Afternoon News Brief

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.

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

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)

 

 

 

 

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.