Morning News Brief

Community groups are calling for New York State and local levels to take action on the opioid epidemic and homelessness crisis. Groups like Save the Michaels say that they are overwhelmed with people coming asking for help with addictions and places to stay.  Shelters are full and have to turn people away.  The opioid crisis is getting worse in Erie County at the same time.  They say fentanyl is being mixed in with cocaine and marijuana and people are dying on a near daily basis. This year, over 240 Erie county residents have passed away from a confirmed or suspected overdose, and 81-percent of those victims had a trace of cocaine in their system.  

Genesee county comes in number two in something very undesirable.  Researchers now have estimates on how many people in Western New York, 65 and older, are living with Alzheimer’s dementia.  Genesee County came in second place with a rate of 11.1 percent of people 65 and older living with Alzheimer’s.  Erie county was first with 11.7 percent.  The study found New York State has the second highest prevalence of the disease in the United States with 12.7 percent of the population over 65 living with the disease. A higher prevalence of Alzheimer’s dementia was estimated in the East and Southeastern regions of the U.S.  Researchers say their findings could possibly expand medicare coverage for Alzheimer’s drugs in heavily-impacted areas.

The Genesee County Planning Board is looking at a proposal for a new gas station and restaurant combo travel plaza at the Pembroke Exit from I 90.  The new development is planned to sit on a 49.6-acre parcel, which is currently undeveloped. The site contains several wetlands. The entrance roads must cross over Murder Creek to access the site.  Currently, the TA Travel Center, the Flying J Travel Center, and a new Speedway operate in the area.  In a separate project, the board is also being asked to consider a special use permit for multi-family development in the same area as the travel plaza.  Right now 100 acres are being developed as a distribution center on Allegheny road.  The Planning Board meets on Thursday.

5 years ago the Stumblin Inn in Elba burned down.  The venue was a favorite of local musical artists and a hangout for locals.  The Elba community came together on Saturday to recall some of those memories, celebrate the good times, listen to — and play — some favorite music, and help raise some money for a charity that benefits young adults and adolescents dealing with cancer.  There were three hours of music provided by Savage Cabbage, Dave Viterna, Mac, Front Porch Pickers, and Dylan Desmit.  The event was to benefit the Dear Jack Foundation and was organized by the Elba Betterment Committee. 

Buffalo police have issued a warning about an ongoing scam that is targeting the city’s elderly residents. Scammers are calling people and claiming to be a family member who says that they need financial assistance after being involved in a car accident. The scammer then requests that the person put thousands of dollars worth of cash in an envelope and deliver it to a location using Uber or Lyft. Anyone who gets a suspicious call like this should hang up immediately and dial 911.

In just a few hours, a very lucky lottery player could end up claiming what will likely be the largest Mega Millions jackpot in the game’s history. An estimated prize of one-point-five-five billion dollars is up for grabs, which would break the record of one-point-five-three billion dollars set in 2018. The odds of picking all six winning numbers are one in 302 million. The cost of a ticket is two-dollars, and the drawing will be streamed tonight at megamillions.com.