Wednesday News Brief

The investigation continues into a shooting just after midnight early this morning in the Holland Avenue area of Batavia that sent a woman to the hospital. Police say between 10 and 15 people were at a gathering when a disturbance turned into a fight and shots rang out. A female victim was shot and was taken to ECMC by ground ambulance. The group involved in the disturbance ran from the area during the incident and the suspect in the shooting also fled on foot. Police continue their search for the suspect and at this time, no arrests have been made and no additional information is available. If you have information that could help police with this investigation, please call the Batavia Police Tip Line at 585-345-6370.

 

19-year-old Anthony Gallo of Clarence has been arrested and charged with grand larceny. It’s alleged he stole a backpack containing more than $1000 worth of property while inside the Darien Lake Theme Park. Gallo will be arraigned in Genesee County Court July 20th.

 

 

The 184-bed County Jail is on the way towards completion and workers got to participate in an important ceremony Monday. County Legislature Chairwoman Shelley Stein, Sheriff Bill Sheron, Jail Superintendent Bill Zipfel, along with other county officials and construction company heads, signed a steel beam that will be the final one installed in the new jail. The $70 million facility will be able to house both male and female inmates, provide space for arraignments and mental health services, along with the usual accommodations of a jail — a place for inmates to exercise, engage in recreational activities, eat, and meet with visitors.

 

The reward for information leading to the capture of escaped prisoner Michael Burham has more than doubled. Crime Stoppers now says up to $19,500 will go to whoever helps get Burham back into custody, which is a $10,000 increase from the previously offered $9,500 reward. Burham was behind bars on murder and arson charges when he was able to flee from the Warren County Jail in Pennsylvania. Changes have been ordered at the prison following his escape using a rope made of bed sheets. The county will make repairs to the roof of the exercise yard where Burham started his escape, and the county’s Board of Commissioners and its Prison Board is conducting an ongoing review of the policies, staff and structures in the Warren County Jail. Law enforcement there and across the region remain actively engaged in the search.

 

 

The University of Rochester says it will start charging patients for using the MyChart service if they send messages to doctors that require 5 minutes or more to make medical decisions. Their providers receive more than two million messages every year and estimates fewer than 3% of those would fall under the billable criteria. Patients with private insurance should anticipate an average payment ranging from $20 to $50 for billable messages, depending on their specific insurance plan and deductible status. Messages that may be billable include things like diagnosing an illness or new symptom, reviewing medical records, adjusting medications, and getting referrals for specialist services or testing. Scheduling appointments, getting prescription refills, sending health updates or talking to mental health providers are not billable most of the time.

 

 

The Buffalo Parks Department driver who crashed a city vehicle earlier this month has been relieved of his duties. Police say the driver of the dump truck, 35-year-old Vernon Harris, was not licensed before the incident on Niagara Street. Harris nearly hit a child on the side of the road before the truck slammed into several vehicles at the Family Auto Sales dealership and also a building. Harris, who was originally put on leave after the accident, suffered minor injuries.

 

The woman who carried out a deadly stabbing at a park in Rochester has been sentenced for committing that crime. A judge ordered 31-year-old Kristin Krueger to spend the next 10 years in prison. Prosecutors say Kruger killed 67-year-old James Wooden at Durand Eastman Park back in September 2021. Once she’s released from custody, Kruger will be on probation for five years.

 

 

 

The Batavia Muckdogs won at home last night against the Geneva Red Wings 5 to 2. They scored 4 of their 5 runs in the 8th inning. Tonight they host the Elmira Pioneers with game time set for 5:00.

 

 

Officials with Catholic Charities of Buffalo have revealed the results of the agency’s annual appeal. They say more than $9.1 million was raised, which is short of the $9.5 million they were hoping for. Nearly 24,000 people donated money, which will be used to support more than 50 programs in the Western New York region. Catholic Charities is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and anyone who wants to give can go to ccwny.org/donation.

 

ELSEWHERE…

 

More than one in three Americans are going through a “sleep divorce.” That’s when someone regularly or occasionally sleeps in another room than their partner in order to get some rest without distractions like snoring or alarms. The data came to light in a survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, which found that “sleep divorce” was most prominent among millennials, 43 percent of whom said they sleep in different rooms.

 

 

Hollywood studios are preparing for a possible actors strike. SAG-AFTRA’s current contract with studios will expire at 11:59pm Pacific time Wednesday. If a deal isn’t reached by then an actor’s work stoppage will happen, joining writers already on strike for more than two months. The deadline is just hours after the nominations for the Primetime Emmys will be announced Wednesday morning.

 

 

In just a few hours, the seventh-largest prize in the history of the Powerball lottery game is going to be up for grabs. The jackpot has grown to $725 million after no one was lucky enough to win the last drawing on Monday. The top Powerball prize has not been claimed since April 19th, which is a span of 35 consecutive drawings without a winner. The drawing will be streamed live at Powerball.com. Please play responsibly.

 

Amazon Prime Day wraps up tonight. The two-day sale is exclusive to Amazon Prime members, or to those who sign up for a 30-day free trial. As part of the event, new deals will be dropping on Amazon throughout the day, including discounts on major brand merchandise.

 

Today is July 12th, the 193rd day of the year.

 

July 12 in history…

…In 1933, a minimum wage of 25-cents an hour was established. Somewhat ironically, there were no quarters minted in 1933.

 

 

 

…In 1954, Sun Records signed Elvis Presley to a recording contract. Elvis was 19.

 

 

 

 

…In 1957, the surgeon general issued the warning that smoking can be connected to lung cancer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1960, the first Etch-A-Sketch went on sale. More than 50 million of the products were sold over the next 25 years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1976, the first “Family Feud” game show debuts on ABC hosted by Richard Dawson.

 

 

 

 

…In 1982, the film “E-T: The extraterrestrial” passed the $100 million mark for earnings. The film broke box office records by reaching the mark only 31 days after opening.