Wednesday Afternoon News Brief

A flood watch in addition to a wind advisory remains in effect for all eight counties in Western New York. A rapid warm-up this week will lead to a fast melt of the area’s snow pack and increase the risk for flooding.   City of Buffalo crews have been preparing for the possibility of ice jams, which are more likely to form in a body of water’s S-curves, in the Buffalo River and Cazenovia Creek. At this time, there are no threats of flooding near the Tonawanda Creek in Batavia. To monitor this yourself, go to water.noaa.gov.

 

51-year-old Matthew Fisher of South Wales, New York, has pleaded guilty to production of child pornography. Between June 2022 and November 2023, Fisher was employed as the Associate Director of Enrollment and Management at the Gow School, a private boarding school in South Wales. He resided on the school campus and utilized hidden cameras to create and attempt to create videos of at least five minor males engaged in sexually explicit conduct. During the investigation, several of Fisher’s electronic devices were seized and found to contain the videos. Fisher will be sentenced at a later date, when he faces 15 to 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

 

 

As the strike by state corrections officers enters its 17th day, striking officers face jail time. Officers at Groveland Correctional Center as well as Attica and Wende correctional facilities remain on picket lines despite an agreement hammered out between the state and the union that represents the officers. The New York Attorney General’s office filed court papers Monday to punish striking officers with hundreds of dollars in fines and even imprisonment.   Yesterday, state officials met with representatives of striking officers outside the New York State Capitol in Albany.

 

Governor Kathy Hochul convened a roundtable in Albany on Tuesday with agricultural leaders in the state. She said the tariffs are projected to increase costs by as much as $1,200 a year for the average New Yorker, while hurting many businesses that send products to China, Mexico and Canada. Hochul encourages businesses, including New York’s farms, to report the effects of these tariffs on their work to TariffImpact@esd.ny.gov. Hochul said agriculture is a cornerstone of New York’s economy. The state’s investments in agricultural priorities are up 60 percent since 2022, she said.

 

A Buffalo man has been found guilty of assault; this, following a shooting that left a victim seriously injured, according to the Erie County District Attorney’s Office. 41-year-old Irving Mitchell, also known as Gotti, was on parole at the time when he shot a 31-year-old man last July 4^th. The victim was taken to ECMC where he underwent multiple surgeries for serious injuries to his abdomen. He was in the hospital for almost two weeks. Mitchell faces multiple charges, including attempted murder. He’ll be sentenced as a second violent felony offender. Mitchell faces a maximum of 25 years in prison when he is sentenced next month.

 

Fifteen people are on leave after the death of a 22-year-old inmate at Mid-State Correctional Facility. Governor Hochul announced the 15 would be put on leave on Tuesday. On Monday, 11 others were placed on leave. This comes as the death of Messiah Nantwi remains under investigation.

 

The New York State United Teachers Union is speaking out against President Trump’s proposed cuts to the U.S. Department of Education. Members of the group rallied in Albany on Tuesday. They expressed concern over the Department of Education being dismantled, and how that would impact funding for school programs.

 

New York State Police are asking the public for help when they run a test of the Amber Alert system in western New York tomorrow morning at 10:00. They’re asking residents to click on the link on the state’s Amber Alert website to let them know the system is working properly.   The test will be sent to mobile phones and to television and radio stations through the Emergency Alert system.

 

The Sabres’ losing streak reached four last night as they fell to the lowly San Jose Sharks — 6-to-2 — at KeyBank Center. Coach Lindy Ruff said too many players took the night off that resulted in puck play he dubbed pathetic. Buffalo starts a two-game road trip tomorrow in Florida just ahead of the NHL trade deadline.

 

Pro wrestling star Hulk Hogan dropped by several Rochester bars and liquor stores yesterday to promote the release of his beer — called Real American Beer. He also held a meet-and-greet at Beers of the World on East Henrietta Road, where an estimated 250 fans turned out to meet Hogan.