Tuesday News Brief
Written by Doug Thompson on March 5, 2024
Two separate crashes on the Thruway just a quarter of a mile apart left one driver needing to be airlifted to Strong Memorial Hospital. As of this morning, the driver remains in critical condition. State Police say the collision happened yesterday when that driver rear-ended a tractor-trailer on the highway eastbound at mile-marker 387.2. The other accident occurred at mile-marker 387. A rolled-over tractor-trailer hauling bags of dirt blocked all of the eastbound lanes. The driver of the tractor-trailer was initially trapped, and once freed from the vehicle, was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. Both lanes of the road were closed between Exit 48 and Exit 47 for several hours. The cause of the accidents continue to be investigated.
The New York State Thruway Authority is issuing a warning about an ongoing phishing scam. The agency says people are getting messages from scammers who are claiming to represent Tolls by Mail NY. The message says the person has an outstanding balance and directs them to visit nytollservices.com. However, that site isn’t affiliated with Tolls by Mail NY and anyone who gets this notification should delete it. Tolls by Mail NY says it’ll never ask for anyone’s personal information.
13WHAM photo of Timothy Williams in court.
Testimony will continue today in the retrial of the man accused of raping and killing 14-year-old Wendy Jerome in Rochester on Thanksgiving Day 1984. In video captured by police in Florida after arresting him, Timothy Williams could be heard saying “My life is over” and “I should’ve never answered the door.” Retired Rochester Police Investigator John Brennan took the stand yesterday to testify about William’s arrest and to explain how his DNA was collected. Brennan said investigators submitted a preserved DNA sample in April 2019 to the crime lab for testing. The sample testing led to an alleged familial DNA tie, which police then used to narrow down a list of suspects. Williams’ retrial is scheduled to continue today. Although he did not have a warrant, Special Agent Chris Sheppard testified that he gathered multiple beverage containers from Williams’ recycling bin for future DNA testing. Weeks later, Brennan went to Florida to investigate and arrest Williams. Jurors were shown video of Williams in the back of a Florida police car bemoaning “I had a feeling” and “My life is over.” Later, Williams could be seen in an interrogation room talking to himself, saying “I’ll never see my wife again” and “They got me mistaken with somebody else.”
File photo of Governor Hochul
Governor Hochul has provided promising news about addressing crime across our region. While talking about the state’s efforts to bring down shootings and gun crimes she brought up the increase in car thefts and mentioned Buffalo and Rochester as two of the worst cities in America for car thefts after the COVID-19 pandemic. Hochul said the state has taken a similar approach to car thefts as it has gun crimes and they’ve seen results. She noted a higher investment in youth intervention programs as one of the big reasons for this decrease.
The owner of The Groove Lounge in Buffalo is in trouble with the law after being taken into custody on drug charges. Erie County Sheriff John Garcia says 59-year-old Michael Jackson ended up being charged on Friday. Jackson and 38-year-old Antonio Broadus are accused of being involved in drug distribution in Buffalo and throughout the county. Both men are currently in the Erie County Holding Center.
Organizers of the Lilac Festival in Rochester have unveiled part of the musical lineup for this year’s event. Among the artists scheduled to perform include Rochester-native Danielle Ponder as well as other acts such as Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, The Skycoasters and Ghost-Note. The festival starts May 10th at Highland Park and runs through May 19th. For additional details, head to roclilacfest.com.
The Buffalo Sabres are back in action Wednesday in Canada as they try to get back on a winning track. Tomorrow night they’ll take on the Toronto Maple Leafs. Face-off is at 7:00.
The Buffalo Bisons have announced when they’ll be holding national anthem auditions ahead of the upcoming season. Fans interested in performing the Star Spangled Banner and O Canada before a ballgame can audition on Saturday, March 16th at Sahlen Field. Tryouts are open to the public and there are no pre-scheduled times. More details can be found by visiting the team’s website.
ELSEWHERE…
Unidentified children demonstrate one of the best ways to eat peanut butter.
A fundraising event at an Oklahoma public school is going viral after kids licked peanut butter off the feet of fellow students. Kids at Deer Creek High School outside of Oklahoma City licked peanut butter off the feet of fellow students. The Oklahoma Superintendent of Schools is now vowing an investigation, calling the event “filth.” The school released a statement saying the students involved had signed up for the fundraiser. It brought in more than 152-thousand dollars for a coffee shop that employs people with developmental disorders.
Peter Gabriel and Rush Limbaugh
March 5, 2012, Peter Gabriel demanded that his music no longer be incorporated into Rush Limbaugh’s shows, after he learned that the radio personality had played the 1986 hit “Sledgehammer” during his rant about a Georgetown law student’s congressional testimony supporting the Obama administration’s contraception coverage policy.
