September 7, 2026
Five tornadoes, one new species, and a lot of cake
Wednesday's storms brought five confirmed tornadoes across Western New York — and this issue covers exactly where they touched down and what the survey found. The rest of the week ran in almost the opposite direction: a researcher rewrote the scientific record without leaving a trail she's walked hundreds of times, two billion-dollar bets landed on Rochester's infrastructure and workforce, and Cake Fest returned to Highland Park to remind everyone what this place looks like when the weather cooperates.
NWS Confirms Five Tornadoes Across Western New York After Wednesday's Severe Storms
The NWS confirmed five tornadoes across Niagara, Genesee, Orleans, and Seneca counties following Wednesday's severe storms — one of the broadest single-event tornado outbreaks in recent western New York history.
She Walked the Same Trail Hundreds of Times. Then She Discovered a New Species.
Judy Dobles, a retired Kodak finance employee volunteering at Cumming Nature Center, discovered a new tardigrade species in a moss sample from a log she'd walked past hundreds of times.
T-Mobile's $2 Billion Greenlight Bet: What It Means for Rochester Internet
T-Mobile is investing $2 billion in a new joint venture with Oak Hill Capital, the private equity firm that owns Rochester-based Greenlight Networks — one of the largest capital commitments in Rochester broadband history.
Fairlife Just Opened a $650 Million Plant in Webster — Here Is What 380 New Jobs Mean for Monroe County
Fairlife opened its $650 million Webster plant on August 20 — described as one of the largest capital investments in Coca-Cola's history.
Cake Fest Roc Is Back at Highland Park — Rochester's Most Joyful Community Tradition
Cake Fest Roc returns to Highland Park for its second year — a community festival where anyone can show up with a cake, no competition involved and no judges in sight.
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