Local News

The Erie county department of health put out a warning yesterday of a new scam where people call pretending to be contact tracers and then ask for information that could be used to steal credit card or bank account information.  They remind the public that contact tracers will only ask for “identifying” information name, address, contact phone number and date of birth. A contact tracer from New York State will never ask for a driver’s license number, social security number, credit card or bank account information.  If you get one of these calls and think it’s a scam hang up and call the FTC at 1-877-382-4357 to report the number that called you.

The Genesee county park and forest is offering winter wonderland hikes starting on Saturday the 9^th of January.  Preregistration is required for these guided hikes snow or no snow.  The daytime hikes are from 1 to 3pm.  They are also offering night time hikes for people 18 and up from 7 to 9pm.  Cost is 5 dollars a person or 15 for a family.  Call 585 344 1122 for details and to register.

Niagara Falls will be lit up Buffalo Bills Blue today overnight into Saturday for the first 15 minutes of every hour in anticipation of the playoff game against the Colts.

What started as an 8-acre development project in East Pembroke has now nearly doubled.
The Genesee Gateway Local Development Corporation has approved the sale of a 5.8 acre parcel in what’s known as the Buffalo East technology Park.
J R Fancher Property Holdings bought the property. It is adjacent to an 8-acre site the company already owns directly off of Thruway exit 48-A at state routes 5 and 77.
The original project submitted by J&R Fancher last year includes the construction of mixed-use buildings including market-rate housing and commercial space.

Governor Cuomo is praising hospitals statewide for speeding up the process of vaccinating people against COVID-19. He says on Monday, hospitals were only giving out only 10,000 shots a day, but that number has already surged to over 50,000 a day.

Chris Hayward

The long and distinguished careers of Le Roy Police Chief Chris Hayward and Detective John Condidorio have been recognized by their colleagues from across the area.
The retirement of both men was honored during a ceremony at LeRoy Village Hall.

LeRoy Police Chief Chris Hayward:

John Condidorio

For Detective Condidorio, it was an emotional moment:

The ceremony was attended by members of the law enforcement community from throughout the county.
The incoming LeRoy Police Chief is Gregg Kellogg.

For the first time in over two decades, the Buffalo Bills will be hosting a home playoff game this weekend. The AFC East champions will be taking on the Indianapolis Colts at Bills Stadium in Orchard Park tomorrow. And for the first time this season, the state is allowing fans in the stands. Over six-thousand people are going to watch the contest in person, so long as they’ve tested negative for COVID-19.Kick-off is set for tomorrow at 1pm.

In just a few hours, someone could find themselves over a half-billion dollars richer. That’s because $510-million is for grabs during tonight’s Mega Millions drawing. The jackpot for the popular lottery game is currently the eighth largest in its history.

Some positive news for baseball in Batavia. City Hall confirms that it has received a proposal to place a new team on the Dwyer Stadium field this summer. The proposal comes from Robbie Nichols who pursued a team associated with the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League. Nichols, a former National Hockey League player, owns a team in Elmira that’s part of the league. The Batavia City Council will be asked to approve a Dwyer Stadium lease agreement with Nichols this Monday night. Nichols tells us he will have more to say about the team during a news conference on Tuesday, following Monday’s council meeting. He said three names for the Batavia team are under consideration – one of them, is the Muckdogs.

The long and distinguished careers in law enforcement for Le Roy Police Chief Chris Hayward and Detective John Condidorio came to a close Thursday with a ceremony at Village Hall attended by members of the law enforcement community from throughout the county. The emotional detective said “it’s time to go.” The two men were honored also with commemorative shadow boxes presented by incoming Chief Gregg Kellogg, a new sidearm, and awards from the Le Roy Fire Department.

Genesee County now reports another 59 new cases of COVID-19. Twenty-six of the positive individuals are hospitalized. Three of the new cases are residents at Premier Genesee Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation; One is a resident at the Batavia VA Medical Center while another is a resident at the New York State Veterans’ Home at Batavia. It’s worse to our north, where Orleans County on Thursday reported 78 news cases. Fourteen people remain hospitalized. In Wyoming County, 40 new cases were confirmed.

Court action is pending for a Holley woman who faces multiple felony counts. State police say they arrested 19-year-old Melissa Kuhn. She was charged with felony burglary and felony grand larceny. Troopers said those counts stemmed from an incident December 22^nd in the Town of Ridgeway. Kuhn was initially detained on cash bail.

Some positive news for Baseball in Batavia.
City Hall confirms that it has received a proposal to place a collegiate on the Dwyer Stadium field this summer.
The proposal comes from Robbie Nichols who pursued a team associated with the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League.
Nichols, a former National Hockey League player, owns a team in Elmira that’s part of the league.

WBTA asked him today, why Batavia?

 Robbie Nichols PHOTO: WETM

The Batavia City Council will be asked to approve a Dwyer Stadium lease agreement with Nichols this Monday night.
So what level of baseball can be expected?

Nichols tells us he will have more to say about the team during a news conference on Tuesday, following Monday’s council meeting.
He said three names for the Batavia team are under consideration – one of them, is the Muckdogs.

Governor Cuomo has deployed one-thousand members of the New York National Guard to Washington, DC.
In a statement, the governor says they’ll be in the nation’s capital for up to two weeks to ensure a peaceful transition of presidential power.
The governor called the capitol demonstrations yesterday a failed attempt at a coup.

When the governor gives his State of the State address Monday, part of the speech will focus on recreational marijuana legalization. One part of his plan would create the Office of Cannabis Management which would oversee both medical and recreational use of the drug. Since 2019, the governor has pushed the Legislature to legalize recreational marijuana but those efforts have fallen short. He says making it happen now will generate much-needed revenue for the Empire State.

While there will be over six-thousand fans at Bills Stadium this weekend, Governor Cuomo won’t be among them. He’s decided to skip the contest and give his ticket a nurse working at Erie County Medical Center. The governor says the gesture is a way to show support for people who have been on the frontlines of the coronavirus crisis. Instead of being at the game, the governor will be working on his State of the State Address.

City Hall has received a proposal for a collegiate team to play at Dwyer Stadium this Summer.  Robbie Nichols, a former National Hockey League Player, owns a team in Elmira and is proposing a team associated with the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League.  City Council will vote on a proposed lease agreement for Dwyer Stadium during council’s business meeting on Monday night. Nichols tells WBTA he will have more to say about the team at a News Conference on Tuesday. He said three names for the Batavia team are under consideration – one of them, is the Muckdogs.

Governor Cuomo has deployed one-thousand members of the New York National Guard to Washington, DC.  In a statement, the governor says they’ll be in the nation’s capital for up to two weeks to ensure a peaceful transition of presidential power.  The governor called the capitol demonstrations yesterday a failed attempt at a coup.

Governor Cuomo says that this is the year for the legalization of marijuana for recreational use in New York state.  It has been bought up 3 time so far and each time in the past has been defeated.  Cuomo says that this could help close the billions of dollars gap in the budget by 300 million dollars a year.

COVID Update: Genesee county has 53 new cases and 47 people have recovered.  25 people are hospitalized.  16 of the new cases are at Premiere Genesee, 7 are at Leroy Village Green, 2 are at Genesee Senior Living and 1 is at the New York State Veterans Home.  1 person at Genesee Senior Living and one person at Leroy Village Green have passed away.  Orleans county has 34 new cases and 42 people have recovered.  17 people are hospitalized.  There are 227 active cases in Genesee county and 232 in Orleans.

The Genesee county conservative party has released a letter condemning the violence in Washington DC yesterday.  It reads in part “While we understand the right to peacefully protest, we do not condone trespassing onto the Capitol, putting police officers’ lives at risk, and destroying and stealing property. Political violence is never the answer.  We strongly support the First Amendment and the ability to speak your mind, peacefully assemble, and protest. We encourage all Americans to stand up for their constitutional rights, voice their opinions, and demand change.”  City Council President Eugene Jankowski also released a statement condemning the violence, as did Representative Steve Hawley and Congressman Chris Jacobs.

New York State Attorney General Letitia James is warning of a new scam targeting people with grandkids.  Scammers are calling and pretending to be their grandkids and asking for money.  Be on guard and if you have any reason to doubt you are actually on the phone with a loved one, say there is a bad connection or you can’t understand them, hang up and call other family to see if they called you.  Never send cash through the mail or buy gift cards in order to transfer money.

The UK strain of COVID is most likely in Monroe County according to experts at University of Rochester Medicine.  The Saratoga Springs positive case was not a person who traveled outside of the US or the state so the belief is that he was infected by community spread.  Based on spread and the movements of people within the state officials believe that the UK strain has spread to most cities in NY already.  The testing is still very early and expensive so not many people have been checked for the new strain.  Governor Cuomo warns of the new strain being more infectious and the possibility of overwhelming hospitals.

Empire State Development today announced the more than $3 million “Raising the Bar” Restaurant Recovery Fund to assist restaurants in New York State during the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund is for restaurants to buy and install equipment in order to comply with COVID 19 regulations and also set up outdoor dining during the winter.  Qualifying purchases and expenditures must be from Sept. 1, 2020 onward to be eligible. Initial round of grants are up to $5,000.

COVID Update: Genesee county has 91 new cases and 35 people have recovered.  21 people are hospitalized.  1 resident at Genesee Senior Living and a resident at Leroy Village Green have passed away from COVID.  Orleans County has 25 new cases and 20 people have recovered.  19 people are hospitalized.  There are 228 active cases in Genesee county and 241 in Orleans.  There was a covid positive person at Denny’s in Batavia from 9:30am-3:30pm on December 29^th and 30^th.  If you were at Denny’s during these times monitor yourself for symptoms for the next 14 days.

The petition worked!  Or at least it looks like it did, Governor Cuomo has announced that he will not attend the Bills first playoff game on Saturday.  Instead he is giving his ticket to an ECMC Nurse.  At the time of the announcement more than 40 thousand people had signed the petition for Cuomo not to attend the game.  Cuomo says that he has to re-write the state of the state address because of the results of the Georgia Run off election.

Batavia Downs has chosen the 6 people who will be given playoff tickets.  Batavia downs accepted nominations for frontline and healthcare workers before the new year and says that hundreds of nominations were received.  The winners are Kaitlin from ECMC, Dan from Rochester General, Stephen from the Buffalo Medical Group, Melinda from Rochester Regional Health, Paula from Buffalo General and Cortney from ECMC.

Ninety-one…that’s the number of new COVID cases reported in Genesee County. Since last March, there have been more than 2,700 confirmed cases. The new infections involve people from 13 different communities. Two more county residents have also died from virus-related complications. Health department officials say one person resided at Genesee Senior Living and the other resided at the Leroy Village Green Residential Healthcare Facility. Both were over 65 years old. Orleans County on Tuesday reported 25 new cases while Wyoming County officials reported 28 new cases.

Southern Tier Congressman Tom Reed says he won’t challenge the presidential election results today. The Corning Republican issued a statement Tuesday and said– quote – “The Constitution makes clear; Congress cannot overrule states and their designated electors.” Reed said he must be true to the oath he took to uphold the Constitution and will not object to any state’s electors. His district runs from Chautauqua County east to Ithaca,

The numbers keep growing…The Buffalo Bills and some of their fans will be back in the stadium for their first home playoff game in years and Governor Cuomo wants to come to.  And a lot of fans don’t want him there.  There is an online petition on change.org that has more than 28,000 signatures demanding that Cuomo be banned from attending.

Genesee County is calling upon one its own to provide experience and support while it conducts a search to fill the vacant youth bureau executive director position. The legislature’s Human Services Committee has voted in favor of creating a deputy youth bureau executive director, a temporary title that County Manager Matt Landers said will be given to Chelsea Elliott, who has worked for the county for the past seven years. Landers said the resolution passed by Human Services (and subject to a vote of the full legislature) calls for the full-time deputy position to run for up to six months. The change at the top of the county’s youth bureau comes as the City of Batavia, which has shared the county executive director for its youth programming, explores the possibility of contracting with an outside agency to provide city youth services.

Public workshops have been scheduled for the Genesee 2050 Comprehensive Plan and Recreation Plan. The Comprehensive Plan update will help Genesee County craft a new vision for its future and strategies to realize that vision. The new recreation plan will help the county better respond to residents’ wants and needs for recreation facilities and better connect existing assets with residents. Officials say public engagement is a crucial element of the process to ensure residents are aware of the planning process and that everyone has ample opportunity to weigh in. The workshops have been scheduled for 1 p.m., Tuesday, January 19 and 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, January 20. The workshops will be held virtually on the Zoom platform. The content of each is identical, so participants need not plan on attending both, although they are welcome to do so.

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York is announcing that the bipartisan FY 2021 appropriations package includes $5 million in funding for the Rural Innovation Stronger Economy, or RISE grant program. The program was authorized under the 2018 Farm Bill in a provision based off Gillibrand’s Rural Jobs and Investment Act of 2018. The senator says the RISE grant program will provide essential federal dollars to help rebuild diminished rural economies.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will purchase an additional $1.5 billion worth of food for nationwide distribution through the Farmers to Families Food Box Program. In total, USDA has distributed more than 32 million food boxes in support of American farmers and families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is calling again for the legalization of marijuana for recreational use by adults.
Cuomo plans to announce his proposal today as part of his upcoming State of the State agenda.
It calls for the creation of a new Office of Cannabis Management that would oversee recreational use as well as existing medical use.
Cuomo’s latest legalization proposal follows two unsuccessful attempts in 2019 and 2020 to fully legalize marijuana.

Here are the latest COVID statistics in Genesee County over the past 24 hours: There have been 91 new cases, 21 of those are hospitalized.
Two new deaths have been reported, both over the age of 65. One person resided at Genesee Senior Living and one at LeRoy Village Green.
Total deaths in the county now stand at 33.

Work is underway to boost the process of distributing COVID-19 vaccine to millions of New Yorkers. The state is creating a network of locations where people can go to get themselves protected from the virus. Places like pharmacies, urgent care centers and private doctors’ offices will all be working together once more people are eligible to get their shots. Earlier this week, hospitals were asked to speed up their vaccination efforts or face a potential fine.

Members of the state Senate and Assembly will get back to work today as a new legislative session begins. They’re expected to spend the next few days nominating leaders and taking care of other business. From there, the focus will shift to several issues that need to be addressed in the coming months. That includes helping close a multi-billion dollar budget gap and how to handle the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.

Starting today, fans with tickets to this weekend’s Buffalo Bills game can begin getting tested for COVID-19. A negative result is mandatory for anyone who wants to attend Saturday afternoon’s contest against the Indianapolis Colts. Screening got underway in Lot Four of Bills Stadium in Orchard Park this morning and will continue into tomorrow. A test will cost $63 apiece and anyone who is positive will have their ticket and parking costs refunded.

Despite saying earlier that mid January was the projected start of vaccinating the general population, now health officials in New York say that early to mid summer is far more realistic.  Governor Cuomo says the main source of the slowdown is at the hospital level.  Cuomo says only about half of state-run hospitals are acting fast enough to distribute their allotments of the COVID-19 vaccine. If they don’t use it by the end of the week, that could mean a fine of up to 100 thousand dollars from the state and that hospital system not being able to get vaccines in the future.

A man in Saratoga county has been confirmed to have the UK mutation of the COVID virus.  He is a 60 year old man who works at a jewelry store, 3 other employees at N. Fox Jewelers at 404 Broadway in Saratoga Springs, also tested positive for COVID but it is not know if it is the new strain.

The Governor also announced the priority list of New Yorkers to get the COVID-19 shot.  Beginning today all front line high risk care workers who provide direct in person care as well as all public health care workers who provide direct in-person care, including those who conduct COVID-19 tests and handle lab specimens. Beginning this week, eligibility will also be expanded to include home care workers, hospice workers, and nursing home and other congregate setting workers who have yet to receive a vaccine through the federal nursing home vaccination program.  Cuomo also said that if anyone not on the list to receive the vaccine gets it then the practitioner who administered it will be fined up to a million dollars and stripped of their medical license.

COVID Update:  In the last 4 days Genesee county has 166 new case and 141 people have recovered.  11 people are hospitalized.  3 of the new cases are at the Batavia VA medical center and 2 are at Leroy Village Green.  2 residents at Leroy Village Green have passed from COVID.  Orleans county has 101 new cases and 65 people have recovered.  16 people are hospitalized.  1 person has passed away in the community.

Residents on Ellicott street, Harvester Ave, and Colorado ave will have their water turned off while the water department changes out a fire hydrant on Wednesday between 8 and 3.  If they can’t do this Wednesday it will be done at the same time on Thursday.

The Bills and some of their fans will be back in the stadium for their first playoff game and Governor Cuomo wants to come to.  And a lot of fans don’t want him there.  There is an online petition on change.org that has nearly 19000 signatures demanding that Cuomo be banned from attending.

New York State motorists who can’t afford to pay your traffic fines all at once, don’t worry about it. You can use the installment plan, and don’t worry about your license being suspended either.
Governor Cuomo has signed The Driver’s License Suspension Reform Act.
The new law ends the practice of suspending the licenses of people who haven’t been able to pay their fines in full.
It will also allow people who currently have suspended licenses because of traffic debt to get them back.

Two more people have died from COVID-19 in Genesee County.
Both were over 65 and were residents of the LeRoy Village Green healthcare facility. This brings the county’s coronavirus death toll to 31 since the pandemic began.
Genesee County’s seven-day positivity rate is 12.4 percent.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo

In the Finger Lakes region, which includes Genesee County, the hospitalization rate is the highest in the state and the positivity rate is among the highest.
In his daily briefing late this morning the governor singled out our region:

A Corfu man now faces felony and other charges stemming from a serious vehicle crash last September in Elba.
Genesee County deputies have arrested 33-year-old Derek McQueen.
He was charged with felony vehicular assault and driving while ability impaired by drugs among other charges.

Republican Assemblyman Steve Hawley of Batavia is calling on the Legislature to reject an assembly bill which would give the Governor the authority to detain individuals determined to be a threat to public health. Hawley says he opposes this legislation and says he believes it is unconstitutional and in violation of the right to due process.

Since the last update, Genesee County now reports 166 new COVID cases and two more deaths. The new infections involve residents from 11 communities, including Batavia and Le Roy. 11 of the positive individuals are hospitalized. The deaths involved two residents at the LeRoy Village Green Residential Healthcare Facility. Orleans County reported 101 new COVID cases, along with another death.

Wyoming County deputies have released new information on a head-on vehicle crash December 20^th in the Town of Covington. After investigating, deputies say they arrested 56-year-old Joanne Harper of Pavilion. Following standardized field sobriety testing, Harper was placed under arrest for driving while ability impaired by drugs. Harper was ultimately charged with Failure to Keep Right and DWAI Drugs. Harper was released with appearance tickets and is scheduled to appear in the Town of Covington Court at a later date.

A former postal worker has been accused of delaying or destroying mail. The U.S. Attorney’s Office leveled charges against 27-year-old Brandon Wilson of Buffalo. In court, he pleaded guilty. The charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. Prosecutors said Wilson was found near the Peace Bridge with 701 mailings, and an employee uniform and employee identification badge. The mailings included three (3) official absentee ballots mailed from the Board of Elections to voters. Wilson admitted that he was a postal carrier who kept custody of the mailings after failing to complete his delivery route. Sentencing is scheduled for May 6.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced the latest prioritization for New Yorkers eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Beginning today, eligibility is being expanded to include all outpatient/ambulatory front-line, high-risk health care workers who provide direct in-person patient care, as well as all public health care workers who provide direct in-person care, including those who conduct COVID-19 tests and handle lab specimens. Beginning this week, eligibility will also be expanded to include home care workers, hospice workers, and nursing home and other congregate setting workers who have yet to receive a vaccine through the federal nursing home vaccination program.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley is calling on his colleagues in the Legislature to reject Assembly Bill 416, which would give the Governor or his surrogates the authority to detain individuals determined to be a threat to public health. Hawley says he opposes this legislation and says he believes it is unconstitutional and in violation of the right to due process. Hawley said…“Protecting the health of our neighbors is a noble goal to be certain, but this bill forfeits our constitutional liberty in a way we can never allow. Hawley added that “This is yet another piece of legislation from a downstate member of the Majority that blatantly disregards the constitution and causes people to distrust their government. People being detained on a whim just isn’t something that should ever happen in our country.”

Governor Andrew Cuomo says that nursing home first stage vaccinations will be completed in the Empire State in 2 weeks but that is far behind predictions and even what other states are achieving.  Florida has 823 people vaccinated per 100000 whereas New York has only 723 per hundred thousand, 14 percent less than the sunshine state, according to the CDC.  Statewide only 46 percent of doses shipped to hospitals have been administered.  Some hospitals are thinking of giving only half doses to speed initial vaccination up.  On the Weekends and holidays far fewer people were being vaccinated.  The governor is calling on the healthcare industry to go faster or face fines.  Several state legislators have called on the government to open 24 hour facilities just for vaccinations.

Are you selling a car yourself?  Watch out for scammers who ask to take a test drive and then never come back.  The New York State Police are warning of people answering used car ads and asking to take a test drive.  Two or more people will go on a test drive with the vehicle for sale. At some point during the test drive, the suspects ask the vehicle owner to step out, stating they hear a weird noise or think something is wrong with the vehicle.  Once the owner steps out of the car, the suspect will drive off with the vehicle and drop the other person or persons off to retrieve the vehicle they drove to the test ride.  This scam has occurred in Livingston, Wayne, Monroe and other counties in the area.

The Bills smacked down the Dolphins ending their season with a big win against a major rival on Sunday 56 to 26.  This is the first time that the Bills have ever swept the Dolphins, the Patriots and the Jets in one season.  The Bills are in the number 2 seed and are set to face off against the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday in Buffalo.  6700 fans will be allowed in the stands along with Governor Cuomo although there is a petition with over 7500 signatures to ban Cuomo from attending.

Chris Jacobs (R-NY 27)

Chris Jacobs calls it the honor of his life, being sworn in as New York’s 27th District Congressman.
Jacobs took the oath of office in Washington yesterday.
He is beginning his first full, two year term representing Genesee County and much of Western New York.
Jacobs says his focus will be on rebuilding Western New York’s economy, supporting small business and farmers and investing in new infrastructure.

New York State lawmakers will be getting back to work this week as a new legislative session is set to begin. Members of the Senate and Assembly are going to convene on Wednesday with most of their discussions likely taking place virtually. Talks over the next few months are expected to center on several issues including increasing taxes on wealthy Empire State residents and recreational marijuana legalization. Governor Cuomo will lay out his plans for the year ahead during his State of the State address Wednesday.

On the bad boys report:
18 year old Dylan Pehrson of Batavia charged with felony grand larceny among other charges.
Batavia police they were called to a domestic dispute where Pherson allegedly took items from his victim by force and then smashed them.

38 year old William Kapelke  facing a slew of charges following a domestic dispute that became physical.
Deputies say Kapelke allegedly choked his wife in front of the couple’s child, who was under the age of 17.
Kapelke was arraigned on the charges…then released on his own recognizance.

Our weekly gasoline price check –down two cents a gallon, on average, in Batavia. Current average: $2.27 a gallon, last week $2.25. according to Triple A

In the unlikely event you haven’t heard:
The Buffalo Bills cap off a historic regular season with a huge win against a division rival. Quarterback Josh Allen threw for 224 yards and tossed three touchdowns as Buffalo dominated the Miami Dolphins 56 to 26 at Bills Stadium yesterday. Allen also set team records for touchdown passes, completions and passing yards as Buffalo secured the number-two seed in the AFC playoffs. Up next is a home postseason game against the Indianapolis Colts this Saturday afternoon.

Court action is pending for a Batavia man who faces multiple counts following a domestic dispute on West Main Street Road in Batavia. 38-year-old William Kapelke is accused of choking his wife during a heated verbal and physical argument. The incident allegedly occurred in front of a child under the age of 17. Genesee County deputies arrested him and charged him criminal obstruction of breathing and endangering the welfare of a child. Kapelke was arraigned at the county jail and released on his own recognizance. He was ordered to appear in court March 3^rd.

A Genesee County grand jury has handed up indictments against two people for felony crimes here. The pair, and others, also have charges pending in multiple other counties. 47-year-old Tarus Fluitt and 29-year-old Jennifer D. Abrams face charges of third-degree burglary, second-degree criminal mischief, third-degree grand larceny – all felonies and fifth-degree conspiracy. Across the region, there have been more than two dozen similar crimes.

New York State Police are warning people of a scam involving test driving of vehicles. There have been multiple instances of people answering online ads to buy privately owned used vehicles in Western New York, according to police. Two or more people will go on a test drive with the vehicle for sale. At some point during the test drive, the suspect(s) ask the vehicle owner to step out, stating they hear a weird noise or think something is wrong with the vehicle. Once the owner steps out of the car, the suspect will drive off with the vehicle. This scam has occurred in Livingston, Wayne, Monroe and other counties in the area. State Police urge citizens to be vigilant and careful with transactions like this and suggest selling used vehicles in front of security cameras or have additional persons with you when attempting a private sale of a motor vehicle.

The Buffalo Bills will open up the playoffs against the Indianapolis Colts. The game will be in Orchard Park Saturday at 1PM. After the Bills locked up the 2 seed with the blowout of the Dolphins 56-26 yesterday, the Colts beat the Jags to lock up a Wild Card spot. The Colts are coached by former Bills quarterback Frank Reich. Sunday’s win gives the Bills 13 victories on the season for just the 3rd time in franchise history. Both of those previous seasons ended with the Bills in the Super Bowl. Yesterday’s win also gave the Bills an undefeated record in the AFC East for the first time in franchise history.

In the Finger Lakes Region, there are currently 892 COVID patients hospitalized. The Region has 31% of hospital beds available. 397 patients are in an Intensive Care Unit. On Sunday, another 138 deaths were reported.

A Batavia teen will appear in court next month to answer multiple felony counts. Batavia police recently arrested 18-year-old Dylan Pehrson of Franklin Street. He was charged with third-degree robbery, grand larceny and criminal mischief, all felony crimes. Police said they were called to a domestic dispute where Pehrson allegedly forcibly took items from the victim and broke property. He’s due in city court February 18^th.

Congressman Chris Jacobs was sworn into the 117^th Congress Sunday. In a statement, he said serving Western New York is the honor of a lifetime. He said his focus will be on rebuilding Western New York’s economy, supporting small businesses and farmers, and investing in new infrastructure – including rural broadband.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo vowed on Sunday that he will not take the COVID-19 vaccine until it is available for Black, Hispanic and poor communities around New York. Cuomo made the announcement during remarks to a Baptist Church in Harlem.

A Fire on Lake road in Avon has claimed the life of 65 year old Lawrence Stevens.  At about 8:25 pm on Wednesday sheriffs, fire and ems were dispatched to a home after a report of a house fire to find one person outside who said her husband was still inside.  Deputies were unable to enter the home because of too much smoke but the fire department arrived and were able to get Mr. Lawrence out of the basement.  Unfortunately EMT’s were unable to revive him.  One Deputy was treated for smoke inhalation at the scene and the woman was sent to Strong Memorial as a precaution.  The fire was quickly extinguished.

Orleans county health department announced that they have a drive through testing site at the walk in clinic.  The drive through site will use the new test kits, binax cards and Abbott machines provided by the Ny State Health Department.  Rapid tests are free.  Health officials remind the public that if they believe they have been exposed to self isolate and wait 3-5 days before going to get tested so they don’t get a negative result from going too soon.

COVID Update from Thursday: Genesee county has 75 new cases and 83 people have recovered.  7 people are hospitalized.  4 of the new cases are at Leroy Village Greens.  Orleans County has 34 new cases and 24 people have recovered.  13 people are hospitalized.  We are saddened to report one person passing away in Orleans county from COVID.  The next COVID update will include cases from Friday through Monday.

The Holland Land Office Museum will have different hours for the month of January.  The museum will be open from Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will be closed Sunday through Tuesday.  Beginning in February, the museum will reopen on Tuesdays.

William Sheron Jr Was sworn in as Sheriff of Genesee County on Wednesday by The Honorable Thomas Graham.  Sheron will be serving his second term as Sheriff.  Sheron has had a long career of service including 21 years as undersheriff.  Bradley Mazur is his undersheriff.

Genesee county health officials hosted an update for the Covid situation in the county this morning.  Health director Paul Pettit talked about the vaccinations, the case numbers and the new mutation of coronavirus.  He said that the numbers of people vaccinated in the county is lower than hoped.  Nationally vaccination is lagging as well as less than a fifth of doses delivered have been administered.  So far, in Genesee county group 1A, primarily health care workers, Pettit says 284 shots have been given and those have gone to employees of UMMC.  Group 1B are first responders such as police, fire and EMS.  Pettit was also asked about the new variant of the coronavirus. As of today, 30 people in Genesee County have died from COVID-19.

Watch out on the roads New Years day as Livingston and Wyoming Counties are under a Winter Weather Advisory for Freezing rain!  Authorities are expecting up to a tenth of an inch of ice from 2 to midnight Friday night.

COVID Update: Genesee county has 142 new cases and 68 people have recovered.  4 people re hospitalized.  20 of the new cases are at Leroy Village Green, 8 are at the NY Veterans Home, 2 are at Genesee Senior Living 1 is at the VA medical center and 1 is at Premier Genesee.  We are saddened to report a person passing at Leroy Village Green and at The NY Veterans Home and a Genesee county resident passing.  Orleans County has 40 new cases and 16 people have recovered.  21 people are hospitalized.  There are 173 active cases in Genesee county and 195 in Orleans.

The Buffalo Bills can have fans in the stands for their first playoff game.  And Governor Cuomo will be one of them.  Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday the state and the team reached an agreement on a pilot program allowing for some fans to be present at the game.  The state and the Bills had been working together recently in an attempt to broker an agreement. Under the program, about 6700 fans will be allowed in the stadium 6,200 of them being   season ticketholders.  Masks and distancing will be required. Tests will be conducted before fans enter the stadium, and contact tracing work will take place as they leave.  A $63 fee for testing will be factored into the ticket costs. There will be drive-thru testing in the stadium’s parking lots.  The governor announced that he will be in attendance at the first playoff game.

The Bills will be playing against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday but the Dolphins will be without their star quarterback.  Ryan Fitzpatrick is out with COVID 19.

COVID cases are soaring across the local area. On Wednesday, health officials reported 142 new positive cases in Genesee County alone. The new infections involved residents from Batavia, Le Roy, Oakfield and ten other communities. Twenty of the new positive cases are residents at LeRoy Village Green Residential Healthcare Facility. Eight are residents at the New York State Veterans Home – At Batavia while another two involve residents of Genesee Senior Living. Premier Genesee Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation and the Batavia VA Medical Center each reported one new case. Three more deaths were reported, as well.

Orleans County on Wednesday reported 40 new COVID cases with a total of twenty-one people hospitalized. In Wyoming County, twenty-seven new cases have been confirmed and health officials say they are managing a total of 104 active cases with people in quarantine.

The Batavia Town Board has called for a “timeout” as it attempts to keep up with the changing landscape of the solar farm industry. During a special meeting, the board passed a resolution to hold a public hearing to consider Local Law No. 1 of 2021, Establishing a Town of Batavia Moratorium on Solar Energy Systems. The public hearing is set for 7 p.m. Jan. 20 at Batavia Town Hall on West Main Street Road.

New York State has temporarily suspended visitation at all state prisons due to rising COVID-19 cases among the incarcerated population, staff and the surrounding communities. The suspension continues until further notice. According to the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision website, non-contact legal visits will still be allowed to continue under previously announced protocols.

To maximize access to COVID-19 vaccines for all Americans, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently announced partnerships with large chain pharmacies and networks that represent independent pharmacies and regional chains. Tops Friendly Markets pharmacies are proud to be participants in this program. Both Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna have developed COVID-19 vaccines that have been authorized for emergency use by the FDA. Each vaccine is a two dose series. Once Phase 2 of the vaccine distribution begins and it is made available to retail pharmacies, Tops will follow the guidelines set forth by state and federal governments. No official timeframe has been given on when that will be. The CDC’s goal is for every adult who wants a vaccine to have it by the end of 2021.

When the Bills hit the field for their first playoff game, they’ll have fans watching over them in the stands. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday the state and the team reached an agreement on a pilot program allowing for some fans to be present at the game. The state and the Bills had been working together recently in an attempt to broker an agreement. Under the pilot program, about 6,700 season ticketholders will be allowed in the stadium. Masks and distancing will be required. Tests will be conducted before fans enter the stadium, and contact tracing work will take place as they leave.

Tops Markets, Batavia

Tops Friendly Market is partnering with the Department of health and human services to provide COVID-19 vaccines.  Tops says the vaccine will be made available to retail pharmacies during Phase II of distribution and it will follow all guidelines set forth by the state and federal governments. No official time frame has been given yet but Governor Cuomo has said that late January may be the time when the vaccine can be given to the general population

COVID Update: Genesee county has 52 new cases and 118 people have recovered.  34 people are hospitalized.  7 of the new cases are at the VA nursing home.  6 are at Leroy Village Green and 3 are at Premier Genesee.  We are saddened to report 5 deaths from coronavirus, 1 person was at Genesee Senior Living and 1 was at Premier Genesee.  Orleans county has 63 new cases and 39 people have recovered.  19 people are hospitalized.  There are 202 active cases in Genesee county and 171 in Orleans.

Genesee County Health Department officials are planning to issue a complete COVID-19 update at 10:30 tomorrow morning.

WBTA News will carry that update live.

Ready for wine, in a can?  Although they have been available in 12.7 oz cans New York has now made it legal for wineries to sell wine and cider in 12 and 8.4 ounce cans.  “Today’s decision to allow winemakers to sell their products in the most popular-sized cans will lead to further economic growth and allow producers to capitalize on an explosive trend,” Schumer said in a statement. “I’m proud to have helped New York’s wine industry cut through the bureaucratic red tape, can regulations that weren’t helping anybody, and uncork the full potential of the Upstate economy.”  Over the last 10 years canned wine has become a 200 million dollar year industry.

Health officials report additional COVID-related deaths in Genesee County. A resident at Genesee Senior Living and a resident at Premier Genesee Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation succumbed to the virus. Three other community residents also died. 52 new positive cases were also confirmed. Orleans County reports 63 new cases and Wyoming County report two dozen additional cases.

Genesee County deputies have charged a 20-year-old man with first-degree rape. That count was leveled against Juan Mendez of Holley. Investigators allege he had sex with a person who was unable to consent due to the level of intoxication. Mendez is being held in the Genesee County Jail on $2,500 cash bail. He will return to court January 28^th.

A Le Roy teenager is in trouble with the law…19-year-old Tyler B. Williams of Summit Street was arrested by the Le Roy Police Department and charged with felony second-degree burglary, possession of burglar tools and second-degree criminal trespass. Williams was arrested after he allegedly unlawfully entering an occupied village residence at 3 a.m., while the occupants were asleep upstairs. They awoke upon hearing noises in the upstairs hallway and the homeowner confronted Williams at gunpoint, holding him until the police arrived. No one was hurt during the incident and no shots were fired. This investigation is ongoing and anyone with information or having similar incidents is asked to contact the Le Roy Police Department.

The City of Batavia is requesting proposals from qualified agencies to provide Afterschool Programming/Youth Services and Summer Recreation Program for eligible youth from the City of Batavia for the 2021-2022 fiscal year. To be considered, the City must receive the proposal in the City Manager’s Office by close of business Jan. 15. Interested parties can find information on the City’s website.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced updated quarantine guidelines for New York which are consistent with the latest Centers for Disease Control guidance. Under the new guidelines, individuals exposed to COVID-19 can end their quarantine after 10 days without a testing requirement as long as no symptoms have been reported during the quarantine period. After day 10 is reached, individuals must continue monitoring for symptoms through day 14 and if any develop, they should immediately self-isolate and contact the local health department or their healthcare provider to report this change and determine if they should seek testing. Individuals should continue strict adherence to all recommended safe behaviors to stop the spread – wearing masks, socially distancing and avoiding gatherings.

The 600 dollar stimulus check payments may be going out as early as later this week.  This is 600 dollars a person in a family where each adult makes less than 75 thousand dollars each, so a family of 4 would get 2400 dollars.  President Trump has called for 2000 dollar payments and the House has passed a new stimulus of just that, 2000 dollars a person in a family, and the senate is debating the increase.  This would be an increase from the 600 dollars to 2000 dollars a person.  How that will be sent out if passed, as the 600 dollar payments are already being processed, remains to be seen.

The city of Batavia is looking for qualified agencies to take over the work of its now defunct Youth Bureau.  The city is requesting proposals from qualified agencies to provide after-school programming, youth services and a summer recreation program.  To be considered you have to pick up the proposal in the city manager’s office by January 15th.  The proposal is also available on the city’s website.

Governor Cuomo and other statewide elected officials won’t be getting their planned pay increases. The governor signed an executive order yesterday putting them on hold. As a result, the governor will forgo a 25-thousand dollar bump in pay while people like Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul and Comptroller Tom DiNapoli won’t receive a 10-thousand dollar raise.

19 year old Tyler Williams of Summit Street in Leroy was arrested on December 17^th for breaking into a home in Leroy at 3am while everyone was asleep.  While he was in the home he was confronted by the homeowner with a gun. The homeowner held Williams at gunpoint until police arrived.  He is charged with second-degree burglary, a felony; possession of burglar tools, a misdemeanor; and second-degree criminal trespass, also a misdemeanor.

The Buffalo Bills conquered the Patriots last night in a 38 to 9 trouncing.  The Bills last swept the Patriots in 1999. The last division opponents to sweep the Patriots were the Jets and Dolphins in 2000.  Buffalo is now 12 and 3 and is in the 2^nd slot for the playoffs tied with Pittsburg.  The Bills are hosting the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the State Department of Health continues to work with the Buffalo Bills on a pilot plan to allow fans into Bills Stadium this January for the playoffs.  If approved, the pilot plan would allow for a limited number of fans after testing each person for COVID-19.  Cuomo says it could serve as a model for reopening other types of businesses.  “Many stadiums across the country are already open, and without any testing whatsoever,” Cuomo said during Monday’s briefing. “But the model the Department of Health is working on is smart. How do you use testing to start to reopen businesses? That is going to be the challenge of 2021.”

The City of Batavia is requesting proposals from qualified agencies to provide Afterschool Programming/Youth Services and Summer Recreation Program for eligible youth from the city of Batavia for the 2021-2022 fiscal year.

To be considered, the City must receive the proposal in the City Manager’s Office by close of business January 15, 2021. Interested parties can find the RFP on the City’s website  at this link HERE. or request a copy by contacting the Manager’s Office at 345-6333

Since Christmas Eve, the number of positive COVID cases in Genesee County has topped 100. Health officials say 101 people have confirmed positive results. Thirty-eight people are hospitalized for treatment of the virus. Meanwhile, health officials in Orleans County report 80 new cases. Nineteen of the new positives are inmates of the Orleans Correctional Facility. Eighteen of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.

New York governor Andrew Cuomo says, even though the first doses of the vaccine are rolling out to the first groups of people in the state, New Yorkers need to remain vigilant, wear masks, and practice social distancing well into 20-21. Governor Cuomo told reporters Monday that additional lockdowns are an option, but stresses that the economy can’t handle another widespread shutdown.  Health experts believe, if at least 70 percent of the general population get vaccinated, the COVID-19 pandemic could start dwindling by summertime.

Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $2.25, up 3 cents from last week. One year ago, the price was $2.57. The New York State average is $2.32 – up 2 cents from last week. The price in Batavia stands at $2.25 a gallon, that’s up 2 cents since last week. Two factors have contributed to driving up prices at the pump: rising crude oil prices and tightening supply. Even with holiday demand increasing, overall demand still remains at an extremely low level. AAA believes this factor will impact gas prices, pushing them cheaper in January.

New York Attorney General Letitia James sent out a warning Monday telling New Yorkers to be wary of COVID vaccine-related scams. Right now, nursing home residents, those who care for them and many healthcare workers are receiving the vaccine. The vaccine will not be available to the general public for several more months, according to the AG. In keeping with federal guidelines, long-term care residents and staff and other healthcare workers, then certain essential workers, and finally members of the general population will be offered the vaccine next. The AG continues to warn of scammers offering access to the vaccine through, email, phone or text. She is also warning of scammers impersonating public health officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the World Health Organization (WHO) and even a local health department. They may also offer to ship a COVID-19 vaccine directly to homes, provide special access to vaccines or clinical trials, or sell special cold storage device for vaccines.

During Monday’s legislative session, the Assembly Minority presented amendments intended to curtail the governor’s expanded authorities and provide greater balance and accountability in the “COVID-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act.” The Assembly Majority rejected each proposal. Earlier this month, members of the Assembly Minority wrote to conference leaders, urging lawmakers to rein in Gov. Cuomo’s unilateral powers as soon as the Legislature reconvenes. Despite 10 months of expanded authority and laws created by executive order rather than the legislative process, the Assembly Majority declined to take action.

About 140,000 people have received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine in New York. This week, prioritization will be expanded to include urgent care workers, those administering the vaccine and members of congregate Office of addiction services and support facilities.  Governor Cuomo has said that the general population will receive access to the vaccine starting by mid to late January.

Be on guard against fake vaccination offers says New York Attorney General Letitia James.  Some scammers are calling people and offering vaccines for COVID 19 in exchange for personal information or payments.  Some say they can get a person on a short list for the vaccine to receive it early if they pay up front.  As of this time there is no COVID-19 vaccine available to the general public.

After Saturdays snowfall Buffalo is ranked as the second snowiest city in America so far in this winter.  Buffalo has had 33.2 inches of snow and was beat out for the number 1 spot by Anchorage Alaska which had 34.8.  An average snowfall by December 26th is 31inches.

The American Legion Auxiliary donated “sweats for our vets” and a 55 inch television to the VA medical center.  The sweats part is 76 zip up hoodies along with gift bags for Christmas morning.  The Auxiliary worked with Harder O’Donnell Post #734; A.V.M.A., American Legion, Sons of the American Legion Mugs and More in Attica to get all the donations.    The donation was made in the memory of Leilani Spring, the former president of the Auxiliary who passed away earlier this year.  All items were delivered on December 8^th.

The AFC East champion Buffalo Bills will be back in the national spotlight tonight on Monday Night Football. The Bills are set to take on their division rival the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Buffalo is 11-and-three this season and is looking to secure the number-two seed in the AFC playoffs while the Patriots are out of postseason contention.  The Bills will be doing this game without Running Back TJ Yeldon who has tested positive for COVID 19 and Tight End Reggie Gilliam who has a hamstring injury. Kickoff for tonight’s contest is set for eight-15 p-m.

A Wind Advisory remains in effect until 4 p.m. for Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties. Winds could gust up to 50 mph. Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. Travel may be difficult in high profile vehicles.

A 32-year-old man now faces felony charges following a personal injury vehicle crash October 25^th on Main Road in Pembroke. Sheriff’s deputies charged 32-year-old Brent Graham of Akron with felony aggravated driving while intoxicated and felony DWI. Deputies said those charges were felony counts because he has two previous convictions within the past ten years. He was additionally charged with reckless driving, operating a vehicle without an ignition interlock device, felony first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation and other lesser counts. He’ll answer the charges in Town of Pembroke court on January 21^st.

A vehicle crash on Perry Road in the Town of Pavilion has resulted in charges for a Geneseo woman. Sheriff’s deputies said they arrested 22-year-old Alyssa Jade Garrett. She was charged with driving while intoxicated, having a blood alcohol content of more than .08% and moving from a lane unsafely. She was released on appearance tickets and is due in Pavilion Town Court on Jan. 5.

The state legislature is poised to expand protections for New Yorkers at risk of being kicked out of their homes due to financial hardship caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The legislature will meet in a rare December session today to take up the COVID-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act.

Genesee County deputies responded to a vehicle parked in the roadway with a man slumped over the wheel on Old Creek Road in Alexander. Deputies ended up arresting 24-year-old Aaron Hatt of Alexander. He was charged with driving while impaired by a combination of alcohol and drugs and other counts. He was directed to Alexander court on February 9^th.

Additional court action is pending for a Batavia man stemming from a stabbing incident. City police arrested 59-year-old Brodes Gibson of Bank Street. He was arrested on an unrelated incident by Medina police and later turned over to Batavia PD, where he was charged in a warrant with felony second-degree assault and criminal possession of a weapon. The charges stem from a domestic dispute in which Gibson allegedly stabbed another person. He was arraigned and initially remanded to jail.

Batavia police arrested 34-year-old Christopher Sewar of Liberty Street. He was charged with second-degree burglary and criminal contempt. According to police, he allegedly violated a court order and burglarized a house. He was remanded to Genesee County Jail and is due back in court January 25^th.

Funeral Home owner Michael Tomaszewski has had his initial arraignment and had charges laid out against him.  The charging document is 101 pages long.  Tomaszewski is accused of taking money people used to prepay for funerals and instead of depositing the money in appreciate bank accounts then using the money for other purposes.  Tomaszewski is charged with 67 counts of third-degree grand larceny; 28 counts of fourth-degree grand larceny; four counts of falsifying business records; 93 counts of failure to deposit; seven counts of petit larceny; and counts of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree; and scheme to defraud.  The majority of customers lost from more than $2,000 up to $15,500 each.  The attorneys discussed a plea deal.

Governor Cuomo has signed the New York State Small Business Truth in Lending Act which requires all lenders to have clear and comprehensive disclosures on any loans.  Linda MacFarlane, chair of the NYS CDFI Coalition and executive director of Community Loan Fund of Capital Region says “Unfortunately, some lenders have made it hard for small businesses to compare the true cost of their offers. CDFI Coalition members around the state are pleased to see that this measure will require lenders to disclose annual percentage rate (APR) and repayment terms.” It is estimated that this act could save businesses as much as 370 million dollars annually unnecessary finance charges.

COVID Update: From Thursday, Genesee county has 123 new cases and 38 people have recovered.  29 people are hospitalized.  13 of the new cases are at the Leroy Village Green, 23 are at Genesee senior Living and 7 are at the Veterans Home.  Orleans county has 26 new cases and 19 people have recovered.  8 people are hospitalized.  There are 243 Active cases in Genesee County and 164 in Orleans.  Tully’s had a person with COVID there from 12 to 1:30pm on December 13^th and Fortunes has someone with COVID there from 3 to 8pm on the 13^th.  If you were at either of these locations during these times please monitor yourself for symptoms.

The Genesee county office for the aging has been delivering hot home meals to the elderly and disabled five days a week and thanks to a donation by a local dentist and his wife, and employees of the county government, the recipients also received a gift bag with their meal this week.  The Office For the aging wants to thank the community for their support in meeting the increased demand for meals during the pandemic.

A Lake Effect Snow Warning is in effect for Genesee County from noon tomorrow until Saturday. Heavy lake effect snow expected. Lake snows will develop over southwest NY during the day and move north and intensify during the afternoon. Snow will be heaviest during the evening before lake bands move back toward the south on Saturday. Total snow accumulations of 7 to 17 inches in the most persistent lake snows. Lower accumulations of 3-7 inches are expected over eastern portions of Genesee and Wyoming counties. Winds gusting as high as 35 mph.

Batavia Funeral home owner Michael Tomaszewski, arrested in July after an investigation that uncovered multiple incidences of potential fraud, was arraigned in County Court on more than 200 counts of grand larceny, falsifying business records, offering a false instrument in filing, scheme to defraud, and failure to deposit. He entered a not guilty plea. Tomaszewski is accused of taking money people used to pre-pay for funerals and instead of depositing the money in appropriate bank accounts he used the money for other purposes. He remains released from custody on his own recognizance. His next scheduled court appearance is Feb. 2.

A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging 52-year-old Matthew Barber of Batavia with receipt and possession of child pornography. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 40 years. Prosecutors said that in April 2007, Barber was sentenced to serve 74 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release after being convicted of possession of child pornography. Then, in 2017, his term of supervised release was revoked after he was unsuccessfully discharged from a sex offender treatment program. Barber was re-sentenced to six months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. And then…in May, New York State Parole notified United States Probation that Barber was terminated from his employment after a company representative observed him insert flash drives into a workplace computer, which he was not authorized to access. As a condition of his parole, he had to tell Parole if he was terminated from his employment. That same day, United States Probation and New York State Parole searched Barber’s home and seized a cell phone and a flash drive. A search of the flash drive allegedly recovered over 1,100 images and over 40 videos of child pornography. Several hundred images and over 200 videos of child pornography were also found on the cellular telephone. He was arraigned and detained.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced that plans are currently under development to allow fans to attend the Buffalo Bills’ first home playoff game in more than two decades under strict COVID-19 protocols. Under the proposal, which is being developed cooperatively between the Bills and New York State, fans in attendance would be required to receive a negative COVID-19 test result before being allowed into the stadium. Contact tracing will also be conducted after the game. If implemented, this plan could serve as a model for reopening entertainment venues across New York.

Senator-elect Ed Rath has been appointed Ranking Member of the Elections Committee and the Local Government Committee. He said in a statement that he is looking forward to the start of the legislative year.  Rath added that the pandemic has put a huge burden on local governments’ budgets and the services they provide and he is looking forward to working with local leaders across the district to address their specific needs and concerns.

50 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Genesee County. Health officials also report another COVID-related death. Orleans County reports 15 new positive cases and Wyoming County reports 26 new cases.

52 year old Matthew Barber of Batavia has been indicted for receipt and possession of child pornography.  Barber was previously indicted in April of 2007 for child porn, he served 74 months and was under supervision for 5 years.  In July of 2017 he was resentenced to 6 months of prison and 5 more years of supervision.  In May of 2020 he was fired from his job which prompted a search of his home which found several thousand child pornography pictures and videos on a flash drive and cell phone.  Barber could go to jail for between 15 and 40 years.

COVID Update: Genesee county has 75 new case and 57 people have recovered.  16 people are hospitalized.  Orleans county has 44 new cases and 19 people have recovered.  7 people are hospitalized.  There are 266 active cases in Genesee county and 168 in Orleans.

The Governors office has announced that through many drives and efforts more than 7 thousand toys, coats and school supplies have been donated across the state.  Members of the Governor’s administration organized collections across the state and are distributing 7,348 toys, coats and school supplies to communities in need. For the first time, donations were also collected by mail to provide another option to participate amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The National Weather Service says a Winter Storm Watch is in effect from Christmas Eve through Saturday for Genesee County. Heavy lake effect snow is possible. Total snow accumulations of more than a foot possible in the most   persistent lake snows. Winds could also gust as high as 35 mph.

Seventy-five…that’s the number of new COVID cases in Genesee County. The total number of confirmed cases now tops 1,900. 16 of the positive individuals are hospitalized. 7 of the new positive cases are residents at LeRoy Village Green. 3 of the new positive cases are residents at Genesee Senior Living. 1 of the new positive cases are residents at Premier Genesee. Orleans County received 44 new positive cases of COVID-19.

President Donald Trump, in the final month of his one term, has issued 15 new pardons, including a pardon for former western New York congressional representative Chris Collins, who entered a guilty plea more than a year ago to federal crimes stemming from insider trading activity. Collins also admitted to lying to the FBI about using information that wasn’t available to the public about Immunotherapy to tip his son and other associates that led them to dump stock in the company before news of a failed trial reached other investors. Even while under federal indictment for the crimes, Collins ran for re-election and won. Collins was the first member of Congress to endorse Donald Trump for president in 2016 and served on the transition team after Trump beat Hillary Clinton.

New legislation has been signed to suspend the use of facial recognition technology in New York Schools. New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed new legislation on Tuesday to suspend the use of facial recognition technology in schools and directed a study of whether the technology is appropriate in schools. As of December 22, the legislation places a moratorium on schools purchasing and using biometric identifying technology until at least July 1, 2020, or until the study is completed.

With the holidays in full swing and the COVID-19 pandemic causing financial stress on many individuals, National Grid is alerting customers about recent reports of scams where imposters are promising refunds or discounts. If the caller does not know your account number, hang up the phone.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley has received his committee assignments for the upcoming legislative year, and will be serving on the committees for Agriculture, Insurance, Rules, Veterans’ Affairs and Ways and Means. Additionally, Hawley has also been reappointed as Deputy Minority Leader of the Assembly Republican Conference. He says he is honored.

Earlier they said that we were looking at a brown Christmas with high temperatures and no snow.  Now the national weather service is saying that we are getting a blizzard for Christmas.  There is a winter storm watch for Genesee and Wyoming counties from Thursday night through Saturday afternoon.  2 to 3 inches of snow are expected per hour and possibly a foot by Saturday morning.

COVID Update: Over the weekend 159 new cases were reported in Genesee county and 112 people have recovered.  14 people are hospitalized and one person at the VA medical center has passed away from COVID bringing the total coronavirus deaths in Genesee county since March to 20.  28 of the new cases are at the VA medical center and 2 are at the Leroy Village Green.  In Orleans county there are 76 new cases and 72 people have recovered.  6 people are hospitalized.  Another person in Orleans county has passed away.  There are 343 active cases in Genesee county, the first time the number has exceeded 300 and 152 active cases in Orleans.

All three airlines that fly into New York from the UK have agreed to test passengers for the new strain of the coronavirus.  Virgin Delta and British Airways have announced they will require people to test negative for the mutation of COVID 19 before they board the flights.  Governor Cuomo wants a national travel ban on flights from the UK citing travelers going to other states and then coming to New York.  Dr Anthony Fauci says that a travel ban will not work as the strain is most likely in the US already.  Fauci said that we should not overreact as the strain is not more deadly than the strains of COVID the US has been dealing with, the mutation makes the virus 70 percent more transmissible.  Fauci also said he believes the vaccine will work against the new strain just as well as the more common strain.

Governor Cuomo announced today that the Wadsworth Laboratory with 6 hospital sites across New York State have begun researching the new strain of COVID and that hospitals in NY state will be given testing materials for the new strain.  He also announced that over 50 thousand people have been vaccinated so far in New York.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley will be serving on the committees for Agriculture, Insurance, Rules, Veterans’ Affairs and Ways and Means for the 2021 year. Additionally, Hawley has also been re-appointed as Deputy Minority Leader of the Assembly Republican Conference.

Genesee county’s free drive through asymptomatic testing at 7690 State Street Road is going on holiday hours starting this week.  There will be no testing Thursday the 24^th or Thursday the 31^st.  Tuesday hours are from 1 to 4 pm.

The Buffalo Bills have the most players on the Pro Bowl roster since 1998 with 5 players being selected for the team.  Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, Tremaine Edmunds, Tre’Davious White and Andre Roberts will all represent the Bills. The live game has been canceled because of COVID so the players will be showcased in a week long session of the video game Madden NFL 21.

Starting today, both staff members and residents at nursing homes statewide will begin getting vaccinated against COVID-19. The shots will be given out by a pharmacy that’s been designated for each facility. Each person who chooses to get vaccinated will receive two doses over a three week period. It will likely be a few months before the vaccine is made available to all of the general public.

A new stimulus bill has been agreed upon by the federal government and will mean 13 billion dollars to NY State government for education, vaccination efforts, and rent relief.  There are 600 dollar a person direct payments coming either by mail or through direct deposit.  There are also grants for child care, money for unemployment compensation, money for funeral assistance being directed through FEMA, and 20 billion dollars for paycheck protection payments for small businesses, restaurants and venues that have been shut down.  About half of the money for New York state is earmarked for New York City and the rest will go more broadly across New York State.

The Buffalo Bills have made the playoffs and are the AFC East Champions for the first time in 25 years.  Also after the 48 to 19 win over the Denver Broncos Governor Cuomo announced that he is going to look into letting fans back into the Bills stadium for playoff games.  The Bills are now 11 and 3 and will be playing the New England Patriots on Monday the 28^th starting at 8:15.  The Patriots are out of Playoff contention with only 6 wins and 8 losses.

The great conjunction is upon us!  Tonight you can look up in the sky to the southwest just after sunset low in the sky to see Jupiter and Saturn cross in the night sky to form a single brighter point.  This is the closest they have been together as far as our sight lines are concerned in 800 years.  The last time this happened was march 4^th, 1226.  If you miss it tonight you can see them close together for the next 2 nights.

Gas prices bumped up  from last week across the country but not as much locally.  The national average rose 6 cents to 2.22.  Here in Batavia it went up 1 penny to 2.23.  The New York average is 2.30 which was a 4 cent rise.  Last year the NY average was 2.69.  Gas demand has been increasing and as the Vaccine for COVID gets distributed the prices are expected to continue to rise.

Governor Cuomo announced today that after Santa was vaccinated by Dr Anthony Fauci he is now given a voucher to be able to travel into New York State without having to self quarantine but the jolly old elf will have to wear a mask as he delivers gifts.

The Oakfield-Alabama Board of Education has selected Youth Officer Timothy Wescott as its new School Resource Officer.  Wescott is a 22-year veteran of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office. He was hired as a Correction Officer in 1998, and was then appointed to Deputy Sheriff in 2000. He has held his current position as Youth Officer since 2013. During his tenure, he has earned an Officer-of-the-Year Award, a Meritorious Award, and a Commendation. Sheriff Sheron says “The Oakfield-Alabama School District is fortunate to have Deputy Wescott as their new SRO.”

The latest Genesee County Health Department COVID report shows twenty-nine county residents hospitalized with complications from the coronavirus. At the end of last week, 52 new positive cases were confirmed. Thirty new cases were reported in Orleans County while the latest report from Wyoming County shows thirty-one new positive COVID cases.

Criminal charges have been filed against a Batavia woman following a domestic dispute in the Town of Pembroke. Batavia-based Troopers arrested 36-year-old Cynthia Stancliff. She was charged with making graffiti and criminal mischief. She was initially detained, according to Troopers.

Police agencies in Genesee County have made no secret of the fact that from now thru New Year’s Day, they will aggressively be looking for impaired drivers…and the arrests, keep on coming. State troopers arrested 34-year-old John Ryan of Corfu after he was pulled over in the Town of Batavia. Genesee County deputies haven’t slowed either…they report the arrest of 48-year-old Craig Alexander of Alabama after a car crash in Oakfield and 49-year-old Dennis Kiener of North Tonawanda. He was involved in a vehicle crash in the Town of Alabama. They were all charged with driving while intoxicated despite numerous public warnings. They’ll all have facetime with a judge next month.

The staff at The Manor House in Batavia is asking the public to send their 68 senior residents holiday cards, who especially need them because of COVID-19 restrictions and not being able to see their families for the holidays. They are also looking for cards for three very special ladies who turn 100, 101 and 102 in January! There are boxes for cards and pictures at the front doors of The Manor House at 427 E. Main St. in the city.

Federal representatives in New York began receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine this weekend. Congressional Leadership was informed by the Office of the Attending Physician that Members of the House of Representatives and Senate are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. Southern Tier Rep. Tom Reed (R, NY-23) received his first dose Saturday, calling it a “modern miracle.”

With Christmas less than a week away Public Health director Paul Petit is urging people to try to slow the spread of COVID by avoiding private social gatherings.  The positivity rate for Genesee county is up to 9.2 percent and the finger lakes region has the highest rates in the state.  There are over 250 active cases going into the weekend and Petit is warning of the county being designated an orange zone which would mean business closures which could mean the loss of jobs when we were just starting to recover from the widespread shutdowns of the spring and early summer.  Batavia was designated a yellow zone last week and case numbers have continued to climb.  Petit says the contact tracing has revealed that gatherings in private homes are what is causing the spread.

Byron Bergen Schools have announced that they are going to fully remote learning for the first half of January.  All learning will be remote for the weeks of the 4^th and 11^th with in person and hybrid learning going back into effect on Tuesday the 19^th of January.

COVID Update from Friday at 4pm:  Genesee county has 52 new cases and 18 people have recovered.  29 people are hospitalized.  Orleans county has 30 new cases and 25 people have recovered.  2 people are hospitalized.  There are 254 active cases in Genesee county and 151 in Orleans.  There was a COVID positive person at the Town and Country Restaurant in Batavia on December 13th from 3 to 4pm.  If you were there at this time please monitor yourself for symptoms of COVID 19.

On December 17^th Livingston county emergency services along with village police, fire, ems from several towns and villages and state police took part in operation Light It Up to brighten the day for nursing home residents in Livingston county.  They did a parade from the Livingston county sheriffs office and ending in Danville with stops at nursing homes and NOYES Memorial Hospital to bring Christmas music and even Santa clause to greet residents.  This parade involved more than 25 different departments and brought joy to many residents who have been stuck without visitors for this Christmas season.

The Reyncrest dairy farm in Corfu has been given the 2020 dairying for tomorrow award for sustaining the dairy industry both on and off the farm.  As part of the award the farm gave a large donation of milk to Pembroke Central school.

Main Street Pizza, even though they couldn’t do their annual CASAblanca casino night contribution because COVID shut down the casino night, donated their Main St for a year prize to CASA for children to raise money for the organization.  A total of 275 tickets were purchased for $5 each. This first time raffle was such a huge success that tickets sold out in only a week!  A live drawing was held on CASA’s Facebook page, and Patricia Wormley, of Batavia, was drawn as the lucky winner of 26 large pizzas and 26 spaghetti dinners for two.

John Kennedy Intermediate School in Batavia has received 2 grants of 500 dollars each from ExxonMobil Corporation for Science Technology Engineering Art and Math.  Reid Petroleum applied for the grant and then presented a matching grant check at Batavia Crosby’s to Melissa Calandra, Kennedy’s STEAM teacher.

United Memorial Medical Center staff have begun getting vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine and the Moderna Vaccine will be available for distribution sometime next week. County Health Director Paul Petit was live on WBTA and talked about why nursing home staff and residents and hospital staff are the first to be vaccinated.

The former Chief of Police in Rochester Ny La’Ron Singletary is filing a claim against the city and specifically mayor Lovely Warren.  He alleges that Warren ordered him to lie repeatedly about the investigation into the Death of Daniel Prude. Specifically she wanted Singletary to lie about how much the mayors office knew about it.  He says his refusal to lie is why the mayor fired him.  “On September 7, Mayor Warren asked me to withhold full and truthful information from the City Council investigation into the matter of Daniel Prude,” Singletary wrote. “Mayor Warren asked me instead, to provide false information and to omit material information to support the Mayor’s public narrative concerning her knowledge of the events in the matter of Daniel Prude.”

The Holland Land Office Museum Genesee Symphony Orchestra Flute Trio concert scheduled for tonight at 7pm has moved online.  You can watch it live on YouTube by following the link on wbta.com or our news partner the Batavian.

The work has been completed replacing the bridge over Whitney Creek on Judge rd. in Alabama.  You can now drive across the new bridge which has been closed since October 12^th.

Genesee County on Thursday recorded 48 new COVID cases. Since March, the county has reported a total of 1,620 cases. The new infections involve residents from Le Roy, Batavia, Oakfield and eight other communities. Twenty-four people are currently hospitalized. Officials in Orleans County say they have confirmed 38 new positive cases and one death. In Wyoming County, 31 new cases were reported.

The New York State Department of Labor has announced the state’s $15 minimum wage phase-in will continue, with the next stage taking effect December 31. The minimum wage in Genesee County will increase to $12.50 an hour.

Independent Living of the Genesee Region, working with the Genesee County and Orleans County Departments of Social Services announces a new program to assist tenants and landlords affected by the current COVID-19 health pandemic. The Emergency Solutions Grant will provide rental assistance to individuals who are facing eviction and are unable to pay their rent due to circumstance related to the pandemic. These circumstances may include being laid off, furloughed, workplace closure, having a wage earner unable to work due to COVID-19, or being the primary care giver of someone who contracted COVID-19, or other circumstances. Contact the Department of Social Services to determine your eligibility for rental assistance.

Work has been completed on the bridge replacement over Whitney Creek on Judge Road in the Town of Alabama and the road is now reopened. A portion of Judge Road had been closed since Oct. 12 to replace the bridge, which is immediately west of Crosby Road.

Congressional lawmakers say they are nearing an agreement on a 900-billion-dollar stimulus bill that would help those affected financially by the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill would call for an extension of unemployment benefits, and would send a 600-dollar check to most Americans. On the Senate floor Thursday, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says lawmakers are laser-focused on coming up with a consensus. Current benefits that were established in the previous COVID-19 stimulus bill will expire the day after Christmas.

On Thursday, State Police conducted an Underage Drinking Initiative that spanned two townships and three villages in Wyoming County. Three locations were found not in compliance with the laws dealing with the sale of alcohol to person under the age of 21, Warsaw Wine & Spirts, Silver Springs Convenience Store and Tracy’s Wine – N- Liquor in the village of Silver Springs. Three people now face charges.

Governor Cuomo named the vaccination hub for each region in a news briefing and in the finger lakes region which Genesee county is a part of as far as COVID is concerned the U of R Medical Center is the place.  What this means is that the U of R Medical Center will be coordinating storage and delivery of vaccine doses to hospitals and nursing homes first, and then to pharmacies and doctor’s offices as more doses become available.  Cuomo has said that phase 2 of vaccine distribution which will include doses for the general public will begin late January.

The arc transfer station has reduced hours due to COVID until further notice.  They will be closed on Fridays but the Monday, Wednesday and Saturday hours will continue.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee county has selected Jocelyn Sikorski as the new executive director.  Jocelyn Sikorski is the current Executive Director of the Genesee-Orleans & City of Batavia Youth Bureaus, appointed in April 2012. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, both from SUNY Brockport. Sikorski serves on the Genesee County STOP-DWI Board, GLOW YMCA Corporate Board, Genesee United Way Board and Allocations Committee, is a Past President and board member of Batavia Kiwanis.

Sunday is the inaugural Bob’s Christmas Car Day in memory of Bob Zeagler who used to dress up his car and drive it around Batavia to spread holiday Cheer.  Residents are encouraged to decorate their car in a “Bob-inspired” way and drive around Batavia starting at 4 p.m. For those who want to be part of a group of cars, there will be a starting point at Ficarella’s Pizzeria on Liberty Street in Batavia

The new Genesee county website, www.genesee2050.com is up and live.  The new site is host to the update to the 1997 comprehensive plan to set goals of where Genesee county should be by 2050.  There are several surveys about renewable energy and agriculture and several other topics.  The county flag design competition is open on the site.  Genesee county wants residents to go to the site and participate in the future of the county.

Jocelyn Sikorski PHOTO: The Batavian

After a robust search, the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County’s Board of Directors has selected Jocelyn Sikorski as their Executive Director, a position that includes leadership of the 100 year old organization that provides quality programs in youth development, agriculture, nutrition, leadership, and community and economic development.

Jocelyn Sikorski is the current Executive Director of the Genesee-Orleans & City of Batavia Youth Bureaus, appointed in April 2012. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, both from SUNY Brockport. Jocelyn has worked for Genesee County, with the Youth Bureau since 1999. Jocelyn serves on the Genesee County STOP-DWI Board, GLOW YMCA Corporate Board, Genesee United Way Board and Allocations Committee, is a Past President and board member of Batavia Kiwanis. She is a Leadership Genesee Alumni, class of 2007 and serves as Co-Chair on the Steering Committee and Chair of the Leadership Genesee Golf Tournament.

“We are excited to bring Jocelyn on board,” says Board President Lucine Kaufmann. “She brings such a wealth of knowledge with deep roots in youth development and a true understanding of local community needs. She has a proven track record of management, advocacy, and education, which translates well to the position of Executive Director.

Jocelyn will begin her role on January 25^th. For more information on Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County, please visit genesee.cce.cornell.edu.

Arc of Genesee Orleans Transfer Station, 3785 West Main Street Road in Batavia has reduced its hours of operation until further notice.  The Transfer Station will be closed on Fridays, but normal hours will be in effect on Mondays (8 – 2), Wednesdays (8 – 6) and Saturdays (8 – 2).  Customers are asked to please stay in their vehicle at the transfer station and reminded that masks are required.

The Batavia Police Department is currently investigating the passing of counterfeit $100 bills throughout the area.  The department recommends that anyone receiving a $100 bill use extra caution to check its authenticity.  If you feel that you may be victim in receiving counterfeit bills, please report it to the Police Department.

Tomorrow, members of the City of Batavia Police Department will be holding a Christmas event in place of the annual “Shop with a Cop” that is held at Walmart each year, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Batavia Police Benevolent Association, Batavia CSEA members, and the City’s “Jeans for Friday” program donated the funding for this year’s event and the City of Batavia Schools assisted with choosing the families to participate. One family from each city school was selected and will receive Christmas presents for children to open Christmas morning.  The selected families provided Batavia PD with a “wish list” of items, which included toys and more.  The gifts have been wrapped and will be delivered via police cruiser.

Sixty-two new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Genesee County. Twenty-four people are currently hospitalized. Six of the new positive cases are residents at LeRoy Village Green Residential Healthcare Facility, six more are residents at Premier Genesee Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation and one of the positive individuals is at the VA Medical Center. In Orleans County, 28 new positive cases have been confirmed while 26 more cases were reported in Wyoming County.

An Orleans County man faces felony and other charges following a traffic stop on State Route 39 in Wyoming County. Now, 39-year-old Shawn Story of Holley has some explaining to do to a local justice. It didn’t begin well…a data check showed Story did not have a license and was suspended a total of 9 times, with 8 scoffs on 5 dates. While speaking with Story the deputy believed that Story may have been under the influence and initiated a roadside DWI investigation, which included standardized field sobriety testing. Story allegedly performed poorly on the tests. He was ultimately charged with felony first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, driving while ability impaired by drugs and unlicensed operator. There were other charges, but you get the point. Story was issued appearance tickets and is scheduled to appear in the Town of Castile Court at a later date.

New York State has created a new website that is a one-stop-shop for all information on the COVID-19 vaccine. The website is NY.gov/vaccine. During his daily briefing Wednesday, Gov. Cuomo also announced that no one in the state of New York will have to pay for the vaccine. The governor said that Regional Vaccination Hubs have been established. They will be led by local hospital systems and develop a plan to distribute the vaccine when New York hits Phase II of the vaccine implementation. The plans must be submitted by the first week of January and then will be reviewed by the New York State Department of Health.

The first dose of COVID vaccine administered in Olean Hospital was done by Batavia High School Graduate Elliot Marino on Tuesday.  The hospital received its first supply of the vaccine and began vaccinating physicians, nurses and staff who work in high-risk areas of the hospital.  Marino attended Batavia city schools from K-12 and graduated in 2008.

Wyoming and Livingston Counties have a weather advisory for tonight 6pm to tomorrow at 7am.  Expect 3 to 6 inches, possibly covering roads.  Plows may not be available because of COVID-19 quarantines so drive safely.

A new state sales tax report is out and it shows the hospitality industry taking the biggest economic hit while sales of liquor are up 30-percent.  The report, which evaluated taxable sales activity from March through August, finds that while some areas of the state are seeing improvement, these results varied greatly. The report found that the June through August period saw improvements in many regions of the state as sectors of the economy gradually reopened beginning in the latter-half of May.  Hotels were down 70-percent, gas stations, 30-percent.

The STOP-DWI effort is coming back for another round December 17^th through January 1^st.  New York State Police, the Genesee county sheriffs and Batavia PD will be participating.  Expect to see police out in force and if you drive while alcohol or drug impaired you will be pulled over.  If you are planning on drinking while you celebrate the holidays, have a plan don’t drink and drive.

Governor Cuomo has signed a bill that makes selling or displaying swastika’s or confederate flags on state property illegal in New York State.  The bill says symbols of hate cannot be sold or displayed on state property.  State property includes the New York State Fairgrounds.  Exceptions may be made for images appearing in books, museums or other means where they serve an educational or historical purpose.

Genesee County has confirmed 64 new cases of COVID-19. The new infections involve residents from Le Roy, Batavia and eight other communities. 50 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list. 24 of the positive individuals are hospitalized. Three of the new positive cases are residents at Premier Genesee Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation. In Orleans County, 19 new cases of the virus were confirmed while Wyoming County reports 17 new cases.

The North Bergen Community Food Pantry and the Bergen business, Rose Garden Bowl, have worked together to assure that more than 100 area children experience some of the magic of the holidays in the form of Christmas stockings this year. This is the second year that the two organizations have collaborated on their Christmas Angel Stocking Program, soliciting donations of stockings filled with toys and personal items. The number of stockings donated has more than doubled — from 45 in 2019 to 109 stockings this year. In all more than 60 generous donors have gathered items for the stockings that will be distributed to 47 families. Recipients of the stockings are largely families that are clients of the North Bergen Food Pantry.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed legislation to strengthen penalties against the illegal disposal of construction debris, demolition debris, and other hazardous substances. The legislation also designates fraudulent schemes involving the disposal of solid waste as a new crime. With this signing, a number of technical changes to legislative language have been agreed to following negotiations with the legislature. The law goes into effect on January 1.

The Board of Regents adopted New York State’s first-ever K-12 Learning Standards for Computer Science and Digital Fluency. These standards, we’re told, will ensure that every student knows how to live productively and safely in a technology-dominated world, including understanding the essential features of digital technologies, why and how they work, and how to communicate and create using those technologies. The new standards are the culmination of a two-year, collaborative process that included New York State teachers and statewide experts on computer science and educational technology.

A New York judge on Tuesday ordered President Donald Trump’s company to give state investigators documents related to a suburban estate that’s the subject of a civil investigation into the family’s business practices. The Judge said the Trump Organization must turn over to the New York attorney general’s office all communications involving an engineer who worked on the Seven Springs estate in Westchester County, north of Manhattan. Trump Organization lawyers had argued that information exchanged with the engineer was privileged. The court rejected that, saying Trump’s lawyers previously agreed attorney-client privilege did not apply to the work on Seven Springs.

The North Bergen Community Food Pantry and the Bergen business, Rose Garden Bowl, have worked together to assure that more than 100 area children experience some of the magic of the holidays in the form of Christmas stockings this year.

This is the second year that the two organizations have collaborated on their Christmas Angel Stocking Program, soliciting donations of stockings filled with toys and personal items. Donations are being made by bowling league members and patrons of Rose Garden Bowl, members of the North Bergen Presbyterian Church and the First Presbyterian Church of Byron congregations, and local families.

The number of stockings donated has more than doubled — from 45 in 2019 to 109 stockings in 2020. In all more than 60 generous donors have gathered items for the stockings that will be distributed to 47 families. Recipients of the stockings are largely families that are clients of the North Bergen Food Pantry.

 “We’ve seen a 100% increase in patrons visiting the pantry since March,” said Dave Fish, Pastor at the North Bergen Presbyterian Church that organizes the Pantry services. “There has always been, and will always be, need in our community but the impact that COVID is having on families in our region is devastating. It’s the pantry’s mission to lessen that impact by feeding both body and spirit. Assuring that children experience some of the magic of Christmas is an important ingredient of that mission.”

 “We believe in giving back to our community and was encouraged by the response of our Rose Garden Bowl family of patrons to our request for stocking sponsors this year” said Christina Sardou, co-owner at Rose Garden Bowl. “Initially I was concerned that the number of people who could participate might be affected by the pandemic, but the opposite was true.  Peoples’ eagerness to assist has been both humbling and inspiring.”

The program started in 2019 when Sardou suggested the idea of partnering on the program. “Dave and I had had a few conversations about the Food Pantry and we had stored some surplus frozen foods for the pantry at times when their space was limited,” said Sardou. “During these conversations, I asked if he had considered doing something for local children at Christmas, and described how the Church and the Rose Garden Bowl family and friends might collaborate to create a Christmas stocking drive. The rest is history.”

The North Bergen Community Food Pantry — North Bergen Presbyterian Church, 7068 North Bergen Road, Bergen, NY. Pantry hours: the third and fourth Wednesday of each month from 6 to 8pm and the third and fourth Saturday from 9am to Noon. For more information visit the Pantry’s Facebook page.

Rose Garden Bowl and Viking Valhalla Restaurant —21 Buffalo Road, Bergen, NY (585.494.9900). Family-owned and operated since 1954. For more information about banquets, bowling and volleyball, visit rosegardenbowl.com or on Facebook.

Rochester’s office of Public Integrity has released its final report on the Death of Daniel Prude in Police custody that sparked several months of unrest in the city.  The 48 page report shows there is no evidence of any city employee violating any policies or ethical standards for the city or city departments in his death.  The unrest resulted in the Chief of police and the entire Rochester police department command staff either resigning, being fired or being reduced in rank in a string of political decisions.  Those who protested also demanded the resignation of Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren.

The Batavia City Council has voted to appoint attorney Thomas Burns as a new part-time City Court judge. But unlike similar appointments, Burns approval was not unanimous.  Councilman Bob Bialkowski said his no vote was nothing personal against Burn. Burns said it was “unfortunate” that the council member feels that way.  Thomas Burns’s term begins on Jan. 1 and runs for six years.

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik of New York wants an independent investigation into Gov. Andrew Cuomo. This follows an allegation of sexual harassment made by a former aide, Lindsey Boylan, on Sunday. During Monday’s coronavirus briefing, Cuomo addressed the accusation and said the statements are not true.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee county is asking the public for help in determining its future planning priorities.  They are seeking input from numerous stakeholders in order to fully explore the current and future needs of our community.  Members of the public can take a survey by following the link on wbtai.com or at our news partner the Batavian.

https://cornell.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3z7UVBv6zM2JXr7

Triple A says that they expect travel to be down by 29 percent.  34 million less people will be traveling mostly because of the COVID 19 pandemic.  “Public health concerns, official guidance not to travel, and an overall decline in consumer sentiment have encouraged the vast majority of Americans to stay home for the holidays,” said Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel.

The Batavia City Council has voted to appoint attorney Thomas Burns as a new part-time City Court judge. His term begins on Jan. 1 and runs for six years. Burns says…he’s pretty happy. The Council also approved contracts with Empire Access for $3,500 to connect city facilities with fiber internet and $8,400 annually for a five-year service agreement. Local lawmakers also granted access to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to perform environmental clean-up work at 267 Bank St., a small parcel of the Dwyer Stadium property.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced new yellow zones in portions of the state. During a briefing Monday, Cuomo said Niagara County’s yellow zone will be expanded. He also announced a new yellow zone in Batavia as well as another in the Rome/Utica area. According to Gov. Cuomo, the Finger Lakes region and Central New York currently hold the highest positivity rates in New York. The Finger Lakes region also has the highest percentage of people hospitalized per population. A total of 681 people are hospitalized in the region.

109 new COVID cases have been confirmed in Genesee County. The new infections involve residents from Batavia, Le Roy and ten other communities. 21 of the positive individuals are hospitalized. County health officials also report two more deaths from virus-related complications. Orleans County reports 55 new cases while Wyoming County is reporting 53 new COVID cases.

Robert Boyce announced his retirement as President of the LeRoy Ambulance Service Inc., effective Dec. 31. Boyce joined the Board of Directors in 1994 and has served as President since 2002.  LeRoy Ambulance Service is the primary provider of emergency medical services to the Town and Village of LeRoy. It began as a fully volunteer ambulance service in 1970 and under Boyce’s leadership, it successfully implemented career staffing. Today, it provides 24/7 basic and advanced life support services through its highly trained staff of EMTs and Paramedics.

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik of New York wants an independent investigation into Gov. Andrew Cuomo. This follows an allegation of sexual harassment made by a former aide, Lindsey Boylan, on Sunday. During Monday’s coronavirus briefing, Cuomo addressed the accusation and said the statements are not true.

Livingston County deputies report the arrest of a Genesee County woman on drug related charges after an investigation by the Sheriff’s Office. Deputies arrested and charged 27-year-old Elizabeth L. McCombs of Batavia with felony Promoting Prison Contraband in the 1st Degree and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the 7th Degree. It is alleged that on June 1, 2019 McCombs was an inmate in the Livingston County Jail and was found to be in possession of illegal contraband believed to be fentanyl. The suspected fentanyl was sent to a forensic lab for testing. McCombs was arrested after lab results confirmed the drugs were in fact fentanyl. She was released on appearance tickets for the charges as the offenses did not qualify for pre-arraignment detention under the NYS Justice Reform Act.

NY Congressman Anthony Brindisi is calling on Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie to resign. Following what he calls a damning inspector general report alleging abuse of power and stonewalling of an investigation, Brindisi joined several Veterans Service Organizations in calling for Secretary Wilkie’s resignation. According to Brindisi… -quote- “Secretary Wilkie has lost the trust of Veterans and the Inspector General’s report outlines negligence and abuse of power by the Washington bureaucrats running the VA.”

Batavia and the surrounding are of Genesee county has been designated a yellow zone starting today according to Governor Cuomo.  The finger lakes region has the highest positivity rate in the state with 8.09 percent.  This means that schools that are still in person must test 20 percent of students, staff and faculty every week for covid.  Worship services are capped at 50 percent occupancy and mass gatherings are limited to 10 people or less either in or out of doors.  Restaurants can still operate but tables may only have 4 people at them.

The first person to be vaccinated in New York against Covid 19 is a nurse working the Covid ICU ward at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens.  Sandra Lindsay, a frontline fighter against the virus, was given the first dose this morning.  More than half a million doss are in the state with more to come.  It will take several months before there are enough doses made to inoculate all 19.5 million New Yorkers.  Governor Cuomo anticipates that by Summer up to 80 percent of the state will be vaccinated.

The Batavia Police stakeholder group has indicated that there isn’t much to alter n the way that the Batavia PD do things but there can still be a stronger connection police to community.  There was a unanimous agreement that police brutality isn’t a problem for Batavia police.  But the stakeholders expressed a desire for police to form more personal connections to black community members.  One of the stakeholders said that the black community in Batavia feels like the police see them as a sentence ready to be judged and sent to jail, and the police have to work on being understood and understanding how black people feel about that.

Gas prices continue to stay the same at 2.22 in Batavia.  Nationally they are at 2.16 on average and in New York state they rose 1 cent to 2.26.  Last year the average price for a gallon was 2.68 so we are still a long way south of where we were last year.

Western NY has a 58 percent chance each year of having a white Christmas.  This year the odds are a little longer.  According to the national weather service this year we are looking at above average temperatures for the 25^th of December.  Last year it was 50 degrees breaking a 3 year streak of snow on the ground for the holidays.

The Buffalo Bills beat the Steelers yesterday 26-15 which brings the bills up to 10 and 3 for the first time in 29 years. The Bills are first place in the AFC East with the rival Miami Dolphins two games behind with a record of 8-5.  They are set to play against the broncos in Denver on Saturday.  Denver is 5 and 8 this season and the contest will take place at 4:30pm.  In Monday night football tonight if Cleveland wins against Baltimore then the Bills are in the playoffs.

For at least the past 10 years, the American Legion, Post #626 of Oakfield-Alabama, has offered food boxes to those who might welcome a little extra help this time of year. Information on families who might need these boxes was shared by our local schools, churches and community members. The Legion also said that any food not needed for the boxes will be shared with the Corfu Food Pantry to assist them with their mission to the community.

The City of Batavia and the Batavia Police Department are extending an online survey that is asking city residents to assist in formulating the department’s response to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Order 203, which requires police departments across New York State to submit reform plans to the state by April 1. The survey takes about five minutes to complete and can be found on the city’s website.

The Board of Education for the Batavia City School District meets tonight at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will be held via Google Meet and will also be live-streamed on YouTube. The Board will receive a presentation from Jim Krencik, the Director of Marketing and Communications for the Genesee county Economic Development Center. The Board is also expected to make several appointments involving school psychologists and extra work days, a District Tutor, long-term substitutes and a cleaner, among others. Action is also slated on a Memorandum of Understanding between Genesee Community College and Batavia High School for the College Pathway Program.

Playing on national television for the second straight week Sunday, the Bills handed the Pittsburgh Steelers their second loss of the season in a 26-15 victory. Buffalo can clinch a second straight playoff berth with a Cleveland win against Baltimore on ESPN’s Monday Night Football.

A former aide to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo who is now running for Manhattan borough president accused him of sexual harassment in a series of tweets Sunday, saying he made inappropriate comments about her appearance. Lindsey Boylan tweeted that the Democratic governor “sexually harassed me for years.” The 36-year-old worked for the Cuomo administration from March 2015 to October 2018, serving first as executive vice president of Empire State Development, and then as a special adviser to Cuomo for economic development. Boylan’s sexual harassment allegation against Cuomo comes after The Associated Press and others reported that the 63-year-old governor is under consideration for the job of attorney general in the administration of President-elect Joe Biden.

A Middleport woman will appear in court next month after she crashed her vehicle Saturday night on Lewiston Road in Oakfield. Deputies arrested 54-year-old Michelle Hanssen. She was charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated, driving while using a portable electronic device and other traffic counts.

The FDA approved the use of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Friday for emergency use to fight the pandemic.  The approval for Moderna’s vaccine is expected in the nest few days.  By Monday New York state should have roughly half a million doses of COVID-19 vaccines available and being distributed to 90 distribution centers across the state.  Most are in New York City.

COVID Update From Friday Afternoon: Genesee county has 31 new cases and 42 people have recovered, 22 are hospitalized.  Orleans county has 21 new cases and 14 have recovered, 3 are hospitalized.  There are 176 active cases in Genesee county and 144 in Orleans.

The water will be turned off for residents of Ellicott st between Ellicott Place and Harvester ave, Harvester Av between Ellicott st and place and Colorado ave for the replacement of a fire hydrant on Monday from about 8am to 3pm.   This could cause water to be discolored in the area.  If you have discolored water don’t do laundry, run the taps for a few minutes to flush out the lines.  If they can’t do the replacement Monday it will get pushed back to Tuesday

The highway department wants to remind people that winter comes with a few changes to how they drive and take care of their properties.  First, to prevent accidents, slow down and make sure your tires are ready for snow driving.  Keep a safe distance between you and the car in front of you to provide more time to slow down and stop if needed.  It is illegal to plow your driveway and deposit the snow into the roadway.  Putting snow from driveways into the road can cause accidents and is punishable with a 1000 dollars a day fine.  The highway department may have to reduce plowing because drivers are quarantining with COVID and this can lead to bad driving conditions.  Be aware of the snow on the ground and drive safely.

GLOW Women Rise is hosting online events to uplift and destress during these troubled times.  The first is on Monday December 14^th at 6:30pm and is called practical self care and adult bingo.  Check glowwomenrise.org for details.

A big thanks to everyone who brought toys to the WBTA toy drive at Ken Barret Chevrolet and Cadillac on Friday.  Many cars and trucks piled high came in and gave to the Salvation Army to make sure that kids in Batavia get a Christmas!  Also thanks to the Fire department and Ken Barretts for helping and hosting the 37^th annual toy drive.  You can still give by dropping off directly to Salvation Army or using the Walmart Gift Registry.

Governor Cuomo today announced a slew of new regulations and changes to existing ones.  The top changes are to hospitals which now have to increase their capacity by 25 percent and also stay under 85 percent capacity by reducing elective surgeries.  If a hospital in a region goes over 85 percent capacity it will trigger the area it is in to go into red zone status.  Hospitals must also stockpile 90 days worth of ppe.  The second change of note is that gyms, salons and barbershops can reopen at maximum 25 percent capacity even in orange zones.  Salons and gym owners have been saying it since the beginning and now the science and more importantly, the government is backing it up, less than .06 percent of coronavirus spread can be attributed to gyms and less than .14 percent to salons.  Governor Cuomo says that 74 percent of spread is coming from household gatherings.

New York is receiving 346 thousand doses of Moderna’s covid vaccine on top of the 170 thousand doses of Pfizer vaccine already set to arrive over the weekend.  Cuomo still says that he believes the distribution plan is disadvantaging brown and black communities, Native Americans and poor neighborhoods.  The governor emphasized that the state will not let the current federal administration leave out the communities that need the vaccine the most, calling it “illegal” and “unconstitutional.”

On Saturday a home in Albion exploded and set three other residences on fire.  56 year old Gary Tarr has been arrested for starting the fire.  He admitted to officers that he was buying explosive compounds from local stores and combining them with out of state fireworks to make his own fireworks.  He lit them to test the new fireworks while in his garage and that’s when the fire started.  Tarr was charged with five counts of first-degree reckless endangerment, three counts of fourth-degree arson; three counts of third-degree criminal mischief; and reckless endangerment of property.  Tarr suffered injuries on his face, torso, arms and legs. He also suffered hearing loss from the force of the explosion. He was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital.  Police are also asking anyone who bought or were given fireworks from Tarr to call the police and the bomb squad will come dispose of them.  They are asking for them not to be brought in as the fireworks are extremely volatile and dangerous.

Do you know what to do if someone near you overdoses on an opioid?  The Western NY Rural Area Health Education Center working with Spectrum Health and Human Services is presenting a free opioid reversal training session on January 15^th starting at 2pm.  Those who take the training will learn how to: Recognize the signs of an opioid overdose; Respond appropriately and effectively, Correctly administer the spray form of Narcan; Apply the Good Samaritan Overdose Law to overdose responders, and have a free reversal kit mailed to them.  To learn more follow the link to the WNY Rural Health education center website on wbtai.com.  https://www.r-ahec.org/

21 Year Old Michael Conrad has plead guilty to manslaughter charges stemming from a vehicle collision in April on Pleasant Valley rd. in Wethersfield.  The Wyoming County district attorney’s office says investigators found that Conrad was driving at over 97 miles per hour and had cannabis and ecstasy in his blood stream prior to the crash that took the life of 20 year old Cori Lynn Shearing who was riding in the car with Conrad.   He was charged with and plead guilty to: Manslaughter in the second degree, Vehicular manslaughter in the second degree, Assault in the second degree, and Driving while ability impaired by the combined influence of drugs.  Conrad faces 5 to 15 years in prison for the manslaughter charge.

COVID cases continue to rise in Genesee County. On Thursday, the health department reported 23 new cases. The latest infections involve residents of Batavia, Le Roy and five other communities. One of the new cases is a resident is at the VA Medical Center. Right now, 21 people are hospitalized and receiving care. Thirty new cases have been confirmed in Orleans County with five people in the hospital. Wyoming County health officials say that on Thursday, 27 new cases were confirmed.

A federal grand jury has returned a 74-count indictment charging 42-year-old Philip M. Close of Rochester with 61 counts of production of child pornography, and 13 counts of possession of material containing child pornography involving prepubescent minors. Close is a music teacher. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum of life in prison, and a $250,000 fine. Close will be arraigned Monday.

A free virtual Opioid Overdose Reversal Training session will be held starting at 2 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 15. This opportunity is sponsored by the Western New York Rural Area Health Education Center in collaboration with Spectrum Health and Human Services. You’ll learn how to recognize the signs of an opioid overdose and correctly administer the spray form of naloxone (Narcan). A free reversal kit will be mailed to you upon completion of training. To learn more, visit the WNY Rural Area Health Education Center website. Call Lisa Green to register at (585) 786-6275.

Southern Tier Congressman Tom Reed and 31 other House GOP members have joined together in a letter requesting congressional leadership in both chambers guarantee a vote on emergency relief will be held and noting the importance of a bipartisan, bicameral package. The Members say they agree Congress must pass an emergency COVID-19 relief package before the end of the year. The letter concludes with saying…” We cannot leave Washington without reaching a bipartisan deal.”

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is expected to adjust the state’s COVID strategy during a briefing this morning. But even people in touch with the governor’s office on a regular basis aren’t sure what he’s going to do. Cuomo could be rethinking the whole micro-cluster zone idea – or could at least remove some restrictions within those zones. The governor has emphasized hospital capacity as a metric he will be watching closely, and if that’s the case, there is some better news for the Finger Lakes region. Fifty-six percent of intensive care beds are still available. That’s the highest number of any region in the state.

A new ultra-cold storage freezer at the University of Rochester Medical Center is ready and waiting to store the first vaccine doses. Infectious disease doctors at the hospital called the vaccine safe during a virtual meeting Thursday, but noted the research so far has only been able to look at short-term side effects. The phase three study will continue for two years.

 The Salvation Army of Batavia is proud to announce, for the 37^th year in a row, WBTA’S annual toy drive with Ken Barrett Cadillac Chevrolet. COVID-19 has hit The Salvation Army especially hard, with the need for services being at an all-time high and funding down nearly 40-50 percent.

The annual toy drive is a staple to The Salvation Army of Batavia and the local community. All toys donated go to children in the Genesee County area. To date, The Salvation Army of Batavia has 180 families registered with more than 400 children needing toys this Christmas. They have seen more than a 30% increase in need this year due to the pandemic in just the Batavia area.

“While the start of the Christmas season for The Salvation Army begins in the summer with planning, for me, the Christmas spirit is ignited with our annual toy drive,” said Captain Rachel Moore. “I feel the toy drive is what really signifies the holiday spirit in Batavia. It is overwhelming to see the generosity of our community as toy after toy is dropped off. This year, more than ever before, we are relying on the giving spirit of our neighbors to offer hope to children in need all over Genesee county. We are grateful to WBTA and Ken Barrett Cadillac Chevrolet for continuing a beautiful tradition that will help so many this year.”

The Batavia Salvation Army has implemented additional precautions to make the toy drive a COVID-19 safe event. Those participating can simply drive up to the designated area at Ken Barrett Cadillac Chevrolet and open their trunk. A member of the Batavia Fire Department will collect the toys. If you cannot participate on December 11^th, please visit our Angel Tree Registry with Walmart.com. Toys will be directly shipped to our offices.

About The Salvation Army Empire State Division

The Empire State Division of The Salvation Army covers 48 counties in upstate New York and one city in Pennsylvania (Sayre, Pa.). Our annual Red Kettle Campaign in November and December helps our 45 community centers and 166 volunteer driven service units raise funds that remain in each community to help those in need.

For more information go to: empire.salvationarmy.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/salvationarmyempirestate

About The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army annually helps more than 23 million Americans overcome poverty, addiction and economic hardships through a range of social services. By providing food for the hungry, emergency relief for disaster survivors, rehabilitation for those suffering from drug and alcohol abuse, and clothing and shelter for people in need, The Salvation Army is doing the most good at 7,600 centers of operation around the country. In the first-ever listing of “America’s Favorite Charities” by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Salvation Army ranked as the country’s largest privately funded, direct-service nonprofit. 

Major League Baseball Enterprises Inc. has reached an agreement with several cities for where the teams will have affiliates and Batavia didn’t make the cut.  The New York Penn League which was founded in Batavia in 1939 is also splitting up as only 4 teams from the league are on the affiliates list.  What this means is that the Muckdogs are gone but Rachel Tabelski, interim city manager, says that there are requests from college leagues and that the Genesee county baseball club retains the rights to the name Muckdogs so, although a professional team may not play there again, a college team might and they could call themselves the Muckdogs.

Orleans county will be having free testing for asymptomatic people who believe that they may have COVID 19 at the Orleans County fairgrounds in Albion.  The free rapid testing will be offered from 1 to 4pm on Wednesday the 16^th.  You have to preregister on the Orleans county health department website.

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that NY along with 48 other states are suing Facebook as a monopoly.  According to the lawsuit, James alleges Facebook, “illegally acquired competitors in a predatory manner and cut services to smaller threats — depriving users from the benefits of competition and reducing privacy protections and services along the way — all in an effort to boost its bottom line through increased advertising revenue.”

Staples held a nationwide thank a teacher contest and announced the winners on Wednesday.  An Oakfield teacher, Mrs. Stephanie Clark who teaches first grade at Oakfield Alabama Elementary School, was one of the winners.  She will receive a 5000 dollar staples gift card to be used for school supplies and equipment.

If you are up past midnight tonight you could see a rare sight.  A huge solar flare ejected from the sun on the 7^th will cause a large aurora borealis that may be visible for most of Western NY.  The sky is supposed to be clear tonight so go out and look up and you may see this rare sight in the northern sky.  It will appear as a red or green glow.

Voters in the Alexander Central School District have given the thumbs up to a $15 million renovation project. The final vote was 113 yes and 90 people said no. District officials have said the project will not raise the local tax levy. The project includes renovations at the Elementary School, a new transportation facility and vehicle and pedestrian safety upgrades.

Court action is pending for a Batavia man who faces a felony complaint. Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 36-year-old Steven Keslo of Columbia Avenue. He was charged with first-degree falsifying business records and attempted criminal purchase of a weapon. He’s accused of attempting to purchase a gun, but legally can’t. He’ll appear in Town of Bergen court December 16th.

46…that’s the number of newly confirmed COVID-19 cases in Genesee County. The most recent infections involve residents from Batavia, Le Roy and nine other communities. Twenty-one people are hospitalized. The total number of confirmed cases in the county is nearly 1,300. In Orleans County, 37 new positive cases have been identified, while in Wyoming County…officials report another 25 cases.

Genesee County is considering implementing a local law to pay coroners more during catastrophic events. It’s welcome news to Jeff McIntire, a recently retired county medical examiner who worked 260 hours following the tragic plane crash in Corfu on Oct. 2. The crash resulted in the deaths of prominent attorney Steve Barnes, the pilot, and his niece, Elizabeth Barnes, who also practiced law. He told the Batavian…“It is good to know that if it does happen again, some provision is in place to make sure the coroner will get paid appropriately.” Lawmakers will hold a public hearing on the proposed law at 5:30 p.m. January 13th.

New York Farm Bureau delegates unanimously re-elected David Fisher, a dairy farmer from Madrid, NY, to his third two-year term as president of the state’s largest farm organization. In addition, delegates re-elected district representatives to the State Board of Directors to include another two-year term for Patrick McCormick of Wyoming County.  More than 100 delegates representing 52 county Farm Bureau organizations across the state came together online to not only cast their ballots in the election but also to establish public policy positions for the coming year.

The Salvation Army of Batavia is proud to announce, for the 37th year in a row, WBTA’S annual toy drive with Ken Barrett Cadillac Chevrolet. COVID-19 has hit The Salvation Army especially hard, with the need for services being at an all-time high and funding down nearly 40-50 percent. The annual drive for new, unwrapped toys will take place at the car dealership tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is located at 229 W. Main St. in the City of Batavia…and yes, we’ll be there live. The toy drive is a staple seasonal event for The Salvation Army of Batavia and the local community. All toys donated go to children in the Genesee County area. To date, The Salvation Army of Batavia has 180 families registered with more than 400 children needing toys this Christmas. They have seen more than a 30-percent increase in need this year due to the coronavirus pandemic in just the Batavia area.

Despite wintry conditions and a sloppy track, driver Ray Fisher Jr. was on top of his game and delivered five horses to the winner’s circle at Batavia Downs Wednesday night, including three straight winners in races two through four for the natural hat trick.

NY Congressman Tom Reed says he has spearheaded the passage of the ALS Disability Insurance Access Act of 2019 and the HOSPICE Act. The ALS Disability Insurance Access Act would waive the five-month Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) waiting period for individuals with ALS, while the HOSPICE Act would increase transparency and oversight into hospice providers to prevent bad actors from providing poor quality care. Both bills passed unanimously with outspoken support from Members on both sides of the aisle.

New York State will receive 170 thousand doses of the COVID 19 vaccine starting this weekend.  They will be distributed to each region based on the population of nursing home residents, staff members and hospital workers. Those individuals will receive the vaccine first, according to the state’s vaccine distribution plan.  Governor Cuomo said there are 90 regional distribution centers across the state that can accommodate the cold temperatures needed to store the vaccine.  The vaccine will be approved for use by the FDA on Thursday.  Even with all the blustering about not wanting the Vaccine to be distributed through private agencies, New York State will abide by the federal agreement with CVS and Walgreen pharmacies being allowed to administer the Vaccine.

A bill before the New York State assembly may make the COVID vaccine mandatory for all New Yorkers if the magic number of herd immunity is not met by people taking it voluntarily.  The bill was introduced by Manhattan Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal on the 4^th.  The herd immunity number is debated but most experts believe it to be between 70 and 85 percent of the population.

The annual WBTA and Ken Barret Chevrolet toy drive to benefit the Salvation Army is kicking off for the 37^th time starting this Friday.  New unwrapped toys may be brought to Ken Barret from 11 to 4  and WBTA will be broadcasting the event live.  With COVID 19 shutting down so much the Salvation Army has been hit particularly hard, giving is estimated to be down almost 50 percent to the organization that gives away food, clothes and helps people with housing and heating.  All toys donated go to children in the Genesee county area.  There are 180 families registered with more than 400 children needing toys.  The fire department will be on hand to do no contact drop offs as well, just drive up and open your trunk and a member of the fire department will collect the toys.  If you cannot participate on the 11th, please visit salvation army’s Angel Tree Registry with Walmart.com. Toys will be directly shipped to our offices.

Now through December 21^st the Adam Miller Bike and Toy shop is partnering with the Just Kings organization to provide toys to children in needy families.  New and gently used toys can be dropped off at Adam Millers or you can buy a 30 dollar gift card for 20.20 to be given to a family in need.

În zilele noastre, site-urile porno gratuite par să fie încă o modalitate bună de a vă bucura să vizionați o gamă bună de videoclipuri porno. Cu toate acestea, există câteva lucruri de reținut atunci când căutați ce este mai bun dintre cei mai buni.

XVideos

Dacă doriți să vizionați videoclipuri porno online, există mai multe site-uri pe care le puteți vizita. Aceste site-uri web sunt libere pentru a naviga, dar pot conține reclame sau conținut terță parte. Se știe că unele dintre ele conțin programe malware, ceea ce poate reprezenta un risc de securitate.

De exemplu, XVideos are o bibliotecă uriașă de porno și este unul dintre cele mai bune site-uri porno gratuite. Oferă o varietate de nișe și niveluri de calitate, variind de la pornografia amator la profesioniști. Site-ul are și o cameră live.

O altă caracteristică excelentă a XVideos este conținutul încărcat de utilizator. Aceasta înseamnă că puteți încărca videoclipuri pentru a le vedea alți utilizatori. De asemenea, puteți urmări canalele și vă puteți personaliza setările.

VideoBox este un site porno mare, cu amatori și studiouri celebre pentru adulți. Are și o arhivă uriașă de filme. Există peste 19K DVD-uri și peste 1 milion de videoclipuri disponibile.

Pentru a accesa videoclipuri de cea mai bună calitate, va trebui să vă înscrieți pentru un abonament. Cu un abonament, puteți viziona filme în flux și puteți descărca filme clare și sexy în până la 4K.

Una dintre cele mai mari probleme cu XVideos este că nu ține evidența dacă încărcările sale sunt sigure de vizualizat. Asta înseamnă că unele videoclipuri ar putea avea viruși de redirecționare și programe malware.

Infractorii cibernetici au dezvoltat modalități noi și sofisticate de a infecta utilizatorii cu malware. Puteți cădea cu ușurință în capcana lor. Ei vor încerca să vă ademenească cu promisiuni de o cantitate mare de conținut de calitate HD.

Futai.live

Dacă sunteți în căutarea unui nou site pentru vizionarea de https://futai.live, poate doriți să vizitați Futai.live. Site-ul oferă conținut porno premium din toată lumea. Există, de asemenea, seriale cinematografice originale destinate atât femeilor, cât și bărbaților.

Compania a devenit lider în industrie pentru producerea de filme pentru adulți de înaltă calitate mai ales pentru cei din Romania. De fapt, compania a devenit atât de populară încât alte companii și-au copiat politicile.

Site-ul are peste 14 000 de clipuri de sex sexy. Site-ul oferă, de asemenea, clipuri audio pline de continut porno xxx. De asemenea, puteți viziona videoclipuri pe site printr-un player încorporat.

RedTube

Site-urile porno gratuite sunt încă o modalitate excelentă de a viziona videoclipuri porno, dar trebuie să fii atent. Dacă doriți să rămâneți în siguranță, va trebui să utilizați un browser bun și un mod incognito sau să vă criptați datele. De asemenea, va trebui să fiți conștienți de malware, care vă poate bloca computerul și vă poate raporta la FBI pentru pornografie.

Unul dintre cele mai mari site-uri porno gratuite este XVideos. Site-ul are peste 9,5 milioane de videoclipuri și oferă o interfață ușor de navigat. Fila sa „Cele mai vizionate” vă arată ce urmăresc oamenii din întreaga lume. În plus, XVideos are porno în mai multe limbi.

Dacă doriți mai mult de la site-ul dvs. porno gratuit, luați în considerare plata unui abonament. Unele site-uri oferă conținut premium, inclusiv videoclipuri fără anunțuri și descărcări nelimitate. Aceasta este o opțiune excelentă dacă sunteți în căutarea unei lucrări de înaltă calitate.

Pornhub Premium este cea mai mare versiune plătită a site-ului web pentru adulți. Utilizatorii au acces la videoclipuri fără reclame, precum și la videoclipuri HD compatibile cu dispozitivele mobile. Alternativ, puteți încerca pluginul de eliminare a reclamelor de la PornHub, care elimină bannere și logo-uri de pe site.

Pentru mai mult, vă puteți înscrie pentru un abonament la Naughty America. Există videoclipuri 3D stereoscopice de 180 de grade și streaming nelimitat. În plus, Naughty America are o filă „Cel mai bine cotați”, care vă oferă o privire asupra privirilor altor spectatori porno.

Există o serie de alte site-uri porno gratuite disponibile. Dacă sunteți un utilizator nou, este posibil să nu fiți familiarizat cu pericolele transmisiei de porno online. Cu toate acestea, chiar și cetățenii cibernetici cu experiență trebuie să ia măsuri de precauție.

Pornhub Premium

Dacă sunteți în căutarea unui site pe care să vizionați videoclipuri porno, Pornhub Premium ar trebui să fie în partea de sus a listei dvs. Serviciul oferă conținut premium fără costuri ascunse. Aceasta înseamnă că puteți viziona conținut porno de calitate superioară și mai bun decât ceea ce puteți găsi pe site-urile web gratuite.

De asemenea, are o serie de caracteristici pe care poate nu le-ați văzut înainte. Acestea includ o opțiune de descărcare pentru videoclipul tău preferat și un serviciu VPN pentru o mai bună securitate. De asemenea, vă puteți abona la o varietate de producători de conținut.

Una dintre cele mai bune caracteristici este interfața de utilizator curată și ușor de utilizat a site-ului web. Puteți căuta videoclipuri după categorii, cum ar fi vârsta, orientarea sexuală și dimensiunea sânilor. În plus, puteți să le comentați și să creați liste de redare.

De asemenea, se știe că Pornhub Premium vine cu conținut exclusiv. Veți găsi conținut de la unele dintre cele mai mari mărci porno din jur. De asemenea, site-ul oferă un VPN, care este o măsură de securitate excelentă pentru cei care doresc să se bucure de porno în timp ce sunt în deplasare.

Pornhub și-a îmbunătățit și securitatea de la un atac cibernetic din 2017. Acum folosesc o funcție de geoblocare pentru a vă împiedica să vizualizați conținutul lor în anumite locații.

În plus, puteți folosi playerul video fără reclame de la Pornhub Premium pentru a viziona clipurile preferate. Pentru o perioadă limitată, puteți profita de un link promoțional care vă va permite să vă continuați calitatea de membru pentru doar un dolar pe lună.

Interim City Manager Rachael Tabelski announced today the appointment of Raymond Tourt as the Director of the Department of Public Works.

Tourt has served the City for 22 years in various capacities including Assistant City Engineer and currently as the Superintendent of Maintenance. During his tenure, he has successfully completed multiple infrastructure projects to include over 10 federal aid projects, other responsibilities have been Streets, Sewers, Parks, Snow and Fleet operations. He currently oversees 23 employees in the Bureau of Maintenance.

As the Director of the City of Batavia Public Works, Tourt will oversee the Bureau of Water, Wastewater, Bureau of Maintenance, Bureau of Inspection and Bureau of Engineering.

“I am excited to continue to work with Ray in his new role as the Director of Public Works. The City is undertaking numerous capital projects and his knowledge and leadership will ensure that these projects move forward to successful completion. He is a dedicated and knowledgeable member of the City staff and I know he will be well received in his new role,” said Rachael Tabelski, Interim City Manager.

Tourt will serve as Acting Director of Public Works for the next four weeks until the retirement of the current Director, Matt Worth, at which time he will be appointed provisionally.

The City of Batavia encourages all citizens to welcome Tourt in the position of the Director of Public Works. Tourt lives in the Town of Batavia with his family.

New York will limit indoor dining if the hospitalization rate does not stabilize. Hospitalization rates in Upstate New York regions have been on the rise, with a higher percentage of the population than in regions downstate. The Finger Lakes region leads in hospitalizations with 545 people. The governor said if the hospitalization rate in regions outside of New York City does not stabilize, indoor dining will be limited to 25 percent.  The New York Restaurant association says that “With the looming limits on indoor dining and outdoor dining no longer practical, many of our members will be forced to shut their doors, and for some it may be their final service.”

29 year old Aaron Romani of Milestrip Rd in Blasdell was arrested on December 3^rd and charged with driving while intoxicated, criminal possession of a controlled substance, and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.  He was arrested for an incident on August 2^nd where he was found pulled over to the side of the road on Byron Elba Rd at 2:48am.

The American Heart Association held an online rally on Monday and called on Governor Cuomo to increase taxes on Tobacco products.  It has been 10 years since a tax increase on tobacco in New York State.  They are calling for a 1 dollar increase on cigarettes and equal taxes on all other tobacco products.  The hope is that a higher tax will make tens of thousands of people quit smoking and chewing.

The Bills just keep on winning.  In last nights contest against the San Francisco 49ers the Buffalo Bills beat their opponents by 10 points for a final score of 34 to 24 for the first Monday night football win the Bills have had for 21 years.  The Bills hold a one win lead in the AFC East.  The Bills return home to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers who are 11 and 1 in a Sunday night match-up. Kickoff is set for 8:20 p.m.

130 new COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Genesee County. The Health department says the new infections involve people living in Batavia, LeRoy and 11 other communities. Twenty-one people are hospitalized. Health officials have also recorded three more virus-related deaths. One is a resident at The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Batavia. Two of the deaths were community members. All three individuals were over the age of 65. In Orleans County, 32 new positive cases have been confirmed with nine hospitalizations. The Health Department in Wyoming County has confirmed forty-three new cases between Friday and Monday.

Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) joined a bipartisan letter to the House and Senate appropriations committees calling for additional funding for the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) ReConnect rural broadband grant program in the upcoming FY21 funding bill. Jacobs said he has long advocated for increased broadband investment and the pandemic has only elevated that need.

Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $2.16, up 3 cents from one week ago. The New York State average is $2.25 – up 2 cents from last week. In Batavia, a gallon costs $2.22, up 3 cents since last week. The national average price for a gallon of gas has inched up 4 cents in the past month, but it is 42 cents lower than last year at this time. Since mid-November, domestic crude prices have steadily increased topping $45 per barrel, contributing to pump prices rising across the country.

Sen. Charles Schumer is asking President-elect Joe Biden to cancel up to $50,000 in debt for federal student loan borrowers as soon as he is sworn in. At a news conference Monday, Schumer said Biden could do this by using existing executive authority under the Higher Education Act. Schumer said canceling this debt would bring immediate relief to millions of New Yorkers struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. This initiative would cover only debtors making less than $125,000 a year.

New York will limit indoor dining if the hospitalization rate does not stabilize. Hospitalization rates in Upstate New York regions have been on the rise, with a higher percentage of the population than in regions downstate. The Finger Lakes region leads in hospitalizations involving 545 people. The governor said if the hospitalization rate in regions outside of New York City does not stabilize, indoor dining will be limited to 25 percent.

In-person staffing at courts in New York will be reduced as a result of rising COVID-19 cases. In a message released Monday, the Chief Judge said courts outside of New York City will be reduced to 40% or less in-person staffing.  In-person services will also be limited. Non-essential in-person appearances in civil courts will be temporarily suspended, and only a reduced number of in-person, essential appearances for criminal, family and housing courts will be allowed. The Chief Judge said courts are being encouraged to utilize virtual court appearances when possible.

The health department has issued a report that a COVID positive person was at Sport Of Kings in Batavia on Monday the 30^th of November and Tuesday December 1^st from 2pm to 8pm.   Also a Covid positive person was at Applebee’s in Batavia on Friday the 27^th of November form noon to 2pm.  If you were at either of these locations during these times, please monitor yourself for COVID Symptoms for the next 14 days.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley issued a press release in remembrance today for the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese military on December 7^th 1941.  The attack pushed America into the 2^nd world war.   That day saw much tragedy, as did the months and years of conflict following it, which is why we remember it today.  In the aftermath, 15 Medals of Honor were given. 51 Navy Crosses. 53 Silver Stars. Four Navy and Marine Corps Medals. One Distinguished Flying Cross. Four Distinguished Service Crosses. One Distinguished Service Medal. Three Bronze Star Medals. And following the attack, the Pearl Harbor Commemorative Medal was given to all veterans of the attack.

There were some unusual lights in the sky last night prompting many to take pictures and report them to the government and news stations.  Apparently these lights, which were in a straight line across part of the sky, were related to the launch of a SpaceX dragon capsule launch and part of the new Starlink internet program by SpaceX.  This program is set to put thousands of satellites in orbit to give internet all across the globe, potentially reaching areas that cannot be served by traditional internet.

Gas Prices are up a little as news of COVID-19 vaccines has people up  and out a bit more.  In Batavia the prices jumped a whole 3 cents in a week from 2.19 to 2.22, the New York state average is up 2 cents to 2.25 and the national average is up 4 cents as well.  We are still down quite a bit form 2.68 last year t this time.

The Genesee Orleans County Health Departments have received a positive COVID-19 test result from an individual who was at Sport of Kings, Batavia on:

• Monday, November 30^th from 2:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, December 1^st from 2:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Contact tracing is in progress; however unidentified individuals may have unknowingly been in contact with the positive cases.

We advise all individuals who were at Sport of Kings on the stated dates and times to monitor their symptoms for 14 days. If symptoms of COVID-19 develop, contact your primary care provider to seek testing immediately and self-isolate until you receive your test results. Symptoms of COVID-19 include but are not limited to: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea.

For more information please visit: https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home.

Over the weekend the Genesee County Health Dept issued these alerts:

The Genesee County Health Department has received multiple positive COVID-19 test results from individuals who were at Eli Fish in Batavia on:

• Wednesday, November 25^th from 6:00 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.

Contact tracing is in progress; however unidentified individuals may have unknowingly been in contact with the positive cases.

We advise all individuals who were at Eli Fish on the stated dates and times to monitor their symptoms for 14 days. If symptoms of COVID-19 develop, contact your primary care provider to seek testing immediately and self-isolate until you receive your test results. Symptoms of COVID-19 include but are not limited to: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea.

For more information please visit: https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home.

The Orleans County Health Department has received a positive COVID-19 test result from an individual who was at Mariachi De Oro in Medina on:

• Wednesday, December 2^nd from 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
• Thursday, December 3^rd from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Contact tracing is in progress; however unidentified individuals may have unknowingly been in contact with the positive cases.

We advise all individuals who were at Mariachi De Oro on the stated dates and times to monitor their symptoms for 14 days. If symptoms of COVID-19 develop, contact your primary care provider to seek testing immediately and self-isolate until you receive your test results. Symptoms of COVID-19 include but are not limited to: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea.

For more information please visit: https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home

More changes begin this week in the Batavia City School District. Officials say beginning today, schools have transitioned to online learning due to an increase in coronavirus cases. This past week, positive coronavirus cases increased to 39 across the district. As a result, over 100 students and staff had to quarantine. Students will be 100% online through winter break. The Superintendent says the schools will reassess the decision before the return on January 4. The district will still provide daily breakfast and lunch for pickup at Jackson Primary and John Kennedy.

The investigation continues after fire ripped through three homes in Albion. The Saturday fire was a three-alarm blaze. A male living in one of the homes was found at the scene with non-life-threatening injuries from the explosion and fire. He was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital. Damage to two of the homes is considered “extensive.” The Red Cross was called to assist up to a dozen displaced residents. The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Albion Police Department with assistance from the Orleans County Fire Investigation Unit, New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Felony charges have now been leveled against a man who crashed into a vehicle September 12th on Bliss Road in Oakfield. 32-year-old Jason Klinkbeil of Alabama will appear in Oakfield Town Court February 1st. He faces 11 counts to include felony first-degree vehicular assault and felony driving while intoxicated. Deputies allege Klinkbeil was driving while impaired by drugs, crashed into a second vehicle and caused serious injuries to a passenger in the other vehicle.

With New York continuing to face a teacher shortage, four leading education groups have highlighted the pressing need to build up the teacher preparation pipeline to prepare the next generation of educators to join the workforce in the coming years. Specifically, the organizations noted the need for high-quality student teacher placements in local school districts statewide, even with the coronavirus pandemic forcing many schools to continue with remote education or limited in-person instruction. At issue is an emerging lack of opportunities for student teachers to be paired up with veteran educators in some areas this fall and how that trend would affect springtime student teacher placements. The Interim Commissioner of the State Education Department and Board of Regents also have sounded the alarm on the serious shortage of student teacher placements.

The Buffalo Bills return to the national spotlight on Monday Night Football. The 8-3 Bills will play the 5-6 San Francisco 49ers tonight. Because of COVID, the game will be played at State Farm Stadium – the home of the Arizona Cardinals. Game time is 8:15.

New stats from Albany show that the COVID-19 positivity rates in Western New York are inching down, but are on the rise in the Finger Lakes region. In fact, at eight-and-a-half percent, it’s the highest in the state. Genesee, Wyoming, and Orleans counties are all part of the Finger Lakes region.

A report from researchers at the University of Washington has COVID-19 as the leading cause of death in the U-S as hospitals across the country get ready for a post-Thanksgiving surge. In New York the positivity rate has climbed over 5% — but Governor Cuomo has shifted his messaging, now saying he’s less concerned about that, and more focused on how full the hospitals become– so far New York still has ample ICU space, but like the rest of the country, healthcare workers are bracing for difficult weeks ahead.

Genesee county is offering free rapid testing for asymptomatic people who believe they have been exposed to COVID 19 at the Emergency Management Office & Fire Training Facility, at 7690 State Street Road in the Town of Batavia on Tuesday and Thursday from 1pm to 4pm.  In order to make the process as easy as possible when going to the testing site make sure you have a pen, everyone in the vehicle is wearing a mask when you get there and be prepared to receive a phone call from an unknown number soon after the test to get your results.

COVID-19 Update:  From Friday at 4 pm, Genesee County has 50 new cases and 29 people have recovered.  15 of the new cases are at the Grand rehab and Nursing Facility.  15 people are hospitalized.  Orleans county has 24 new cases and 6 people have recovered.  8 people are hospitalized.  We are saddened to report that 3 people at the Grand have passed away from COVID.  There are 183 active cases in Genesee county and 77 in Orleans.

Congressman Chris Jacobs gave a floor speech in the House on Friday calling on House Democrats to approve a COVID relief extension of the paycheck protection program.  Jacobs called for the release of the already approved 138 billion dollars in CARES act funds which were not used in the first round of aid.  The extension would set a new deadline for applications allowing people to apply to receive the funds to save small businesses.  A report earlier in the week showed that 30 percent of NY small businesses were shutting down permanently because of the COVID shutdowns.

Former Army Air Corps Veteran reissued membership to the club no one wants to join at his 106^th birthday.  Sydney Cole bailed out of a damaged piper cub over Belgium into Nazi Germany held territory on January, 2^nd, 1945 and survived by using his parachute.  This made him eligible to join the caterpillar club, a club exclusively for people who have had to bail out of an aircraft that was going down and use a parachute and survive.  The caterpillar refers to the silk used to make the parachutes.  He received a plaque, the caterpillar pin and framed copies of his certificate and application from 1945 after he spent 3 months in a German prison camp.

Byron Bergen 5^th Grader Ruthie Kuipers won 1^st place in the WEGO region play to get fit challenge with a whopping 4,279 minutes or 71 and a third hours of recorded activity.  All elementary schools in the Glow  region participated and all participants received a certificate.

Friday Afternoon COVID-19 Update:  Genesee County has 50 new cases and 29 people have recovered.  15 of the new cases are at the Grand rehab and Nursing Facility.  15 people are hospitalized.  Orleans county has 24 new cases and 6 people have recovered.  8 people are hospitalized.  We are saddened to report that 3 people at the Grand have passed away from COVID.  There are 183 active cases in Genesee county and 77 in Orleans.

A person who tested COVID positive was at Eli Fish on Wednesday November 25th from 6-845pm.   Also a person who was COVID-19 positive was at Mariachi De Oro in Medina Wednesday between 3pm and 8pm and Thursday between 11am and 12pm.  If you were at these businesses during any of these times please monitor yourself for symptoms for 14 days.

The results of the STOP DWI work over the thanksgiving holiday where Police were out in force to catch people who drove while intoxicated have been released for New York state.  155 people were arrested and over 14 thousand tickets were handed out.  757 crashes happened over the 4 day holiday but only 3 deaths.  The stop DWI program lowers traffic fatalities by over 20 percent each year.

38 year old Matthew Maniace of Fargo Rd in Bethany was arrested December 2nd for driving with ability impaired by drugs with a prior conviction, criminal possession of a controlled substance, obstruction of government administration, moving from a lane unsafely and petit larceny.  He was in an accident on Prole Rd Extension in Stafford, he attempted to flee from police and toxicology results showed he had drugs in his system.  He was also found in possession of drugs and had allegedly stolen keys and a tow hitch from a truck after saying he would fix it.

Project Stork, a non profit organization that helps mothers of newborns with diapers, and baby care items in Oakfield has received a grant form the east Hill Foundation to provide diapers once a month to over 200 families.  Nearly one in three families nationwide struggle to afford diapers for their babies. The COVID-19 pandemic has made the problem worse, with diapers sometimes out of stock in stores. Project Stork appreciates donations as well as drop offs of diapers, baby wipes, baby soap and lotion. For more information, go to www.projectstorkinc.org or call Project Stork at (585) 590 – 6626. Follow on Facebook.

Genesee county 4-h is accepting registrations for the 2021 4h tractor safety program.  The program is open to people 14 years and up and covers farm safety, tractor safety, tractor operation and other related topics.  The program is scheduled to run Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., January through April at farm machinery dealerships throughout Genesee County. All New York health and safety guidelines that are in place at the time of the program will be followed.