Thursday News Brief
Written by WBTA STAFF on August 15, 2024
St. Mary’s in Batavia Final Mass in the Books
Wednesday evening it was a bittersweet moment at St. Mary’s Church in Batavia as they held their final mass before closing its doors.
The church was constructed in 1906 by John Copeland of Buffalo and has served as a mainstay in Downtown Batavia for over a century. The Buffalo Diocese has restructured its schedules following the closing of St. Mary’s, and former churchgoers will now attend either Our Lady of Mercy in Le Roy and Bergen, St. Padre Pio in Oakfield, or St. Joseph’s in Batavia.
The Diocese has plans to sell the former St. Mary’s Church but as of right now, no potential buyers have made themselves known.
Bergen Fire Department Says Proposed Changes Put Future at Risk
The Bergen Fire Department released a statement on Facebook this Wednesday telling community members that new proposed changes to OSHA fire safety regulations are putting the whole department at risk.
The federal government is proposing to update its fire safety rulebook from 20 pages to now 600 pages. Some of the proposed changes include requiring every fire truck to be replaced every 15 years even if it’s still in good working condition, replacing gear every 10 years, and doubling the training time for volunteer firefighters.
The Bergen Fire Department states, that their volunteers already commit to over 72 hours of training per year and if these changes go through, they will lose volunteers, taxes will rise in the town and they will have fewer resources available due to the rise in costs.
STOP DWI Announces End of Summer High Visibility Campaign
Genesee County Stop DWI announced that starting today they will begin their End of Summer High Visibility Engagement Campaign until Labor Day.
The goal of the campaign is to stop impaired driving which in turn will prevent injuries and save lives. The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Batavia Police Department, and the Village of Le Roy Police Department are all participating. New York officials report that the campaign has led to a significant reduction in the amount of drug and alcohol-related accidents in the past.
As always, if you’re going out to drink and have a good time, always have a designated driver.
