Morning News Briefing
Written by WBTA STAFF on February 28, 2020
Officials from Batavia Downs Gaming and Western OTB formally closed the books on a record-breaking 2019. Revenues distributed to member municipalities totaled over $3.6 million a new high.
Distributions were given in the fourth quarter for the first time since 1999. Batavia Downs Gaming contributed over $31.3 million to State Education via the New York State Lottery in 2019 setting a new record and beating 2018’s number by $1.6 million.
Batavia Police bust a LeRoy woman for DWI after being found asleep behind the wheel.
30 year old Heather K. MacPherson of Gully Road LeRoy was arrested and charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08% or more after officers responded to a Jackson Street address early Sunday morning to find her sleeping behind the wheel of a vehicle.
MacPherson was released with appearance tickets for City Court on March 4th.
Walmart employee arrested for stealing out of the cash register.
Genesee County Sheriff’s Deputies took 20 year old Michael Busch of Elm Street Batavia into custody last night following a complaint from the Walmart in Batavia.
While working as a cashier at the department store Busch allegedly stole a total of $440 from the registers over the past month.
He was given an appearance ticket to Batavia Town Court on March 12th.
A ban on single-use plastic bags is set to go into effect statewide on Sunday.
That means retailers will no longer offer them to customers and can charge a five-cent fee for using a paper bag.
Plastic bags can still be used to carry items like uncooked meat, takeout orders and prescriptions.
People are being urged to bring their own reusable bags when they head out to shop, but are reminded that stores aren’t required to have them available.
The state DEC says the new ban will cut down on litter, since an estimated 23-billion plastic bags are used each year.
New York’s already bad flu season has already become one for the record books.
Over 131-thousand confirmed cases of the virus have been confirmed this season, the highest number since the state started tracking that data in 1998.
Officials say that number will continue to grow since flu season typically doesn’t end until May.
The one bit of good news is the number of flu cases has dropped in recent weeks.
Those numbers are down 26-percent since February 8th.
School Closings for today include:
Attica Central School, Pavilion Central, Perry Central, Warsaw Central School District and Wyoming Central Schools are all closed today Friday February 28th
The Travel advisory has also been lifted for Wyoming County this morning.
