🌱 Apartment Fire Caused By Cigarette + Police Search For Vehicle

Hey, everybody! I'm back in your inbox this morning with your fresh copy of the Utica Patch newsletter. Let's get this day started off right with a quick dive into the most important things going on these days in town.

But first, your local weather:

• Wednesday: Some rain and a thunderstorm. High: 61 Low: 53.
• Thursday: A couple of morning showers. High: 57 Low: 36.

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Here are the top three stories today in Utica:

1. A Utica woman was arrested for allegedly attacking someone with a coffee mug and broken shards from the mug. Over the weekend, Eer Shwe Sin, 19, was involved in an argument on the 1500 block of Howard Ave. with another woman when Sin broke a mug over the victim's head and then proceeded to use a broken shard from the mug to slice at the other woman's arm. Police found the suspect in the house upon arrival and placed her under arrest; she is currently facing assault and harassment charges. (CNYcentral.com)
2. Utica fire crews were called to action on Monday to respond to a fire at the Genesee Street Tower Apartments. The apartment fire occurred slightly after 10:00 p.m. on the sixth floor of the complex. An improperly discarded cigarette was later determined to be the cause of the fire, and the apartment's tenant was ticketed for tampering with smoke detectors. (WKTV)
3. Utica police are now searching for a white Volkswagen involved in an incident early Monday morning when gunshots were reportedly fired on Lennox Avenue near the Noyes Street intersection. The incident took place around 2:00 a.m. as the driver of the Volkswagen took aim at another vehicle. The driver of the other vehicle was not injured by any of the three bullets that struck the car. (WKTV)

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Today and tomorrow in and around Utica:

Wednesday, April 5

• Rice Krispie Eggs And Pretzels At Utica Public Library (6:00 PM)
• Visit The Easter Bunny At Sangertown Square, New Hartford (11 AM - 7PM)

Thursday, April 6

• Art Story Time At Munson Williams Proctor Art Institute (10:30 AM)

From my notebook:

• Get ready for the upcoming Easter weekend with the annual Eggstravaganza at the Utica Zoo. The event will take place on Saturday, Apr. 8 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The festivities will include a spotlight on the animals that lay eggs at the zoo, animal meet-and-greets, games, and free photos with the Easter Bunny. (Rome Sentinel)
• Speaking of eggs, the most famous upstate New York bird laid her first eggs of the year. Astrid the Utica Peregrine falcon laid her first egg on Apr. 2. Astrid and the father bird, Ares, have been in the area since 2012. (WIBX AM 950)
• Utica City FC clinched their home MASL playoff game after an impressive rally. The team secured four straight goals to overcome a 3-0 deficit against the Baltimore Blast on Apr. 1. They will kick off their playoff run against Kansas City on Apr. 10. (CNY Homepage)

You're officially in the loop for today! I'll see you back in your inbox soon with a new update.

— Nicole Fallon-Peek

About me: Nicole Fallon-Peek is a journalist and copywriter with a degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. She has served as a freelance reporter, managing editor, copy editor, and editorial director for a variety of B2B news outlets. She currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.