Weekend News Brief

25-year-old Rashad Cordell of Rochester has been arrested by the Sheriffs in Batavia and is charged with criminal possession of stolen property and aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle. It’s alleged that Cordell was in possession of a stolen vehicle. He’s being held at the Genesee County Jail pending arraignment. ALSO: 56-year-old Robert Leiser of Alabama was arrested by Genesee County Sheriffs for hindering prosecution. It’s alleged Leiser allowed Marc Cook, Sr. to live on his property, knowing he had active felony warrants. Leiser was released on an appearance ticket and is scheduled to return to Batavia Town Court on March 18^th. ALSO: 54-year-old Dana Powers of Batavia has been arrested and charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, as well as aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and operating a motor vehicle without stop lamps. Sheriffs stopped Powers’ vehicle on Ellicott Street for a traffic violation. Following investigation, it’s alleged Powers possessed a controlled substance. Powers was released with an appearance ticket to return to the City of Batavia Court on March 18^th pursuant to his charges.

 

A Mexican national convicted of rape was recently arrested from Clinton Correctional Facility. He was immediately detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel and is being held at Batavia before he’s possibly deported. ICE said 44-year-old Alejandro Salazar was released from prison on February 21^st. He had been convicted of first-degree rape on November 14, 2012, and was sentenced him to 15 years in prison.  Federal officials said Salazar illegally entered the United States in January of 1995. Salazar is being held at Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in Batavia and is “awaiting a removal flight,” ICE said.

 

 

45-year-old Michael Grimm of Spencerport, who was convicted of wire fraud, has been sentenced to serve 60 months in prison and pay approximately $16,000 in restitution. Grimm, along with co-defendant Nickola Ferra, engaged in an extensive pattern of conduct involving document fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, retail theft and identity theft. Part of the fraud was to obtain merchandise by theft or fraud from local retailers, which was then returned in exchange for gift cards and store credit, or sold to third parties. Ferra was previously convicted and sentenced to serve 27 months in prison.

 

The former chief of the Marbletown Fire Department in Wayne County is accused of stealing from the organization. Authorities announced Friday that William Storrs, a former fire chief and treasurer, was arrested after stealing $101,000 from the department, which serves the town of Arcadia. Investigators from the Office of the New York State Comptroller launched a joint investigation with New York State Police last year to look into allegations of theft. Those included hundreds of personal purchases at businesses, restaurants and other venues, as well as a down payment on a vehicle. Authorities said the theft was discovered when a member of the fire department tried to make a purchase with the department’s credit card, but it was declined due to a lack of funds. Storrs was replaced as chief and suspended from the department when the allegations came to light. “William Storrs was elected fire chief after serving as treasurer, and took advantage of these positions to mislead and betray his department and community,” DiNapoli said in a statement. “Storrs allegedly stole funds meant to support the department and used them for his own personal needs.” The 36-year-old Storrs is charged with grand larceny. He was booked in the Wayne County Jail on Thursday and released with an appearance ticket.

 

There may be a path out of the ongoing wildcat strikes by prison guards across New York State. Late Thursday, the mediator brought in to handle the dispute between prison guards and the state issued a consent award, essentially ending negotiations that includes some of the concessions the guards were seeking. But there may be a snag. Since the strike was not authorized by the union representing the guards, the guards may have to individually accept the deal in order to return to work.   Governor Hochul released a statement praising the consent award.

 

 

Memorial services will begin in Virginia Beach today for a police officer and Gates Chili High School graduate killed in the line duty. Cameron Girvin was working last Friday when he and a fellow officer were shot and killed during a traffic stop. The officers were involved in a dispute with the person they pulled over, 42-year-old John McCoy the third, before he allegedly shot them. McCoy then ran to a nearby shed and took his own life. Girvin served the Virginia Beach Police Department for five years.

 

The two-game winning streak of the Buffalo Sabres has been snapped following a loss on the road. JJ Peterka and Alex Tuch each had a goal as the Sabres fell to the Carolina Hurricanes by a final score of 5 to 2 at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.   In fact, this now makes 11 losses in a row for the Sabres against the Hurricanes. Buffalo goaltender James Reimer gave up two goals on 29 shots before being replaced by Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.   Next up, the Sabres host the Montreal Canadiens Saturday night with face-off at 7:00.

 

A federal deadline to get a REAL ID or Enhanced ID will soon be here. Here’s why it matters: Everyone flying in the United States will need a REAL ID, an Enhanced ID, a passport, or another form of accepted identification to fly when that deadline arrives on May 7, 2025. With that in mind, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles and Transportation Security Administration are telling people it’s to their benefit to beat the rush.

 

St. Paul Lutheran School’s Annual Auction is scheduled for Saturday, March 15^th. An opportunity to browse items begins at 3:30 with the live auction starting at 4:00. Auctioneer David Kent will be on hand at the school for the event, at 31 Washington Avenue.

 

The Alexander Fire Department is hosting a Fisherman’s Flea Market on Saturday, March 29^th from 9am until 1:00pm. Used rods, reels, custom baits, tackle and more will be available at the Alexander Firemen’s Rec Hall. Admission is $3; children 12 and under are free. Lunch is available for purchase.

 

The Batavia City School District is now accepting registration applications for universal pre-kindergarten and kindergarten programs for the 2025-26 school year. For more information, call 585-343-2480 or visit bataviacsd.org/registration. The deadline to register is May 1^st.

 

Pope Francis’ condition has worsened. In an update Friday afternoon, the Vatican said the pontiff had a “sudden worsening of his respiratory condition.” Francis was put on non-invasive mechanical ventilation an “isolated attack of bronchospasm” that caused vomiting with inhalation. The Vatican said “further days of clinical stability are needed to clarify the prognosis.” Francis has been in the hospital for two weeks due to bronchitis and pneumonia.

 

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is dropping lawsuits against companies it accused of ripping customers off. The suits, against firms Capital One, Vanderbilt Mortgage, Rocket Homes Real Estate and loan servicer Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, were filed under the agency’s previous leadership under the Biden administration. The dismissals come after Russell Vought took over as director this month. Under Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, the CFPB has also closed its Washington, DC headquarters, fired about 200 employees and told the rest to effectively stop all work. The CFPB had accused Capital One of milking customers out of two-billion-dollars in interest payments. Rocket was accused of providing illegal kickback to real estate agents.

 

A majority of Americans say their paychecks are not keeping up with inflation. According to a survey from CBS News/YouGov, 77% of Americans say they can’t keep up with rising costs. A majority of respondents, 62%, say they’ve only seen prices go up in the last few weeks. People have mixed predictions when it comes to the economy’s future with 34% saying it will grow, another 22% saying it will hold steady, and another 44% saying it will either slow or head into a recession. At least 70% of people are worried about savings and buying extras while 53% are just worried about being able to afford groceries and housing.