Weekend News Brief
Written by Tom Tharp on May 15, 2021
What is the cost of pursuing impeachment against Governor Cuomo? The investigation contract is for 250 thousand dollars of taxpayers money. This comes as the documentation from Davis Polk and Wardwell, the law firm tapped to handle the attorney side of the investigation, was obtained by news agencies. Republican lawmakers reiterated that this is why they had demanded Cuomo to resign instead of going through the lengthy and expensive process. Democrat lawmakers also decried the cost and said that money could be going to schools or food to needy families. Nearly a dozen women have accused Cuomo of sexual misconduct. Cuomo has denied any wrongdoing but said that he may have been insensitive, too playful or too personal. There is also an investigation into Cuomo’s handling of state resources for his own personal gain and an investigation into his covering up nursing home deaths and mishandling of the COVID pandemic in NY state.
Tuesday is the day for local school board elections and budget votes. In Batavia the budget is set to go up to 52 Million dollars with no increase in taxes. There are three board seats up for election and four candidates. They are: John Reigle, Brenda Good, Jennifer Lendvay, and Shawna Murphy. For a full breakdown of each town’s budget and who is running for the school board visit our news partner the Batavian.
Assemblyman Steve Hawley is calling on Governor Cuomo to end what he calls the “draconian” mask mandates in accordance with the new CDC guidelines. Hawley says that “It’s been a long time coming, as the governor’s continued restrictions are seemingly less and less about science and safety and more about continued state control over every aspect of our lives. The people of New York are reliable, smart and trustworthy, and the governor must absolutely follow the example of the CDC.”
The new playground at Jackson School is officially open after a ribbon cutting ceremony Friday. The new playground features musical play installations, a redone surface area, slides, swings a firehouse and handicapped accessible installations.
Arc of Genesee Orleans is partnering with MVP Health Care for a COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic on Wednesday May 19 from 1 – 4 p.m. at the Arc Community Center, 38 Woodrow Road, Batavia. Walk-ins welcome. To reserve a spot, click on the link on the Arc of Genesee Orleans Facebook page.
The Genesee Orleans county health departments are hosting pop up covid vaccine clinics all week for residents 12 and up with the Pfizer vaccine and 18 and up with Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccines. On Tuesday the clinic will be at Hoag Library in Albion, Wednesday at the Genesee county health department building on w main street in Batavia and at Ridgeway Fire Hall in Medina, Thursday at U of R Primary Care in Le Roy, and Friday at Orleans county Fairgrounds. Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccines are walk in, the Pfizer vaccine is appointment only.
