Morning News Briefing
Written by Michael Baldwin on December 2, 2020
The Problem Solvers Caucus and a bipartisan group of Senators have announced a four-month bipartisan, emergency relief framework that will help American students, families, small businesses, workers, and health care providers during this COVID crisis. The Problem Solvers Caucus, 25 Democrats and 25 Republicans, helped develop the bicameral package. The framework allocates $908 billion in total aid, including both new funding and the reallocation of previously appropriated CARES Act funding.
The Batavia City Council is looking to fill a part-time City Court Judge position. The job is appointed by City Council to serve a six (6) year term and will be effective Jan. 1. Minimum qualifications require candidates to be an attorney in the State of New York for at least five years as of the date he or she commences the duties of the office and must be a resident of the City of Batavia.
Some drivers on the New York State Thruway can expect to pay a little more in the new year. A proposal for new toll rates was approved by the Thruway Advisory Board, and is scheduled to go into effect Jan. 1. Under the plan, those paying tolls via mail will be charged 30% more than the E-ZPass toll rate. There will also be a $2 administrative surcharge on each billing statement. Thruway Authority Executive Director Matthew Driscoll said they haven’t imposed a toll adjustment in 10 years.
Rochester Regional Health is looking to extend its reach in Genesee County through the construction of a four-story, 140,000-square foot office building at 8103 Oak Orchard Road (Route 98) in the Town of Batavia. Dan Ireland is chief executive officer of United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia…He said “This campus is the latest step in Rochester Regional Health’s plan to expand access to care.”
Eight new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Genesee County. That brings the total number of cases since March in Genesee to 1,041. A dozen people remain hospitalized. 126 people have recovered and removed from the isolation list. In Orleans County, nine new cases were confirmed. Thirty new cases have been confirmed since Monday in Wyoming County.
Due to the local surge of COVID case numbers, UR Medicine is curtailing some non-essential surgeries. In an email to employees, the head of the hospital system says it believes it is at a point where this is necessary. Decisions will be made case by case and day by day. UR Medicine says a team of surgeons and people in leadership roles will meet daily to review the next day’s plan and discuss the best approach.
