Morning News Briefing
Written by Dan Fischer on August 24, 2020
The lights are back on now across the City and Town of Batavia.
That was not the case late last night. A power outage affected about 2,300 National Grid customers around 10 p.m. last night.
The trouble appeared to have been traced to a utility pole on State Street.
Construction has begun on a 12-million dollar four story apartment building on East Main Street. There will be 55 apartments, 28 of them set aside for homeless veterans. The remainder are intended for low income residents.
The project will be known as Liberty Square.
It is being developed by Home Leasing of Rochester, which specializes in providing low-income housing in the Finger Lakes region. They have partnered with Eagle Star housing.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved New York for a grant under the Lost Wages Assistance program
The funding will allow the state to provide $300/week to unemployed New Yorkers on top of their regular state unemployment benefit.
In March, Congress approved an extra federally funded $600 a week unemployment benefit for those out of work due to COVID-19. The benefit expired at the end of July.
Governor Cuomo is praising the state’s efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19. On Saturday, the governor said New Yorkers did not just flatten the curve of coronavirus cases, they bent it. The state posted a new record low positivity rate of zero-point-six-nine-percent, and hospitalizations are down to 472. Cuomo urged residents to keep wearing masks, continue to socially distance and stay disciplined.
The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous Weather Outlook for portions of Western New York.
For today and tonight: isolated strong thunderstorms are possible over the Niagara Frontier closer to Lake Ontario this afternoon.
A complex of thunderstorms may track across the region late tonight.
Gyms can begin reopening today – with COVID-19 restrictions in place.
Capacity will be capped at 33 percent, masks are mandatory, and there will be social distancing at workout stations.
People will be required to wipe machines down after use.
Inspectors will be out to make sure safety measures are in place.
