Weekend News Brief
Written by Tom Tharp on October 14, 2022
Two Baptist ministers are suing the state for their right to carry firearms in their church. Pastor Jimmie Hardaway of Trinity Baptist Church and Bishop Larry Boyd of Open Praise Full Gospel Baptist Church both in Western New York are suing former NY police Superintendent Kevin Bruen, Niagara County DA Brian Seaman, and Erie County DA John Flynn. They say they always concealed carry to protect their congregations during services and that the new gun control law which criminalizes carrying on church premises denies law abiding citizens from exercising their right to self defense. They say that churches, especially black churches, are targets of shooters and cite the 2015 church shooting in Charleston.
Ever wondered if anyone really won those thousand dollar a week for life lottery tickets? Well someone did, right here in Batavia. Shawn Elkins bought a ticket at Batavia Downs and won the grand prize, 1000 dollars a week for the rest of his life. He opted to take the annual payouts of around 34 thousand dollars every year after taxes. There are 6 top prizes left.
Oakfield is holding its annual Halloween Decorating Contest. Deadline to sign up is October 17th with judging being between the 18th and 21st. Top 3 winners get a gift card to an Oakfield or Alabama business of their choice. Winners are decided by the community and will be announced on the 22nd.
Halloween isn’t the only day when people dress up as skeletons and there is special food and celebration. Go ART! Is holding a day of the dead celebration in Medina on October 22nd at the Orleans County YMCA from 3 to 7pm. GO ART! staff will host face painting, and Mariachi de Oro will provide samples of Mexican hot chocolate and pan de muerto, typical food of the holiday. Mexican dance and music performances will be presented by Alma de México, a group from Rochester led by Karla Alcalá. All activities will continue throughout the day: a full schedule can be found at www.MedinaDoD.com
The Niagara Parks Police Service reported Friday morning that a man was rescued from the Canadian side of the Niagara Gorge. At 7 a.m. Friday morning, a lone male was rescued by members of the Niagara Falls Fire Department after he climbed over the retaining wall and fell nearly 10 feet into the gorge headwall. Once rescued and brought to street level, the man climbed back over the retaining wall in front of the police and was arrested and charged with trespassing and unlawfully climbing the wall.
The post office at 170 Manhattan Ave in Buffalo has been designated as the Indiana Hunt-Martin Post Office Building by President Biden. Indiana Hunt-Martin served in World War 2 as a member of the only Black Women’s Army Corps unit overseas. Hunt-Martin graduated from Niagara Falls High School in 1940 and joined the Women’s Army Corps in September 1944. She received an honorable discharge from the U.S. Army in 1945 before working for the state department of labor in New York City, Niagara Falls, and Buffalo until 1987.
