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Press release:

The quarterly meeting of the GOW Opioid Task Force is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 22 at the Quality Inn & Suites Hotel on Park Road in Batavia.

Residents of Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming counties wanting to gain or share information regarding the opioid crisis are invited to attend.

“The purpose of this meeting is to address the growing opioid crisis by sharing information across several sectors and to monitor the task force’s progress in our tri-county region,” said Christen Ferraro, project coordinator. “You do not need to be a member (of the task force) to attend.”

Ferraro said the meeting will feature more than 10 community resource tables from agencies across the region.

“Our work groups will share their highlights of 2019 and plans for the upcoming year,” she said. “The Law Enforcement Work Group will be giving a presentation on the new bail reform law -- going into more detail on what it means and how it might affect our area – and task force evaluators will discuss their role and share and their findings from last year.”

She said representatives of the Greater Rochester Health Foundation will talk about the grant that supports the task force and how to connect with the organization to apply for community health grants.

Tech is increasingly part of the learning environment in City School classrooms and at Tuesday's Board of Education meeting, two teachers -- Alexander Veltz, Social Studies (photo), and Andrew Kiebala, Math -- shared how they're using Chromebooks and Google classroom tools to aid in their instruction.

Their presentions came as part of the information technology review by Director of Technology Jeff McKinney.

Veltz shared how he can use Google tools to share assignments, worksheets, handouts, and ensure that not only are they available in the classroom, but students (and their guardians) have access to the material at home. The availability of the material is helping him meet the new demands for greater reading comprehension in state exams.

With the tools, students can answer questions and get immediate feedback on their responses. 

Another tool allows students to sort through documents, which is especially helpful for a project that requires them to write an essay based on pre-assigned material that they must study, find a common theme, and then organize in order to write the essay.

"There is a shift in New York State where it's less about retention and more about argumentation based on perspective and point of view," Veltz said. "Retention is a skill New York is moving away from."

Trustee Shawn Murphy, who teaches at Genesee Community College, asked if the use of the tools was taking away from classroom engagement. Veltz said not at all.

McKinney added, "We are not switching over to where kids just sit in front of a computer. That's not the intent at all."

Kiebala shared tools that students can use to study geometric properties. 

He also shared a program that allows students to work on quizzes that he guides from his own computer and see where they need help. He said the program allows students to ask questions and make observations that he can then share with the class. The process allows students who might normally be shy about raising their hands to contribute more readily to classroom learning.

"This is my favorite thing to do," Kiebala said. "It allows them to be independent and also allows me to have control, so it's the best of both worlds for a teacher."

Kiebala shared a study published by NPR that indicated most people in the work world don't spend a lot of time doing trigonometry or geometry but they do spend a lot of time working in Excel, so his statistics class is heavy into spreadsheets.

"I tell the class, 'this is what you're going to spend your time doing because this is what you're going to use,' " Kiebala said. "You don't have to do anything by hand anymore because you either have a calculator or a spreadsheet but you still need to know what the numbers mean."

Submitted photo and press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley joined law enforcement professionals, lawmakers and family members of crime victims at a press conference today in Albany held by Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay calling for a repeal of dangerous bail reform laws that are leading to serial criminals being released before trial. 

Joining lawmakers at the press conference today was Jennifer Payne, mother of Sarah Tombs who was shot and killed in April by her live-in boyfriend. The individual was released from custody last week under the new bail reform laws.

Also in attendance at the press conference was Sheila Harris, cousin of Maria “Rosie” Osai, a 35-year-old mother of three who was struck and killed by an unlicensed, hit-and-run driver in Rockland County on Christmas Eve. The driver was immediately released without bail pursuant to the new law.  

“Bail reform has already become a public safety epidemic with a new, dangerous criminal released back out onto the streets seemingly each day,” Hawley said. “New York City politicians who passed this law are directly responsible for tying our judges’ hands and restricting their ability to lock up career criminals with long rap sheets and that has dire consequences. I am calling on legislative leaders to join us in making much-needed changes to bail reform immediately before any more damage is done.”

David Chua, Stephen Pribek and Ashley Elmore -- Certificate of Appreciation

Sarah Gahagan has nominated David Chua, Stephen Pribek and Ashley Elmore for a board award. Each of these individuals invested a large chunk of time mentoring and modeling the word "commitment" to the B Squad boys. They did what not everyone does....they SHOWED UP. Each week, two days a week for 20 weeks these volunteers modeled follow through and were able to showcase what "doing what you love" looks like.

Each of these volunteers had something special to offer, a love of running and showed just how important it is to continue doing what you love, even into adulthood when you are busy and "life" takes over. Chua was a soft spoken guiding force of optimism and motivation, whereas Pribek could always add a science lesson into our running and truly teach us something new every single practice. His humor was a favorite with the boys. And Elmore is a ray of light. She is positive, fun, and encouraged the boys to always be their best under any circumstance. She is a true leader who shines from the inside out.

This program is only able to be successful because of the volunteers. We need to ensure safety while running and the more adults we have, the safer we are and the more boys we can accept within this program.

Volunteering is something not many do these days and it is valuable and appreciated and for this they all deserve to be recognized.

Carlos Colon -- Certificate of Appreciation

The English as a New Language faculty nominate Carlos Colon for a Board of Education award because of his dedication to our district and students. Anyone who knows Carlos would use words like friendly, easy going, helpful, and caring to describe him. Colon's official job title is maintenance staff, however he frequently uses his time to help others outside this requirement.

Most notably, Colon has helped countless times this year alone in translating needs, concerns, and important information between teachers or administration, and parents who speak only Spanish. He does this because he knows the parents and teachers struggle to understand each other using only a translation app, and he doesn't want something important to be misconstrued due to a technical error.

He has also been called upon when our Spanish-speaking students needed a familiar face and language to calm them down. He has talked kids down from metaphorical ledges more than once, and helped the students come to a more peaceful place so that teachers could have a conversation with students. One student even shadows him as he works, as an incentive for good behavior.

Other students also look up to Carlos, as a friend, mentor, and a person they can trust. Colon embodies the phrase “above and beyond,” all in the hopes of helping our students be successful and understood. For these reasons, we believe Colon is well deserving of recognition for his work by the Board of Education.

Nominated by the ENL Department Staff.

Jenna Mrzywka (pronounced Majifka), Trina Cox, Addison Marino, Chelsea Cummings, Courtney Turcer and Shawn Chrysler.

Jim Jacobs -- Certificate of Appreciation

Jacobs recently came back out of retirement to fill in as Interim Director of Facilities. He stepped back in and it was as if he had never left. His knowledge and experience was instrumental in our schools opening smoothly and safely this year as the Capital Project created many changes to the District. Working closely with him, I saw first hand his continued dedication to make our schools the best they can be for our students and staff. It was a pleasure working with him again. Thank you, Jim!

Anonymous nomination.

Information and photos submitted by the school district.

Press release:

The Batavia Police Department has been investigating several cases where credit card numbers have been used fraudulently at businesses in the City of Batavia.

The suspect will not have the physical credit card but will ask the clerk to type in the numbers manually. The transactions will be initially approved, allowing the suspect to obtain the items from the business, but will be declined approximately a month later.

Business insurance will typically not cover the transactions, which means the business is out of the money.

The best practice for businesses to help prevent this type of fraud is to ensure customers have the physical credit card with them and to ask for identification with every card transaction, making sure the names on both the ID and card match.

The cases are ongoing so further details cannot be released at this time.

Anyone with information in reference to the case may contact: Detective Sgt. Matthew Lutey at 585-345-6365; or the Batavia Police Department at 585-345-6350; the confidential tip line at 585-345-6370; or online here. 

Press release:

Nate McMurray, a Democrat running in the Special Election in NY-27 to fill the vacancy left by the Chris Collins, and Ammar Campa-Najjar, Democrat running in CA-50 for Duncan Hunter’s former seat, have teamed up to call for ethics reform to prevent corrupt Congress members from retaining their Congressional pensions following their guilty pleas.

McMurray and Campa-Najjar ran against Collins and Hunter, respectively, in 2018 while they were under indictment and proclaiming their innocence. Both former Congress members have since resigned in disgrace after pleading guilty to their crimes. Collins will be sentenced for insider trading violations on Jan. 17th.

The candidates are pledging to sponsor legislation to require Congressional pensions to be forfeited if a member is found guilty of a felony. Additionally, they will sponsor legislation to require the repayment of personal loans to campaigns within two years of the election.

McMurray first called for pension forfeiture in an October letter to the judge overseeing Collins’ case after Collins pled guilty.

It was reported earlier this month that Collins, a multimillionaire, also paid himself back more than $140,000 for a personal loan he gave to his losing 1998 campaign.

“People across our country are fed up with politicians illegally using their positions for personal gain – here in Western New York and in California, we have been deeply betrayed by our Congress members who prioritized their personal wealth ahead of their constituents,” McMurray said.

“That’s why Ammar and I are committed to addressing corruption when elected. Specifically, we want to ensure no felon former Congressmember can profit off their crimes by retaining their pensions and prevent campaign accounts from turning into personal piggybanks. Americans deserve better.”

“Nate and I are standing together today to fight back against the corruption that has harmed our districts, and demanding that Washington hold members of Congress to the most basic standards of ethical behavior,” Campa-Najjar said.

“Regardless of your party, if you break the public’s trust, you should not be able to keep your pension. Corruption harms all of us and undermines faith in our government. We must do better.”

Submitted photo and press release:

On Thursday, Jan. 16, The Roberts Chorale will perform its first solo concert of the New Year. The concert is free of charge and open to the public and will begin at 7 p.m.

It will take place at the First Presbyterian Church of Batavia, which is located at 300 E. Main St. Seating is by general admission; doors will open at 6:45. There will be a reception following the performance.

The Roberts Chorale is Roberts Wesleyan College’s premier vocal ensemble, devoted to the study and performance of high-quality choral music from diverse styles, musical eras, languages, and cultures.

Bonded by a passion for compelling musical performance and a desire for meaningful Christian fellowship, the Chorale is an ensemble of talented singer-artists who combine their gifts to cultivate excellence in choral singing.

For its 2019–2020 season, it is comprised of 41 students representing 18 academic majors at Roberts Wesleyan College, four home states, and three home countries.

The day after this concert, the Chorale departs on a performance tour of Florida, with concerts throughout the following week in Lakeland, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Fort Lauderdale, and Marco Island.

In the past two years, the choir, directed by Adam Potter, Ph.D., has toured the East Coast and returned from France in May, performing to large and enthusiastic audiences in Paris and Normandy.

Each year, the Chorale’s musical programming and extra-musical activities are structured around a unifying theme. This year, the theme—and that of the tour—is perseverance.

In devotionals and other spiritual life activities incorporated into the ensemble, they are reflecting on James 1:12: “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

The title of the Florida tour program is “Through the Storm … Lead Me to the Light.”

These words are borrowed from the central piece on the program, Thomas Dorsey’s “Precious Lord,” and the repertoire is structured around the storm, ead, and light themes.

The first set of the concert is called “The Rain Awakens” and features storm music that represents the elements of nature. During the second set, “Turn Darkness Into Light,” the storm fades away and the theme of light begins to emerge through. The Chorale returns to the stage for its third set: “Lead Me Home,” during which the music leads the audience not only to physical light but to the Light of the world, Jesus Christ. Finally, in the final set, “The Star of My Life Is Jesus,” the Chorale sings of the One who is the culmination of every piece that preceded it.

Although thematically unified, the program is stylistically eclectic, including music from Renaissance Mexico, Classic Austria, and also music guaranteed to delight audiences, including new music by American composers, a folk song arrangement, gospel music, spirituals, and even a choral arrangement of a contemporary Christian ballad from the 1970s.

Through Potter’s philosophy of “relentless positivity,” the choir has been able to bring the concert together with the goal of sharing their music and their faith with the Batavia community in preparation for expanding their reach while on tour in Florida the next week.

A tractor-trailer and box truck collision is reported in Bethany at 6071 Ellicott Street Road. Minor injuries. The northbound land is completely blocked and  there is a lot of debris across both lanes of traffic; southbound is partially blocked.

The road will be shut down. The tractor-trailer will be require a heavy wrecker for removal; the box truck is towable.

The location is between East and Transit roads. Law enforcement is to respond non-emergency mode. Bethany and Stafford fire departments are called to the scene along with Mercy medics.

The driver of a rented Chrysler 300 that slammed sideways into a tree in the Village of Alexander yesterday was apparently a member of a nationwide criminal enterprise known as the "Felony Lane Gang."

The gang members, often recognizable by their gold teeth, are known to smash into parked vehicles and then use stolen debit cards to obtain cash from bank accounts. When going to a bank, they use the lane furthest from the bank building, which makes it harder for security cameras to pick up identifying information. That lane is known as the "Felony Lane," hence the gang's name. 

Cleveland D. Johnson, 22, of Lauderdale Lakes, Fla. was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. The vehicle he was driving was stopped for a traffic violation in the Village of Warsaw but Johnson hit the gas after the police officer exited the patrol car and headed west on Route 20. At Varysburg, he turned north and an Attica PD patrol spotted the vehicle on Route 98 and attempted to pursue but soon broke off the pursuit because of the high rate of speed of the white Chrysler. Johnson lost control of the sedan as he entered the village and the car wrapped around a large tree in front of a residence on Main Road.

Johnson, according to Chief Deputy Brian Frieday, did have gold teeth.

One of Johnson's passengers, Clyde A. Frazier, 24, of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., was seriously injured in the crash and remains in guarded condition (meaning he is in the intensive care unit) at Strong Memorial Hospital. A social media profile for a Clyde Frazier in Ft. Lauderdale shows multiple pictures of a young man with gold teeth.

The other passenger in the vehicle, Desarae N. Steriotis, 33, of Philadelphia, was taken by Mercy Flight to ECMC. Frieday said as of today, her injuries are no longer considered life threatening.

Frieday said investigators are still developing information about the suspects and didn't have anything to add about their activities in the area.

Johnson was arrested in Greenburgh, N.Y., in January 2018, along with three other individuals, who were all accused of being part of the "Felony Lane Gang." One of the other suspects, Tyrone Parker, bared his gold teeth for his mugshot.

The four people were suspected of taking part in a crime spree throughout New England and Upstate New York. At the time of their arrest, they were reportedly found in possession stolen checks, dozens of stolen credit and debit cards, and 25 stolen licenses from several different states.

In July, Johnson was arrested in Watervliet, along with two other suspects, charged with criminal possession of a stolen substance, a felony, and criminal impersonation, a misdemeanor.

The Felony Lane Gang is reportedly based in the Ft. Lauderdale area but operates nationally. There have been crimes and arrests reported in nearly every one of the lower 48 states.

Our news partner, 13WHAM reports that Frazier has a criminal record in Florida.

Press release:

Today, New York State Senator Rob Ortt, Army combat veteran, and candidate for New York’s 27th Congressional District released a new radio ad highlighting his record as a battle-tested patriot who, like President Trump, has successfully fought back against false liberal attacks.

The advertisement, released in both Buffalo and Rochester, focuses on Ortt’s successful fight against partisan attacks from corrupt former New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. As he did to President Trump, Schneiderman falsely accused Ortt of politically motivated charges. Those charges were quickly laughed out of court by a Democrat judge. Meanwhile, Schneiderman resigned in disgrace after his history of abusive behavior toward women was exposed. 

“President Trump has faced false attacks from the radical left since he first announced his campaign for President," Ortt said. "Since taking office, the President has had to fight back against countless liberal regressive witch hunts. I know what that’s like because those same crooked politicians attacked me for my conservative values.

"I stood up to politically motivated attacks from the disgraced Eric Schneiderman and I won -- just as President Trump has done. Now, I want to go to Washington to fight by his side against this impeachment sham and help him advance the conservative agenda he was elected to enact.”

Beginning on Jan. 13th the radio campaign highlighting Ortt’s record as a battle-tested patriot will air on talk radio across the 27th Congressional District.

The radio advertisement can be heard here.

A two-vehicle accident with minor injuries is reported in Bergen at 7880 Clinton Street Road, east of Dublin Road. Bergen Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 2:40 p.m.: Fire command asks for a flatbed tow and says to tell the operator a vehicle is completely over and behind a guard rail, so it will need to be lifted up and over it, or the guard rail will have to be taken down in order to access the vehicle for removal. A guy wire is down and a first responder reports a power outage in the vicinity. Traffic control is needed.

Press release:

The New York political party known at Serve America Movement -- SAM-NY -- filed a lawsuit today in United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against Gov. Andrew Cuomo, state legislators and NYS Board of Election over ballot access law.

The court encompasses the counties of New York, Bronx, Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Orange, Dutchess, and Sullivan but the lawsuit, since it's filed in Federal Court, is statewide.

The new political party claims requirements are unconstitutional.

SAM-NY alleges the major political parties strive to eliminate political competition in New York State.

A new state election law would require all of New York State’s political parties to run a Presidential candidate in this year’s election (2020) and receive 2 percent of the total vote or 130,000 votes, whichever is greater, in order to maintain their statewide ballot line.

SAM-NY’s lawsuit alleges that the new law, in effect after the issuance of a report by the Campaign Finance Reform Commission (“the Commission”), is a violation of the party’s and its members’ Constitutional rights.

To read the legal complaint, click here.

“Requiring the SAM Party of New York to nominate a candidate for President or lose ‘party’ status imposes a severe burden” on SAM and its members, the complaint alleges. “In imposing that requirement, the Commission’s recommendations, now law, violate the First and Fourteenth Amendments.”

SAM’s lawsuit seeks to bar enforcement of that requirement against SAM and to ensure that SAM is not removed from the ballot or stripped of its “party” status if it does not run a 2020 presidential candidate.

Prior to the new law, to qualify for automatic ballot access in New York State, a party must have received at least 50,000 votes in the prior gubernatorial election. In the 2018 Gubernatorial election, SAM earned a ballot line for four years by getting more than 50,000 votes for Governor.

SAM quickly capitalized on that ballot line, running 100+ candidates in 2019, with 51 of those candidates winning their elections to offices in 21 counties across New York State.

In 14 of those races, SAM represented the alternative party of choice, and in seven races it received more votes than at least one of the two major parties. SAM’s early success in earning ballot access and winning elections demonstrates its appeal to New York voters as an alternative choice to the Democratic and Republican parties.

The new presidential-vote requirement, which was imposed without review or a vote in the Legislature, denies SAM its previously earned ability to build a new political party from the ground up focused solely on New York, and threatens to halt the success it has quickly achieved.

“Everything about this effort to suppress political competition, including how it was enacted, represents how the current two-party system wields its power to rig the system in its favor,” says Michael Volpe, the SAM Party of New York’s chairman, and SAM’s candidate for Lieutenant Governor in 2018.

“With the imposition of this requirement, New Yorkers are denied the ability to choose candidates who are willing to be held accountable for their actions, candidates who oppose party power politics and demand transparency in all decisions, and candidates who at all times require that decisions be made based on the needs of citizens and not the needs of party bosses.”

“We’ll fight this effort by Governor Cuomo and his handpicked Commission with everything we have," Volpe said. "It threatens the very existence of challenges to the status quo and efforts to better represent the interests of all New Yorkers. It’s undemocratic, unconstitutional, unfair and has been cooked up solely to serve the interests of those who control our broken political system."

SAM-NY is the newest political party in New York State, offering New Yorkers a different approach to governing focused on transparency and accountability, rather than on ideology. SAM, short for the Serve America Movement, empowers its candidates and elected officials to serve the needs of their constituents and not be controlled by inflexible left/right political positions that are increasingly partisan.

Visit joinsamny.org for more information.

Renee Suzanne Symonds, 51, of Cedar Cove Trail, Rochester, is charged with third-degree assault and second-degree harassment. Symonds was arrested after an investigation at Batavia Downs Casino & Hotel on Park Road in Batavia. She allegedly attacked two security guards at 4:58 p.m. on Jan. 13 after refusing to leave the property. She is due in Batavia Town Court at 1 p.m. on Jan. 30. The case was investigated by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Kyle Krzemien, assisted by Deputy David Moore.

Marissa Nicole Lehto, 30, of Liberty Street, Batavia, is charged with grand larceny. She was arrested and is due to answer the charge today (Jan. 14) in Batavia City Court. She is accused of taking a wallet containing a credit card from a purse that did not belong to her at 6:10 p.m. on Jan. 27, 2019, on Main Street in Batavia. The case was investigated by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Quider, assisted by Officer Peter Flanagan.

David James Leroy, 27, of Gabbey Road, Pembroke, is charged with second-degree harassment. At 6:17 p.m. on Jan. 12 he was arrested on West Main Street Road in Batavia. Leroy allegedly responded to another person's place of employment in the Town of Batavia after being told to cease contact with that person. He was released on an appearance ticket for Jan. 16 in Town of Batavia Court. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy David Moore.

John Frederick Macintyre, 67, of Linwood Road, Le Roy, is charged with: driving while intoxicated; speed not reasonable and prudent; failure to keep right; and DWI with a BAC of .08 percent or more. He was arrested at 8:13 p.m. on Linwood Road in Le Roy after the investigation of a property damage accident. Macintyre was issued traffic tickets and is due in Le Roy Town Court on Feb. 4. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Jared Swimline, assisted by Deputy Andrew Mullen.

Michael Todd Swiatowy, 48, of Hartshorn Road, Batavia, is charged with driving while intoxicated and refusal to take a breath test. Following an investigation at the scene of a domestic incident, Swiatowy was arrested and arraigned in Batavia City Court. He is due to return to court on Feb. 18. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Brock Cummins, assisted by Deputy James Stack.

Michael Andrew Coleman, 44, of Post Avenue, Rochester, is charged with third-degree bail jumping and aggravated unlicensed operation in the second degree. At 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 11, Coleman was turned over to the Genesee County Sheriff's Office by Monroe County County deputies. He was arrested for having an outstanding arrest and bench warrant out of Town of Alabama Court, where he was arraigned then released on his own recognizance. Coleman is due there again on Jan. 15. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Jordan Alejandro.

From the Genesee County Sheriff's Office:

The Genesee County Sheriff's Office would like to again advise residents that they have received several complaints over the past week involving the theft of motor vehicles and the theft of articles from vehicles parked in private driveways and lots.

These larcenies have occurred mainly during the overnight hours.

Residents are reminded to keep their vehicles locked, remove keys from vehicles, and to report any suspicious activity that they observe to 9-1-1.

(File photo from 2018 Day of Caring.)

Press release:

The United Way of Genesee County will be looking forward to its 13^th Annual Day of Caring on Wednesday, May 13^th.

More than 30 nonprofit agencies are expected to benefit from more than 400 volunteers who will paint, landscape, and perform general beautification projects throughout Genesee County.

Dwyer Stadium will again be the host site to kick off the event and after all projects are completed a wrap-up celebration will be held to share successes from the day.

Registration for projects and volunteers will be available soon.

Those who are new to the Day of Caring and would like to be involved in spending a united day together making the community a better place, or who have a project they would like completed, are encouraged to reach out to the Tammy Hathaway at the United Way of Genesee County at 585-343-8141.

The man who proclaimed his innocence for months, even while running for re-election to Congress, only to eventually plead guilty to insider trading charges, should spend up to five years in prison, according to his prosecutors.

The Washington Post reports that Manhatten U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman is asking a judge to send Chris Collins, now residing in Florida, to federal prison for an extended sentence "to promote respect for the law" and "to provide just punishment."

Collins will be sentenced on Friday.

The former NY-27 representative got into trouble after regulators realized his son Cameron Collins dumped more than $700,000 in stock in an Australian company, Innate Immunotherapeutics, just before news went public of a failed clinical trial.

Cameron's now-former future father-in-law also engaged in a sell-off of the stock at the same time.

An investigation by the FBI revealed that Chris Collins, the first congressman to endorse Donald Trump for president, called Cameron from the White House lawn minutes after receiving news of the failed trial from the company CEO. Chris Collins was one of the company's largest shareholders and served on the board of directors.

Collins later lied to the FBI about his involvement in the insider trading scheme.

After campaigning with a promise that he would be fully exonerated, and refusing public appearances and interview requests throughout much of the 27th District, the multimillionaire pled guilty in Federal Court in September.

Both Cameron and Stephen Zarsky, the father of Cameron's one-time fiancée, have also entered guilty pleas.

In a prior court filing, attorneys for Chris Collins pleaded for leniency from the judge, stating Collins “has paid a heavy price for his crimes. He is, and will forever be, tortured with the knowledge that his actions have caused his son, to whom he always aspired to be a role model, to live with the stain of a felony conviction, and perhaps serve time in prison."

Berman doesn't think Collins has had paid a sufficient price for his crimes.

“As a member of Congress at the time that he committed the offenses in this case … Collins was better situated than almost anyone else to understand the societal importance of following the law,” the prosecutor said his filing. "Collins came to embody the cynical idea that those in power who make the laws are not required to follow them.”

Photo: File photo of Chris Collins and his wife, Mary Sue, at an August 2018 press conference in Buffalo where Collins proclaimed his innocence following his arrest in New York City and then refused to take questions from reporters.

On Monday, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer called on the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to finally prioritize the health and well-being of Upstate New York veterans and finally end the years-long delay of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) effort to add additional diseases to the Agent Orange presumptive conditions list.

In Western New York, there are approximately more than 32,000 Vietnam-era veterans. Statewide, there are more than 240,000 of them.

A 2016 National Academies report found suggestive evidence that bladder cancer and hypothyroidism were associated with veterans’ service, as well as clarified that veterans with “Parkinson-like symptoms” (Parkinsonism) should be considered eligible under the presumption that Parkinson's disease and the veterans' service are connected.

Following this report, former VA Secretary David Shulkin announced that he would add these conditions to the Agent Orange presumptive conditions list in the near future, which would allow Vietnam War-era veterans stricken by these illnesses to receive additional health care benefits, disability compensation, and care benefits to surviving spouses and dependent children and parents.

But that announcement never came after OMB blocked the move.

In addition to the failure to include bladder cancer, hypothyroidism, and Parkinsonism on the Agent Orange presumptive conditions list, the VA has also yet to act on a 2018 National Academies report that found sufficient evidence of association between exposure to herbicides and hypertension.

Even though Schumer secured a provision in the recently passed budget deal requiring the VA to issue a report to Congress in consultation with OMB on the delay in adding these conditions to the presumptive conditions list, he said this is not nearly enough. He urged the agencies to take the necessary steps to ensure that the over 240,000 New York veterans, who risked their lives to defend their country, receive the health care and benefits they need and deserve.

Just last week, Schumer called recently confirmed OIRA Administrator Paul Ray directly and implored him, as the chief overlooking all federal government regulations, to immediately prioritize our veterans’ healthcare, take a personal interest in expanding their health benefits and add these conditions to the Agent Orange Presumptive Conditions List.

“It’s unfathomable that the administration is refusing to do right by our nation’s veterans, including the more than 240,000 New York veterans that bravely served during the Vietnam era, and has unilaterally blocked the VA from expanding healthcare benefits to those exposed to Agent Orange,” Senator Schumer said.

The Right Thing to Do

“After years and years of kicking the can down the road, it is high time for the federal government to accept the substantial proof linking bladder cancer, hypertension, hypothyroidism, and Parkinsonism to Agent Orange exposure, and add these conditions to the Agent Orange presumptive conditions list.

"It is absolutely incumbent on the administration to do everything within its power to clear a path for the VA, add these conditions to the list of Agent Orange illnesses, and finally allow veterans who are currently suffering access to the healthcare and benefits they rightly deserve; it’s not just the right thing to do, but it’s the very least we owe the brave New Yorkers who served and defended our country.”

In March of last year, Dr. Richard Stone, the executive in charge of the Veterans Health Administration, testified before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee that the recommended new presumptive conditions would be added within 90 days, which also never happened.

Furthermore, this past October, email communications between the VA and the White House revealed that the delays were at the behest of the OMB Director Mick Mulvaney and White House advisors, who were reportedly concerned about the potential cost of adding diseases to the Agent Orange presumptive conditions list.

Emails explaining the decision to hold off on adding the conditions to the presumptive conditions list can be found here.

Exposure to Herbicide 'Agent Orange' Inflicts 'Presumed Diseases'

Schumer explained that per the Agent Orange Act of 1991, the VA automatically accepts that if a Vietnam Veteran physically served in Vietnam between January 1962 and May 1975, it is probable that the veteran was exposed to an herbicide agent like Agent Orange.

Furthermore, the Act established a list of “presumed” diseases that the VA stipulates are caused by Agent Orange exposure. Therefore, if a veteran served in Vietnam at any time between 1962-1975 and is diagnosed with one or more of the diseases VA recognizes as service connected, the VA will compensate the veteran and his or her family.

However, even though there is scientific evidence linking Parkinsonism, bladder cancer, hypertension and hypothyroidism to Agent Orange exposure, they are not currently on the VA’s list of recognized conditions.

Schumer said that is absolutely crucial that the roughly 240,000 Vietnam-era veterans in New York State receive the healthcare benefits they need and deserve.

“Adding these diseases to the Agent Orange Presumption List would only benefit the brave service members who were exposed to this chemical during the Vietnam War and are suffering from its harmful effects,” Veterans Outreach Center Executive Director and Army veteran Laura Stradley said. “Veterans Outreach Center stands with our veterans, and we support the laws that allow our brothers and sisters to access much-needed healthcare, services and support.”

The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo scholarship application process for the 2020 – 2021 academic year is now open. Applications are due by May 1 and must be submitted online.

All students, including Say Yes Buffalo applicants and scholars, that meet the following eligibility requirements are encouraged to apply.

Scholarship awards typically range from $1,000 to $6,000.

Eligibility Requirements

• Be a current resident of one of the eight counties of Western New York (Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, Wyoming);
• Have a minimum of a “C” average or a GPA of 2.0 or greater;
• Be admitted to a nonprofit 501(c)(3), U.S. Department of Education accredited school for full-time study beginning in the fall 2020 semester.

More than 200 individuals, families, foundations and organizations have established scholarship funds through the Community Foundation. In 2019, the Community Foundation remained as one of the region’s largest scholarship providers, awarding scholarships totaling $3.2 million to more than 3,000 Western New York students.

For more information on the Community Foundation’s scholarship program, including application instructions, please visit www.cfgbscholarships.org or text SCHOLARSHIP to (855) 213-4426*.

The driver of a 2019 Chrysler 300 who died after the driver's side of the car slammed into a tree at 10616 Main Road, Alexander, at 4:21 p.m. has been identified as Cleveland D. Johnson, 22, of Lauderdale Lakes, Fla.

Johnson fled from police following a traffic stop by Warsaw PD in the Village of Warsaw. The officer lost sight of the vehicle before it reached Varysburg.  At Varysburg, witnesses informed the officer that the car had headed north on Route 98.

An Attica PD officer spotted the car on Route 98 but cut off the pursuit because of the vehicle's high rate of speed. The white sedan proceeded north into the Village of Alexander where the driver lost control of the car and it slid sideways into the tree.

Two occupants in the car suffered serious physical injuries. They are Clyde A. Frazier, 24, of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and Desarae N. Steriotis, 33, of Philadelphia. Fraizer was transported by Mercy Flight to Strong and Steriotis was transported to ECMC by Mercy Flight.

The accident remains under investigation and investigators have yet to determine why Johnson fled from police.

Assisting at the scene were the Alexander Volunteer Fire Department, Attica Fire Department, Bethany Fire Department, Mercy EMS, Wyoming County Sheriff's Office, Attica PD, and State Police.  

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