By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 December 2020 at 9:53 am
BARRE – The Town of Barre will hold a public hearing today at 6 p.m. for its proposed ordinance on wind energy projects.
The Town Hall is closed to the public due to Covid-19 concerns. People can be part of the hearing by calling (585) 589-5100, enter 5, and then 4321#.
The hearing will also be live on YouTube by clicking here.
Comments and questions can be texted to 588-590-6069, emailed to spogue@townofbarreny.com, the right side of YouTube, or the drop box to the left of the front door.
All comments must be in by the close of business on Dec. 14. Comments and questions with responses will be posted on the town website.
Bridge building, Jeddo, 1916, Orleans County History Department collection.
By Catherine Cooper, County Historian – Vol. 1, No. 2
RIDGEWAY – Part of the fascination of local history is that it adds layers of depth to our experience of our surroundings.
The accompanying photograph is of men building a bridge at Jeddo in 1916. However, the background brings into consideration several factors: the determination of the early settlers, how a determined re-routing of water led to the formation of a vibrant settlement, and an appreciation of oral history for preserving the details that enhance the story.
On June 11, 1916, the steel bridge spanning Jeddo Creek on Ridge Road collapsed and fell into Johnson Creek. The Medina Daily Journal of June 12, 1916 reported:
“The water raised so high Saturday and Sunday that it washed out the abutments and foundation of the bridge spanning the creek.”
Town of Ridgeway officials acted quickly. Highway Superintendent Harry Waldo and Town Supervisor Burt Smith declared the bridge a “total wreck” and on June 14 at a special meeting, the Town Board called for a proposition to raise taxes by the sum of $5,000 to construct a concrete archway or bridge over Jeddo Creek at Ridge Road, this proposition to be voted on July 5.
On June 22, 1916, it was reported that a “substantial temporary bridge which could be crossed by a detour has been completed over the creek at Jeddo, consequently travel on the Ridge highway will not be interrupted while the stone arch, planned to take the place of the old bridge, is being erected.”
This bridge was completed by November.
The 1916 bridge collapse was not the first such at Jeddo. A severe flood in 1897 washed out a dam and the foundation of the mill. Yet another flood occurred in 1902. Jeddo residents may have wondered if these occurrences were the result of a stealthy re-routing of the creek by earlier settlers. This intriguing item of local lore has thankfully been preserved in an oral history interview conducted by former Historian Arden McAllister with Horace Bird in 1978.
According to Mr. Bird, the land around the Jeddo area was wet and swampy, and was referred to as “Wild Cat Swamp.” The creek then was but a stream which moved sluggishly along the south side of Ridge Road and joined the Oak Orchard River south of Ridgeway Corners.
Pioneer settler, Jeremiah Brown, took his oxen and dug a trench across Ridge Road to divert the water. Farmers on the north side were furious as their land flooded, so they filled in the trench. Jeremiah persisted with re-digging the trench and soon the volume of water draining north created a channel which joined with Johnson Creek and necessitated the construction of a bridge. The drained farmland proved very suitable for fruit orchards. The volume of water proved suitable for a mill and soon the settlement grew to include a saw mill as well as a cooperage, a blacksmith shop, a store, and for some time, a jelly factory.
Too often, we traverse historic Route 104, aware of the hamlets only as areas to reduce speed. Next time, take note of the jaunty oversize bowling pins at Jeddo Mills Antiques and salute the determination of the settlers, bridge builders, millers and merchants who lived there.
The president and vice president of Save Ontario Shores (SOS) testified at New York’s Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) virtual public hearing on Monday (Nov. 30), regarding draft regulations that would make it easier to develop large-scale industrial wind and solar projects in New York State.
ORES, which is controlled by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, would be able to sidestep local laws protecting public health, environment, property values, recreation and tourism in order to advance the governor’s green energy agenda.
SOS Vice President Kate Kremer called it “outrageous” that ORES is advancing regulations, with far reaching implications for rural towns, during a pandemic.
“Developers with current applications for projects, including Apex’s Heritage Wind in Barre, are taking steps to quickly move to this new project-friendly regulatory system,” she said. “For rural communities it is a new process that is hopelessly stacked against them.”
Noting that the state has extended unemployment insurance, the tax filing deadline and the deadline for Covid-related residential and commercial evictions, SOS is calling on New York State to extend the deadline for implementation of the green energy regulations.
“These hearings are part of a fundamentally flawed process,” Kremer said. “SOS was informed that if we wanted to see the public comments on the draft regulations, we would have to go through the Freedom of Information Law process that can take months. This newly formed office should post documents on its website. Making citizens go through the lengthy FOIL process to see public comments or the hearing transcripts is outrageous!”
ORES has said it has the legal authority to make these hearings virtual under executive orders issued by the governor. This action makes the hearings less accessible to the very people that will be the most impacted by them, rural New York residents who, in too many cases, do not have access to high speed internet and do not have reliable phone connections.
From a technical standpoint, the virtual public hearing was cumbersome and confusing. SOS continues to request that the in person public hearings in Western New York that were replaced with web-based hearings, be rescheduled when it is safe to do so.
In her testimony, SOS President Pam Atwater quoted Karen Schneller-McDonald of Hickory Creek Consulting LLC, an environmental expert engaged by SOS: “The proposed regulations do not reflect an understanding of environmental science and now conventional methods to review and mitigate environmental impacts. Many sections read like they are written by someone with little or no understanding or experience with wetland science, watershed management, ecology, and best practices for stream protection. This does not serve the best interests of the people of New York State and protection of our water resources.”
“One has to wonder what New York State will look like if projects go through with little or no science-based analysis of the impacts,” Atwater said. “There’s been a lot of criticism regarding the rejection of science at the federal level and it appears that New York State is following suit.”
Save Ontario Shores was formed in 2015 to oppose the Lighthouse Wind Project, which calls for the installation of 47 industrial wind turbines in the towns of Somerset and Yates in Niagara and Orleans counties. The wind turbines would tower to almost 600 feet, taller than the One Seneca Building in downtown Buffalo.
The virtual public hearing was one in a series across the state conducted by ORES regarding the proposed changes to the siting process. The Accelerated Renewable Energy Growth and Community Benefit Act requires ORES to hold four public hearings in different regions of the state to solicit comment on the uniform standards and conditions.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 December 2020 at 7:45 pm
ALBION – Santa Claus will be coming to town on Dec. 19. The jolly old elf has shied away from many in-person gatherings this season due to Covid-19 concerns.
But he will be greeting people on Dec. 19 at the Hoag Library parking lot from 1 to 2 p.m. in Albion. He will visit with children and their families as long as they are wearing masks and adhering to social distancing. Santa may also take a ride around the village to wave to youngsters.
The Albion Lions Club is planning the event, which will also will include a visit by Deputy Jeff Cole and his K-9 Otto, and an appearance by Dominic the Donkey and his horse friend.
The Lions Club also is doing a toy drive and letters for Santa. The toys can be dropped off at Roots Hair Salon at 29 Bank St., Jeff Colonna’s can redemption center on Hamilton Street, and 169 State St. in Medina. Dan Conrad, the Lions Club president, will deliver the toys as Santa at the Community Kitchen, the event at the Hoag parking lot, through the Hands 4 Hope ministry and also will visit some homes in the community to give out the presents.
The letters to Santa can be dropped off at Roots Hair Salon, Bloom’s Flower Shop at 139 S. Main St. and 169 State St. in Medina.
That address in Medina is for Best of Tymes Party Rental. It will be hosting Santa this Sunday from 3 to 6 p.m. with cotton candy, popcorn and a hot cocoa bar.
BATAVIA – The Genesee County Health Department has received multiple positive Covid-19 test results from individuals who were at Eli Fish in Batavia on Wednesday, November 25th, from 6 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.
Contact tracing is in progress. However, unidentified individuals may have
unknowingly been in contact with the positive cases.
We advise all individuals who were at Eli Fish on the stated date and time to monitor symptoms for 14 days. If symptoms of Covid-19 develop, contact a primary care provider to seek testing immediately and self-isolate until the test results are received.
Symptoms of Covid-19 include but are not limited to fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 December 2020 at 4:52 pm
Genesee reports a death from Covid at Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing in Batavia
Orleans and Genesee counties today are reporting 53 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the two counties.
In Orleans, there are 21 new cases, bringing the county’s total to 662 positive cases since March.
The new positive cases reside in Albion, Barre, Gaines, Murray, Yates, Ridgeway and Shelby. The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.
None of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments said in an afternoon news briefing.
Two of the new cases are residents of Orchard Rehabilitation & Nursing Center in Medina, the first new cases there since June. Orchard had 58 of its residents test positive for Covid during the spring surge.
Orleans today is reporting two of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.
Six county residents are currently hospitalized due to Covid-19.
In Genesee County, there are 32 new positive cases of Covid for a total of 1,036 cases since March.
The new positive cases reside in Alabama, Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Le Roy, Oakfield, Pavilion, Pembroke, and Stafford.
The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s.
One of the new positive individuals is a resident at The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Batavia. The Health Departments also said one of the previously reported individuals at the VA Medical Center is not a current patient and has been removed from the facility count.
The county also is reporting 32 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.
In Genesee, there are 16 residents hospitalized from Covid, up from 13 the previous day.
A resident of The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Batavia also has died after contracting Covid-19. The resident is over the age of 65. This is the ninth Genesee resident to die from Covid.
• 3-County Data: Click here to see an online map of confirmed cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties. There are currently 327 active cases in the three counties, up from 297 on Wednesday. The active cases today include 177 in Genesee, 59 in Orleans and 91 in Wyoming.
• Statewide Data: Of the 203,440 tests reported yesterday, 9,855 were positive or 4.84% of total. That is up from 8,973 new positive cases on Tuesday or 4.63% of total.
The total hospitalizations were at 4,063 on Wednesday, which was up from 3,924 on Tuesday.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 December 2020 at 3:25 pm
Residents urged to take survey, sharing internet needs, frustrations
A group from Orleans County wants to document the high-speed internet gaps in the county, and hear how a lack of internet access is affecting businesses, students and residents.
The Orleans County United Way received a $50,000 grant to study the issue. It has hired a consultant who has interviewed school, business and community leaders on the issue. Mary Beth Debus, president of Program Savvy Consulting, also has prepared a survey for residents to share about their internet access and how it affects them. (Click here to see the 48-question survey.)
The United Way has formed a steering committee for the Orleans Digital Literacy Initiative. The committee includes Dean Bellack, executive director of the Orleans County United Way; County Legislator Ken DeRoller; Kelly Kiebala, director of the Orleans County Job Development Agency; Robert Batt, executive director of the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County; and Greg Reed, director of the Orleans County YMCA.
“We are in the information-gathering stage,” Bellack said.
Debus is working to have the community interviews done and surveys tabulated for a report in March. That information will allow the county to then pursue funding through the state or federal government, or through at least 20 foundations.
County Legislator Ken DeRoller said the internet shortcomings are a major barrier for businesses and students, who need high-speed internet access to file reports and do assignments. The lack of high-speed internet, especially in the more rural areas, also is a deterrent to attracting residents, who expect high-speed internet not only for work and school, but for leisure when watching Netflix or other videos and television.
Even migrant farmworkers want high-speed internet when they are staying in Orleans County. Not having it can be a deterrent to attracting farm labor, DeRoller said.
There are 10,500 housing structures with about 14,000 units in the county. DeRoller said about 30 percent do not have access to high-speed internet. Many others don’t have enough bandwidth to accommodate multiple devices at once in a home.
That is a concern shared by the five school district superintendents in Orleans County. Many students have been frustrated with remote learning at home because they can’t download homework or watch teachers give instruction through videos.
“It has become so clear there are real barriers to various needs within the community,” Debus said.
Another consultant has estimated it would cost $4 million to bring broadband to everyone in the county, through a combination of cable and wireless. DeRoller said Orleans County is ready to apply in a new road of federal funding, with applications expected to be accepted in January.
The cost of the service also is a barrier for some residents. The survey will ask that question: if the needed bandwidth is too costly?
The committee also believes there is a knowledge gap for many residents, especially senior citizens, with using computers. They might want to order groceries online and pick them up or have them delivered but might not know how to use Instacart.
The survey and study could show there is a need for computer literacy educators in the community to help people use the technology, including downloading and using apps.
There is also an option for telehealth services where residents could communicate with healthcare professionals through Facetime or other video conferencing. The survey asks residents if they know how to use that technology.
The committee is currently focused on phase 1, the data gathering. Phase 2 of the initiative will list the internet needs in the county and “how to get there” with funding the project.
The group has three focuses with the high-speed internet expansion: employment, education and equity.
DeRoller said the internet isn’t a matter of convenience. It’s a critical issue for the county residents and making the community attractive for living and working.
“We need to be competitive in this environment,” he said.
BROCKPORT – The New York State Department of Transportation is advising motorists that the Park Avenue/Fayette Street bridge over the Erie Canal in the village of Brockport, Monroe County, will temporarily close next Tuesday for approximately four months to rehabilitate the structure.
Construction will include the replacement of the flooring system to strengthen the bridge in anticipation of increased traffic volumes during the replacement of the nearby Route 19 (Main Street) lift bridge, which will require a long-term closure beginning in 2022.
During this winter closure there will not be a detour posted, though motorists may use the nearby Main Street lift bridge to cross over the canal. All construction activities are weather dependent and subject to change based on conditions.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 December 2020 at 10:40 am
Provided photos: Project Stork provided these photos of its setup on Webber Avenue in Oakfield.
OAKFIELD – Project Stork has been awarded a $19,000 grant from the East Hill Foundation for infant and toddler programs that assist with basic needs in Orleans and Genesee counties.
The funding will help pay for diapers and other baby care needs, said Jenny Staebell, director and founder of Project Stork.
She started Project Stork in 2016. It is based at 20 Webber Ave. in Oakfield, which she said is accessible to families in the two counties, particularly the highest need communities of Albion and Batavia.
The non-profit organizations serves 200 low-income mothers in Genesee and Orleans counties. The grant from East Hill will allow Project Stork to provide free monthly diaper and baby care packages.
“Mothers share that they worry about not being able to change their baby’s diaper often enough,” Staebell said. “We are not only providing supports and resources, but education as well. There is a direct correlation between a mother’s maternal wellbeing when their child has their basic needs met. Simply put, diapers and other needed infant and toddler care supply can create positivity within a household.”
Access to diapers has been an under-recognized need, Staebell said. There is no federal assistance for diapers. SNAP and WIC benefits can not be used to purchase diapers. While diapers can be bought with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) cash assistance, less than a quarter of families living below the federal poverty level receive TANF, Staebell said.
Project Stork appreciates donations as well as drop offs of diapers, baby wipes, baby soap and lotion. For more information, go to www.projectstorkinc.org or call Project Stork at (585) 590-6626.
Representatives Chris Jacobs (NY-27), John Katko (NY-24), Joseph Morelle (NY-25), Anthony Brindisi (NY-22), and Elise Stefanik (NY-21) have sent a letter to House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Lowey and Ranking Members Granger and Rogers, asking for the inclusion of funding for Phase II of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Adaptive Management Committee’s expedited review of the International Joint Commission’s Plan 2014 in any spending package being brought to the House Floor this month.
“Though a small investment from the American government, the importance of this study is significant for our constituents along the shore of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. Communities along this watershed have experienced increasingly high water levels and subsequent flooding over the past several years, and many public and private property owners are still at risk of severe damage from high water levels,” wrote Jacobs, Katko, Morelle, Brindisi, and Stefanik.
Plan 2014 is the set of rules and regulations that governs outflows from Lake Ontario through the Moses-Saunders Dam located on the St. Lawrence River. The body that administers these outflows, the International Joint Commission (IJC), has initiated a two-phase expedited review of Plan 2014 through its Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Adaptive Management Committee (GLAM). This process has allowed the diverse stakeholders impacted by Plan 2014 to give substantive input toward the goal of comprehensively reviewing Plan 2014.
In their letter, Reps. Jacobs, Katko, Morelle, Brindisi, and Stefanik specifically requested funding for Phase II of the IJC’s expedited review of Plan 2014 through its Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Adaptive Management Committee (GLAM).
Phase II will be a three-year study of Plan 2014 rules and operations under extreme conditions moving forward. Phase I of this review has already been funded by Congress and is currently underway.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 December 2020 at 9:07 am
Organization has provided emergency medical services since 1979
ALBION – COVA Emergency Medical Services is reaching out to the community and local government leaders, raising concern about budget shortfalls for the organization.
COVA responds to about 2,000 calls annually, mostly in the central Orleans towns of Albion, Barre, Carlton and Gaines.
COVA’s new ambulance heads out for a call last week. The scaled-down vehicle cost $80,000 and replaced an ambulance from 2013 with 200,000 miles.
The organization operated on a $1,093,578 budget in 2019, but the revenue came in at $1,042,964, a $50,614 difference. That has been the trend the past three years – about a $50,000 budget deficit.
This year is shaping up to be worse. COVA’s call volume was down early in the Covid-19 pandemic, which hurt revenue. COVA also is spending more for PPE for staff and for disinfecting the ambulance after each call.
The organization continues to face other challenges with low reimbursement rates through Medicaid and Medicare.
Medicaid pays about 20 percent of the COVA bill and the Medicare rate is about 32 percent. Those are an increasing number of the COVA calls, said Laurie Schwab, COVA’s chief operating officer and paramedic.
The Medicaid calls include responses to the two state prisons in Albion. Those calls not only are at a low payment, but they tend to be time-consuming because of the time needed to be processed into the prison and for an inmate to meet the COVA staff for care and transport.
Private health insurance pays more compared to Medicaid and Medicare, but the checks from private insurance are made out to patients. They should then write their own check to COVA but many just keep the money from the insurance companies.
This trio is committed to COVA. They include, from left: Jennifer Stilwell, a volunteer EMT; Anna Tower, chief financial officer; and Wendy Kelly, an administrative assistant. COVA is located at 239 South Main St. in Albion.
COVA loses about $50,000 to $70,000 in “kept checks” annually, Schwab said. COVA and other ambulance providers have pressed state legislators to pass legislation, requiring the funds to be turned over to the ambulance companies or to have the insurance companies pay the ambulance providers directly.
The “kept checks” typically range from $1,000 to $2,500. If people turned those funds back to COVA the organization’s budget woes would be solved.
“It creates a financial hardship for COVA,” Schwab said.
COVA officials have met with local town and village leaders in recent months to discuss the deficits and how to keep COVA viable. COVA believes municipal support is needed. They are seeking $100,000 annually to be divvied up among the four towns – Albion, Barre, Carlton and Gaines, and possibly the village. The contributions from each municipality would be based on COVA’s call volume in each municipality.
In 2019, the call breakdown by municipality included 1,030 calls in the village, 542 in the Town of Albion, 211 in Carlton, 159 in Gaines and 110 in Barre. There were also 25 mutual aid calls.
COVA used to be able to set aside 10 percent of its income towards a new ambulance. The organization last month welcomed a new ambulance to its fleet of three ambulances. The new one replaced an ambulance from 2013 with about 200,000 miles.
The new one is a scaled down model that cost $80,000. It will be better on gas mileage with less maintenance costs.
Chris Atwell, a COVA EMT, gets his masks on and heads out for a call last week. COVA responds to about 2,000 calls a year.
The organization was staffed with volunteers when it started in 1979 but has shifted to mostly a paid staff. There are 13 full-time employees, 16 part-timers and three volunteers. COVA tries to have four on duty during the daytime hours and two on the night shift.
Anna Tower is one of the volunteers. She used to be paid as the chief financial officer but decided to volunteer in the role due to COVA’s fiscal challenges.
“It’s my passion,” she said about COVA.
But she is worried about the numbers. COVA needs more revenue to continue long-term in the community.
Jennifer Stilwell also is a volunteer EMT and member of COVA’s board of directors. If there wasn’t COVA, the central Orleans towns would have to put the ambulance services out for contract, with an out-of-community provider perhaps stepping in.
Stilwell said that could lead to longer response times and unfamiliar faces responding to calls.
“It’s nice to have a community-based ambulance,” she said. “There’s connections with the staff. It’s comforting for the residents to know the people who care for you.”
One of COVA’s three ambulances leaves the Albion base for a call last week.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 December 2020 at 7:52 pm
ALBION – Orleans County legislators unanimously approved a $73,262,025 budget today for 2021. The spending plan will increase the tax levy by 1.66 percent, which is just under the county’s allowable tax cap of 1.75 percent.
The budget increases spending by 2.16 percent, from $71,711,638 to $73,262,025. The tax rate will go up by 1.11 percent or 11 cents, from $9,87 to $9.98 per $1,000 of assessed property.
The seven county legislators all backed the budget and there wasn’t any dissent during a public hearing on Monday and during a public comment opportunity this afternoon.
Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson said the budget maintains existing programs, stays under the tax cap and provides resources to fight Covid.
The budget reduces the county workforce, eliminating 8 full-time jobs and 12 part-time positions from 2020.
Some other budget highlights include:
• The budget for the first time sets a county cap on community colleges. The county pay up to $2,050,000 to community colleges in 2021. The cost is supposed to be split into thirds, with the state, local municipality and student each paying a third. But Johnson said the state has pulled back on its contribution, putting more pressure on students and local municipalities.
The county will be spending $2,240,251 for community colleges in 2020. That is $190,251 over the cap it is setting. The county will pay the full amount this year, but starting in 2021 the towns will pay any local cost over the $2,050,000.
The town share will be based on credit hours of residents in those towns. Based on the data in 2019/2020, the additional $190,251 overages for each town would be $40,384 in Albion, $8,283 for Barre, $14,105 in Carlton, $15,040 in Clarendon, $14,096 in Gaines, $9,063 in Kendall, $21,020 in Murray, $34,297 in Ridgeway, $22,198 in Shelby and $11,760 in Yates.
• Nine mandated programs from the state account for more than 90 percent of the tax levy, Welch said. Those “9 for 90” mandates and their county cost include: Medicaid, $8,121,776; Pension, $3,054,489; Public Assistance/Safety Net, $1,802,337; Child Welfare/Protection, $1,336,399; Special Education, $971,931; Probation, $759,299; Indigent Defense, $536,053; Youth Detention, $302,650; and Early Intervention, $204,688.
Those nine mandated costs add up to $17,089,622, or 93 percent of the $18,309,497 tax levy.
• The budget allocates $2,577,00 in capital projects — $1,225,000 for highway reconstruction with state CHIPS money (down 20%), $1,152,000 in preventive maintenance on four bridges (funded through federal TIP funds), and $100,000 in county funds for culvert and bridge repairs, and $100,000 in local funds to patch and seal county roads.
• Sales tax is currently slightly above the receipts in 2019. That convinced county officials to budget $400,000 more in sales tax in 2021, to $16,175,000. (The county also is in a two-year annual sales tax diversion of $190,274 for “Fiscally Distressed Health Facilities,” which was imposed by the state.)
• The budget also maintains funding to outside agencies. They didn’t face a funding cut, and they didn’t get an increase.
Those agencies and organizations in the budget include: $240,000 to Cornell Cooperative Extension, $190,000 to Orleans Economic Development Agency, $92,500 to Soil & Water Conservation District, $10,000 to be shared among four public libraries, $5,000 to Mercy Flight, $4,000 to Sportsmen Federation, and $3,000 to GO Art!
• The fee for solid waste and recycling service will be $216, which is a 2 percent increase from 2020.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 December 2020 at 5:51 pm
Details still need to be worked out for location, time
ALBION – Orleans County will offer free rapid Covid-19 tests on Dec. 16, Public Health Director Paul Pettit announced today during a County Legislature meeting.
County officials have been pressing the state for a free testing option in the county for several months. Right now, Orleans residents need to travel out-of-county for a free testing site.
Pettit said the limited testing in rural areas has proven a “big barrier” in helping to quickly identify who has Covid and to contain the spread.
“This has been an ongoing issue for us,” Pettit said in a meeting through Zoom video conferencing. “We continue to push and advocate for this.”
The free testing event on Dec. 16 will be for people who are asymptomatic. The time and location still needs to be worked out.
Genesee County will offer a free drive-through rapid testing for Covid on Thursday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Genesee County Emergency Management Office & Fire Training Facility, 7690 State Street Rd. in the Town of Batavia.
Pwettit said the details of the rapid testing in Orleans should be announced next week. He wants it to be a reoccurring event and not just limited to Dec. 16.
“I know this is long awaited,” he said. “Hopefully it will be a big benefit to our residents.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 December 2020 at 4:53 pm
New confirmed cases today include 44 in Genesee, 9 in Orleans
Orleans and Genesee counties today both are reporting a death from Covid-19. In Orleans, the death is a person over 65 while Genesee had a person pass away under age 65, according to a news briefing this afternoon from the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments.
Orleans has now had 58 people die due a Covid-related illness while Genesee has had eight deaths.
In Orleans County there are 9 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 today, bringing the county’s total to 641 positive cases since March.
The new positive cases reside in Albion, Barre, Carlton, Kendall, Murray and Shelby. The individuals are in the age groups of 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.
None of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, the Health Departments reported.
Orleans also has had three of the previous positive individuals recover and be removed
from the isolation list.
Five residents of Orleans are currently hospitalized due to Covid.
In Genesee County, there are 44 new positive cases of Covid-19 for a total of 1,004 positive cases since March. Of the new cases, 16 are residents at The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing in Batavia.
The new positive cases reside in Alexander, Batavia, Byron, Le Roy, Oakfield and Pembroke. The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s 70s, 80s and 90s.
Genesee also reports that 57 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.
Genesee has 13 residents hospitalized due to Covid, the Health Department reported.
• 3-county data: Click here to see an online map of confirmed cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties. There are currently 297 active Covid cases with 177 in Genesee, 42 in Orleans and 78 in Wyoming. A week ago on Nov. 25 there were 315 active cases in the three counties with 221 in Genesee, 41 in Orleans and 53 in Wyoming.
• Statewide data: There were 8,973 new positive cases reported yesterday out of 193,551 tests for a positive rate of 4.63. The positive testing rate in all focus areas under the state’s Micro-Cluster strategy is 5.88 percent, and outside the focus zone areas is 4.21 percent.
The number of people hospitalized with Covid-related illnesses increased by 150 to 3,924. There were 742 Covid patients in the ICU, up by 24, and 373 needed to be intubated, up by 25. There were 69 deaths due to Covid, bringing the state’s total to 26,889 during the pandemic.
Western New York continues to have the highest rate of positive tests in the state. Orleans County is in the Finger Lakes Region which has the second highest rate.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 December 2020 at 4:16 pm
PEMBROKE – The Western New York National Cemetery in Pembroke is now accepting applications for burials. The cemetery was dedicated on Monday.
As with all VA National Cemeteries, funeral directors can call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 1-800-535-1117 to schedule burial services at the Western New York National Cemetery.
Anyone seeking information regarding eligibility for internment in a VA National Cemetery can click here to be directed to Veterans Administration page on eligibility for VA national cemetery.
“Western New York is honored to be home to thousands of veterans who put their lives on the line to protect our country,” said Congressman Chris Jacobs in a press release this afternoon. “Now, they finally have access to a final resting place close to home, and the full memorial and burial benefits that they have earned. This day is long overdue and the product countless hours of hard work by advocates, veterans, VA employees, and community members to ensure our veterans are properly honored.”
