Weekend News Brief
Written by Tom Tharp on March 27, 2021
Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren has a plan for what to do with the money from legal recreational Marijuana if and when it gets approved. She has proposed using it to fund reparations to bridge the wealth gap between people of color and whites. She proposes creating a universal basic income program for Black and Brown people or a home ownership program that would work in formerly redlined areas. Warren compared the program ideas to tax breaks and incentives for large companies and real estate developers. Evanston Illinois recently began a similar program with households being eligible to receive up to 25 thousand dollars for home repairs or paying off loans or late penalties.
The two teens who allegedly set a man on fire on his porch on Lyle Ave in Rochester have been indicted on murder and arson charges. 14 year old Adriel Riley and 16 year old Zayvion Perry are indicted on two counts of second-degree murder and one count each of fourth-degree arson and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Riley is charged as a juvenile offender. They are accused of dousing 53 year old Steven Amenhauser with a flammable liquid and then setting him on fire, he died 4 days later in the URMC Trauma Burn Unit at Strong.
COVID Update: Genesee county has 7 new cases and 24 people have recovered. Orleans County has 4 new cases and 2 people have recovered. There are 54 active cases in Genesee county and 37 in Orleans. Tracking the vaccine in Genesee county just over 8 thousand people have had both doses and in Orleans county just over 43 hundred people are fully vaccinated. New York State has vaccinated 14.1 percent of residents which makes us 40th in the nation in percentage of the state population fully vaccinated. Number 1 is New Mexico with 21.5 percent.
If you missed it on Friday the Genesee Symphony Orchestra concert in tribute to Bob Knipe recording is available on our news partner the Batavian. This hour long concert is to honor Mr. Knipe who was a member, board member and active community musician for many years.
The wind on Friday knocked out power to more than 36 thousand people across western New York with gusts recorded as high as 70 mile per hour. Genesee, Niagara, Chautauqua and Erie Counties were the hardest hit. National Grid deployed more than 13 hundred workers and had restored power to 97 percent of households by 9pm Friday night.
If you live in low income housing that was built before 1978 and have a child under 6 or there is an expectant mother living there and also have lead paint there is money to get rid of the lead in your home. The Genesee Orleans county health department has received a grant of 1.3 million dollars to deal with lead based paint hazards in residential buildings in Genesee and Orleans counties. For information call 585 344 2580 or visit the Genesee County Health Department website.
