Morning News Brief
Written by John Vazquez on August 14, 2023
Erie County is putting a pause on accepting more asylum seekers after an arrest of an asylum seeker in Cheektowaga Friday. The asylum seeker, Kindu Jeancy, 22, faces sexual abuse and unlawful imprisonment charges after he allegedly tried to touch a woman in a sexual manner. The woman is from an agency working with asylum seekers.
Last week, another asylum seeker was arrested and is facing rape charges after an incident at a hotel on Genesee Street in Cheektowaga.
The national guard will be stationed at all hotels housing asylum seekers
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Pet owners – be aware that if your furry friend needs emergency care, the emergency vet office in Rochester is reducing its hours and eliminating overnight care. Veterinary Specialists and Emergency Services in Brighton will now open at 8 a.m. and will close at 10 p.m. Your best bet will be one of three 24-hour emergency pet care centers in the Buffalo area.
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It was curtain up for the Batavia Players new home. The troupe christened their new Main St. 56 Theatre in the Batavia City Centre on Friday, with the opening of Cry Baby, The Musical. According to our news partner, the Batavian, while there is still work to be done, the transformation of the former medical office to a theatre cost more than $1 million. The Players are still raising the $265,000 needed to finish the work. Donations can be made at their website, bataviaplayers.org.
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The East Pembroke Fire District could be the first fire department in Genesee County to offer retirement benefits for its volunteers. According to The Batavian, voters in the district will make that decision on August 29. If approved, firefighters would need to accumulate enough points through service to qualify, a goal that Fire District President James Gayton would be easy to accomplish. He said offering the retirement benefit would be cheaper for taxpayers than hiring paid firefighters and could be used as a recruiting tool.
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You didn’t win the Mega Millions jackpot, but New York State can claim a win. Mega Millions did not have a winner for over 30 drawings, growing the jackpot to its largest ever, $1.602 billion, won on Aug. 8. The state’s Gaming Commission says New Yorkers spent around $168 million on tickets during that run, generating nearly $60 million for K-12 public schools across the state. Retailers combined earned just over $10 million in commissions from selling tickets.
