Weekend News Brief
Written by Tom Tharp on March 11, 2022
2 men are in custody accused of stabbing and killing 2 other men at the bunkhouse at Blumer Dairy Farm on Alexander Road in Alexander. 18 year old Raul Cruz of Warsaw and 23 year old Prince Wilson of Albion were arrested Saturday and are being held without bail. Cruz was caught after a manhunt in Warsaw. At around 10pm on Friday dispatchers received a report of a disturbance at the bunkhouse. Deputies responded and then Alexander fire was called for smoke at the bunkhouse from a set fire. Genesee County Sheriffs then reported finding 2 bodies inside, dead by stabbing. Investigators believe this was an isolated incident and there was no threat to public safety.
The Batavia Police Department is seeking assistance from the public in locating Lewis Hyde. Hyde is described as being 5’10”, 180 pounds. He was last seen wearing a tan coat, jeans and black boots. Hyde was last seen on March 11th, at approximately 2:00 a.m. on West Main Street in Batavia. Anyone with any information is asked to please contact the Batavia Police Department at (585) 345-6350.
A senior corrections officer at the Genesee County Jail has been accused of embezzling over 50 thousand dollars from the Sheriff’s Employee Association. 51 year old Kevin Wolff of Stafford was arrested and terminated from his position at the jail. He had been working for the sheriff’s office for more than 20 years. Wolff was arraigned in City Court Friday and released on his own recognizance. The investigation into the alleged theft is being conducted by the Sheriff’s criminal investigation division and is ongoing. The association membership consists of corrections officers, emergency dispatchers, dog control officers, and jail cooks.
ECMC in Buffalo is saying goodbye to its military reinforcements as they are no longer needed to buttress the understaffed system after the COVID Vaccine Mandate required the firing of many staff and medical personnel. 24 men and women from the US NAVY were deployed there to help out. The members of the Military Medical Team worked over 6,500 clinical hours during their two month stay in Buffalo. They also provided care for more than 3,800 patients – including 550 COVID-19 positive patients, according to ECMC. The hospital hosted a goodbye ceremony to the team as it was cleared of its duties inside ECMC on March 11th, beginning with a procession of all 24 members of the military. The hospital no longer is in need of the extra staffing. Only 14 patients remain in the COVID-19 ward at this time, with only one being admitted for the virus itself, according to ECMC.
Are you struggling with being behind on utility bills? 1.4 million New Yorkers are in the same boat. Consumer advocates including the AARP, the Public Utility Law Project, and many politicians are calling on Governor Hochul to use 1.25 Billion dollars of federal funding to pay off the debts of people who fell behind. New York restricts utilities from shutting off heat and electricity until April 15. But scores of residents in New York could face heat and electricity shut-offs in coming months.
The Bureau of Inspection in Batavia will be closed Monday the 14th through Wednesday the 16th. Documents may be dropped off at the Department of Public Works. The Bureau of Inspection will reopen on Thursday, March 17th at 8:30am.
