215 DOT crews will fill 175,000 potholes on state roads this month

Photo by Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul: Governor Hochul, center, today joined NYS Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez (left) and Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank G. Hoare in Albany to announce a statewide road improvement effort after a brutal winter caused numerous potholes.

Press Release, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

ALBANY – Governor Kathy Hochul today announced an unprecedented state effort to fill potholes and repave roads across New York State, following one of the coldest winters in recent memory.

This month, State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) forces will conduct a statewide push to address potholes on state roads. In April, 215 crews will place more than 8,000 tons of asphalt to fill an anticipated 175,000 potholes statewide. Plans are in place to fill hundreds of thousands more as the weather permits over the months ahead.

“We’ve had an unforgiving winter this year in New York, and the frigid cold and heavy snowfall can take a toll on our roads,” Gov. Hochul said. “That’s why we are stepping up with an unprecedented state effort to repave hundreds of miles of roadway and fill hundreds of thousands of potholes in the next few weeks alone. Our outstanding DOT and Thruway crews will not rest until every pothole in this state has been repaired.”

In addition, Governor Hochul highlighted that this week is the official start of paving season in New York, as NYSDOT crews commence the most ambitious year of road improvements in state history. Last October, the Governor announced record state investment to dozens of vital state roadways across New York State during the 2026 construction season. Leveraging the $800 million secured in the FY26 Executive Budget to augment the final two years of its five-year Capital Plan, NYSDOT will invest more than $600 million in more than 180 paving projects across the state to be completed in the upcoming paving season.

These projects, which total almost 2,150 lane miles, are in addition to the paving initiatives already scheduled as part of NYSDOT’s core programs and, taken together, represent the most ambitious annual road resurfacing program conducted in state history, totaling more than 4,000 lane miles of renewed pavement to give New York drivers a smoother, safer ride.

The Governor’s announcement today comes as statewide asphalt plants come online, with paving season beginning in most regions of New York.

New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, “Our crews have worked tirelessly this winter keeping our roads clear for New Yorkers during a brutally cold, snow and ice-filled winter. Now, as the weather transitions, we are moving from fighting snow and ice to carrying out one of the most robust construction programs in recent memory – anchored by record infrastructure and paving investments from Governor Hochul. Our forces are ready to kick construction into high gear in the coming months, with thousands of miles of smoother rides ahead for people in every region of the state.”

Last year the Department of Transportation forces filled more than 1.3 million potholes on state highways from Long Island to Buffalo and every area in between. From mid-February through April 1, 2026, DOT forces have already laid down more than 1,400 tons of asphalt on state roads across New York, filling more than 28,000 potholes during that period.

Many areas of New York experienced some of the coldest winter seasons in recent memory, with the downstate region seeing its snowiest winter in at least a decade, contributing greatly to the freeze-thaw cycle that forms potholes on roads across New York State. Crews have been out for many weeks now, balancing continued snow and ice response efforts, which began in October, with pothole repairs as the weather has allowed them to do so.

Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff Christopher Bourke

ALBION – The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of multiple individuals following a series of investigations conducted in conjunction with the Department of Social Services into alleged public assistance fraud.

As a result of these investigations, several subjects were charged with offenses including Welfare Fraud, Petit Larceny, Grand Larceny, Filing a False Instrument, and Offering a False Instrument for Filing.

It is alleged that the individuals collectively received $37,562.20 in public assistance benefits to which they were not entitled.

The following were charged: Jessica Andrako, Cassandra Beck, Desiree Plucknette, Cheryl Jett, Bradley Acker, Alicia Ford, Angela Walker, Briahna Milot, Tricia Belcher and Launey D’ambra.

All subjects were issued appearance tickets and are scheduled to appear in the Albion Town Court at a later date.

The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office will continue to work closely with the Department of Social Services to investigate and prosecute fraud-related offenses.

Photos by Tom Rivers: Neeko Caterisano pops confetti at the end of the Holley’s commencement on June 28, 2025 in the school auditorium. Caterisano is one of 67 members of Holley’s Class of 2025. The Orleans Hub covers most of the local school graduations and many other activities around the county.

The Orleans Hub reached its 13^th anniversary on April 1. The online news site has been covering Orleans County, posting articles every day since it first started.

The Hub continues to report the news at a time when many larger news organizations have ceased operations or significantly cut back on reporting.

The Orleans Hub posts about 3,500 articles a year, or about 10 a day. This post is number 45,302.

We also have 30,000 followers on Facebook on the Orleans Hub News page and another 3,500 on Facebook through Orleans Hub Sports. We also have 3,150 following Orleans Hub news on Twitter and about 2,000 on Twitter through the Hub Sports. We recently started an Instagram page and have nearly 1,000 followers.

We’re trying to get the news out to the public.

The Orleans Hub is owned by Brad London of Albion. He also is the advertising manager. He acquired the Hub when Karen Sawicz retired on Jan. 1, 2025.

We survive through advertising, and many of our advertisers have been with us since we started. We appreciate them. We also receive revenue by posting obituaries and the $80 we charge is much less than most news organizations.

We are focused on Orleans County, which hasn’t had a printed newspaper based in the county since The Journal-Register shut down on May 30, 2014. The weekly Albion Advertiser closed in May 2013. The Orleans Hub didn’t knock these papers out of business. They had been struggling for years.

The newspaper business has been a very challenging environment the past two decades, with more than 3,000 closing since 2005, according to the Associated Press. The papers have lost a good chunk of their advertising and classifieds, and also their paid subscription base. Another 136 closed or merged in the United States between July 2024 and September 2025.

While some communities are served by online-only sites, these publications like the Orleans Hub are hurt by an archaic state law that doesn’t allow them to be considered “official newspapers” for legal notices. Those notices must be in print newspapers with a “paid circulation.”

We would welcome the opportunity to carry these notices to better serve our readers and to receive some of that revenue. We don’t charge to access the site. We want the news to be available to everyone.

Most of the towns, villages, school districts and even Orleans County use The Daily News of Batavia to publish legal notices. The Daily News has some coverage in Orleans County, but not nearly what is posted by the Orleans Hub. We also consistently have 7,000 to 10,000 “unique visitors” or readers each day. Last year we averaged 7,500 unique visitors and were at nearly 9,000 the first three months of 2026.

The Orleans Hub welcomes local municipal leaders and our state legislators to advocate for getting legal notices to be an option in local online-only news sites. Let’s give the local government leaders the option to decide where these notices can be best be seen by the most people. Right now, the Orleans Hub isn’t a legal option.

It was quite a spectacle when this 200,000-pound, oversized industrial load passed through Albion on Sept. 25, 2025. The big load is shown headed north on Gaines Basin Road. The shipment was manufactured by Batavia’s Graham Corp. for the Navy and headed to the Erie Canal, where it was then taken by a very large barge.

Photo by Tom Rivers: The Crosby’s in Holley in Route 31 at the Batavia Street intersection is just below $4 for regular unleaded gas on Sunday.

The price for regular unleaded gas fell by 2 cents in Orleans County in the past week (from $4.03 to $4.01) while the average price jumped 14 cents in new York State and 13 cents nationally.

The national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $4.12, up 13 cents from last Monday. This is the first time since August 2022, the national average is over $4, AAA said this morning. A year ago, the price was $3.26.

The New York State average is $4.07, up 14 cents from last Monday. The average was $3.930 a week ago, $3.228 a month ago and $3.139 a year ago.

Today’s average diesel price is at $5.914 in NYS compared to $5.750 a week ago, $4.390 a month ago and $3.941 a year ago, according to AAA.

Here are the average prices in counties around Western New York:

• Orleans, $4.008
• Genesee, $3.979
• Monroe, $4.044
• Niagara, $3.958
• Erie, $4.027
• Wyoming, $3.986
• Livingston, $4.033
• Chautauqua, $4.000
• Cattaraugus, $3.861
• Allegany, $3.977

A week ago, Orleans was the only WNY county above $4, but now five of those counties are topping $4 a gallon for regular unleaded. Hamilton County in Adirondacks has the highest price in the state at $4.366.

AAA released this statement today: “The national average for a gallon of regular exceeded $4/gallon last week for the first time since August 2022, and prices continue to rise. Today’s average of $4.12 is 80 cents higher than a month ago.

“Crude oil prices remain high, coming in at $108-$109 per barrel this morning, as the conflict in the Middle East continues. In 2022, gas prices remained elevated from March through August, after Russia invaded Ukraine, peaking in June when the national average reached a record of $5/gallon for one week.”

 “Demand is also on the rise as Easter travelers head to warmer destinations. While Orlando was the top destination for air travelers, many families were driving from New York to Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina based on local AAA bookings.”

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Pullman Memorial Universalist Church in Albion once again is displaying more than 1,000 orange flags during the month of April to show the prevalence of sexual assault each day.

RESTORE Sexual Assault Services, a program of Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York, put the orange flags on the front lawn of the Pullman church at the corner of East park Street and South Main Street.

The flags are out in April during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Restore notes that an American is sexually assaulted every 68 seconds.

RESTORE serves Monroe, Genesee, Orleans, Wyoming and Livingston counties. The RESTORE 24-hour hotline is available at 585-546-2777.

For more information on RESTORE, click here.

HOLLEY – A spectacular double rainbow appeared on Saturday evening in Holley.

Ken Verhagen took these photos on Powerline Road.