Wednesday News Brief

Batavia City School District Announces New Principal at Robert Morris

The Batavia City School District announced, that on Monday they named Jessica Korzelius as the new Principal of Robert Morris Middle School.

Korzelius was named Principal upon a recommendation from Batavia City School District Superintendent Jason Smith. Korzelius has served as Assistant Principal at Robert Morris and Batavia High School since 2021. Before serving in that role, Korzelius was a classroom teacher at Robert Morris from 2014-2021 teaching grades 5 and 6. Korzelius holds a Certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Leadership from SUNY Brockport, a Master’s degree in Literacy, and a Bachelor’s degree in Childhood Education from SUNY at Buffalo.

Upon receiving her new role, Korzelius said, “Having been part of this community as assistant principal, both here and at Batavia High School, I know how dedicated our students, staff, and families are. I want to thank the BCSD Board of Education and our administrative team for their support throughout my career. I am excited to continue working alongside them during this pivotal time for our district.
I look forward to supporting our youngest learners as they grow and achieve their full potential.”

Genesee County Plans to Prepare a Warming Center as Winter Looms

Joanne Beck with the Batavian reports, that as winter quickly creeps up on us, community groups in Genesee County have begun to make plans for a warming center.

With multiple recent incidents of homeless people in and around Batavia, it has become clear that something needed to be put into place to protect them from the elements this winter. A warming center is a shelter for people with nowhere else to go on evenings and nights when temperatures fall below 32 degrees. At this point, it is unclear where the warming center will be located. Still, Genesee County officials have Chief Executive Officer Karen Kinter of Oak Orchard Health leading the charge.

Multiple community groups have stated that they want to be involved in this, as they believe it’s a great need for Batavia.

GO Health Increases Awareness During Lung Cancer Awareness Month

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments have announced that in recognition of Lung Cancer Awareness Month, they are dedicated to increasing awareness about lung cancer and promoting early detection.

The New York State Health Equity Report found that Genesee County had a lung cancer rate of 71.5 cases per 100,000 people. Lung cancer can develop without any noticeable symptoms which makes regular screenings crucial for those at risk. Risk groups include past smokers, those with radon exposure, and those who worked with carcinogenic chemicals and dust.

Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for GO Health said, “Lung Cancer Awareness Month is not just about raising awareness; it’s about taking actionable steps to reduce risk factors associated with lung cancer,”