Wednesday News Brief

An officer with the Albion Police Department pulled over a vehicle for speeding. During that traffic stop, it was determined the car had been reported stolen out of Broome County, New York. This resulted in the arrest of a father and son: 38-year-old Marcus McMillan and 21-year-old Patrick McMillan, both from Rochester. Both were released with appearance tickets to return to court at a later date.

 

 

Batavia Police have provided an update following investigation into the motorcycle accident on West Main Street last Friday. We previously reported that 34-year-old Gregory Vigiano of Batavia was struck by a vehicle operated by 37-year-old Rebecca Santiago of Stafford. Vigiano sustained serious injuries and was transferred to Strong via Mercy Flight and was in guarded-critical condition. The Police now tell us they have arrested 33-year-old Mark Flaming of Batavia on multiple counts, including leaving the scene of a personal injury accident. It was determined that after the initial collision, another motorcycle operated by Flaming, ran over Vigiano while he was down in the roadway and then fled the scene. Flaming was issued appearance tickets for a later date in Batavia City Court. Flaming also faces the following charges: tampering with evidence – attempting to alter the appearance of his motorcycle – having an unregistered and uninsured motorcycle, having improper plates and operating without a proper license.

 

One of the people killed in a small plane crash in Orleans County this weekend was Dr. Morris Wortman. Wortman was a famed fertility doctor in Brighton. But a lawsuit in 2021 alleged he fathered children of his patients through artificial insemination without them knowing. That lawsuit, and a second one, are still active and the rules in New York say the lawsuits can go on even though Dr. Wortman has died. If the plaintiffs want to continue, the defendant would be the doctor’s estate. The plane Wortman was in crashed Sunday in a farm field in Yates. The Orleans County Sheriff says the plane broke apart.

 

 

Rochester police are continuing their investigation into a shooting that sent one person to the hospital. A 27-year-old man was in the area of Fraser Street when he was hit by gunfire last night. As of the last update, the man was in critical condition.

 

 

 

A 19-year-old man is facing an attempted murder charge after being accused of seriously hurting a Tonawanda police officer. On Monday night, Officer David Piatek was involved in the traffic stop of a stolen vehicle on Sheridan Parkside Drive. At one point, the operator of the vehicle, Dareious Akbar, allegedly drove off, which caused Piatek to be dragged about 60 feet. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.

 

 

 

Governor Hochul says no decision has been made yet if asylum-seekers who are currently in New York City will be sent to Erie County. During a trip to Amherst yesterday, the governor said the state is still trying to figure out where those individuals would be housed. Potential locations include state college dormitories which are mostly empty because a majority of students have gone home until the fall semester. The governor also thanked Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz for showing a willingness to help asylum-seekers.

 

 

Officials with the University of Rochester have revealed when the school’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate is going to be lifted. It was announced yesterday the requirement will no longer be in effect for students, staff, and faculty at the University of Rochester Medical Center as of June 5th. People are being encouraged to stay up to date on their coronavirus vaccines and booster shots. The immunization rule was put in place to try to slow down the spread of the virus during the peak of the pandemic.

 

 

 

Investigators with the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles are continuing their crack down on the use of false license plates. Since January, more than 400 citations have been issued as part of a multi-agency campaign. Officials say fake plates are used to avoid tolls, vehicle registration fees, and detection from members of law enforcement. The DMV Commissioner also says that when someone uses a fake plate, hardworking taxpayers foot the bill for someone trying to cheat the system.

 

 

State Senator Jeremy Cooney has announced that a settlement has been reached that effectively opens the door for business owners to obtain marijuana dispensary licenses for operation. The settlement comes after a Michigan-based applicant filed a lawsuit claiming New York discriminated against applicants applying from out of state — prompting a federal judge to block New York state from giving out marijuana licenses to five regions, including the Finger Lakes. All other regions in the state had since been cleared to move forward, but the Finger Lakes region was still held back by the injunction. The Office of Cannabis Management could not provide further details about when licenses will be issued to Finger Lakes applicants, until the settlement is finalized.

 

The Rochester Americans will be looking to keep their season alive in the Keystone State tonight. The Amerks are going to battle the Hershey Bears at the Giant Center in Pennsylvania. On Monday, Rochester fell to Hershey, 4-2 on their home ice and now trail in the best-of-seven series three games to one. Face-off is set for 7:00.

 

 

ELSEWHERE:

 

Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter has been diagnosed with dementia. The Carter Center made the announcement Tuesday saying “she continues to live happily at home with her husband, enjoying spring in Plains and visits with loved ones.” Former President Jimmy Carter entered hospice care earlier this year.

 

 

A New York City attorney could face sanctions after his firm used artificial intelligence to craft a legal filing in a lawsuit. Peter LoDuca represented a client suing an airline in 2019. The airline moved to dismiss, and LoDuca filed a motion opposing the dismissal. His motion was generated using ChatGPT, which completely made up numerous legal decisions cited in the motion.

 

 

Actor Al Pacino is becoming a father again at the age of 83. TMZ reports his 29-year-old girlfriend Noor Alfallah is eight months pregnant. She’s been linked to Pacino for just over a year. Pacino has three other children from two women.

 

 

 

More than 1,700 Amazon employees plan to walk off the job today, calling for more flexibility with remote work. They also want the company to pay more attention to its climate impact. Nearly 900 of those workers plan to walk out of the company’s Seattle HQ. The move comes a month after Amazon started requiring employees to work from the office at least three days a week.

 

 

 

The Writers Guild of America is targeting top executives’ pay in letters sent to major shareholders of Netflix and Comcast. On Tuesday, WGA president Meredith Stiehm urged shareholders to reject the “Say on Pay” proposal, which asks them to sign off on the company’s prior year pay packages. In the letters, Stiehm detailed the disparity in pay between top executives and writers.

 

 

 

 

May 31 in history…

 

…In 1870, Edward J. DeSemdt, a professor from Belgium, was awarded a patent for his invention of the improvement in laying asphalt pavement.

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1994, the U.S. announced it was no longer aiming long-range nuclear missiles at targets in the former Soviet Union.

 

 

 

 

 

 

…In 2003, accused serial bomber Eric Robert Rudolph was taken into custody in North Carolina, five years after eluding FBI and local police. Rudolph, who was on the FBI’s ten most wanted list, was the man suspected to be behind the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Park bombing which killed one person and injured 100 others. He was also a suspect in the bombing of an Alabama abortion clinic and a gay nightclub in Atlanta.

 

 

 

 

…In 2005, in an exclusive interview with “Vanity Fair” magazine, former FBI official W. Mark Felt said he was the mysterious informant known as “Deep Throat.” Felt said he was the one who leaked information to the “Washington Post” over break-ins at the Democratic Party offices at the Watergate Hotel during the Nixon administration. The information led to the resignation of U.S. President Richard Nixon in 1974. Felt’s admission marked the first time that a major potential source had claimed to be “Deep Throat.”