Morning News Brief
Written by Tom Tharp on May 18, 2023
On Wednesday Genesee county declared a state of emergency over New York City’s plan to bus undocumented migrants and asylum seekers to other counties. In a press release County Manager Matthew Landers said that “Genesee county is not equipped for a rapid increase of persons in need of services and if the City of New York or other municipalities were to flood the county with migrants and asylum seekers the situation would only worsen.” The state of emergency bans county organizations, hotels and motels from accepting migrants from outside the county. The state of emergency will last for 5 days and can be extended in 5 day increments. It is being called the Genesee County Sustainable Migration Protocol. Orleans County issued a similar declaration earlier.
51 year old Thomas Loewke pleaded guilty on Wednesday to tipping off the man running a gambling ring in Rochester and Upstate New York that he was being investigated. According to the court filing an unnamed state trooper saw a document on a computer in an investigators office with Louis Ferrari’s name on it. Ferrari was being investigated for running an illegal sports betting ring. The trooper then called Loewke and Loewke went to Ferrari and told him about the investigation, causing Ferrari to change passwords and the appearance of his website and hide the betting histories in order to obstruct the investigation. Loewke pleaded guilty to obstruction, he faces 12-18 months in prison. His sentencing is September 6th.
Leaders of the Seneca Indian Nation will allow a public school district located on their land to continue using its Warrior nickname and logo despite New York’s ban on schools’ use of Indigenous imagery, officials said Wednesday. In giving approval, Seneca Nation President Rickey Armstrong Sr. said the Salamanca school district represented “the most unique of circumstances” because of its location on the nation’s Allegany Territory, and large percentages of Native American students and staff. Last month, the New York Board of Regents prohibited public school districts from using Indigenous nicknames and mascots — but included an exception for districts that receive written approval from a federally recognized tribal nation in New York.
Have you ever wanted to try Buffalo’s famous chicken wings and also be able to compare the wings from different restaurants to find the best one? Well Buffalo has an event on Sunday where you can do just that. The Wing Walk will feature Lenox Grill, Anchor Bar, Fat Bob’s, Teton Kitchen, Mumbo Wings and Things, and Highly Flavored Foods. At each restaurant on the 3 mile walking route you’ll get 2 wings and the chance to buy a beverage. Afterwards participants will vote on which wing was best. The cost of the walk is 49 dollars.
A new comedy club and music venue is planned for the City Center. Owner Ken Mistler says he wants to turn an area of the City Center off Alva Place into the new performance venue called The Bowery. He was in the Planning and Development Committee meeting on Tuesday asking for permission to put in a handicap ramp and put up a marquee and add in a serving window for one size pizza sales. The red metal double doors would get a workover but stay much the same. Inside there would be a dance floor, a full bar and finger foods to go with the liquor per NYS standards. He says he can have it open within 6 months.
A new oil change business promising that you can sit in your car and workers will change your oil in 15 minutes is set to go into the former bank on the corner of West Main and Lewiston Rd across from Tops Friendly Markets. Take 5 started in Louisiana and has expanded north. Now they have locations in Rochester, Syracuse and Albany with plans to expand into Lockport, Tonawanda and Amherst as well as Batavia. It is still in the planning stage and goes back to the Planning and Development Committee when they have a detailed site plan.
