Morning News Briefing
Written by Michael Baldwin on January 21, 2021
Police say two children who were abducted in Monroe County this week have been recovered in Alabama and are safe. Police in the town of Greece say two men took 3-year-old Shekeria Cash and her 5-year-old brother Dimitri from their foster home Monday night. Greece Police Chief Drew Forsythe said information from a rental car led to an address in Montgomery, Alabama. Forsythe said the two children were found under blankets in the back seat of the woman’s car.
Genesee County reports 55 new cases of COVID-19. The latest infections involve residents from Batavia, LeRoy and 11 other communities. The county also recorded another virus-related death. The victim was a resident at Genesee Senior Living. In Orleans County, 28 new cases were confirmed along with one additional death. 18 new cases were confirmed in Wyoming County.
There have been 56 confirmed COVID-related deaths at nursing homes in Genesee County, according to data from the State Health Department. Before Tuesday, The Batavian reports that not all of those deaths were included in Genesee County’s Health Department regular COVID-19 briefing. Nursing homes are not required to report deaths to local officials, only to the state.
Three New York National Guard members were killed when a Blackhawk helicopter crashed south of Rochester Wednesday evening. The medical evacuation helicopter went down in a rural section of Mendon. 9-1-1 calls before the crash reported a low-flying aircraft in the area – and a fiery crash. Monroe County Sheriff Todd Baxter said the cause of the crash is under investigation. The helicopter was on a routine training mission when it crashed. It is not yet clear what caused the crash. The three soldiers on board were assigned to1st Battalion’s C Company in the 171st General Support Aviation Battalion. The helicopter was based at the Army Aviation Support Facility at the Greater Rochester International Airport. In a statement, Congressman Tom Reed said the men and women of the New York Army National Guard are true heroes dedicated to keeping this great nation safe and secure. Our hearts break as we mourn the loss of three service members who perished during a training mission crash.
Genesee County is gearing up to undertake a host of bridge and culvert projects this spring and summer, including some projects that were put on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic. County Highway Superintendent Tim Hens gave an update to the Public Service Committee this week. The better news might be that contractors are eager for work, meaning potentially lower bids on projects. The committee agreed to recommend to the full legislature a $1.8 million contract for three culvert projects to Union Concrete Construction Corp. of West Seneca. That bid is about $400,000 less than the engineer estimated
