Local News

With the declaration by President Trump of the FDA approving the emergency use of convalescent plasma as a treatment for COVID 19 doctors are urging all eligible donors to give.  Eligible donors are people who have contracted and recovered from the coronavirus.  The plasma has antibodies that help the body fight off the coronavirus.  Although there are some who doubt its effectiveness, especially with the president touting it as an effective treatment, the FDA and Mayo clinic say it is safe and helps most patients with the recovery.

Governor Cuomo has announced new guidelines for colleges. Very much like his announcement about public schools, Cuomo said if any college confirms 100 positive cases or a number of cases equal to 5% or more of the campus population, they will be required to switch to remote learning for two weeks.

Your COVID 19 update:  Genesee county has no new cases and one person has recovered.  Orleans county has 1 new case.  3 new people are on travel quarantine in Genesee county.  There are now 2 active cases in Genesee and 3 active cases in Orleans counties.

Erie County is in the spotlight for having a positivity rate of over 1 percent with 4200 tests taken and 45 positive results yesterday.  New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the caution flag in Western New York will be raised a little higher and that he is sending in the state department of health swat team and open up 8 new testing sites including 3 in the city of buffalo.  A food manufacturing plant in Chautauqua county is thought to be a center for many of the cases.

Superintendents across New York state called on the governors office to delay the start of school sports with a letter from the New York State council of Superintendents.  They would like school sports delayed until January 1^st 2021.  Governor Cuomo responded yesterday with a rare move of putting the ball back in their court by saying the decision was up to the schools.  “If a school superintendent doesn’t want to do it, then don’t do it,” said Cuomo. “We won’t mandate them to play.”

New York State Fair may not be happening this year but there is a virtual option.  The American Dairy Association North East will still be making the butter sculpture and will release a time lapse video of its creation September 1st.  The New York Animal Agricultural Coalition will be visiting farms and live streaming cow births.  Several fair food options are available for drive thorough at the fairgrounds orange lot in Syracuse.  Although none of this is on the Fair’s website, check their social media page for contests and events.

National Fuel,  the natural gas utility for most of us, is warning customers of a new telephone scam.
Seems someone is calling local customers saying they must pay their gas bill, over the phone within 45 minutes or their gas will be shut off.
The company says it is all a scam. Just hang up.

New York State is changing the requirements for a school district to be closed – once they reopen.
One thing changing is the threshold for positivity rates in the region. Schools were mandated to close if the positivity rate of COVID-19 went above 9 percent. The new threshold now it is 5 percent.

Genesee County’s coronavirus report for the past 24 hours:
No new positive cases. Three new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from a restricted state.

Unemployment in Genesee County reaches 10.6 percent this July…up from just 3.5 percent a year ago. Major factor: the closing of Batavia Downs and Darien Lake Theme Park. The park alone employs over a thousand people each summer.

Authorities in Livingston County are investigating a stolen school bus.
Earlier this week deputies responded to a location on East Avon – Lima Road where they found an empty school bus with Pennsylvania license plates.
Turns out it was stolen from a bus company in Sarver, P-A.
Further investigation led to the arrest of 30 year old Justin Preedom. He’s been charged with a felony count of possession of stolen property.
Deputies said Preedom told them he took the bus to drive back to his home in Avon.

Keep an eye out for a free ice cream sandwich…courtesy of the Census.
The ice Cream bus – belonging to Community Action of Genesee and Orleans – will be driving through various neighborhoods to encourage residents to fill out their census forms if they haven’t done so already.
If you do – you get an ice cream sandwich.
The bus is equipped with Chromebooks and free WiFi so you can fill out the census form online.
The ice cream bus will be out two days a week through September.
Just over a third of Genesee County households have yet to respond to the census.

If you get a call from national Fuel saying they are about to disconnect your gas, hang up.  The gas company is warning customers that there is a new scam going around where people are called by someone saying they are a representative of National Fuel and threatening to shut off their gas within 45 minutes if they don’t pay over the phone.  A press release from National Fuel says “Customers are reminded that National Fuel DOES NOT disconnect gas service without following its proper collections procedures, including multiple attempts to contact customers via the mail, phone, or in the field. National Fuel DOES NOT force phone payments as the only payment option and DOES NOT request bill payment by prepaid debit card, gift card, or wire transfer.”  If you get this scam call please phone 18003653234 and report it.

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced today that he is changing the requirements for a school district to be re closed in the empire state.  One thing changing is the threshold for positivity rates in the region.  Schools were mandated to close if the positivity rate of covid 19 went above 9 percent, now it is 5 percent.  In New York City it is 3 percent.  He also said if there are 100 cases in one day in a region that schools would have to go to mandatory 2 week online only learning.

A federal judge has sentenced a Rochester man to 20 years in prison for three bank robberies in 2016.
One of those robberies occurred at the M & T Bank branch in Elba.
35 year old Terrance Rainey and an accomplice walked into the bank on Oak Orchard Road, point handguns at the bank employee, and demanded they fill a bag with cash.
No was injured. The two other robberies occurred in Macedon and Henrietta.

Genesee County records no new positive coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours. One person is hospitalized and 11 are now on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.

Genesee County is concerned that fitness centers and gyms do not completely understand the rules that allowed them to re-open on Monday.
County Manager Matt Landers told the legislature yesterday that the health department found only about half the gyms understood the process going forward.
He said the rules require that the gyms be inspected for compliance within two weeks of opening. It is up to the businesses to make the inspection appointment with the local health department.
Landers said they found many of the facilities do not have follow-up guidelines.

Governor Cuomo and the state health commissioner are blasting the Centers for Disease Control for its new COVID-19 testing guidance.
The CDC now says that if someone is in close contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus do not have to be tested themselves if they are asymptomatic.
Dr. Howard Zucker calls these changes “indefensible actions.”
Cuomo says New York will not be following the new guidance, calling it “political propaganda.”

New York is among a group of states being investigated by the U.S. Justice Department for COVID-19-related deaths in nursing homes.
Letters were sent to governors in New York, New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania requesting COVID-19 data.
In the New York case, the issue stems from a controversial health department directive, which prohibited a nursing home from denying admission based on a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of the coronavirus.

The number eleven jersey worn by Buffalo Bills kicker Scott Norwood when he missed a game-winning kick in Super Bowl 25 is up for auction.
Norwood wore the jersey in 1991 when he barely missed a 47-yard field goal that would have given the Bills a Super Bowl victory over the New York Giants. The jersey will be up for auction online at Heritage Auctions website until 11 p.m. Saturday.
Experts have labeled the bad kick one of the top two or three moments in Super Bowl history.

Batavia Police are looking for information about a hit and run that took place on August 13^th one East Main street.  70 year old sue reed of Batavia was riding her bike across the entrance to Vine street when she says a large pickup truck that may have had lifts and a chrome grill turned left from East main street and hit her.  The driver stopped, got out and said something to her and then got back in the truck and drove away.  Reed suffered a concussion, a broken right arm, cuts to her left arm that were too large to be stitched and she needed stiches for cuts on her lips and mouth.  She also had an air pocket in her lungs.  The driver of the truck is described as tall and skinny, with blonde hair and under the age of 40.  If you have any information call Officer Peter Post at 585 345-6350 or the tip line at 585 345 6370

Your COVID 19 update:  Genesee county has 1 new case.  Orleans county has 1 new case and 1 person has recovered.  1 new person is on travel quarantine in Genesee county and 14 new people are on travel quarantine in Orleans county.  There are now 3 active cases in Genesee and 2 active cases in Orleans counties.

Bowlers who participate in leagues got a little good news Tuesday.  Leagues can use two lanes with appropriate barriers.  Bowlers including league players were complaining about having every other lane closed making bowlers unable to alternate lanes and creating a backup on play times.  Governor Cuomo’s office says that leagues can play as normal as long as the lanes are separated with appropriate barriers.  Bowling alleys are rushing to buy and set up plastic sheeting, shower curtains and other makeshift barriers.

Genesee County’s July unemployment rate is three times what is was just a year ago.
Of course the reason is, the coronavirus pandemic.
The jobless rate for Genesee County in July was 10.6 percent. A year ago it was 3.5 percent, near a record low.

There are improving numbers for coronavirus statistics across New York State. Officials have reported that for the past 18 days the state’s positive rate of COVID-19 infections has been below one-percent.

The local COVID-19 numbers from the past 24 hours:
Genesee County has reported one new positive case, an individual in their 30s living in Pavilion.
One person is hospitalized locally with coronavirus and only one new person has been added to the precautionary quarantine due to travel from a restricted state.

The Genesee County health department is looking for the owner of a dog that bit someone along the new Ellicott Trail.
It happened last Friday on the trail near the Batavia Gardens Apartments.
The victim of the bite did not get any information from the dog owner.
The suspect canine is a Jack Russell Terrier mix with a red and brindle-white coat.
The dog was wearing a black collar with a blue leash.
His presumed owner is described as a slender white man in his 40s with short brown hair.
If you have information, you are asked to call the county health department (344-2580 ex 5555).

The once powerful New York State Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver is scheduled to report to prison today. Silver was convicted and sentenced to six and a half years in prison for taking part in a multi-million dollar bribery scheme. He had battled the charges and dodged prison time for years which included two successful appeals, but the third time he was found guilty. A judge recently sentenced him to prison despite his defense trying to keep him out, arguing his old age of 76 combined with coronavirus concerns.

The Salvation Army is holding a drive-through food distribution today.
Food will be distributed beginning at 9 this morning at Northgate Church on Bank Street Road.
Make sure your vehicle is ready to accept 3 to 4 boxes of food. If your are picking up food for a friend or neighbor, be sure to their photo ID showing a separate address.

On Friday, August 21, 2020 between 3:00 –3:30 p.m. an individual was bitten by an unfamiliar dog that was with its assumed owner.

The incident occurred on the Ellicott Trail in front of the Batavia Gardens Apartment complex located on 679 East Main Street, Batavia. The assumed owner of the dog is described as a slender white male in his 40’s with short brown hair.

The dog that bit the individual was a Jack Russell Terrier mix with a red and brindle white coat. The dog was wearing a black collar with a blue leash. The individual who was bitten did not obtain any information from the man with the dog and has not seen the man since the incident.

“The purpose in locating the owner of the dog is to make sure the dog is up-to-date on its anti-rabies vaccine,”stated Sarah Balduf, Environmental Health Director of Genesee and Orleans Counties.“ If the owner cannot be located,the individual will have to go through unnecessary treatment.”

Anyone with information on the dog and/or dog owner is asked to contact the Genesee County Health Department at 585-344-2580 ext.5555

State police are looking for a man whose wife was found dead in Larksville Pennsylvania and they say he may be in our area.  46 year old Richard Walski and his chocolate Labrador have been missing since his wife Patricia was found shot in the head at their home on August 13^th.  Walski is an avid fisherman and has spent time on Lake Ontario and fishing the Genesee River.  He has also traveled up towards Watertown in the past.  If you believe you have information you can contact the Pennsylvania state police at 570 697 2000.

Governor Cuomo announced today that the 2 week quarantine list is now 5 states shorter, Alaska, Arizona, Delaware, Maryland and Montana have been removed and the territory Guam has been added.  There are now 31 states on the list.  Travelers from these states or territories must provide their travel plans to the state authorities and quarantine for 2 weeks or face a hefty fine of up to $2,000.

Your COVID 19 update:  Genesee county has no new cases and 3 people have recovered.  Orleans county has 1 new case and 2 people have recovered.  13 people are on travel quarantine in Genesee county and 33 new people are on travel quarantine in Orleans county.  There are now 2 active cases in Genesee and 2 active cases in Orleans counties.

Livingston County sheriffs office is investigating a fire set in a church.  The minister of Lima Presbyterian Church came in Sunday morning to find the sanctuary full of smoke, apparently from a bible that had been set on fire in the front pew.  Someone had broken in in the night and lit the fire.  The fire was contained to the area of that pew and the bible, a lot of smoke damage according to the minister but little fire damage.  Anybody with information about the incident is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at 585-243-7100 or the Sheriff’s Office tip line at 1-844-LCSO-TIP

Governor Cuomo gives some high school sports the go ahead for next month, while keeping other sports as “practice-only.”
Cuomo said lower-risk sports such as tennis, soccer, cross country, field hockey, and swimming can begin competing on September 21 in all regions of the state.
Teams will not be allowed to travel, practice, or play outside of their region or contiguous counties until October.
Higher-risk sports, including football, wrestling, rugby, and ice hockey, will be allowed to practice, but are not yet authorized to play.

State health officials are raising concerns about a rise in COVID-19 cases in the Western New York region. Governor Cuomo said the region is raising a “caution flag” after the five-day average of new cases almost doubled. Genesee County is in the Finger Lakes Region where new infections rates have been below .4 percent.

Over the past 24 hours there have been no new positive cases of COVID-19 infection in Genesee County. Only one person is hospitalized with the virus. 13 new individuals have been placed on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.

On the heels of the news for high school sports, gyms and fitness centers across the state have re-opened.
Jessica Pratt owns Whole Life Fitness on East Main Street in Batavia.
She said her gym is ready to deal with the state mandated health guidelines:

Also in Batavia, Mancuso Bowling Center has opened its doors.
Precautions include sanitizing stations throughout the building, use of face masks and six feet of social distance. League meetings will be held this week.

PHOTO Courtesy:  TheBatavian.com

Those Civil War era cannons that guarded the entrance of the Holland Land Office museum for over a hundred years look like new. That’s because they have been completely refurbished. The cannons were returned to Batavia yesterday following a nine month log restoration.

Governor Cuomo says that lower-risk sports such as tennis, soccer, cross country, field hockey, and swimming can begin competing on September 21 in all regions. Teams will not be allowed to travel, practice, or play outside of their region or contiguous counties until October.  Higher-risk sports, including football, wrestling, rugby, and ice hockey, will be allowed to practice, but are not yet authorized to play.

Areas of Western NY are being monitored closely as they are testing higher than 1 percent in COVID testing.  Officials point to a steel plant in Erie County and a food processing plant in Chautauqua County as clusters of cases.  Higher numbers of seasonal laborers are also apparently testing more positively.

With gyms, restaurants, churches and soon to be schools opened up several amusement park owners are questioning why they haven’t been allowed to open yet.  Six flags and other amusement park chains including Disney World and Hershey Park have had parks open in many other states with social distancing and mask wearing as well as constant sanitizing of rides without any outbreaks being linked to the parks.  Park owners in New York state say that they have put in place every precaution that New York State authorities said needed to be done before they could reopen, spending tens of thousands of dollars, and still the parks are dark and empty.  No information or announcements have come from Albany.

The lights are back on now across the City and Town of Batavia.
That was not the case late last night. A power outage affected about 2,300 National Grid customers around 10 p.m. last night.

The trouble appeared to have been traced to a utility pole on State Street.

Construction has begun on a 12-million dollar four story apartment building on East Main Street. There will be 55 apartments, 28 of them set aside for homeless veterans. The remainder are intended for low income residents.
The project will be known as Liberty Square.
It is being developed by Home Leasing of Rochester, which specializes in providing low-income housing in the Finger Lakes region. They have partnered with Eagle Star housing.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved New York for a grant under the Lost Wages Assistance program
The funding will allow the state to provide $300/week to unemployed New Yorkers on top of their regular state unemployment benefit.
In March, Congress approved an extra federally funded $600 a week unemployment benefit for those out of work due to COVID-19. The benefit expired at the end of July.

Governor Cuomo is praising the state’s efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19. On Saturday, the governor said New Yorkers did not just flatten the curve of coronavirus cases, they bent it. The state posted a new record low positivity rate of zero-point-six-nine-percent, and hospitalizations are down to 472. Cuomo urged residents to keep wearing masks, continue to socially distance and stay disciplined.

The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous Weather Outlook for portions of Western New York.
For today and tonight: isolated strong thunderstorms are possible over the Niagara Frontier closer to Lake Ontario this afternoon.
A complex of thunderstorms may track across the region late tonight.

Gyms can begin reopening today – with COVID-19 restrictions in place.
Capacity will be capped at 33 percent, masks are mandatory, and there will be social distancing at workout stations.
People will be required to wipe machines down after use.
Inspectors will be out to make sure safety measures are in place.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Cuomo backtracks and makes deals on unemployment.  Although Governor Cuomo said he would never work with FEMA get help for New York State to provide unemployment benefits saying he would rather deal with a bookie on the corner than with the federal agency the state’s budget director says New York is applying for the Lost Wages Assistance Program, handled by FEMA.  This change of heart came when President Trump announced that the federal government would not require states to pay for 100 dollars of the weekly unemployment benefit so with the FEMA money people would only receive 300 dollars instead of 400.

Demolition work began Friday on several homes on East Main Street to pave the way for a new, 55 unit, 4 story apartment building that will be used for low income housing.  28 of the units will be reserved to house homeless veterans.  The new building will be christened liberty square and is being built by Home Leasing LLC of Rochester.  It is being partly funded by a group called Eagle Star Homes.

The Genesee Orleans county health departments announced that all gyms in the counties will be allowed to reopen on Monday August 24^th with a couple restrictions.  Gyms must have a written safety plan, have their HVAC inspected by an approved professional, and complete a form saying that they have read and understand the state guidelines and will do what they say.  Within 2 weeks of reopening the county health departments will inspect gyms in Genesee and Orleans counties.

Your Coronavirus update:  there is 1 new case in Genesee and no new cases in Orleans counties.  9 new people are on travel quarantine in Genesee county and 3 new people are on travel quarantine in Orleans county.  There are 6 active cases in Genesee county and 3 in Orleans.

Bad worms are jumping into the ground near you.  The University at buffalo  earthworm expert Nick Henshue says an invasive species called Amynthas or the jumping earthworm are popping up in soil samples across western NY.  These worms eat fallen leaves and can disrupt the ecosystem of forests which depend on downed leaves for protection of young plants and insects.  How to tell if you have jumping earthworms?  Check your soil, if it has a coffee grounds like consistency then you have them.

Malls in New York can reopen food court seating says the governor’s office.  However, the seating areas and food court restaurants must operate under the Department of Health’s guidelines for food services.  Those guidelines include required separation between tables and seating, social distancing between parties of customers, and occupancy limits.

The statewide STOP DWI crackdown is in full effect until September 7^th.  State and local Police in Genesee county are out in full force to catch people driving under the influence.  Don’t drive drunk, have a plan for how you will get home if you are planning to drink.

The person who hit a motorcyclist last week and left the scene has turned themselves in.

Yesterday on WBTA’s Main and Center, Genesee County Sheriffs said they were ready to make an arrest, but last night Alexander Wuerch, 21, Alden, said he was the driver of the car that hit the motorcyclist on Route 77 in Pembroke and fled.

The motorcycle rider is still in critical condition.

Wuerch was issued an appearance ticket and will be in Pembroke town court September 9.

Town of Batavia Supervisor Gregory Post describes the financial situation the town is in as the worst in his 47 years in government. In an interview with WBTA’s news partner, The Batavian, Post lays the blame on what he calls ‘tax and spend’ policies from Albany, and not the coronavirus pandemic.

The town is putting together its 2021 budget, and Post says with the state staring at a $10 billion dollar deficit, a likely reduction in revenue from Genesee County, and probably no life raft coming from the federal government, town of Batavia residents may see a significant tax increase.

Post says, the state’s deficit will affect the whole county, not just the town of Batavia, and that the state’s fiscal situation may make people think twice about being involved in government in the future.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has signed off on new legislation aimed at making it easier for New Yorkers to vote using absentee ballots. One bill allows all New Yorkers to get an absentee ballot if they’re concerned about being exposed to coronavirus. A second measure allows folks to apply for those ballots now instead of having to wait until 30 days before Election Day. The final law also means absentees with a postmark before or on November 3 or that arrive at a Board of Elections without a postmark on November 4 will be counted.

With bowling alleys open and gyms set to follow suit Monday, casino workers say they feel left out. They held a rally in Albany yesterday, urging state health officials to release guidelines that would allow casinos to reopen. All state-operated casinos were closed down back in March as part of an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. A state official says casinos likely won’t reopen soon since there are still too many concerns surrounding the virus.

The latest COVID-19 update shows one new positive case in Genesee County, a resident of Batavia in their 30s.

The person was not in mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, but nine new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states, with one hospitalized.

Today is the day you can start getting your Pok-A-Dot fix. The iconic corner restaurant is reopening today at 9 a.m, taking advantage of a coronavirus-induced hibernation to spruce up and upgrade the eatery.

There are new, more socially-distanced tables, a dining counter outside, and there will soon be a walk-up window for take-out orders. The big upgrade, you can now order your food online at their new website, pokadotbatavia.com, and, you can also pay for your food with a credit card.

The Holland Land Office Museum is bringing its two cannons back and will welcome them back to the museum’s front porch with a celebration Monday at 10 a.m.
The restoration work was done by Seed Artillery in Altoona, Pennsylvania, restoring the cannons to what they would’ve looked like in the early 19th century.
The work included the rebuilding of the carriage with all new metalwork and refurbishing the cannon barrels.
The cannons will be welcomed home in style with the help of a gunnery crew of the Genesee County Militia re-enactor group. The public is invited to Monday’s event, with social distancing and facial coverings required.

Pavilion Town Supervisor Robert LaPoint spoke to the Genesee County Legislature Wednesday about traffic issues on Route 63 near Pavilion Central School.
According to our news partner, The Batavian, LaPoint came with a petition signed by over a thousand residents complaining about speeders and commercial truck traffic that zips by the school.
LaPointe says he would like to have a flashing light put in at the intersection of Route 63 and York Road that would only be activated when students are coming and leaving the school, and also have the speed limit reduced.

High school athletes statewide won’t have to wait much longer to find out if they’ll be playing this Fall. A decision on the upcoming season is expected to be announced in the next week. Games were scrapped at schools across New York back in the Spring to help slow the spread of coronavirus. The earliest the season would be allowed to start is September 21, about a week after most schools begin classes.

It doesn’t start for a few weeks, but county health departments are already being questioned about their preparedness for flu season. The state says each county must be able to perform tests for both the flu and COVID-19. State labs have already been pushed to their limit and turnaround times for results have been longer than usual in some cases. Counties are already receiving money to help track coronavirus cases and make sure they have enough vaccines for flu season.

A Blasdell woman is in trouble for impersonating another person from Genesee County. Donna Hartman, 57, was pulled over by police in Livingston County and used the identity of someone in Genesee county. She continued to use that identity when she was taken to Noyes Hospital in Dansville, running up a $1,500 bill in the other person’s name. Hartman faces second-degree identity theft charges and will be in Stafford Town Court in October.

The latest update from the county health department shows no new positive cases of COVID-19, although fifteen people are in precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
In Monroe County, the number of coronavirus cases in have surpassed another milestone — with 29 new infections yesterday, the total number of cases in Monroe County since the start of the pandemic is now over 5,000. But, there have been no deaths connected to the illness in Monroe County for eight days.

Today at noon is the first online public information meeting to help develop the Genesee Transportation Council’s long range transportation plan. The public input will help the council establish priorities and strategic direction for the plan that will guide the council over the next quarter century. You can access the meeting at www.publicinput.com/LongRangeTransportationPlan or call 855-925-2801 and enter code 9000.

New York has added travelers from two more areas to the list of people who must quarantine after arriving in the State.
People coming from Delaware and Alaska now need to isolate themselves for two weeks so they don’t potentially infect people with coronavirus. Overall, there are more than 30 locations affected by the quarantine order. Visitors must reveal information about their trips to health officials and if they don’t, they could be fined two-thousand dollars.

The city of Batavia is adding four more community members to its Police Advisory Stakeholder Group.
City Hall says that, where possible, these additional citizen members will be persons of color. The committee was formed under an executive order from Governor Andrew Cuomo. It originally consisted of 15 members, now it will have 19.

Batavia Police are trying to track down the driver of a vehicle that slammed into house on East Avenue.
That crash on Monday evening left a gaping hole in the basement of the house and caused a natural gas leak. The driver fled the scene.
Police Chief Shawn Heubusch is asking the public with  information about the case to contact the dispatch center at 345-6350, and ask to speak with a supervisor

A new book by Governor Cuomo will be popping up on store shelves in the coming months. It’s called “American Crisis” and will give the governor’s account of how he handled the coronavirus pandemic. It’ll also go into detail about Cuomo’s clashes with the federal government, whose response to the outbreak he has constantly criticized. Right now, the Empire State has one of the lowest COVID-19 infections rates in the country just months after having one of the highest. The governor’s new book is scheduled to be released October 13th.

27th District Congressman Chris Jacobs has finally earned the support of the Conservative Party ahead of Election Day.
Jacobs will be the party’s nominee after Beth Parlato removed her name from the ballot.
Instead, she decided to pursue a spot on the State Supreme Court in Brooklyn.

The Salvation Army is holding their weekly food distribution later today in Bergen.
The distribution begins at 3 this afternoon at Byron-Bergen High School.
Organizers ask that you have the trunk of your car cleared out and ready to receive 3 to 4 boxes of food.
If picking up food for a friend have a photo ID ready showing a separate address.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Governor Cuomo announced in today’s press briefing that Alaska and Delaware are back on the list of states requiring a travel quarantine in New York State.  There are now 35 states on the list.  Travelers from these states must provide a travel plan to state officials and quarantine for 2 weeks when entering New York State.

Gyms may be reopening in a week but there is confusion as to exactly how that will work.  Governor Cuomo did not give details about exactly how county health officials will inspect gyms before they reopen.  Large gyms such as Planet Fitness in Batavia say nothing about the reopening on their website and did not answer the phone when called.  Questions about classes and people doing cardio with masks on have not been answered.  13 wham talked to the owner of MBody on university ave molly Flaherty who said that if spin class members have to wear masks then they will be outside till December.

The city of Batavia is adding four more community members to its Police Advisory Stakeholder Group.  City Hall says that, where possible, these additional citizen members will be persons of color.  According to Interim City Manager Rachel Tabelski the advisory group will open dialogue and add value to the relationships between city employees, the police department and community residents.  The committee was formed under an executive order from Governor Andrew Cuomo. It originally consisted of 15 members, now it will have 19.

Construction work has started to finish a major water line project to the Western New York Science & Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park known as STAMP.  The job will make the South Campus of STAMP 100 percent ready for development.  This latest project will cost 2-million dollars and should be done by the end of the year. The project is funded mostly by federal and state tax dollars.

After previously announcing membership categories of the City of Batavia Police Advisory Stakeholder Group, the City will add four additional community members to solicit further insight from the community.  To the extent possible, these citizens will be chosen from a cross section of wards and community groups serving “people of color,” as referenced in Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order No. 203.  The City will strive to ensure proper representation for all.

“The advisory group will open dialogue and add value to the relationships between City government employees, the police department and community residents,” said Rachael Tabelski, Interim City Manager.   “As we move forward, the stakeholder meetings will be open for the public to attend, while adhering to COVID-19 protocols.”

Interim City Manager Rachel Tabelski

“We look forward to beginning this process and engaging with citizens in the community,” said Shawn Heubusch, City of Batavia Police Department.  “The City Police Department is comprised of men and women who take the job of protecting and serving our community very seriously.  We all look forward to working with the stakeholder group to improve our already robust service and training.”

“All individuals should be held to the same standard.  No one is above the law; whether civilian, law enforcement or government official and those that break the law should be held accountable.” added Heubusch.

With this expansion, the Police Advisory Stakeholder Group will now consist of 19 members, including:

• City Manager;
• Police Chief;
• Assistant Police Chief;
• City Attorney;
• One City Council member;
• Six citizen representatives;
• Batavia Housing Authority Director;
• Director of a not-for-profit that serves human interests (e.g. YWCA);
• District Attorney representative;
• Public Defender representative;
• Batavia Police Benevolent Association representative;
• Batavia City School District Superintendent;
• Community religious leader;
• Business leader representative.

The Stakeholder Group will help identify recommendations for more effective strategies, policies, and procedures to better serve all residents within the City of Batavia.  This plan will be developed over the fall and winter, and must be adopted by the City of Batavia by April 1, 2021, per Executive Order No. 203.

Citizens interested in being a member of the Police Advisory Stakeholder Group should send their name, phone number, address and email address to the office of the Interim City Manager, Rachael Tabelski.  Address:  City of Batavia, One Batavia City Centre, Batavia, NY 14020 or via email rtabelski@batavianewyork.com

BATAVIA, NY – Construction work has commenced to finish a major water line project to the Western New York Science & Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP) and bring the STAMP South Campus to 100 % shovel-readiness for development.

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) announced today that the $2 million active infrastructure project enables over one million gallons per day of water capacity to STAMP. This project is supported by Genesee County to support Phase I development of the STAMP site.

The 1,250-acre STAMP site, through the 850-acre STAMP North Campus and the 400-acre STAMP South Campus, is designed and permitted for over six million sq. ft. of new construction supported by low-cost hydropower.

“There is a tremendous amount of momentum for STAMP right now and not just from an infrastructure investment and construction standpoint, but in interest among site selectors and representatives from advanced manufacturing companies, including semiconductor companies from across the world,” said Steve Hyde, President and CEO, GCEDC.

The start of the construction on the latest STAMP water line comes after US Senator Charles Schumer was in Batavia on July 31^st to announce among other things, his support for a $1 million grant through the Northern Border Regional Commission for the construction of a new forcemain to serve the entire STAMP site.

STAMP infrastructure design, engineering and construction launched in 2014 with the allocation of $33 million by New York State.

“With federal, state and local funding enabling STAMP’s infrastructure delivery, our 1,250-acre mega site will provide a significant return on investment and can be a model for economic recovery as New York State emerges from the pandemic,” Hyde said.

The infrastructure work includes the completion of the construction of a water line that was started from a connection from the Erie County Water Authority in Pembroke near the New York State Thruway.  The second leg included construction of the line at a connection near the Veteran’s Cemetery and now from cemetery to the STAMP South Campus.

The work is anticipated being completed by the end of 2020.  The design and engineering work was performed by Clark Patterson & Lee.

With classes starting in a few weeks, New York State has announced how a coronavirus spread inside a school will be handled.
Officials say an individual school will be closed down if it has a concerning amount of COVID-19 cases. However, there’s not an exact infection rate that would have to be reached for kids to be sent home.
In the past, the state has said all schools in an area will be shut down if a region’s coronavirus positivity rate goes above nine percent.

Two new positive cases of COVID-19 reported in Genesee County over the past 24 hours. One person resides in Alexander, the other in Stafford. One is in their 20s the other person is in their 30s.
27 people are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.

A car strikes a house at East Avenue and Hull Parkway smashing a hole in the foundation and causing a gas leak.
No one was hurt. Everyone in the house got out safely.
An upstairs resident said it sounded like a bomb went off. East Avenue between Ross and Vine was shut down until the gas was turned off.

A Byron man is facing a burglary charge for allegedly breaking into a home on Sautell Road in Bergen. Deputies say 49 year old Paul Tuttle also damaged property and took some items from the house. He was released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

Genesee County Sheriff’s Deputies now say they are looking for the driver of a light colored 2012 or 2013 Hyundai Tuscon.
That vehicle is believed to have struck a motorcyclist Friday night on Route 77. Travis Harloff had been knocked off his bike and landed in the middle of highway when the Hyundai struck him as he lie in the road. The driver of the Hyundai then fled the scene. Harloff suffered serious injuries.
Deputies are asking anyone with information to call.

Governor Cuomo announced today that Gyms across NY state can reopen starting on Monday August 24^th.  Gyms can have up to 33 % capacity, all employees and participants must wear masks at all times,  and must have updated ventilation.  State Department of Health guidelines will be released later today.  Cuomo said that local officials will have to inspect the gyms.  Officials have until September 2^nd to inspect gyms if they can’t do so by next Monday.

An investigation continues this morning into a three vehicle crash involving a hit and run and serious injuries to a motorcyclist.
Genesee County Sheriff’s Deputies tell WBTA the crash occurred Friday night on Route 77 in Pembroke.
A Honda Pilot was southbound on Route 77 and a Yamaha motorcycle was behind it.
The motorcycle rear ended the Pilot as it was making a turn throwing the operator into the middle of the road. Then a third vehicle struck the motorcyclist and fled the scene.
Deputies are asking for any information about that third vehicle believed to be Hyundai sedan.
The operator of the motorcycle was identified as 26 year old Travis Harloff of Attica. He was taken by Mercy Flight to ECMC with serious injuries.

Gym owners will be paying very close attention today to an announcement by state health department officials.
That’s because they’ll find out the guidelines that will need to be followed so fitness centers can reopen.
They were shut down months ago in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.
There’s no official word yet when people can return to the gym.
Meanwhile, starting today bowling alleys will be able to welcome customers back so long as businesses follow the proper safety protocols.

New York State has reached a milestone when it comes to the number of people tested for coronavirus.  Officials said yesterday seven-million State residents have been screened for COVID-19 in recent months.
The number of people who received a positive result has also been lower than one percent statewide for the last nine days.

Positive business news for Batavia’s Graham Corporation.
The company has announced $11-million in orders for three oil refining projects in Asia. Two are in Southeast Asia and third, the first large order for Graham in India.

Drivers across Western New York are finding consistent prices at the pump these days. According to Triple A, the average cost for a gallon of regular gas in Batavia is $2.20. That’s the same as last week and is a penny less than this time a month ago.

Shine up your ball and put some fresh spray in your shoes, Governor Cuomo announced in today’s press briefing that bowling alleys across New York state may reopen on Monday the 17^th.  Bowling alley owners had been petitioning Cuomo’s office for the last month to reopen some even sending the petitions written on bowling pins and balls.  August according to Rick Mancuso owner of Mancuso’s Bowling Center is the month when league sign ups happen and bowling centers set their schedules for the rest of the year.  Along with the reopening Governor Cuomo said that bowling alleys would be restricted to 50% capacity and would be allowed to serve food and alcohol but staff would have to deliver it to the bowlers at their lanes.  Cuomo also said an announcement on gyms reopening would be coming Monday.

The border between Canada and the United States will remain closed for at least another month.  Chad wolf secretary of department of homeland security has extended the limitation of non essential travel through September 21^st.

The citizen committee assembled by city hall to draft a plan to control the city’s deer population, has suddenly quit.
In a meeting yesterday that lasted about 30-seconds, the Deer Management Committee claimed that they were quote, “disrespected, lied to and lied about” by City Hall. Interim City Manager Rachel Tabelski, in a statement issued later, said the deer plan drafted by the committee was a “good start” and thanked committee members.
All this came as city council as late as last month praised the deer committee for the time and effort they put into the plan.
The plan was set for a final vote next month.
The flap is reminiscent of the dust up and confusion earlier this year when an ad-hoc group tried to use a city park for a rally promoting social justice.
The snafu eventually led to the ouster of the last city manager.

Two new positive cases of coronavirus have turned up in LeRoy.
The health department says one of the individuals is under 20, the other in in their 20s. Fourteen new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.

The Batavia Police department is looking for anyone with information about a reported collision between a pick-up truck and a bicycle.
That happened yesterday morning between 8 and 8:30a.m. at the intersection of East Main and Vine.
The bicyclist was taken to UMMC for treatment of his injuries.
If you saw the mishap, or have any information about it, BPD wants to hear from you.

A location in Orleans County is reportedly under consideration for an Amazon distribution center.
A representative for the Village of Medina and the Orleans County Economic Development Agency tells our news partner 13-WHAM the Medina Business Park is under consideration for the $300 million project.
The representative says, after a deal involving a potential location on Grand Island fell through, the county was notified it was being considered.

Republican lawmakers in the State Senate and Assembly are planning to hold more hearings on the impact COVID-19 had on nursing homes.
The first of several virtual hearings will be held on Monday morning.
Health Commissioner Doctor Howard Zucker testified in front of lawmakers earlier this month, but would not reveal exactly how many nursing home residents died after getting the COVID-19.
The death toll is believed to be over six-thousand.

After a day off, the Toronto Blue Jays are going to be back in action at Sahlen Field tonight.
They’ll be hosting the Tampa Bay Rays, who are going to be spending the weekend in Buffalo. This will be the third game the Blue Jays have played at the home of the Buffalo Bisons.
First pitch for tonight’s contest is set for 6:37p.m.

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

Deer Committee Chair Russ Nephew read a brief statement…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

City Council President Gene Jankowski

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gov. Andrew Cuomo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Daryl Sumeriski

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

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

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

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

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

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

 Chris Collins

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gov. Andrew Cuomo

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

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

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

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

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

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

PHOTO: Assemblyman Steve Hawley directs traffic at Recycling event Saturday

Courtesy: The Batavian

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PHOTO: Guillermo Torres Acevedo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Michael Tomaszewski

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

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

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

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

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

Michael Tomaszewski

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Michael Tomaszewski

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

Jacob Sponaugle

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

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

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

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

Michael S. Tomaszewski

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

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

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

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

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

Investigators believe no such accounts were ever opened.

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

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

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

In February, Tomaszewski filed for bankruptcy in Federal Court.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jacob Sponaugle BPD Photo

News Release

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Matt Landers, appointed County Manager

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Video available at The Batavian

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

PHOTO: LeRoy Police Officer Emily McNamarra

 PHOTO: LeRoy Police Officer Emily McNamarra

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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