Wednesday Afternoon News Brief

Governor Kathy Hochul is highlighting the trade relationship with New York and bordering Canada. Yesterday, Hochul sat down with Canadian Consul General Tom Clark. Hochul says she’s focused on affordability for New Yorkers and that relationships with Canada will affect that depending on what happens out of Washington. Her meeting comes after tariffs against Canada and Canadian tariffs against the U.S. were put on hold for a month after President Trump says Canada promised to increase border security.

 

The latest data shows there’s been yet another surge in flu cases across Western New York. During the week ending January 25th, the area with the highest number of infections was Monroe County with 1,415. That was followed by Erie County with 686; Niagara County reported 134; Livingston County, 94 and Genesee logged 46 cases of the flu. Orleans and Wyoming Counties each had 29. Since flu season began back in October, there have been more than 230,000 confirmed flu cases in the Empire State.

 

A retired Buffalo police officer has admitted to shooting a teen last year. Officials say 67-year-old Antonio Roman shot a 14-year-old boy in the leg during a confrontation with a group that he suspected was stealing from vehicles outside the Marine Drive Apartments. After the shooting, the group drove away in a vehicle that had been stolen in Amherst. The boy had to be taken Oishei Children’s Hospital, where he underwent surgery. Roman pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and first-degree reckless endangerment. He faces a maximum of seven years in prison when he is sentenced in May.

 

The death of Robert Brooks at the Marcy Correctional Facility has now been ruled a homicide. A grand jury will be reviewing evidence on this case February 10th. Body camera footage showed Brooks being brutally attacked by several prison employees back in December. He was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment but couldn’t be saved.   Onondaga County DA William Fitzpatrick was named special prosecutor after the Attorney General’s office recused itself.

 

A Jamestown woman has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for sex trafficking of a minor. Officials say between August and October 2020, 27-year-old Jasmin Osteen conspired with others to coerce two 17-year-olds to engage in commercial sex acts. She would then transport the minor victims to a hotel in Buffalo, and reached out to various clients who engaged in commercial sex acts with the victims. Osteen arranged the commercial sex acts on Facebook and received most of the proceeds.

 

The Sabres closed out an undefeated home stand with a 3-2 against the Columbus BlueJackets last night. Alex Tuch led the way with two goals and an assist in the victory. Bowen Byram chipped in with a goal and an assist of his own. The Sabres have now won four-straight games, which is the team’s best since a five-game run in January 2023. Buffalo hits the ice again on Saturday when they play the Predators in Nashville.

 

The Crossroads House 29^th Annual “Strike UP Some Fun for Crossroads” Betty Ellison Memorial Bowling Event is coming up this weekend, Friday and Saturday, February 7^th and 8^th at Mancuso Bowling Center. A DJ will be on hand for the evening shifts, and there will be contests throughout. For more information, please call 585-343-3892 or get registered at www.crossroadshouse.com/events.

 

The Batavia City School District is now accepting registration applications for universal pre-kindergarten and kindergarten programs for the 2025-26 school year. For more information, call 585-343-2480 or visit bataviacsd.org/registration. The deadline to register is May 1^st.