Press release:

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments have received three more COVID-19 cases. Orleans has two new cases (bringing the total to 202) and Genesee has one (bringing the total to 180).

Contact tracing has been initiated and all who have had direct contact with the individuals will be notified by Health Department staff. Two of the Orleans County individuals are community residents. Genesee County’s one individual who tested positive is a community member.

We have also received word of the death of two individuals who had tested positive for COVID-19 and residents of The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center (now for a total of 26 deaths related to COVID-19 for The Villages and a total of 29 deaths for Orleans County). Our sincere condolences to the family and friends of this individual during this very sad and difficult time.

There is currently no further information to release on ages and locations. Mapping to include the positive cases from the weekend will be updated on Tuesday afternoon due to the Memorial Day holiday.

We hope everyone had a peaceful and safe Memorial Day. We appreciate the sacrifice of those who served in the armed forces and gave their all.

We ask residents to continue social distancing, mask-wearing, and proper hygiene even in the company whom we trust the most -- like family, friends, and coworkers. We can all show people that we care and respect them by continuing these practices to keep everyone safe.

Photos from the Memorial Day service today at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument (The Upton Monument) in Batavia.

We'll have video report posted tonight or tomorrow of the Memorial Day Service at the War Memorial at St. Jerome's.

Press release:

The Committee to Elect David Krzemien for Genesee County Sheriff would like to wish everyone a Happy Memorial Day!

The last Monday in May has been deemed Memorial Day dating as far back as 1868. This day is set aside to remember and honor those military members who lost their lives serving our country. In today’s world with increased restrictions on our freedom, the ultimate sacrifice that so many made means so much more.

Men and women sacrificed their comfort, and ultimately their lives to protect and defend the rights and liberty we have in America today. It is our job to teach younger generations about the brave men and women who never made it home after defending our country.

The sacrifice made by those military men and women should be remembered and celebrated today and every day. God Bless America, we are strong and will make it through this together!

Pictures included were taken at the Our Lady of Good Counsel Cemetery. Special thanks to David Krzemien, Michelle Krzemien, Christopher Parker, Cooper Parker, Lonnie Nati, Julia Pettys, Trevor Krzemien and Emily Burow for taking the time to place flags on the graves of service members.

A dog was reported to be locked in a vehicle in the Walmart parking lot and an animal control officer responded. The owner returned to the vehicle and is now said to be arguing with the officer.

It's 84 and sunny out today.

A tractor-trailer and car collided at 10660 Main St., Alexander. The vehicle rolled over; a female passenger is crawling out of the vehicle, according to a first responder on scene. Mercy Flight is on ground standby in Batavia. Route 98 traffic is "totally blocked."

Alexander and Mercy medics are responding. Attica Fire Police are called to shut down Route 98 at Stroh Road. Also, Route 98 is being shut down at "Four Corners." A hook tow truck is called for a full-size semi on its side.

UPDATE 1:31 p.m.: A first responder says "It looks like we'll have all sign-offs, but they need to be evaluated."

UPDATE 1:34 p.m.: Mercy Flight will not be needed and is put back in service. 

Last August my longtime friend and Marine veteran of Vietnam, Jim Heatherman, wrote an article for The Batavian lamenting that he had not really gotten to know two of our Notre Dame High School Class of 1964 classmates who died in Southeast Asia.

He also expressed sadness that, as with all war casualties, the death of Thomas Welker and Daniel Bermingham caused tremendous grief to their families and prevented them from having and raising families of their own.

Jim's article inspired another of our classmates to take the impetus to try to have a plaque memorializing Tom and Dan placed in the front lobby of Notre Dame. However, Jim lives in Oklahoma and combined with the COVID-19 situation, the completion of the project has been delayed.

Last fall Jim and I got together in Batavia and located Dan Bermingham's grave in St. Joseph Cemetery on Harvester Avenue. As we paid our respects, we agreed that the next time Jim came to the area we would go to Attica where Tom was from and find his grave at St. Vincent Cemetery, too.

Even though Tom was also in the Navy, I got a Marine flag for him. Tom was a Navy Corpsman assigned to a Marine unit when he was killed. Jim had related to me that there is no one held in higher esteem by their Marine comrades than a Navy Corpsman, who are always known as “Doc." Jim had wanted to honor Tom (inset photo right) with a Marine flag, and since he couldn't be here, I wanted to carry out his wish.

As Jim was training to go to Vietnam as a Marine Lieutenant and I was was entering my senior year of college (we both went to St. John Fisher), Tom and Dan were dying within three weeks of each other in a faraway land.

In 2002 I visited the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. -- The Wall -- and found their names, and I have seen their plaques at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial of Greater Rochester in Highland Park South, Rochester.

But, was I being hypocritical for not paying attention to their grave sites until this weekend, 52 years later?

I texted Jim about that very thought and his reply was, “I think that as a teenager you spend 80 percent of your life not knowing or appreciating what is really important. Then, hopefully, as you get older you do appreciate those things and try your best to make amends. I don't think it's ever too late to do the right thing.”

So on behalf of Vietnam veteran Jim Heatherman and the Notre Dame Class of 1964, rest in peace Tom Welker and Dan Bermingham and thank you for your service.

A large unknown-type fire is reported at 57 Ellicott Ave. in the city. City fire is responding.

UPDATE 10:11 p.m.: City ladder 15 is on scene "with a small bonfire."

A house at 12 Union St., Le Roy, has reportedly filled with the odor of natural gas.

Le Roy fire on scene.

Union is closed by Stafford fire police between Wolcott and Summit streets.

Photo submitted by Dan Street from East Bethany.

Photo submitted by Lisa Ace from Batavia. Taken in Le Roy.

Photo by Josh Wallace, Le Roy.

Press release:

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments have received seven more COVID-19 cases. Orleans has six new cases (bringing the total to 200) and Genesee has one (bringing the total to 179).

Contact tracing has been initiated and all who have had direct contact with the individuals will be notified by Health Department staff. Five of the Orleans County individuals are residents of Orchard Rehabilitation and Nursing Center and one is a community member. Genesee County’s one individual who tested positive is a community member.

The health department was made aware that the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) did swab all residents and employees of The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center. Any questions regarding specific issues should be addressed to The Villages or NYSDOH.

We have also received word of the death of an individual who had tested positive for COVID-19 and was a resident of The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center (now for a total of 24 deaths related to COVID-19 for The Villages and a total of 29 deaths for Orleans County). Our sincere condolences to the family and friends of this individual during this very sad and difficult time.

There is currently no further information to release on ages and locations. Mapping to include the positive cases from the weekend will be updated on Tuesday afternoon due to the Memorial Day holiday.

We ask residents to continue social distancing, mask-wearing, and proper hygiene even in the company whom we trust the most -- like family, friends, and coworkers. We can all show people that we care and respect them by continuing these practices to keep everyone safe.

As the weather warms up, we understand it’ll be hard to stay away from family and friends, but we still have a ways to go before we can get back to normal.

A motor vehicle crashed into a pole and injuries are reported at 6378 Byron-Holley Road.

Byron and South Byron fire departments are called to the scene along with Mercy medics. Fire Police are called to set up a landing zone for Mercy Flight.

UPDATE 8:37 p.m.: RG&E is called to the scene.

UPDATE 8:42 p.m.: Mercy Flight is preparing to land behind the Byron Fire Hall.

UPDATE 8:57 p.m.: One patient is going by Mercy Flight to Strong Memorial Hospital. Another patient is going to strong via Mercy EMS.

Chris Kuehl, of East Bethany, took this photo of a pileated woodpecker.

Her husband, Chuck, who submitted the photo, said and his wife have lived at their residence for 17 years and added, "We see pileated woodpeckers all the time but this is the first time one keeps coming to our suet and boy does he go through it. We live by a very large wooded area and get a very large variety of birds. Just love living here!!"

A car and pedestrian accident is reported on West Main Street in Batavia in front of That Taco Place, 4160 W. Main St.

Town of Batavia Fire Department and Marcy medics are responding. Callers to dispatch report there are possibly children injured who are in the vehicle.

The location is between Colonial Boulevard and West Main Street.

UPDATE 12:42 p.m.: There were no pedestrians involved. This was a two-car accident. One driver appears uninjured. A female driving the other car is being transported to UMMC for evaluation. Unknown if children who were her passengers sustained any injuries.

Message from Pastor Roula Alkhouri, Batavia First Presbyterian Church.

(Editor's note: Southsider Anne Marie Starowitz reflects on life in her native City of Batavia this Memorial Day Weekend...)

Turning 70 to me has been filled with so many different memories and emotions. First, where did the time go and then the realization that I am 70. Turning a year older this year was different. First of all, we are quarantined and there is a lot of time to reminisce.

As I was going on one of my morning walks on Ross Street, I’m taken back to my early years of walking with my brothers to the Red and White Store on Ross Street pulling a wagon filled with empty pop bottles. We are trying to figure out how to split 22 cents three ways without killing each other. Back then you could pick candy from the penny candy box.

Would we go on the raft we built at the end of our street that actually floated? We thought the water the raft was on was a lake but it actually was an area that accumulated water after a long winter but was deep enough to float our homemade raft. Would we sleep out tonight and catch fireflies? Such an innocent time.

Grade school and high school were a little different ride. I compare it to a roller-coaster ride going up the first incline, the excitement of what was to come. That included walking all over Batavia, taking ballroom dancing, swimming at the New Pool, ice skating on the tennis courts in the winter and dancing on the blacktop in the summer. I can’t forget the Park Program.

I am almost to the highest point of the ride as many of us go off to college. In returning, the ride is broken down. I come back to Batavia and our Main Street is gone along with all those wonderful memories. I learned the meaning of what a wrecking ball could physically and mentally destroy. Now our country was in a war -- way over yonder in Viet Nam -- that would take the Baby Boomers into a turbulent time.

So now the roller-coaster slowly starts up another incline and many of us are married and blessed with children. Maybe we bought a new house and began a new job. Our house cost $26,000 and gas was $1.50 a gallon in the '70s.

The ride continues steadily as we sat through soccer games, dance recitals, football games and musical concerts.

We loved watching our children grow up. We all have boxes with hundreds of pictures recording that time in our lives. I wish mine were in scrapbooks.

Now our children have grown up, gone off to college, new opportunities prevail for them and we are now bystanders watching our children leave the nest. I’m still on that ride with my life going up and down.

At this time many of us are thinking of retiring and what to do with our golden years.

Approaching 70 was a time to reflect on what I have done with my life and where I am to go from here. Turning 70 and living though a pandemic makes me realize that turning 70 has been a very exciting and wonderful ride. I’m not ready to get off the roller-coaster just yet.

From GLOW YMCA:

Emergency Childcare is available for parents who are going back to work after the coronavirus lockdown. It is a safe, full-day childcare option.

Registration is now open for residents of Genesee County with children ages 4 to 12 who have at least one parent or guardian returning to work in the Phase 1 reopening of New York

The program begins Tuesday, May 26th, and runs through Friday, June 26th (camp begins the week after on June 29th).

Times /Days

Monday – Friday

7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Where

YMCA, 209 E. Main St., Batavia

Cost

Members $20/day, Non-members $40/day

To Register

Visit the Y's website at glowymca.org click on the “Emergency Childcare Information” button to download our registration packet or email Childcare Director Charitie Bruning for a registration packet:   cbruning@glowymca.org

Once you have completed the packet, please send back to Charitie Bruning at: cbruning@glowymca.org

Minimizing Risks

• Programming will operate with social cistancing & Centers for Disease Control Recommended Guidelines.
• Staff will be required to wear face masks or shields during all hours of program, students will not.
• If desired: parents are welcome to provide their children with personal protective equipment -- PPE. Parents are encouraged to send a mask for outdoor walks.
• Staff and participants will be temperature checked daily.
• Cleaning checklists and sanitization will be completed throughout the day, overnight and as needed.
• Increased handwashing will take place especially after gym, outdoor activities and when social distancing is not possible.

What to Bring

• Sneakers
• Water Bottle
• Books (optional)
• School Work/Technology

To prevent cross-contamination, parents are asked to provide the following:

• Notebook
• Pencil Box
• Writing Utensils
• Crayons/Colored Pencils/Markers
• Glue Stick or Bottle Scissors
• Breakfast/Lunch (optional since free meals are provided by Batavia City School District)

Commitment to Education

With YMCA network access to the Batavia City School District, students will have the ability to complete required school work, classroom meetings, etc. during Emergency Care.

Parents must provide the necessary technology and school work.

Please note: YMCA Staff are not school tutors and may not have specific subject expertise.

Youth Development

We are committed to implementing activities that allow safe social interactions, re-establishing routine, preventing learning loss, and fostering positive peer-to-peer interaction.

Genesee County Public Health announced this afternoon that are no new positive COVID-19 tests to report in the past 24 hours.

Anthony J. "Science" Welch, 39, of Rochester, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd, after allegedly being found in possession of crack cocaine following a traffic stop by the Local Drug Task Force.

The charge is premised on the allegation that the amount of the narcotic in Welch's possession indicates he intended to sell it.

Welch was a passenger in a car driven by Steven R. Colombo, 33, of Batavia, who was allegedly driving while his privilege was suspended.

Another passenger, Amy L. Coulson, 33, of Batavia, was also arrested and charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, and criminally using drug paraphernalia, 2nd.

Following the traffic stop, Welch and Coulson were taken to the Genesee County Jail and based on a search warrant they were searched. Welch was allegedly found in possession of crack cocaine that he tried to hide during the traffic stop. 

Welch was also charged with tampering with physical evidence, promoting prison contraband, and criminally using drug paraphernalia.  

Colombo was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation, 3rd.

Following arraignment, Welch was released under supervision of Genesee Justice and Coulson and Colombo were released on appearance tickets. 

The Task Force was assisted by Batavia PD, Corrections Officers, and the District Attorney's Office.

Press release:

• After meeting contact tracing metric, Mid-Hudson Valley will join Capital Region, Western New York, Central New York, North Country, Finger Lakes, Southern Tier and Mohawk Valley Regions, which have met the seven metrics required to begin reopening.
• If number of deaths continues to decrease and tracing is online, Long Island could reopen Wednesday, May 27th.
• State is partnering with Advantage Care Physicians to establish 15 new testing sites at medical centers Downstate.
• New York State now has more than 760 testing sites.
• Reminds New Yorkers to vote in the Wear a Mask New York Ad Contest by Monday, May 25th.
• Confirms 1,772 additional coronavirus cases in New York State -- bringing statewide total to359,926; new cases in 50 counties.

Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the Mid-Hudson Valley is on track to meet all seven metrics required to begin phase one of the state's regional phased reopening plan starting Tuesday, May 26th, joining the Capital Region, Western New York, Central New York, North Country, Finger Lakes, Southern Tier and Mohawk Valley Regions.

The Mid-Hudson Valley as now identified enough contact tracers to meet the state's guidelines, and the tracers are being trained in preparation for the Mid-Hudson Valley entering phase one, which includes construction; manufacturing and wholesale supply chain; retail for curbside pick up and drop off or in-store pick up; and agriculture, forestry and fishing.

On Long Island, the number of deaths is continuing to drop and contract tracing is coming online, and if this trend continues Long Island could be ready to open by Wednesday, May 27th. Business guidance for phase one of the state's reopening plan is available here. A guide to the state's "NY Forward Reopening" Plan is available here. The state's regional monitoring dashboard is available here.

Governor Cuomo also announced the state is partnering with Advantage Care Physicians to establish 15 new testing sites at medical centers Downstate, including testing centers in low-income and minority communities. New York State now has more than 760 testing sites across the state. The Governor also encouraged eligible New Yorkers to visit coronavirus.health.ny.gov to find a nearby testing site and get tested.

The Governor also reminded New Yorkers to vote in the state's Wear a Mask New York Ad Contest, which was launched by the Governor on May 5th and is being overseen by his daughter Mariah Kennedy Cuomo. New Yorkers can vote for the winning ad until Monday May 25th at WearAMask.ny.gov. The winning ad will be announced on Tuesday, May 26th, and that ad will be used as a public service announcement.

"The numbers are going down every day and we're making real progress to stop the spread of this virus, and now we're focusing on reopening," Governor Cuomo said. "Reopening has been different in different regions all across the state, but each region has to meet the same criteria to reopen and we are keeping New Yorkers informed with where each region stands.

"We don't want a region to reopen before its ready, and the Mid-Hudson Valley Region has now met all the criteria necessary to begin reopening on Tuesday. This has been a tough situation, but New Yorkers are tough and we've shown how tough we really are here."

June Haegele, a longtime nurse for the VA Western New York Health Care System, received the Florence Nightingale Award on May 12 at the Batavia VA Community Living Center (CLC) for her dedication to keeping local veterans healthy amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

“It's an honor to be working with the veterans at the VA,” Haegele said. “And it was quite a surprise and a very appreciated honor for the staff to actually recognize me in that way.”

The Batavia VA has reported two positive COVID-19 cases, and Genesee County has experienced more than 170 confirmed cases throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Because nursing homes and assisted living facilities have been some of the hardest hit by COVID-19, Haegele’s work to prevent disease transmission earned her this award for exceptional nurses.

Named after Florence Nightingale, founder of modern nursing, this international honor is given to medical workers who reflect Nightingale’s achievements and legacy in infection and disease treatment. May 12 marked the 200th anniversary of Nightingale’s birth and the final day of National Nurses Week 2020. Nightingale awards are intended to highlight local nurses like Haegele who positively represent the nursing profession. 

“2020 is considered the Year of the Nurse in medical communities,” said Terry McGuire, public affairs specialist for the VA Western New York Health Care System. “To honor that, they [the Batavia VA] came up with this particular award. June was recognized for helping out with controlling infection, especially during this COVID crisis that we find ourselves in.”

Haegele was named the first recipient of the Batavia CLC Florence Nightingale Award, which is a new recognition at the Batavia VA that is modeled after the worldwide Nightingale honor. The Batavia CLC Florence Nightingale Award is expected to be given annually to local nursing professionals.

Surrounded by nurse managers during the nursing supervisor’s morning report, Haegele was presented with a certificate of appreciation and a lamp, which is symbolic of how Nightingale was the “Lady with the Lamp” while taking care of her patients in the 1850s.

“They just told me to come down to the morning meeting, and they surprised me with an award because I've been actually working very hard lately,” Haegele said. “The staff have been very supportive, and we've been working great as a team getting through what we're currently going through.” 

Haegele, who is a lifelong Batavia resident and graduate of Batavia High School, has served at the Batavia VA Medical Center for more than three decades. With the support of VA scholarships, she earned higher-education nursing degrees at Genesee Community College and Keuka College.

Haegele specializes in occupational health and infection prevention. She has recently been making rounds at the Batavia CLC on an hourly basis researching, mentoring and presenting policy and procedures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“In the beginning, especially, things were changing hour by hour, day by day,” Haegele said. “You had to constantly be researching for any changes so you could keep everyone aware of the current recommendations. And I spent a lot of time educating and supporting the staff and ensuring that we were doing the right thing based on what they [the CDC] were recommending.”

The rapidly changing conditions of the public health crisis have meant that Haegel spends an extensive amount of time adapting safe infection control practices to ensure local VA residents and staff are isolated from the disease. According to a VA newsletter about the award, Haegele has contributed to the zero mortality rate at the Batavia facility.

“The nurses are responding with a united front in that residents are safe and provided a continuation of outstanding nursing care and using maximum safeguards for infection prevention,” said Evange Conley, public affairs officer for the VA Western New York Health Care System, via email.

Haegele said that she is passionate about working with veterans and that it was meaningful to her to be the first recipient of the Batavia CLC Florence Nightingale Award. She said she thinks the award is beneficial for staff members at the Batavia VA because it boosts morale and acknowledges their perseverance amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I don't think any of us ever expected something like this to happen,” Haegele said. “It's been difficult to deal with this, but, on a very positive side, I just see a lot of great teamwork and collaboration. And it's stressful, but people are supporting each other. So it's really brought us together to do a good job based on the challenge that we're facing right now.”

Photo at top: June Haegele, left, received the first Batavia Community Living Center Florence Nightingale Award from Associate Chief Nurse Kathleen Padlick, right, on May 12 at the Batavia VA. Haegele earned the award for her hard work during the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo credit: June Haegele)