A dog park is making its way to Fulton County, thanks to a group project from the Fulton County Leadership Academy Class of 2020.

Group member Ashely Burrus explained how the idea came together. 

The class started the project at the end of September 2019. Group member Adrienne Thompson said the group managed to keep in contact, despite dates for graduation and projects getting pushed back because of the pandemic. 

Their goal is to provide a park where a dog and owner can enjoy themselves. 

Burrus says they hope to have the park open as soon as this spring. 

You can reach out to them on their Fulton County Bark Park Facebook page or via email at fultoncobarkpark@gmail.com. 

The community support has been encouraging. 

Hope is coming to Rochester, with the upcoming 'Recovery Cafe' at 715 Main Street.

Pat Brown, Executive Director of the Recovery Cafe Fulton County says this nonprofit organization was made to be a safe haven. The cafe will welcome anyone in need that's struggling with not only addiction, but also abuse, loss, PTSD and more. 

Brown was inspired to help others with addiction, after he experienced its devastating effects with his own families struggles. On a quest to find hope for humanity, Brown wanted to offer more help and resources to those struggling in the community. 

Brown says he hopes to have the cafe open by March. 

It's something, he says, isn't going anywhere anytime soon. 

Brown says if all goes well in the future, he has high hopes of also starting a program with the jail, that helps inmates rehabilitate after being released. 

The cafe opened the eyes of the public with an open house February 13.

Anyone wanting to join or help is welcome. 

Cryptocurrency scams are becoming a popular way for fraudsters to trick people into sending money, and take on many forms. Most crypto scams appear as emails or texts trying to blackmail or threaten someone, online chain referral scams, or fake investment opportunities. Recently these scams have targeted people looking for love on popular dating sites and apps such as Tinder.

BBB reminds dating app users to not let their quest for love blind them to the red flags of a scam. 

How the Scam Works 

When “swiping right” on an attractive male or female, the app then instantly matches you with them. Once sparking up a conversation, the alleged mate may quickly try to take the conversation off the dating platform and move it to a texting app such as WhatsApp or WeChat. The scammer starts talking about how they have a family member who is a very successful cryptocurrency investor, and have inside trading information that could make you rich! They pique your interest with the idea that you can make lots of money by taking advantage of this exclusive opportunity, and direct you to a fake cryptocurrency trading platform. Once making a deposit on the website, the money is gone forever, and the new “love” blocks you on all platforms. 

One victim reported to BBB Scam Tracker that after talking to a woman on Tinder, she persuaded him to invest on a fake trading platform called Goldencoreex.com. Once he tried to withdraw the full amount, the funds were automatically reversed back into his account by their "system security" to help prevent money laundering. The victim was then told the account needed a balance of up to $3,000 before withdrawing funds without any type of limit. After trying several times, the victim was unable to recoup his money.? 

Protect Yourself From this Scam: 

• Never send money or personal information that can be used for identity theft to someone you’ve never met in person. If they continue to pressure you to invest on a crypto trading platform, research the investment platform first. 
• Stay secure. If a love interest appears to be in a hurry to get off the dating app to an unsecure chat app, that is a red flag. 
• Ask specific questions about details given in a profile. A scammer may stumble over remembering details or making a story fit. 
• Research the dating profile. Many scammers steal photos from the web to use in their profiles. Conduct a reverse image lookup using a website like?tineye.com?or?images.google.com?to see if the photos on a profile are stolen from somewhere else. Search online for a profile name, email, or phone number to see what adds up and what doesn’t. Report what you find to the dating app. 

National Donor Day has shared February 14 with Valentine's Day every year since 1998, after it was started to raise awareness about the importance of organ and tissue donation. To people like Bill Wyatt, an Instructional Assistant at Rochester High School, the gift of life is sweeter than candy. 

At the age of 31, Wyatt was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease, an inherited disorder that causes cluster cysts to develop, enlarging the kidney and eventually causing it to lose function over time. 

As the years faded, so did Wyatt's kidney function, but he said it was his kids that kept him going. In 2013, Wyatt was placed on dialysis. 

Wyatt was working at the school when he got the call about a transplant being ready for him. It's a day he will never forget. 

On August 22, 2018, Wyatt finally got his transplant. Several months had passed by when a letter came in the mail from his donor's family. Over the next year, he would learn all about his donor from photos, letters and eventually meeting her family.

Wyatt said he still gets goosebumps thinking about it. 

Wyatt's donor not only gave him life, she also saved two other people with her heart and other kidney. According to the U.S. Government Information on Organ Donation and Transplantation, everyday 17 people die while on the national transplant waiting list.

Wyatt says he can't express the importance of being an organ donor enough. 

Visit donatelife.gov for more information on organ donation or how you can become a donor. 

The City of Rochester Water Department is making some necessary repairs to the Northeast side (Indiana Ave) water tower. 

Residents in this area may experience discolored water for the next couple days.  The water is safe to use and drink.  The city recommends letting it run a few minutes to help clear it up. 

Avoid washing white clothes while water is discolored. 

If you have any questions, please contact the Water Department at 574-223-3412.