Local News

Genesee County Announces New Deputy County Treasurer

Genesee County announced on Wednesday that they appointed Katie Stein as the new Deputy County Treasurer.

Katie lives in Le Roy and has lived in Genesee County. Katie holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Hilbert College and a Master of Science in Forensic Accounting from SUNY Brockport, which makes her a natural fit for this position given her specialization in finance. Katie has extensive experience in compliance and financial management. All of this valuable experience makes Genesee County confident she will excel in her new role when she takes over in January 2025.

Treasurer-elect Kevin Andrews said, “I am excited to work with Katie as we continue to serve the residents of Genesee County with transparency and fiscal responsibility.”

Genesee County Parks Eliminate Lottery Process for Pavilion Reservations

The Genesee County Parks Department announced on Wednesday that they are eliminating the lottery process for pavilion reservations starting in 2025.

Beginning on January 1st, 2025, park reservations for the whole year will be open to the public. You can reserve your preferred date and location online at the Genesee County website, or in person at the Genesee County Highway Department. The new system will be “first come first serve” so if you know you want to rent a pavilion for later in the year, it is best to reserve it ahead of time. This new system applies to all of Genesee County’s parks, including the Genesee County Park and the Dewitt Recreation Area.

Timothy J. Hens, the Genesee County Public Works Commissioner said, “The elimination of the lottery system and the addition of these flexible options will make planning park visits easier and more efficient for everyone.”

Sabres Lose to Rangers in Nationally Televised Game

Wednesday evening, the Buffalo Sabres lost 3-2 to the New York Rangers and extended their losing streak to 8 games.

The Sabres went down 1-0 early in the first period after New York scored 4 seconds into a power play. Following a period and a half of sloppy offensive play for both teams, the game’s second goal was scored with 5 minutes left in the third period by New York to make the score 2-0. Buffalo was able to answer back with an Owen Power slapshot, but New York scored again quickly on an empty netter. Tage Thompson scored with 20 seconds left in the game for the Sabres to make the final score 3-2 New York.

When asked about going 0-7 at home in the last 8 games, Alex Tuch said, “It is really tough, but we’re not going to sit here and have a pity party. We’re going to move on, we have to move on. We’re not going to sit here and go into a shell, and say the season’s over. Because it’s not, the season’s far from over. We have a lot of games left, we have an opportunity to win a lot of hockey games. We gotta be really good on the road for the next little bit here, and when we do come back home we gotta be a lot better.”

Scofield Transfer and Recycling is Expanding into Batavia

Howard Owens with the Batavian reports, that Scofield Transfer and Recycling will expand into Batavia with a residential garbage service.

Bruce Scofield, the co-owner of Scofield Transfer and Recycling said, he believes now is the right time to expand, as Batavia residents have been left with just two trash collection options. Scofield will offer residential service in Batavia on the north side of Route 5, from Clinton Street to Park Road, and will also offer service in Stafford. The monthly cost including taxes and fees will be $33.37. The collection will begin on the first Thursday of 2025. Scofield expects to expand to the south side of Batavia within its first couple of months and at an undetermined time plans to expand to other towns in Genesee County.

Scofield now gives Batavia residents a local, non-corporate choice in the trash collection business.

Batavia Players and City Negotiate Future Agreement

At Monday’s Batavia City Council meeting, members of Batavia Players attended to request more time to pay back rent on their space at the Batavia City Centre.

Batavia Players Inc. owes the City of Batavia roughly $27,000 in back rent. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the theatre was forced to shut down due to social distancing mandates, and the Players were left with no way to earn money for the organization. The Players note, that from 2020-2023 they successfully paid the city $160,000 in rent. The city has asked the Batavia Players for a five-year financial projections plan. An initial one was submitted, but the city said it did not have enough detail.

The city says they are awaiting a revised five-year financial projection before they make any further decisions on the matter.

The City of Batavia Announces New Superintendent of Water and Wastewater

Tuesday morning, Batavia City Manager Rachel Tabelski announced that the City of Batavia has appointed Bailey Groth to the position of Superintendent of Water and Wastewater.

Groth is from Pembroke and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Toxicology and Biology from Nazareth College. Currently, Groth serves as an environmental analyst specializing in drinking water for the New York State Department of Health. Previously, she served as an Environmental Health Specialist with the Genesee County Health Department where she managed the drinking water enhancement program. Groth was accountable for overseeing the public water supplies operating in Genesee County and compliance with State Sanitary Code.

Groth will assume her new role on December 18th.

GO Health Announces New Healthy Homes Production Grant

The Genesee and Orleans Health Departments announced on Monday that they are introducing a new “Healthy Homes Production Grant”.

The grant looks to address homes that have unsafe and unhealthy housing conditions. Health and safety hazards may include but are not limited to dampness and mold growth, asbestos, radon gas, pests, fall risks, and weatherization. The Genesee County Health Department received $1.2 million from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to make this grant possible. To be eligible for this grant, you must be income eligible, have existing health or safety hazards in your home, and your property must be up to date on tax and mortgage payments, and other requirements determined on a case-by-case basis.

Darren Brodie, Environmental Health Director of Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments said, “Making homes safer and healthier can help children grow up strong, allow older adults to stay in their homes, and help people with disabilities live independently,”

Batavia Downs Saw a Marked Handle Increase in 2024

The Batavia Downs announced, that with the conclusion of the 2024 racing season on Saturday, the bottom line showed that the business of harness racing at Batavia Downs is operating at a record pace.

The overall handle for both the winter and summer meets at the Batavia Downs saw a 9.2% increase over 2023 with a total of $16,826,483. This is the largest handle since Western Regional Off-Track Betting began running the Batavia Downs in 2002. This number is especially impressive, as in North America the overall handle at harness tracks is down a collective 6.66%, meaning the Batavia Downs is performing over 15% better than the national average.

Don Hoover the Director of Live Racing at Batavia Downs said, “2024 was another record handle year for Batavia Downs and ended up surpassing our previous record set just last year. Once again, it was a total team effort from the entire staff at Batavia Downs with special thanks going to the live racing staff, track maintenance, simulcast, group sales, marketing, track management, and of course, the horsemen and horsewomen who put on the show every night.”

Batavia Notre Dame United Player on Record Goal Scoring Pace

Scoring 10 goals in the first 4 games of the season for Batavia Notre Dame United not only puts Jameson Motyka in the lead for goals scored in Section V, but it also puts him in rare company.

Motyka is currently on pace to break the Section V single-season goals scored record. While the exact record isn’t available online, it is confirmed that no Section V player has ever scored more than 58 goals in a season. The state record is a baffling 102 goals scored by White Plains DanCordozo in 2021-2022. If Motyka continues at his current pace, and BND reaches Sectional Finals he would score 59 goals on the year, which would not only give him the Section V record but would also put him tied at number 9 all-time in the state.

While it is unreasonable to expect Motyka to continue averaging a hat trick a game, he has shown no signs of slowing down and has history ahead of him every time he takes the ice.

Batavia Downs Announces New Winter Concert Series

The Batavia Downs announced, that they will be hosting several concerts on Thursday nights at the Park Place Event Center through the Spring and Winter months.

These events will all have general admission tickets, with a select few having VIP experiences available. All tickets for the Thursday Night Indoor Concert Series will include $10 in Free Play. Some bands that will be performing include the Zach Brown Tribute Band, the Tiny Music Band, Band on the Run Live, Terry Buchwald as Elvis Pressley, and even a comedy act by Frank Spadone. Tickets are on sale now on the Batavia Downs website.

Byron Brown, President & CEO of Batavia Downs said, “As Batavia Downs continues to grow with weekend events, we’re excited to introduce a brand new Thursday night concert series that stretches from Mid-December to Mid-May, with a wide range of musical acts including Polka, Rock, Comedy and Country, we’ve got something for everyone.”

Corfu Renames Corner of Route 33 and 77 in Honor of Resident

Video News Service reports, that in Corfu, the Village renamed the corner of Route 33 and 77 in honor of James Mallory as “Jim’s Corner”.

Jim Mallory has been involved in the Corfu community longer than most people have been alive. Jim served for over 70 years as a member of the Corfu Volunteer Fire Department, 76 years as a member of the Corfu Presbyterian Church, and was a business owner at ARCO and Kwik Serve for 40 years which today is Crosby’s. At a surprise dedication ceremony on Saturday at the Village of Corfu Community Center, members of the community presented him with a plaque dedicated in his honor.

The plaque will be placed at the corner where Crosby’s is, where Jim greeted residents for 40 years.

Governor Hochul Plans to Repair Weather-Worn Roads in Genesee County

New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced new legislation to improve the state’s highways that have been impacted by severe weather.

100 million dollars will be used to repave over 550 miles of highways across New York. Of the $100 million, $24.1 million will be used in Western New York with $2.6 million in Genesee County. The money will resurface Route 77 from Interstate 90 to Route 63 and Route 63 from Route 77 to the northern boundary of the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge per News 10 NBC.

New York Senator Jeremy Cooney said, “With winters like ours, it is especially vital that New York leads the way when it comes to making substantial investments into our infrastructure. That’s exactly what this funding from Governor Hochul will do, and I commend her and Commissioner Dominguez for continuing our commitment to safer roads and safer conditions for drivers statewide,”

Governor Hochul is kicking off a statewide campaign to raise awareness about New York’s paid parental leave policy, which takes effect in the New Year.   Hochul says she has heard stories from struggling moms and moms-to-be about how they skipped pregnancy-related medical appointments. Come January 1st, pregnant workers will be able to take up to 20 hours of paid time off for such appointments. The campaign will notify eligible New Yorkers and businesses about the policy she signed into law back in April via social media outreach, a virtual media tour, and more.

A Brockport man has now been convicted of causing a fatal wrong-way crash in Orleans County. Prosecutors say Noah Magee was driving on McNamar Road in Barre back in February when his vehicle collided with a dirt bike being operated by 24-year-old Roger Kingdollar. Magee then left the scene and Kingdollar passed away due to the impact. Magee is facing up to 15 years in prison and will remain behind bars ahead of his sentencing.

The sixth-annual Roc Holiday Village is now under way at Martin Luther King Junior Memorial Park in Rochester. The event features ice skating, shopping, visits with Santa and other festivities for the next 17 days. Most of the activities are free and a complete list of what’s happening can be found at rocholidayvillage.com.

Rochester General Hospital is making history as the first site in the U.S. to take part in a clinical trial for heart failure therapy. AquaPass is a non-invasive, drug-free therapy designed to help patients experiencing symptoms of fluid overload due to congestive heart failure or end-stage renal failure (ESRD). The device is worn like a robe, and uses warm air to evaporate and remove fluid through the skin. Doctors say the retention of fluid, along with being uncomfortable for patients, can become a life-threatening condition. If the study is successful, doctors said this AquaPass could become a cost-effective way to treat a patient’s symptoms from the comfort of their own homes, avoiding expensive and lengthy hospital stays. Rochester General is still enrolling patients for this study.

The red-hot Buffalo Bills are on the West Coast this weekend as they look to push their winning streak to eight. The Bills will battle Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Buffalo is coming off a 35 to 10 victory over the San Francisco 49ers that secured the squad its fifth straight AFC East title. Kickoff Sunday is at 4:25.

The Alexander Boy Scouts Troop 6650 will be serving pancakes from 8am until noon Sunday, 12/8, during their Pancakes with Santa event at the Alexander Fire Department Recreation Hall. Enjoy pancakes with real maple syrup, eggs, sausage, coffee, milk and juice. The cost is $10 each and children under 4 are free.

Batavia Police Department Gives Out Winter Driving Tips

In light of the recent winter weather, the Batavia Police Department put out a statement reminding all drivers to brush up on their winter driving habits.

Before you hit the road, keep an emergency kit in your car with blankets, a flashlight, and a first aid kit. Leave yourself extra time for travel, and prepare alternate routes as roads you typically travel could be waiting to be plowed. When driving, drive slower and increase your following distance to give yourself more time to react to potential dangers. Avoid sudden jerks on the steering wheel and sudden jabs on your brakes as this could cause your vehicle to lose traction. When driving uphill, use low gear to avoid wheelspin.

If you follow these tips, you can significantly reduce your risk of being involved in a winter-related accident.

Domestic Incident at Alexander Central School Causes Panic

The Genesee County Sheriff’s Department reports, that a domestic incident in the parking lot of Alexander Central School caused panic Wednesday evening.

According to the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department, Tyler Bull, a 22-year-old man from Medina allegedly physically assaulted a woman during a domestic situation in the Alexander Central School Parking lot. Several school staff members tried to break up the incident. However, Bull displayed what appeared to be a handgun and intimidated them. After further investigation, it was determined that the gun was an air pistol. Upon police arrival, Bull was arrested and taken to the Genesee County Jail where he is being held for arraignment and faces several charges.

The victim was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital where she is being treated for injuries sustained during the incident.

Holland Purchase Historical Society Receives a $40,000 Grant.

The Holland Purchase Historical Society received a $40,000 grant from the New York State Council on the Arts.

The money will support the nonprofit arts and culture sector in Batavia. This year alone, the New York State Council on the Arts has awarded more than $82 million to over 500 artists and 1,497 organizations across the state. Governor Hochul praises the program noting it will boost tourism, strengthen local economies, and make New York a vibrant place to live in.

The Executive Director of the New York State Council on the Arts Erika Mallin said, “On behalf of the Council and staff, I am so proud that we are supporting the critical work of so many nonprofit organizations all across the state, including work of the Holland Land Office Museum. New York State’s art and culture nonprofits make us a global leader, strengthening our connections to each other and the larger world.

John Kennedy Intermediate Named One of America’s Best Elementary Schools

The Batavia City School District announced, that the John Kennedy Intermediate School has been named as one of America’s best elementary schools by U.S. News and World Report.

U.S. News and World Report ranked schools based on their student’s proficiencies in mathematics and reading, along with results on state assessment tests. The rankings included more than 47,000 public elementary schools across the country, and socioeconomic demographics were considered in the assessments. John Kennedy Intermediate School ranked in the top 40% of elementary schools in New York State.

Batavia City School District Superintendent Jason Smith said, “Our students, teachers, staff, and families work together to create an outstanding learning environment, and this honor reflects their collective dedication to educational excellence. We are incredibly proud of the John Kennedy community.”

Genesee County Youth Bureau Announces “Caught Being Good” Program

The Genesee County Youth Bureau announced their new “Caught Being Good” program that is designed to enhance the ability of School Resource Officers to build positive relationships with students.

Alexander Middle-High School, Batavia Middle and Batavia High Schools, Byron-Bergen Jr/Sr High School, Elba Jr/Sr High School, Pavilion Jr/Sr High School, Pembroke Intermediate and Pembroke Jr/Sr High School, Oakfield-Alabama Middle-High School, St. Paul Lutheran, and GV BOCES have all adopted the program. With the program, students who are caught doing good deeds will be rewarded for their behavior. School Resource Officers will give students a voucher for good deeds that can be redeemed at local businesses such as Sweet Ally’s, Applebees, Chap’s Elba Diner, Northside Deli, Alabama Holley Farms, the McCarthy Ice Arena, and several more.

Any schools in Genesee County that are not currently enrolled in the program may contact the Genesee County Youth Bureau to enroll.

Celebrate Agriculture Dinner Tickets are on Sale Now

The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce announced, that tickets are on sale for the 20th Annual Celebrate Agriculture Dinner.

This annual event celebrates agriculture which is the #1 industry in Genesee County. With over 430 farms in the county on over 175,000 acres of land, the agriculture industry had a net cash income of over $100,000,000 in 2022 per the United States Department of Agriculture. The Celebrate Agriculture Dinner will feature a meal using only locally sourced food and products from Genesee County Farms and agriculture businesses. You don’t need to be a farmer to attend the dinner, it’s open to the public.

The event will occur on March 15th at 6 pm at the Alexander Fire Hall. Tickets are on sale at the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce in Batavia for $30 each or a table of 10 for $275. All tickets must be purchased by February 21st.

Wolcott Street School in Le Roy was Forced to Close on Tuesday

The Le Roy Central School District announced, that their Wolcott Street School which serves Pre-K through 6th grade was forced to close on Tuesday.

A water main break within the school on Monday evening could not be repaired in time to safely allow students to attend school. Teachers and staff members were also told not to report on Tuesday, giving everyone a day off. The Le Roy Jr/Sr High School was not impacted by this, and the school went on as usual on Tuesday. However, the Woodward Memorial Library was also closed. Le Roy Superintendent of Schools Merritt Holly did not comment as to what caused the main to break, but very low temperatures on Monday evening could have played a factor.

The main was successfully repaired by Tuesday evening, and both the Wolcott Street School and the Woodward Memorial Library will be open today.

Winter Weather Leads to a Slew of Accidents Tuesday Morning

Video News Service reports, that winter weather and poor road conditions led to a slew of accidents around Genesee County Tuesday morning.

Around 6:30 am, a two-car accident in Batavia was reported at East Main and Elm Streets. The City of Batavia Fire Department responded to the scene. One person was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital with a non-emergency injury and one other person refused medical assistance. In Pavilion, around 6:30 am, an accident occurred at Route 63 and South Lake Road. The Pavilion Fire Department responded to the scene and one person was treated with an arm injury. Finally, around 7 am in East Pembroke a grey Honda went off the road on the I-90 and was stranded in a ditch. The East Pembroke Fire Department responded to assist with freeing the vehicle, no injuries were reported.

Despite the winter conditions, first response teams around Genesee County were able to respond quickly and effectively to all three of these incidents Tuesday morning.

Batavia Business and Professional Women’s Club Looking for Scholarship Applications

The Batavia Business and Professional Women’s Club announced their annual scholarship and community service awards and they are seeking applications.

Scholarship applications are open to all graduating seniors in any of Genesee Counties High Schools and the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership. To be eligible, students must have maintained an 85% average in school and complete the application process on the Batavia Business and Professional Women’s Club website. Since 1961, the Batavia Business and Professional Women’s Club has provided scholarships annually. Each year the amount of scholarships varies depending on the club’s annual fundraisers.

The deadline for both the Scholarship Applications and the Community Service Awards is February 10th.

The City of Batavia Wants YOUR Input for the Brownfield Opportunity Area Project

The City of Batavia announced on Monday that they will be hosting an open house to gather public input on the City of Batavia Brownfield Opportunity Area project.

The Batavia Opportunity Area project is focused on providing redevelopment strategies for areas impacted by multiple brownfield, vacant, and underutilized sites using mostly grant money from the New York Department of State. This open house will specifically focus on the future development of the Tonawanda Creek waterfront near the McCarthy Ice Arena and the east side of the City Centre.

The open house will be held on December 9th from 5-6:30 pm at City Centre in Batavia. Feel free to stop in and voice your opinion on the project.

Batavia State Troopers Go Above and Beyond to Help a Woman

13 WHAM News reports, that the New York State Police in Batavia went beyond reasonable expectations to help a woman get her heart transplant during the weekend snowstorm.

On Friday, a 64-year-old woman left the Rochester area with her husband to go to the Cleveland Clinic for a heart transplant. On State Route 5 in Portland, the couple was stranded due to the snowstorm and deteriorating road conditions. Due to the woman having a battery-powered heart pump, the husband called the Cleveland Clinic informing them of the situation. The Cleveland Clinic contacted the New York State Police, who were able to locate the stranded vehicle with a Utility Task Vehicle.

Troopers then transported the women to the Portland Fire Department, then to the Westfield Memorial Hospital, and finally to the Jamestown Airport where the woman was flown to the Cleveland Clinic for her heart transplant.

BND Hockey Picks Up Huge Win on Opening Night

Everything went right for the Batavia Notre-Dame United Varsity Hockey team on opening night, as they defeated Geneva 11-1 at the McCarthy Ice Arena.

United got a big advantage leading 3-0 by the end of the first period. In the second period, United scored 6 goals and built an insurmountable 9-0 lead. Jamo Motyka was the leading scorer for United with 3 goals scored and multiple assists. Despite being a Class A opponent, Geneva struggled last year winning just 5 games. United’s first real tests will come tomorrow against Aquinas Institute who is always tough in Class B and on Friday against Section 6’s Grand Island who won 13 games last season.

Some initial concerns were coming into the season about BND losing multiple seniors and maybe regressing, but if opening day is any sign it appears things are going to be ok.

Congresswoman Tenney Announces A Bill To Speed Up Election Results Reporting

New York Congresswoman Claudia Tenney announced on Saturday that she is introducing a bill that would speed up election results reporting.

The new bill would require states to report preliminary election results within 12 hours after polls close, with certain exceptions and contingencies to account for practical challenges as well as for our service members and their families stationed overseas. A recent survey has found that 63% of respondents wish to see a federal law that requires final election results to be reported within 12 hours of polls closing.

Congresswoman Tenney said, “Voters across the country are frustrated with vote tallying that drags on for weeks, especially in instances where ballots seem to be discovered long after Election Day, this undermines trust in our elections and creates opportunities for fraud or errors in ballot counting. As Chair of the Election Integrity Caucus, I am committed to increasing transparency in our electoral process and ensuring it is truly Election Day — not Election Month.”

Winter Weather Leads to Wacky Night of Races at the Downs

On Saturday, winter weather was in full force in Batavia and it led to an exciting night of races at the Batavia Downs.

Most of the fields were shortened due to several horses scratching because of weather-related transportation issues. In the first feature of the evening, the $14,000 Open Handicap Pace, Melanion N ridden by Drew Monti got an early lead and never looked back winning by 5 and 1/2 lanes. In the second feature, the $14,000 Open Handicap Trot, Biscoe ridden by Jim McNeight Jr won after riding at a modest pace on the snowy track and made his move passing both the leaders on the home stretch.

Horses will return to the Downs this Wednesday for the second to last night of racing in 2024.