batavia

Rulee A. Allyn, 60, of Batavia, is charged with six counts of owning an unlicensed dog and six counts of failure to provide sustenance to animals. On the morning of July 12, Officers were called to Brooklyn Avenue, Batavia, for a report of numerous dogs running loose in the area. Officers located five dogs and were able to contain them. They were determined to belong to Allyn. A sixth dog was located in Allyn’s residence. All the dogs were allegedly covered in feces and were not being properly cared for. Allyn was issued an appearance ticket and is scheduled to appear.

Jason Eric Howard, 38, of Millison Crescent Street, Angus, Ontario, Canada, is charged with trespass and disorderly conduct.  Howard is accused of remaining on Six Flags Darien Lake Theme Park property after being told to leave by security staff. He is also accused of yelling obscenities and "causing a public inconvenience by making unreasonable noise." He was issued an appearance ticket.

Michael J. Torres, 39, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd and obstructing governmental administration. Police officers spotted Torres riding a bicycle at 5:30 p.m. on July 12 on Ellicott Street near Ellicott Place.  Officers were aware the Sheriff's Office was looking for Torres, who had a warrant out for his arrest. When officers attempted to stop him, Torres allegedly fled on his bike. Officers followed him onto Colorado Avenue, where he crashed his bicycle into a patrol vehicle. He then attempted to flee on foot, according to police, but was taken into custody a short distance away. Torres was allegedly found in possession of multiple bags of a narcotic and a large sum of cash. Torres was arraigned and released. He is due back in court at a later date. 

Juan Nieves, 31, of Parkside Avenue, Buffalo, is charged with felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, driving a vehicle with a revoked registration, driving without insurance, and leaving the scene of a property damage accident. Nieves was apparently (it's not mentioned in the Sheriff's Office press release) in an accident at an undisclosed location on Main Street in Pembroke at 5:53 p.m. on July 9. Nieves was arrested by Deputy Alexander Hadsall. His release status was not disclosed. 

Cassandra L. Elmore, 31, of Batavia, was arrested on a pair of warrants issued by City Court. The first case is the result of a traffic stop on Aug. 30, 2022. Elmore was charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon 4th, obstructing governmental administration 2nd, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle 3rd, operating without an inspection certificate, insufficient tail lamps, two counts of criminal use of drug paraphernalia 2nd, failure to change address and depositing refuse on the highway. Elmore was issued appearance tickets and released. She allegedly failed to appear in court, and a warrant was issued on Sept. 8. She was arrested on that warrant on Sept. 10. During that arrest, Elmore allegedly fought with a police officer and was additionally charged with obstructing governmental administration. Warrants were issued in both cases on Jan. 23, after Elmore allegedly failed to appear in court. She was arrested on Feb. 2. Warrants were again issued on Feb. 21, after she failed to appear in court. On July 14, Elmore was located at a residence on River Street and arrested. She was additionally charged with two counts of bail jumping 3rd. She was arraigned and remanded to the custody of the Genesee County Jail. 

Phillip Ashley Ruffin, 50, of Main Street, Niagara Falls, is charged with felony DWI and parking on a highway. Ruffin was allegedly found in his vehicle at 1:57 a.m. on July 15, parked in the middle of the roadway on Redfield Parkway with his emergency flashers activated Sgt. Mathew Clor. Ruffin was held pending arraignment.

Jamonte O. Murrell, 19, of Batavia, is charged with assault 2nd. Murrell is accused of cutting another person during a disturbance on July 19 at a residence on Watson Street, Batavia. He was arraigned in City Court and released on his own recognizance.

Ahdeosun R. Aiken, 25, of Attica, and Amanda J. Jackson, 22, of Batavia, are charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Aiken and Jackson are accused of engaging in sexual conduct in a vehicle on July 8 at a location not released by police while a one-year-old child was in the vehicle. They were both issued appearance tickets.

Richard A. Demmer, 30, of Batavia, was arrested on a City Court warrant on July 13. Demmer was originally arrested on May 29 and charged with Attempted Robbery 3rd. It’s alleged that he entered a local business and demanded money from the clerk. The warrant was issued on July 12 after Demmer allegedly failed to appear in court. He was located by Police on July 13 at the location of an unrelated incident. He was arraigned and ordered to reappear at a later date.

Richard Allen Demmer, Jr., 30, of South Spruce Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny and criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Demmer is accused of stealing merchandise from the East Pembroke Crosby's on Main Road, Pembroke at 8:20  a.m. on July 18. During his arrest by Chief Deputy Joseph Graff, he was allegedly found in possession of a controlled substance. Demmer was released on an appearance ticket. 

Benjamin G. Evans, 34, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Evans is accused of stealing a package from the porch of a residence on State Street On July 8. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Jordan A. Baxter, no age nor address provided, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd and criminal trespass 2nd. Baxter is accused of entering the residence of another person in violation of an order of protection on July 8. He was arraigned and ordered held on $1,000 bail, $2,000 bond, or a $5,000 partially secured bond.

Ronald W. Lewis, 35, of Rochester, is charged with petit larceny. Lewis is accused of stealing from a local business on July 7. He was issued an appearance ticket. 

Crystal M. Boute. 34, of Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief 4th. Boute is accused of damaging another person's mobile phone during an argument in the parking lot of a local business. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Brian M. Raphael, 35, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Raphael is accused of stealing from a business on West Main Street, Batavia. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Lance D Beals, 53, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny and criminal mischief 4th. Beals is accused of stealing a mobile phone from another person and intentionally damaging it. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Karina M. Treleaven, 39, of Batavia, is charged with felony DWI, moving from lane unsafely, and leaving the scene of a property damage accident. Treleaven was reportedly involved in a one-vehicle accident at 11:30 p.m. on July 11 in the 300 block of Washington Avenue, Batavia. A vehicle allegedly driven by Treleaven struck a parked car.  The driver fled on foot, and officers located Treleaven nearby the accident a short time later and determined she was the driver of the vehicle and was allegedly drunk at the time of the accident. Treleaven was previously convicted of DWI on June 1. She was arraigned in City Court and released under supervision.

Michelle L. Misiak, 58, of Le Roy, was arrested on a warrant issued by City Court. Misiak was initially charged with petit larceny on Sept. 27 for allegedly stealing from Aldi on East Main Street, Batavia. The warrant was issued on March 10 after she allegedly failed to appear in court. On July 12, Misiak was located by the Village of Leroy Police and turned over to Batavia Police. She was additionally charged with Bail Jumping 3rd and arraigned in  City Court. She was held on bail and remanded to the custody of the Genesee County Jail.

Mason Andrew Hogle, 19, of Lockport Road, Oakfield, is charged with petit larceny. Hogle is accused of shoplifting from Walmart at 1 p.m. on July 6. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Maurice Richard McCoy, 70, of North Street, Batavia, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. McCoy was stopped at 6:13 p.m. on July 2 on Veterans Memorial Drive by Deputy Alexander Hadsall. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Sara Marie Conrow, 34, of Rochester, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and an unregistered vehicle. Conrow was charged following an investigation by Deputy Austin Heberlein at the Speedway Truck Stop on Route 77 in the Town of Pembroke on July 13 at 2:35 a.m. Conrow was issued an appearance ticket.

Nathaniel Ashton Finta, 18, of North Main Street, Oakfield, is charged with criminal mischief 3rd. Finta was arrested in connection with an incident reported at 3:30 a.m. on July 11 at a location on North Main Street, Oakfield. The Sheriff's Office did not release information on the alleged incident. Finta was held pending arraignment.

Derek John Machala, 28, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with trespass. Machala is accused of remaining unlawfully on a property at 8:39 p.m. on July 16. He was held pending arraignment.

Benjamin Gove Evans, 34, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny and criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Evans was arrested in connection with an incident reported at 9:45 p.m. on July 17. The Sheriff's Office did not release information about the alleged incident. The address of the location, somewhere on Veterans Memorial Drive, was redacted from the release. Evans was released on an appearance ticket.

Jada Lee Coursey, 32, of West Fifth Avenue, Warren, Pa., is charged with harassment 2nd and endangering the welfare of a child. Coursey is accused of striking another person in front of a child while at Darin Lake at 11:35 p.m. on July 17. Coursey was issued an appearance ticket.

Joshua Lee Jones, 41, of Auburn, is charged with disorderly conduct. Jones is accused of being involved in a disturbance at Six Flags Darien Lake Theme Park on July 19 at 9:46 p.m. He was released on an appearance ticket.

O'Neil Dejusus Cruz, 34, of Poplar Avenue, Mineral, Va., is charged with DWI drugs.  Following a driving complaint called into dispatchers at 8:21 p.m. on July 21, Cruz was allegedly found by Deputy David Moore on Alleghany Road, Pembroke, operating a semi-truck while his ability was impaired by drugs. Cruz was issued an appearance ticket.

Joseph Lowell Hampton, 26, of Myrtle Street, Le Roy, is charged with harassment 2nd. Hampton allegedly pushed a former friend at 1 a.m. on July 19 at a location on Myrtle Street, Le Roy. Hampton was arraigned, and an order of protection was issued.

Joseph Thaddeus Martino, 31, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with attempted assault 3rd.  Martino was arrested at the Genesee County Jail. It's unclear from the Sheriff's Office press release if he was an inmate. The incident was reported at 5:05 p.m. on July 22. There were no other details about the alleged incident released. Martino was issued an appearance ticket.

Daniel Jay Torok, Jr., 36, of Liberty Avenue, Rochester, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Torok was arrested by Deputy Ryan Mullen in connection with an incident reported at 11:40 p.m. on July 22 at the Genesee County Jail. The Sheriff's Office did not release information on what led to the arrest of Torok. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Kasondra Lynn Hubbard, 38, of Gilbert Street, Le Roy, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, driving drunk with a child in the vehicle, and endangering the welfare of a child. Hubbard was stopped at 10:16 p.m. on July 22 on Gilbert Street, Le Roy, by Deputy Mason Shultz. Hubbard was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released on an appearance ticket.

Laurin Angeline Moro, 21, of Kalar Road, Niagara Falls, is charged with trespass. Moro was arrested at Darien Lake on July 15 at 8:30 p.m. The Sheriff's Office did not release information on events that led to her arrest. Moro was issued an appearance ticket.

Brian Michael Raphael, 35, of Fisher Park, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Raphael is accused of concealing merchandise while at Tractor Supply Co. on East Main Street Road, Batavia, and attempting to leave the store without paying for the merchandise. Raphael was arrested by Deputy Zachary Hoy and released on an appearance ticket. 

Thomas Anthony Salerno, 56, of Hall Road, Lancaster, is charged with DWI and insufficient tail lamps. Salerno was stopped at 9:39 pm. on July 29 on Route 20 in Darien by Deputy Jacob Kipler. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Adam Troy Shipwash, 42, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Shipwash was arrested in connection with an incident reported at 1:50 p.m. on July 30 at a location on Terry Street, Byron. The Sheriff's Office did not release information on events that led to the charge. Shipwash was released on an appearance ticket.

Press release:

Three incidents of shots fired in the City of Batavia over the last few months is certainly not the norm here.  

We want residents to know that the City of Batavia Police Department is taking a number of steps to protect our community. 

We will be enhancing the current Neighborhood Enforcement Teams (NET) to respond to neighborhood issues in our efforts to get guns and drugs off the street and put criminals in jail.  

The City will commit dedicated resources to this initiative, including personnel and equipment. 

We will partner with outside agencies, such as the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, the State Police, along with other local, state and federal partners.  

We also will be calling on the Governor’s Office to allocate resources to the City in response to the recent incidents of gun violence.  

Individuals who illegally use guns will be apprehended and brought to justice.  

If you commit a crime, especially with a gun, you will be caught, you will be arrested, and you will be convicted. 

Batavia is a small and tight-knit community where neighbors look out for each other and support our police officers.   

We would be remiss if we did not recognize the hard work and dedication of the men and women of the Batavia Police Department and who, in these incidents, not only put their lives on the line to protect and serve our community, but quickly apprehended the individuals responsible for these crimes.  

We ask you to be vigilant and, if you see anything suspicious, to immediately call 911.   

Our police department is here to protect and serve our community.  You are a vital partner in these efforts. 

Sincerely, Shawn Heubusch, Police Chief & Rachael Tabelski, City Manager

Press Release:

Three famous residents of the Historic Batavia Cemetery attended a 200th-anniversary tea party at The Holland Land Office Museum on Sunday, July 23. Joseph Ellicott, his sister Rachel Ellicott Evans, and the infamous William Morgan regaled the crowd with stories of their fortunes and misfortunes in the early nineteenth century.

The Ellicotts were thrilled to be visited by their descendant cousins, David Ellicott and his daughter, Rachel Ellicott, who came from Poughkeepsie and Brooklyn to attend the tea.

Two more teas with sweet treats and savory bites are scheduled. Dean and Mary Richmond and Eli Fish will visit on August 20, and General John Martindale, Albert Brisbane, and Reverend John Yates will appear on September 17th at 2 p.m. Reservations are required and tickets, which are $25, $20 for HLOM members, may be obtained by calling the museum at 343-4727. Space is limited! 

Submitted photos

A nearly perfect week — at least in terms of no rain clouds to disrupt outdoor fun at Genesee County Fair — ended with a continuous downpour Saturday, muddying the parking lots and puddling the stage for the 2023 talent show.

The weather didn’t dampen the competitive spirits of nearly two dozen contestants, however, including Batavia’s Aria Fox, who was concerned that her hard work might have been for nothing.

“She really likes performing,” her mom Karla said. “She was so excited. She saw the rain, and she goes, ‘I’m so glad they didn’t cancel it.’ I watch her try new things and be comfortable.”

Mom was speaking on behalf of the 6-year-old later Saturday because she had earned a visit to her grandmother’s after her performance. Aria played “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” on piano. 

There were several piano entries, plus mostly kids and a few adults playing the flute, violin, dancing, singing, and leading a cheer. 

Isabella Danahy, 12, performed a solo cheer routine, and her younger sister Marilyn played the classic “Fur Elisse” on piano.  They also played a duet of  “Mary Had a Little Lamb” with Isabella on flute and 10-year-old Marilyn on piano.

“I was nervous. I didn’t really like doing stuff in front of people,” Marilyn said, explaining why she pushed herself to participate. “So I can get over that fear.”

Both girls take band at school in Cheektowaga. They knew about the talent show through their teacher and show organizer, Laura Kauppi of Corfu.

"I think it makes me more confident,” Isabella said. 

Sabrina Sanner of Pembroke was looking for those signs of confidence and other winning attributes while scoring as the single judge for the event since 2019. With two degrees in music education, having taught full orchestra and band in school and teaching private music lessons in voice and piano, she brings it all to the table when each contestant walks up on stage.

First, it depends on what they’re performing, she said.

“Some of it is the difficulty level, like the person who won the tiny tots category. She did two hands, stayed in time, had all of her things in the right place. She did very well. And it was more complicated than the other pieces that were played. So like, obviously, she did something harder. And she did it very well,” Sanner said. “When it comes to things like judging dance against music, it depends on how well they do the dance versus how well they play their song. I did learn from the back, when we used to have a panel, how to judge dances and stuff like that because I'd asked them questions on how they were doing. And it's how well they're smiling, you know, where their movements are with the music, how much impact it has on you watching them, which is a very kind of hard thing to judge. So I've learned a lot from the other past judges that we've had on how to do this.”

This was the first year she’s had to judge a cheerleading routine, but she also brought some experience for that task too.

“I used to do cheerleading, so I also know about that. It is hard to cross-judge them. But as I said, it's the difficulty. So I do know a lot about the difficulty levels of everything that they were doing and has to do with how well they're doing. You know, with cheerleading, it's like how straight your limbs are; there were a lot of her jumps where her legs are still bent or something like that,” Sanner said. “And with music, it's like, if you pause while you're playing, you're not supposed to do that, or if you hit a wrong note, and I don't think anybody really had any wrong notes this year, which was impressive also. But stuff like that. So you kind of just see where people are kind of missing things in their performance, and then go by which ones are bigger, like with dancing, it's smiling is a really huge one. So if they're not smiling, you get a lot off for that.

“But I've been doing this for a while. I judge other things too. So other events. Yeah, the studio I work for and teach privately for they do a competition every year,” she said. “And I've obviously like gotten kids ready for music competitions and stuff for years and years now.”

One new challenge this year was the unrelenting rain. The talent show is under the yellow and white entertainment tent, yet still — water pooled on the ground around the stage and on top of it. Sometimes a judge has to take Mother Nature’s effects into consideration when rating a performer, she said. 

“I don’t think it's ever been this bad. I do think it rained a few years ago, but it's definitely never been on the stage like this,” she said. “The three dancers … the middle girl who had that solo, her flags got all wet when they were sitting on the floor. So I did take that into consideration that their flags weren't moving the way they were supposed to because they were weighed down.”

Kauppi was very pleased with the turnout, not only the number of kids but the quality of their skills, she said.  There were several winners, and everyone received a goodie bag for participating. 

“The students are all extremely talented people, they’ve worked really hard this year. I know some families started their work on this year's (talent show) at the end of last year. So people were really excited to perform. And it was amazing to have everybody come out despite the rain and the challenges that the rain brought technology-wise,” Kauppi said. “I ended up grabbing a new speaker this morning because I wanted a speaker that was absolutely waterproof. And that (pointing to the one she chose) is super waterproof.”

And the winners were:

Tiny Tots

• 1st -  Emma Snyder, piano
• 2nd - Chelsie Kho, piano 
• 3rd - A tie between Aria Fox, piano, and Azalea Sieczkarski, piano

Mini

• 1st - Chelsie Kho, piano
• 2nd - dance with Chelsie Kho, Maisie Kho, Charlotte Jin
• 3rd - Keyon Thomas
• Honorable Mention - Isabella Danahy 

Maxi 

• 1st - Trevon Byrd, vocal
• 2nd - Seren Byrd, piano

Adults (Top photo)

• 1st - Vee Owens, vocal
• 2nd - Steve Kho, Chelsie Kho and Maisie Kho, family band
• 3rd - Avantae Owens and Vee Owens, piano duet 

The Auburn Doubledays erased a two-run deficit with two-run rallies in the seventh and eight innings on Sunday to beat Batavia in a first-round playoff game at Dwyer Stadium, 4-2.

Ryan Kinney, who has been perhaps the Muckdogs ' best starter of 2023, took the loss, going 6 1/3 inning, giving up four earned runs and six hits. He had not previously surrendered more than two earned runs and three hits in a game.  He finishes the season at 4-1. His season ERA doubled after today's loss, from 0.84 to 1.64.

The Muckdogs scored both of their runs in the second inning.  Kyle Hetherington reached first on an error after striking out. Matt DeStefano followed with a double to right, scoring Hetherington. Trey Bacon singled. Chad Falcon reached first on an error by the first baseman, and DeStefano scored.

But with Auburn's rallies, the season came to an unexpected early end for the Western Division's #1 seed/

Photos by Nick Serrata.

A man who is apparently a Batavia resident is in custody facing possible criminal charges after allegedly leading State Police on a high-speed chase from Byron into the city and then barricading himself in an apartment that was not his own.

The name of the suspect has not yet been released.  He is facing likely charges from both State Police and Batavia PD, and both agencies said more information will be released once criminal charges are sorted out.

It's not known yet why or at what location in Byron a trooper first tried to stop the subject, but he apparently refused to yield to emergency lights from a patrol vehicle.

Speeds eventually reached in excess of 90 mph.

As he headed into the city on Bank Street Road, Batavia PD deployed spike strips on Bank Street.

The strips were successful at deflating the Toyota's tires, said Sgt. Arick Perkins, Batavia PD, but the subject continued into the driveway of Northside Meadows, 335 Bank Street, where the car eventually ran into a small boulder along the driveway. 

The subject ran from the vehicle and entered a second-floor apartment.

The apartment has been unoccupied for about four months while its tenant is incarcerated, according to witnesses.

The witnesses stated that they believe the man resides in a downstairs apartment, but he, along with other people, has been accessing the upstairs apartment for some time without permission.

"I could see that as being a possibility," said Perkins, who said it wasn't clear yet how the man gained access to the supposedly locked apartment this time or if he had ever been in the apartment before.

With troopers, deputies, and officers, including two K-9 units (one from Batavia PD and one from DEC) on scene, the man refused to exit the apartment.

Officers secured a key to the front door from a family member of the tenant and were able to unlock it, but the subject had barricaded the door.

Once inside, the man offered no other resistance, Perkins said, and was taken into custody without further incident.

K-9s could be heard barking when officers made their way into the apartment, but Perkins said the K-9s remained in the hallway since the suspect did not resist officers further.

A trooper said the driver of the vehicle was not the registered owner. It's unclear at this time whether the driver had permission of the owner to operate the vehicle.

Police officers searched the vehicle while the incident was ongoing and then inventoried its contents before impounding it after the incident was over.

Officers remained alert for the possibility that the subject had access to a weapon, Perkins said they did not believe during the incident that he was armed.

While being led by officers to a patrol car, the subject made statements indicating he didn't understand why he was being arrested, why he was being taken to a State Police car when he was in the City of Batavia, and why police had reporters there taking his picture.

Photos by Howard Owens.

State police attempted a traffic stop in Byron Sunday afternoon, and the suspect fled, leading to a high speed chase past GCC, according to state police. The subject drove down Bank Street, and spike strips were deployed.

The subject then turned into Northside Meadows apartments, fled from the vehicle, and ran into an apartment that is the residence of a woman currently incarcerated. The apartment should have been vacant, and somehow the subject gained entry, and police are now dealing with the  barricaded subject.

The driver of the vehicle was not the registered owner, and police said they believe they know who the subject is.

UPDATE 6 p.m.: Suspect taken into custody about 10 minutes ago.  The suspect, according to a witness, lived in an adjacent apartment and knew the apartment he entered was vacant and made prior entry over the past days or weeks. 

With a convincing win over Niagara Power on Saturday and loss by Elmira, the Batavia Muckdogs clinched the Western Division in the regular season finale at Dwyer Stadium.

Batavia won 9-2.

This is the second consecutive Western Division crown of the Muckdogs, coming in their third season in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League. The team has posted winning records in all three seasons while being managed by Joey Martinez.

Michael Pedraza came on in relief with one out in the fourth inning with Batavia up 6-0 and got credit for the win. Pedraza went 3 2/3 innings, giving up three hits, one run, and striking out four.  He finishes the regular season at 4-2 and a 3.85 ERA.

Hilton resident Preston Prince started, going 4 1/3 innings, surrendering three hits, five walks and one unearned run.

Caleb Rodriguez went 2-3 for the team's only multi-hit game.

Matt DeStefano, from Westbury, went 1-4 and drove in four runs.  DeStefano ends the regular season with a .321 average, smacking 21 hits and driving in 13 runs while gathering 11 walks.

The playoffs for the Muckdogs (27-16) start at Dwyer Stadium this evening (Sunday) against the Auburn Doubledays (23-19), who knocked off Elmira on Saturday, to help Batavia get the #1 seed in the Western Division postseason.

Press Release:

Depending on the weather, aerial and hand distribution of oral rabies vaccine baits will take place in Western New York from Aug. 15 - 17. Areas of New York State are once again taking part in a nationally coordinated effort to halt the spread of raccoon rabies in 16 states. Ongoing field evaluation of oral rabies vaccine (ORV) called ONRAB will occur in Clinton, Essex counties in the Empire State as part of an evaluation that also includes parts of northern Vermont and New Hampshire.

Additionally, evaluations will also occur in Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Jefferson, Lewis, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Orleans, Oswego, St. Lawrence, and Wyoming counties. These sites were selected in part because of
ongoing collaborations with Quebec and Ontario, Canada in the fight against rabies to protect human and animal health and reduce the significant cost associated with living with rabies across broad geographic areas.

“Rabies is a serious public health concern because if left untreated it is generally fatal. Costs associated with detection, prevention, and control of rabies conservatively exceed $500 million annually. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, greater than 90 percent of reported rabies cases in the United States are in wildlife,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director of the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health). 

The cooperative USDA, APHIS, Wildlife Services National Rabies Management Program (NRMP) was established in 1997 to prevent the further spread of wildlife rabies in the United States by containing and eventually eliminating the virus in terrestrial mammals. The majority of the NRMP efforts are focused on controlling raccoon rabies, which continues to account for most of the reported wildlife rabies cases in the U.S. 

Raccoon rabies occurs in all states east of the established ORV zone that extends from Maine to northeastern Ohio to central Alabama. Continued access to oral vaccines and bait options that are effective in all target wildlife species remains critical to long-term success.

ORV was designed to test the safety and immunogenicity (provoke an immune response in the body of a human or other animal) of the oral human adenovirus-rabies glycoprotein recombinant vaccine ONRAB (Artemis Technologies Inc., an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Ceva Sante Animale S.A., Guelph, Ontario, Canada), which has been successfully integrated into comprehensive rabies control programs that resulted in elimination of raccoon rabies from Canada.

Encouraging results from the U.S. trial in West Virginia represented a major milestone that led to expanded evaluations in 4 additional states (NH, NY, OH, and VT) in 2012-2021 and expansion into 2 new states (PA and TN) in 2022. Data from these evaluations could lead to licensing of this vaccine for broader, more aggressive management of raccoon rabies
by the NRMP and partners, with the goal of eliminating the variant of the rabies virus that cycles in raccoons.

The ONRAB bait consists of a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) blister pack, containing the vaccine. To make the baits attractive, the blister packs are coated with a sweet attractant that includes vegetable-based fats, wax, icing sugar, vegetable oil, artificial marshmallow flavor, and dark-green food-grade dye. 

Humans and pets cannot get rabies from contact with the bait. However, people who encounter baits directly are asked to leave the bait undisturbed. Should contact with bait occur, immediately rinse the contact area with warm water and soap and contact your local health department at 585-344-2580 ext. 5555 for Genesee County or 585-589-3278 for Orleans
County.

Please do not attempt to remove a bait from your dog’s mouth. The bait will not harm the dog. If you have additional questions related to the field evaluation in New York, please contact the Wildlife Services office in Rensselaer at 518-477-4837.

Press Release:

The City of Batavia Police Department announced that Batavia Downs Gaming, Upstate Niagara/O-AT-KA Milk Products and WNY Heroes have signed on as Diamond Sponsors ($2,500+) for the department’s annual Batavia Police Community Night.  

The event is in partnership with The City Church and will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 22 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at St. Anthony's, 114 Liberty St., Batavia.  Batavia Police Community Night is an annual community-building campaign that promotes strong police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make safer neighborhoods. 

Various organizations and groups once again will be participating in the annual event which will include free food, a bounce house, games for kids and more.  

There are various sponsorship opportunities at the Bronze level ($249 or less); Silver level ($250 - $499); Gold level ($500 -$2,499); and, Diamond level ($2,500+). There will be several interactive displays and booths available. The sponsorship deadline is Tuesday, August 1, 2023. 

“This event is aimed to enhance the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community,” said Batavia Police Chief Shawn Heubusch. “The support of sponsors is critical to this effort and we are extremely grateful for the generosity of various businesses across the city and region as they recognize the vital importance between law enforcement and the community we serve.” 

Gold sponsors include Chapin, Genesee County Youth Bureau, Ken Barrett Chevrolet Cadillac, Mogavero's Auto and the Tonawanda Valley Federal Credit Union. 

Silver sponsors include Batavia Teachers' Association, Batavia Original Pizzeria, GCASA, Genesee County Economic Development Center, Habitat for Humanity Genesee County, Horizons Health Services, Northside Deli, Salmon Orthodontics, Southside Deli, V.J. Gautieri Constructors, Inc., and the WNY Association of Chiefs of Police. 

Bronze sponsors include Bob Bialkowski, Batavia Composite Squadron Civil Air Patrol, Bohm-Calarco-Smith Funeral Home and Roman’s. 

For more information and for those interested in a sponsorship opportunity, should contact Batavia Police Department Detective Matthew Wojtaszczyk at 585-345-6357 or at mwojtaszczyk@batavianewyork.com.

Press Release:

The Genesee-Orleans-Wyoming Opioid Task Force, in conjunction with the National Institute of Health’s HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-Term) Initiative, will be commemorating Overdose Awareness Day next month to raise awareness of the dangers of opioids and to remember the lives of those who have succumbed to an overdose.

The annual event is scheduled for 4 - 7 p.m. on August 30 at Austin Park in Batavia.

Residents are invited to take part in the family-friendly activities – which include face painting and live music courtesy of Groove -- and enjoy free pizza and refreshments.

Narcan (naloxone) training is on the agenda and local health and human services agency representatives will be on hand to provide information on recovery resources, medications for opioid use disorder, and the benefits of staying on medication treatment for people in recovery.

Guest speakers include:

• John Bennett, chief executive officer at Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, who will provide updates on substance use treatment programs and lead a moment of silence in memory of those who have died.
• Dawn Stone, a peer advocate from Spectrum Health in Wyoming County, who will discuss the stigma surrounding substance use disorder and steps that are being taken to remove unhealthy perceptions.
• Cheryl Netter, a community “hope coach,” who will share a story of hope and healing.
• Scott Davis, a certified peer recovery advocate for the Rochester Regional Health system, who will share how medication has helped him in his recovery.
• Paul Pettit, public health director for Genesee & Orleans County Health Departments, will share local data and the initiatives that the health department and local partners are implementing to address overdoses.
• Nikki Lang of Batavia, who lost a loved one to an overdose.

Additionally, Lynda Battaglia, director of Genesee County Mental Health & Community Services, and Danielle Figura, director of Community Services at Orleans County Department of Mental Health, are expected to talk about opioid use disorder related to mental health.

Participants will be offered the opportunity to leave a note on the task force’s memory board for a deceased loved one.

Registration is recommended, but not required. To register, go to www.gowopioidtaskforce.org/events.

The Batavia Muckdogs close out the regular season at Dwyer Stadium tonight with a chance to repeat as Western Division champions on the line.

Trailing the Elmira Pioneers by mere percentage points, the Muckdogs need a win against Niagara Power after a doubleheader split on Friday against Newark.

Batavia won the first game 2-0 behind the pitching of Rijnaldo Euson and Garrett Beaver.

Euson tossed six innings of shutout ball, scattering five hits and fanning eight. Euson finishes the regular season with a record of 3-1 and an ERA of 2.48. He amassed 35 strikeouts.

Beaver picked up his second save in 12 relief appearances. He's 3-0 with a 1.22 ERA.

Lucas Lopez reached base three times, twice on a walk and once with a hit in three plate appearances.

Newark took the second game 4-2.

For Batavia, Lopez was 2 for 3 and Kyle Hetherington went 2-3 with an RBI and a run scored.

The Muckdogs are 26-16 and Elmira is 27-16.

It has taken nearly five attempts for a Take 5 oil change business to receive final blessings to move into a former T Mobile building on the west end of the city, due to special use and variance requests that agent Evan Gefell needed before proceeding with his plans.

Gefell, of Quattro Batavia LLC, agent for the proposed Take 5 oil change business at 425 West Main St., Batavia, spoke about the project during the city’s Planning and Development Committee meeting Tuesday after a preliminary meeting in May and a subsequent trip to the County Planning Board.

Fellow Quattro Development representative Peter Pavek attended in May and asked for approval to remove the existing building at the site — formerly used for the phone business — and to construct a new building with pits to do oil changes. That revision required a special use permit.

Code Enforcement Officer Doug Randall had said that per zoning, they wanted to change the number of bays, and asked if the company would be good with that, and Pavel had agreed.

Given the minimal use for a waiting area, there was also no use for so many parking spaces, and Pavek said they could reduce the parking spots and add to the green space.

“Any additional green space you can maintain, that’d be great,” committee member Ed Flynn had said.

According to company data, the sites typically get 50 vehicles per day, with variations of busiest times throughout the day — mid-morning and especially at 3 p.m. reaching peak times.

The committee gave a preliminary thumbs up, with instructions to return with a detailed site plan, which Gefell had done on Tuesday.

“So the model of this is, you stay in your car, it's a 10-minute oil change, and then you continue on. It's a little traffic generator, it doesn't require a lot of parking, it's just kind of for the staff since the user stays in their vehicle,” he said. “This allowed us to really expand the green space on site. It's increased the green space from 24 percent to 47 percent. You can see some of the trees and the buffering and landscape that we've added. You know, we're not concerned about queuing with the two bays. And I think some traffic or data was presented or provided, but peak hours, you know, it's not a significant amount of customers at one time for traffic generators.”

An average location serves 40 customers a day, he said. They don’t do ancillary services outside of oil changes, wiper blades and air filters. 

“So it’s really quick,” he said. “There’s no transmission, there’s no brakes, no anything like that. So the idea is to get in and out quickly and not have any queuing.”

The meeting included a public hearing. There was no communication submitted regarding the business, and no one signed up to speak.

The committee approved the site plan and special use permit and gave a negative declaration for the environmental review, meaning that there would be no negative impact on the environment with the business in place.

Chairman Duane Preston liked the plan, he said. 

“It’s a good plan, lots of green space,” he said. 

The committee also referred the plan to the Zoning Board of Appeals for the zoning variance as the next step in the process.