Morning News Brief

The US house of representatives has passed an Active Shooter Alert Act which creates a communication system similar to the Amber Alert system to let communities know about active shooters in their area.  Congressman Brian Higgins, a cosponsor of the bill, said in a statement, “This legislation establishes a messaging system that will allow law enforcement to keep communities safe when an active shooter crisis arises, especially when there is clear and present danger in schools, groceries stores, churches, and other public establishments.”  The bill now heads to the Senate for approval.

A case of Monkeypox has been confirmed in Erie county according to the Erie  County Department of Health.  According to a release, the patient has been in isolation and does not pose a risk to the general public. The ECDOH is conducting contact tracing to determine if any additional residents have been exposed to the virus.  Monkeypox is generally spread by prolonged skin to skin contact and most of those who have caught it in the US are men who have had sexual contact with other men.  It is characterized by flulike symptoms and lesions on the body.  Contact with these lesions is the most common way to catch it.  The health department says that anyone who develops a new, unexplained rash should seek medical attention and stay isolated from others.  The rash starts as flat, red bumps, which can be painful, before turning into blisters and finally scabbing over.  It may spread through respiratory droplets but not aerosol like the cold or COVID.  

Alexander’s Zoning Board decided against putting up a windmill off Dry Bridge Road on Wednesday.  At issue was the height.  The Town only allows 500 feet as the maximum height for windmills and this one was going to be 650 feet tall.  At the ZBA meeting in June, Borrego representative David Strong said the height of the wind turbine was driven primarily by changes in technology and the standards of the industry. It’s just no longer possible to build 500-foot tall — the standard when the Town approved its zoning code — windmills.  The proposed 4.5-megawatt windmill would have been the only wind turbine on the 147-acre parcel as part of a community-based renewable energy project.

The new Batavia School Board President says he is committed to Honesty and Transparency and is an open book.  John Marucci says he is here to assist members of the district in any way he can.  Marucci has been a resident of Batavia since July of 2014. Three of his children are Batavia High School graduates and a son is in the Class of 2025 at the school. Marucci has served on the Batavia Bulldawgs Board and as a coach for seven years. He is a recipient of the Jim Ellegate Memorial Award by The Niagara / Orleans Football Association for “The Love  of the Game and More Importantly The Love of Children.” He previously served as the head coach for the BCSD Modified Wrestling Team and also assisted in coaching Batavia Little Devils Youth Wrestling Club.