Denise Young

As the region prepares for a wintry blast tonight, the New York state Department of Transportation says it’s ready to do its part to keep roads clear.

Spokesman Jordan Guerrein said the expected 6 inches of snow in the region is “a very manageable amount” for the department.

He said the DOT has been in touch with the National Weather Service to know what to expect — and they’ve planned accordingly.

“We have people on call, we have salt stocked, we have fuel ready to go in our trucks,” he said.

The New York State Education Department has released the latest English and math test scores, and Rochester’s results are the worst among the “Big 5” city school districts.

For the exams given this past spring, in grades 3 – 8, in Rochester, for English Language Arts, 45.2%  of all test-takers statewide in grades 3 through 8 scored at the proficient level.

The Urban League of Rochester is gearing up to help more than 300 people by providing job training, academic assistance and other supportive services.

The agency received $2.5 million from the U.S. Department of Labor to fund two re-entry programs for people who were previously incarcerated or otherwise involved in the justice system.

One, called Project Steps to Success, will serve 125 young adults, ages 18 to 24.

The other, called Project BEAM, will assist 188 people over the age of 25.

Monroe County officials released figures Wednesday that show the deadly impact that the opioid crisis has had on this area.

At a news conference at Greece Town Hall, County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo said in the first half of 2016, the medical examiner’s office reported 97 overdose fatalities directly attributable to the use of heroin, opioids and other related substances.

In the same time period of 2017, there were 115 deaths.

Hundreds of people gathered outside Rochester City Hall late Friday afternoon to protest recent actions by the Trump administration on immigration.

With the wind chill factor in the single numbers, it made it almost a necessity for the throng of protestors to huddle together closely near the steps of city hall as they listened to various speakers including Mayor Lovely Warren.

Incumbent Republican Rep. Tom Reed kept his seat in the 23rd Congressional District on Tuesday, defeating Democratic political newcomer John Plumb.

Reed won with 55 percent of the vote; Plumb took 40 percent.

Reed was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010 after winning a special election for the 29th Congressional District.

When redistricting eliminated the 29th district, Reed successfully ran in 2012 for the 23rd district, a seat he has held since then.

Republican Assemblyman Mark Johns held off a challenge Tuesday to keep his seat in the 135th state Assembly District.

Johns defeated Democrat Dorothy Styk, a former Monroe County legislator, 60 percent to 40 percent.

Before being elected to the seat in 2010, Johns served on the Webster Town Board and Webster Conservation Board. He also worked for the Monroe County Department of Public Health for more than 30 years.

Styk was a Republican who switched parties; she unsuccessfully ran for re-election to the Monroe County Legislature in 2015.