Midday News Brief
Written by Dan Fischer on March 8, 2021

Rachel Tabelski
The Batavia City Council tonight is expected to approve Rachel Tabelski as the next, permanent, City Manager.
Tabelski has been serving as the interim City Manager since the departure of Martin Moore.
City Council President Gene Jankowski said the search came down to two candidates with Tabelski being one of them. Council will vote on the permanent appointment during its business meeting tonight.
Governor Cuomo is standing firm, saying he won’t resign even though two more women have accused him of sexual harassment.
The governor again asked New Yorkers to withhold judgment until an investigation into the allegations is complete. Five women have come forward in the last couple of weeks claiming the governor acted inappropriately towards them.
The search continues for a Batavia man who went missing in Ecuador.
On February 21st, 36-year-old Travis Sackett went for a day-long hike near an extinct volcano. He hasn’t been seen or heard from since.
Since his disappearance, local authorities and the US Embassy in Ecuador have been notified. The family is offering a $2,000 reward for any information that helps locate him.
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe page has been established to add to the reward and cover expenses. It has grown to more than $10,000.
A much-needed financial boost is on the way for most restaurants in New York State. Beginning March 19th, restaurants outside of New York City can operate at 75 percent capacity, but tables will still need to be spread apart.
The number of customers at restaurants has been limited for months in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Gasoline continues to cost more in Batavia. The average price of a gallon of regular is $2.76, up 4-cents from a week ago and up nearly 22-cents from a month ago.
The losing streak of the Buffalo Sabres has now hit seven following another loss on the road. Jeff Skinner and Colin Miller had a goal apiece, but it wasn’t enough as Buffalo fell to the New York Islanders yesterday by a final score of five-to-two.
Buffalo will look to get back on the winning track tomorrow night when they visit the Philadelphia Flyers.