Morning News Brief
Written by Michael Baldwin on July 12, 2021
A nearly seven-year investigation has led to high level sex charges against a Batavia man who is beginning the week in jail. Genesee County Sheriff’s deputies say they arrested Melvin A. Huntley of Wilkinson Road. The 40-year-old is charged with four felony crimes to include predatory sexual assault against a child, first-degree course of sexual conduct against a child, first-degree rape and first-degree sexual abuse. The sheriff’s office says the charges stem from an incident in Batavia on September 1st, 2014. Deputies say the crime involve one or more children and occurred over an extended period of time. Huntley was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court and remanded to jail without bail. The investigation is ongoing and more charges are expected.
Leaders of the Public Safety Assisted Addiction & Recovery Initiative in Genesee County have been informed that Allie Hunter, the Initiative’s national executive director, will be coming to Batavia to speak at tomorrow’s event showcasing the participation of the City of Batavia Fire Department. The program is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at fire headquarters at 18 Evans St. Hunter, in her role as executive director of the Boston, Mass.-based organization, coordinates training, technical assistance, and strategic guidance to police to help them when dealing with individuals using alcohol or drugs, or in recovery. The public is invited to attend the session, which will feature local public safety officials as well as representatives of the Genesee County Health Department, Greater Rochester Health Foundation, and the Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse.
While New York state has made significant strides in managing the coronavirus, there has been a recent uptick. The statewide 7-day average positivity rate has climbed to 0.84%. However, hospitalizations, now at 339, continue to decease. 65% of New Yorkers age 18 and older have complete the vaccine series.
Following an incident on Clinton Street Road in Bergen, sheriff’s deputies arrested 51-year-old Jon Charles Brooks of Spencerport. He was charged with aggravated DWI, first-offense DWI and failure to keep right. Deputies said they made the traffic stop on State Route 33 and allege that Brooks has a blood alcohol level above .18% during the 3 p.m. stop on Saturday. He’ll chat with a judge on August 4th.
NY Congressman Tom Reed, Republican Leader of the Social Security Subcommittee released a statement on President Biden’s decision to fire Social Security Administration Commissioner Andrew Saul. Instead of preserving the agency’s longstanding independence, Reed said the President has decided to reject the large bipartisan consensus that confirmed Commissioner Saul and embrace more of the partisan politics that are ravaging our nation.
The investigation continues following Saturday deadly boating accident on Seneca Lake. Pronounced dead at the scene was 65-year-old Cynthia Stuck. Three others were injured while another suffered no injuries. Preliminary finding found a high-performance boat turned sharply while at a high speed, ejecting people off the boat.
After going virtual in 2020 due to the pandemic, the annual eight-day, cross-state Cycle the Erie Canal bike tour returns this year. It departing from Buffalo Sunday and arriving in Albany on July 18. Reduced in numbers to meet COVID safety requirements, more than 300 cyclists from 34 states will cross New York State as part of the 23rd Cycle the Erie Canal tour organized by the statewide nonprofit Parks & Trails New York. Covering between 40 and 60 miles per day, cyclists travel along the Erie Canalway Trail, which is now more than 85 percent complete and is the east-west axis of the statewide 750-mile Empire State Trail.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer suggests that the N-R-A has committed fraud . Senator Chuck Schumer finds that the actions of the N-R-A contradict the organization’s claim of being bankrupt. He refers to the fact that the N-R-A has spent millions of dollars in advertising to Americans to end universal background checks and other forms of gun reform. The N-R-A says that it does not support the proposed H-R 8 legislation because it “attacks law-abiding gun owners by placing further burdens on gun ownership and use.”
