Morning News Brief
Written by Tom Tharp on September 22, 2022
An official in Canada says that the vaccine requirement to cross the border will soon be dropped. Canada is similar to the United States in that it requires non citizens to be vaccinated when entering the country. It is not immediately known whether the U.S. will make a similar move by Sept. 30. Congressman Brian Higgins is calling on the United States to end its COVID-related restrictions and in a letter to the Department of Homeland Security he said “the time is long overdue for the United States to cease its own COVID-19- related restrictions on our northern border.” The official says that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau needs to give final sign off on the decision but that the government will likely be dropping the requirement as well ending random COVID testing at airports. ArriveCan will also be going away.
Governor Hochul has agreed to a general election debate for the governors race against candidate Lee Zeldin. The debate will be hosted by Spectrum News NY1 at Pace University on October 25 at 7 p.m. The Zeldin campaign responded to the offer with criticism — and without committing to the NY1 debate, while noting Zeldin already accepted two debate offers. Zeldin said that Hochul is trying to get away with having the debate after absentee ballots had started being collected for over a month and that the debate she offered will miss millions of New Yorkers who don’t get NY1. Absentee ballots are sent out beginning tomorrow.
The Buffalo Public School Board of Education is weighing plans to pay parents to drive their kids to school as the bus driver shortage for the city continues. The Board is considering whether or not to implement a $856,000 Parent Transportation Reimbursement Pilot Program. This program would allow up to 15,000 parents in the district to earn 63 cents for every mile they drive to when taking their children to and from school. Parents and community members are skeptical of the idea. Board member at-large, Larry Scott said he can’t stand behind a solution that will throw nearly $1 million dollars when it hasn’t been proven. The Board sent out a survey to parents to see if they were willing to drive their kids. Less than 5 percent of respondents said they would. Most cited work being in the way.
The Batavia Business Improvement District Scarecrow Contest has begun! Get ready to see scarecrows lining main street through the city. All set to the theme of dead celebrities. If you haven’t signed up for one yet, you can register and pay 20 dollars at downtownbatavia.com by Friday and go pick up supplies to make one from Jackson Square on Saturday between 9 and 12. Anyone can join in the fun. Scarecrows will be up till November 4th and the public will vote on which they think is the best. There are cash prizes for the top 3. At the same time the scarecrows are going up, the Batavia wine walk will take place October 1st and the road will be lined with pink pumpkins for breast cancer awareness month.
If you go out to the tennis courts at Batavia High School and look across the way you’ll see the Batavia Community Garden. And if you do you will be greeted with a new standing art display made by Bergen Artist David Burke. 5 8 foot tall 4 foot wide standing panels painted with flowers and landscapes now stand on the south side of the garden. Burke was commissioned for the art display and paid by a grant awarded to the Genesee Orleans Regional Arts Council. The panels are two sided so they can be viewed either from the north or south sides.
The Batavia Planning Board has ok’ed the opening of the new convenience store at 4169 West Main street across from Tops Friendly Market and Sport of Kings. The new business owner, Ali Musa, says the store will sell groceries, cigarettes, tobacco products, clothing and other miscellaneous household items. Musa, who said he has operated businesses in Buffalo, said that at this time he does not intend to sell beer or other alcoholic beverages at his new store. The new store will be called F And M Convenience.
State Attorney General Letitia James has filed a civil lawsuit against former President Trump. James says this legal action is the result of a three-year investigation, alleging Trump and his family falsified business records, stretched asset valuations, and committed insurance fraud. The lawsuit seeks a 250-million-dollar judgment that would also ban any member of the Trump family from leading a business in New York State.
The new stores going into the KMart Parking lot have been revealed and Batavia is getting a Jersey Mike’s Subs and a Tropical Smoothie Cafe. This is according to paperwork filed by Benderson Development to the town of Batavia Planning Department. There have been rumors that a Starbucks or Pizza Hut would be built there as well. Benderson has stated that there will be 2 buildings with drive throughs and that there will be more than 1 business in each building. A coffee shop is listed on some of the paperwork for the new structures. No word yet on what the old KMart building, now housing Spirit Halloween, will be used for or what will happen to it in the future.
