Morning News Brief
Written by Dan Fischer on September 21, 2021
The man who fled a traffic stop Sunday night in Stafford is facing a slew of charges. Police say 44-year-old Arthur Brown of LeRoy was seen driving erratically on Rt. 33 in Stafford, and when his vehicle was pulled over, Brown fled into a wooded area. That’s when police heard what sounded like gunshots, but was actually a wildlife scare cannon that’s used to scare off birds and other animals that might damage crops.
A nearly five-hour search by police finally ended around just before 11:30 p.m. when Brown was taken into custody by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team.
Brown is facing three felony charges including weapons possession, menacing a police officer, and evidence tampering. Brown is also facing three misdemeanor charges and two traffic violations. He is being held in the Genesee County Jail without bail and will be in court October 5.
A passenger in the car, 29-year-old Brianna Smith of Rochester, has a warrant in the state of Florida for violating probation, but the state of Florida would not extradite Smith. She faces one charge of criminal possession of a controlled substance and will back in Stafford Town Court at a later date.
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The city of Batavia will be closing some roads tomorrow for resurfacing. Parts of Allenview Drive and Garden Drive will be close tomorrow between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. The city will also resurface the parking lot at Lion’s Park and the Canale Lot off Ellicott Street.
The work should be completed in a day as long as the weather doesn’t postpone the work.
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The Biden Administration says the land border between the United States and Canada is going to be closed for another month. That means Canadians won’t be able to drive into the U.S. for nonessential reasons until October 21. But a White House official revealed yesterday foreign visitors can fly into the U.S. in November if they’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19. In August, Canada began allowing Americans who are protected from the virus to enter their country for the first time in months. U.S. officials say Canadians can cross the border for essential reasons such as business or to receive medical care.
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A federal lawsuit has been filed to challenge a mandate that children statewide are required to wear masks in school and on the bus. The legal action is being taken by parents who claim the rights of their kids are being violated because the facial covering order causes them harm. The attorneys for the plaintiffs say some children have complained of health issues such as headaches, anxiety, and depression due to having a mask on. Governor Kathy Hochul said last month she was putting the masking guideline in place because she believes it’s the best way to keep everyone safe from COVID-19.
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Governor Kathy Hochul is announcing a new series of environmental goals as Climate Week gets underway in the state. Hochul is calling on the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and New York State Department of Public Service to develop a solar roadmap that would expanded the state’s current solar program to at least 10 gigawatts by 2030. Hochul is also aiming to have over one-million zero emissions vehicles on the road by 2035, which is on par with California’s goals.
