Morning News Brief

The indoor mask mandate is over today, Governor Hochul announced Wednesday afternoon.  She did this as part of the Winter Toolkit which has 5 core areas of focus: protecting the most vulnerable New Yorkers, increasing vaccinations and boosters, strengthening our health care system, empowering local leaders, and supporting individuals facing the long-term effects of COVID.  Masking will remain compulsory in schools, health care settings, prisons and detention centers, public transit, nursing homes and airports.  Hawley and Jacobs are both calling on Governor Hochul to end the mandate for schools and allow school districts to make their own decisions about masking and health policy.

Rochester and Buffalo are reacting to the lifting of the mask mandate.  Both cities are removing their regulations that say masks must be worn in town and county buildings.  Stores such as Wegmans say they are dropping their masking rules as well.  

A minor is in a bit of trouble for calling the police and giving a false report Wednesday.  At about 3:45 Wednesday afternoon police responded to a call about a man who had been shot near Wallace Street in Batavia.  When they arrived they couldn’t find any gunshot victims.  The police were able to determine a juvenile had placed the call.  The juvenile was identified and located.  

The Reported school shooting in Buffalo was not a shooting according to police.  It was a stabbing.  A student at McKinley High School was stabbed multiple times in the parking lot at around 3:45.  A security guard was shot in the leg.  Initial reports said there was an active shooter and the school was placed on lockdown.  The school will remain closed through the weekend.  Both the student and guard have been treated and are recovering.  No arrests have been made. 

Tonight is trivia night at the Holland Land Office Museum at 7pm.  The trivia will be about famed lightbulb inventor Thomas Edison to celebrate his birthday.  Admission is 3 dollars per person or 2 for museum members.  The next Java with Joe E. will be on Thursday the 24th at 9am.  The topic will be “Too Often Forgotten: Female Slaves and Poor Women In Genesee County.”

The Jacksonville Jaguars have reportedly hired Bills Special teams Coordinator Heath Farwell away from Buffalo and down into the Sunshine State.  Farwell has been the Bills special teams coordinator since 2019.  Prior to coaching, Farwell played in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks.  Farwell was an assistant special teams coach with the Seahawks and the Carolina Panthers.