Morning News Brief
Written by Michael Baldwin on June 25, 2021
A Rochester man is behind bars after a fight broke out at a Town of Batavia motel. Sheriff’s deputies arrested 39-year-old James T. Saddler III. He allegedly got into a physical altercation and struck one victim with a tire iron and another victim with his fists. He was charged with felony second-degree assault, criminal possession of a weapon, trespass and harassment. Saddler was arraigned in Alabama Town Court and remanded to the Genesee County Jail without bail.
New York’s COVID State of Emergency declaration has ended…and has so the ‘alcohol-to-go’ program. A permanent extension of alcohol-to-go is supported by 78 percent of New Yorkers, but the Legislature failed to extend it and now the Executive Order has ended. The president and CEO of the New York State Restaurant Association issued a statement saying – “Only in New York would elected officials ignore an overwhelming majority of the public.”
An appeals court suspended Rudy Giuliani from practicing law in New York because he allegedly made false statements while trying to get courts to overturn Donald Trump’s loss in the presidential race. An attorney disciplinary committee said in its motion there was “uncontroverted evidence” that Giuliani had made false statements to the courts, the public and lawmakers as he pushed theories that the election was stolen through fraud. The ruling, signed Thursday, will prevent Giuliani from representing clients as a lawyer.
State Police arrested 29-year-old Casey Hale of Holley for felony first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation. He was also charged with DWI. He was released with court appearance tickets.
Batavia police…out with some advice regarding driver licenses and permits. The State of Emergency has ended…Therefore, the extension of expiration dates for driver licenses and permits that expired on or after March 1, 2020 also ended Thursday. Expired drivers licenses and permits are no longer valid and need to be renewed.
New York’s Medicaid and Child Health Plus programs added three-quarters of a million enrollees during the coronavirus pandemic, roughly matching the pace of a national surge in sign-ups. Between February 2020 and January 2021, the combined rolls of the two health plans grew by 760,000 New Yorkers, the second-largest total in the country. The state’s growth rate of 13 percent was lower than the national average of 14 percent—in part because New York’s pre-existing enrollment was proportionally high.
Earlier this year, a ceremony was held in the lobby at Batavia Downs Gaming as Batavia Downs showcased their $2,300 sponsorship of the Genesee County Sheriff’s K-9 Unit. The money was left at Batavia Downs and was turned into the Sheriff’s office. When the money went unclaimed, Batavia Downs decided to sponsor the Department’s K-9 Unit. The money will be used to help provide equipment for the unit, headed up by Officer Andrew Mullen and K-9 Frankie.
Rochester Police are getting help from federal prosecutors to help address recent gun violence. Interim Chief Cynthia Herriott-Sullivan says she has been in touch with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Buffalo in order find ways to prosecute acts of violence involving guns in federal court. Herriott-Sullivan said the meeting with the U.S. attorney will focus on how to move forward with criminal cases and what kinds of cases will be targeted. She added that U.S. Marshals will be assisting with tracking down wanted suspects.
