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Local News
Today's Headlines...
DEMS' TRY TO PULL A FAST ONE IN STATE SENATE "QUORUM" FRUSTRATED BY GOVERNOR
In an astonishing attempt at a power grab in New York's deadlocked State Senate - which hasn't accomplished anything since a new bipatisan coalition tried to assume leadership June 8th - Democrats appear to have been frustrated by their Governor. As Democrats assembled in the upper chamber Tuesday, a Republican senator inadvertently walked across the back of the room on his way to get a cup of coffee. Dems immediately claimed the Republican Senator's presence gave them a quorum and rapidly started passing pending legislation. Governor David Paterson promptly announced he would not sign any of the bills; Republicans warned they would take legal action against any such laws thus "passed." New York's Senate remains deadlocked with 31 Democrats and 31 Republicans.
FORMER BRIGHTON VOLUNTEER FIREMAN GOES UPRIVER FOR 25 YEARS FOR CHILD MOLESTATION
Jose Diaz, a City resident and former Brighton volunteer firefighter, Tuesday accepted a plea deal which will land him in prison for 25 years. Diaz admitted molesting three boys, one for almost seven years, at his City home.
AIRPORT POLICE: MAN FOUND IN HIS CAR IN ERIE CANAL WAS DRUNK
Fairport Police have released toxicology tests performed on the body of Sean Scott, 22, whose body was retrieved from his sunken 1995 Oldsmobile in the Erie Canal last week. Scott reportedly had a blood alcohol level of .23, almost three times the legal limit for intoxication. Investigators theorize Scott became disoriented leaving a Fairport tavern the preceding weekend and mistakenly started driving on the canal towpath. Realizing his mistake, the victim apparently tried to turn around but his car slid down a rain-slicked grassy bank and flipped into the water.
I-D RELEASED ON BODY FISHED FROM ERIE CANAL SUNDAY
The Monroe County Medical Examiner and police have announced the identity of a man whose body was found floating in the Erie Canal on Sunday afternoon. Richard Burns, 67, a Dewey Avenue resident, had last been seen by neighbors and family late Friday; he was reported missing Sunday just hours before his body was discovered in the water by a kayaker. Burns reportedly had serious health problems; authorities say that foul play is not suspected.
GREECE TEEN FACES MANSLAUGHTER AFTER INDICTMENT IN DRUNK-DRIVING CRASH
18 year old Tia Gerstner of Greece has been indicted by a Monroe County grand jury on vehicular manslaugher and additional charges could be pending, in the aftermath of a March high-speed crash that killed her close friend. Joseph Mueller, 17, died when the car in which he was riding crashed into a tree on Ling Road. Gerstner suffered non life-threatening injuries. She was arrested on charges of DWI and DWAI as driver in that incident.
PRICE OF GASOLINE STABLE HEADING INTO 4TH OF JULY WEEKEND
Gasoline prices have climbed steeply over the past three weeks, but a gallon of go-juice is still about $1.25 cheaper than it was in 2008 at this time. Nationally the average for unleaded regular is $2.66, with prices in the Rochester region about a dime higher. Industry experts don't see major price spikes in gasoline likely any time soon.
TEEN DIES AFTER BEING REMOVED FROM LIFE SUPPORT; HAD GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL 2 DAYS BEFORE IN BEDSIDE CEREMONY
17 year old Rachael Girard died peacefully with her family at her side over the weekend, two days after her high school principal awarded her diploma next to the hospital bed where the teen remained on life support. Rachael had been thrown from a speeding car which plowed broadside into a tree on West Avenue in Parma the previous Monday. The driver and another male passenger were slightly injured. No charges have been brought in that crash to date; Rachael never regained consciousness after the crash.
SWINE FLU CLAIMS ANOTHER CHILD IN BUFFALO
Another grade-school child has died in Buffalo from complications from swine flu. Maya Harden, 9, passed away Saturday in the hospital from flu-related respiratory failure. Ten days ago a 15 year old boy died from secondary infections sparked by a severe case of the flu. Nationwide several hundred children have been hospitalized by swine flu.
WAYLAND MAN FACES GRAND LARCENY IN PAYROLL-COMPANY "PONZI SCHEME"
Jeffrey Sykes of Wayland, Steuben County, has been arraigned on larceny charges after allegedly dipping into client funds at his payroll-processing company Paybooks on Blossom Road. State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo claims Sykes used funds allocated to pay client payroll taxes to instead pay company and personal bills, then using other revenues to cover the shortfall. The "Ponzi scheme" was discovered when inevitably the shortages overwhelmed available reserves and clients started getting nonpayment notices from the IRS. Cuomo estimates that $2 million is missing in a racket which had been going on for 15 years. Sykes faces a possible 5 to 15 years if convicted.
State officials are supervising operations at Paybooks.
TWO DEAD IN LEROY HEAD-ON CRASH ON ROUTE 19
State Police are still trying to determine why a van driven by 84 year old Raymond Sissel, a retired Leroy pastor, crossed the center line of Route 19 in Leroy Tuesday, plowing head-on into a car and a dump truck in the opposing lanes. Both Sissel and the other car driver, Martin Muszak, 64, of Rochester, died in the crash. The dump truck driver, 55 year old Steven Ebner of Hamlin, was not injured.
A BELATED ARREST COMES IN THE 2007 ROBBERY, MURDER OF LOCAL MUSICIAN
It was August 2007 when Shalonda Simpson, 25, was felled in a penny-ante robbery as she walked home from a band rehearsal. The bassist with a local all-female band was fatally shot in the chest on Kirkland Road. Facing second-degree murder and criminal weapons possession is Tahsean Eaves, 19, of Rochester, who is being held without bail.
MAMA DIDN'T TAKE YOUR KODACHROME AWAY, BUT KODAK DID: ICONIC COLOR FILM NOW HISTORY
The headline quotes the chart-topping 1973 hit from Paul Simon, "Kodachrome," a product which has already shuffled into the history books as production of the movie and still film ends at Eastman Kodak.
Kodachrome revolutionized photography and advertising when it debuted in 1935; shortly after the film's introduction color magazine ads began to appear since its process made low-cost color photoprinting possible. Digital photography has of course taken its toll on the iconic film; for the past year only a single Kansas processing lab still developed Kodachrome. At its end, Kodachrome represented less than 1% of Kodak product sales. EK says it still has about a 5-month supply of Kodachrome on hand and will sell what remains through normal outlets.
FORMER COUNTY CONTRACT SUPERVISOR FACES FEDERAL CHARGES; LEGISLATURE PROBES PROJECTS
The chief executive of a county -affiliated agency which provided union workers under contract for public projects, has been arrested on federal wire-fraud charges. Robert Morone headed ROBUTRAD, a quasi-public agency concocted by former County GOP Chair Steve Minarik, and was purportedly created to save public dollars by avoiding the necessity of having staff union workers. Instead, prosecutors allege, ROBUTRAD provided workers to complete personal projects for each other, for public officials and other private citizens, billing the work to Monroe County. County Exec Maggie Brooks has launched a bipartisan internal probe even while the Federal fraud case proceeds. A number of ROBUTRAD workers have also been arrested on various charges.
CITY MAN ACCUSED OF MURDERING HIS MOTHER; IS SUSPECT IN A SECOND KILLING
Andrew Thompson, 33, has been charged with the bludgeoning death of his mother Elizabeth in the home they shared on Meigs Street. The woman's body was found inside the home early this week; she had been struck over the head with a heavy object. Thompson remains in jail without bail on second-degree murder; RPD investigators say he is also a suspect in the stabbing death of anb unnamed man whose body was found in a nearby Monroe Avenue apartment.
COUNTY HEALTH DIRECTOR: SWINE-FLU IN METRO IS NOW OFFICIALLY AN "EPIDEMIC"
Monroe County Public Health Director Dr. Andrew Doniger pronounced an uptick in cases of swine flu in the metro, officially an "epidemic" on Wednesday. Doniger noted that cases reported in schools had ramped to twice the expected level with a large number of positive results for flu reported in Rochester hospitals. Doniger noted that the swine flu symptoms appear relatively mild but repeated cautions to citizens to wash hands frequently, stay away from sick people and - if you're ill, stay home instead of spreading the infection. A swine-flu specific vaccine is expected to be on hand before the fall flu season.
GREECE MUSIC TEACHER'S BAIL UPPED IN SEX-ABUSE CASE
Judge Joseph Valentino Thursday increased bail from $500 to $2500 at the arraignment of Jeffrey Hoffman. Hoffman's been suspended from his music teacher's post at Greece Central Schools after being charged with statutory rape, criminal sex act, sexual abuse and child endangerment. He's been accused of having an ongoing relationship with a 14 year old student who was a member of the school's marching band.
CITY YOUTH CURFEW RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL BY STATE'S COURT OF APPEALS
In a 5-2 vote, New York's high court has invalidated Rochester's controversial 2006 youth curfew. The Court of Appeals ruled that the measure ordering all people under 20 off city streets from midnight to 5am weekend nightsand 11pm to 5am weekdays was an impermissible restriction on freedom of movement and assembly, adding it also abdriged parental rights. Mayor Bob Duffy responded by rescinding the law effective immediately and cancelling the contract to operate a truancy center. He declined to comment whether the law would be revised for another try.
SOUTH BRISTOL HIGHWAY SUPERINTENDENT CHARGED WITH STEALING FUNDS
Larry Duel, 63, who has been the Town of South Bristol's Highway Superintendent for 12 years, has been arrested on grand larceny charges in connection with the alleged theft of over $18,000. State investigators claim that Duel recycled scrap metal dating back to 2005 and kept the proceeds instead of turning them over to the Town; the State Comptroller initiated an investigation earlier this year after receiving anonymous tips. Duel was also accused of having equipment belonging to the Town at his Naples home including an air tool and a welder. He posted $2500 bail and was released
MOTION TO QUASH ONTARIO MURDER INDICTMENTS DENIED IN GARCIA CASE; ACCUSED MULTIPLE MURDERER STAYS IN JAIL
A defense motion to set aside Ontario County grand jury indictments of murder of Frank Garcia of Hamlin was denied by the judge on Tuesday. Garcia's attorney, David Morabito, attempted to introduce an alibi purporting to show that the accused murderer was in a different location on Valentines' Day at the time when Christopher and Kimberly Glatz were slain execution-style in their Cheshire home. The judge ruled that appropriate paperwork establishing an alibi defense was not timely filed and noted that Morabito could introduce the alibi defense at trial. Garcia is accused of the Glatz killings, as well as three shootings earlier in the day behind Lakeside Hospital in Brockport. Randal Norman and girlfriend Audra Dillon, along with Mary Silliman, were all gunned down. Only Dillon survived. Silliman and Kimberly Glatz were former co-workers at healthcare facilities from which Garcia had been fired. He remains in Monroe County jail without bail.
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