COMPILED BY BRIAN MEYER
Sept. 18, 2020
Schools find shortage of laptops, tablets when they’re needed the most
What do toilet paper, Clorox wipes and school laptops have in common?
All have been in short supply amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
School laptops and electronic tablets are in high demand right now, The News’ Jay Rey reports. School districts are facing delays in acquiring additional devices at a time when tens of thousands of local students are learning remotely from home. One example: The Buffalo Public School District is still awaiting the delivery of 9,700 Apple iPads and 1,000 HP laptops.
And it’s not just Buffalo. From the Town of Tonawanda to Springville and beyond, school districts are facing troubling delays in getting devices at a time when they need them the most.
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MORE COVID-19 COVERAGE
Analysis: Six months in, no end in sight to the Covid-19 recession: It's looking more and more like the recovery from the coronavirus recession will stretch into next year. The pace of hiring has slowed as the reopening process has largely plateaued. The new cutbacks by businesses hurt by the six-month-long downturn are offsetting positive steps, such as the reopening of schools and return to work of thousands of teachers and school workers. Read more
Legislators propose using federal funds to help restaurants extend outdoor dining season: The fall-like weather means the days for outdoor restaurant dining are increasingly limited. Restaurants that want to stay afloat have found creative ways to make use of sidewalk, driveway and parking lot spaces to get around indoor capacity limitations. But keeping patrons warm outside means more than exercising creativity. It means spending money many owners don't have. Erie County legislators are considering a new program to help restaurateurs cover that cost. Read more
Column: Can Covid-19 change the weird norms people accept in public restrooms? When Covid-19 changed the world, we all started re-examining public spaces and how we interacted with them. Every store and restaurant got hand sanitizer stations, checkout counters got plexiglass barriers and floors got decals that measured 6-foot distances. Discount Diva Samantha Christmann explores this question: Can Covid-19 precautions finally improve the dreaded public restroom experience? Read more
WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
New details come to light on Genesee Street police shooting of homeless, mentally ill man: The shooting of Willie Henley, which came after months of nationwide protests against racism and police brutality and the release of video showing the death of Daniel Prude in Rochester, has sparked new protests in Buffalo. It has also fueled demands to reduce interaction between police and people having mental health emergencies. Entries into the police "Computer-Assisted Dispatch" system during the incident, an account by the officer's attorney and another account by a witness who recorded part of the incident shed some light into what happened. Read more
Convicted as teen in ’98 homicide, Buffalo woman to be freed thanks to domestic violence law: After 21 years in prison, a woman who was sentenced as a teenager will soon be freed thanks to a new domestic violence law passed last year. Read more
SEC seeks no fine in its proposed settlement with developer Morgan: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed settling its civil case against Rochester developer Robert Morgan, and he will not have to pay any fine or other penalties. But the settlement would have no effect on a separate criminal case brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which accuses Morgan of mortgage and insurance fraud. Read more
Fitch downgrades Buffalo’s credit rating, citing pandemic-related economic woes: Fitch Ratings has reduced the city’s credit rating to “A” from its former “A+” status. It has also revised the city’s credit rating outlook downward, to “negative” from “stable.” Read more
WEATHER
Feeling like fall: It is expected to be breezy today as clouds give way to mostly sunny skies. Highs near 60. Read more
FOOD & DRINK
Leonardi's legacy lives on through Bailey Avenue Pizza North: There was a deluge of sadness from pizza lovers when Leonardi's closed in December. Owners Hector and Anne Leonardi retired after 47 years, leaving a void at 614 Grover Cleveland Highway and on the list of classic local pizzerias. The Leonardi's tradition is now being carried on by Bailey Avenue Pizza North, which soft-opened Sept. 1 at that location and has planned a grand-opening celebration for Sept. 21. Read more
Guide to cider and hot chocolate in WNY: Autumn’s arrival triggers cravings for apple cider and rich hot chocolate. Step Out Buffalo highlights 15 local establishments that serve some fall favorites, including pumpkin hot chocolate and cider slushies. Read more
NEW BUFFALO
M&T Bank sees new Seneca One offices as tech 'beacon': “When you’re driving down the 190 and see it complete and it’s nighttime and it’s lit, it’s going to be a beacon for really cool technical space in Buffalo,” says Keith Belanger, the bank’s senior vice president for corporate services. Read more
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Buffalo Equal Opportunity Center series can help parents help kids with school: The center’s programs typically help about 1,900 students a year to prepare for high school equivalency exams, build computer and job interview skills, and train for careers in health care. It decided to take an unconventional approach in a free online training series designed to help parents help their children better handle remote learning. Read more
BILLS
Behind the scenes of the team's road game preparations: So much work went into getting the NFL off the ground this season, and a lot of that work centered around the procedures by which NFL teams like the Bills will go through this weekend when they take their show on the road. Jay Skurski takes us inside how the Bills are preparing to hit the road for the first time in 2020. Read more
X's and O's: Old friend Chan Gailey is leading Miami's offense. "Say what you want about Gailey’s tenure as Bills head coach from 2010 to 2012, but the guy knows offense," Mark Gaughan wrote. And he knows how to tailor an offense to Ryan Fitzpatrick's strengths. Gaughan has more on that, and a look at some of Sunday's key matchups. Read more
SABRES
A look back at Eichel's start with the Sabres: Jack Eichel's first practice with the Sabres was five years ago today. “You could see it right from the get-go,” said former Sabres winger Matt Moulson. “The first time you get on the ice with him you could see the skill set that not many people in this world possess." Read more
WITH YOUR MORNING COFFEE
• A 14-year-old girl has become the youngest person in history to swim across Lake Erie. Julia Notebomer made the 12.4-mile journey from Crystal Beach to Sturgeon Point. CBC Kids News reports her Aug. 30 feat raised $20,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
• An Orchard Park teen who is legally blind due to a rare genetic disease is seeing the world with a new perspective thanks to high-tech goggles. Thirteen-year-old Blair Briedenstein tells WKBW’s Rebecca Thornburg his life has changed dramatically as a result of his Irisvision Virtual Reality goggles.
• Covid-19 caused the cancellation of their summer and fall tour plans, but the Goo Goo Dolls are taking the mandatory downtime as an opportunity to write new music and look to the future. “It’s a weird world out there," says John Rzeznik. "We have no idea what’s gonna happen. The only thing you know for sure is that you can write and record. So, I may as well do as much of that as possible.”
• Many leaf-peepers will soon be scouting for day trip destinations. A one-hour drive to the Wyoming County Town of Warsaw will provide some picturesque vistas, including an 80-foot high cascading waterfall. John Kucko of WROC in Rochester calls Warsaw Falls “one of the greatest treasures in all of Western New York.”
Have a fun and safe weekend!
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