Afternoon News Brief

Fire investigators with Batavia City Fire have concluded that Friday’s blaze at the former Backhoe Joe’s at 46 Swan St., was “ignited under circumstances when a fire should not be ignited,” according to a press release.  They note, “a fire declared incendiary does not indicate the crime of arson.”  The investigation is being turned over to Batavia PD to determine if the fire was intentionally set or caused by some human action.  No utilities were operating in the building at the time of the fire.  The owner, Ron Veile said he thinks there might have been a transient trying to light a fire to keep warm.  The building was not insured and had very little value according to him.  Veile bought the building at auction for 1,800 dollars.  Cleanup after the fire is estimated to cost 40,000 dollars.

A Batavia man is behind bars after he allegedly broke into a family’s house while they were sleeping.  30 year old Jordan Raynor is accused of forcefully entering an occupied residence on Jordan Road in Gainesville at approximately 3:47 AM early this morning, awaking a family with children while inside. Raynor fled the scene after being confronted by the family, at which time the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.  He was located in a vacant house that was being renovated and taken into custody.  Raynor is a convicted felon, and on probation out of Genesee County after a conviction for Endangering the Welfare of a Child.  He is charged with Burglary in the Second Degree, a Class C violent felony, Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree, and Endangering the Welfare of a Child.  He is being held in jail on bail in Warsaw.

Didn’t get enough snow?  There is another storm coming according to the national weather service. A Winter Storm Watch will be in effect from Tuesday at 10am to Thursday at 7pm in Genesee and Wyoming counties.  Heavy lake effect snow is possible. There could be total snow accumulations of 6 to 12 inches in the most persistent lake snows.  Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning or evening commute.

A Rochester police officer and a suspect have non-life-threatening injuries after an exchange of gunfire Sunday afternoon.  Police responded to a disturbance on Garfield Street in East Rochester just before 3:40 p.m.  It’s unclear what led to the exchange of gunfire, but police said Officer Brad Steve was hit in his bulletproof vest.  The initial call was from a neighbor complaining about noise. He said another officer was on scene taking down information from other people when the shooting happened.  Chief Michael Brandenburg said the vest stopped the bullet.  Steve has more than 25 years of experience and is working as a part-time officer for the East Rochester Police Department after retiring from the Brighton Police Department.

Although are furry friends are, well, furry.  They still need care in the cold.  The SPCA has released tips on how to keep your pets safe in a snowstorm.  First on the list is to keep them at home and never leave them in a car.  Make sure to dry your pets feet when they come in from outside to get painful salt and ice out of their pads.  Check inside your car’s hood before turning it on in case cats have cozied up to the engine.  You can bang on the hood and sides to try to scare them out if you can’t open the hood.  If going for a walk don’t let pets off the leash as they can quickly get lost in the snow.  And if they have an outdoor shelter, make sure it can keep them warm in the cold weather.