Weekend News Brief

After the Supreme Court deigned not to take on a challenge to New York’s gun laws Governor Hochul moved to strengthen red flag laws in the Empire State.  The new legislation would eliminate index number fees for applications for Extreme Risk Protection Orders.  Index fees are standard fees for court filings that needed to be paid before a protection order could be brought in court.  Governor Hochul says this will eliminate financial barriers to making a community safer.  

A crash in Pavilion left one person injured, and it took hours for the merchandise to be picked up.  A tractor trailer and a passenger vehicle crossed the intersection of Ellicott Street Road and Starr Road at the same time at about 10:30am on Thursday, leading to the tractor trailer hauling merchandise ending up off the road and products spilling out of it.  Seven hours later, workers were still removing the merchandise from the truck and loading it into another trailer.  One driver was injured in the crash.  

Police are investigating after a frightening crash involving a stolen car and a Target store.  Police said they located a stolen vehicle in the parking lot of the Chili Target just after 1:45 pm.  The suspects drove the car around the police vehicle and then into the store’s vestibule.  No one was injured and the police took 3 people into custody. 

Governor Hochul announced on Friday that the New York State government is going to end car thefts in the City of Rochester.  The plan is to give law enforcement 50 million dollars, 5 million for youth engagement programs, partnering with law enforcement agencies to share data, and updated prosecution.  Kia and Hyundai owners are also being sent letters from Hochul, recommending they go to their local dealership and install anti-theft software.  Over the past year, car thefts in Monroe County have risen 345 percent, while Erie County has seen a 213 percent increase. Hochul said Western New York has the highest car theft rate in the entire state.  In the press conference she said that car thieves have “reached the end of their road.”

An investigation is underway after a teen was shot on Rochester’s north side Friday afternoon.  Officers responded to Avenue B just before 4:15 p.m., where they found a 16-year-old boy who had been shot.  He was reportedly taken to the hospital and is expected to survive.  Police centered their investigation on a house on Avenue B, where they took one person into custody.  Officers said there is no danger to the community, and the investigation is ongoing.

New legislation has passed the State Senate to make drivers ed teach what to do when you get pulled over.  Motorists taking a driver’s education or defensive driving course would learn “the responsibilities of a driver when being stopped by a law enforcement officer.”  Some of these responsibilities include: Turning off the motor vehicle’s engine and radio, avoiding sudden movements and keeping the driver’s hands in plain view of the officer.  Driver’s education and defensive driving classes do not currently require information on traffic stop procedures.  The bill will be voted on by the New York State Assembly next.