elba

Press release:

The Elba Hall of Fame Foundation is very excited to induct our newest members on Saturday, Jan. 20, at dinner at Batavia Downs. They are: Earl Roth - '62; Charlie O’Geen, teacher in the Elba School District for 32 years and longtime coach; and Nicholas Conley -- '01.

A weeklong celebration of Elba Lancers is being held this entire week for students and staff. Students will be having dress-up days to show their Elba Lancer school spirit with a school-wide pep assembly on Friday. Mr. Roth, Mr. O'Geen and Mr. Conley will all be at the school on Friday for a luncheon with some student followed by a tour of the school.

The Hall of Fame Foundation inductees will also take part in the pep assembly, too, by sharing with students how the Elba School District made a difference in their lives. 

Friday afternoon the Elba Lancers will welcome the Byron-Bergen Boys Basketball teams to their gym. Games start at 5:30. The new inductees will also be in attendance at the games and introduced to fans. There will be a quick halftime game between Elba alumni and the current Elba staff.

The Hall of Fame Foundation, along with the Elba Student councils, BEST and Elba Sports Boosters have all come together to make this a true weeklong event of celebrating our Elba Lancers' success both past and present. The community is welcome to join us at the game on Friday night as well to celebrate.

Roth is a self employed CPA and has served as Elba's Town Supervisor, Town Councilman, Town Justice, Board of Education Member and is an active member of the Elba Historial Society and Our Lady of Fatima church. Roth was nominated by his son Alan for the Elba Hall of Fame Foundation.

O’Geen is an honorary member for contributing to the Elba School District as a teacher for 32 year and best known as a coach in both football and softball, winning several sectional titles and a State Championship in softball twice. O'Geen was nominated by Mike Cintorino for the Elba Hall of Fame Foundation.

Conley currently works for the State Department as a Senior Intelligence Analyst for the Bureau of Diplomatic Security Headquarters for the Department of State where he specializes in Iraq, Syria and other Middle East countries. Conley was nominated by his aunt Paulette Bird for the Elba Hall of Fame Foundation.

Earl Roth

Charlie O’Geen

Nicholas Conley

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A skid loader fire is reported at 5263 Bridge Road, Elba.

The skid loader was in a barn but has been pushed out. The caller believes the barn is OK.

Elba fire responding.

UPDATE 12:54 a.m.: A chief on scene reports the skid loader is fully involved and confirms it is out of the barn.

UPDATE 12:57 a.m.:  Now there are no flames; a chief reports, “The fire looks to be pretty snuffed out at this time.” Responding units can come nonemergency and are aduvised to use caution on the snow-covered roads.

A barn with both doors open on Transit Road, potentially endangering the lives of animals corraled inside, prompted a call to dispatch. "This caller is concerned about the welfare of the animals due to the cold weather."

The location is reportedly a half mile north of Route 262, which is on the border between Elba and Byron. An animal control officer is heading there now to check their welfare. 

From The Batavian's news partner, 13WHAM

A 64-year-old Elba resident died yesterday following a traffic accident on the Thruway at mile marker 417.2, in Depew, when he was unable to stop in time to avoid rear-ending a tractor-trailer that stopped quickly to avoid another collision.

Edward Torres was transported by ground ambulance following the accident at 1:54 p.m. to Erie County Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

State Police say Torres was eastbound behind a tractor-trailer that was also eastbound. There was an accident ahead of the truck and the truck came to an abrupt stop. Torres was unable to stop in time to avoid a crash.

There were other people injured and one person remains in serious condition.

The accident remains under investigation.

A skidster is reportedly on fire inside a barn at 7116 Norton Road, Elba. The barn is 75 feet from a house. Elba Fire Department is responding along with Byron. Stafford is requested to stand by in quarters. The location is between Ford and Edgerton roads.

UPDATE 5:08 p.m.: Fire police are requested to shut down traffic at Route 262 and Edgerton Road. Command at the scene tells responders to "take it easy coming in," due to road conditions.

UPDATE 5:23 p.m.: City Engine 11 and Town of Batavia Engine 24 are on scene, too. This is now a working barn fire.

UPDATE 5:28 p.m.: Fire police also requested for traffic control at the intersection of Edgerton and Norton roads, and at Batavia Elba Townline Road and Norton Road.

UPDATE 6:15 p.m.: This occurred at barns owned by Torrey Farms. The fire did not cause structural damage to the barn. Some hay spread through the barn did catch on fire. But there were 120 cows inside and all of them were unharmed and safely evacuated. Cow trailers are being deployed to shuttle the cows to CY Farms' Heifer Farm, where they will be kept temporarily. It is estimated that it will take about 10 trips to transport the cows for safekeeping.

UPDATE 6:24  p.m.: Elba Fire Chief Mike Heale said the skidster fire sparked some hay but there's no significant structural damage to the barn; some top beams may be singed in places -- a later inspection can confirm that. Heale said there was no extension of the blaze.

UPDATE 6:57 p.m.: Town of Batavia back in service, returning.

UPDATE 7:05 p.m.: Elba back in service. Roads reopened.

UPDATE 7:27 p.m.: Correction, the road is still closed. It is closed until the cows have been moved so the trucks can more safely back in. There is at least one more round trip for the trucks.

Notre Dame and Batavia will meet in the finals of The Peter Arras GCC Basketball Tournament at Genesee Community College on Friday after both teams won opening round games of the annual tournament organized by the Batavia Lions Club.

Notre Dame beat Elba 77-66 and Batavia beat Albion 84-58.

In the first game, Notre Dame and Elba traded leads throughout the first three quarters, but the Irish pulled away by scoring 30 points in the fourth quarter even as Elba scored 24.  

Ryan Moffat scored 26 points for the Irish, hitting five three-point buckets. Nico Zambito scored 17 points. Spencer Miskiti and Brendin Klotzbach each scored eight.

For Elba, Jonathan Boyce scored 20, Collin O'Halloran scored 16, Colton Dillon, 14, and Ben Pflaumer, 13.

In the nightcap, Mason McFollins scored 31 points, hitting seven three-pointers, while Ray Mlodozeniec scored 13, Trevor Zewan, 12, and Jonathan Liciaga, 8.

For Albion, Liam Ward scored 20, hitting four three-point shots and Bryce Pritchard scored 17, hitting five three-point shots.

Elba and Albion will play the consolation game at 6:30 p.m. Friday, and Batavia and Notre Dame tip off at 8 p.m. Both games are played at GCC.

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The layout is spacious and open with cathedral ceilings and the bedrooms are large with huge closets -- the master bedroom suite is every girl's dream! Master bedroom, bath, and laundry hookups all on main floor for no stairs convenience.

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Why build when you can buy this beautiful home at almost half the cost! Call Lynn Bezon at Reliant Real Estate today for more information or click here to view this listing.

Kevin Dart would like to announce that Bingo at the Elba Fire Rec Hall is canceled tonight. 

STORY UPDATED AT 5:32 p.m.

A semi-truck hauling potatoes and a passenger vehicle collided at about 1:15 p.m. today at the intersection of Lockport Road and Route 98 in Elba and as a result of the accident two people died.

The victims are Franca C. Monachino, 45, of Hilton, and Jerry E. Tuttle, 29, of Kingley, Pa.

State Police investigators believe Monachnio was driving a 2013 Honda Civic westbound on Lockport Road and failed to yield at the intersection of Route 98. Tuttle, in a 2004 Peterbilt hauling potatoes, was northbound.  

Both vehicles went off the west shoulder of Route 98 and became entangled in high-voltage electrical lines. Firefighters were unable to check on the victims until National Grid arrived on the scene, about 30 minutes after the accident, and shut off power to the lines.

The operators were deceased at the scene and there were no other victims.

Troopers were assisted by Elba fire, Mercy EMS, Sheriff's Office, National Grid, Genesee County coroner, NYSP Commercial Enforcement Unit, NYSP Collision Reconstruction Unit and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

The investigation is continuing.

A tractor-trailer rollover accident with possible multiple vehicles involved is reported on Route 98 and Lockport Road in Elba.

The roadway is closed.

One possible injury.

Power lines may be down.

UPDATE(S) (By Billie) 1:56 p.m.: Route 98 is closed at Old Oak Orchard Road and Lockport Road is closed in both directions. There is a semi-truck and a passenger vehicle involved and they are entangled in power lines. The roadways will be closed for an extended period of time.

Fans of the Notre Dame, Elba rivalry got their money's worth Friday night as the boys' basketball teams battled into overtime Friday night before the Fighting Irish came out on top 74-72.

The Lancers went into the final 15 seconds of regulation with a four-point lead but a three-point bucket by Andrew Moore (top photo) narrowed the lead to one. Elba failed to score on its possession and the Irish got the ball back with a little more than five seconds on the clock. Notre Dame's Gabe Macdonald was fouled as he drove in the lane toward the basket as time expired. He was also injured, so Zachary Cocking was called on to shoot his free throws. Cocking made the first to tie the score but missed the second (second from bottom photo) to send the game into overtime.

"They showed they have a lot of heart," said Head Coach Mike Rapone after the game. "They have a lot of courage. They didn’t give up. We not only played without (Ryan) Moffett (due to injury), but Nico (Zambito) had fouled out so the kids just circled the wagons and just keep battling. They hit some big shots and they never gave up."

Zambito was the game's top scorer with 26 points. He hit six three-pointers. Spencer Misiti had 14 points, with four three-pointers. Keith Szczepanski, Notre Dame's 6'7", 305-pound sophomore forward, scored 13 points, including four points in overtime.

For Elba, Colton Dillon scored 23 points. He hit five shots outside the arch. Collin O'Halloran scored 15, including a pair of threes. Grayson Huntington scored 11, including two threes. Jonathan Boyce added 10 points.

CY Farms was named Business of the Year for Genesee County by the GLOW Workforce Development Board at a breakfast this morning at Terry Hills.

The Elba-based company was honored by for its contributions to agriculture, the local business community and employee development. 

Founded in 1951 by Carl Yunker, the farm has grown from 25 cows and a tractor to more than 6,000 acres of crops, 3,800 dairy replacement cattle, and Batavia Turf. CY Farms supports numerous community activities and has hosted job development tours and education programs. The company was also honored because one of its employees is a man with disabilities that the Yunkers worked with to help tailor a job to suit his needs.

"The man is now able to support his family," said Veronica Frost during the presentation of the award to CEO Craig Yunker.

Christi Lotempio was named Participant of the Year for Genesee County. Frost also presented this award.

Lotempio was laid off by Muller Quaker and when she entered the job bureau she had no college education experience.

She enrolled at Genesee Community College and completed a two-year degree in 18 months with a major in Business. She also studied Accounting. She graduated with a 3.94 GPA despite big changes in her life -- being forced to move because the home she was renting got sold; her uncle died; she was in a car wreck; and she got married.

Now she's employed at Genesee Lumber.

Lisa Smith presented Samantha Strumph with the Youth Recognition Award. Smith described Samantha as quiet and shy when she first entered the Job Bureau in Batavia. Now, she said, she's bursting with confidence after working at the Byron-Bergen Library.