Morning News Brief

The New York vaccination rate is increasing as COVID-19 infections are decreasing. However, Governor Cuomo says it is not a time for New Yorkers to let their guards down. On Tuesday in New York, nearly 2,200 new COVID cases were confirmed with 264 more people admitted to hospitals statewide. The governor says…while the light at the end of the tunnel has never been brighter, this war isn’t over.

Former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has been released from a federal prison on furlough, while he awaits potential placement to home confinement. That’s according to The Associated Press. Silver was serving his more than six-year sentence at a federal prison in Otisville, New York, in a corruption case. The 77-year-old began serving his sentence in August after years of fending off going behind bars. He has a projected release date from federal custody in 2026.

The Alexander Town Board has planned a public hearing next week regarding a Local Law to establish Zoning Codes to regulate Large Scale Solar Systems. The hearing will be held at the town Hall Monday at 7:05p.m. Written comments will be accepted prior to that date. A copy of the Local Law is on file at the Town Hall for review.

GOP state legislators are calling for immediate improvements for New York’s unemployment system. More than a year after the start of the pandemic, they’re calling for the state to address what they say are ongoing issues – while also providing assistance to citizens who had issues accessing benefits. Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt says “At a moment when every New Yorker needed government to be there on a critical issue, we did not meet the challenge.”

A Wyoming County man is facing federal child porn charges. 59-year-old Ronald Longhini is charged with receipt and possession of child pornography. On Jan. 21, prosecutors say undercover investigators identified an IP address, later traced to Longhini’s Warsaw address, downloading suspected child porn from a peer-to-peer sharing network. They say similar videos were downloaded in the following two months. In April, they say several digital devices were seized from Longhini’s home during a search. Longhini made an initial appearance in court Tuesday afternoon and is being held ahead of a detention hearing later this week. If convicted, he could face five to 20 years in prison.

Genesee County reports 16 new positive cases of COVID-19. Twenty of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list. Five of the current positive individuals are hospitalized. Meanwhile, officials in Orleans County report a dozen more cases. Eight of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list. Two of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.