Weekend News Brief
Written by Tom Tharp on December 2, 2022
At around 2pm on Friday 2 pickup trucks struck the Warsaw Elementary School Library. One of them breached the walls and entered the library just as a class of about 20 kindergartners was lining up to leave. No students or teachers were injured. The driver of one of the trucks said that their accelerator was stuck, causing them to drive straight at the school down Liberty street at nearly 80 miles per hour. The other truck was crossing liberty on rt 20A in front of the school when it was t-boned by the first truck. The power of the hit caused both trucks to roll across the lawn and into the side of the school. Both drivers were flown by mercy flight to the hospital with life threatening injuries. The School was evacuated but will resume on Monday according to the Police.
The New York State Health Commissioner has announced her resignation. Dr. Mary T. Bassett was appointed to the position following the resignation of Howard Zucker, starting on January 1st of 2021. She says in her resignation letter that she is leaving so that the next commissioner will be able to serve a full 4 year term alongside Governor Hochul. Bassett is planning on going back to work at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health in Massachusetts.
Gas prices statewide and nationally are continuing to drop into the month of December. The national average price for a gallon of gasoline is currently $3.45, which is down 10 cents from Monday. The average across New York State is $3.74, which is down 5 cents from Monday. Buffalo holds the third lowest average per gallon, at $3.69. Only Batavia with $3.60 a gallon and Elmira at $3.59 have lower average prices.
The New York State Office of Children and Family Services has extended the deadline to apply for $343 million in childcare provider grants targeting workforce assistance. The new deadline is now December 14, 2022. OCFS encourages those who have not applied to do so. OCFS says at least 75% of the funding must be used for: Bonuses or increases in wages, contributions towards health insurance costs that reduce these costs for staff, contributions to staff retirement plans that supplement any employer contribution, supplemental educational advancement or tuition reimbursement or mental health supports and services for staff.
