Morning News Briefing
Written by WBTA STAFF on September 7, 2018
Suspect in summertime murder in the city remains in custody.
Batavia Police are awaiting forensic lab results to return from the State Police lab before moving forward in their ongoing murder investigation into a deadly beating on Liberty Street this summer.
In July, 47 year old Ray Morgan was found deceased inside his apartment after he had been beaten beyond recognition.
Batavia Police Chief Shawn Heubusch had the latest on the case while speaking on WBTA’s “Main and Center” program yesterday morning,
Morgan had been released from lockup after serving a prison sentence for drug possession and was staying at the Liberty Street apartment which is a designated boarding house for parolees.
Funding for DWI program dips as arrests remain steady.
Assistant County Manager Matt Landers delivered his annual program report as the STOP-DWI coordinator for the county, to the County’s Ways and Means Committee yesterday.
Landers said despite the total number of arrests remaining consistent, program revenue has dropped…
The STOP-DWI program provides funds for extra patrols focused entirely on DWI detection and is funded through fines imposed on convicted drunken drivers.
Landers said the drop in funds could be from reduced fines.
Muckdogs GM says he won’t return next season but it looks like the dogs will be back in Batavia.
General Manager Dave Chase said it remains likely that the Muckdogs will be back in Batavia for the 2019 season but he won’t be.
While speaking with our news partner The Batavian Chase said it was a difficult year both professionally and personally and that he faced medical issues as well that only made things tougher.
He said that he was only under contract for one year and he did his job.
Chase thinks he could possibly remain as a part-time consultant for the team and said he expects the dogs will be in Batavia for two or three more years before they move on.
The House Ethics Committee is taking a closer look at Western New York Congressman Chris Collins.
The Buffalo News reports a special committee will review allegations made against Collins and will figure out if he needs to be punished by the chamber.
One potential penalty could see him being expelled.
Collins has already suspended his re-election campaign after being arrested on federal charges related to fraud.
His spokesman hasn’t commented on this new development.
New York State is running out of time to remove I Love New York tourism signs from the Thruway.
If they’re not taken down by September 30th, the state won’t get the money back from a 14 million dollar fine the government handed down.
The Federal Highway Administration says the signs could potentially distract drivers, but state officials disagree.
Reportedly, negotiations between the state and feds are stuck on things like font size and how many of the signs will be allowed to stay.
