Morning News Brief
Written by Tom Tharp on March 23, 2023
Hyundai and Kia owners have had to deal with the huge numbers of thefts lately and now they aren’t even supposed to keep their cars safely inside in their garage as they might suddenly burst into flames. Hyundai and Kia are telling the owners of more than 571,000 SUVs and minivans in the U.S. to park them outdoors because the tow hitch harnesses can catch fire while they are parked or being driven. Affected Hyundai vehicles include the 2019 to 2023 Santa Fe, the 2021 to 2023 Santa Fe Hybrid, the 2022 and 2023 Santa Fe Plug-in hybrid and the 2022 and 2023 Santa Cruz. The only Kia affected is the Carnival minivan from 2022 and 2023. All have Hyundai or Kia tow hitch harnesses that came as original equipment or were installed by dealers. Dealers at first will remove the fuse and tow hitch computer module until a fix is available. Later they will install a new fuse and wire extension with an improved connector that’s waterproof. Owners will be notified starting May 16.
51 year old Deandre Wilson was sentenced for a triple murder committed in 2019. He was sentenced to 3 consecutive sentences plus 30 years. The victims in the murder were married couple Miguel Anthony Valentin-Colon and Nicole Merced-Plaud, and their friend, Dhamyl Roman-Audiffred. The 3-year-old son of Valentin-Colon and Merced-Plaud witnessed the murders of his parents and was later found on the porch of a home near the victim’s bodies. Also involved in the murders were Wilson’s co-conspirators, Jariel Cobb and James Reed, who were previously convicted and still await sentencing.
School taxes in Batavia are expected to go up by 1 percent in the coming year. Superintendent Jason Smith said the increase is smaller than it was going to be. Originally they were projecting a 3 percent increase. The cost is due to the need for 3 new school buses and the contract for transportation is up at the end of the year which means a renegotiation and price increases. Smith expects a mandate coming from the state to buy electric only school buses in the near future as well. Also teacher salaries and other personnel expenses are set to increase by 1 million dollars across the school district.
Western New York Off Track Betting Corp is looking into expanding the hotel attached to their casino. Members of the operation committee said that the hotel is constantly sold out and traffic has increased to the casino in the last year. The hotel would most likely expand northward. Other suggested work at the Casino is an outdoor smoking area as the 2 year exemption that allows people to smoke at the machines may be taken away at any time. Work on the 34 Rush restaurant and Bar, and a recreational trailer for performers during the Rockin’ the Downs Concert series.
The unemployment rate in New York stayed flat in February, holding at 4.2%, the state Department of Labor on Thursday announced. The addition of 21,200 jobs in the private sector was a 0.3% increase, but was not enough to budge the state’s jobless rate, which remains higher than the national average of 3.6%. New York’s labor force participation rate increased slightly from 60.5% to 60.6%, but is still below pre-pandemic levels. The state lost about 2 million jobs in the immediate wake of the closure of public gathering spaces and business three years ago. The hospitality and tourism sectors of the state’s economy were hit especially hard by the initial closure. State officials have estimated jobs will not fully return to pre-pandemic employment for another several years this decade.
Niagara Falls in Ontario has a new mayor. Pal the German Shepherd. He is getting sworn in at 1pm. Pal has over a million followers on social media. You can follow pal online at his owner Lalicich’s facebook, instagram or tiktok.
12 members of the GLOW YMCA Riptide Swim Team competed in the New York State YMCA Swimming Championships at the Burt Flickinger Aquatic Center in Buffalo on March 18 and 19. Reilly Davis took home the NYS Championship in the 8u 25 Breast. She also placed 2nd in the 100 IM, 3rd in the 100 Free, 3rd in the 50 Free, and 3rd in the 25 Free. The 10u relay team of Sarah Pritchett, Reilly Davis, Lily Bellamy, and Matilda Nevinger took home 5th place in the 200 Free Relay and 6th place in the 200 Free Relay. All of these members were new to the YMCA swim team this season.
