Morning News Brief
Written by Michael Baldwin on May 13, 2021
The Genesee County Health Department will be hosting a free drive-thru anti-rabies immunization clinic on Thursday, May 20th from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Genesee County Fairgrounds (5056 E. Main St., Batavia). Health department officials encourage all Genesee County residents to take advantage of this opportunity to make sure that their animals are immunized against rabies and that the vaccinations are kept up to date. Vaccinations are free for dogs, cats and ferrets, but voluntary donations are accepted. Animals must be at least 3 months old. Each animal must be leashed or crated and accompanied by an adult who can control the animal. Limit four pets per car maximum. Face coverings are required and please follow all social distancing requirements. Registrations are requested.
Empire Access has announced its participation in the Emergency Broadband Benefit program, a new Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program. This temporary benefit will help to lower the cost of broadband internet service for eligible households during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The $3.2B Emergency Broadband Benefit program provides a discount of up to $50 per month toward broadband internet service for eligible households. Having a broadband connection is essential for households to gain access to jobs, healthcare services, virtual classrooms, and so much more.
The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance reminds taxpayers that the deadline to file personal income tax returns is Monday. Resources to help you file an accurate and on-time return are available anytime online at www.tax.ny.gov.
The Genesee County Legislature has signed off on a new four-year deal with the deputy Sheriffs’ Association. The pact, which is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2020, gives the 45-member union pay raises of 2 percent for both 2020 and 2021, 2.25 percent for 2022 and 2.5 percent for 2023.
Court action is pending for a Batavia who now faces 14 felony counts. Sheriff’s deputies arrested 53-year-old Elizabeth Gates of Porter Avenue. She was charged with grand larceny, six counts of first-degree offering a false instrument for filing and seven counts of forgery…they’re felony crimes. Gates allegedly received nearly $7,800 in SNAP benefits she was not entitled to. She was arraigned and released and will return to Batavia Town Court at a later date.
The Genesee County Legislature has unanimously passed a local law authorizing 12- and 13-year-old licensed hunters to hunt deer with a firearm or crossbow during hunting season under strict supervision. The resolution was introduced last month after state lawmakers approved the program in accordance with Environmental Conservation Law. A public hearing preceded Wednesday’s official vote.
North Bergen Road between Merrill Road and Bird Road will be closed effective immediately for approximately 2 weeks. It will not be open to local traffic.
Another Republican is throwing his hat in the ring in the race for governor of New York. Rob Astorino is the candidate who served as the County Executive of Westchester County from 2010 to 2017. He also previously ran for governor in 2014, earning the nomination for the Republican ticket. He ultimately lost to Andrew Cuomo. Astorino says the state needs change.
Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York publicly announced her bid for the third-ranking House GOP position on Wednesday, after House Republicans ousted Rep. Liz Cheney from the position. Stefanik has spent the past few weeks gathering support from GOP colleagues as other members of the party criticized Cheney, who has publicly and repeatedly denounced Donald Trump’s claims that the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent. Cheney became Chair of the House Republican Conference in 2019.
