Morning News Brief
Written by Michael Baldwin on July 19, 2021
Bail is set at $200,000 for a man charged with first-degree rape. Batavia Police say they arrested 52-year-old Editrudis Zavala-Palacio. The charge stems following an investigation into a reported forcible rape from 2009 that occurred at an apartment above 15 Jackson Street. Additional court action is pending.
New York’s statewide COVID positivity rate has now climbed to 1.51%. While the rate has increased, hospitalizations have dropped slightly. In the Finger Lakes Region, the positivity rate has jumped to 0.96%
A woman faces felony and other counts following a reported knife attack in the city. Batavia police arrested 24-year-old Shacerie Rivera. She was charged with felony second-degree assault with serious injury, criminal possession of a weapon and obstructing governmental administration. It’s alleged that Rivera cut another person in the arm with a knife. She then allegedly interfered with police as they attempted to take another person into custody. She was arraigned in Batavia City Court and released under the supervision of Genesee Justice. Rivera is due back in court on August 11th.
Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed a sweeping package of voting reforms into law. The reforms he says will help voters, candidates and boards of elections more easily perform their functions. A few of the reforms include eliminating signed absentee ballot applications and allowing absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day to be considered timely; Allowing voters to request absentee ballots through electronic means and allowing candidates who have lost primaries to be removed from ballots as candidates for different parties.
The Holland Land Office Museum announces the return of its History Heroes Summer Program will be running Saturdays from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. The first event happens this Saturday. The theme is “Fun in the Roaring ’20s” — learning about different aspects of life 100 years ago. Join them to learn about the 1920s! Dance, sing, read, play, create, explore, and learn some history. The program will explore many facets of the era through many creative and interactive activities, and includes daily local walking field trips around Batavia. The program is open to children 7-12 and is limited to 16 participants each day. Registration is available for each individual day or for all five. Admission is $10 per child with discounts for multiple children and museum members. The program includes a field trip on Sept. 4th to the Arcade & Attica Railroad, which has a $20 admission. Registration forms can be found at the museum’s website.
Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced a new memorial honoring fallen highway workers across New York is currently under construction and will be unveiled at the 2021 Great New York State Fair. The memorial, which will be located near the midway entrance and west of the Horticulture Building on the fairgrounds, is meant to honor all transportation workers killed while performing their job duties on or near New York’s thousands of miles of highways, including State Department of Transportation and Thruway Authority employees, municipal highway workers, contractors, consultants and towing service employees. The State Department of Transportation alone has lost 56 workers during its existence.
New York State tax receipts exceeded the Enacted Budget Financial Plan forecast by $4.8 billion from April through June, the first three months of the 2021-22 State Fiscal Year…that’s according to the monthly State Cash Report released by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. He says the state is rebounding from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
