Morning News Brief
Written by Tom Tharp on October 3, 2023
New York Governor Kathy Hochul just signed a law that will expand the ‘Move Over’ legislation in March to apply to all vehicles stopped on the side of the road. Previous law mandated that drivers safely slow down and move over only when passing emergency vehicles or tow trucks that had stopped on the shoulder. While the new law requires cars to move over, AAA says if you have to pull over, the safest place to wait for help is inside your vehicle. “The safest place for people who have a roadside breakdown is in the car with their seatbelt fastened until help arrives,” said AAA Emergency Road Service Dispatch Manager Dan Fisher. The new law goes into effect March 30, 2024.
The missing little girl in Saratoga County has been found safe and been reunited with her parents. 9 year old Charlotte Sena was kidnapped from a state campground at Moreau State Park while she was out riding her bike on Saturday. Hundreds of people turned out to search the park when it wasn’t known she had been taken. A ransom note was dropped off in the mailbox at the Sena’s home and a fingerprint on the note led police to a trailer home where 47 year old Craig Ross jr. was holding Charlotte. Police say she was unharmed and was taken to the hospital for evaluation and reunited with her family. State Police have not determined any connections between Ross and the family, but said he lived within two miles of Charlotte’s family home.
The City of Batavia Fire Department has announced that they will be flow testing fire hydrants on Thursday, October 5 from approximately 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. This will affect the entire city. Homes and businesses nearby will be affected. These tests may result in a temporary discoloration of water. As in the past, please do not attempt to wash any clothing if your water appears discolored. If you do experience a discoloration of your water, run cold water for about 5 minutes or until clear.
One of six prevention resource centers in New York State, the WNY Prevention Resource Center is based at UConnectCare’s offices on Clinton Street Road in Batavia and has a new project director. UConnectCare has promoted Cristen Foley to the position at the Western NY PRC. The Batavia resident will oversee the implementation of training programs and technical assistance to community drug and alcohol prevention coalitions in the eight-county region. Foley was hired by UConnectCare in 2019 to lead the Genesee-Orleans-Wyoming Opioid Task Force. Her efforts helped expand the task force to various segments of the community and resulted in it receiving the 2020 Community Star from the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health. The award is given annually to only one rural entity in New York State.
The Buffalo Bills wheelchair team took the field this weekend, competing in the USA Wheelchair Football League Tournament at ECC North. Teams from eight cities across the country competed for a chance at their own version of the Super Bowl. The championship game ended up being a matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and the Kansas City Chiefs teams. This was the third tournament of the 2023 season.
Buffalo Bills starting cornerback Tre’Davious White will require season-ending surgery to repair a torn right Achilles tendon, coach Sean McDermott announced on Monday. White’s injury is the second major one sustained by the seventh-year player, who had just returned in November after missing a calendar year recovering from a torn right knee ligament. White was hurt in the final minute of the third quarter of a 48-20 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
