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Press release:

• Genesee County received four new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • The new positive cases reside in Batavia, LeRoy, and Pavilion.
  • The individuals are in their 0-19s, 30s, and 60s.
  • One of the individuals was on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
  • Twenty-five new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
  • Two of the positive individuals are hospitalized.
     
• Orleans County received six new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • The new positive cases reside in Carlton, Clarendon and Murray.
  • The individuals are in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 60s and 80s.
  • None of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
  • Four new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
  • Nine of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
  • Two of the positive individuals are hospitalized.

Also, the Health Department released the following health alert:

A tractor-trailer accident is reported in the area of 7990 Oak Orchard Road, Elba.

A first responder says the truck is well off the road in a field.

No word on injuries.

Elba fire and Mercy EMS responding.

This struck me as a picturesque view off of Transit Road in Stafford as I drove through the area this afternoon.

Press release:

• Genesee County received five new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • The new positive cases reside in Alabama, Bergen, Bethany and Le Roy.
  • The individuals are in their 20s and 60s.
  • The individuals were not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
  • Two of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation.
  • Thirteen new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
  • Two of the positive individuals are hospitalized.
  • The Genesee County Health Department received notification from the State that the individual previously reported as positive at Premier Genesee has been identified as a negative COVID patient; therefore the individual has been removed from our numbers.
     
• Orleans County received 19 new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • The new positive cases reside in Albion, Barre, Carlton, Clarendon and Murray.
  • The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 60s and 80s.
  • Two of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
  • Sixteen new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
  • One of the positive individuals is hospitalized.
  • Five of the new positive individuals are students at Albion Central School District, which include the elementary, the middle and the high schools. Four of the students had not been in school for the week prior to testing positive. The Health Department determined there is no need to do further contact tracing in the school for those students. Contact tracing regarding the fifth student has been completed. Staff members and parents of any students who were identified as being close contacts have been notified by the Health Department. The individuals are under mandatory isolation and will remain there until fully recovered. Contact tracing is in process. Individuals identified by the health department as being close contacts have been and/or will be contacted by the health department contact tracers and placed under mandatory quarantine. Individuals identified by the health department as being a close contact will be expected to follow the New York State Department of Health quarantine guidelines.

Press release from AAA:

Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $2.16, down 1 cent from one week ago. One year ago, the price was $2.61. The New York State average is $2.24 – down 1 cent from last week. A year ago, the NYS average was $2.70.

AAA Western and Central New York (AAA WCNY) reports the following averages:

• Batavia -- $2.20 (no change since last week)
• Buffalo -- $2.21 (down 1 cent since last week)
• Ithaca -- $2.18 (no change since last week)
• Rochester -- $2.23 (down 1 cent since last week)
• Rome -- $2.31 (no change since last week)
• Syracuse -- $2.17 (down 1 cent since last week)
• Watertown -- $2.29 (down 1 cent since last week)

The Energy Information Administration (EIA), reports that gas demand is decreasing. Low demand, even as total domestic stocks increased, has helped to push pump prices down. As demand remains low, American drivers should expect pump prices to continue to decline this fall.

Domestic crude prices have increased despite market concern about increasing coronavirus infections worldwide, which could lower crude demand as countries impose new restrictions that will likely limit oil consumption. However, if demand concerns continue to weigh on the market, crude prices — and gas prices — could decrease.

From GasBuddy:

"Gas price trends continue to be typical for this time of year, easing slightly in most places as demand continues its slow seasonal drop, with potential enhancement from the recent surge in new coronavirus cases," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy.

"More stations are falling back under $2 per gallon, in fact the highest amount of stations since May are now under that level, and I do believe that trend will continue at least for now as improvement in the coronavirus situation remains elusive.

"There may be minor disruption in price and localized supply challenges as Tropical Storm Zeta again takes aim for the Gulf Coast, but like we've seen with Laura, Sally and Delta, these issues have been very minor compared to a normal year due to the reduction in our gasoline appetite."

While at the accident scene on Route 33 in Stafford this afternoon, I spotted a plane towing a sign well off in the distance. I tried to quickly zoom in with my video camera but I still can't quite make out for sure what the sign says. I think it says, "This is Bills Country NBC / Don't You Forget It."

Video from today's rally in Batavia in support of Donald Trump for president in 2020.

The John Gardner Society's annual October reading of the late Batavia author's work is virtual this year instead of at his favorite restaurant, the Pok-A-Dot.

The reading, and hopefully the livestream, is scheduled to start at 8 p.m.

Last week, Jacqui Berger was in town and we had an opportunity to talk with her while she was in Batavia. Berger is running for the 61st State Senate District.

The third meeting of the Batavia's Police Collaboration Advisory Stakeholder Group covered several topics related to the local criminal justice system, including:

• Restorative Justice/Genesee Justice;
• Implicit bias training;
• The juvenile diversion program;
• Procedural justice -- standards of conduct, community relations, and biases in policing.

Cathy Uhly, program coordinator for Genesee Justice (top photo), spoke about restorative justice at the meeting on Thursday night at the City Centre Board Room.

In contrast to punitive justice, which doesn't take into account victims and ignores any possibility of rehabilitation, restorative justice gives an opportunity for crime victims to be heard so that criminals might better understand the impact of their actions as well potentially make amends or pay restitution. It also offers offenders an opportunity to reform and become productive members of society.

Genesee Justice was the first county-level restorative justice program in the nation, was started in 1980 by then-Sheriff Douglas Call, former probation officer Dennis Wittman, and former County Court Judge Glenn Morton.

Genesee Justice represents criminal victims, supervises accused criminal defendants prior to sentencing, manages DWI (driving while intoxicated) convicts going through the conditional discharge program, and conducts a judicial diversion program.

Julie Carasone, a certified trainer who will conduct an implicit bias seminar for Batavia police officers in December, gave a brief overview of the training course she will present. 

Implicit bias is a bias a person might possess and be unaware of it. The course Carasone teaches involves exercises to help people learn both how biases affect their perceptions and judgments and the roots of such biases.

The course also touches on cognitive biases such as confirmation bias and the halo effect.

A confirmation bias is the tendency of people to seek out information that confirms what they already believe and dismisses information that contradicts their beliefs. The halo effect is attributing abilities or attributes to a person for no other reason than appearance, speech or past performance.

Her training also covers institutional, structural and historic racism.

Paula Campbell, an attorney in the County Attorney's Office who works in Family Court, spoke about current diversion programs designed to help young people from getting caught up in the justice system and learning to cope with any problems they might have.

Programs include PINS (person in need of supervision), youth court, family court, and programs for youths determined to be juvenile delinquents.

What program a youth enters depends on age, the severity of any behavioral issues of criminal conduct, and past record.

Anybody in the community can refer a youth to probation for consideration of possible intervention if that person has had harmed by a youth. Most commonly, referrals come from parents, schools or police.

In youth court, young people act as the judge, attorneys and jury to help deal with minor youthful offenses. It is the offender's peers who decide the best course of action to help correct a wrong or put youth on a more productive path.

Chief Shawn Heubusch spoke about police department policies that deal with procedural justice. These policies include standards of conduct, community relations, and bias in policing. These policies cover ethical behavior, building connections with community members, and avoiding prejudice in professional decision making.

The house at 43 Hutchins St., Batavia, has been ready for Halloween all month with a quite impressive larger-than-life human skeleton among other decorations.

For Batavia High School seniors, today was Make a Difference Day, the day seniors fan out around the community completing a variety of volunteer projects for community organizations.

Photos are from the seniors' clean-up project at the Batavia Cemetery.

Seniors also helped out at:

• All Babies Cherished Genesee ARC (participate in activities with individuals with disabilities) 
• Batavia First United Methodist Church (organizing and possible yard work)
• Genesee Cancer Assistance (organize office inside the hospital)
• Cornell Cooperative Extension (recording books for kids, assembling soil kits, organizing storeroom)
• Crossroads House (organizing kitchen cupboards, general indoor cleaning)
• Batavia First United Methodist Church (organizing and yard work)
• Genesee County Park (yard work at the outdoor learning center)
• Genesee County Youth Bureau (decorating Halloween bags)
• Genesee Orleans Art Council (help with artistic mural painting, landscaping, cleaning, wall painting)
• Habitat for Humanity (construction work)
• Holland Land Office (yard work) 
• Kiwanis Park
• Manor House (gardening and landscaping)
• Batavia Peace Garden (yard work, painting)

Last night on East Avenue in Batavia.

Photo submitted by JoAnne Meiser.

A motor-vehicle accident with injuries is reported on the Thruway in the area of mile marker 395.

There are multiple callers. It may involve two semi-trucks and a passenger vehicle.

East Pembroke fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 8:57 a.m.: Westbound traffic is blocked. The East Pembroke chief requests that traffic be diverted at the Batavia exit.

UPDATE 8:58 a.m.: Extrication will be required according to an Indian Falls chief who responded. Confirmed, two tractor-trailers, possibly a car.

UPDATE: One person was transported by ground ambulance to ECMC with a possible serious injury.

Genesee County's unemployment rate, at 4.8 percent for September, is the lowest percentage it's been in 2020 but still significantly higher than its seasonal rate a year ago.

In August rate 2019, the rate was 3.4 percent.

Since the pandemic hit the economy, the local employment rate has been:

• April, 14.4 percent
• May, 10.1 percent
• June, 9.5 percent
• July, 10.5 percent
• August, 8 percent

The lowest rate prior to September was in February and March at 4.9 percent. The pandemic-related job losses started in March but those job losses didn't start to show up in official statistics until April.

There are 28,900 county residents counted in the labor force. A year ago, there were 29,900 people in the local labor force.

Of those currently in the labor force (people who are employed or are actively looking for work), 27,500 have jobs. There are 1,400 looking for work.

For September, there were 21,200 non-farm jobs in Genesee County compared to 23,000 a year ago. Of those, 15,700 are in the private sector (compared to 17,400 a year ago).

Legacy Insurance Group held a grand opening and ribbon-cutting today at the company's new office at 212 E. Main St., Batavia.

Legacy Insurance will be a local resource for Medicare Advantage plans through UnitedHealthcare, as well as several life insurance options, and can help with navigating health insurance choices on the NYS of Health Marketplace. 

Agent Diana M. Wagner resides in Stafford with her husband, Ron, and two of her three children, Bobby and Rachel.

In the photo, Wagner cuts the ribbon surrounded by friends and family along with Tom Turnbull, president of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, and Ken Sciarrino, from United Healthcare (holding ribbon on right).

Press release:

As of 2 p.m.:

• Genesee County received zero new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • Two of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation.
  • Fourteen new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
• Orleans County received four new positive cases of COVID-19 for a total of 356 positive cases
  • The new positive cases reside in Albion, Ridgeway, Shelby and Murray.
  • One of the new positive individuals is under mandatory isolation out of state.
  • The individuals are; one is 0-19 yrs. old, one is in their 20s, one is in their 40s, one is in their 60s.
  • None of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
  • Three new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.

Press release from AAA:

Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $2.17, down 2 cents from one week ago. One year ago, the price was $2.65. The New York State average is $2.25 – the same as last week. A year ago, the NYS average was $2.70.

AAA Western and Central New York (AAA WCNY) reports the following averages:

• Batavia -- $2.20 (no change since last week)
• Buffalo -- $2.22 (no change since last week)
• Ithaca -- $2.1 (down 1 cent since last week)
• Rochester -- $2.24 (no change since last week)
• Rome -- $2.31 (no change since last week)
• Syracuse -- $2.18 (down 1 cent since last week)
• Watertown -- $2.30 (no change since last week)

The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline dropped to $2.17, which is significantly cheaper than last year (-48 cents). In a recent report from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand decreased slightly.

Domestic crude prices have also declined as market concern increased regarding an increase in coronavirus infections worldwide, which could lower crude demand as nations impose new restrictions to limit the spread of the virus. If demand concerns persist, crude prices could continue to decline — alongside pump prices.

GasBuddy:

"Gas prices have continued to remain subdued in large part due to the stalemate in Washington that's holding back another round of stimulus for Americans, which could boost the economy and oil demand and help Americans get back to work," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy.

"Absent some resolve from lawmakers to boost the economy, we're likely in store for another week of sideways price movements, keeping average gas prices near current levels for the fourth straight month. We may continue to see us stuck in this territory until there's meaningful change in our COVID-19 outlook."

JC Penney in Batavia closed its doors for the last time at 5 p.m. today. One potential shopper found she got there a little late for the last day of the store's going-out-of-business sale.