Morning News Briefing
Written by Michael Baldwin on June 1, 2021
A child was seriously hurt after she was accidentally run over by a pickup in Batavia. First responders were called to a home on Otis Street just before 4 p.m. Monday. A person at the home was reportedly unhooking four-wheelers on a trailer and putting them in a side yard. Batavia police said the individual did not know a 6-year-old child was also in the side yard. When the man unhooked the trailer, got back into his vehicle, and started to move it, he heard the child scream. The child was airlifted to Strong Memorial and is in serious but stable condition. No charges are pending.
New York Officials now say that the statewide 7-day average COVID positivity rate has dropped to 0.67 percent, a new low. It marks the eighth consecutive week of decline. Hospitalizations have also dipped to a new low… slightly more than 1,000…the lowest figure since October 24th.
A rock throwing event in the City of Batavia led to the arrest of a 25-year-old man. Batavia police say they took 25-year-old Zachari Morgan into custody. He was charged with felony assault involving serious injury and criminal possession of a weapon. It’s alleged that Morgan threw a rock at another person causing serious injury. Morgan was released under supervision.
32-year-old Kevin Thomas turned himself in to Genesee County Jail on, on numerous active warrants he had. Thomas was arraigned in Batavia City Court. He was arraigned on charges of burglary in the second degree, criminal contempt in the second degree, criminal mischief in the fourth degree, criminal mischief in the third degree, endangering the welfare of a child, and criminal contempt in the first degree following a domestic incident that occurred last month. He’ll return to court this month.
Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Monday that Sampson Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Romulus, Seneca County, has been chosen by a State-appointed committee as the site of New York’s first State Veterans Cemetery. This decision brings New York one step closer to establishing a permanent, State-owned resting place to honor New York’s veterans and their family members. Sampson Veterans Memorial Cemetery is situated on 162 acres along the eastern shore of Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes region. New York is one of only a few states nationwide that does not have a state veterans cemetery.
New York Congressman Tom Reed has joined with over 100 members of Congress in a bipartisan letter to push for more funding for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. The program aims to help restaurants and other impacted businesses keep their doors open throughout the pandemic. In a statement, Reed said while he did not support the American Rescue Plan Act, this program is critical to small businesses and restaurants across the district. Providing more funding to this program will deliver significant benefits to our local businesses and help keep them open as they deal with the impact of COVID-19.
It’s a go for the Genesee County Fair. The event will run from July 24-31. Events will be posted at gcfair.com.
Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed legislation allowing veterans to qualify for state benefits after a diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, a traumatic brain injury or disclosure of military sexual trauma from any person licensed to provide health care services in New York State. Previously, veterans had to be diagnosed by a provider at the Department of Veteran Affairs. This legislation removes barriers from access to care for those who have given so much for our freedom, and builds on the Restoration of Honor Act, signed in 2019, that allowed additional discharged veterans to receive benefits for certain qualifying conditions.
