The YWCA Rochester & Monroe County celebrated its 20th Annual Empowering Women's Luncheon on Oct. 7, 2026, welcoming tennis legend Venus Williams as the featured speaker for an afternoon focused on empowerment, leadership and personal growth. Venus Williams is an American tennis champion, entrepreneur and advocate for gender equality. A former world No. 1, Williams has won seven Grand Slam singles titles, including five Wimbledon championships, and four Olympic gold medals. H

Rochester Mayor Malik Evans Gun violence in Rochester has fallen to levels not seen in more than a decade, according to new data released by Mayor Malik Evans, continuing a downward trend that city officials say reflects a combination of policing, violence-prevention programs, community partnerships and targeted intervention strategies. At a recent public safety update, Evans announced that several key measures of gun violence are now substantially below their 10-year average

Rochester’s long-delayed effort to rebuild Peace Village is moving forward, but the plan to transform the city’s only sanctioned homeless encampment into a more structured transitional housing site is drawing concerns from advocates who say people experiencing homelessness should have a greater voice in how it operates. Rochester City Council had been expected to vote Sept. 22 on funding for the Industrial Street site but postponed action until Oct. 6 while details of the pro

New York state has agreed to pay $24 million to the family of Robert Brooks, the Rochester-area man who died after a brutal beating by correction officers at Marcy Correctional Facility in December 2024, bringing the civil litigation surrounding his death to a close while his family vows to continue pushing for changes in the state prison system. Steven Schwarz (Attorney), Robert Brooks Jr.(Son of Robert Brooks), Jared Ricks (Robert Brook's brother), Elizabeth Mazur (Attorney