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Patient transported to UMMC with seizures after suspected use of bath salts

By Howard B. Owens

A patient, described as combative, is having seizures and is being transported to UMMC by Mercy EMS.

The patient, according to a medic, may have used bath salts and synthetic marijuana.

Mercy EMS was initially dispatched to an address on Tracy Avenue for a 25-year-old person having seizures. Upon arrival, medics requested police back-up.

Lisa Falkowski

How long before authorities shut down 420 Emporioum - or before they get some morals/ethics about what they are doing to individuals in this community?!@#

Jul 9, 2012, 1:33pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Conor, first, HIPAA is not at issue here. It in no way applies to this post.

Second, based on available information, bath salts appear to be an ongoing issue in this community. I think it's important to document and keep people aware of what's going on.

I won't buy into your suggestion that the public be kept ignorant about health issues whether it be related to C-diff at UMMC, conversion disorder in Le Roy (yes, as I remember it, too, we were the only news outlet to report these two issues, as you imply -- that's exactly how I remember it) or bath salts. If you prefer ignorance, that's your business, but don't try to impose your standards on the rest of us.

Jul 9, 2012, 2:14pm Permalink
John Roach

Lisa,
How do you know he/she got it at the 420 Emporioum? There are a number of place that sell that stuff.

Conor,
If something is on the scanner, how is it a violation of HIPAA? Or are you saying Mercy EMS put the information out?

Jul 9, 2012, 2:16pm Permalink
Mark Brudz

All the information that Howard published is directly from the scanner, it is NOT HIPAA-sensitive information, no patient name has been released. I listened to the same dispatch, pretty much the way it went on the air

Jul 9, 2012, 2:19pm Permalink
Michael Moran

If your goal is to inform the public of what's going on with the bath salt issue and point out yet another incident involving it, then what difference does it make what street they live on? Unless they're being charged/arrested for it, then personal information shouldnt be released.

Jul 9, 2012, 2:21pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Why put the street -- because that's where all the emergency vehicles responded.

And to be clear, HIPAA never, ever applies to what a journalist does.

Jul 9, 2012, 2:25pm Permalink
Cory Hawley

Exactly, it appears lisa has an agenda, big surprise. is 420 Emporium the only place they are available? And do they actually have them there? Pretty close minded narrow look and accusation to throw around.
And also agree witht he fact that giving an address and age of a person is a bit much, and has NOTHING to do with bath salts.

Jul 9, 2012, 2:27pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

I completely fail to see why using the STREET NAME (not the address) and the age is an issue.

It's public information. There's no legitimate reason to withhold it.

The general location is worth knowing and the age is relevant to the issue at hand.

Jul 9, 2012, 2:33pm Permalink
Michael Moran

What do you mean it never applies to a journalist? oh so you're immune to HIPAA because you blog? If you wanted to publish their name you could? That doesn't even make sense.

Jul 9, 2012, 2:40pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Michael, first The Batavian is an online news site and covered by the First Amendment just as much as any printed newspaper.

Second, no news organization is a "covered entity."

Any information, whether patient information or not, I obtain that I deem credible and worth publishing, I can publish. Period.

Jul 9, 2012, 2:41pm Permalink
Mark Brudz

"individually identifiable health information" is the key phrase there Micheal.

There was no street or apartment number, and no name... Case closed as far as that.

It doesn't apply to journalist because if they were to release the name, it would already be in the public domain as either a death or arrest report.

Jul 9, 2012, 2:43pm Permalink
Michael Moran

You don't need to tell me that...I know that you'd post everything down to the person's social security number if it came across the scanner

Jul 9, 2012, 2:48pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Mark, even if I had the name, I could legally publish it (we don't publish names of individuals involved in just about anything until obtained directly from an authority, either in writing or verbally).

I could have legally published the exact address.

Again, HIPAA is 100 percent irrelevant to each and every journalist in the United States in all cases, 100 percent of the time.

No news organization under any circumstances is a "covered entity."

Jul 9, 2012, 2:47pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Michael, we always post want we deem important and relevant.

I can't imagine any circumstance under which we would post an SSN. You're really going overboard on this.

Jul 9, 2012, 2:48pm Permalink
Cory Hawley

I would think important and relevant is if the person is healthy, made a recovery. But we won't see that on here, will we? The fact that the person took bath salts is one thing. Not a good idea. But to me the whole story is "important and relevant." How many times do we see a mangled vehicle flipped over, but never a follow up on if the person made it out ok? I guess it's a matter of making it disappear with more catchy news to create a stir (like this article).
As for the comment about posting a SSN, I think the point he was trying to make is that you'll post whatever you hear (not specifically a SSN), because you can, not because it's the right thing to do at the time.

Jul 9, 2012, 3:18pm Permalink
Debra Nanni

It is a ridiculous suggestion that the street name should not have been used!! No one complains about the street name being used in the case of a drunk driving accident, how about a heart attack victim or a bad fall, a house fire??? No one knows the circumstances of those events when they are first reported. To suggest that any privacy was invaded here is absurd. You may as well not report ANY news if we have to be that sensitive.

Jul 9, 2012, 3:23pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Cory, are you volunteering to follow up on all accidents, track down all of the individuals and let us know they're healthy?

Or would it be better to assume that in the absence of a report that they've gotten worse, that they have gotten better?

But, hey, if you want to spin your wheels, go for it.

We report what we think should be reported and are able to report and have been for 4+ years. It seems to be working out pretty well.

You're spot on, Debra (though, can't think of a time we've reported a straight health issue, such as heart problems).

Jul 9, 2012, 3:34pm Permalink
Mark Brudz

Meanwhile the number of teens, young adults and even people in their 30's being hospitalized for seizures, cornary issue etc. as a direct result of bath salt use has steadily increased ove rthe past year, and all we can discuss is how much of a scanner call one should report. Marvelous.

Jul 9, 2012, 3:34pm Permalink
Beth Kinsley

The HIPAA Privacy Rule pertains to three categories of "covered entities" - health care providers, health plans, and health care clearinghouses. I don't think the Batavian fits into any of those categories.

From the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services' website:

Who is Covered by the Privacy Rule

The Privacy Rule, as well as all the Administrative Simplification rules, apply to health plans, health care clearinghouses, and to any health care provider who transmits health information in electronic form in connection with transactions for which the Secretary of HHS has adopted standards under HIPAA (the “covered entities”). For help in determining whether you are covered, use CMS's decision tool.

Health Plans. Individual and group plans that provide or pay the cost of medical care are covered entities.4 Health plans include health, dental, vision, and prescription drug insurers, health maintenance organizations (“HMOs”), Medicare, Medicaid, Medicare+Choice and Medicare supplement insurers, and long-term care insurers (excluding nursing home fixed-indemnity policies). Health plans also include employer-sponsored group health plans, government and church-sponsored health plans, and multi-employer health plans. There are exceptions—a group health plan with less than 50 participants that is administered solely by the employer that established and maintains the plan is not a covered entity. Two types of government-funded programs are not health plans: (1) those whose principal purpose is not providing or paying the cost of health care, such as the food stamps program; and (2) those programs whose principal activity is directly providing health care, such as a community health center,5 or the making of grants to fund the direct provision of health care. Certain types of insurance entities are also not health plans, including entities providing only workers’ compensation, automobile insurance, and property and casualty insurance. If an insurance entity has separable lines of business, one of which is a health plan, the HIPAA regulations apply to the entity with respect to the health plan line of business.

Health Care Providers. Every health care provider, regardless of size, who electronically transmits health information in connection with certain transactions, is a covered entity. These transactions include claims, benefit eligibility inquiries, referral authorization requests, or other transactions for which HHS has established standards under the HIPAA Transactions Rule.6 Using electronic technology, such as email, does not mean a health care provider is a covered entity; the transmission must be in connection with a standard transaction. The Privacy Rule covers a health care provider whether it electronically transmits these transactions directly or uses a billing service or other third party to do so on its behalf. Health care providers include all “providers of services” (e.g., institutional providers such as hospitals) and “providers of medical or health services” (e.g., non-institutional providers such as physicians, dentists and other practitioners) as defined by Medicare, and any other person or organization that furnishes, bills, or is paid for health care.

Health Care Clearinghouses. Health care clearinghouses are entities that process nonstandard information they receive from another entity into a standard (i.e., standard format or data content), or vice versa.7 In most instances, health care clearinghouses will receive individually identifiable health information only when they are providing these processing services to a health plan or health care provider as a business associate. In such instances, only certain provisions of the Privacy Rule are applicable to the health care clearinghouse’s uses and disclosures of protected health information.8 Health care clearinghouses include billing services, repricing companies, community health management information systems, and value-added networks and switches if these entities perform clearinghouse functions.

http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/summary/index.html

Jul 9, 2012, 3:35pm Permalink
Debra Nanni

True Howard, but my point was that The Batavian was simplyl reporting that emergency vehicles had been dispatched to a specific area. I believe that if a person was down with a heart attack, stroke, etc and emergency vehicles were headed that way, it would be reported clearly and in the same way, due to the fact that is IS local, and it IS newsworthy material.

Jul 9, 2012, 3:40pm Permalink
Mark Brudz

Perhaps Conor, the mere repeated occurance of 'Bath Salt' related scanner traffic can be used to prompt that very discussion that you suggest, rather than an opt ed piece.

There are many examples of accidents, fires etc first reported on The Batavian first as an initial report that have prompted informative and at times controversial discussion.

'News' is what happens, whether it be an incident report from a scanner, or an arrest report from a robbery or even just a politian visiing our city. Whether or not it is important, is clearly up to each individual reader.

Jul 9, 2012, 4:08pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Conor, nothing has changed about The Batavian in the past four years.

We've always reported the important as well as the seemingly trivial.

We're not here to fit anybody's definition of news. We're here to do our best to be as up to date as possible.

Newspapers are dying. A lot of people think it's because of the internet. I have a different view. Newspapers started dying (the circulation numbers support it) in the 1970s with the growing "professionalization" of journalism. Journalists became detached from their communities and less interested in common, every day concerns.

We also purposefully differ from print because I believe online is primarily a breaking news medium. Not everything that happens every day is going to be big news, but people keep coming back every day (many people tell me quite addictively) because they find out a lot of stuff going on in their community, both the big news and the minor news. In reporting the minor stuff, we help remind people that we're here for the big stuff.

Really, I'm so sick of people saying "that's not news" (and that phrase has been hurled at reporters long before there was an Internet). There's no such thing as "it's not news."

If we report it, it's news. Period. There's no other definition that matters.

This same philosophy has been that the heart of how we do things at The Batavian since May 1, 2008. Nothing has changed.

Jul 9, 2012, 4:10pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Irene and Mark, thanks, as always, appreciate your support.

As for my statement: "If we report it, it's news. Period. There's no other definition that matters."

There's also an element of my thinking where the question "Is it news?" is not relevant to me at all. I don't care if something we post fits any particular definition of news, yours, mine or theirs. If we think we should report it, either because we find it important, merely interesting or just entertaining, we report it. We never stop to ask "Is this news?" because it's a question we couldn't possibly care less about.

Jul 9, 2012, 4:16pm Permalink
Jeff Allen

News, like many things, is in the eye of the beholder. If those who think that what an editor/owner chooses to print is not news by their criteria, then opt not to read that publication. The truest definition of freedom is exercising your right not to engage in an activity instead of trying to deny others that right by changing it to fit your paradigm.

Jul 9, 2012, 4:53pm Permalink
Lori Silvernail

Anything that is local news IS printed here. I actually enjoy the articles that some seem to find not newsworthy. I'd suggest if it's bothersome to read the small town stuff that is shared here, it would certainly be easy enough to subscribe to the NY Times or some other paper. The Batavian is one of the best things to come out in a loooong time! Thanks Howard and Billie, and keep on doing what you've been doing!

Jul 9, 2012, 5:05pm Permalink
JoAnne Rock

If the day ever comes that Howard and Billie discover the secret to pleasing all of their readers all the time, they will likely bottle it, sell it and retire.

Jul 9, 2012, 5:11pm Permalink
Billie Owens

Although Howard posted this item on bath salts from the scanner, most of the time I report scanner items. What I put up is subjective, based on what I think is newsworthy, interesting, funny and/ or weird. There is no stringent formula for what I post and we make no pretense whatsoever of complete objectivity, which first and foremost, does not exist. We DO NOT post 99 percent of personal medical calls -- suicidal people needing transport, heart attack and stroke victims, etc.

But sometimes I deem an incident heard on the scanner warrants public notice -- a person got a leg stuck in a piece of farm equipment, a woman is hit with a flying baseball bat at a Muckdogs game, someone is hallucinating on bath salts. In these instances and many others like them, people want to know: What are all those sirens about? Why is Mercy Flight landing in the field over there? Where are all the police cars and ambulances going?

I can't provide the answer all the time, but when I can and think it's worthwhile, I try to do so.

I have responded to criticism before about some of the goofy stuff I hear on the scanner and publish. I figure if I think something is interesting, chances are others will find it is, too. It's that simple. People comment on the posts, and they are certainly read (we track how many people read every post).

If reading about women fighting over clothes at the laundromat is not your cup of tea, that's fine. Ditto, the man without pants making snow angels, the guy in a clown suit driving a golf cart getting a DWI, et al.

We publish a wide variety of news and to suggest that we are heavy on scanner traffic posts at the expense of more substantive coverage is poppycock. If you don't already know that, I can presume you are not a regular reader.

As far as "returning to the ideals we started with," I have no idea what that means. We cover courts, crime, politics, local government, sports, business, plus features, lots of photos and more. We have done this from the get-go.

If, gentle Conor, you prefer the local newspaper and find it more suitable for your needs, well, as they say, it's a free country. Speaking of which, that's exactly why I am free to do what I do and you are free to...well...be free.

Jul 9, 2012, 5:12pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Conor, I don't advertise The Batavian as a legitimate news site.

It IS a legitimate news site.

You might have an opinion that differs, but you may also have an opinion that the Earth is flat or that Obama was born in Kenya. You're welcome to hold whatever opinions you like, but that doesn't make them factually accurate.

There are a lot more people who hold a different view than you and your small circle of friends (whom I've seen make similarly misinformed remarks on Facebook) -- people who appreciate what we do and tell me so every day (hard for me to go out in public and not run into people who readily and enthusiastically tell me how much they LOVE The Batavian, and usually specifically because of our efforts at real-time news).

BTW: If we didn't do what we do, two stories that went international that nobody would ever have heard about: The gentleman in the golf cart in the "clown suit" and the case of Jacquetta Simmons.

Jul 9, 2012, 5:28pm Permalink
Michelle WIlliams

It's sad that the entire underlying point of this article was forgotten because someone wanted to criticize the source that it came from. People should hear about incidents like this for many reasons. 1) maybe the neighbors around individuals using these substances have noticed the "victim" acting strangely and this can be lend some kind of answer/awareness in the area 2)parents with younger children may want to hear if these substances are being used near somewhere that their child perhaps plays so that they can make the choice on whether to allow their child back in the area or not 3) maybe someone will read it and the underlying cause will become apparent to them...people are using these substances and these substances are being produced faster than labs can produce the tests to trace the chemicals that are used in their manufacture. Much like meth-bath salts and synthetic pot have chemicals that require specific tests to even detect in someone's blood stream. These articles should be published (if for nothing else) for the awareness of the problem that is being created.

Hypothetically speaking, laws protect people who can prove a certain level of insanity during the time they commit a crime. Can/should people be able to hide behind these substances and then be allowed to use the claim of insanity?

Hypothetical situation-you (you personally, with or without passengers, not directed to anyone specifically, etc.) are driving home and someone hits your car at a high rate of speed causing significant damage/injury. The police officer arrives and notices the person who hit you is acting irrationally but they pass a sobriety test and the blood test comes up clean.

All because of chemicals being used to create a legal form of an illegal substance. If pot is illegal, then a pot like substance should be as well. I understand that the labels say not for human consumption but ask yourself what other purpose would these serve if not for the high? Incense? And then you claim a contact buzz?

Thank you for publishing this article and I hope that in the future people read similar posts/articles and realize how much of a growing problem this is becoming instead of nitpicking over how much information was said about the person, place, squirrel in the tree, etc.

Jul 9, 2012, 6:04pm Permalink
Chelsea Harmon

To the people who are complaining about how news is published here. Why are you continuing to read anything on this website? If you don't like it then leave the website and don't come back. I find all the news on this website interesting and informative. People have nothing better to do in life than complain. I for one am finding this news informative, I have two children and its good to see whats going on with this tread among teenagers. So thank you Howard for reporting this, just ignore the ignorance :-)

Jul 9, 2012, 6:28pm Permalink
Brian Schollard

Any thing heard on the scanner is news. Its public information. Any one can hear it., at any time world wide via scanning radio, internet or smart phone. Weather its two dopes arguing over laundry (hysterical) a fire mva or an ems or police situation of any type. This is the way NEWS is supposed to be reported. Unbiased with out an opinion inflected into the story. That is the way NEWS has been reported since an apprentice sat and put one letter at a time into a rack to print a page. Howard is correct, main stream "news" has turned into nothing more than opinion based forced fed bird vomit. (IMHO)People are so used to it they want a reporter to give them nothing but their opinion with out facts so its in line with their own thinking. This site is refreshing and informative. Oh and thanks to the person who put the hipaa info into this discussion, the trouble is its way to long and those who should read it wont because 85% of people cant read past one paragraph in any type of news story. "Just give me what I want to agree with and Im happy" UGGH

Jul 9, 2012, 6:43pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Conor, hypotheticals are not going to help you win your case. I'm not going to keep arguing with you. We stand behind our reporting. It is neither wrong nor unethical. If you have a personal problem with it, I'm obviously not going to change your mind. But neither will you change mine, and readers will decide whether they want to keep reading the site or not. I'm comfortable doing what we do. If you're not comfortable reading it, that's not my issue.

Jul 9, 2012, 6:57pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Conor, The information is factual to the extent that a trusted professional who was on scene and had a professional reason to make the statement made it. I trust professionals to know what they're talking about. Maybe you don't.

In a breaking news situation, you go with what you've got. If it warrants for follow up later, it gets followed up.

Notice how you're moving the goal posts?

First, we were wrong because we violated HIPAA. When it was proven you didn't know what you were talking about in that regard, you moved the goal post.

You also faulted us for reporting on C-diff at UMMC (which I think is your real issue) and on conversion disorder. When it was pointed out other news organizations also reported these stories, you didn't follow up.

Then you said we weren't a legitimate news site, you were challenged and came up with this spurious definition what what constitutes legitimacy.

I'll say it again, you don't define our legitimacy. Your OPINION on that matter is irrelevant to what we do.

When we report stuff, we only do when we believe the information as provided accurate. That's all any news organization does. When a qualified news source makes a statement, that is confirmation enough. When a valid source gives a reporter information, there is no need to get the information from a second source (unless you can't use the information from the first source for some reason).

We factually reported information that was publicly available.

Again, if you don't like it, that's up to you. But is merely your opinion. Trying to pass it off as something other than your opinion is disingenuous.

Jul 9, 2012, 7:28pm Permalink
Gary Spencer

Not sure why people keep ingaging with or arguing with Connor, he has his opinon and evry right to voice it. Just as an observation: out of 48 posts right now 9 were from Connor 13 were by Howard, including #47 were Howards states "I am not going to keep arguing with you" but then the argument continues! I think Connor was purposely getting people ticked off and is laughing his butt off at the reaction! (just my humble opinion)
thank you and have a good night! :)

Jul 9, 2012, 8:25pm Permalink
Tracy Fitch

I just want to know how we keep emporium 420 from selling the bath salts to our children and young adults. Does someone have to die from them before someone actully stops this.

Jul 9, 2012, 8:38pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

BTW: Conor, applying your standard, no news agency in town should report anybody's arrest. All that is is an allegation. Nothing is "confirmed." A professional has made an observation and assessment and issued a statement about an individual, but it's still a single source. Either we should wait until the person finishes the court process or go out and interview everybody involved to "confirm" the allegations in the police report, by your standard.

Now, maybe, there could be an argument over whether arrests should be reported (I'd naturally disagree), but the fact is, an arrest report is no more confirmed than the information I glean from a professional making an observation and assessment over an emergency radio frequency.

If I got the same information from a phone call, would that make it any more confirmed? Any news agency you care to name reports news all the time with just a single phone call. In both cases (phone or scanner), I know and trust the professional sharing the information.

Jul 9, 2012, 8:39pm Permalink
scott williams

I think I read it as a residence on Tracy avenue and it didn't say the alleged person having seizures lived there. As a resident of this street I hope not. But it certainly wouldn't surprise me as I feel the absent landlords let any looser move in to this area and the city officials just let more absent landlords turn apartments into crap holes and if you talk to the landlords they just lie to your face. This city is being allowed to become a cesspool for anyone who doesn't want to live a life with morals and values. PLEASE PEOPLE quit bitching at each other on here and demand your elected officials do something about it; get this crap out of this town this city gets worse every year now we have brawls happening at 7:30 at nite on public streets why is nothing being done and you people are mad about a news agencys H.I.P.P.A. policy..
Please people don't let this city continue to be taken over by absent landlords and synthetic drug stores or a story like this will be the good old days, speak up people call city hall tell them to do something....

Jul 9, 2012, 8:41pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Tracy, Scott ... fwiw: There's not much local law enforcement can do with bath salts and synthetic marijuana. They can only deal with the consequences.

On bath salts and some compounds in synthetic marijuana, as of today, it's a federal issue. If the DEA believes the law is being broken in regards to selling these substances, they will need to take up an investigation into any local shop suspected of selling such substances.

I will say, I know people in federal law enforcement who regularly read The Batavian.

On synthetic marijuana, some compounds are covered by the new federal law. There is also a State Department of Health directive ordering merchants to stop selling such compounds, but that isn't a law enforcement issue. If the county health department believes the order is being ignored, the county health department notices the state and the state begins civil (not criminal) procedures.

Under New York Criminal law, these substances are not yet covered, which reduces the options for local law enforcement.

Jul 9, 2012, 9:13pm Permalink
shelly mathers

I think I can solve some of your problems... Don't read the Batavian then, geesh.
You don't like things he does and doesn't post yet you will still continue to read it.

Jul 9, 2012, 9:33pm Permalink
Bob Price

Sounds like a certain someone is trying to deflect the news off of "bath salts" .....too many incidents lately around here to ignore it-from the former owner and girlfriend "allegedly" giving it to a 14 yr. old to the guy pretending to be Spidey last week jumping from rooftop to rooftop-pretty soon we'll be seeing screaming naked people around Batavia.......if you don't like what you see on here,DON'T VISIT THIS SITE!!!!!! Howard and Billie,keep up what you're doing.It's been successful so far......

Jul 9, 2012, 10:45pm Permalink
Cory Hawley

No Howard I'm not volunteering. I have a job. And the way I see it, it's nice to be able to read an article and get the whole story. So like Debra says you might as well not report any news. But Iguess it's a difference of wanting to be informed versus wanting to be nosy.
It's not better to assume, but I think that's what makes these kind of stories "catchy," the thought everyone gets in their heads what might, could, would have happened. Kind of like Lisa Falkowski jumping to conclusions as far as where the bath salts were purchased and attacking a person/company based on an assumption rather than fact. Where in the article did it say that 420 Emporium sold these salts?
Of course you're going to say that "We report what we think should be reported and are able to report and have been for 4+ years. It seems to be working out pretty well." Why would you say anything less? It's amazing how many times you're right on here.

Jul 10, 2012, 9:13am Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Cory, why would I be any less than right? If I were wrong, things would be done differently or not done at all.

It always amazing to me when people think we shouldn't defend ourselves against spurious attacks. We're just supposed to go, "yeah, you're right, we're idiots." What nonsense.

Jul 10, 2012, 9:19am Permalink
Kyle Couchman

To: Tracy Fitch...

My suggestion is go in and try to purchase the bath salts jst to confirm that they carry and sell them. Then if you really want to curb the sales of them call Howard and even rochester tv stations, get together a bunch of your like minded friends and march back and forth in front ofthe shop during the times of heavyiest traffic volume. That would draw alot of scrutiny to the shop. Perhaps to the point of having him remove it if he carries it.

As for Connor and Cory Gary is right they have all the right to voice opinions. However they should realize that opinions arent facts and thus must not be treated as such. As has been pointed out, if you dont like whats printed here, move on. I'm pretty sure Howard's had some education in journalism and the ethics involved with it through instruction in a educational environment plus raw expereince in the field. I'm just wondering where you two get your expertise in these matters to make comments and take issue with Howard's practice of his journalistic skills.

BTW I just want to point out a fact for you Connor.... I was born in Buffalo NY at Booth Memorial Hospital which no longer exsists. I was adopted thru Monroe County 8 months later. Yet my birth cert states my birth city being Rochester. Our govt is not foolproof and can and does make mistakes. My recorded city of birth vs where I was actually born is proof that just a birth certificate isnt an absolute truth. So birth certs of a certain president arent really a good way of making a point on facts vs beliefs.

One other thing Connor & Cory and some others on here.... You need to be careful in your comments on Howard's News outlet here as I see even in this conversation (like where you point out Lisa's possibly wrong assumptions about bath salts being sold in certain places) There is the news and there is the forum for discussing the news, Lisa is under no requirement to fact find or really prove anything her opinion is allowed just as yours is. But to insinuate that its part of the "News" is disingenuous at best and an example of you not being able to discern the News from the discussion of the news.

Jul 10, 2012, 10:17am Permalink
Kyle Couchman

Btw Howard I think you do an excellent job. Especially when reporting on stories that I assume (by comments you post in the forums afterwords) that you dislike or have opinions on that dont agree with the what and how things occurin those articles. Its shows true integrity to the reporting of facts vs giving us your spin on what happens in these stories.

And Billie your sense of humor is great dont ever stop reporting those funny little exchanges you hear sometimes on the scanner. They really brighten the day w a dose of humor.

Jul 10, 2012, 10:22am Permalink
Cory Hawley

"Cory, why would I be any less than right? If I were wrong, things would be done differently or not done at all."

once again lost in translation on here. Or taken too literally. Just trying to say not everyone agrees with everyone all the time.

Oh well.

And Kyle, I wasn't insinuating anything from Lisa's post, other than she makes false judgements and seems to have an agenda. I know Howard didn't mention the bath salts origin in his article. I asked the question above, "Where in the article did it say that 420 Emporium sold these salts?" towards Lisa because it was not mentioned. Not sure your argument here. I was trying to make the point it is NOT part of the news, but that Lisa is trying to make it that way.
If I don't like what is printed here move on? Can you imagine the stimulating conversations (or arguments)? Can't someone disagree with another on here? Wow.

Jul 10, 2012, 3:46pm Permalink
Kyle Couchman

Theres a distinct difference from disagreeing with someone and arguing your point, and telling the owner/editor of an online news site what he should post and how he should do it.

As for Lisa....your assuming alot on your part as well, how do you make the determination she is making false accusations? For all you know she could have had children, or nieces and nephews that may have purchased from there, her agenda on getting this product out of local shops is no more or less obnoxious than yours to get Howard to run his media outlet the way you think it should be run....

Lisa's comment didnt say anything about the article, nor place the incident anywhere near the 420 shop that is a bit of distance from Tracy Ave. She just merely expressed or vented her feelings about the bath salts/synthetic marijuana.... But if you read the article you could logically deduce that the reason the medic might have said that they suspected the use of these substances is the fact that they requested police backup, which means either they saw evidence of these semi illegal or actual illegal drugs, or maybe the others with him or her were very unco-operative in helping the medics get the victim treatment. Both are sensible and logical conclusions.

Believe it or not the stimulating conversation/arguments will occur here if you participate or not. But alot of us here are just fine with the format and style with which the Batavia is run and will defend it when someone rolls on in tryin to change that.

Jul 10, 2012, 4:34pm Permalink

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