediate assistance.

A Buffalo man is facing several charges including money laundering after a traffic stop in Wyoming County.  35 year old James Quinn the 3rd was arrested on March 26th for outstanding warrants from the stop.  On March 20, deputies attempted to stop the driver of a vehicle with an improperly-used dealer plate on State Route 20A in Sheldon. Police say there was also an 8-year-old child who was improperly restrained in the back seat.  Deputies say the driver was in possession of five rubber band bundles which totaled over $12,000. The driver denied ownership of the money, which was held pending further investigation and police detected narcotic odor coming from the money.  It was later found that this driver was James Quinn the 3rd and he had given the police a false identity.  He was charged with driving with a revoked license, 4th degree money laundering, 2nd degree forgery, first degree offering a false instrument for filing, and second degree criminal impersonation.  He is being held in Wyoming county Jail without bail.

It was a problem before, and now it’s even bigger since the beginning of COVID.  Mental health services can’t keep up with the demand.  Genesee County Mental Health and Community Services has several openings to fill.  Director of Mental Health Lynda Battaglia says the mental health professionals working for the county each have caseloads of 90 to 110 patients and are triaging to only take high need and high risk calls.  This can lead to people who are in need not getting the services that would help their problems from becoming more serious.  More mental health professionals are needed.  Genesee County is advertising for positions in the department on its website and also on the Indeed worldwide employment site.

https://www.co.genesee.ny.us/departments/humanresources/openpositions.php

The new 1.35 million square foot stadium to be built in Orchard Park for the Buffalo Bills will not be run by Erie County, says County Executive Mark Poloncarz.  He said in a press briefing Monday, “Erie County will no longer be in the football business.”  Under the new deal to build a $1.4 billion stadium in Orchard Park, the County transfers all land ownership rights to the newly formed Erie County Stadium Corporation, which is an arm of New York State. The state will then lease the land to the Bills.  Poloncarz says this deal will save the county roughly 7 million dollars a year in operating assistance and capital assistance.  

The Sabres won against the Blackhawks Monday night after a high scoring game 6 to 5.  Tage Thompson scored the final goal with 10 seconds left on the clock making it the first game for the Sabres in 6 games that didn’t go to overtime or shootout.  Victor Olofsson had two goals and an assist to help the Sabres win for the first time in three games. Kyle Okposo, Vinnie Hinostroza and Alex Tuch also scored for Buffalo.  Thompson, the team leader with 28 goals, broke his stick on a shot from the left wing. The puck caromed off the boards behind the net and hit Chicago goaltender Kevin Lankinen’s left skate before going in.  The Sabres play next against the Winnipeg Jets at Keybank Center Wednesday at 7pm.

An Attica man now faces many charges after allegedly found sleeping behind the wheel. A complaint came in to Perry police of a suspicious person in a vehicle on Liberty Street there…police allegedly found 32-year-old Ian Prial asleep at the wheel. Further investigation revealed he was driving with a suspended license and showed signs of impairment, which resulted in his failing a field sobriety test. A search of his vehicle also revealed possession of controlled substances and drug-packing paraphernalia. He is scheduled to appear in Village Court on April 12.

It became official this afternoon: The new Buffalo Bills stadium will be located very, very close to the current one. Governor Kathy Hochul and Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz have announced an agreement between New York State, Erie County and the Buffalo Bills franchise for a $1.4 billion new stadium in Orchard Park. The deal includes a 30-year commitment for the Bills to remain in Buffalo, along with a combined $550 million from the NFL and Bills. Hochul will also advance a $600 million proposal in the state budget, and Erie County will contribute $250 million. The 30-year agreement details the construction of a new stadium with a minimum of 60,000 seats in Orchard Park, to be designed and constructed by the Buffalo Bills. The deal includes a commitment from the Bills to play at the new stadium for the next 30 years.

The Niagara Frontier Radio Reading Service is looking to expand in Genesee County. The non-profit organization was founded in 1987, and is now in need of local volunteers to read for a couple of hours weekly. This service provides blind or sight-impaired individuals access to print materials. For more information or to obtain a free reading radio, become a volunteer and/or donor, go to: www.nfradioreading.org or call (716) 821-5555. For the comprehensive story, please go to the website of our news partner, https://www.thebatavian.com/

According to Triple A, today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $4.25, no change from last week. One year ago, the price was $2.86. The New York State average is 4.35, down 2 cents from last week; a year ago, $2.91. In Batavia, as of this morning, the average price per gallon is $4.36…the same as it was yesterday, and up a penny from a week ago. One year ago, the average we were paying per gallon here was $2.84.

The latest data from Governor Hochul’s office shows the spread of coronavirus is increasing in the Western NY region. The 7-day average COVID-19 infection rate is now sitting at just under 2.9 percent. At this point last week, it was just 2.2 percent. Statewide, hospitalizations have remained under 1000 for more than a week. The governor is urging people who still haven’t been vaccinated against the illness yet to get their shots to prevent another spike in COVID-19 cases.

The Buffalo Sabres are now on a two-game winless streak after dropping a second straight game in overtime. Jeff Skinner, Rasmus Asplund, Kyle Okposo and Will Butcher each scored, but the Sabres still fell to the New York Rangers yesterday by a final score of 5-4 at Madison Square Garden. Buffalo goaltender Craig Anderson gave up five goals on the 31 shots he faced in the contest. The Sabres continue their road trip tonight when they take on the Chicago Blackhawks at 8:30.

The Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots keep growing, and more than $250,000,000 is going to be up for grabs over the next couple of days. At least $195,000,000 will go to the winner of tonight’s Powerball drawing. Tomorrow night, a minimum 60,000,000-dollar jackpot is the prize for Mega Millions. Tickets to play the games are $2.00 each. Both the Mega Millions and Powerball drawings will be streamed online. Please play responsibly.

People in Rochester and surrounding areas looking for work or a new career can head to a job fair that opened today. Uniting and Healing through Hope of Monroe County is holding what it’s calling a “Stop the Violence” hiring event at the Hyatt Regency on East Main Street in Rochester. The job fair runs until 6pm today and tomorrow from 9 until 6:00. Visitors will have the chance to speak directly with employers. More information can be found by visiting unitingthroughhope.com.

Although we are a week into spring, winter isn’t quite done with us yet.  There is a winter weather advisory this morning till 11am in Orleans county.  The national weather service is expecting lake effect snow of 1-3 inches and gust of up to 35 miles per hour.  Blowing snow could reduce visibility and make roads slippery.  Snow could be on the road in narrow bands so be prepared for rapidly changing conditions.  Remember to give yourself extra room between vehicles and more time to stop at lights and stop signs. 

A fire was stopped before it could get going in a chimney on South Main st Rd in Batavia early afternoon Sunday.  Just before 1pm the Fire department responded to 4018 South Main St Rd for heavy smoke but no flames coming from the chimney.  The firefighters dared the heavy snows and winds to contain the chimney fire and didn’t let it spread to the house.  The Fire Chief suspected that a creosote buildup was to blame.  All occupants of the house were able to get safely out of the building.  

Our feathered friends are not allowed to get together.  New York State department of Agriculture has banned any live fowl shows and exhibitions due to the spread of Avian Flu.  So far the flu has been detected in17 states including New York.  The ban will remain in effect indefinitely as the department monitors the avian flu and plans to reassess the situation in late May. If needed, the ban could be extended through the summer fair season.  The CDC shared that recent avian flu detections in birds do not present an immediate public health concern. No cases of the virus have been detected in humans in the country.  If you are a farmer and have sick birds, unexplained high numbers of bird deaths, or see a sudden drop in egg production, you are asked to contact the department’s Division of Animal Industry at (518) 457-3502.

The Buffalo Sabres lost to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden in a nailbiter 5 to 4.  Another overtime game, Will Butcher, Kyle Okposo, Rasmus Asplund and Jeff Skinner all scored for Buffalo.  They play again tonight in Chicago against the Blackhawks.

A vehicle chase that started in Leicester and moved quickly into Mt Morris ended in Painted Post with a suspect in custody.  22 year old TeQuan Robinson fled from a traffic stop in Wyoming county and then traveled south, striking at least one other vehicle in the chase and giving police the slip several times.  The vehicle was eventually stopped on I86 by state troopers after Livingston, Wyoming and Dansville police had coordinated trying to catch it.  Robinson was found to be wanted in New Jersey, Florida and Pennsylvania.  He was jailed in Livingston County and charged with Reckless endangerment in the first degree, unlawfully fleeing police in the 3rd degree, aggravated unlicensed operation in the 3rd degree and many others.  Robinson is being held without bail.

Another speed demon didn’t get nearly as far, 21 year old Carlos Diaz of South Main Street in Batavia was charged with DWI, driving with a blood alcohol content of .08 or greater, and speeding.  How fast was he going when he got pulled over in Bergen?  Over 100 miles per hour in a 55 zone.  Diaz was released with traffic tickets.

Congressman Chris Jacobs announced that capitol building and white house tours are back on in the District of Columbia.  Jacobs said that any constituents are welcome to call his office and schedule a Capitol tour at least 2 weeks in advance White House tours should be scheduled 3 weeks in advance.  The Capitol Building tours begin on Monday and the White House tours start April 15th.   

Leroy Ambulance Service is raising money to buy a new Ambulance.  They need 100 thousand dollars.  So far they have just over 12 Thousand since December.  The Ambulance Service says they are planning fundraising events and will keep the community updated.

The Loan has been provisionally approved for the Bills new stadium.  NFL Finance and Stadium Committee has ok’d the 200 million dollars and it goes to a vote of the NFL Owners at their Monday meeting.  More money is expected from the state; the Buffalo Bills stadium deal is anticipated to be included in the Governor’s 2023 budget, which is due April 1.  Up to 1 billion dollars is hoped for coming from NYS.  

The Buffalo Sabres couldn’t extend their winning streak to 4 games as they fell to the Capitals 4 to 3 in a shootout Friday night at the Keybank Arena.  This is the 4th time in 4 games they went to overtime but this time it ended differently.  Jeff Skinner scored twice for the Sabres and Victor Olofsson put one in.  Next for the Sabres they go up against the New York Rangers on the road Sunday evening at 5pm.

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets today announced an order to ban all live fowl shows and exhibitions in New York State to help prevent the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) to the state’s poultry population. To date, four flocks in New York have tested positive for the virus and it has also been detected in wild birds, including snow geese and wild ducks across New York State. The detections of the virus have prompted reminders for commercial and hobby poultry farmers to increase their biosecurity measures to help prevent the spread of the disease. Poultry owners should keep their birds away from wild ducks and geese and their droppings. Outdoor access for poultry should be limited at this time. Additionally, the Department encourages all poultry producers, from small backyard to large commercial operations, to take precautions to protect their birds. Poultry biosecurity materials and checklists can be found on the USDA’s “Defend the Flock” website. Best practices include:

• Discourage unnecessary visitors and use biosecurity signs to warn people not to enter buildings without permission.
• Ask all visitors if they have had any contact with any birds in the past five days.
• Forbid entry to employees and visitors who own any kind of fowl.
• Require all visitors to cover and disinfect all footwear.
• Lock all entrances to chicken houses after hours.
• Avoid non-essential vehicular traffic on-farm.
• After hauling birds to processors, clean and disinfect poultry transport coops and vehicles before they return to the farm.
• Report anything unusual, especially sick or dead birds, to AGM.

To report sick birds, unexplained high number of deaths, or sudden drop in egg production, please contact the Department’s Division of Animal Industry at (518) 457-3502 or the USDA at (866) 536-7593.

Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel has hired a new director of live racing and racing secretary: Don Hoover was recommended by other individuals involved with racing throughout the state and will replace Todd Haight who retired earlier this month. Hoover will serve from June 1 through December 31. The 2022 harness racing season is expected to resume on July 20.

Western NY drivers are feeling just a little bit less pain at the pump these days when it comes time to fill up their vehicles. According to Triple A, the average cost for a gallon of regular gas this morning is now $4.36. That’s down 3 cents from last week but is still 66 cents more than this time last month. The state average is $4.35 a gallon while nationally it’s $4.24. In Batavia, the average price per gallon is $4.35, the same as it was yesterday but down 2 cents from a week ago.

Governor Hochul has announced the launch of a new website with resources for Ukrainian people and their allies in New York State. The site includes support services, immigration assistance, emotional support, humanitarian aid and information on ways New Yorkers can assist people in need. Hochul said Ukraine’s resilience against Vladimir Putin’s tyranny is an inspiration to the rest of the world, adding the state is proud to provide trusted resources for those who want to lend a helping hand. For more information, visit ny.gov.

According to the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments, the number of confirmed Covid cases increased in Orleans County this week from 13 to 25; in Genesee, the number went down, from 38 to 23. Overall, these numbers are significantly smaller than observed during the surge in early January, when there were 855 new cases. Neither county reported a new Covid-related death over the past week. According to Governor Kathy Hochul, statewide the percentage of positive tests on Wednesday was 2.13 and daily hospitalizations were at 911, the seventh straight day the number has been under 1000.

If you’ve driven on or near Park Road in Batavia this week, you’ve undoubtedly experienced the new traffic pattern. Park Road is currently open only to southbound traffic heading toward Lewiston Road. The detour was set up this way so vehicles would go down Veterans Memorial Drive then turn right to get onto Park Road to go north. The construction began Monday with a completion date sometime in November, for a total construction period of about eight months. The project will provide safety improvements to the two-lane road, including:

■ replacing the pavement between Route 63 and Richmond Avenue with new asphalt pavement to address the wheel path rutting and sub-base issues;
■ from Richmond Avenue to Route 98 the existing pavement will be overlaid with a 5-inch asphalt overlay and shoulders reconstructed, where necessary, to meet the required 6-foot shoulder widths;
■ installing new granite curbs, 5-foot-wide concrete sidewalks, streetlights and a new closed drainage system on both sides of the road between Route 63 and Richmond Avenue to address pedestrian safety concerns and control roadway drainage in the area;
■ installing sidewalks on one side of the road between Richmond Avenue and Route 98 sidewalks and cleaning, reshaping or enhancing existing roadside ditches to convey water away from the road;
■ providing a 5-foot wide tree lawn area and new trees between the curb and sidewalks

The Buffalo Sabres will be back in front of their home crowd tonight as they try and extend their winning streak to four games. The Sabres are hosting the Washington Capitals at KeyBank Center. Buffalo is coming off of a 4-3 shootout win against the Pittsburgh Penguins Wednesday night and currently sit in sixth place in the Atlantic Division with 54 points. Face-off for this evening’s contest is scheduled for 7:00.

An important vote is expected to happen today that could have an effect on the plans of the Buffalo Bills to build a new stadium. The Buffalo News reports Members of the NFL’s stadium and finance committees will decide if they want to sign off on a $200,000,000 dollar loan to the team’s owners to construct a facility in Orchard Park. If approved, the league’s full ownership group will reportedly vote on the funding plan Monday. Negotiations on a new stadium have been ongoing for months but a final agreement hasn’t been reached yet. The Bills’ current lease is set to expire in 2023.

The Genesee Society of Model Engineers will host the 100th “Great Batavia Train Show” next weekend, Sunday, April 3rd, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. It’s all happening at the Richard C. Call Arena, Genesee Community College. The train show typically attracts up to 1500 model railroad enthusiasts from across the region. Over 100 vendors will be there offering merchandise ranging from antique railroad artifacts to the most modern digitally controlled model trains. This year the Club will also be hosting the “Batavia Railroad Prototype Modelers Meet” along with the train show. Admission is $6 for Adults, $3 for teens, and kids 12 and under get in free.

A new poll shows many New York State residents believe the ongoing conflict in Ukraine will have a long-lasting effect on the economy. According to the Siena College Research Institute, 54% of people surveyed think the war will cause financial challenges for all Americans. Meanwhile, 70% said inflation is already impacting their bottom lines. When asked how they’re going to save money, 69% of people said they’d buy less in general and 57% will buy less expensive items. More than one-third of folks who were polled are planning to get a second job to help deal with rising costs and 34% said they’ll postpone or cancel a vacation in the next 6 months.

Classes have been canceled today at SUNY Buffalo State as police continue to investigate a threat made against the school. Officials say the threat was received yesterday and involved several buildings. The campus was put on lockdown before the threat was deemed non-credible. The school says only essential employees reported to work today and that students won’t return until April 4th which is after their spring break. Anyone with information on the threat is asked to call police.

Federal agents and police have conducted a search of the Amherst home of by State Supreme Court Justice John Michalski. He was hit by a train last year after the FBI questioned him about his relationship with the owner of an adult entertainment business in Cheektowaga who is accused of bribing a DEA agent. Michalski suffered a leg injury in what was later declared an apparent suicide attempt. Officials were seen leaving his residence with several boxes of materials. He hasn’t been arrested on any charges.

The controversial speaking event at SUNY Brockport has been moved to a virtual event after several changes and stripping the speakers pay.  The University has made national news over the past few weeks because of their decision to invite a man convicted of planning an ambush and killing 2 New York City police officers to the campus to speak about his incarceration as a “political prisoner.”  Anthony Bottom, who now goes as Jalil Muntaqim, served 50 years of a life sentence for the 1971 killings and was released because of changes to parole under former Governor Cuomo.  SUNY Brockport came under harsh criticism after inviting him as part of a diversity, equity and inclusion initiative.  The school administration refuses to say who invited him, just that they are a faculty member.  While the parole board says that Muntaqim is remorseful of his actions and involvement in the Black Liberation Army, he spent his time in prison describing himself as a political prisoner and wrote several books including We are Our Own Liberators and joined the People Liberation Program and started the We Charge Genocide: International Tribunal to the UN.

The Genesee Society of Model Engineers will host the 100th “Great Batavia Train Show” on Sunday, April 3rd, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the Richard C. Call Arena, Genesee Community College. The train show typically attracts 1,200 to 1,500 model railroad enthusiasts and railfans from across Western and Central NY, Northwestern Pennsylvania, and Southern Ontario. There are over 100 vendors occupying 250 tables offering merchandise ranging from antique railroad artifacts to the most modern digitally controlled model trains. This year the Club will also be hosting the “Batavia Railroad Prototype Modelers Meet” along with the train show. Admission is $6 for Adults, $3 for teens 13-18, and free for under 13. 

Maybe you’ve gone there for church or the clothes closet or the soup kitchen.  Or perhaps been helped by an AA meeting or just sat across the street and admired the beautiful rose window.  The First Baptist Church on East Main Street in Batavia is an active building and a historical one that needs a new roof.  They are having a fundraising concert Saturday night at 7pm with the Pembroke Corfu Town Band.  Admission will be a freewill offering.  They are also having a bake sale.  

This weekend is the last chance to check out maple farms around the region while New York State Maple weekend is going on.  There are several in the immediate area of Batavia with more less than 20 minutes away.  Farms are putting on guided tours of their operations, tastings, free samples, hay rides, face painting and more.  Check out the New York State Maple Map to find a maple producer and go for a visit.  You can find the map by following the link at wbtai.com.

https://mapleweekend.nysmaple.com/

A parolee has been indicted in County Court on charges that he strangled a woman to unconsciousness and then attacked her with a boot. 48-year-old Wade Murphy of Clarendon is now facing multiple charges, including second-degree strangulation and unlawful imprisonment. He is accused of attacking the woman last July in Oakfield, while on parole for previous convictions.

The Genesee County Legislature had to change their plans and adjust the budget, when it came to light that the cost of painting road lines has been increased by 25%. This is due to the rising cost of fuel. Last year, the cost was $308 per mile; it’s now $388 per mile. Seneca Pavement Marking is the company with whom the County contracts; Highway Superintendent Tim Hens believes they are getting a good deal. Seneca Pavement has kept their price on specialized marking, such as turn arrows and railroad crossing marks at last year’s cost. Legislators approved the new pricing last night.

The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office tells us that a North Carolina man was found with an illegal rifle during a search of his vehicle in Le Roy. Over the weekend, deputies say they were investigating a traffic offense on School Road when they found an AR-15 in Michael Jones’ vehicle. The 24-year-old Charlotte man is now facing a number of charges, including criminal possession of an assault weapon, criminal possession of an ammunition-feeding device, as well as having an unregistered vehicle. Jones was arraigned and will be back in court on April 21.

Members of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra will be doing their part to help out people being affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. They’ll be holding a benefit concert on April 3rd at 7:30pm at Kleinhans Music Hall. The cost of a ticket will be up to attendees but organizers are requesting a minimum donation of $40 per person. Seats can be purchased at the box office, through the BPO website or by calling 716-885-5000. All proceeds from the show will be given to the Red Cross for their humanitarian relief efforts.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz says he’s confident a deal will be worked out allowing the Buffalo Bills to remain in Western New York for years to come. Poloncarz says negotiations are ongoing for a new stadium for the NFL franchise and that he’s hopeful an agreement will be announced by April 1st. The Bills want to build their new facility across the street from the Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park. The Bills’ current lease is set to expire in 2023.

The winning streak of the Buffalo Sabres has now reached three wins following a shootout victory on home ice. Tage Thompson had a pair of goals while Zemgus Girgensons also scored as the Sabres beat the Pittsburgh Penguins four-to-three at KeyBank Center last night. Buffalo goalie Craig Anderson contributed to the victory by stopping 23 of the 26 shots he faced in the contest. Up next for Buffalo is another home game on Friday night against the Washington Capitals.

The maker of Jergens Ultra Healing Moisturizer is taking precautions and voluntarily recalling some of their products. The concern is some bottles were distributed that may contain a bacteria that poses a risk to people with weakened immune systems and may make them more susceptible to infections; however, the bacteria – Pluralibacter- poses minimal risk to healthy people. The recall is for specific lots of 3-ounce and 10-ounce bottles of Jergens Ultra Healing Moisturizer and the 3-ounce bottles will have UPC 019100109971 for single bottles and 019100267114 for pack of three. On the back of the bottle, printed in black, will be one of these lot codes with the prefix “ZU.”

ZU712851
ZU712861
ZU712871
ZU712881
ZU712911
ZU722851
ZU722861
ZU722871
ZU722881

Governor Hochul and Lieutenant Governor Benjamin are making their case for changes to bail reform laws. They wrote an Op-Ed in the New York Daily News saying the state should make it possible for judges to set bail in all felony cases involving illegal guns since that crime is not currently bail-eligible. They’re also advocating making it possible for judges to set more restrictive pretrial conditions. However, both Hochul and Benjamin emphasize that bail reform laws have been successful and that the data doesn’t suggest they’re the main cause of an increase in violence.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley is once again calling upon Governor Hochul to suspend the state gas tax, believing that the high gas prices continue to weigh heavily on family budgets. With some news sources reporting that the governor is instead considering providing New Yorkers with a gas rebate check, Hawley is instead suggesting a suspension of the gas tax would be a more effective means of providing broad relief to consumers.

Meanwhile, state Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara believes shutting down the toll stations on the New York State Thruway, will decrease the cost of shipping supplies, tourist travel and commuter travel. However, Thruway Authority Deputy Director of Media Relations, Jonathan Dougherty, believes the user-fee system presently in place ultimately saves money, since they accept no funding from taxpayers. In addition, approximately 1/3 of motorists on the Thruway in the summer months are out of state drivers and allowing them a ‘free pass’ would shift the cost back to state residents. The bill to suspend the tolls will be coming to a vote in a few weeks.

SUNY Brockport has announced a change to an upcoming speech that’s going to be given by convicted cop killer Jalil Muntaqim. They say his address is going to be given virtually instead of in-person. The school president says the decision was made to help mitigate any potential security concerns Muntaqim’s appearance could cause. Details of the program will be shared once they’ve been finalized. Muntaqim, who was previously known as Anthony Bottom, murdered two NYPD officers several decades ago.

A NY Assemblyman has a plan to help offset the high gas prices going into the summer, turn off the thruway tolls.  Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara says shutting down the toll stations will decrease the cost of shipping supplies, tourist travel and commuter travel.  The New York State Thruway Authority Deputy director of Media Relations Johnathan Dougherty says that the highways can’t afford it because “The Thruway is a user-fee system supported by tolls paid by the people who use it, and not one cent of local or state taxpayer dollars pays to operate or maintain it. Roughly one-third of motorists on the Thruway in the summer months are out of state drivers, so removing tolls gives them a free pass and shifts the cost to hard working New York taxpayers.”  The bill to suspend the tolls comes to a vote in a few weeks.

Rochester is experiencing a rash of armed carjackings that have resulted in 2 people being shot and 7 vehicles being stolen.  Four teenagers and one adult have been charged in connection with the incidents. Of the four teens, three were arrested in two cases just days apart.  Most of the carjackings happened on the northeast side of Rochester between the inner loop and 104.  They occurred at all hours of the day and night.  Police Lt. Greg Bello expressed frustration that several suspects were apprehended only to be released and get caught doing it again the following day.  He says “We are going to continue to do our part to hold these offenders accountable, to catch them. We have caught them, and hopefully this pattern stops.”

The Genesee County Legislature was hit with a surprise as the rise in fuel costs made something else more expensive, the cost of painting the road lines.  In the contract for pavement markers the price of painting rose by 25 percent.  Last year the price was 308 a mile and the new price is 80 dollars higher.  The companies the county uses are Seneca Pavement Marking of Horseheads and Accent Stripe of Orchard Park.  Highway Superintendent Tim Hens says the county is getting a good deal as Seneca Pavement is keeping their price on specialized marking such as turn arrows and railroad crossing marks at 2021 levels.  Legislators voted in favor of going ahead with the same companies and the new prices.

The Buffalo Sabres are on a three game winning streak for the first time since October with a 4 to 3 shootout win over the Penguins Wednesday night.  Zemgus Gergensons and Tage Thompson scored during regular play.  Tage Thomspon got his second goal as both he and Alex Tuch sunk the puck during the shootout.  Buffalo plays the Washington Capitals Saturday at 7pm at the Keybank Center.

The accusations against 40-year-old Melvin Huntley of Wilkinson Road, Batavia, date back to 2012 and continue through 2021 when he was first arrested. The indictment charges Huntley with repeated acts of sexual abuse with four children, all under 17 and some under age 11. Huntley was first charged on July 8 after a Genesee County Sheriff’s Department investigation in regards to one victim. The investigation continued, resulting in more charges filed against Huntley in September involving three more victims; the grand jury then added more counts. These charges are Class A1 felonies punishable by up to 25 years to life in prison. Huntley, who remains in Genesee County Jail, is scheduled to be arraigned today in Genesee County Court.

An Alexander man, already with many charges against him filed by two different police agencies, now faces a new charge. 27-year-old Anthony Micucci attempted to run away from the police during an escort to Pembroke Town Court. This is considered a Class E felony and punishable by up to 4 years in prison. Previous violations include contempt of court, repeatedly violating orders of protection as well as stalking. He was released after arraignment and is to appear at a later date in Town Court.

The Le Roy Board of Education has unanimously approved Dr. David Russell as the new Jr/Sr High School Principal. He is currently the assistant principal at the Cosgrove Middle School in Spencerport, a position he has held since 2019. Previously he was the principal of the Western Wayne Summer Academy, a Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES program. Dr. Russell was also previously a special education teacher at Sodus Central School District and the True North Rochester Preparatory Charter School. Dr. Russell officially starts on Monday, April 25.

Governor Hochul is warning residents about scams and cyber security threats because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The state’s Division of Consumer Protection is aware of bogus requests for charitable relief money. Hochul advises folks to donate to verified organizations that use the money to help Ukrainians. She’s also reminding residents to be on alert when sharing personal information online and be cautious with information sharing on social media.

Rochester Regional Health in partnership with Orleans Community Health has opened a new cardiology clinic in Medina. Leading the clinic is Dr. Harry McCrea, a cardiologist with the Sands-Constellation Heart Institute in Brighton. The new clinic is located inside Medina Memorial Hospital. It offers diagnostic testing and referrals for procedures within the Sands-Constellation Heart Institute. Patients who want to visit the clinic should contact their primary care provider first, for a referral. The clinic will serve patients in Orleans and surrounding counties.

Officials at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester have announced plans for a massive expansion project at the facility. The goal is to significantly increase the size of the emergency department and add more private rooms for patients. A new patient bed tower will also be built west of the hospital’s main entrance while the tower that’s currently in place will be renovated. The hope is that the full project will be complete by the end of 2027.

Following a long road trip, the Buffalo Sabres will be back on home ice tonight as they look to extend their winning streak to three games. The Sabres are hosting Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins at KeyBank Center. Buffalo is coming off of a 3-2 overtime win against the Vancouver Canucks Sunday. Face-off for this evening’s game is scheduled for 7:30.

Dogs biting or chasing mail carriers is more than just a cliché and the U.S. Postal Service needs your help. Here are some tips for keeping your pet and mail carriers safe: Keep your dog in a separate room with the door closed when packages are being delivered; remind children and other family members not to take mail directly from carriers in the presence of the family pet. The dog may view the carrier handing mail to a family member as a threatening gesture. And if a carrier feels threatened by a dog, or if a dog is unleashed, the owner may be asked to pick up mail at a Post Office or other facility until the carrier is assured the pet has been restrained.

It’s that time of year again, time for spring-cleaning. And before throwing anything away, keep in mind that the 2nd Annual Yard Sale for Habitat for Humanity is coming up and they welcome any and all of your donations. Anything from clothes to furniture may be dropped off at 150 State Street and they’ll even come and pick things up for you. The yard sale is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, May 21st and 22nd from 10-4. If you’d like to find out more about the event or making donations, please call 585-356-4867 or email the organizer of the event at angelinapellegrino@ymail.com

The Batavia Improvement District has a new full time director.  Shannon Maute has been hired for the position after filling in as interim director since Beth Kemp resigned last year just after the Christmas Parade.  Maute says she already has plans for a new event, an Italian Festival.  Maute says, get ready for a strolling accordion player, sweet and savory Mediterranean cuisine and lots of fun.  The event would replace the former BID Summer in the City event. 

2 Perry men are in trouble with the law for different reasons.  The first, 24 year old Michael Salomone, is charged with torturing or abusing an animal after witnesses reported seeing him abusing a 10 month old pit bull.  Police say home security cameras caught Salamone picking up and throwing the puppy.  The other man, 47 year old Gregory Watts, is charged with third degree criminal trespass after he allegedly entered a home and fell asleep in a chair.  The problem, the home wasn’t his and the family, who was there at the time, didn’t know who he was.  Police found him there, highly intoxicated.  He is scheduled to appear in Perry Village Court next month.

The Culinary Arts students from the Batavia Career and Technical Education Center who competed in the national Culinary Arts Challenge for the NASA HUNCH Program have made it to the top ten and now advance to the next round of competition.  Their menu items received top scores from the local judges.  The winning recipe was Shrimp fajitas with red lentil tortillas, creamy avocado sauce served with a side of cilantro lime cauliflower rice. And for dessert, a Mexican chocolate brownie.  In early April, the team and their instructor will travel to Texas for the next round of competition, which will be held at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. If they win, the meal will be sent to the International Space Station and eaten by astronauts.

The US Postal Service is asking dog owners to police their pets.  Postal workers being chased by dogs is a tale as old as the postal service and they say that one bite is one too many.  Some tips for keeping your pet and the postal worker safe: keep your dog in a separate room with the door closed when packages are being delivered, remind children and other family members not to take mail directly from carriers in the presence of the family pet. The dog may view the carrier handing mail to a family member as a threatening gesture, and If a carrier feels threatened by a dog, or if a dog is loose or unleashed, the owner may be asked to pick up mail at a Post Office or other facility until the carrier is assured the pet has been restrained.

A local family is working to bring a Ukrainian exchange student they hosted back to the states. 18-year-old Anastasiia Sobol of Ukraine now attends Seneca College in Toronto but does not presently have the paperwork to come back to the U.S. Before the Russian invasion, she had planned to return back home after the spring semester. With no way of doing that now, her former host family Jim and Lorrie Gammack, is working to get her the proper Visa and funds to continue her education in the future. In Ukraine, Anastasiia’s parents are now staying in bomb shelters because much of her city is in ruins. Sobol reflected, “I check in on them every single day, but the connection gets worse; they’re bombing everything. Places that I used to go with my friends, universities and schools and churches. Places that were very valuable for me and my family are not there anymore.”  (Pictured are Jim and Lorrie Gammack with Anastasiia) The Gammack’s have set up a GoFundMe page to help Anastasiia return to the States at the end of her semester: https://gofundme/b37a502f

In Pavilion, brand new cars were being transported to dealerships when something went very wrong. The sleeper cab of the tractor-trailer hauling the vehicles caught fire yesterday afternoon around 2:00 on Route 63, just west of the tracks; the driver was not initially aware of this until he got out of the cab. By the time firefighters arrived on the scene, three of the cars were completely or partially on fire and part of the truck exploded. The cause of the fire remains under investigation; however, initial impression was that there were engine problems. No one was hurt.

State officials don’t think there will be a steep surge in coronavirus cases as a result of an Omicron sub-variant. Governor Hochul announced yesterday the state is seeing an up-tick in infections and the positivity rate is currently at 1.78%, the lowest it has been in four days. Right now, the sub-variant makes up roughly 42-percent of the COVID-19 cases in New York. Hochul says the state is prepared to administer a fourth dose of coronavirus vaccine should it be approved by the federal government.

The Monroe County Department of Public Health says two more residents have passed away after contracting the coronavirus. Their deaths bring the overall total since the start of the pandemic to 18-hundred and seven. There have also been 727 new cases reported over the last several days. Currently, 134 people in Western NY are in the hospital being treated for the illness with 26 of them in intensive care.

Some big names in the music industry will be making a visit to Western New York this summer. The Outlaw Music Festival is taking place at Six Flags Darien Lake on Sunday, August 14th. The lineup features artists such as ZZ Top, Willie Nelson, Zach Bryan and Charley Crockett, and The War and Treaty. Tickets for the show go on sale this Friday and can be purchased online through Live Nation.

A plan to remove a 35-hundred pound steel pontoon that’s near the brink of the American side of Niagara Falls has been put on hold. A National Guard helicopter was supposed to lift the steel cylinder out of the river today, but the operation was scrapped due to concerns over high winds. The pontoon was one of several that broke off of an ice boom in Lake Erie during a windstorm in 2019. Officials say they want to remove it so it doesn’t damage the waterfall or the Cave of the Winds attraction.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley has joined his Assembly Minority colleagues in calling for the passage of legislation, which would amend the state Constitution to reserve the right to vote in state elections to American citizens. This is in response to the passage of a policy by the New York City Council that allows non-citizens there to vote in the city’s elections. Concerned that similar efforts could be undertaken in the future to implement such a policy at the state level, Hawley and his colleagues would like to see this bill passed to help maintain the integrity of elections.

Anglers in NY will be looking at new regulations come the beginning of April. Effective April 1, the DEC is changing its fishing seasons for some fish and the size limits for others: Rainbow trout, brown trout and splake season for lakes and ponds is now year-round, with a five-fish daily limit, any size; a “no more than two longer than 12 inches” harvest rule applies. Atlantic salmon now has a year-round open season statewide. Ice fishing is permitted on all waters in New York, unless specifically prohibited. Statewide season openers for some fish have been replaced. There are other regulations. You can check the DEC website for a complete list of changes.

The Buffalo Bills have added a few new players. Former Jets Wide Receiver Jamison Crowder has been signed for a season. In 12 games with the New York Jets last season, Crowder racked up 51 catches for 447 yards and two touchdowns. In his last full season, he set a career high with 78 catches playing for the Jets in 2019. The Bills also added Dolphins Running Back Duke Johnson as a third round draft pick. Last season with Miami, he played in five games and recorded 330 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He also added four catches for 41 yards. And finally they signed former Bills Quarterback Matt Barkley to a one-year contract. Barkley is a ten-year veteran and was with the Bills from 2018-2020. In those eight games that he played for the Bills, he threw for 788 yards and three touchdowns. Last season saw him spend time on the Tennessee, Carolina, and Atlanta rosters.

A student at Starpoint Middle School in Lockport has been arrested after allegedly making a terrorist threat. According to Niagara County deputies, a photograph was recently sent using the social media app Snapchat threatening violence at the school. The student, whose name hasn’t been made public due to his age, is facing a felony charge. He was released to his parents and will be meeting soon with Niagara County probation officials.

Officials at Buffalo Public Schools are looking to add more security officers in an effort to keep students, faculty and staff safe. The district is accepting applications to fill those positions and in order to qualify, a person has to be a Buffalo resident with a high school, GED or equivalency diploma. They must also have six months experience as a full-time security guard or taken 15 credit hours from an accredited university or college in the fields of criminal justice or law enforcement. Applications can be filled out online.

Lovers of muscle cars shed a tear Monday in Pavilion as a car carrier truck hauling Dodge Chargers and Challengers caught fire around 2pm.  The cars were brand new and were being transported to dealerships.  It is suspected the fire was from the brakes overheating, 2 of the cars being hauled caught fire and exploded and a third was burned.  The truck itself also blew up.

Anglers in NY will be looking at new regulations come the beginning of April.  Effective April 1, the DEC is changing its fishing seasons for some fish and the size limits for others: Rainbow trout, brown trout and splake season for lakes and ponds is now year-round, with a five-fish daily limit, any size; a “no more than two longer than 12 inches” harvest rule applies.  Atlantic salmon now has a year-round open season statewide.  Ice fishing is permitted on all waters in New York, unless specifically prohibited.  Statewide season openers for some fish have been replaced.  There are other regulations.  You can check the DEC website for a complete list of changes.  

As spring has started, gardeners are getting ready to work in the dirt and plant their seeds.  Many are shocked by the increase in costs at the store.  Prices for seeds, plants, flowers, soil and fertilizer among other things have risen 15 to 25 percent across the board.  Western NY gardeners have some ideas how to deal with the increased costs.  The first is do it yourself instead of hiring someone to fix up your plot or plant for you.  The second tip is shop around to different nurseries and stores, be willing to plant things you wouldn’t have before and be open minded and patient.  Prices are mainly affected by the rise in fuel prices pushing up transportation costs.

The New York State Budget is supposed to be ready by April 1st and Bills fans are anxious to know if a new stadium is in it.  Earlier this month, The New York Post reported the state would help foot $1 billion of the proposed $1.4 billion stadium.  At a media event on Monday, Governor Kathy Hochul was asked by a reporter if now was the right time to spend potentially $1 billion of taxpayer dollars funding a Buffalo Bills stadium.  The Governor replied “Where did you hear that $1 billion for the Buffalo Bills?” She then said it was not being publicly negotiated and “All will be told at the right time.”

The Buffalo Bills have added a few new players.  Former Jets Wide Receiver Jamison Crowder has been signed for a season.  In 12 games with the New York Jets last season, Crowder racked up 51 catches for 447 yards and two touchdowns. In his last full season, he set a career high in catches (78) with the Jets in 2019.  The Bills also added Dolphins Running Back Duke Johnson as a third round draft pick.  Last season with Miami, he played in five games and recorded 330 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He also added four catches for 41 yards.  And finally they signed former Bills Quarterback Matt Barkley to a one year contract.  Barkley is a ten-year veteran and was with the Bills from 2018-2020. In eight games played in a Bills uniform, he threw for 788 yards and three touchdowns. Last season saw him spend time on the Tennessee, Carolina, and Atlanta rosters.

The former Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism employee, 45-year-old Kelly Ashcraft, has pleaded guilty to second-degree grand larceny, second-degree forgery, and first-degree falsifying business records. She now faces up to 15 years in prison after admitting she stole a little over $105,000 ($105,024.78) from the agency, forged signatures and failed to make entries in business records as required. Ashcraft has agreed to make restitution, with no promises made of a reduction in sentence. Sentencing is set for June 9th. Ashcraft was arrested in January after an investigation by Warsaw Village Police revealed she had been stealing Chamber funds since 2018.

Over the weekend, a press conference was conducted with area farmers by Congressman Chris Jacobs, Assemblyman Steve Hawley, and State Senator Ed Rath. The result from their meeting was that both lawmakers and farmers agree and are calling for Governor Kathy Hochul to reject the state Farm Laborers Wage Board’s decision to lower the overtime threshold from 60 hours to 40 hours per week for farm workers. Advocates for this measure say it will allow fair wages and treatment for farm workers, but farmers say it will push their operations beyond the financial brink. The Farm Laborers Wage Board still hasn’t submitted its final report to State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon, who is expected to rule on it within 45 days. Governor Hochul also has not signed the recommendation. The word from her office today was that Ms. Reardon would make he correct choice.

A new report from Governor Kathy Hochul’s office shows there’s been a very slight increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the Western NY region over the last several days. The seven-day average infection rate in the region is now sitting at 2.2%. At this point one week ago, the average infection rate was at 2%. Officials are urging people to take the proper precautions to protect themselves from the virus and to get vaccinated against the illness if they haven’t been already. The governor plans to provide an update on the state’s fight against COVID-19 later today.

Drivers are getting a bit of relief at the pump as gas prices are down across the region. Oil prices are near $110 per barrel this morning rather than over $130 two weeks ago. To put this in perspective, in August, the cost per barrel was $30. What does all this mean for us? The latest data from Triple A shows the price of gas continues to decrease in Western New York. Right now, the average cost for a gallon of regular fuel is $4.38. That’s down 6 cents from last week but is still 64 cents higher than one month ago. The state average is currently sitting at $4.37 a gallon while nationally it’s $4.25. In Batavia, the average price per gallon is $4.35, the same as it was yesterday, and down 3 cents from a week ago.

The Batavia City Schools budget is over the limit according to the state and must be cut down by more than ¾ of a million dollars. District Superintendent Jason Smith and Business Administrator Scott Rozanski have a plan that includes the following in cost-cutting measures: Combine bussing for middle and high school students; not replacing 4 retiring faculty; obtain a grant for new teacher hires; and not purchase needed busses for the school system. The other option is to approve the budget as it stands and have a community vote to approve a more than 1.62 percent tax levy increase. The School board president, Alice Benedict, said that bussing is a privilege and not a mandate, if they hire new teachers they don’t have to get tenure after 3 years, and that the school board’s goal is to get the tax levy as low as it can be.

The Batavia Development Corporation will soon begin the process of seeking a new Director of Economic Development, to replace Brett Frank. Frank has accepted a position with the City of Batavia. In the upcoming weeks, the Batavia Development Corporation will post the employment opportunity on both their website the City of Batavia’s.

The Holley Police Department is investigating after a possible explosive device was found in a residence there. Last Friday afternoon, around 3:30, officers responded to investigate what was referred to as a ‘suspicious condition’ at the Franklin Street residence. They found a possible explosive hazard and called in The Monroe County Bomb squad. The device was removed and taken to a safe location for detonation. The investigation is ongoing.

The Buffalo Sabres have wrapped up their latest road trip by picking up their second win in a row. Rasmus Dahlin scored in overtime as the Sabres beat the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 last night at Rogers Arena. Casey Mittelstadt and Jeff Skinner each had a goal for Buffalo while goaltender Craig Anderson stopped 30 of the 32 shots he faced. Up next for the Sabres is a home game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night.

The city of Buffalo is doing its part to help out Ukrainians as their country continues to be invaded by Russia. Over the weekend, Mayor Byron Brown announced that 200,000 surgical masks are being sent overseas. The masks will be distributed by Polish officials who are taking care of Ukrainians who have decided to leave their native country for safety reasons. Anyone who is interested in donating can find out more information by visiting icrc.org.

Negotiations are scheduled to resume this week between Kaleida Health and two unions that represent thousands of employees. Both sides started meeting last week and will keep talking in hopes of coming up with a new agreement. The current three-year deal expires on May 31st, but as they have in the past, discussions on a deal will likely go past that date. Kaleida Health is the largest health care provider in Western New York.

A new tax being proposed on ammunition has Assemblyman Steve Hawley protesting.  He says that the legislation to add a 2 to 5 cent per round tax on ammo is a violation of the 2nd amendment and puts a onerous burden on New Yorkers.  Hawley says that “This latest attempt to stifle criminality by inconveniencing the law-abiding may be the most dangerous we’ve seen in some time.”  The proposal includes that money raised by the tax go into a gun violence research program fund.

The Batavia School budget is over the limit according to the state and must be cut down by more than ¾ of a million dollars.  But how?  District Superintendent Jason Smith and Business Administrator Scott Rozanski have a plan to combine bussing for middle and high schoolers, not replace 4 retiring faculty, get a grant for new teacher hires and not buying needed busses for the school system.  The other option is to approve the budget as it stands and have a community vote to approve a more than 1.62 percent tax levy increase.  The School board president, Alice Benedict, said that bussing is a privilege and not a mandate, if they hire new teachers they don’t have to get tenure after 3 years, and that her goal is to “get the tax levy as low as it can be.”

The Congressional Art Competition is back on this year.  The competition is open to high schoolers.  The Congressional Art Competition is a national program started over three decades ago as a way to showcase the extraordinary talent in congressional districts around the country.  All submissions must be made between April 11th and 15th.  For more information on the Congressional Art Competition follow this link.

The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Vancouver Canucks Sunday night 3 to 2.  The teams were tied 2-2 at the end of the 3rd period and Rasmus Dahlin scored the winning goal 48 seconds into overtime.  The other goals of the game were scored by Casey Mittelstadt and Jeff Skinner.  The Sabres are on a hot streak winning 4 of their last 5 games.  Next up is a home game against the Pittsburgh Penguins Wednesday night at 7:30.

The Bills have found their new backup quarterback in Case Keenum.  Keenum played QB for the Cleveland Browns.  The 34 year old has started 76 regular season games for seven different NFL teams, including a full season under center for the Denver Broncos in 2018. The season prior, he won his sole NFL playoff game as a member of the Minnesota Vikings.  Keenum has a career 78-48 touchdown-to-interception ratio and six career rushing touchdowns.  Buffalo will send a 2022 seventh round pick to Cleveland in the trade.

The Genesee County Highway Superintendent, Tim Hens, has a high flying idea for bringing some tourism to Batavia.  An air show at the Genesee County Airport in 2023.  Hens says the airport has been completely redone with new sewage and water systems that could handle events.  He said that air shows have been successful here before, notably the last one at Genesee County Airport was in 1998.  Geneseo has annual air shows and they are very successful.  Hens made the suggestion at Wednesday’s county legislature’s Public Service Committee meeting.

The Governor’s office has released the 10-point plan by Governor Hochul to overhaul bail reform in her state budget.  It would give judges more discretion in deciding if a person should be detained on bail.  Judges would look at a person’s criminal history and whether or not they’re harmful to others when making the decision.  The plan would also make more gun-related offenses and gun traffickers eligible for bail. 

The three people who were injured in the I90 crash Thursday evening have been identified.  25 year old TeShawn Lang-Smith is in guarded condition after he hit the back end of a Ford F-350 that was towing a trailer.  Traffic was stalled westbound just past the Leroy exit.  Lang-Smith was driving an Equinox which burst into flames.  He had to be airlifted to Strong.  The passengers in his car, 29 year old Leonard Johnson and 26 year old Nicholas Scott were also taken to Strong Memorial with serious injuries.  The driver of the F-350, 65 year old Ronald Thompson of Oak Grove Minnesota, was not injured but is being held on a felony fraud warrant out of Nevada.

It’s maple weekends this week and next!  Maple producers across the state are showcasing their goods, putting on hayrides and tasting events and hauling out the maple cotton candy and ice cream to tickle your sweet tooth.  The tree sap confection is made by plenty of local producers and they invite you to their sugar houses.  You can check out visitgeneseeny.com slash events to find some maple farms in Genesee county or look up the interactive map on Iloveny.com 

The Buffalo Sabres put one in the win column after a mostly scoreless game against the Calgary Flames.  The final score was 1 to 0, the first shutout the Sabres have had since 2019.  Tage Thompson scored the lone goal in Overtime.  The Sabres continue their road trip and are at Vancouver facing the Canucks Sunday at 7pm.

The HP Hood Company is working through a network disruption and it’s affecting their ability to manufacture products at their plant here in Batavia, located on Ag Park Drive West. The issue will result in delays of deliveries to some of their customers and they’re making progress. They expect to be operational again here in Batavia over the next few days.

The investigation continues into a serious crash on the New York State Thruway that left three people hurt. According to State Police, the collision involving a tractor-trailer and SUV happened last night on the highway between the Le Roy and Batavia exits. The impact caused the SUV to catch fire and two of the victims suffered serious injuries and the third person was airlifted to a nearby hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries. Witnesses to the accident should contact State Police at 585-344-6200.

Over 20-million COVID-19 tests are going to be distributed across the Empire State throughout the spring. Officials say the test kits will go to nursing homes, adult care facilities and schools, with the state also partnering with elected officials for continued public distribution. Meanwhile, the statewide COVID-19 infection rate is now sitting at one-point-seven percent. In Western NY, the seven-day average positivity rate is two-point-two percent.

Governor Hochul extended NYS’s state of emergency through April 15th. According to the governor’s office, the extension gives the state the flexibility to troubleshoot hospital capacity issues and it will be reassessed in 30 days.

Western New York drivers are finally starting to see just a little bit of relief at the gas pumps. According to Triple A, the average cost for a gallon of regular fuel is $4.40. That’s down two cents in the past week but is still 67 cents more than this time last month. The state average is also at $4.40 per gallon while nationally it’s $4.29. In Batavia, the average price per gallon is $4.36; that’s down one cent from yesterday, and two cents from last week.

A fundraiser has been established for the two men who were stabbed to death at the Blumer Dairy Farm in Alexander. 30-year-old Ivan Cruz and Marcelino Gomez Hernandez, age 29, were found dead in a bunkhouse at the farm last Friday night. To help out the victims families by making a donation, go to GoFundMe and search “Help Marcelino RIP” and “Help Ivan’s Family in Mexico.” Family and friends of the two men will also be collecting money at a Latin music night at the Brockport Elks Lodge, tomorrow evening.

The two-game winning streak of the Buffalo Sabres has come to an end following a blowout loss on the road. Victor Olofsson had the lone goal for the Sabres as they lost 6-1 to the Edmonton Oilers last night. Buffalo goaltender Craig Anderson struggled and only stopped 30 of the 36 shots he faced. Up next for the Sabres is a game against the Calgary Flames tonight at 9:00.

The first day of the NCAA Division One men’s basketball tournament has wrapped up, and the number of teams playing in Buffalo has been cut in half. In yesterday’s action at the KeyBank Center, Richmond beat Iowa, Providence defeated South Dakota State, New Mexico State was victorious over UConn and Arkansas held off a challenge from Vermont. The winning teams will play tomorrow with a trip to the Sweet 16 up for grabs. Tickets for those games are still available and can be purchased online.

A crash just after 6:30 in the evening Thursday on I90 between LeRoy and Batavia resulted in serious injury and the westbound lanes being closed.  A preliminary investigation determined the crash involved a tractor-trailer and an SUV.  As a result of the collision, the SUV became fully engulfed in flames.  One individual was flown to the hospital by Medivac with life-threatening injuries and two others were transported by ambulance for serious injuries.  Earlier in the day just a couple miles from the site of the accident a tanker truck rolled over on the thruway also in the westbound lane.  Water and Diesel Fuel were being hauled and spilled.  The driver sustained a shoulder injury.

Governor Hochul is reportedly working on fixing the public safety plan and also changing the controversial bail reform legislation.   The plan includes making certain gun related and hate crime offenses subject to arrest and not just desk appearance tickets.  Republicans have been calling for the Bail Reform to be fixed as, according to Senator Rob Ortt, it creates a “revolving door of criminals who are getting appearance tickets” and not being held.  Several criminals have been released and gone on to commit violent, sometimes deadly crimes just after release.  Such as a man in New York City who had been arrested over 50 times in the past year assaulting a 2 year old who was with her grandmother earlier this week.  Judges across New York say that the bail reform takes power and decision making away from them and law enforcement and makes the streets more dangerous.

Thursday Governor Hochul extended NYS’s state of emergency through April 15th.  According to the governor’s office, the extension gives the state the flexibility to troubleshoot hospital capacity issues and it will be reassessed in 30 days.

The Bills are releasing Wide Receiver Cole Beasley after 3 seasons, 231 caught passes and 2,438 yards.  Beasley sought permission to be traded from General Manager Brandon Beane.  He was entering the final year of his contract.  Beane had said that Beasley would be back with the Bills in the coming season but that is apparently not going to be the case.

The Sabres failed to extend their winning streak as they were trounced Thursday night by the Oilers 6 to 1.  Victor Olofsson scored 1 goal for Buffalo in the Third period. The Sabres will be continuing on to Calgary tonight to take on the Flames.

The Batavia City School Board is meeting this evening starting at 6:00 at the High School. Among the topics for discussion include Universal Pre-Kindergarten to accommodate more than 100 children for the 2022-23 school year. In other meeting items, the board is expected to vote on a proposal from Johnson Controls of Rochester for an energy performance contract. If approved, construction would begin in September of this year with a completion date of August 2023.
· The 2022-23 preliminary $55 million budget, which includes a 1.62 percent tax levy increase. The board had its first budget workshop on Tuesday of this week to discuss a financial plan that left a gap of $315,716 to be paid for by taxpayers. Board President Alice Benedict said the board doesn’t want to increase the tax rate “whatsoever.”
· Setting the official registration, voting and public hearing dates for the 2022-23 budget.
· Revising the description of a school social worker to replace an itinerant social worker.
· Approval of several personnel appointments and resignations.
· A shared services agreement between Batavia City School District and the Town of Batavia for shared services and equipment use for a five-year term.
· The purchase of sensory room equipment for Jackson Primary and John Kennedy Intermediate from Fun & Function and School Specialty for $22,031.99.
The meeting includes time for public comments, and an executive session to discuss a resolution to “assert paid-leave for an employee until further notice,” followed by the vote in open session.

A new report says former Governor Andrew Cuomo may be planning to challenge current Governor Kathy Hochul in a Democratic primary. Sources close to Cuomo say he’s been talking with supporters about the possibility of running against Hochul, who used to be his Lieutenant Governor. Hochul ended up taking Cuomo’s job last August after he left office following allegations from multiple women that he sexually harassed them, claims that Cuomo has repeatedly denied. A poll released last week by Emerson College found Cuomo only a few percentage points behind. Hochul received 37% of Democratic voter support in the hypothetical match-up, while Cuomo garnered 33%. Neither U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi nor Public Advocate Jumaane Williams could register even double-digit support.

The Buffalo Sabres continue their Canadian road trip tonight as they look to extend their winning streak to three games. They’ll be taking on Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place. The Sabres are coming off of a 5 to 2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Sunday’s NHL Heritage Classic. Face-off for this evening’s contest is scheduled for 9:00.

A 34-year-old Elba man is facing a number of charges for a series of crimes he allegedly committed over the past week. Matthew Williams of Hundredmark Road has been arrested by Genesee County Sheriff’s deputies and charged with endangering the welfare of a child and harassment, after he head-butted a person in front of the child. He also allegedly stole items from a location in Barre and was subsequently charged with 3rd degree grand larceny, a felony punishable by up to seven years in prison. A day later, Williams was arrested after allegedly stealing a car and violating an order of protection, related to the head-butting incident. He has been issued appearance tickets for all the cases and will appear in Town Court at a later date. Williams previously served two state prison terms, one for burglary and the other, for grand larceny. He was most recently released to parole in January 2020.

According to a report from CTV News, Canada will lift the pre-arrival COVID-19 test requirements for fully vaccinated travelers as of April 1. It was noted, however, that although the requirement to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test will be lifted, travelers might still be subject to random PCR testing at airports. Travelers will also still have to use their app, called ArriveCAN, to show proof of vaccination and other required information. On February 28th, adjustments to COVID-related measures at the border went into place, which included allowing travelers to have the option of using a COVID-19 rapid antigen test result within 24 hours, or a molecular test result within 72 hours to meet pre-arrival requirements.

Today, eight of the top teams in college basketball will be playing in Buffalo as the NCAA Division One men’s hoops tournament gets underway. South Dakota State and Providence will be in the first game at KeyBank Center followed by Iowa against Richmond, UConn against New Mexico State and Arkansas versus Vermont. The winner of these games will advance to the next round of the tournament on Saturday. There are still seats still available and they can be purchased online.

The Buffalo Bills are offering their fans a chance to have a say in the development of the team’s new stadium. Plans have been announced to hold focus group sessions at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park that are made up of season ticket holders. The first meeting set for March 29th doesn’t have any more spots available, however there will be additional sessions in the future. Team ownership wants to build a new facility across from Highmark Stadium but despite months of negotiations, a final agreement has not been worked out yet.

From Triple A this morning, it appears gas prices remain leveled off, at least for now. The average price statewide $ 4.41 per gallon; that’s down 2 cents from yesterday and down a nickel, from a week ago. In Batavia, the average price is $4.38; up two cents from yesterday but down a penny from a week ago.

A traffic alert reminder: Starting on Monday, and continuing for the next 8 months, construction work begins on Park Road. They will be installing new utilities, reconstructing and then resurfacing Park, from the intersection of 63 to Route 98. Northbound traffic on Park Road will be detoured onto Veteran’s Memorial Drive with southbound traffic staying on Park. Access to Alex’s, Tops Plaza’s rear entrance, and Batavia Downs will be available only while traveling southbound. The timeline for completion is November 2022.

Canada is planning to lift the COVID testing requirement for those who are vaccinated entering the country starting April 1st.  CTV News said although the requirement to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test will be lifted, travelers may still be subject to random PCR testing at airports. Travelers will also still have to use the ArriveCAN app to show proof of vaccination and other required information.  On February 28 adjustments to COVID-related measures at the border went into place, which included allowing travelers to have the option of using a COVID-19 rapid antigen test result within 24 hours or a molecular test result within 72 hours to meet pre-arrival requirements.

A power outage took out electricity for nearly all of Wyoming county National Grid customers Wednesday afternoon.  2 outages were reported in Alexander around rt 98 and along much of rt 238 at around 3pm.  The loss extended down into Wyoming county.  In Genesee county about 1200 people were affected.  Power was restored by late afternoon.  

The democrat party is looking for a representative for the new congressional district created by the redistricting that goes into effect this year.  District 24 has no incumbent representative for the 258 mile long, 14 county slice of New York.  The Chairs of the 14 member counties of The Lake District are asking for interested individuals to send their resumes with a cover letter to oswegodemocraticcomitteechair@gmail.com.

How much do potholes cost to fix?  Probably less than 26 and a half billion dollars.  That’s the price tag AAA is reporting that drivers paid to repair or replace tires and fix other damage to cars after they hit a pothole in 2021.  In New York it was as much as 1 in every ten cars on the road that needed fixing because of a pothole.  On average each repair costs the driver 600 dollars.  AAA offered some tips to avoid needing repairs such as checking your tires alignment, pressure and tread depth and simply being cautious to avoid hitting potholes and if you can’t, to slow down before the hit but not right as you go into the hole as braking as you go over the bumps will add compression to the tires and suspension and could cause the damage you are hoping to avoid.  

The Buffalo Bills have made a big hiring decision that they hope will get them through the playoffs and win them the Super Bowl.  They signed a 120 million dollar 6 year contract with edge rusher Von Miller fresh off his Super Bowl winning season with the Los Angeles Rams.  Miller had five sacks in eight regular season games with the Rams and four more in the playoffs, including two in the Rams’ Super Bowl win.  The 32-year-old pass rusher has 115.5 career sacks and 540 tackles in 11 seasons in the league.

Governor Kathy Hochul announced this morning that a new family-owned French company, La Fermiere, has plans to construct locally. They have committed to building a $25 million, 45,000 square-foot yogurt and dairy desserts company, at the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park. It is anticipated this will create up to 135 new jobs in the region. Additionally, they plan to utilize millions of pounds of milk provided by area dairy farmers. La Fermiere had considered many other sites around the country but with the focused support from both the State and its regional economic development partners, they decided to build in Batavia.

According to a review released by the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, the need at the Batavia VA Medical Center for inpatient medical and surgical care, inpatient mental health care, and residential rehabilitation treatment services is shown to be decreasing, while needs for long-term care and outpatient care is increasing. Our local VA hospital currently offers long-term care, a residential rehabilitation treatment program and outpatient services. However, its primary and specialty care clinic lacks space and having been built in 1932, is not at this time designed to meet modern health care needs or standards. A new facility for outpatient services on the campus of the Batavia VA Medical Center is proposed to help meet the growing and changing needs of the veteran population. Also being proposed, is a planned expansion of residential rehabilitation services in Buffalo and the VA Medical Center here will be expanded to become the region’s post-traumatic stress treatment hub.

Mercy Flight transported a farm worker to ECMC Tuesday morning after he was trampled by cows that were being inseminated on a farm at 8569 Oatka Trail Road. His condition is guarded. Le Roy Fire with UTV 61 and Le Roy Ambulance responded to the scene shortly before 10 a.m. The man was unconscious when rescuers were dispatched to the scene. His name has not been released.

New York state is now accepting applications from local farmers for a license to grow recreational marijuana. Last week, Governor Hochul announced that New Yorkers with past marijuana related convictions will be the first to get marijuana retail licenses. The move is being made to allow people in communities most impacted by past drug laws to become early business owners in the recreational cannabis industry. Recreational marijuana sales could begin by the end of the year.

The NCAA Division One Men’s Basketball tournament will be tipping off in Buffalo tomorrow and hoops fans can still get tickets to see it in-person. In previous years when the tournament has been held at KeyBank Center, the event has sold out before teams take the court. Event organizers believe one reason for slow sales is the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The NCAA is now working with officials to fill the remaining seats and taken steps such as lowering ticket prices and also offering Groupon deals.

A traffic alert…Starting Monday, construction work begins on Park Road. For the next 8 months, they will be installing new utilities, reconstructing, and then resurfacing Park, from the intersection of 63 to Route 98. Northbound traffic on Park Road will be detoured onto Veterans Memorial Drive and southbound traffic will remain on Park. Alex’s, Tops Plaza rear entrance, and Batavia Downs will remain accessible only while traveling southbound. The timeline for completion is November 2022.

The New York State Comptroller has released a report on the number of people who died from COVID 19 in nursing homes. The handling of COVID in nursing homes had created difficulties for former governor Cuomo, accused of causing deaths by sending COVID positive people to the nursing homes and then hiding the numbers of individuals who died. The Comptroller’s office found that the public had been misled about the number of people who died by those at the highest level of state government through distortion and suppression of the facts. The New York State Department of Health would not provide auditors with a breakdown by name of the nursing home residents who died from Covid-19 and the actual number of nursing home residents who died is still uncertain. The audit estimates nursing home deaths are undercounted by as much as 50 percent; the Department of Health has apparently hidden the deaths of at least 4100 people.

Organizers of the Erie County Fair have announced the first concert performance of this year’s event. A Beatles tribute band called “The Fab Four” will take the stage on Wednesday, August 10th at 10:00pm. The concert is free with paid admission and more shows are going to be revealed over the next several weeks. The fair runs from August 10th until August 21st at the county fairgrounds in Hamburg.

David Miller is the Alexander Supervisor and he informed the Town Board earlier this week, that it was time for the town to update its comprehensive plan; the plan is a document most recently approved in 2003. It’s created by the community, and designed to help guide future planning and zoning decisions, set goals for growth and define the kind of community its members desire in the future. Anyone interested in applying for a seat on the committee, should contact the Alexander Town Clerk, Shannon Tiede. (townclerk@townofalexander.com or (585) 591-2455 ext 101)

The New York State Comptroller has released a report on the number of people who died from COVID 19 in nursing homes.  The handling of COVID in nursing homes has been a fraught subject with former governor Cuomo accused of causing deaths by sending COVID positive people to the nursing homes and then hiding the numbers of dead.  The Comptroller’s office found that the public had been misled about the number of people who died “by those at the highest level of state government through distortion and suppression of the facts”.  The DOH would not provide auditors with a breakdown by name of the nursing home residents who died from Covid-19 and the actual number of nursing home residents who died is still uncertain. The audit estimates nursing home deaths are undercounted by as much as 50 percent.  The DOH hid the deaths of at least 4100 people.

Mercy Flight transported a farm worker to ECMC Tuesday morning after he was trampled by cows that were being inseminated on a farm at 8569 Oatka Trail Road.  His condition is guarded.  Le Roy Fire with UTV 61 and Le Roy Ambulance responded to the scene shortly before 10 a.m.  The man was unconscious when rescuers were dispatched to the scene.  His name has not been released.

Bird Flu is back and Cornell Cooperative Extension says take down your bird feeders.  Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza has been identified in over 350 wild birds in the US including in NY.  There have been 3 cases of it in backyard poultry flocks leading to the deaths of 268 birds.  Bird feeders can cause birds to congregate and spread the disease so it is recommended you take yours down at least during the spring migration period.   The CCE said scientists believe caseloads should decrease over the summer months and at that point it may be safe to put feeders back out.

The online portal is now open for New York Hemp farmers who are looking for a license to apply to grow adult-use cannabis.  Conditionally licensed cannabis farmers must meet the following requirements:  Safe, sustainable and environmentally friendly cultivation practices, participation in a social equity mentorship program, enter into a labor peace agreement with a bona fide labor organization.  With a conditional adult-use cannabis cultivation license, farmers can grow outdoors or in a greenhouse for up to two years from the issuance of the license and it allows them to manufacture and distribute cannabis flower products without holding an adult-use processor or distributor license until June 1, 2023.  The cost is 2000 dollars.

The City of Batavia needs a new little red wagon.  Fire truck number 12 is 20 years old and is ready to be retired from service, according to City Manager Rachel Tabelski.  The cost of getting a new truck, 700,000 dollars. Fire Chief Dan Herberger said that the new truck would be similar to Engine 11 which is a Rescue Truck.  It will be paid for by a grant of 200K and 400K that is in reserve.  

We have some winners at the horse show!  Genesee County 4-H members participated in the Finger Lakes Region 4-H Horse Bowl Contest Saturday and many of them placed.  Brynlee Amend, Wyatt Witmer, Leah Amend, Taylor Fancher, Lexi Witmer, Eva Rhoads and Tori Kruppenbacher were all recognized for their knowledge of equine facts, including breeds, equipment, nutrition and more.  The Novice team placed 2nd, The senior team placed 2nd, and the Junior team placed 1st.  Everyone who placed will have an opportunity to compete at the state competition held at Cornell University on April 8th.

The search for a missing Batavia man has come to a tragic end after his body was discovered in the Tonawanda Creek. Police say 29-year-old Lewis Hyde was last seen alive on Friday on West Main Street. On Sunday, a jacket was spotted in the area of the creek between the South Lyon Street and River Street bridges. Police then asked the City Fire’s water rescue team to assist with the search. Hyde’s remains were found yesterday and removed from the water. Police are continuing their investigation while waiting for autopsy results but say they don’t believe his death is suspicious.

The number of New Yorkers who have tested positive for COVID-19 has seen its smallest increase since last July 18th. Governor Hochul’s office announced just 902 new cases yesterday and 10 deaths. The statewide COVID-19 positivity rate is sitting at one-point four-percent. In Western New York, the seven-day average infection rate is one-point-eight percent. Last week in the GLOW region, there were only 25 new cases of COVID-19 reported.

The band Foreigner will return to the 2022 Great New York State Fair to perform on August 28. And Foreigner and the Fair are conducting a search for a junior high, high school or college chorus to perform a 10-minute a cappella set about 30 minutes before Foreigner’s concert. Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, the band would invite a chorus onstage during the show to help sing the hit “I Want To Know What Love Is.” They’ve kept the tradition going since then by having the chorus perform before the show. Choruses must bring no more than 25 members and can determine their own program of 10 minutes. The Fair will provide up to four admission passes per chorus member, staff member and chaperone along with enough parking passes for all vehicles in the Fair’s lots. Choruses interested in performing must apply by April 30. You may do so by uploading audio or video of a recent performance and a group photo. https://nysfair.ny.gov/

Investigators continued their work on Monday, in an to attempt to piece together the events that led up the double murder at the Blumer Dairy Farm on Alexander Road, late Friday night. 23-year-old Prince N.K. Wilson, of Albion and 18-year-old Raul Cruz, of Warsaw and formerly of Albion, are both charged with second-degree murder and committed to Genesee County Jail without bail. The men are accused of murdering two Hispanic men who lived at an employee bunkhouse on the farm. Both of the charged men are familiar to law enforcement, particularly in Albion. Because of Cruz’s age he does not have a public criminal record, but was the subject of a search when he was 14. He and a 12-year-old girl were reported missing and were found safe a day later. Wilson, however, has a criminal history that includes arrests for burglaries, resisting arrest and failure to appear in court in 2017 as well as burglary charges from 2019 that landed him in state prison. Genesee County Sheriff’s continued their investigation today. (Pictured left to right – Wilson, Cruz)

The City Budget has passed unanimously with a general fund of 17.78 Million dollars. City Manager Rachel Tabelski is pleased with achieving a balanced budget and hopes that residents will see a drop in taxes; although with property assessments on the increase, it’s possible some homeowners will not. Other highlights of the budget include more money being allocated for the police department’s Emergency Response Team and a fire truck to replace Engine 12, which is now about 20 years old. The Council also approved a 1.5 percent increase in water rates, meter fees and capital improvement fees for the 2022-23 fiscal year.

Starting later this week, Spectrum customers are going to be paying a bit more money each month for their television service. The company says beginning Friday, the broadcast TV fee will be going up by more than $3 to $21 per month. Spectrum’s monthly equipment fee is also rising by $1.00 to $9.99 per month. Spectrum says that it has no choice but to raise rates because of the higher fees that are being charged by network-affiliated stations to carry their content.

A small earthquake rattled parts of Wyoming County just after 11am this morning, about 3 miles south west of Warsaw. The quake occurred at a depth of about 3.1 miles, which according to the National Weather Service is relatively shallow; while shallow quakes tend to be more damaging than deeper earthquakes; this one only had a magnitude of 2.6 on the Richter scale. It’s considered a small quake, incapable of causing damage. Still, you could have felt it if you were close to the epicenter.

Buffalo has had over 92 inches of snow this season, so far, and although it was a low snow season for the rest of upstate NY, it’s an above average snowfall amount here. As a result, Buffalo is winning a contest that not everyone is interested in winning…The Golden Snowball is awarded to the city with the most snow over a winter season. It’s not surprising, especially this year. Buffalo is ahead of Anchorage Alaska by over 6 inches and Rochester is back in third by almost 10 inches. Still plenty of time for cities to rally for a comeback…the contest finishes up at the end of April.

The Genesee County STOP-DWI Coordinator announced today that the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Batavia Police Department and the Village of LeRoy Police Department will once again be participating in a coordinated effort with the STOP-DWI program to bring awareness to the dangers of impaired driving. The increased statewide efforts start tomorrow and will continue thru Sunday, March 30. St. Patrick’s Day weekend is a notoriously dangerous period for impaired driving due to the number of celebrations and drivers on the road. New York State Police, County Sheriffs, and municipal law enforcement agencies will be out in force during this across-the-board effort to reduce the number of alcohol-related injuries and deaths.

It’s not much, but at least it’s in the right direction…according to Triple A, the average cost for a gallon of gas in Batavia as of this morning, is $4.37…that’s down 1 cent from yesterday…

The search for 29 year old Lewis Hyde has been called off after a body was discovered in the Tonawanda Creek between the S Lyon Street and River Street Bridges just after noon on Monday.  The Batavia police began the search after a jacket was found along the creek bank.  After Search and rescue teams brought the body up it was confirmed to be Hyde.  An investigation is ongoing pending the results of an autopsy, but there do not appear to be any signs of foul play.  Hyde was reported missing on the 11th.

The City Budget has passed unanimously with a general fund of 17.78 Million dollars.  City Manager Rachel Tabelski is pleased with achieving a balanced budget and hopes that Batavians will see a drop in taxes.  When asked if she could identify one highlight of the budget, she came up with the fact that more money was put into the police department’s Emergency Response Team.

Buffalo is edging out other cities in America for the Golden Snowball award for the city with the most snow over a winter season.  Not something that surprises most Western New Yorkers.  Buffalo is ahead of Anchorage Alaska by over 6 inches and Rochester which is coming in third by almost 10 inches.  Buffalo had over 92 inches of snow this season and although it was a low snow season for the rest of upstate NY the Queen City had an above average snowfall.  The contest finishes up at the end of April.  

The Buffalo Bills have signed some new players for their next season.  Tennessee Offensive Lineman Rodger Saffold has signed a 1 year contract, Tim Settle and DaQuan Jones both signed as Defensive Tackles.  Settle played for the Washington Commanders and Jones played for the Panthers. 

Batavia Police News Release:

Lewis Hyde

On Monday, March 14th, a search of Tonawanda Creek between the S. Lyon Street and River Street bridges in the city of Batavia was conducted under the direction of the Batavia Police Department. The search was pertaining to a missing person, Lewis Hyde, who was reported missing on March 11th.

While an extensive search has been going on since that time, the search of the creek was conducted due to a jacket being found near the creek bank on March 13th.

At approximately 12:35 PM on March 14th, a body was located and recovered from the Tonawanda Creek by the search and rescue teams. The body was confirmed to be that of Lewis Hyde. An investigation is ongoing pending the results of an autopsy, but there does not appear to be any signs of foul play.

The Batavia Police Department greatly appreciates the assistance of the City of Batavia Fire Department, Genesee County Emergency Management, New York State Police, ALERT – Advanced Local Emergency Response Team, Mercy EMS, Alden Fire, Niagara Frontier Search and Rescue, Massasauga Search and Rescue Team, Genesee County Emergency Dispatch Center and the Genesee County Coroner’s Office in this matter.

Two men remain in custody today accused of stabbing and killing 2 other men at a bunkhouse at Blumer Dairy Farm on Alexander Road in Alexander. 18 year old Raul Cruz of Warsaw and 23 year old Prince N.K. Wilson of Albion were arrested Saturday and are being held without bail. Cruz was caught following a 9-hour manhunt in Warsaw and Wilson was caught in Batavia. Law enforcement and the fire department were both dispatched to the scene of a burning dwelling on Friday night, where two Latino men were found stabbed to death  inside. Investigators believe this was an isolated incident and there was no threat to public safety. The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office isn’t releasing any more information right now, including the names of the victims. First they want to notify the families of the two men. The investigation in the case is ongoing. (Pictured from left to right, Wilson-Cruz)

New York State is preparing the budget for this year and hopes to have it ready by the end of the month. 1.25 billion dollars is being suggested for the Emergency Rental Assistance program to help tenants who are behind on their rent. In addition, 400 million dollars is being called for to help landlords whose tenants haven’t being paying rent. Help with the high utility bills is on the way to the tune of 500 million dollars. The governor has so far been resisting requests from both democrats and republicans to suspend the New York Gas tax until at least September to fight the record high prices at the pump and in home heating. Hochul says she hasn’t changed her spending or budget numbers to account for what suspending the tax would do to the revenue for the state.

Two homes were destroyed this morning in Basom. A propane tank was accidentally tipped over in a home on Meadville Road. It ignited a fire that destroyed that home and the residence located in front of it. A 31-year-old woman suffered burns and was treated at the scene. No other injuries were reported.

The price at the pump has leveled off, at least temporarily, in Western NY; however, it doesn’t appear there’s any immediate relief in sight. According to Triple A, the average cost for a gallon of regular fuel is at $4.40. That’s up 26 cents from this time last week and is 79 cents higher than last month. Right now, the state average is $4.45 and nationally it’s $4.32. In Batavia, the average price per gallon is $4.38, up one cent since yesterday and 78 cents from a month ago.

The Buffalo Sabres have won their second straight game after coming out on top in the NHL Heritage Classic. Hinostroza and Krebs each had a pair of goals for Buffalo; Thompson also scored as the Sabres beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in yesterday’s outdoor game in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; final there was 5-2. The Sabres had solid goaltending from Craig Anderson who stopped 34 of the 36 shots he faced. Buffalo will continue their Canadian road trip Thursday against the Edmonton Oilers.

A weekend fundraiser organized by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra is being called a major success. The orchestra performed Saturday night at Eastman Theater and collected tens of thousands of dollars in donations, which will be used to help people living in Ukraine. If you still want to donate, information on how to help is available online at rocmaidan.org.

The Geneseean of the Year award at the Annual Chamber of Commerce Awards Ceremony for 2021 went to Jay Lazarony. He was selected for being an exemplary professional and volunteer, for founding GLOW With Your Hands in 2019, and his work with the Youth Bureau. Lazarony has been the Executive Director of the GLOW Workforce Development Board for 25 years.

Saint Patrick’s Day is a still a few days away, but in just a few hours, some lucky person will be surrounded in green, by winning over $100,000,000. The prize up for grabs in tonight’s Powerball jackpot will be at least 124,000,000 dollars after no one won Saturday’s drawing. The cost of a ticket to play the popular lottery game is just $2.00. The drawing is going to be streamed live online at powerball.com. Please play responsibly.

Isaiah McKenzie, wide receiver and kick punt returner has signed back on with the Bills for a 2 year contract. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent. McKenzie joined the Bills in 2018 and primarily took on a punt/kick returning role during the 2020 offseason following the departure of Andre Roberts. This season with the Bills, he returned 43 kicks and punts for 731 yards. In the receiving game, McKenzie had 20 catches for 178 yards and a touchdown this season. According to Ian Rapoport, the deal is worth a total of $8,000,000.

2 men are in custody accused of stabbing and killing 2 other men at the bunkhouse at Blumer Dairy Farm on Alexander Road in Alexander.  18 year old Raul Cruz of Warsaw and 23 year old Prince Wilson of Albion were arrested Saturday and are being held without bail.  Cruz was caught after a manhunt in Warsaw and Wilson was caught in Batavia.  At around 10pm on Friday dispatchers received a report of a disturbance at the bunkhouse.  Deputies responded and then Alexander fire was called for smoke at the bunkhouse from a set fire.  Genesee County Sheriffs then reported finding 2 bodies inside, dead by stabbing.  Investigators believe this was an isolated incident and there was no threat to public safety.

The Geneseean of the Year award at the Annual Chamber of Commerce Awards Ceremony for 2021 is Jay Lazarony.  He was selected for being an exemplary professional and volunteer, for founding GLOW With Your Hands in 2019, and his work with the Youth Bureau. Lazarony has been the Executive Director of the GLOW Workforce Development Board for 25 years.   

New York State is preparing the budget for this year and hopes to have it ready by the end of the month.  1.25 billion dollars is being pushed to bring help for tenants who are behind on their rent in the Emergency Rental Assistance program.  In addition, 400 million dollars is being called for to help landlords whose tenants haven’t being paying rent.  Help with the high utility bills is on the way to the tune of 500 million dollars.  The governor has so far been resisting calls from both sides of the aisle to suspend the New York Gas tax till at least September to fight the record high prices at the pump and in home heating.  Hochul says she hasn’t changed her spending or budget numbers to account for what suspending the tax would do to the revenue for the state.

Buffalo has won the 2022 Heritage Classic at an outdoor arena.  The Sabres came away with a 5 to 2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs Sunday afternoon.  Peyton Krebs scored twice and so did Vinnie Hinostroza.  Tage Thompson knocking in an empty netter sealed the game for Buffalo.  The wind and snow were their own team in the game, spoiling shots and getting in the way.  The Sabres haven’t played an outside game since 2008 when they lost 3 to 2 against the New York Rangers.  The Sabres are back indoors on Thursday when they visit the Edmonton Oilers.

Isaiah McKenzie, wide receiver and kick punt returner has signed back on with the Bills for a 2 year contract.  He was set to become an unrestricted free agent.  McKenzie joined the Bills in 2018 and primarily took on a punt/kick returning role during the 2020 offseason following the departure of Andre Roberts. This season with the Bills, he returned 43 kicks and punts for 731 yards.  In the receiving game, McKenzie had 20 catches for 178 yards and a touchdown this season.  According to Ian Rapoport, the deal is worth a total of $8M.

2 men are in custody accused of stabbing and killing 2 other men at the bunkhouse at Blumer Dairy Farm on Alexander Road in Alexander.  18 year old Raul Cruz of Warsaw and 23 year old Prince Wilson of Albion were arrested Saturday and are being held without bail.  Cruz was caught after a manhunt in Warsaw.  At around 10pm on Friday dispatchers received a report of a disturbance at the bunkhouse.  Deputies responded and then Alexander fire was called for smoke at the bunkhouse from a set fire.  Genesee County Sheriffs then reported finding 2 bodies inside, dead by stabbing.  Investigators believe this was an isolated incident and there was no threat to public safety.

The Batavia Police Department is seeking assistance from the public in locating Lewis Hyde. Hyde is described as being 5’10”, 180 pounds. He was last seen wearing a tan coat, jeans and black boots. Hyde was last seen on March 11th, at approximately 2:00 a.m. on West Main Street in Batavia. Anyone with any information is asked to please contact the Batavia Police Department at (585) 345-6350.

A senior corrections officer at the Genesee County Jail has been accused of embezzling over 50 thousand dollars from the Sheriff’s Employee Association.  51 year old Kevin Wolff of Stafford was arrested and terminated from his position at the jail.  He had been working for the sheriff’s office for more than 20 years.  Wolff was arraigned in City Court Friday and released on his own recognizance.  The investigation into the alleged theft is being conducted by the Sheriff’s criminal investigation division and is ongoing.  The association membership consists of corrections officers, emergency dispatchers, dog control officers, and jail cooks.

ECMC in Buffalo is saying goodbye to its military reinforcements as they are no longer needed to buttress the understaffed system after the COVID Vaccine Mandate required the firing of many staff and medical personnel.  24 men and women from the US NAVY were deployed there to help out.  The members of the Military Medical Team worked over 6,500 clinical hours during their two month stay in Buffalo. They also provided care for more than 3,800 patients – including 550 COVID-19 positive patients, according to ECMC.  The hospital hosted a goodbye ceremony to the team as it was cleared of its duties inside ECMC on March 11th, beginning with a procession of all 24 members of the military.  The hospital no longer is in need of the extra staffing. Only 14 patients remain in the COVID-19 ward at this time, with only one being admitted for the virus itself, according to ECMC.

Are you struggling with being behind on utility bills?  1.4 million New Yorkers are in the same boat.  Consumer advocates including the AARP, the Public Utility Law Project, and many politicians are calling on Governor Hochul to use 1.25 Billion dollars of federal funding to pay off the debts of people who fell behind.  New York restricts utilities from shutting off heat and electricity until April 15. But scores of residents in New York could face heat and electricity shut-offs in coming months.

The Bureau of Inspection in Batavia will be closed Monday the 14th through Wednesday the 16th. Documents may be dropped off at the Department of Public Works. The Bureau of Inspection will reopen on Thursday, March 17th at 8:30am.

Genesee and Orleans counties will be under a Winter Weather Advisory tonight from 7pm in effect until tomorrow at 6pm. The National Weather service is expecting 3 to 6 inches of snow accumulation and winds gusting as high as 45 miles per hour. Wyoming and Livingston Counties will be under a Winter Storm Warning from tonight at 7 to Saturday at 6pm and 5 to 10 inches of snow is expected with high winds. Temperatures will drop into the 20s; wind chills will reduce that to near or below zero. Snow-covered roads will make for slippery travel and also watch out for sudden drifts and white outs.

Two men from Batavia are now facing charges after an investigation on Sullivan Street in Rochester. Rochester Police searched a vehicle in which the two men were sitting and found a loaded 9mm “ghost gun” as well as cocaine and fentanyl. The weapon had no serial numbers and therefore can’t be registered. 35-year-old Daniel Mooney and 35-year-old Matthew Oppel have both been charged with felonies as well as criminal possession of a controlled substance. Police reported that neither man was allowed to possess a gun because of previous convictions. They were taken to the Monroe County Jail for arraignment in Rochester City Court.

The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles has begun issuing new driver’s licenses, permits and non-driver identification cards. The new cards will now incorporate upgraded security features that are used to verify authenticity and prevent tampering and counterfeiting. The new process involves engraving two images into the card so that the image changes when viewed at different angles. Additional information may be found on their website, dmv.ny.gov

Last night, county planners recommended the approval of the 2 new retail spaces in the former Kmart parking lot. At the County Planning Board meeting via Zoom it was determined that a retail space of 6752 square feet with a 2000 square foot coffee shop and drive through, and a 4000 square foot restaurant would be located on the Lewiston road lot. An engineering director for Benderson Development, which owns the property, said they are already working with tenants for the buildings.

The project will also include:
■ drainage upgrades to bring the site into compliance with the current storm water regulations;
■ an increase in overall green space and landscaping;
■ utility upgrades;
■ new curbing, pavement and site lighting around the proposed buildings.

Unless it’s postponed due to the storm, tomorrow from 10am to approximately 11:30am, Notre Dame High School is hosting a 5k Run/Walk. During this time, Richmond Avenue will be closed from Union Street to Park Road, and traffic entering from Main Street onto Union, Woodrow, Bogue and Redfield will be redirected around the area. Once again, that’s from 10am until 11:30am, tomorrow.

The Bureau of Inspection in Batavia will be closed Monday, March 14th through Wednesday, March 16th. Documents may be dropped off at the Department of Public Works. The Bureau of Inspection will reopen on Thursday, March 17th at 8:30am.

The Buffalo Bills have reportedly hired the architecture firm who will be responsible for designing and building the team’s new stadium. The Athletic says the Bills have brought on Populus, which is the company who helped the team renovate Highmark Stadium several years ago. Team ownership have submitted a proposal for the new facility to be built across the street from Highmark Stadium which is located in Orchard Park. While negotiations have been ongoing for months, a final deal hasn’t been reached yet. The current lease for the Bills expires in 2023.

The Buffalo Sabres snapped their two-game losing streak after picking up a victory in front of their home crowd. Victor Olofsson, Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs had a goal each as the Sabres beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-1 at KeyBank Center last night. Former Sabres captain Jack Eichel had only two shots in his first contest back in Buffalo since being traded to Vegas in November. Sabres goalie Craig Anderson was honored after last night’s victory, to celebrate his 300th NHL win. Up next for Buffalo is the NHL Heritage Classic against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday.

New data from Governor Hochul’s office is showing that the spread of COVID-19 is still slowing down across New York. The statewide positivity rate is 1.3%, continuing a two week streak where that number has been below 2.0%. The 7 day average infection rate in Western NY is also falling and now sits at 1.8%. Governor Hochul says New Yorkers should be proud of the progress that’s been made in battling the virus but she’s urging people to keep protecting themselves against the illness.

Genesee and Orleans counties are going to be under a Winter Weather Advisory tonight from 7pm to tomorrow at 6pm.  The National Weather service is expecting 3 to 6 inches of snow accumulation and winds gusting as high as 45 miles per hour.  Wyoming County is under a Winter Storm Warning from tonight at 7 to Saturday at 6pm and 5 to 10 inches of snow is expected with high winds.  Temperatures are expected to drop into the 20s and wind chill will reduce that to near or below zero.  Be careful on snowy roads and watch out for white outs and sudden drifts.  

New York State plans to give people who have been convicted of having marijuana related criminal offenses the first chance to receive a cannabis license.  Governor Kathy Hochul made an announcement about the initiative, Thursday.  These licenses are awarded in an effort to correct what the state calls past “inequities” of the justice system, which involved a large number of people of color being charged for drug crimes.  According to the Cannabis Control Board, there is no residency requirement for the initiative.  However, there is a requirement that said convicted person must have been convicted in the state of New York. 

County planners recommended the approval of the 2 new restaurant and retail spaces in the corners of the former Kmart parking lot Thursday night.  At the County Planning Board meeting via teleconference it was determined that a retail space of 6752 square feet with a 2000 square foot coffee shop and drive through and a 4000 square foot restaurant would be located along Lewiston road.  An engineering director for Benderson Development which owns the vacant lot and Kmart building, said they already are working with tenants for the buildings although he couldn’t tell the board who. 

The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles announced that it is redesigning the drivers license, permit and non driver id card with upgraded security features.  Also you can choose between the old horizontal design and a new vertical design.  Some of the new safety features include Embossed text and images, clear windows and a state seal with multiple laser imaging.  And the birth month and year will be displayed a different way when observed from different angles.  The last redesign was in 2013.

The Buffalo Sabres snapped their losing streak with a win over former team captain Jack Eichel’s new team the Vegas Golden Knights 3 to 1 on Thursday night.  Peyton Krebs, Victor Olofsson, and Alex Tuch scored for Buffalo.  Krebs and Tuch were added to the Sabres in the trade that sent Eichel to the Knights.  Sabres goalie Craig Anderson was honored after Thursday’s victory which marked his 300th NHL win.  The Sabres next game is in Ontario against the Toronto Maple Leafs Sunday at 4pm for the 2022 Tim Hortons Heritage Classic.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for Livingston County; keep in mind if you are driving east Friday night and Saturday, you are likely to encounter heavy snow, with accumulations up to 7 inches. Travel could range from being very difficult to impossible, as areas of blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility. While no watches have yet been issued for Genesee, Wyoming or Orleans counties snow is expected
to be widespread across upstate New York. Stay with WBTA for the latest weather information from 13 WHAM meteorologists.

A homeless person has been arrested on Liberty Street, in Batavia. Angelica Stanley is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance. She was found to have crack cocaine and adderal, which had not been prescribed for her. She was issued a court appearance ticket for later this month and released.

The Western NY region has hit record-high fuel prices. This morning, Triple A reported the average price per gallon in WNY is now $4.46; up 9 cents from yesterday; up 81 cents from a month ago and up $1.60 from a year ago. In Batavia, the average price per gallon is $4.35, which represents an increase of 6 cents from yesterday. Previous record highs were recorded in July 2008; prices are expected to continue to rise.

A hearing is scheduled for later this month to determine whether or not statements made by an Oakfield man can be used during his trial for the murder of his father. 37-year-old Nicholas Maher is charged with second-degree murder; the public defender has requested that any statements Maher made to police be ruled out during a trial. Maher remains in Genesee County jail as the case continues.

The number of new confirmed Covid cases continues to go down in Genesee and Orleans counties, even as mask mandates are lifted in schools and most other indoor public places. There were 40 new cases reported in the past week, which was down from 74 last week. That was down from 112 from mid-February, and 216 from early last month. The recent caseloads represent a steep drop from the Covid peak in early January when there 2,703 cases across the two counties. The 40 new cases the past week include 15 in Orleans and 25 in Genesee. Statewide, Gov. Kathy Hochul reported there were 1,060 new Covid cases out of just over 67,700 tests (67,714), for a positivity rate of 1.57 percent. It’s the 12th straight day the state is under 2 percent for positive tests. The 7-day average of positive tests is currently at 1.51 percent.

After a 2-year hiatus because of the pandemic, the 13th GLOW Region Tech Wars are back on! The annual event brings middle and high school students from all 24 of the GLOW region’s school districts together to work collaboratively in teams to compete with Battlebots, boats, CAD machines and more. The event is scheduled for next Thursday, March 17 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Genesee Community College’s Batavia Campus.

The Buffalo Sabres will be back on their home ice tonight as they try and snap their two-game losing streak. The Sabres are hosting the Vegas Golden Knights at KeyBank Center. The contest will mark the Buffalo return of former Sabres captain Jack Eichel who was traded to Vegas back in November. Eichel has only played a few games this season due to his long recovery from neck surgery. Face-off for tonight’s game is set for 7:00.

Genesee County will be saving money – 70 million dollars, in fact – on the new jail project by using County Building 2 as a construction staging site. County Manager Matt Landers reported that the state Commission of Correction would permit the county’s jail transition team to be housed in County Building 2 on West Main Street Road while construction of the jail, which will be located just east of that building, is going on. The transition team will have 4 members in charge of writing policy and procedures for the new 184-bed facility. The team will be made up of current corrections officers and 4 new ones will be hired to replace them in their previous positions.

Two Batavia men have been charged in a series of robberies in Wyoming County. The Sheriff’s office there reports that 21-year-old Antwan Odom and 20-year-old Christopher McClinic have been charged with felony second-degree burglary following a multi-jurisdictional investigation. Deputies say the two committed four daytime burglaries earlier this month. The two are accused of stealing jewelry, nearly $5,000 in cash, a handgun, a crossbow, a muzzleloader, and three shotguns. Odom was arraigned and remanded to the Wyoming County Jail in lieu of $100,000 cash bail. McClinic was arraigned and released to the county’s pre-trial release program, pending future court appearances.

Organizers of the Lilac Festival in Rochester have announced the musical acts who are going to be headlining this year’s event. They include Blues Traveler, Driftwood, Black Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears, Anders Osborne and a Zac Brown tribute band. This year’s festival will run for three weekends, starting May 6th (through the 8th, May 12th through the 15th, and from May 19th through the 22nd) at Rochester’s Highland Park. More information can be found online by visiting rochesterevents.com.

Governor Hochul says members of the SNUG Street Outreach program will be expanding their presence in cities like Buffalo and Rochester that are dealing with a high number of gun crimes. The goal of the program is to mediate conflicts in communities, mentor young people and work alongside local partners to make the streets safer. The governor says all available resources are being used to stop the gun violence that’s been plaguing communities and putting the lives of residents in danger. She’s also included additional funding for the SNUG program in her state budget proposal.

Employees at three more Starbucks stores in the Buffalo-Niagara region have voted to unionize. Workers at locations in Amherst, Cheektowaga and Depew have decided to organize with Starbucks Workers United. Late last year, two other Starbucks stores in the area were the first in the country to vote in favor of unionization. So far, employees at over 100 Starbucks locations nationwide have asked the National Labor Relations Board for the ability to hold unionization votes of their own.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help out the families of two teenagers who were killed in a crash in Clarence. State Police say 17-year-old Luke Malinich was driving on Delaware Road Monday afternoon when he lost control of his vehicle, which caused it to go off the road, overturn and hit a tree. Malinich and his passenger, 17-year-old Lauren Taggart, died at the scene. Both teens were students at Williamsville South High School. Troopers say speed was a factor in the accident. So far, the GoFundMe has raised over $11,000.

Rochester police are warning residents about the recent rise in reported car break-ins across the city. They say in some cases, the windows of vehicles have been smashed so criminals can get items that are inside. Police say the best way to protect yourself is to keep any valuables like keys and wallets out of your vehicle entirely. And, if you’re the victim of a break-in, police want you to report it right away. That information will allow officers to target specific areas where the crimes are happening which could help them with making arrests.

Gas Prices keep going up in the GLOW region and across the country.  According to AAA the average in Batavia is now 4.35, a 6 cent increase from Tuesday.  1 year ago the price was 2.80.  These prices go higher than the highest they have ever been which was July of 2008.  Prices are expected to continue to rise.  

Two Batavia men have been charged in a series of robberies in Wyoming County.  The Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office says 21 year old Antwan Odom and 20 year old Christopher McClinic have been charged with felony second-degree burglary following a multi-jurisdictional investigation.  Deputies say the two committed four daytime burglaries in the town of Covington on Feb. 17. The two are accused of stealing jewelry, nearly $5,000 in cash, a handgun, a crossbow, a muzzleloader, and three shotguns.  Odom was arraigned and remanded to the Wyoming County Jail in lieu of $100,000 cash bail. McClinic was arraigned and released to the county’s pre-trial release program, pending future court appearances.

Tech Wars are back at GCC on Thursday the 17th.  Middle and High School students from all GLOW region school districts will be competing with their battlebots, boats, CAD machines, Rube Goldberg Machines and many more from 9 to 1.  The Tech Wars had to stop for the last 2 years because of the pandemic.  There is also a Mystery Competition where students will have to pit their skills against each other in a timed, on demand event.  Tech Wars is supported by many local businesses and promotes kids STEAM knowledge and skills.

Genesee County is saving a bit of money on the 70 million dollar new Jail project by using the County Building 2 as a construction staging site.  County Manager Matt Landers reported that the state Commission of Correction will permit the county’s jail transition team to be housed in County Building 2 on West Main Street Road while construction of the jail, which will be located just east of that building, is going on.  The transition team will have 4 members in charge of writing policy and procedures for the new 184 bed facility.  The team will be made up of current corrections officers and 4 new ones will be hired to replace them in their previous positions.  

UPDATE 9:05PM

Boys Basketball Class D Final

Avoca/Prattsburgh  71  Notre Dame 51

New York State is reminding home owners that beginning next Wednesday, March 16th, it will be illegal to burn brush on residential property.
This is an annual ban put in place by the State Department of Environmental Conservation and is designed to help prevent wildfires.
The statewide ban against residential brush burning continues until May 14th.

A Warsaw man just released from prison for making meth has been arrested for the same crime again.
38-year-old Dane Killian of Warsaw was just released on parole when State Police charged him with possession of hydrocodone and oxycodone without a prescription.
Troopers say Killian also had in his possession supplies need to make to make methamphetamine.
Because of his previous conviction, Killian faces 15 years in state prison.

The Batavia Muckdogs have been selected as the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce “Entrepreneurial Business of the Year.” Robbie Nichols and his wife took over the team last summer.
Nichols says he has increased game attendance and sales of season tickets. He says that the games for 2022 are nearly sold out already.

The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra will be holding a benefit concert this weekend to show support for the people of Ukraine.
The performance is scheduled for Saturday at 7:30pm inside Kodak Hall at The Eastman Theater.
The suggested donation for a seat is $20 and tickets can be bought online at rpo.org,

A new survey has named Buffalo as the 10th best city in the country to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day. The study, which was conducted by WalletHub, considered several factors such as Irish restaurants and pubs per capita, weather and the lowest price for a three-star hotel on the holiday itself.
In fact, Buffalo was ranked one spot above New York City which holds the largest Saint Patrick’s Day parade in the world.

New York state lawmakers are introducing legislation in an attempt to ease the pain at the gas pump. The New York Gas Tax Relief Act would suspend the state’s 48-cent a gallon gas tax until September 1st. It’s unclear how much that would impact prices. Gas right now is approaching four and a half dollars for a gallon of regular on average in the state. Experts put most of the blame on the Russia invasion of Ukraine.

Steve Hawley (R, Batavia)

Assemblyman Steve Hawley is calling on Governor Kathy Hochul and the Legislature to increase funding for road repairs. He and other advocates are supporting a funding increase because there is much work to be done to ensure the state’s roads are safe for those who travel on them, and help to keep supply chains moving as efficiently as possible.

The Batavia Muckdogs have been selected as the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce “Entrepreneurial Business of the Year” and team owner Robbie Nichols is thrilled that the county recognized all the work and effort that was put in to help rejuvenate baseball at Dwyer Stadium last summer. Nichols is enthusiastic about how well the team has been doing in Batavia with increased attendance, lots of fun events for the game days, sales of season tickets, and how the community has responded to the team. Nichols says that the games for 2022 are nearly sold out already.

A Wyoming County man recently released from prison and presently on parole for manufacturing methamphetamine has been charged with making meth again. State Police have charged 38-year-old Dane Killian of Warsaw with possession of hydrocodone and oxycodone without a prescription. He also had the supplies on hand to make meth. Killian now faces multiple charges and because of his previous conviction, could face up to 15 years in prison.

The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra will be holding a benefit concert this weekend to show support for the people of Ukraine. The performance is scheduled for Saturday at 7:30pm inside Kodak Hall at Eastman Theater. The suggested donation for a seat is $20 and tickets can be bought online at rpo.org, by calling 585-454-2100 or in-person at the box office. Guests five and older need to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination and masks are required to be worn through the entire performance.

The GLOW region, as is the case now in much of the state, experiences record high fuel prices. And now a timely warning from State Attorney General Letitia James to New Yorkers about potential price gouging at the gas pumps. James says now that President Biden has put a ban on Russian oil imports, stations may raise fuel prices even more. Under state law, fuel sellers aren’t allowed to charge excessive prices during a period of abnormal market disruption such as a global conflict. Right now, the average cost for a gallon of gas in Batavia is $4.35 a gallon, which is up 54 cents in just the past week. The State average is $4.37 per gallon.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has announced the annual statewide ban prohibiting residential brush burning begins next Wednesday, March 16 and continues through May 14. Since 2009, DEC has enforced the annual brush-burning ban to prevent wildfires and protect communities because spring brings with it heightened conditions for wildfires.

The Buffalo Bisons are ready to sell single game tickets starting this Saturday at 10AM. The tickets go on sale during the team’s annual free Family Day Open House. There is also a special online pre-sale of all single-game tickets with no service fees; that started today and is available through Friday. Fans can save $3.00 on every ticket bought in advance of game days this season. Opening Day is set for April 5 at Sahlen Field and there will be no mask or vaccination requirements.

40 Percent of New Yorkers say they are planning to leave the state according to a poll from Unite NY and John Zogby Strategies.  According to the poll, “high taxes and a broken political system” are the primary reasons cited for 40% of New Yorkers considering leaving the state.  The poll checked with 1000 people including 451 Democrats and 291 Republicans and the rest being independent or third party.  Nearly half the people surveyed said that New York is heading in the wrong direction.  If you want to check out the raw survey data you can follow the link at WBTAi.com.

https://johnzogbystrategies.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/X_Issues_March.pdf

The Batavia Muckdogs have been selected as the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce “Entrepreneurial Business of the Year” and team owner Robbie Nichols says it is the icing on the cake.  Nichols is enthusiastic about how well the team has been doing in Batavia with increased attendance, lots of fun events for the game days, sales of season tickets, and how the community has responded to the team.  He and his family bought a home not far from the ballpark even though his main address remains in Elmira.  Nichols says that the games for 2022 are nearly sold out already.  

There are about 100 days left till summer vacation, do you know how you’re going to spent it?  How about as a lifeguard?  Western NY has been experiencing a lifeguard shortage for several years and Buffalo and Tonawanda are calling on prospects to get trained now.  There is a dire need for trained lifeguards.  In Buffalo they need 100, they have 22.  Mayor Brown says that “The ages are 16-21. It is a well-paying job. The job pays $16/hour and we are looking for young people.”  Buffalo is trying to get just Buffalo residents to apply, but Lifeguards are needed all across Western NY.

The Buffalo Bisons are ready to sell single game tickets starting this Saturday at 10AM.  The tickets go on sale during the team’s annual free Family Day Open House.  There will also be a special online pre-sale of all single-game tickets with no service fees from Wednesday at 10 a.m. through Friday.  Fans can save $3.00 on every ticket bought in advance of game days this season.  Opening Day is set for April 5 at Sahlen Field and there will be no mask or vaccination requirements.

The weekend wind storm that blew through Genesee County, knocking out power to 2,000 homes, has also taken a life.
The Sheriff’s officer reports that 61 year old Steven K. Reber of Bergen was killed by a falling tree.
Authorities said was out walking in the woods near his home Sunday evening when a tree was blown down and struck him in the head.
Family members and first responders attempted life saving measures, nut it was too late.

We should know more about the planned development for the former K-mart site following the County Planning Board meeting on Thursday.
Bernderson Development, which owns the property at Lewiston and Parks Roads has said they plan two new out-buildings in the parking lot for an un-named restaurant and retail establishment.

There has been a change of location for tomorrow night’s Class D Boys Basketball State Qualifier. Notre Dame will take on Avoca/Prattsburg at Dansville High School. Tip off is at 7pm. Live play-by-play coverage with Pete Zehler begins at 6:50 on WBTA FM and AM and online at WBTAi-dot-com.
The game was originally scheduled to be played at Letchworth.

On today’s bad boys report:

29 year old Cameron Sokolowski of Batavia has reportedly learned the hard way – you don’t stiff a taxi driver out of a fare.
Police say once the cab reached Sokolowski’s destination, he went inside and refused to come back. He now has a date in court.

And here’s a Batavia guy busted for allegedly boosting beer.
Police say 33 year old Benito Gay took three brews from the cooler at the Kwik Fill and quickly ran out the door. Cops got him, Gay has a date in court.

Benderson Development is the owner of the land on Lewiston Road, on which the empty K-mart building sits, and is seeking a special use permit and site plan review when the county Planning Board meets via Zoom this Thursday evening. If their plan is approved, Benderson Development would like to add two businesses to the parking lot area. One of them could be a restaurant or a retail space, but will have a coffee shop as an end cap to the building. The other building will have a drive-through restaurant.

The project will also include:
■ drainage upgrades to bring the site into compliance with the current storm water regulations;
■ an increase in overall green space and landscaping;
■ utility upgrades;
■ new curbing, pavement and site lighting around the proposed buildings.

Presently, the land is used for ‘spillover’ parking for businesses in the area.

A 62-year-old Bergen man, Steven Reber, was killed while out walking. Late on Sunday during the windstorm, a tree fell striking him on the head. Family members and emergency personnel attempted life-saving measures; however, Reber died at the scene. It was a dangerously strong storm, causing many power lines, branches and trees to come down, including one tree in Centennial Park in Batavia.

The Erie County Sheriff’s Office has issued a warning about an ongoing phone scam that’s been targeting people in the region. One resident contacted the agency and said they received a call claiming to be from Amazon Tech Support. The scam resulted in over 100-dollars being withdrawn from the victim’s bank account. The sheriff’s office says that you should never give out any personal information over the phone such as your date of birth or social security number or ever give anyone money using prepaid cards or gift cards. Anyone who gets a suspicious call like this should hang up immediately.

New York Attorney General Letitia James today launched a rulemaking process to look into whether major corporations are using the pandemic and inflation as an excuse to unfairly raise the price of basic goods. This first-ever price gouging rulemaking process by the Office of the Attorney General will examine and address new evidence that some of the recent price hikes by big corporations were driven by profit not increased costs. Through this process, James aims to implement new price gouging rules that will crack down on pandemic profiteering and corporate greed. New York’s current price gouging law bans companies from taking advantage of a crisis to charge excessive prices for vital and necessary goods and services. The rulemaking process will explore growing evidence that big corporations appear to have used the pandemic as an excuse to charge more for necessary goods, such as gas and oil, food, and cars. As evidenced by the recent spike in corporate profits, many companies are not sharing in the burden of the pandemic, nor are they neutral. Evidence indicates that some companies are profiting by increasing costs for the people hit hardest by the pandemic.

The Transportation Security Administration says another step has been taken to increase the safety of travelers at one Western New York airport. The TSA has installed a new scanner at Niagara Falls International Airport that’ll provide increased detection of explosive devices and weapons at security checkpoints. The same kind of scanner will also be in place soon at Buffalo Niagara International Airport. The scanner is expected to make the screening process faster because it provides enhanced images of items that have been placed inside bags which will make it easier for TSA agents to determine if they need to be removed for closer inspection or not.

With gas prices nearing an all-time high, state lawmakers are proposing dropping or suspending the NY state Gas tax but Governor Hochul is not sure that is a good idea. She says that while there are options, she stated that there are no guarantees that suspending the gas tax would result in lower prices at the pump. Hochul wants to make sure it would actually help before she cuts into state revenues. The gas tax accounts for at least 45 cents a gallon at the pump.

Governor Hochul is promising that millions of dollars will be coming to the Finger Lakes region if her proposed state budget is approved by lawmakers. During a visit to Rochester yesterday, the governor said that 100-million bucks would go towards filling another section of Rochester’s Inner Loop. If the money is approved, construction on that project is expected to begin in 2024 and will likely wrap up in 2027. The governor says funds would also be distributed to Frontier Field and Seneca Park Zoo.

The Buffalo Sabres are now on a two-game losing streak following a poor offensive performance on home ice. John Hayden had the lone goal for Buffalo as they were beaten by the Florida Panthers six-to-one at KeyBank Center last night. Sabres goalie Craig Anderson was hoping to win his 300th career game but instead gave up six goals on the 31 shots he faced in the contest. The Sabres will continue their home stand on Thursday night when they host the Vegas Golden Knights.

A new historical marker will highlight one of the great engineering feats along the Erie Canal: the aqueduct in Medina where the Oak Orchard Creek goes under the Erie Canal with the creek then plunging in a waterfall north of the canal. The Orleans Renaissance Group will be putting up the marker, with assistance from the Medina Sandstone Society, which provided a $500 grant for the project. The Village Board has agreed to allow the marker in the Canal Basin. The image of the sign posted above was computer-generated.

The wind storm on Sunday claimed at least one life in the area.  61 year old Steven Reber was walking in the woods off Sackett Road in Bergen when a tree blown by the wind fell on him, striking him in the head and killing him.  EMTs were dispatched for a call of a man pinned and unresponsive at 5:58pm and life saving measures were attempted.  He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Governor Hochul is leary of dropping the Gas Tax.  Gas prices are on everyone’s mind as this week saw a jump of over 43 cents in just a couple of days after months of 2 or 3 cent rises a week.  Prices on average are up 1.43 since 2021 with New York and California seeing record high prices.  Democrat and Republican lawmakers are proposing dropping or suspending the NY state Gas tax but the governor isn’t so sure.  She says that while there are options, she stated that there are no guarantees that suspending the gas tax would result in lower prices at the pump.  She says she wants to make sure it would actually help before she cuts into state revenues.  The gas tax accounts for at least 45 cents a gallon at the pump.

The empty K-Mart building at the corner of Lewiston and Park road has only been used for overflow parking and a halloween store and not much else.  Its owner now has a proposal for what to do with some of the property.  Build two restaurants with drive throughs.  Benderson Development Company has sent a proposal letter to the Town Planning Board to replace some of the KMart parking lot with a 4000 square foot restaurant and a 6752 square foot restaurant and retail building.  They also plan drainage upgrades to bring the area up to code.  Parking would be significantly reduced and no details were given about what to do with the KMart building itself.  

Batavia has been named 5th most active Micropolitan in the US by Site Selection Magazine.  The ranking has to do with how the town and county invest in new businesses and shovel ready sites.  Cited in the article were significant financial investments at shovel ready sites across the county in 2021, including the Gateway II Corporate Park, Apple Tree Acres Business Park, Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park, Buffalo East Tech Park, and Western New York STAMP.  The article also talked about the Plug Power green hydrogen project going into the STAMP facility.  This is the seventeenth consecutive year that Batavia and Genesee County have been recognized as the top micropolitan for business growth in the northeast U.S., and as a top 5 micropolitan in the U.S for the 11th time since 2005.

The Sabres lost 6 to1 to the Florida Panthers for their second loss in just 2 days.  Their lone goal came from John Hayden and it was his second goal of the season.  Sam Reinhart was back playing and received an assist.  He now has 53 points in 53 games.  The Sabres play the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday at the Keybank Center at 7pm.

Western New York drivers are going to have to dig a lot deeper into their wallets when it comes time to fill up their vehicles. According to Triple A, the average cost for a gallon of regular gas is $4.18. That’s up 39 cents in the past week. The state average is $4.21 a gallon while nationally it’s an even $4.00. In Batavia, the average cost per gallon is $4.23; up 10 cents from yesterday. Last Monday, the average price here was $3.75; a month ago, $3.52; and this time last year, $2.75.

Paying those high gas prices would get much easier for whoever wins one of the two big lottery jackpots up for grabs in the next couple of days. The prize available for this evening’s Powerball game is $90,000,000 and $126,000,000 is available in tomorrow night’s Mega Millions. The cost of a ticket for each game is $2.00. Both the Mega Millions and Powerball drawings will be streamed live online. Please play responsibly.

Sunnking, the household hazardous waste recycling company based in Brockport, is returning to Batavia for another large recycling event at Genesee County Department of Social Services, 5130 E. Main Street on June 25. More details will be released closer to the event but registration opens later this month.

The high wind warning lived up to its name yesterday, with downed branches, trees and power lines throughout the GLOW region. National Grid reports at the peak of the storm, nearly 2000 households were without power in Genesee County and as of this morning, a few hundred households were still without. National Grid has been removing downed trees and wires and also replacing broken poles as they work toward restoring power.

Former Governor Andrew Cuomo blames “cancel culture” for ruining his career. In his first public speech since resigning amid sexual harassment claims, Cuomo told a church congregation in Brooklyn yesterday the Democratic Party chooses to cancel people with whom they disagree. Cuomo also continued to defend himself against sexual harassment allegations. He said, he never did anything illegal and that he didn’t realize his behavior was inappropriate by today’s standards of social norms in the workplace.

For the first time in weeks, all students at McKinley High School in Buffalo will be returning to their classrooms today. They’ve been learning remotely since early February after a violent incident at the school left a 14-year-old student and security guard hurt. Students were originally scheduled to return this Friday, but the district said over the weekend it was safe for them to return today. Until metal detectors are installed, there will be extra security measures in place such as students being checked for weapons and having their bags searched.

The Buffalo Bills have announced where they’ll be doing their preparations for the upcoming season. The team has reached a one-year deal to return to Saint John Fisher College after spending the last two years getting ready at Highmark Stadium due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This’ll be the 21st time the school hosts the Bills for training camp. Fans will be allowed to watch the players in-person and the dates and times for each practice are going to be announced in the coming weeks.

The struggles of the Buffalo Sabres are continuing following a shutout loss on home ice. The Sabres failed to score a goal in yesterday’s three-to-nothing defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Kings at KeyBank Center. The Sabres have now been beaten in seven of their last nine games and are in sixth place in the Atlantic Division with 44 points. During the third period, winger Alex Tuch suffered a shoulder injury after crashing into the goalpost. He had surgery last night and will require six months for recovery. Up next for Buffalo is another home game tonight against the Florida Panthers.

The Holland Land Office Museum will host its next trivia night on March 10. This month’s topic is Albert Einstein. Admission is $3 per person or $2 for museum members. All in attendance are required to wear face coverings. Contact the museum if you would like to attend (585) 343-4727. Those interested may also join via Zoom with links are available on the museum’s website and Facebook page.

Six Flags Darien Lake, Six Flags Darien Lake, Thrill Capital of New York, is planning to change their name from Splashtown Water Park to Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, and launching a new, 60-foot tall slide for the 2022 season. Wahoo Wave will rank as one of the tallest water rides in the water park.
The new, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor additions will include the following features:
· Expanded seating and additional lounge chairs;
· Improved shaded areas;
· A ‘selfie’ photo spot featuring a 20-foot shark prop; and
· New, tropically themed wave pool mural.
The Wahoo Wave slide complex features:
· Near vertical motions on a four-person tube;
· Thirty-foot vertical plunge;
· Whirlpool bowl;
· Huge water wave wall, where guests will feel zero-gravity bliss; and
· Refreshing catch pool.
Construction on Wahoo Wave has begun and is expected to be complete when the water park opens this May.