Wednesday News Brief

A school bus driver has been arrested and is charged with three counts of endangering the welfare of a child, after being accused of threatening a student in Buffalo. According to investigators, 68-year-old Michael Askew was caught on cell phone video last week saying he was going to shoot a student. A search of his residence in Cheektowaga led to the discovery of three legal handguns and one illegal rifle. Askew is expected to face an additional charge there for the rifle. Askew was employed by First Student who says that he’s already been fired. No students onboard the bus were hurt.

 

 

Village of Medina property owners are in for a big tax increase to over $20. The Village Board has approved a budget that will require a 14.9% tax hike. This is the first time Medina, or any village in Orleans County, tops a $20 tax rate. The mayor of Medina noted that the village faces rising fuel, inflation and other expenses that cannot be avoided. Medina has not done a full reevaluation of its tax base in about five years and plans to conduct one this year; however, the new values won’t take effect until the 2024-25 budget.

 

Governor Hochul says she sees a path forward to end budget negotiations and that a deal could finally be reached by the end of this week. Yesterday, the governor said she and state lawmakers are still hammering out some key issues such as cracking down on illegal marijuana shops, charter schools, and also changes to bail reform laws. The governor also revealed that her controversial housing plan has been dropped from the budget. On Monday, the legislature passed a new budget extender to fund the state through Friday. Photo: Zach Williams

 

Updated data from the New York State Flu Tracker shows the spread of the illness is holding steady in our region. During the week ending April 15th, the area with the highest number of infections was Monroe County with 20; Erie County had 19. Niagara County reported 4 cases, while Ontario County had two during that same time period. There were no cases reported in Genesee County. Since the start of flu season, more than 331,000 state residents have contracted the virus.

 

Rochester General Hospital staff are on strike. Several nurses picketed outside the hospital late yesterday afternoon. Members of the Rochester Union of Nurses and Allied Professionals said contract talks with Rochester Regional Health are moving too slowly; they claim the hospital harbors unsafe conditions. Rochester Regional Health said it’s committed to reaching an agreement with the Union, but some of its proposals and counterproposals have been flatly rejected without a new counterproposal response.

 

Niagara Falls police have released new information on a double shooting that happened in their city earlier this week. They say a 16-year-old boy has now passed away due to his injuries after being shot on Ashland Avenue Monday. A 41-year-old man was also hit in the leg by gunfire but is already out of the hospital. (Provided photo)

 

 

A Buffalo City School was locked down Tuesday after a gun was found in a backpack of a high school student during a routine inspection at Academy School #131. The incident occurred yesterday morning. A school safety officer found the gun during the inspection and confiscated it. The Buffalo Police Department was immediately notified and the school was placed under lockdown. The student left school grounds and the lockdown was later lifted under the direction of Buffalo police. No staff or students were harmed. (Provided photo)

 

A 14-year-old boy is in some trouble with the law after leading police on a chase while behind the wheel of a stolen vehicle. Gates police say the incident started yesterday when officers went to Chili Avenue after getting reports of a Kia doing doughnuts. The vehicle then went over a person’s lawn and hit a curb before it struck a police car. A pursuit then began that ended at the intersection of Norton Street and Hollenbeck Street in Rochester when the vehicle crashed. The teen was unhurt, taken into custody and brought to family court for arraignment.

 

The Seneca Nation says it’s planning to place a bid on the McKinley Mall in Hamburg when it goes up for auction in a few weeks. In a statement, Seneca Nation President Rickey Armstrong Senior said he believes the property could be a unique potential opportunity with attributes that are of interest to explore. A Long Island-based real estate group purchased the mall in 2021 for more than $8,000,000 (million). It’s scheduled to be up for auction starting May 15th. (File photo)

 

 

A school in the Rochester City School District is being recognized as an Underground Railroad Site. The National Park Service selected Anna Murray-Douglass Academy School Number 12, as a new listing on the Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, which serves to preserve and honor the history of resistance to enslavement through escape and flight, while inspiring people across the world. Frederick Douglass’ wife, Anna Murray-Douglass, played an important role in United States history, helping her husband escape slavery and sharing his dedication to the abolitionist movement. The Rochester City School District named School No. 12 after Anna Murray-Douglass in 2018.

 

The Buffalo Bisons announced the team would host a “Nurse Appreciation Night” on May 10. The team is partnering with Trusted Nurse Staffing to host the night to honor hard work, passion and dedication of the many nurses who serve the community every day. Nurses will be able to purchase game tickets for $10 each for themselves and their families online and at the Sahlen Field Box Office by showing a staff ID card. Trusted Nurse Staffing will also give away a free t-shirt to the first 500 nurses that visit their concourse table that night. Special in-game recognitions are planned as well as the inclusion of nurses throughout the in-game entertainment.

 

With opening day of the park just a few weeks away, Six Flags Darien Lake is still in need of workers for the upcoming 2023 season. To try and boost the number of staff, Six Flags is holding a hiring event this week that’ll last until Saturday. Anyone interested in applying can do so in-person at the employment center from nine a-m through seven p-m until Friday and from nine a-m until five p-m on Saturday. More information about the available positions can be found online at sixflags.com/jobs.

 

ELSEWHERE…

 

Forbes has released its “Best Places To Travel In The U.S. In 2023″ and Niagara Falls made the list. Besides the Falls, among the other attractions suggested for a visit include recommended the aquarium, visitor center, Wine on Third and the Power Plant.

 

 

 

Today is a holiday with a twist. It’s National Pretzel Day. There are at least a couple of pretzel origin stories and they’re both about religion. According to one, pretzels were invented in 610 A.D. by an Italian monk as a reward for children who learned their prayers, the baked dough folded to resemble arms crossing the chest in prayer. Another version has pretzels invented in a monastery in southern France. Pennsylvania Dutch immigrants, who actually were German, introduced pretzels to North America in the 19th century. The observance of April 26th as National Pretzel Day began in 2003 with a declaration by then-Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell.

 

 

 

A grandmother of ten from New Jersey is the winner of a $1,000,000 (million) prize in Powerball last month. The 50-year-old bought the ticket on an app for the April 15th drawing and matched all five numbers, except the Powerball. She said she’s going to spend the money on her grandchildren and is also planning a trip to Disney World with her family.

 

 

A collection of Freddie Mercury’s prized personal possessions is going up for auction. The Queen singer’s London home has remained untouched since he died in 1991, and now its contents are going up for sale by Sotheby’s auction house. The contents include Mercury’s stage costumes, the jeweled crown he wore on stage and his hand-written lyrics to “We Are the Champions.