News

Officials at the University of Rochester have issued a statement following the release of  a memo which indicates a recent audit shows a “significant misappropriation” of university funds within one of the Medical Center departments.

The memo, sent to college officials last week from U of R President Joel Seligman and other university leaders, says that officials believe it was an isolated case.

There’s three days left in the legislative session, and chances are dimming for a settlement on an abortion rights provision in a women’s equality act, and for reform of campaign financing and other anti-corruption measures.  

Meanwhile, a new poll finds the public increasingly dissatisfied.

As the session winds down, it seems that two of the governor’s top agenda items are doomed in the State Senate.

The game of golf can teach young people a lot about life. That's according to Scott Kemic, the senior director of the PGA Foundation.

"You play by yourself. You call penalties on yourself. You interact with people. It's always been about camaraderie," Kemic says. "To provide youth the opportunity to ...  really have a positive impact on their lives through the values of what it [golf] teaches you. The life skills of honesty, integrity and building character."

The 13th annual Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival kicks off this weekend with more than 250 shows over the nine-day event.

Among the world class artists performing are Willie Nelson and Family, the Gap Mangione Big Band and Pink Martini.

Jazz fest co-producer John Nugent, who appeared on WXXI's 1370 Connection on Monday, says about 187,000 people attended last year’s festival.

While statewide graduation rates remained stable at 74%, the Rochester City School District saw a drop in students graduating in 2012. That’s according to the latest graduation rates released Monday by the New York State Education Department. The District graduated 43% of its students in 2012, compared to 45.5% percent in 2011. Superintendent Bolgen Vargas said the District can’t improve student learning if doesn’t improve the quantity and quality of instruction.

Sonic Drive-In restaurants is bringing its roller-skating car hop servers to Rochester. The Oklahoma City-based chain says it will develop five new Sonic drive-ins in Rochester over the next four years.

That will double its presence in New York State. It has five other stores scattered around the state, but none in the Rochester region.

The WXXI news staff checks newspapers and websites to help keep tabs on what's happening in communities across New York state.

A series of bills are moving through the State Legislature that would protect seniors from abuse, fraud and financial exploitation.

A manhunt is underway this morning in Ontario County, as police search for two suspects considered to be armed and dangerous.

According to media reports, Ontario County Sheriff's deputies were called to a location in Geneva Sunday afternoon after there were reports of gunshots fired.  Police began a chase when four suspects were spotted leaving the scene.  The suspects' vehicle crashed in a wooded area near Routes 96 and 14, when one of the men reportedly pulled out a gun. He was shot by police and treated at Strong Memorial Hospital. 

Environmental groups from around the state are headed to Albany Monday for a rally against hydrofracking, which is a method of extracting natural gas from the ground.

They are calling it the 'crossroads rally,'  because they believe the state has a choice of two directions...one of  them, these groups believe, will result in a dependency on dangerous fossil fuels, while the other direction is a path to renewable energy, based on solar, wind and water methods of creating power.