A rise in car thefts this summer has sparked debate about how to deal with young teenagers who are accused of crimes; the Rochester City School District is facing another teacher shortage, particularly in the area of bilingual education; AAA and local law enforcement are sharing the same message this week — school will open soon, so drive carefully; the city of Rochester is seeking to make its last standing cobblestone house a historical landmark; and as of Friday, New York state’s cigarette tax is the highest in the nation.

Four agencies have collaborated on a local effort to get more people of color with developmental disabilities to live independently; the top leader at Lollypop Farm says discussions are ongoing among that organization and other groups about the need to address the impending loss of a local emergency veterinary practice; and Monroe County is offering all suburban school districts an opportunity to join the county’s BusPatrol program.

New York state health officials are on the lookout for a new COVID-19 variant circulating in some parts of the country; New York authorities are issuing guidance to schools across the state reminding them that all students DO have a right to a public school education; and the Village of Fairport is expanding a program for residents who want to reopen their enclosed porches.

The first legal cannabis shop in Rochester is slated to open its doors this week; a civil rights lawyer representing survivors and families of the Buffalo mass shooting last year reacts to last weekend’s racist shooting in Florida; and there are some corporate changes in the works for the owners of the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres.

A demolition hearing has been set for a blighted and barricaded building in downtown Rochester, NBA championship basketball player and Rochester native Thomas Bryant held his annual free basketball camp over the weekend at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Rochester, and repair work continues in Irondequoit where a car fell into a sinkhole a week and a half ago.

Rochester area pet owners have been dealt another blow with the closing of a local emergency animal hospital, a new report from The Children’s Agenda shows that thousands of Rochester City School District students experienced housing instability over the last two years, and people who have court appearances at the Monroe County Hall of Justice are finding assistance just outside the courtroom doors.

The Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative is changing its public goals after nearly a decade of work, Rochester’s last remaining cobblestone building may be demolished to make way for a parking lot, and relief workers continue to pour into Hawaii after a deadly wildfire ravaged parts of Maui.

The Monroe County Legislature is considering a proposal that sponsors say would strengthen and modernize county laws regulating pawn shops and similar businesses, the Auditorium Theatre is now known as the "West Herr Auditorium Theatre and Performing Arts Center,” and the New York State Fair season begins today near Syracuse and there are some new features this year.

New York state is spending 20 million dollars to speed up the casework filing process for more than 30,000 asylum-seekers in New York City, the Gates Chili School District is offering free meals for all students this upcoming school year, and a state judge has dismissed a lawsuit that sought to nullify the appointment of Julie Cianca to lead the Monroe County Public Defender’s Office.

The first of four major environmental cleanups for a proposed High Falls State Park is underway, artificial intelligence robots are the newest companions for older New Yorkers, and the Environmental Protection Agency has scheduled a virtual public hearing this week as it seeks public input on a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.