Morning News Brief
Written by Michael Baldwin on August 20, 2021
Catco Construction of Alden is the apparent low bidder to be the general contractor for the $4.3 million Park Road Reconstruction Project. Town of Batavia Engineer Steve Mountain reported a “favorable” bidding process, in which 11 applications were submitted to take the lead role in an extensive rehabilitation of the road from Lewiston Road (Route 63) to Oak Street (Route 98). Funding from New York State will cover most of the cost, except for the $900,000 it will take to replace the water main.
In a statement released Thursday afternoon, Congressman Chris Jacobs said his office is actively helping individuals trapped in Afghanistan. Jacobs said he is working to assist NY-27 constituents and Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants who are in harm’s way in Afghanistan. He said if you are a petitioner or a family member of someone trapped or know of someone who is, you’re urged to contact his Geneseo or Clarence offices right away.
Genesee County’s STOP-DWI Coordinator announced that the Sheriff’s Office, City of Batavia Police Department and Village of LeRoy Police Department will participate in a special event to bring awareness to the dangers of impaired driving. Law enforcement officers across New York State will take to the roads in an effort to stop impaired driving, prevent injuries and save lives. The statewide STOP-DWI Campaign begins today and will end on September 6th.
According to preliminary figures just released by the New York State Department of Labor, the number of private sector jobs in New York State increased over the month by 43,800 in July 2021. This was the largest net gain in private sector jobs since March 2021. New York State’s private sector jobs (not seasonally adjusted) increased by 7.0% over the year in July 2021.
The NY state Department of Health (DOH) allowed more than $1.5 billion in improper Medicaid payments over the course of several years due to errors in its billing system and may have exposed patients to unqualified and uncredentialed health care providers, according to three reports just released. For the state fiscal year that ended March 31, 2020, New York’s Medicaid program had approximately 7.3 million recipients and Medicaid claim costs totaled $69.8 billion.
The Taste NY Marketplace will be back at the Great New York State Fair for the 2021 season, bringing a taste of some of the best homegrown and homemade New York maple and dairy products, craft beverages, and more to fairgoers in the Horticulture Building. This year’s vendor Marketplace will showcase nearly 40 food and craft beverages from regions across the state over the 18 days of the Fair, highlighting some of New York’s finest products. The State Fair in Syracuse opens today.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott announced on Thursday that Josh Allen and the majority of what he called the “core” starters won’t play tomorrow in the preseason game with the Bears. On the injury front, McDermott also said that Stefon Diggs will not play and they are hoping they can get him back on the field soon. Diggs has been out for more than a week with a knee injury that has become a concern. Left tackle Dion Dawkins, returning from Covid, will play in the game.
It’s clean-up time in the Southern Tier after heavy rain from Tropical System Fred cause chaos and life-saving evacuations. The Genesee River at Wellsville crested at over 11 feet Thursday at noon. In Allegany County, the worst flooding was south of Wellsville. Over a three-day period, Steuben County received more than 7 inches of rain. Several communities remain under a State of Emergency this morning and officials there said more than 120 homes sustained flood damage as did a school building.
