Wednesday News Brief

40-year-old Jamie Broadbent of Batavia has been arrested and charged with grand larceny. Following an investigation by Genesee County Sheriffs, it was found that Broadbent stole an individual’s wallet, which contained cash and multiple credit cards. She was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court and is scheduled to return on June 13th.

 

 

 

 

Updated data from the New York State Flu Tracker shows the spread of the illness is continuing to hold steady in our region. During the week ending May 13th, the area with the highest number of cases was Monroe County with 35, followed by Erie County with 25. Wayne County had the third-largest total during that time period with 19 cases. Niagara and Orleans Counties reported two cases each. There were no cases of the flu reported in Genesee County. Since the start of flu season, nearly 336,000 state residents have contracted the virus.

 

 

The City of Batavia Fire Department will be flushing fire hydrants today from approximately 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the general area of south of West Main Street and West of Jackson Street. Homes and businesses nearby will be affected. These tests may result in a temporary discoloration of water in that area. Do not attempt to wash any clothing if your water appears discolored. If you do experience a discoloration, run cold water for about 5 minutes or until clear. If you have questions, or should notice a hydrant in need of repair, please contact the fire department at 585-345-6375.

 

The development of the Ellicott Station road will restrict access to the Ellicott Trail in Batavia, which is located near the intersection of Evans and Jackson Streets.  All construction zones will be marked with signs and barriers indicating road closures.  The trail will be rebuilt as a six-foot-wide cinder path, with a weather-dependent completion date.

 

 

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz says that an unknown number of migrants will be coming to the area from New York City soon. Poloncarz released a statement yesterday saying these individuals are in the United States legally, and they’ve been vetted by federal authorities. Poloncarz also said he’s been assured that any costs associated with the migrants, such as food and housing, will be covered by New York City or the state. Nearby counties have put emergency orders in effect to keep migrants from being housed in their communities, but Poloncarz says that’s an action he won’t take.

 

 

A man who was accused of brutally murdering his estranged wife is now facing prison time after pleading guilty. Yesterday, 49-year-old Juan Rivera admitted that he stabbed 35-year-old Maribel Diaz to death in her vehicle on Suntru Street in Rochester last year. Rivera then went to his parents’ residence and set a fire that killed 11 animals. Rivera will be ordered to spend 25 years behind bars when he’s sentenced in July.

 

 

A woman has been arrested after police say that she pistol-whipped an employee at a laundromat in Rochester. According to police, 29-year-old Mahlaysia Johnson became upset Monday after the victim refused to give her a refund worth $1.25 after a dryer was broken. The employee suffered minor injuries and when Johnson was taken into custody, she was in possession of a handgun and had a child in her vehicle. She’s now facing multiple charges.

 

Monroe County Executive Adam Bello has issued an emergency order in response to the ongoing migrant crisis. The order stops any motel, hotel, or shelter in the county from providing emergency shelter to migrants unless the Department of Human Services has approved a plan. Bello says the county doesn’t have enough emergency housing available for homeless people, let alone migrants. He did say migrants could still come to the area while awaiting the results of their asylum applications.

 

 

More information is expected to be released today on the deaths of a married couple in Clarkson. Monroe County deputies responded to a home on Sweden Walker Road for a welfare check Monday and found their bodies. The names of the individuals haven’t been released yet. Officials do not believe there’s currently any threat to the public.

 

 

Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills is back on the field just months after he collapsed during a game in January. Hamlin was spotted taking part in individual drills yesterday as part of the Bills’ organized team activities workouts. Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest during Buffalo’s game with the Cincinnati Bengals January 2nd and needed to be resuscitated on the field. Hamlin has already been fully cleared to play, but there’s no word yet if he’ll be ready for the regular season.

 

ELSEWHERE…

Free agent punter Matt Araiza is working out with the New York Jets, less than a month after he was cleared in a San Diego rape case. ESPN reports a prosecutor in the case against Araiza said he wasn’t present during an alleged gang rape of a minor at a San Diego home where he had been living at the time. Araiza, who was released by the Buffalo Bills before ever appearing in an NFL regular season game following news of the allegations, was also reported to not be visible in any video footage taken from the scene. Araiza holds the NCAA record for single-season punt average at 51.19 yards. Coincidentally, the previous record holder was former Jets punter and now Steelers punter Braden Mann.

 

Just ahead of the Memorial Day weekend, gas prices across the U.S. are up slightly. The average price per gallon today is $3.56, up about two cents from Tuesday according to AAA.

 

 

 

 

 

The days of Netflix subscribers sharing their passwords are coming to an end. The streamer began emailing customers Tuesday about its new password policy. Netflix said the email is being sent to members in the U.S. who have been sharing their account outside their household.

 

 

Target is pulling some of it’s gay pride merchandise after several employees were threatened by violent customers. On Tuesday, the company released a statement saying since they introduced the collection, employees have experienced threats to their safety, so they’ll be “removing items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior.”

 

 

 

New home sales are up for the fifth straight month. Government figures show sales of new single-family homes rose just over 4% in April to an annual rate of 683,000 units. That’s the highest level since March of last year. New home sales posted gains in the South and Midwest, but fell in the Northeast and West. The average sales price was just over $500,000 last month.

 

Excelsior Scholarship applications are now open for new applicants ahead of the 2023-24 academic year. The scholarship allows students to attend a SUNY or CUNY two-year or four-year school tuition-free. Students who come from homes with federal adjusted gross incomes up to $125,000 are eligible to take part in this program. Applications will be accepted through August 31st, and more information can be found by visiting the state Higher Education Services Corporation website.

 

May 24 in history…

…In 1844, Samuel Morse demonstrated the telegraph with what is now known as Morse Code. The message “What hath God wrought” was sent from Washington, D.C. to Baltimore, Maryland.

 

 

 

 

…In 1915, Thomas Edison invented the Telescribe, which was designed to record telephone conversations.

 

 

 

 

…In 1935, the Cincinnati Reds beat Philadelphia in the first baseball game to be played under the lights.

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1974, the final episode of “The Dean Martin Show” aired. The show ran for nine years and aired 264 episodes. Guest appearances during the finale included Jonathan Winters, Lena Horne, Goldie Hawn, Bing Crosby, Ann-Margret, Bob Newhart, Jimmy Stewart, Joey Bishop, Orson Wells, Dom DeLuise, Glen Campbell, and Don Rickles. It was in this final season that Martin’s variety show began to morph into the ‘Celebrity Roast’ format. This ran for another 10 years, at first on a weekly basis, and later monthly, and then as specials. By the way, contrary to popular belief, Dean Martin never drank alcohol onstage. Instead, he poured apple juice into a scotch bottle to make it look like alcohol. This deception was to get into the character, which he wanted to portray to entertain the audience.

 

 

…In 2008, daredevil Robbie Knievel successfully jumped 24 semi-trucks with his motorcycle at King’s Island in Ohio. Thousands of people were on hand to watch as Knievel sped 95-miles-an-hour off the launch ramp. Knievel soared 200 feet before reaching his landing ramp. Robbie became the second Knievel to make a successful jump at Kings Island. His father, Evel, jumped 14 Greyhound buses there in 1975.

 

 

 

…In 2016, a Pennsylvania judge ordered comedian Bill Cosby to stand trial on accusations of sexual assault, after ruling that there’s enough evidence to move forward with the case.