Monday News Brief

The prosecution could be wrapping up its case soon in the murder trial of Troy Parker. He’s the man accused of killing Fantasia Stone last year by setting her on fire at an address in Rochester. On Friday, Parker’s ex-girlfriend testified she saw him the night Stone lost her life and that she ended up bringing him home the next day. There is no word yet if Parker is going to take the stand in his own defense.

 

Serious legal trouble for a Buffalo man; it’s alleged he committed a disturbing crime. Police say 31-year-old David McKeever is accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl. The two reportedly met on a dating site back in July and the encounter between them happened shortly after. McKeever was later identified as a suspect following a complaint filed by the girl’s mother and is charged with rape and child endangerment.

 

According to Triple A this morning, local drivers are feeling a little bit of relief at the gas pumps. The national average cost for a gallon of regular fuel is now $3.11. The state average is $3.26. In Batavia, the average price calculates out to $3.29; that’s down 12 cents from a month ago and 15 cents from a year ago today.

 

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has introduced new legislation that would encourage grocery stores to build in underserved communities. The Healthy Food Financing Initiative Reauthorization Act bill would provide $50 million in federal funding to grocery stores to build in areas like the East Side of Buffalo. Organizations like Community Action say that the struggle with food insecurity is real. The organization has been giving away food all week to neighbors in need — food they would not receive otherwise. Last Friday, they ran out of food within 27 minutes of opening.

 

The Genesee County Health Department will be hosting an anti-rabies immunization clinic at no charge Thursday, February 8th from 4:00pm until 6:00pm at the Batavia Town Highway Garage. Vaccinations are free for dogs, cats, and ferrets, but voluntary donations are accepted. Animals must be at least 3 months old and each must be leashed or crated and accompanied by an adult who can control the animal. Limit 4 pets per car please.

 

In just a few days, people who live in the 26th Congressional District are not going to have any representation on Capitol Hill. That’s because Congressman Brian Higgins is resigning Friday so he can become the new president and CEO of Shea’s Performing Arts Center. The Democrat said back in November he was stepping down in part due to the partisan nature of Congress. It’ll be up to Governor Hochul to set the date for a special election to pick Higgins’ replacement.

 

New York State has agreed to implement several reforms as part of a settlement with the US Department of Justice over Andrew Cuomo’s sexual harassment of women while he was in office as Governor. The Justice Department investigation found a pattern of sexual misconduct by Cuomo and said he subjected at least 13 state employees to a hostile work environment. The investigation found that Cuomo’s staffers failed to adequately report allegations and retaliated against four women who raised complaints. In a statement, Governor Hochul said she looks forward to continuing to reform the state’s procedures for addressing and preventing sexual harassment and retaliation. Cuomo’s attorneys deny any harassment and say the investigation is purely political. He is currently suing Attorney General Letitia James for her records of the interviews she did during the investigation.

 

New York State’s climate plan, which includes phasing out the state’s reliance on natural gas, continues to face criticism. Experts say changing every household to electric only would cost $30,000 to $40,000 per home. Add to that the push to buy electric cars which would charge mostly at night and school districts needing to buy electric school buses for 3 times the cost and also have them charge every night. Critics claim the electrical grid in its current form can’t handle all that with fossil fuels. New York has a statewide goal of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 by switching all electricity production to solar and wind power by 2040. However, solar panels don’t work at night and wind turbines are not reliable.

 

Tax season is underway, and the state Department of Taxation and Finance is reminding New Yorkers they can file their returns for free. In order to qualify, people must meet income and other qualifications to send in their federal and state returns at no cost. It’s estimated that free filing saves people hundreds of dollars a year, and this year’s deadline is midnight on April 15th. For more information, head to tax.ny.gov.

 

The Buffalo Bills have decided to officially promote Joe Brady to the role of offensive coordinator. Brady had taken over the job on an interim basis when Ken Dorsey was fired this past November. Brady helped the Bills go on a six-game winning streak that was snapped when the team lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs. Buffalo has also reportedly interviewed former Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell to fill the same role for the Bills.

 

ELSEWHERE…

Critical federal funding is coming to New York State to cover COVID costs. Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced more than $157 million in FEMA money to reimburse the state for emergency proactive measures taken to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The state utilized equipment, materials, and contracts to implement emergency measures to reduce and prevent the virus’ spread. This allowed testing center operations to run smoothly and safely, ensuring that thousands of New Yorkers could be tested to minimize the spread of the virus.

 

A doctor with the Yale School of Medicine says he’s concerned about recent cases of measles in Pennsylvania, Virginia and now Georgia. Dr. Thomas Murray focuses on infectious diseases and global health. He says about 90% of susceptible people who are exposed to measles will come down with the highly contagious virus. It was eliminated from the U.S. in 2000, but has been making a comeback as childhood vaccination rates fall below the threshold in some areas. Murray says measles spreads when unvaccinated people travel abroad, become infected and return to the United States.

 

A new study claims an oncoming migraine can be predicted. The study published in the journal “Neurology,” claimed a change in sleep quality and energy the day before the migraines were clear indicators. A 2018 study showed that chronic migraines are the leading cause of disability in people under the age of 50. The study authors used electronic diaries to track over 470 people’s behavior and symptoms over two weeks.

 

The Clydesdales are coming back to the Super Bowl. St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch has released a 15-second video clip teasing the return of the trademark Budweiser draft horses. The beer company stopped airing commercials with the horses during the Super Bowl three years ago as it said it wanted to raise awareness about the COVID-19 vaccine along with the Ad Council. That marked the first time in nearly 40 years that the international brewer had skipped the Super Bowl. The teaser video shows the world-famous horses emerging from their stables in a blizzard. The Super Bowl airs February 11th on CBS, Paramount Plus and Nickelodeon.

 

Today is Monday, Jan. 29, the 29th day of 2024 with 337 to follow.

The moon is waning. Morning stars are Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Uranus and Venus. Evening stars are Jupiter, Neptune, Saturn and Uranus.

January 29 in history…

…In 1945, Tom Selleck was born (happy 79th!)

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1954, TV personality Oprah Winfrey was born (happy 70th!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1975, actor Sara Gilbert was born (happy 49th!)

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1998, a top tobacco company executive admitted under oath to Congress for the first time that cigarettes are dangerous. The testimony by RJR Nabisco chairman and CEO Steven Goldstone came at a hearing where industry leaders pushed Congress to enact an over 368-billion dollar deal giving them partial immunity from future lawsuits.

 

 

 

 

…In 2006, ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff and an ABC cameraman were seriously injured after a roadside bomb exploded near the Iraqi town of Taji. Both men suffered head injuries in the blast and were taken to a U.S. military hospital in Iraq.