Monday News Brief
Written by Pete Zehler on October 27, 2025
Batavia Pair Arrested After High-Speed Chase and Theft
The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office arrested two Batavia residents Thursday after a shoplifting incident led to a high-speed chase.
42-year-old Brandon Buzak and 41-year-old Jennifer Freeman, both of Clinton Street Road, were taken into custody October 23rd.
Deputies say Buzak and Freeman stole merchandise from Walmart before leading Sheriff’s Deputies on a pursuit through Veterans Memorial Drive, Interstate 90, Route 77, and Route 5 — reportedly reaching high speeds in an attempt to evade arrest.
Buzak faces multiple charges including reckless endangerment, unlawful fleeing a police officer, aggravated unlicensed operation, reckless driving, and petit larceny. He was also issued 13 traffic tickets and jailed pending arraignment.
Freeman was charged with petit larceny and conspiracy and later released on an appearance ticket.
The Sheriff’s Office says assistance was provided by the Erie County Sheriff’s Office and New York State Police.
Batavia Family Donates New Downtown Christmas Tree
The City of Batavia is extending its heartfelt thanks to Nicholas Lord and his family for donating a new Christmas tree that will shine downtown this holiday season.
The evergreen will serve as the centerpiece for Batavia’s annual tree-lighting ceremony, symbolizing community spirit and generosity.
Lord said his family wanted to share the hope and joy of Christmas with others, inspired by his wife Taylor’s experience surviving Hurricane Katrina.
City Manager Rachael Tabelski thanked the family, calling their gift a reflection of Batavia’s strong community pride.
The tree will be featured during the Christmas in the City celebration, presented with the Batavia Business Improvement District.
Brookview Darius Trots to Victory; Team Cummings Shines with $9,253 Jackpot at Batavia Downs
There was plenty of excitement at Batavia Downs Friday night as Brookview Darius took the spotlight, winning the ten-thousand-dollar Class AA trot with a strong stretch run. Driver Kyle Swift guided Darius to his eighth win of the year, finishing in two minutes and two-fifths. Meanwhile, the mother-son duo of Tammy and Kyle Cummings had a big night, teaming up for three wins—including a jackpot hit that made one lucky bettor very happy. The 20-cent Jackpot Super Hi-5 paid out more than nine-thousand two-hundred fifty dollars on the final race of the night. Live racing continues Saturday at six p.m. at Batavia Downs.
WBTA Genesee County High School Football Recap
It was the final week of the regular season for high school football across Genesee County, and several local teams made strong closing statements.
Alexander/Pembroke capped off a dominant season with a 25–0 shutout over Wellsville/Genesee Valley-Belfast — their fourth shutout of the year — finishing 7–0 and earning the number one seed in Class C. Ryder Reichert led the way with 115 yards and a touchdown, while Sean Pietrzykowski added both a rushing score and a pick-six.
Le Roy/Cal-Mum took down Livonia 33–13 behind a balanced attack. Quarterback Brady McClurg threw for 145 yards and two touchdowns, both to Dillon Alcott, and Cameron Riggi added a rushing score plus nine tackles on defense.
Batavia fell in a heart-breaker, 27–26 at Medina, despite Devre Sanders’ two touchdowns, interception, and six tackles.
Attica shut out Notre Dame/Byron-Bergen 18–0, powered by Landyn Nagel’s 120 yards and two touchdowns, along with nine tackles.
Avon defeated Oakfield-Alabama/Elba 52–22, where Jayden Blew, Nick Scott, and Christian Finkney each found the end zone on the ground for the Aggies.
And York/Pavilion edged Geneseo/Mount Morris 13–6 to finish their regular season with momentum heading into sectional play.
Early Voting Underway in Genesee County
Early voting for the November 4th general election started Saturday in Genesee County. Residents can vote in person at the Genesee ARC Community Center, 38 Woodrow Road in Batavia. Voting hours run 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. October 25th through 27th, noon to 8 p.m. October 28th and 29th, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. October 30th through November 2nd. All registered voters are eligible to vote early, and other options include absentee ballots or voting in person on Election Day. Don’t wait—make your voice heard this November.
Weekend Volleyball Recap – Genesee County
It was another big weekend for high school volleyball in Genesee County. Attica dropped a tough match to Pembroke, losing in three straight sets. Kendall couldn’t keep up with Byron-Bergen, falling in three sets as well. Sectionals is slated to start on Wednesday for all the teams in Section V.
