Local News

Tanker Truck Fire Shuts Down I-90 in Le Roy on Tuesday

Video News Service reports, that a tanker truck fire on the I-90 in Le Roy Tuesday morning forced the thruway to close temporarily.

Around 7:30 am, the Le Roy and Bergen Fire Departments responded to milepost 378.4 heading east for reports of a tanker truck on fire. The truck which was used to haul propane, was fortunately empty at the time of the fire however, residue left from past propane is still extremely dangerous and flammable. Officials on the scene shut down the thruway in both directions for around 2 hours. Initially, fire crews chose not to fight the fire and set up a perimeter as that appeared to be the safer option. But after an hour the fire was still raging and crews put water on the fire and successfully extinguished it.

At this time, it is unclear what caused the fire but an investigation is underway.

Governor Hochul Tells New Yorkers to Prepare for a White Thanksgiving

New York Governor Kathy Hochul urged New Yorkers in a Tuesday statement to prepare for the possibility of harsh winter weather on Thanksgiving day.

A winter storm is expected to impact portions of Western New York starting this evening and carrying into Thanksgiving Day. Several inches of snow and some freezing rain are expected, and on Friday colder air is expected to bring lake-effect snow accumulations up to several feet to portions of Western New York. Hochul reassured New Yorkers that the National Guard is on standby to respond to lake effect snow if need be.

Hochul said, “As we come together this Thanksgiving, I urge all New Yorkers to stay alert, monitor local forecasts, and exercise caution as they travel to be with family and friends this holiday weekend as we experience winter weather across the State If you are traveling, please plan ahead, and prioritize your safety and the safety of others to ensure we can all spend this holiday with our loved ones — safely and warmly.”

Batavia City Council Moves Harvester Demo Project to a Vote

Monday evening the Batavia City Council met and discussed the next steps in the proposed demo project at the Harvester Center complex.

The Batavian reports, that in 2021 the Harvester complex was sold to John Wachter Jr. and John Wachter III of New Jersey who hoped to revitalize the deteriorating Harvester Center. Multiple buildings on the property have been deemed unsafe by Batavia City Code Enforcement. City Manager Rachel Tabelski has recommended that the City Council submit a grant application for up to $1 million with the Restore NY grant.

At the meeting, Batavia resident John Roach gave a speech urging city officials to be cautious. Roach cited previous instances where the city helped property owners get grants to revitalize old buildings and nothing really came of it. City Council will vote on whether they will apply for the grant at their next meeting on December 9th.

Notre Dame’s Lady Irish Hosting Annual Golisano Toy Drive

For the third consecutive year, the Lady Irish Basketball team at Notre Dame High School is hosting their Golisano Toy Drive.

The drive has already begun and donations are being accepted at Notre Dame’s main office during normal school hours. Donations will be accepted until December 12th when the Lady Irish face off against Oakfield-Alabama. At the game, there will be basket raffles and a 50/50 which all proceeds will benefit the toy drive.

This drive is a great way to help out children who are in the hospital and cannot be home with their families for the holidays.

Man Arrested Following High-Speed Chase in Oakfield

The Genesee County Sheriff’s Department reports, that Shawn O’Conner was arrested after being involved in a high-speed chase over the weekend.

Friday evening, deputies attempted to stop O’Conner for traffic violations in Batavia. Once the deputies turned on their lights, O’Conner fled up Route 63 towards Oakfield. O’Conner led deputies to the Oakfield Central School where he crashed his vehicle after hitting a patrol vehicle in the parking lot. At this point, O’Conner surrendered to law enforcement and was taken into custody without incident. O’Conner caused damage to the Oakfield Central School District, striking several objects with his vehicle.

O’Conner was taken to the Genesee County Jail where he is being held awaiting his arraignment. O’Conner faces charges of Criminal Mischief in the 2nd degree, Unlawful Fleeing in the 3rd degree, Reckless Endangerment in the 2nd degree, and 17 traffic tickets. More charges are expected to be filed once the investigation concludes.

Genesee Speedway Announces Major Moves in 2025

Genesee Speedway in Batavia announced they are making major changes in 2025 which will be spearheaded by newly appointed track promoter James Gayton.

Gayton has been a familiar face at the speedway over the last decade and was awarded a three-year contract by the Genesee County Fair Board. Gayton’s first move was to rebrand the track, changing the name from “Genesee Speedway” to “The Dirt Track at Genesee” and accompanying the new name with a new modern logo. Gayton also plans to reopen the kart track on Friday nights after a year and a half-break. Upgrades to the big track will include over 100 loads of new clay, constructing a new tower, adding live timing and scoring, renovating the bathrooms, accepting credit and debit cards, and launching a new modern website.

With the changes Gayton has planned, The Dirt Track at Genesee could become a significant track in the dirt racing world.

Elba Students Raise $2,564 For School.

The Elba High School Class of 2025 and members of the Lancers varsity baseball team earned $2,564 for the Elba Central School District.

Throughout the summer, the students went to the Batavia Downs following each Rockin’ the Downs concert and helped clean up. The students raised $1,031.80 through can and bottle returns, and the Batavia Downs matched the redemption price and donated an additional $500 as a thank-you for the help cleaning up beyond the bottles and cans. Ryan Hasenauer, the VP of business development at the Batavia Downs along with President and CEO Byron Brown visited Elba High School on Friday and presented the students with a check.

All the cans and bottles were redeemed through McNickel’s Bottle and Can Redemption.

Man Charged with Assaulting Correctional Officer in Genesee County Jail

A Buffalo man was charged with assaulting a Correctional Officer while he was being held in the Genesee County Jail in October.

The Genesee County Sheriff’s Department reports, that Nyejay Braction of Buffalo allegedly assaulted a Correctional Officer when a physical altercation broke out at the Genesee County Jail on West Main Street in Batavia. The Correctional Officer suffered a broken finger from the incident and had to seek medical attention. Fortunately, other Correctional Officers were able to help get Braction restrained and prevented any further injuries.

Braction is charged with assault in the 2nd degree and was arrested and arraigned on November 15th in Genesee County CAP Court.

Pembroke Football Wins Far West Regionals

On Saturday at Pittsford-Sutherland High School, the Pembroke Dragons defeated Section 6 Champion Frewsburg 50-19 en route to a Far West Regional Championship in 8-man football. They extended their winning streak to 35 games.

In the game, the Dragons jumped out to a big lead early and never looked back. Senior quarterback Caleb Felski had a monster game rushing for 428 yards and 5 touchdowns. On the defensive side, Felski and Hayden Williams had 2 interceptions each. The win advances the Dragons to the State Semifinals where they’ll match up with undefeated Section 3 Champion Frankfort-Schuyler. Pembroke is ranked #1 in the state while Frankfort-Shuyler is ranked #2 in the state making this a marquee matchup.

The game will be played this Saturday at noon at Vestal High School.

A Wyoming County man accused of killing his roommate before fleeing to Mexico has appeared in court. Prosecutors claim 42-year-old Michael Bellaire strangled 53-year-old Cheryl Cook at their Warsaw apartment in November 2023. Bellaire avoided capture for months before finally being taken into custody. He is now charged with murder, grand larceny and strangulation and remains behind bars.

Senator Kristen Gillibrand is calling for the passage of a bill that would expand social security benefits for over 35-thousand New York public sector retirees. Those workers include state and local government employees, teachers, firefighters, and police officers. The Social Securities Fairness Act passed in the House last week and has yet to be voted on by the Senate. If passed, the bill would get rid of the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset, which reduces the amount of money a retiree, can receive. About two-point-five-million Americans would have higher Social Security payments and they’d be retroactive to December 2023.

Wegmans has issued a recall involving a yogurt product. The supermarket chain says its Food You Feel Good About Low Fat Fruit on the Bottom Pina Colada yogurt may contain small plastic pieces. The affected yogurts have a sell-by date of November 30th, 2024. No illnesses have been reported yet and anyone who bought the yogurt can return it for a refund.

Thousands of children in New York State will now have expanded healthcare coverage. Governor Kathy Hochul announced Friday that the state is now able to offer children under the age of six, continuous eligibility in Child Health Plus and Medicaid.  There are currently 2.5 million children 18 years old and under that are on Medicaid or Child Health Plus. The governor’s office says there are more than 800,000 children under six years of age that are currently enrolled in Medicaid and Child Health Plus that will benefit from the continuous coverage

The 3^rd Annual Small Business Craft and Vendor Event, hosted by St. Paul Lutheran Church and School, is scheduled for Saturday, November 30^th from 10 until 3 at the church, located at 31 Washington Avenue. Items to browse include a variety of handcrafted items, quilts, blankets, children and baby items, woodcrafts, jewelry and more. If you’d like more information, please call 585-343-0488.

Batavia Softball is Getting a New Field

The Batavia City School District announced, that as part of their $45 million capital project, the Lady Blue Devils Varsity Softball team will get a new synthetic turf field.

The synthetic turf field will be the first of its kind in Genesee County. Synthetic turf fields have become popular in New York state, with softball season starting in April, quite often the weather is cold and wet which turns traditional grass fields into unplayable swamps. Synthetic turf allows the field to drain quickly during rainy conditions and isn’t affected by rain the way the grass is. Medina is the first school in the area to build a synthetic turf softball field, and the Lady Mustangs haven’t had to delay a single game due to rain since its installation.

As part of this project, the JV baseball field at Batavia High School will also be rebuilt with synthetic turf.

Batavia Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Selling Drugs

Norman Michael Jr. of Batavia was sentenced to eight years in prison for working with his wife while he was in jail to sell a copious amount of drugs.

The Batavia City Police Department said, that following an investigation they determined that while in Genesee County Jail, Michael contacted his wife Danielle, and arranged for her to sell crack cocaine to Marcus Mobley. Mobley’s car was later stopped by law enforcement, where they discovered drugs sold to him by Danielle. For her role in the crime, Danielle Michael was charged with two counts of third-degree criminal possession, criminal use of drug paraphernalia, and conspiracy.

Norman Michael pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and will serve 8 years in state prison.

Pembroke Football Prepares for Far West Regional

The Pembroke Dragons 8-man football team will look to make it 35 straight wins when they play Frewsburg this Saturday in the Far West Regionals.

The Dragons have won 34 straight games dating back to September 9th, 2022 and during this stretch have won 2 state titles. Their opponent, the Frewsburg Bears, had their best season in program history going 7-1 and winning the Section 6 eight-man football title. However, their one loss on the season came against Pembroke in October where they were beaten 52-22.

The game will be played at noon on Saturday at Pittsford-Sutherland High School, and with a win, the Dragons will advance to the State Semifinals.

Batavia City School District Plans to Start Capital Project in the Spring

Joanne Beck with the Batavian reports, that the Batavia City School District plans to start its $45 million capital project in the spring of 2025 with a 3-phase plan.

The $45 million project will cost taxpayers zero dollars and will help restructure the way Batavia City School has grades set up. The plan will include major renovations to Robert Morris as by the end of this project, it will be absorbing UPK and kindergarten from Jackson Primary. Jackson Primary will lose kindergarten but will take on second grade to go along with first grade. John Kennedy will lose second grade, but gain fifth grade and host grades three through five. Finally, Batavia Middle School will lose 5th grade and return to just housing grades six through eight.

All five of Batavia’s City Schools are receiving major renovations as part of this plan, and a complete list with all the details is available on thebatavian.com.

DMV Reminds Riders to Register Snowmobiles

The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles stated on Wednesday reminding riders to register their snowmobiles as winter approaches.

In New York State all snowmobiles must be registered and marked with a valid sticker to access more than 10,500 miles of trails in the Statewide Snowmobile Trail System. Revenue raised from snowmobile registrations is used towards maintaining and developing the state’s snowmobile trails. If you are a member of the New York State Snowmobile Association or a local affiliated snowmobile club, you will receive a $55 discount on your registration.

Mark J.F. Schroeder, DMV Commissioner and Chair of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee said, “I’m optimistic this will be a fun winter for snowmobilers and other outdoor enthusiasts in New York. So, before the snow flies, remember your snowmobile registration must be renewed every year. DMV is here to help customers get registered and ready for the trails.”

GCC Foundation Set to Host Twelve Days of Christmas Event

The Genesee Community College Foundation will host its annual Encore holiday gala on Saturday, December 14th at 5 pm.

The theme this year will be “Twelve Days of Christmas”, celebrating the traditions of the holiday season. There will be fine dining and a special holiday concert performed by the Genesee Symphony Orchestra. This event has provided crucial funding for student scholarships at GCC for over 30 years. They are still seeking a few sponsors for the event so if you are interested, be sure to get in contact with Justin Johnston at GCC.

If you wish to attend this event, tickets are available online at www.gccfoundationinc.org.

Batavia City School District Announces New Principal at Robert Morris

The Batavia City School District announced, that on Monday they named Jessica Korzelius as the new Principal of Robert Morris Middle School.

Korzelius was named Principal upon a recommendation from Batavia City School District Superintendent Jason Smith. Korzelius has served as Assistant Principal at Robert Morris and Batavia High School since 2021. Before serving in that role, Korzelius was a classroom teacher at Robert Morris from 2014-2021 teaching grades 5 and 6. Korzelius holds a Certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Leadership from SUNY Brockport, a Master’s degree in Literacy, and a Bachelor’s degree in Childhood Education from SUNY at Buffalo.

Upon receiving her new role, Korzelius said, “Having been part of this community as assistant principal, both here and at Batavia High School, I know how dedicated our students, staff, and families are. I want to thank the BCSD Board of Education and our administrative team for their support throughout my career. I am excited to continue working alongside them during this pivotal time for our district.
I look forward to supporting our youngest learners as they grow and achieve their full potential.”

Genesee County Plans to Prepare a Warming Center as Winter Looms

Joanne Beck with the Batavian reports, that as winter quickly creeps up on us, community groups in Genesee County have begun to make plans for a warming center.

With multiple recent incidents of homeless people in and around Batavia, it has become clear that something needed to be put into place to protect them from the elements this winter. A warming center is a shelter for people with nowhere else to go on evenings and nights when temperatures fall below 32 degrees. At this point, it is unclear where the warming center will be located. Still, Genesee County officials have Chief Executive Officer Karen Kinter of Oak Orchard Health leading the charge.

Multiple community groups have stated that they want to be involved in this, as they believe it’s a great need for Batavia.

GO Health Increases Awareness During Lung Cancer Awareness Month

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments have announced that in recognition of Lung Cancer Awareness Month, they are dedicated to increasing awareness about lung cancer and promoting early detection.

The New York State Health Equity Report found that Genesee County had a lung cancer rate of 71.5 cases per 100,000 people. Lung cancer can develop without any noticeable symptoms which makes regular screenings crucial for those at risk. Risk groups include past smokers, those with radon exposure, and those who worked with carcinogenic chemicals and dust.

Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for GO Health said, “Lung Cancer Awareness Month is not just about raising awareness; it’s about taking actionable steps to reduce risk factors associated with lung cancer,”

Batavia Downs Raises Over $25,000 For Breast Cancer Coalition.

The Batavia Downs announced that their September 27th fundraiser raised $25,215.30 for the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester.

The event raised money through the donated dinner, donations, raffles, auctions for donated items, and the local harness racing community as some owners, trainers, and riders donated all or a portion of their winnings from September 27th. Batavia Downs President and CEO Byron Brown presented representatives from the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester with their check in a ceremony on Monday. The Batavia Downs also donated $9,310 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Monday’s ceremony.

Byron Brown spoke of the importance of this donation saying, “Breast Cancer Awareness Month just concluded in October but our focus should be year-round with more than 360,000 people diagnosed with breast cancer this year alone. Early detection is critically important because – so the quicker you act the bigger the impact.”

Elmore Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter in Sanfratello Case

Following a long eight months, Michael Elmore has pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter in the first-degree for his role in the events that led to the death of Sgt. Thomas Sanfratello on March 10th at the Batavia Downs.

Aggravated Manslaughter in the first-degree/intent to cause injury, was the top count in the indictment as a class B violent felony. As part of Elmore’s plea deal, he will be sentenced to no more than 20 years in prison and 5 years of probation. Elmore will be sentenced on December 17th at 9:30 am, and this will be his second felony after previously being convicted of Attempted Burglary in 2016.

Lyndsey Wilcox also accepted a plea deal for her role in Sanfratello’s death, pleading guilty to Assault in the second-degree, which is a class D violent felony. Wilcox was released under supervision and was sentenced to 6 months of shock probation and will face up to 5 years of probation when she is sentenced on January 21st.

Governor Hochul Announces $22 Million For NY’s Electric Grid.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Monday that $22 million is now available for projects that strengthen and modernize New York’s electric grid.

The money was funded through a U.S. Department of Energy Grid Resilience Formula Grant. Hochul’s grid modernization program will support projects that help ensure infrastructure reliability and expand access to clean energy for New Yorkers, specifically supporting the transition to a zero-emission electricity system.

Governor Hochul said, “New York’s grid infrastructure is the backbone of energy distribution. We must maintain its reliability and resiliency to withstand extreme weather events. This federal formula grant complements ongoing State investments to meet the growing energy needs of families and businesses in our communities.”

Tough Weekend for Genesee County Football

It was not the weekend residents of Genesee County hoped for, with their High School Football teams going a combined 1-3 over the weekend.

In our WBTA Game of the Week, the Batavia Blue Devils fell to Eastridge 28-14 in the Class B Championship Game. Batavia trailed 22-0 entering the 4th quarter and made a spirited comeback. However, Batavia was too depleted with injuries and Eastridge was able to pull away once more. In the Class C title game, the Le Roy/Cal-Mum Rivals lost to East Rochester/Gananada 26-13. This game was never truly close with ER taking an early lead and never letting the Rivals make the game closer than 2 scores. In the Class D title game, the Alexander Trojans lost to Avon 28-0. The Trojans kept it close early, but Avon was able to wear them down and pull away.

The one bright spot this weekend is that the Pembroke Dragons defeated Holley 52-16 in the 8-man football title game, and will move on to play Frewsburg in the Far West Regional.

Pontillo and the Town of Stafford Appear to be in a Stalemate

Howard Owens with the Batavian reports, that James Pontillo and the Town of Stafford appear to have reached a stalemate with the pending code violations at the former Odd Fellows Hall.

Pontillo’s attorney Chris Hummel released a statement this week accusing the Town of Stafford of wanting to seize ownership of the property and possibly demolish it over “a few petty code violations at worse”. The statement also states that the property was never abandoned and that Pontillo frequently tends to it. In response, David Roach, attorney for the Town of Stafford said that Hummel’s statement was a hodgepodge of objectively verifiable lies and contextually misplaced statements.” Roach also claimed that “Anyone who can read the Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code and observe the condition of Mr. Pontillo’s building, inside and out, will arrive at that conclusion.”

Pontillo and the Town of Stafford have been at odds over the Odd Fellows Hall for over 8 years, and these recent statements don’t inspire faith that they are getting closer to a solution.

Byron Bergen Girls Win Soccer State Championship

The Byron-Bergen Bees Varsity Girls Soccer Team won the New York State Class C State Championship at SUNY Cortland.

Following a dominant 4-0 victory on Saturday over Section 9 champion Burke Catholic, the Bees played Section 2 champion Stillwater in the state championship game on Sunday. The game was a defensive masterclass, with both teams refusing to give an inch to the other. The game ended scoreless in regulation and had to be settled in overtime. Just 23 seconds into the overtime period, captain and star player Mia Gray scored to give the Bees a 1-0 victory.

The Bees have been to the state tournament and championship game numerous times over the last decade, but victory has always eluded them. Until now, Congratulations to the Bees.

Flu season has arrived, but the spread of the virus is currently very low across the area. The county with the highest number of cases is Monroe with nine, followed by Wayne County with two and Cayuga County with just one. Experts say it is important for folks to take proper precautions so they can avoid getting themselves and others sick. Flu season typically runs into May, but illnesses begin to surge once the weather gets colder.

A full surgery schedule has resumed at University of Rochester Medical Center following an IV fluid shortage. Some procedures were put on hold temporarily after a manufacturing plant in North Carolina was severely damaged by Hurricane Helene. Hospital officials say things are back up and running again due to conservation efforts and using clinically equivalent alternatives. Patients will be contacted directly by their medical provider to get a surgery date.

Some New Yorkers are eligible for almost $1,000 for heating assistance this winter. Governor Kathy Hochul made the announcement that money is available through the Home Energy Assistance Program, also known as HEAP. Benefits are available to homeowners and renters, depending on their income.   Applications for HEAP benefits are open now and Emergency HEAP benefit applications will open on January 2nd.   The application can be found on NY.gov.

SUNY colleges and universities are seeing an increase in enrollment for the second year in a row. This is the first back-to-back rise in 15 years. Enrollment rose over two-percent in the Fall of 2024 with around 275,000 new SUNY students. SUNY Morrisville, and Niagara County Community College have the largest enrollment gains. Governor Kathy Hochul has credited SUNY’s enrollment growth to the $277 million in state funding for community colleges, health care training and mental health, among other things.   Her Top-Ten Percent Program also offers automatic admission to the top students starting next year.

The 3^rd Annual Small Business Craft and Vendor Event, hosted by St. Paul Lutheran Church and School, is scheduled for Saturday, November 30^th from 10 until 3 at the church, located at 31 Washington Avenue. Items to browse include a variety of handcrafted items, quilts, blankets, children and baby items, woodcrafts, jewelry and more. If you’d like more information, please call 585-343-0488.

NBC News Features…

Lunchables are out of school lunch rotations nationwide. Kraft Heinz is pulling the products from the National School Lunch Program due to weak demand. The company said in a statement, it would reconsider bringing them back in the future. While Kraft Heinz said school administrators were eager for the easily accessible, ready-to-eat meals, Consumer Reports reported on their high sodium levels, prompting debate over whether the food is safe for students.

A new study by the Cleveland Clinic and the University of Southern California reveals that COVID-19 can be deadly for years after getting sick. The study shows that those who get COVID are twice as likely to suffer a fatal heart attack, stroke or death for up to three-years after a COVID diagnosis.   The risk is even higher for those who were hospitalized with COVID and or have a previous history of heart disease.   Doctor Stanley Hazen of the Cleveland Clinic says there is likely to be a rise in cardiovascular disease globally in the coming years.

People started drinking more during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that lasted into at least 2022. A new survey saw increases in the amount of stress-related drinking and alcohol-related deaths in 2020 compared to 2018. Those numbers failed to subside two years later when things started to return to normal. The study was published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Measles cases have gone up across the globe. A new report from the World Health Organization found that cases of the disease rose by 20% worldwide between 2022 and 2023. Although the number of cases increased, deaths from measles went down by 8%. The report says that drop is mainly because the surge in cases occurred in countries and regions where children are less likely to die from measles due to better overall nutrition and access to health care.