Local News

Not for profit organizations can breathe a little easier when raising money through raffles.
A chill was sent through the non-profit community a couple of years ago when the Stafford Fire Department was singled out for conducting an illegal raffle.
The fire department, like many non-profits, conducted raffles as a means of raising funds for various good causes.
Now, Governor Cuomo has signed a measure sponsored by Batavia Assemblyman Steve Hawley, easing the rules on not-for-profit raffles. Hawley telling WBTA News:

The rule only applies to tickets sold by organizations within their own or contiguous counties. The new law takes effect in six months.

For the first time in 12 years, Batavia is looking for a new city manager.
Jason Molino is leaving to become the administrator for Tompkins County in Ithaca, a position he is expected to assume by the middle of next month.
Batavia has been accepting applications for the post of assistant city manager since last summer. Council President Gene Jankowski tells us the search for an assistant manager will likely be put on hold:

Jankowski says the city will probably name an interim manager to handle day to day operations until a permanent manager is hired:

One culprit in a battery cable caper in Genesee County has admitted his guilt.
Jordan Prentice was recently picked up in Arizona.
He has pled guilty to his role in the 2014 theft of copper cables from at least 50 buses at Lutz Sales in Oakfield.
He has been promised a sentence of no more than one year of shock probation.

An Orleans County man is accused of raping a teenage girl.
Deputies say they arrested 22-year-old Nicholas Preston of Albion.
He’s accused of having unlawful sexual contact with a 14-year-old girl in Ridgeway.
Preston is being held in the Orleans County in lieu of 25-hundred-dollars bail.

A Wind Advisory remains in effect for Genesee County until 7 tonight.
Unofficial wind gusts over 45 miles per hour have been recorded.
A wind gust is suspected of blowing out the front window of the Travelore Travel Agency on East Main Street earlier today.

32 year old Denise Busiere of Townline Road in Byron was stopped on Route 19 in Bergen after she allegedly failed to stop at a stop sign.

Busiere was taken into custody for Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs and following investigation she was additionally charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance along with vehicle and traffic infractions.

She was released with an appearance ticket for Bergen Town Court on January 10th.

Jordan Prentice was indicted in 2014 on a count of Criminal Possession of Stolen Property as the accomplice in a battery cable larceny in Oakfield.

Prentice was charged along with Jeremy Dean Lyons for stealing the heavy copper wires from 50 different buses at Lutz Sales on Judge Road.

Prentice was recently apprehended in Arizona and appeared in Genesee County Court yesterday where he pleaded guilty to Grand Larceny with the promise of no more than a sentence of shock probation.

He was released under supervision of Genesee Justice to await sentencing next month.

For more on the story check the article by our news partner The Batavian.

News Release

A Statement from Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia)

“This is a tremendous victory and crucial first step toward reforming our gaming laws for the tens of thousands of non-profits, fire departments, churches, Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs and charitable organizations throughout the state.

“After a long uphill climb, and with much help from my colleagues in the Assembly and Senate, we have made important changes to New York’s gaming laws that open the conversation and serve as a catapult to tackle more changes this year.

“I would like to personally thank Assemblyman Robin Schimminger (D-Buffalo) for carrying this bill in our house and Senators Patrick Gallivan (R-Elma), Michael Ranzenhofer (R-Amherst) and Rob Ortt (R-North Tonawanda) for championing this cause in the Senate. I would also like to thank all the constituents and local groups who contacted my office and the governor’s office expressing their support for this bill.

“The law will take effect in 180 days and the New York State Gaming Commission will make any necessary tweaks. I am so proud of the work we have done and I am hopeful that moving forward we continue to advocate for our charitable and non-profit organizations and make more changes to the state’s gaming laws.”

News Release: New York State Police

The New York State Police announced today participation in the national enforcement initiative to crack down on impaired driving this holiday season

The New York State Police will participate in the national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign, from Friday, December 15, 2017 through Monday, January 1, 2018. Drivers can expect to see sobriety checkpoints, along with more troopers on roadways during the campaign.

In addition to the DWI checkpoints and patrols, Troopers will be watching for distracted drivers, vehicle occupants who are not properly buckled up, and drivers violating the “Move Over Law,” which requires motorists to exercise extreme caution when passing emergency vehicles that are stopped in or on the side of the road. State Police will also conduct underage drinker enforcement details statewide.
Superintendent George P. Beach II said, “Our members work vigilantly year-round to keep our roadways safe and prevent the needless tragedies that result from impaired and reckless driving. However, our goal during the ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ campaign is to step up our efforts during the holiday celebration season to reduce impaired driving crashes and remind motorists to make responsible driving decisions. To ensure that your holiday is a safe one for you and your loved ones, do not get behind the wheel of a vehicle if you’ve been drinking and make safety a priority when traveling this holiday season.”

During the campaign, Troopers will be using both marked State Police vehicles and Concealed Identity Traffic Enforcement (CITE) vehicles as part of the operation. The CITE vehicles allow Troopers to more easily identify motorists who are using handheld devices while driving. CITE vehicles allow the Trooper to better observe distracted driving violations. These vehicles blend in with every day traffic, but are unmistakable as emergency vehicles once the emergency lighting is activated.

During last year’s crackdown, State Police issued 33,153 tickets. Of those tickets more than 11,319 were for speeding, 1,107 were for distracted driving and 421 for the “Move Over Law.” There were also 571 people arrested for DWI and 15 people killed in crashes.

To keep our roads safer this holiday season, the New York State Police and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offer these tips:

· Plan a safe way home before the celebrating begins;
· Before drinking, designate a sober driver;
· If you’re impaired, use a taxi or ridesourcing service, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation;
· Use your community’s sober ride program;
· If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, don’t hesitate to contact local law enforcement;
· If you know someone who is about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to their destination safely.

Caption: Volunteers from the Byron-Bergen learning community packed over 100 food baskets and delivered them during the weekend of December 16.

News Release: Byron-Bergen School District

Bergen, NY ~ Members of the Byron-Bergen Central School District’s learning community can always be counted on to provide assistance to neighbors in need during the holidays. For many years, district students, teachers, staff, and administrators have worked together with local partners to make the season happier for everyone in the Byron-Bergen area. This year’s Holiday Community Service program collected toys and games, clothing items, rolls of wrapping paper, boxes for wrapping gifts, and over 1,200 non-perishable food items. In addition, close to $4,000 was donated by the faculty, staff, and others in our learning community to purchase gifts for district families in need. Many area businesses also helped out by “adopting” local families and individuals, providing special holiday gifts.

The district partnered with the local Hesperus Lodge No. 837 Free & Accepted Masons, where donated items were taken for sorting and packing. Organized by Dick Sands, the Masons and employees from both the Byron-Bergen Elementary and Jr./Sr. High schools, Board of Education members, and community volunteers pitched in to help. More school volunteers help deliver over 100 food baskets and gifts before the holidays.

“The magic of this special season is the community spirit it inspires in so many of us,” said District Superintendent Mickey Edwards. “I am so proud of the generosity shown by all of our students and by everyone in our schools.”

A big part of the program’s success this year was the contribution made by the Varsity Club Holiday Food Drive. Student athletes from the high school pulled together to collect more than 850 food items—a record amount. The drive was organized by student officers Leah Thompson, president; MaKenzie Muoio, vice-president; Morgan Fuller, secretary and Lucas Stucchio, treasurer, and the hard work was provided by the girls and boys basketball and swim teams, and the cheerleading team. Team members pooled their competitive spirit to make the challenge more fun: it became a contest, won by the Cheer Team who collected over 300 items. Varsity team members from all three seasons of sport at Byron-Bergen perform community service throughout the school year, with projects like the annual Lift-a-thon, the Retro Apparel Sale, and the spring Blood Drive.

Caption: Varsity Club members with a few of the hundreds of donated items collected for the Holiday Food Drive.

News Release

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) today criticized Gov. Cuomo’s new proposal to mandate businesses pay the same minimum wage to tipped workers as other employees in their region. The plan calls for the New York State Department of Labor to hold hearings to gain input on the issue. Gov. Cuomo signed legislation in 2016 that increases the minimum wage in New York City, Long Island and Westchester to $15 per hour by 2021 and at least $12.50 per hour for the rest of the state.

“The governor’s war on small businesses continues with this new proposal,” Hawley said. “Many workers in the service industry are competitively compensated due to the large share of their income that is comprised of tips. By allowing our employees to be paid by tips we are letting their performance and work ethic determine their income to a large extent which raises standards across the industry and provides a better quality of service. Another minimum wage hike will surely be a blow to small businesses and stifle job creation when what we need is tax and regulatory reform to allow these companies to thrive.”

Batavia will need to search for a new City Manager.
After nearly 12 years as Batavia City Manager, Jason Molino is leaving.
Molino announced that he has accepted the position of Tompkins County Administrator in Ithaca.

Molino was initially hired as the Assistant City Manager of Batavia however he was quickly thrust into the City Manager position and was believed to be the youngest city manager in the state.
His new job in Ithaca is expected to start by the middle of next month.
City Council will be responsible for selecting an interim manager until they can find a permanent replacement for Molino.
According to Council President Eugene Jankowski the ongoing search for an assistant city manager may have to be put on hold so they can focus on finding a new permanent manager for the city.

Second defendant in East Main Street stabbing heading to jury trial.
Days after his co-defendant in the East Main Street Stabbing case pled guilty to attempted assault, 26 year old Anthony Spencer of Batavia has sought a jury of his peers to decide his fate in the case.
Spencer was accused along with 30 year old JW Hardy of beating and stabbing a man on East Main Street in July, leaving them with life threatening injuries.
Hardy entered a guilty plea last week and is scheduled for sentencing on February 14th.
Jury Selection for the trial against Spencer is slated to start on March 5th.

Albion man jailed for sex crimes against a 14 year old girl.
22 year old Nicholas Preston of West County House Road was arrested by Orleans County Sheriff’s Deputies for allegedly having unlawful contact with a 14 year old female in Ridgeway.
Preston is facing charges of second degree Rape, Criminal Sexual Act and Endangering the Welfare of a Child.
After being arraigned in Ridgeway Town Court he was committed to the Orleans County Jail in lieu of $2,500 bail.

Fatal crash in Lima.
The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office reported the deadly single car motor vehicle crash that occurred late Saturday night on Clay Street in Lima.
Deputies along with Fire and EMS arrived on scene where they found 23 year old Brandon Curtis of Hemlock.
He was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.
According to investigators Curtis was apparently traveling southbound on Clay Street when he cross the northbound lane, exited the east side of the roadway and struck a pole.
Investigation into the crash remains ongoing.

Governor Cuomo says the state’s new paid family leave policy will be the strongest in the nation.
Starting in January, New Yorkers can get up to twelve weeks of paid time off for family emergencies.
This includes when a family member has to care for a new child or seriously ill loved one, or is called to active military service abroad.
This will apply to those working 20 or more hours a week.

City manager Jason Molino is leaving Batavia
Molino confirmed today he has accepted the position of Tompkins County Adminiatrator in Ithaca.
Molino was the assistant city manager for only a few months when he received the full-time appointment and became the youngest city manager in the state.
The position in Ithaca opened up in November within days after the Batavia City Council rejected a pay raise for Molino that had been included in the 2016-2017 budget.

Molino spoke with WBTA this afternoon:

Molino said the Tompkins County legislature act on his hiring tomorrow night. He expects to begin his new job by the middle of January.
Since there is no assistant city manager in Batavia right now, it will be up to city council to select an interim manager until a permanent manager is found.

The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Advisory for tomorrow.
The advisory extends to all of Genesee, Wyoming and Orleans Counties.
The advisory goes into effect tomorrow morning at 6 and lasts all day.
Winds are forecast out of the southwest at 20 to 30 miles per hour, gusting to 50.
But while the winds whip up, temperatures tomorrow are expected to reach the mid 40’s.

A Rochester man has been arrested in connection with a violent domestic in LeRoy involving a gun and a Knife.
LeRoy Police arrest 49 year old Joseph Cavico Jr. of Albert Street in Rochester. He is accused of threatening his victim with both a pistol and a knife and then striking the person numerous times on the head.
Cavico was ordered to be held without bail to the Genesee County Jail.

Violence reported in the Emergency Room at UMMC.
28 year old Rae Cook of Gilbert Street, LeRoy, was arrested for allegedly punching a nurse.
Cook was charged with second degree Harassment and was issued an appearance ticket for Batavia City Court tomorrow.

Governor Andrew Cuomo says New York’s soon-to-launch paid family leave policy will be the nation’s strongest.
Starting January 1st, New Yorkers will receive up to 12 weeks of paid time off when a family member has to care for a new child, seriously ill loved one, or is called to active military service abroad.
The governor notes only 14-percent of the U.S. workforce has access to employer-sponsored paid family leave.

After 12 years as Batavia City Manager, Jason Molino is moving on.
Molino confirms today he has accepted the position of Tompkins County Administrator in Ithaca.

Molino said he answered an ad placed by the Tompkins County Legislature seeking a replacement for former Administrator Joe Mareane, who retired in November.

The position in Ithaca opened up within days after the Batavia City Council rejected a pay raise for Molino that had been included in the 2016-2017 budget.

Molino tells WBTA News:

Molino was the assistant city manager for only a few months when he received the full-time appointment and became the youngest city manager in the state.
Molino said the Tompkins County legislature act on his hiring tomorrow night. He expects to begin his new job by the middle of January.
Sources in Ithaca confirm Molino will be paid $130,000 annually, plus fringe benefits.

Molino said he will miss the people he has worked with over the past 12 years:

Since there is no assistant city manager in Batavia right now, it will be up to city council to select an interim manager until a permanent manager is found.