Local News

Raul Cruz

18-year-old Raul Cruz of Warsaw has been indicted by a Genesee County Grand Jury, for felony promoting prison contraband. He’s accused of knowingly and unlawfully making two shanks while confined at the Genesee County Jail. Cruz also unlawfully made a long, plastic housing for a ‘Bic’ type pen. Cruz along with Prince N.K. Wilson of Albion were each charged last March for the murder of two farm workers in Alexander. Cruz accepted a plea deal in October and will be sentenced next month.

Mayor Brown and Governor Hochul

The death toll due to the snowstorm that rocked Buffalo and the Western New York region has sadly risen once again. More than 30 people have lost their lives and that total is expected to keep growing in the coming days. Even though cleanup efforts are still underway, the Thruway has reopened, Metro Service has resumed and today Buffalo Niagara International Airport will be up and running once again. Hundreds of residents remain without power and there’s no word yet how long it’s going to take before everyone has their service restored.

The Buffalo Police Department says a task force has been launched to crack down on looters who stole items from city businesses during and after the blizzard. Officers are now looking at video clips that have been posted on social media to try to identify the individuals involved in these crimes. So far, they’ve been able to make at least eight arrests. Police are again asking anyone with information to come forward and contact them at 716-847-2255.

Wegmans recall items – 12/28/22

Wegmans has announced the recall of three of its products due to the possible health risks that they could pose to customers. The supermarket chain says there are concerns that the products, which contain micro greens, cat grass, and sweet pea leaves could be contaminated with salmonella. A full list of the potentially affected items has been posted on the recall page of wegmans.com. No illnesses have been reported and anyone who purchased these products can return them for a refund.

New York State has opened the application process for the Excelsior Scholarship for the Spring 2023 term. The scholarship, combined with other financial aid, allows eligible full-time students to attend a SUNY or CUNY school tuition-free. Students from households with federal adjusted gross incomes of up to 125-thousand dollars are eligible to receive a scholarship. Applications are being accepted through February 9th and more information can be found by visiting hesc.ny.gov.

Please play responsibly.

The already-huge Mega Millions jackpot keeps getting bigger. It’s up to an estimated $640,000,000 after no one matched all six numbers in Tuesday night’s drawing. The next drawing is Friday night. Please play responsibly.

The U of R medical campus north of the Highway on Call Parkway has had to shut down for the rest of the week as several pipes froze and burst.  The pipes are being repaired but a lot of water did flood the building according to Kim Hally Hettrick.  Patients will be directed to go to LeRoy, Brockport or Brighton for services.   Frozen pipes are nothing new in Upstate and Western NY.  The week before Christmas a water main burst in Rochester and flooded several street and caused water to be shut off for nearly half the city and another burst at Strong in their Medical Research building causing extensive damage across 5 floors.

The Buffalo Police Department has announced the start of a task force to investigate blizzard break-ins and said eight arrests have been made as of Tuesday afternoon.  According to police, the task force is searching through social media videos and asking for residents to contact the confidential tip line at (716) 847-2255.  Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said the department has had to divert resources away from recovery missions because the crime that is occurring cannot be ignored.

On Tuesday, as more people in Western New York were allowed to travel once again, Erie County’s Executive continued to release tragic information about the storm.  Mark Poloncarz reporting the death toll in his county is now at 28. This, in addition to at least two deaths outside the county. Poloncarz said two originally reported storm deaths were found to be unrelated to the weather, but three additional deaths were confirmed in the past 24 hours.  “Unfortunately, @BPD alerts expects that number to rise,” Mayor Byron Brown tweeted about deaths in the city. “Our hearts and prayers go out to their family members.”  The city of Buffalo remains under a driving ban. Portions of Route 5 are also still closed heading south through Lackawanna and Hamburg.  County Executive Poloncarz is reporting additional outside help coming in to support efforts in the county. 100 military police and additional troopers will be aiding with traffic control and ticketing in Buffalo for anyone violating the travel ban. We know at least 15 troopers from Central New York were deployed to assist. New Jersey State Police are coming into downstate New York to supplement those troopers being diverted to Buffalo.  There are still significant time delays for emergency services in Buffalo because of road conditions.

After working round the clock since Friday, National Grid has announced that nearly all customers that lost power have had it restored.  107,700 residents in Western NY lost power due to the ice and high winds.  98 percent of them, or 105,700 of them have it back.  The historic multi-day blizzard brought hurricane-force winds and more than 50 inches of heavy, wet snow to the region. National Grid’s field force of nearly 3,000 line, service, tree, damage assessment and public safety workers will remain on the ground and continue to partner with state and local agencies to gain access to the remaining damage so that repairs can be completed.

Arthur Brown

A four-time ex-con who was indicted in October for violating sex offender registry rules was arrested again on the same charges. According to Genesee County sheriffs, 46-year-old Arthur Brown of Batavia has been charged with failure to report a change of address within 10 days. The charge is a class D felony because Brown has two previous felony convictions for the same charge.

President Biden has signed an emergency declaration to provide federal help to Buffalo and surrounding areas (including Genesee County) that were impacted by a deadly winter storm. So far, the deaths of over two-dozen people in the region have been linked to the weather disaster, including at least 20 in Buffalo alone. As cleanup efforts continue, residents there are asked to stay off the roads so crews can safely work on removing the snow that fell and first responders can get to people who need help. Utility crews are also making progress towards restoring power to customers who have been without service for days.

28-year-old Ashley Schaefer of Batavia has been charged with petit larceny after allegedly stealing over $250 worth of merchandise from Walmart in Batavia. She was transported to Genesee County Jail for processing and released on an appearance ticket. Schaefer is scheduled to appear in Batavia Town Court on January 17th.

Not sure why anyone would’ve thought of this as a good idea during a blizzard…but someone did. State Police were called to the scene of a 2-car crash in Barre on Saturday afternoon. There were no injuries; however, an investigation found that one of the cars had been stolen. 37-year-old Ashlee Corter of Walterboro, South Carolina was charged with the felony of possession of stolen property, punishable by up to seven years in state prison. Corter previously lived in Albion. She was released with an appearance ticket for a later court date. In 2018, Corter was charged with grand larceny for stealing a car in Albion.

Wyoming County Sheriffs have arrested and charged 50-year-old Paul Zangerle of Warsaw for petit larceny. He allegedly left the Warsaw Walmart with a cart full of items without paying for them. Zangerle was issued an appearance ticket and released, and will return to Town of Warsaw Court at a later date.

Steve Hawley

Today Assemblyman Steve Hawley announced that his office would distribute free fuel weatherizing kits courtesy of National Fuel Gas. The kits are intended to help residents to better afford the costs of heating their homes this winter. You can pick up your kit at the Richmond Memorial Library.

Lending a helping hand

Monroe County has sent help out to Buffalo and surrounding communities as recovery efforts from a deadly blizzard continue. Over two-dozen residents in that region have lost their lives due to the weather disaster, and cleanup is expected to take several days to complete. Monroe County Executive Adam Bello says that six storm emergency fire units will be on the ground, as will members of the Rochester Police Department. In a statement, Bello also expressed condolences to everyone impacted by the storm.

Mayor Brown with Governor Hochul

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown is criticizing the people who looted stores in the city during the blizzard by calling them absolutely reprehensible and the lowest of the low. Brown made the comments during a news conference yesterday, saying these individuals did not steal from businesses while they were looking for food or other necessities, instead, they just took whatever they wanted. Some arrests have already been made in connection with these cases. Tips can be submitted by contacting police at 716-847-2255.

Lonsdale Road, Buffalo

The American Red Cross is helping out 20 people who were displaced following a blaze in Buffalo that ended up damaging four residences. Crews were called to battle the two-alarm fire on Lonsdale Road yesterday and say the roof of one home ended up collapsing and three others were affected by exposure to smoke and flames. There were no injuries reported. Just what caused the fire is still under investigation.

The Rochester Fire Department says a burst pipe was responsible for causing a big mess at the University of Rochester’s Clinical Research Center. When crews arrived at the building on Crittenden Boulevard yesterday, they noticed there was water flowing from a four-inch standpipe on the fifth floor. As a result, there was extensive water damage done to multiple floors. Patient care at the building was never affected.

State Attorney General Letitia James has issued a consumer alert to New Yorkers after getting reports of price gouging involving children’s medication. Right now, there are a high number of flu, RSV, and COVID-19 cases in the Empire State and James says medicines for kids such as painkillers and fever reducers are being sold for up to three times their retail value. Under state law, merchants are prohibited from selling goods that are vital to the health of consumers for an excessive price. Anyone who wants to report price gouging can do so by calling 1-800-771-7755.

Cozens-Dahlin and very excited young fan (file photo)

For the second time in the past week, the Buffalo Sabres have had a scheduled game postponed. The team was supposed to visit the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight, but because Buffalo Niagara International Airport is still closed, the team is not able to fly to Ohio. The Sabres game this past Friday against the Tampa Bay Lightning was pushed back to March 4th because of the massive snowstorm that hit the area. The new date for the Columbus contest hasn’t been scheduled yet.

Please play responsibly (file photo)

One of the largest jackpots in Mega Millions history is going to be up for grabs this evening. No one won on Friday, meaning whoever picks the winning numbers for tonight’s drawing will receive at least $565,000,000. There has not been a Mega Millions jackpot claimed since October, when tickets for a $502,000,000 prize were sold in Florida and California. The biggest Mega Millions jackpot was over $1.5 billion dollars back in 2018. Please play responsibly.

Over 4 feet of snow fell on Buffalo over the weekend.  49.2 inches were recorded on average with areas near the city getting over 2 feet.  Buffalo has had up to 92 inches of snow so far this season.  Rochester is only up to 9.  Another 4-7 inches is expected through today.  It is safe to say buffalo will be up for another Golden Snowball award this year.

All 5 floors of the clinical research center building at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester were damaged extensively when a standpipe on the top floor sprung a leak Monday.  Crew from the Rochester Fire Department responded by shutting off water and power to the building.  Hospital and patient care was not affected.  The damage and lack of power was kept to just the Clinical Research Building, and crews are working to remove the water in the building.

I90 is back open but under winter travel advisory from Henrietta to the PA border.  The road status is clear but with possible snow and ice conditions and wet spots.  It was closed through the weekend and into Monday morning.  The travel advisory for Genesee county was lifted Monday afternoon but caution is still being urged as conditions still exist.

Several agencies in the greater Rochester area sent units to the Buffalo area to lend a helping hand during the deadly winter storm there.  Monroe County Executive Adam Bello announced six Storm Emergency Fire Unit (SEFUs) were deployed in the area. Those units are from the Chili, Brighton, Henrietta, Gates, Ridge Road and Lakeshore fire departments.  Rochester Police sent members of its Scuba Team to assist with rescue efforts.  NYSP Troop E, based in the Rochester area, sent snowmobiles and UTVs to assist drivers stranded on the roads, and help with other search and rescue efforts.

Turns out western NYers are well equipped to deal with snow, who knew?  Members of a local snowmobile club were out around-the-clock during the blizzard, working to rescue people and get essential workers to their jobs. The Northern Erie Sno-Seekers Snowmobile Club has heavy-duty equipment designed to shape trails for snowmobiles. These “groomers” were one of the few things that were able to transport people through the storm.  From Friday evening through Saturday afternoon, members of the club rescued 41 people from Main Street in Clarence, including state troopers, ambulance workers, and a firefighter. They also worked with the Newstead Fire Company, NYS Police and the Newstead and Akron Highway Departments to pick up drivers and get them to plow trucks.  On Sunday, members brought nurses from the Clarence/Amherst area to Buffalo General Hospital, an Emergency Room doctor to Sister’s Hospital, and a Buffalo Police Department Officer to his police station.  Northern Erie Sno Seekers serves Erie, Niagara and Genesee Counties and has 700 members.

The Buffalo Bills couldn’t fly home to Buffalo as the airport was closed and there were 75 mile per hour winds blocking the way.  Instead they opted to fly a bit further and land in Rochester Sunday afternoon.  They were greeted by hundreds of fans on Airport Way at the Frederick Douglas International Airport.  They then boarded busses and traveled with a police and plow escort on county routes back to Orchard Park.  Their travels took them through downtown Batavia.

The Sabres game scheduled for Columbus Ohio has been postponed because the Sabres can’t get out of Buffalo.  The Buffalo Niagara International Airport is still shut down.  The new date for the game has not been announced.  The game against the Blue Jackets will be announced as soon as it can be confirmed.

At least 27 (Updated) people in Western NY died due to the snow over the weekend.  Several of them were the result of first responders not being able to get to them because of the storm. Governor Kathy Hochul called the days-long winter storm in the western part of the state a “war with Mother Nature,” and one of the worst blizzards in Buffalo history.

Although the travel bans have been lifted in most of Western NY, I 90 is still closed from the border with Pennsylvania to Henrietta.  Drivers were off the roads for nearly the whole weekend with nearly all churches moving their services online for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and most businesses also being closed whether they had planned on taking Christmas off or not.  Drivers that attempted to brave the storm were quickly stuck in snow drifts or went off the road due to the ice making the roads slick and the wind making visibility so low it could be measured in inches.  

In Genesee County at least 550 people were in warming centers that were opened up in Churches, restaurants, and fire halls.  Dozens of individuals and organizations donated to these centers to keep the people there warmed and filled.  Some even braved the elements to bring stranded truckers coffee and meals while they waited in their cabs to be able to travel again.  Police and Fire personnel worked long and cold hours rescuing people from cars and trucks all across the county.  That includes a Batavia City Police MRAP vehicle that dared the elements to rescue 30 stranded motorists in the Oakfield-Alabama area.  Members of the Genesee Snowpackers were out with their Snowgroomers rescuing people in the Oakfield and Alabama areas as well.  Our news partner the Batavian has chronicled the hour by hour updates of the whole weekend.  Check out their write ups to really get a feel for what rescuers were doing.

At least 73 thousand National Grid customers were without power at different times on Saturday and Sunday.  Currently, power has been restored throughout Genesee County.  There are still isolated outages reported in Erie, Niagara and Orleans Counties with crews working round the clock to restore everyone. 

An additional 200 National Guard members will be deploying to Western New York to help with recovery efforts following a devastating storm.  Officials expect the double digit numbers of deaths to keep growing in the coming days. Most of the deaths have been in Erie County, which was hard hit by snow and strong winds. Crews are also working to restore power to people who have spent the last few days in the dark. Buffalo Niagara International Airport is also still closed and isn’t expected to reopen until Tuesday.

Gas update: Western NY drivers are still paying less to fill up their vehicles these days as gas prices continue to slide. According to Triple A, the average cost for a gallon of regular fuel is now three-33. That’s down 10 cents from last week and is 30 cents less than this time one month ago. Right now, the state average is three-42 a gallon and nationally it is three-10.

Playing in 9 degrees seems to just make the Bills better.  They are the AFC East champions after beating the Bears in Chicago Saturday 35 to 13.  They maintain their number 1 playoffs seed position after the win at Soldier Field.  This is the Bills 5th straight win this season and third straight AFC East title.  On the flip side this was Chicago’s 7th straight loss this season.  8 losses in a row would make a new franchise record.  Next up the Bills play the Bengals in Monday Night Football at 8:30 on the 2nd of January.  The game is at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.

Genesee County Manager L. Matthew Landers has rescinded the State of Emergency for Genesee County. All roads are open. The travel ban has been downgraded to a travel advisory effective immediately for all of Genesee County.

A travel advisory means that no unnecessary travel is advised. A trip which could wait until the advisory is lifted should not be made.

Road conditions in several areas of Genesee County, mostly the Western towns, continue to be extremely dangerous with severe blizzard conditions, blowing and drifting snow, zero visibility and extreme cold temperatures.  Emergency service providers are still in the process of attempting to clear vehicles that became stranded overnight.

After consulting with the Genesee County Highway Superintendent, Emergency Management Services Coordinator, and the County Manager, Genesee County Sheriff Sheron updates the Genesee County travel ban for the following:

– a travel ban remains in effect for Alabama, Oakfield, Elba, Pembroke, Darien,  Batavia, Alexander.

– the travel ban has been downgraded to a travel advisory, effective at noon today,   December 24, for Byron, Bergen, Bethany, LeRoy, Stafford, Pavilion.

“We cannot stress enough how important it is for your safety and that of our emergency personnel that you stay where you are until conditions improve.  Hundreds of vehicles are stranded, and it has been very challenging, if not impossible, to get to them.  We want everyone to have a safe holiday so if you have to postpone family gatherings, please do so.  It could save your life or that of your loved ones,” stated Sheriff Sheron.

A travel ban means no travel for anyone except emergency vehicles which includes police, ambulance, snow plows, fire, etc.

A travel advisory means that no unnecessary travel is advised.  A trip which could wait until the advisory is lifted should not be made.

Winter Storm Elliott Continues to hit Genesee County and the rest of Western New York.  The Blizzard Warning continues through Saturday and into Sunday at 7am.  The high winds of up to 70 miles per hour will continue, up to 3 feet of snow could fall across the region.  The wind will drive temperatures down as low as negative 30 degrees.  Travel will be difficult to impossible due to drifting snow.  Trees and power lines being down could cause power outages.

Roughly 2000 customers were without power Friday as the storm knocked out service.  Elba Central School, Oakfield Fire Department, Alabama Hotel, and several other locations were turned into warming centers for stranded travelers or people who were without power.  First responders were heavily engaged in getting out to cars reported stranded in the snow off the roads.  Finding lost people in the snow, and directing people to shelter.  The Thruway has been closed from Henrietta to Pennsylvania to all non-emergency traffic.  The Sheriffs Department for Genesee County has declared a travel ban on all non emergency traffic.  

Closings and Cancellations:  Ascension Parish has canceled masses for Saturday and Sunday.  They will not be livestreamed.  St Paul Lutheran Church has canceled Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services.  First United Methodist Church has canceled Christmas Eve Services.  Tops and Wegmans have closed their stores in Erie, Niagara, Genesee Orleans and Wyoming Counties for the weekend.  They plan to reopen on Monday.  

A cancelation that has nothing to do with the winter storm is that of the statewide gas tax suspension.  The regular gas taxes are set to go back into place at the end of the year.  Governor Hochul says they need the revenue from the gas taxes to maintain the roads.  The winter storm that hit Buffalo with several feet of snow just a few weeks ago cost an estimated 2 million dollars.  Gas prices continue a downward trajectory — a national average is $3.09, New York has an average of $3.43, and the Capital Region is averaging $3.41 a gallon, all of these numbers coming from AAA.  The gas tax suspension saved drivers just under 20 cents a gallon. 

Genesee County Manager L. Matthew Landers has declared a local state of emergency for Genesee County due to blizzard-like conditions.  Effective immediately, Genesee County Sheriff upgrades previously issued travel advisory to a travel ban for all of Genesee County until further notice.  A travel ban means no travel for anyone but emergency vehicles which includes police, fire, ambulance, snow plows, etc.

Currently, the western half of Genesee County is experiencing blizzard conditions with blowing and drifting snow causing zero visibility. Weather forecasts indicate similar conditions are expected for all of Genesee County later today and through Saturday.  Numerous accidents and stranded vehicles are blocking roadways and causing unsafe driving conditions for motorists and first responders.

Sheriff Sheron encourages residents, “For your safety and the safety of first responders and highway snow removal personnel this holiday weekend, please stay off the roads until conditions improve.”

Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming Counties are now under a Blizzard Warning.
The seldom issued Blizzard Warning remains in effect until Sunday morning.

Expect very icy road conditions as temperatures continue to fall significantly throughout the day.
Temperatures will eventually fall into the single digits resulting in a flash freeze.

The National Weather service is predicting 2 to 3 feet of snow and up to 70 mile per hour winds, resulting in wind chills well below zero.
Numerous isolated power outages have been reported.

As of Noon today, 1,608 customers ogf National Grid were without power in Genesee County.
Travel is expected to be near impossible, exposure outside could result in frostbite in 30 minutes or less if in direct wind.

A travel advisory is in effect for Genesee County. All motorists are urged to avoid any unnecessary travel. Ice and white out conditions will make any driving extremely hazardous.

The New York State Thruway is closed to all commercial travel from Henrietta to the Pennsylvania Line.
The governor has declared a state of emergency through the weekend. Batavia City and Genesee County buildings are all closed and expected to reopen Tuesday.

Read the latest Closings and Cancellations HERE

New York legislators have a bill to give themselves a 29-percent raise, which would make them the highest paid state lawmakers in the U.S.
The raise extends to members of the state Assembly and Senate, making the base salary $142,000.
However, they would then be limited in earnings at other jobs, with external income capped at $35,000 come 2025.
Batavia Assemblyman Steve Hawley says he voted against the raise calling it “tone deaf” and “embarrassing.”

Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming Counties are under a Blizzard Warning from 7am through Sunday morning.  Expect ice on the roads as the wet rain from overnight and this morning freezes as temperatures fall throughout the day into the single digits resulting in a flash freeze.  The National Weather service is predicting 2 to 3 feet of snow and up to 70 mile per hour winds.  The winds are expected to go from tonight into Saturday morning with temperatures dropping into the negatives with wind chill.  Numerous power outages are expected with trees and power lines going down due to the combination of ice and wind.  Travel is expected to be near impossible, exposure outside could result in frostbite in 30 minutes or less if in direct wind.  

The weather has brought multiple reactions and closures.  A travel advisory is in effect for Genesee County.  All motorists are urged to avoid any unnecessary travel.  Ice and white out conditions will make any driving extremely hazardous.  The thruway is closed to all commercial travel from Henrietta to the Pennsylvania Line.  The governor has declared a state of emergency through the weekend.  Batavia City and Genesee County buildings are all closed and expected to reopen Tuesday.  The following schools have announced closures: Batavia City Schools, Alexander Central School District, Attica Central School District, Genesee Valley BOCES, Pavilion Central School District, St Joseph’s School and St Paul Lutheran School.  Tonawanda Valley Credit Union is closed, as is the Cornell Cooperative Extension. Genesee Orleans Mental Health in Batavia and Albion are closed and will reopen on Tuesday.

Hoover Beach neighborhood in Hamburg was evacuated Thursday night ahead of the expected flooding from the severe winds coming with winter storm Elliot.  In the last major storms several homes were flooded and many were damaged, some with walls being knocked down and windows blown in. 

The City of Rochester has announced a state of emergency both for the oncoming storm and because of a water main break that caused issues for well over half the Flower City on Wednesday.  Mayor Malik Evans said that the state of emergency will allow him to make the changes he needs to to respond to the issues facing the city right now.  He says he hopes that he doesn’t have to use the powers given by the state of emergency but he’s doing it out of an abundance of caution.  Rich Perrin, the city’s environmental services commissioner, said the break is under control but excavation work continues.

Despite calls to “talk about other issues,” the New York State Legislature met in a special session on Thursday, voting on a bill to increase lawmakers’ pay from $110,000 to $142,000, capping outside income at $35,000.  After some debate, the Senate passed the bill 33-23, and the Assembly 81-52, closer margins than most. With that, the bill now heads to the governor’s desk, where Kathy Hochul, who has supported a raise for legislators, will decide whether she wants to sign off on the raise.  Assemblyman Steve Hawley says he voted against the raise and that it is “tone deaf” and “embarrassing.” 

A Viral Buffalo Puppet Maker and Art teacher has had the honor of being on the show, Worst Cooks in America.  Adam Kruetinger said he didn’t know the show when he got the call but his wife was a fan.  He made puppets that did funny bits online and they wanted him on.  It was just a week before he was diagnosed with brain cancer and he says he had to keep his sense of humor up.  The show premieres on January 1st.  You can check out Kruetinger’s puppets at puppetnerds.com.

News Release

City of Batavia and Genesee County offices and buildings will be closed on Friday,
December 23, 2022 due to the severe weather forecast.
The City and County are committed to ensuring the safety of their workforce and citizens and therefore
are taking this precautionary measure. With the predicted drop in temperature, rain turning to ice, snow
and high winds, travel should be avoided.
Both City of Batavia and County offices are scheduled to re–open Tuesday, December 27, 2022

Robert Ritchey

An Oakfield man who repeatedly sexually assaulted a child has been sentenced in Genesee County Court to 14 years in state prison. 58-year-old Robert Ritchey pleaded guilty in October to two counts of first-degree sexual abuse. Ritchey also was sentenced to 15 years of post-release supervision. He was arrested in April and had more charges filed against him in June after the state police investigation. There were a total of 14 charges against Ritchey that involved a child under age 11.

Christopher Say

31-year-old Christopher Say of Stafford has been sentenced to 1 to 3 years in state prison for attempted third-degree arson. There were multiple charges filed against him stemming from an altercation that happened the day after Christmas last year. Firefighters were initially called to a Main Road address in Stafford for a report of a garage fire. Upon first responder’s arrival, Say was uncooperative and barricaded himself inside the garage. He threatened firefighters, deputies and state police, saying he was going to blow up the garage. Route 5 was closed for a period of time. Say eventually drove a car backwards through the garage door, hit a fence and slammed into a patrol car; he was then taken into custody.

Tarrance Williams

23-year-old Tarrance Williams of Batavia entered a plea deal this week. He was charged with possessing a handgun during an incident in the area of Ellicott and Court Street in September, at a time when he was awaiting sentencing on a drug possession conviction. As part of the plea, the cases were consolidated so Williams could be sentenced on both convictions simultaneously but by law will need to serve sentences on both convictions consecutively. He faces up to seven years in prison on the weapons charge; he could also be placed on parole for seven years and fined up to $5000. He’s also eligible for probation. Williams was originally going to be sentenced on Tuesday afternoon, but because of a timing conflict with an ongoing, unrelated trial, Williams will be sentenced on a later date.

Superintendent Tonja Williams

Plans are currently in the works to increase the safety of students, teachers, and staff at Buffalo Public Schools. The district is going to install new weapons detection systems that use advanced imaging technology and artificial intelligence to find weapons quickly. The first demonstration of the new system will be tomorrow at the International Preparatory School. Superintendent Doctor Tonja Williams says the district is committed to providing a safe and secure learning environment for students.

Members of the New York State Legislature will be back at the Capitol building today for a special session. Both the Assembly and Senate are expected to vote on a measure that would increase their salaries from the current $110,000 a year to $142,000 a year. There’d also be limits placed on the amount of money that lawmakers can earn outside of their position as an elected official. If approved, the salary increase would go into effect on January 1st.

Governor Hochul has signed off on a brand new law that will make it mandatory for employers to list the salary ranges for every advertised job and promotion. The goals of this legislation are to provide workers with important information before they apply for a position and to reduce discriminatory wage setting and hiring practices. The U.S. Department of Labor says that in 2020, women made 83 cents for every dollar made by men. The governor believes the legislation will usher in a new era of fairness and transparency for New York’s workforce.

Erie County officials say the cost of cleanup efforts from the massive snowstorm that slammed the region back in November has surpassed 11-million-dollars. The storm ended up dropping several feet of snow between November 17th and the 20th and five deaths were reported across Western New York. President Biden authorized a federal emergency declaration but funding hasn’t reached communities in the county just yet. That money can be used to help cover the cost of things like snow removal and plowing roads.

Positive COVID test result

The latest data from the state shows the spread of the coronavirus is on the rise once again in our region. The seven-day average infection rate is now at 6.15%. At this time last week, the infection rate was at 4.88%. Anyone who wants to receive a COVID-19 shot or booster dose can schedule an appointment online at vaccines.gov.

 Cozens and Dahlin from earlier this season

Tomorrow night’s game between the Buffalo Sabres and Tampa Bay Lightning has been postponed due to severe weather that is predicted to affect the area. The contest has been pushed back to Saturday, March 4th at the KeyBank Center. People who have tickets for the game will still be able to use them. The next game for the Sabres is set for December 27th when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Two people were arrested for stealing from Dicks Sporting Goods on Memorial Drive on Wednesday.  According to the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office 19 year old Kia Morris and 27 year old Jaszandra Davis loaded up a cart full of items and then left the store.  Deputies took them into custody following a brief foot chase.  Deputies say they were in possession of stolen goods from multiple stores.  Both are facing charges of 4th degree Grand Larceny, 4th degree criminal possession of stolen property, possession of burglar’s tools, and Morris is facing second degree obstruction of government administration. 

The West Side of the City of Rochester was told to boil any water they wanted to use after a water main break on Favor St at around 5pm.  It led to severe flooding down Ford St. and surrounding blocks in residential neighborhoods. Many businesses and homes were left without water. Restaurants in the area were forced to stop service just before the dinner hours.  The City of Rochester closed several buildings in the area, including the Tyshaun Cauldwell R-Center for Hope, Edgerton R-Center, and the Rochester Community Sports Complex.  The city branch libraries are also closed, including the Phillis Wheatley Community Library, the Arnett branch, the Lyell branch, and the Central branch.  School was canceled for RCSD on Thursday as well.  The boil water advisory will remain in effect for well over half the city till Saturday. 

People from over half a dozen churches and from as far away as Hawaii gathered Wednesday night in front of Planned Parenthood in Batavia for Glow4Babie’s celebration of the birth of Jesus and Babies in the womb candlelight vigil.  Care A Van Ministries set up across the street with coffee and cookies.  Group founder Anne Scalia organized the event to celebrate the baby in the womb at Christmas.  The group stayed for over an hour along West Main Street with signs and music and lights.  They offered prayers for an end to abortion in New York State.

An 85-year-old woman crashed her vehicle into a Lockport Burger King on Wednesday.  According to the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, the driver mistook the vehicle’s accelerator for the brake and drove into the exterior wall of the 5720 South Transit Road restaurant.  The Town of Lockport Building Inspector determined the building had no structural damage.  No one was injured in this crash.

Genesee County has been given a grant of 540K to demolish the old YMCA building and the boiler house at the UMMC.  The grant was awarded through the Restore NY Communities program.  More than $102 million was awarded to 64 projects through the Initiative.  Restore New York supports municipal revitalization efforts across the state.  New life for downtown Batavia is to come from the partnership of RRH-UMMC and GLOW YMCA to develop a $33.5 million, two-story, 78,000-square-foot regional health and wellness facility. The new site will integrate a new YMCA facility with state-of-the-art medical space for the Healthy Living program.

A second now-former staff member at the Monroe County Children’s Detention Center has been arrested.  49 year old Gregory Bodine is charged with criminal obstruction of breathing and endangering the welfare of a child for an incident that happened Oct. 23 at the center’s annex on East Henrietta Road in Brighton, against a juvenile who was in detention there.  Bodine’s arrest follows the arrest of 23 year old John Kanu who allegedly let two juveniles fight each other in a bathroom at the CDC in Rush last month. Kanu also allegedly struck a juvenile in the face.  County officials blame the raise in age at the detention center saying the kids there are older, more violent, and harder to deal with.  Many of them are awaiting trial for homicide, assault and illegal gun charges.  The center is looking for a new director who can put in new policies and train employees on how to handle the more difficult juveniles.  

The Buffalo Bills tweeted that they are headed to Vegas after 4 players were selected for the February 5th Bowl game in Las Vegas.  Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, Mitch Morse and Jordan Poyer were named as playing in the 2023 Pro Bowl.  12 players were also selected as alternates.  The Bills next game is against the Bears in Chicago on Christmas Eve at 1pm.

The snowy weather is canceling hockey.  The Buffalo Sabres announced the game scheduled for Friday at KeyBank Center against the Tampa Bay Lightning has been postponed due to impending inclement weather.  The game has been rescheduled for Saturday, March 4 at 12:30 p.m. at KeyBank Center.  The game that was originally set for March 4 against the Philadelphia Flyers will now be played on Monday, January 9 at 7 p.m.  According to the Sabres, original tickets for both games can be used for entry to the rescheduled date and time.

Judge Dawn Keppler

An Orleans County judge has resigned while the New York State Commission investigates posts she made on social media. The commission says Shelby Town Court Judge Dawn Keppler stepped down over posts she made on Facebook, which are alleged to have been prejudicial and inflammatory. The commission says when Keppler resigned earlier this month, she agreed to never seek a judicial office again. Keppler has been a justice of the Shelby Town Court since 1999.

Governor Hochul is approving expanded childcare access for New Yorkers. The new law will remove requirements for parents to work in order to access subsidized programs. Advocates called it a major help for parents who go to school or who are caregivers to other family members. The initiative will be expanded in the coming years with money approved in the state budget.

A winter Storm Watch has been issued for Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties starting Friday morning at 7am and it will remain in place through Monday morning, the 26th. A rapid switch from rain to snow with sharply falling temperatures into the teens and single digits will result in a flash freeze on Friday. From Friday afternoon through most of the weekend, very strong winds, heavy lake effect snow and significant blowing and drifting snow will be possible. Winds could gust as high as 65 mph Friday into Friday night. Travel for the holiday weekend, including Friday, could be very difficult to impossible at times. Areas of blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility with whiteouts and localized blizzard conditions possible. The most persistent and worst conditions will be where lake effect snow is most widespread, which is still uncertain at this time. Winds this strong could cause tree damage and power outages. Cold wind chills as low as 10 to 20 below zero this weekend could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes. So, it seems best to be settled in someplace safe and warm by Friday morning.

Flooding on Lake Ontario (file photo)

A Lakeshore Flood Watch will soon be in effect for three Western New York counties. The watch affects Erie, Niagara, and Chautauqua counties beginning 7 a.m. Friday through 7 p.m. Saturday. Computer forecasts suggest an explosive storm development into the Great Lakes later this week and into the upcoming holiday weekend. This storm will have a significant impact on road and air travel from the Plains, across the Great Lakes, the Ohio Valley, and into the Northeast.

Nearly 140,000 Chevrolet Bolt cars are being recalled in the U.S. and Canada. General Motors says the 2017 to 2023 model years Chevy Bolt hatchbacks have a seat belt issue that can cause a fire. GM says in rare cases, the fire can be started by exhaust that comes into contact with carpet fibers.

The Rochester City Council has passed a series of measures designed to reform the city’s Police Accountability Board. The measures the city council passed at a sometimes contentious meeting last night include training for the board and its staff. The measures would also invest money from the board’s budget that has not been spent to be invested in addressing homelessness, mental health and public safety.

With a need for children’s pain-relief medicine in such high demand, area pharmacies are now limiting drug purchases. The restrictions resulted from high demand for children’s pain-relief products. CVS has restricted both in-person and online shopping to two products per check out. Walgreens has no in-person limitations but will only allow up to six over-the-counter fever reducers for every online transaction.

Mayor Byron Brown

The city of Buffalo is suing various members of the gun industry. Mayor Byron Brown announced what he described as a “first of its kind” lawsuit. The filing names manufacturers, distributors, and local gun shops for what the city says is “their conduct in fueling the gun violence crisis in the City of Buffalo.” The city says it’s looking to hold the gun industry accountable for how it markets and distributes firearms. Buffalo is seeking damages as part of the lawsuit. It comes after a mass shooting earlier this year at a supermarket that left ten Black people dead.

The weather won’t stop Santa, but it might stop you.  A winter Storm Watch has been issued for Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties from Friday at 7am to Monday at 7am.  The national weather service is saying that a rapid switch from rain to snow with sharply falling temperatures into the teens and single digits will result in a flash freeze on Friday. From Friday afternoon through most of the weekend, very strong winds, heavy lake effect snow and significant blowing and drifting snow will be possible. Winds could gust as high as 65 mph Friday into Friday night. Localized blizzard conditions are possible.  Winds this strong could cause tree damage and power outages. Cold wind chills as low as 10 to 20 below zero this weekend could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes.  Travel could be difficult to impossible.  

With a need for children’s pain-relief medicine in such high demand, pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens are now limiting drug purchases.  “High demand is causing pharmacies to add restrictions to children’s pain-relief sales,” said Dr. Rachel Kaufman, Pediatrician & Partner at Buffalo Pediatric Associates.  CVS has restricted both in-person and online shopping to two products per check out. Walgreens has no in-person limitations but will only allow up to six over-the-counter fever reducers for every online transaction.

Buffalo, New York, is suing all major gun manufacturers, distributors and some gun shops.  Mayor Byron Brown announced on Tuesday what he called a “first of its kind” lawsuit.  The filing names manufacturers, distributors and local gun shops for what the city says is “their conduct in fueling the gun violence crisis in the City of Buffalo.”  Not to be outdone, The City of Rochester launched their own lawsuit on Tuesday.  Defendants in the case include Beretta, Smith & Wesson, Glock, Remington and Bushmaster, along with ghost gun companies including Polymer 80 and Arm or Ally.  The suit aims to hold them responsible for “the illegal and unreasonable sale, manufacture, distribution, importing, and marketing of firearms.”  Both cities cited the lawsuits against Opioid manufacturers as reasons they hope for success in this lawsuit.

A fire in Pavilion had Bethany, LeRoy, Stafford and Batavia’s FAST Team come to the scene.  The structure fire, at 915 Perry Rd, took little time for the 4 fire departments to knock down.  The Pavilion chief canceled the second alarm at around 6:15 and told dispatchers that all units could stand down.

Nearly 140-thousand Chevrolet Bolt electric cars are being recalled in the U.S. and Canada. General Motors says the 2017 to 2023 model years Chevy Bolt hatchbacks have a seat belt issue that can cause a fire. GM says in rare cases, the fire can be started by exhaust gasses that can come in contact with carpet fibers.

Does your daughter want to play football?  At Monday’s School Board Meeting Batavia’s director of Health, Physical Education and athletics Mike Bromley stood with 6 girls who want to play flag football for Batavia City Schools.  He said there were at least 10 who had asked if they could add it to the school sports offering.  Bromley also stated that adding the girls sport would make an equal number of boys and girls teams available and that 22 other districts were considering adding girls flag football to their lineup.  The matter will be up for a vote in January.

On Dec. 13, eight Byron-Bergen staff “elves” loaded shopping carts with one goal: Help ease the holiday stress for members of the Byron-Bergen community. These holiday helpers filled over 40 shopping carts with merchandise to assist more than 100 kids from 42 local families in need.  This year’s Holiday Community Service Project collected over $8,500 in donations from faculty, staff, and individual community members.  The holiday items were each wrapped and labeled by Byron-Bergen staff volunteers.  On Saturday, December 17th, staff members delivered black contractor bags filled with brightly wrapped presents to individual cars in the High School bus loop. In addition to the gift items, the High School Student Council collected funds and non-perishable foods so that each family will also receive a holiday meal.

Nina Baker

Buffalo police are searching for a missing 12-year-old girl. Nina Baker was last seen yesterday on the 200 block of Rodney Avenue. She is five-foot-one and 110 pounds. She has black hair and was last seen wearing a blue and pink tie-dye hoodie with the words “Justice,” and “Love is here to Stay” around an image of a hand with a white dove inside it. Anyone with information is asked to call 9-1-1.

Robert Morris School

The Batavia City School District will replace the public address/clock system at the High School and make the interior of Robert Morris School more secure through projects that the Board of Education has approved. The board also gave the go-ahead last night for the transfer of up to $244,000 from the district’s repair reserve to the general fund to pay for the work as needed. File photo by Doug Thompson, WBTA News.

An intense winter storm is likely to bring snow, ice and high winds to our area just in time for Christmas weekend travel. The National Weather Service said that the storm would start to impact western and north central New York with a wintry mix Thursday, changing over to rain Thursday night with strong winds, which could cause power outages and some flooding along the shores of our neighboring Great Lakes. Temperatures will quickly fall on Friday, and the precipitation will change over to all snow with increasingly stronger winds developing Friday night and Saturday, with wind-driven heavy lake effect snows developing. Heavy lake snows will last through at least Christmas Day. Stay with WBTA for the latest weather updates from 13 WHAM.

Santa – checking his list (for the second time)

A gift for the entire family awaits participants in the Cookies & Crafts with Santa event on Thursday afternoon from 3 – 6 at The Recovery Station, 5256 Clinton St. Rd., Batavia. “We’re celebrating the holiday season with Jolly Old St. Nick, himself,” said Harry Rascoe, director of the social club, a program of Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse. “All are invited to join us.” Each family will receive a free printed picture with Santa and a Christmas book to take home. For more information, call 585-815-5248. (File photo)

Lockport Fire Department (file photo)

The fire department in Lockport is back in the ambulance business after Lockport’s common council approved an agreement in a vote of 4 to 3, for the fire department to assume control of the ambulance service. This follows the decision by Twin City Ambulance to scale back its services. The city had been the provider of emergency service for Lockport until 2014, when it decided to contract the services to Twin City Ambulance.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

The Buffalo Sabres topped the Las Vegas Golden Knights last night in their first win in Sin City 3 to 2. Ukko Pekka Luukkonen made 41 saves. Jeff Skinner, Tage Thompson and Lawrence Pilut scored. The Sabres improved to 6-2-1 in December, after going 4-9-1 the previous month, and moved into a fourth-place tie with Florida in the Atlantic Division with 34 points. Next up the Sabres host Tampa Bay on Friday night at the Keybank Center. The puck drops at 7:00.

Buffalo General Medical Center – Gates Vascular Institute

Graduate and registered nurses looking for a job can attend a recruitment event being held by Kaleida Health today. The event will be at Buffalo General Medical Center/Gates Vascular Institute (875 Ellicott St.) from 2-6. Free parking can be found in the surface lot at the southwest corner of High and Ellicott streets. Anyone looking to attend the event is asked to bring a resume. Walk-ins are welcome, but people are encouraged to RSVP. Kaleida says it has a sign-on bonus of up to $20,000.

Phil Aguglia – released photo

A high school band director in Kenmore is a top-10 finalist for a GRAMMY award. Phil Aguglia is the band director for Kenmore East High School and he is in the running to be the 2023 Music Educator of the Year. Aguglia has been named a quarterfinalist two other times and a semifinalist once before, but this is his first time being named a finalist. There were over 1,200 initial nominations for the award.

A man convicted of defrauding hundreds of investors out of millions of dollars in a nationwide Ponzi scheme has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.  Christopher Parris pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to commit mail fraud related to a Ponzi scheme, as well as to wire fraud involving the fraudulent sale of purported N95 masks during the pandemic.  Prosecutors said Parris and Perry Santillo pitched investment opportunities to victims, bilking close to 1,000 investors out of at least $115.5 million between January 2012 and June 2018.   Prosecutors said the two men had to use funds from new investors to pay off old ones, using the rest of the money to pay for their lavish lifestyles.  Parris was also ordered to pay $1.6 million in restitution.  Santillo was sentenced in January to 17 1/2 years in prison.

Another messy winter storm is likely to bring snow, ice and high winds to Upstate New York just in time for Christmas weekend travel.  The National Weather Service said that the storm could start off mostly as rain Thursday, and then rapidly falling temperatures late Friday could coat streets and trees with a layer of dangerous ice. High winds are also likely, too, which could cause power outages and even some flooding along the shores of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. 

State lawmakers may be returning to Albany to talk about giving themselves a pretty hefty pay hike.  On Monday, the Assembly Majority Conference met privately in a virtual meeting, with Democrats reportedly discussing several key issues, including potential pay raises.  Right now, New York State lawmakers earn $110,000 a year. A raise of $20,000 would make them the highest paid legislature in the country.  Republican Assemblymembers have been outspoken against the pay raises, including Assemblyman Chris Tague, who calls the idea “ludicrous.”  According to state law, if pay raises aren’t enacted by the end of 2022, state lawmakers wouldn’t be able to get a raise until 2025.

A state commission Monday approved plans to phase out fossil fuel-burning furnaces beginning as soon as 2025 as part of New York’s aggressive program to address climate change.  The plan adopted Monday by the state Climate Action Council requires energy-efficient electric heat pumps or other non-combustion heating systems in every new home built in 2025 or thereafter.  For existing homes, residents whose fossil fuel-burning heating units give out after 2030 will have to replace them with a zero-emission system.  Heat pumps cost more to install than traditional furnaces but usually cost less to operate over the long run. Research shows they are healthier than sources that rely on combustion, which can contribute to asthma and other respiratory problems.  The council voted 19-3 Monday to approve the scoping plan.

In a 4 to 3 decision the City of Lockport has voted to return 2 ambulances to service.  The city had suspended their ambulance service because of financial issues.  The 2 ambulances are owned and operated by the fire department instead of the ambulance corp in town. 

The cannabis is ready to hit the shelves, but there aren’t enough shelves in New York State just yet. Three Cord Ranch sent 42 pounds of cannabis from Derby to be processed in Batavia, but that’s where it stops.  That’s all because of a hold up in court, leaving WNY and four other regions barred from receiving licenses for the time being.  The court case is about whether someone who was arrested for pot when it was illegal can open a store selling it in NY if their arrest was out of state.  The Office of Cannabis Management has its final board meeting of the year Wednesday at 11am.

The Buffalo Sabres topped the Las Vegas Golden Knights in their first win in Sin City 3 to 2.  Ukko Pekka Luukkonen made 41 saves.  Jeff Skinner, Tage Thompson and Lawrence Pilut scored.  The Sabres improved to 6-2-1 in December, after going 4-9-1 the previous month, and moved into a fourth-place tie with Florida in the Atlantic Division with 34 points.  Next up the Sabres host Tampa Bay on Friday night at the Keybank Center.

40-year-old Carrianne Rozbicki of Batavia is charged with petit larceny. State troopers responded to the Walmart in Batavia, worked with a store employee and found that Rozbicki allegedly took nearly $70 worth of merchandise without paying. She was arrested and released on an appearance ticket. Rozbicki is to return to the Town of Batavia Court next month. ALSO: 49-year-old Kelly Judson of Pavilion allegedly took grocery items valued at over $126 from the Tops Supermarket in LeRoy. She was arrested and released on an appearance ticket; Judson is scheduled to return to the LeRoy Court in January.

Lower demand and increased supply is driving gas prices even lower just as more people are expected to hit the road for the holidays. Triple A tells us this morning that the national average price per gallon is $3.14. In New York State, the average price is $3.49. In Batavia, we’re paying $3.39, which is down 32 cents from this time a month ago and is 8 cents lower than it was one year ago today.

Starbucks workers gathered this weekend at the Mt. Hope location near New York City, in a strike of solidarity with colleagues across the country. The Mt. Hope Starbucks is one of several locations across the country that has unionized. Workers say they’re lobbying for better pay and safety when they have to deal with problem customers. News 8 in Rochester says the company answered their request for comment by saying it respects their right to have their voices heard.

A combined nearly $1,000,000 is being distributed among five regional school districts to put toward expanding access to pre-kindergarten for children four years of age. Pembroke Central School District will get $307,000; Batavia and Avon will each receive $200,000; Wyoming, $140,000 and Elba, over $115,000. The state’s 2023 budget included $125 million to expand access to full-day pre-k, creating up to 17,500 additional pre-K seats statewide.

The Buffalo Bills have clinched a postseason berth for the fifth time in the past six seasons and are now looking to their Christmas Eve match against Chicago. The Bills beat the Miami Dolphins Saturday night, 32-to-29, for their 11th victory for the third consecutive season. Buffalo also extended its winning streak to five straight. The Bills improved to 10-and-3 on the season and are now three games ahead of Miami in the AFC East race.

Check your tickets carefully, especially if you purchased them in Buffalo

A top prize-winning Take 5 lottery ticket has been sold in Buffalo. The New York State Lottery says the ticket, worth nearly $19,000, was sold at a Speedway on Maple Road. A prize of any amount can be claimed up to one year from the date of the drawing. Also, one top-prize winning ticket was sold for the December 18th Take 5 Evening drawing. The ticket was purchased at E Z Mart, 4535 Broadway in Depew, and is work nearly $32,000. TAKE 5 players with midday and evening draws on the same ticket must check their numbers at nylottery.ny.gov to determine if they have the winning numbers for the corresponding midday or evening drawing.

Another huge Mega Millions jackpot is up for grabs tomorrow. The jackpot currently sits at $465,000,000. The drawing is tomorrow night at 11:00. Please play responsibly.

Rochester Police have arrested three suspects — including one who was wearing an ankle monitor — in connection with a weekend armed robbery.  The robbery occurred Saturday afternoon at the Verizon Wireless store on Lyell Avenue.  Police say the suspects — who were armed — ordered customers and staffers to lie on the floor.  They made off with 25-thousand dollars in electronics.  Nobody was hurt.  Police were able to locate the suspects because of the ankle monitor on one of them at a nearby gas station.   

Porch Pirating is on the rise according to a yearly study done by Safewise, an online resource that provides tools and information to help people make their life safer.  For this study, they surveyed 1,000 Americans.  More than 75 percent of respondents said they had had a package stolen.  The study said 260 million packages are found to have disappeared in the last year, which is 50 million more packages stolen compared to the study last year.  The website states that 40% of packages stolen are worth between $50 and $100, with an estimated loss of $19.5 billion nationwide.  Police say that tracking your packages, getting them as soon as they are dropped off, and using some kind of video doorbell or camera al help in reducing porch package theft.  

Batavia City Schools have received a grant from the Pediatric Suicide Prevenetion Community at the American Academy of Pediatrics for 12,500 dollars.  The grant is to help find and fix gaps in youth suicide prevention services in Batavia.  Batavia City School District says it will use funds from the grant to expand its “Sources of Strength” program, which is designed to harness the power of peer social networks to change unhealthy norms and culture, ultimately preventing suicide, bullying, and substance abuse. The mission of Sources of Strength is to prevent suicide by increasing help-seeking behaviors and promoting connections between peers and caring adults. According to the AAP, suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people ages 10-24 in the United States, and rates have been rising for decades.

The snow falling didn’t stop those who came out to Western NY National Cemetery Saturday from honoring the fallen with Wreaths Across America.  Community members and loved ones of veterans placed wreaths on all of the headstones in the cemetery while a ceremony was held.  Genesee County’s veterans’ services officer, Bill Joyce, was the keynote speaker during an opening service that included placing a wreath for each branch of the military by either a veteran or an active member of the Armed Forces, a 21-gun salute and the playing of taps.  Joyce called the service a day of “remembrance and reflection,”.

After coaching the team to winning 6 sectional titles and 2 state semifinals, Brennan Briggs is stepping down as coach of the Batavia Blue Devils Football Team.  He said in his resignation letter that he is leaving to spend more time with family and that the stress and long hours of coaching are making his life too unbalanced.  Briggs has been head coach for 11 seasons and has an 88-25 record.  He coached the Blue Devils to their first sectional title since 1991.  He will stay at the High School as a teacher.

The Buffalo Bills have clinched a postseason berth for the fifth time in the past six seasons and are now looking to their Christmas Eve match against Chicago.  The Bills beat the Miami Dolphins Saturday night, 32-to-29, for their 11th victory for the third consecutive season.  Buffalo also extended its winning streak to five straight.  The Bills improved to 10-and-3 on the season and are now three games ahead of Miami in the AFC East race.  During the game the fans were warned for throwing snowballs onto the field and at the Miami team.  Officials warned them that if they didn’t stop then the Bills would be hit with a 15 yard penalty.

Genesee and Wyoming Counties are under a Lake Effect Snow Warning this weekend.  The warning started at 10pm on Friday and goes till 1pm Sunday for Genesee County and 1pm Monday for Wyoming county.  There could be up to 2 feet of snow in the southern part of the region with particularly heavy accumulations on the higher areas and in narrow bands on the roads.  Watch out for drifts that could make travel treacherous.  

Friday Governor Hochul announced that PreK will be getting a nearly 12 million dollar boost.  In western NY Several local schools will be getting some big bucks to help make preK more available to 4 year olds.  Batavia will be getting 200K, Pembroke will get 307K, Elba gets 118K and Wyoming Central Schools get 140K.  This money will go towards starting or expanding PreK programs for the school districts.

The St John Fisher University student that has been missing for the last several weeks from his Study Abroad Program in France has been located in Spain.  Apparently Kenneth DeLand didn’t even know he was reported missing.  He called his mother to say that he saw himself on TV and that he is OK.  His mother has traveled to France to get him and bring him home.  She thanks congresswoman Claudia Tenney, Senator Pamela Helming, The FBI, and American Institute for Foreign Study for their help.

The Batavia woman whose dog reportedly ingested narcotics, leading to her arrest and to the dog being confined to the Genesee County Animal Shelter, once again failed to appear in Batavia City Court Thursday.  30 year old Cassandra Elmore has had a colorful relationship with the court since her initial arrest.  She has failed to show up for appearances, had fake representatives call the court from out of state, said that there is hidden information that she will expose, and been given a lot of leniency by the Judge.  The Judge, Thomas Burns, gave her attorney 48 hours to find her.  After that he would issue a warrant for her arrest.  Her dog, Oddey, is still in volunteer care and can’t go to a new home till the case is resolved.

Cassandra Elmore

30-year-old Cassandra Elmore of Batavia, is the woman whose dog reportedly ingested narcotics on more than one occasion and required medical treatment. This lead to her arrest; since then, she has consistently missed scheduled court appearances, despite her promise that once the case is cleared, people will better understand what actually happened. Her latest no-show was yesterday. The assistant public defender told the judge that he has not heard from Elmore and has not been able to contact her for weeks. Motions were going to be filed on her behalf yesterday; however, the judge thought it best to wait until she was present. Since Elmore’s arrest earlier this year, she has also been charged with criminal possession of a weapon, obstruction of governmental administration and aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle.

Batavia High School (file photo)

The Batavia City School District has received a $12,500 Pediatric Suicide Prevention Community Grant from the American Academy of Pediatrics. The funds will help identify and address gaps in youth suicide prevention services within our community. The District plans to use funds from the grant to expand its “Sources of Strength” program, which is focused on promoting connections between peers and caring adults.

Genesee and Wyoming Counties are under a lake effect snow warning starting at 7:00 tonight; it will be in place until 1:00 Sunday afternoon. One to two feet of snow is predicted to fall over the weekend with the main accumulations hitting southwest areas of Genesee County. Heavy snow will fall in narrow bands. Travel could be very difficult at times with poor visibility and snow covered roads. If driving, be prepared for rapidly changing road conditions and visibility.

34-year-old Alyssa Harnish of Batavia is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, while at the Genesee County jail. The charge resulted from an investigation of an incident that occurred last month at a residence in the Town of Batavia. Harnish was issued an appearance ticket and is scheduled to return to Batavia Town Court on January 4th.

28-year-old Joey Tatro of Attica has been arrested, stemming from a domestic incident in Alden. Tatro reportedly prevented the injured victim from calling 9-1-1, destroyed property and caused physical injury to the victim. He was arraigned in the Town of Alden court where an order of protection was issued to the victim. Tatro is scheduled to return to court on December 27th.

Governor Hochul has signed off on a new piece of legislation that will ban the sale of certain animals at retail pet stores. Starting in 2024, people will no longer be able to purchase dogs, cats or rabbits at those businesses. One goal of this measure is to prevent the buying and selling of animals from large-scale, abusive breeders who in many cases do not properly care for those animals, which can lead to new owners having to pay big veterinary bills. Pet stores will still be able to work with animal shelters and rescue groups to hold adoption clinics.

Entrance to Batavia post office (file photo)

The U.S. Postal Service has announced its shipping deadlines for packages to arrive by Christmas Eve. The deadline for regular ground service is tomorrow, December 17th. Priority Mail must be sent by December 19th and the Priority Mail Express deadline is December 23rd. These dates exclude Hawaii and Alaska. (File photo by Doug Thompson, WBTA News)

Calvin Clemons

A Buffalo man is going to be spending decades behind bars for killing two people in two separate shootings. Yesterday, a judge sentenced Calvin Clemons to 35 years to life in prison for his crimes. Prosecutors say Clemons admitted to shooting and killing 17-year-old Felix Aguire on Liddell Street back in December 2020. Then in March of 2021, he was involved in the shooting of 20-year-old Trenton Sink during a robbery. Sink was taken to Erie County Medical Center and later died of his injuries.

Members of the West Seneca Police Department are going to be doing their part tomorrow to help get people in the holiday spirit. The agency is teaming up with the Home Depot to hand out Christmas trees free of charge. The trees will be available starting at nine a-m at the police garage that is located in the parking lot behind Town Hall on Union Road. They’ll be distributed by volunteers on a first come, first served basis.

A meeting is going to be held next week where customers of Rochester Gas and Electric will once again call for a public takeover of the company. Customers have been upset with RG&E since it announced a proposed increase of its gas and electric prices. They’re also angry about billing issues they’ve had to deal with. The meeting is set for Monday evening from 6 to 8 in the Gleason Auditorium at the Rochester Public Library.

Bills vs Colts – 2017 “Snow Bowl”

The Buffalo Bills will be looking to clinch their spot in the postseason this weekend when they take on a longtime AFC East rival. Should the Bills defeat the Miami Dolphins at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, they will officially have a playoff spot. When the Bills and Dolphins played earlier this year, the Dolphins ended up winning that game 21 to 19. Kickoff for tomorrow night’s contest is scheduled for 8:15.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

The Buffalo Sabres are now on a two-game winning streak after defeating the defending Stanley Cup champions on the road. Alex Tuch, Dylan Cozens, Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin each scored as the Sabres topped the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 at Ball Arena in Denver last night. Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 39 shots. Buffalo’s next game is tomorrow night against the Arizona Coyotes with puck drop at 9:00. (Sabres are now 14-14-2)

No one has been lucky enough to win the Mega Millions or Powerball lately and now, the combined jackpots of both games have reached $578,000,000. The prize up for grabs for this evening’s Mega Millions drawing is going to be at least $429,000,000. And, should someone win Powerball tomorrow night, they’ll get a minimum of $149,000,000. Both drawings will be streamed live online. Please play responsibly.

Genesee and Wyoming Counties are under a winter storm warning from 7pm tonight till 1 am on Sunday.  Up to 18 inches of snow is expected to fall over the weekend with the main accumulations hitting southern Genesee county.  Heavy snow will fall in relatively narrow bands.  Travel could be very difficult at times with poor visibility and snow covered roads.  If traveling, be prepared for rapidly changing road conditions and visibilities.

Icy road Conditions caused several accidents in Genesee County Thursday.  2 rollover accidents were reported in Alexander.  No injuries were reported but people were trapped till Alexander and Batavia Fire departments could get them out.  A tanker truck carrying milk rolled over on Broadway Rd in Bethany.  2 wreckers from the dairy came to get the truck back up and the driver was uninjured.  Rt 20 was reported to be a sheet of ice at the time.  Another vehicle rollover was reported in Pavilion on Telephone Rd.  A truck hit a tree in Oakfield with minor injuries.  Several accidents and cars off the road were reported on the Thruway westbound.  

Rochester police are still on the lookout for the suspect who slammed a rental truck into a city business before committing a burglary. Investigators say the person intentionally drove into a store in the area of Ames Street and Maple Street yesterday. Surveillance video captured the suspect stealing items from the business before leaving the scene in the truck. Anyone with information on this case is asked to dial 911.

Governor Hochul has signed off on a new piece of legislation that will ban the sale of certain animals at retail pet stores. Starting in 2024, people will no longer be able to purchase dogs, cats or rabbits at those businesses. One goal of this measure is to prevent the buying and selling of animals from large-scale, abusive breeders who in many cases do not properly care for those animals, which can lead to new owners having to pay big veterinary bills. Pet stores will still be able to work with animal shelters and rescue groups to hold adoption clinics.

If you are in trouble in the Genesee County Park and Forest now the Bethany Fire Department has new vehicle equipment that can be used to come rescue you.  Genesee County Emergency Management Services is pleased to announce the deployment of a MedLite Transport Bed for use by the Town of Bethany Fire Department. This equipment was obtained through the procurement of Homeland Security grant funding.  The MedLite Transport Bed is a medical rescue skid unit for Utility Task Vehicles that has the ability to transport one patient on a long board or stokes basket and one attendant in a seat.  The bed fits on their UTV and helps make extractions from the trails and hard to reach places of the park.

The Buffalo Bills will be looking to clinch their spot in the postseason this weekend when they take on a longtime AFC East rival. Should the Bills defeat the Miami Dolphins at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, they will officially have a playoff spot. When the Bills and Dolphins played earlier this year, the Dolphins ended up winning that game 21 to 19. Kickoff for tomorrow night’s contest is scheduled for eight-15 p-m.

The Buffalo Sabres are now on a two-game winning streak after defeating the defending Stanley Cup champions on the road. Alex Tuch, Dylan Cozens, Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin each scored as the Sabres topped the Colorado Avalanche four-to-two at Ball Arena in Denver last night. Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 39 shots.  Buffalo’s next game is tomorrow night against the Arizona Coyotes.

Tyshon Taylor

25-year-old Tyshon Taylor of Batavia has entered a not guilty plea in court. He had been indicted by a Genesee County Grand Jury on an attempted murder charge in what was an apparent, unprovoked attack against a stranger on Jackson Street. Taylor is accused of stabbing the victim, who survived the attack. Taylor is being held in Genesee County Jail without bail.

Unidentified man shoveling snow (file photo)

A winter storm watch is in effect for Genesee County from tomorrow evening through Sunday morning. Heavy lake effect snow is possible, with total accumulations of 9 inches or more in the most persistent lake snows. Travel could become very difficult, especially when driving through narrow bands of heavy snow that create localized, dangerous wintry conditions.

A public vote this week in LeRoy resulted in community approval for $1.7 million to be earmarked for the LeRoy Fire Department to purchase an aerial ladder truck. The proposal passed with a vote of 133-99.

New York State is reporting its first pediatric flu death of the season. The state health department says flu cases are up 64 percent over the last week and hospitalizations are up by 58 percent. The health department recommends that everyone who is six months and older get a flu shot and urges the wearing of masks indoors or around people at higher risk because of the rise of the flu, RSV and COVID cases.

Officials with D’Youville University have announced plans to build a $50,000,000 academic building that will expand its healthcare programs. In the school’s site plan application for the project, the new building will house academic programs and focus on world-class education for healthcare professionals. If it wins approval by the city of Buffalo, construction would start next May and finish early in 2025.

The stadium agreement for the Buffalo Bills is a step closer to becoming fully approved. NFL owners have unanimously approved a year-to-year extension of the team’s lease agreement at Highmark Stadium and a 30-year lease agreement for a new stadium. The new stadium is expected to open as soon as 2026. Construction on the new stadium is expected to begin next year. It will be located across the street from Highmark Stadium.

Buffalo Skyline – file photo

The folks at consumer advice website WalletHub have just completed a study of the most fun cities in America. The site compared statistics from 180 cities in more than 65 key metrics including the number of music venues and dance clubs per capita, access to water and amusement parks, and the cost of beer. In the rankings, Buffalo placed as the 51st most fun city in America…one spot behind Portland Maine and one spot ahead of Omaha Nebraska. Las Vegas topped the survey at number one.

The Buffalo Sabres will see action on the road tonight in Colorado. Buffalo enters their contest following a shutout win over the Kings on Tuesday night. Face off tonight is at 9:00.

The Red Cross is asking for donors to set aside some time to give blood or platelets for patients waiting for care over the holidays. Hospitals have an especially high need for type ‘O’ blood and platelets. Those who come to give from December 16 to January 2, 2023 will get a long-sleeved Red Cross T-shirt, while supplies last. Upcoming blood drives in Batavia include Friday, December 23rd from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel and also Thursday, December 29th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Robert Morris; in Le Roy, on Thursday, December 22nd, from Noon to 5 p.m. at the American Legion, 53 West Main Street. Anyone interested may schedule an appointment by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.

This Saturday is the last chance this season to shop at the Batavia City Center Mall Market. They’re open from 8 to 11:30am.

Till 4 pm Genesee and Orleans counties are under a winter weather advisory with expected snow and ice accumulations of between a tenth of an inch and 1 inch.  In Wyoming county this goes to 7pm and twice that is expected.  Winds can gust up to 45 miles per hour.  Plan on very slippery roads and slow down to give yourself time to stop.  Slow down going around curves as ice buildup may make you lose traction.  Friday through Saturday there is a winter storm watch for Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties with up to 9 inches of snow expected.  The snow and wind combined could make white out conditions in bands on the roadways.  Once again the advice is to slow down especially going over hills where you can’t see if snow has drifted on the other side.

The mass shooting on Illinois St in Rochester may have been a rap video shoot gone wrong according to the owner of the property where the shooting occurred.  Mazzeo Mouzon owns the house and was renting it out as an AirBNB when he heard there was a large gathering there.  By the time he went to tell them they couldn’t have additional guests the police were setting up the crime scene.  Apparently the people had gathered to shoot a rap video about a man who was shot dead in the city in 2019 when gunshots were fired leaving 1 dead and 5 in the hospital.  The man who was killed was 24 year old Jakheem Douglas.  It is unclear whether the gunshots were intentional or accidental.  There are no suspects in custody.

Rochester Police say they’ve arrested a suspect in recent burglaries of the Susan B. Anthony House.  Police say the suspect — 32-year-old Richard Seawright — faces charges in two burglaries at the historic home — both of which occurred on the same night.  Police answered a call about a burglary at the house Tuesday night — followed by another call of a burglary at the house three hours later.  Security camera video enabled police to identify the suspect.  Seawright is also charged in a burglary at a restaurant around the corner from the Susan B. Anthony House last week.  

25 year old Tyshon Taylor has plead not guilty to stabbing a man on Jackson Street on October 18th.  It is alleged that he stabbed the person randomly as neither he nor the other person knew each other prior to the attack.   Taylor is also accused of attempted assault in the third degree for an incident reported at 11:39 p.m. Oct. 13 on Oak Street.  Taylor is being held in the Genesee County Jail without bail.

An SUV and a minivan were reportedly in an accident at the intersection of Buckley and Britt Rds in the Town of Stafford around 9pm on Wednesday night.  It appears the SUV t-Boned the minivan.  There are 4 children and 4 adults involved.    2 people were seriously injured with mercy flight taking one of them by helicopter to Strong Memorial and the other being taken by ambulance.  No further information was given by police at the scene.

This Saturday is the last chance to shop at the Batavia City Center Mall Market this year.  The Mall Market runs from 8 to 11:30am.  You can get everything from farm raised produce and meats to artisan ciders and clay jewelry.  You can also get your picture taken with 2 Santa pooches from Flint’s Maple.

The City of Batavia Police Department is honored to announce the promotion of Officer Christopher “CJ” Lindsay to the rank of Sergeant.  Sergeant Lindsay began his career with the City of Batavia Police Department in September of 2014.  He attended the Basic Police Academy at the Monroe County Public Safety Training Center, graduating in 2015.  Sergeant Lindsay is a Field Training Officer, Bicycle Patrol Officer and a member of the Department’s Emergency Response Team. He has been active in community events and has received recognition from the Department, City and community for his work on several cases.

Well, at least it’s more fun than Nebraska.  The folks at consumer advice website WalletHub have just completed a study of the most fun cities in America.  The site compared statistics from 180 cities in more than 65 key metrics including the number of music venues and dance clubs per capita, access to water and amusement parks, and the cost of beer.  In the rankings, Buffalo placed as the 51st most fun city in America…one spot behind Portland Maine and one spot ahead of Omaha Nebraska. Las Vegas topped the survey at number one.

By a 32-0 vote, NFL owners approved a lease extension at Highmark Stadium and a lease for a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills at their league meetings in Dallas Wednesday.  In March the Bills, Erie County and New York State announced an agreement was reached to build a new $1.4 billion stadium in Orchard Park. Gov. Kathy Hochul said the agreement secures a 30-year commitment to keep the Bills in Western New York. The stadium will be completed across the street from the team’s current home, Highmark Stadium.  The proposed $1.4 billion price tag will be covered by a public-private partnership which includes an $850 million investment in taxpayer funds.

Michael Jones

A North Carolina man associated with two right-wing extremist groups now faces up to 10 years in prison after admitting he possessed an AR-15 rifle illegally. 24-year-old Michael Jones of Charlotte was driving an unregistered vehicle when he was stopped in LeRoy by sheriffs. Deputies later found the rifle inside, along with a 30-round magazine and ammunition, knives, handheld radios, assorted tools and an Army Tactical Combat Casualty Care handbook. Jones had been convicted of two felonies in North Carolina stemming from similar charges. Following his guilty plea this week, sentencing was scheduled for May 16th.

Melvin Huntley

While incarcerated at the Genesee County Jail, 41-year-old Melvin Huntley of Batavia has been arrested and charged with promoting prison contraband and criminal possession of a controlled substance. He will appear in City Court on January 3rd to answer the charges. Huntley had previously been found guilty in the sexual abuse of four victims under the age of 17.

Wyoming and Livingston Counties are both under a Winter Weather Advisory starting 1AM tomorrow morning; it will be in place until tomorrow evening at 7:00. 2 to 4 inches of snow are expected along with windy conditions with gusts of up to 45 miles per hour. Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the Thursday morning and evening commutes. Periods of snow, sleet or freezing rain will result in slippery roads and limited visibility. Slow down and use caution while driving.

A nurse who formerly worked at Roswell Park Comprehensive Center has been sentenced to 3 years in prison for tampering with and stealing the drugs meant for patients. 30-year-old Kelsey Mulvey of Grand Island had been observed accessing a dispensing machine and exiting a medication room to which she was not assigned. It was later determined that she had accessed hydromorphone, an opioid used to treat severe pain. She was placed on administrative leave and later resigned. Officials said from June to July 2018 there were waterborne infections at Roswell Park and six patients became ill. An investigation concluded that tampering of compounded hydromorphone vials was the cause. In March 2021 Mulvey pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product. The other charges were dropped as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors. She surrendered her nursing license at the beginning of the case.

Linda Tschari

John Sauberan

A Buffalo man has been sentenced to spend 25 years to life in prison for his role in a homicide that happened over four decades ago. Prosecutors say 63-year-old John Sauberan entered the Pooley Place home of 19-year-old Linda Tschari in February 1978 and stabbed her multiple times. Tschari’s body was discovered in the living room by her brother when he went to check on his sister. Sauberan was connected to the murder through DNA evidence when his profile was uploaded to a national database following a felony conviction in Oregon.

Mark Poloncarz

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz says he’s going to be working from home over the next few days after testing positive for COVID-19. Poloncarz made the announcement on social media yesterday, saying that he’s dealing with a cough and mild fever. Poloncarz went on to say that he feels that he would be in much worse shape if he wasn’t vaccinated and boosted against the virus. He also urged anyone who he’s been in contact with recently to monitor their health.

Cole Beasley

The offense of the Buffalo Bills is going to be getting a boost thanks to a very familiar face. That’s because wide receiver Cole Beasley has come out of retirement and has signed to be part of the team’s practice squad. Beasley played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season before calling it a career. Now, he’s preparing to return to action and might end up playing in this Saturday’s game against the Miami Dolphins. In his previous tenure with the Bills, Beasley caught 231 passes for more than 24-hundred yards and 11 touchdowns.

Craig Anderson

After a scoreless game for the first two periods, the Sabres had 6 goals in the 3rd for a shutout win against the Los Angeles Kings last night. Craig Anderson stopped 40 shots and Tage Thompson, Victor Olofsson, JJ Peterka, Alex Tuch, and Peyton Krebs all scored. Buffalo improved their record to 13-14-2 on the season. They’ve saddled up the horse for a three-game Western Conference road trip. Their first game is tomorrow as they take on the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche. The puck drops at 9:00.

A lot of people will be heading to and from holiday gatherings over the next few weeks and they can expect to have an extra set of eyes on them while they are traveling. Beginning today, State Police are going to crack down on impaired and reckless driving as part of the “Drive High Get a DUI” campaign that runs through January 1st. During last year’s campaign, 522 drivers were arrested for DWI and over 35,000 traffic tickets were issued. Police say folks can make sure they get home safely by having a designated driver or by using a taxi or rideshare service.

Darien Lake Amphitheater (file photo)

Starting today, Live Nation will be offering music fans the chance to see some of the best artists in the world next year for just one price. The company says its popular Lawn Pass is going to be available for just $199 plus taxes and fees and can be used for shows at the Darien Lake Amphitheater. The passes are going on sale at one p-m and can be purchased online at lawnpass.livenation.com. Live Nation says people should act fast because there will be limited number of passes up for grabs.

Wyoming and Livingston county are under a Winter Weather Advisory starting 1AM on Thursday and running to 7pm.  2 to 4 inches of snow are expected along with windy conditions with gusts of up to 45 miles per hour.  Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the Thursday morning and evening commutes. Periods of snow, sleet or freezing rain will result in slippery roads and limited visibility. Slow down and use caution while driving.

A shootout on the street on Atlantic Ave in Rochester is being called a mass shooting.  Police responded to reports of gunfire on Atlantic Ave and Illinois St Tuesday night around 10:30 and found a man in his 20s shot.  He was taken to the hospital where he is expected to survive. Police learned that 4 others were in the hospital with gunshot wounds.  One of them was pronounced dead at the hospital and another is in critical condition.  No arrests have been made, and police say there is currently no danger to the community.  Parts of Atlantic Avenue and Illinois Street are closed off as the investigation continues.

A nurse who formerly worked at Roswell Park Comprehensive Center has been sentenced to 3 years in prison for tampering with and stealing the drugs meant for patients.  30-year-old Kelsey A. Mulvey of Grand Island was observed accessing a dispensing machine, carrying a backpack, and exiting a medication room to which she was not assigned. It was determined that she had accessed the drawer for hydromorphone. She was placed on administrative leave and then resigned. Officials said from June to July 2018 there were waterborne infections at Roswell Park and six patients became ill. An investigation concluded that tampering of compounded hydromorphone vials was the cause.  In March 2021 Mulvey pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product. The other charges were dropped as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors. She resigned from her position and surrendered her nursing license at the beginning of the case.

5 men from Western New York have been arrested for child pornography charges.  25 year old Scott Wood of Eden, 44 year old Dominic Licata of West Seneca, 24 year old Matthew Koons of Kenmore, 34 year old Leonard Sawyer of Cheektowaga and 41 year old Daniel Johnson of North Tonawanda were all arrested in an operation that ran from December 9th through 12th for possessing or promoting and disseminating child pornography.  They all face multiple charges and are scheduled to appear in court either this month or in January.

A lot of people will be heading to and from holiday gatherings over the next few weeks and they can expect to have an extra set of eyes on them while they are traveling. Beginning today, State Police are going to crack down on impaired and reckless driving as part of the “Drive High Get a DUI” campaign that runs through January 1st. During last year’s campaign, 522 drivers were arrested for DWI and over 35-thousand traffic tickets were issued. Police say folks can make sure they get home safely by having a designated driver or by using a taxi or rideshare service.

The Batavia Community Garden is now accepting applications for residents to rent their raised beds for the growing season.  Garden plots are offered in three sizes: 4’ x 4’ ($20), 4’ x 8’ ($30) and 2’ x 10’ ($25) trough plots for gardeners with limited range of motion.  All plots are available on a first-come, first-served basis.  Plot rentals are available to anyone living in Genesee County.  Plot fees include access to a raised bed filled with a growing soil mix, access to a water source with a hose, watering wand, and watering cans; use of provided hand tools; use of compost bin and other resources at the garden.  The Cornell Cooperative Extension manages the community garden.

The offense of the Buffalo Bills is going to getting a boost thanks to a very familiar face. That’s because wide receiver Cole Beasley has come out of retirement and has signed to be part of the team’s practice squad. Beasley played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season before calling it a career. Now, he’s preparing to return to action and might end up playing in this Saturday’s game against the Miami Dolphins. In his previous tenure with the Bills, Beasley caught 231 passes for more than 24-hundred yards and 11 touchdowns.

After a scoreless game for 2 whole periods the Sabres ripped out 6 goals in the 3rd to win against the Los Angeles Kings 6 to 0 Tuesday night.  Craig Anderson stopped 40 shots and Tage Thompson, Victor Olofsson, JJ Peterka, Alex Tuch, and Peyton Krebs all scored.  Buffalo improves to 13-14-2 on the season as they get set to begin a three-game Western Conference road trip. Their first game of the trip is on Thursday as they take on the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche.

2019 Ascent – Subaru’s largest SUV

Subaru is recalling 271,694 SUV’s because some of them could catch fire. The effected model is the Ascent, manufactured from 2019-2022. The company is advising owners to park them outside, away from garages and other structures and to not leave the vehicles unattended with the engine running. An electrical grounding bolt connected to the SUVs cabin heating system may have been improperly fastened, according to a company statement on the recall of over a quarter of a million cars. This problem can result in the grounding terminal and surrounding parts melting and increase the risk of fire when the vehicle’s PTC heater, or positive temperature coefficient heater, is on, according to Subaru. The PTC heater is part of a back-up heating system that operates until the engine is warmed up enough to heat the passenger cabin. If drivers notice smoke or odors coming from the dashboard or foot-well while driving, they should pull over, turn off the vehicle and call Subaru Roadside Assistance. There have been no known crashes or injuries resulting from this issue and Subaru believes a very small percentage of Ascents actually have this problem. The company will contact owners of vehicles involved in the recall by mail over the next 60 days. In the meantime, owners can contact Subaru or go to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s recall website and enter their 7-digit vehicle identification number to determine if they are impacted. Here is a direct link:  https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls

The number of Monroe County residents who have passed away after contracting the flu has risen to four. Two of the victims were between the ages of 50 and 64 years old and the other two individuals were above the age of 85. One bit of good news is that flu cases declined slightly between late November and early December. People who haven’t received a flu shot yet should get one immediately to protect themselves and others from becoming seriously ill.

32-year-old Brett Holt and 46-year old Kelly Holt both of Medina have been charged with petit larceny. Late yesterday afternoon Batavia Police responded to a call from Sally Beauty Supply on Veteran’s Memorial Drive regarding a larceny in progress. Police eventually located both of the Holt’s inside Kohls who were positively identified as the individuals who stole approximately $400 in products. Brett and Kelly were transported to the Genesee County Jail and issued appearance tickets. They’re scheduled to appear in Batavia Town Court on January 4th.

Make room for ‘the middle’

The New York State Board of Elections tells us that non-affiliated registered voters have now overtaken republicans for the State’s second largest voting block. The new statistics show roughly the same increase in non-affiliated voters over the past five years compared to the two decades before it. This may be attributed to a change in election law in 2020 that tripled the number of voter signatures required for a party to get on a ballot — now grouping all minor parties into the “blank” category. And while this rise in non-affiliated voters hasn’t yet seen significant effects in our region, the gap is closing. This means that moving forward, the Republican Party can no longer win an election without the support of the middle.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is reminding New Yorkers that assistance is available to help them stay warm during the winter. She tells us the state has received over $400,000,000 in federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program funds. Gillibrand says that LIHEAP provides a lifeline to low-income families because many of them can’t afford to pay high heating bills. More information on this program can be found at otda.ny.gov/programs.

Great Northern Grain Elevator – damaged from last year’s wind storm – file photo

There is a new development in the ongoing legal battle over the future of the Great Northern grain elevator in Buffalo. Yesterday, an Appellate Division court ruled against a preservation organization’s request for a temporary injunction that would prevent the building from being torn down. The grain elevator was severely damaged during a windstorm last year. The structure was built back in 1897 and is one of the last of its kind in North America.

Deyanna Davis

The trial for the woman who is accused of driving a vehicle into a State Trooper over two years ago has been pushed back. Jury selection was supposed to begin yesterday in the case against Deyanna Davis but that didn’t happen because she has once again switched lawyers. Prosecutors say Davis was traveling on Bailey Avenue in June 2020 when she intentionally hit and seriously hurt Trooper Ronald Ensminger Junior while he was at the scene of a protest. Davis has denied that allegation and her trial is now expected to start in February.

Lydia T. Wright School of Excellence

Buffalo police say that two arrests have been made in connection with a recent stabbing at a school. According to investigators, 34-year-old Diamond Gray and 35-year-old Dominique Gray were involved in the attack of a 31-year-old woman at the Lydia T. Wright School Of Excellence last Thursday. The victim had gone to the school to pick up her child when she was involved in a physical altercation that resulted in her being stabbed in the back. Both suspects are facing multiple charges including assault.

The Buffalo Sabres are hoping the support of their home crowd helps them snap their current two-game losing streak tonight. They host the Los Angeles Kings at KeyBank Center. Buffalo last played Saturday night when the Pittsburgh Penguins came out on top, 3-1. Face-off for tonight’s contest is scheduled for 7:00.

The Mega Millions jackpot has ballooned once again and that means there’s going to be a massive prize up for grabs this evening. The jackpot has now grown to at least $400,000,000 after no one correctly picked all the winning numbers for this past Friday’s drawing. There hasn’t been a jackpot winner since back on October 14th. The Mega Millions drawing will be streamed at megamillions.com. Please play responsibly.

Ball Drop – City of Buffalo New Year’s Eve (file photo)

Organizers say they are finally starting to put the finishing touches on plans for the City of Buffalo’s New Year’s Eve celebration. There will be live entertainment downtown on December 31st and the ball drop will happen at the Iskalo Development Electric Tower. Mayor Byron Brown believes holiday traditions are especially important for people this year in the aftermath of the deadly Tops store shooting in May and the recent snowstorm. There will be free parking for the event at both the Fernbach and Mohawk parking ramps.

A 40 year old Batavia man has been arrested and charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell and tampering with evidence.  Eric Motquin of Ellicott Street was arrested after a traffic stop on December 3rd where he struggled with officers and tried to destroy the drugs he had.  He was also arrested for failure to appear for another crime. 

GCASA has hired a new Recovery Services Director.  58 year old Luke Granger has a resume that includes service in the Army, being a full time Baptist minister with a degree from Jacksonville Baptist Theological Seminary, running theological education for Fort Drum and in Germany for the Army, Missionary work in Honduras and Costa Rica, and being the Director of IT services for a company in Texas.  He now resides in Mt Morris and will oversee 30 staff at the Genesee Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse.

Batavia and Elba Fire departments responded to the Koolatron building on Commerce Dr Monday at just after 7pm for a fire.  Employees called in saying that a stack of boxes was on fire.  The dispatcher could hear the fire alarms going off and said the sprinklers were activated in the building.  The fire was put out by the combined firefighting forces.  No injuries were reported. 

A Labor day tradition for over 4 decades will not be happening this coming year.  The Dansville Balloon Festival has been canceled due to lack of help.  Organizers say there has been a decline in volunteers for the last couple years and they just can’t make the festival work without people to staff it.  They also cited the financial environment.  Organizers said the festival, which brought in an estimated 30,000 visitors annually, had donated more than $225,000 to local organizations since 2001.

4 girls from North Tonawanda are going on the big stage in New York City to sing for the “Christmas Spectacular” show with the Rockettes.  The Spotlight Kidz show invited the girls, who are between and 10 and 14 years old, to come sing after they’re performance on YouTube and Instagram of several songs went viral and they were on several national shows singing.  Grace, Ashlyn Piper and Macy will be singing ‘Rocking Around the Christmas Tree’ and ‘Christmas in New York’.

Dinosaur Adventure organizers say the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center will be transformed into a prehistoric exhibit this weekend.  The event will be held Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.  According to organizers, guests can expect the average adventure to last between two to three hours.  Tickets are limited and sold on a per-day, per-hour basis.

The Buffalo Sabres are hoping the support of their home crowd helps them snap their current two-game losing streak tonight. The Sabres are set to host the Los Angeles Kings at KeyBank Center. Buffalo last played Saturday night when they were beaten by the Pittsburgh Penguins three-to-one. Face-off for tonight’s contest is scheduled for seven p-m.

65-year-old Robyn Scott of Batavia has been charged with disorderly conduct for unreasonable noise. Police responded to a call on Walnut Street to address an ongoing annoyance issue involving alarms and unreasonable noise. Following an investigation, Scott was arrested, issued an appearance ticket and then released; Scott is scheduled to appear in Batavia City Court on December 20th.

Michael Woloschuk

42-year-old Michael Woloschuk of Hamlin has been convicted of possession of child pornography and was sentenced to serve 10 years in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release. He had been convicted previously for a similar offense. In October 2021, law enforcement received a tip that eventually led to Woloschuk’s arrest. A forensic analysis of his digital devices recovered several videos and images of child pornography, some of which depicted violence against children.

POLICE BLOTTER: 34-year-old Benito Gay of Batavia has been charged with petit larceny, falsifying business records, criminal use of an access device and unlawful possession of personal identification information. He allegedly used another inmate’s personal identification number to make phone calls at the Genesee County jail in the early morning hours of Monday, December 5th. The calls were charged to the victim’s account. Gay is due to appear in City Court for arraignment early next month. ALSO: 48-year-old Willie Sabb, Jr. of Batavia is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance. He was allegedly found to be in possession of cocaine during a traffic stop on Clinton Street Road in Stafford. Sabb was issued an appearance ticket and scheduled to return to Stafford Town Court next month.  ALSO:  50-year-old Andrew Crimes of Batavia has been charged with two counts of criminal contempt, after entering Batavia Downs late in the evening on December 7. Crimes allegedly violated an order of protection by entering the Downs at that particular time but also for sending over 100 text messages to an individual over the course of several months violating an order of protection that was in place. Crimes was arraigned in Batavia Town Court and will return to court on December 20th.

Gas prices continue their slow decline…According to Triple A today, the average cost for a gallon of regular fuel nationwide is $3.26. That’s down 52 cents since November 12th. The state average is currently $3.59 per gallon. In Batavia, we’re at $3.47, down 32 cents from a month ago today.

Ingersoll Street Lift Bridge – Albion, NY

A man has drowned after falling into the Erie Canal. He had been walking on the south side of the canal along a sidewalk when he fell into the water near the Ingeroll Street lift bridge in Albion. Medics from Mercy Flight EMS attempted CPR and transported the man to Medina Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The man’s name has not been released pending notification of family.

Father Patrick Melfi

A priest in Allegany County has been placed on administrative leave by the Diocese of Buffalo. Reverend F. Patrick Melfi is accused of having an improper sexual relationship with a woman. Melfi has been serving at Our Lady of the Angels in Cuba as well as Saint Patrick in Fillmore and Belfast. In a statement, the diocese said Melfi’s leave is part of an ongoing investigation and that anyone with information about clerical sexual misconduct can call 716-895-3010.

Tyler Bass

The Buffalo Bills have extended their winning streak to four games following a big victory on a mixed-precipitation Sunday afternoon, over a division rival. Quarterback Josh Allen threw a touchdown pass and ran for another score as the Bills defeated the New York Jets 20 to 12 at Highmark Stadium yesterday. Buffalo kicker Tyler Bass also hit two field goals for his team who now has a record of 10 wins and three losses. Up next for the Bills is a home contest against the Miami Dolphins this Saturday night with kickoff scheduled for 8:15.

Peyton Krebs

The Sabres lost their second straight game to the Penguins 3 to 1 on Saturday. Peyton Krebs scored the lone goal for Buffalo. They’ll be back on home ice tomorrow night against the L.A. Kings. Face-off is at 7:00.

Smoking Marijuana recreationally is legal in New York State.  Just don’t do it when people are depending on you to save their lives.  2 Rochester firefighters have been suspended for allegedly smoking pot while on duty. According to the national safety council, THC in marijuana affects depth perception, reaction time, coordination and other motor skills, and it creates sensory distortion. For someone operating machinery, driving a forklift or a vehicle like a large fire engine, these effects can be deadly.  According to a study reported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, employees who tested positive for marijuana had 55% more industrial accidents and 85% more injuries.  While laws are still being crafted on how to view legal marijuana use in the workplace, many employers are leaning toward treating it the same as drunkenness.  

The Gates Police Department is investigating after 17 vehicles were stolen overnight at Hertz Car Rental in Gates on Ajax Road. Officers say during the overnight hours a group of people are seen on video cutting the fence to the secured rental car lot.  According to GPD, the suspects were able to obtain keys to the rental vehicles which were parked in the lot.  The suspects used one of the vehicles, a Chevrolet Suburban, to push multiple vehicles out of the way of the vehicle exit fence.  Then the suspects were able to break through the fence with the Suburban. Officers have recovered some of the vehicles at this point.

Western New York drivers are seeing some lower prices at the pump these days when it comes time to fill up their vehicles. According to Triple A, the average cost for a gallon of regular fuel is now three-65. That’s down five cents in the past week and is 17 cents less than this time one month ago. The state average is currently three-59 a gallon and nationally it’s three-26.

Taylor McCabe, of McCabe Enterprises, an electrical contractor, was one of four contractors on a job site at Brickhouse Corners in Pembroke to introduce students to the building trades.  Owner and developer Randy Fancher said he and his brother thought their mixed-use development — retail and apartments — was a good job site to show young people what a construction site is like and hear about the kind of work available in different facets of construction.  Besides electrical, students — and their parents and grandparents — learned about drywall, HVAC, and plumbing.

The Bills split their season series with the Jets after earning a 20-12 victory on the rainy Sunday afternoon in Orchard Park.  Josh Allen combined for 194 yards and two touchdowns to lead Buffalo to its 10th win of the season. The Jets are now third in the division with a record of 7-and-6.  Buffalo is 1st in the AFC.  The Bills play the Dolphins at Highmark Stadium next on Saturday at 8:15.  

The Sabres lost their second straight game to the Penguins 3 to 1 on Saturday not 24 hours after losing to them 4 to 3.  Peyton Krebs scored the lone goal for the Buffalo team. They’ll be back on home ice Tuesday against the LA Kings.  Puck drop is at 7pm.

A new law affects how gift cards work in the empire state.  Businesses are no longer allowed to have gift cards expire within 9 years of purchase starting December 10th.  Gift cards cannot reduce in value over time because of fees.  And, if you have less than 5 dollars left on your gift card, you are allowed to redeem it for cash.  Governor Hochul says she wants consumers to be able to enjoy their gift cards without worrying about expirations or fees.

All employers must make accommodations for their workers to breast feed according to a new law.  Signed Friday, a new law requires safe, hygienic, and convenient spaces in all workplaces for mothers to go and either pump or breastfeed.  Specifically it requires all employers in New York to ensure that pumping spaces are convenient and private, as well as include seating, access to running water and electricity, and a working space. It will also require employers to develop and implement a written policy regarding employee rights when breastfeeding in the workplace. The new legislation will ensure that all employees across the state will receive the same basic accommodations that public employees currently receive.

Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments are calling on local businesses to install Naloxone boxes at their workplaces.  Naloxone boxes are wall mounted metal boxes containing 2 doses of the drug Naloxone which is used to prevent overdoses of Opioids.  Like an AED, they can be placed in high traffic locations to be used in an emergency to save lives.  There are only 8 boxes set up so far and they are all in Batavia.  If you are a business or organization located in Genesee County and are interested in receiving more information about having a Naloxone Box at your location, contact: Kaitlin.Pettine@co.genesee.ny.us.

The Byron-Bergen Senior High School proudly announces that every fall varsity Byron-Bergen sports team achieved the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Scholar-Athlete Team award. The fall sports teams are boys cross-country, girls cross-country, football, gymnastics, boys soccer, girls soccer, and girls volleyball.  The Scholar-Athlete program recognizes athletes for their academic success. NYSPHSAA Scholar-Athlete Team awards go to teams whose average GPA of 75% of the athletic team equals 90 or above.

Emmanuel Baptist Church on Oak Street in Batavia is inviting the public to their annual Christmas Cantata, The Love of God At Christmas, at 2 pm on Sunday.  Come catch the Christmas spirit and join in listening to and singing along with many songs you know and some you’ll be happy to know.  There will be a free supper after the concert.  The choir is lead by Debbie Prosser.

The Buffalo Sabres lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins 4 to 3 on Friday night. The game at the KeyBank center went into overtime but the Sabres couldn’t secure the victory.  Victor Olofsson, Jeff Skinner, and Kyle Okposo scored for Buffalo.

David Sherman

A Pike man faces charges after allowing his dog to attack a sheriff. The incident occurred after a deputy arrived to investigate a domestic incident there. 56-year-old David Sherman allowed an aggressive dog out of the residence. He then allegedly refused to comply with orders to get the dog back inside. The dog then attached the deputy, who was treated at Wyoming County Community Hospital and released. The dog was identified as a pit bull/mastiff mix and was removed from the premises by Animal Control because it had previously bitten another person. Sherman is to appear in Town Court on December 13th.

38-year-old Jeremy Lyons of Mount Morris is believed to be the man who was behind the wheel of a minivan that struck a utility pole on Law Street. The accident occurred on November 23, and caused a widespread power surge. He has turned himself in to police and is now cited for leaving the scene of a property damage accident and aggravated unlicensed operation. Lyons was observed running from the scene of the accident and attempts to locate him immediately afterward were unsuccessful. The minivan struck a utility pole, causing 287 homes in the area of Chestnut Street, South Jackson and to both the north and south of those streets to lose power. The power surge caused electric meters on the outside of dozens of homes to blow out. The vehicle Lyons was driving was insured; residents with claims directly related to the power surge should contact National Grid by calling 315-428-6536. Or, at ClaimsDept@nationalgrid.com

According to the state comptroller’s office, poverty rates have decreased in the GLOW region over the 10 year period of 2010-2020. However, even though the numbers are down, Orleans County ranked 15th statewide for poverty. The poverty rate is based primarily on income, along with family size and composition but do not reflect the existence of unmarried partners, foster children and other non-related household members. They also don’t factor in taxes and medical expenses — which can affect a person or family’s economic security — or non-cash resources such as tax credits, housing support or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. Genesee County reported a 10.2 percent poverty rate in 2020, ranking 48th statewide. That compares to 12.1 percent in 2010 and 10.5 percent in 2019.

The latest data from the state shows the spread of the coronavirus has decreased in our region. Right now, the seven-day average infection rate is sitting at 4.38%. At this time last week, the infection rate was at 4.51%. Anyone wishing to make an appointment to get a COVID-19 vaccination or booster shot can do so at vaccines.gov.

POLICE BLOTTER: 46-year-old Jeannine Mobley of LeRoy has been charged with petit larceny. She is accused of stealing from a business on Jackson Street. Mobley was arraigned in City Court and released on her own recognizance. ALSO: 21-year-old Jada Smith of Niagara Falls is charged with criminal trespass. She was located on Genesee Community College property after previously being told she was not allowed on the property. Smith was released on an appearance ticket. ALSO: 32-year-old Joshua Moore of Batavia is charged with harassment and criminal obstruction of breathing. He was arrested following the report of a disturbance early in the morning on November 24th on Chase Parkway. Moore was arraigned in City Court and released on his own recognizance.

Gas prices are finally lower than they were a year ago. Triple-A reports today’s national average is $3.31 a gallon compared to about $3.34 a year ago. That’s a significant drop from the all-time high of $5.01 a gallon seen back in mid-June. We can’t quite say the same thing in Batavia; as of this morning, the average price per gallon was $3.52; still a nickel higher than one year ago today.

They look like they’d be willing to share…

The jackpots of two popular lottery games keep growing and that means there’s going to be a combined $495,000,000 up for grabs over the next couple of days. No one has won the Mega Millions in weeks so the top prize available for tonight’s drawing is $379,000,000. And should someone win Powerball tomorrow night they will get at least $116,000,000. Both drawings will be streamed live online. Please play responsibly.

The Buffalo Bills will be back in front of their home crowd as they look to hold onto first place in AFC East against a division rival. The Bills are hosting the New York Jets at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park. When these two teams played earlier this season, the Jets came out on top by a final score of 20 to 17. Buffalo is coming off of a 24 to 10 win last Thursday over the New England Patriots. Kickoff for Sunday’s contest is set for 1:00.

Plans to build a brand-new stadium in Orchard Park for the Buffalo Bills have taken another step forward. A new study shows the proposed facility would not have any negative effects on the surrounding environment. That means it’s now up to the Erie County Legislature to issue a negative declaration of environmental impact. If that happens, The Buffalo News reports the deadline for reaching a stadium agreement would be mid-January. The over one-billion-dollar facility would be located near Highmark Stadium which is where the Bills currently play.

Dylan Cozens and Rasmus Dahlin – and excited fan in the front row (file photo)

The Buffalo Sabres have won back-to-back games and they’ll be hoping to extend their winning streak to three this evening. The Sabres are taking on Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins at KeyBank Center. Buffalo last played Wednesday night when they cruised to a 9-4 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Face-off for tonight’s game is scheduled for 7:00.

The new New York gun law is ping ponging back and forth in the courts and the latest is that part of it can be enforced according to a Federal Appeals court decision. The part they allowed is that guns can be banned from parks and theaters while the constitutionality of the law is being decided.  The temporary stay from the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday puts on hold most of a ruling last month from U.S. District Judge Glenn Suddaby, who found constitutional issues with multiple portions of the law related to carrying firearms in public places and to licensing requirements.  Among the new licensing rules Suddaby found constitutionally flawed was a provision requiring applicants to be of “good moral character,” and another that made applicants turn over information about their social media accounts.

Genesee County is proposing an increase in the salary of the County Coroner because they can’t find anyone else who wants to move dead bodies.  The proposal would pay the Coroner 200 dollars every time they were called upon to be the transportation service for the deceased.  County Manager Matt Landers said they had tried to find a dedicated service but no one stepped forward and so the job often fell to the coroner to be both official and taxi for the dead.  This happened about 50 times last year.  There will be a public hearing on the proposal on January 4th at the Old Courthouse in Batavia. 

A Wyoming County is man under investigation following a domestic incident and faces charges after a dog attacked a sheriff’s deputy.  The incident happened Monday at a home on Route 39 in Pike. Police said David Sherman, 56, allowed an aggressive dog out of the home during the investigation, refusing to comply with orders to keep the dog inside.  Sherman is charged with assault, resisting arrest, obstruction of governmental administration, criminal contempt and menacing.  He’s being held in Wyoming County Jail without bail due to his criminal history. He’s due in Pike Town Court on Tuesday.  The injured deputy was treated at Wyoming County Community Hospital and discharged. Police did not say what happened to the dog after the attack or what prompted the investigation. 

According to the CEO of Economic Development Center for Genesee County Steve Hyde it’s all sunshine and nearly free money for Elba, Oakfield and Genesee county itself if a Solar Project is approved for Hecate Energy Cider Solar LLC.  The EDC is expecting 88 million dollars being paid back the county and municipalities over the next 30 years Hyde said.  He says thats 22 dollars back for every dollar invested in the project.  Each municipality is expected to get payouts of between 500,000 and 1 million dollars annually from Hecate during the operation of the 500 megawatt farms of solar panels.  

Assemblyman Steve Hawley informed local fire departments in a press release about grant money being offered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA has $90 million to award.  Hawley said, “This is an opportunity for those who tirelessly protect our communities to receive a significant amount of grant money.  Our emergency employees are vital to our communities. I am proud of their hard work to keep us all safe and secure. Their valiant efforts to maintain safety in my district and throughout New York state should not go unnoticed.” The application period for these awards will begin between January 6 and 9 and will continue for 6 weeks, subject to change. For more information, contact the Assistance to Firefighters Grants Program at 866-274-0960 or firegrants@fema.dhs.gov. 

An academy award winning director who is famous for his monster movies says he loves the city of Buffalo.  Guillermo del Toro says he and his wife are considering buying a house in the City of Buffalo after filming Crimson Peak and Nightmare Alley there over the past 6 years.  He says that he is just booking for an excuse to film there again and needs very little provocation.  The things he likes about the city, it’s energy and artistic movement, oh and also the food. 

A new flag is flying over the parking lot of the current Highmark stadium to show where midfield of the new Buffalo Bills stadium will be.  The flagpole, which is set directly in the pavement and has a red and blue map pin icon on it and a blue flag with the number 2026, is set to show where the dead center of the new stadium will be once it is constructed.  The new, 1.4 Billion dollar stadium, will be open to the public in 2026.

Joshua Schohn (released photo)

32-year-old Joshua Schohn of Akron has been convicted of two counts of possession and production of child pornography. He’s been sentenced to serve 30 years in prison followed by 20 years of supervised release. The investigation started three years ago, during which the FBI found videos of Schohn’s girlfriend’s daughters. Upon his arrest, Schohn admitted to State Police that he had been collecting child pornography for five years.

A $5,000,000 federal funding grant will help to pay for upgrades for Attica’s water treatment plant. The funding was announced last month as part of the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act, and will cover half of the estimated $11.1 million project planned for the Dunbar Road location. Upgrades will include new treatment units, disinfection and chemical feed equipment. New pumps, piping and valves are also planned, along with structural and mechanical improvements. The equipment is generally meant to last for about 20 years.

Negotiations resumed today between representatives of Buffalo Public Schools and the Buffalo Teachers Federation. Both sides have been working to reach an agreement on a new contract but say that little progress has been made during recent discussions. Teachers have issued a vote of no-confidence in Superintendent Doctor Tonja Williams and also the school board. Issues that still need to be resolved include teacher salaries and adjusting school start times to help out with an ongoing bus driver shortage.

Unidentified teenager receives vaccination – file photo

Governor Hochul is urging New Yorkers to take the proper steps to protect themselves from the spread of COVID-19, the flu, and RSV. Hospitals across the Empire State are very busy right now dealing with a surge in illnesses and data shows a lot of people who are eligible for the latest COVID-19 booster shot haven’t gotten it. The governor recommends residents who have symptoms of the coronavirus or flu get tested immediately. The state has a stockpile of coronavirus test kits and ventilators that can be made available if necessary.

A Newfane resident is facing up to 11 years behind bars after pleading guilty to multiple charges including criminally negligent homicide. The Niagara County District Attorney’s Office says 20-year-old Sean Kelahan admitted to hitting and killing 25-year-old Richard Howes, III with his car on Transit Road in Lockport March 18th. Kelahan is going to be sentenced in February. His co-defendant, Tyreek Wolfe, is also awaiting sentencing.

Von Miller – Thanksgiving Day, 2022

The Buffalo Bills are going to be without star defensive player Von Miller for the rest of the season. Miller underwent exploratory surgery on his knee earlier this week and it was discovered he has a torn ACL. Miller was hurt back on Thanksgiving Day when the Bills played the Lions and was placed on the injured reserve list last week. Buffalo signed the 33-year-old Miller to a six-year, 120-million-dollar contract this past off-season and he leads the team this year with eight sacks.

 Matt Araiza

Former Buffalo Bills punter Matt Araiza and two of his college teammates will not face criminal charges after being accused of gang raping a 17-year-old girl while Araiza attended San Diego State University. The alleged assault happened at an off-campus party in October 2021, six months before the Bills drafted Araiza. The decision to not pursue charges came following a four month investigation involving more than 35 witness interviews and evidence derived from 10 search warrants that included cell phone data and video from the night in question. A still-pending civil lawsuit was filed August 25th; the Bills released Araiza two days later.

Tage Thompson

The Buffalo Sabres have picked up their second straight victory after a dominant effort on the road. Tage Thompson scored five goals and Dylan Cozens, Peyton Krebs, Alex Tuch, and Rasmus Dahlin also had a goal each as the Sabres smashed the Columbus Blue Jackets nine-to-four last night. Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was able to stop 20 of the 24 shots he faced in the contest. Buffalo’s next game is tomorrow night when they host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Face-off is at 7:00.

The New York State Education Department is recommending that schools go back to mandatory masking to fight the Flu, RSV and Covid once again and superintendents for a lot of the state are saying “no.”  Niagara Falls, Erie and Hamburg superintendents characterized it as going backwards and said that we are “well past mandates.”  While the state is saying that kids are in danger the schools are mostly reporting that the rate of illness is average for the season.  The districts say some kids and teachers are choosing to wear masks but the number is small.  Mostly the advice is the same as it has been, stay home if you are sick, cover your cough or sneeze, and wash your hands regularly.  

It’s been two weeks now since the New York State’s cannabis control board approved the first dispensary license. 36 licenses were approved — none of them are in Western New York.  This first set of licenses are for people who were impacted by cannabis convictions in the past, called Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensaries.  Western, Central NY, and the Finger Lakes are currently barred from receiving licenses due to an ongoing court case.  So, if you are wanting to buy pot legally in Western NY, you’ll just have to travel or wait.

Former Buffalo Bills punter Matt Araiza and two of his college teammates will not face criminal charges after being accused of gang raping a 17-year-old girl while Araiza attended San Diego State University.  The alleged assault happened at an off-campus party in October 2021, six months before the Bills drafted Araiza.  The decision to not pursue charges came following a 124-day investigation involving more than 35 witness interviews and evidence derived from 10 search warrants that included cell phone data and video from the night in question, the San Diego County District Attorney’s office said in a statement.  A still-pending civil lawsuit was filed Aug. 25, with the Bills releasing Araiza two days later.

The Genesee County 4-H Program is now accepting registrations for its 2023 4-H Tractor Safety Program.  The program is open to youth age 14 and over and covers farm safety, tractor safety, tractor operation and other related topics.  The National Safe Tractor and Machinery Operation Program is a certification program that allows youth ages 14 and 15 to be certified to legally operate farm equipment for hire.  After completing the training course, youth will need to pass a written knowledge test and driving test to receive the certification.  The program is scheduled to run Saturdays, 8 a.m. to noon, from January through April at farm machinery dealerships throughout Genesee County.  The fee for the program is $25, and youth must also be currently enrolled 4-H members.  Registrations are due January 28, 2023.

Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism & Substance Abuse has scheduled in-person and virtual Naloxone & Opioid Overdose Prevention Training sessions into June of next year.  Twelve sessions will take place at The Recovery Station on Clinton Street Road in Batavia and six will be held at GCASA’s Outpatient Clinic in Albion starting in January. Additionally, six virtual training classes are scheduled, beginning Jan. 9.  Check out our news partner the Batavian for a list of dates and times.  To register, email dklos@gcasa.org or call 585 815 1883.

The Genesee Chorale is performing their annual holiday concert, From Star to Star, at 4 pm on Saturday and you are invited.  Tickets are 10 dollars either at the door or at www.geneseechorale.com for the concert at St James Episcopal Church.  The chorale is directed by Ric Jones. Janine Fagnan is the associate conductor, and Doug Hanson is the accompanist.

The Buffalo Bills are going to be without star defensive player Von Miller for the rest of the season. Miller underwent exploratory surgery on his knee earlier this week and it was discovered he has a torn ACL. Miller was hurt back on Thanksgiving Day when the Bills played the Lions and was placed on the injured reserve list last week.  Buffalo signed the 33-year-old Miller to a six-year, 120-million-dollar contract this past offseason and he leads the team this year with eight sacks.

The Buffalo Sabres have picked up their second straight victory after a dominant effort on the road. Tage Thompson scored five goals and Dylan Cozens, Peyton Krebs, Alex Tuch, and Rasmus Dahlin also had a goal each as the Sabres smashed the Columbus Blue Jackets nine-to-four last night. Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was able to stop 20 of the 24 shots he faced in the contest. Buffalo’s next game is tomorrow night when they host the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Melvin Huntley

41-year-old Melvin Huntley of Batavia now faces the possibility of life in prison. Late yesterday afternoon, a Genesee County Court jury found him guilty of repeatedly raping children. The jury deliberated for two days before reaching the verdict; the most severe convictions are for felony predatory sexual assault, which carries a maximum penalty of 25 years to life in prison. Huntley was first arrested in July 2021 following a sheriff’s investigation. He remains in Genesee County Jail without bail, pending sentencing on January 11.

Yesterday marked 1,000 days since the World health Organization declared the start of the pandemic on March 11, 2020. Much has changed since then; however, a new letter from the New York State Education Department and Department Of Health suggests we may be heading backward. Both are urging the community and schools to consider re-masking students when in public indoor spaces as a precaution ahead of the holidays. This comes as the nation is being hit by what many are calling a rare “tripledemic” seeing an increase in COVID, Flu, and RSV cases. In addition to considering masking up, the Department of Health advises residents to stay up to date on vaccines, wash their hands often and stay home when sick to ensure that everyone stays safe as the holidays approach.

A lengthy investigation by The Genesee County Drug Task Force, which culminated in the use of a search warrant, resulted in the arrests of two women: 38-year-old Jennifer Moton of Rochester and 50-year-old Angela Bateman of Batavia. Moton is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance (a class B felony) and promoting prison contraband (a class D felony). She is currently on probation for previous drug charges, and was allegedly found to be in possession of 150 bags of cocaine and allegedly entered a secure area at the Genesee County jail with it. Bateman is on parole for previous drug charges and was allegedly found in possession of a small quantity of cocaine and also charged with maintaining a place where controlled substances were being sold. Both women were arraigned and held without bail.

For the first time since the start of the season, the death of a Monroe County resident has been connected to the flu. The person who passed away was between the ages of 75 and 84 years old. From October 1st through November 26th, there were more than 4000 lab confirmed cases of the virus in the county. Officials say that it’s never too late to get a flu shot, which will help protect you and others from getting seriously ill.

Governor Hochul has signed off on a new piece of legislation that’s aimed at cracking down on those annoying telemarketing calls. The bill requires telemarketers to give customers the choice of being placed on a do-not-call list at the beginning of certain calls. Under current law, telemarketers must inform people that they may request to be added to their company’s do-not-call list but most individuals hang up before the list is mentioned. The governor says this legislation will protect New Yorkers from receiving unwanted calls.

Dion Dawkins

Offensive lineman Dion Dawkins of the Buffalo Bills has been nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award. The award honors players from all 32 NFL franchises for their outstanding community service and also their play on the field. Following a mass shooting at a Buffalo Tops store back in May, Dawkins decided to host a cornhole and kickball tournament that raised 20-thousand dollars for victims of the tragedy, and he has also launched the Dion’s Dreamers Foundation to support young people who live in underserved communities. The Man of the Year award winner will be revealed during the NFL Honors ceremony ahead of the Super Bowl.

 File photo

The Buffalo Sabres will be back on the road again tonight as they try and pick up a second straight victory. The Sabres are going to be visiting the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena in Ohio. The Sabres are coming off of a 6-3 win on Sunday night against the San Jose Sharks. Face-off for this evening’s contest is set for 7:30.

Mayor Byron Brown

Officials with the City of Buffalo have announced that a new app is now available that will provide residents with important information. It can be downloaded by going to the app store on your phone and typing in Simplicity. From there, choose Buffalo and the city institutions that you want to follow and make sure your notifications are on. Mayor Byron Brown believes the app will keep the city on the cutting edge of innovation and prove to be a useful resource for residents and visitors.

Shania Twain – promotional photo

Country music superstar Shania Twain is bringing her brand new tour to Western New York next year. Twain is scheduled to perform at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on October 20th. The Grammy Award winner is best known for songs such as “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” “From This Moment On” and “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” Tickets for the concert go on sale December 16th through Live Nation.

A new law is on the books that affects how social media works in New York State.  Social media is now required to have a way for users to report hate speech.  Hate speech is defined in the law as any conduct that “vilifies, humiliates, or incites violence.”  A first of its kind in the nation, the new law requires social media companies to put in place a mechanism for reporting hate speech and also disclose how they respond to such complaints when reported.  There is a lawsuit against the law from social media video hosting site Rumble which claims that the law fails to define what vilifying, humiliating or inciting violence mean and that the law violates free speech rights. 

A fire in Arcade drew roughly 100 firefighters Tuesday night.  The Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office said that the fire broke out at the Finger Lakes Hay and Straw building on Park Street.  Crews from Arcade, North Java, Strykersville and Bliss all responded to the fire.  Second Assistant Fire Chief Joshua Graham explained part of the reason it required a massive response and took so long to put out was the 15 wagon loads of hay inside the building.  The sheriff’s office said no one was injured. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

A woman who was arrested for robbing 3 stores with a bb gun is back behind bars after she did it again within 30 minutes of being released.  41 year old Jessica York of Rochester was arrested after displaying a realistic looking bb gun at a restaurant, Bubble Tea spot, and at a cleaning store and taking money from the cash register.  She was charged with three counts robbery and three counts of petit larceny.  York was released from Monroe County Jail around 11 a.m. Saturday. About 30 minutes later, police responded to Starbucks inside the Hyatt Regency on East Main Street for a reported robbery. York allegedly had entered the shop, threatened the possibility of a weapon and stole money from the cash register.  The spree continued Sunday afternoon when York forcibly stole money from a cash register at Java’s on Gibbs Street, according to police. Officers arrested her Tuesday morning on East Main Street, shortly after an unsuccessful robbery attempt at Ugly Duck Coffee on Charlotte Street, and returned her to jail.

Batavia and LeRoy police departments will hold their annual Shop With a Cop event on Saturday the 10th at the Walmart on Veterans Memorial Drive.  There will be approximately 30 children shopping with officers and taking a picture with Santa.  Donations have been received from Wal-Mart, H.E. Turner & Company, Inc., the Batavia Police Benevolent Association, Civil Service Employee Association, Bonarigo and McCutcheon law office, and other members of the community.  Approximately $2,800 has been raised to date.

The STOP DWI program honored officers from the LeRoy and Batavia Police and the county Sheriffs who had the most DWI arrests over the last year at the Terry Hills Country Club on Monday.  For Le Roy, Jordan Wolcott, for Batavia, John Gombos, and for the Sheriff’s Office, David Moore.  Also honored, for the 4th time, was Byron Bergen high schooler Zoey Shepard who created the grand prize winning STOP-DWI poster for their annual contest.  

The Genesee County Interagency Council, Inc. honored Esther Leadley at their monthly meeting on Nov. 16 with their first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award.  The council recognized Esther with a plaque citing “outstanding service and commitment” to the council for 26-plus years.  Leadley began her career in Genesee County in 1985 with Genesee Community College working with displaced homemakers.  From there, Leadley worked as a member of the Genesee County Legislature and the EOP in Geneseo, as well as served on many area boards and councils.  Leadley is currently a board member of Community Action of Orleans and Genesee, as well as a Community Advocate.

Governor Hochul has signed a new law which combats telemarketers.  The twist is, it requires you to talk to them to be effective.  The legislation requires telemarketers to give customers the option to be added to the company’s do-not-call list at the beginning of certain telemarketing calls.  Most people hang up right away and don’t get to the point where they could tell the marketer to add them.  

The investigation continues today into the accident involving two trucks running into the library wall of an elementary school in Warsaw. As of this morning, the two drivers remain in stable condition. 61-year-old Martin Lodinsky of Gainesville is at Erie County Medical Center awaiting surgery. He claims his vehicle kept accelerating and he could not stop it, resulting in a t-bone accident with another vehicle, driven by a 35-year-old male who has not been identified but was also injured. Both vehicles crashed into the side of the school. The school district is working on a plan for a temporary home for its elementary school library. Their superintendent said that kindergarten students were in the library at the time, but away from the wall that was struck. Aside from the two drivers, no one else was hurt in the incident.

Governor Hochul says $10,000,000 in funding is going to be used to help revitalize Downtown Rochester. The money will go towards things such as adding affordable housing, creating a new hotel, and restoring historic buildings. The governor believes that these improvements are vital since so many people work and live downtown. The funds are coming from the state’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative and all of these projects are scheduled to be completed in 2023 and 2024.

Two men with long criminal histories are once again in trouble with the law – this time, facing drug charges following a traffic stop in LeRoy. 41-year-old Chad Main of Warsaw was pulled over for failing to use a turn signal. He allegedly attempted to run from deputies during the stop; following a brief chase, he was taken into custody. Among other charges, he was found in possession of drugs and was high while driving unlicensed. His passenger, 49-year-old James Sherbert of Perry is on parole and was also found with drugs.

From the security camera footage – still shot released by Gates Police

An 18-year-old from Ogden has been arrested after hitting a gas pump at a gas station in Gates and then fleeing the scene. Police reviewed security camera footage and was able to identify the vehicle from the license plate and arrested Ryan Odell at his residence. He admitted that he was trying to do a burnout in the parking lot. Odell was charged with criminal mischief and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident. He was issued an appearance ticket and will return to court at a later date.

Today Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation to crack down on unwanted telemarketing and robocalls. The new law requires telemarketers to give customers the option to be added to their company’s ‘do-not-call’ list at the start of the call and is intended to safeguard state residents from continuous, unwanted calls.

Dr. Tonja Williams

The Buffalo Common Council unanimously passed a resolution that asks Governor Kathy Hochul to declare a State of Emergency over the Buffalo School District’s transportation issues. This would allow Superintendent Dr. Tonja Williams to change school start times without the approval of the Buffalo Teacher’s Federation. The district and the union have been renegotiating a contract for months, but are reportedly not close to reaching a solution. One point of disagreement involves a three-bell start time for grades kindergarten through 8, as opposed to two different start times that are in place now, to address the shortage of bus drivers without needing to hire more. The Buffalo Teachers Federation says its members are frustrated because they have been working without a contract for three years and that discussions on a new deal have slowed down. Dr. Williams released a statement yesterday saying that she’s staying focused on making the district stronger and better. The next negotiation day is tomorrow.

Randall Rolison

New information has been released about a deadly crash Chautauqua County over the weekend. State Police say 59-year-old Randall Rolison failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection of State Route 83 and Center Road in Arkwright Saturday night. Rolison’s vehicle collided with another vehicle driven by 71-year-old Gary Kraemer and the impact caused his passenger, 71-year-old Linda Kraemer, to be ejected and killed. Rolison was charged last year for hitting and killing a 15-year-old girl in Jamestown.

The Buffalo Bills and longtime, AFC East rivals the Miami Dolphins are scheduled to play at Highmark on Saturday night, December 17th with kickoff scheduled for 8:15. The contest will air on the NFL Network. Earlier in the season Miami came out on top, 21 to 19. The Bills will also be home this coming Sunday when they host the New York Jets with kickoff at 1:00.

The non-emergency phone line to the City of Batavia Police has been fixed. The city’s dispatcher can now once again be reached by calling (585) 345-6350 for non-emergency situations. The phone line had been experiencing problems since Sunday afternoon.

Another Mega Millions drawing has come and gone without a jackpot winner and that means the game’s top prize is now even bigger. Whoever is lucky enough to select all of the winning numbers ahead of tonight’s drawing is going to get at least $354,000,000. This evening’s drawing will be streamed live online at megamillions.com.

New information has been released about the arrest of a now former employee at the Monroe County Children’s Detention Center in Rush. Police say 23-year-old John Kanu allowed two juveniles to take part in slap boxing inside a bathroom last month and also allegedly hit a child after they left the bathroom. An investigation started after the incident was reported and Kanu ended up being fired. He’s been charged with child endangerment.

Rochester Police are investigating a triple shooting in the city’s Upper Falls area on Monday night.  Around 6:20 p.m., officers responded to William Warfield Drive for the report of shots fired.  Once there, they found out there was an altercation, which resulted in three people being shot.  Police say two young girls, ages 12 and 16, were both shot at least once in the lower body, and a 20-year-old man was shot in the upper body.  All three were taken to Rochester General Hospital by private vehicles, where they are expected to recover from their injuries.  No arrests have been made.

Bribery and fraud charges against former Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin were tossed out Monday by a federal judge, leaving Benjamin to face only records falsification charges and prompting his lawyers to say it was tragic that the case was ever brought.  Judge J. Paul Oetken in a written opinion said prosecutors failed to allege an explicit example in which Benjamin provided a favor for a bribe, an essential element of bribery and honest services fraud charges.  Benjamin resigned after his arrest last April. He pleaded not guilty to charges that he obtained campaign contributions from a real estate developer in exchange for his influence to get a $50,000 grant of state funds for a nonprofit organization the developer controlled.

US representative Elise Stefanik is alleging nearly $20,000 dollars in donations has been stolen from her campaign in targeted mail theft, and her team is demanding action from the United States postal service.  The claim was made in a letter Thursday, addressed to Postmaster General Louis Dejoy. It shows photos of mail being ripped apart—including a torn check from a donor. The packages were discovered in Memphis by the USPS Inspection Service.  The letter states that “on four separate occasions between June and November, packages sent by Elise For Congress containing campaign contributions were ripped open and the contents stolen while in the custody of usps or its contractors.”  The US Postal Service said they received the letter and will respond with findings, adding both the Postal Inspection Service and Office of Inspector General have a potential role to play in this investigation.

The Buffalo Common Council unanimously passed a resolution that asks Governor Kathy Hochul to declare a State of Emergency over the Buffalo School District’s transportation issues. This would allow the district’s Superintendent Dr. Tonja Williams to change the district’s start times without the approval of the Buffalo Teacher’s Federation.  Buffalo School said the district and the union have been renegotiating a contract for months, but have not come close to reaching a solution. In a press conference on Wednesday, the district’s general counsel said one of the reasons is they can’t agree on a three-bell start time.  The teachers federation held a vote of no confidence in the Superintendent.  The next negotiation day is tomorrow.  

December 3rd a battle of the Batavia publishers came close to a tie, pitting former Daily News publisher Tom Turnbull against Howard Owens, publisher of The Batavian. The match-up was for GO Art!’s Bartender Challenge, a fundraiser for the Batavia-based  nonprofit.  After about two dozen patrons participated, the total tips were counted: $164 for Turnbull and $159 for Owens. All in good fun, it ended well with a contribution of $323 for Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council.

The National Football League has revealed the kickoff time for the upcoming game between the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins. The two longtime AFC East rivals will play at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Saturday, December 17th at eight-15 p-m and the contest will air on NFL Network. These teams played earlier in the season with Miami winning 21 to 19. The Bills will also be home this coming Sunday when they host the New York Jets.

Jared Wrazen

A parolee from Java will be returning to state prison. 29-year-old Jared Wrazen has admitted in Wyoming County Court that he shot a woman in the stomach. This felony first-degree assault offense punishable by up to 25 years in state prison. Sentencing is scheduled for February 9th.

67-year-old James Cason of Batavia has been arrested on sex abuse charges. It’s alleged that he subjected another person to unwanted sexual contact. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and an Order of Protection to stay away from the victim was issued. He was released on his own recognizance and is scheduled to reappear in court later this week.

Genesee County Sheriff’s Report:  33-year-old Jason Whitehead, Jr. of Batavia has been arrested during a traffic stop. It’s alleged that he was operating a vehicle with a revoked non-driver ID only and was out of compliance with Interlock Device restrictions. Deputies also say that Whitehead, along with a passenger in the vehicle, 33-year-old Herbert Gennis of Batavia, were allegedly in possession of narcotics with intent to sell them. Both were arraigned in the Town of Batavia Court and released on their own recognizance. They are scheduled to re-appear in court early next month (on January 10, 2023 at 2:30p.m.). ALSO: 46-year-old Jeannine Mobley of LeRoy has been arrested and charged with petit larceny, following a complaint from a business on Jackson Street. She was arraigned in Batavia City Court and released on recognizance. Mobley is due back in court later this month. ALSO: 38-year-old Tonya Weber of Batavia was arrested late last month following an investigation into an alleged larceny from a business on East Main Street. She is scheduled to appear in Batavia City Court tomorrow.

The Batavia City School District is celebrating the 100-year anniversary of Batavia Middle School. Construction of the current building began in 1922, which originally housed both junior and senior high school students. The existing Batavia High School building was built in 1961, and 96 Ross Street was officially designated as Batavia Middle School. This Thursday December 8 a concert will be held inside the Middle School auditorium, with recently restored historic bells that called students to school over 150 years ago, located on both sides of the stage. The celebration featuring the Middle School band, orchestra, and chorus starts at 7:00pm, is free and open to the public. (Photo from Batavia Middle School website)

Police are investigating a crash into a house in Bergen. It happened around 1:30 a.m. this morning on Reed Road. Officials tell us a vehicle crashed into the house. Police say the people in the car got out and ran away. That investigation is still active this morning, a search is underway with drones and dogs.

Governor Hochul has announced the results of the recent Thanksgiving holiday crackdown on impaired driving. There were 213 people arrested by State Police for driving while impaired from Wednesday, November 23rd through Sunday, November 27th, including 16 in our region. Police also investigated 927 crashes across the state, three of which included fatalities. Nearly 7000 tickets were also issued statewide for dangerous behaviors behind the wheel including speeding and distracted driving.

Today the International Association of Arson Investigators is looking into a Saturday afternoon fire that damaged more than a dozen vehicles at Insurance Auto Auctions in Bergen on Apple Tree Avenue. This is where cars totaled by the owner’s insurance company are taken. There were at least four fire companies that responded, including Bergen. The Bergen Fire Department tells us they were called out there just after noon on Saturday along with several other fire departments. Auction Company representatives lent a hand to firefighters in battling the blaze by using heavy machinery to move burnt vehicles out of the way to give fire crews better access.

The prices at the gas pump continue their slow decline. According to Triple A this morning, the average cost for a gallon of regular gas in Batavia is $3.59; down 17 cents from a month ago. The state average is at $3.70 a gallon, down 14 cents in a month. Nationally, the average price is $3.40.

Jack Quinn

The Buffalo Sabres have avoided a second straight loss after picking up a big win on home ice. Jack Quinn scored twice and Alex Tuch, Jeff Skinner, JJ Peterka and Tage Thompson had a goal each as The Sabres, in their red and black jerseys, defeated the San Jose Sharks 6-3 at KeyBank Center last night. Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen had a solid night in net, stopping 26 of the 29 shots that he faced. Up next for Buffalo is a road game on Wednesday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The puck drops at 7:30.

Josh Allen

Two long winning streaks are still alive while another is over in the NFL. The 49ers extended their winning streak to a league-best five straight with a 33-17 victory over the Dolphins. That snapped Miami’s five-game winning streak. The Bengals knocked off the Chiefs 27-24 to run their winning streak to four in a row. Kansas City is now tied with Buffalo atop the AFC at 9-and-3, but the Bills currently hold the tiebreaker for the top seed.

The drivers of both vehicles that hit the elementary school in Warsaw on Friday afternoon are in stable condition according to Warsaw Police Chief Hoffmeister.  The driver of the pick up that was traveling at around 80 miles per hour straight at the school when it struck another pick up crossing in front of the school, a 61 year old man who has not been identified, suffered broken ribs and internal injuries and was taken by mercy fight to ECMC.  The driver of the other pick up, a 35 year old man,  suffered leg, back and internal injuries and was taken by mercy flight to Strong Memorial.  Both men are in the ICU and are awaiting surgery.  The cause of the crash, which caused the school to be evacuated, is under investigation.  No students or teachers were hurt.

Bergen, LeRoy, Churchville and Byron Fire Departments responded to a fire at the Insurance Auto Auction, a location where damaged cars that have been totaled by their insurance are taken on Appletree Ave, on Saturday night.  The fire reportedly involved nearly a dozen cars but the Fire department got it under control fairly quickly and no electric vehicles were involved in the fire according to the Bergen fire department.  The International Association of Arson Investigators is looking into the fire.

Batavia drivers are still saving a little bit of money at the gas pump as the price of fuel continues to fall. According to Triple A, the average cost for a gallon of regular gas is three-59. That’s down 3 cents in the last week and is also 18 cents cheaper than this time one month ago. The state average is sitting at three-70 a gallon while nationally it’s three-40.

Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council will be hosting a Local Authors Night from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday December 8th at 201 East Main St., Batavia, organizer Sammy DiSalvo says.  “Come support local authors with a night of meet and greets, readings, Q & A’s, and book signings,” DiSalvo said. “This event features five authors — Greg Van Dussen, David Neth, Sammy DiSalvo, Andrew Freeman, and Mary Ellen Reardon — from the Western New York community, and some of their most recent works.”  GO Art!’s cash bar will be available during this event.

The Neediest Children Fund is looking for donors for this year.  The 25 Neediest Children Fund, a charity run by a committee that has been in operation since 1934 in Batavia, helps students who have been identified by their teachers, the school nurse, or social worker as needing health care services, counseling, clothes, shoes, sneakers, or other educational services.  All money given to the fund goes straight to helping the children.  The Twenty-five Neediest Fund simply pays the bills without red tape or publicity. Although the initial intent was to assist twenty-five of the most needy children, the fund’s scope is to help whomever needs assistance, with no limit to the number of children helped.  Anyone interested in contributing to the Quiet Fund may make their check payable to the Twenty-five Neediest Children’s Fund, Inc. to be sent to Nann K. Zorn, 12 River Street in Batavia.

The Buffalo Sabres broke out the red and black jerseys and beat the San Jose Sharks 6-3 on Sunday night.  Tage Thompson scored the first goal of the game, putting the Sabres up 1-0.  The lead was short-lived, but JJ Peterka opened up the second period with a big goal that tied the game at two and gave the Sabres the needed momentum.  Jack Quinn scored twice for Buffalo.  Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch also scored.  The Sabres play again on Wednesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena in Columbus Ohio.  Puck drop is at 7:30 pm.

At around 2pm on Friday 2 pickup trucks struck the Warsaw Elementary School Library.  One of them breached the walls and entered the library just as a class of about 20 kindergartners was lining up to leave.  No students or teachers were injured.  The driver of one of the trucks said that their accelerator was stuck, causing them to drive straight at the school down Liberty street at nearly 80 miles per hour.  The other truck was crossing liberty on rt 20A in front of the school when it was t-boned by the first truck.  The power of the hit caused both trucks to roll across the lawn and into the side of the school.  Both drivers were flown by mercy flight to the hospital with life threatening injuries.  The School was evacuated but will resume on Monday according to the Police. 

The New York State Health Commissioner has announced her resignation.  Dr. Mary T. Bassett was appointed to the position following the resignation of Howard Zucker, starting on January 1st of 2021.  She says in her resignation letter that she is leaving so that the next commissioner will be able to serve a full 4 year term alongside Governor Hochul. Bassett is planning on going back to work at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health in Massachusetts. 

Gas prices statewide and nationally are continuing to drop into the month of December. The national average price for a gallon of gasoline is currently $3.45, which is down 10 cents from Monday.  The average across New York State is $3.74, which is down 5 cents from Monday.  Buffalo holds the third lowest average per gallon, at $3.69. Only Batavia with $3.60 a gallon and Elmira at $3.59 have lower average prices.

The New York State Office of Children and Family Services has extended the deadline to apply for $343 million in childcare provider grants targeting workforce assistance.  The new deadline is now December 14, 2022.  OCFS encourages those who have not applied to do so. OCFS says at least 75% of the funding must be used for: Bonuses or increases in wages, contributions towards health insurance costs that reduce these costs for staff, contributions to staff retirement plans that supplement any employer contribution, supplemental educational advancement or tuition reimbursement or mental health supports and services for staff.

Prince Z. Wilson

Prince N.K. Wilson

An Albion man whose brother is under indictment for a double-murder in Alexander has been sentenced to eight years in state prison in connection with two shootouts with another man in Albion. 23-year-old Prince Z. Wilson will also be on five years of post-release supervision. Wilson’s twin brother, Prince N.K. Wilson, was charged here with first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, arson and petit larceny. He is accused of the stabbing deaths of two farm workers.

From 1 – 5 tomorrow stop by the mall in Batavia to visit Santa’s Workshop and Village, and have pictures taken with jolly old Saint Nick himself. Many local shops and organizations will be offering holiday specials and activities, including horse and buggy rides. And then afterward, there will be a Holiday Parade down Main Street, starting at 6.

Adam Kreutz

A Genesee County Grand Jury has indicted 33-year-old Adam Kreutz of Batavia, accusing him of multiple felonies, including burglary, assault in the second degree, a class D violent felony, assault in the third degree, a class A misdemeanor, and attempted coercion in the first degree, a class E felony, after an incident on Sept. 5 and 6, 2022, during which Kreutz allegedly entered a dwelling on Ellicott Street at least twice, with the intent to commit a crime. Kreutz allegedly caused injury to a person using steel or hard toed boots. Kreutz, who was on parole at the time he allegedly committed these crimes, is the same individual who has served time in prison for, among other crimes, strangling a woman and drowning a kitten.

OTHER GENESEE COUNTY INDICTMENTS: Tammy Cicatello has been indicted on charges of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, a class D felony. She is accused of possessing a firearm on July 30, 2022 in the City of Batavia. District Attorney Kevin T. Finnell reports that Cicatello was previously convicted of the crime of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the 5th degree, a class D felony, back on April 25, 2011 in Wyoming County Court, which forms the basis for current indictment. ALSO: Christian Andrzejek has been indicted and charged with multiple misdemeanors as well as the felony of 3rd degree burglary. He is accused of entering a shed on Washington Avenue in Batavia, on September 6, 2022 with intentions of committing a crime. He’s also accused of possessing methamphetamine and of stealing clothes.

Plan for windy conditions tomorrow.

There is a high wind watch in effect for Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties starting tomorrow morning at 7:00 and will be in place until 5:00pm. Southwest winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts from 50 to 60 mph are predicted. Damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are possible. Make sure to secure outside decorations and loose objects that could blow around or out into roadways.

The City of Batavia Police along with Genesee County Sheriffs will be conducting alcohol compliance checks at retail businesses this month. This service is provided to ensure that vendors are attentive to properly identifying the age of individuals purchasing alcohol. Among teens, abuse of alcohol has been shown to cause accidents and lead them to make other poor choices. The checks will take place prior to Christmas and focus on supermarkets, convenience and liquor stores. (Note: Law enforcement partners with prevention educators with the Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse – the GCASA).

Security has been increased in the Victor Central School District following an incident involving a former student earlier this week. Officials say the person drove into a hill on High Street near the south entrance of the campus. It was later discovered the individual made concerning statements on social media referencing his health and safety. The ex-student was taken to the hospital but there’s no word if he’ll face any charges.

Devin Singletary

The Buffalo Bills are back on top of the AFC East following a dominant victory on the road. Quarterback Josh Allen threw for 223 yards and tossed two touchdown passes as the Bills beat the New England Patriots 24 to 10 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts last night. Devin Singletary also had a rushing TD for Buffalo whose record this season is now 9 and 3. Up next for the Bills is a home game against the New York Jets on Sunday, December 11th; kickoff time is 1:00.

Tage Thompson

The Buffalo Sabres have come up short of winning their second straight game after a defeat at the hands of the defending Stanley Cup champions. Tage Thompson, Dylan Cozens, JJ Peterka and Alex Tuch all scored a goal but the Sabres still fell to the Colorado Avalanche 6-4 at KeyBank Center last night. Buffalo goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen had a tough night in net and only stopped 28 of 33 shots. The Sabres next game is Sunday at home against the San Jose Sharks.

Okay fine, I’ll share…

There hasn’t been a Mega Millions jackpot winner in weeks, but lottery players are hoping that luck is on their side tonight. The top prize for the popular game has grown to $333,000,000 after no one correctly picked all of the winning numbers for Tuesday’s drawing. Tonight’s drawing will be streamed live online at megamillions.com. Please play responsibly.

There is a high wind watch for Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties starting at 8am Saturday and going 7pm.  Southwest winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 60 mph possible.  Damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are possible. Travel could be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.  Make sure to secure any loose objects outside that could blow around or out into roadways.

The DEC makes a controversial decision to allow the Seneca Power Partners to draw extra water from the Batavia city well.  The permit has been granted for five years, with the option for Seneca Power Partners to reapply when that time is up.  The city and town of Batavia and Genesee county had filed letters of protest with the DEC saying that the amount of water the company wanted to pull, 26 million gallons a year, would overstrain the aquifer and cause collateral environmental impacts.  The DEC reviewed the data from the area and disagreed.  Seneca Power Partners is using the water to cool their equipment, create steam to create electricity, and for system maintenance.  

Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Thursday a Request For Proposals to redevelop the building known as Terminal A on Buffalo’s Outer Harbor, an approximately 550,000-square- foot building that has been vacant for years. This RFP presents an opportunity for experienced real estate developers to purchase and transform the main terminal and three adjacent buildings into a unique waterfront destination, located at 901 Fuhrmann Boulevard. Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation, a state entity, envisions that the project could potentially include residential, restaurants, office space, cultural attractions and parking. Proposals are due by 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 30, 2023.

Western Region Off Track Betting’s revenues for the year broke records again.  CFO Jacquelyne Leach said that Batavia Downs made between 8.5 and 9 million dollars in 2022.  That is more than 3 million dollars above what was expected for the year.  This means that the casino will be distributing even more money to municipalities as part of their operating deal with the county and towns.  Leach reported that $54,370 will be distributed to municipalities, including Genesee County, from October’s activity

Batavia Downs is looking into adding on to the Hotel on Park Road in 2024.  They want to add on 24 rooms to keep up with increased business.  According to CEO Henry Wojtaszek the hotel operated at 70 percent of capacity in November.  Right now the hotel has 84 rooms.  

The most haunted place in western NY is getting a grant to fund roof repair and replacement of part of the building.  Rolling Hills Asylum in Bethany is getting 50 thousand dollars for restoration as a national historic place.  The Ghost Tour venue is planning on replacing the roof of the East wing and the Ice/Dairy House and then turning part of the building into an inn and restaurant.

If you find yourself heading to the Genesee county Park and Forest on Saturday you can stop into the interpretive center to take part in Create-a-Critter.  With a touch of imagination and some hot glue, you can turn pine cones, seed pods, and other natural materials into your own unique critter or work of art.  Session 1 is from 10 to noon and session 2 is 1 to 3.  Cost is 5 dollars per person or 10 for the family.  Call 585 344 1122 to preregister.

Rochester Mayor Malik Evans says the city is going to be providing five-million-dollars for a new anti-violence initiative. The money will go to organizations such as the Action for a Better Community, Hope Initiatives, Community Resource Collaborative and Conflict Management Solutions. The funding will be used to help those groups launch programs that are aimed at helping prevent violence. The money is coming from the American Rescue Plan.

The Buffalo Bills are back on top of the AFC East following a dominant victory on the road. Quarterback Josh Allen threw for 223 yards and tossed two touchdown passes as the Bills beat the New England Patriots 24 to 10 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts last night. Devin Singletary also had a rushing TD for Buffalo whose record this season is now nine and three. Up next for the Bills is a home game against the New York Jets on December 11th.

The Buffalo Sabres have come up short of winning their second straight game after a defeat at the hands of the defending Stanley Cup champions. Tage Thompson, Dylan Cozens, JJ Peterka and Alex Tuch all scored a goal but the Sabres still fell to the Colorado Avalanche six-to-four at KeyBank Center last night. Buffalo goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen had a tough night in net and only stopped 28 of 33 shots. The Sabres next game is Sunday at home against the San Jose Sharks.

Tyshon Taylor – 2020 file photo

A Genesee County grand jury has filed a three-count indictment against 25-year-old Tyshon Taylor of Batavia. He is accused of stabbing another man in the stomach in October. Charges include attempted second-degree murder, assault and criminal possession of a weapon. The victim suffered serious injuries and was taken to Erie County Medical Center for treatment. Taylor has a history of trouble with the law and was most recently released from state prison March 30, 2021, after serving a term for armed robbery.

Santa checking his ‘good’ list – file photo

From 1 – 5pm this Saturday stop by the mall in Batavia to visit Santa’s Workshop and Village, and have pictures taken with jolly old Saint Nick himself. Many local shops and organizations will be offering holiday specials and activities, including horse and buggy rides. And then afterward, there will be a Holiday Parade down Main Street, starting at 6 that evening.

Positive COVID test result

Some new data shows an increase in our region of the number of people testing positive for the coronavirus. According to the state, the seven-day average infection rate in our area is 6.44%. At this time one week ago the average infection rate was 5.12%. People who want to be vaccinated against the illness or get a booster shot can schedule an appointment at vaccines.gov.

33-year-old Giuseppe Flannaca of Batavia is charged with grand larceny. He’s accused of stealing more than $3000 in merchandise from The Home Depot. Flannaca was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court and released on his own recognizance.

The National Weather Service is placing the GLOW region (except for Livingston County) under a high wind watch, which will be in effect from Saturday morning through Saturday evening. Southwest winds at 25 to 35 mph are expected with occasional gusts up to 60 mph. Damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are possible. Travel could be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Fasten loose objects or shelter objects in a safe location prior to the onset of winds.

Sheriff William Sheron, Jr.

The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office has a reminder for us during this charitable, giving season regarding scams and scammers. Please be suspicious concerning anyone who pressures you to act quickly by threatening that a problem will only get worse if you don’t do something now or that you will be arrested if the issue is not immediately addressed. Never give out personal or financial information. If you suspect something may not be legitimate, tell someone you trust what the situation is before you act and potentially suffer a financial loss. If you fall victim to a scam, please report it to your local law enforcement agency.

Officials with the New York Independent System Operator say there’s enough of an electricity supply in the Empire State to meet demand during the winter months. There are over 43-thousand megawatts of supply available and the agency is forecasting that peak demand will reach close to 24-thousand megawatts based on expected winter temperatures. That’d be an increase of 685 megawatts from last winter’s peak demand. Consumers are likely going to see higher bills in the coming months due to factors that continue to impact the cost of natural gas used in the production of electricity.

No injuries have been reported after a fire caused extensive damage to multiple businesses in Lewiston. Crews were called to the scene on Center Street yesterday and arrived to find heavy smoke and flames coming from a building. While they were trying to contain the blaze, firefighters were forced to evacuate because the building became unstable and there were concerns it could collapse. According to reports, an issue with a transformer may have been responsible for sparking the fire.

Josh Allen

The Buffalo Bills are in the Bay State tonight as they take on a longtime AFC East rival. The Bills will be at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts to battle the New England Patriots. Buffalo has not played since Thanksgiving Day when they beat the Detroit Lions 28 to 25 to improve their record this season to 8 and 3; kickoff for tonight’s game is 8:15.

Dylan Cozens talks with Rasmus Dahlin – file photo

The two-game losing streak of the Buffalo Sabres is over after the team picked up a much-needed victory on the road. They defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-4 in a shoot-out last night. Dylan Cozens scored twice while Jeff Skinner and Mattias Samuelsson also had a goal each as the Sabres. Sabres goaltender Craig Anderson stopped 41 of the 45 shots that he faced. The Sabres will host the defending Stanley Cup champions the Colorado Avalanche at KeyBank Center tonight at 7:00.

2 Teens are accused of bringing a gun into Dr. Alice Holloway Young School of Excellence on Tuesday Morning.  School security “safely secured a loaded revolver from a 13-year-old male,” according to Rochester Police.  The investigation found another 13-year-old boy was also involved in bringing the gun into the school.  The Rochester City School District released a statement saying the students “circumvented security screening” and brought the weapon inside. The district said the gun was “immediately retrieved and turned over to the Rochester Police Department.”  Both boys were referred to Monroe County Family Court on charges of criminal possession of a weapon.  It is unknown how they came to be in possession of the gun or why.

Buffalo Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Tonja Williams is under fire from the Buffalo Teachers Federation over a contract dispute.  They are asking teachers to vote that they have no confidence in her and the school board.  The district and teachers union have been negotiating a new contract, but the district’s general counsel said there’s not much negotiating getting done at meetings. He said the union is refusing to discuss bell time adjustments to resolve transportation issues, hiring coaches for sports, and health insurance.  BPS said it’s increased its offer to the union twice, which includes a 20% increase in teacher pay over the course of the contract, an 8% increase in the first year, and close to a $6,000 bonus for every teacher.  The district said its current proposal has a price tag of $215 million. The union’s proposal would cost the district $2 billion.

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney was unanimously elected to serve Genesee county as part of the NY 24 region on the Republican Policy Committee.  The Committee was created in 1949 as a forum for debate and to develop legislative proposals that promote common sense conservative solutions. It also produces informational background materials for use by the House Republican Conference.

About 400 National Grid customers in Genesee County were without power due to the wind storm wednesday.  The largest outage was in Darien with 310 customers without power.  There was an outage along Beckwith Road in Batavia, one in Basom and one in East Oakfield, along with outages that affected five or fewer customers in East Bethany, and Batavia.  East Pembroke fire was dispatched to Beckwith Road with wires down.  Earlier, Alexander Fire was dispatched to Halstead Road for a wire down and a field on fire.  National Grid reports that all power has been restored.

LeRoy’s Winterfest is set to be a big event Saturday.  Starting off the day the Jinglin All The Way Festive 5k is starting at 10 am.  There is a horse and carriage ride from 1 to 5pm leaving from St Mark’s Episcopal Church. Santa Claus will be visiting at The Moose Club from 1 to 3 p.m., followed by 3 to 5 p.m. at the former Sweet Betty’s location, and then leading a parade at 5 p.m. from the old Bank of America parking lot to the Christmas tree, which is scheduled for lighting at 5:30 p.m.  There will be caroling around the tree with Le Roy Jr/Sr High School’s choir, s’more cones, Santa story time, hot chocolate from Dave Ehrhart and cookies from Le Roy Presbyterian Church.  Maddie Masters second annual one-mile walk,  begins at 3:30 p.m. at Sweet Betty’s. Other activities include a kids obstacle course by BeyonDriven, crafts from noon to 5 p.m. and face painting from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Art of Mandy, and Woodward Memorial Library, from noon to 4 p.m., and Save-a-lot from 1 to 3 p.m., will also have face painting and kids’ crafts; and a store scavenger hunt and free hot chocolate and cookies.  The Hope Center is also doing a slew of activities from 11 to 3.  Another new offering will be a poker run, set to run from 6 to 9 p.m. at five establishments: American Legion, The Moose, Capish! Brick Oven Pizza Ristorante, Sweet Betty’s, Smokin’ Eagle BBQ & Brew. Wristbands are $10 each, and participants will get a cocktail and poker card at each stop before turning in their final hands for a 50/50 jackpot.  A three-piece acoustic band, Nate Coffey, will be performing at Smokin’ Eagle to cap off the night.

The Batavia BOCES Auto Body program has a non auto contribution they’ve been working on for the Batavia Middle School.  The 2 bells that used to hang at the middle school, one bronze and one cast iron, have been restored and will be unveiled and rung at the Centennial celebration on December 8th at 7pm.  One bell is 150 years old, made in McNeeley Foundry in Troy Ny in 1873.  The other comes from West Seneca and is roughly 100 years old.

The two-game losing streak of the Buffalo Sabres is over after the team picks up a much-needed victory on the road. Dylan Cozens scored twice while Jeff Skinner and Mattias Samuelsson also had a goal each as the Sabres defeated the Detroit Red Wings five-to-four in a shootout last night. Sabres goaltender Craig Anderson stopped 41 of the shots that he faced. The Sabres will host the defending Stanley Cup champions the Colorado Avalanche at KeyBank Center tonight at seven p-m.

The Batavia United won their first game of the season on Tuesday against the Geneva Panthers 6 to 1.  Ronin Hofmaster and Jameson Motyka scored twice each.  Brady Johnson and Cooper Hamilton scored once.  Goalie Thys Tanner blocked 15 shots.  United plays Starpoint at the Northtowne Center in Buffalo on Friday at 5:30pm.  The team faces Hamburg at home at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

Albion Correctional Facility – file photo

Over 750 former prison and jail inmates will file a series of civil lawsuits against the state of New York over the next year. The state has opened a window for past survivors of sexual assaults. New York State’s Adult Survivor’s Act went into effect last week and people now have until November 23, 2023 to file lawsuits, even if the statute of limitations has expired. Of the 750 inmates, at least 164 were confined at the Albion Correctional Facility, which for years has been under scrutiny for repeated sexual assaults of female inmates. Under state law, a person in correctional custody is legally incapable of providing consent.

Deputies have charged 40-year-old Michael Schultz of Attica with aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle. This followed police checking on a suspicious vehicle that was reportedly parked on Tooley Road and flashing its headlights on and off. Schultz allegedly has one active suspension on his New York state license for a failure to answer a citation for an out-of-state violation. For the current charge, he was processed roadside and issued an appearance ticket. Schultz is scheduled to appear in the Town of Bennington Court in December.

Genesee County Jail – file photo

A homeless woman has been arrested for entering the Genesee County Jail with the intent to sell drugs. 40-year-old Beth Ann Jeffres of Batavia is accused of going into the jail with narcotics on her person hoping to sell them to the inmates. She is charged with criminal possession of a narcotic drug, intent to sell, promoting prison contraband, and criminal possession of a controlled substance. She is being held on bail until her mid-December court date.

The New York State Thruway Board of directors is meeting next month to discuss the current tolls. The difference between EZPass and toll by mail is anticipated to increase by 75 percent, meaning that EZPass customers will pay 75 percent less than those who don’t have it. The price across the board on tolls will go up by 5 percent. Commuters who get the reduction in cost will keep seeing a 60 percent. The $2 administrative fee for non-EZPass drivers and anyone who gets their tolls processed by license plate image will stay in place. All changes go into effect January of 2024.

A wind advisory is now in effect for the entire GLOW region and remains in place until 1am early tomorrow morning. Winds 25-35 miles per hour are expected with gusts of up to 50 miles per hour going from west to east. Gusts could blow around unsecured objects and possibly blow tree limbs onto power lines causing outages. Travel in high profile vehicles could be dangerous.

A winter weather advisory is in effect for Warsaw and south-western towns in Wyoming County, and will be in place until 1:00 tomorrow afternoon. Lake effect snow is expected. Total snow accumulations of 4 to 7 inches in the most persistent lake snows could accumulate across higher terrain. Winds gusting as high as 45 mph will produce extensive blowing and drifting snow. Plan for snow covered and slippery road conditions if you’ll be driving through the western part of Wyoming County during the timeframe of the advisory. Areas of blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility with hazardous conditions possibly impacting the evening commute Wednesday and the morning commute Thursday. Lake effect snow will fall in relatively narrow bands. If traveling, be prepared for rapidly changing visibility and road conditions.

File photo

New York State Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit against a nursing home located in Orleans County. The AG claims the owners of Comprehensive at Orleans LLC doing business as The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center in Albion were involved in fraud. It’s alleged that they took advantage of the state’s Medicare system for their own personal profit and didn’t use the money for staffing and treatment of residents at the facility. James is urging anyone who’s concerned about conditions they see at nursing homes or resident abuse to call 833-249-8499.

George Moses

The former chairman of the Rochester Housing Authority is going to spend the next 6-1/2 years in prison. Yesterday, a judge sentenced 53-year-old George Moses for committing crimes including defrauding three nonprofits, lying to the FBI, and filing false tax returns. Moses used money from the housing authority and also community grant funds to buy things such as a new car, a time share in Florida, and trips to Canada. Once he’s released from custody, Moses will be on probation for three years.

The Buffalo Sabres are on a road trip tonight as they look to snap their current two-game losing streak. The Sabres are taking on the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena in the Motor City. Buffalo is coming off of a 6-5 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning Monday night. Face-off for tonight’s contest is scheduled for 7:00.

Promotional Photo – November 2022

One of the most popular basketball teams on the planet is going to be taking the court in Western New York next year. The Harlem Globetrotters are going to be playing against the Washington Generals at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on Friday, February 3rd. Since being founded in 1926, the Globetrotters have played in over 120 countries and been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Tickets are available at the box office and through Ticketmaster.

What is the leading cause of death for people 18-45.  Guns? Car accidents? COVID?  None of the above.  Fentanyl kills more people every year than the rest.  58 people have died in Genesee county from overdosing on fentanyl since 2018 with 10 more still under investigation.  There is something people can do about it.  While it is very difficult to stop the drug, the public can combat overdose deaths by learning how to use and administer Naloxone, an anti-overdose drug.  If someone is unresponsive and you think they are overdosing, giving them naloxone can save their life.  To learn more, visit healtogetherny.gov/genesee or the gowopiodtaskforce.org. 

A homeless woman has been arrested for entering the Genesee county Jail with the intent to sell drugs.  40 year old Beth Ann Jeffres of Batavia is accused of going into the Genesee County Jail with narcotics on her person hoping to sell them to the inmates.  She is charged with criminal possession of a narcotic drug, 2 counts of criminal possession with intent to sell, promoting prison contraband in the first degree, and criminal possession of a controlled substance.  She is being held on bail till her court date of December 15th. 

The New York State Thruway Board of directors is meeting next month to discuss the toll prices and here is what they are going to vote on.   The difference between EZPass and toll by mail is going to increase to 75 percent, meaning that ezpass customers will pay 75 percent less than those who don’t have it.  The price across the board on tolls will go up by 5 percent.  Commuters who get the discount will keep seeing a 60 percent discount on their tolls.  The 2 dollar administrative fee for non ezpass drivers and anyone who gets their tolls processed by license plate image will stay in place.  Any changes go into effect January of 2024.

New York State Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center claiming years of fraud and resident neglect.  This comes after gathering enough evidence of the alleged horrific neglect several loved ones have faced.  James says the owners of the nursing homes misused more than $18 million in government funds.  The Nursing home is also facing a lawsuit from families of those who died during the COVID outbreak of 2020 who allege that the facility did not take precautions to prevent the deaths and also neglected people who were in their care.  

Batavia High School is putting on the Trial of Robin Hood play Friday through Sunday this weekend.  25 students and a crew of six are putting on the play for Director Caryn Leigh Wood’s 20th season at the High School.  The self referential comedy has Robin Hood defending his actions of robbing from the rich to feed the poor in a trial.  And the twist is, the play can finish in 3 different ways and the audience gets to decide the ending.  Come see the hero, Maid Marian, the sheriff of Nottingham and others Friday and Saturday at 7pm, and Sunday at 2.

One of the most popular basketball teams on the planet is going to be taking the court in Western New York next year. The Harlem Globetrotters are going to be playing against the Washington Generals at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on Friday, February 3rd. Since being founded in 1926, the Globetrotters have played in over 120 countries and been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Tickets are available at the box office and through Ticketmaster.

Melvin Huntley

The trial for 40-year-old Melvin Huntley of Batavia has begun this week in Genesee County Court with jury selection. He rejected a plea deal that was offered in October. Huntley was first arrested in July 2021 following a sheriff’s investigation that allegedly revealed he sexually assaulted a child under 11 over the course of five years. Further investigation revealed three more victims, all under the age of 17 that involved repeated acts of sexual assault. In March, a Genesee County grand jury filed a 25-count indictment against Huntley including, among other multiple felony charges, predatory sexual assault, which is punishable by 25 years to life. Huntley remains in Genesee County Jail pending the outcome of the trial.

44-year-old Tara Lyn Hall-Dilaura of Batavia has been charged with two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, tampering with physical evidence and having an insufficient turn signal. Hall-Dilaura is accused of hiding a controlled substance on her person while deputies conducted a traffic stop. She was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released on an appearance ticket.

25-year-old Nicholas Goodell of LeRoy is charged with petit larceny after being accused of stealing in the Town of Batavia. He was arrested by State Police and released on an appearance ticket.

State residents are expected to see higher electric bills this winter compared to last year due to various national and geopolitical factors that combined, keep the cost of natural gas and electricity elevated. Inflation, ongoing supply issues from the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine continue to keep energy costs significantly higher. However, New York’s power grid has a sufficient supply of energy and won’t be strained to carry the state through the winter season; this, according to an assessment made by the New York Independent System Operator. The higher prices however, with increases between 30 and 40%, aren’t expected to turn around before the spring thaw. The price of fuel and natural gas directly impact the cost of electricity. Last week, National Grid announced it would donate $6 million to customers struggling to pay their bills with the higher costs this season. The utility’s one-time program is separate from available federal and state assistance, and is expected to help an additional 31,500 New York households that do not qualify for the Home Energy Assistance Program or other aid. National Grid estimates a 39% increase for its natural gas customers this winter compared to last, and an overall 22% increase for customers across upstate New York.

Kristofor O’Rourke

A former member of the Geneseo Police Department is on the other side of the law after being arrested by State Police. Troopers say 29-year-old Kristofor O’Rourke arrested a woman for DWI back in July. He then allegedly engaged in sexual conduct with her without her consent. O’Rourke was arraigned last night and pleaded not guilty before being released. He has been ordered to stay away from the victim and is facing up to four years in prison if convicted.

A wind advisory will be in effect starting tomorrow morning at 10:00am and remain in place until 4:00am Thursday morning. Westerly winds at 25-35 miles per hour with gusts up to 50 mph can be expected. The effected areas include all but Livingston County in the GLOW region (Niagara County and Northern Erie County is also effected). Gusty winds could blow unsecured objects around. Tree limbs could come down and a few isolated power outages may result. Travel will be difficult at times in high profile vehicles.

A winter weather advisory is in effect for western Wyoming County and areas a little south, starting at 4:00 tomorrow afternoon; it will be in place until 1:00 Thursday afternoon. Lake effect snow is expected. Total snow accumulations of 4 to 7 inches in the most persistent lake snows could accumulate across higher terrain. Winds gusting as high as 45 mph will produce extensive blowing and drifting snow. Plan for snow covered and slippery road conditions. Areas of blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility with hazardous conditions possibly impacting the evening commute Wednesday and the morning commute Thursday. Lake effect snow will fall in relatively narrow bands. If traveling, be prepared for rapidly changing visibility and road conditions.

Tage Thompson

The Buffalo Sabres are now on a two-game losing streak after suffering a tough defeat at home. Dylan Cozens, Jack Quinn, Jeff Skinner, Tyson Jost and Tage Thompson each scored but the Sabres were still beaten by the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-5 in overtime at KeyBank Center last night. Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen surrendered all six Lightning goals in the contest. Buffalo’s next game is tomorrow night on the road against the Detroit Red Wings.

The Mega Millions jackpot has risen again. The prize up for grabs tonight is now $305,000,000 after no one correctly chose the winning numbers in Friday’s drawing. The odds of hitting the jackpot are one in more than 302,000,000. The drawing will be streamed online at megamillions.com. Please play responsibly.

Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming Counties are going to be under a wind advisory for a storm coming Wednesday morning starting at 10am and lasting till 4pm on Thursday.  Winds 25-35 miles per hour are expected with gusts of up to 50 miles per hour going from west to east.  Gusts could blow around unsecured objects and possibly blow tree limbs onto power lines causing outages.  Travel in high profile vehicles could be dangerous.

Wyoming County is under a winter weather advisory Wednesday afternoon through Thursday afternoon.  From 4pm Wednesday to 1 pm Thursday lake effect snow of 4 to 7 inches are expected in conjunction with high winds blowing the snow around.  Lake effect snow will fall in relatively narrow bands. If traveling, be prepared for rapidly changing road conditions and visibilities.

More than a year after entering a guilty plea, trying to withdraw it, disappearing after being released to attend the birth of his child and then being recaptured months later, and asking for a new attorney, Devon Wright has been sentenced.  He was sentenced to 24 years in prison for attempted assault, criminal sexual act, attempted criminal possession of a weapon, and assault.  He had made a plea deal to run his sentences concurrently but lost the deal when he failed to appear for his sentencing date in 2021.  Wright could have faced up to 29 years for his crimes.

29 year old former Geneseo Police Officer Kristofor O’Rourke plead not guilty Monday evening for threatening a woman with jail time if she didn’t perform sex acts on him at a traffic stop.  O’Rourke is being charged with third-degree felony criminal sexual act and misdemeanor official misconduct in connection to the July 1st incident. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 18 months to 4 years in the state’s Department of Corrections if he’s convicted.  O’Rourke left the Geneseo Police to join the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Department.  After an investigation into the incident he was fired on November 21st.  He also worked for Mount Morris Police Part time and Watkins Glen Police.

A 72 year old Wyoming County man was killed in a bulldozer accident in the Town of Leicester on Saturday.  According to the sheriff’s office, around 5:50 p.m. on Saturday sheriff’s deputies responded to Dunkley Road in the Town of Leicester for the report of a male that was run over by a bulldozer.  The sheriff’s office said it learned that Thomas Swyers of Perry had gone to the property earlier in the day and was using a bulldozer to clear a portion of a wooded area. When he did not return home his family requested assistance from friends to check his welfare. Swyers was found dead in the woods.  According to the sheriff’s office, Swyers was either working on the bulldozer or fell off while it was in gear and he was drug under the tracks.

Buffalo Sabres lost their match up with the Tampa Bay Lightning in a close game 6 to 5 in overtime.  Jeff Skinner, Jack Quinn, Dylan Cozens, Tage Thompson and for his first time, Tyson Jost scored for Buffalo.  The Sabres next game is in Detroit against the Red Wings Thursday at 7pm.  

Kenneth Campbell

Joanna Larnder

Andrew Taylor

The Genesee County Drug Task Force has arrested three people following a raid at 126 State Street. The charges filed against Kenneth Campbell of Batavia include criminal possession of a controlled substance. He was committed to Genesee County Jail without bail due to his extensive criminal history. 35-year-old Andrew Taylor of Albion and 29-year-old Joanna Larnder of Batavia were both charged with misdemeanor drug possession. They were released with appearance tickets.

50-year-old Jamie Schlonski of Batavia is charged with grand larceny, possession of stolen property and falsifying business records. He is accused of stealing more than $1000 in merchandise from Dick’s Sporting Goods and pawning it at Pawn Kings, which required completing paperwork for the transaction. Schlonski was issued an appearance ticket.

Peyton Gendron pleads guilty

Buffalo supermarket shooter Peyton Gendron pleaded guilty this morning to state charges stemming from the Tops supermarket shooting in East Buffalo. He pleaded guilty to 15 charges in all, including domestic terrorism motivated by hate, murder and attempted murder. He still faces more than two-dozen federal charges, some of which carry the possibility of the death penalty. Domestic terrorism motivated by hate carries a mandatory life sentence. His sentencing is scheduled for February 15, 2023, at 9:30 a.m.

51-year-old Michael Rech of North Chili was found guilty in U.S. District Court of trying to collect $900,000 in federal Payroll Protection Program funds. He was convicted by a federal jury of 37 counts of bank fraud, wire fraud and money laundering. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. Rech has a long history of problems with the law as well as filing lawsuits, including one suit he filed in 2015 against the City of Batavia accusing city police of using excessive force. The suit claimed that officers smashed a window on his car, pulled him out of the car and arrested him on fake charges, violating his civil rights.

While still higher than they were last year at this time, gas prices continued their slow decline for still another week. According to Triple A this morning, the national average cost per gallon is $3.55. In New York, it’s $3.79. And in Batavia, we’re paying an average of $3.62, down 9 cents from a month ago today.

Jim Kelly – file photo

Buffalo Bills legend Jim Kelly is going to be making an appearance at a holiday tree lighting event this week. Kelly will be at the Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino in Niagara Falls on Wednesday night. In addition to a visit by the NFL Hall of Famer, Santa Claus is also scheduled to greet folks in attendance. The event begins at five p-m and for more information, go to senecacasinos.com.

Cozens during New Jersey Devils game – 11/25/22

The Buffalo Sabres take the ice tonight as they try and avoid a second straight loss. The Sabres are hosting the defending Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning at KeyBank Center. The Sabres last played on Friday when they fell to the New Jersey Devils 3-1. Face-off for tonight’s game is 7:00.  (Sabres photo)

Entrance to Woodward Memorial Library – LeRoy

The elevator at the Woodward Memorial Library in LeRoy is out of service. It was installed in 1995 and gets inspected annually but has never before been fully serviced. Although repairs are anticipated to be costly, if not completed, they will be out of compliance with the American’s With Disabilities Act.

Livingston County Sheriff Thomas Dougherty tells us that a fatal bulldozer accident occurred on Saturday afternoon in the Town of Leicester. 72-year-old Thomas Swyers of Perry had been using a bulldozer to clear a portion of a wooded area. When he failed to return home after dark, his family asked the sheriff to check on him. Swyers was found deceased in the woods. The scene suggested that he might have fallen off the bulldozer while it was still in gear and was dragged under the tracks. While the investigation continues, the incident is believed to be a tragic accident.

The Mega Millions jackpot continues to climb. No one picked all six numbers in the last drawing. That means tomorrow’s jackpot in the multi-state lottery game will be worth at least $305,000,000. Please play responsibly.

It’s that time of year when people are out looking for that perfect gift or the perfect tree to place in their homes for the holiday season.  But just like the prices in the stores, prices on the tree lots have had to increase too.  A study shows across the country people are expected to pay on average $86 for a real Christmas tree this holiday season, that’s an increase of nearly 13 percent from 2021.  According to the latest data from the National Christmas Tree Association, over a quarter of Americans say they got their hands dirty last year by choosing and cutting down a real Christmas tree to celebrate the holiday season, down from 32% the previous year.

Thanks to a drop in gas prices, Batavia drivers are handing over less of their hard-earned money when it comes time to fill up their vehicles. According to Triple A, the average cost for a gallon of regular fuel is now three-76. That’s down four cents in the past week but is also five cents higher than this time one month ago. Currently, the state average is three-79 a gallon and nationally it’s three-55.

Stop into GO ART! after the Christmas parade to get a drink made by one of the new publishers of Batavia!  Tom Turnbull, former publisher of the Batavia Daily News and Howard Owens, Publisher/Executive Editor of the Batavian, will be making drinks at GO ART!s Tavern 2.o.1 from 6:30 to 9:30 on Saturday December 3rd.  The contenders have plenty of experience in journalism, but how will they fare behind a bar?  Serving a selection of locally made or sourced beer, wines, meads, and ciders, the pair will be in competition to earn the most tips, bragging rights and title of Ultimate Celebrity Bartender. All proceeds go to support GO ART!’s many public programs.  The event is open to the public.

The Pembroke Dragons are State Champions after beating Groton on Friday 38 to 18 at the Union Ellicott High School.  The Dragons 8 man team made history for the school being the first team to make states and now proving that they are the best in the state.  Coach Brandon Ricci had lots of gratitude for the superintendent, the Board of Education, Administration, Teachers, fire and police and fans and families for all the support through the season.  

First Presbyterian Church is hosting their 26th annual Service of Remembrance on December 7th at 7pm in collaboration with HE Turner, Bohm-Calarco-Smith and Burdett and Sanford Funeral homes.  The ecumenical service will combine music, prayer, scripture reading, reading of the names of loved ones, the tolling of the bell in remembrance, and a message of hope by Reverend Dr. Roula Alkhouri.  Anyone who has registered as having lost a loved one in the past year will receive a candle.  If you haven’t registered you can call HE Turner Funeral Home at 585 344 4295 or visit bataviafuneralhomes.com.  The service will also be livestreamed. 

3 Churches right near each other are tackling downtown Batavia’s hunger problems by providing food.  First Presbyterian and St James Episcopal church have little free pantries and blessing boxes located outside the church that people can walk up to at any time in the day and get food to make at home.  First Presbyterian also has a refrigerator with fresh produce, homemade dishes and frozen foods outside the church.  First Baptist Church has free home cooked meals provided through Lydia’s Kitchen.  Pastor Tim Young and his wife Lydia of Living Waters Apostolic Ministries host, cook and serve hot meals 5 days a week from 10 to noon.  To help keep these three important services available to our neighbors, there is going to be a big food drive on Sunday, Dec. 4, from noon to 3 p.m at Resurrection Parish and St Paul’s Episcopal in Stafford. 

Genesee Society of Model Engineers are having their 20th annual Holiday Open House on the 3rd at 50 Main Street in LeRoy from 10 am to 3 pm.  The event is free and features operating O, HO and N gauge sets with club members on hand to answer any model railway questions.  This year’s Open House will be one of the many events featured as part of Oakfield’s Christmas in the Village celebration.

The Buffalo Sabres will be back on their home ice as they try and avoid a second straight loss. The Sabres are hosting the defending Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning at KeyBank Center tonight. The Sabres last played on Friday when they fell to the New Jersey Devils three-to-one. Face-off for this evening’s contest is set for seven p-m.

The Greece Police department has released the names of the people involved in the shooting on Mosely Road Wednesday night.  51 year old Muharem Serhatlic apparently shot his wife, 46 year old Raza Knaji before turning the gun on himself.  Raza survived and was taken to Strong Memorial.  Serhatlic died at the scene.  

Medina Police working collaboratively with the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force during an investigation and then the execution of search warrants, resulted in four arrests and felony charges against 20-year-old Nasir Shine, 19-year-old Emmanuel Taylor and 37-year-old Darrell Shine, each of Medina and 36-year-old Ebony Shine of Rochester. Investigators recovered firearms including an assault rifle and tactical shotgun, ammunition, a half-pound of cocaine, a pound of fentanyl, drug packaging materials, and $29,000 cash ($20,000 of which was for one sale of over ¼ kilogram of fentanyl). In addition, charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute controlled substances, could result in a maximum penalty of life in prison, for each of the four except for Darrell Shine.

Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino announced its annual holiday tree lighting will take place November 30.  The event will include refreshments and special appearances by Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly and Santa Claus. In addition, Cami Clune and Joshua Vacanti will perform throughout the celebration.

Online Black Friday sales are expected to break records.  According to Adobe, sales are projected to top nine-billion dollars, which would be a new record.  The numbers come on the heels of a big day of Thanksgiving shopping online, with the numbers up three-percent year-over-year.  Small Business Saturday is expected to be more popular than Black Friday and local retailers are gearing up with sales and inflation busters.

The Buffalo Sabres lost to the New Jersey Devils Friday night 3 to 1 on their home ice.  This is the Devils 9th straight win on the road and the Sabres 1st loss in 3 games.  Victor Oloffson made 1 goal and Craig Anderson made 41 saves vs the Devils goalie Akira Schmid making 33 saves.  Next the Sabres are home at Keybank Center to face the Tampa Bay Lightning Monday at 7pm.

Eric Alcantara

A search is underway for a Rochester Institute of Technology student who has been reported missing. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office says that 19-year-old Eric Alcantara is just over five-feet tall, weighs about 150 pounds and has brown eyes and black hair. He was last seen wearing black pants, a red jacket, black knit cap, dark shoes and that he speaks both English and Spanish. It’s believed that Alcantara might be traveling to Great Neck, which is in Nassau County. Anyone who sees him or knows where he is should dial 911.

Police are still searching for the driver of a minivan that struck a utility pole on Law Street. The Wednesday afternoon accident caused a significant power surge in the area. Law enforcement believes they know who the driver was, that he’s not from the area, the vehicle was not stolen and they would like to question him about the accident. Witnesses saw a man running from the accident and provided a description to police. The crash caused roughly 300 homes on Chestnut and South Jackson to lose power. National Grid often attempts to recover damages from the driver’s insurance company (and indications are that this driver was insured) when an accident damages a utility pole. The damages, in this case, could include the pole and all of the subsequent residential repair work and any damages sustained by residents.

Drug and gun bust in Medina

Medina Police working collaboratively with the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force during an investigation and then the execution of search warrants, resulted in four arrests and felony charges against 20-year-old Nasir Shine, 19-year-old Emmanuel Taylor and 37-year-old Darrell Shine, each of Medina and 36-year-old Ebony Shine of Rochester. Investigators recovered firearms including an assault rifle and tactical shotgun, ammunition, a half-pound of cocaine, a pound of fentanyl, drug packaging materials, and $29,000 cash ($20,000 of which was for one sale of over ¼ kilogram of fentanyl). In addition, charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute controlled substances, could result in a maximum penalty of life in prison, for each of the four except for Darrell Shine.  (Photo provided by law enforcement)

Unemployment rates across the GLOW region for October have improved. In fact, in the 32 years the state has been tracking this data, Orleans County’s 2.5% is the lowest it’s ever been. Genesee County’s unemployment rate improved from 2.5% in September to 2.1%, the same as it is in Wyoming County. Livingston County’s jobless rate is at 2.2%. Statewide for October, the 4.4% rate represents an increase of a tenth of a percent. The Bronx had the highest jobless rate at 7.4%.

The holiday shopping season is underway, and the New York Department of State’s Consumer Protection Division is offering some simple tips. The agency recommends that people be careful when shopping online where there are often both fake retailers and phony consumer reviews. Also, make sure to shop on a trusted site and beware of third-party vendors. Finally, designate just one credit card and one email address for online shopping to ensure an easy review of purchases and protection in case of a dispute.

People who are looking for some extra holiday cash might want to take a shot at winning tonight’s Mega Millions jackpot. There was no winner during the last drawing on Tuesday and that means the prize up for grabs this evening will be at least $284,000,000. The drawing is going to be streamed online at megamillions.com. Please play responsibly.

Lucky dog!

If you purchased a Powerball lottery ticket in Arcade for the November 23 drawing, you may be a little richer today. A third prize-winning ticket worth $50,000 was sold at the Arcade Market Place on Main Street. The winning ticket had four matching numbers, as well as the Powerball. The winning numbers for the Powerball drawing held on November 23 are: 1-2-31-39-66 and the Powerball is 25. By the way, no one won the jackpot, so the next drawing will be held Saturday, November 26 and will be worth $48 million.

Tyler Bass – file photo

The Buffalo Bills are now on a two-game winning streak after picking up another victory on the road. Buffalo kicker Tyler Bass hit a 45-yard field goal with just seconds left as the Bills defeated the Detroit Lions 28 to 25 at Ford Field yesterday. Quarterback Josh Allen threw two touchdown passes for the Bills who now have a record this season of eight wins and three losses. Up next for Buffalo is a road game against the New England Patriots on Thursday night, December 1st, with kickoff time at 8:15.

Greece Police are investigating a Wednesday night shooting that left one person dead, and one other in grave condition.  Police arrived to a home Mosely Road Wednesday night, just before 10 p.m.  Upon arrival, police say they found the dead victim, with an apparent gunshot wound.  In the same home, police found the second victim, and they were taken to Strong Hospital.

The driver of a minivan that struck a utility pole Wednesday afternoon on Law Street, causing a significant power surge in the area, has not been located.  Sgt. Mitch Cowen said Thursday morning that police are pretty confident they know who the driver was, that he’s not from the area and that the vehicle was not stolen.  Cowen said police are looking for him in order to question him about the accident.  Witnesses saw a man running from the accident and provided a description to police.  A K-9 was deployed shortly after the accident in an attempt to find his trail, but that effort failed to find the driver.  The crash caused roughly 300 homes on Chestnut and South Jackson to lose power.

Rochester tried the fast ferry with less than stellar results.  Now Buffalo wants to give hosting cruises a shot.  Steve Ranalli, President of Erie Canal Harbor Development Group says he can imagine cruise ships lined up with 200 to 300 passengers each.  Cruises from across the five great lakes are becoming more popular, breaking records in 2022 with nearly 150,000 passenger visits to Great Lakes ports like Cleveland, Milwaukee, Erie and Toronto, according to Cruise the Great Lakes.  Buffalo would need to build a Cruise Terminal, a welcome center and expand the port to make space for cruise ships if it wanted a piece of the more than 125 million dollar a year market.  

3 people were charged after the Batavia Emergency Response Team, working with the Genesee County Local Drug Task Force, raided a home at 126 State Street Tuesday night and found an illegal drug operation.  35 year old Andrew Taylor of Main St in Albion, 34 year old Kenneth Campbell of Oak St in Batavia and 29 year old Joanna Larnder of Summit St in Batavia were all charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance.  Campbell was hit with a weapons charge on top of that.  Campbell was held without bail and the other 2 were released with appearance tickets for December 13th.

Snow removal operations are scheduled to resume in Buffalo today after being temporarily put on hold. Crews stopped cleaning up from the recent snowstorm Wednesday following the death of a city employee. The individual lost their life on the McKinley Parkway after they were struck by a high lift. The investigation into the tragedy is ongoing.

The holiday shopping season is underway, and the New York Department of State’s Consumer Protection Division is offering some simple tips. The agency recommends that people be careful when shopping online where there are often both fake retailers and phony consumer reviews. Also, make sure to shop on a trusted site and beware of third-party vendors. Finally, designate just one credit card and one email address for online shopping to ensure an easy review of purchases and protection in case of a dispute.

The Buffalo Bills are now on a two-game winning streak after picking up another victory on the road. Buffalo kicker Tyler Bass hit a 45-yard field goal with just seconds left as the Bills defeated the Detroit Lions 28 to 25 at Ford Field on Thanksgiving day. Quarterback Josh Allen threw two touchdown passes for the Bills who now have a record this season of eight wins and three losses. Up next for Buffalo is a road game against the New England Patriots on December 1st.

The Buffalo Sabres are back in action tonight vs the New Jersey Devils at 8 o clock at the Keybank Arena.  The Sabres are 9 and 11 and the Devils are 16 and 4.  Buffalo is coming of a win Wednesday night against the St Louis Blues where they debuted their red and black goathead jerseys.

A 13-year-old Batavia girl – missing for nearly a week – has been located and she is safe.
Batavia Police tell WBTA that Jaylynn Alvord was last seen a week ago today and police had considered her a runaway.
In a statement issued late yesterday police said the girl had been located safely.
Police thanked the public for their help in locating the girl.

A one-vehicle crash on Law Street in the city caused a power outage affecting almost 300 customers of National Grid.
The crash was reported late yesterday afternoon. Police responded to find an SUV on its side and wrapped around a utility pole.
The driver had apparently fled the scene. Police used a K-9 and searched an area on Ganson Street but failed to locate the driver.

Devon Wright of Batavia will now spend the next 24 years in state prison. The 22-year-old wright had pleaded guilty in last November to a number of violent sex-related crimes, committed over the course of two years.
At one point during his legal case, while free pending the birth of his child, Wright fled, later located in Lockport, brought back here for sentencing.
In court Wright tried again to avoid sentencing by asking for a new lawyer. That was denied. His next stop is prison.

Devon Wright

The Buffalo Bills will be spending their Thanksgiving in the Motor City as they look to pick up their second win in a row. The Bills are taking on the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Buffalo is coming off of a 31 to 23 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday in a game that was also played in Detroit due to the snowstorm in Western New York. Kickoff for today’s contest is set for 12-30 p-m.

After snapping an eight-game losing streak, the Buffalo Sabres have now earned back-to-back victories.
The Sabres beat the Saint Louis Blues six-to-two at KeyBank Center last night. The Sabres have today off before another home game tomorrow night against the New Jersey Devils.

It is a Thanksgiving tradition in Batavia.
The Kiwanis Club is again holding its free Thanksgiving ice skate at the David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena.
The skate, along with free ice skate rental and hot chocolate, runs from 9 to 11 this morning.

Devon Wright

22-year-old Devon Wright of Batavia has now been sentenced to 24 years in state prison. He had pleaded guilty in November 2021 to a number of violent sex-related crimes, committed over the course of two years. Wright had been scheduled to be sentenced a year ago after accepting a plea deal before his trial was to begin in County Court; he remained free pending sentencing to be available for the birth of his child. However, he fled and a $2500 reward was offered for his capture. Wright was eventually found in Lockport and returned to Genesee County. After previously engaging in what seemed to be legal maneuvers that stalled the sentencing process, this month he appeared in court now asking for a new attorney and also wanting to withdraw his guilty pleas. The next day, the judge denied his request and proceeded with sentencing.

Nicholas Perry, Sr.

74-year-old Nicholas Perry Sr. of Strykersville, the man who had been missing since the height of last week’s snowstorm following a one-car accident, was found deceased yesterday. His body was found in a field covered with snow about several hundred yards from the scene of the accident. An autopsy will be conducted to determine cause of death.

Genesee County Sheriffs along with state and local police will be working together as part of the STOP-DWI program through Sunday. The campaign is intended to bring awareness of impaired driving and the potential for more crashes during the most highly traveled time of the year. If you are driving, stay within the speed limits, don’t drink and drive, and have a safe holiday.

Kirk Ashton entering court last month – file photo

The former Northwood Elementary School principal who was found guilty of sexually abusing 21 students has been sentenced to 63 years in prison. Kirk Ashton was convicted last month on dozens of the charges that were filed against him for inappropriately touching multiple male students. During his trial, those victims and staff members at the school testified about Ashton’s actions but he didn’t take the stand in his own defense. While being sentenced, the judge said to Ashton that he preyed on the boys at a time when they were most vulnerable. Ashton did not speak following sentencing; however, his attorney asked for protective custody for Ashton once he enters prison. Ashton was principal at the Hilton school from 2004 until 2021.

Fatal crash aftermath – 10/24/22

The teenager arrested in connection with a deadly crash in Buffalo last month has been indicted on multiple charges including manslaughter. According to prosecutors, the 16-year-old was driving the vehicle before it crashed on the inbound Kensington Expressway near the entrance to the westbound Scajaquada Expressway. Four people ended up being killed and another passenger was seriously injured. The teen is now in his grandmother’s custody but must wear an ankle monitor.

Steven Gasiorek

A former substitute teacher and coach will be spending 20 years in prison after admitting to receiving child pornography. The U.S. Attorney’s Office says Steven Gasiorek worked at both John F. Kennedy Middle School and John F. Kennedy High School in Cheektowaga from March 2014 until April 2019. An investigation revealed he used a fake social media account to receive child porn from minors and that he knew some of the victims. Once Gasiorek is released, he’ll be under post-release supervision for 10 years.

The Buffalo Bills said thank you to the Detroit Lions for letting them use their field on Sunday. The Bills donated 20,000 dollars to the Lions Foundation and also sent Tim Hortons Coffee and donuts to the Lions Facility and Ford Field. The Bills will be back there to play the Lions tomorrow, with a 12:30 kickoff.

Jeff Skinner – file photo

The Buffalo Sabres have snapped their eight game losing streak in big way with a blowout victory on the road. Jeff Skinner scored twice and Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, JJ Peterka, Rasmus Dahlin, and Henri Jokiharju also had a goal as The Sabres beat the Montreal Canadiens 7-2 last night. The Sabres also benefited from solid goaltending from Craig Anderson who stopped 29 of 31 shots. Buffalo is back home to take on the Saint Louis Blues; it’s 90’s night at KeyBank and they’ll be wearing their black and red goat head jerseys. Puck drop is at 7:00.

Officials with the New York State lottery are making a request of Empire State residents this holiday season. They’re asking people not to buy scratch-off lottery tickets for children as gifts, saying that lottery games should only be gifted by adults to adults. The National Council on Problem Gambling says youth gambling has become a significant and growing issue. People who are struggling with a gambling addiction can get help by calling 1-877-8-HOPENY.

Around 7pm Monday night police in Rochester responded to multiple ShotSpotter activations on Reynolds and Atkinson Streets and found a 12 year old boy shot dead and a 16 year old wounded.  The 12 year old was identified as Juan Lopez a student at Benjamin Franklin Educational Campus.  According to the Rochester Police Department’s Open Data Portal, Lopez is the seventh person under age 18 to be killed in the city this year.  Mayor Evans said that the violence against children is not normal or natural.  No suspects have been apprehended in the shooting.  There was a candlelight vigil for Lopez Tuesday night.

Amber Beyer, Buffalo City Police captain overseeing the Buffalo Police Behavioral Health team, is being sued for allegedly launching into a racist rant against black police officers and black men after watching a viral video of a black officer being pulled over by a white officer.  3 African American officers are bringing the suit after leaving their jobs or going on leave.  They are being represented by Nate McMurray.  Beyer, the department and the City of Buffalo are being sued for retaliation, a hostile work environment and race discrimination.  They’re seeking $15 million in damages.

Gov. Kathy Hochul was in New York City to make an announcement on combating hate crimes.  This comes two weeks after the governor set aside millions of dollars to help nonprofit, community-based organizations at risk of hate crimes or attacks.  At that time, Hochul announced $46 million in federal funding for 240 nonprofit organizations across the state facing an increased risk of terrorist attack.  In Tuesday’s announcement, Hochul announced she is signing new legislation to require those convicted of hate crimes to be required to attend hate crime prevention training, which was previously optional.  The other legislation signed is an amendment calling for a statewide campaign calling for the coordination of state and local government along with community groups, schools and places of worship to ensure inclusion, tolerance and understanding diversity.

Genesee County Sheriffs Office and the Village of Leroy Police will be working together in the STOP-DWI program over the thanksgiving holiday and weekend to prevent accidents by putting police in high traffic areas.  The high visibility campaign brings awareness of impaired driving and the potential form more crashes in the most highly traveled time of the year.  The police will be out in force today through Sunday.  If you are driving, stay within the speed limits, don’t drink and drive, and be safe for the holiday.

Batavia Downs has several events coming up over the winter.  On the 15th of December Marsha McWilson will be performing a MoTown Christmas.  On the 22nd the Uncle Louie Variety show,  two hilarious Italian American comedians, Carlo Russo and Lou Greco, will return to the Downs.  On Friday, Feb. 3, the BBQ and Bourbon Dinner Buffet and bourbon tasting presented by Beam Suntory is back for its 2nd annual event.  Other events scheduled for January and February at Batavia Downs include the Polka Buzz, Experience Psychic Fair, the Legends & Stars Sports Expo, and a Fundraiser for local animal shelters.   Information on these events and the Summer Concert Series will be found in the coming weeks on the Batavia Downs Facebook page.

Fire officials are reminding folks that Thanksgiving is the biggest day of the year for cooking fires.  That’s why they’re offering tips to help keep families safe this week.  Officials say “keep your eyes on your cooking equipment” and keep young children out of the kitchen.  Turkey fryers should be placed on a level surface and at least ten-to-15 feet away from any structures. 

The Buffalo Bills said thank you to the Detroit Lions for letting them use their field on Sunday as their field had a dusting of snow.  Roughly 7 feet fell on Highmark Stadium between Friday and Sunday.  The Bills donated 20,000 dollars to the Lions Foundation and also sent Tim Hortons Coffee and donuts to the Lions Facility and Ford Field.  The Bills will be back at Ford field to play the Lions in the Thanksgiving game tomorrow at 12:30.

The Buffalo Sabres ended their 8 game losing streak with a 7 to 2 win over the Montreal Canadiens.  JJ Peterka, Henry Jokiharju, Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, and Alex Tuch had one goal each.  Jeff Skinner had 2.  Craig Anderson made 29 saves.  Next up, the Sabres host the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday. It’s 90s night for the fans, as the team unveils their black and red jerseys.