Batavia Downs started a trend in harness racing in New York in 1989 by creating a passing lane, which seemed like the right move at the time to give horses behind the leader a better chance to move into position.

But times change. Over the years, the passing lane came to give favorites an advantage so after Yonkers removed its passing lane and races suddenly became more competitive, Batavia Downs, for the 2018 season, decided the passing lane was, indeed, passé.

"Taking out the passing lane affects the race because there’s more movement in the race," said Todd Haight, GM of live racing for Batavia Downs. "Instead of horses staying at the rail and closing up the inside and never moving, the passing lane being gone, they have to move to the outside at some point, so you’re seeing more flow."

That makes for more exciting racing, Height said.

"You heard the track announcer few times tonight say three in, four out," Haight said. "Those are things he never said because very few horses ever left the rail because they were just lined up along the inside. Now they can’t do that."

Yonkers was the first track in New York to remove the passing lane and it's reduced the times the favorite wins the race by 9 percent.

That reduction increases the odds for race fans to place money-winning wagers.

A lot has changed at Batavia Downs, Haight said, since he first came to the track in the 1970s. Back then, Batavia Downs was just harness racing. There are now multiple restaurants, the sports bar Rush 34, video terminal gaming, and a hotel.

"This is a destination now," Haight said. "We are now a designation and you can see by the size of our crowd tonight on a Wednesday, I can guarantee you there were more people in our clubhouse tonight than in any track in the country. I can guarantee that. People are responding and that’s why we’re doing so well right now."

More changes are planned, including opening up 34 Rush to the track side of the main building.

The 11th race Wednesday night also had a touch of nostalgia. By the time the 11th race rolled around, the regular starters truck had developed a mechanical issue, so the track put into service the sedan it used in the 1980s. It was the same sedan that paced the legendary harness racing horse Niatross, with trainer and driver ‎Clint Galbraith.

"Many people think to this day, Niatross is the greatest harness horse of all time," Haight said. "Niatross set world record after world record."

Top photo: Step Beyond, winner of the 11th race on Wednesday. All photos are from the 11th race.

Video of Niatross racing at Batavia Downs, Sept. 6, 1980.

An Oakfield woman was seriously injured late Thursday night on Route 5 in Pembroke when her Ford sedan collided with a semi-truck hauling Perry's Ice Cream.

Megan King was transported to ECMC by Mercy Flight following a lengthy extrication from her white 2015 Ford Fusion. 

The cause of the accident is still under investigation.

King's Fusion was eastbound and the tractor-trailer, driven by Robin L. Alexander, of Buffalo, was westbound. Physical evidence at the scene indicates the truck and car collided in the eastbound lane.

Alexander reportedly told deputies he swerved into the eastbound lane in an attempt to avoid a crash. The force of the collision forced King's car backward and Alexander's truck traveled off the south shoulder and up an embankment.

Alcohol does not appear to be a factor, according to the Sheriff's Office.

The accident was reported at 9:40 p.m. in the area of 2040 Main Road.

Members of the Crash Management Team responded to the accident scene. The accident investigation is being handled by Chief Deputy Joseph Graff, Sgt. Andrew Hale, Investigator Chad Minuto, Deputy Travis DeMuth, Deputy Eric Meyer, and Deputy Joshua Brabon. Assisting at the scene were volunteer fire departments from East Pembroke, Pembroke, Alabama, Indian Falls, Oakfield, and the Town of Batavia, along with Mercy EMS and the NYS Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit.

(Initial Report)

The Muckdogs were just an out away from a second consecutive 5-4 win over the Staten Island Yankees on Thursday afternoon and they let the game slip away.

Batavia lost 6-5.

Evan Estes gave up two runs in the bottom of the ninth to record the loss and drop his record to 0-2. It was his first blown save of the season.

The Muckdogs supplied hometown fans with plenty of offense, collecting a total of 10 hits. Brayan Hernandez, Demetrius Sims, Sean Reynolds, Denis Karas all had two hits. For times, one of those hits was a round-tripper and Hernandez scored three runs. Both Sims and Reynolds had two RBIs.

The Muckdogs now go on the road for six games, returning home Aug. 2 to take on Mahoning Valley.

An ambulance is requested to the New York State Police Barracks on West Saile Drive, Batavia, to evaluate a 15-year-old who jumped off a train.

The youth reportedly suffered minor injuries.

A two-vehicle accident -- possibly between a semi-truck and car -- is reported at 2033 Main Road in Corfu. Unknown injuries. Mercy Flight is put on standby. The location is between Cleveland and Indian Falls roads.

Pembroke and Indian Falls fire departments are responding, along with Mercy medics.

UPDATE 12:15 a.m. (By Howard): The patient, the driver of the sedan, was transported to ECMC by Mercy Flight for treatment of injuries, including a broken leg, and evaluation of possible internal injuries. The Sheriff's Office Crash Management Team is conducting an investigation into the accident. There is little that is known about it so far. The Perry's truck was westbound and the sedan was eastbound. A gouge in the roadway indicates the collision occurred in the eastbound lane. The truck driver, who was not injured, told deputies he swerved left to try and avoid the sedan. 

UPDATE 2:04 a.m.: Route 5 is open. All responding fire units back in service.

Deputies are cramming a lot of police training into one week for the first Teen Academy hosted at Byron-Bergen High School by the Sheriff's Office.

In this one week, said Deputy Matthew Butler, the 14 students enrolled are covering the same material a cadet at a standard police academy must grasp in five-and-a-half months.

"I don’t want any student to come away and say 'that was nothing, it wasn’t tough,' or 'it was too easy, I didn’t get anything out of it,' " Butler said. "That’s why we’re trying to throw a lot of stuff at them so they get the most from the experience and see what it’s really like."

Each day, at 8 a.m., starts with physical training or PT, and students take turns leading PT. Police officers all need to have leadership skills and be able to communicate effectively and PT and marching in formation are a chance to practice.

Instruction from there includes classroom lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on practice.

Deputy Chris Erion has been out with K-9 "Destro"; Sgt. Jason Saile presented a crash management demonstration; there are tours of the jail and communications; and a chance to see how the scuba team and Emergency Response Team work.

Instruction includes defensive tactics, penal law, vehicle and traffic law, and crime scene investigation and evidence recovery.

Patricia Reeves led a DWI victim impact panel.

There is homework every night and a test tomorrow followed by graduation at 1 p.m.

“We’re giving them a real taste of what it’s like to be a police officer and what you have to go through in the academy to become a police officer," Butler said.

The Teen Academy was pitched to Sheriff William Sheron by Butler, who is the school resource officer at Byron-Bergen, after he had seen something similiar in Monroe County. This is the first teen academy in Genesee County.

The training is no-nonsense. Tuesday, during traffic stop training followed by felony stop training, deputies Ryan DeLong, Andrew Mullen, and Chad Cummings were quick to stop, correct, and lecture in a tone that didn't permit embarrassment but understood that is a lot to master even in a simple traffic stop.

Proper procedures, situational awareness, emotional intelligence, and observation are all critical in a traffic stop, which is both the most routine task in law enforcement and the one daily task most fraught with risk, both to officers and civilians. A good officer never grows complacent.

DeLong, Mullen, and Cummings demanded the attention of the students, and attention to detail, from how they approached the car, to where they stood while talking with the driver, which hand they used to grab and hold paperwork, and how they safely walked back to the patrol vehicle.

With the basics understood, the students who role-played as drivers and passengers could improvise their responses to the cadets, from denying wrongdoing to revealing they were licensed handgun permit holders and were carrying a weapon. Responses were critiqued and corrected.

On two consecutive "stops," the "deputy" didn't notice the passenger holding a handgun in his lap.

Mullen emphasized, when approaching a vehicle, you've got to see everything going on inside the vehicle. The weapon could easily be viewed even before an officer would reach the driver-side door. At that point, Mullen said, you fall back and radio for backup.

DeLong, Mullen, and Cummings then simulated a felony traffic stop, with Cummings assuming the role of the criminal suspect, and then the students took their turns at practicing the procedure.

Many of the students participating do anticipate a career in law enforcement, so that's why they signed up for the academy.

"I really want to go into law enforcement," said Morgan Rhodes, a senior at Notre Dame HS. "It interests me a lot. I’ve always wanted to do it and this is really helping me figure it out."

She's interested in solving mysteries, she said, "making it right" after a crime has been committed, and ensuring people follow the law.

She thinks she will start her law enforcement career in the military but hopes to become a deputy some day.

Devyn Reigle, who has been taking Criminal Justice courses at BOCES, is also considering starting his law enforcement career in the military. The academy, he said, was a chance to get a more hands-on grasp than his college class on what being a cop is all about.

"I've learned a lot more," Reigle said. "I've learned what to be aware of, that it's a lot more serious than you think, and to keep your eyes focused on everything."

Top photo: Deputy Chad Cummings in the role of suspect during a felony stop demonstration.

Deputy Andrew Mullen with simulated pistol drawn while conducting a felony stop demonstration.

Deputy Ryan DeLong during the felony stop demonstration.

Deputy Ryan DeLong cuffing Deputy Chad Cummings.

Gianni Vallese, a Byron-Bergen student, practicing a felony stop.

Devyn Reigle taking Deputy Chad Cummings into custody.

Deputy Ryan DeLong providing instructions on procedures for a traffic stop.

Gianni Vallese conducting a traffic stop while Deputy Ryan DeLong observes.

Devyn Reigle accepting paperwork from a driver during a practice traffic stop.

Morgan Rhodes conducting a traffic stop.

The inaugural class and some of the instructors of the Sheriff's Teen Academy at Byron-Bergen High School.

After the jump, more pictures of training submitted by Deputy Deb Snyder and Deputy Chad Cummings.

The Batavia Muckdogs snapped a four-game skid Wednesday night against the Staten Island Yankees with a 5-4 win.

Michael Donadio had three hits for the home team, scored a run and drove in a run. Denis Karas had two hits and scored to runs. The winning pitcher was the second one into the game, Peyton Culbertson, who entered the game with a 3-2 lead and scattered five hits over three innings without giving up a run. He's now 1-1 with a 1.73 ERA. C.J. Carter, who alternates a 3/4 release with a sidearm delivery, picked up his first save, pitching an inning and a third, striking out three without allowing a base runner.

Top photo: Umpire Matt Whipple jumps to avoid an errant throw by catcher Pablo Garcia, who scrambled to recover a wild pitch by Elkin Alcala, seen jumping to avoid a sliding score by Yankees Jesus Bastidas in the top of the eighth inning. Next to photos, Sean Reynolds with a stolen base in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Elkin Alcala.

Pablo Garcia attempts a sacrifice bunt in the bottom of the seventh. The ball rolled foul, well down the third-base line. He would later single to left in the at-bat.

C.J. Carter with his sidearm delivery.

A fire in a detached garage at 6943 Knowlesville Road has now apparently caused the house to catch on fire.

Alabama fire dispatched along with Oakfield, East Pembroke, Pembroke, Elba and the City of Batavia's Fast Team.

UPDATE(S) (By Billie) 9:46 a.m.: Multiple explosions are heard. Indian Falls is standing by in their quarters. The city's second platoon is called its fire hall.

UPDATE 9:51 a.m.: National Grid and a code enforcement officer are called to the scene.

UPDATE 10:03 a.m.: National Grid has about a 10-minute ETA. Command asks that Salvation Army be contacted.

UPDATE 11:02 a.m.: The man who owns the house told Alabama Fire Chief Bill Schutt that he had been in his garage trying to repair his lawnmower and had stopped briefly to go elsewhere on the property to talk to a neighbor. Both people heard a loud pop then saw flames coming from the garage. The homeowner grabbed a garden hose in an attempt to keep the fire contained. Firefighters arrived quickly and were able to take advantage of new water lines and fire hydrants installed in the hamlet just last month, Schutt said. The garage burned down and the back of the house is heavily singed. The house next door has melted siding on a rear corner due to heat exposure. The fire is out. Firefighters are overhauling now.

The great thing about the Stumblin' Inn is that owners Steve and Jim Goff give every musician who walked through the door and had the courage to ask for a spot on the stage a chance to perform.

They did it for Dylan Desmit when he was first starting his music career.

"The first time we were here, my keyboard player put my amp through the window," Desmit said. "I was mortified. I thought for sure we would never play here again but Jim just kind of laughed it off. We’ve been playing here ever since and it just felt like a second home."

Desmit lost count of how many times he played the Stumblin', whether with one of his bands for an acoustic open mic night.

So many musicians have benefited from the largess of the Goffs that many of them are coming together for one more Thursday open mic nite in Elba where they will play music and pass the hat to raise money to assist Steve and Jim, who lost not just their business but their homes in a fire July 8.

Desmit and Paul Draper (who had last-minute work commitments that kept him from participating in the photo above) organized the event for tonight, starting at 8 p.m. in front of Chap's Elba Diner, and Desmit said the outpouring of musicians wanting to help Steve and Jim has been substantial.

The Stumblin' Inn was the place in the area for local musicians to congregate and get a chance to be heard and those musicians want to repay the favor.

"I saw someone compared it to the Penny Arcade in Rochester and that’s pretty much, yeah, every local band, ever, played here," Desmit said. "There’s so many musicians, and judging by the reaction on Facebook for the benefit, there are so many people devastated by losing it."

Downstairs is open and great for entertaining but very homey. Some hardwood floors and gorgeous unpainted woodwork really give this home charm. Upstairs bedrooms are all large with closets and attic is already partially finished and with a little paint could be amazing extra living/play space!

Mechanically sound with nothing urgent to tackle but what you want to do! Enjoy the front porch, that has the forever Trexx decking to enjoy the neighborhood or have your morning coffee on the back deck to enjoy the peacefulness of the cute back yard – either way come check out a really nice home!

Call Lynn Bezon at Reliant Real Estate today 344-HOME for more information or click here to view the complete listing.

He's a grownup and is neutered.

His mien is happy and energetic.

He gets along good with other dogs.

Walking with the Volunteers for Animals at the Genesee County Animal Shelter is most enjoyable for him.

Someone took it upon themselves to name this dog Cheeto. That would be the singular form of the Frito-Lay snack food, Cheetos (formerly, until 1998, Chee-tos).

Charles Elmer Doolin (not just another pretty name) created Crunchy Cheetos in a Texas test kitchen in 1948. Today, there are 21 different Crunchy types; in Japan, they like strawberry-flavored ones. I kid you not.

This reporter is betting that Cheeto has had a taste or two of the savory snack in his day, not that any veterinarian would recommend it. Would go so far as to say he deserves another bite -- from the hand of a forever friend no less.

Also at the shelter, the feline wing of it, is an orange tiger domestic shorthair cat whose constitution is quiet and sweet. This gingery cutie is a spayed adult female.

Sitting with you and getting her tummy rubbed are her preferred pastimes.

Her name? Well, we can't make this stuff up. (Fiction so bad, nobody would buy it, or believe it.) It is Cheese Puff.

Yes, you read correctly, Cheese Puff is hankering for a home in Genesee County just like her doggie comrade Cheeto.

Cheetos Puffs were introduced in 1971; Baked Cheetos, inarguably a healthier choice, came along in 2010.

Cheese Puff, as you can see in the inset photo at right, is lightly colored.

She obviously was not the muse for the screaming bright Flamin' Hot Cheetos that have sent many people to the ER with gastrointestinal distress -- because excessive consumption, with the emphasis on excessive, will b-u-r-n your guts, folks.

But I digress. I usually do in these posts. Get off into the weeds somewhere and have to slog back to the matter at hand.

Which reminds me. If you can't adopt one of these amicable amigos, you can AT LEAST help support some of their needs while they await new homes.

Which brings me to Hogs for Paws, the annual fundraiser at Stan's Harley-Davidson in Batavia that benefits the critters at the Genesee County Animal Shelter.

This year's event, staunchly sponsored as always by Stan's and the Volunteers for Animals, will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 11. Stan's is located at 4425 W. Saile Drive.

Anyone and everyone are welcome.

There will be pet ID tags for purchase; food from Care-A-Van Ministries; plus a variety of vendors; T-shirt sale; 50/50 raffles and much more.

All monetary donations go toward the cost of spaying and neutering animals prior to adoption -- so important!

Please bring an item from the volunteers' Wish List. Always good choices are: canned and dry cat and dog food; small blankets and pet beds; bleach; laundry detergent; paper towels; NON-CLUMPING (plain) cat litter.

No one will be held responsible for Frito-Lay products left unattended.

UPDATE 6:32 p.m.: Full disclosure: Original Crunchy Cheetos are the reporter's most favored snack item, for reals.

A two-car accident is reported on Route 20 at Colby Road, Darien.

A caller reports two females out of the vehicle and lying on the ground.

Another person may be trapped in a vehicle.

There are potentially four patients.

No word yet on how serious the injuries might be.

Darien fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 5:06 p.m.: All four patients out of the vehicles. Three will be taken by Darien ambulance to ECMC for evaluation. The fourth will be evaluated by Mercy EMS and may be transported to UMMC.

A 47-year-old Batavia man with many local family members has been identified by Batavia PD as the victim of a homicide last night at 111 Liberty St.

Raymond Lee Morgan died in his room last night after police and medics were dispatched because of a reported fight.

The suspect apparently fled on foot after jumping from a small second-story window. Police have not released a description of the suspect and he is apparently not yet in custody. 

In a release, Batavia PD said Morgan was well known to local officers. He had a criminal history and was on parole.

He was released from State Prison in November after serving a year on a criminal possession of a controlled substance, 5th, charge. He also served time from 1999 to 2002 on a grand larceny conviction.

But to his friends and family members gathered across the street from 111 Liberty St. this afternoon, he was a father, son, uncle and brother.

Victor Thomas, who said he grew up with Morgan as his uncle but called him his brother by the time he was an adult, said Thomas loved the Yankees and he loved cars.

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"He was big into cars and any car he had, it was going to have a system in it," Thomas said. "He loved to hear it bang. He loved to let people know he was coming before he was there."

Thomas got a little choked up talking about Morgan. He recalled that Morgan was always there when he was a kid to help him and his family.

"He had a big heart," Thomas said. "From the time I was knee high, he made sure I went back to school with nice clothes. If my mother and father couldn't do it, he was there to get me things I needed to be just OK."

He saw Morgan as bigger than life.

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"Ray was a dude that lived his life with an open heart," Thomas said. "He had so many friends. He had so many people who wanted to be around him. I mean, he was a character. He was one of a kind. You can ask anybody that. He was one of a kind. There is nobody else walking this earth who was like that dude."

Family members in the parking lot across from the rooming house were agitated while police officers and parole officers were inside the multi-unit building trying to untangle their complaints and deal with a couple of suspected parole violators.

One of them, family members said, had spread false rumors on Facebook that Morgan was the killer and he also apparently entered the room where Morgan died after police cleared the scene and took photos of the blood-soaked scene and posted them on Facebook.  

Taken into custody today was Michael Elmore. Family members shared with The Batavian posts with Elmore's name on them where Elmore said Morgan was killer and they accused Morgan of taking and posting the bloody pictures. 

Police Chief Shawn Heubusch explained this afternoon that once investigators finish processing a crime scene, the property is turned over to its owner and the owner from that point is responsible for securing the scene.

A source family with police procedures explained further that by law, police can't remain in custody of a scene once processing is completed without a warrant.

It was unfortunate, Heubusch said, that before the landlord could secure the scene, another resident of the boarding house went in and took pictures of the pools and splatters of blood in the room and posted them on social media.

"It doesn't help our investigation at all," Heubusch said. "It compromises our investigation."

He said he understands seeing those pictures online was very upsetting to family members.

"It's a shame there is no social norm anymore where people won't publish that on social media," Heubusch said. "It's absolutely ridiculous."

Ryan Macdonald is the property owner. He said he was notified at 6 a.m. by Batavia PD that he needed to secure the crime scene. He said when he arrived there was no door into Morgan's room and the window had been removed. Both were taken by investigators as evidence.

Removing Morgan's personal effects wasn't easy, Macdonald said, but that everything that could be returned to them was returned (at the scene this afternoon there were accusations that items were missing and that Morgan's laptop was found in the room of one of the parolees arrested, but Batavia PD could not confirm that information).

"I hate to say this but everything else in that room was covered in blood," Macdonald said. "Everything that was a health hazard, we had to clean or throw out. We had to throw out the bed. I own the bed but we had to throw out the bed. The sister wanted to go into the room but we had to bleach everything and clean everything. I spoke with a hazmat company and they came out and looked at the room and saw the work we did and they said we did what we were supposed to do."

At the start of the interview, Macdonald expressed his condolences for the family. 

"It's unfortunate that someone has died," Macdonald said. "My heart goes out to all of the family. They have lost a son, a child, a father, a brother."

It's days like today that being a landlord is especially difficult, he said.

"We all make choices and I chose to be a landlord but on days like this, I hate being a landlord because no matter what I do people will be mad at me," Macdonald said. "But I believe people can change. I believe people can become better. And that's why we rent to parolees."

Michael Elmore being taken into custody for an alleged parole violation.

The Muckdogs could manage only three hits and one run Tuesday night to open a three-game series against the Staten Island Yankees.

The home team lost 7-1 with Alberto Guerrero (2-2, 2.72 era), who gave up four runs, two earned, in the first four frames, taking the loss.

Batavia will try again against the Yankees farm team at 7:05 tonight and they'll wrap up the series tomorrow at 11:05 a.m.

At 1:11 p.m. today the National Weather Service in Buffalo issued a hazardous weather outlook for portions of Western New York, including Genesee County.

This afternoon and tonight, there will be a low probability of widespread hazardous weather. Starting late Thursday, scattered thunderstorms will approach, with a few capable of producing isolated damaging wind gusts and locally heavy rainfall.

The hazardous weather outlook continues through Tuesday.

CANCELLED: The Genesee County Women's Republican Club will hold its Lucky Numbers Fundraiser on Thursday, Aug. 16, at T.F. Brown's restaurant in Downtown Batavia. It is located at 412 E. Main St.

The public is invited to this basket raffle fundraiser, which begins at 5:30 p.m.

Cost is $30 per person. There will be hors d'oeuvres. Please RSVP by Aug. 8.

Corporate sponsorships are available for $500. This includes 10 tickets, a speaker, event signage, and press materials.

Please consider donating a basket; donations accepted in advance.

To donate a basket or to inquire about a corporate sponsorship, contact:

• Trisha Werth:  twerth74@hotmail.com  or  (716) 560-0843
• Melissa Haacke:  mhaacke5@gmail.com  or   314-4501
• Michele Smith:  msmith1548@frontiernet.net  or   329-7967