Weekend News Brief

A man is heading to prison after being convicted of kicking a deputy from Wyoming County who was searching him for drugs during a Jan. 26, 2022 traffic stop.  Prosecutors said 54 year old Paul Durinko of Girardville, Pennsylvania, was already resisting a frisk when Undersheriff Colin Reagan felt a “rocky substance” in Durinko’s pocket — leading Durinko to turn toward Deputy John Button and repeatedly kick him in the ribs, breaking multiple ribs, until police used a Taser.  After calling for backup, Reagan said he asked Durinko to exit the vehicle and began frisking him.  Police said they found a “softball sized” amount of methamphetamine in Durinko’s pocket.  

Monroe County Sheriffs are trying to prepare people with tips on what to do if they are caught in a crowd that stampedes just like at the Main Street Armory.  Deputy Brendan Hurley says the main things to do in any crowded situation is to “know your exits, know your surroundings and pay attention.”  You need to know how to get out if the crowd gets too tight.  If you do get knocked off your feet, protecting the head and vital organs is the most important thing.  Crowd crushes can happen anywhere, and in the open as well.  159 people were crushed to death and 196 people were injured in Seoul South Korea on Halloween last year in a city street at a festival got too crowded.  More than 2400 were killed in a stampede in the Saudi Arabian City of Mina in 2015 as crowds converged on pilgrimage to a holy site on a highway.  No matter where you are, know the way out and don’t get trapped.

The 105th PGA Championship is coming to Rochester and crews are working through the snow to get the Oak Hill Country Club in Pittsford ready for it.  Course preparations began last fall, with crews trying to get as much work done as possible before the winter weather hit Western New York.  This year’s event will be the PGA’s first visit to Oak Hill in 10 years. It will mark the earliest in the year that the club has ever hosted a major tournament.  Past major events at Oak Hill have been held during the summer months, except for the 1995 Ryder Cup which was held in late September.  The championship takes place May 15-21st.

Genesee County Legislature members this week recognized the importance of National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, which is observed throughout March as a nationwide event. Its purpose is to raise awareness about the inclusion of people with developmental disabilities and address the barriers that those with disabilities face. Inclusion is necessary, advocates say, since about 15 percent of the world’s population lives with a disability.  March has been recognized as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month since 1987, when President Ronald Reagan issued a public proclamation urging Americans to provide individuals with developmental disabilities “the encouragement and opportunities they need to lead productive lives and to achieve their full potential.”