Local News

News Release: The Jerome Foundation

Cora Ivison, a graduating senior from Byron-Bergen Central School, has been selected as the 2017 recipient of the William F. Brown Memorial Scholarship. She will receive a $1000 scholarship sponsored by The Jerome Foundation.

The William F. Brown Memorial Scholarship is an annual scholarship given to a deserving graduating senior boy or girl in Genesee County, and graduating from a high school in Genesee County, whose intention is to pursue a degree in the field of Journalism, Communications, or Public Relations (in print, radio, television, or digital media).

The award is given in memory of the late William F. Brown, Jr., a noted author, broadcaster, and journalist who contributed greatly to the quality of life in Genesee County through his writing, and as a member of numerous community and civic organizations.

Miss Ivison is attending Canisius College and pursuing a degree in communications.

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.

News Release: Tompkins County Public Information Office

Jason Molino, currently City Manager of the City of Batavia, New York, has accepted Tompkins County’s offer of employment to become the County’s next County Administrator.  Mr. Molino’s selection is subject to formal appointment by the Tompkins County Legislature—that action scheduled for the Legislature’s December 19^th meeting.  The new administrator’s start date will be determined, once the appointment becomes official.

A credentialed local government management professional by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), with diversified experience in public administration, Mr. Molino has served as the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Fiscal Officer of the City of Batavia (Genesee County) since 2006, leading a city workforce of 130 (departments of Police, Fire, Public Works, Community/Economic Development, and Youth Bureau) and administering an annual operating budget of $25 million and a $25 million capital plan.  From 2004 to 2006, he served as Assistant to the Village Manager for the Village of Port Chester, New York, where he assisted in projects and issues related to operations, personnel, labor negotiations, and public engagement.  Mr. Molino is also a veteran, having served in the United States Coast Guard Reserve for seven years, achieving the rank of Petty Officer Second Class.

“We are very pleased to have Jason coming to join our team,” said Michael Lane, Chair of the Tompkins County Legislature.  “He brings with him a strong background in budgeting, labor relations, and management oversight; and has compiled a strong record of supervising a multi-department workforce, inter-municipal cooperation, and securing important grant funding for his community.  Jason’s credentials are a great fit for county government and I know our residents and businesses will welcome him and work with him to keep our county moving forward on its course for success.”

“I am truly honored to be given this opportunity to work for such a progressive community,” Mr. Molino said.  “Tompkins County is recognized across the State of New York as a leader in government, and I’m looking forward to being part of this team.  My family and I are eager to become members of the community and enjoy all that Tompkins County has to offer.”

Mr. Molino holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy, University of Albany, State University of New York and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Norwich University, Northfield, Vermont.  Mr. Molino is married with four children (ages 3, 5, 7, and 18) and currently resides in Batavia, New York.

Tompkins County began a national search for a new County Administrator in July 2017, after former administrator Joe Mareane announced his intent to retire. A diverse search committee comprised of county legislators, department heads, labor representatives, and community members narrowed a field of more than 20 applicants and conducted interviews.  Three were recommended to the full County Legislature and were interviewed by all 14 members; new Legislators-elect observed and asked questions.

The County Administrator is the chief executive officer of Tompkins County.  The Administrator serves at the pleasure of the Legislature and is responsible for conveying the will of the Legislature to departments and representing the concerns of departments to the Legislature.  The Administrator is routinely charged with highly complex projects and challenging responsibilities, among them   development of the annual recommended County budget, appointment and supervision of non-elected department heads, ensuring that policies of the Legislature are followed, managing special projects of the Legislature, and representing the County Legislature at the state and local level.

Press Release:

Genesee County Employees from the Sheriff’s Office, Jail Division, Highway Department, Probation Department, De-partment of Motor Vehicles and County Clerk’s Office were among the many departments that donated food and cash for the Holiday Tote Project sponsored by the Batavia Kiwanis Club working in conjunction with the local Salvation Army and United Way.

The CSEA General Employees Unit donated $200 and the County Clerk’s Office held a “Dress Down for Charity” event to raise funds for the Tote Project. With these efforts and several generous personal donations County Employees col-lected over $700 in cash and several hundred food items.

Batavia Kiwanis Club President, Matt Landers, was thrilled by the generosity exhibited by the Genesee County work-force. “I’m amazed every year at the ability of the Genesee County employees to give more than the previous year! The kindness of Genesee County employees is going to help make Christmas brighter for dozens of local families.”

(Photo courtesy of Paul White)

Press Release:

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

The western New York “wonder from down under” Chumlee A, proved once again that he is the best pacer currently on the grounds as he led a fast :57 back half under heavy duress on a cold night to win the final $10,000 Open Handicap pacing feature of the meet at Batavia Downs on closing night (Dec. 16).

It took Chumlee A (Larry Stalbaum) over a quarter of a mile to get the lead as Don’tcallmefrancis (Billy Davis Jr.) played hardball on the front-end. But eventually the Aussie got there after a quick :28 second split before he put on the brakes to the half to get a short breather. Not content with the slowing pace, Focus Power (Drew Monti) pulled at the half and started one heck of a fight.

Drawing alongside Chumlee A, Focus Power pushed the issue as the two matched strides in a :28.1 third panel. Also pacing together around the far turn, Chumlee A’s lead was getting shorter but he continued to look strong on the point. Halfway down the lane the overland route had gotten to Focus Power but Don’tcallmefrancis, who had gotten the perfect two-hole trip the entire mile, popped into the passing lane and made a late bid. However Chumlee A had enough in the tank and hung on by a head in 1:54.2.

It was the second straight Open victory and fourth straight win at Batavia Downs and in northern hemisphere for Chumlee A ($3.60) who has been racing in the U.S. for just over a month. The 6-year-old gelded son of Somebeachsomewhere is owned by Mark Jakubik and Kim Asher, who also does the training.

It was a big night for trainer Kim Asher and driver Larry Stalbaum. Besides winning the feature with Chumlee A they also teamed up to win three other races during the night including the seventeenth win of 2017 for Saint William A and the twenty-first victory of the year for Quicksilvercandy A, who now moves back into a tie with Safe From Terror as the winningest Standardbred in North America.

Then after the tenth race, Asher and Stalbaum were honored in the winner’s circle as the top dash winning trainer and driver of the meet at Batavia Downs.

The staff and management of Batavia Downs would like to wish everyone a very happy Holiday season and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. Racing resumes at the oldest lighted harness track in America in July of 2018.

Press Release:

Lady Cougar Cagers Have Three-Game Win Streak Snapped at NCCC Tourney

The Genesee Community College women’s basketball team had its three-game winning streak snapped at the Niagara County Community College Tournament Classic Dec. 16-17.

The Cougars dropped a pair of 11-point losses to George Brown Dec. 16 and Frederick Community College Dec. 17.

In the 71-60 loss to George Brown, Genesee had four players hit double-digits in points with TaLia Burgess leading the way with 20. The current National Junior College Athletic Association Region III Player of the Week also co-led the Cougars in points with Rosalyn Sealey in the 59-48 loss to Frederick.

Against George Brown, Sealey, Titilopemi Olusola, and Chevaneese Millington combined for 33 points with Sealey scoring 13, Olusola adding 10 and Millington registering 11 points to go with Burgess’ 20-point performance.

Millington came closest to a double-double with nine rebounds to co-lead the team with Estella Anderson. Sealey had a team-high four assists in a game where the Cougars deserved better after out-scoring the Huskies in two of the last three quarters after playing the first quarter even at 12 apiece.

Against Frederick, Sealey shared the team lead in three categories including points, rebounds and assists. The lone Cougar sophomore tied Burgess in points with 13, tied Anderson in rebounds with eight, and tied Sierra Chudy in assists with four.

Genesee closes out the semester with its best play of the season by going 3-2 in the last week.

Press Release:

Holmes Named USC Scholar All-American

Genesee Community College men’s soccer captain Glenn Holmes was named to the United Soccer Coaches Junior College Men’s Scholar All-America First Team Dec. 15 by the national chair of the USC Junior College Men’s Scholar All-America Committee, Chris Handy. Holmes will be honored by the UCS at its 71st convention in January 2018.

The 2017 National Junior College Athletic Association National Champion Cougars were co-captained by Holmes, who hails from Kildare, Ireland. The sports management major was just one of four overall junior college players who were recognized as first-team selections both on the field and in the classroom by the USC. At the junior college division-three level, he was just one of two to achieve the feat and the lone defensive player in the country.

Although known more for his stealth defensive play, Holmes’ offensive numbers were quite astonishing. He led all NJCAA defenders in points with 32 and goals with 13. In addition, the Genesee sophomore was the catalyst behind the team’s amazing run that ended with a 10-game winning streak and a 20-game unbeaten streak in bringing the Cougars its first national championship in soccer.

This is the third time Holmes has been honored this season as a first-team all-American. In addition to the two aforementioned USC All-American accolades, Holmes was also named to the NJCAA All-American squad as well.

Men’s Basketball Team Splits at NCCC Tournament

The Genesee Community College men’s basketball team improved its winning streak to five before having it snapped in Niagara County Community College’s tournament Dec. 15-16.

The Cougars started with a 99-87 win over Onondaga Community College Dec. 15 with their fifth-consecutive win. Although it was not another 100-plus point win, the victory allowed the Cougars to average 102 points over the course of those five-consecutive wins.

Current National Junior College Athletic Association Region III Player of the Week Brian Fobbs was on fire in both games scoring 36 points in the win over the Lazers and 30 points in the 92-81 loss to Henry Ford College, Dec. 16. In addition, Fobbs posted team-highs in rebounds and earned double-double performances in each contest with 15 boards against the Lazers and 16 against Henry Ford. In the latter game, Fobbs also recorded a pair of bocks, assists and steals.

Rahmel Thompson finished second in scoring in both contests to Fobbs with 44 total points. Thompson recorded 27 in the win and 17 in the loss. Joining Thompson with 17 points in the Henry Ford contest was Jarett Haines, while Caylen Williams added 15 points and a team-high three assists against the Hawks.

In addition to Fobbs and Thompson, two other Cougars recorded double-digit scoring performances with Williams adding 10 and Jaheem Page scoring 11 in the win against the Lazers. Williams registered a team-high seven assists and three steals against Onondaga.

The Cougars hit the semester break with a 9-4 overall record and 4-1 conference record.

Rochester man arrested for alleged assault with pistol and knife in LeRoy.
LeRoy Police arrested 49 year old Joseph Cavico Jr. of Rochester following a violent domestic disturbance.
The incident occurred just before one o’clock Saturday morning.
According to authorities Cavico allegedly struck the victim numerous times about the head after threatening them with both a pistol and a knife.
Cavico was charged with 3rd Degree Assault and 2nd Degree Menacing which are both class A-Misdemeanors.
During the initial investigation, a .357 Pistol was located and seized.
Cavico allegedly possessed the gun unlawfully as the serial number was removed.
He was additionally charged with the Class D-Felonies of Willful Defacement of a weapon and Criminal Possession of a Weapon which was Defaced for Concealment.
Cavico was committed to the Genesee County Jail without bail.
The investigation remains ongoing.

Guilty plea in East Main Street Stabbing case.
One of the two defendants accused of committing the near fatal stabbing on East Main Street in July, 30 year old JW Hardy has accepted charges in the case.
He pled guilty to a single count of Assault in the first degree, a Class C violent felony.
Hardy admitted to taking part in the violent knife attack and is facing 10 years in prison at sentencing on February 14.
The co-defendant in the case, 26 year old Anthony Spencer Jr, is due in court today with his case still pending.

T.F. Brown’s teams up with the Batavia Lions Club once again to host their annual Christmas Day Community Dinner.
Enjoy a full-course holiday dinner and a visit from Santa for free.
All members of the community are welcome however reservations are requested.
There are seating’s at noon and at 1 p.m. on Christmas Day,
Call Barb to make reservations, at 345-1000.

The Buffalo Bills have to win at least one more game this year to have a serious shot at breaking the NFL’s longest ongoing playoff drought.
Yesterday the Bills beat Miami 16 to 24 and are now eight and six for the season.
If the Bills win their next two games they have a 95 percent chance of moving on to the postseason.
If they only win one of their next two games their odds could be as good as a coin flip.
If they lose to both New England and Miami they still have a three percent chance.

Governor Cuomo is calling for tipped employees be paid at least minimum wage.
At the end of the year minimum wage Upstate goes to ten-dollars and 40-cents an hour but minimum wage for tipped employees will be substantially less.
Cuomo said there’s no reason for employers in certain industries to pay their employees less.
He’s having the Commissioner of Labor look into possibly ending these practices.

A car and a school bus carrying 24 students crash on Mount Morris-Nunda Road.
The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the accident that happened late yesterday morning.
The driver of the car, identified only as a 33 year old woman, was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Of the 24 students on the bus, three were taken to the hospital as a precaution.
Deputies say bad weather and poor road conditions likely played a factor in the accident.

A Man pleads guilty to East Main Street Stabbing in Batavia.
30 year old JW Hardy pled guilty to a single count of Assault in the first degree, a Class C violent felony.
Hardy admitted to taking part in the near-fatal knife attack against a person on East Main Street last July. Hardy is facing 10 years in prison.

T.F. Brown’s and the Batavia Lions Club will again host their annual Christmas Day Community Dinner.
The dinner is free and open to all members of the community who want to enjoy a full-course holiday dinner and a visit from Santa.
There are two seatings Christmas Day, at noon and at 1 p.m.
To make reservations, call Barb at 345-1000.

The New Star Wars movie “The Last Jedi was shot on Kodak film made in Rochester. The movie opened this weekend.guilty plea
Three major Hollywood studios have signed multi-year contracts to buy film from Kodak.

(Photo courtesy of Paul White)

Press Release:

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

Longtime western New York horseman Jim McNeight reached a career milestone as he won his 1,000 race as a trainer.

McNeight was at 999 before his pacer Open Water finished second on Wednesday (Dec. 6) and was placed first through a disqualification. But McNeight made it official on Friday (Dec. 15) when his trotter Millbrook Hanover driven by his son Jim McNeight Jr., won easily in the snow to notch his 1,000th career victory.

McNeight got started in the business while in his teens and learned under the guidance of his father Ed McNeight Sr. He got his driver’s license in 1981 and became a go-to catch driver in western New York within a few years.

Focusing mainly on driving for the first part of his career, McNeight added training to his daily duties when he father retired in 1992 and since that time has been a mainstay at Batavia Downs and Buffalo Raceway ever since.

In June of 2016, McNeight was involved in a bad accident at Buffalo Raceway and came away with a severe back injury that sidelined him for months. After time off and extensive rehab, he has been able to resume jogging and training but his doctors will not clear him to race due to the possibility of further damage in the event of another racing incident.

So now McNeight focuses fully on the training end of his current stable of 10 and is a full time coach for his son who does all the driving now and is a rising star on the same circuit his father excelled on for so many years.

Jim McNeight’s 1,000th training win was the result of 6,450 starts that also saw him finish second 932 times and third another 919. All told his earnings have amounted to just under $3.5 million.

“It’s very special to reach a milestone like this but you can’t do it without good, faithful owners and I have been blessed to have three of them” said McNeight. “Mike Ventura, Mike Calimeri and Dave Sanlorenzo have backed me for over 20 years and made those 1,000 wins possible.”

Mike Ventura owns Millbrook Hanover.

For his driving career McNeight has 3,587 wins and over $13 million earned in purses.

(Photos courtesy of Paul White)

Press Release:

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

It was girl’s night out in a winter wonderland as snow squalls blew through Genesee County. The mare Lenny Mac beat the boys in the $10,000 Open trot and Sportsmuffler scored in the $10,000 distaff Open pacing feature at Batavia Downs on Friday night (Dec. 15).

In the week’s top trot, Lenny Mac came from off the pace to win handily, overcoming the field and the elements with the greatest of ease.

Empire Earl N (Larry Stalbaum) went right to the front and led to the half in 1:00.2. Lenny Mac (Ron Beback Jr.) then pulled first up from fifth and motored quickly alongside Empire Earl N, and then right by him by the time they hit the backside.

From there it was all Lenny Mac as she opened up four lengths at the three-quarters, six lengths at the top of the stretch and eight lengths when she hit the wire like a runaway train in 2:00.2, blowing up the tote board at 12-1.

It was the ninth win of the year for Lenny Mac ($27.40) and it padded her bank account to the amount of $54,077 for owner William Emmons and trainer James Clouser Jr.

In the fillies and mares Open pace, Sportsmuffler, who had recently gotten back to her winning ways after not finishing a race on Nov. 22, caught a strong front runner at the wire in a thriller.

Miss Irish Rose A (Larry Stalbaum) left for a familiar front-end position and led the field in post-position order for almost a half mile before Squeeze This (Billy Davis Jr.) pulled and attacked at that station in :59.2.

With Miss Irish Rose A still in command by two, the outer flow stalled and Sportsmuffler (Ray Fisher Jr.) tipped three-deep around and moved to within one length of the leader. The two maintained their positions around the far turn but when they hit the top of the lane, Sportsmuffler dug in and drove on to capture a half-length victory in 1:57.4 in a three-horse photo.

It was the eleventh win in 42 starts this year for Sportsmuffler ($7.80) who now has $59,149 on her card for 2017. LAV Racing Stable Inc. owns the 5-year-old Sportsmaster mare that is trained by Mike Carrubba.

Larry Stalbaum widened his dash win lead again scoring three victories on the night. That pushed him to 130 wins for the meet, now six ahead of Ray Fisher Jr. and 11 ahead of Drew Monti. Barring a monumental turn of events it would appear Stalbaum has his first Batavia Downs driving title just about wrapped up.

One more night of racing remains at Batavia Downs in 2017 and that is Saturday (Dec. 16) with post time is 6 p.m.

There will be a guaranteed $2,500 early Pick-5 pool tomorrow with a mandatory payout. The wager runs from race one to race five and is a 50-cent minimum bet.

A military helicopter makes an emergency landing in Java, Wyoming County.
The chopper made what the Army has called a precautionary landing just before 11yesterday morning near Pleasant Valley and Pee Dee Roads in Java.
The Army said the UH-60 Blackhawk was on a training flight from Rochester when it developed unspecified difficulties and landed.
North java volunteer firemen were sent to the scene. There were no serious injuries.

Man pleads guilty to East Main Street Stabbing in Batavia.
30 year old JW Hardy appeared in County Court yesterday where he accepted a plea agreement and entered a guilty plea to a single count of Assault in the first degree, a Class C violent felony.
Hardy admitted to taking part in the near-fatal knife attack against a person on East Main Street in July.
Under the terms of the plea deal Hardy faces a maximum of 10 years in prison.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 14.
Hardy’s co-defendant, 26 year old Anthony Spencer Jr, is due in court on Monday with his case still pending.

A Chautauqua County man pleads guilty to one count of Aggravated Vehicular Homicide in connection with a fatal crash last summer in Wyoming County.
29 year old Joshua Huntress of Mayville admitted he drove his car from a motel in Warsaw while doing a combination of drugs.
He crashed into a pair of motorcycles, killing the driver of one of them. He could be sentenced to 5 to 15 years.

An employee of the Arc of Genesee Orleans has been arrested for sexual abuse of a client.
39 year old Rome Santiago was arrested by the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office on a charge of Sexual Abuse in the 3rd degree.
Santiago worked with disabled individuals served by the ARC.
Authorities said Santiago allegedly had inappropriate and unwanted contact with an client during outings in both Orleans and Genesee Counties.

The New Star Wars movie “The Last Jedi was shot on Kodak film made in Rochester. The movie opens this weekend.
Three major Hollywood studios have signed multi-year contracts to buy film from Kodak.

A military helicopter makes an emergency landing in Java, Wyoming County.
The chopper made what the Army has called a precautionary landing just before 11 this morning near Pleasant Valley and Pee Dee Roads in Java.
The Army said the UH-60 Blackhawk was on a training flight from Rochester when it developed unspecified difficulties and landed.
North java volunteer firemen were sent to the scene. There were no serious injuries.

A Chautauqua County man pleads guilty to one count of Aggravated Vehicular Homicide in connection with a fatal crash last summer in Wyoming County.
29 year old Joshua Huntress of Mayville admitted he drove his car from a motel in Warsaw while doing a combination of drugs. He crashed into a pair of motorcycles, killing the driver of one of them. He could be sentenced to 5 to 15 years.

There is a water main break on Richmond Ave in front of Van Detta Stadium. Crews are on site to make repairs which will take several hours. Richmond Ave will be closed to traffic between Union St and Verona Ave until repairs are complete.

An employee of the Arc of Genesee Orleans has been arrested for sexual abuse of a client.
39 year old Rome Santiago was arrested by the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office on a charge of Sexual Abuse in the 3rd degree.
Santiago worked with disabled individuals served by the ARC.
Authorities said Santiago allegedly had inappropriate and unwanted contact with an client during outings in both Orleans and Genesee Counties.

A Lake Effect snow band is expected to intensify early this evening and move southward across the Niagara Frontier.
Snowfall rates of one to two inches per hour could reach parts of Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming Counties.

The New Star Wars movie “The Last Jedi was shot on Kodak film made in Rochester. The movie opens this weekend.
Three major Hollywood studios have signed multi-year contracts to buy film from Kodak.

A Military Helicopter reportedly crashed into trees in the area of Pleasant Valley and Pee Dee Roads in Java drawing emergency crews to the scene.

The crash occurred at around 10:45 this morning.

Minor injuries were reported and an initial request for Mercy Flight was cancelled.

21 year old Zachary Kersch has been indicted by a Wyoming County Grand Jury on charges of first and third degree Rape along with Endangering the Welfare of a Child.

Kersch was arrested in October following an investigation that found he allegedly forcibly raped a teenage girl at a party in August.

He plead not guilty to the charges and was remanded to jail in lieu of $10,000 bail.

He is expected back in Wyoming County Court in February.

29 year old Joshua Huntress of Mayville in Chautauqua County pleaded guilty to a count of Aggravated Vehicular Homicide a Class B non-violent felony for a crash that occurred in July in Orangeville.

Huntress admitted to driving his vehicle form a motel in Warsaw while impaired by a combination of drugs and causing the fatal crash on Route 20A near Boxler’s Farm.

A caller reported Huntress driving recklessly all over the road way and witnessed him crash into two oncoming motorcycles killing Tomasa Marinez and injuring three others.

He accepted the plea agreement on the condition that he be sentenced to an indeterminate term of 5 to 15 years in state prison or a possible 7 and a half to 15 if he is convicted as a second felony offender.

Huntress has a prior felony out of Pennsylvania.

He is scheduled for sentencing on January 18th.

L to R: Physical Education (PE) Teacher Rodney Allen, AjaLe Harvey (2nd Place) and Tycen Deaton (3rd Place), GCC Director of Health and PE Rebecca Dziekan, and Principal Steve Haynes. (Missing: Reagan Moroz who took 1st Place).

Press Release:

Congratulations to Perry Central School for winning GCC’s 2017 Play to Get Fit Challenge! The Health and Physical Education department at Genesee Community College has been rewarding schools and students for their Get Fit Challenge efforts since 2011.

The Play to Get Fit Program was created for third, fourth and fifth graders in the GLOW (Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties) region to effectively illustrate how many minutes young people spend engaged in physical activity outside of school. Children record their active minutes on a five-week calendar log specially designed for the “Play to Get Fit” challenge. Walking, biking, running, skating, swimming, playing a sport, playing tag, playing on a swing set and other active, creative games are all eligible for active “credit” minutes. However, video fitness games utilizing Wii or Xbox Kinect are not eligible.

This year, the Perry Central School recorded a whopping 3,021 average active minutes based on the number of students enrolled in third, fourth and fifth grades. Last week, the school was awarded the 2017 winning plaque and each student received a certificate recognizing their participation and effort.

GCC would also like to congratulate the three most active (based on the total number of minutes recorded) participants in the GLOW region this year were:

Grant Grahagan of Batavia with 11,876 minutes

Sam Pies of Batavia with 9,895 minutes

Madison Needham of Batavia with 9,600 minutes

In addition, the program recognizes the three most active students from each participating school district:

LeRoy – 1st Isaac Stella; 2nd Cameron Riggi; 3rd Adam Woodworth

Batavia – 1st Grant Grahagan, 2nd Sam Pies; 3rd Madison Needham

Warsaw – 1st Parker Cartwright; 2nd Jacob McCormick; 3rd Jakob Cornell

York – 1st Brody Pangrazio; 2nd Connor Boyd; 3rd Havyan Wetmore

Pavilion – 1st Nicholas Deland; 2nd Kiara Gonzalez; 3rd Ella Tillotson

Perry – 1st Reagan Moroz; 2nd Aja Le Harvey; 3rd Tysen Deaton

Elba – 1st Noah Calarco-Smith; 2nd Tristan Snell; 3rd Ty Reilly

Oakfield-Alabama – 1st David Schichler; 2nd Alexis Roggen; 3rd Avery Watterson

“Play to Get Fit is a powerful way to expose kids to an active lifestyle and encourage them to have fun while being active,” said Becky Dziekan, GCC’s director of Health and Physical Education. “The participation from various school districts is proof that the program works! Congratulations to Perry and all of the students who participated.”

L to R front row: John Kennedy students Madison Needham (3rd place), Middle School students Grant Gahagan (1st Place) and Sam Pies (2nd Place). Back row: John Kennedy Principal Paul Kesler, Middle School PE Teacher James Patric, GCC Director of Health and PE Rebecca Dziekan, and John Kennedy PE Teacher Carmen Del Plato.

The Health and Physical Education program at Genesee Community College offers several areas of study. The Sports Management Studies transfer degree programs or associate of science (A.S.) program includes foundations in accounting, marketing, sports facility management and more. The Fitness and Recreation Management applied associate of science degree (A.A.S.) program offers a Personal Trainer concentration and the opportunity to earn the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) accredited credentials through the American Council on Exercise (ACE) as a certified personal trainer. In addition, GCC offers both an A.S. and an A.A.S in Physical Education Studies in which students have the opportunity to earn a coaching certificate for NYS non-Certified Physical Education Teachers.

For more information, contact Becky Dziekan, GCC’s director of Health and Physical Education at (585) 343-0055 ext. 6424, or via email: rldziekan@genesee.edu.

Press Release:

Notice is hereby given that the following Local Law Introductory No. Five Year 2017 was adopted by the Genesee County Legislature on December 13, 2017 and is subject to permissive referendum. In the event no valid petition requesting such referendum is received prior to January 26, 2018, said Local Law shall be filed with the Secretary of State in accordance with the applicable provisions of Law.

A LOCAL LAW IN RELATION TO THE SALARIES OF COUNTY OFFICERS OF THE COUNTY OF GENESEE, ELECTED OR APPOINTED FOR A FIXED TERM BE IT ENACTED by the Genesee County Legislature as follows:

Section I. The salary of the County Officers set forth below shall be as follows

a. Commissioner of Elections (2) $ 47,165
b. Highway Superintendent $109,051
c. Director of Real Property Tax Services $ 82,164
d. Director of Human Resources $ 75,638
e. Public Defender $ 98,283
f. County Clerk $ 92,674
g. Sheriff $ 102,423
h. Treasurer $ 95,375

Section 2. The above salary shall take effect January 1, 2018
Section 3. This Local Law is subject to referendum on petition pursuant to the provisions of Section 24 of the Municipal Home Rule Law.
Section 4. This Local Law shall take effect upon proper filing with the Office of the Secretary of State.

Pamela LaGrou, Clerk
Genesee County Legislature
DATED: December 14, 2017

Genesee County Baseball Club hands control of Muckdogs Franchise to the New York Penn League.
Owners of the Batavia Muckdogs, The Genesee County Baseball Club has transferred control of the franchise to the New York-Penn League.
The announcement was made yesterday that the GCBC’s 23-person volunteer board officially approved the transfer.
GCBC President Brian Paris said,

“The New York Penn League will be organizing and developing a direction as to how they’ll be operating the team moving forward. At this point in time there isn’t any further information with this regard.”

The league is seeking a buyer for the franchise.
If it is sold the Rochester Red Wings will receive 50 percent of the profits, and the GCBC will receive the other half, minus legal fees and another 10 percent share of sale proceeds that will be kept by the league.
The “Muckdogs” name will remain property of the local ball club and GCBC President Paris said he hopes that a team called the Batavia Muckdogs will take the field at Dwyer Stadium in 2018.

An ARC employee accused of sexually abusing a client.
Following investigation by the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, 39 year old Rome Santiago of East State Street Albion was arrested and charged with Sexual Abuse in the third degree.
Santiago works with the disabled at the ARC of Genesee Orleans.
He allegedly had inappropriate and unwanted contact with an adult client during outings in both counties.
Santiago was released with an appearance ticket returnable to Albion Town Court on December 20th.

Jail without bail for an Alabama resident accused of threatening with a knife.
Genesee County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 47 year old Kevin Weber of Judge Road yesterday afternoon following an incident at a Judge Road address in Alabama.
Weber was accused of threatening another person with a knife and a full stay away order of protection was put in place against him.
He was charged with second degree Menacing and was remanded to the Genesee County Jail without bail.
Weber is scheduled for January 4th in Alabama Town Court.

Troopers in Warsaw arrest a Wyoming man following a violent domestic dispute.
25 year old Aaron Cory of Wyoming is facing charges of Aggravated Harassment for communicating a threat, Criminal Mischief with intent to damage property, Harassment with Physical Contact and Menacing.
Cory was arrested by State Police after the domestic dispute last Thursday.
An order of protection was issued for the victim and Cory was ordered to be held in lieu of $2,500 bail in the Wyoming County Jail.
He is slated for Perry Town Court on January 10th.

Another winter storm watch is called for much of Western New York.
Forecasters say Buffalo could be in for up to five more inches of lake effect snow tonight.
Wyoming, Chautauqua and Cattaraugus Counties are also in line for some serious snow.
The storm watch starts at four o’clock this afternoon and ends at one o’clock tomorrow afternoon.

Call came in shortly after 9 a.m. for a semi into a utility pole accident at 5902 Ellicott Street Road in East Bethany between Transit and East Road.

Bethany Fire, Stafford Rescue and Mercy Medic One were called to the scene for reported injuries.

There was a power outage reported in the area and crews were shutting down Route 63 around the scene.

Press Release:

By Tim Bojarski, for UNY USHWA

The Upstate New York Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA) will present performance awards to the top dash winning trainer and driver of the meet during the 10th annual “Night of Distinction” ceremony in the winner’s circle at Batavia Downs on Saturday (Dec. 16) and whereas the top conditioner has been well identified, the driver’s race will likely go down to the final races of the weekend.

Kim Asher is currently the top percentage trainer in North America with a UTR of .427 and $1.1 million in earnings. She is also ranked eighth in North America for wins, currently with 208.

So it’s no surprise that Asher is also the trainer of the meet at Batavia Downs for 2017.

Asher has started 351 horses during the session winning 88 races, finishing second 55 times and third another 55 times and saw her horses hit the board 56% of the time. Those efforts gave her a stellar UTR of .390 and $479,491 in purses. Her win total more than doubled her closest competitor.

Competing for only the second year at Batavia, Asher’s training career spans 19 years and during that time she has won multiple training titles including most recently, the 2017 Buffalo Raceway meet. This year Asher has sent out 208 winners and that mark was a personal best. Her stable boast horses with gaudy win totals like Quicksilvercandy A (20), Saint William A (16), Itsonlyrocknroll A (13) and Kaitlyn Rae (11).

During her career Asher has 1,934 wins, 1,456 seconds and 1,222 thirds out of 9,196 starts for a lifetime UTR of .342 and earnings of over $15 million.

The driving accolades for this meet are still up in the air.

Larry Stalbaum is the current dash win leader with 127 wins while Ray Fisher Jr. is second with 122 and Drew Monti is third with 117. With only two cards of racing left and probably 20 starts apiece remaining for all three drivers, Stalbaum looks fairly solid with a five-race lead.

If Stalbaum does win the title it would be his first at Batavia Downs. However the long-tenured horseman is no stranger to being the best set of hands on any circuit. Over his 32-year career he has won dash honors at Northville Downs, Hazel Park, Sports Creek Park, Jackson Harness Raceway, Monticello Raceway, Raceway Park, Cal Expo and most recently, Buffalo Raceway earlier this year.

During his career, Stalbaum has driven 5,732 winners and earned just under $39 million in purses.

Ray Fisher Jr. has won two driving titles at Buffalo Raceway and four at Northfield Park. But since arriving at the Genesee County oval in 2007 has never taken the top spot there although he did finish second and third three times each. So winning it this year would definitely be a notch in his belt.

Since his career began in 1987, Fisher has won 4,200 races lifetime and just shy of $18 million in purses.

Drew Monti is the defending dash driving winner at Batavia Downs, taking his first-ever driving title last year with 116 wins. He had a substantial lead this year earlier in the meet, but the competition stiffened and now he has a lot of work to do in order to repeat.

Although the 23-year-old Monti has only been driving for five years, he is already closing in on his 1,000th win (currently with 979) and has made $5.5 million in purses during that time.

The competition for the driving title will resume on Friday night (Dec. 15) and will be decided on Saturday (Dec. 16). Post time for both nights is 6 p.m.

Press Release:

Lady Cougars Improve Win Streak to Three with 31-Point Fourth Quarter Rally

The Genesee Community College women’s basketball team improved its winning streak to three games after a season –high, 31-point fourth quarter in a come-from-behind Western New York Athletic Conference win over Mercyhurst North East 81-76.

The 81 total points were also a season high after the Cougars entered the final quarter trailing 54-50. Genesee opened the fourth quarter with a 10-1 run led by Estella Anderson, who scored seven of the team’s first dozen points of the fourth including the basket that put the Cougars ahead to stay at 55-54. Anderson just missed a double-double with nine points, but her 11 rebounds led the team.

The Saints came within one score in the final minute, but current National Junior College Athletic Association Region III Player of the Week TaLia Burgess sank a pair of free throws in the final seconds to make it a two-score game and seal the win. Burgess registered 18 of her team-high 23 points from three-land and shot above 50 percent from beyond the arc. In addition, her nine rebounds were only second to Anderson and it was the third-consecutive game she either led or co-led the team in scoring.

Rosalyn Sealey was also instrumental in the win, especially her free-throw shooting where she hit 14-of-16 at 88 percent and finished with 21 points.

Men’s Basketball Team Registers Third-Consecutive 100-Plus Point Win

The Genesee Community College men’s basketball team extended its winning streak to four games with a 101-67 road win over Mercyhurst North East Dec. 13. It was the third-consecutive time the team reached triple digits, while the win improved Genesee’s Western New York Athletic Conference record to 4-1. Over the Cougars current four-game win streak, Genesee has averaged 104 points.

Genesee scored the game’s first basket for their first lead and never trailed. After building a 14-point first-half lead at 44-30, the Cougars opened the second half with a 10-run before out-scoring the Saints by 20 in the second half.

Three Cougars accounted for 75 points with each having 20-point-plus performances. Rahmel Thompson led the team in scoring with 27 points, but Jaheem Page and current National Junior College Athletic Association Region III Player of the Week Brian Fobbs both registered double-doubles. The latter pair each scored 24 points with Page leading the team in rebounds with 15 and Fobbs not far behind with 13 boards.

Coach Gavin Garners Recognition for GCC as USC National Staff of the Year

The United Soccer Coaches announced its staffs of the year for each level of competition associated with the prestigious organization that includes the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), National Association of Interscholastic Athletics (NAIA) and Junior College at Division-I and Division-III for both men’s and women’s teams.

Genesee Community College was recognized as the Junior College D-III Staff of the Year for the men’s division Dec. 13. USC will honor GCC at its annual convention and awards banquet Jan. 19, 2018 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

Genesee Community College men’s soccer staff of head coach Ken Gavin and assistant coach Josh Carpenter led the 2017 GCC men’s soccer team to its first national title in Herkimer, N.Y. in November. An often overlooked, but vital part to Genesee’s staff is athletic trainers Amber Nichols and Jeff Engels, who assisted the coaches and players throughout their championship run. The Cougars finished their magical season on a 10-game winning streak and a 20-game unbeaten streak.

The United Soccer Coaches (formerly known as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America / NSCAA) is an organization of American soccer coaches founded in 1941. It is the largest soccer coach’s organization in the world, with more than 30,000 members. The NSCAA was rebranded as United Soccer Coaches about four months ago in early August and is based out of Kansas City, Mo.

Cougar Athletes of the Week Announced

The Genesee Community College’s athletes of the week for the period ending Dec. 10 are TaLia Burgess (Philadelphia, Pa.) from the women’s basketball team and Brian Fobbs (Rochetser, NY) from the men’s basketball team. Both were also announced as the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Region III Players of the Week Dec. 12.

Brian led Genesee to its first three-game win streak of the season with a pair of weekend tournament victories by accumulating 49 points, 19 rebounds and six assists. Even more impressive than his totals was his shooting percentage, where he shot 74 percent from the field that included 75 percent from beyond the arc with 18 points, and 100 percent from the free-throw line with nine points. He also helped the team to its first 100-plus point game twice.

TaLia led Genesee CC in scoring in a pair of tournament wins where the Cougars emerged as the only undefeated team in the women’s bracket. TaLia scored 40 points with 11 rebounds and four assists that included 30 points from beyond the arc at a 53 percent shooting percentage. Her point totals of 25 and 15 were team-highs in each contest.

Press Release:

In the past four years, nothing short of nine new digital opportunities have been introduced by Genesee Community College to help streamline the course registration process and assist students and/or their success coaches and advisors in creating the best possible academic schedule. The College’s Board of Trustees was given a demonstration of the latest online tool, College Scheduler on Monday night. GCC assistant registrar Tara Conrad showed the Trustees how the new software program can reduce a typical 45-minute registration process down to 15 minutes, and how it helps ensure students are following the best pathway for the most effective, timely degree completion.

College Scheduler joins a host of other empowering course registration utilities that have been introduced by GCC, such as Banner Mobile (2013), DegreeWorks (2014), Student Educational Planner and Axiom (2015), Student Outcome Tracking (2016), Student Advising Profile and Credentials Solution Transcripts Plus (2017). Together, this new technology or software programs have changed the way students can manage their academic progress.

“The days of standing in a long line to register for classes with a printed course catalog are long gone,” Conrad said. “College Scheduler is our ninth new element for student success.” An admitted ‘data and software junky,’ Conrad’s enthusiasm for the new program is compounded by its reporting structure and data collection capabilities. In the coming year, she is very excited about the new intelligence College Scheduler will reveal including term over term persistence rates.

Equally as impressive, however, is the user-friendly interface. Students can use the program independently without the oversight of a success coach, and they choose their own parameters-from campus location to term of enrollment, favorite instructors to preferred class times. College Scheduler also allows students to factor in their personal break time for things like athletic practice, work-study employment and even registering for a particular section to be with a friend. In Conrad’s five minute demonstration, the sample schedule started with more than 275 spring schedule options, but was quickly reduced down to less than six options as she clicked through a variety of preferences.

“By streamlining the entire registration process, we are enhancing the student and the success coach experience,” James M. Sunser, president of GCC said. “Reducing 45 minutes to 15 minutes is huge! Low value time gives way to engaging students in something more meaningful. Automation allows the success coaches to ask the students how things are going and talk about things that are much more important rather than of hunting and pecking for the right course.”

To watch a short, 1:21 minute video about College Scheduler go to https://youtu.be/rGvN7WobdC0.

In other business, the Board of Trustees:

• Announced that GCC is again accepting nominations for Honorary Associate Degrees that would be conferred at the College’s fiftieth Commencement Ceremony on May 20, 2018. Any person is welcome to make nominations. Nominees should be associated with the College and have achieved business, professional, civic and scholarly accomplishments; made extraordinary contributions to the life and the growth of the College; or notable leaders in the academic disciplines taught at the College. Recipients of honorary degrees are individuals whose accomplishments, contributions or leadership are well beyond ordinary standards, and serve as an inspiration to members of the College community and as role models for students and citizens of the region. All nominations are due by February 1, 2018 to Cathy Costello, Executive Assistant to the President and Secretary to the Board of Trustees, Genesee Community College, One College Road, Batavia, NY 14020. For further information, please call Cathy at 585-345-6812 or email: cecostello@genesee.edu.

Previous Honorary Degree recipients include Alfred C. O’Connell, Neil Burns, William W. Stuart (posthumously) in 2007; Anthony T. Zambito (posthumously) in 2008; Eva L. Bohn in 2011, John C. Dwyer in 2014 and Norbert J. Fuest in 2017.

For Honorary Degree guidelines and the nomination form go to: https://www.genesee.edu/home/about/administration/trustees/honorary-associates-degree-nomination/

• Approved the granting of degrees and certificates to 287 students for January 2018 pending the successful completion of academic requirements. GCC anticipates awarding 133 Associate in Applied Science degrees (AAS), 128 Associate in Science degrees (AS), two Associate in Arts degrees (AA), and 24 certificates.

• Approved the updated language in Policy #1032 for GCC Computing Policies, Policy #2012 for Family and Medical Leave, and Policy #6008 for Alcohol Use during College events or functions.

• Approved the appointment of Samuel DiSalvo as student advisor for the Upward Bound Program. His temporary, grant-funded position continues through August, 2018. A former math teacher at Urban Choice Charter School in Rochester, DiSalvo holds two bachelor’s degrees from SUNY Oswego in Mathematics and Creative Writing. He was a substitute teacher for the City of Batavia School District, where he also resides.

• Approved the retitling of two management positions to be aligned with SUNY professional service classifications, specifically Assistant Dean for Admissions and Recruitment (formerly Director of Admissions), and Associate Dean for Student Support Services (formerly Dean of Students).

Press Release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) today announced a number of new local economic development projects are being funding as part of the 2017 Regional Economic Development Council Awards (REDC).

“The benefits of economic development influence many facets of our region like encouraging new and expanding businesses, increased tourism and supporting community resources like libraries and historical sites that people visit each day and bolstering our tax base,” Hawley said. “I am very proud to announce that our community has received such a large commitment in economic development funding, and very much look forward to the completion of these projects and the benefits they will bring all of us.”

Projects to be funded within the 139th Assembly District include:

• $333,000- City of Batavia Water System Improvements
• $180,000- First Light Creamery Expansion
• $30,000- Town of Batavia Wastewater Treatment Assessment Planning
• $30,000- Village of Bergen Wastewater Treatment Plant Disinfection Study
• $1,000,000- Village of Oakfield Wastewater Treatment Facility Improvements
• $1,000,000- Village of Oakfield Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements
• $180,000- Western Region Off-Track Betting Paddock Improvements
• $250,000- Barsuk Recycling Railroad Infrastructure
• $100,000- Monroe County Development of a county-wide storm water system map
• $57,000- The College at Brockport will construct a new trail along the Erie Canal
• $62,000- Orleans County Local Waterfront Revitalization Program
• $50,000- Orleans County Water Sewer Efficiency Study
• $37,500- Village of Medina Local Waterfront Revitalization Program

Bank Street man behind bars without bail for alleged drug dealing.
46 year old Corey Armstrong of Bank Street in Batavia was arrested following investigation by the Genesee County Local Drug Task Force into the sale of crack cocaine in and around Batavia.
Armstrong was arrested on an active warrant during a traffic stop in the city.
He was charged with four Class B Felony counts of Criminal Possession and Sale of a Controlled Substance and was also allegedly found in possession of a quantity of Marijuana leading to a single misdemeanor count.
Armstrong was committed to the County Jail without bail.

Young Inventor in Alexander wins big in nationwide contest.
14 year old Alexander High School Student Andrew Young Jr. has been selected as the winner of the nationwide My Dreamvention contest.
Andrew created the winning invention the “Toaster Shooter” after seeing his grandmother burn her fingers on a conventional toaster.
Along with all the excitement from winning, Andrew will receive a quarter million dollar prize.
His father Andrew Senior said the winnings will be put away for a college fund as Andrew Jr. plans on attending M.I.T.

A Batavia man picked up on warrant with addition charges for the contents of his pocket.
23 year old Austin Wester of Pratt Road Batavia was arrested on an active warrant out of Batavia City Court.
Wester was charged with four counts of Forgery and a single count of Petit Larceny after he allegedly took checks from another person, forged their name and cashed them.
When Wester was placed under arrest Police allegedly located a hypodermic instrument in his pocket leading to a an additional charge.
He was remanded to the Genesee County Jail in lieu of bail.

County Jail Inmate adds to charges with contemptuous letters.
35 year old Shawn Twardowski of West Main Street in Batavia who is currently incarcerated in the Genesee County Jail is now facing two counts of second degree Criminal Contempt.
Twardowski is accused of sending a letter through the postal service to a female acquaintance in March and November violating a complete stay away order of protection.

Governor Cuomo is working to take guns away from those convicted of domestic violence.
It’s already illegal for New Yorkers convicted of felonies related to domestic violence to own guns but the governor wants to make it illegal for those convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors too.
Yesterday Cuomo said he’s going to push for bills that could allow their guns to be confiscated.
He’s targeting all guns, not just handguns.

Press Release:

Batavia, New York – As the volunteer lists keep growing, Progressive Democratic Congressional Candidate Nicholas Stankevich has opened his first district office. The work space is located at 56 Harvester Avenue in Batavia, Genesee County. Renovated from a former industrial work space, the Stankevich campaign has scheduled an Open House and the official opening to be Thursday, December 21st from 6:30 to 8:30pm.

“Our intention is to provide a great place for our volunteers to work on our campaign as we begin the important process of taking back the 27th Congressional District,” said Stankevich. “We will win this election only with the hard work of our volunteers and pressing the important issues that greatly influence the families of this district.”

The office is housed in the old Massey-Harris plant at 56 Harvester Avenue in Batavia. Designed as a work space for volunteers, the office will be used on a continual basis to house volunteer activities for the Stankevich campaign. “This office is really what this campaign is all about,” stated Stankevich. “Our district used to be full of manufacturing jobs like those that were housed in this facility. Today, we have to develop 21st century jobs, educate our young people, train them in new technologies and opportunities that provide a strong livable wage. That is how we will bring back our communities in western New York.”

Office Hours are daily, but dependent on the volunteer schedule. The Open House is a great way to grab a cup of coffee with the candidate to discuss the issues of the 27th Congressional District.

Press Release:

Hodgins Engraving announced they are acquiring Impact Printing & Engraving, located in Garfield, New Jersey.

Impact Printing and Engraving is a 4th generation printing company that provides high-quality engraving, letterpress, foil stamping, thermography, and offset printed products.

“We are excited to bring Impact into our business family”, Hodgins Engraving President Becky Almeter said. “They are well-respected in the industry and we look forward to bringing additional value to their customer base.”

All production and customer service functions will be relocated to Hodgins Engraving headquarters located in Batavia, New York in the coming months. In addition, Hodgins will immediately begin offering additional products and services to existing Impact Printing & Engraving customers.

Former Impact Printing & Engraving President Frank Corbiserie, Jr. will remain associated with the company in a sales role.

“There’s great synergy between Impact and Hodgins” Almeter added. “Their existing customers have a need for the types of products we have specialized in for over 60 years. We look forward to providing that continuity. It’s a privilege to work with another respected family-run business operation and continue to support the customer base they worked so hard to serve for so many years.”

About Becky Almeter

Becky Almeter has been with Hodgins Engraving since 2007. She holds Bachelor’s Degrees in International Relations and Spanish from Eckerd College.

About Impact Printing and Engraving

Impact Printing and Engraving is a printing company that specializes in engraving, letterpress, foil stamping, thermography and offset printing. They were formerly located in Garfield, New Jersey.

About Hodgins Engraving

Hodgins Engraving, located in Batavia, New York is an industry-leading international producer of high-end, custom print products. Website: http://www.hodginsengraving.com.

The votes have been counted and 14 year old Alexander High School Student Andrew Young Jr. has been selected as the winner of the nationwide My Dreamvention contest.

Andrew broke the good news to his grandmother while she was busy baking Christmas cookies.

He was inspired to create his winning invention the “Toaster Shooter” after seeing his grandmother burn her fingers trying to remove toast from a conventional toaster.

Andrew entered the nationwide contest sponsored by Frito-Lay after seeing an advertisement for it on the Ellen Show.

He was the only boy among the five finalists who were part of a voting campaign that ended last month.

Along with all the attention from winning, Andrew will receive a quarter million dollar prize which his father Andrew Senior said will be set aside for a college fund.

Andrew plans on attending M.I.T.

Press Release:

By Tim Bojarski, for UNY USHWA

The Upstate New York Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA) have announced their horses of the meet for 2017 at Batavia Downs.

Pacer of the Meet: Focus Power

While racing in the top Open class for 13 starts at Batavia, western New York newcomer Focus Power won three times and finished second another five while amassing $36,010 in purses. He was on fire in September when he won three out of four starts while setting two new lifetime marks during that period (September 2, 1:53 and September 23, 1:52.4).

After being claimed at Yonkers just prior to the start of the Batavia meet, Focus Power made an immediate impact to the good fortunes of owner James Caradori and trainer Darrin Monti. Driver Drew Monti was aboard for every start. Overall Focus Power has nine wins in 2017 and earnings that total $97,395.

Trotter of the Meet: BZ Glide

BZ Glide was a fixture in the weekly Open trot once again this year and showed although he’s getting older, he hasn’t lost a step. In 15 starts against the local best, BZ Glide won three with six seconds and a third banking $34,405 in the process. He also set a seasonal mark of 1:56.3.

As has been the case every year, the family affair of Alana Caprio training and Mike Caprio driving, the two also team up in ownership of the big trotting gelding. For the year, BZ Glide has a total of five wins and earnings of $52,405.

Mare of the Meet: Voltina

Competing the entire meet in the fillies and mares Open I or II, Voltina was as tough as they came winning three Open I’s and one Open II along with six second place finishes and took home purses totaling $34,060. She took her seasonal mark of 1:55 at Batavia as well.

Owned by CHS Racing LLC, the Tony Cummings-trained Voltina had a career year winning a total of eight races and earning $69,456 in purses. Kevin Cummings was aboard for the majority of her starts.

Claimer of the Meet: Quicksilvercandy A

Listed as the winning-est pacer in North America for a good portion of the year, Quicksilvercandy A had a field day racing at Batavia Downs. Moving up and down the class ladder, the mare ended up winning seven claiming races including the $20,000 Claiming Championship final for her division in November. Her four seconds and two thirds also helped bump up her bankroll to $40,165 for the meet.

Owned and driven by Larry Stalbaum, Quicksilvercandy A recorded a career year of 20 wins and $108,994 in earnings under the training of Kim Asher.

Most Improved Horse of the Meet: In Runaway Bay N

In Runaway Bay N came to Batavia Downs off a less than stellar early part of the year. He made his first start at Batavia in August, winning in the bottom class; non-winners of $1,000 in 1:55.1. He strung together four wins while working his way up to the Open where he finished second two weeks in a row. The following week he faced Foiled Again and finished a respectable fourth to the richest Standardbred of all time. Since then he has won three Open paces. For the meet, he took a seasonal mark of 1:53.1 and earned $39,050.

In Runaway Bay N is owned by Super Mile LLC and is trained by Angelo Nappo. Kevin Cummings was in the bike for the bulk of the work.

The connections of these horses will be presented their trophies in the winner’s circle at Batavia Downs on Saturday (Dec. 16) during the 10th annual “Night of Distinction” awards ceremony.

Post time for the first race is 6 p.m.

Press Release:

In his ongoing efforts to preserve our Second Amendment rights, Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) today reminded pistol permit holders to re-certify their permits by January 31, 2018 in order to prevent them from becoming invalid. If your pistol permit was issued before January 15, 2013, you must re-certify your permit before January 31, 2018. If your permit was issued on or prior January 15, 2013, the deadline is five years after the date the permit was issued.

“Unfortunately, this is a new mandate on pistol permit holders in New York and the first year that owners have to re-certify,” Hawley said. “The deadline is coming up and many New Yorkers may be unaware of these new requirements. As much as we may disagree with the unconstitutional Safe Act, if we come out in droves to re-certify it will send the message to state leadership that we cherish our Second Amendment right to bear arms, and will not be silenced by any big government policies, as frustrating as they might seem.”

If you are a New York state pistol permit holder and need to re-certify your license or would like more information, please visit the New York State Trooper Website here. Additionally, feel free to contact my office with questions at (585) 589-5780, or email me at hawleys@nyassembly.gov.

Teen pleads guilty to making terrorist threats against law enforcement at the Rez.
17 year old Isaac Abrams of Basom was facing charges for an incident on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation last September where he was accused of threatening to shoot police.
Yesterday Adrams appeared in court where admitted to the incident and plead guilty to a felony count of making a terrorist threat.
According to authorities Abrams and his friends set up a roadblock and charged motorists driving onto the reservation a toll.
The teens had apparently all been drinking.
Abrams threatened police once they arrived on scene claiming he would harm them with a weapon that was never found.
Abrams could get up to seven years when sentenced.

Report of a fully involved car fire.
Report came in at around 6:25 a.m. for a fully involved car fire at 7772 Buffalo Road in Riga between Sheridan Road and Rochester Street.
At last report Bergen fire was responding.

Infamous prison escapee is starving himself in the hopes that he will be moved from Attica.
According to reports inmate David Sweat stopped eating solid food six days after was transferred last month to the Attica Correctional Facility.
Sweat is reportedly not pleased with his new residence and wants to be transferred back.
Attica prison officials are working to obtain a court to order a feeding tube for him.

Hawley reminds pistol owners to re-certify.
In his ongoing efforts to preserve our Second Amendment rights, Assemblyman Steve Hawley has reminded pistol permit holders to re-certify their permits by January 31, 2018 in order to prevent them from becoming invalid.
If your pistol permit was issued before January 15, 2013, you must re-certify your permit before January 31, 2018.
If your permit was issued on or prior January 15, 2013, the deadline is five years after the date the permit was issued.

Snow is expected to keep falling and blowing through early this afternoon.
The National Weather Service has posted the Winter Weather Advisory for Genesee, Orleans, Niagara and northern Erie Counties.
The Weather Service says we can plan on slippery driving conditions.
Additional snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches.

Local Law Enforcement stepping up patrols for the season.
The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, City of Batavia Police Department and the Village of Le Roy Police Department will participate in a special enforcement effort to crackdown on impaired driving
The statewide STOP-DWI Crackdown efforts start on Dec. 15 and will end on Jan. 1.
New York State Police, County Sheriffs and municipal law enforcement agencies across the state will be out in force.

News Release

Genesee County STOP-DWI Coordinator Matt Landers announced today that the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, City of Batavia Police Department and the Village of LeRoy Police Department will participate in a special enforcement effort to crackdown on impaired driving.

While we spend this Holiday Season celebrating with friends and family and looking forward to the blessings of a New Year the law enforcement community across New York State will take to the roads in an effort to stop impaired driving, prevent injuries and save lives. The statewide STOP-DWI Crackdown efforts start on December 15th and will end on January 1st, 2018. New York State Police, County Sheriffs and municipal law enforcement agencies across the state will be out in force. Sheriff Sheron states, “our patrols will be extra vigilant for impaired drivers this Holiday Season. Make sure you don’t attract their attention by drinking and driving.”

News Release

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) announced today that he will be hosting two free Yellow Dot programs later this week in Albion and Corfu. The programs will be conducted by both the Orleans and Genesee County Sheriff Departments with Orleans County Sheriff Randall Bower, Genesee County Sheriff William Sheron, Jr. and Undersheriff Gregory Walker expected to attend. Yellow Dot is designed to help first responders provide life-saving medical attention during that first “golden hour” after a car crash or emergency.

“Yellow Dot is truly a life-saving program,” Hawley said. “This is a free program that is especially important as road conditions become more dangerous during the winter months. Participating in the Yellow Dot Program is as easy as filling out a brief medical card and placing the yellow dot sticker on your car window. I encourage all who are available to stop by and pick up your free Yellow Dot Kit at one of these events this week or contact your local sheriff’s department.”

WHO: Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia)
Genesee County Sheriff William Sheron Jr.
Genesee County Undersheriff Gregory Walker
Orleans County Sheriff Randall Bower

WHAT: Free Yellow Dot Program

WHEN/WHERE: Wednesday, December 13, 12:30 p.m.
Albion Academy Apartments
South Entrance, 16 E Academy St., Albion

Thursday, December 14, 12:30 p.m.
Corfu United Presbyterian Church
63 Alleghany Rd., Corfu

The house fire was reported at 2210 Judge Road in Alabama at around quarter to nine this morning.

Seven fire companies along with the Batavia’s FAST Team were called into action.

Town of Alabama Fire Chief Gary Patnod was on scene.

“For probably the first three to four minutes on location the upstairs occupant was not accounted for. He was a past member of our department and his wife still is currently an active member. We were able to make some contacts and find out that he was indeed out and safe. Upon our arrival the downstairs tenant was already out of the apartment and had sustained some burns. EMS was arriving on location to take care of her.”

One person was transported to the Erie County Medical Center for smoke inhalation and burns and the other individual was being evaluated in an ambulance on scene.

The fire was brought under control by around 9:30 this morning.

There was report of possible animals inside and one cat was initially rescued and another was resuscitated.

A dog reportedly perished in the blaze.

At around 10:15 a.m. Town of Batavia Fire and Sheldon Fire were called to return to the scene for a fire at 2180 Judge Road.

The story provided by our news partner The Batavian.

(Photo courtesy of Rusty Freeman)

Press Release:

By Tim Bojarski, for UNY USHWA

Anyone who has ever dealt with a quarter crack can appreciate what it takes to get their horse sound and racing again. Rusty Freeman is responsible for changing the way this debilitating condition is handled, reducing down time from weeks to days and turning the process into a state of the art form over the years.

As a result of his tireless work to help the breed, the Upstate New York Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA) will present Freeman with the Innovator’s Award for contributions to the sport of harness racing in the winner’s circle at Batavia Downs on Saturday (Dec. 16) during the 10th annual “Night of Distinction” awards ceremony.

Freeman was working as a factory machinist in western New York in the late 1970’s when he was first introduced to harness racing. While visiting a friend who had trotters, he was shown why a particular horse was lame with a hoof crack and the whole thing quickly intrigued him.

He developed a way to use a Dremel tool and cut out just the part of the hoof he felt was needed, and then put a tube under the patch. That way air could still get to the sore area to aid healing and it could also be flushed with antiseptic to keep it clean.

He then researched and developed an acrylic compound he uses instead of fiberglass and combines that with Kevlar cloth to do the patches. The combination of the tube under the new patch material gives the area every opportunity to heal and grow out properly in a short amount of time.

Freeman has been plying his trade at harness tracks in New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania for almost 40 years now and many times works hand in hand with vets. As a result, hundreds of horses have been made sound quicker, allowing them to get back in the box much sooner.

Also a farrier, Freeman is an accredited member of the American Association of Professional Farriers (AAPF) and helps other professionals in the field understand and benefit from his technics.

Post time for the first race on Saturday is 6 p.m.

Winter Weather persists in the region.
Orleans and Genesee County continue under the Winter Weather Advisory until Wednesday afternoon according to The National Weather Service.
Total snow accumulations of 4 to 8 inches are expected with winds peaking at 40 miles per hour.
Morning Commuters should take some extra time to deal with difficult conditions such as blowing and drifting snow.
Several counties to the south including Wyoming County are under a Lake Effect Snow Warning until Wednesday evening.
They are expected to receive a total of 10 to 15 inches of snow with up to 20 inches across the higher terrain of Chautauqua County.

City Council updated on Zombie homes initiative.
Lindsey Luft an administrative intern for Operation Keep Our Homes, a program designed to identify and reduce the number of vacant and abandoned homes in the City of Batavia presented to City Council at their meeting last night.
Luft said the problem effects the entire community.

“So it really affects the City at all levels and at every census tract, and it’s not targeted at any kind of income level. There’s about 89 zombie properties in our area. So we’re really focused on getting them up and rehabilitated.”

Luft said the initiative has just about reached its goal of connecting with 10 families facing foreclosure.
She said they are currently working with nine families one of which has already been allowed to keep their home.
Luft is graduate assistant at Brockport State College and has been serving the City since May.

Wyoming County crash claims the life of a Java resident.
State Police were called to a two vehicle fatal crash on Perry Road in Sheldon shortly before noon on Sunday.
20 year old Alex Dedoszak of Java failed to negotiate a curve while heading eastbound on Perry Road, then crossed into oncoming traffic and struck a westbound vehicle according to investigators.
Dedoszak was pronounced dead at the scene.
The other driver sustained only minor injuries and State Police continue to investigate the crash.
Dedoszak was a Class of 2016 Attica High School Graduate.

Albion Parolee jailed without bail for alleged drug dealing.
52 year old Kenneth Thompson of North Main Street Albion was arrested by members of the Orleans County Drug Task Force following an investigation into the sale of crack cocaine in and around Albion.
Task Force agents seized a quantity of crack cocaine inside his apartment on North Main that was reportedly packaged for sale.
Thompson was charged with count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance a Class B Felony
Thompson was jailed without bail and is currently on parole with additional charges pending.
He is expected in Albion Town Court tomorrow.

The Buffalo bills battled not just the Indianapolis Colts but Mother Nature as LeSean McCoy scored on a 21 yard run to secure the Bills win with 1:33 left in overtime.
McCoy had 156 yards and one touchdown while Quarterback Nathan Peterman threw for 1 td and was 5 for 10 and 57 yards while battling 25-30mph winds.
Bills wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin says he had fun playing in the snow.

The Bills are now 7-6 on the season.

Genesee County has seemed to escape the worst of the latest Western New York lake effect snowstorm. We received under six inches of snow overnight. Plows and salt shakers have been out all night and travel conditions this morning are generally OK.
There is, however, a Winter Strom Watch in effect for Genesee and Orleans Counties from late this evening through Wednesday afternoon.

Two people are killed in the collision of a car and tractor-trailer in the town of Elba.
The crash happened just after one o’clock Saturday afternoon at the intersection of Route 98 and Lockport Road.
State Police tell us 45 year old Franca (frank-ah) Monachino (mon-ah-chee-no) of Hilton was westbound on Lockport Road, failed to yield at the intersection and struck the big rig.
Both vehicles ran off the road and hit a utility pole causing it to fall.
Both Monachino and the truck driver, 29 year old Jerry Tuttle of Kingley, Pennsylvania were pronounced dead at the scene.
Both drivers were alone in their vehicles.

A car struck a poll near the CVS pharmacy on West Main St in Batavia.
It happened just before 11 last night.
Three people were in the vehicle – no information available on injuries.
Crews are replacing that pole this morning.

A hunter was found after getting lost while hunting in the Tonawanda management wildlife area.
The Alabama Fire and sheriff’s deputies responded around 10:30yesterday morning and located the hunter within 45 minutes.
Scene Commander Bill Shutt tells WBTA News what happened

9-1-1 dispatchers stayed on the phone with the hunter until he was located.

Photo Courtesy: The Batavian

Two people are killed in the collision of a car and tractor-trailer in the town of Elba.
The crash happened just after one o’clock yesterday afternoon at the intersection of Route 98 and Lockport Road.
State Police tell us 45 year old Franca Monachino of Hilton was westbound on Lockport Road and failed to yield at the intersection.
Monachino’s Honda Civic then struck the tractor-trailer which loaded with potatoes.
Both vehicles ran off the road and hit a utility pole causing it to fall.
First responders had to wait for National Grid to turn off power before they could tend to the victims.
Both Monachino and the truck driver, 29 year old Jerry Tuttle of Kingley, Pennsylvania were pronounced dead at the scene.
Both drivers were alone in their vehicles.

Batavia City Manager  News Release

The first community meeting to gather public input on Batavia’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) will be held at City Hall, One Batavia City Centre, Batavia, NY at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 14.

Those in attendance will be provided with information on the Downtown Revitalization Initiative followed by a hands-on, interactive public workshop. The purpose of the workshop is to identify potential transformative redevelopment strategies that will provide long term community and economic benefits for Downtown Batavia. This is an opportunity for residents and businesses in the community to provide feedback and help plan the future of Downtown Batavia. The DRI Local Planning Committee would like to know what you love about Downtown Batavia, what draws you downtown today, and what amenities would bring you downtown more often.

This effort builds upon existing plans and projects, including the City’s Comprehensive Master Plan and the Batavia Opportunity Area Plan. The workshop is the first in a series of three Downtown Revitalization Initiative public participation meetings that will be held over the next four months. Future public meeting will focus on a review of the goals and strategies developed by the Downtown Revitalization Initiative Local Planning Committee as well as a review of potential projects.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM EST
THURSDAY…

* WHAT…Lake effect snow with slippery road conditions. Total
snow accumulations of 2 to 5 inches are expected in the most
persistent lake snows.

* WHERE…Northern Erie and Genesee counties.

* WHEN…Until 1 AM Thursday.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…Be prepared for reduced visibilities at
times.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

Lake effect snow will fall in relatively narrow bands. If
traveling, be prepared for rapidly changing road conditions and
visibilities.

A 16 year old resident of Oak Street has been arrested on a felony charge of assault.
Lionel Anderson Junior is accused of injuring a 13 year old during a fight on Highland Park in Batavia last Tuesday night.
Police said the 13 year old was slammed face first to the ground and struck in the face with a metal belt buckle.
There was no information released about the victim.
Anderson has been locked up on $25,000 bail. He is due back in court

Photo: Batavia Police Dept

From National Weather Service

A WINTER STORM WATCH remains in effect from late Tuesday night through late Thursday night

* WHAT…Heavy lake effect snow possible. Travel will be very
difficult at times, including the morning and evening commute
on Wednesday. Total snow accumulations of 12 to 24 inches are
possible in the most persistent lake snows.

* WHERE…Northern Erie and Genesee counties.

* WHEN…From late Tuesday night through late Thursday night.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…Heavy lake effect snow may result in very
difficult travel at times, including very low visibility and
deep snow cover on roads.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

Narrow bands of heavy snow could impact portions of the region.
Localized travel problems will be possible.

A Batavia woman is being held without bail on felony drug charges.
34 year old Karrie Morrow-Paine of South Main Street is charged with:

• Criminal Sale Of A Controlled Substance 3’•, a class B-Felouy of the New York State Penal Law. (2 counts)
• Criminal Possession Of A Controlled Substance 3’•, a class B-Felony of the New York State Penal Law. (2 counts)

Morrow-Paine allegedly sold a quantity of crack cocaine to an agent of the Genesee County Local Drug Task Force on two occasions in August of this year. Morrow-Paine was arrested on a sealed Grand Jury Indictment Warrant during an investigation into an unrelated complaint by Batavia Police Officers on Saturday evening. Morrow-Paine was remanded to the Genesee County Jail without bail and will be arraigned Monday.

Fire raced through a barn on Black Street in Pavilion.
The first of four fire companies arrived on scene around 4:45 yesterday afternoon.
The barn was fully involved when volunteers got there. The barn was declared a total loss. There were no injuries.
The cause has not been officially determined but investigators are looking closely at a parked tractor as a possible cause.

Governor Andrew Cuomo is saying that the federal government should be ashamed of its response to help Puerto Rico after it was devastated by Hurricane Maria.
Cuomo spoke at Kennedy Airport before departing to Puerto Rico yesterday to check on the recovery there and offer assistance.
The Governor criticized Congress for staying up all night to pass their tax plan while not acting on the 94-billion-dollar Build Back Puerto Rico bill.

The normally clean shaven officers of the Batavia Police Department are extending their Mo-vember fundraiser into the month of December.
The officers pay a fee to allow their facial hair to grow.
The money raised went to Genesee Cancer Assistance.
The Mo-vember campaign has become Don’t Shave December.
Funds raised this month will support a county jail deputy who is battling a long term illness.

The first and only Super-moon of the year will be visible tonight in Batavia.
A Super-moon is the largest and brightest all year.
It occurs when a full moon is the closest to the earth.
If you miss tonight’s, there will be two next year: January 1st and January 31st.

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots visit Buffalo this afternoon.
The 6 and 5 Bills meet the 9 and 2 Patriots. The Pats are on a seven-game win streak. Kick-off at New Era Field is 1 p.m. today.

Lawmen have suspended the search for a prison who bolted from Attica Town Court this morning. 25 year old Dylan Perry fled from custody just as his arraignment was to begin.
Wyoming County Sheriff Gregory Rudolph tells WBTA at the scene what happened:

As a precaution Attica and Alexander Schools were placed on lock-down.
The lockdown was lifted around 1:30 this afternoon.

The precarious future of the Batavia Muckdogs is now even more doubtful.
It was learned today that the New York Penn league has blocked the renewal of the management agreement between the Muckdogs and the Rochester Red Wings.
Naomi Silver is President of the Red Wings:

The agreement between the Red Wings and the Genesee County Baseball Club, the owner of the Batavia Muckdogs,  includes a provision that if the team is sold, the Red Wings would receive five percent of the proceeds for each year the organization ran the team.  That agreement, Silver said, survives this decision by the league.

Both organizations announced a few years ago that the team was for sale.
Brian Paris is the President of the Genesee County Baseball Club. He told us today he is optimistic baseball will be played at Dwyer Stadium next season

Officials with the NYP League have been unavailable for comment.

Rochester Redwings Baseball has severed all ties with the Batavia Muckdogs after talks to renew their management contract with the local team broke down.

The management office at Dwyer Stadium has been vacated. Travis Sick, former General Manager of the Muschdogs, has been re-assigned to the Red Wings offices in Rochester.

The Red Wings had a 10 year management contract with the Muckdogs. The contract expired on October 31 of this year. Redwings President Naomi Silver said an effort to reach a one-year deal to continue the contract was rejected by the New York Penn League.

Photo Courtesy: The Batavian

Volunteer firefighters credited with making a fast stop of flames that damaged an apartment building in Pembroke.
Fire broke out in the four unit building on Gabbey Road just after 9 p.m. last night.
Pembroke Chief Jamie Waff directed firefighting operations:

Firemen rescued three cats from the building. Four famailies were displaced and required temporary housing.
Authorities said an area around an electrical panel sustained the most fire damage, but a specific cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The Batavia City Council seems typically split, again.

This time the issue is over how to re-develop the Old Engine House on Main Street.
A Byron based developer, Thompson Builds, wants to turn the building into commercial and residential space.
The building was originally a fire station, later a restaurant and most recently owned and used by county government.
Council President Gene Jankowski says there is an opportunity for the county, city and a private developer to cooperate:

Some council members opposed the project, others had more questions. In the end they agreed on holding a public hearing into an application for a one-million dollar state development grant. That hearing set for December 5th

Batavia City Council discusses possible repairs to pillars at the Redfield Parkway Entrance and how to pay for them.
A few months ago  Council was made aware of the deteriorating condition of the pillars, which consist of two inner gateway-monument style pillars and two outer posts.
Some of the structure sits on public property and some on private.
Redfield Parkway resident Jim Owen, known as “the Mayor of Redfield Parkway,”  has offered to sell the part of his pillar property to aid in repairs.

“Because of my generosity, I would sell it to the City for a dollar so the pillars could be restored, and I would also give the dollar so they can pay me for that amount. That, as they would say, it’s now public notice.”

Owen along with several other residents stressed the importance of keeping the historical structure in good shape.
City Manager Jason Molino said he would have detailed information about possible repairs by the January Conference meeting.
He said a decision could be reached by spring and put out for bid.

A Go-fund-me account is building to help defray funeral expenses for Tori Nigro of Alexander.
The 19 year old was killed on Saturday when in a collision with a tractor trailer truck on Route 33.
The fund has a goal of 10-thoasuand dollars. Already, more than 85-hundred has been raised.
Here is the link to the Go Fund Me page