Morning News Brief
Written by Tom Tharp on August 9, 2023
Monroe County is housing 77 migrants seeking asylum in Rochester. The migrants were sent Monday night from New York City and are being housed at the Holiday Inn on State Street. The group, made up of 21 families, includes 30 children and a pregnant woman. Monroe County Executive Adam Bello noted the migrants are in the U.S. legally as they wait for their applications to be processed — and more migrants are expected to be relocated to the area in the coming weeks. He also said New York City is footing the bill for the migrants’ food, shelter, medical needs and other necessities. In May Bello signed an executive order banning bussing of migrants from NYC to Monroe County. He said that these 77 are different because a plan is in place from NYC for how to pay for them.
New York State Police on Tuesday broke down the events that led to a trooper shooting and killing a man after a police chase Sunday night in Gates. Police said Trooper Dominick Caito, a 9-year veteran of the force, ran the plates of a vehicle on Interstate 490 near Innovative Field shortly before 9:30 p.m. Sunday and found an expired inspection. When Caito tried to stop the vehicle, the driver, 35 year old Daniel Legler of Chili, allegedly sped off and prompted a chase that ended when he crashed while exiting State Route 531 at Rochester Tech Park. Trooper Caito approached the car where there was a struggle to get handcuffs on Legler and Legler fired an illegal handgun. Trooper Caito backed up and fired once, killing Legler. New York State Police say that Caito followed his training and did the right thing.
A Greece man is heading to prison after being convicted of wire fraud for selling sports cards that he either never possessed or never intended to deliver. 35 year old Kyle Bertrand advertised collectible sports cards between October 2021 and February 2022 that were highly valued. After negotiating a price with a buyer and receiving payment, he would send empty boxes or cards of negligible value. In some cases, according to prosecutors, Bertrand stole cards by purchasing them from sellers and later disputing the charges through his credit card company, revoking the payment. Prosecutors said Bertrand defrauded six victims in Florida, Ohio, Missouri and Pennsylvania out of approximately $33,360. A judge sentenced him to serve 27 months in prison and pay restitution.
The National Weather Service is confirming that a tornado touched down in the Central NY region earlier this week. The twister landed in the Tompkins County community of Harford Monday evening before traveling to McGraw, in Cortland County. The tornado reached a top speed of 90 miles-an-hour and it was roughly 200 yards wide. A Weather Service crew will be in Oneida County today to see if there was also a tornado in Vernon.
It is early August and the height of summer, which often means the peak of “bat season” for local health departments and when people more commonly have encounters with bats. Bats can sometimes find their way into houses, particularly in older homes that are not properly sealed. This most often occurs during summer nights. If you find a bat in your home, it is extremely important to safely capture the animal if it is suspected to have been in contact with people, pets or livestock so that it can be tested for rabies. If the bat cannot be captured, you should call the health department for advice and next steps. It is important to seek medical advice and have the bat tested.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has been ranked eighth on the list of the best 100 players in the National Football League. Last year, Allen was 13th in the rankings that are put together by feedback received from players. Allen has already thrown for more than 18-thousand yards and tossed 138 touchdowns in his career. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes took the top spot on this year’s list.
