Morning News Brief
Written by Michael Baldwin on May 21, 2021
$250 million is available to transform and modernize airports in Upstate New York and foster regional economic development. The Genesee County Airport is among the 24 airports eligible for the funding. Funding applications are due by September 15th.
The NY Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee joined with law enforcement Thursday to announce the kickoff of the annual “Buckle Up New York, Click it or Ticket” campaign. This education and enforcement mobilization runs from May 24 to June 6 to promote seat belt use as the spring travel season ramps up. New York State Police and local law enforcement agencies will also use marked and unmarked vehicles, checkpoints, and roving details to ticket unbelted drivers during the campaign.
Thursday morning at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a new incentive to get more people protected against COVID-19. It’s called “Vax & Scratch.” Next week, Monday through Friday, people have the opportunity to go get vaccinated and take home a free lottery ticket. This is happening at 10 mass vaccination sites across the state. The top prize is $5 million, while lower prizes go down to $20. According to Gov. Cuomo, the chances of winning something are 1 in 9. New York’s latest statewide COVID-19 positivity rate is 0.85 percent.
New York’s statewide COVID-19 positivity rate has dropped to 0.85 percent, the lowest since September 11.
While the Kiwanis Club of Batavia announced several award winners for its annual Law Day event in advance, there was one person kept in the dark about all of the planned awards. District Attorney Lawrence Friedman. He is finishing out his final term as district attorney, ending a 24-year run as the county’s longest-serving DA, and to recognize him for his service to the community, the Kiwanis Club presented him with a Special Service Award.
The Canadian government says its border with the US will remain closed until June21st…and that has annoyed Congressman Chris Jacobs. He issued a statement saying “This indefinite closure is unacceptable. To continue to do this for over a year without a plan for heartbroken families and anxious homeowners represents a failure of leadership.”
New York State Police Troop A held their annual Law Enforcement Memorial Service Thursday at the WNY headquarters in Batavia. This was Troop’s first service since 2019 after last year’s service was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. The service honors troopers who have died in the line of duty.
