A couple dozen protesters outside the Buffalo Federal Detention Center in Batavia yesterday afternoon wanted to be heard by detainees inside so they know there are people who support their health and safety, said Mary Rutigliano.

Rutigliano, a Genesee County resident aligned with the Rochester Rapid Response Network, said there have been COVID-19 positive detainees transferred to Batavia and five of the detainees are on hunger strike.

"If you make enough noise, people on the inside can hear," Rutigliano said. "Last week, we were outside of the ICE field office where Thomas Feeley works, the same office as Delaware North in Buffalo, letting them know and this was part of an effort to let the people here know they don't have as much of a community, (but) there are people out here in this rural area that support them and want them to keep up their efforts."

Feeley, the director of the Enforcement and Removal Office in Buffalo, said there are only two detainees on hunger strike. One was transferred from New Jersey for medical reasons (BFDF has its own medical unit) and his current immigration case is under appeal.

The other case, he said, is being deported and his hunger strike just started.

As for COVID-positive cases in the facility, Feeley said there are currently three in the facility. One was arrested by the border patrol, the other transferred from an outside hospital, and one was arrested and transferred from Boston. All are asymptomatic, he said, and are quarantined.

Rutigliano claimed that there is a COVID-positive person in a pod with 40 other detainees. Feeley said that wasn't accurate. His statement also contradicted Rutigliano's claim that there are symptomatic detainees in the facility. 

Yesterday's protest drew the attention of State Police after dispatchers received a complaint that protesters were blocking the entrance to the facility. A trooper on scene said the protesters moved to an open space next to the gate when three patrol units arrived. The protesters ended their chanting and banging on pots and pans and dispersed a short time later.

Press release:

Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) is releasing the following statement after attending the Inauguration of President Joe Biden.

“It was an honor to represent the citizens of the 27th Congressional District at the 59th Presidential Inauguration to witness the peaceful transition of power that has, and always will be, a cornerstone of our democracy. I wish President Biden and Vice President Harris well as they lead our nation and I commit to working with their administration to advance the interests of Western New York.

“This is a time to move our nation forward and unite. It is not the time for partisan agenda items – but actionable solutions that directly address the serious needs of the American people. We must work together to safely reopen our economy and schools, confront the national security threats facing our nation, and set a course toward future prosperity for small businesses, farmers and workers.

Press release:

On Tuesday, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo outlined the SFY 22 New York State Executive Budget, which calls on Washington to deliver state and local aid. Counties have pledged to continue working with the Governor, State lawmakers, and our NYS Congressional delegation to urge Washington to provide federal funds for states and local governments.

Without this aid, the Governor said he will be forced to make dramatic cuts, which would impact county budgets, place new burdens on local taxpayers, and jeopardize county health and human service programs for the New Yorkers most in need. 

The budget presentation materials supplied by the Division of Budget contained several key proposals that counties proposed in November, including:

• Making local sales tax authority permanent and allowing all counties to go to 4 percent; 
• Collecting of local sales tax on recreational cannabis transactions;
• Reducing in the state's withholding of local aid – contingent upon the amount of federal aid;
• Reducing the judgement interest rates to the market interest rate;
• Extending the authority to piggyback on contracts for two years;
• Allowing shared jails between contiguous counties;
• Providing flexibility in jail staffing;
• Reforming Early Intervention to provide savings and greater flexibility;
• Expanding investment options for local governments.

NYSAC will provide more details from the proposed spending plan as they become available. 

NYSAC President Jack Marren said “While this state budget proposal includes plenty of unknowns, especially whether the federal government will provide state and local COVID response funding, we are optimistic that our county leaders can work with state lawmakers to finalize a budget that strengthens our communities and help rebuild our local economies.

"Our staff of legislative experts at NYSAC will be looking through the budget bills as they become available, and they will report on areas of direct and indirect impact on counties.”

Press release:

“Over the course of an hour today (Jan. 19) the Governor got on TV and continued to blame everyone and everything but himself for our state’s financial woes," said Assemblyman Steve Hawley. "Instead of threatening to sue the federal government if they don’t do enough to bail us out of the mess the Governor had a great deal to do with, he should be talking about what we can do ourselves to cut wasteful spending, because we can’t always rely on Washington to save us from our Governor’s bad spending habits.

"What New Yorkers needed to hear was a detailed plan to work with local governments to distribute vaccines effectively, save our small businesses and help families keep food on their tables, but all they got today were a few helpful proposals mixed among a sea of wasteful ones, including a proposal to spend $10 million this year on helping illegal immigrants pay their legal fees. Now more than ever we need to tighten our belts fiscally and focus on what matters, and I am disappointed today’s budget address did neither.”

A car has reportedly hit a utility pole, with wires down, at Fargo Road and Main Road, Stafford.

Stafford fire along with Mercy EMS dispatched.

A two-vehicle accident with a possible injury is reported on Route 20 at East Road in Bethany.

Bethany fire and ambulance dispatched.

Pavilion fire asked to standby in quarters.

UPDATE 9:03 a.m.: A patient is disoriented and is being cared for inside a neighboring residence.

UPDATE 10:09 a.m.: Patient being transported to UMMC for evaluation.

Press release:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced a proposal to boost partial Unemployment Insurance benefits to New Yorkers who return to work part time as part of the 2021 State of the State.

The plan will ensure unemployed New Yorkers who accept part-time work are not penalized by basing their partial unemployment benefits on the hours they actually work, rather than the number of days they work in a given week. This change will inject more money into New York's economy while helping businesses fill part-time positions.

Legislation to be submitted with the Executive Budget will permanently enact a Partial UI program to incentivize unemployed New Yorkers to assume a part-time job as they search for full-time work, with a revised calculation made possible by technological improvements currently underway.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, New York State has distributed more than $62 billion in unemployment benefits to 4 million New Yorkers -- representing over 29 typical years' worth of benefits paid in just 10 months. This includes more than $1 billion paid during the week of Jan. 4, 2021 to New Yorkers through newly extended federal unemployment programs, which New York implemented weeks ahead of most other states.

"The COVID pandemic has created dual crises, putting Americans' physical health and financial wellbeing at risk -- and in New York we are addressing both sides of this public health emergency. I am immediately directing the Department of Labor to change outdated rules so as we build back from the pandemic, unemployed New Yorkers aren't penalized for taking part-time jobs," Governor Cuomo said.

"Encouraging part-time work will help New Yorkers get back to work quickly, give small businesses the flexibility needed to navigate these difficult times, and ensure our neighbors have money to put food on the table."

New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said, "I applaud Governor Cuomo for moving this proposal forward. No New Yorker should be discouraged from taking part-time work for fear of losing critical benefits when they are trying to do what is necessary to provide for their families and transition back into the workforce full time. This new plan is an important pathway for our workforce, our businesses, and our communities."

Under current law, unemployed New Yorkers' weekly benefits are reduced by 25 percent for each day an individual works, regardless of the hours worked -- unfairly penalizing those who accept part-time jobs. This meant that anyone who worked four or more days -- even if they only worked one hour per day -- would have to forfeit their entire weekly benefit.

In order to fix this illogical system of partial unemployment, Governor Cuomo will direct the Department of Labor to immediately implement emergency measures that base partial unemployment benefits on the number of hours actually worked over the course of a week.

Under this new system, unemployed New Yorkers can work up to seven days per week and still receive some unemployment benefits as long as they work fewer than 30 hours and earn no more than $504 in gross pay. The new method of calculating partial benefits is outlined below:

• New Yorkers who work between zero and four hours in a week and earn no more than $504 will receive their full unemployment benefit;
• New Yorkers who work between four and 10 hours in a week and earn no more than $504 will receive 75 percent of their unemployment benefit;
• New Yorkers who work between 10 and 20 hours in a week and earn no more than $504 will receive half of their unemployment benefit;
• New Yorkers who work between 20 and 30 hours in a week and earn no more than $504 will receive 25 percent of their unemployment benefit;
• New Yorkers who work over 30 hours in a week, regardless of earnings, will not receive any of their unemployment benefit.

New Yorkers will still be required to submit weekly certifications online or over the phone to receive their benefits each week. However, to allow the DOL to immediately implement this change, claimants will use a formula to convert the number of hours they work into a number of "days" to report when certifying.

When DOL's certification system asks for the number of days worked, New Yorkers will add together the total number of hours they worked during a given week and use the following chart to determine how their weekly hours worked translates to the number of days they should report when certifying.

The changes will go into effect for work done on or after Monday, Jan. 18, 2021, which unemployed New Yorkers certify for starting on Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021.

Hours Worked In A Given Week Number of Days to Report When Certifying Percent Reduction in Benefits 0 4 0 0 4.1 10 1 25% 10.1 20 2 50% 20.1 30 3 75%

When totaling hours for the week, claimants should use a maximum of 10 hours per day, even if they worked more hours during a day.

In order to implement this reform and support unemployed New Yorkers, Governor Cuomo will launch a Workforce Forward Strike Team, which will bring together experts from the DOL, the Governor's Workforce Development Office and the Empire State Development Corporation to connect unemployed New Yorkers seeking part-time employment with small businesses that are looking for part-time workers.

The strike team will also help businesses develop strategies to utilize the flexibility part-time workers provide as they build back from the pandemic.

In addition, Governor Cuomo will direct the DOL to strengthen its Shared Work Program, which enables employers to avoid layoffs by allowing workers to receive partial Unemployment Insurance benefits while working reduced hours. This program, which has been in place since 1986, became a vital lifeline for businesses across the state as they made temporary staff reductions in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

Under Governor Cuomo's leadership, the DOL has already reduced required paperwork and improved the plan approval and certification processes, enabling the Shared Work Program to handle a 10-fold increase in the number of plans in 2020 -- helping more than 60,000 New Yorkers stay at work during the coronavirus pandemic. In the coming year, the DOL will conduct targeted outreach efforts and implement new technology that will make it easier for employers to learn about and participate in this critical program.

Press release:

Representatives Chris Jacobs (NY-27), Elise Stefanik (NY-21), Andrew Garbarino (NY-02), Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11), Tom Reed (NY-23), Lee Zeldin (NY-1), and John Katko (NY-24) are calling upon Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN) to apologize for his comments denigrating members of the National Guard.

“Representative Cohen’s reckless comments attacking members of the National Guard are disrespectful and divisive. These men and women proudly serve our nation and have been working nonstop for the past week to ensure our safety and that of the incoming administration tomorrow.  

“New York proudly has over 1,400 members of our National Guard members mobilized to protect our nation’s capitol right now. On behalf of them, and the over 20,000 troops stationed here from across the United States, we demand Rep. Cohen apologize immediately for his reckless and blatantly disrespectful remarks.

Genesee County Police Reform & Reinvention Committee Meeting Jan 19, 2021. The committee will review its draft report.

The Genesee County Soil & Water Conservation District invites you to buy tree and shrub seedlings offered in its new 2021 brochure (PDF).

Conservation supplies are also available for sale.

All plants are sold for conservation purposes.

If you'd like some eye-popping visual appeal -- vivid color, you might like to try a species new in the district program this year -- the scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea). In the fall, its leaves are a real nice brilliant red, says District Manager Brad Mudrzynski. The acorn-producing scarlet oak makes a great shade tree.

Also new here this year are cover crop mix seed packets for small gardens -- up to 2,500 square feet. The ground-cover mix, which costs $5.50 per package, helps prevent erosion and holds nutrients like organic compost materials well in the soil.

Orders are filled on a first come, first serve basis. The district reserves the right to substitute species or refund payment if a choice of yours is unavailable.

Cash or check only accepted, checks should be payable to GCSWCD. Orders are due by March 10 on completed order forms (PDF) (Print out, fill in).

Pickup dates are typically between mid to late April and information will be sent after April 1.

For assistance, call the GCSWCD at (585) 343-2362, ext. 5, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Data Update:

o   Genesee County received 168 new positive cases of COVID-19.

• The new positive cases reside in the:
  • West Region (Alabama, Darien, Pembroke)
  • Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield)
  • East Region (Bergen, Byron, Le Roy, Pavilion, Stafford)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s.
• Correction: The following cases were double-counted and have been retracted from today’s total number of positive cases; A case in his/her 20s from Batavia, a case in his/her 50s from Le Roy, and a case in his/her 80s from Batavia.
• Two hundred and 20 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list. 
• Correction: 14 recoveries have been retracted from today’s number as these individuals are nursing home residents. Persons reported recovered are community members only.
• Eleven of the positive individuals are hospitalized.
• Two of the new cases are inmates at the Buffalo Federal Detention Center.
• Correction: Three cases previously reported are residents at LeRoy Village Green.

• Orleans County received 56 new positive cases of COVID-19 from Friday afternoon through Tuesday morning. 
• The positive cases reside in the:
  • West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby)
  • Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre)
  • East Region (Kendall, Murray, Clarendon)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.
• Three of the new positive individuals were on quarantine prior to testing positive.
• One hundred and 47 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation.
• Eighteen of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.
• Three of the new positive cases are residents of Orchard Rehabilitation and Nursing Center.
• Two of the new positive cases are inmates at the Albion Correctional Facility.
• One of the new positive cases is an inmate at the Orleans Correctional Facility.

COVID-19 related fatality data: The Health Departments are only able to report the number of COVID-related deaths that are provided to us by the hospitals, nursing homes and family members. The hospitals and nursing homes are not required to report these deaths to the local health departments, but have been as they are able. Due to the number of cases over the last 10 months data hasn’t been provided locally on a regular basis.

We do not have real-time fatality data provided by the NYS Department of Health which receives the data from death certificates, hospital and nursing home reporting. NYSDOH recently updated their COVID-19 related fatalities which has resulted in a significant increase for Genesee County as we previously reported. The State updates the data as they receive it and can be seen here.

The counties will continue to report the COVID-related fatalities as we receive them locally in the narrative and update the fatality total number of deaths on a weekly basis only. Today’s data reflects that reconciliation with the State data.

A U.S. Postal Service van went down in a ditch in Darien and the postal worker driving it has minor injuries.

The location of the accident is 9851 Alleghany Road.

Darien fire and Mercy medics are responding. A deputy in on scene.

UPDATE 4:45 p.m.: Mercy medics are going to ECMC.

Things continue to change for the new Muckdogs under the ownership of Robbie Nichols. He's at Dwyer stadium talking to fans and helping sell season tickets until 6:30 this evening. 

General Admission seats are just $99.

Reserve box seats are $199.

Reserved seats come with waitstaff so you don’t miss a pitch. 

If you can't make it down to Dwyer Stadium today, please call or email the Batavia Muckdogs at (607) 734-7825 or mwitt.canusa@gmail.com. 

Nichols has been in town this week meeting with local businesses, talking to fans and he also has plans to reach out to the area's Little Leagues to talk with them about the Muckdogs being a more active part of the community.  

The Muckdogs are finalizing this season's plans and now have a new official Facebook page you can follow for more updates on the coming season. 

Kitchen was fully renovated and slightly enlarged with nice crisp and clean white soft closed cabinetry. Loads of cupboard space, one full-size pantry cupboard and new kitchen flooring! Wall taken down between kitchen and dining to give you great entertaining space!

This super spacious three bedroom home is move-in ready, the central air is a bonus, along side the newer furnace hot water tank roof and siding! The big things have been taken care of, leaving time for decorating the big rooms that all have closets and storage!

The home has a couple of bonus rooms starting with the awesome enclosed front porch, which is an approximately ADDITIONAL 200 square feet of living space that can supplement the living space as an office/toy room or just enjoying nice evenings and early mornings! Off dining room there's a cute room that could be great office space for those working at home!

Attic is finished and could be great additional rec space-there is a room for everybody! The street, of course, is a Batavia classic to enjoy in all seasons -- there is a lot of home here, come check it out!

Call Lynn Bezon today, call (585) 344-4663 or click here for more information on this lisiting.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley and his colleagues in the Assembly Minority have written a letter to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and the chairs of the Assembly committees on Mental Health and Veterans’ Affairs demanding funds for the Joseph P. Dwyer Veterans Peer-to-Peer Support Program be released immediately.

More than $4.5 million was allocated for the program in the 2020-2021 Enacted Budget for the program, which connects veterans struggling with mental health conditions with other veterans to help them adapt to civilian life one-on-one.

“As a veteran and somebody who has served on the Assembly’s Veterans’ Affairs Committee for 15 years, I can’t overstate how crucial this program is and the impact it has on the lives of our service members returning home from duty,” Hawley said.

“The unprecedented times we’re living in have impacted us all, including our veterans, and it is critical we maintain this funding during a period when our mental health is more strained than ever.

"After working with them to fight back the Governor’s attempts to cut the program entirely last year, I am hopeful we will be able to work with the Majority again to insure this program continues helping our veterans.”

Press release:

Town of Alabama Republican Committee is looking for the following candidates for the fall 2021 elections:

1. Town of Alabama Justice.
2. Town of Alabama Council person (two seats).
3. Genesee County Legislator, District 1.

Please mail letters of intent to:

Town of Alabama Republican Chairman

Earl LaGrou

7420 Macomber Road

Oakfield, NY 14125

*********************

Or call Earl LaGrou at (716) 912-8195.

Press release:

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced an additional $1.4 billion in federal funding for New York state’s private, public, and proprietary institutions of higher education.

The funds are allocated to the U.S. Department of Education’s (DOE) Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II by the recently Schumer-negotiated, Gillibrand-backed, Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA).

The funding is in addition to federal funding already allocated from the CARES Act in March.

Genesee Community College will get $5,220,960.

“Our universities have been selflessly navigating the ongoing global pandemic, ripping huge holes in their budgets to prioritize the health and safety,” Senator Schumer said.

“Today’s funding I prioritized in negotiations for the recent COVID relief package will help to mitigate some of the financial devastation our colleges and universities face as the crisis continues long beyond what anyone imagined. We need to ensure that our world-class institutions of higher education right here in New York are equipped with the assistance they need to make it through this crisis and thrive.”

“New York’s universities have been hit hard by this pandemic and they’ve been forced to make tough budget cuts in order to prioritize the health and safety of their students and staff. Federal funding is critical to ensure students maintain access to a strong education throughout this crisis,” Senator Gillibrand said.

“The funding that Leader Schumer and I fought to deliver will provide an essential lifeline for these institutions to support students, provide essential technology and infrastructure for online learning, and fund increased expenses due to the pandemic. I’m proud to have secured this funding and I will continue working to deliver resources that our higher education institutions need to weather the COVID-19 crisis.”

Schumer and Gillibrand said that public and nonprofit schools will be able to use their awards for financial aid grants to students, student support activities, and to cover a variety of institutional costs, including lost revenue, reimbursement for expenses already incurred, technology costs associated with a transition to distance education, faculty and staff trainings, and payroll. Proprietary schools must use their awards exclusively to provide financial aid grants to students.

The DOE specified that allocations to institutions were based on a formula that includes the relative shares of Federal Pell Grant recipients, the relative shares of non-Pell Grant recipients, and the relative shares of Federal Pell and non-Pell Grant recipients exclusively enrolled in distance education prior to the coronavirus emergency.

Allocations to each institution can be found here. (GCC's allocation is on page 62 of the PDF file).

Press release:

The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo is accepting Letters of Intent (LOI) for its 2021 competitive grant process through Feb. 1 at 4 p.m.

Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in or serving one of the eight counties of Western New York (Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, Wyoming).

Interested organizations should read the detailed guidelines/additional information that can be found here before submitting a Letter of Intent.

LOI proposals must address at least one of the Solutions listed under the Community Foundation’s four Community Goals that can be found at the link above.

The four Community Goals are: 

• Improve educational achievement for students living in low-income households;
• Increase racial/ethnic equity;
• Protect and restore significant environmental resources and promote equitable access;
• Strengthen the region as a center for architecture, arts and culture.

Press release:

The Genesee County Health Department is offering free, drive-thru COVID-19 self-administered rapid testing for residents who are asymptomatic (no symptoms, not feeling sick, etc.). 

The testing will be available today through Tuesday, Jan. 26^th from 1 until 4 p.m. and, as before, it will be at the Genesee County Emergency Management Office & Fire Training Facility, at 7690 State Street Road in the Town of Batavia.  

To schedule a test, you MUST register online. Anyone needing additional help for online registration may contact the Genesee County Health Department at (585) 344-2580, ext. 5555.

As a reminder, anyone who had a recent potential exposure to COVID-19 should not recommended to be tested until at least five days have passed since the exposure.

In addition to registering for the test, please keep in mind the following guidelines:

• Make sure you have a pen in your vehicle.
• Everyone in the vehicle is to have their mask on when they pull up at the testing site.
• A parent or guardian must be present for any individual under 18 who is going to be tested.
• Those who are tested could get a call fairly quickly from an unknown number; please answer the phone as staff cannot leave messages and can only give results to the individuals tested or the guardian of those under 18 years of age.