Wednesday News Brief

National Grid may need to temporarily shut off power today for some local residents up until about 2:00 this afternoon to allow for the safe passage of a cargo shipment moving through Batavia. The most effected areas are expected to be around Routes 5 and 98. Any necessary outages and traffic delays should be brief.

 

As reported by Tom Tharp this morning: The US Court of Appeals has overturned a court ruling that threw out a lawsuit against Western Region Off Track Betting Corporation by former CEO Michael Nolan. The Lawsuit says that Nolan was retaliated against allegedly because he cooperated with state and federal law enforcement when they were looking into gold plated health insurance and misuse of company tickets, cars and facilities by board members. Named in the lawsuit are WROTB, current president and CEO Henry Wojtaszek, and former board chairman Richard Bianchi. The lawsuit had been thrown out because a judge said it had been filed after the statute of limitations had expired. The appeals court said the judge applied the wrong time constraint to the lawsuit.

 

Tuesday, October 17 is “Meet The Candidate Night” in Stafford at the Town Hall Route 237, in Stafford from 7 to 9 pm. Dan Fischer, the former owner of WBTA, will moderate the discussion.

Candidates:
Robert Clement – Town Supervisor
Robert Pacer – Town Council
Cathy Worthington – Town Council
Terry Young – Town Council
Robert Penepent – Town Judge
Robert Mattice – Town Judge

(Sponsored by Stafford Preservation Group)

 

62-year-old Kevin Cottrell of Niagara Falls has pled guilty to petit larceny charges. It’s in connection to fraudulent time sheets her submitted to obtain unearned wages. As part of the plea, he has to pay a little over $8,500 in restitution to the State of New York. The investigation of Cottrell began in 2016; he was working for the State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation at the time.

 

 

State Police say the suspect wanted in connection with a shooting in Lockport has surrendered. According to authorities, Jerry Torres Junior is the person who opened fire near a Wendy’s on South Transit Road Monday night. One victim was injured and brought to Erie County Medical Center, but they are expected to survive. Anyone with information on this case can reach out to police.

 

 

 

A 59-year-old man is in critical condition after being struck by a garbage truck in Rochester. Officials say he was standing in the area of Saint Paul Street and Bausch Street yesterday when he was hit. The driver involved in the accident remained at the scene and is cooperating with the ongoing investigation. There’s no word yet if any charges will be filed.

 

In-person visits to inmates at the Erie County Correctional Facility have been suspended until further notice. The move is being made due to a growing number of COVID-19 cases inside the jail. Sheriff John Garcia says that he has a responsibility to protect the health of inmates who are in custody and also employees who work at the facility. Garcia says CDC guidelines will continue to be followed to try and prevent any further spread of the coronavirus.

 

Beginning this week, making a visit to the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester will be getting a bit cheaper. That’s because admission will be half-off every Friday for the rest of the year. The lone exception is October 20th when the museum is hosting a fundraiser. The discounted price will be in effect from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. For more information, go to museumofplay.org.

 

 

New York State is going to be expanding military fee assistance for childcare to over 48,000 families. Governor Hochul said yesterday that those families would now be able to get childcare fee help that covers 15,000 state-licensed providers. This assistance will offset childcare costs that aren’t covered by the current parent fee. Governor Hochul says it’s important to provide high-quality and low-cost childcare to military families.

 

ELSEWHERE…

 

A judge is ruling former President Donald Trump and his company are liable for fraud in a lawsuit brought by the New York Attorney General’s Office. The judge in his ruling found Trump made false and misleading valuations for his real estate assets over the years to secure loans and insurance deals. The ruling came in response to a request by New York Attorney General Letitia James seeking judgment on claims in her civil lawsuit against Trump, which is scheduled to go to trial Monday.

 

The Writers Guild of America strike is over. After 148 days, the board of the WGA West and council of the WGA East voted unanimously to lift the strike, effective today. The decision comes days after the writers and film studios successfully finished conversations for a new three-year contract.

 

 

 

A new “supercontinent” forming could wipe out humans and all other mammals in 250-million years. Researchers from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom predicted how climate change would become worse after all the continents merge into Pangea Ultima, in millions of years. They said it would be extremely hot and dry and virtually uninhabitable for humans.

 

UPS will hire more than 100,000 seasonal workers for the upcoming holiday rush. According to a posting on the company’s job portal, it’s offering full- and part-time positions with higher pay than before at up to $23 per hour. UPS said in a statement that the positions are available across the country. Go to www.jobs-ups.com for more information.

 

Today is Wednesday, September 27th, the 270th day of the year.

September 27 in history…

…In 1825, the first locomotive to haul a passenger train was operated by George Stephenson in England.

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1954, “The Tonight Show” debuted on NBC hosted by comedian Steve Allen.

 

 

 

 

 

…In 2011, opening statements began in the trial for Michael Jackson’s doctor, Conrad Murray. The proceedings began with prosecutors showing a picture of the singer laying lifeless on a hospital gurney. Prosecutors also played an audio recording of Jackson sounding incoherent in a drugged state.