Local News

The city of Batavia’s highly praised Deer Management committee resigned in mass this morning following a 30-second meeting.
Committee members claimed to have suddenly been left of the loop and lied to by city hall just as the deer management plan approached a final vote.

Deer Committee Chair Russ Nephew read a brief statement…

That terse thank-you came from Interim City Manager Rachel Tabelski
She and Police Chief Shawn Heubusch later offered a brief statement of their own calling the Deer Management Plan a “good start.”
They said the city would move forward to assess the draft of the plan and make recommendations to the full council.

Last month the committee was praised by Councilman John Canale and Bob Bialkowski for their thorough job in crafting the plan.
The plan was an attempt to safely cull the deer population by allowing a highly restricted season for bow hunters.

Police raid an apartment at 22 Hutchins Place in the city and round-up three drug suspects.
50 year old Ronnie Johnson is charged with two felony counts of drug possession, and 34 year old Madalyn Muntz facing misdemeanor drug charges.
Also collared in the same raid, 46 year old Donald Brown of Rochester. He is facing a slew of charges including felony counts of drug possession and use of drug paraphernalia.
Brown and Johnson are being held without bail. Muntz was released on city court appearance tickets.

An eye in the sky leads to the arrest of a Pavilion man for allegedly growing his own pot. 62 year old Brian Dutton has been charged with unlawfully growing cannabis inside a building in the Wyoming County Town of Covington. A border patrol helicopter spotted the weed from the air.

One new positive case of coronavirus….a person in their 20’s from Batavia.
The individual was on mandatory quarantine before testing positive.

State Health Commissioner Doctor Howard Zucker says hospitals had plenty of personal protective equipment available during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Zucker says there were 24 million pieces of PPE like masks and gowns available, but some doctors and nurses claim they had to provide their own.
Hospitals are now required to have a 90-day stockpile of PPE.

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott is going to be on the team’s sideline for the foreseeable future. The franchise has signed him to a multi-year contract extension that will keep him with the Bills through the 2025 season. McDermott’s new deal will also make him one of the higher-paid coaches in the National Football League. McDermott has been with the Bills for three seasons, guiding the team to the playoffs twice.

Governor Cuomo has signed off on a change to New York State’s seat belt law.
Beginning in November, all passengers 16 or older must wear a safety belt no matter where they’re seated in the vehicle.
Under the current law, those individuals are only required to wear a seat belt if they’re in the front passenger seat.
Violators of the new law could face a fine of up to $50.
Back in 1984, New York became the first state to pass a mandatory seat belt law.

It appeared to be a hit and run car- bicycle accident, but maybe not.
Deputies said a car struck a bicyclist yesterday afternoon on Veteran’s memorial Drive. They said the driver of the car got out, the bicyclist said he was fine and the driver handed him  a wad of cash that totaled $200, and said, ” this is for your bike” and left.

Two new positive cases of coronavirus reported in Genesee County.
One of the individuals was in their 50’s, the other in their 80’s, both are from Batavia.
As of late yesterday, 15 new individuals are under precautionary quarantine due to traveling from a restricted state.

New York State has added travelers from three more areas to the list of people who must quarantine after arriving here.
Travelers coming from South Dakota, Hawaii and the Virgin Islands now need to isolate themselves for two weeks. New York has removed New Mexico, Alaska, Rhode Island, Washington and Ohio from the list.
If visitors don’t reveal information about their trips to health officials, they face a $2,000 fine.

The Toronto Blue Jays make their Sahlen Field debut with a big win in their final at-bat.
Travis Shaw had an RBI single in the bottom of the tenth inning as the Blue Jays beat the Miami Marlins five-to-four last night.
It was the first Major League Baseball game to take place in Buffalo in over a century.
They’ll continue their series with the Marlins tonight.

City Council President Gene Jankowski

The Batavia City Council has created a Police and Community advisory group.
The group was formed, by order of the governor, to review police department policies, procedures and training.
It originally consisted of 15 members…two were community members. That has now been increased to four with an eye toward greater inclusion of minorities.
City Council President Gene Jankowski says he’s all for diversity

The creation of the advisory group, with added citizen members, was passed unanimously.

Some big federal cash for GCASA.
Congressman Chris Jacobs is announcing a $1,000,000 grant from the Department of Health and Human Services. The dollars are directed at helping people suffering from Alcoholism and substance abuse.

The Genesee County’s coronavirus count over the past 24 hours: no new positive cases reported.
Three previously reported cases have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation.

Governor Cuomo believes an independent investigation into nursing home deaths during the coronavirus crisis isn’t necessary.
State Lawmakers say they want to know the factors involved in the deaths of more than six-thousand New Yorkers at long-term care facilities since the pandemic started in March.
The governor says criticism of how the state handled nursing home residents is political.

The Buffalo Sabres are going to have a bit of a different look when they hit the ice next season. The team is expected to unveil new royal blue jerseys today.
The Sabres previously wore royal blue between 1970 and 1996 before switching to black and red for several years.
Blue, white and gold returned as the franchise’s primary colors in 2006.

An Oakfield man is facing charges following a neighbor on neighbor fracas in Oakfield.
Genesee County Sheriff’s Deputies say 22 year old Edward Allis of South Pearl Street, Oakfield, threatened his neighbor with a homemade pitch fork.
He has been charged with menacing and criminal possession of a weapon,
Allis was released on his own recognizance.

New York State is winning the battle against coronavirus. As of Saturday, the number of people statewide who have tested positive for the virus was at its lowest level since the pandemic began.
In Western New York, the infection rate has been hovering above the one-percent mark in recent days.

Batavia Assemblyman Steve Hawley weighs in on the New York State Attorney General’s lawsuit against the NRA.
Hawley calls the move a “callous and politically charged attempt to sow dissent” in an election year.
Hawley called the NRA a valuable ally in preserving the second amendment.
State A-G Letitia James charges that NRA leaders illegally diverted millions of dollars in donations to for own personal use.

A $765-million deal to allow Rochester’s Eastman Kodak Company to make generic drugs is now on hold.
There have been allegations of insider trading. Now the federal agency that initiated the loan to Kodak wants a full investigation before allowing the deal to proceed.

The cost of gasoline has slipped slightly across Western New York.
According to Triple A, the average cost for a gallon of regular gas $2.19 That’s down a penny from last week. and is the same price drivers were paying a month ago. The average price in Batavia is also $2.19. A gallon of gas on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation is $1.94.

Final preparations will be underway at Sahlen Field today as the Toronto Blue Jays get ready to make their Buffalo debut.
The Major League Baseball franchise will be hosting the Miami Marlins tomorrow.
The Blue Jays are set to play 25 games at the home of the Buffalo Bisons after being told they couldn’t be in Canada due to concerns over the coronavirus.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Governor Cuomo is giving the green light for schools in New York state to reopen this fall.

He said school districts need to have discussions with parents and post information for them online.

Cuomo said the state’s COVID-19 infection rate is very low, but they will continue to monitor it, leading up to the first day of school. In addition, other state guidelines include wearing face masks inside, when social distancing isn’t possible, and regular cleaning of classrooms, COVID-19 screenings and contact tracing for anyone who gets infected.

The coronavirus pandemic has brought on tough economic times for nearly all types of businesses. Batavia Downs is no exception.
Batavia Downs Gaming has been closed since last March, the track just resumed limited operations last week.
Western Region OTB owns the Downs. Its president, Henry Wojtaszek says the company has lost $30-million in revenue and had to furlough 300 employees.

Forget about going back to your favorite gym anytime soon.
Governor Cuomo says finesses Centers have been identified as a source of COVID-19 infections across the country. Gyms have been shut down since March.

The Genesee County health department reports no new positive cases of coronavirus over the past 24 hours.
A dozen people are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.

Schools across New York could find out today if kids will be heading back to class this fall. Governor Cuomo notes any reopening plan needs the support of teachers and parents.
Districts have already created their own reopening proposals and sent them into the state for approval. Many of them opted for a hybrid model that would have kids in school a couple of days a week, with the other days on-line.

It’s always been illegal to park your car on a Batavia city street during the overnight hours – specifically between 2am and 6am.
But since the pandemic, city police has not been issuing tickets to violators.
That will change on September 1st.
Police Chief Shawn Heubusch said officers will issue warnings for the rest of this month, but starting the first of September, overnight night parking violators will be ticketed.

New York State Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit in an effort to dissolve the National Rifle Association.
James says leaders of the gun rights group diverted millions of dollars in donations for their own use.
They’re also accused of giving contracts to close friends and family members.
James says the alleged actions of top NRA officials caused the organization to lose millions of dollars.
The NRA President called the lawsuit politically motivated

Buffalo Bills All-Pro cornerback Tre’Davious White says he’ll be taking part in the 2020 season. White had been deciding whether he would opt out of playing as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. The 25-year-old expressed concern about the safety of his two children and their mother who would be quarantined in Buffalo without any family nearby to help

Daryl Sumeriski

A 52-year old Batavia man gets five years in federal prison for possessing child pornography.
Daryl Sumeriski was convicted of having more than 3-thousand images of kiddie porn on his phone.
The U S Attorney’s office said Sumeriski was living in a half-way house in bath when fellow residents turned him in.
U S Attorney James Kennedy said some of the images on Sumeriski’s phone depicted the violent abuse of infants and toddlers.

Deputies in Orleans County are looking into the death of a 16-month-old child.
They say the toddler fell into a pool yesterday at a home in Barre.
The child was taken from the water and rushed to a nearby hospital but later pronounced dead.
Police say they don’t suspect any foul play and what happened is a tragic accident.

Parents, students and teachers won’t have to wait much longer to find out if schools will reopen this fall.
Governor Cuomo has promised to make the official announcement by the end of this week.
Districts have already put together their own reopening proposals and sent them into the state for approval. Students have been out of classrooms since March due to the coronavirus.
The governor has said parents will be making the final decision on whether their children go back to school.

Members of two of New York’s teachers unions are calling for schools to be closed if there’s a confirmed coronavirus case in their building.
New York State United Teachers and the United Federation of Teachers say kids should be sent home for two weeks and return once schools are disinfected and cleaned.
They say students would have to learn remotely if they’re taken out of the classroom.

On this morning’s Police Blotter:
37 year old David Grossman of Maple Street, Batavia: he is facing a slew of charges including burglary and endangering the welfare of a child.
Batavia Police say Grossman broke into a house eon Highland Park, and threatened a resident inside. When arrested, police said he continued the fracas by damaging a police patrol car.
He’s being held without bail.

58 year old Robin Brooks of Hutchins Place: He’s charged with assault for allegedly slamming a door on a woman’s hand…it broke bones.
Brooks is in county jail on $2,500 bail.

 Chris Collins

Ex-Congressman Chris Collins has asked for the start of his prison sentence to be delayed.
Back in January, the former 27th District representative was ordered to spend 26 months behind bars after pleading guilty to federal insider trading charges.
His sentence was supposed to start August 18th, but his attorneys now want it to begin in October.
They’re citing the spread of COVID-19 in prisons as the reason for their request.
Collins also wants to spend his sentence in Florida not far from a home he owns there.

More parents across Western New York are saying they won’t send their kids back to class in September.
In some Western New York districts, roughly one-third of students will be staying home due to concerns over the coronavirus.
In Batavia, the district has reported that 315 students have chosen 100 percent virtual learning.

New York has added travelers from another area to the list of people who must quarantine after arriving in the Empire State. Folks coming from Rhode Island now need to isolate themselves for two weeks to make sure they’re not infecting people with coronavirus.

The latest COVID-19 report for Genesee County:
There has been one new positive case in the past 24 hours –
A person in their 50s living in Batavia.
13 new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from a restricted state.

A Batavia bowling center proprietor is concerned for the future of his business and his sport if New York State doesn’t allow bowling alleys to re-open now.
Rick Mancuso, owner of a bowling center bearing his name, says the month of August sets the stage for his business for the coming months. Mancuso says this is the time leagues are formed and bowlers commit to the season.

There is a Salvation Army food distribution today.
It will be held at City Church, St. Anthony’s site on Liberty Street starting at 9 this morning.

There have been several protests in Rochester and buffalo about school reopening with many people weighing in on both sides.  Proponents of school reopening want the option to return their children to school and use information from the cdc, pediatricians and various studies to back up their claims that the kids will be safe and anyone who is at risk should have the choice to stay home and learn online.  Those on the opposite side say that opening schools will lead to increased cases and make the whole community unsafe.  They demand that schools remain closed and that the government pay parents to stay home and teach their children instead of having to go back to work.  Governor Cuomo is expected to release the sates guidance on school reopening later this week.

The quarantine list has changed again.  This time travelers from Delaware and Washington DC no longer have to quarantine for 2 weeks when entering New York state but Rhode Island has been added to the list joining 34 other states.

The Rochester Red Wings have announced a way you can be in the stands for upcoming games, sort of.  By paying for 4 tickets to any home game next season fans can get a 24 by 17 inch cutout of themselves to be placed in the stands.  The Red Wings will take a picture of the cutout and send it to you and use it in a social media post.  At the end of the season, you get to keep yourself.  The bundle of tickets and cutout costs 60 dollars and additional cutouts cost 35 bucks each.

Over the past 24 hours there have been five new positive cases of COVID-19 reported in Genesee County. Those cases have come from Batavia, Elba and Pembroke. These individuals ranged in age from their 20s through their 70s.
One person has been hospitalized.

It could be a while before the state reveals the number nursing home residents who got sick and later died of the coronavirus. Health Commissioner Doctor Howard Zucker told members of the Legislature he wants to review that data before releasing it so he can make sure its accurate.
There were five coronavirus deaths in Genesee County – none of them in nursing homes.
But in Orleans County, a very different story.
54 people died in either one of two nursing private nursing homes, one in Albion and one in Medina.
Right now, the nursing home death toll across the state stands at roughly 64-hundred, but some believe the number is much higher.
That’s because the state is only counting people who died of the illness at their facilities and not ones who were hospitalized before passing away.

This week, New York state officials are reviewing reopening plans for schools submitted from across the state.
Districts had until last Friday to turn in those plans. As members of the State Education Department and other officials review them, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is stressing the importance of districts creating an ongoing dialogue with parents and families.
Cuomo said a district can have a plan, but it won’t do any good if parents don’t feel safe bringing their children to school.

The price of a gallon of regular gasoline locally remains unchanged.
Triple-A reports a gallon of regular in Batavia at $2.23…the same as last week.

When the Buffalo Bills take the field this season, they’ll have quarterback Josh Allen under center.
Allen says he will not opt out of the 2020 campaign, saying he thinks the game of football, “gives people hope.”

COVID-19 may have temporarily put a stop to large gatherings, but the coronavirus pandemic is no match for the GOW Opioid Task Force’s commitment to informing the public of the dangers of opioid drug use and ways to prevent potentially deadly overdoses.

“Our Overdose Awareness Day is not able to be held this summer due to social distancing guidelines and restrictions on the use of parks, so we will be transitioning to an online event,” said Christen Ferraro, task force coordinator. “All the information that would have been shared at Austin Park in Batavia will be put on our Facebook page.”

Ferraro added that the task force plans to post – on a regular basis throughout August — articles, videos, local data and stories from individuals that have been affected by an overdose.

Genesee/Orleans Public Health Director Paul Pettit, a member of the task force, said he is well aware of the widespread impact of the opioid epidemic.

“Any loss of life is devastating to a community,” he said. “The effect is far-reaching as it devastates the family system – economically as a number of financially productive years are lost and emotionally as no dollar amounts can equal the loss of a life due to addiction.”

Pettit said that setting aside a period of time, be it a month or a day, to remind people of the various issues surrounding opioid use is important.

“There are so many services available for those experiencing addictive behaviors or are experimenting with various substances, and we encourage people to use those services before it is too late,” he said.

Ferraro also advised that another virtual opioid overdose prevention and Narcan training is scheduled for Aug. 26, with sessions at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The training will cover the disease of addiction, a brief history of the opioid crisis, signs and symptoms of opioid use and overdose, the overdose reversal drug Narcan and the administration of Narcan.

Attendance is required at just one of the sessions for the participant to receive credit for the course.

 “Those completing the training will learn more about how to prevent an opioid overdose and will receive a free Narcan nasal spray kit,” Ferraro said. “It is important to bring awareness to this day and the impact an overdose can have on an individual, their families and the community.”

The registration deadline is Aug. 24. To register, contact Ferraro at cferraro@gcasa.org. See the flyer for more details.

For more information, go to Facebook.com/gowopioidtaskforce.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Governor Cuomo today signed legislation that would allow the manufacture and sale of ice cream and other frozen desserts made with liquor in New York.  Cuomo cited that the craft brewery business had experienced a huge boom in the last several years and that adding to the things they could make with those products would only help the industry.  The legislation does limit the amount of alcohol in the frozen confections 5 percent or less.  State Senator Rachel May says she is looking forward to Maple Bourbon Ice Cream next New York State Fair.

Gas prices remain steady for Batavia drivers.  In western NY the average price of a regular unleaded gallon is 2.20 down 1 penny from last week.  In Batavia it remains at 2.23 the same as last week.  The national average is 2.18.

COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to decrease in New York State. Governor Andrew Cuomo said there are 556 patients in the hospital with the virus, the lowest number since March 17th. The governor reminded residents to stay diligent and to stick to the safety protocols.

The Genesee County Republican Committee has picked their candidate for this fall’s election for County Court Judge.
Batavia Attorney Thomas Williams has won the county GOP endorsement.
Williams has practiced law for 35 years. He has served for 12 years as Batavia Town Court Justice. The election for family Court Judge will be held on November 3rd.

Rainbow Pre-school, operated by the Arc of Genesee Orleans, will permanently close on August 14.
The program has locations in Batavia and Albion and has served hundreds of children with and without disabilities for more than 40 years.
The closing will mean that parents of children in the 2 and half to 5 year old age group will have to find specialized services elsewhere.
The Arc of Genesee-Orleans vows to help parents find alternative services.

Who doesn’t have old electronic equipment lying around the house…those old CD players and VHS video recorders?
Well, hundreds of people were able to dispose of them on Saturday thanks to an Electronic Recycling Event.
It was sponsored again this year by State Assemblyman Steve Hawley:

PHOTO: Assemblyman Steve Hawley directs traffic at Recycling event Saturday

Courtesy: The Batavian

The electronic trash was packaged up and hauled away by a private firm for recycling.

National Grid is proposing up to $50 million in COVID-19 relief to support the company’s economically vulnerable customers, commercial and residential.
The company says it will work with the Public Service Commission staff, customer advocates and other stakeholders to determine how best to allocate the help to those most in need across its upstate New York service area.

Schools in Genesee county have released their plans for the 2020-2021 school year which are being sent to the governor’s office.  Batavia, Alexander, Byron Bergen, Elba, Leroy, and Pembroke Schools have opted for a hybrid model with kids selected by last name attending school on alternating days and doing virtual learning on the days they are not physically in school.  Several of the school districts have set aside one day a week where the building will be cleaned and no students will be in attendance.  Oakfield-Alabama says it is able to socially distance and will have a full, regular schedule for students and will start late on September 11^th in order to provide additional training for staff.  Pembroke is doing an either/or plan with parents choosing to either fully distance learn their children or do in person school.  Batavia has also said that there will be a group of students, those with special needs or with targeted learning, who will be in person on a regular schedule.  Pavilion does not have a plan ready at this time.  The schedules are not set in stone as Governor Cuomo will make final decisions about all NY State schools later this week and has said that schools will be able to reopen ad long as COVID 19 does not spike.

The Genesee Orleans county health department released Friday that there is 1 new case of COVID 19 in both Genesee and Orleans counties.  23 new people are on travel quarantine in Genesee county and 12 new people are on travel quarantine in Orleans.  1 person is hospitalized with COVID 19 in both counties.  There are a total of 6 active cases in Genesee county and 3 in Orleans.

The races may have gotten underway but gambling at Batavia Downs may still be a long way off according to Governor Cuomo.  Speaking on Thursday about Del Lago and 3 other Casino’s across New York Governor Cuomo said that because of the nature of the business and the likelihood of people not socially distancing or following guidelines casinos should not be allowed to reopen.  Native American owned casinos in New York have been open since June with no outbreaks reported but Cuomo says “people need food, people need clothes, people need home goods, You don’t need a casino to maintain survival.”

Newly Minted Congressman Chris Jacobs has been appointed to the House Agriculture committee.  In a press release Jacobs said that Agriculture is immensely important to Western NY and the first thing he is working on will be better access to broadband services in rural areas.

Rainbow Pre-school, operated by the Arc of Genesee Orleans, will permanently close on August 14.

The program has locations in Batavia and Albion and has served hundreds of children with and without disabilities.

But enrollment has declined in recent years to a point where only 26 children are currently receiving services.
Arc officials say it was not only declining enrollment that led to the closing but also the challenges of operating through the pandemic and the perennial uncertainty over New York State funding.

“This decision was made with heavy hearts,” said Donna Saskowski, executive director of the Arc of Genesee Orleans. “For any children who are enrolled with Rainbow for the 2020-21 school year, we will work directly with parents and with school district representatives to secure appropriate placements and ensure continuity of services.”

The closing will mean that parents of children in the 2 and half to 5 year old age group will have to find specialized services elsewhere. That process begins with parents and their local school districts.
Rainbow Pre-school provided special education, physical, occupational and speech therapy and other services to children with developmental disabilities.

Genesee County will be getting nearly a quarter-million dollars to enhance coronavirus contact tracing and flu prevention ahead of the fall flu season.
That money is part of the more than $30 million dollars the state will distribute to the counties to beef up staffing in local health departments

Two new positive cases of COVID-19 detected in Genesee County over the past 24 hours.
These two individuals, one in their 40s and one in their 50s, live in Batavia and LeRoy.
One of the individuals is hospitalized.

If Monroe County lawmakers get their way, Greater Rochester International Airport will have a new name.
They’ve introduced bipartisan legislation to rename it the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport.
Supporters say Douglass is Rochester’s most notable citizen and one of history’s most notable abolitionists.

It was becoming more obvious by the day but Seabreeze amusement park will not open this year.
It’s the first time in 140 years the park will miss an entire season.
The owners of Seabreeze say they ran out of time waiting for the state to provide the guidelines for them to open.
They are making plans for next year.

The 2020 racing season resumes tonight at Batavia Downs.
The season opened on Wednesday without anyone in the stands.
The only ones watching the action were horse owners, and it will stay that way until the state changes its COVID protocols.

The Buffalo Bills have sent their rookie players home due to five positive coronavirus tests.
The team says it expected some players to get infected as they prepare for the upcoming season.
The Bills also said they have taken the necessary steps to keep more people from getting sick.

A Town of Alabama woman has been charged with attempted murder following a knifing at Oliver’s Candies in Elba.

Collen L. Nelson, 49, Alabama, was arrested by State Police Wednesday afternoon for allegedly attacking a 59-year-old man with what was described as a large knife.

Both were employees of the candy store. Nelson worked at Oliver’s for 15 years; the victim suffered only minor injuries.

The owner of Oliver’s, Jeremy Liles,  was not on-site at the time, but said it is not known what precipitated the attack. He said the incident was over very quickly.

In addition to attempted murder, Nelson was also charged with attempted assault and criminal possession of a weapon. She’s being held without bail.

The Batavia man sentenced to serve 15 years in federal prison for taking a Bergen teenager across state lines will serve another three years.
24 year old Guillermo Torres-Acevedo learned yesterday that his state sentence will be added to his federal term. His lawyer wanted the state penalty to run concurrently.
Torres-Acevedo was charged in 2018 for enticing the Bergen girl to travel with him across state lines for sex.
An amber alert had been posted for his victim. Torres-Acevedo and the girl were eventually located in Pennsylvania.

PHOTO: Guillermo Torres Acevedo

A Swan Street man collared after being located in a home he had been ordered to stay away from.
34 year old Jose Rivera of Swan was charged with criminal contempt and burglary.
He was jailed on $2,000 dollars cash bail.

The efforts of Western New York residents to slow the spread of coronavirus appear to be working.
The number of people across the region who are hospitalized for COVID-19 treatment is at its lowest level since March.
For the second day in a row there have been no new positive cases of COVID-19 in either Genesee or Orleans County.

Governor Cuomo says taxing the wealthiest New Yorkers will not help in efforts to close a massive budget gap.
Right now, the state is facing a 30-billion dollar revenue shortfall over the next two years. New York has run deeper into the red over the last few months due to costs associated with the coronavirus crisis. New York already has the second-highest tax on the wealthy in the nation.

Driving schools have been given the green light by the state DMV to offer pre-licensing classes remotely.
Officials say the five-hour course can be conducted by using distance learning technology such as Zoom.
That means first-time drivers will be able to take a needed step towards getting a license, all without having to leave home.

A retired emergency dispatcher for the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office pleads guilty to one count of possessing child pornography.
58 year old James Tripp of Batavia was arrested by State Police after a two year investigation. Under terms of a plea deal, Tripp will become a registered sex offender,
Get 90 days in jail and 10 years’ probation.
Tripp worked for the sheriff’s office for 22 years. Five years ago he was named New York State’s top dispatcher.

A Bethany woman has been charged with leaving her dog locked inside a hot car while she went shopping at Walmart.
Deputies arrested 52 year old Catherine Klinkbeil on a charge of Confinement of a companion animal in extreme heat.
The temperature outside yesterday reached 84 degrees.
The dog was taken to the animal shelter. Klinkbeil has a date in court.

Over 300 local families have opted to keep their kids home and have them taught virtually. The Batavia City School District revealed 315 students will not return to class this fall – even if the state allows the re-opening of school.
School officials yesterday released a 60 page plan on how the district will attempt to educate the districts 22-hundred students.
Details of the plan are on the district’s website.

Finally some good news for Rochester’s Kodak Corporation.
Kodak has struck a 765-million dollar deal with the federal government to make components for generic drugs.
The company says they will hire 300 local people. A new division of the company will be created called Kodak Pharmaceuticals.
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New York has added travelers from five more areas to the list of people who must quarantine after arriving in the Empire State.
People coming from places like Kentucky, Washington, DC, Illinois, Minnesota and Puerto Rico need to isolate themselves for two weeks to make sure they’re not infecting people with coronavirus.
Overall, there are more than 30 locations affected by the quarantine order.

COVID-19 makes no progress in Genesee County. Over the past 24 hours there were no new positive cases of the virus. There were no new cases in Orleans County either.

Danielle and Zachariah Young filled with uncertainty over the remains of their daughter  PHOTO Courtesy:  The Batavian

A Darien center couple speaks out for the first time about the tragedy of baby daughter’s death and the uncertainty over her remains placed in the care of Batavia Funeral Director Michael Tomaszewski
Zach and Danielle Young were expecting the birth of their third child in February of 2019. But before little Eva Young was to be delivered her heart stopped and after hours of arduous labor, Eva was stillborn.
They turned to Michael Tomaszewski to make arrangements for cremation. But following an autopsy, Zach Young told Tomaszewski to wait:

Tomaszewski placed the baby in a prep room cooler.
Months later, Tomaszewski told the Young’s that the baby had already cremated, contrary to their wishes:

The couple has been left to wonder what really happened to their baby. They accuse Tomaszewski of callous disregard for their daughter:

Last week Tomaszewski was arrested on 200 felony counts of grand larceny for allegedly failing to properly deposit funds for pre-paid funeral services. The sheriff’s office said they are also looking into allegations that he mishandled human remains.
The entire video interview with Zach and Danielle Young is available from on our news partner The Batavian

As Genesee County prepares to promote Matt Landers to the post of County Manager, Landers replacement has been named.
The changes at the top due to the retirement of long time County Manager Jay Gsell. His last ay on the job will be August 14th.
Replacing Landers in the assistant’s post is Tammi Ferringer, 14 year veteran of county government. Ferringer started as a clerk typist and moved up through the ranks. Her latest assignments was as director of Fiscal Operations for the Social Services Department.

Not exactly a spike in cases but Genesee County has recorded four new positive cases of COVID-19 over the past 24 hours. The four individuals reside in Batavia and LeRoy; two are in their 20’s, one in their 40’s and one in their 80’s.

Authorities believe the driver of a truck that ran off of Main Road in Stafford, slamming in to a tree, may have suffered some kind of medical emergency.
The crash occurred late yesterday afternoon.
The driver was taken to Strong Hospital by Mercy Flight. His condition this morning is unknown

State officials say efforts are underway to prevent a future shortage of personal protective equipment.
There was a scramble for things like masks and gowns when the COVID-19 pandemic began back in March.
Now, the state is teaming up with 20 companies to make sure there are enough supplies should there be a second coronavirus wave this Fall. Before the pandemic the state could buy face masks for 70 cents each, but that cost went to seven dollars per mask in just a matter of weeks.

The New York State Thruway Authority says the ongoing cashless tolling project is on schedule.
That means the switch to cashless tolling should be complete by the end of the year.
Drivers will still have to pay to travel the Thruway, but their trips will be tracked by sensors and cameras instead of the traditional toll ticket.

State officials say efforts are underway to prevent a future shortage of personal protective equipment.
There was a scramble for things like masks and gowns when the COVID-19 pandemic began back in March.
Now, the state is teaming up with 20 companies to make sure there are enough supplies should there be a second coronavirus wave this Fall. Before the pandemic the state could buy face masks for 70 cents each, but that cost went to seven dollars per mask in just a matter of weeks.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is calling on the federal government to give more help to daytime child-care facilities.
The New York lawmaker pushed for the creation of a 50-billion dollar fund as part of the Child Care is Essential Act.
Day care providers would be able to use the money for expenses and to pay staff members.
Senator Gillibrand also says there needs to be better communication between the Centers for Disease Control and child care facilities to make sure proper safety guidelines are being followed.

Michael Tomaszewski

In addition to the 200 counts of grand larceny against Batavia director Michael Tomaszewski, deputies say they are looking into the suspected mishandling of human remains, including those of a stillborn baby.
Chief Deputy Joseph Graf said told our news partner The Batavian investigators are looking into several incidences of improper handling of remains. He would only confirm two of the cases – one an army veteran and the other a baby.
Tomaszewski was charged last week with accepting pre-arrangement payments from some 90 families, funds that by law should be placed in a trust account. Deputies say they never were. The total financial loss to local families: over a half million dollars.

Two families are left homeless following a fire on Ellicott Street.
The fire broke out around 8 last night in a duplex type home at 430 Ellicott, near South Swan..
All occupants of both apartments safely escaped.
One firefighter was suffered a minor injury and was evaluated at the hospital. The Salvation was called to help the residents.
Officials said it appeared the fire started in the basement and because of the balloon type construction of the building, fire was able to climb to upper floors.

The heat is on across Western New York today, and National Grid wants customers to be ready. The utility company says there will be a high demand on energy as temperatures reach the 90s this afternoon.
To help save a bit of money, National Grid suggests you use fans to circulate air around your home.
People are also being asked to check on elderly neighbors and children since they’re most at-risk for heat-related illnesses.

It appears that New York State is continuing to get the upper hand in the battle against COVID-19.
New data released over the weekend showed only one-percent of people statewide who were screened for the illness Saturday received a positive result.
Three deaths reported in the State Saturday.
However, the number of people hospitalized for treatment of coronavirus fell to its lowest point since March.

The Toronto Blue Jays are coming to Buffalo, and now we know the date of their first game at Sahlen Field. The Major League Baseball team will make its Western New York debut August 11th against the Miami Marlins.
The Blue Jays will be playing most of their home contests in Buffalo after being told they couldn’t take the field in Toronto or Pittsburgh due to concerns over the coronavirus. Sahlen Field, home of the team’s Triple A affiliate the Buffalo Bisons, will be getting some upgrades before the first game.

Michael Tomaszewski

The Genesee county Sheriffs Office is investigating a body that was found in the garage of Michael Tomaszewski Funeral home and has been there for up to nine months.  On Thursday Tomaszewski was charged with 200 counts of grand larceny, failure to deposit monies, and schemes to defraud among other charges.  The body, believed to be that of Peter Vendetta was given to Tomaszewski for burial but never made it to the grave.  According to Vendetta’s step daughter Ronda Grabowski, Tomaszeski never received instructions for the burial from a cousin so he just kept the body.

Governor Cuomo is wading into an ongoing debate about what is food and what isn’t and making it law.  2 food items in particular raised eyebrows all over western NY.  Cuomo in his Friday news briefing declared that hotdogs are sandwiches, and chicken wings are not food.  He said these things as part of his mandate to force bars and restaurants to serve food with alcohol.  Cuomo stated that the mandate is to make sure that people are not congregating at bars or large outside gatherings with just drinks but that they are sitting down to substantive foods and not just finger foods.

New York Republicans including Assemblyman Steve Hawley and Senator Michael Ranzenhofer decried the new legislation coming out of Albany.  The New York State legislature voted to allow people to register to vote through agencies such as the DMV and New York City housing authority but not the DEC which Ranzenhofer says is picking and choosing to try to curry votes with only specific voting groups.  Another bill that passed would allow the state government to redistrict areas of New York which Hawley says will lead to Gerrymandering.  The assembly also decided against removing Cuomo’s emergency powers, and blocked legislation to increase penalties for assaulting a police officer.

For the first time in more than 100 years, Buffalo will be the home of a Major League Baseball Team.  Late Friday night Governor Cuomo announced that the Toronto Blue Jays will be coming to Sahlens field in Buffalo.  The blue jays had to fly away from their home at Rogers Center in Toronto as the Canadian government would not allow them to travel back and forth over the border to the US because of Coronavirus.  Pennsylvania would not let them play at PNC Park for similar reasons.  The Jays were concerned about Sahlens Field as the lighting and Clubhouse amenities are not up to MLB standards.  Their practice team will be going to Frontier field in Rochester.

After the announcement that Michael Tomaszewski was facing felony charges for allegedly stealing funds from dozens of families in the Batavia area another funeral home association has stepped in to help.   Bohm Calarco Smith, HE Turner and company and the other funeral homes in their group have offered to help recover the funds and possibly donate services to those who were victimized.  Tomaszewski is alleged to have stolen from 91 customers including elderly persons.

The Genesee Orleans county health departments released yesterday that there is 1 new case of covid 19 in Genesee county and none in Orleans.  9 new people are on travel quarantine in Genesee county and 9 new people are also on travel quarantine in Orleans.  There are a total of 8 active cases in Genesee county and 1 in Orleans.

New Yorkers will once again be able to apply for the Trusted Traveler program.  The department of Homeland Security said late Thursday that it was opening up the program which allows for faster processing at international ports and airports as New York is now sharing DMV information with the federal agencies for people enrolling in these programs.  Governor Cuomo has asked for an investigation into the ban which he says was political extortion that hurt New Yorkers and may have contributed to the spread of covid 19. Albany has still maintained it will not share DMV information with ICE or Border Patrol and DHS is working with the Justice Department to take further legal actions against New York over those restrictions.

The new law requiring police departments across New York state to make public any disciplinary records has been halted by a federal judge in New York City.  Judge Katherine Failla granted a temporary restraining order on Wednesday barring police departments and law enforcement agencies in the state from disclosing discipline records until at least Aug. 18 which is when a union lawsuit against their release will be argued.

Governor Cuomo said in a press conference today that there is still hope of the Toronto Blue Jays coming to Buffalo.  Cuomo said that he had had a very good conversation with the MLB commissioner this morning and if it is going to happen, I’d rather it happen here, its good for buffalo.

Michael Tomaszewski

Funeral Director Michael Tomaszewski is facing felony charges for allegedly pocketing Pre-need funeral payments.
The Sheriff’s Office says the scam bilked almost a hundred local families out of more than a half-million dollars.
The 48 year old Tomaszewski is accused of accepting the payments and not depositing the funds in trust accounts as required by law.
He is facing of grand larceny and falsifying business records.
Tomaszewski operates a funeral home bearing his name on West Main Street in Batavia and also the Dibble Family Event Center next door.
Tomaszewski was arraigned in county court late yesterday and then released on his own recognizance.

Jacob Sponaugle

Batavia police, with the help of F-9’s, search an area of Monclair Avenue and Vernon Place, looking for evidence related to Wednesday night’s shooting near the Days Inn.
The suspect in the shooting is identified as 21 year old Jacob Sponaugle lives on Montclair Ave.
He’s accused of shooting an acquaintance near the Days Inn Wednesday night in an apparent argument over a gun sale.
The victim of that shooting has not been identified by police. He suffered a non-life threatening wound to the upper chest.
Sponaugle has been charged with attempted murder and first degree assault. He is in the Genesee County Jail.

Governor Cuomo is sounding the alarm about the increase in COVID-19 cases among New York’s youngest residents. The governor says a campaign is being launched to warn people in their 20s and 30s about the dangers of coronavirus and how easily it’s spread.

A Batavia resident in their 20’s is the latest positive case of COVID-19 in Genesee County. There were no new cases of coronavirus reported over the past 24 hours in Orleans County.

The Buffalo Bills say season ticket holders for the upcoming 2020 campaign are eligible for refunds. And the team says those people can get their money back while maintaining their seat location and seniority for 2021. There’s no word yet if the Bills will play their home games in Orchard Park in front of fans due to questions surrounding the coronavirus. Season ticket holders have until August 14th to request a refund.

Michael S. Tomaszewski

Local funeral director Michael S. Tomaszewski, 48, is being charged with 91 counts of failure to deposit monies paid in advance in connection with agreements for funeral merchandise or services.

He has been arrested following an investigation by the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office.

The Sheriff’s Office opened an investigation into Tomaszewski after a client of the Office of the Aging received a complaint from a customer of the Michael S. Tomaszewski Funeral Home & Cremation Chapel.  The client expressed concern regarding a deposit made for pre-paid funeral arrangements.

The investigation led authorities to conclude that Tomaszewski had received pre-payments from 91 customers for which trust accounts were never opened.

When a funeral director receives pre-payment for funeral services, the director is required under NYS law to place the money in a trust account within 10 days.

Investigators believe no such accounts were ever opened.

Additionally, Tomaszewski is accused of receiving payment for two headstones, and gravesites that were never purchased.

The deposited ranged from $350 to $15,500.

It’s alleged that Tomaszewski’s customers sustained a total loss of approximately $525,000.

In February, Tomaszewski filed for bankruptcy in Federal Court.

Tomaszewski is charged with 61 counts of grand larceny 3rd, 29 counts of grand larceny 4th, three counts of petit larceny.

He is also charged with five counts of falsifying business records 1st.  He is accused of creating fake business documents reflecting non-existent account information for trust accounts.

The long-time funeral director, who also owns the Dibble Center, is also accused of knowingly sending fake documentation to DSS and is charged with offering a false instrument for filing 1st.

There are also two counts of scheme to defraud filed against Tomaszewski.  He is accused of engaging in a scheme constitution a systematic course of conduct with intent to defraud at least 10 people by making false promises to obtain money.  He is also accused of defrauding a vulnerable elderly person as defined by state law.

Today, Tomaszewski was arraigned in County Court by Judge Charles Zambito via Skype.  He was released on his own recognizance and is scheduled to appear in Batavia Town Court at 10 a.m., Sept. 17.

The investigation is ongoing and further charges are expected, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Anybody who wishes to check the status of any pre-paid account can call (800) 577-3752 to verify the existence of a pre-plan account.  Anybody who believes they are a victim is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at (585) 343-5000.

Jacob Sponaugle BPD Photo

News Release

On Wednesday, July 22, 2020 at around 9:30PM, the Genesee County 911 Center received a call for an apparent gunshot victim at 200 Oak Street, the Days Inn Hotel, in the City of Batavia. Upon arrival of City of Batavia Police Officers, a male victim was located with an apparent gunshot wound to the upper body area.

The victim was awake and alert. The victim was treated at the scene by the responding officers until the arrival of the City of Batavia Fire Department and Mercy Medics. The victim was then transported to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester via Mercy Flight with reported non-life-threatening injuries. A single white male was identified as the suspect, it was further reported that the suspect fled the scene in a white 4 door sedan, with a female passenger, prior to patrols arrival.

During the course of the investigation Officers determined the identity of the suspect, and lone assailant, to be Jacob Sponaugle, age 21, of Batavia. City of Batavia Police Officers and Detective Bureau members along with the assistance of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police – Batavia, Department of Environmental Conservation Police K-9 and members of the Genesee County Local Drug Task Force searched the area, interviewed witnesses and obtained video surveillance footage.

It was further determined that Sponaugle and the victim were acquaintances and that Sponaugle was at that address for the purpose of selling a firearm to another individual. With the assistance of key witnesses and the community, the suspect, Jacob J. Sponaugle was taken into custody at approximately 2:15 a.m. without incident outside of a residence on Montclair Avenue in the City.

Sponaugle faces the following charges and will be arraigned in Batavia City Court via Skype later today;

Attempted Murder in the 2nd Degree – 1 count
Assault in the 1st Degree – 1 count
Criminal Use of a Firearm in the 1st Degree – 2 counts
Aggravated Criminal Possession of a Weapon – 1 count
Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the 2nd Degree – 1 count
Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the 3rd Degree – 1 count

The Batavia Police would like to thank the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office; City of Batavia Fire Department; the New York State Police – Batavia; New York State Department of Environmental Conservation K-9,Mercy EMS, the Genesee County Local Drug Task Force, Genesee County 911 Center and Genesee County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance at the scene and the continued investigation.

The victim’s name is not being released at this time. Anyone with any further information is encouraged to contact the Batavia Police Department using the contact information below.

The Batavia Police Department can be reached at 585-345-6350, the confidential tip line at 585-345-6370 or online HERE

Police cordon off Days Inn on Oak St where victim of shooting was found  PHOTO Courtesy: The Batavian

Gunfire on Batavia’s north side.
A man stumbles into the lobby of the Days Inn on Oak Street around 9:30 last night with a gunshot wound to his chest.
Batavia Police Chief Shawn Heubusch was at the scene:

The victim was flown to Strong Hospital in Rochester.
He was conscious and alert and talking to police.
As of last night police said they did not know what triggered the gunfire. It appeared the victim was shot with a small caliber handgun.
Heubusch said there is a “person of interest” in the case they are looking for. He said he does not believe there is a threat to the general public.

Matt Landers, appointed County Manager

Matt Landers, the assistant Genesee County Manager, has been approved for the top job taking over for Jay Gsell by the middle of next month.
Landers said he’s ready for the job…

Landers is 43 and lives in Elba. He had worked in the treasurer’s office before becoming the assistant to Gsell.
Landers was also a former Republican Party Chairman in the county.
Gsell, who will retire on August 14th, was recognized for his energy and personality. He was described as a legend in county government.

It looks like there’s still a chance the Toronto Blue Jays could be playing games in Buffalo this season. Yesterday, Pennsylvania health officials scrapped the team’s plan to play their home contests in Pittsburgh due to concerns over the spread of coronavirus. Over the weekend, the Blue Jays were told they couldn’t use their traditional home field at Rogers Centre in Toronto for the same reason. Should the Blue Jays play locally, it would be at Sahlen Field, which is the home of their Triple A affiliate the Buffalo Bison’s.

Governor Cuomo says while New York is making progress in the fight against coronavirus residents still need to remain vigilant.
The governor is concerned about the growing number of COVID-19 cases nationwide and the possibility people from those hotspots could cause a spike in infections here.
The governor also said yesterday that the infection rate has actually gone down as the state’s economy reopened instead of going up.

Over the past 24-hours Genesee County has reported one new positive case of COVID-19…an individual in their 30’s living in Darien. Orleans County had no new cases.

The Batavia City Planning and Development committee voted to approve the construction of a new 2 story 20 bed detoxification center at the Atwater house residential facility located at 424 East Main St. here in Batavia.  The over 87 hundred square foot facility will serve the Genesee Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse campus and provide much needed space for dealing with those who have addictions to drugs or alcohol.  At the same meeting a renovation to the Save-A-Lot building was also approved.

Genesee Orleans county health departments announced yesterday that there is one new case of COVID 19 in both Genesee and Orleans counties.  2 people have recovered in Genesee county and 1 has recovered in Orleans.  15 new people are on travel quarantine in Genesee county and 45 new people are on travel quarantine in Orleans.  There are a total of 7 active cases in Genesee county and 2 in Orleans.

New York has added travelers from 10 more states to the list of people who must quarantine after arriving in the Empire State. Folks coming from places like Alaska, Virginia, Indiana, Maryland and Delaware need to isolate themselves for two weeks to make sure they’re not infecting people with coronavirus. Overall, there are now 31 states affected by the quarantine order. Visitors must reveal information about their trips to health officials, and if they don’t, they could be fined $2,000.

Newest COVID-19 stats for Genesee County: one new positive case in the past 24 hours. An individual in their 70’s, living in Batavia, has tested positive for the virus. No one here is hospitalized. Orleans County also added one new case.

The Toronto Blue Jays will not be using Buffalo’s Sahlen’s Field as their home site this season.
The Jays will be setting up shop in Pittsburgh’s PNC Park, home of the Pirates. Sahlen Field got serious consideration but ultimately required too many upgrades to bring its amenities to major-league standards.
There are conflicts between the Pirates and Blue Jays for seven of the 30 dates. One solution would be for those games to be moved to the opposing club’s park, with Toronto batting last as the home team.

Congressman Chris Jacobs is now officially representing the 27th District.
Jacobs was sworn-in by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi yesterday and will be serving on both the House Agriculture Committee and House Budget Committee.
Jacobs, a Republican, will go right back into campaign mode since he’s being challenged again in November by Democrat Nate McMurray.

If you’re one of the millions of New Yorkers who get cable TV service through Spectrum, prepare to hand over more money.
The company says starting in August it’ll be raising its rates by nearly three bucks a month to offset the increasing cost of local programming.
But, some customers could receive rebates if the amount of sports programming is cut due to the ongoing pandemic.
There will be no rate increase for Spectrum Voice, Mobile or Internet customers.

We are getting an idea of what school could be like in Batavia when, or if, classes resume this fall.
School administrators say a day could be spent in school, learning remotely, or a combination.
School Superintendent Anibal Soler updated the Board of Education last night on possible scenarios for Batavia schools.
The mix of in-class and online or remote learning, could be determined by the first letter of the student’s last name. For example, two days in school three days learning remotely from home.
Parents could opt for 100-percent virtual learning. Still others have said they don’t want their kids in school at all until a vaccine is available.
The plan is subject to change.

Three new positive cases of COVID-19 reported in Genesee County over the past 24 hours. Those individuals live in Batavia, Bergen and Corfu.
Two of the three are under 20, one is in their 50’s.
Two new positive cases were reported in Orleans County.

A Town of Alexander man is arrested on charge of producing child pornography.
40 year old Christopher Brown could get 15 to 30 years in prison if convicted.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said police, working online undercover, discovered a video allegedly produced by Brown using a hidden camera in his bathroom. Brown is being held in federal custody.

60 year old William Galiford of Reed Road, Bergen has been charged with drunk driving and driving a car that wasn’t his.
He was stopped last night near his home and allegedly started fighting with deputies. That earned him a charge of resisting arrest.
He was released with a court appearance ticket.

For the first time in months those of us living in the 27th Congressional District will have a representative in Washington.
Chris Jacobs is set to be sworn into office today.
The Republican beat Democrat Nate McMurray in a special election held last month. Jacobs will be finishing the term of ex Congressman Chris Collins who resigned after being arrested on federal insider trading charges.

Governor Cuomo is issuing a stern warning to bars and restaurants that have been violating reopening guidelines.
He says those businesses will be closed down if they don’t make sure customers are following social distancing protocols.
Large gatherings were reported across New York this weekend, which officials say could trigger a spike in coronavirus cases.

New numbers show the New York State is continuing to bounce back from the coronavirus pandemic.
Governor Cuomo says the number of New Yorkers hospitalized for treatment of COVID-19 is at its lowest level since mid-March.
In the Western New York region, the number of people who have tested positive for coronavirus has hovered above a one-percent average for the last few days.
In Genesee and Orleans County: the latest report showed two new positive cases in Genesee County and none in Orleans County.

The Toronto Blue Jays are looking for a new home and ….it could well be Buffalo.
The Canadian government says the Blue Jays can’t play at Rogers Centre in Toronto due to concerns over the coronavirus.
Sahlen Field is the home of the team’s Triple A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons. However, members of the Blue Jays say they’d prefer to take the field at a major league stadium. A decision is expected soon, since the 2020 Major League Baseball season starts in a few days.

Members of the state Legislature will get back to work today during a rare summer session, and they have a lot to do. They’re planning to tackle several issues in the coming days including the fallout of the coronavirus crisis, recreational marijuana legalization and new consumer protection measures. There will also likely be talks about how to close the state’s lingering multi-billion-dollar budget gap.

Gasoline prices have been rising with the temperature in Western New York. According to Triple A, the average cost for a gallon of regular is now $2.20. That’s up two cents from last week.
Gas buddy-dot-com reports the average price of a gallon of regular in Batavia is $2.22.

New rules: If you want to buy a drink, you must buy food.
The governor says this latest directive is aimed at cutting down on crowds gathering in bars during the pandemic. The new order also requires customers must be seated to order their alcohol and food – either at a table or socially distant at a bar.

A Darien Center man gets eight years in prison for child pornography.
30 year old Alexander Seegar of Darien was convicted of posing as a teenage boy sexting naughty pictures 10 to 12 year old girls in Niagara County. Seegar used the social media site Instagram to conduct his illicit photo sharing.

Another casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic are the fall state and regional high school sports championships.
The New York State Public High School Athletic Association has announced it’s delaying the start of the fall high school sports season and it’s cancelling the fall state and regional championships.
The fall sports season is scheduled to start September 21st.

A good day on the local COVID-19 front.
The health department reports no new positives cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours in either Genesee or Orleans counties.

A new statue of the abolitionist, Frederick Douglass, has been installed in Maplewood Park in Rochester.
The old statue was vandalized July 5th and torn from its base and left at the edge of the Genesee River gorge.
It could not be salvaged. It’s one of thirteen statues of Douglass put up around Rochester and the second to be vandalized.
The two men who were convicted of vandalizing the first statue helped install this latest statue.

Video available at The Batavian

The explosion could be heard all over LeRoy.
A natural gas powered Waste Management garbage truck failed to make it under the Mill Street railroad bridge yesterday afternoon.
LeRoy Police Officer Emily McNamarra explains what happened…

PHOTO: LeRoy Police Officer Emily McNamarra

 PHOTO: LeRoy Police Officer Emily McNamarra

There was no fire and no one was hurt.
The railroad bridge was damaged. Until repairs are made, there will be no train traffic on the bridge.

The Ellicott Trail, a pedestrian and bicycle path through the city and town of Batavia is officially open.
The project was more than three years in the making.
The Batavia Rotary Club donated bike racks and benches for the project.
The trail runs about four and a half miles.

One resident from Pembroke and another from Alexander have tested positive for COVID-19.
In Orleans County, another resident of the Orchard Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Medina has died from coronavirus related illness.
That brings the total deaths at that nursing home to 24 since the pandemic began.

The Buffalo Bills say their stadium in Orchard Park is about to undergo a name change.
The team announced that New Era has asked to be released from its naming-rights agreement.
Just when the change will take place and the new name for the stadium have not been announced.
New Era, best known for its baseball caps, has struggled financial during the coronavirus pandemic.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says schools in Western New York can’t reopen safely without more federal funding.
Schumer made the announcement while in Wyoming County yesterday.
Schumer is pushing legislation called the Coronavirus Child Care and Education Relief Act. If approved, it would provide 175 billion dollars in aid for schools nationwide.

July 15 is the deadline to file your taxes. Usually, it’s April 15, but the pandemic forced the move to today.

The New York State Tax Department will have representatives available until 7 tonight to help you with any last-minute filing questions. The number is 518-457-5181.

The state tax department is also encouraging taxpayers who earned $69,000 or less in 2019 to prepare and file their taxes for free through the state’s Free File software found on the tax department’s website. The state says more than 221,000 taxpayers have already done so, a 40 percent increase from last year.

Nursing home residents are getting the chance to see their loved ones in-person for the first time in months.
The state is easing visitor restrictions. Two visitors will be allowed at a time, and they must undergo temperature checks, wear face masks and stay six-feet away from patients.
In order for the nursing home to allow visitors it must not have had any new coronavirus cases among staff or residents for 28 days.
It is estimated however only 24 percent of nursing homes will qualify to welcome visitors today.
Nursing homes were closed off to visitors back in March to slow the spread of coronavirus.

It’s been a long time coming but the Ellicott Trail will open today.
A ceremonial ribbon cutting will be held this afternoon signaling the opening of the 4 and half mile trail from Seven Springs Road to Route 33 Pearl Street Road.
The trail was more than three years in the making.
It is only to be used by pedestrians and bicyclists.

No fall sports at GCC.
The decision affects men’s and women’s soccer, basketball, swimming and diving, as well as women’s volleyball.
GCC says the sports will be rescheduled from Fall 2020 to Spring 2021.

One name from the Bad Boys repoirt this morning: 42 year old Jeffrey Haibach of Pike Road in Batavia. He’s been charged with trespassing. Deputies say Jeffrey entered a neighbor’s home, without permission, and stayed there until his neighbors came home.
Haibach has a court appearance ticket.

There is a food distribution today at Northgate Free Methodist Church on Bank Street Road.
The distribution begins at 9 this morning.
Be sure to have your truck cleaned out so that it can hold 3 to 4 boxes of food.
Stay in your car as volunteers will load the food for you.
If you are picking up food for someone else, be sure to have ID showing the separate address.

The polls have been closed for weeks, and it looks like there might soon be a winner in the 27th Congressional District race. The latest absentee ballot results show Republican State Senator Chris Jacobs with a five-point lead over Democrat Nate McMurray. Jacobs declared victory on primary night, but McMurray has refused to concede until all the votes are counted. Whoever comes out on top will finish the term of ex-Republican Congressman Chris Collins.

City Council is poised to deny a request by a popular downtown restaurant to pop up a tent for outdoor dining.
Vic Marchese is the owner of Main Street Pizza. He says the lack of outdoor seating is hurting his business…

Marchese was applying for temporary permission to set up tables in a tent in parking spaces adjacent to his building.
The city hall balked at the idea. They cited too few parking spaces already and traffic congestion.
Councilman Ron Viele supported Marchese

Later, during the council’s business meeting, it approved a plan to allow Eli Fish to set up 12 outdoor tables in the city owned Jackson Square.

The council later approved a deer management plan for the city.
The plan allows archery hunters to take up to 65 deer during the designated hunting season. There are lots of conditions for the hunt.
The City of Batavia has dealt with an over-population deer for years.

Fire in Pavilion sends a young boy to the hospital with smoke inhalation.
Fire started in the living room of a home along Ellicott Street Road just south of Telephone Road yesterday afternoon.
County Fire coordinator Tim Yeager was there…

PHOTO: Genesee County Fire Coordinator Timothy Yeager

The boy, said to be 10 or 11 years old, is OK.
Two pets – a dog and cat perished in the fire – but another dog was rescued..
Officials believe the fire started in a faulty window air conditioner.

It was some kind of chase.
A State Trooper in took off in pursuit of a car emblazoned with the word “security” along its side.
The chase started on Park Road last night as the security car exited the Red Roof Inn, with no lights, It ended with the suspect car getting stuck trying to drive onto the Thruway behind the Hershey’s building. There were three people in the car which was later determined to have been stolen from Rochester. Troopers at the scene declined further details.

Travelers who arrive in New York from states with a high number of coronavirus cases will need to fill out some paperwork, or face a penalty. Officials say anyone who lands at an airport in New York State has to reveal their travel plans, and if they refuse, they could be fined two-thousand dollars. The state health department says the requirement is needed after thousands of travelers declined to fill out the forms voluntarily.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Governor Cuomo announced during his press briefing today that schools in regions that are in phase 4 may reopen in the fall if the region they are in have less than 5% infection rate on average for 14 days.  Schools themselves must follow health department guidelines.  The health department’s guidelines include masks and PPE whenever students or staff cannot maintain social distancing.  It also includes guidelines on cleaning, screening, tracing, transportation and food service.  Schools will have to close if infection rates climb above 9% over a 7 day average.  Final plans must be submitted to the state health department by July 31^st and final decisions will be made the week of August 1st-7th.

Genesee Community College has announced that it’s fall sports will be cancelled due to the coronavirus.  Men’s and women’s soccer, basketball, swimming and diving, and women’s volleyball will all be affected by this decision.  Most of region 3 colleges are doing the same thing.  Assistant Vice President of student engagement and inclusion Kristen Schuth says that this is the best path for GCC to ensure the safety and well being of student athletes coaches and training staff and that she looks forward to the day when it is safe for the fields and floors of GCC to hold competitions again.

Gas prices continue to be down in western NY but are rising slowly across the us.  The national average for regular unleaded is $2.20 which is 2 cents higher than a week ago.  Last year it was $2.79.  The Western NY average is $2.21 cents, down 2 cents from last week.  Last year the average across NY was $2.89.

Batavia police this morning announce a string of recent arrests.
29 year old Jennifer Hogan of Buell Street behind bars on a robbery charge from last year.
Jennifer and her boyfriend were stopped in Livingston County last week and are facing drug charges .During the course of that investigation police discovered the outstanding robbery warrant against Jennifer.
She’s now in the custody of the Genesee County Jail.

Latayfa Franklin of Buffalo has been arrested for endangering the welfare of an incompetent person. Batavia Police say Latayfa allegedly blocked the nose and mouth of a person on Bank Street.
Latayfa’s been released under supervision.

A Liberty Street woman arrested for harassment following a neighborhood fracas.
BPD says 31 year old Rae Cook hauled off and slugged a neighbor.
Rae was given a court appearance ticket.

The Catholic Diocese of Buffalo is mourning the loss of its former leader. Retired Bishop Edward Kmiec passed away over the weekend at the age of 84 following an illness. Kmiec was the 13th bishop of Buffalo from 2004 until he retired in 2012.

A plan intended to harvest up to 60 deer per year with bow hunting is expected to be presented to Batavia City Council tonight.
It’s an effort to control the deer population in the city.
Hunters would need a license and hunt only during specified times in specified areas.
The plan was drafted in consultation with the state department of environmental conservation.
The meeting will be held at 7 tonight in the city council board room at city hall. Face masks and social distancing required.

State education officials will be meeting today to discuss guidelines that’ll be in place should kids return to class in September. School districts have been working on their own plans but are also waiting for regulations to officially be announced. Governor Cuomo said last week a decision on whether students are back in class will be made in early August. They were sent home back in March to try and slow the spread of COVID-19.

Genesee Orleans county health departments announced Friday that there are 2 new cases of COVID 19 in Genesee county and 1 in Orleans.  3 people have recovered in Genesee county and 3 people are on travel quarantine in Orleans.  There are a total of 5 active cases in Genesee county and 2 in Orleans county.

On Friday Governor Cuomo announced that beaches across NY State may reopen their concessions starting Sunday July 12^th.   The concessions must adhere to the same restrictions as restaurants including mask wearing and social distancing

Nursing homes are now allowed to have visitors according to Dr Howard Zucker state department health commissioner.  Nursing homes that have not had a case of COVID 19 for 28 days may allow up to 10 percent of residents to have up to 2 visitors per day.  Masks and screenings will be required as residents at nursing homes and in long term care are the most vulnerable to Coronavirus.

The unofficial counts are in, at least in Genesee county.  In the 61^st state senate democratic primary Kim Smith came out on top with 1083 votes and in the 27^th congressional seat special election republican Chris Jacobs lead with over 6000 votes to Democrat Nate Mcmurray’s near 3800.  Tallys are not done in other counties and we can expect final results sometime Monday.

The survey being conducted in Batavia over school reopening so far shows that 2 thirds of residents want kids back in school with a regular schedule and social distancing and masks when possible.  “Most of our parents want in-person classrooms and so do we,” said Superintendent Anibal Soler Jr.  The only area that parents weren’t mostly in favor of was busing, with 66 percent of respondents saying they would drive their own children and only 28 percent saying they were comfortable with busing even with sanitizing.  The survey concludes on Monday.

A Zebu, type of animal that attacked caretaker. Courtesy: thecalifornian.com

An employee of the Hidden Valley Animal Adventure park in Wyoming County is recovering today from injuries she suffered from an animal attack.
The incident happened around Noon yesterday at the park in Varysburg.
The employee, believed to be in her 30’s and identified only as a caretaker of the animals, was injured by a Zebu, a kind of humpback cattle.
The caretaker was flown to hospital by Mercy Flight with injuries to her head and ribs. The injuries are believed not  to be life threatening.
The animal had recently given birth.

The park released a statement reminding visitors not to attempt to feed or touch any newborn animals.
Four years ago, park owner Hans Boxler was trampled to death by an antelope that has escaped from its pen.

As the heat wave continues to grip Western New York the county’s health department is asking all of us to save water.
Even though the Heat Advisory expires tonight excessive heat and humidity is expected for another three days.
The health department has outlined a number of ways you can save water:
Avoid filling swimming pools, watering lawns and washing cars.
Use your dishwasher and washing machines only for full loads.
Check faucets for leaks and take shorter showers.
If voluntary measures are unsuccessful, mandatory conservation may be enforced.

Absentee ballot counting continues in the 27th Congressional District race this week, and the race is getting tighter.
Democrat Nate McMurray is now just nine points behind Republican State Senator Chris Jacobs. Jacobs had been ahead by 31 points on primary day.
While he still needs a large number of absentee ballots to go his way, McMurray refuses to concede.
The winner of this election will finish the unexpired term of former Congressman Chris Collins.

A traffic stop in Livingston County leads to felony charges for a Batavia couple.
David Vega and Jennifer Hogan are facing charges after allegedly giving phony names to police.
Vega was also charged with driving under the influence of drugs and driving with a license that had been suspended 31 times.
Hogan had an outstanding warrant in Batavia for Robbery.
Both were released under the new bail reform measures.

One new case of COVID-19 reported in Genesee County in the past 24 hours.
A person in their 50’s from Darien has tested positive.
No one in the county is hospitalized due to coronavirus.

After being shut down for months to prevent the spread of coronavirus, malls across Upstate New York will finally have shoppers inside them today.
Malls will need to make sure people stay six feet apart, establish designated delivery areas and have special air filters installed.
The number of employees and shoppers is also being capped at no more than half of a mall’s maximum capacity.

According to the local weather forecast, Genesee County is expected to endure at least three more days of excessive heat and humidity. It is expected that very high levels of water consumption will continue throughout this period.

To avoid an emergency situation, all residents served by the GCPWS water system are asked to do their part to conserve water. Guidelines to save water include:

1. Avoid filling swimming pools.
2. Avoid watering lawns and washing cars.
3. Use your automatic dishwasher only for full loads.
4. Use your automatic washing machine only for full loads.
5. If you wash your dishes by hand, do not leave the water running for rinsing.
6. Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator to keep it cool instead of running the water.
7. Check faucets and pipes for leaks. Leaks waste water 24 hours a day, seven days a week and often can be repaired with an inexpensive washer.
8. Check your toilets for leaks. To test for leaks, add a small amount of food coloring to the toilet tank. If, without flushing, the color begins to appear in the bowl, you have a leak that should be repaired immediately.
9. Take shorter showers. Long showers can waste five to 10 gallons every extra minute.
10. Install water-saving showerheads or flow restrictors. Area hardware or plumbing supply stores stock inexpensive water-saving showerheads or restrictors that are easy to install.

    We need your help. If voluntary conservation measures are unsuccessful, mandatory water conservation may be enforced. Questions may be directed to the Genesee County Department of Health.

11. The Genesee County Department of Health can be reached at (585) 344-2580, ext. 5555 or:  Health.Dept@co.genesee.ny.us

The Genesee County Job Development Bureau is having the summer youth employment program this summer and they need 45 young people between the ages of 14 and 20.  Most of the jobs will be outdoor work to help with social distancing and hygiene requirements.  Interviews will be July 13-17th For more information contact the Genesee county career center.

An alternative court for minor offenders in either school or by law enforcement is available.  Set up as a court of their peers, youth court has judges from 8^th to 11^th grade.  Youth Court members learn about the judicial process and law enforcement, group decision making; develop their public speaking skills; participate in a great leadership opportunity; and learn and participate in all roles of the courtroom: judge, prosecution, defense, and bailiff.  The application deadline to be a member of the Youth court is July 31^st.

The Genesee Orleans county health departments announced yesterday that there are 2 new cases of Covid 19 in Genesee county and none in Orleans county.  1 person has recovered in Genesee county.  The health department are now including people who are on quarantine from traveling.  6 people in Genesee county are on travel quarantine and 9 people in Orleans county are on travel quarantine.  There are 5 active cases in Genesee county and 1 in Orleans.

Although Albany has not announced when Amusement parks can open, a group is trying to revive a dead one in Western New York state.  Empire Adventures is attempting to raise money through a go fund me and loans with banks and investors to restart the 59 year old amusement park on Grand Island.  Although it wont be ready for this season, they hope to celebrate Fantasy islands 60^th anniversary in 2021 with a functioning and fun park.

For the first time in months, shoppers in Western New York will be heading back to the malls tomorrow.
Governor Cuomo has given shopping centers outside of New York City the green light to reopen.
However, the malls must have the proper air filters installed to lower the risk of coronavirus infection. Malls are also being required to constantly check those filters to make sure they’re working correctly.
There’s still no word yet on when gyms, fitness centers or amusement parks can reopen.

Western New York could tie a record today for the longest string of 90-degree days.
A heat advisory remains in effect for Genesee County and today could be the hottest so far.
Tropical humidity will make the near record high temperatures feel like triple digit heat.
Ozone and other pollution levels will be high.

Governor Cuomo says students, teachers and parents won’t have to wait too much longer to find out if schools will reopen this fall. The governor said yesterday a final decision will be made in early August, a few weeks ahead of the traditional start of the school year in September.

From the bad boys report this morning:
31 year old Colby Ellis of Albion is behind bars this morning.
Ellis arrested by Genesee County Deputies on charges of burglary and petty larceny.
He is accused of violating a stay away order of protection in Alexander.

Two new positive cases of COVID-19 in Genesee County over the past 24 hours.
The positive individuals reside in Batavia and Darien. One of the positive individuals is in their 40’s and one is in their 60’s.
No Genesee County resident is hospitalized with coronavirus.

The stars of NASCAR will not be making their usual visit to New York State’s Finger Lakes region this summer.
NASCAR officials say the upcoming Cup Series race, scheduled for August 16th, will now be moved to the road course at Daytona International Speedway.
The decision to take The Glen off the schedule for the first time in decades is due to quarantine requirements for out-of-state visitors.
Since NASCAR teams are based out of North Carolina, they’d be required to isolate for two weeks after arriving.

Governor Cuomo announced today that malls will be allowed to reopen on Friday July 10^th in regions that are already in phase 4 of the NYS reopening plan provided they have MERV 11 or higher rated air filters in place.  Merv 9-12 are the most commonly used and recommended household filters.  Merv 11 may filter out the.125 micron virus particles but experts warn that a good filtration system won’t help people who are close together or not wearing masks and may not slow the spread at all given how open and high ceilinged malls are to begin with as the virus likely won’t even make it into the system.

Governor Cuomo announced today a deadline for schools to have a reopening plan in place.  The governor said that an announcement about schools will come on July 13^th and that schools will have until July 31^st to submit a plan to the State.  The final decision will be made sometime between August 1 and 7.

Western NY has a problem with feeding its children.  The organization Feeding America estimates that before the pandemic and associated shutdowns nearly 55 thousand children in Western NY were food insecure, meaning that they didn’t know where the next meal would be coming from and the amount of food the children were getting wasn’t enough for them to be active, alert and growing.  During the pandemic that number has grown to nearly 80 thousand.  Food banks and giveaways, mostly at churches, help the situation and help families during these uncertain times.  Feeding America urges people in Western NY to donate to places that are doing these giveaways and support your neighbors.

https://www.feedingamerica.org/

Florida has renewed it’s state of emergency over the rise of covid cases and also renewed the quarantine order for travelers coming from NY, New Jersey and Connecticut to the sunshine state.  Florida has set up checkpoints on major thoroughfares into the state from the tri-state area and will place travelers from the 3 states into a 14 day quarantine.

State Assemblyman Steve Hawley of Batavia says he’s signed on to a Republican plan to re-open schools this fall.
Hawley says the GOP plan will explores potential solutions for each level of education and social interactions.
The Cuomo administration has yet to release guidelines for re-opening schools this fall but has directed individual school districts to draft their own contingency plans.

The latest COVID-19 report: No new positive cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours in either Genesee or Orleans Counties.
The health department says no one is hospitalized with COVID-19 illness in Genesee County and only four people are in Mandatory isolation.

Governor Cuomo is asking travelers from three more states to quarantine for two weeks after arriving in New York.
With the number of coronavirus cases growing in Kansas, Oklahoma and Delaware, travelers from there are being asked to isolate themselves.
There are now 19 states covered by the Governor’s quarantine order.
The state Health Department is asking travelers to voluntarily fill out forms revealing details about their trips…but few have.

Day two of the Western New York Heat Advisory. Heat index values will reach into the mid-90’s today…near 100 tomorrow and Friday.
Drink plenty of fluids, try to stay out of the sun. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances.

The Town of Batavia will be experiencing low-water pressure in the western and northwestern parts of town.
Due to high water demands, the County is obtaining water from alternate connections. This lowers water pressure.
The town says will continue until further notice.

State Police have announced the results of their recent holiday weekend crackdown on illegal fireworks.
Troopers targeted people who were bringing the contraband into New York from Pennsylvania.
Troopers confiscated $27,000 worth of illegal fireworks.

Genesee Orleans COVID 19 Report Since Thursday:

Orleans county had 0 cases of covid 19

Genesee county had 3 new cases

3 people in Genesee county have recovered and none are hospitalized

Orleans county still has 7 people hospitalized

There are 5 total active cases of covid 19 in Genesee county and 2 in Orleans

Governor Cuomo announced today that 3 more states are on the quarantine list. Visitors to the empire state coming from Delaware, Kansas and Oklahoma will now be subject to a 14 day quarantine. These join 16 other states for a total of 19 states that New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have deemed to be having too many coronavirus cases. According to the Governor’s Office, the quarantine applies to any person arriving from a state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a 7-day rolling average or a state with a 10% or higher positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average.

42 year old Jeremy Fairbanks and 35 year old Leah Kelly both of Batavia are each charged with 306 counts of criminal contempt in the second degree after being arrested over a complaint of violation of a court order. Fairbanks was arrested on the 2nd and Kelly was arrested on July 5th.

New York State’s Health Commissioner deflecting blame away from his boss for contributing to the high number of coronavirus deaths in New York State nursing homes.
Dr. Howard Zucker says Governor Cuomo’s executive order requiring nursing homes to accept COVID-19 patients was not a significant factor in the deaths. Rather, Zucker says, it was nursing home staff and visitors that caused the increase.
In Orleans County alone, 53 residents of two nursing homes – one in Albion and one in Medina – died from COVID-19 related illness.

Governor Cuomo says while the state’s COVID-19 numbers continue in a positive direction, he’s continuing to raise the alarm about case totals in other states. He called it “frightening” that other regions are reporting increased numbers, saying an outbreak anywhere means a potential outbreak everywhere.
That said, in New York indicators are positive, including the lowest number of new hospitalizations since March 18th.
Cuomo maintains that recent cases in New York have been tracked back to people traveling from out of state.

Genesee Community College has announced plans to bring students back to campus in a limited capacity.
GCC has outlined a series of COVID-19 safety measures for in-person classes.
All classrooms and labs have been measured to determine maximum capacity, all College Village residence bedrooms will be converted to singles and dining services will be limited to single-serve or take out items.
There are a number of other measures, all are available on our website.

A Heat Advisory officially takes effect today for Genesee County and all of Western New York.
Expect heat Index values in the mid 90’s for today and tomorrow and near 100 Thursday and Friday.

For the first time in over 70 years, thousands of people will not be heading to Syracuse for the New York State Fair. Governor Cuomo announced yesterday the popular event has been canceled as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

NEWS Release: GCC

BATAVIA  GCC unveiled a series of plans for the Fall 2020 semester to bring students back to campus in a limited capacity, while operating numerous courses through remote delivery. The Fall 2020 plans include a blend of learning modalities featuring a robust number of online, hybrid and HyFlex classes, and all in-person instruction will follow the College’s COVID-19 safety measures such as:

• All classrooms and labs have been assessed to determine the maximum capacity while adhering to social distancing guidelines.
• Maximizing GCC’s hybrid and HyFlex learning environments that strategically combine in-person and online instruction.
• Labs requiring face-to-face, hands-on learning will be separated in multiple sections as needed to reduce classroom density.
• All College Village residence bedrooms will be converted to singles with one student per private room.
• The services that students rely on, such as the Library and Tutoring and Testing Centers as well as campus study spaces will be available for use following social distancing rules.
• Dining services will open but will focus on single-serve items and take-out items.
• While some programs and activities will look different in the Fall semester, GCC is committed to providing a vibrant student engagement experience for all students.

“We will remain vigilant throughout the duration of this pandemic, continuously monitoring health conditions and working to mitigate the spread of the virus,” James M. Sunser, Ed.D., president of GCC said. “The hard work and cooperation of everyone today helps ensure we remain healthy and safe tomorrow and can have a successful academic year.”

College officials are currently gearing up to welcome back staff and faculty on a reduced capacity as well, beginning Monday, July 6, 2020.

“The past four months have been an extraordinarily challenging time. There are so many moving parts in a college campus that I must commend our campus community who have teamed up to maintain as many critical services as possible, allowing us to be prepared for this fall,” Dr. Sunser said. “This included modifying workflows, teaching and working remotely, learning and introducing new technologies, and sometimes discovering new efficiencies or new opportunities, such as our Virtual Commencement Ceremony. It is no accident that GCC continues to have no documented positive cases of COVID-19, a true testament to our collective commitment to strategically tackle this crisis.”

Employees received a five-page “Welcome Back” guideline outlining all the new facets of working on campus that includes social distancing, mask wearing and multiple steps to reduce the density of the campus population. The most salient features of the Re-opening Plan include but are not limited to:

• Only employees with a valid ID are allowed on campus at this time.
• All persons will be given a brief verbal screening about their physical health and an infrared, touch-free temperature reading by a member of the College’s Health or Campus Safety Office, who will have the authority to deny access to anyone deemed at risk for the COVID-19 virus.
• Many departments are staggering summer staffing to reduce GCC population density.
• Maintain a six-foot distance from other people at all times, avoid physical contact such as handshakes, and wear a face mask in all shared spaces.
• Most meetings will continue to be held remotely and many areas of the College will remain closed this summer, such as dining services, as they are prepared for fall configuration.
• GCC’s Buildings and Grounds Department will be cleaning and disinfecting common areas and frequently touched surfaces throughout each day, and each department and individual will be asked to clean and disinfect individual workstations and equipment using College provided supplies.

GCC posts the latest updates and information on the College’s COVID19 webpage that is available from the College’s homepage on its main website, www.genesee.edu.

The National Weather Service has posted a heat advisory for tomorrow through the end of the week for all of Western New York including Genesee County.
Heat index values in the mid-90’s are expected tomorrow and Wednesday, then near 100 Thursday and Friday.
The highest heat index values will be inland from the Lake Ontario shore.
The Weather Service says hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses to occur. Warm overnight low temperatures will make it difficult to cool buildings without air conditioning.

Rochester police are asking for help in finding out who damaged the Frederick Douglass statue in Maplewood Rose Garden. The statue was found removed from its base yesterday and discovered about 50 feet away from the pedestal. It’s now being sent for repairs.
Frederick Douglass was an American social reformer, abolitionist, and statesman. After escaping from slavery in Maryland, he became a national leader of the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts and New York.

New York State is continuing to make progress in the ongoing battle against coronavirus.
Governor Cuomo says fewer than one-percent of State residents who were tested Saturday received a positive result.
However, eight more people did die due to the illness, pushing the statewide total closer to 25-thousand.

Western New York drivers are continuing to find consistent prices at the gas pump.
According to Triple A, the average cost for a gallon of regular gas is $2.20. That’s down a penny from last week.
Gas Buddy-dot-com shows the average price of a gallon of regular in Batavia at $2.25.

News Release From Rochester Regional Health:

We have heard of confusion based on the announcement from Governor Andrew Cuomo this week concerning statewide COVID-19 testing being free and open to all patients. We want to clarify to the public what this means.

As per the statement on the ny.govwebsite, if you go to a New York State testing site, it is free and anyone can get tested. If you go to any other site that is not state-run, you must follow the requirements of the specific organization, hospital, company, etc. set forth as far as testing.

At Rochester Regional testing sites we are still not testing everyone. There are certain criteria.

Right now, the closest state-run (free) testing site in the area is Monroe Community College. If any individual wants to get tested, they can do so at this site for free. This is the site (locally) Governor Cuomo was referring to when he said anyone can get tested for free.

This is a fluid situation and testing requirements may change. We will update the public as needed.

Here’s a link to test sites: https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/find-test-site-near-you

Please call the testing site or your health care provider before you go for testing.

If you go to a test site run by New York State, there is never any charge for your test.

If you go to a test site operated by local governments, private companies including pharmacies and medical practices or not-for-profit organizations, you are advised to check with the testing site and your insurer in advance of being tested to confirm you will not be responsible for any fees associated with your test.

MORNING NEWS BRIEFING

A new president has been named for the Board of Education in Batavia.
She is Alice Ann Benedict, a former board president.
She replaces 30 year Board veteran Patrick Burke who has announced plans to retire from the board at the end of the year.
Benedict had served as a board member from 1995 to 2006.
She was re-appointed to the Board in May to fill a vacancy and then was elected to a full three year term last month.

Genesee County Sheriff’s arrested 22 year old Elis Salkic of Adele Drive in Greece following a traffic stop on Tuesday evening. Deputies stopped the vehicle on Richmond ave in the city after it ran a stop sign. Salkic was charged with AUO 3rd, Unlawful possession of Marijuana, operating a vehicle while using an electronic device and failure to stop at a stop sign. Salkic was found to be driving on a suspended license and given appearance tickets for 8/18 at BCC

• Genesee County received 1 new positive case of COVID-19 for a total of 225 positive cases
o The positive individual resides in Oakfield.
o The positive individual is in their 20’s.
o The positive individual was on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
o Currently no individuals are hospitalized and no individuals have been released from mandatory quarantine.
• Orleans County received 1 new positive case of COVID-19 today for a total of 267 positive cases
o The positive individual resides in Clarendon.
o The positive individual is in their 50’s.
o The positive individual was not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
o No individuals have been released from mandatory quarantine.
o 7 of the total active positive cases are hospitalized.

Genesee county sheriff’s continue to respond to multiple calls over the last week to people that have been swimming illegally at various locations. One of the most popular spots had visitors last night
Nine people reportedly climbed the rocks and jumped into the falls below Indian Falls Log Cabin Restaurant at 1227 Gilmore Road in Corfu. Genesee County Sheriff’s deputies are responded issuing warnings and trespass violations.

As we approach the July 4^th Independence Day Holiday, Fire Chief Stefano Napolitano of the City of Batavia Fire Department would like to remind the residents of the City of what sparkling devices are allowed by law. “We want to ensure that our residents enjoy the holiday in a safe and responsible manner” said Napolitano.

According to the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services “Sparking Devices” are considered, “ground based or handheld devices that produce a shower of colored sparks and or a colored flame, audible crackling or whistling noise and smoke.”

Napolitano also stated, “These sparkling devices can only be bought and sold from June 1st to July 5th and from December 26th to January 1^st in any given year.” Furthermore, the law states that “Sales of sparkling devices by certified temporary stands or tents can only occur from June 20^th to July 5^th and December 26^th to January 1^st in any given year.”

According to Napolitano, allowable sparkling devices under the law are sparkling fountains, sparklers on wooden sticks (not metal sticks), smoking devices, snakes confetti-filled party poppers and paper-wrapped snappers. Non-allowable and illegal devices include firecrackers, bottle rockets, roman candles and any other aerial devices.

As a result of COVID-19 cancelling many public fireworks displays, Chief Napolitano recommends the following alternatives to celebrate the 4^th of July Holiday without fireworks. Furthermore, these alternatives are pet and children friendly.

• Use glow sticks, they glow in the dark and are a safe alternative to a sparkler.
• Use noise makers. They can be found at a local party supply store.
• Red, white and blue silly string.
• Outdoor movie night. Set up a television or screen and projector.
• Make patriotic crafts with the family.

Lastly, Napolitano states,” It is important to take the necessary fire safety precautionary steps when using these devices. Last year there were a report 18,500 fireworks related injuries in the United States each year.”

If any resident has questions regarding what is allowable or would like information regarding safety precautions, they can call the City of Batavia Fire Headquarters at 585-345-6375.

For the second day in a row there have been no new COVID-19 cases in in Genesee County.
As of late yesterday, no individuals are hospitalized with coronavirus in the county.
While the number of new cases of coronavirus are steadily dropping statewide, the state is urging all New Yorkers to get tested for COVID-19. Previously, screening was limited to nursing home staff, essential employees and people who were exposed to the virus, but now everyone is eligible to get tested. The nearest Batavia testing site is United Memorial Medical Center.

Genesee County’s Economic Development agency is expected to take final action today on a 1.4-million dollar project that will transform the YWCA building on North Street.
The project calls for expanding the Three Little Birds pediatric medical practice inside the YW.
The YW will remain in the building as a tenant. The medical practice is seeking various tax incentives.
The YWCA was forced to sell their building to help get out from under a financial crisis that that threatened the agency’s existence two years ago.

Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, City of Batavia Police Department and the Village of LeRoy Police Department will participate in a special enforcement effort to crackdown on impaired driving.
The statewide STOP-DWI Crackdown efforts start on July 3rd and will end on July 6th. The Fourth of July extended weekend is historically a deadly period for impaired driving.

If you are planning some yard work this weekend note that Batavia’s Yard Waste Station on Law Street will be closed. The facility will shut down tomorrow and Saturday and will not re-open with regular hours until Monday.

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) board of directors will consider final approvals for a $1.4 million mixed-use proposal by Fraser-Branche Property, LLC at the agency’s July 2, 2020 board meeting.

Fraser-Branche Property, LLC is proposing to remodel the majority of the 13,000 square-foot YWCA facility in the city of Batavia to enable the expansion of the Three Little Birds Pediatrics medical practice. The remainder of the facility will support the YWCA and other existing tenants.

A public hearing on the proposed incentives was held November 20, 2019.

Fraser-Branche Property, LLC’s proposed investment contributes to Genesee County’s growth strategy in the city of Batavia through the Batavia Pathway to Prosperity (BP2).

Launched by Genesee County, the City of Batavia, the Batavia City School District and the GCEDC, the BP2 program provides support to future brownfield redevelopment projects through the benefits generated by projects in the city of Batavia.

Because of the COVID19 pandemic the meeting will be conducted via conference and on-line at www.gcedc.com.

Joshua Blessed

58 year old Joshua Blessed of Virginia may have had bigger and more sinister plans on his mind when he plowed his tractor trailer along a multi-county police pursuit.
That chase began on May 27th in LeRoy and ended in a hail of gunfire in Geneseo, and ended with police eventually shooting Blessed to death in the cab of his truck.
As part of the investigation, police searched Blessed’s home in Virginia where they found 14 improvised explosive devices or IED’s, two AK-47’s, thousands of rounds of ammunition and over $100,000 in cash.

Livingston County Sheriff Tom Dougherty says with that arsenal, he had bigger plans but it all started with a scheduled delivery in Batavia…

In all police said Blessed fired at least 24 rounds at them from a 9mm Glock striking several police vehicles and ramming others with his truck.
Law enforcement fired over 120 rounds to stop him.

A new poll shows New Yorkers are in support of recent policing reforms passed by the state Legislature.
Eighty percent of people surveyed by Siena College said they agreed with the new laws which include a ban on the use of chokeholds and making the disciplinary records of officer’s public.
Seventy percent of New York State residents also said they have a favorable view of their local police department.

There will be no minor league baseball played this year. The word is now official.
No Buffalo Bisons, Rochester Red Wings and no Batavia Muckdogs baseball.
While baseball will be back in Buffalo and Rochester, not so for Batavia. The NYP League which owned the Muckdogs has all but disbanded.

The last 24 hours has been good on the coronavirus front locally.
There were no new positive cases of COVID-19 reported in Genesee or Orleans counties.

A food distribution is planned for today.
City Church is holding the distribution at its St. Anthony’s site on Sumner Street from am 9 until 11am this morning and again on Wednesday, July 8 at the same time.

A traffic stop along Cedar Street in Batavia leads to a string of drug charges. The Genesee County Local Drug Task Force arrested two men yesterday afternoon.
They were identified as 34 year old Jerwan McFarely of Lehigh Avenue and 41 year old Mathew Olcott of Clinton Street.
Police say McFarely was in possession of suspected crack cocaine and pot, while Olcott was found to have suspected crack and drug paraphernalia. Both a facing violations and misdemeanor charges.

Another COVID-19 death reported at the Orchard Rehab and Nursing Center in Medina… 23 people have lost their lives to the virus there.
The death toll for all of Orleans County since the pandemic began is 53.
Genesee County’s death toll is five.
Three new positive cases of the virus were reported yesterday in Genesee County, two from Batavia and one from LeRoy.

Air travelers could soon have an important form to fill out once they arrive in New York State.
Health officials say information on those documents would help with the enforcement of a new quarantine policy. Last week, the governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut announced new guidelines for people arriving from areas with a high number of coronavirus cases.
Those individuals are being asked to self-quarantine for 14 days in order to prevent the spread of the disease. Just how the rules will be enforced still isn’t clear.

It looks like malls across the state are going to be shut down for at least a little while longer.
Governor Cuomo says indoor shopping centers won’t be allowed to reopen until air filters are installed that remove coronavirus particulates. Many mall operators say that’s not necessary since both their heating and cooling systems are already safe.

The Fourth of July is coming up this weekend, and State Police have announced a plan to crack down on fireworks.
Troopers say they’ll be focused on keeping illegal fireworks out of New York that are brought in from states like Pennsylvania.
Police say they have received numerous complaints from residents in many Upstate communities about fireworks being set off in their neighborhoods at all hours of the night

The Holland Land Office Museum is now open at its normal business hours. The museum will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm.

The museum will be reopening with some noticeable changes. First, the museum is implementing its Safety Plan, which requires all visitors to the museum to wear masks and admission will be limited to 10 at a time. Also, visitors are asked to refrain from touching any of the artifacts and cases, and to follow our “one way” floor plan.

Visitors are also asked to maintain the 6 foot social distancing protocol and to use the hand sanitizer and washing stations around the museum. Secondly, the museum is reopening under a new admission policy.

Visitors to the museum will now have to pay an admission fee. The ranges include: Free for Museum Members, $1 for Children, $3 for Students/Veterans/Seniors, $5 for Adults, and $10 for a Family of four. The HLOM is instituting a strict cleaning procedure to ensure the safety of our staff, volunteers, and visitors, but wishes everyone to come by and visit us and see all our treasures of the history of Genesee County. Thank you to all who have supported us in the past, through this difficult time, and continue to into the future.

If you have any questions please contact the museum by phone at 585-343-4727 or email at hollandlandoffice@gmail.com. Information can also be found on our website.

There’s yet another sign the worst of the coronavirus crisis could be coming to an end in New York.
The state has announced the lowest single-day death toll from the disease since March. Five Empire State residents lost their lives on Saturday while less than one-percent of the people screened statewide for the illness that day tested positive.
The state is continuing to warn New Yorkers to remain vigilant and protect themselves to keep the virus from spreading again.

The guy was just trying to take his seat at the Indian Falls Log Cabin Restaurant. Problem was, the seat wasn’t his. Deputies arrested 41 year old Donald Walls of Rochester on charges of Trespassing and Petit larceny. A deputy on patrol watched Walls taking patio furniture from the restaurant early yesterday morning.
He was slapped with court appearance tickets.

A North Spruce Street man collared by BPD who had to take him down after a foot chase.
28 year old Darius Jones was arrested after he fled a domestic incident.
Police say once in custody they found Jones in possession of crack cocaine, fentanyl strips and packaging material. He’s in county jail this morning without bail.

Western New York drivers are still finding pretty steady prices at the gas pump.
According to Triple A, the average cost for a gallon of regular is $2.20. That’s up just a penny from last week.
In Batavia, gas buddy-dot-com says the average is 4-cents higher at $2.24.

The City Church is holding a drive-thru food distribution event at its St. Anthony’s site.
The distribution will be held at 9 to 11am on the next two Wednesday’s July 1st and July 8.
Everyone is welcome! St. Anthony’s is located on Liberty St. in the City of Batavia.

Today Batavia and Genesee County enter Phase 4 of New York’s economic reopening.
It means that the number of people allowed at social gatherings will double from 25 to 50. Churches can welcome more worshipers
Professional sports can take place without fans, and low-risk indoor and outdoor arts and entertainment activities will also be allowed.
Movie theaters, gyms and malls are going to remain closed until further notice.

New COVID-19 cases still under control in Genesee County. Only two new cases reported yesterday, one from Batavia one from LeRoy.

Restaurants that have been allowed to serve alcohol to go, will be able to continue serving up the adult beverages for off-site enjoyment.
The state says the take-out alcohol has helped bars and restaurants during the pandemic.
The order allowing booze to go was set to expire tomorrow, the governor is expected to extend the order.

For the first time in more than 20 years the Batavia Police Department has a K-9 officer.
He is K-9 Hank, from Holland.
He’s part Belgium Malinois, part Shepard.
City Council President Gene Jankowski, once a K-9 handler himself when he was on the police department, says Hank is a welcome addition:

PHOTO: K-9 Hank and his handler, Officer Stephen Quider

Hank’s new handler is Officer Stephen Quider.  Hank and Officer Quider will be together 24-7.
Hank cost close to $11,000, paid for with drug forfeiture funds.

Election officials say it’ll likely be weeks before Western New York voters know who won Tuesday’s primaries.
That’s because there were a large number of absentee ballots requested for the 27th Congressional District special election and other races.
Since it’s a federal election, ballot counting will start first in the 27th District contest involving Republican State Senator Chris Jacobs and Democrat Nate McMurray.
Jacobs has already declared victory but McMurray is refusing to concede until every vote is counted.

Empire State drivers are now able to get their hands on a brand new license plate for their vehicles.
The blue and white “Excelsior” plate features images of iconic New York landmarks including Niagara Falls and the Statue of Liberty.
They’re currently available at DMV offices in 22 counties and at some auto dealerships.
The “Excelsior” plates will be issued with new vehicle registrations but anyone who wants to replace their old plates with the new design will have to pay $25.

The Finger Lakes region has been given approval to enter the final phase of the state’s reopening process on Friday.
Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming Counties are part of the Finger lakes Region.
Once Phase Four begins, the number of people allowed at social gatherings will double from 25 to 50, and religious gatherings will be allowed at up to 33-percent of an indoor site’s capacity.
Professional sports can take place without fans, and low-risk indoor and outdoor arts and entertainment activities will also be allowed.
However, movie theaters, gyms and malls are going to remain closed until further notice. Governor Cuomo says the state is still looking into how to keep people safe when visiting those locations.

Local health department numbers are still encouraging. There was one new case of coronavirus reported yesterday in Genesee County – an individual in their 20’s from Elba. There was also one new COVID-19 case in Orleans County.

An Oakfield couple busted by Monroe County deputies for allegedly boosting property out of cars.
31 year old Samantha Wroblewski and 28 year old Judd Farewell (fair-well) are facing a variety of charges including possession of stolen property.
Monroe County Sheriff’s say the duo admitted to breaking into cars on several occasions in Henrietta. Lawmen recovered a number of stolen credit cards.

The numbers are far from official in the 27th Congressional District Special Election and Democrat Nate McMurray says he will not concede defeat.
Republican Chris Jacobs says the math is all on his side and has declared victory in the race to fill the seat until the end of the year.
The McMurray camp says there are more than 65-thosuand absentee ballots yet to be counted but Jacobs’ people claim that his 31-thosuand vote lead is insurmountable.

The governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are taking a big step to protect their residents from the coronavirus.
A travel advisory is now in place meaning anyone who arrives in those states from an area with a high number of COVID-19 cases such as Arizona, Florida or Texas must quarantine for 14-days.
Enforcement of the advisory will vary by state, but anyone caught breaking the rules in New York could be forced to quarantine or a face a fine.

The polls have been closed for hours, now Western New York voters are waiting to see who came out on top in yesterday’s primaries.
In the 27th Congressional District, Republican State Senator Chris Jacobs is declaring victory over Democrat Nate McMurray. This is the battle to see who completes the term of ex-Republican Congressman Chris Collins.

PHOTO: Chris Jacobs

However, McMurray says he’s not conceding and will wait until every vote is counted. Jacobs also says he won the Republican primary for that seat and the latest numbers show him with a big lead over Darien Justice Beth Parlato and Erie County Comptroller Stefan Mychajliw.

Due to the large number of absentee ballots requested, it could take a while before winners in every race are declared. That’s because election officials won’t start tallying those votes until next week.

No surprise here, Joe Biden won the New York Democratic Presidential primary.
He defeated Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, Biden already had enough delegates to clinch the Democratic nomination and, Sanders had already bowed out of the race.

Genesee County’s unemployment rate improves dramatically, but it is still in double-digits.
The May jobless rate was 10.1 percent – down from a staggering 14 percent in April.
But, one year ago in May, the unemployment rate in then county was 3.4 percent.

Batavia City Schools will begin it’s popular Grab and Go meals program this Monday.
The program provides two days of breakfasts and two days of lunches on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
The distribution is between 9 and 11 in the morning at Jackson Primary and John Kennedy Intermediate schools.
There is no cost and no enrollment is necessary.

Rochester Regional Health Visitor Policy

• Patients may designate two visitors throughout their stay;
  • Only ONE visitor is allowed at a time for no longer than four hours daily.
• Visiting hours for all RRH hospitals are 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. daily.
• *No visitors will be permitted for:
  • ED patients
  • COVID-19 positive patients
  • Suspected COVID-19 positive patients
  • Cancer infusion centers
  • Inpatient behavioral health
• *The exception to the above list of prohibited visitors include:
  • Pediatric patients may have one designated guardian on-site at a time.
  • End-of-life patients may have one on-site visitor at a time.
  • Obstetrical patients may have one on-site visitor at a time.
  • Patients with intellectual, developmental, or other cognitive disabilities.
  • There are no restrictions on the hours of visitation for this list of visitors.
• Visitors must be older than 18 years of age.
• Visitors must be screened upon entering the facility; they will be denied entry if they report significant COVID-19 exposure or symptoms during the prior 14 days or have a temperature over 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Visitors will be registered in an electronic system within the EMR (Care Connect) upon entry for each visit. The registration log will include the name and contact information of the visitor, the date(s) of their visits, and the name of the patient(s) visited.
• Patients undergoing same-day procedures may be accompanied to the facility by a companion, but may not stay during the procedure.
  • A companion may drop them off and pick them up outside the facility.
  • They may not be with the patient inside the facility.
• Visitors may not be present during procedures and in the recovery room except for pediatrics, childbirth, and patients with an intellectual, developmental, or other cognitive disability.
• Visitors will be instructed to remain in the patient’s room throughout the visit except when directed by hospital staff to leave during aerosol-generating procedures or other procedures during which visitors are usually asked to leave.
• Within areas of our facilities that do not allow us to accommodate social distancing, we reserve the right to refuse visitors for their safety and the safety of our patients and staff.
• Visitors must be wearing their mask or cloth face-covering upon arrival to the facility. If the visitor does not arrive with a mask or cloth face-covering, the hospital will provide the visitor with a mask. The visitor will be instructed to keep their mask or cloth face-covering on at all times.
• Visitors will be instructed to comply with strict hand hygiene and personal protective equipment practices.
  • Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Visitors will be provided written information regarding the potential risks and benefits of visiting a patient within the hospital as well the expectations regarding their visitation which includes: the hours of visitation, remaining in the patient room during the entire visit unless otherwise instructed, wearing their mask or cloth face-covering during their entire visit and instructions regarding meticulous hand hygiene. Visitors who fail to comply with the outlined expectations will be asked to leave the facility.

Genesee County voters get to cast ballots today in two different elections.
One is a special election to fill the vacant congressional seat once occupied by Chris Collins. State Senator Chris Jacobs and Democrat Nate McMurray are competing for that post. The winner will serve until the end of the year.
Also today, there is a republican primary to select the party’s candidate for the November election in the 27 district.
The candidate include Jacobs, Darien Attorney Beth Parlato and Erie County Comptroller Stefan Mychajliw. The winner will square off against McMurray for a full two year term.
Voting takes place today until 9 tonight.

Batavia City Council has no plan – yet – to replace former City Manager Martin Moore.
Moore left city hall last Friday in a mutual agreement with council.
Council president Gene Jankowski says one option to replace Moore is to exercise the guarantee that came along with Moore when he was selected two years ago.
That guarantee was from Novak Consulting the Ohio firm that was paid $26,000 by Batavia to find a city manager.
Novak offered another free search if the person they recommended didn’t last a full two years. Moore’s tenure was just under that.

Four new positive cases of COVID-19 reported in Genesee County over the past 24 hours.
There has also been one death reported at the Orchard Rehab and Nursing Center in Medina.
That brings the death toll in Orleans County to 50 since the pandemic began.
All but one of those deaths occurred at the Orchard Nursing Home in Medina or the Villages of Orleans in Albion.
There have been a total of five deaths in Genesee County…none of them in a nursing home.

Visitors to New York from out-of-state may soon have to quarantine when they get here.
Governor Cuomo says he’s considering a mandatory isolation period for people from states with high numbers of coronavirus cases such as Florida and Texas.
Cuomo says he’s concerned that if infected individuals arrive, it could cause another spike in COVID-19 cases in New York.

From the police blotter:

38 year old Ray Tucker of Williams Street in Batavia: Arrested for allegedly displaying a dagger while in the midst of a fracas with his neighbor…

63 year old James Karas of Ross Street charged with Harassment and endangering the welfare of a child. Batavia Police say Karas subjected two young girls to unwanted physical contact in Austin Park

Coronavirus robbed this year’s senior class of most of those memories that signal their final year of high school….the prom, the class trips, just saying good-bye.
But the administration and faculty of Oakfield Alabama High School would not let the virus take away graduation.

Superintendent John Fiscus:

The outdoor graduation on Saturday drew graduates and their families in cars that filled the school parking lot. Horns replaced applause…and a parade of cars brought graduates to the stage to receive their diplomas.
The ceremony was capped with fireworks and a parade through their home towns.
WBTA was proud to have been selected to broadcast the ceremony into the cars and home of the graduates and their families.

Security footage

A one-thousand dollar reward is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of a man who burglarized Dave’s Ice Cream.
It happened just before 11 Saturday night.
Police say a man dressed in black pants, a black coat and wearing a black mask broke into store just before 11 Saturday night.
He tried but failed to open the cash register but would have been disappointed anyway – there was no cash anywhere in the store.
Owner Debra Webster was alerted to the break-in by her security system and called police. But by the time they could respond, the intruder had

New Yorkers will finally head to the polls tomorrow for primary day, and one big race is happening in Western New York. It’s the battle for the 27th Congressional District where the winner will fill the seat left open by former Republican Congressman Chris Collins. Republican State Senator Chris Jacobs is going up against Democrat Nate McMurray to see who finishes the final few months of Collins’ term. Jacobs is also involved in a GOP primary against Beth Parlato and Erie County Comptroller Stefan Mychajliw to see who will carry the party banner into the general election for the post in November.

He might not be holding daily briefings anymore, but Governor Cuomo is still keeping New Yorkers updated on the coronavirus. The governor says 15 people who had the disease passed away Saturday, the lowest number of deaths since March. And less than one percent of people screened for coronavirus Saturday tested positive. The governor said both of those numbers prove New York is on the right path to defeating the virus.

Batavia City Manager Dr. Martin Moore is leaving the city.
His departure was characterized as a “mutual agreement” between the city and Dr. Moore.

In a three sentence statement issued late this afternoon the city announced:

“The City of Batavia and City Manager, Martin D. Moore Phd,, have mutually agreed that he will be leaving on June 20, 2020 to pursue other opportunities.
The City would like to thank Marty for his service to the community since October 2018 and wish him the very best in future endeavors.
In accordance with the City’s Charter, the Assistant City Manager Rachael Tabelski will assume the role on the departure of the Manager.”

Dr. Moore was named City Manager on October 15th of 2018.
He came to Batavia following what was then termed, “a nationwide search.”
Moore was city manager of Eunice, New Mexico.
One reason he was attracted to Batavia was that his wife had family in Western New York.

Moore’s resignation was not unexpected.

It was well known at Batavia City Hall that there was tension between Moore and City Council President Gene Jankowski.
The latest dust-up was reportedly over a barbecue for social justice in Williams Park, plans that never materialized and led to the Demonstration for social justice held earlier this month along Main St.

WBTA has learned that an informal vote concerning Moore’s future was taken during an Executive Session of city council
The vote to severe the city’s ties with Moore was not unanimous.
Moore’s last Day is tomorrow.

Batavia Police are using the suspected incident as a lesson to parents and their kids when it comes to people they don’t know.
On Wednesday night, at Dewitt Park, a young person, described only as a juvenile, accepted a ride home from a man later identified as James McNally.
Along the way, the juvenile said McNally tried to grope him. The child faked being sick, got out of the car and sought help from neighbors.
When police arrived they arrested McNally on charges of endangering the welfare of a child and forcible touching – both misdemeanors.
McNally was later released under supervision of Genesee Justice and an order of protection was issued.

Police say there is a new set of child abduction prevention ideas replacing the familiar “stranger danger.” We have them listed within the Batavia Police News Release HERE

Bars and restaurants caught breaking rules to hold down the number of coronavirus cases can now face serious consequences.
Governor Cuomo has signed an executive order allowing the State Liquor Authority to immediately suspend the liquor licenses of businesses who are not enforcing social distancing and other health protocols.
A second executive order also means bar owners are responsible for making sure people in outdoor areas follow the same guidelines.
Several businesses have had their licenses suspended. None of them in Genesee County.

Governor Cuomo is considering putting a quarantine order in place for people who visit New York from Florida.
You may remember Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ordered New York visitors to self-quarantine back in March. Cuomo says the spread of COVID-19 has decreased dramatically in New York and he doesn’t want people from other states to cause a spike in cases.

The health department reports no new cases of coronavirus in either Genesee or Orleans counties in the past 24 hours. Since the start of the pandemic, Genesee County has had a total of 205 positive cases and five deaths.

Western New York music lovers are going to have to wait a bit longer to see the Piano Man in person. That’s because Billy Joel has pushed back his August 15th concert at New Era Field in Orchard Park to August 14th, of next year.
The decision was made due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. Tickets for this year’s show will be honored on the rescheduled date. Ticketmaster will also be offering refunds.

News Release

On Wednesday, June 17, 2020 at or about 6:10PM, Batavia Police Officers responded to the area of Clinton St. for a juvenile that had flagged down a neighbor, requesting help. Patrols arrived on scene and located two local residents sitting with a juvenile and McNally standing near them.

Patrols separated McNally from the juvenile and residents. The residents indicated that the juvenile told them, that he needed help getting away from McNally. Patrols interviewed the juvenile briefly and concluded that the juvenile had accepted a ride from McNally from DeWitt Park, with the intentions of McNally driving the juvenile to his residence. While transporting the juvenile, McNally allegedly attempted to grope the juvenile. The juvenile feigned a sickness so McNally would pull off to the side of the road. The juvenile then exited the vehicle and ascertained help at the nearest residence.

Upon discovering the alleged incident, Batavia Police Officers promptly took McNally into custody and transported him away from the juvenile. McNally was arrested for Endangering the welfare of a child (A Misdemeanor) and Forcible Touching (A Misdemeanor) and was arraigned via skype in Batavia City Court by Judge Rogers. McNally was released under the supervision of Genesee Justice, and an order of protection was issued. McNally is scheduled to appear in Batavia City Court at a later time.

The Batavia Police Department would like to take a quick moment to update the community and parents on new abduction prevention ideas. Instead of “Stranger Danger” try using the following language when talking to your child about abduction prevention:

• Don’t say: Never talk to strangers.
• Say: You should not approach just anyone. If you need help, look for a uniformed police officer, a store clerk with a name-tag, or a parent with children.
• Don’t say: Stay away from people you don’t know.
• Say: It’s important for you to get my permission before going anywhere with anyone.
• Don’t say: You can tell someone is bad just by looking at them.
• Say: Pay attention to what people do. Tell me right away if anyone asks you to keep a secret, makes you feel uncomfortable, or tries to get you to go with them.

The Batavia Police Department can be reached at 585-345-6350, the confidential tip line at 585-345-6370 or online HERE

New Cases – As of 2:00 p.m.

June 18, 2020

Genesee County received 0 new positive cases of COVID-19 for a total of 206 positive cases

• • •  0 of the previous community positive cases have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation.
  •  0 of the total active positive cases are hospitalized.
• Orleans County received 0 new positive cases of COVID-19 today for a total of 259 positive cases
  • 3 of the previous community positive cases have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation.
  • 12 of the total active positive cases are hospitalized. Please note those in the hospital may be from the community or a state-regulated facility.  We do not separate them out to protect their privacy.

Attica Central School District – 2020 Election Results

Budget: Yes: 1,063 No: 785

Prop 2 Bus purchase: Yes: 1,089 No: 758

Prop 3 Capital Reservce Fund: Yes: 997 No: 853

Three Board of Education Members
Three Year terms :

Brian Fugle 1, 251 votes Re-elected
Pamela Rudolph 1,179 Votes Elected
Michael James 919 votes, Elected

The man who attacked and threatened to kill the Wyoming County sheriff in 2018 has pleaded guilty to attempted murder.

Lynn Michael Hall of Castile faces a sentence of 20 to 25 years in prison, in addition to 2 1/2 to 5 years of post-release supervision.

Back in December 2018, Wyoming County Sheriff Greg Rudolph was driving to work when he says a vehicle driven by Hall started tailgating him and flashing its lights. When the sheriff pulled over, he said the vehicle blocked him in.

Hall got out of the vehicle and got into an altercation with the sheriff where he tried to take the sheriff’s gun, ended up on top of the sheriff and threatened to kill him while holding a knife.

Off-duty State Police troopers and nearby Good Samaritans intervened and helped take Hall into custody.

The Town of Stafford will no longer allow residents to drop off yard waste, such as tree branches, brush, and grass clippings, at the town dump.

Highway Superintendent Steven Boldt said that with the loss of sales tax revenue, the town is looking at a very tight budget so the change will reduce costs and workload.

Bolt says residents should create their own compost pile, and that the town will revisit the issue when financial times become better for the town.

After being in the national spotlight for months, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is going to be taking a step back. He says the final day of his daily coronavirus briefings will take place tomorrow. They began back in March when the first cases of COVID-19 were discovered in New York. But now that the spread of the virus is slowing, the governor believes it’s time to start focusing on other things. Briefings will still be held as needed.

Yesterday, Cuomo signed an executive order declaring Juneteenth will be a holiday for all state employees. The holiday takes place every June 19 and commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. The governor says he’ll work to make Juneteenth an official state holiday in 2021.

The Holland Land Office Museum will be changing its admission policy for visitors in the coming weeks. The museum’s board and executive director say the new admission policy is necessary to continue serving visitors. Members will still get in for free, children’s admission will be $1, students, veterans, and seniors will be $3, adult admission will be $5, and admission for a family of two adults and two children will be $10.

While summer vacation is underway for a lot of kids in New York, there’s no word yet if they’ll be returning to school this fall. Officials say whether that happens will depend on if there’s a spike in coronavirus cases. Students were pulled from their classrooms back in March to try to limit the spread of the disease. Summer school sessions will be taking place remotely.

Some hospitals in the Buffalo area are making changes to visitation policies after Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that visitations were allowed. Both Erie County Medical Center and Catholic Health have announced revised visitation policies. ECMC is planning to resume visits Friday with several guidelines in place including a minimum age requirement, visitor screening and a requirement visitors wear masks. Catholic Health will start welcoming visitors back on Saturday with many of the same regulations in effect.

Rochester Regional Health and Strong Memorial Hospital say they’re working on a policy, so until then, visitor restrictions remain in place.

For proponents of funding public education it was a good day at the polls.
Although voting took place last week results were not tabulated until late last night.
Budgets were approved by substantial margins in all eight public school districts in Genesee County.
Batavia City Schools saw its 51.4-million dollar budget approved by nearly a 2 to 1 margin.
The playground and restroom project at Jackson school was also approved.
All three incumbents were returned to the board of education.
LeRoy approved its budget by a margin almost 3 to 1.

New York State has the lowest coronavirus infection rate in the nation.
Governor says since things are continuing to improve, people are going to be able to visit their loved ones in hospitals so long as they follow the proper health protocols.
Visits to nursing homes, however, remain on hold.

The most current stats from Genesee County: four new positive cases of COVID-19 reported.
One case each in the City of Batavia and the towns of Alabama, Alexander and Elba.
One person is under 20, two are in their 20s and one in their 30s.

Shopping Malls across New York State are still waiting to find out when they’ll be allowed to welcome shoppers again.
Health officials say their biggest concern isn’t whether the malls can create safe plans to reopen, instead they’re worried people won’t follow the rules.
In the Batavia City Centre Mall, one big concern is keeping people dry.

The Buffalo Sabres have made a big shake-up to the team’s front office by firing Jason Botterill from the general manager position.
Botterill was let go yesterday after three seasons and has been replaced by Kevyn Adams.
He’s the third GM for the franchise since owner Terry Pegula bought the team back in 2011.
The Sabres are currently in the midst of a nine season playoff drought, the longest in the NHL.
The general manager and head coach of the Rochester Americans have also been relieved of their duties.

Alexander Central School

Prop 1 Budget: Yes: 611 No: 306
Yes 611
No 306

Board of Education (one seat for five year term:
Christopher Mullen 511 *
Diane Steel 350
Write-in Candidate 10

Batavia City School District

I. Budget – $51,470,726 (increase of $952,153 or 1.89% Budget increase; (0.038%) Tax Levy decrease)

Yes – 1489
No – 862

II. $619,151 Capital Project at Jackson Playground and Restroom renovation funded by Capital Reserve:

Yes – 1277
No – 1079

III. Board of Education positions (3):
Two terms are from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2023 and one term is from June 16, 2020 to June 30, 2021

Alice Ann Benedict – 1828
Barbara Bowman – 1779
Tanni Bromley – 1623
Write In: John Reigle – 489 out of 544 total write in candidates

IV. Library Trustee positions:
Two terms are from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2025

Kristie Evans – 2096
Write In: Leslie Moma – 45 (out of 234 total write in candidates)

Byron Bergen Central School

Proposition 1: 2020-2021 Budget – passed 751 (Yes) to 396 (No)

Proposition 2: Bus Purchase – passed 758 (Yes) to 397 (No)

School Board Election Results:
(2 seats open – both 3 year terms)
Tammy Menzie – 793
Amy Phillips – 737
Lynn Smith – 553

Elba Central School

Prop 1: Budget: Yes: 303 No: 103

Prop 2: Establish Capital Reserve fund: Yes: 310 No: 97

Prop 3: School bus purchases: Yes: 311 No: 95

One Board Member elected for five (5) year terms commencing on July 1, 2020 and expiring on June 30, 2025:
Michael Riner – 377 Votes .

LeRoy Central School

Prop 1 Budget Yes: 999 No: 286

Board of Education

Two three year terms

* Richard Lawren 1,041
* Jacalyn Whitting 988

(Write-In) Alicia Reschke 119

Woodward Memorial Library Trustee – One member Michael Iten 1,176

Oakfield-Alabama Central School

Proposition #1 – Budget  Yes:  706   No: 276

Proposition #2 – Capital Improvements Project, 2020
Yes – 567
No – 393

Proposition #3 – Buses
Yes – 663
No – 295

Board Members (Top Three)

Jackie Yunker Davis – 654
Pete Zeliff – 601
Daniel N. Groth – 599

Pavilion Central School

Budget: Yes: 417 No: 106

Prop 1 Yes: 464 No: 62

Board of Education
Callin Ayers Tillotson 468 Five Year Term
Margaret Gaston 479 Five Year term

Budget Required 60% for approval: No

Pembroke Central Schools

Proposition #1 – Budget
Yes — 417   No — 106

School Board (Two spots – incumbents running)
Margaret “Peg” Gaston — Elected to a five-year term
Callin Ayers-Tillotson — Elected to a five-year term

Board seat modification (Change length of term from three to five years)
Passed

By tonight we should know the status of school district budget votes across Genesee County.
Budget in all eight county school districts were put before voters last Tuesday by absentee ballots. Those ballots need to be received by today’s mail.
In Batavia: a $52.4-million budget was voted on. The budget would carry no tax increase. Three seats on the board of education will be decided – all are incumbents.

The Genesee County Local Drug Task Force slaps metal bracelets on a Maple Street woman for drug possession.
31 year old Amanda Webb is facing two misdemeanor charges accusing her of having a quantity of amphetamine, dextro-amphetamine and Lorazepam.
Amanda was given a court appearance ticket.

Three more police accountability measures recently, passed by the Legislature, have been signed into law.
One makes it mandatory for police officers to file a report every time they fire their weapon.
A second bill called the Police Transparency and Statistics Act will require courts to gather and publish racial and demographic information about low-level crimes and post it online.
The third measure requires police officers to provide medical and mental health care to anyone in custody.

If you live on East Avenue in the city, this one’s for you.
The City of Batavia Water Department has postponed repairs to a water main on East Ave until Wednesday.
The work was to have been done yesterday.
Expect the water on East Ave. between Holmes and Eugene Street will be turned off at 8am tomorrow morning.
There is no estimate on how long repairs will take.

In Bethany a chicken coop catches fire.
It happened just before six last night on Transit Road.
A half dozen fire departments responded. No one was hurt.
Neighbors did report a foul odor in the area.

Motorist in the City of Batavia are advised that New York State Department of Transportation will be
re-applying centerline and edge striping on NY Rt.5, NY Rt. 33, NY Rt. 63 and NY Rt. 98 in the City of
Batavia. This will be evening work when traffic volumes are reduced.
If you have questions, contact the Bureau of Maintenance at 585-345-6400 opt. 1.

Governor Cuomo is threatening to pull the liquor licenses of bars and restaurants who don’t follow social distancing guidelines.
Over the weekend several videos went viral showing large crowds inside of businesses with only some people wearing masks or facial coverings.
The governor says if people living in certain regions don’t follow the rules, reopening efforts in those areas could be rolled back.
He’s now calling on officials in those areas to enforce the health guidelines that are in place.

A well-known Batavia business woman has passed away.
Rose Caccamise, the owner of Roxy’s Music Store on West Main Street died on June 5th, but there was no formal announcement of her passing.
Rose operated the business her parents started in the mid 1930’s.
Rose Caccamise was 80.

After being sidelined due to concerns over coronavirus, kids across New York State are going to be able to take part in some sports again.
Starting July 6th, young athletes living in regions that are in Phase Three of the state’s reopening plan will be allowed to play six sports including baseball, softball and field hockey.
Two spectators per child will be allowed to watch the games.
Genesee County just entered Phase 3 on Friday.

The Monday morning gasoline report: According to Triple A, the average cost for a gallon of regular gas in Western New York is now $2.19
That’s a penny less than what drivers were paying at this point last week and is also slightly down from a month ago.
The average price of a gallon of regular in Batavia is $2.24.

NOTE: The Genesee Orleans County Health Department has reformatted its Daily Update

New Cases
As of 2:00 p.m, June 12, 2020

Genesee County received 0 new positive cases of COVID-19 for a total of 201 positive cases
1 of the previous community positive cases have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation.
0 of the total active positive cases are hospitalized.

Orleans County received 1 new positive cases of COVID-19 for a total of 247 positive cases
The positive individual resides in Carlton.
The individual is in their 60’s.
The new positive case was not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
2 of the previous community positive cases have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation.
14 of the total active positive cases are hospitalized. Please note those in the hospital may be from the community or

a state-regulated facility. We do not separate them out to protect their privacy.
We are very saddened to report the loss of another county resident to COVID-19. This person was a resident of Orchard Rehabilitation & Nursing Center. Our deepest condolences to this individual’s family and friends during this very sad time.

One of the estimated 400 people who participated in last Sunday’s rally for social justice in Batavia has COVID-19.
This individual, said to be from Genesee County, did display coronavirus symptoms but did not know at the time they were positive for COVID-19.
They did wear a mask during the three hours they participated.
The health department describes the exposure risk as low.
The department encourages anyone who was at the rally to monitor for symptoms until June 21st – which is 14 days after last Sunday’s march.

The daily update for coronavirus shows that over the past 24 hours there were no new COVID-19 cases in either Genesee or Orleans Counties.

It’s a big day across the Finger Lakes as the region is approved to start Phase Three of the state’s four-step reopening process.
That means restaurants can offer limited indoor dining, however tables must be six feet apart and employees will have to wear masks at all times. Nail salons, spas, tattoo parlors and other personal care businesses can also start welcoming customers back today.

Coronavirus cases in several states have been increasing lately, and Governor Cuomo says that’s cause for concern. The governor says the recent spike shows the virus hasn’t gone away, even as states move forward with their reopening plans. He says while the number of new cases have declined in New York, people to still need to protect themselves and others.

The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office is out with a reminder that it is against the law to ride on roads and an old railroad right of way.
Deputies say they have received numerous complaints regarding unlawful operation of ATVs and dirt bikes.
These vehicles must be registered with the DMV and insured, unless operated on your property.

The Genesee County Health Department received notification that a Genesee County resident who attended the “March for Justice” event on Sunday, June 7th in Batavia has tested positive for COVID-19. The individual did not know they were positive prior to attending the event but exhibited symptoms associated to COVID-19 at the event. The individual reported to have been wearing a mask the entire time they were at the event from approximately 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Currently three close contacts have been placed under mandatory quarantine in Genesee County and two additional close contacts reside outside of the county.

“Although the warmer weather is here, COVID-19 is still very much in our communities” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director of Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments. “We must continue to take actions to decrease the spread of the virus by wearing masks, practicing social distancing, washing hands regularly for 20 seconds with soap and water, and avoiding large crowds such as social events and parties.”

Paul Pettit

Pettit also mentioned that an increase in cases may slow down the reopening of businesses in our region. “Our region must maintain a set of metrics in order to continue the phased reopening in our region. If we see a spike in cases or hospitalizations, the reopening process will either be delayed or stopped depending on the metrics.” Click here to view the NYS COVID-19 Regional Metrics Dashboard

.
Although the exposure risk is low, anyone who attended the “March for Justice” is encouraged to monitor their symptoms for 14 days from the event until June 21st. If symptoms develop, contact your primary care provider or click here to find a testing site near you. Governor Cuomo is also urging all people who attended a protest or rally to get a COVID-19 test (please click the link above to find a testing site near you). Symptoms of COVID-19 may include: a fever of 100.4 or greater, fatigue, loss of taste and and/or smell, headache, cough or difficulty breathing, sore throat, congestion, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea

Luis Ramos-Mercado

Witnesses said it was a frightening scene last weekend on Ellicott Avenue when an apparent domestic incident spilled out onto the street with a child in the middle.
Batavia Police have just announced the arrest of 35 year old Luis Ramos-Mercado. He’s been charged with assault, criminal obstruction of breathing and endangering the welfare of a child. He’s now in county jail.
Police say the incident happened late last Saturday night. Mercado and his girlfriend were in the midst of a fracas with a small child caught between the combatants. A neighbor stepped in to shield the child.
Ramos-Mercado has a long, local rap sheet including charges of attempted burglary and weapons possession dating back to January. He was released on supervision from that incident.

The man accused of stabbing a woman inside Walmart in Geneseo has pleaded not guilty.
Police say 24-year-old Gregory Cunningham attacked his victim Tuesday in the dairy section of the store. She suffered multiple stab wounds
Family members say the woman was released from the hospital yesterday.
Police do not have a motive. They do not believe Cunningham and his victim knew each other.
Cunningham was jailed in lieu of 50-thousand dollar bail
He’s been ordered to undergo a mental health exam.

State legislators have approved another two pieces of a law enforcement reform package. One bill creates an Office of Special Investigation which will look into cases where someone died either in police custody or at the hands of an officer.
The other creates an office of law enforcement misconduct which will be responsible for making recommendations on the policies of local police departments.
Both bills now head to the governor who is expected to sign them.

The latest COVID-19 update: two new positive cases of the virus reported in Genesee County, both residents of Batavia, and two new cases in Orleans County.
Of the current cases in Genesee County, none of the individuals are hospitalized.

Drivers are going to want to keep an extra eye on their vehicle’s speedometer over the next few days. That’s because State Police will ticketing speeding and aggressive drivers during “Speed Week.” Troopers are also going to make sure people aren’t traveling too fast through highway construction zones.

From Genesee County Board of Elections
Contacts – Richard Siebert and Lorie Longhany

Early voting for the NY-27 Special Election, the Presidential Primary Election and State Primary Elections begins this Saturday, June 13^th and continues for 9 days. The Early Voting location is at County Building 2, 3837 West Main St. Rd. Batavia NY 14020. The schedule for Early Voting is as follows;

June 13^th 12:00pm – 5:00pm
June 14^th 12:00pm – 5:00pm
June 15^th   9:00am – 5:00pm
June 16^th 12:00pm – 8:00pm
June 17^th 12:00pm – 8:00pm
June 18^th   9:00am – 5:00pm
June 19^th   9:00am – 5:00pm
June 20^th 12:00pm – 5:00pm
June 21^st 12:00pm – 5:00 pm

Requests for absentee ballots for the NY-27 Special Election, Presidential Primary and State Primary ballots must be postmarked by June 16^th. You can also request in-person at the Board of Elections no later than June 23rd. Other options to apply; email – election@co.genesee.ny.us, phone (585) 815-7804 or fax – (585) 344-8562.

The last day to register in-person to vote in the NY-27 Special Election ONLY is June 13^th at County Building 2, 3837 West Main St. Rd., Batavia, NY 14020 from 11:00am until 5:00pm. Voters can register for the Special Election up until June 12^th at the Board of Elections office at County Building 1, 15 Main St., Batavia, NY 14020.

Three more residents of an Orleans County nursing home have died from coronavirus. The latest deaths all occurred at the Orchard Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Medina.
Since the pandemic began 47 people have died from COVID-19 related illness in Orleans County. All but one of those deaths occurred in either the Orchard Nursing Home in Medina or the Villages of Orleans in Albion.
By comparison, five deaths have occurred in Genesee County, none of them in nursing homes.

Fire has destroyed a barn along West Bergen Road near Dublin Road.
Flames were spotted late last night but had a good start before volunteers were summoned. There were no injuries, the barn declared a total loss.

A stabbing at the Walmart in Geneseo.
A 34 year old woman was stabbed multiple times in the upper part of her body in an apparently unprovoked attack.
It happened yesterday afternoon. The woman is listed in stable condition.
Police found her suspected attacker inside the store.
24 year old Gregory Cunningham was taken into custody without incident and charged with first degree assault.

Governor Cuomo is calling on President Trump to apologize to a 75-year-old Buffalo protester who was seriously injured after being pushed by police during a recent protest.
Cuomo blasted Trump after the president tweeted the protester, Martin Gugino, may have been a member of Antifa, an extreme left-wing group.
Cuomo says protests over the death of George Floyd shouldn’t be dismissed as an issue of the moment, but a problem that’s been brewing for decades, if not centuries.

27th Congressional District candidate Nate McMurray has filed a lawsuit against the Erie County Board of Elections. The Democrat claims commissioners haven’t done their part to tell voters about the hours and locations of polling places ahead of a special election June 23rd. Early voting in the contest is scheduled to begin Saturday. He’s looking to fill the seat left open by former Republican Congressman Chris Collins who resigned after pleading guilty to federal insider trading charges.

New York State has issued the rules and guidelines for businesses involved in Phase Three of the state’s four-step reopening process. Those businesses include tattoo, piercing and massage parlors, nail and beauty salons and restaurants among others. Each business will need to have proper safety precautions in place to protect customers and employees. Most of those guidelines center on occupancy limits and the need for people to wear facial coverings or masks.

COVID-19 has claimed four lives in Orleans County over the past 24 hours.
All four deaths have occurred in nursing homes.
Two died at the Village of Orleans in Albion and two passed at the Orchard rehab and nursing center in Medina.
In terms of new positive cases: there was one in Batavia, an individual in their 30’s and one new positive case in Orleans County, a person in their 50’s from Ridgeway.

It is school district Election Day today – but only by absentee ballot. Budgets, propositions and school board candidates will be voted on today.
All ballots must be mailed by 5pm today, or hand delivered by 5pm today to your school district office. The governor has extended until June 16th the time for mail in ballots to arrive. Batavia is voting on a 51.4-million dollar budget that will have no increase in property taxes. There are three candidates on the ballot for three board seats

The Batavia City Clerk’s office is open by appointment only.
The office will operate on Mondays and Thursdays. You need to call the clerk’s office to make an appointment.
If you need to pay a bill you can continue to use the mail, personal banking or the drop box located outside of city hall.

It looks like the Finger Lakes region is still on track to enter Phase Three of the state’s four-step reopening process.
The Finger Lakes region includes Genesee County.
Officials say so long as there’s not a spike in the number of infections or deaths due to coronavirus, the next phase should begin Friday. That means indoor seating would be allowed at restaurants and bars and personal care businesses could start offering more services.

State lawmakers will be getting back to work today passing a package of law enforcement reform bills. The Legislature yesterday approved a measure that would ban the use of choke holds by police.
Other items on their agenda include a repeal of a portion of the state Civil Rights Law called “50-a” which prevents the public from having access to the disciplinary records of officers.
Also, any police killings of unarmed people would be reviewed by the state Attorney General’s office instead of a local district attorney.

It was promised to be a peaceful protest for social justice and it was.
A demonstration yesterday in downtown Batavia drew an estimated 400 people – black and white – they carried signs, chanted and made impromptu but impassioned speeches.

One, was Victor Thomas of Batavia

PHOTO Courtesy: The Batavian

There was a large, but not a threatening police presence. Most officers stayed back maintain a perimeter that wasn’t needed. Other officers waded into the crowd and at times engaged with the protestors.
Batavia Police Chief Shawn Heubusch and Sheriff William Sheron stood with demonstrators.
Lawmen from throughout the region – including a mounted patrol from Livingston County – were part of the police presence.

An 11 year old child was airlifted to the hospital after tumbling down a 40-foot waterfall in in Attica
The incident happened just before 12:30 in the afternoon off of Vernal Road.
The child was rescued by a State Police helicopter and then airlifted to Oishei Children’s Hospital in Buffalo by Mercy Flight.
The child’s injuries are unknown.

The number of new COVID-19 infections continues to trend downward.
Over the weekend two new cases were reported in Genesee County, with one new cases in Orleans County

If you’ve been wanting to plan a camping trip, the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation will allow you to do just that today. Reservations are being accepted online for visits that can begin June 22nd

State lawmakers will meet this week to talk-over a package of law enforcement reform bills.
Some of the proposed measures include a ban on the use of tear gas and putting an end to racial profiling by police officers.
Another piece of legislation is expected to focus on repealing a provision in the state Civil Rights Law. It’s known as “50-a” and has been used by police departments to keep the public from having access to the disciplinary records of officers.

Say good-bye to J C Penney in the City Centre Mall.
The Batavia location is reported to be among 856 stores the iconic retailer will close as part of its bankruptcy.
The Batavia location was the original anchor store in what was then known as the Genesee Country Mall.
With the exception of a handful of small retailers and professional offices the mall has become a ghost town with a perpetually leaking roof.

A number of local restaurants are ready to serve customers on premise.
The state is now allowing restaurant to open outdoor dining – with restrictions. Customers must wear masks until seated, wait staff also has to be masked.
So far, O’Lacy’s Irish Pub is opening at Noon today, Batavia’s Originally Pizzeria is opening their patio and the new Roman’s Restaurant downtown is also opening their outdoor space.

Latest COVID-19 report from the health department:
Genesee County reports one new positive case of the virus,
Orleans County had no new cases.
There has been another death at the Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center in Albion.

Batavia is cautiously awaiting a peacefully rally for social justice expected this Sunday.
The rally is to begin at 8 Sunday morning and be followed by a march through the community.
Batavia Police Chief Shawn Heubusch said he is ready to participate in the demonstration but he remains vigilant for outside agitators who could turn the rally violent.
The Batavia Post Office says they will close the lobby of its building at 5 Saturday night and it will remain closed until Monday morning.
The Post Office is located right next door to the police station.

Governor Cuomo is urging people who took part in recent protests against police misconduct to get screened for the coronavirus.
An estimated 30-thousand New Yorkers have been involved in demonstrations this week, leading to concerns there could be a spike in cases over the next few days.

Chad Klotzbach

A Basom businessman has been selected to fill a vacant seat on the Genesee County Legislature. He is Chad Klotzbach.
He has been tapped to fill the District One seat held by John Hilchey who resigned The district includes the Towns of Oakfield and Alabama.
Klotzbach is expected to take his post on June 10th. His term will run until the end of the year.

State Police are investigating a crash on the Thruway in Genesee County involving three tractor trailers. It happened just after 5:30 yesterday afternoon in the town of Stafford.
One driver was seriously injured and taken to Strong hospital by Mercy Flight.
The impact created a fuel spill that took a couple hours to clean-up.

The coronavirus death toll in Orleans County goes up by two. Two more residents of the Orchard nursing home in Medina have passed away from COVID-19 related illness. A total of 40 people have died in Orleans County since the pandemic began.
Genesee County, with half again the population, has had five deaths.

For the first time in months, cash toll collections have resumed on the New York State Thruway.
Drivers without an E-Z Pass will once again need to get a ticket when they enter the Thruway then pay a toll collector when they exit.
Anyone with an E-Z Pass will continue to have cashless transactions.
The return of toll booth workers will only be for a few more months since the state will be switching to fully cashless tolling by the end of the year.

Starting today, restaurants Genesee County can once again offer outdoor dining.
Restaurants will have to follow several safety protocols including keeping tables six feet apart, staff must wear masks and customers also have to wear masks until they’re seated.

What is being called a peaceful rally is planned for this Sunday morning at Batavia City Hall.
The ad-hoc rally will begin at 8am with a march through the community slated for 11am.
The effort started out as a gathering in Williams Park on Saturday but plans were shelved when organizers could not get required city approval in time to use the park.
City Manager Dr. Martin Moore recognized the rally on Sunday, but cautions there is always a chance for outside agitators to turn the rally sideways.

A resident of Genesee County, hospitalized with COVID-19, has died. The individual only identified as over 65 years of age.
This is the fifth Genesee County resident to die from coronavirus since the pandemic began.
The death toll is far greater in Orleans County where another person has died at the Village of Orleans nursing home in Albion.
The Orleans County death toll is 38.

Felony DWI charges have been filed against a Byron woman.
27 year old Taylor Laird was stopped late last week on Pearl Street in the city. She was charged with drunk driving, driving without a license and because there was a child in the car the DWI charge became a felony.

New York State says summer day camps will be allowed to open by the end of the month.
There is no word yet if sleep over camps will also be allowed to re-open.
This announcement comes within hours of the Arc of Genesee Orleans announcing that its popular Camp Rainbow in Ridgeway will not operate this summer.
Camp Rainbow serves children with and without disabilities from Genesee and Orleans counties.

President Trump is again showing his support for state Senator Chris Jacobs in his bid to represent the 27th Congressional District. Trump endorsed his fellow Republican on Twitter yesterday, saying he was strong on the border, military and the second amendment.
Jacobs is a candidate for the seat that has been vacant since former Republican Congressman Chris Collins stepped down after pleading guilty to federal insider trading charges.
Voters in the 27th District – which includes Genesee County – go to the polls June 23rd.

The Buffalo Bills will be preparing for the upcoming season a bit closer to home than usual. The NFL has ordered teams to hold training camps at their home facilities. That means the Bills will stay in Orchard Park and won’t be going to Saint John Fisher College in suburban Rochester, where camp has been held for years.

In Orleans County, coronavirus claims another life.
A resident of the Orchard Rehab and Nursing Center in Medina has died from COVID-19 related disease.
This brings the Orleans County death toll since the start of the pandemic to 37.
In Genesee County, just one new positive case of the virus, four new cases in Orleans County.

From the Police Blotter:
35 year old Luis Ramos-Mercado has been arrested for an incident that occurred in January of last year
Ramos-Mercado who lives on Ellicott Avenue, was charged with Attempted burglary, Criminal Possession of a weapon and Menacing.
He was released with a court appearance ticket.

19 year old Trevawn Wright of Highland Park: he’s been charged with two counts of harassment. Police say Trevawn was involved in a little fracas on Highland Park where he had allegedly punched another guy in the head and attempted to hit another guy with a jug of water.
Wright was issued a court appearance ticket.

Members of the state Legislature are expected to convene next week to discuss criminal justice reform.
One statute they’ll be taking a close look at is a provision in the state Civil Rights Law. It’s known as “50-a” and has been used by police departments to keep the public from having access to the disciplinary records of officers. Lawmakers are also planning to discuss several other proposals, including the creation of a special prosecutor’s office to help with investigations into cases where police are accused of killing unarmed people.

Cornell Cooperative Extension is re-opening today.
All visitors to the office on East Main should wear masks and observe some restrictions.
The Extension calls it the first step of returning to normalcy.

The Genesee County Treasurer’s Office is now reopened to the public. You must wear a face mask to visit the office.
The Treasurer’s Office located on the 3rd floor of County Building #1.
The hours Monday through Friday 8:30 until 5.

And the Richmond Memorial Library is now open – for limited services.
You can browse the collection, due some research and place holds on local materials.
You still cannot use the library to sit and read.

Effective 1:00 pm, Monday, June 1, the Richmond Memorial Library has re-opened for limited services, including:

• browsing and circulating the library collection
• library account services (new cards, paying fines)
• placing holds on LOCAL materials only
• reference services
• faxing, photocopying
• limited computer access
• virtual library programs

Sorry, the library is NOT yet open for:

• sitting
• reading
• gathering
• playing
• interlibrary loans or holds
• in-person library programs

The library has returned to its normal hours of operation for these services: Monday through Friday, 9am to 9pm, Friday and Saturday 9 to 5.

For the safety of library staff, any library patron who is over two years of age must cover their nose and mouth with an appropriate mask or cloth face-covering in order to enter and remain inside of the library building. Library patrons who are unable to medically tolerate a face-covering may request exemption or accommodation by contacting the Library Director by telephone or email at 585-343-9550 x 7 or rconrad@nioga.org.

Please return most materials (books, movies, music, etc.) to the drive-up or walk-up book returns located outside of the library. Materials unsuited for book returns (ie. board games, Playaway devices) can be returned inside of the library. Fines will be waived on items returned before June 22. All returned items will be held in quarantine and sanitized before being shelved or circulated. Sorry, we cannot accept donated materials until further notice.

The library’s 2020-21 budget was amended to require no tax levy increase. Therefore, the library budget vote previously scheduled for May 7, 2020, was cancelled.

The library’s 2020 trustee election will be held on June 9 via absentee ballot conducted in conjunction with the Batavia City School District’s budget vote and trustee election.

This cast of characters paraded through downtown Batavia on Monday, “just to spread some cheer.”

The family, who declined to be named,  donned their best Dino, Minion and Baby Shark outfits to remind onlookers to smile and have some fun in the face of troubled times.

They walked past the WBTA studios at Main & Center” and we couldn’t resist getting a pic.

The St. Jerome Guild, Inc., is announcing a new initiative to honor the COVID-19 healthcare workers of the Rochester Regional Health/UMMC and the Jerome Center in Batavia, NY. The Guild’s mission is to continually support our local hospital, and especially, now, during these extraordinary times.

As a special tribute to all 1000 UMMC employees during this pandemic, who are serving on the front lines as well as all supporting personnel, the Guild would like to honor each employee with a gold embroidered star.

The Genesee Livingston Orleans Wyoming (GLOW) community is welcome to support in this initiative by donating $10 per star representing an employee who may be a family member or friend, or just as a thank you for health-care providers’ tireless dedication and courage, taking outstanding care of all patients who are suffering through these unsettling and disconcerting times. There is no limit to donors wishing to honor more than one employee! The star donations will be accepted by check made payable to: St. Jerome Guild with notation ‘star’ mailed to St. Jerome Gift Shop at 16 Bank Street, Batavia, NY 14020.

The final project will incorporate all the stars to be embedded into frames that will be on display at the North Street and the Bank Street Campuses entitled, UMMC “Home Town Heroes – Wall of Warriors 2020.”

All proceeds from this initiative will be donated to UMMC to purchase vital equipment needed.

Dentists across New York State can start seeing patients again today.
Each office will have to follow safety standards to protect staff and patients from coronavirus.
No more magazines in the waiting room and chairs need to be six-feet apart.
Previously, many dentist offices were open only for emergency services and procedures.

On the police blotter: 28 year old Torre Walls of Alleghany Road, Darien is charged with Grand Larceny.
Genesee County Sheriff’s Deputies say Walls got into a verbal argument with his girlfriend and stole her Ruger SR22 pistol.

Violence and arrests in Buffalo and Rochester following a weekend of protests.
13 people were arrested in Rochester on Saturday six were arrested yesterday in Buffalo.
Protestors demanding an end to what they say is police misconduct over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
The only visible protest in Batavia was that of a lone man, stationed in front of the Upton Monument at Ellicott and Main and displaying a sign that read, “George Floyd is every man.”

Governor Cuomo is calling for peace following several violent protests across the state this weekend. The governor used his daily briefing yesterday to remind people that violence never works and that it dishonors the death of George Floyd. He did not order a statewide curfew for but said that additional law enforcement resources would be made available to cities like Buffalo who request them.

The number of New Yorkers who have lost their lives due to coronavirus has reached its lowest one day total since March. The State announced 56 new deaths yesterday, down from a peak of nearly 800 per day in April.
There were no COVID-19 deaths reported over the weekend in either Genesee or Orleans counties.

Joshua Blessed

We now know more about the driver of a tractor trailer rig that led police on a two county chase before he was killed in hail of police bullets.
The driver has been identified as 58 year old Joshua Blessed of Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Police say he was heading to Batavia Wednesday to pick-up dairy products when he was stopped for speeding in LeRoy.
Social Media posts under Blessed’s name show that he claimed to speak directly to God and received visions from Satan.

Livingston County Sheriff Tom Dougherty said he’d never seen anything like it

Blessed fired several shots at lawmen and rammed police cars during the 90-minute chase.
Dougherty described one harrowing moment for a Genesee County deputy

Social Media accounts traced to Blessed revealed a series of troubling posts including a hatred of law enforcement and conflicts of his personal beliefs.
He was reportedly banned from Facebook twice.
Investigators are continuing to look into social media posts that might help to explain his actions.
Blessed was shot while in the cab of his truck and was dead at the scene.

The Batavia teachers union rejects a proposed change in the daily schedule for city schools.
The Batavia Teachers Association voted against an administration plan that would have altered the start and ends times of classes to save about 200-thousand dollars in transportation costs.
The proposal would have started classes at the high school and middle school a half hour earlier.
The teacher’s union president said research shows teenagers need more sleep.

Another resident of an Orleans County nursing home has died from COVID-19 related illness.
The death was reported at the Orchard Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Media.
In the daily update, officials disclosed two new COVID-19 infections in Genesee County and two in Orleans County.

A Batavia woman arrested on welfare fraud charges.
44 year old Heidi Connolly of Hutchins is facing felony charges of grand larceny for allegedly bilking the welfare system out of 36-hundred dollars she was not entitled to.

A new executive order from Governor Cuomo will allow businesses to deny entry to customers who aren’t wearing face masks. In the last few weeks, there have been confrontations between business owners and customers who refuse to wear a mask. The governor says he’s supporting business owners because they have the right to protect themselves and other people in their store.

The driver of a tractor trailer who led police on a chase from LeRoy to into Livingston County is shot to death by lawmen in Geneseo.
The driver, who has not yet been identified, was stopped for speeding last night in LeRoy. While LeRoy Police were on the truck the driver fled in his semi and the chase was on.
The driver took his rig from LeRoy, into Batavia, turning back on Route 5…then Route 19 into Pavilion.
Once on Route 63 he headed into Geneseo when he began firing at officers and crashing into police cars.
The pursuit ended near the Applebee’s on Route 20A in Geneseo, when officers fired multiple shots at the driver. He was confirmed dead at the scene.
Genesee County Sheriff William Sheron said that during the gunfire one round went through the windshield of a Genesee County patrol car, narrowly missing a deputy.

It comes as no big surprise but the unemployment rate in Genesee County has reached a staggering high.
Figures just released by the state department of labor shows Genesee County’s jobless rate for April at 14.4 percent…up from just 3.7 percent a year ago.
Orleans County has registered an unemployment rate for April of 15.8 percent…
Wyoming County, 15.3 percent.

The Genesee County Fair in Batavia has been cancelled for this year…all due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The fair was to have started July 25th and run through August 1st.
Fair organizers say they are considering smaller activities this summer to support the youth agricultural community.

The Wyoming County Fair in Pike has also been cancelled this year.
That fair was to have run from August 15th to the 22nd.
There is also word this morning that the big Erie County Fair in Hamburg is cancelled for this year.

If you haven’t registered to vote in New York’s upcoming primaries, you’re running out of time to do it. In order to be able to cast your ballot June 23rd, your registration form must be postmarked no later than tomorrow.
In addition to registering by mail, you can also do it in-person or online through the county Board of Elections

Until further notice the yard waste stations operating hours are as follows:

Mondays – Fridays, 8 AM to 2 PM
Saturdays, 12 PM to 6 PM
CLOSED – Sundays and Holidays

City residents may bring yard waste material (grass, leaves and limbs) to the City Yard Waste Station as there is no curb side pickup of these materials.

The following items cannot be accepted at the station:
Tree stumps, building materials, rock, fill (soil and stone) other debris. Yard waste shall be free of trash (paper, plastic, bottles, cans…etc.), as this material cannot be processed. All containers (totes, boxes, bags…etc.) need to be taken back with the customer.

Use Law Street entrance to enter and exit the City Yard Waste Station only.

Kiwanis Club of Batavia has donated $2,000 to Foodlink to help feed children and families in Genesee County. The Club has been serving the children of our community and beyond since 1923.

“Foodlink is proud to serve the residents of Genesee County and collaborate with our hunger-relief partners to help individuals and families overcome the hardships created by the COVID-19 public health crisis,” said Julia Tedesco, President & CEO of Foodlink. “The Kiwanis Club’s generous donation comes at a critical time, and helps increase access to nutritious food for hundreds of households throughout the county.”

With the help of many local volunteers, Foodlink hosted six drive-thru distributions in Genesee County in April and May; three at Northgate Church in Batavia, two at Penuel Christian Fellowship in LeRoy, and one at Bergen Evangelical Presbyterian Church. More than 1,500 emergency food supply boxes were distributed to individuals and families in need. Foodlink also continues to work with its network of hunger-relief agencies (food pantries, meal programs, etc.) throughout Genesee County, which includes several partnerships in Batavia.

From Bob Conrad, Kiwanis Club President, “When the shutdown first started, Kiwanis Club members immediately started reaching out to food-providing agencies regarding the need for volunteers and funding. We discovered that Foodlink was providing and coordinating the food resources for our local agencies, such as Salvation Army and Community Action Genesee-Orleans. We learned that they can provide $6 worth of food for every $1 spent. We decided this is the most effective way to support emergency food initiatives in the county.”

The funding provided will support existing emergency food efforts in Genesee County, and allow for the purchase of food, expenses associated with storage, and distribution to various partners, food box sites, and hunger-relief programs throughout the county.

According to Feeding America’s recent report, The Impact of the Coronavirus on Food Insecurity, Genesee County’s food-insecurity rate is expected to rise from 10.2 percent to 15.7 percent, which equates to more than 9,100 county residents who now live in food-insecure households due to the pandemic. Food insecurity is the USDA measurement used to determine a household’s limited or uncertain access to enough nutritionally adequate food for everyone in the household to live a healthy life.

Jonathan Tretter, Treasurer, and Robert Conrad, President of the Kiwanis Club of Batavia, present a $2000 donation to Foodlink Director of Development Julie Burke. The donation will be used to fund food charities in Genesee County.

Two local teenagers are critically injured when the car in which they were riding pulled into the path of a tractor trailer truck.
The crash occurred along Route 5 in front of an ice cream stand in the Town of Batavia.
The driver of the car, 18 year old Daniel Sonnenfeld of Pembroke suffered what were described as serious injuries. A passenger, 18 year old Gabriel Johnston also of Pembroke was taken to the hospital by Mercy Flight.
Both are listed in critical but stable condition at Erie County Medical Center.
A third passenger in the car suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene. The driver of the big rig was not hurt.
Deputies said the car was pulling out of a parking lot into the path of the eastbound tractor trailer striking the car on the driver’s side.

The latest coronavirus numbers for Genesee and Orleans County:
One new positive case reported in Genesee County an individual in their 50s from Batavia. There were five new positive cases in Orleans County.
There were also two deaths reported, both from the Orchard Rehab and Nursing Center in Medina

The Finger Lakes region is ready to enter phase 2 of New York States reopening plan this Friday.
The 2nd phase of reopening would include professional services including barber and hair salons. In-store retail shopping, administrative support, and real estate. The region has not seen any large jumps in coronavirus cases since phase 1 started on Friday May 15th.

So how hot was it?
Unofficially, Batavia broke a record yesterday.
Weather Underground, a network of private weather observers, says the high temperature in Batavia reached 92 degrees yesterday.
The previous record was 88.

A Special Weather Statement issued by the National Weather Service:

Expect another hot and humid day today, with high temperatures
reaching the upper 80s to near 90 degrees.

The very warm conditions along with high humidity will result in heat index
values topping out in the 90 to 95 degree range this afternoon.

Some cooling will occur near the immediate Great Lakes shores this
afternoon.

Take precautions if you need to be out in the heat
today by taking frequent breaks inside and drinking plenty of
water to stay hydrated.

The number of new COVID-19 cases held to single digits over the Holiday weekend in Orleans and Genesee County.
Only one new positive case reported yesterday in Genesee County, two in Orleans.
But at the Villages of Orleans Nursing Home in Albion two more people have died from COVID-19 related illness.
That brings the death toll at the Village of Orleans to 26 since the pandemic began.

A one car crash in the Town of Byron critically injures a Livingston County man. The crash occurred on the Byron Holly Road Sunday night.
35 year old Jason Pullen of Leicester had to be flown to Strong Memorial by Mercy Flight. A passenger, 32 year old Sabrina Lovell of Clarendon suffered lesser injuries.
Deputies say Pullen, the driver, was southbound on Byron Holley Road when he crossed the center line and traveled off the east shoulder of the road striking a utility pole.

Governor Cuomo wants to compensate family members who lost relatives who worked the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.
This would include firefighters, public health workers, police and EMS personnel who contracted the virus while on the job.
There is no word on how much the death benefit would be.

The state Legislature will be back in Albany this week to deal with coronavirus-related legislation. Some of the proposed bills include a rent freeze, a tax increase on the wealthy and help for small business owners and essential workers. The governor cautions legislators to keep the state’s dire financial situation in mind when it comes to passing new legislation.
New York State is facing a multi-billion-dollar budget deficit.

Guillermo Torres Acevedo will serve seven years in federal prison for enticing a 14 year old girl to travel across state lines for sexual relations.
The incident touched off an amber alert for the child back in November of 2018.
Torres Acevedo, now 23, picked up the girl at school in Genesee County and drove her into Pennsylvania.
Following his prison term, Torres Acevedo will spend 10 years on supervised release.

The latest health department report shows only one new cases of coronavirus in Genesee County, an individual in their 40’s living in LeRoy.
There were no new cases reported late yesterday in Orleans County.

Public Health Director Paul Pettit will deliver his end of week report this afternoon.
Pettit is expected to comment on the first phase of the re-opening of our region and the status of entering the second phase.
Pettit is expected to deliver his remarks at 4 p.m. this afternoon.
WBTA will carry his message live.

Memorial Day observances will be held this year in Genesee County but the public is being asked not to attend.
City Hall cancelled Batavia’s Memorial Day parade for this year.
The annual ceremony at the War Memorial on the UMMC Jerome Center will be held, but as Veterans Service Agency Director William Joyce says this year’s observance will be different. He said the ceremony will be limited to 10 people and the general public should not attend.
You can listen to the ceremony beginning at 10:30 a.m. Monday on WBTA and it will also be video streamed on a number of outlets.

Governor Cuomo says there’s been no decision yet on whether students will head back to school this fall.
The governor says schools will receive guidelines from the state next month so they can submit reopening plans in July.
Students who need to attend summer school will have to do so online.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the cancellation of a number of Memorial observances.

William Joyce, Genesee County Veteran Services Agency

The Memorial Day parade was canceled by City Hall and gatherings of almost any number are not permitted.

But the Genesee County Veterans Service Agency is making sure vets from our area get the recognition they deserve – even if the public cannot attend.
Observances are planned at Genesee County Park, the Batavia VA, Upton Monument and elsewhere. The largest Memorial Day Observance is at the War Memorial on the UMMC Jerome Center.

But, as Veterans Service Agency Director William Joyce tells us, it will be different this year

The ceremony will be video streamed.

We have a list of all the observances HERE

Money saving steps taken by Genesee County over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic seem to be paying off.
Assistant County Manager Matt Landers told the legislatures Way and Means Committee last night that the county has saved about 1.4-million dollars on its budget.
The county imposed a hiring freeze and furloughed some employees. Money has also been saved in the jail budget because not as many people are being put behind bars.
Landers is quick to point out that the projected savings do not factor in cuts in state aid or the projected loss of sales tax revenues.

Criminal charges have now been filed against both halves of a physical altercation in the Town of Alabama.
On Tuesday, the male half of the fracas was charged with attempted assault and menacing for allegedly threatening another person with a knife.
Now, deputies have charged another suspected player in the feud, 27 year old Shannon Armstead of Bloomingdale Road. Shannon has also been charged with menacing.

New COVID-19 cases in Genesee County: four of them reported late yesterday, all four from either Batavia or LeRoy.

Small religious gatherings will be able to resume in New York today.
Those gatherings will be limited to 10 people and everyone in attendance must wear a mask and follow proper social distancing protocols.
Earlier this week, state officials said full congregation gatherings inside churches or other places of worship will not be allowed until a region reaches the final phase of New York’s reopening process

Governor Cuomo continues to defend his handling of nursing homes during the pandemic. The governor said he doesn’t regret his executive order requiring nursing homes to accept patients infected with the virus. He also said he doesn’t believe that mandate contributed to the high death toll in long-term care facilities.
The most notorious example of nursing home deaths in our region is at the Villages of Orleans in Albion where 22 people have died from COVID-19.

The Batavia city schools have a budget in place for the coming school year.
It is a 51.4-million dollar spending that does not raise property taxes but calls for over a million and a half dollars’ worth of spending cuts.
The budget includes the reduction of 30 full and part-time positions, delaying equipment and supply purchases and putting off the hiring of a second school resource officer. The public will get a chance to weigh in on the budget during a public hearing on June 2nd. A vote by paper ballot will be held on June 9th.

A Town of Alabama man under arrest for allegedly pulling a knife on a guy. 44 year old Marcus Bennett of Bloomingdale Road is charged with attempted assault and menacing. Deputies said Bennett gave them a false name during his arrest, and was charged that too along with several parole violations.

Governor Cuomo says the number of new coronavirus-related deaths is falling across the state.
The highest one-day death toll was reported in April, but that number has been consistently dropping ever since.
The governor says while things are improving, if people let their guard down against the virus, those numbers could shoot up again in just a matter of days.
Locally, only one new positive case of COVID-19 was reported late yesterday in Genesee County.

Memorial Day weekend is coming up and New York State has laid out guidelines for how our country’s veterans can be honored.
Remembrance ceremonies are allowed, but only if 10 people or less are in attendance. Also, vehicle parades can take place in lieu of more traditional parades so folks can follow proper social distancing protocols.

In Genesee County, the annual Memorial Day Parade has been canceled but ceremonies will be held throughout the area – without members of the general public. This will include the annual ceremony at the Veterans Monument on the UMMC Jerome Campus. Again, no members of the general public are allowed to attend.

State Police have now identified the female jogger was struck and killed on Townline Road in Bergen.
25 year old Kara G. Hall of Bergen was pronounced dead at the scene shortly before Noon yesterday.
The driver of the car, 28 year old David Yulfo was traveling east on Townline Road, Route 262, when he crossed over into the eastbound lane and onto the shoulder, striking the woman. Yulfo’s car then continued traveling off the road striking a fire hydrant and then a tree. He was taken to Strong Hospital with minor injuries.
Troopers say their investigation continues.

About seven hours later, along the same highway, another deadly accident. A car driven by driven by 25 year old Elijah Coombs of Oakfield slammed into a utility pole.
Coombs pronounced dead at the scene. Two passengers were injured, one seriously.
26 year old Jamie Bachorski of Oakfield had to be flown to Strong Memorial by Mercy Flight.

A deadly day in the Town of Bergen. Two separate accidents claim two lives on the same highway a few hours apart.
Shortly after 7 last night a one car crash was discovered on Townline Road near Buffalo Street Extension.
Genesee County Sheriff’s Deputies said a car driven by 25 year old Elijah Coombs of Oakfield had crashed into a utility pole. Coombs was pronounced dead at the scene.
Two passengers were injured: 26 year old Jamie Bachorski of Oakfield suffered serious injuries and was flown to Strong Hospital in Rochester.
A second passenger, 21 year old Samantha Wade of Byron was taken to the same hospital with what were described as minor injuries.
The sheriff’s office continues to investigate.

Earlier in the day, a female jogger was struck by a car and killed on Townline Road just west of South Lake Road in Bergen.
She has not yet been identified.
State Police are handling that investigation and not released further information.

COVID-19 takes another life at the Villages of Orleans Health and Rehab Center. This marks the 22nd death at the Albion nursing home since the coronavirus
Pandemic began.
Genesee County reported two new positive cases of the virus late yesterday.

Governor Cuomo says his administration has done all it can to help residents of nursing homes during the pandemic. Critics have questioned his executive order saying those facilities had to accept people who have tested positive for the virus.
That policy was later amended and no longer allows hospitals to discharge patients to nursing homes if they’ve tested positive for the disease.
Thousands of New Yorkers have died at long-term care facilities since the pandemic began.

The Oakfield Betterment Committee has announced that this year’s Labor Daze festival has been cancelled.
The committee says it will look for an alternative Labor Day celebration that is “safe and responsible.”

State Police and other agencies are investigating a fatal car – pedestrian accident in Bergen .

First responders arrived on scene along Townline Road shortly before Noon today.

Bergen and Mercy EMS responded. No further information is available.

Horse racing in New York State could be ready to resume on June 1st.
Harness racing at Batavia Downs isn’t scheduled to begin until July 22nd – which would be the start of the Downs regular season.
Western Region OTB President Henry Woytaszek said there is no projected opening date for Batavia Downs Gaming.
He noted that some parts of the gaming operation fall into Phase 3 of the “un-pause” plan while others are in phase four.
Wojtaszek said he is hopeful gaming at the Downs could be back sometime in June.

Weekend coronavirus statistics: only two new positive cases reported in Genesee County while new positive cases soared to 12 in Orleans County – nine of them at the Villages of Orleans nursing home in Albion.
There was also one additional death reported there bringing to 21 the number of residents of residents to die since the outbreak of COVID-19.

A nurse at the Villages of Orleans – who was fighting for her life after testing positive for COVID -19 is now back home and recovering.
On Sunday, Albion honored Diane Conrad with a motorcade parade.
Diane says she contracted the coronavirus while on the job, and had expressed concerns over the lack of PPE at the nursing home.
Diane had been in the ICU for 12 days and was released on Friday.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is calling for a crackdown on businesses that promote fake coronavirus cures. The New York Democrat says the Federal Trade Commission needs to put a stop to phony treatments like high-dose vitamin C injections and even music therapy.

Western New York drivers are still finding consistent prices at the gas pumps. According to Triple A, the average cost for a gallon of regular is two-19. That’s the same as it was last week. Gas Buddy-dot-com reports Batavia’s average at 2.30 a gallon…a dollar 55 on the Indian reservation in Basom.

Bills 2nd year defensive tackle Ed Oliver was arrested for DUI and weapons possession in Houston.
The 22 year old Oliver is being held in a Texas jail.
The Bills issued a statement on Sunday morning saying “we are aware of the situation and we are gathering more information.
We will have no further comment at this point”

Batavia missed out on the Air Force fly-over earlier this week but we will still see one tomorrow.

The aircraft will be a little slower and noisier but the intent will be the same.

The National Warplane Museum in Geneseo is ready to pay tribute to those on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Operation Thanks from Above” is scheduled to fly-over the V-A Hospital in Batavia and United Memorial Medical Center at about 11:24 tomorrow morning.
You may want to add a few minutes on either side of the scheduled 11:24a.m time to be sure you don’t miss it.

The flyover will be led by Whiskey 7, a Douglas C-47 that is a part of the annual Warplane Museum’s annual airshow in Geneseo.

On the day that Genesee County begins to re-open from the coronavirus shutdown, the disease takes another life.
The health department reported late yesterday a new death related to COVID-19. This person was only identified as an individual over the age of 65.
This brings to four the number of people to die in from the virus in Genesee County.
In Orleans County, another person has died from coronavirus at the Villages of Orleans Health and Rebab center, also a person over 65, and the 20th person to die at the nursing home in Albion since the pandemic began.
In terms of new positive cases, one was reported in Genesee County yesterday and one new case was reported in Orleans County.

After being shut down for weeks, the Finger Lakes region will be allowed to start reopening its economy today. Genesee County is included in the region.
New York State says the region has achieved all seven benchmarks needed to start phase one of a four-step reopening process.
Businesses in industries like construction and manufacturing will be allowed to get back up and running first.
Once they’re opened, businesses will need to follow strict guidelines to keep both customers and their employees safe.

Some confusion surrounding today’s partial re-opening of Genesee County related to the local DMV office.
County clerk Michael Cianfrini tells us the county’s department of Motor Vehicles is not re-opening.
The DMV office will remain closed until at least Phase-two of the “un-pause” New York order is allowed.

The Genesee County legislature is now only eight members.
District 1 legislator John Hilchey has resigned his post. Hilchey served the Towns of Oakfield and Alabama.
He said his service on the legislature was a having a negative impact on his employer
Republican Party chairmen in Oakfield and Alabama are putting out the call for a candidate to fill Hilchey’s seat.

Officials with Six Flags Darien Lake have announced details of the reservation system that’ll be in place this year in an effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Season pass holders will get the first chance to choose which day they want to visit the park before those reservations will be available to everyone else.
Guests will only be allowed to enter the park at the time they selected.
There’s no word yet on when the park will open.

It looks like New Yorkers are going to have to wait a bit longer to find out if the state fair will happen in Syracuse this year.
The state says any decision on the 2020 event will likely be made at the last minute.
The fair is scheduled to start in August.

In light of the recent announcement that Genesee County has been included in the Governor’s Phase I plan to begin lifting restrictions in the Finger Lakes Region, I would like to clarify that unfortunately this does not apply to the Genesee County DMV. Pursuant to the Executive Orders issued by the Governor in March, every DMV in the state was closed to the public and thus far none have been cleared to reopen.

In recent days we have fielded hundreds of calls from individuals inquiring as to whether we will be reopening to the public on May 18th, so I would like to clarify and state that unfortunately the Phase I plan does not include the DMV. Therefore, until the state lifts the closure, we must remain closed to the public until further notice.

However, while we are prohibited from opening our doors to the public at this time, we remain committed to serving the public to the extent possible. Our office continues to handle a wide range of transactions submitted through the mail or deposited in one of our drop boxes. If you need to do any of the following transactions, please feel free to submit your paperwork either through the mail or preferably through one of our DMV drop boxes located on Court Street in Batavia or Main Street in Leroy:

– Registration renewals
– Transferring plates from one vehicle to another vehicle owned by the same individual
– License plate surrenders
– Driver’s license renewals, provided an electronic eye test has been submitted, or a form MV-619 Vision test is included.

If you drop off or mail any of these transactions to us, please remember to include your full name, physical address and a phone number in case we need to reach you.
Also, please rest assured that if your driver’s license or registration expired in March they are still valid and you cannot be ticketed for the expiration.

Governor Cuomo, through executive order extended all of those expiration dates “until further notice”. I, along with other County Clerks, have advocated to him and our state Commissioner of Motor Vehicles to continue extending those expirations so that when we do reopen, we can do so in a measured, controlled manner. Otherwise, a situation may be created where maintaining order and social distancing in our office would be extremely difficult with the surge of customers.

Once we are cleared to reopen the DMV to the public, we are putting measures in place to help ensure the safety of both the staff and our customers through limiting the number of customers in the office, identifying safe distancing locations for those in line, and requiring the wearing of masks to enter the building and our office. Further, we are restricting entrance to only the door on the west side of building, between County Building #1 and the Old Courthouse. The exit will be on the east side of the building on Court Street. This will minimize the risk of contact between people passing in the hallways.

We appreciate everyone’s patience through this difficult time, and I remain confident that we can get through this together until some semblance of normalcy returns. If you have any questions, please feel free to send us an email. at county.clerk@co.genesee.ny.us

The Genesee County Legislature, by a close and rarely used weighted vote, has decided to halt revenue sharing with towns and villages at least for now.
Why? The county is crying poverty due to its own financial losses because of COVID-19.
Legislature Chair Rochelle Stein tried to reassure town and village leaders who joined in the electronic virtual meeting last night that they would, “not be left behind.”
The vote was 5 to 4 to stop the revenue payments and even when weighted voting was applied, the measure still passed

Four farmhands are burned out of their mobile home in Elba.
Flames quickly destroyed the trailer on the Oak Orchard Dairy yesterday afternoon. Officials labeled the cause as accidental due to a faulty connection to a clothes dryer.

For the first time since the county health department has been announcing daily COVID-19 infections…no new cases of the virus have been reported over the past 24 hours in Genesee or Orleans Counties.
In Genesee County, four active cases remain hospitalized, in Orleans County, 10 positive cases are in the hospital.

The number of coronavirus-related deaths in neighboring Erie County has reached another grim milestone.
Officials say 400 residents have now died after getting infected, while nearly 46-hundred people have tested positive for the virus.
The news is another tough blow to the Western New York region’s ongoing attempt t\o reopen its economy. The region needs to reach seven state mandated benchmarks to begin re-opening.
Genesee County, as part of the Finger Lakes region, has met all seven and will be allowed to slowly re-open beginning tomorrow.

Nursing homes across the state are raising questions about a new testing mandate announced by Governor Cuomo.
He’s calling on all employees at those facilities to be tested twice a week for coronavirus.
However, some nursing homes question they will be able to conduct such screen – and ask who will pay for it?

SITUATIONAL UPDATE:

May 13, 2020

STAY HOME; WASH HANDS; SOCIAL DISTANCING; WEAR A FACE COVERING

New Cases

As of 2:00 p.m.  Genesee County received 0 new positive cases of COVID-19 for a total of 165 positive cases. Two of the previous positive cases have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation.  4 of the total active positive cases are hospitalized.

Orleans County received 0 new positive cases of COVID-19 for a total of 142 positive cases. Two of the previous positive cases have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation. 10 of the total active positive cases are hospitalized. Please note those in the hospital may be from the community or a state-regulated facility. We do not separate them out to protect their privacy.

Click here to view the Genesee and Orleans County online map of confirmed cases

The facility breakdown is only showing those facilities from where we received a postive swab for COVID-19. Facilities will be added when and if there is a positive case of COVID19. If a regulated facility from either of our counties is not listed, there are no positive cases of COVID-19 as of the release of this briefing. The local health departments do not have oversight with many regulated facilities, which may include nursing homes, correctional facilities, hospitals, etc.

Pediatric Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome is a new health condition appearing in children between the ages of 0-21. Some doctors think the condition is related to having COVID-19, but the connection is still not clear. If you notice any of the following symptoms, call your pediatrician: a fever that won’t go away, abdominal pain, diarrhea or vomiting, rash or changes in skin color, trouble breathing, and your child seems confused or overly sleepy. While Pediatric Multi-system Inflammatory Syndrome sounds frightening, the American Academy of Pediatrics reminds parents that this condition is very rare.

The Genesee County Economic Development Center, Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, the Batavia Development Corporation and the Batavia Business Improvement District appreciate the response of small businesses to a recently conducted on-line survey.

With the anticipated resumption of manufacturing and construction services in the Finger Lakes Region on May 15, 2020 the business organizations are looking to collaborate in developing a plan to assist small businesses on Main Streets in city, towns and villages across Genesee County to help them ready for their re-opening.

“Governor Cuomo’s NY Forward plan provides a path for Genesee County and the Finger Lakes Region to reopen intelligently and safely,” said GCEDC President and CEO Steve Hyde. “The input of our small business community, manufacturers and local leaders shows that re-opening safely is a shared priority, and our economic development team supports that mission.”

Conducted the week of May 4th, more than 100 businesses in various sectors, including dining/hospitality, entertainment, fitness, medical services, non-profit, professional services and retail completed the on-line survey. Among the highlights:

● Challenges to Re-Opening:
Businesses see getting customers back into their doors (63% highest or next highest), access to PPE (46% highest or next highest) and developing a safe re-opening plan (41% highest or next highest) as their biggest challenges to re-opening.

● Financial Assistance:
63% of businesses applied for either the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) or Payroll Protection Program (PPP) programs. Of those that applied, 50% had received EIDL assistance, and 82% had received PPP assistance.