Morning News Briefing

Town of Batavia board members are facing a potential $1 million budget shortfall as they work to develop a spending plan for fiscal year 2021 that begins in January. Batavia Town Supervisor Gregory Post telling The Batavian ““Genesee County has allocated $8 million for revenue sharing next year, of which the Town of Batavia would get $1.3 million. That’s a million dollars less than what we budgeted to receive from the county in 2020.” Post said a substantial tax rate increase from the current $2.42 per thousand of assessed valuation is a distinct possibility.

Orleans County Sheriff’s deputies are investigating after two people were found dead in a home Thursday in the town of Ridgeway. James Payne, 60, and Shari Payne, 56, were found deceased in a home on North Gravel Road around 6:30 a.m. Thursday. Deputies say the couple was found by their son, who climbed through a window and found them. Deputies say there were gunshot wounds to both victims. One also had a knife wound. An AK-47 and a knife were reportedly found at the scene. They believe the deaths happened sometime between 11 p.m. Wednesday and 6 a.m. Thursday. The remains were sent to the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office, where autopsies will be performed. The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office is being assisted by the New York State Police in their investigation.

Nate McMurray, Democratic candidate for Congress in New York’s 27th District, in a press release praised the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announcement that Western New York native, conspiracy theorist, fear monger, and embattled HHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Michael Caputo would step aside from his role at HHS on a 60-day leave that extends through the November 3rd election. The Department also advised that Caputo’s aide, Paul Alexander, will leave his post at HHS permanently. McMurray said the President was beyond reckless to install Michael Caputo.

Genesee County health officials report they have received zero new positive cases of COVID-19. As of Thursday afternoon, four new individuals were on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states. Orleans County also received zero new positive cases of COVID-19. Two new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.

The Castile man who pleaded guilty to attacking the Wyoming County sheriff in 2018 has been sentenced to 25 years in prison. Lynn Hall appeared in court Thursday. In June, he pleaded guilty to a charge of attempted murder for trying to kill Sheriff Greg Rudolph in December 2018.

Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer and Elizabeth Warren, representing New York and Massachusetts, want to cancel student loan debt for federal borrowers. On Thursday, they introduced a resolution that calls on the president to cancel up to $50,000 of student loan debt in an effort to heal the pandemic economy. The senate resolution outlines how the president can use executive authority to stimulate the economy through canceling these debts. The move would aid a labor force that is vulnerable to layoffs and furloughs, lift stalling real estate markets, increase graduation rates, and make it easier to take out a loan for a car, a piece of property, or starting a small business.