Morning News Brief

Orleans county could soon be missing a vital emergency service.  Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance may close their doors and that would mean Orleans County would be without an Ambulance service.  President of the Board of Directors, Jennifer Stilwell, said COVA is financially struggling.  The organization is not government funded and operates off of donations and insurance money.  Supply costs and bills have increased, yet money flow has decreased.  The fire and police departments all receive money from county and municipalities but the ambulance corps does not.  

Since the beginning of the year Rochester has had 54 homicides.  Labor day marked the 55th with a man found shot dead at Joseph Xpress convenience store on Joseph Street just after midnight.  Officers say the victim, 24-year-old Isaiah Fleming of Rochester, was pronounced dead at the scene.  No arrests have been made yet.  Rochester has had a marked increase in violence and murders. Especially shooting deaths.  The homicide rate was up 126 percent in the last 5 years.  The 54th homicide was Saturday.

You’ve heard of smash and grab but how about crash and grab?  Euphoria Liquor on East Main St in Rochester had a driver crash his car into it, jump out and steal lottery tickets and other items from the store.  The robbery happened early in the morning on Labor day.  A pickup truck was the door opener and getaway vehicle.  The owner, Carl Fantauzzo, says the damage will cost him tens of thousands of dollars.  He also said he had already paid out significant money after the 2020 riots damaged his store.  

It’s that time again, school is back in session.  Police across New York are warning drivers to be on the lookout for students crossing streets and getting on and off the bus.  Drivers are urged to be alert, put down their phones or coffees, and not try to pass stopped school buses.  Every year there are tragic incidents where kids are killed or injured when someone tries to pass a stopped bus with its lights and sign on.  Be patient, wait for the bus to turn off its lights and retract the stop sign.  Failure to stop could lead to fines, jail time, and death or injury.

The latest data from Triple A shows that the pain at the pump is continuing to ease up. Right now, the average cost for a gallon of regular gas in Batavia is sitting at 4.15. That’s down 11 cents in the past week and is 30 cents lower than this time one month ago. The state average is four-dollars a gallon while nationally it’s 3.78.