Wednesday News Brief

28-year-old Jacob Patterson of Batavia has been arrested and charged with criminal use of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance. This followed an investigation into the welfare check and trespassing of an individual at a local hotel on Park Road. Patterson was held at the Genesee County Jail for CAP Court arraignment.

 

After a few weeks of showing a decline, updated data from the New York State Flu Tracker shows the spread of the illness continues to hold steady in our region. During the week ending February 3rd, the county with the highest number of cases was Monroe with 435; Erie County had the second highest number with 205. Chautauqua County had 118 and both Niagara and Orleans Counties had 71. State health officials continue to encourage people who still haven’t received their flu shot to get it.

 

 

At last word Cheektowaga Police are still trying to find the door to a small plane that apparently fell off shortly after takeoff from Buffalo Niagara International Airport on Monday evening. Officers say they received a call around 6 PM that a small plane, carrying the pilot and a passenger, had lost its rear left side door while flying over Stiglmeier Park. According to public flight data, the single-engine aircraft took off from the airport and several minutes into the flight reported the emergency. According to police the plane landed safely and parked back near the Signature Aviation terminal, where it originally took off. No injuries or property damage has been reported.

 

Lockport officials are urging residents to take precautions to protect themselves and their pets from rabies. The warning comes after a raccoon that was recently found in the community tested positive for the potentially deadly virus. It’s recommended animals such as dogs and cats be up to date on their rabies shots. Folks should also stay away from any animal that appears to be acting strangely. Anyone who is bitten by an animal should seek medical treatment immediately.

 

Organizers of the popular Rochester Fringe Festival say people who want to perform at this year’s event can start submitting their applications. Those applications can be filled out online and must be received by March 21st at 5:00pm. This year’s Fringe Festival is scheduled to begin on September 10th and run through September 21st. Since it began in 2013, over 750,000 visitors from around the world have attended the event.

 

A driver has been found guilty of causing a crash that killed her own sister. Yesterday, a jury convicted 30-year-old Jellia Lockhart of killing 33-year-old Charlaura Lockhart. She was a passenger in a vehicle that was involved in a collision with a car and tree at Denver Street and Hazelwood Terrace in Rochester in January 2023. Jellia Lockhart will be sentenced in March on manslaughter and assault charges.

 

 

 

 

The Rochester Red Wings are making their annual guarantee ahead of the team’s home opener. If the temperature for the April 2nd contest against Lehigh Valley does not hit 50 degrees, fans will be able to redeem their tickets for another home game in April or May. In case you are wondering, Rochester’s average temperature on April 2nd is 41 degrees, but it did reach 86 degrees in 2010. Seats are available for purchase at milb.com/rochester.

 

The two-game losing streak of the Buffalo Sabres is over after the team puts forth a dominant effort on home ice. Jordan Greenway scored twice and JJ Peterka, Alex Tuch, Kyle Okposo, Zach Benson and Rasmus Dahlin had a goal each as the Sabres beat the Los Angeles Kings 7-0 at KeyBank Center last night. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, with the help of his defense, stopped every shot he faced in the contest to earn another shutout for Buffalo. The next game for the Sabres is tomorrow evening when they host the Florida Panthers. The puck drops at 7:00.

ELSEWHERE…

It’s shaping up to be a record year for spending this Valentine’s Day. That’s according to the National Retail Federation. It says consumers plan to spend a total of $25.8 billion this Valentine’s Day – the third highest in the survey’s history. 62% of consumers ages 25-to-34 intend to celebrate this year, more than any other age group. Consumers expect to spend $185 each on average, that’s nearly $8 more than the average Valentine’s Day spending over the last five years.

 

The first trailer is being released for the upcoming comedy “Sasquatch Sunset.” The film stars Riley Keough and Jesse Eisenberg as Sasquatches living in a remote forest. It features no dialogue and aims to capture a “true” depiction of how a Sasquatch would live. The rest of the cast includes Christophe Zajac-Denek and Nathan Zellner. “Sasquatch Sunset” hits theaters on April 12th.

 

Pickleball’s popularity is skyrocketing, but unfortunately, so are the number of pickleball-related injuries among players. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, broken bones have increased 200% over the last 20 years. Other common injuries include sprained ankles as well as torn ACL’s and rotator cuffs. USA Pickleball says nearly nine-million Americans played the sport in 2023.

 

The CDC is reportedly going to further loosen COVID-19 guidelines in April. That’s according to the Washington Post. Recommendations for five-day isolation are expected to be scrapped, leaving in place guidelines that are similar to the flu and RSV. People will be urged to base their time in isolation on symptom severity and the amount of time without a fever.