Morning News Brief
Written by Michael Baldwin on May 11, 2021
An arrest has been made following a three-month investigation into the burglary of a garage on Transit Road in Stafford. Sheriff’s deputies took David J. Reschke into custody. He was charged with two counts of second-degree forgery and a single count of criminal possession of stolen property. It’s alleged that the stolen property was sold at a local business in Batavia by Reschke under a false name. Authorities say an additional sales transaction was made on a separate date at another Town of Batavia business. Reschke was arraigned and released pending further action by Town of Batavia court.
Assemblyman Steve Hawley will host a series of town hall meetings in Genesee County in the towns of Pavilion, Le Roy and Bergen on May 22. Residents are encouraged to attend to discuss local issues and share any questions or concerns they have with Hawley. Social distancing and other health and safety protocols will be followed during this event.
The curtain goes up on Broadway this September after a pandemic year without theater. Before the pandemic nearly 250-thousand people took in a Broadway show every week. When theaters reopen this September, they’ll be at 100-percent capacity. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said it will be up to theaters to decide whether to require proof of vaccination. There were 31 productions on Broadway when theaters closed last March. It wasn’t immediately clear how many will return in September.
NY officials have announced that SUNY and CUNY boards will require vaccination for all in-person students combing back in the fall. The governor said “The key to supercharging the vaccination rate: Eliminating excuses, increase access, and communicate the facts.”
Just so ya know…your next campfire could come under review. With the start of the 2021 camping season underway, Department of Environmental Conservation officials and others encouraged campers to use local firewood and follow New York State firewood regulations to help prevent the spread of invasive species. Untreated firewood – firewood that has not met the state’s heat treatment standard – can contain invasive pests that kill trees. To protect New York’s forests, untreated firewood should not be moved more than 50 miles from its source of origin.
A small additional fee on City of Batavia residents’ quarterly water bill is all part of a “master plan.” The surcharge, which is based on water consumption, was the subject of a brief exchange at last night’s City Council meeting. City Manager Rachael Tabelski said the increase it is a water surcharge imposed by Genesee County that is in the second year of the two municipalities’ 40-year water supply agreement. Tabelski said the rate is based on the water master plan of Genesee County, which sells water to the city on a wholesale basis.
Starting this morning in Bergen, the bridge carrying Route 19 over the Black Creek overflow will be closed for repairs. It will remain closed to traffic for about two days. A detour will be posted.
On May 26, Rochester Regional Health’s food and nutrition service team will conduct on-site interviews for a wide range of food service positions at United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia. Open positions include cooks, food service associates and team leaders and hospitality office associates. The organization is hiring individuals with full-time, part-time, and per diem availability. The recruiting event happens May 26th from 1-3 p.m. in room A110 at the Medical Center. Walk-ins are welcome but candidates are encouraged to RSVP.
The New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct has determined that Donald F. Knab, Jr., a Justice of the Rush Town Court in Monroe County, should be censured for knowingly misspending grant funds to buy an audio-visual system for the town court, without authorization, and for falsely indicating in financial reports that he spent the money in accordance with the grant’s terms. Judge Knab agreed to the censure.
