The Batavia Daily News

0:00or have another print disability which makes reading holding a book or turning a page difficult or impossible. The content is copyrighted by the respective publishers. For more information, please visit us on the web at nfradioreading.org. Hello, this is Will Evans and for the next hour, I'll be reading from the Thursday, September 10th, 2026 issue of the Batavia Daily News. On the Niagara Frontier Radio Reading Service. Leading off, road work creates sticky situation. Route 262 closes and byron after surface treatment goes bad. Drivers, school officials and highway crews were quite literally presented with a sticky situation Wednesday after a road project went all-re in Route 6 on Route 62 to 62. Crews from Midland asphalt of Tanawanda had applied a chip seal treatment to the highway, said Stephen Valetico, public relations communication specialist for Genesee County.

1:08But it failed to adhere properly and left the surface covered with tar. Drivers became stuck and road material adhered to tires and vehicles County officials said. The highway was closed at 2 p.m. between routes 19 and 237 so crews could address the situation. Drivers were advised to avoid the area and find alternate routes. The highway reopened to traffic about 715 p.m. on Wednesday. This type of work typically has a quick turnaround with road reopening in about an hour and it was not expected to impact school traffic, Valetico said. Unfortunately, the material applied did not adhere to the road as expected resulting in an extended closure. The situation spurred angry responses from drivers on the highway and in the surrounding area. Officials at Byron Burgeon Central School said Wednesday afternoon they had been informed by the County Highway Department and Sheriff's Office that no roads were open to the district campus.

2:17The district was run by 2.62 and West Burgeon Road. The latter was reported closed for unrelated maintenance at a railroad crossing south of school's campus. The district had no prior notification of this road work. District officials said in a Facebook post. We are working with all available resources to rectify this situation as quickly as possible. The district notified families that all students were safe and the school day was continuing as scheduled. Its transportation department used modified bus routes to get students home. All after school activities were canceled including practices, games and open swim. The situation also generated numerous angry or exasperated comments on social media. Including images from a driver stuck on the highway. Genesee County officials were working with Midland asphalt on both intermediate fix and a long-term solution, Valetico said.

3:20Additionally, information will be provided once the next steps are determined. Chip seal treatments provide a protective coating existing on existing pavement. They are designed to seal cracks and surfaces while preserving and extending the pavement's lifespan. Officials at Byron Burgeon Central School could not be immediately reached for comment on Wednesday. Our next article is from Batavia. Shao sentens to probation for fatal thruway bus crash. The driver of the tour bus that crashed last August on the thruway in Pembroke, killing five and injuring dozens more, was sentenced on Wednesday to five years probation and 500 hours of community service. Bin Shao, 56 of Queens, pleaded guilty on July 6th to five felony counts of criminally negligent homicide. In Genesee County Court Wednesday, his lawyer, Daniel Lynch, argued for a nine-month prison sentence

4:21while Genesee County District Attorney Kevin Finnell sought a sentence of between one and a third and four years. Shao sentens, delivered by Judge Melissa Lightcap, CN Freene, included six months in incarceration, which was satisfied by the seven months he spent in Genesee County jail following his February arrest. He was set to be released from jail following Wednesday's hearing. CN Freene said Wednesday that Shao posed a low risk of reaffending and was remorseful, describing him as a good man, and said additional jail time wasn't necessary for the purposes of punishment, deterrence, or rehabilitation. But she said Shao needed to atone for the consequences of the crash, in which he reached for a water bottle that had rolled near the driver's compartment of the bus. Then upon noticing the bus had drifted from its lane, over-corrected multiple times, causing the bus to roll over at 71 miles per hour.

5:25During his presentation, Finnell said that Shao should have asked the tour guide or a passenger to remove the bus, and that Shao is assertion that the bottle had rolled behind the brake pedal doesn't align with the testimony a second-roll passenger of the bus gave to a grand jury. Someone in his position is always going to minimize their responsibility, Finnell said. He is a professional driver, Finnell said, rather than protect Mr. Shao abandoned his responsibility to search for the bottle while at a high speed. He said that while none of the crash victims or their families were present at Wednesday's hearing, due in part to many of the bus passengers being tourists from abroad, Shao's punishment should align with the severity of the crash, which killed five passengers and injured all 53 occupants of the bus. Does Mr. Shao know, show-resport remorse? Absolutely, he should, Finnell said, but that doesn't change the fact that he is responsible for this event.

6:31Lynch, Shao's defense attorney, said that since the crash, Shao has had trouble sleeping and had thoughts about suicide, mitigated only by his daughter. He also cited Shao's perfect driving record in the 24 years prior to the crash, saying that he would undo his actions 100 times, a million times, if he could. It's hard for me to really capture the remorse that Mr. Shao is expressing, he said. Lynch said Shao sought rehabilitation beginning on his first day in jail, and cited a letter from the family of a crash victim, Hung Zhu Xi asking the court to meet justice with compassion. Speaking briefly Wednesday, Shao apologized to the victims of the crash. I want to say from the bottom of my heart, I dearest apology to the victims and their families, he said through a Mandarin interpreter. I am very sorry.

7:32Xi and Frini said she hoped the case would serve as a stark reminder to all of us who check our smartphones or are otherwise distracted behind the wheel, but said Shao was an honorable man. I wish you the best she told Shao at the hearings close, live your life going forward the way you have in the past as a man of integrity, honor, and respect. In addition to Shao's sentence, both parties agreed to create a 30-day window within which those affected by the crash can seek financial restitution from Shao. That window closes on Friday, October 9. Those seeking restitution should contact the Genesee County District Attorney's Office at 585-344-2550, extension 2495. Shao also faces two separate civil lawsuits from a total of nine passengers who were injured in the crash.

8:36Our next article takes us to Albany. New York approves insurance plan rate hikes. Small increases for individual plans are set to take effect in 2027. The State Department of Financial Services has authorized the next round of health insurance premium rates for 2027, allowing companies to hike premiums by between 6 and 8%. On Friday, DFS announced that it had finished the prior approval process for health insurance rates for individual and small group plans. Under State law, the agency has the power to approve, deny, or modify the rate structures that health insurers in New York plan to set for their customers, with the exception of some large group and Medicare Advantage plans. According to DFS, insurers had proposed an average rate height of 20.6% for individual coverage plans, including those purchased through the State's health care exchange.

9:40Instead, an average increase of 6% was approved across the 12 companies that offer individual plans. In total, DFS projects that took cut about $1.6 billion out of total premium payments across all companies next year. The actual new rates vary by company. In the individual market, CDPHP asked for a 1.4% hike next year, but DFS approved no change. Emblem requested a 26.8% increase, and also saw no change approved. Fidelis applied for a 28.4% rate hike and was granted an 8% increase, while Excelis asked for a 17.2% increase and was granted a 12.2% increase. According to DFS, about 224,000 New Yorkers are enrolled in individual plans, not including the essential plan, the expanded Medicaid option offered to qualified low-income New Yorkers.

10:55In the small group market, which covers employer-based plans with fewer than 100 employees, 11 insurers asked for an average rate hike of 23.7%, but the final approvals average out to 8%. CDPHP, UBI, requested a 10.1% hike and was approved for a 3.6% increase, and CDPHP asked for a 14.1% increase and was approved for a 9.7% rate hike. Emblem requested a 14.2% increase, but was given a new approved rate that is lower than their current rate. The company must cut rates by 0.7% next year. MVP Health Plan requested a 19.6% rate hike and was approved for a 13.6% increase, while MVP Health Services Corporation asked for a 12% increase and was approved for a 5.6% rate hike.

12:00According to DFS, rate changes are approved based on a variety of factors including the insurers financial history, rate history, profit margins, as well as utilization rates and projected use trends. New York law also requires that insurers provide a medical loss ratio of at least 82%, meaning that at least 82% of all money paid in premiums is going toward paying claims, and at most 18% is going to administrative costs and profits for the insurer. In a statement Friday morning, the state health plan association, which represents insurance companies, said that DFS had failed to accurately assess company financial situations and the cost hikes across the health care sector. The rates the Department of Financial Services approved failed to fully account for the major factors driving premiums.

13:02Significant increases in the prices, house hospitals, providers and drug companies charge, new mandated benefits and taxes on health insurance, the group said in a joint statement. New York's health care costs are among the highest in the country, and the premiums health plans submitted in May reflect that reality. The pressing rates in the name of affordability does nothing to contain the cost of care. Instead, it ignores the ongoing escalation of provider and pharmaceutical prices. With consumers already facing significant disruption due to federal actions, these rates make it increasingly challenging for health plans operating in the individual and small group markets and risk undermining the stability of the marketplace. And we'll stay in Albany for our next article. Hocal signs new bills to protect labor unions. Attorney General can find people posing as union representatives.

14:03Governor Kathleen C. Hocal signed new laws into effect aimed at protecting and expanding workers' rights on Wednesday. At an event celebrating labor in New York City, Hocal put her pen to three pieces of legislation aimed at giving employees access to their records, ensuring construction workers get paid when their schedules are changed and penalizing people who pretend to be union representatives. One bill permits the state attorney general to find someone who pretends to be a union representative up to $1,000 per violation. Another bill changes the current requirements that construction workers get paid when they show up to work to find their shift has been cut or hours were reduced. Current law requires four hours of minimum wage pay when a construction worker shows up for a shift they were previously scheduled for. Under the changes, workers must be paid two hours at their regular rate if their shift was canceled with less than 12 hours notice and four hours at their regular rate if they show up and are sent home with no cause.

15:14The third bill mandates that employers give employees access to their personnel files and are formally notified when a negative entry is included in their file. It's modeled on a Massachusetts law that's been in effect since 2010. Employers will have to give access to records at least twice per year at all work sites in the state and would be required to provide the requested records within five business days. Employees would also be permitted to enter written statements into their files if they disagree with statements included by their employer and can sue to have false information removed. Employers found to violate the law could face fines between $500 and $2500 and employees will also be allowed to sue if they experience retaliation or discrimination for asserting their rights under the law. All three bills pass the state legislature with majority democratic support earlier this year.

16:20New York has the best work force in the nation. Our workers power our economy build our communities and keep our state moving forward every single day. These common sense laws will put money in workers pockets, safeguard their personal information and ensure that a hard day's work is met with a fair day's pay. I want to thank our labor partners and bill sponsors for their leadership as we continue building a safer, stronger and more affordable New York for all. You are listening to a reading of articles and features from the Batavia Daily News on the Niagara Frontier Radio Reading Service. Our next article comes from Batavia and in his headline, county raises concerns over proposed LED billboard. An ELBA couple is seeking permission to build an LED billboard on Batavia's west side but Genesee County Planning Staff are recommending against the proposal.

17:25The Reverend Jason and the Reverend Michelle Norton pastors at Ever Present Church in Batavia want to install a 15 by 9 foot digital color advertising screen at 3566 West Main Street Road on property owned by the storage mall shelf self storage facility. The digital sign would be about 150 feet from an existing printed billboard on the site which the Norton's don't own. The Norton's proposal will be on the agenda at Thursday's meeting of the Genesee County Planning Board. In a recommendation to the board, Planning Department staff suggested that the Norton's pursue a printed billboard instead of digital. Not enough information was provided in the application regarding the brightness and frequency of message change of the proposed electronic billboard in order to assess its impacts on traffic and adjacent uses.

18:25Staff wrote in the recommendation. A static printed billboard, they wrote, should pose no significant countywide or inner community impact. The proposed billboard is the first of many the Norton's hope to build throughout Western New York as part of their new business called Here's Your Sign. Jason Norton said the company hopes to build two billboards in Batavia and has its eyes on Lockport and Brockport. We're hoping to beat the big company, he said by phone Tuesday. We're a mom and pop-up outfit. Lamar owns every billboard across America, it seems. So we're trying to get a jump on them and do LED video wall billboards in smaller cities. The Norton's first considered entering the advertising business after buying a large video screen for ever present church. After learning how to run and maintain such a display, Jason Norton began considering billboards as a less intensive retirement job than his current day job as the maintenance director of a nursing home.

19:33The company plans to install its first sign by winter and a second Batavia sign by summer 2027, Jason Norton said. He said the roadside sign is certain to be attention grabbing. People will notice it right away, he said. It will be one of those things that will really jump out at you because it's digital. I think we all see them going into Rochester and Buffalo. They're pretty big and they really do appeal and you can't help but look at them. He said that despite the bright light and changing colors, the billboard won't be a nuisance because the adjacent properties are primarily wooded or industrial. We are just hopeful that the community will be receptive to this new advertising opportunity, he said. I know everybody does a lot of digital marketing in regards to ad monitor, social media and websites and this will be just one more added flavor, a benefit for their businesses and give them another opportunity to be able to do it. I think they would get a lot of exposure. The Genesee County Planning Board will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday in the large conference room of county building number 2, 38, 37, west Main Street Road, Batavia.

20:53Moving over now to East Bethany, firefighter Barbecue gets a twist, family friendly event aims to recruit 10 new personnel. The Bethany Volunteer Fire Department will flip the traditional charity fundraiser on its head. The department will host its annual end of the season, chicken barbecue, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the fire station located on 1050-10. The Bethany Center Road. It's 1050-10. Bethany Center Road. Besides the chicken barbecue, the state fire station grounds will be transformed into an interactive playground to launch an ambitious drive to recruit 10 new emergency responders, department members said in a news release. Like many rural departments, Bethany faces a daytime responder shortage as traditional volunteers commute out of Genesee County for work, firefighters said. To counter this trend, the department is actively lifting its traditional don't touch rules. Every child and adult in the community will be explicitly invited to climb into the driver's seat of the department's largest rescue trucks,

22:08honk the horns, and test their skills in interactive challenges. The chicken barbecue is a fantastic East Bethany tradition, but this year we are focusing heavily on entertainment over tradition. Fire Chief Jeff Fluker said, We have a firm goal to recruit 10 new members. We want to show people that joining this department doesn't mean taking on a rigid secondary job. It means finding a second family, he continued, you don't need prior experience and you don't have to run into burning buildings to save a life. We have massive, flexible needs for daytime support roles. Attendees can participate in high energy, low prep activities throughout the afternoon. The 60 second Fire Fighter Challenge, a timed obstacle course where adults and teens can put on a real turnout coat, drag 100 pound rescue dummy and roll up a fire hose to earn an exclusive I Survive the Bethany Fire Challenge at Sticker.

23:12The Junior Hose Target Shoot, a safe kid-friendly station where children use a real fire nozzle to knock targets off tables. The Golden Ticket Delivery, every 10th drive-through pre-order customer will have their meal hand delivered to their window by Chief Fluker in full emergency turnout gear, complete with a siren chirp. Members of the department, including local tradespeople, farmers and flexible schedule workers who balance their daily shifts and shop work with active emergency response, will be floating around the dining area conducting live, high energy interviews over the station loudspeaker to share their experiences. Representatives will be on hand to sign up residents for customized flexible roles including emergency medical services, apparatus drivers, fire police and scene support. The barbecues will be $15 each and will also include salt potatoes, beans and a roll.

24:21The movie on now, Back to School Butterflies, New Year brings range of emotions for York students. Spiling faces, uncertain glances, high fives, hugs, students comparing backpacks, and yes, there were some tears, but they were quickly erased by a caring teacher who knew just what to do to ease any first-day fears of a young student. Those were just some of the scenes that greeted York Elementary School teachers and staff as they welcomed hundreds of returning and new students back to the school on Route 63 on Wednesday morning. This is what makes your day to see them over-excited for the first day of school, said Heidi Nukum, secretary to Superintendent Jesse Hamilton, who was experiencing his first day of school as a superintendent. Hamilton, an alumni and lifelong resident of the district, took over a superintendent on July 1 after more than a decade at the Mount Morris Central School District where he had most recently served as principal.

25:30He said it was a very different first day experience. I have to look at it now from an operations perspective to make sure it is all run smoothly, Hamilton said. But I take a lot of pride as a community resident, as an alumni, to be serving as superintendent. It's been very interesting to look at the whole building perspective. But I think we've had a great start. He said shortly after the elementary students had completed their arrival and about an hour into the high school day. I've really enjoyed the beginning of the year, said Hamilton, who spent the summer learning more about the district, its staff. He spoke to everyone by name during a quick tour on Tuesday morning and filling an open position. He also attended a number of events to get to know the community and staff, including summer recreation, a science camp, and driver's education program. Now, he said, the focus is on developing the district's strategic plan, a literacy program in the elementary school, and an upcoming capital project presentation in October among other initiatives.

26:42We want to make sure our students and staff have all the resources they need to be successful, he said. Earlier Tuesday, members of the senior class launched the 2026-2027 school year with what has become York's traditional start to the school year, a senior sunrise. Senior sunrise has become a popular high school tradition where graduating seniors gather to watch the sunrise together, on the first day or during the first week of their final year to mark the official beginning of their last year of high school. Students play games, socialize, and remember or reflect on their previous high school years as they look forward to their last year of high school. At York, students took part in a breakfast, complete with pancakes on the grill, prepared by members of the senior class, and games of cornhole as the sun rose over the track adjacent to the school.

27:43Hamilton and middle-sla- slash high school principal Charles Pasarell joined the seniors for the event. Pasarell, who is beginning his second year in the district, said the first day got off to a smooth start, like a well-oiled machine, and said that there was a ton of optimism around Jesse starting, and that the district was in a good spot, ready to roll. Both administrators noted the district has seen a positive trend in enrollment, with an overall increase from a year ago. The district has a total of 630 students in kindergarten through 12th grades, with 280 in elementary school, and 350 in middle and high school. When pre-kindergarten classes are added, the total approaches 650. I love to see us making that connection with students and families early, Hamilton said. He said the family atmosphere at York Central is something that really stands out to him. As I walked the halls and talked with staff and students, he said, everyone feels like a family.

28:50Next up, Ledgeworth Live celebrates decades of American music. Take advantage of outdoor music events while you still can this month. On Saturday, you can enjoy the beauty of Ledgeworth State Park, and a half-century of American music, including jazz, blues, swing, and ragtime for free, beginning at 6 p.m. at the High Banks Rook Reation area on High Banks Road in the park. It's another gift to the area from Pifford resident and music promoter Paul Penner, and for the people productions. I thought it would be interesting for people not to just be entertained, but to learn something about where the history of the music they listened to today came from, he says. Ledgeworth State Park manager Doug Kelly will be there, not to manage, but as the bass player in his family's 75-year-old three-generation band, Kelly's Old Timers, who will kick off the event with 1920s and 1930s swing era blues and ragtime,

29:53that started in the Mississippi Delta. Penner picked three bands he's worked with before to exemplify how modern American music has evolved through the years. They're all good representatives of those years, he says. The Penner players from Pittsburgh take the stage at 715 with its jazz blues specialty representing the 1930s and 1940s as the genre moved to New Orleans and other cities. The swing era was a highly energetic period of music that featured artists such as Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and Glenn Miller. The Penner players draw inspiration from early jazz giants, Louis Armstrong, and Gershwin, to a Django Reinhardt, curating a sound that spans vintage and classic jazz, swing, and blues sounds from the early 1900s. Expect a mix of classic standards, lesser known tunes, and originals.

30:54Members include Pat Hodge, guitar and vocals, Nathan Virgo, Violin, Dave Shepherd, upright bass, Lenny Green, clarinet, and Jason Borosoff, guitar. The White Hots, from Rochester, featuring singer Tina Albright, take the stage at 830 pm. The group plays blues, swing, and jazz music from the 1950s to the 1970s. Albright and her band have been a staple on the local music scene for more than 25 years. She's probably the best vocalist in the area, Penner says, of the opera trained Eastman School music graduate. After the ragtime era and blues music moved to Chicago, it became electric guitar blues for musicians like Muddy Waters, Penner says, of the evolution of rock and roll. The show wraps up with a jam session, including members of all three bands at 930 pm. The high-banked structure area is lawn seating, bring your own chairs and blankets. Park concessions will be open at the site until 9 pm.

32:03Parking is ample at high-banks, and the park is free to enter after 5 pm. In case of rain, the concert will take place on Sunday. You're listening to a reading of articles and features from the Batavia Daily News on the Niagara Frontier Radio Reading Service. And we'll turn now to the opinion page and another view column. This one is an editorial from the Las Vegas Review Journal. Jeffries saves wrath for moderates. To determine a political party's priorities, see what makes it upset. The rise of the Democratic Socialists of America or the DSA is one of the biggest ongoing stories in politics. New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani is a member of the DSA. In recent months, Democrats connected to the DSA have won primaries in Michigan, Colorado, New York, and Pennsylvania.

33:05In some races, DSA candidates have defeated incumbents. Last month, Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Democrat from New York, rejoined DSA's New York chapter. Despite just a big presence on social media, she would be a serious contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination if she decides to run. In Florida, state representative Angie Nixon, a DSA member won the Democrat primary for U.S. Senate against a much better-funded opponent. In Michigan, Democrat Senate candidate Abdul El-Sahed has tried to distance himself from the DSA, but he repeatedly attended socialist events in previous years. Some Democratic party leaders have sought to distance themselves from the DSA's positions, like its support of communism and abolishing the police. But top Democrats have made it clear that DSA members are welcome to join their caucuses.

34:09You're going to have individual members who have been elected in Democratic primaries, and if they are elected in the general in November, will be part of the House Democratic caucus. House Minority Leader Hakim Jeffries said on Meet the Press last month. It's going to be a broad caucus. There will be progressives. There will be new Dems. There will be blue dogs. Contrast Jeffries' acceptance of DSA-aligned Democrats with what happened earlier last week. Two Democrats voted with House Republicans on a procedural move. Their votes allowed House Republicans to put forward a resolution, condemning socialism, and calling for the Senate to pass the SAVE Act. The decision by two of our colleagues to blindside the entire House Democratic caucus and join with the Republican majority to pass a procedural rule on the brink of failing represents a significant breach of trust.

35:10Jeffries said in a joint statement with two other House Democrat leaders. It is an action that necessitates a serious response, and we have asked the committee on caucus rules to take this up in short order. Take note. Teen up an embarrassing vote on a messaging bill will earn Democrat House members the wrath of their leaders. But those same Democrat leaders will roll out the welcome mat for those aligned with a group that openly calls for the destruction of America's free market economy and political system. Talk is cheap. These actions speak louder than words. Our next article comes from Washington. Trump plans ban on some Canadian imports. The United States escalated its trade war with Canada, moving to block imports of some alcoholic beverages, dairy products, and motorcycles, as well as seeking to bar Canadian companies from selling to US government contractors.

36:15President Donald Trump signed a series of proclamations on Tuesday that included bands on motorcycles, whey, molasses, non-alcoholic beer, and a range of alcoholic beverages. The import bands for some Canadian dairy products and alcohol will take effect in three weeks, a senior administration official toll reporters. Modifications to the section 338 tariffs will go into place in one week. Canada is the largest supplier of dairy products to the US by volume, accounting for about 14% of the country's imports according to the US Department of Agriculture. Those shipments totaling over 120,000 tons last year were worth about $433 million. The changes announced Tuesday also exclude some products from previously enacted tariffs, including some toilet paper, bed sheets, fishing rods, and some whiskies and liquors.

37:17Meanwhile, the senior administration official said Trump's threats to increase Canadian auto tariffs to 50% on January 1st remain in place. Earlier Tuesday, in a truth social post, the President announced he would cut Canadian goods from US government buyers, unless Canada restores full and fair reciprocity for American farmers and companies. Trump said Canadian goods and services sold under the so-called multiple award schedule are worth more than $50 billion each year. The senior official later clarified that while the White House calculates that the US has a $50 billion procurement market, Canadian companies don't always account for all of that. The US President's actions are the latest salvo in a trade fight that is expanded well beyond tariffs. Talks between the US and Canada on a trade-true collapse at the last minute in August, leading the Trump administration to follow through with a 50% tariff on billions in Canadian goods.

38:26Trump has since ordered Lake Ontario renamed Lake America, prompting an outcry from Canadians and even some Republican allies at home. He's also threatened to end sales of Canada-based Bombardier Inc, jets in the US, and raised questions over the value of Canada's currency. Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney has refused to back down. After the trade talks collapse, he vowed to retaliate dollar for dollar, and on Tuesday, counter tariffs on hundreds of US consumer goods, including motorcycles, cosmetics and cheese, went into effect. Carney's government also increased duties on many US steel items to 50% from 25%. If implemented, Trump's government contracts decision could amount to a widespread ban on Canadian companies doing business with the US government and royal contracting across the country.

39:26It doesn't appear to apply to defense contracts, at least for now. Canadian government officials didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Since the beginning of the fiscal year 2021, US federal agencies purchased $13 billion in goods and services sourced from Canada, according to data compiled by Bloomberg government that didn't include classified contracts. Trump has been in favor of the system. He signed an executive order last year, encouraging the use of such contracts in an effort to get the government to purchase more off-the-shelf products and services instead of more expensive bespoke procurement. Likewise, existing agreements between Canada and the US give American businesses the ability to compete for contracts from many Canadian federal and provincial departments and entities. But after Trump returned to the White House, Canada began to curb that access. Ontario, for example, cancelled a deal with Elon Musk's starlink for Internet access in rural parts of its province.

40:37The province of Quebec just announced changes that will allow it to reserve some public-con to fracks for companies with a presence in Canada or Quebec. The Canadian retaliatory duties threatened to wreak havoc on closely integrated supply chains, impacting key industries, including auto manufacturing. The US and Canada have been top trading partners for years, and the political stakes from an extended trade fight for both Karnie and Trump are high. Canada's measures could have a particularly damaging impact in states such as Michigan and Ohio that also boasts key races in November's midterm elections to determine control of the US Congress. Trump is already facing voter angst over his economic agenda and a war with Iran that has caused energy prices to spike. Officials negotiated for weeks after Trump threatened to impose tariffs on Canada under a never-before-used authority.

41:38Since, then both countries have blamed each other for the intensifying trade fight, trading sharp rhetoric, and in some cases insults. The threat against Bombardier prompted concern from Republican Senator Jerry Moran, who said in a post on X, he reached out to the Trump administration to make certain the President is aware of the significant contributions of Bombardier to Kansas, including with jobs. Bombardier has sought to ease tensions, noting that it's a major contributor to the US aerospace sector with employees in more than 20 states, and the company has touted plans to inaugurate a new facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana this year. The trade war has already had ripple effects. Sepuro Brewery's limited is moving some production to the US from Canada because of the 50% tariffs imposed on beer exports from the country.

42:41You are listening to a reading of articles and features from the Batavia Daily News on the Navi Frontier Radio Reading Service, and we'll turn now to an article from Los Angeles. More than just a coaching tree, why Sean McVeigh is so good at forging NFL coaches. Sean McVeigh never stops coaching his coaches, even after they leave his staff. Last season, during a by-week following the Rams route of the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, McVeigh counsel Jaguars coach Liam Cohen. How to reset, Cohen said, how to have a little more grace for yourself and your players. As McVeigh prepares for his 10th season, his influence and growing coaching tree will once again populate the NFL. Five former Rams assistants are head coaches, Green Bay's Matt LaFlor, Cincinnati's Zach Taylor, Minnesota's Kevin O'Connell, Arizona's Mike LaFlor and Cohen.

43:42Former Charles Coach, Brandon Staley and former Atlanta coach Rahim Morris, now defensive coordinators with New Orleans and San Francisco respectively, also parlayed Stins with McVeigh into head coaching opportunities. The development of the coaches who have worked for him, that's not an accident, O'Connell said. That is something he's purposeful about and that he genuinely does care about. As always, McVeigh is quick to acknowledge the early NFL opportunities he was afforded and the lessons learned from his grandfather, John McVeigh and the Gruden and Shanahan families. What I would hope is that the most helpful thing for them is that they get exposed to everything, McVeigh said of helping assistants become head coaches. Because I try to be as inclusive as possible, so when they get that role, they've kind of been in a lot of those scenarios already, because they're helping me navigate those things.

44:42Matt LaFlor said he knew McVeigh would become an NFL head coach within 10 minutes of McVeigh interviewing for a quality control job with Washington in 2010. Seven years later, after the Rams made the then 30-year-old McVeigh the youngest head coach in modern NFL history, McVeigh hired LaFlor as offensive coordinator. To that point, LaFlor said becoming an NFL head coach himself was not at the forefront of his mind. It wasn't until I was with Sean and you got kind of a front row seat, LaFlor said. That was a huge learning experience for me, just being so close to Sean and seeing all the stuff he had to deal with. That's where it kind of intrigued me and peaked my interest. After the 2017 season and the Rams first playoff appearance since 2004, LaFlor interviewed to become the Tennessee Titans head coach. The Titans ultimately hired him as offensive coordinator and play collar.

45:45In 2019, the Packers hired LaFlor as head coach and he has since guided teams to five playoff appearances and two NFC championship games. Taylor also was a member of the Rams 2017 staff as an assistant receivers coach. The next season, he coached quarterbacks. McVeigh empowers all coaches, said Taylor, who had previous experience as a coordinator. Taylor's initial role with the Rams was a step back, but McVeigh and other staff members did not make it feel like one. A month after the Packers hired LaFlor, the Bengals hired Taylor. Two years later, Taylor guided his team to a match up against the Rams in Super Bowl 56. Sean just shows you this is the model you can follow that works well, Taylor said. You take it to your own place, you tweak it, and certainly over eight years tweaked it drastically. But I think there's just belief when you work there that this is something you can model off of and win championships with.

46:51The Chargers hired Staley after the 2020 season. The Chargers requested to interview O'Connell to become head offensive coordinator and play collar, but McVeigh blocked it, citing it as a lateral move. He had different plans, O'Connell said, and he's entitled to do that. But he followed that up with, we're going to go with Get Matthew Stafford. We're going to go win a Super Bowl, and you're going to become a head coach. When all three of those things became true a little over a year later, I love him to death, and I would love to not give him that kind of credit, but I absolutely need to. The Vikings hired O'Connell after McVeigh led the Rams to their Super Bowl victory. There were countless times where he brought me into his office for a circumstances that went beyond the role of a coordinator to really pull back the curtain and let me understand, O'Connell said. Adding, he wanted to help my development, and that's something I've now taken very seriously

47:54with some of the coaches who have coached for me. Coen joined the Rams staff in 2018 as an assistant wide receivers coach. He left in 2021 to become Kentucky's offensive coordinator, but returned to the Rams in 2022 as offensive coordinator. The Rams suffered the worst Super Bowl hangover in NFL history, and Coen returned to Kentucky before becoming the Tampa Bay Buckeneers offensive coordinator. The Jaguars hired him in January 2025. Coen said the lessons he learned from McVeigh in 2022, when injuries decimated the Rams roster, were among the most valuable. He challenges every aspect of who you are as a coach, Coen said. And McVeigh talked for close to three hours in the days after the Rams sent the Jaguars to a loss that dropped their record to 4-3. Coen then led his team to nine victories in their last ten games and route to the playoffs.

48:56He mentioned something like, look, you can get frustrated with jersey number X or Y, but we still need to love the name on that back. Coen said, and that was helpful for me because sometimes you can get caught up in the assignment and the execution that you forget. Man, like I really care about that player. His last name, that means something to me as a coach, and to lean into that, and to make sure that when you come in the building every day, and your players come in the building every day, they genuinely want to be there. The Falcons hired Morris in 2024, and the Cardinals last February made Mike LaFlor, Matt's younger brother, a head coach for the first time. During three seasons as the Rams offensive coordinator, Mike LaFlor said McVeigh established strong foundations, but also used his tireless energy to encourage assistance to tear down tried and true concepts and build them back sparking innovation.

49:58It's long, it's tiring, but it's necessary, LaFlor said, adding that lessons learned from McVeigh have served him and others well. You look at Kevin O'Connell, you look at my brother, I do think you just kind of naturally take that with you, and in my opinion, it just gives you a leg up. McVeigh laments, usually light hearted to the loss of staff members that have ascended to become head coaches, but said he was grateful for the opportunity to help them achieve their goals, and there is an added benefit. What I think has been really cool is that if you are fortunate to see guys go on. Moving on, our next article comes from the New York Daily News. Rob Reiner honored with Postumes Emmy Award. Filmmaker and actor Rob Reiner was honored with a Postumes Emmy Award at Sunday's Creative Arts event in Los Angeles,

51:00which were held in advance of the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards that take place on September 1st. The 78-year-old prox native, who was killed in December, received an outstanding guest actor in a comedy series award for his work on the FX series The Bear. Reiner competed in the category against Michael J. Fox and Brett Goldstein on shrinking. Hamish Linklater on Windows Widows Bay. Christopher McDonald from Hacks and Conner Story for his guest host appearance on SNL. Reiner and his wife, Michelle Singer Ryan, were found dead with stab wounds in their Los Angeles home on December 14th. John Nick Reiner, 32, is charged with murdering the couple and lying in wait. He pleaded not guilty with special circumstance and is awaiting trial. I'll never understand. I don't care how it's explained to me. I don't care what facts come out.

52:04I will never understand why this happened. Nick's brother, Jake Reiner, told ABC News in an interview that aired last month. It was the first time he spoke at length about the death of his prolific dad, who directed films including Stand By Me, When Harry Met Sally, and this is Spinal Tap. Before Sunday's honor, Reiner won Primetime Emmy Awards in 1974 and 1978, replying Michael Meadhead, Stibbick, on the sitcom All in the Family. His father was 11-time Emmy winner, Carl Reiner, Carl's final award and penultimate Emmy came 37 years apart. And we'll turn now to the dear Abby column and dear Abby column is written by Jean Phillips. Our first letter, Sex and Generian Problem Child, disrupts family harmony. Dear Abby, I have a younger brother who has moved back to the area where the rest of our siblings live.

53:09He went for 30 years without keeping in close contact with anyone during that time. He's the youngest of 10 children and our mother spoiled him rotten. He's in his 60s now and still acts like an immature spoiled child. Our father had to bail him out of financial situations more times than I can count. Despite that, he hated our father and announced it when he came home for Dad's funeral. The problem we're having now is that he constantly tries to stir up problems between the rest of us. Until he returned, we were a close-knit family. None of my other family members want anything to do with him and they refuse invitations to get together if he will be there. Abby, I love my brother, but I'm tired of his behavior. He had a drug problem when he lived out of state. He claims he's clean now, but he has now replaced the drugs with alcohol. How can I get my family back without him if he isn't willing to admit he is the problem?

54:14And that letter is from sibling situation in Wisconsin. Dear sibling, stop inviting your brother to these gatherings. The sooner you do, the sooner he will learn the consequences of trying to stir up trouble among the siblings. Unless there are consequences for his behavior, it won't stop. His behavior isn't unusual for an addict. By that, I mean it is common for an addict to replace his drug addiction with another one and even more common to deny having a problem. There is a program that was created decades ago called AL-ANAN. AL-ANAN.org is an offshoot of alcoholics anonymous created for anyone who is affected by a loved one's drinking. It holds meetings everywhere and you should have no trouble locating one near you. Attend some of those meetings which are free of charge. When you do, you will meet others with problems similar to the one you are having.

55:18And our next letter, Dear Abby, I have been planning a dream trip to Europe with some family members. The people I'm traveling with are young and like to take selfies everywhere, which takes a lot of time. I don't care about doing that type of thing. They are girly girls and I am plain. I never know what to do while they are doing these things. They love hair and makeup and take a valuable time with these activities. I don't begrudge them this, but do you have any advice on what to say or do while I wait around? And that letter is from Freddin this trip. Dear Freddin. When people take selfies as they travel, part of the fun is capturing themselves against picturesque landscapes, famous landmarks or works of art. If you don't want to be in the photos, keeping a visual record of your journey can still be fulfilling. Develop your photo or video skills by focusing on the scenery that girls are using as backdrops.

56:23If you are artistically inclined, a sketchbook may be more your speed. If images aren't your thing, bring a travel journal in which you can jot down your impressions and favorite aspects of the places you visit. You have been listening to a reading of articles and features from the Batavia News, issues of the Batavia News from Thursday, September 10th, 2026. We read from the Batavia Daily News every Saturday at 9 a.m. Your reader has been Will Evans. Thank you for listening. Coming up next in the Niagara Frontier Radio Reading Service, we have the Easter hour advertiser at 11 o'clock with the Niagara Gazette, and then noon we have the Dunkirk Observer. Stay with us for these readings and more throughout the day. Radio Reading mail is out of the large print program scheduled to our listeners every other month.

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