Thursday News Brief

28-year-old Jacob Patterson of Batavia has been arrested. He’s charged with introducing prison contraband. This followed an incident at the Best Western in the Town of Batavia. After being transported to the Genesee County Jail, it’s alleged he introduced dangerous prison contraband into the jail facility. Patterson was arraigned in CAP Court. ALSO: 48-year-old Mary Virgilio of Batavia has been arrested and charged with criminal tampering. It’s alleged that she entered the residence of another person, displaced their property and then denied them access to their residence by locking an internal screen door. Virgilio was issued appearance tickets and is due in Batavia Town Court on February 27th. ALSO: 28-year-old Austin Durham of Batavia has been arrested. He’s charged with aggravated harassment. It’s alleged Durham repeatedly messaged an individual with the intent to harass, annoy, or alarm them, with no purpose of legitimate communication, after being warned by a police officer to cease contact with that individual. Durham was held at the Genesee County Jail pending CAP Court arraignment.

 

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and members of the Great Lakes Task Force has introduced the bipartisan Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2024, which extends the program for another five years through 2031, and in doing so, increases annual funding levels from $475 million in 2026 to $500 million from 2027 through 2031. This initiative is the most significant investment ever made to restore and protect the Great Lakes and its watersheds, which continue to be stressed by contamination and threats to water quality, and are under increasing pressure from new invasive species, climate change, erosion, and habitat destruction. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has focused federal and nonfederal efforts to stop the spread of carp and other invasive species, restore coastline and habitats connecting our streams and rivers, clean up environmentally damaged Areas of Concern, prevent future contamination and address new and emerging threats to our lakes and waterways.

 

A Sodus man is facing charges in connection with violent protests at the United States Capitol. According to prosecutors, 55-year-old James Weeks attacked a Metropolitan Police Department officer and he also incited a group of rioters to enter the Capitol building through a window. Weeks was captured on camera taking part in the protests over three years ago. Thousands of people were trying to stop Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election.

 

The man who was involved in a violent home invasion in Amherst will spend multiple decades behind bars. A judge sentenced 34-year-old Mark Shadle to 23 years to life in prison. Back in 2022, Shadle and his co-defendant broke into a residence on Bucyrus Drive before threatening the homeowner and then beating him. That man suffered injuries to his arms, head, chest and legs. Shadle received the long sentence because he’s a persistent violent felony offender.

 

 

The National Labor Relations Board has ruled that Starbucks illegally fired several employees at stores across the region. Those individuals were part of a group called Starbucks’ Workers United that came together to create a union. The NLRB says Starbucks violated federal law by threatening to close down the first store that unionized after workers went on strike. In a statement, Starbucks says the company has provided reassurances to its partners that it respects the rights of collective organization through fair elections.

 

A New York State Trooper from Rochester has passed away of an illness related to his work in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks. Trooper Steven Tyrrell served at the site of the World Trade Center in 2001 and assisted in search and recovery efforts. The 58-year-old Tyrrell joined the State Police back in 1997 and was a member of the force for 26 years. Funeral arrangements haven’t been made public yet.

 

Rochester police are continuing their investigation into what’s being called a suspicious death at a hospital. Authorities say a woman in her 30s was unresponsive when she arrived in a private vehicle at Rochester General Hospital yesterday. She was immediately rushed into surgery but couldn’t be saved. The name of the woman has not been released and tips on this case can be submitted by calling 585-428-7157.

 

Dunkirk is on the list of 20 locations across New York State that has been designated as a pro-housing community. That means the city and other municipalities will receive priority when competing with other places for a share of $650 million in discretionary funding from state programs. Governor Hochul created an incentive program last year to try and boost the state’s housing supply. The goal is to build 800-thousand new homes over the next decade.

 

Valentine’s Day is coming up, and the state Division of Consumer Protection is warning New Yorkers about romance scams. The agency says romance scams occur when a criminal lies about their identity and feigns romantic interest to steal from victims. If someone asks for money, assume it’s a scam and never give out personal information to someone you’ve met online. It’s recommended folks only use trusted dating sites and do a reverse image search to see if someone’s profile photo is linked to another name.

 

Plans have been announced for the upcoming football camp involving Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox. This will be the third year for the camp, which will run on June 8th and 9th at Nazareth University in Rochester. Knox and a group of coaches will offer hands-on instruction to players and each attendee will get an autograph from Knox. The cost of the camp is $299 and registration can be done online:

https://registration.procamps.com/camper/auth/login/

 

ELSEWHERE…

A new flavor of Coca-Cola will be hitting store shelves soon. Coca-Cola Spiced is set to go on sale February 19th, marking the beverage company’s first new permanent flavor in three years. The new flavor is described as a “burst of refreshing raspberry flavors and spiced notes.” The company is also launching a flavor called “Happy Tears” that will be available exclusively on TikTok on February 17th to mark Random Acts of Kindness Day. That flavor is described as the taste of Coca-Cola paired with a splash of salty minerals.

 

Tiger Woods is announcing his return to play. Woods committed to playing in The Genesis Invitational next week near Los Angeles. He also serves as the host of the tournament. Woods hasn’t played since last year’s Masters. On Tuesday the golf legend teased announcement that will happen on the 12th of this month but there’s no official word yet on what that will be.

 

Switching up arms for multi-dose vaccines could improve immune response by up to four times. That’s according to new research out of Oregon Health and Science University, which looked at how people received COVID-19 vaccine shots. Researchers say it could have implications for other types of vaccines as well. There’s no clear answer yet as to why switching arms improves results.

 

The CEOs of three major pharmaceutical companies will appear before a Senate health committee today to explain how much they charge for drugs and why. The heads of Johnson and Johnson, Merck and Bristol Myers Squibb will likely face intense scrutiny from committee chair Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent who has championed making drug prices affordable. Sanders wants to know why drugs cost so much more in the U.S. than in other wealthy countries.

 

Today is Thursday, Feb. 8, the 39th day of 2024 with 327 to follow.

The moon is waning. Morning stars are Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Uranus and Venus. Evening stars are Jupiter, Neptune, Saturn and Uranus.

February 8 in history…

…In 1942, comedian Robert Klein was born. (happy 82nd!) His credits include the movies “Reign Over Me,” “Primary Colors,” “How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days,” “Two Weeks Notice,” and “One Fine Day” as well as the TV series “Sisters.”

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1955, author John Grisham was born. (happy 69th!) Several of his books have been turned into films, including “A Time To Kill,” “Skipping Christmas,” which became “Christmas with the Kranks,” “Runaway Jury,” The Client,” “The Pelican Brief” and “The Firm.”