Tuesday News Brief
Written by Pete Zehler on July 28, 2026
ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER SHAWN HEUBUSCH TO RETIRE
The City of Batavia is losing one of its longtime leaders.
City Manager Rachael Tabelski has announced the retirement of Assistant City Manager Shawn Heubusch, who will leave City Hall to accept a new position with the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police, where he will oversee the organization’s statewide Traffic Safety Program.
Heubusch joined the City of Batavia more than 25 years ago and served as Police Chief for 13 years before being appointed Assistant City Manager last August. During his career, he guided the department through the COVID-19 pandemic, bail reform, discovery law changes and the state’s police reform initiative. He also helped expand community policing efforts, re-established the K-9 program, brought back bicycle patrols, created the School Resource Officer program, and helped grow the department’s Emergency Response Team.
As Assistant City Manager, Heubusch also worked on the City’s risk management, information technology operations, and several major capital projects. City officials are thanking him for his years of service and dedication to Batavia.
Heubusch’s departure comes after just eight months as Assistant City Manager. City Councilman Nick Lord says the City has already named Grants Administrator Julie Dahlie to the position without conducting an executive search, a decision he questioned. Neither Heubusch nor Tabelski commented publicly on the transition.
BATAVIA POLICE REPORT MULTIPLE ARRESTS
Batavia Police made several arrests over the past week, including a Batavia man accused of threatening someone with a knife.
Thirty-three-year-old Zachary Williams was charged with felony criminal possession of a weapon and menacing after an alleged altercation on Thorp Street and was jailed pending arraignment. Forty-one-year-old Steven Godinho, also of Batavia, was charged with criminal contempt and aggravated family offense after police say he violated an order of protection and was remanded to the Genesee County Jail.
Other arrests included Zachary Burk and Benjamin Evans on petit larceny charges, with Evans also facing a drug possession charge. Police also arrested Alex Powell and David Hanna on DWI charges, Thomas Culver, Donald Ryan, and Maria Sanders on drug-related offenses, and Brian Scott and John Clack on harassment charges. All allegations will be addressed in court.
HOUSE DAMAGED IN BATAVIA FIRE
A lawnmower is believed to have sparked a fire that heavily damaged a home Thursday evening on Lewiston Road in the Town of Batavia.
Firefighters were called to 7972 Lewiston Road around 5 p.m. after the mower caught fire inside an attached garage. Flames quickly spread from the garage into the home, prompting a second alarm. The garage and a vehicle inside were destroyed, while much of the house sustained significant damage. Fire officials say no one was injured, and multiple area departments responded to help bring the blaze under control.
THREE KILLED IN SEATTLE FESTIVAL SHOOTING
Police say a 15-year-old suspect is in custody after a shooting at a crowded food festival near Seattle’s Space Needle left three people dead and at least four others injured.
Investigators believe two people exchanged gunfire during the Bite of Seattle festival Sunday evening. Authorities are still searching for a second suspect and have not ruled out the possibility that person was among those killed. The victims who died were two men, ages 19 and 44, and a 56-year-old woman.
Among the injured was a 2-year-old boy, who remains hospitalized in satisfactory condition. Police say the annual festival was packed with thousands of people when the gunfire erupted, sending crowds running for safety. The investigation remains ongoing.
TRUMP ASKS SUPREME COURT TO REVIVE VOTING ORDER
The Trump administration is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to allow President Trump’s executive order on mail-in voting to take effect while legal challenges continue.
The order would direct the federal government to create a list of eligible U.S. citizen voters and require mail ballots to be delivered only to people on that list. Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia sued, arguing the Constitution gives states and Congress—not the president—the authority to set election rules. Lower courts have blocked the order in those states ahead of November’s midterm elections.
The Justice Department argues the order simply provides policy guidance and is asking the Supreme Court to act quickly so any changes could be implemented before the November election.
MUCKDOGS ADVANCE TO WESTERN DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP
The Batavia Muckdogs are headed to the PGCBL Western Division Championship Series after a dominant playoff victory Monday night.
Batavia rolled past the Auburn Doubledays 12-1 in a win-or-go-home playoff game at Dwyer Stadium, earning a spot in the next round of the postseason.
The Muckdogs will now face the Jamestown Tarp Skunks in the Western Division Championship Series. Game One is set for tonight at 6:30 at Dwyer Stadium, with the winner moving one step closer to the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League championship.
