Wednesday News Brief

Early this morning, the City of Batavia Fire Department responded to a report of smoke in the area of Masse Place and East Main Street. As crews searched for the source, City Police discovered a residential structure on fire at 18 Colorado Avenue. Fire was showing from the front of the home. There was no one home at the time and crews were able to extinguish the fire; however, significant damage was noted to the majority of the structure with remaining portions of the home suffering smoke and water damage. No injuries were reported; however, one cat perished in the blaze. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the City of Batavia Fire Department.

 

The Genesee County Highway Department tell us that Lewiston Road between Route 63 and Knowlesville Road in Alabama will be closed to all traffic beginning next Monday. A culvert replacement project is expected to last about 8 weeks. The new culvert pipe will improve water flow under Lewiston Road and ensure the long-term sustainability of the roadway.

 

As reported by Tom Tharp this morning: A media tour scheduled for today at the new Batavia Medical Center has been canceled, along with the grand opening of the Batavia-based facility set for Monday. Rochester Regional Health was waiting for a final letter from New York State signing off on the project, but that letter has not yet arrived. A new opening date has not been determined but will likely be sometime in mid-September.

 

Governor Hochul has announced that $20 million in grant funding is going to the Erie County Water Authority. The money will be used for things such as infrastructure upgrades. That includes updating water filters that treat millions of gallons of water from Lake Erie on a daily basis. Funds will also help the Water Authority provide its customers with safe and affordable water service for years to come.

 

Results from a recently conducted poll shows that a majority of Empire State residents are concerned about the recent influx of migrants. When asked by Siena College if they believe this influx is a serious problem, 82% of respondents said yes, while 54% said it was very serious. Also, 46% of people surveyed said migrants who have resettled in the state in recent years have been a burden instead of a benefit. And, 51% disapprove of the job Governor Hochul is doing to address this influx.

 

A jury has convicted a Greece woman charged with killing her husband. Yesterday, 68-year-old Skavon Andrews was found guilty of criminally negligent homicide for the shooting death of 72-year-old Rawleigh Andrews in their driveway on Vintage Lane last year. Andrews was also facing murder and manslaughter charges, but she wasn’t convicted. She’s facing up to four years in prison when she’s sentenced next month.

 

Micah Hyde of the Buffalo Bills is teaming up with the Buffalo Bisons for a unique promotion. Mystery Ball Night is scheduled for August 29th when the Bisons take on the Indianapolis Indians at Sahlen Field. There will be 500 autographed balls available for purchase, but fans won’t know what signature they’ve received until the ball is unwrapped. A few potential autographs include Josh Allen, Jordan Poyer and Matt Milano. Tickets to the game are available online.

 

ELSEWHERE…

 

The hit sitcom “Frasier” is set for its return. A revival of the series will debut on October 12th with the first two episodes on Paramount-Plus. The new season will consist of ten episodes. Kelsey Grammer returns as Frasier Crane and the rest of the cast includes Jack Cutmore-Scott, Nicholas Lyndhurst and Bebe Neuwirth will guest star in one episode, returning as Dr. Lilith Sternin. The original “Frasier” series ran from 1993 to 2004. Everybody sing along:

 

 

At least one child is dead after a school bus crash in Ohio this morning on the first day of classes. The Ohio State Highway Patrol said it happened on State Route 41 just outside Dayton. Apparently a small SUV went into the path of the bus, and one child was ejected from the bus.

 

 

 

Oscar Mayer is marking the one-year anniversary of a viral video of a baseball fan using a hot dog as a straw. The famous hot dog maker is giving away free hot dog straws on its website to celebrate the occasion. The TikTok video of the baseball fan at a Yankee game using an Oscar Mayer hot dog to drink his beer has racked up over nine billion views. Oscar Mayer’s giveaway version is made from a food safe soft silicone that mimics the look and feel of a cooked hot dog.

 

Major studios are offering a new deal to Hollywood writers in hopes of ending a nearly four-month-old strike. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers is proposing new terms to the Writers Guild of America that include a wage increase, plus some residual pay and a guarantee that material produced by A-I will not be considered literary material.

 

After months of anticipation, the 2023 New York State Fair is officially kicking off in Syracuse today. People will have the chance to get on rides, taste great food, check out the popular butter sculpture, and listen to live music during the fair, which runs through September 4th. Admission is six dollars for adults but kids 12 and under and people 65 and older get in for free. To check out the full list of events, go to nysfair.ny.gov.

 

The Powerball jackpot is on the rise once again and has now surpassed the $300 million. The prize for whoever correctly picks all six winning numbers for tonight’s drawing will be at least $313 million. However, the odds of hitting the jackpot are one in over 292 million. The drawing can be streamed live at Powerball.com. Please play responsibly.

 

Today is Wednesday, August 23rd, the 235th day of the year.

August 23 in history…

 

…In 1926, actor Rudolph Valentino died at the age of 31. Nicknamed “The Latin Lover,” he was Hollywood’s first male sex symbol. Valentino had been preparing for the release of a movie on August 15, 1926, when he collapsed and was rushed to the hospital. He underwent surgery for appendicitis and perforated ulcers. After the surgery, Valentino developed peritonitis, which was the cause of his death.

 

 

…In 1962, John Lennon married Cynthia Powell. They divorced 6 years later.

 

 

 

 

…In 1963, The Beatles released their single “She Loves you” in the U.K.

 

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1973, John Lennon swore he spotted a UFO. In the lower left-hand corner of the sleeve of “Walls and Bridges,” which was released a month later, he wrote: “On the 23rd August 1974 at nine o’clock I saw a U.F.O.” and it bore the initials “J-L.” And in the posthumously released “Nobody Told Me,” he sings, “There’s U.F.O.s over New York / And I ain’t too surprised.”

 

 

 

…In 1989, Pete Rose was banned from baseball for life after he was caught gambling on baseball games. Rose signed an agreement with the commissioner of baseball, accepting the lifetime penalty without admitting to betting on baseball.

 

 

 

 

…In 1995, “Life” magazine photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt died. He is best remembered for his photo of a sailor kissing a nurse in New York’s Times Square, showing America’s joy at Japan’s surrender in World War Two.

 

 

 

 

 

…In 2000, Richard Hatch became the first winner of the CBS’ hit reality game show challenge “Survivor.” Hatch won the grand prize of $1 million, outlasting 15 other contestants to be crowned the “Sole Survivor.” He was convicted with three counts related to attempted tax evasion and fraudulent tax return in January 2006. He served fifty-one months in prison and then, after failing to amend his 2000 and 2001 tax returns, an additional nine months in prison.