Rochester City Newspaper - News

LIVESTREAM: Voice of the Voter Debate - 55th State Senate District

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 23:30:00 GMT

Ahead of the primary, the candidates for the 55th State Senate District - Samra Brouk (D) and Chris Missick (R) - debate the issues with questions from the public and journalists. Ahead of the primary, the candidates for the 55th State Senate District - Samra Brouk (D) and Chris Missick (R) - debate the issues with questions from the public and journalists, including CITY News Editor Jeremy Moule. Tune into WXXI's livestream here.…

State auditors finger wag city on ethics training

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 19:43:56 GMT

Auditors found enforcement of ethics lacking in areas, including the members of the Board of Ethics not receiving ethics training. Two weeks after the family of Daniel Prude and its attorneys made his death and the circumstances around it public, Mayor Lovely Warren, under pressure for her administration’s handling of the matter, announced several actions to repair the damage. One of those was directing the city’s Office of Public Integrity to determine whether any employees tied to the matter, herself included, had violated any city or departmental policies or ethical standards.…

Former RPD chief refuses to answer subpoenas in City Council probe of Prude death

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 19:00:41 GMT

Former RPD Chief La'Ron Singletary is the first person to refuse to answer subpoenas in the investigation into the death of Daniel Prude. Former Rochester Police Chief La’Ron Singletary has refused to cooperate in the City Council-appointed independent investigation into the death of Daniel Prude, the lead investigator, Andrew Celli, said Monday. Celli, a Manhattan-based lawyer, said that Singletary declined to respond to a subpoena seeking information and speak to investigators.…

Rochester People's Climate Coalition has new name, broader mission

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 13:34:10 GMT

It will now be known as the Climate Solutions Accelerator of the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region, or "The Accelerator" for short. The Rochester People's Climate Coalition has a new name, a new website, and an updated mission. It will now be known as the Climate Solutions Accelerator of the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region, or "The Accelerator" for short.…

Early voters brave long lines in record numbers

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 11:34:18 GMT

Elections officials said more than 19,000 ballots were cast early in Monroe County over the weekend, smashing the previous record. More than 19,000 ballots were cast in Monroe County in early voting over the weekend, according to the county’s Board of Elections, smashing the previous record for ballots cast prior to an election. The nine days of early voting began on Saturday and continue through Nov. 1.…

NYCLU condemns Rochester leader's remarks, opens probe

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 18:42:46 GMT

NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman said remarks by the group's Rochester leader were unacceptable and are under review. The executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union said Friday that the organization was investigating comments made by the head of its Rochester chapter that were construed by many to be a threat against employees of the Monroe County District Attorney's Office. The remarks were made a day earlier by Iman Abid-Thompson, the director of the Genesee Valley Chapter of the NYCLU during a small protest outside of the District Attorney's Office in which she said into a microphone, "We know your names.…

Local NYCLU leader clarifies "We know where your children go to school" remark

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 15:51:00 GMT

Iman Abid-Thompson said her comment to District Attorney's Office workers, "We know where your children go to school," was not a threat. The head of the local chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union on Friday sought to clarify a comment she made a day earlier while protesting outside the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office that was construed by many to be a threat against public servants working in the building. Iman Abid-Thompson, who has played a leading role with the activist group Free the People Roc in organizing demonstrations, was among 30 or so people outside the office calling for the resignation of District Attorney Sandra Doorley and that charges previously brought against protesters be dropped or reduced.…

Unaffiliated voters growing as 'floater voters' reject party labels

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 14:41:55 GMT

The number of voters enrolling with a political party has been declining for much of the last two decades. Mai Abdullah is civic-minded. She’s a Sudanese immigrant and an Arabic court interpreter.…

$10,000 reward for information on September mass shooting

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 13:54:09 GMT

Police have yet to make an arrest in an incident in which 14 people were shot and two died at a house party on Pennsylvania Avenue on Sept. 19. A $10,000 reward has been posted for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in September’s mass shooting in Rochester. The Rochester Police Department and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives announced the reward Thursday at the Public Safety Building.…

Protesters march on DA Doorley’s office

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 22:07:15 GMT

Free the People Roc organizers also said they will be starting a political arm focused on propping up candidates for local office. A few dozen protesters marched to the office of Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley in downtown Rochester on Thursday, demanding both her resignation and that charges against protesters arrested in previous demonstrations be either dropped or reduced.…

GOP chair: Parolee convicted of killing cops registered to vote

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 18:49:44 GMT

Bill Napier claims Anthony Bottom broke the law by registering and has asked District Attorney Sandra Doorley to investigate. Monroe County Republican Party Chair Bill Napier doesn’t hide his feelings about Anthony Bottom, a former member of a Black Panther splinter group who was convicted of first-degree murder in the 1971 killings of two New York City police officers and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Bottom was paroled Oct.7 and is now living in Brighton.…

Genesee Brew House temporarily closes due to positive COVID test

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 15:56:28 GMT

The Brew House, which reopened indoor seating late last month, will remain closed until Tuesday. The Genesee Brew House has closed temporarily due to an employee testing positive for COVID-19. The Brew House reopened its indoor dining space in late September, after previously only offering outdoor seating.…

Rochester police survey raises concerns over bias

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 03:25:44 GMT

Some residents argue that the wording of a city survey on police reform reflect a bias in favor of the construction of new police stations. The city of Rochester has unveiled a survey on police reform, but some residents argue that the wording of the questions reflect a bias toward approving the construction of new police stations — a pet project of the administration of Mayor Lovely Warren. City Council member Mary Lupien said around 20 people reached out to her with concerns over the wording of the survey within the first 24 hours of its release on Monday.…

Majority of RCSD teachers say remote learning should continue

Wed, 21 Oct 2020 19:57:50 GMT

At the same time, 80 percent of the teachers who answered the survey said their students need additional support that they weren't getting. An overwhelming majority of teachers in the Rochester City School District say they want to continue with all-remote learning through the end of January. …

County to provide bail-out for struggling small businesses

Wed, 21 Oct 2020 19:04:56 GMT

A COVID-19 relief grant program will target personal services businesses and prioritize assistance for minority and women owned business. Monroe County will use $15 million in federal relief funding to provide grants to small businesses that have taken a hit because of the COVID-19 pandemic, County Executive Adam Bello announced Wednesday.…

Rochester schools contractor settles diversity fraud case for $200K

Wed, 21 Oct 2020 11:38:44 GMT

Bell Mechanical Contractors will pay New York $200,000 for forging diversity criteria in the Rochester Schools Modernization Program. The New York Attorney General announced on Tuesday that Bell Mechanical Contractors will pay New York state $200,000 in a settlement for forging diversity criteria in the Rochester Schools Modernization Program (RSMP). State and local laws require contractors like Bell to meet minimum diversity standards on public works projects.…

For these employers, there are no background checks, no drug tests, no interviews, and no problems

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 12:56:06 GMT

Embracing the 'open hiring' concept means being open-minded to no background checks and no interviews and overlooking applicants' checkered pasts. He probably didn't realize it at the time, but Sanford Coley's life took a dramatic turn in the mid-1990s. That's when Coley, who is now 66, got a job at CleanCraft, a commercial cleaning company in Rochester.…

The Fairport 'race riot' that never happened

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 23:19:17 GMT

On Oct. 20, 1920, a Black man named James Noey was killed by a white police officer amid what has falsely been called a race riot. A century ago on Tuesday, a young Black man named James Noey was shot and killed by a white police officer amid a brawl on Main Street in Fairport. The melee, in which young men from Rochester squared off with residents of some eastside suburbs, was huge news in its day.…

Gates Police halt use of Strong for mental health arrests

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 20:14:29 GMT

Chief Jim VanBrederode cited incidents where patients are released within hours, only for the same behavior to result in another 911 call. The Gates Police Department will temporarily stop sending individuals who are taken into custody for a mental health crisis to Strong Memorial Hospital, Chief Jim VanBrederode announced Monday. VanBrederode said that the pause will last until the hospital implements a standardized discharge procedure and follow-up care plan for mental hygiene arrestees.…

Cuomo: Vaccine to go to essential workers and most vulnerable first

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 11:42:52 GMT

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sunday that essential workers and high-risk individuals would get priority for a COVID-19 vaccine. New details emerged Sunday on how health officials in New York could administer a future vaccine for COVID-19, with Gov. Andrew Cuomo saying essential workers and high-risk individuals would receive the injection first. Individuals living in areas with a high prevalence of the virus would receive the vaccine first, according to a draft plan shown by Cuomo during a news conference in New York City.…