Thursday News Brief
Written by Pete Zehler on October 1, 2026
BATAVIA EARNS CLEAN AUDIT, PLANS FOR KEY RETIREMENTS
The City of Batavia received a clean annual audit, with auditors reporting no issues in the “non-compliance” category.
Auditors from Drescher and Malecki did recommend city leaders continue focusing on best practices involving artificial intelligence, year-end procedures, purchase orders and succession planning.
City Manager Rachael Tabelski says succession planning is especially important with two longtime employees approaching retirement. HR Specialist Teri Dean is expected to retire in December 2027, while Deputy Finance Director Lisa Neary is expected to retire in the spring of 2028.
The city is proposing hiring their successors early, allowing significant overlap for training and the transfer of institutional knowledge.
The overlap is expected to cost about 68-thousand dollars, which Tabelski says can be absorbed by the current budget.
The proposal will now move to City Council’s next business meeting for a vote.
LE ROY DEDICATES NEW $1.8 MILLION LADDER TRUCK
The Le Roy Fire District has officially dedicated its new 1-point-8-million-dollar ladder truck.
Ladder 65 features a 100-foot ladder and platform, along with modern safety technology, hydraulic forcible-entry equipment, Jaws of Life and battery-powered cutting tools.
The truck can deliver up to two-thousand gallons of water per minute, with dual streams allowing firefighters to attack a fire while simultaneously protecting nearby structures.
Despite the modern technology, Fire Chief Craig Johnson also brought back an old tradition — placing a silver bell and eagle on the truck. Johnson hopes the bell will eventually be passed down to future generations of Le Roy fire apparatus.
The department began planning for a replacement ladder truck in 2017. Following years of planning and voter approval, the truck was ordered in 2025 and delivered this August.
Ladder 65 entered service this week and is expected to serve Le Roy for approximately 25 years.
LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT AT SMOKIN’ EAGLE BBQ
If you’re looking for some live music tonight in Le Roy, Damn the Flood will be taking the stage at Smokin’ Eagle BBQ.
The band will perform from 6 until 9 p.m., bringing a mix of rock and Americana for a three-hour show.
The evening offers a chance to grab some barbecue, stop by the bar for a drink and enjoy live music with friends.
The show gets underway at 6 tonight at Smokin’ Eagle BBQ in Le Roy and runs until 9.
PILOT ACCUSED OF TRYING TO CRASH ISRAEL-BOUND FLIGHT
A FlyDubai flight carrying around 170 people made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia Wednesday after one pilot allegedly stabbed another and apparently tried to crash the plane.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the aircraft was traveling from Dubai to Israel when a fight broke out inside the cockpit. The plane then plunged from about 33-thousand feet to 17-thousand feet in roughly one minute.
A passenger and crew member reportedly forced their way into the cockpit and helped subdue the attacking pilot, while other crew members regained control of the aircraft.
The plane landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Both pilots were injured, and Netanyahu says Saudi authorities arrested the suspected attacker.
Israel also scrambled fighter jets during the incident amid concerns the aircraft was being hijacked.
FlyDubai confirmed an altercation occurred in the cockpit and said its crew secured the aircraft and diverted safely.
Authorities have not yet determined a motive.
FED WATCHDOG FAULTS $2.4 BILLION RENOVATION, FINDS NO CRIMINAL VIOLATIONS
The Federal Reserve’s internal watchdog says the central bank broadly mismanaged its massive headquarters renovation project, but found no evidence of federal criminal violations.
The Fed’s inspector general says a series of management and contracting decisions contributed to soaring costs for renovations of two historic buildings in Washington.
Construction costs more than doubled from an estimated 921-million dollars in 2020 to more than two-billion by late 2024, with the overall project now estimated at roughly 2-point-4-billion dollars.
The report found the Fed failed to establish a comprehensive cost estimate early in the project and repeatedly deviated from cost-management provisions. Construction is now expected to continue through December 2027.
The project had also been the subject of a Justice Department investigation involving former Fed Chairman Jerome Powell. That investigation was dropped earlier this year.
The inspector general says its review found no reasonable grounds to believe a federal crime had occurred. Current Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh says the General Services Administration will now take over management of the project.
GENESEE COUNTY GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
In Genesee County high school girls volleyball action Wednesday night, Elba defeated Holley three sets to one, Alexander swept Lyndonville three-nothing, Pembroke defeated Notre Dame three-nothing, and Le Roy swept Greece Olympia/Odyssey three-nothing.
Batavia also earned a straight-set victory over Albion, winning 25-22, 25-15 and 25-18.
Lilly Gray led the Blue Devils with 10 kills and 10 digs. Miyah Manuel added six kills, seven digs and three aces, while Karizma Wescott finished with four kills, four aces and seven digs.
Violet Lopez handed out 14 assists, Addie DeWitt added seven assists and three aces, and Mollie Banford recorded five digs and three aces.
Paityn Pietrzykowski chipped in four kills for Batavia.
