Local News

Batavia Police are asking for the publics help in locating a missing 66 year old man.  Lewis Morris of Batavia is an African American male who may be driving a 2011 black Hyundai sonata with the license plate JAT 5955.  He was last seen at his home at 1230 am on Friday.  Police believe he left his home at around 3am and may have traveled to Rochester.

Governor Cuomo announced that a final siting permit has been issued for a major solar facility in Livingston county.  Morris Ridge Solar Energy Center LLC is a 177-megawatt solar electric facility coupled with 83-megawatt battery energy storage in the Town of Mount Morris.  It is expected to generate enough energy to power over 38000 homes a year and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 173 thousand metric tons of carbon, or the equivalent of taking 34 thousand cars off the road.

The Jackson square Friday Night Concert series kicked off this past week with Penny Whisky playing a mix of Celtic, folk, Rock and Bluegrass.  Executive Director for the Batavia BID, Beth Kemp said, “The Batavia Business Improvement District is so thrilled to be able to host Jackson Square Summer Concert Series this summer!  It has been a tough last year for our businesses and community and we are happy to be providing events and opportunities for people to come together again in our Downtown!” For a complete schedule of Friday night concerts in Jackson Square follow the link on wbtai.com  https://www.thebatavian.com/events/free-concert-in-jackson-square-penny-whiskey/565210

The cat that was missing from a home on State Street in Batavia has been found in a boat on the owners property.  Spot had been missing since June 19^th when he ran out of the house and disappeared.

A note on water usage from Tim Hens, County Highway Superintendent: Heading into the weekend, it looks like a few days of 90° weather are forecasted for our area.  It has been abnormally dry and this combo is exactly what causes water usage to spike. The County is continuing to urge all residents connected to the public water supply system to make small changes to conserve water usage.  Please avoid watering lawns, washing vehicles and any unnecessary water usage.  If you need to water a garden, please do so at night.  Small changes at the residential level add up quickly.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the signing of the Gender Recognition Act into law Thursday. The legislation allows New Yorkers to use “X” as a non-binary sex designation on New York State driver’s licenses. Officials say the legislation ensures New Yorkers will be able to have their gender identity on official documents and allows name and sex designation changes to be sealed more easily.  The legislation also allows New Yorkers to amend birth certificates and use a designation of mother, father or parent.

If you’ve driven in Rochester lately you have likely seen packs of people riding dirt bikes, 4 wheelers and tiny motorcycles around the city.  These vehicles are illegal to drive on the city streets and new legislation from Monroe County Executive Adam Bello allows police to impound the vehicles and charge drivers 500 to 2000 dollars to get the vehicles out of impound.  The new law takes effect in July.

Starting in July families that have children under 17 will start getting child tax credit payouts.  250 dollars for each child 6-17 and 300 for each child under 6 years old.  In order to receive this benefit, which basically splits the child tax credit that US citizens normally receive at tax time in half and gives half up front as monthly payments and the other half redeemable at income tax time, a family must have filed income taxes in 2019 or 2020.  If you didn’t file then you can register by following the link on wbtai.com.  This is part of the American Rescue Plan Act.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/child-tax-credit/sign-up/

A Long Island man is running for a cause!  To raise money and awareness for the Thomas Hartman Center for Parkinson’s Research at Stony Brook University Wai Law is running the entire 555 mile long Empire Trail.  The trail starts in Buffalo and roughly follows the Erie Canal across the state before turning south at Albany and going down to Battery Park in New York City.  The run is expected to take 10 days if he can run about 55 miles a day.

The roadwork scheduled for Monday June 28^th in Batavia on north spruce Street, Fisher Park, and Chase Park has been reschedule to Tuesday June 29th. This work is weather dependent and if the work is delayed due to rain it will be scheduled for the next workday. These 3 streets will be closed to all through traffic. Residents living within the work area will have limited access to their driveway and may experience delays while the paving operations are ongoing and there will be no roadside parking.

A Rochester man has been jailed without bail following a fight at a West Main Street motel in Batavia.
39-year-old James Saddler III collared for assault and weapons possession following a fracas at the motel late yesterday afternoon.
Deputies say Saddler struck one victim with a tire iron and a second person with his fists. The motive for the melee is unknown.
The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office did not disclose just where the fight occurred.

Here’s a reminder for Batavia motorists. BPD reminds you now that the State of Emergency has been lifted, no more extensions for expired driver’s licenses.
Expired drivers licenses and permits are no longer valid and need to be renewed.

The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Frankie is a lucky dog today.
Batavia Downs has donated $2,300 to the K-9 patrol.
It was money left behind at the Downs and never claimed.

The owners of Eli Fish Brewing Company announce that three third floor apartments in their building are ready for tenants.
There are already four apartments occupied on the second floor.
The new apartments rent at what’s called “market rate” which is about $1,000 a month.

Landmarks across New York State will be lit in rainbow colors this weekend in celebration of LGBTQ Pride Month. In Western New York, the water at Niagara Falls be decorated in red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet.

A Rochester man is behind bars after a fight broke out at a Town of Batavia motel. Sheriff’s deputies arrested 39-year-old James T. Saddler III. He allegedly got into a physical altercation and struck one victim with a tire iron and another victim with his fists. He was charged with felony second-degree assault, criminal possession of a weapon, trespass and harassment. Saddler was arraigned in Alabama Town Court and remanded to the Genesee County Jail without bail.

New York’s COVID State of Emergency declaration has ended…and has so the ‘alcohol-to-go’ program. A permanent extension of alcohol-to-go is supported by 78 percent of New Yorkers, but the Legislature failed to extend it and now the Executive Order has ended. The president and CEO of the New York State Restaurant Association issued a statement saying – “Only in New York would elected officials ignore an overwhelming majority of the public.”

An appeals court suspended Rudy Giuliani from practicing law in New York because he allegedly made false statements while trying to get courts to overturn Donald Trump’s loss in the presidential race. An attorney disciplinary committee said in its motion there was “uncontroverted evidence” that Giuliani had made false statements to the courts, the public and lawmakers as he pushed theories that the election was stolen through fraud. The ruling, signed Thursday, will prevent Giuliani from representing clients as a lawyer.

State Police arrested 29-year-old Casey Hale of Holley for felony first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation. He was also charged with DWI. He was released with court appearance tickets.

Batavia police…out with some advice regarding driver licenses and permits. The State of Emergency has ended…Therefore, the extension of expiration dates for driver licenses and permits that expired on or after March 1, 2020 also ended Thursday. Expired drivers licenses and permits are no longer valid and need to be renewed.

New York’s Medicaid and Child Health Plus programs added three-quarters of a million enrollees during the coronavirus pandemic, roughly matching the pace of a national surge in sign-ups. Between February 2020 and January 2021, the combined rolls of the two health plans grew by 760,000 New Yorkers, the second-largest total in the country. The state’s growth rate of 13 percent was lower than the national average of 14 percent—in part because New York’s pre-existing enrollment was proportionally high.

Earlier this year, a ceremony was held in the lobby at Batavia Downs Gaming as Batavia Downs showcased their $2,300 sponsorship of the Genesee County Sheriff’s K-9 Unit. The money was left at Batavia Downs and was turned into the Sheriff’s office. When the money went unclaimed, Batavia Downs decided to sponsor the Department’s K-9 Unit. The money will be used to help provide equipment for the unit, headed up by Officer Andrew Mullen and K-9 Frankie.

Rochester Police are getting help from federal prosecutors to help address recent gun violence. Interim Chief Cynthia Herriott-Sullivan says she has been in touch with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Buffalo in order find ways to prosecute acts of violence involving guns in federal court. Herriott-Sullivan said the meeting with the U.S. attorney will focus on how to move forward with criminal cases and what kinds of cases will be targeted. She added that U.S. Marshals will be assisting with tracking down wanted suspects.

If you are a student at St Bonaventure and plan on going back to campus in the fall you have to get a shot in the arm first.  St Bonaventure University has announced that all students who plan to take classes on campus, whether you are I the dorm, commuting, or living off campus as long as you plan on coming on campus you need to provide proof of vaccination against COVID 19 before being allowed back.  Fully online and non residential graduate students do not need to provide proof of vaccination.  According to the university limited religious and medical exemptions will be granted and reasonable accommodations will be provided in accordance with guidance from public health officials, St. Bonaventure policy and applicable law.  New York Governor Andrew Cuomo previously announced a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for all in-person students at SUNY and CUNY schools.

Tops Friendly Markets is holding a hiring event online on Wednesday June 30^th from 11am to 3pm.  Many positions offer a 2500 or more dollar signing bonus. Positions include Day shift and Evening shift selectors, both Full and Part-time Part-time freezer selectors, Full and Part-time Sanitation, and CDL Class A Drivers.  Sign up for the hiring event by following the link on wbtai.com.  https://www.topsmarkets.com/careers

The owners of Eli Fish Brewing Company are conducting an open house to provide tours of three new apartments on the third floor of the former J.J. Newberry Department store.  The three units are in addition to 4 apartment units on the second floor that were built with the brewery in 2017.  The construction of the new units were supported through a $137,600 grant from New York State’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative.

The Batavia Muckdogs had their first double header Wednesday night at Sal Maglie Stadium in Niagara Falls.  Against The Power the Muckdogs prevailed in the first game 4 to 1 but in their second game Niagara Falls called the dogs to heel 10 to 2.  The Muckdogs will be back home tonight on Guaranteed Win Night against the Geneva Red Wings with the first pitch set to be thrown out at 7:05pm.

As New York ends its COVID state of emergency today, Governor Andrew Cuomo warns people not to let their guards down
Public health officials are particularly concerned about the delta variant… which is feared to spread more rapidly and possibly cause more severe cases than others. Assemblyman Steve Hawley said the needless restrictions the governor mandated within businesses, schools, places of worship and communities caused a great deal of struggle and suffering.

A Batavia man faces a decade or more behind bars. 53-year-old Matthew Barber has pleaded guilty to having over 1,000 images and 200 videos of child porn. The plea comes following prior federal and state convictions relating to sexual abuse involving a minor. He was arrested after parole and probation officers searched his home and seized a cell phone, which was found to contain images and videos of child pornography. A flash drive containing child pornography was also seized. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 27.

While it appears, he’s lost the Democratic primary, Mayor Byron Brown might not be ready to give up his job just yet. The Buffalo News reports he’s considering a write-in campaign to challenge India Walton who is on track to become the city’s first female mayor. However, Brown wouldn’t have the support of the Erie County Democratic party who has already pledged to back Walton. The winner of the primary won’t officially be known until all absentee ballots are counted.

The State Liquor Authority says alcohol-to-go sales are coming to an end today at bars and restaurants across New York. That means for the first time in several months, those businesses will no longer be able to sell beverages such as wine and cocktails on a to-go basis.

Another sign of a return to normal. The Batavia Concert Band is back with weekly performances in Centennial Park. It was only the second time in the band’s 97 year history they had missed a season. The band remained silent last summer due to COVID.
But they are now back, drawing a nice size crowd for their season opener last night. The band will perform every Wednesday night at 7, Centennial Park, until August 4th.

On March 7, 2020, Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued a state disaster emergency in response to the COVID pandemic. At the end of the day, the order will be lifted. Federal CDC guidance will remain in effect, which includes masks for unvaccinated individuals, as well as all riders on public transit and in certain settings, such as health care, nursing homes, correctional facilities, and homeless shelters. State and local government health departments will still be able to ensure mask rules and other health precautions are adhered to in those settings. According to Cuomo, New York went from one of the worst infection rates to the lowest infection rate in the country, and it was all because of the efforts of New Yorkers who were smart, united and did what they needed to do.

A wicked story continues regarding a brutal murder on a Main Street to our south in Allegany County. A Wellsville teenager was sentenced Wednesday afternoon to ten years in state prison for his role in a brutal murder last March. Judge Thomas Brown handed down the sentence to 17-year-old Jason Darden for his role in the savage beating death of Nicholas Burdge inside a North Main Street apartment. Seven others were also charged. One defendant, Howard Burroughs, will head to trial January 10, 2022. Burdge was murdered after hours of torture.  His body was later dumped in the Genesee River. Darden was initially charged with second-degree murder, kidnapping, manslaughter, first-degree gang assault and conspiracy.

A Batavia man has pleaded guilty to having over 1,000 images and 200 videos of child porn. The plea comes following prior federal and state convictions relating to sexual abuse involving a minor. 53-year-old Matthew Barber made the admission in federal court. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison. He was arrested after parole and probation officers searched his home and seized a cell phone, which was found to contain images and videos of child pornography. A flash drive containing child pornography was also seized. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 27.

New York State will provide $25 million in child care scholarships to all essential workers starting right away. Essential workers include first responders such as health care providers, pharmaceutical staff, law enforcement, firefighters, transportation workers, food delivery workers, grocery store employees and others. This is the first in a series of new investments to support working families and the child care industry through the federal Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act and American Rescue Plan Act. Workers who need child care can contact their local child care resource and referral agency to find openings.

During the early morning hours, a motorist was in need of some assistance at Main and Oak in Batavia and two Batavia police officers stopped to help change a tire — Pete Flanagan and Jordan McGinnis. Tom Wood is the former chief for Le Roy. He said he was driving past and couldn’t stop for a picture but says he thought the officers deserved some recognition. According to Wood, with all the negativity around police officers, he thought I\he should share this moment.

The State of emergency which has existed since March of last year is being allowed to expire tomorrow and will not be renewed.  Governor Cuomo says “The emergency is over. The state of emergency that I had declared in consultation with commissioner Zucker, a health emergency, it expires tomorrow. It will not be renewed, it will punctuate the expiration of the emergency that we have been in because New Yorkers rallied and essential workers rallied.”  The ending of the state of emergency removes Cuomo’s emergency powers and puts the power back in the hands of the legislature.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the state will provide $25 million in child care scholarships to essential workers beginning today.  A release from the governor’s office says essential workers include: health care providers, Pharmaceutical staff, Law enforcement, Firefighters, Transportation workers, Food delivery workers, Grocery store employees and others.  Child care costs will be covered for essential workers whose income is less than 300% of the federal poverty level, the state says this amounts to about $79,500 for a family of four. It will be paid up to market rate for each region across the state for children aged six weeks to 12 years. The state says parents can apply through a single online application and the providers will be paid directly on behalf of the parent. The online applications open today and will remain open until funds are depleted. To learn more or apply follow the link at wbtai.com.  https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/contracts/funding/COVID-relief/essential-workers.php

The City Church and St. Anthony’s are announcing the opening back up of their Tuesday Night Activity Nights on July 6th.  They offer basketball, four square, a game room and the Liberty Arts room will be open.  The gym floor has been recently updated and is ready to be played on!  This will occur every Tuesday night from 6-8 p.m. at the St. Anthony’s Community Center located on 114 Liberty St. in Batavia.

Have an ezpass?  You might want to check your bill and make sure its right.  Trucking companies are saying that the ezpass system has been overcharging them since the tolls went fully automated.  The truckers say that they were charged twice, once for the truck and once for the trailer.  Officials pointed to a malfunctioning reader at exit 55 as the culprit.  Other drivers have said that they were charged twice, charged for driving far further than they actually drove, or received tolls in the mail when they had the tag.  Check your statements to make sure you aren’t getting overcharged.

Rochester will have a brand-new leader after City Councilman Malik Evans defeats incumbent Mayor Lovely Warren in the Democratic primary.
To the west of us, Community activist India Walton is declaring victory in Buffalo’s Democratic mayoral primary. Right now, she’s ahead of four-term incumbent Mayor Byron Brown, but absentee ballots will need to be counted for a winner is declared.

Here in Genesee County: Joseph Nowakowski and Jeff Wolak are the apparent winners for Town of Bethany Justice. Peter Yasses has a ten-vote lead for Byron Town Supervisor and Barbara Radly has a commanding lead for Town of Stafford Clerk.

BPD continues to probe a car-pedestrian accident on West Main Street. Police say the pedestrian was crossing West Main yesterday afternoon when he was struck by an east bound SUV. The victim was flown to Strong Hospital. His name has not been released.

If you live in the area of number-10 Vernon Avenue this is for you.
The Water Department is repairing a water line. The street will be closed until mid-afternoon.

Continued good news on New York’s COVID-19 positivity rate.
The latest numbers show the state’s 7-day rate has dropped to .36-percent.
That’s another record low.
On the vaccination front: the state’s rate has gone to 71.1 percent.

Rene Robert  NHL.com

The Buffalo Sabres are mourning the loss of one of the most popular players in franchise history.
Rene Robert has passed away at the age of 72 after suffering a heart attack in Florida last week.
Robert was part of Buffalo’s “French Connection” line and played several seasons for the Sabres in the 1970s.

Here are the unofficial winners from Tuesday’s GOP primaries. Joseph Nowakowski and Jeff Wolak are the apparent winners for Town of Bethany Justice. Peter Yasses has a ten vote lead for Byron Town Supervisor and Barbara Radly has a handy lead for Town of Stafford Clerk.

The City of Batavia Water Department is repairing a water line at #10 Vernon Ave. this morning. The repair will require the road to be shut down for through traffic. This will include emergency vehicles. The road should be open by 3:00 PM.

The City of Batavia Police Department is investigating a car/pedestrian personal injury accident that occurred on Tuesday afternoon in front of 229 West Main St, Batavia. A pedestrian was crossing West Main Street and was struck by an SUV that was traveling eastbound. The pedestrian was transported by Mercy Flight to Strong Hospital to be treated for his injuries, which are unknown right now. The investigation is ongoing and police say the names of the individuals involved will not be released at this time.

The rate continues to decline. That’s the COVID-19 positivity rate. The latest numbers show the statewide 7-Day average positivity number has dropped to 0.36%. That’s another record low, for the 25^th consecutive day. New York has had declines for 78 consecutive days. Also, good news on the vaccination front…the shot rate has elevated to 71.1%. Sadly, official have reported another eight virus-related deaths.

For the fourth consecutive year, Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse has been selected as one of the Best Companies to Work for in New York. The annual listing of businesses honored through the Best Companies to Work for in New York program was created by the New York State Society for Human Resource Management and Best Companies Group. This statewide survey and awards program is designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in New York, benefiting the state’s economy, its workforce and businesses.

New York State’s Parks and Recreation Department announced the first-ever camper reward program for overnight stays at state campgrounds. You can earn points for every dollar spent on overnight accommodations, and redeem the points toward use fees on future stays. Points will be given once the visit is over, so campers can earn them on new or already-booked reservations.

New York Attorney General Letitia James co-led a coalition of 21 attorneys general and two cities in calling on the Postal Regulatory Commission to reject Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s proposal to cut services at the Postal Service, which she said would result in increased delivery times for First-Class Mail and other essential postal services. The proposed changes could impact up to 96 percent of ZIP codes in the United States.

Malik Evans has been a Rochester city school board member and city councilman. Now, he’s poised to become Rochester’s next mayor. Evans defeated Mayor Lovely Warren for the Democratic nomination in Tuesday’s primary. Rochester’s population is heavily Democratic, so it is likely the primary election will determine the winner of the race. Addressing supporters, Evans pledged to “build bridges and stop the bloodshed.”

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz announced that the county and the buffalo Bills have no agreement about building a new stadium.  He says that the Bills and the county have met and talked but there is no agreement.  There are lease negotiations and the Bills have hired a consultant to explore options.  Poloncarz said he had to make this announcement to dispute reporting that there was an agreement to build a new stadium on Abbott Road in Orchard Park.

Independence day travel is expected to be up 40 percent compared to last year.  AAA is expecting 47.7 million Americans to drive or fly over the July 4^th weekend.  The top destinations are Orlando Florida and Anaheim California.  If you are driving expect delays because the vast majority, 43.6 million travelers, are planning on driving this year.

A good Samaritan helped out a struggling motorist in need in Warsaw on Monday after a car on Ryan rd went off the road and became wedged over the edge of a deep embankment.  Another driver stopped and assisted the driver out of the vehicle. The driver was not injured and an accident report was completed. Valley Sales and Service was able to remove the vehicle from the ledge without further incident.  The stuck vehicle was precariously perched against a tree which was all that stopped it from tumbling down over 20 feet.

Starting July 1^st Northgate Free Methodist Church will be offering free youth pickleball this summer for students in both middle school and high school on Thursdays at 1 p.m. at their south campus at 350 bank street.  There is no cost, no equipment or knowledge of the game required to attend.

There are three Republican Party primaries today in Genesee County.
There is a five-way race in the Town of Bethany for Town Justice.
Voters can select two candidates to carry the GOP banner into the fall election.
There is a GOP primary for Town Supervisor in Byron: Gerald Heins and incumbent Peter Yasses square off.
In the Town of Stafford, there is a Republican primary for Town Clerk.
Incumbent Julie Scheuerlein is in a bitter battle with Barbara Radley. Voting continues until 9 tonight.

The Canadian government says the COVID-19 vaccination rate among its citizens is key to reopening the border with the United States. 75-percent of Canadian residents will need to be fully immunized against the virus before the ongoing shutdown is lifted. Only 19-percent of Canadians are completely are completely vaccinated.

Jeremy Lyons

What police describe as a case of a roadside domestic dispute has led to felony charges.
36-year-old Jeremy Lyons of Genesee County was stopped by Livingston County deputies in the Town of Geneseo while they investigated the dispute.
As a result of the investigation, Lyons was charged with a felony county of DWI under Leandra’s Law as Lyons had a passenger in the car under the age of 16.
A computer check revealed Lyons had three previous felony convictions

When the Buffalo Bills take the field at Highmark Stadium this season, they’re going to be greeted by tens of thousands of fans.
The team says that the stadium will be open at 100-percent capacity.
Fans will not have to be vaccinated in order to enter the stadium…but. unvaccinated fans will be required to wear a mask.
If you have been vaccinated – you don’t have to mask up.

On Wednesday June 23, 2021 and Monday June 28, 2021, Chase Park, Fisher Park, and North Spruce Street will be closed to all through traffic, for a two course pavement operation. Residents are asked to not park in the street on these two days
All motorists that regularly use these streets are asked to seek alternative routes while the closures are in place.

Jeremy Lyons

A Genesee County man now faces felony and other counts after he was stopped in the Town of Geneseo. Livingston County deputies said they investigated an apparent roadside domestic dispute. The sheriff’s office said 36-year-old Jeremy Lyons had a passenger under the age of 16. Lyons was later charged with felony aggravated DWI under Leandra’s Law. He was also charged with felony first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation, child endangerment as well as traffic infractions. A computer check showed he had three previous felony convictions. Lyons was remanded to jail pending further court action.

Get your fishing poles ready for the first weekend of summer vacation. Governor Andrew Cuomo says that this Saturday and Sunday will be a Free Fishing Weekend in New York State. This is the second of six Free Fishing Days to be held in the state. During these designated free fishing days, New York residents and non-residents can fish for free without a fishing license.

Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse and the Batavia Community Schools initiative are joining forces to present a “School’s Out for Summer!” informational fair from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at The Recovery Station at 5256 Clinton St. Rd. Shannon Ford, GCASA’s director of Communications/Development/Prevention, said the event is set up to provide available resources, such as summer activities and educational opportunities, for both parents and youth. Batavia Community Schools is a new program developed by the Batavia City School District. Its mission is to unite the Batavia community and schools through shared resources, working partnerships, and open, collaborative communication.

The USDA has been providing free school meals through COVID-19 waivers, and will continue to do so through the 2021-2022 school year. Elected officials caution that food insecurity will stick around longer than that. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand traveled across the state on Monday pushing for broader assistance that goes beyond the pandemic through the Universal School Meals Program Act of 2021. The U.S. Senator from New York says she supports the Universal School Meals Program Act of 2021, which would permanently provide free breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks to all children, regardless of their income. According to Feeding America, 22 million kids rely on the National School Lunch Program for free and reduced-price meals.

The Genesee County Youth Bureau is seeking applicants for the Genesee Youth Lead Program. Applicants should be a Genesee County high school student entering their freshman through senior year. The deadline to apply is Sept. 3. The eight-month program is focused on developing leadership skills within an individual through each specific session and through hands-on experience.  Each session will have a different focus on the community and leadership. The Youth Lead Program will take place at BOCES beginning Oct. 13 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and will be held once a month on the second Wednesdays of each month except for November due to the holiday.

The National Weather service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for western, central and parts of the North Country in NY through 8pm tonight.  The time period when we’ll have the highest risk of thunderstorms will be the mid-to-late afternoon. The high humidity levels will allow any thunderstorms to drop a significant amount of rain in a short period of time.  There may also be hail and gusts of wind.

The famous Nick Tahou’s restaurant in Rochester is closed through Tuesday after an unidentified man broke into the store after midnight Sunday morning.  The suspect bicycled up to the back door and broke in the glass and then rummaged under the front counters before leaving.  Owner Alex Tahou says there was only minor damage, the restaurant has been for sale since February and Tahou says deals are being worked on to sell the landmark restaurant.

The Buffalo Bills announced today that Highmark Stadium will be dropping seating restrictions and returning to full capacity.  They are still asking unvaccinated fans to wear masks.  Erie county has rescinded its requirement for vaccines being needed to attend stadium events.

Starting July 5^th the Canadian border will be open to fully vaccinated people who are permanent residents or citizens of Canada.  US representative Brian Higgins was upset about the delayed reopening, “First the public was told vaccinations were the key to reopening the border,” Higgins said this morning in response to the latest announcement “Yet the vaccinated continue to be shut out. Then it was said, 75 percent partially vaccinated and 20 percent fully vaccinated was the threshold Canada needed to meet to loosen restrictions. That goal has been reached and still the border restrictions were extended for another month.”

Marian Ransom

United Memorial Medical Center (UMMC) has been gifted the largest donation in its history of more than 100 years. Marian Ransom, who lived in LeRoy, left her entire estate of more than $1.2 million to the hospital upon passing away last year. In honor of Marian Ransom and her generous contribution, the second floor medical wing at UMMC has been renamed the “Marian Ransom Medical Unit”.

“Its contributions like, Marian’s that make such a profound impact on the community,” said Dan Ireland, President of United Memorial Medical Center. “We are beyond grateful for Marian’s contributions and what it will mean for the hospital, our patients and the community. With the support of her donation, we’ll be renovating the intensive care unit (ICU), which will also have a significant impact on the newly named Marian Ransom Medical Unit.”

The ICU project is still in the early stages of development, but when complete will improve patient, visitor access and flow to both the ICU and the Marian Ransom Medical Unit. The ICU will get a new waiting area and greeting area and also, clinical support spaces for both units.

“Marian desired to make a difference at the end of her life and so bequeathed her entire estate of more than $1.2 million to United Memorial Medical Center, said Michael T Welsh, Marian’s attorney. “This humble and philosophical woman has left a legacy which will benefit so many of our citizens for years to come.”

A Wind Advisory is in effect for Genesee and Orleans counties.
The advisory is in effect until 6 tonight.
Winds out of the southwest at 20 to 30 miles per hour are expected with gusts to 50.
The National Weather Service says the winds could blow around unsecured objects, could down tree limbs and a few power outages may result.

Scientists with the University at Buffalo say the Delta COVID-19 variant has been found in Western New York.
Experts say this discovery is concerning for people who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 yet, especially younger children.
They’re urging everyone to take the proper health and safety precautions to protect themselves and others from the virus.

Gasoline prices in Batavia remain unchanged from a week ago.
The Triple A reports the average price of a gallon of regular remains at $3.08.
One year ago, a gallon of regular in Batavia would cost you $2.25.

The Department of Homeland Security says the border between the United States and Canada will remain closed for a bit longer. The shutdown that was initially set to expire today has now been extended another month until July 21st. Officials from both countries have been talking recently about the safest way to reopen the border, but no final agreement has been reached.

Some good news for Bills fans – Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz now says he is rescinding the vaccine requirement for Buffalo Bills games and stadium events due to low COVID-19 case numbers. In a tweet, he cited low hospitalizations and good vaccination rates.

49 years ago, this week…the rain started and the devastation began. Hurricane Agnes was like a house guest that just wouldn’t leave. The region was ravaged for five long days beginning the night of June 20, 1972. Lives were lost. Infrastructure ruined. In New York, the headlines featured the Allegany County village of Wellsville, where a record-setting crest of the Genesee River caused the west wing of Jones Memorial Hospital to collapse. The National Weather Service Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center said the most significant destruction caused by Agnes occurred in the Susquehanna River basin in Pennsylvania.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced that the New York State Department of Public Service has commenced an investigation into National Grid’s downstate gas business after several former National Grid employees were charged in a bribery and kickback scheme involving contracts worth tens of millions of dollars. A federal complaint unsealed against five former National Grid managers employed in the company’s facilities department with conspiring to violate the Travel Act by accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes and kickbacks in exchange for steering contracts to certain Long Island-based contractors with whom the company did business. One contractor, according to the complaint, secured more than $50 million in facility maintenance contracts from the company during the time that the contractor was paying bribes to the defendants.

Hang onto to your hats…The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for Genesee and Orleans Counties. The alert is in effect from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Winds could gust to 50 p.m. and some power outages could occur. Severe thunderstorms are also possible this afternoon.

Governor Cuomo has signed legislation establishing clinical staffing committees in general hospitals. The staffing committees, which will be jointly composed of registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, ancillary staff members providing direct patient care, and hospital administrators, will be charged with developing clinical staffing plans that include specific guidelines on how many patients are assigned to each nurse and how many ancillary staff are assigned to each unit. The first plan must be adopted by the committee and submitted to the New York State Department of Health by July 1, 2022.

Batavia police report the arrest of 30-year-old Robert L. Williams. He was charged with felony first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation, driving while intoxicated, unlicensed operation and driving a vehicle without a court-ordered ignition interlock device. He’ll respond to the charges in court tomorrow.

New York’s COVID positivity rate has dropped to the lowest point since the start of the pandemic. The statewide 7-Day positivity rate is now 0.38% and has declined for 76 consecutive days. The statewide vaccination rate is 70.9%. Only 258 new positive cases were confirmed on Sunday.

Governor Cuomo announced Friday that state run COVID vaccination clinics will start scaling back on Monday.  Instead of having mass vaccination clinics the state will begin focusing on targeting areas that have the lowest rates of vaccination.  Several state run testing sites will begin closing up shop.  The first vaccination clinics to shut down will be the mass vaccination sites in Corning, Oneonta, Potsdam and York College with more being announced in weeks to come.

Rochester Police are saying that the recent string of shootings in the area of Bartlett, Garden and Genesee streets in Rochester are not random.  Stopping short of saying that they are gang related the police say that the shootings which have happened over the last several days involved victims which were shot multiple times with more than 1 weapon.  Interim Rochester Police Chief Cynthia Herriott-Sullivan said that there is no question that Rochester has a major violence problem right now.  Friday’s shooting is the 147th shooting in the city of Rochester this year, 22 of them being fatal.

The Buffalo Bills and Pegula Sports and Entertainment are consulting with Legends Global Planning about possibly getting a new stadium.  The Bills have reportedly started a contract with Legends to sell sponsorships and seating for a new venue.  Pegula Sports completed a study over COVID into Highmark Stadium but have not reported what conclusions they arrived at.

On Monday the 14^th the GLOW YMCA held a golf outing at Terry Hill’s Golf Club to raise money for scholarships.  The event was a massive success raising over 12 thousand dollars for families in the GLOW region.  Winning foursome was Matt Woods, Mark Marcello, Mike Schuth and Andrew Daily shooting a 12 under 60.  Longest Drive winners were Susie Ott and Andrew Daily.  Closest to the pin winners were Peggy Miller and Jason Krempa.

Godfreys Pond is putting on a Golden retriever hunting challenge June 26^th.  The event which represents a duck hunt over water and a field goose hunt is open to all breeds that are used to hunt waterfowl and all handlers 12 and up.  All dogs should be familiar with multiple shots from a 12-gauge shotgun.  No dogs that currently hold a hunt test or field trial title can enter.  No professional trainers allowed to handle dogs; professionally trained dogs may participate.  Registration fee is $35 per dog. All fees for the event will be donated to the Godfrey’s Pond’s conservation programs.  Event starts at 10:30am at Godfreys Pond.

Darien Lake Amusement park is lifting restrictions for the park due to the lifting of mandates in New York.  The park will no longer require reservations, temperature checks, or social distancing while outdoors.  Unvaccinated people are still requested to wear masks if they are unable to social distance.  Previously park goers had to use an online portal to sign up for a timeslot to enter the park and enter through a stand up temperature reader before going into the park.

The border crossing between the US and Canada remains closed and will be closed until at least July 21^st as the order to close it has been extended again.  Canadian officials say this is to protect Canadian citizens from the unvaccinated or different strains of COVID entering the country.

The Auto Dealer known for his huge commercials, 64 year old Billy Fucillo, has passed away.  Fucillo owned several car dealerships across New York and Florida.  His family says he had been in declining health for several months.  He was known for his philanthropy toward many charities and police groups.  His funeral mass will be held Friday in Syracuse.

Fireworks tents are popping up across New York and the flashy noisemakers are already on sale in tops and Walmart.  Fireworks that are legal in New York must be either handheld sparklers or remain on the ground fountains that do not shoot anything other than sparks up into the air.

 Jacob Minnick

The questions surrounding the drowning death of a young man at Indian Falls are compounded today by the knowledge that he was an accomplished swimmer.
18-year-old Jacob Minnick of Lockport drown yesterday afternoon in Tonawanda Creek at Indian Falls in Pembroke.
We have learned today that Jacob had just finished his first year at Clarion University in northwestern Pennsylvania. It was there that Jacob was an active member of Clarion’s Men’s Swim Team.

Genesee County Emergency Management Coordinator Tim Yeager says the Tonawanda at Indian Falls is familiar territory to first responders

Clarion University head swimming and diving coach Bree Kelley described Jacob as a very sincere, polite and caring kid. Jacob graduation from Lockport High School. He was a biology and Ecology major at Clarion.

Jill Wiedrick

More shuffling of management at Batavia City Hall.
The city announcing today the appointment of Batavia native Jill Wiedrick to the post of Assistant City Manager.
Wiedrick holds a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning. She was once a senior planner for Genesee County and is currently Manager of Zoning for the City of Rochester.
She will return to Batavia as required by charter.

Batavia’s Juneteenth celebration is tomorrow at Williams Park from 12-7 pm. There will be vendors, food, horses, & more. More information has been posted on the Batavia City School District website.

Genesee County continues to ask residents to conserve water, especially on hot dry days. Why? Two reasons – The first is that the water infrastructure improvements the County planned to have in place by the summer of 2020 still have not been completed due to the pandemic. Second, and more recently, the water level in the aquifer that feeds the City of Batavia Water Treatment Plant is approaching historic lows. Without water conservation measures in place, had events like Monday’s large barn fire in Le Roy occurred in the middle of a hot/dry stretch, there would have been major supply issues.

The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate a drowning in the Tonawanda Creek at Indian Falls in the Town of Pembroke. It happened shortly before 4 p.m. Thursday afternoon when calls to 911 reported a person jumped into the water and did not resurface. Several bystanders jumped into the water in an effort to locate the individual but were unsuccessful. The Water Rescue Team from the City of Batavia Fire Department and the Dive Team from Alden Fire Department eventually located the body. The victim was identified as 18-year-old Jacob Minnick of Lockport. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Genesee County officials continue to ask residents to conserve water, especially on hot dry days.  According to county officials, there are two driving factors behind the conservation efforts. The first is that the water infrastructure improvements the County planned to have in place by the summer of 2020 still have not been completed due to complications with the pandemic.  Second, and more recently, the water level in the aquifer that feeds the City of Batavia Water Treatment Plant is approaching historic lows. The County stressed it has plenty of water on average days, but without conservation efforts, producing enough water on hot, dry days will be challenging as groundwater levels will continue to drop through the summer.

An Albion man now faces multiple felony counts. State Police arrested 32-year-old Kenneth martin. He was charged burglary and grand larceny following an incident in Ridgeway. He was initially detained. A second suspect was previously arrested on the same felony counts. His bail was set at $50,000.

Batavia’s Juneteenth celebration is tomorrow at Williams Park from 12-7 pm. There will be vendors, food, horses, & more. More information has been posted on the Batavia City School District website.

Watkins Glen International has announced that former IMSA President Scott Atherton will give the command to fire engines for the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen on Sunday, June 27, to kick off the return of the prestigious IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship endurance race following a year off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Atherton’s nearly 35 years of leadership in motorsports spans the industry. WGI President Michael Printup said “His leadership in motorsports helped this race rise to the level of prominence it currently enjoys and we’re excited to honor that dedication.” Atherton said he is honored to serve as the Grand Marshal.

According to preliminary figures just released by the New York State Department of Labor, the number of private sector jobs in New York increased over the month by 17,500, or 0.2%, to 7.4 million in May. By comparison, the number of private sector jobs in the U.S. increased by 0.4% last month. New York State’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased from 8.2% to 7.8% last month.

From Wyoming County…Beth Russell was honored this week as she retired after 22 years as an Attica Police Department School Crossing Guard. Police Chief Dean Hendershot said Russell performed her duties at the intersection of Exchange and Main Street. He thanks her for her devoted service to the community, the children, and the parents of the Village of Attica.

New York’s Assembly has passed the Child Poverty Reduction Act and it has been sent to the governor’s desk.  The measure officially creates a public commitment for the state to reduce child poverty by 50% over the next decade. It will also establish a Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council that will develop plans, assess policies and send out annual progress reports. That council will also examine structural racism and determine sources of inequity that result in poverty.  There are over a million children living in Poverty in the Empire State with almost a third of them going into poverty during COVID.

A family in Darien is looking for the driver of a car that hit their dog on Harper Road Wednesday at around 9am.  The car was a blue sedan thought to be a Chevy Impala which did not stop after hitting the dog.  A complaint was made to the Sheriffs office and the car is believed to have been captured on a neighbors security camera.

Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott flew with the Blue Angels yesterday after the flying team arrived in Niagara Falls ahead of the Buffalo air Show Saturday.  McDermott flew in an F18 hornet over Lake Ontario.  He said that the flight was 3 times more intense than coaching at the Super Bowl.

Andrew Maguire

The Batavia Development Corporation (BDC) is looking for a new Director of Development.
Andrew Maguire, who has held the city job for less than two years,  will become the Operations Manager for the Town of Batavia. In that role, Maguire will be in charge of the Town’s water system.
He’ll make $74,800 a year in his new job, about $15,000 more than his job with the city. Maguire’s last day with the city will be June 30th.

A man was taken into custody in the Orleans County Town of Holley for lunging at a police officer with a knife.
Witnesses called police after watching the man walking around antagonizing people with the knife. The officer got the knife away from the suspect after deploying a taser. The suspect has not been identified. He has been charged with attempted murder.

The harvest season for black bass opens Saturday in New York State. They are state’s most popular freshwater sportfish, and account for 31 percent of total freshwater angling efforts.
New York’s traditional bass season opens on the third Saturday in June each year and runs until Nov. 30.

Daredevil Nik Wallenda will be putting his life on the line again today as he takes part in a high-wire walk in Western New York.
Wallenda will start crossing a 320-foot wire above the Library at D’Youville College in Buffalo and finish on top of the school’s new Health Professions building.
The public is invited to watch the event which is expected to start at roughly 3:30 this afternoon.

Organizers of the Erie County Fair say this year’s event is going to operate at 100-percent capacity. Earlier this week, Governor Cuomo said limits on crowd sizes were lifted because the state has hit a 70-percent COVID-19 vaccination rate among adults.

Batavia has a new town operations manager. Andrew Maguire has been tapped for the position. Maguire has served as director of economic development for the Batavia Development Corp. since November 2019. Batavia Town Supervisor Gregory Post said Maguire will begin his new duties next month. Maguire says he’s excited for the new opportunity adding that the “the town has a ton of potential.” His salary will be just shy of $75,000.

NY Governor Andrew Cuomo says “we cannot get cocky” with COVID successes. He says the best way to honor frontline and essential workers for all they have done for us is to stay vigilant and get everyone vaccinated. New York’s statewide positivity rate has dropped to 0.35%…it has declined for 72 consecutive days. Sadly, nine more virus-related deaths have been reported in New York.

State Police have taken two Orleans County men into custody stemming from a burglary complaint last December. Troopers arrested 27-year-old John Cecchini and 37-year-old Terry Holloway, both of Medina. Each was charged with two felony counts each of burglary and grand larceny of a firearm. The pair was also charged with felony third-degree grand larceny. The men face similar felony counts in a second case as well.

Here’s a report from WETM in Elmira and the Associated Press…President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin held diplomatic talks in Geneva on Tuesday that included a gift with connection to the Southern Tier. According to the White House, President Biden gifted President Putin a crystal sculpture of an American Bison by Steuben Glass of New York. In 1918, Steuben became part of Corning Glass Works, now Corning Incorporated. President Biden also gifted President Putin a pair of custom Aviators made by Randolph USA.

The harvest season for largemouth and smallmouth bass opens Saturday in the Empire State. These two species, also known as black bass, are New York’s most popular freshwater sportfish, and account for 31 percent of total freshwater angling effort in the state.  New York’s traditional bass season opens on the third Saturday in June each year and runs until Nov. 30.

Local sales tax collections in New York in May increased by 57 percent over the same month in 2020, the highest one month increase in recent history…that’s according to State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. Collections totaled $1.4 billion, up $530 million from May of last year.

From Orleans County…A man was arrested by police in the village of Holley after officers said he lunged at and tried to stab an officer with a knife. The man, according to witnesses, was “walking around with a knife antagonizing people.” police said the man lunged at the officer and tried to stab him with a knife. Other people nearby jumped in to try to help the officer, at which point police said the officer was able to get the knife away from the man and use his Taser. The man, who hasn’t yet been identified, was charged with attempted murder. Court action is pending.

A Lyndonville man remains in critical condition in a Rochester hospital more than a week after he was found unconscious inside a tanker truck. 35-year-old Chase Johnson and 19-year-old Keegan Bayne were clean the inside of the tank when they were overcome. Bayne died. The incident happened at Millennium Roads company, where Johnson is the operations manager. His family owns the company. A Go Fund Me page has raised more than $9,300 for the family.

A New York City man accused of illegally accessing others’ social media accounts has pleaded guilty to a federal charge. Among his victims were SUNY Geneseo students. 29-year-old David Mondore pleaded guilty to accessing a protected computer without authorization. Between July 2018 and August 2020, Mondore accessed others’ Snapchat accounts, in some cases accessing explicit photos users had saved in personal “my eyes only” folders and saving them to his phone. Prosecutors say Mondore accessed Snapchat accounts of 14 people in the Western District of New York – and that he admitted to accessing at least 300 accounts in all.

D’Youville College has announced that international acrobat, daredevil, and high wire star Nik Wallenda will be coming to buffalo to celebrate the opening of its Health professions hub tomorrow.  He will walk a wire five stories up in the air between the top of the Montante Library and the top of the new Health Professions Hub Building.  The wire is 320 feet long.

The Batavia Muckdogs have teamed up with the Challenger Division Baseball League to host a game at Dwyer Stadium at 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 19th.  Challenger Baseball is a community program sponsored by the YMCA and Arc of Genesee & Orleans that provides children in the area with disabilities the opportunity to play organized baseball.  With the support of volunteers trained in disability awareness and sensitivity, these athletes who range from ages 5-21 can have the opportunity to play the sports they love along with the professionals.

Frontier field in Rochester is removing its vaccinated and unvaccinated sections from the seating areas for Red Wings games.  Fans will no longer be asked if they are vaccinated.  The seating bowl will return to normal capacity on July 6. Some sections will still be set aside for social distancing.  Visitors who aren’t vaccinated are still asked to wear masks inside the stadium, except when eating or drinking.

A home in LeRoy originally thought to have been saved when fire swept an adjacent barn, has now been declared a total loss.
The fire occurred Monday morning on a horse farm along Warsaw Raod.
Fire fighters believed at the time that a fire wall between the barn and the house was enough to save the living quarters. LeRoy First Assistant chief Josh Pfendler says today that only a few personal items and some photographs could be saved from the house.

The Buffalo Catholic Diocese has announced a plan to monitor 18 priests who were accused of sexually abusing children.
The Diocese has been criticized by the State Attorney General’s office for not doing enough to track their actions.
The new program will include both monthly home visits and restrictions on how closely they can live to places where kids gather including schools and playgrounds.

Most of the COVID-19 restrictions put in place statewide to prevent the virus from spreading have now been lifted.
70-percent of people 18 and older have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and life can return to normal for the first time since last year.
There will still be some safety guidelines in effect at places such as schools and health care facilities.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen will be taking to the mound at Sahlen Field later this week. He’ll be throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before the Toronto Blue Jays battle the New York Yankees Thursday. Allen is currently in town to take part in the Bills’ mandatory minicamp. He’s also no stranger to the game of baseball, having played on the varsity team at his high school in California.

New York’s COVID-19 mandates are lifted, effective immediately. As of Tuesday, the 70% threshold was reached, meaning cleaning and disinfection, social distancing, health screenings, and contract tracing will be lifted for retail, food services, offices, gyms, amusement parks, barbershops and hair salons. There will be exceptions to the state’s rollback, including federal guidelines that stay in place: COVID-19 health protocols will still be in place for large-scale event venues, school’s pre-k to 12th grade, public transit, homeless shelters, correctional facilities, nursing homes, and health care facilities. Unvaccinated people would still be required to keep a social distance of six-feet and wear a face mask.

Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge will offer for bid 167 acres of grassland hay in three different fields ranging in size from 49 to 60 acres. The Refuge annually provides a total of 1,100 acres of grassland habitat for migratory birds and resident wildlife. Active management of these grasslands is necessary to provide the highest quality nesting and migration habitat. Hay will be allocated on a highest bid per field basis for each field. Sealed bids will be accepted until close-of-business (COB) on Friday, July 2. An official Bid Sheet, available from the Refuge headquarters, is required to make a bid.

Larger fires and especially barn fires, can be problematic. That was the annoying case for Le Roy firefighters Tuesday. Earlier this week they spent hours dowsing a barn fire on Warsaw Road. But fires are unpredictable and Tuesday the barn rubble reignited. Le Roy firefighters responded again and poured more water on the embers. They cleared the scene right around 2 p.m.

Here’s a traffic alert for the City of Batavia… North Spruce Street (East Ave. to North St.) and Farwell Drive (North Spruce St. to Trumbull Pkwy.) will be closed today to all through traffic. The closure is for the installation of storm water facilities. Residents and property owners within the closure may experience limited or delayed access to and from their residence. All through motorists are asked to seek an alternate route.

U.S. Majority Leader Charles Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of NY joined Senate colleagues in calling for legislation to increase penalties for automated and illegal phone calls. The Deter Obnoxious, Nefarious, and Outrageous Telephone Call Act…or the DO NOT Call Act would increase penalties for individuals and companies intentionally preying on consumers through unsolicited and illegal robocalls. According to YouMail, nearly 4.5 billion robocalls targeted Americans in April 2021. Of those calls, 229 million took place in New York State, making it the fifth most-called state in the nation. The Office of the New York Attorney General says consumers lose approximately $40 billion a year through telemarketing fraud.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced the launch of the New York Power Authority and Canal Corporation’s “On the Canals” excursions, a free, recreational program offering unique opportunities to experience the outdoors on the New York State Canal system and the adjoining Empire State Trail. As part of Governor Cuomo’s Reimagine the Canals initiative, “On the Canals” excursions will highlight six, free outdoor excursions in the five canalside communities of Medina, Macedon, Waterloo, Savannah, and Amsterdam in summer 2021. The program will also support and promote local businesses through a comprehensive marketing effort, increasing visitation to villages, towns, and cities along the Canal system.

Kodak’s CEO will be required to testify as part of the Office of the New York State Attorney General’s investigation into potential insider trading. Attorney General Letitia James says a State Supreme Court order will require the CEO to testify in October, and the company will also have to turn over documents to the A.G.’s office.

Artist rendering of Batavia Police Department

After years of study and citizen recommendations and political “kicking the can down the road” – the City Council may be ready to build a new police station.
The existing police headquarters on West Main has been around for 160 years and just doesn’t work for modern policing. Now, the city has proposed a new police station at Alva Place and Bank Street at a price tag of 10-million dollars. Council President Gene Jankowski says waiting so long has been costly

PHOTO: Batavia City Council President Eugene Jankowski

Among the troubles with the existing police station: it leaks, the walls are deteriorating, there is no air conditioning and inconsistent heat – just to name a few.

New York state is as close to being back to normal as it has been in 15 months. At any moment, capacity limits, social distancing, and health screenings in indoor businesses could be lifted. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said when at least 70 percent of the state population has received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine, the state would lift most COVID restrictions.

The New York State Fair is just a couple of months away, and there won’t be any limits on how many people can attend. Governor Cuomo says the fair, which is held in Syracuse, will operate at 100-percent capacity this year. In 2020, the fair was canceled due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19.

A win for the Muckdogs. The dogs beat the Elmira Pioneers last night 6 to 5 at Dwyer Stadium.
After a few days on the road, the Toronto Blue Jays return to Sahlen Field in Buffalo tonight to take on a longtime rival. Toronto will host the struggling New York Yankees in the first contest of a three-game series.
First pitch for tonight’s showdown with the Yankees is set for 7:07pm.

Gas prices in Batavia leaped 6-cents per gallon in the past week. The New York State average is $3.11 – up 2 cents from last week. A year ago, the NYS average was $2.22. The new report is fanning market concerns that inflation is driving prices higher. Weeks ago, analysts predicted that gas prices would drop by Father’s Day, but if domestic crude prices remain high, American drivers will likely continue to see pump prices fluctuate through the end of the month.

The New York State first dose vaccination rate is now 69.9 percent, which is just shy of dropping all remaining COVID-19 restrictions. The statewide 7-day average positivity rate has reached a record low for 17 consecutive days and has declined for 70 straight days.  The number of people in the hospital with virus-related complications has dropped to 617.

The Batavia City Council may be ready to pull the trigger on construction of a new $10.8 million police headquarters on the parking lot at Alva Place and Bank Street. Lawmakers listened to a presentation of a City of Batavia Police Station Feasibility Study. The City is considering a $10 million improvement serial bond with a 30-year term, with annual payments around $500,000.  Other debts will retire soon, making the new debt more manageable.

The 2021 New York State Fair, an end-of-summer celebration at the New York State Fairgrounds from August 20 to September 6 in Syracuse, will increase capacity to 100 percent and reopen many popular buildings with additional vendors, given the significant progress New Yorkers have made against COVID-19. In accordance with the State’s evolving health guidelines, indoor spaces will be subject to capacity limits to allow attendees to be socially distanced within each building.

It appears the border between the United States and Canada is going to remain closed for the foreseeable future. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters over that he spoke with President Biden about a reopening plan during the G-7 summit but they weren’t able to reach a deal.

Catholic Health made the decision to eliminate unionized positions at its Western New York facilities and to contract the work out to a non-union Catholic Health subsidiary. The work in question is patient registration and the employees affected are those in Patient Access and Radiology Clerk job titles. According to the Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO, this illegal outsourcing is taking place while Catholic Health has rejected union bargaining proposals for safe staffing as members fight for a new contract.

A fire broke out at a large barn on Warsaw road in Leroy this morning at around 7:30am.  It was a horse barn filled with bales of hay, all animals were out by the time firefighters arrived on the scene.  Leroy Assistant Chief Pfendler talked about the fire.  The attached house was also saved by having a good firewall in place. Alexander, Batavia and Darien Fire Departments responded to requests for aid from LeRoy and Bergen Fire Departments.  Brockport filled in for Leroy’s fire hall while fighting the fire.  The flames were controlled by 9:40.

Gas prices went up by a big jump this week in Batavia.  In Batavia prices are up 6 cents to 3.08.  In New York the average is 3.11 which is 2 cents higher.  The national average is the same as Batavia.  The blame for the higher prices lies with the price of Oil going up to 71 dollars a barrel which hasn’t happened since fall of 2018.

On Saturday Rochester’s Seneca Park Zoo gained a new baby animal.  An 8 week old Snow Leopard cub.  The cub has no name yet and a contest was launched for people to find a name for him.  You can view the cub on Seneca Zoo’s new cub cam, a 24 hour streaming look into the cubs den.  Follow the link on wbtai.com to watch the cub online.  The naming contest will be ended on June 26^th.  After that the 5 most popular names will be voted on.

The New York State Fair will be operating at 100 percent capacity in August and September.  The 18 day festival will have everything open according to Governor Cuomo.  Social distancing will be encouraged at times when it is possible, and unvaccinated visitors will be asked to wear masks. Individuals’ vaccine status will not be checked; the fair will operate on an honor system.  Meanwhile, Gov. Cuomo also announced Monday that the state is working with six upstate transit agencies to provide a free, unlimited seven-day public transit pass to anyone who gets vaccinated between Monday through July 14.

Today is the day for the flag to fly.  The new flag designed by Alexander 8^th grader Riley Wall for Genesee county which depicts an ear of corn against a blue and green field being held up by 2 hands, one dark skinned and one light skinned.  The flag will fly at the Alexander Courthouse all day today.

You may have heard honking and some loud noises Sunday afternoon and perhaps seen a caravan of cars and trucks with American flags coming off the highway and heading toward the Batavia Veterans Home.  This was the rolling Patriots and Patriot Guard Riders escorting the Save Our Seniors and SOS Air Band who went to the veterans home to serenade the residents with 1950’s rock music and honor them for their service.  See pictures from the event on our news partner the Batavian.

Fire destroyed a large barn on a horse farm in LeRoy early this morning.
The structure was located at the Garry Wilson farm on Warsaw Road in LeRoy.
What initially concerned fire fighters was the location of the home – it was attached to the barn.
The LeRoy Fire Chief is Josh Pfendler, he was in charge of the scene …

(Photo & Audio Courtesy of The Batavian)

Witnesses said smoke from the fire was visible from Route 33 and Prole Road.

New York State’s COVID stats remain encouraging. The statewide positivity rate has declined to 0.35%. It remains the lowest in the nation.

Early voting in Genesee County has been a big disappointment.
This according to the County Board of Elections.
Early voting started on Saturday.
GOP Election Commissioner Richard Seibert tells us about the turnout – or lack of it…

Seibert says they are just three primaries, all Republican: One in Stafford for Town Clerk, one in Byron for Town Supervisor and it Bethany, where five candidates are vying for the GOP endorsement for Town Justice. five in Bethany for Town Justice.
Total cost of the early voting: about $6,000 that gets split among the towns holding the primaries.
If you are eligible to vote in any one of the three and wish to cast a ballot, you can do so at the ARC Community Center on Woodrow Road in Batavia.

It appears the border between the United States and Canada is going to remain closed for the foreseeable future. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters over the weekend that he spoke with President Biden about a reopening plan during the G-7 summit but they weren’t able to reach a deal

Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced that the State Board for Historic Preservation has recommended adding 15 properties to the State and National Registers of Historic Places and one of those sites is in Genesee County. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and Cemetery was constructed in 1869 and designed by prominent Rochester architect Andrew Jackson Warner. The Gothic Revival church in the village of LeRoy was built from locally quarried limestone and retains nearly all its original features. The property includes a cemetery that dates to 1826.

New York State’s COVID stats remain encouraging. The statewide positivity rate has declined to 0.35%. It remains the lowest in the nation. Hospitalizations have dropped below 700 and statewide vaccination rate has climbed to 69.9%. More than 20 million COVID vaccine doses have been administered in New York.

Today is world blood donor day. The Day is recognized annually to thank blood donors around the world for their voluntary, unpaid contributions which ultimately save lives and contribute to better health. It also serves as a call to action for more people all over the world to donate blood on a regular basis. Safe blood, blood products, and their transfusions are an essential aspect of care and public health – saving millions of lives and improving the health and quality of life for many every day. Blood is in continuous need because it can only be stored for a limited amount of time before use.

Some serious trouble for a Darien man following a domestic dispute. Sheriff’s deputies say they arrested 56-year-old Dean Conboy Sr. of Harper Road. He’ll head to court to respond to significant charges, including two counts of attempted aggravated assault on a police office, two counts of menacing a cop, unlawful imprisonment, attempted felony assaults, and a bunch more. Conboy is accused of threatening a person with a butcher knife, forcing the person to barricade themselves. When deputies arrived, they too were threatened with the butcher knife. There was a struggle as deputies attempted to disarm him and place him in custody. He was initially hauled to jail on cash bail.

Rochester police confirm a boy in his early teens was shot and killed Saturday afternoon. A 14-year-old boy was also shot on Genesee Street. One victim died at the hospital, while the other remains hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

A New York State Appellate Court upheld a decision to strip the Rochester Police Accountability Board of its disciplinary powers. A judge called the original law “invalid, void and unenforceable.”

Batavia police say they arrested 54-year-old Kevin McCoy after he allegedly threatened three other people with a knife during an argument in a parking lot on E. Main Street. He was charged with menacing and criminal possession of a weapon.

The Just Kings Social Club of Batavia will host its Second Annual Juneteenth on Saturday, June 19 from noon to 7 p.m. at Williams Park. The event will include vendors, food, a talent show for ages 8 to 16 (with cash prizes), a bounce house, dunk tank, other fun and games, and live music. There will also be a guest speaker. Everybody is invited. The Park is located at 101 Pearl St. in the City of Batavia. Juneteenth is the traditional day to celebrate the end of slavery in the United States.

The New York State Department of Health has announced new testing guidelines for nursing home workers.  Workers who are fully vaccinated no longer need to be tested weekly for COVID.  Before today they were getting tested at least twice a week.  Those who are unvaccinated will still need to get tested weekly.  This also applies to group homes.

The New York Assembly has passed the Less Is More Bill which makes it less likely that parole violators will face jail time for technical violations such as missing parole meetings, being late for curfew or testing positive for drugs and alcohol.  It also applies the bail reform legislation to the parolees and caps any new jail time for parole violation at 30 days unless a new crime is committed.

COVID Update From Friday at 4pm: Since Tuesday there have been 7 new cases of COVID 19 in Genesee county and 7 people have recovered.  In Orleans county there are 2 new cases and 2 people have recovered.  There are 8 active cases in Genesee county and 3 in Orleans.  GO Health has announced that this is the last update they will be sending out as cases continue to drop and more and more people are vaccinated against coronavirus.  The information on positivity rates, case numbers and recoveries will be available on the GO Health Website.

The new Quicklee’s gas station and convenience store planning on being put in on the corner of Oak and Noonan will have a Tim Hortons if all goes as planned.  Louis Terragnoli, director of real estate and development for Quicklee’s, was on the Zoom call of the meeting of the Genesee County Planning Board, which approved a site plan and area variances for a 2,771-square-foot convenience store with 1,000-square-foot drive-thru and a four-pump fuel station.  Quicklee’s is in negotiations with Tim Hortons for what would be the third location in the Batavia Area.

There is free fishing at Dewitt park on June 26^th.  The Oakfield Alabama Lions club is sponsoring the Kendra Haacke Memorial fishing Derby for kids up to age 16 from 10-1.  If you don’t have fishing gear it can be provided for free and fishing guides will be there to help you learn the sport.

Fantasy Island has an official new owner, Gene Staples, CEO of IB Parks and Entertainment, now has control of the property and is moving forward with new plans for the closed down park.  Staples says that he is pushing to open the water park this summer and have the full park ready by next summer.  Staples had previously bought and refurbished the Indiana Beach Amusement and Water Park.

The New York State Legislature has passed the Jose Webster Untraceable Firearms Act which requires all firearms to have serial numbers and bans all so called “ghost guns.”  Ghost guns are firearms built from pieces which do not have serial numbers.  Gun owners can purchase a kit that allows them to build the guns.  Under previous laws these types of guns were legal for personal purchase and use but were illegal to sell.  The new law bans them completely.  The new law does not say what gun owners can do to make their ghost guns legal but says that all gunsmiths must serialize and register all guns they own.

Governor Cuomo announced the 15 locations in New York state that have ben recognized this year as historical landmarks in the national registry of historic places and one local landmark is on that list.  St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and Cemetery in Leroy, Constructed in 1869 and designed by prominent Rochester architect Andrew Jackson Warner, this Gothic Revival church is built from locally quarried limestone and retains nearly all its original features. The property includes a cemetery that dates to 1826.

Chief Stefano Napolitano

Batavia Fire Chief Stefano Napolitano is leaving the city fire department after four years as its chief.
Napolitano has accepted a job as Deputy State Fire Administrator.
City Manager Rachel Tabelski wished the chief well. She said an interim chief will be named upon Napolitano’s departure on July 9th.
The chief was not available for comment this morning.

The Genesee County Farmers Market is ending its first full week of operation.
The market is welcoming shoppers until 4 this afternoon. They are featuring locally grown strawberries and homemade ice cream.
The market is located off of Alva Place behind the City Centre Mall.

Officials report that New York has had 13 consecutive days of record-low COVID positivity rates statewide. The 7-day average has now dropped to 0.47% and has declines for 66 consecutive days. The rate is the lowest in the country. The statewide COVID vaccination rate is 69.2%.

It looks like there will be a Labor Daze celebration in Oakfield in 2021 after all. Jamie Lindsley said the Oakfield Betterment Committee “jumped at the chance to reevaluate” hosting the event with COVID-19 restrictions lifted. Lindsey said “Everything is planned and ready to go.” Lindsley confirmed that both the town and village are on board with supporting putting together a Labor Daze celebration even on short notice.

An Erie County student is among the latest group of people to win New York State’s COVID-19 vaccine scholarship raffle. It was announced yesterday that Ella Campbell will be able to attend any State University of New York, City University of New York or public community college and have her tuition, room and board all covered. To enter the contest, teens between the ages of 12 and 17 must prove they’ve been vaccinated against coronavirus before July 7th.

Officials report that New York has had 13 consecutive days of record-low COVID positivity rates statewide. The 7-day average has now dropped to 0.47% and has declines for 66 consecutive days. The rate is the lowest in the country. The statewide COVID vaccination rate is 69.2%.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced that applications are now open for the $800 million COVID-19 Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program. The program reimburses New York small businesses with grants of up to $50,000 for COVID-related expenses incurred between March 1, 2020 and April 1, 2021. Grants will be awarded to small and micro businesses and small for-profit independent arts and cultural organizations, with priority being given to socially and economically disadvantaged business owners, including minority- and women-owned business enterprises, service-disabled veteran-owned businesses and veteran-owned businesses, and businesses located in economically distressed communities. Grants will be for a minimum award of $5,000 and a maximum award of $50,000.

An arrest has been made after a NY congressman was targeted…Authorities say Jack Kahabka of Watkins Glen has been arrested and charged with throwing a brick through Congressman Tom Reed’s Corning office and for leaving a dead rat at the Congressman’s home in Steuben County. Kahabka has been charged with making terroristic threats and criminal mischief, both felonies. Corning Police were assisted by the FBI.

An Elba woman was involved in a two-vehicle crash in Allegany County in which three people were reported to be injured. Troopers did not say who was hurt or the extent of injuries. The drivers were listed as 24-year-old Amanda Norway of Elba and 36-year-old Danielle Zinklaskowski of Arcade. The crash happened in the Town of Centerville.

A local law to repeal and replace the Genesee County legislature’s ethics and disclosure law is now primed for a public hearing. That public hearing has been scheduled for June 23^rd at 5:30 p.m. It will be held in the legislative chambers as well as via Zoom conference. Written comments will be accepted until the close of business June 23. Contact the Clerk for the ZOOM link. A legal notice says all interested persons will be heard.

The Oakfield-Alabama Central School District announces its participation in the free Summer Food Service Program, offered through the USDA. Meals will be provided to all age 18 and under without charge. No paperwork is necessary — just show up for great meals! The lunches will be available for pick up at Triangle Park on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:45 to 11:45 a.m. starting July 13 through Aug. 19. The Park is located at 5 N. Pearl Street in Oakfield. Each pick up includes three days of meals.

It looks like there will be a Labor Daze celebration in Oakfield in 2021 after all. Jamie Lindsley said the Oakfield Betterment Committee “jumped at the chance to reevaluate” hosting the event with COVID-19 restrictions lifted. Lindsey said “Everything is planned and ready to go.” Lindsley confirmed that both the town and village are on board with supporting putting together a Labor Daze celebration even on short notice.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley is hailing the passage of a bill through both houses of the Legislature that would give members of gold star families free college tuition. The passage of this bill comes two years after Hawley himself proposed a bill to provide gold star families with free tuition, though that bill was blocked in the Higher Education Committee by the Assembly Majority and never brought to the floor for a vote.

The mandate allowing Alcohol to go sales at bars and restaurants is set to expire this week and most people in New York State would like it to stay permanently.  A poll from the New York Restaurant association found that 78 percent of the public supports to go sales.  Proponents want the rule to stay till at least the end of the year.

One of the ways that New York State is hoping to get to zero emissions energy production by 2040 is to put windmills in the water.  Specifically the Lake Ontario and Lake Erie Water.  The NYSERDA has started a Great Lakes Wind Feasibility Study and is asking for public input.  There will be 4 informational public hearings each quarter.  All will be online.  To participate check out the website link on wbtai.com

https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All%20Programs/Programs/Clean%20Energy%20Standard/Important%20Orders%20Reports%20and%20Filings/Great%20Lakes%20Wind%20Feasibility%20Study

Canada is beginning its phased reopening of the border with baby steps.  Come July, fully vaccinated Canadian citizens or eligible foreign nationals can now leave Canada and return to Canada without having to quarantine for 14 days in a government authorized hotel. Upon arrival, those Canadian citizens will be required to take a COVID-19 test and quarantine until that test comes back negative.  According to the CBSA, “U.S. citizens without a right of entry to Canada or who do not meet an exemption, attempting to visit Canada for an optional reason will be turned away at the border, even if they are vaccinated.”

The Buffalo Bills have announced their pre-season schedule.  It will only be 3 games and those will be August 13^th at Detroit, August 21^st at Chicago and August 28^th in Buffalo against Green Bay.  The Bills open the regular season on September 12 at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

New York State is inching ever closer to having a 70-percent coronavirus vaccination rate among people 18 and older. Right now, that number is at 69-point-one percent.
70-percent is the benchmark where most COVID-19 restrictions are going to be lifted.
Governor Cuomo says this continued progress is quite a turnaround from when New York had one of the highest coronavirus infection rates in the country.

The Canadian government has made a very slight change to its existing border crossing rules. Starting in early July, anyone who is already allowed to enter the country can do so without having to quarantine for two weeks after arriving. However, they’ll have to be vaccinated against coronavirus and also pass two COVID-19 tests.

An application has been filed with the state to build a huge solar energy farm in the Towns of Elba and Oakfield.
If actually constructed, the Cider Solar project would become the largest solar farm ever built in New York State.
The project is estimated to cost $500-million and create 500construction jobs.
The developer is Heckate energy headquartered in Chicago.

Baseball fans who haven’t had the chance to buy tickets to see the Toronto Blue Jays at Sahlen Field will get another chance today. Seats for games taking place between June 24th and July 21st went on sale beginning at 10am today. When the first round of tickets became available last month, they sold out quickly and that’s expected to happen again this time.

The Genesee County Planning Department is recommending approval of a site plan review submitted by Plug Power Inc., the Latham-based company specializing in the development of hydrogen fuel cells systems for applications such as heavy-duty freight and forklifts. The referral is one of 15 on the agenda of the county planning board’s meeting scheduled for tonight. According to information provided to the planning department, the site plan to place the green hydrogen facility at the Western New York Science & Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park includes three structures – an 8,000-square-foot operations and maintenance building, a 40,000-square-foot electrolyzer building and a 68,000-square-foot compressor building.

Hecate Energy has announced that it has filed an application with the New York State Office of Renewable Energy Siting to construct a 500-megawatt solar farm in the towns of Elba and Oakfield, representing the first new application to be submitted under the state’s new permitting process for large-scale renewable projects. If approved and constructed, the Cider Solar Farm would be the largest solar project ever built in New York State. The $500-plus million-dollar private infrastructure investment is expected to create over 500 construction jobs and will be capable of supplying 920,000 megawatt-hours of renewable electricity per year – enough to power more than 120,000 average New York households.

New York inches closer to lifting most COVID restrictions. Officials in Albany say the state’s 7-day average positivity rate has dropped below 0.50% for the first time since the onset of the COVID crisis. The new rate is 0.48%, the lowest in the nation according Johns Hopkins University. The state’s single-day positivity rate, 0.37%, is also the lowest single-day rate the state has seen since the onset of the crisis.

The Law Enforcement Torch Run will pass through Genesee County this morning as the Flame of Hope makes its way around the state in support of Special Olympics New York. The Torch Run is a time-honored Special Olympics tradition of more than 30 years, led and orchestrated by the “Guardians of the Flame,” which include more than 6,200 law enforcement personnel from more than 470 agencies throughout New York. Together with local athletes and supporters, Torch Run representatives raise funds and awareness for Special Olympics New York. More than 75 members of local law enforcement and Special Olympics athletes will participate. Torch runners will carry the Flame of Hope from the Sheriff’s Office to the Arc of Genesee Orleans. Participating agencies will include the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, Batavia Police Department, Genesee County Jail, and Genesee County Probation Department. In 2019, this event raised nearly $20,000 to support Special Olympics New York athletes and programs in the Genesee Region.

Watkins Glen International has nominated for USA Today’s Best NASCAR Track for the fifth time in seven years. Watkins Glen International is among 10 tracks in the United States to be nominated.

The city of Buffalo is trending toward a new record…but it’s not one city officials want. Over the past six months, there have been 122 shootings and 39 homicides in the Queen City. If the pace continues, it could top the record in 1994.

Southern Tier state Senator George Borrello heralded the passage of Senate Bill 7028, which he co-sponsors, as a critical step forward in expanding access to broadband service in rural areas. The measure will ease cost and operational obstacles faced by broadband service providers seeking to build out infrastructure in rural and underserved areas of the state. One key provision of the bill would allow broadband providers seeking to install internet service via utility poles in a given area to obtain one contract for all the poles in that city, town or village, rather than being forced to get a contract for each individual pole, as is currently the case. Streamlining this process for providers will encourage more broadband development while also ensuring equitable service and access to the homes within a given municipality.

Canada may begin easing border restrictions this month. The mayor of Niagara Falls, Ontario says the country is looking at a June 22nd reopening date if certain benchmarks are met.
The country’s Public Safety Minister suggested that 75-percent of people must have at least one dose of the vaccine and 20-percent must be fully vaccinated.
Data from Canada’s coronavirus commission indicates that nearly 62-point-two-percent of Canadians have received at least one dose and eight-point-two-percent are fully vaccinated.
As for Western New York, 45-percent of residents are fully immunized against the virus while 52-percent of people have received their first dose.

On the bad boys report this afternoon: 23-year-old Charles Allis Junior of Lyndonville is charged with arson and trespassing. Genesee County Sheriff’s Deputies say Allis allegedly entered a property on Ham Road in the Town of Alabama, without permission, and set the building on fire.
Allis received an appearance ticket for Alabama Town Court.

23-year-old Tyler Reeves of Main Road in Pembroke is charged with 2nd degrees criminal mischief. Deputies say Reeves as arrested following a domestic incident early yesterday morning. He was released under supervision.

A note from Genesee County Board of Elections. The location for early voting has changed.
Early voting has moved from County Building 2 on West Main Street to the ARC Community Center on Woodrow Road.
See the schedule of early voting dates and times HERE
Primary Day is Tuesday, June 22nd.
There are only three communities where primaries are being held this year. They are:
Bethany, Byron and Stafford.

Location for Early Voting has changed. Early Voting has moved from County Building 2 to the ARC Community Center, 38 Woodrow Rd., Batavia, NY 14020.
Contests are ONLY for registered Republicans in Bethany, Byron and Stafford. No other jurisdictions have contests. Registered Republican voters from those three communities can plan to vote early, if they wish, at the ARC Community Center during the following dates and times;

June 12 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
June 13 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
June 14 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
June 15 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
June 16 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
June 17 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
June 18 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
June 19 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
June 20 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Primary Election Day is Tuesday, June 22nd from 6:00 AM – 9:00 PM for the Republican contests in the three jurisdictions — Bethany (Bethany Community Center 10510 Bethany Ctr. Rd.,) Byron (Byron Town Hall, 7028 Rte. 237) and Stafford (New Town Hall, 8903 Rte. 237). There are no contests in any other Genesee County towns or in the city.

A fire in the Town of Alabama has resulted in an arson charge. The incident happened on Ham Road. Genesee County deputies arrested 23-year-old Edward Allis Jr of Lyndonville, charging him with fifth-degree arson and trespassing. Deputies said Allis allegedly entered onto property without permission and started a fire. He’ll appear in Town of Alabama court July 20^th.

Sheriff’s deputies have leveled a felony count against a Pembroke man. 23-year-old Tyler Reeves of Main Road was charged with second-degree criminal mischief. After investigating a domestic incident, he was charged with the felony crime. He was arraigned virtually and released under supervision. He’ll appear in county court August 3^rd.

The City of Batavia Police Department reminds residents of their Camera Registry Program. Police say many investigations are solved due, in part, to cooperation from homeowners, landlords and business owners sharing video from their private camera surveillance system. In order to streamline the investigative process, the Department asks anyone with a camera surveillance system to register it with police. You can register your system on CrimeWatch by clicking this link.

For 64 days, New York’s COVID case count has declined. The Statewide 7-Day average positivity rate has now dropped to 0.51% – the lowest in the country.  The number of people hospitalized with virus-related complications has dropped to 796. There were 14 COVID-related deaths on Monday.

The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office says one person is dead and another flown to Strong Memorial after they were found unresponsive inside a semi-tanker. It happened at Millennium Roads LLC on East Yates Center Road in the Town of Yates. Pronounced dead at the scene was 19-year-old Keegan Bayne. 35-year-old Chase Johnson was taken to Rochester. According to a press release, the two had been cleaning inside the semi-tanker that was used to haul the product “Lignin.” The incident remains under investigation by the sheriff’s office and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley announces the passage of an Assembly Bill which designates State Route 77 between Pembroke Town Park and the intersection of Indian Falls Road in the Town of Pembroke as the “C. Jay Hall Memorial Highway.”  Specialist Four Clarence “C. Jay” Hall served as a rifleman in the Army in Vietnam. On Oct. 7, 1969, Specialist Hall exposed himself to hostile fire so his comrades were able to obtain cover with a complete disregard for his personal safety. During this action, he was mortally wounded. Hawley said. “The selfless service of our nation’s heroes must never be forgotten.”

The reality that “once you’re in, you can never leave” has Le Roy Town and Village board members taking a cautious approach to any potential participation in the state’s new Marijuana Regulation & Taxation Act. Officials from both governing bodies gathered with about a dozen residents at the Town Hall courtroom this week for what turned out to be a 30-minute discussion on the recently passed legislation that immediately permits the recreational use of marijuana for residents 21 years of age and older. In any event, the deadline to decide is Dec. 31 of this year. But with the state still trying to figure out all the rules and regulations attached to the law, many local governmental leaders seem to be in no hurry. Le Roy Village Mayor Greg Rogers said he is part of that group. He said the village plans to take as much time as it can…noting the landscape will change eight or nine times until then.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has proposed legislation to waive taxes on grants from the $800 million COVID-19 Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program. Applications for the program will be accepted starting tomorrow for small and micro businesses and small for-profit independent arts and cultural organizations to help them recover from the economic impact of the pandemic. Flexible grants up to $50,000 will be made available to eligible small businesses and can be used for operating expenses, including payroll, rent or mortgage payments, taxes, utilities, personal protective equipment, or other business expenses incurred during the pandemic. Over 330,000 small and micro businesses are potentially eligible for this program.

Close to 40 people, mostly mothers of Batavia City School children, rallied at the Upton Monument to protest the need for their kids to continue to wear masks in school.  They carried signs during the afternoon commute yesterday questioning the need for the masks…and demanding the right to not wear masks or make their own choice.  Michelle Gillard was one of them.  The day began with an announcement by Governor Cuomo that students need not wear masks at school while they are outside.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada is planning to reopen their borders now that COVID numbers are starting to come down in the US.  He says that the first people to be allowed to cross the border will have to be vaccinated and have a negative COVID test.  No date has been announced but Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said in a border mayor meeting that it could begin in late June.  Multiple national and New York state politicians have called on Canada to open the borders and complained about Canada allowing citizens to enter the US and receive vaccinations and medical care while blocking US citizens form entering Canada.  45 percent of Americans are fully vaccinated compared to only 8 percent of Canadians.

Main St 56 Theater will be holding Summer Theater Camp in 2 sessions next month.  Workshops will include: theater background — monologues; pantomime — improvisation; dancing, singing, skits.  For campers ages 5 to 8 will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 19 to 23.  For campers age 9 to 12, camp will run 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 26 to 30.  Camp tuition is $175 per camper.

The Buffalo Bills training camp will not be at the St John fisher College campus again this year.  It will instead be held in Orchard park at the ADPRO training center.  The team cites COVID concerns for having the training camp not going to Fisher for the second year in a row.

The COVID rate in New York continues its downward descent. As of Monday, the statewide 7-Day average positivity rate was reduced to 0.51%. It’s a new record for the ten consecutive day and the 63^rd straight day of decline. Hospitalizations dropped to 799 – the first time below 800 since October 8^th.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley is being joined by his colleagues in the Assembly and Senate Minority Conferences in demanding the termination of the state disaster emergency declared by Executive Order before the end of the legislative session, which is scheduled to finish this Thursday. As of June 2, New York State’s seven-day average coronavirus positivity rate was the lowest in the nation and hospitalizations also dropped to new lows. Within Hawley’s district numbers are similarly low, with a seven-day positivity rate of 1 percent in the Finger Lakes Region.

Governor Andrew Cuomo now says that most of the remaining COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted once 70 percent of New Yorkers aged 18 or older have received the first dose of their COVID-19 vaccination series. After 70 percent of adult New Yorkers are vaccinated, businesses may choose to continue to adhere to the State’s guidance or implement other health precautions for their employees and patrons. Businesses are also authorized to require masks and six feet of social distancing for employees and patrons within their establishments. Any mask requirements that businesses choose to implement must adhere to applicable federal and state laws and regulations. The Department of Health continues to strongly recommend masks and six feet of social distancing in indoor settings where vaccination status of individuals is unknown.

There’s an innovative new Financial Literacy program through the Ministry of Concern, open to residents of Orleans or Genesee County, for ages 12 and up. The youth investment program will focus on everything from investing money and saving for the future to interviewing skills, how to get and keep a job, life insurance, budgeting and your credit score. Spots are limited. orleansadvocateministryofconcern.org.

After hours of confusion and outrage from parents across New York, a quick reversal by the State Health Department will ensure students continue to wear masks inside the classroom. The pivot came after an announcement on Friday that the mask mandate would be dropped for vaccinated students the following week. However, on Sunday, New York education officials sent a letter to districts clarifying mask guidelines would not be updated until more guidance was given from the CDC.

The Boards of Directors of The Arc of Livingston-Wyoming and Arc of Genesee Orleans announce Martin Miskell, current Executive Director of the Livingston-Wyoming chapter, will lead the agencies through their planned merger. The unification of the agencies serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families will create a one-chapter, four-county service area covering roughly 2,400 square miles—geographically, the largest Arc chapter in New York State.

Gasoline prices in Batavia are up 2-cents from a week ago, this according to Triple A. The Batavia average is now at $3.02 a gallon. Nationally, the average is at 3:05.

The Boards of Directors of The Arc of Livingston-Wyoming and Arc of Genesee Orleans announce Martin Miskell, current Executive Director of the Livingston-Wyoming chapter, will lead the agencies through their planned merger. The unification of the agencies serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families will create a one-chapter, four-county service area covering roughly 2,400 square miles—geographically, the largest Arc chapter in New York State.

Martin Miskell

Martin Miskell began his Arc career as Director of Finance at the Livingston-Wyoming chapter in 2002, becoming Associate Executive Director/Chief Financial Officer in 2007 and Executive Director in 2015. He calls this an exciting time. “The merger will offer all four counties more program and service opportunities for individuals and families served,” Miskell said. “We have experienced changes over the last decade in the field of disabilities and this merger will make the agency and its services more fiscally sustainable and poised for the future.”

Over the last several months, Miskell has met with senior leaders, board membership and retiring Genesee Orleans Executive Director Donna Saskowski to develop a regional approach and plan for legal and programmatic strategies to ensure a smooth transition. The merger process is expected to take as long as five more months to complete. The new agency will use consolidated resources to ensure quality services to all people with disabilities and their families served in the Genesee Livingston Orleans Wyoming (GLOW) counties region. Once merged, the new agency will be called Arc GLOW.

Miskell grew up in the Geneseo area, and he and his wife Theresa have four adult children. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Economics from SUNY Geneseo and his Master of Business Administration from Rochester Institute of Technology. He also serves on the NYS Genesee Valley Parks Commission, SUNY Geneseo Foundation, and is a member of the Kiwanis Club.

Gasoline prices in Batavia are up 2-cents from a week ago, this according to Triple A.
The Batavia average is now at $3.02 a gallon.
Nationally, the average is at 3:05.
One year ago the national average was $2.02 a gallon.

A water main break at the corner of South Swan and Summer Streets has caused service to be cut off. Repairs started around 8 this morning and should be completed by mid-afternoon.

Students and staff at schools across New York State will still have to wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The state Education Department says despite a letter from state Health Commissioner Doctor Howard Zucker saying the state intended to waive the mandate today, it’ll stay in place.

This week, members of the state Legislature are expected to approve a bill to fund the impeachment investigation involving Governor Cuomo. The measure would cover both the cost of the probe and also any trial that may be held. The Assembly Judiciary Committee is looking into allegations the governor sexually harassed several women, claims he has denied repeatedly.

Wyoming County deputies say the death of an Orchard Park man at Jellystone Campground isn’t being considered suspicious. The body of 41-year-old Michael Nicholoff was found in a pond at the North Java campground yesterday. Officials are still waiting on autopsy results to find out Nicholoff’s cause of death.

The new Batavia Muckdogs have yet to win a home game. The dogs lost yesterday against Geneva 4 to 2. On Saturday, the Muckdogs were slaughtered by Jamestown 12 to nothing…the home opener on Friday went the wrong way to Elmira 9 – 7.
The Dogs only win came on the road against Elmira last week.

New York is not yet lifting its mask mandate in schools. The state Education Department on Sunday emailed guidance to the roughly 700 New York school districts that said state agencies have agreed to wait until the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention responds to the state’s request Friday for more information before lifting the COVID-19 mask mandate in schools. The Education Department says “No changes have been, or will be, made by the Executive until after Monday, to afford the CDC an opportunity to respond to the letter.” The updated guidance from the Education Department appears aimed at addressing confusion from schools after the state Department of Health on Friday abruptly notified the CDC that New York intends to lift its statewide mask requirement for schools.

The properties of the Mancuso Business Development Group on Harvester Avenue in Batavia have been sold to a New Jersey-based company. The Batavian has learned that a venture headed by the father-son team has purchased The Harvester Center Business Incubator Center at 56 Harvester Ave., the Joseph Mancuso Building at 26 Harvester Ave., and two Masse Place facilities. Currently, there are around 70 tenants in the buildings – businesses, storage areas and personal use spaces. Credited as the world’s first business incubator, The Harvester Center is a mixed-use industrial building that was founded by Joseph L. Mancuso in August 1959.

New York’s 7-Day average COVID positivity rate has reached a new low. With more than 60 straight days of decline, the rate dropped to 0.52%. Hospitalizations have also dropped to below 900…the lowest level in nearly nine months.

After a week-long investigation, Genesee County deputies arrested a 56-year-old woman from Dalton. Deputies charged Joanne Harper with petit larceny following an incident on Vallance Road in LeRoy. She’ll be arraigned in town court next week.

New York State Police issued a total of 9,214 tickets statewide during the Memorial Day Weekend enforcement campaign to combat drunk and impaired driving. Across New York, Troopers arrested 185 people for DWI and investigated 851 crashes, including 163 personal injury crashes and two fatalities. The greatest number of tickets were issued in Western New York.

The Department of Environmental Conservation is investigating a possible petroleum spill into the inlet on the west side of Horseshoe Lake in the Town of Batavia. According to the DEC, agency personnel on Saturday responded to a report of fumes and a spill, and immediately deployed containment booms, pads and a vacuum truck to skim diesel fuel from the surface of the water. Officials said the spill is currently contained and DEC’s oversight of the cleanup efforts will continue until it is complete.

The Little Free Pantry will be hosting a FREE Make-and-Take Baby Sunflower Station and sidewalk chalk art as part of the Pride Game Night and Royal Court Crowning at Batavia First Presbyterian Church from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday. Make and take your own baby sunflower — soil, seed and containers provided. A Plant Sale by donation will also be offered. The Royal Court Competition begins at 7:30 p.m. and is open to all genders and ages. The theme is DISCO.

An Orchard Park man was found dead Sunday in a pond in Wyoming County. After an extensive search of the property, 41-year-old Michael R. Nicholoff was found deceased by Water Rescue and Recovery Teams. There is no foul play suspected at this time. Nicholoff was transported to the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s office for an autopsy.  The investigation will continue.

The State Health Department has announced that mask mandates are being eased for kids in Schools starting Monday.  Masks will be encouraged but not required indoors in schools and camps for both students and teachers vaccinated or unvaccinated.  Masks will not be required outdoors unless in high risk situations.  Those who are vaccinated can forgo mask wearing entirely.  Schools and camps are allowed to make their own stricter rules.

GO Health has vaccination clinics coming up this week.  There is a Johnson and Johnson clinic Tuesday in Lyndonville at Yates Community Library from 11-12:30.  A Johnson and Johnson clinic Wednesday at State Street Park in Medina from 2-3:30pm.  A Moderna and Johnson and Johnson clinic Wednesday at the Genesee county health department building in Batavia from 1:30-3:30.  A Pfizer clinic at the Orleans County Health Department from 1:30-4:45 Thursday afternoon.  And on Friday a Pfizer clinic at the Alabama Fire Department 11-12:30.  All clinics take walk ins and appointments.

The Customs and Border Protection service seized over 4500 pounds of Marijuana being transported in 2 trucks labeled as paper earlier this week.  One was crossing the Peace bridge and one was crossing the Lewiston bridge.  The total worth is over 9 million dollars.

COVID Update from Friday at 4pm: Since Tuesday Genesee county has 11 new cases and 15 people have recovered.  Orleans county has 7 new cases and 28 people have recovered since last Friday.  There are 11 active cases in Genesee county and 11 in Orleans.  44 percent of people in Genesee county have completed their vaccine series and 38 percent of Orleans County residents have completed theirs.

The Batavia public Market is now operational.  Its first day was Friday of off Alva Place near the old JC Penney parking lot.  You can stop by and get hand made crafts, fresh fruits and veggies, baked goods, flowers, honey and maple syrup and much more.

The Muckdogs lost their Home Opener to the Elmira Pioneers 9 to 7 Friday night.  The opening night was full of festivities, a helicopter dropped a ball to the pitcher, the Diamond dance team performed before the game, There was a veterans flag ceremony and the national anthem was sung by Katherine Fitzpatrick, a senior at Batavia High and granddaughter of a former Clippers Manager Brad Rogers.  And everyone in town could enjoy the fireworks display at the end of the game.

The Gun Liability Law is making its way through the assembly after passing the Senate on Wednesday.  The law would hold gun manufacturers and dealers responsible if their firearms enter the criminal market.  Proponents say that federal law has shielded gun businesses from being prosecuted for irresponsible and reckless practices but this law would bypass it.  There are 7 other gun laws being pushed through as part of the Gun Safety Package.

The New York State assembly just passed legislation making forging proof of vaccination, including the COVID vaccine, a felony.  Supporters say this will prevent anti-vaxxers from circumventing public health regulations and participating in so called super spreader events and activities.  People who knowingly possess fake COVID vaccination record would be guilty of criminal possession of a forged instrument.

Due to unseasonably hot weather ahead, Genesee county, the county health department, the villages of Oakfield, Elba and city of Batavia officials are urging residents to attempt to conserve water.  They advise the taking of shorter showers, checking your pipes and toilets for leaks and not filling swimming pools.

In their first game of the season and the first game at a Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League member, the Muckdogs defeated the Elmira Pioneers 7 to 0 at Dunn Field.  All 7 of the runs were scored with 2 outs.  The Muckdogs are playing at home tonight against the Pioneers for their first home game in 637 days.  First pitch is schedule for 7:05.

Great Lakes Cheese, an Ohio based cheese processor, has visited the LeRoy Ag and Teck Park as a possible location for a new half-billion dollar facility.
As WBTA has reported this week Great Lakes has abandoned plans to build a new plant in Allegany County.
The LeRoy site is on Route 19 and West Bergen Road. It is owned by the Genesee County Economic Development Center.
The GCEDC would neither deny nor confirm an interest by Great Lakes but LeRoy Town Supervisor James Farmholz did…

Such a development, if it happened, would come along with strings – not the least of which is a barrel full of tax incentives amounting $200-million dollars over 20 years.

The man wanted in connection with a deadly shooting in Niagara Falls is behind bars.
35-year-old Matthew Figura Junior is accused of shooting a co-workers in then head in a scrape yard in then falls.
Figura fled the area but was later taken into custody by Wyoming County deputies.

Veterinarians can now allow owners inside with their pets with no masks if they are vaccinated. Previously the restriction that made vets have to do curbside service were in effect but the new guidelines allow vets to operate as any other business.

United Memorial Medical Center and the Genesee County Parks Department are partnering to prevent park visitors from skin cancer. Through a grant provided to the Medical Center’s Healthy Living Program, five sunscreen dispensers have been installed throughout DeWitt Recreation Area for the 50,000 people who frequent it each year. This project is supported by Health Research, Inc. and the New York State Department of Health with funds from the CDC.

The reincarnated Batavia Muckdogs are off on a winning notes.
The Dogs won their season opener on the road last night defeating Elmira
Pioneers 7-0 in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League.
The Dogs home opener is tonight at Dwyer Stadium.
The Muckdogs first home game in 637 days.
First pitch is 7:05pm. You can view the game by subscribing to Batavia Muckdogs Baseball on YouTube.

New York has a new record-low for single-day and 7-day average COVID positivity rate. The statewide rate had dropped to 0.44% with the 7-Day average has been lowered to 0.60%. New York has had 59 consecutive days of decline. Hospitalizations have also dropped to under 1,000 for the first time since October 21^st.

United Memorial Medical Center and the Genesee County Parks Department are partnering to prevent park visitors from skin cancer. Through a grant provided to the Medical Center’s Healthy Living Program, five sunscreen dispensers have been installed throughout DeWitt Recreation Area for the 50,000 people who frequent it each year. This project is supported by Health Research, Inc. and the New York State Department of Health with funds from the CDC.

The New York State of Health – the state’s official health plan Marketplace – has reached a record-breaking enrollment total of 6 million New Yorkers who have signed up for health insurance through the Marketplace across Medicaid, Essential Plan, Child Health Plus and Qualified Health Plans. This coincides with the new and increased financial assistance now available to New Yorkers through the American Rescue Plan for consumers enrolling in commercial coverage.

Field trip dates at the Genesee Park & Forest are open for schools, youth groups, scouts and more for June and throughout the rest of the year. This summer the parks are offering The Great Escape, a grant-funded program that provides outdoor recreation for youth groups in Genesee County. Activities include fishing, kayaking and hiking. School field trips at the Genesee County Parks are designed to support state learning standards for STEM, grades pre-K through 12. In addition to field trips at county parks, you can book a visit to your facility year-round.

New York State Senate Republican Rob Ortt has penned a letter to Governor Cuomo urging him to ease mask mandates in schools, particularly as new COVID cases are at record lows and temperatures are expected to increase dramatically next week. According to Ortt, we are heading into the summer months, and with temperatures expected to soar into the 90s throughout New York State next week, it’s time to ease the mask mandate in our schools. He added many school buildings do not have air conditioning, so to require face coverings in dangerous temperatures will be detrimental not only to their physical health, but also to their ability to focus and learn.”

A murder suspect has been apprehended in Wyoming County. An alert sheriff’s investigator spotted 35-year-old Matthew Figura Jr. Thursday. Once backup arrived, police swarmed around the man. He was taken into custody without incident. He is accused of shooting a co-worker at Niagara Metals.

A new trial to test the effectiveness of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in children will be starting this month in Rochester.  Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center are enrolling participants in pediatric trials starting on Monday.

Veterinarians can now allow owners inside with their pets with no masks if they are vaccinated.  Previously the restriction that made vets have to do curbside service were in effect but the new guidelines allow vets to operate as any other business.

A new trial to test the effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in children will be starting this month in Rochester.  Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center are enrolling participants in pediatric trials starting June 7.  Children ages 5-11 will be enrolled in Phase 2 and 3 trials – which involve mid-to-large population groups in various communities.  In addition, URMC will be taking part in future trials for both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for children between the ages of 6 months and 4 years.

Veterinarians can now allow owners inside with their pets with no masks if they are vaccinated.  Previously the restriction that made vets have to do curbside service were in effect but the new guidelines allow vets to operate as any other business.  This guidance comes form the CDC and New York State Veterinary.

Girl Scouts of Western New York announced 56 Gold award recipients and 33 Scholarship recipients and one scout in Genesee county was honored with both.  Ava Flores from Oakfield troop 42141 did a project called feed the Need and fulfilled the Gold award goal of fulfilling a need in the community and creating a change that has the potential to be ongoing or sustainable.  Flores also received a 1000 dollar scholarship.

The Buffalo Sabres will start off the draft pick with the first overall pick for 2021.  This is the second time since 2018 that the Sabres will have this opportunity.

In person visitation resumes next week at the Genesee County Jail.
Sheriff Bill Sheron announcing today that beginning June 12th, you will be able to visit – in person – an inmate in the county jail.
You have to make an appointment at least 24-hours in advance.
In person visitation was halted last spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Taxpayers are reportedly forking over two and a half million dollars for New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s defense teams.
The New York Post got a hold of documents that show taxpayers are paying 900-dollars an hour to his lead attorney.
Cuomo is fighting charges that he used staff members to help write a book on his handling of coronavirus and also charges he hid the true number of coronavirus nursing home deaths.
Cuomo made $5-million on the book.

Two Western New York students are among the first 10 people to win New York State’s COVID-19 vaccine scholarship raffle. Chase French of Penfield and Jack Lucchesi of Victor will be able to attend any State University of New York, or public community college and have their tuition, room and board all covered. To enter the contest, teens between the ages of 12 and 17 must prove they’ve been vaccinated against coronavirus before July 7th.
More information on the program is available HERE

New York’s 7-day average positivity rate is now the lowest in the nation. After 58 consecutive days of decline, the rate is now just 0.64%. Hospitalizations have also dropped. Genesee County’s positivity rate has fallen again…it is now point-5 percent.

Honors for artwork by an Alexander Central 8th grader. Riley Wall created a flag that depicts a health ear of corn supported by two different color hands in a background of blue sky and green fields.
Her entry received the most votes in the Genesee County flag contest conducted by the county’s planning department.

St. Paul Lutheran School in Batavia will be holding an Amazing Race type of fundraiser called the “Amazing Grace Race” at 10 a.m. on Saturday. For $20 per vehicle, you can travel to five different locations to complete a family friendly task. The top finishers will be recognized at the finish line and can try and win a prize. All vehicles registered for the race will meet at St. Paul School, 31 Washington Avenue in Batavia to get their race directions and first location to begin the race promptly at 10 a.m. Once all vehicles have finished the race and the tasks, everyone returns to St. Paul School. If you are interested in participating, call the St. Paul Lutheran School office.

Sheriff William A. Sheron Jr. has announced that he is reinstating in-person inmate visitation at the Genesee County Jail effective Saturday, June 12 beginning at 12 p.m. Appointments are highly recommended and can be made in advance by calling the Genesee County Jail. Additions to a visit must be made 24 hours prior to the time of the scheduled visit. Visitors under 18 years of age must be accompanied by parent or legal guardian with acceptable photo ID.

Tops Friendly Markets has announced that it has awarded more than $267,000 dollars to 238 Tops first-year and matriculated college associates, associate dependents, and associate grandchildren for the 2021-2022 academic year. In Genesee County, Mary Caprio, of Oakfield, and Margaret Demare, of Batavia, were both awarded scholarships for $1,150 each. Since the start of the scholarship program in 1989, Tops has awarded $21 million to more than 22,000 recipients. All Tops associates, union and nonunion, their dependents and grandchildren are eligible to apply for scholarship awards ranging from $1,000 to $1,500 annually over the course of four academic years.

An Alexander Central School eighth-grader’s design promoting agriculture and the people who work to get crops from the field to the table received the most votes in the Genesee County Flag Contest conducted by the county planning department. Riley Wall created a flag that shows a healthy ear of corn supported by two different color hands in a tapestry of blue sky and green fields. Her entry edged out four other finalists in the contest that had citizens vote on the Genesee 2050 website in March and April. The 13-year-old said she participated in the project as a class after it was suggested by her teacher.

Taxpayers will spend up to $2.5 million defending Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office in a federal investigation examining its alleged suppression of figures showing the true number of nursing home deaths from COVID-19. That’s according to a report from the Albany Times Union. All the info comes from OpenBookNY.com, a website maintained by state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s office, which discloses information about state contracts. The website states that the Executive Chamber’s contract for legal services was “approved and filed” on April 27.

New York’s 7-day average positivity rate is now the lowest in the nation. After 58 consecutive days of decline, the rate is now just 0.64%. Hospitalizations have also dropped.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced the launch of a new $40 million global campaign aimed at revitalizing the state’s tourism industry. The campaign will promote tourism attractions across all regions of the state through the summer, fall and winter tourism seasons as the state begins to welcome all visitors – local, national and international – back to New York State. The first phase of this campaign focuses on New York City and will run on digital outlets in select international markets and on broadcast TV in national and local markets. Upcoming spots in the campaign’s second phase will feature a variety of attractions from the state’s diverse and unique regions outside New York City.

The Upstate New York Poison Center is warning people who choose to use marijuana now that it is legal in New York State to keep it out of the hands of kids.  Children are getting into marijuana that looks like cookies or candies and it can cause serious illness or even death especially in kids under 6.  Marijuana edibles can look like gummy bears or brownies or cookies and kids that get access to them usually eat far more than the normal dose.  So far this year cases of calls to the poison center for kids consuming marijuana are on track to be at least twice that of last year.

Republican State Senator Ed Rath has introduced a bill to pay people to go back to work.  He is proposing that workers can be paid 1200 dollars after they return to work and work for at least 4 weeks.  This legislation would repeal the Excluded Workers Fund.  Senator Rath said “Getting New Yorkers back to work is one of my top priorities. Businesses are struggling to find workers as the rate of unemployment in the State remains unsustainable. This incentive would benefit both those looking for work and the employers, a win-win for everyone.”  Other states including Arizona, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oklahoma have offered a form of a return to work bonus.

COVID Update: Genesee county has 3 new cases since Friday and 18 people have recovered.  We are saddened to report the death of a community member from COVID.  Orleans county has 2 new cases.  There are 16 active cases in Genesee county and As of Friday there were 45 active cases in Orleans but due to a computer error we don’t have the count of how many people recovered.

The Western New York Gas and Steam show grounds in Alexander are hosting a Day of Tractor Pulling on June 19^th.  The action starts at 9am with deadweight classes 4500-6500.  Stock pull starts at noon.  There will be a 4 wheel drive event as well.  Tickets for Adults are 10 dollars and children 5-12 are 5 dollars.

Amazing race may not be on the air but St Paul Lutheran school is bringing it to Batavia.  For 20 dollars a vehicle you can participate in a family friendly race around the area stopping off at several locations where there will be challenges to complete.  The race will start at 10am on Saturday June 5^th.  If you are interested call St Paul Lutheran School at 343 0488.

Steve Hawley

Republican State Assemblyman Steve Hawley has come out in favor of a legislative package known as the “Restore Order” initiative.
The bill would essentially restore elements of the bail reform law passed in 2019 which has been sharply criticized for its leniency in allowing bail for violent offenders.
Hawley says he wants to restore judicial discretion when it comes to setting bail. The bail reform, Hawley says, has restricted judges from making decisions to safeguard the public.

New York’s average COVID positivity rate continues to drop to new lows. The rate has declined for 57 straight days.
The 7-day average positivity rate in every region in now below 1.5% for the first time since September 25th. Genesee County’s 7-day average positivity rate has fallen to point-six percent.

The latest COVID numbers for Genesee County:
Only three new positive cases of COVID 19 have been reported over the past 24 hours. One county resident has died from the virus.
In Orleans County, two new positive cases have been reported.

GCASA, Genesee County’s Council on Alcoholism, said today their latest project is actually ahead of schedule.
The 8-thousand square-foot facility will house 20 people for short term detox.
That usually means a five to seven day stay.
GCASA broke ground for the new building in January and could open by the end of October.

A proposed half-billion-dollar cheese plant expansion project in Allegany County has reportedly been abandoned by the developer…and numerous sources say Ohio-based Great Lakes Cheese has turned its attention to Batavia. There has not yet been local confirmation. The expansion in Allegany County has been filled with issues, including a highly controversial eminent domain seizure of farm land. According to one source, the bottom-line reason for the bad news was reportedly “a death by a thousand cuts.” State Senator George Borrello said in a statement the he and others have been working behind the scenes with company executives and state officials to help resolve some of the complicating issues.

The Genesee County Economic Development Center Board of Directors will consider approving final incentives for a $345 million solar project in the Town of Byron, and construction of a campus-wide electrical substation at the Science Technology and Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP). Both matters will be discussed at the agency’s board meeting tomorrow. The meeting will be conducted via videoconference and can be viewed online at www.gcedc.com.

A traffic stop in the Town of Oakfield resulted in a felony charge for a Cheektowaga man. State Troopers say they arrested 29-year-old Frederick Simmeth. He was charged with felony aggravated driving while intoxicated with a child in the vehicle. He was also charged with misdemeanor counts of DWI and having a blood alcohol content above .08%. He’ll chat with a local justice at a later date.

New York’s average COVID positivity rate continues to drop to new lows. The rate has declined for 57 straight days. It now stands at 0.65%. The 7-day average positivity rate in every region in now below 1.5% for the first time since September 25^th. Currently, there are 1,032 people hospitalized with virus-related complications.

Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $3.05, up 1 cent from last Monday. One year ago, the price was $1.98. The New York State average is $3.08 – up 1 cent from last Monday. A year ago, the NYS average was $2.18. Prices in Batavia have remained unchanged during the past week. Pump prices increased slightly over the past week as demand increased with Memorial Day travel. Motorists were able to avoid drastic holiday hikes at the pump following large increases in prices when the Colonial Pipeline was offline. Analysts had predicted lower prices by Father’s Day, but demand continues to increase.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley is joining his colleagues in the Assembly Minority in calling for the passage of a legislative package known as the “Restore Order” initiative, which would restore elements of judicial discretion eliminated by the “bail reform” law passed in 2019 by the Assembly Majority. The package would also increase the penalties for particularly hateful and violent crimes, such as shooting into a crowd, among other measures. These bills were drafted in response to a widespread spike in violent crime that has persisted for months throughout the state, which Hawley and others attribute to limitations placed on the ability of local judges to exercise their judicial discretion by previously passed “bail reform” laws.

Special Olympics New York and the New York State Public High School Athletic Association are proud to celebrate an ongoing 2021 Unified Basketball season as teams across the state have been back on the courts in recent weeks, following a year-long hiatus due to the global health pandemic. In Unified Sports, athletes with and without disabilities compete together as teammates. In New York, most Unified programs offer bowling and/or basketball. Statewide, Special Olympics New York partners with nearly 250 Unified Champion Schools and 10,000 participating students.

RESTORE Sexual Assault Services, a program of Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York, is recruiting volunteers for an upcoming training cycle in July. There is an urgent need for volunteers in Monroe, Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties. Volunteer Advocates are responsible for taking crisis phone calls from their home and providing information and advocacy to sexual assault survivors at a hospital or police station. All applicants will be screened and must complete 32 hours of training prior to beginning their volunteer commitment. The training will take place in a virtual setting. For further information about volunteering with RESTORE, email:  restore@ppcwny.org.

The mandate that established a curfew for restaurants in New York state has expired and now eateries may establish and keep their own hours.  With COVID-19 cases down and vaccination numbers up, Governor Andrew Cuomo said he hopes restaurant restrictions won’t be needed again.

The Genesee Orleans County health departments have several pop up vaccination clinics this week.  Wednesday at the Genesee county health department there are walk in vaccinations from 1:30-4:30.  Thursday from 4 to 6pm there is a clinic at the Orleans County YMCA.  Saturday from 12-1 there is a clinic at the Genesee County Health Department.

The gas prices in Batavia are holding steady after the Memorial day weekend.  In Batavia the average is 3 dollars even and the New York State Average is 3 o 8.  Analysts have predicted that prices will drop before Father’s Day but demand is increasing.

Oakfield Community Bible Church is having a summer vendor and craft event on Saturday June 12^th from 10-2. There will be over a dozen vendors at 82 N Main Street along with food trucks and crafts.

A $345-million utility scale solar project has been proposed in the Town of Byron.
NextEra Energy is proposing the solar farm to be located on multiple agricultural properties.
NextEra is seeking a host of tax incentives through the Genesee County Economic Development Center amounting to about $33-million.
The GCEDC Board will consider final approval for the incentives at its meeting this Thursday.

A six-year-old Batavia girl continues to recover after she was accidentally run over by a pickup near her home. The incident happened late yesterday afternoon on Otis StreetPolice said the driver of the pick-up that struck the girl did not realize where the child was until she started to scream. The girl was airlifted to Strong Memorial and is in serious but stable condition.
Police say there will be no charges.

State officials now say that New York’s 7-day average COVID positivity rate has dropped to 0.67 percent, a new low.
It marks the eighth consecutive week of decline.
Hospitalizations have also dipped to the lowest figure since October 24th.

Starting tonight, the Toronto Blue Jays will once again be calling Sahlen Field in Buffalo their home. The team currently isn’t allowed in Canada due to border restrictions that are still in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Blue Jays also played in Buffalo last year, but this time fans will be able to watch them in-person.

It’s a go for the Genesee County Fair. The event will run from July 24-31. Events will be posted at gcfair.com.

A child was seriously hurt after she was accidentally run over by a pickup in Batavia. First responders were called to a home on Otis Street just before 4 p.m. Monday. A person at the home was reportedly unhooking four-wheelers on a trailer and putting them in a side yard. Batavia police said the individual did not know a 6-year-old child was also in the side yard. When the man unhooked the trailer, got back into his vehicle, and started to move it, he heard the child scream. The child was airlifted to Strong Memorial and is in serious but stable condition. No charges are pending.

New York Officials now say that the statewide 7-day average COVID positivity rate has dropped to 0.67 percent, a new low. It marks the eighth consecutive week of decline. Hospitalizations have also dipped to a new low… slightly more than 1,000…the lowest figure since October 24^th.

A rock throwing event in the City of Batavia led to the arrest of a 25-year-old man. Batavia police say they took 25-year-old Zachari Morgan into custody. He was charged with felony assault involving serious injury and criminal possession of a weapon. It’s alleged that Morgan threw a rock at another person causing serious injury. Morgan was released under supervision.

32-year-old Kevin Thomas turned himself in to Genesee County Jail on, on numerous active warrants he had. Thomas was arraigned in Batavia City Court. He was arraigned on charges of burglary in the second degree, criminal contempt in the second degree, criminal mischief in the fourth degree, criminal mischief in the third degree, endangering the welfare of a child, and criminal contempt in the first degree following a domestic incident that occurred last month. He’ll return to court this month.

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Monday that Sampson Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Romulus, Seneca County, has been chosen by a State-appointed committee as the site of New York’s first State Veterans Cemetery. This decision brings New York one step closer to establishing a permanent, State-owned resting place to honor New York’s veterans and their family members. Sampson Veterans Memorial Cemetery is situated on 162 acres along the eastern shore of Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes region. New York is one of only a few states nationwide that does not have a state veterans cemetery.

New York Congressman Tom Reed has joined with over 100 members of Congress in a bipartisan letter to push for more funding for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. The program aims to help restaurants and other impacted businesses keep their doors open throughout the pandemic. In a statement, Reed said while he did not support the American Rescue Plan Act, this program is critical to small businesses and restaurants across the district. Providing more funding to this program will deliver significant benefits to our local businesses and help keep them open as they deal with the impact of COVID-19.

It’s a go for the Genesee County Fair. The event will run from July 24-31. Events will be posted at gcfair.com.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed legislation allowing veterans to qualify for state benefits after a diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, a traumatic brain injury or disclosure of military sexual trauma from any person licensed to provide health care services in New York State. Previously, veterans had to be diagnosed by a provider at the Department of Veteran Affairs. This legislation removes barriers from access to care for those who have given so much for our freedom, and builds on the Restoration of Honor Act, signed in 2019, that allowed additional discharged veterans to receive benefits for certain qualifying conditions.