Midday News Brief
Written by Doug Thompson on February 8, 2022
Governor Hochul is going to be making an announcement on the future of the state’s indoor mask mandate tomorrow. The mandate was put in place back in December in an effort to slow down the spread of COVID-19 and is set to expire on Thursday. The mandate has been controversial and at one point was declared unconstitutional by a State Supreme court judge before that decision was overruled by an appellate court, which allowed it to remain in effect. The governor is meeting with education leaders today and is expected to discuss how much longer students will have to wear masks in school. Oakfield-Alabama has set an emergency Board of Education meeting for this week to vote on whether to keep their own resolution on masking in place. Batavia City Schools Superintendent Jason Smith says the Board of Education’s meeting on February 17th may also be a venue for this same discussion. It seems there are advocates on both sides of the issue with the vast majority wanting it to be up to parents and the personal choice of the child.
City of Batavia Republican Committee Chairman Richard Richmond invites qualified individuals seeking to serve in the role of council-at-large representative to submit a letter of interest to him by February 17, a week from Thursday. To be qualified for the position, the prospective representative must be a resident of the City of Batavia and a member of the same political party as the representative who most recently served in the seat—in this case, a Republican. The City Republican Committee expects to recommend an individual to the City Council, which has the appointment power to fill the vacancy temporarily.
An emergency Road Closure is in place; Manhattan Avenue from Ellsworth Ave. to North St. is closed off for sanitary sewer repair. The roadway will be closed to all through traffic until sometime early this afternoon. All motorists that regularly use Manhattan Avenue are asked to seek alternative routes while the closures are in place.
A Buffalo woman has pleaded guilty to pepper-spraying someone following a dispute over a face mask requirement. Prosecutors say 27-year-old Deshawna Taylor refused to have a facial covering on while she was inside a medical office back in August. When a female employee asked Taylor to put on a mask, she refused and pepper-sprayed the woman in the face, causing the victim to suffer minor injuries. Taylor is facing up to one year behind bars when she’s sentenced in April.
Former Governor Andrew Cuomo says he’s not ruling out a run for public office in the future. But in an interview with Bloomberg News, Cuomo said it’s too early to think about what position he’d seek. Cuomo stepped down back in August after a report from State Attorney General Letitia James alleged that he sexually harassed several women, claims that Cuomo has repeatedly denied. Cuomo says that if he had to do it again, he wouldn’t have resigned and that he feels vindicated because several district attorneys have decided not to prosecute him. He also called the AG’s report politically motivated.
The Buffalo Bills have hired Aaron Kromer as their new Offensive Line Coach. Kromer was with the Bills for the 2015-16 season. He most recently served as the Los Angeles Rams Offensive Line coach and Run Game Coordinator from 2017 to 2020. He replaces Bobby Johnson who served as the Bills Offensive Line Coach from 2019 to 2021 but is joining Brian Daboll to serve in the same role with the New York Giants.
