Midday News Brief
Written by Doug Thompson on February 17, 2022
A Flood Watch remains in effect today through tomorrow across all of western NY. Flooding may occur on roadways that have poor drainage. Ice flows may jam at bridges and pipes causing water to back up. When you encounter a roadway covered with water, stay safe; don’t enter it; and always remain mindful of areas prone to flooding. In addition to the Flood Watch there is also a Winter Weather Advisory for Orleans and Niagara Counties from 5pm today through 9am tomorrow morning. Travel in those two counties may become difficult due to the combination of icy and snow covered roads. Snow will reduce visibility tonight and taper off early tomorrow morning but still could impact the morning commute.
Genesee County Legislature Chair Rochelle Stein announced today that Genesee County is launching a $1 million Community Development Block Grant to help businesses impacted by the pandemic. Through the Genesee CARES Business Recovery Fund, businesses that were negatively impacted by COVID-19 will be eligible to receive a grant of up to $75,000 to aid the recovery of their businesses. Eligible applicants are for-profit businesses within Genesee County with 25 or fewer employees. For additional information regarding eligibility and applications, go to their website: www.GeneseeCARES.com
The Batavia City Council will continue to think about how best to tackle snow plowing and snow removal concerns that have come up during this particularly snowy winter. Last Monday evening, they spent about 20 minutes discussing the issues that have come up, including plowed snow ending up in the streets or piled 4 feet or higher on sidewalks, making it especially challenging for some homeowners to keep sidewalks clear. One possible solution discussed was to distribute information to some residents about property owners’ responsibilities specific to clearing snow after a storm.
A project being funded by HP Hood may create minor traffic delays over the next few weeks. Crews will be installing a 16-inch water line off of Route 5 between 7 Springs Road and Ag Park Drive North. Construction is expected to continue through April with only intermittent need for occasional traffic delays.
The Genesee County Legislature wants to honor the sacrifice of veterans who take up the mantle of Honor Guard at the Western NY National Cemetery in Corfu by providing them uniforms to wear while they go about their duties. The legislature agreed to a resolution to spend up to 8000 dollars to make sure that the Honor Guard had proper uniforms. The uniforms would belong to the members of the Guard but would be required to be surrendered if they left the Honor Guard. The WNY National Cemetery Honor Guard consists of 32 members, all volunteers, who serve their fallen military member’s families at the burial grounds. The final vote on the uniforms is next Wednesday.
The Buffalo Sabres will be back on home ice this evening as they look to extend their current winning streak to three games. The Sabres are hosting the Ottawa Senators at KeyBank Center. Buffalo is coming off of a six-to-three win over the New York Islanders on Tuesday night in a contest that saw Victor Olofsson score two goals. Face-off for tonight’s game is scheduled for 7:00pm.
State Attorney General Letitia James has issued a very important safety warning involving Apple Air Tags. She says criminals are using the devices to track an individual’s location by attaching the AirTags to vehicles or placing them in purses, coat pockets or on other personal items. People can take several steps to protect themselves including watching for “Item Detected Near You” notifications on their iPhones or by downloading the Tracker Detect app from the Google Play Store if they have an Android device. James says tracking someone without their consent is a felony and that everyone should keep a close eye on their belongings.
In-person classes will resume on February 28th at McKinley High School in Buffalo after the violent incident last week that left a 14-year-old student and security guard hurt. Seniors will return to the building first followed by juniors on March 1st and freshmen and sophomores on March 2nd. Police say last Wednesday a 17-year-old stabbed the 14-year-old while another 17-year-old shot the security guard. The student suffered serious injuries and the security guard is also recovering. Classes have been held remotely the last several days.
