Thursday News Brief

A former recruit with the Greece Police Department is set to spend the next five years behind bars. Yesterday, a judge sentenced 28-year-old Jason Lane on child porn charges after he was found with hundreds of images in an email account and also on his cell phone. Some images were of students at Spencerport High School that Lane took while he was working as a security guard there, but the photos were not sexually explicit. Once he’s out of prison, Lane must register as a sex offender.

 

39-year-old Spencer Hart of Albion has been sentenced to serve 10 years in prison. He was convicted of possession of child pornography and has had previous, similar convictions that resulted from investigations dating back to 2018.

 

The legacy of a fallen Buffalo firefighter is going to be carried through a foundation that has been set up in his name. The Firefighter Arno Memorial Foundation is holding a sold-out event this Sunday at Holiday’s Sports Bar in West Seneca. Proceeds will go to help provide resources to first responders and also start a scholarship. Back in March, Jason Arno passed away while battling a massive blaze on Main Street. People who want to volunteer this weekend or make a donation can go to FAMgives.org.

 

 

 

As reported by Tom Tharp this morning: It appears there could be another transition of some of the 573 asylum seekers in Erie County from a Cheektowaga hotel to Amherst. The Cheektowaga town supervisor stated that 226 of the migrants would be sent to a Red Roof Inn in Amherst and 48 children would be attending the Sweet Home Central School District. The Sweet Home School superintendent noted that any school-age child, who resides in their district, is considered a “Panther” and is “absolutely welcome.” Meanwhile… The number of asylum seekers who are staying in Monroe County is now up to 40. The migrants are being housed at the Holiday Inn on State Street in Rochester. DocGo, the company hired by New York City to help manage the asylum seeker crisis, sent migrants there Tuesday night. Roughly two weeks ago, over 70 migrants were brought to Rochester from the Big Apple.

 

Starting next Tuesday, August 29 Batavia will have a legal place to purchase marijuana. A partnership with DANK in downtown Buffalo and six other local marijuana growers and processors will result in a temporary pop-up shop inside of Empire Hemp Co. on E Main street in Batavia. The shop will showcase local cannabis growers and will be open every Tuesday thru Saturday from 1:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. throughout the end of 2023. Despite applications, Empire Hemp Company does not have government approval to sell the legal adult use marijuana products that his company makes. Their THC Gummies, flowers, pre-rolled joints and more can only be sold to the few stores in the state like DANK that have a license to sell marijuana. Pop-up pot shops are a temporary solution.

 

The Buffalo Sabres are going to be holding an event this weekend to honor the life and legacy of longtime broadcaster Rick Jeanneret. He died last week at the age of 81 and called games for the NHL franchise from 1971 until 2022. A roundtable discussion is set for 5 p.m. on Sunday at KeyBank Center that’s both free and open to the public. Seats are available through Ticketmaster.

ELSEWHERE…

 

A western Minnesota teen is getting high praise after making an unusual catch. Fourteen-year-old Connor Halsa was fishing at the lake during his family’s summer vacation in the northern part of the state when he managed to reel in a wallet containing two-thousand dollars. The family found a business card inside the wallet and called the number, which eventually led them to Iowa farmer Jim Denney. Denney lost the wallet in the lake a year earlier and thought he would never see it again. Connor turned down a cash reward, but Denney did talk the teen into accepting dinner and the gift of a personalized cooler. Denney also said he’d be proud to have Connor as a grandson and “would fight for him any day.”

 

Supermarket chain Wegmans has announced it will discontinue production of its brand of sodas called WPOP. That’s because the drinks have aspartame and high fructose corn syrup, which are ingredients that don’t meet the requirements of the company’s “Food You Feel Good About” initiative. Wegmans says it’s committed to helping customers live healthier lives through food. The sodas are still on store shelves for now, but are expected to be sold out within the next week.

 

Police in Florida are warning residents north of Orlando to watch out for a monkey on the loose. The Orange City Police Department says they received several calls Wednesday about a rhesus macaque running wild through residential neighborhoods, and have notified state wildlife officials. Officials are telling people not to feed the monkey.

 

A new study says local trees provide a strong defense against invasive species. Published in the journal Science, findings show that invasive tree species have a harder time thriving in rich local ecosystems. Researchers say that the invaders tend to enter new landscapes from nearby human settlements, coastal and riverine ports especially. But “native biodiversity can limit the severity or intensity of non-native tree species invasions worldwide.” (file photo)

Today is Thursday, August 24th, the 236th day of the year.

August 24 in history…

…In 1814, during the War of 1812 between the United States and England, British troops entered Washington D.C. and burned many public buildings down including the White House.

 

 

 

…In 1853, Chef George Speck Crum introduced the first potato chips while working as a cook at Moon’s Lake House on Saratoga Lake, Saratoga Springs.

 

 

 

 

…In 1891, Thomas Edison applied for a patent for the motion picture camera.

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1946, Norma Jean Baker signed a contract with 20th Century Fox. She later changed her name to Marilyn Monroe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1963, the Little League World Series was covered for the first time by ABC’s “Wide World of Sports.” Pictured is the Granada Hills team – they defeated a team from Stratford, Connecticut, 2-1, to capture the 1963 Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

 

 

 

…In 1979, “The Facts Of Life” made its debut on NBC. The TV comedy lasted ten seasons, making it one of the longest-running sitcoms of the 80’s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1981, Mark David Chapman was sentenced to 20-years-to-life in prison for the murder of former Beatle, John Lennon.

 

 

 

 

…In 1995, Microsoft released Windows 95, and purchased the rights to the Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up” for a reported $12 million.

 

 

 

…In 2006, NFL star Jerry Rice officially retired as a San Francisco 49er, the team where his NFL career began, signing a one-day contract for almost $2 million.

 

 

 

…In 2015, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg announced one billion people had logged onto the social media site for the first time.