A motor vehicle accident with injuries is reported at Richmond Avenue and North Lyon Street in the City of Batavia.

City Fire and Mercy EMS responding.

A Binghamton resident with prior felony arrests is accused of stealing two pickup trucks and a tractor in Darien three days ago.

All of the vehicles were recovered.

Larry L. Keene, 52, is charged with:

• Attempted burglary in the second degree, a Class D felony;
• Burglary in the third degree, a Class D felony;
• Grand larceny in the third degree, a Class D felony;
• Criminal mischief in the second degree, a Class D felony; and,
• Criminal possession of stolen property in the third degree, a Class D felony.

The Sheriff's Office received a report of a burglary and thefts on Tuesday, with additional reports on Wednesday. The location, or locations of the thefts, was not disclosed by the Sheriff's Office.

One of the pickup trucks, which had been hauling a trailer, was located parked roadside on Tuesday at an undisclosed location in the Town of Darien. 

On Wednesday, the other pickup truck was spotted traveling eastbound on Route 20 in the Town of Darien. The pickup truck was located by patrols, including deputies, troopers, and a Sheriff's investigator on Route 20 in Pavilion. Keene was allegedly operating the truck.  He was taken into custody without incident and transported to the jail pending arraignment.

Investigators allege that Keene entered multiple buildings on a residential property, the location was not disclosed, in the Town of Darien, and attempted to enter the residence and stole the tractor and other items from inside a barn.

Keene was later arraigned and jailed without bail because of two prior felony convictions.

Following Keene's arrest, during an ongoing search, the tractor was located at an undisclosed location in the Town of Darien.

Members of the public assisted Sheriff's investigators, along with road patrol units and troopers, in locating Keene and the property.

Keene was convicted of burglary in the third degree, a Class D felony, in Broome County in August 2019 and released on parole in June 2021. There is no other prison term listed for Keene in the state database.

First-time business owner Ember Arend enjoyed the prospects of running a fish ’n chip shop in Batavia, she said, thought there were plenty of lessons to learn before finding success.

First, she would have to price her meals something more reasonable to turn a profit.

“I had my fish listed for $1 or $2 and had to put it up to $13 to make some money,” the 10-year-old said at John Kennedy Intermediate School. “And an employee wanted to sell burgers, and I said no, I’m lowering your payment because you said we’re selling burgers.”

Perhaps that’s why the soon-to-be fifth-grader said that the nature class was her favorite: she only dealt with toads. 

Ember is one of 45 children who participated in Batavia City School District’s inaugural 21st Century innovation camp this summer that ran along with summer school.

Meant to be a “nurturing, fun environment,” the five-day per week program offered three different courses: nature and exploration, building and engineering, and music and drama. 

The 21st Century program is grant-based and offered through the state Education Department by application.

“We applied because we wanted to have more opportunities for kids outside of the school day,” said Dr. Molly Corey, executive director of curriculum and instruction. "And it was nice the 21st Century allowed us to expand summer programming to include additional things, fun things, for kids to do in a structured environment after the extended day programming.”

Rather than a set content that is done during the school year, this is considered to be more of an “enrichment program,” teacher Alyssa Elliott said. 

“So within those three areas, the teachers have been setting up fun, different prompts. Today in the building room, they were creating a Ferris wheel and cars, and in the nature room, they were creating bug hotels with natural materials. And in the music and drama room today, they were creating board games,” Elliott said. “So they set up those prompts and see what the students do with it and ask them questions to get them to explore their interests even further. Or there's a student that is really interested in building, and they're in there, and they come up with another idea that teachers just run with it and help them explore their curiosities and what they're interested in and try to connect it back to the academic content as much as possible, but it's more of like an open-ended exploration.”

There’s an extended day-school violence grant that “allows us to do after-school activities for at-risk students, Corey said, and the 21st Century program is open to all students. 

“So we really wanted to expand based on interest,” she said. “After this summer, we’ll open it, technically it could be for K through 12. But we just did it this year, we started small with one site. But our intent is to expand it in all schools for after school in the fall and next summer.”

The grant program is for five years, and according to the state Education Department’s website, the grant is for $228,393.

Considering it’s summertime and most of the kids have been making it to school every day, that might say something about the program’s success so far. 

Augustus Rojo-Hallock has been having so much fun, he was going to be sad when it ends on Friday, he said. 

“I’ll wait to next year for summer school to come back again,” the eight-year-old said while showing his partially crafted Ferris wheel.  “This can spin by itself.”

While it may sound merely like fun and games, there’s more to the projects, Elliott said. 

“They had to be able to look at the pictures of the directions and read the words and problem solve. If something wasn't working, we had to figure out what they did incorrectly and how they can improve and personally persevere through solving it because it was really tricky,” she said. “And then with the bug hotels is the same kind of problem-solving skills, trying to design something and seeing what works and what doesn't. And then the board games, they were doing a lot of writing and thinking ahead …”

Augustus named building and engineering as his favorite space because “it does a lot of fun things,” including the Lego boat, magnet and milk carton car that he got to make by himself. 

Logan Oxencis and Lavanya Main explained how they created a board game, they titled “The Game That Never Ends (until after 20 rounds),” complete with handmade dice and board pieces. 

Logan, going into fourth grade, made a diamond card, helicopter, motorcycle, and Superman, using bright colors for each. 

“This is a little challenging,” he said. “I decided to put in some color and make it not dull. And the dice is colorful, so it’s not boring.”

They also drafted rules, which began with no cheating. That seemed to be a common starting point, as nine-year-old Mira Ferrando’s Candy Planet game also began with “Don’t Cheat!” And ended with “Don’t Quit and Have Fun.”

Did they ever hit a point where they weren’t sure what to do?

“Some parts I didn’t know what to do,” eight-year-old Lavanya said. “I just figured out what to do, I figured it out in my mind.”

Over at nature and exploration, Lucas Norman had “the most fun,” he said, building a bug hotel out of outdoor debris and household goods — leaves, moss, toilet paper rolls, part of a plastic pop bottle and a shoe box, to name a few items.

And, of course, there was one other important reason.

“Because we got to explore outside, and we got to see a toad,” he said.

The 21st Century camp ran for five weeks as one of several district extended-year programs, including acceleration camps, SOAR, math and literacy camps, and My Brother’s Keeper. 

After COVID’s social distancing separated kids from the school environment, teachers and their classmates for so long, many educators had noticed setbacks in student learning. The Batavian asked how these students are doing now.

“I think one of the biggest things from COVID was the social-emotional piece. And I think that's one thing that the summer programs really helped with, just interacting with other kids and doing group work, and even just coming in school and having those conversations with teachers,” Elliott said. “And so I think that's a really important piece that the summer programs helped to address and something that I saw kids struggle a little bit with after being gone for so long. And I also see some improvement in mathematics if I know that they were at summer school.”

A 34-year-old Batavia woman died Thursday afternoon at the scene of a head-on collision on Route 5 in Pembroke.

When patrols arrived on scene after the crash was reported at 3:38 p.m., they determined Nikki Stonebraker, who was driving a 2007 Ford Freestyle, was deceased.  Coroner Karen Lang later pronounced her dead at the scene.

The preliminary investigation, according to the Sheriff's Office, indicates that Stonebraker's vehicle was eastbound and crossed over the yellow line and struck a 2013 Dodge Caravan.

There was a driver and passenger in the Caravan, and the Sheriff's Office did not provide their identities.  They were transported to Erie County Medical Center with severe injuries.

The cause of the accident remains under investigation. 

Assisting at the scene were State Police, Emergency Management, Pembroke Fire, Indian Falls Fire, East Pembroke Fire, Corfu Fire, and Mercy EMS.

Previously: Head-on collision reported on Route 5 in Pembroke

Press Release:

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24), alongside Congressman Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), introduced the Volunteer First Responder Housing Act, legislation to expand eligibility for qualified volunteer emergency responders to participate in certain federal housing assistance programs.

Original cosponsors of the legislation include Representatives Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Dan Kildee (D-MI), Frank Lucas (R-OK), and Derek Kilmer (D-WA).

Specifically, this bill would expand eligibility for the Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Division and the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Good Neighbor Next Door Sales Program. The Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program assists approved lenders in providing loans to low and middle-income households to help build, rehabilitate, and improve homes in eligible rural areas.

“Rural communities across New York’s 24th District and the country rely on volunteer first responders to keep our communities safe,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “The Volunteer First Responder Housing Act will expand federal housing assistance to these dedicated individuals in the communities they serve. Providing housing assistance to volunteer firefighters will help to reduce response times by enabling volunteer firefighters and EMTs to live closer to their stations. This bill provides much-needed and well-deserved housing incentives and benefits to our next generation of volunteer firefighters and EMTs so they can continue their brave work serving our communities.”

“Long Island relies almost entirely on volunteer firefighters to prevent, combat, and extinguish fires while also providing other emergency services and, according to the National Fire Protection Association’s 2017 U.S. Fire Department Profile, 65 percent of firefighters nationwide are volunteers,” said Congressman Garbarino. “Recruiting and retaining volunteer firefighters is critical for thousands of communities, yet local volunteer fire departments continue to find it difficult to meet staffing needs. With a high cost of living making it more difficult than ever to buy a home, the Volunteer First Responder Housing Act would provide a helping hand to those who give their time, at great personal risk, to safeguarding our communities.

The full text of the bill can be found here.

Press Release:

The Genesee Community College History Club is excited to announce the Historical Horizons Lecture Series schedule for the Fall 2023 semester. The series will kick off Wednesday, September 6, 2023, with Dr. Cari Casteel discussing "A Better Mousetrap for Your Armpit: The Cultural Evolution of Deodorant."

As of 2023, over 90% of men and women in the United States apply a deodorant or an antiperspirant about 6-7 times a week and some more than that. The store shelves are filled with a dizzying array of applications and scents. Before the 1950s, deodorants only came in two forms-liquid and cream. By the 1960s, the choices seemed endless.

In the years following the Second World War, the deodorant market underwent a period of rapid technological innovation. With the market at near saturation, technology and innovation had become the way to win consumers. New application methods including roll-ons, sprays and sticks filled the shelves. These new deodorants drove many consumers to frequently switch brands, opting for the newest, most modern product. This made it possible for an innovative deodorant to go from nonexistent to the market leader in a matter of months. Deodorant makers found themselves locked in a constant struggle to-in the words of an English Leather deodorant ad- "build a better mousetrap" for the armpit.

Wednesday, October 4 - Harold Knudsen, Lt. Colonel, US Army (retired)

James Longstreet and the American Civil War: The Confederate General Who Fought the Next War

The American Civil War is often called the first "modern war." Sandwiched between the Napoleonic Wars and World War I, it spawned a host of "firsts" and is considered a precursor to the larger and more deadly 20th century wars. Confederate Gen. James Longstreet made overlooked but profound modern contributions to the art of war. Retired Lt. Col. Harold M. Knudsen explains what Longstreet did and how he did it in James Longstreet and the American Civil War: The Confederate General Who Fought the Next War.

This book draws heavily upon 20th century U.S. Army doctrine, field training, staff planning, command and combat experience, and is the first serious treatment of Longstreet's generalship vis-a-vis modern warfare. Not everyone will agree with Knudsen's conclusions, but it will now be impossible to write about the general without referencing this important study.

Wednesday, November 1 - Derek Maxfield, Assoc. Professor of History, GCC

"The Victorians and Spiritualism"

Americans in the 19th century were increasingly drawn to the idea that it was possible to communicate with the dead beyond the grave. The Victorians, in particular, already romanticized death and sought to make the rituals surrounding it more attuned to their own values. They embraced the idea of a heavenly reunion in heaven and found solace in being able to communicate with lost loved ones through seances and other mediums. Many of the devices the Victorians created to deal with death stick with us today and have modern relevance.

Wednesday, December 6 - Dr. Aaron Sachs, Professor of History, Cornell University

Stay Cool: Why Dark Comedy Matters in the Fight Against Climate Change

We've all seen the headlines: oceans rising, historic heat waves, mass extinctions, climate refugees. It feels overwhelming, like nothing can make a difference in combating this ongoing global catastrophe. How can we mobilize to save the world when we feel this depressed?

Stay Cool enjoins us to laugh our way forward. Human beings have used comedy to cope with difficult realities since the beginning of recorded timethe more dismal the news, the darker the humor. Using this rich tradition of dark comedy to investigate climate change, Aaron Sachs makes the case that gallows humor, a mainstay of African Americans and Jews facing extraordinary oppression, can cultivate endurance, persistence and solidarity in the face of calamity.

Environmentalism is probably the least funny social movement that's ever existed. Stay Cool seeks to change that. Will comedy save the world? Not by itself, no. But it can put people in a decent enough mood to get them started on a rescue mission.

All events begin at 7 p.m. and will be held in room T102 of the Conable Technology Building on the Batavia Campus. Events are FREE and open to the public.

Press Release:

On Monday, August 7, Carol Stehm returned to Byron-Bergen as Interim Jr./Sr. High School Principal. Stehm will serve through the end of the 2023 calendar year. During this time, the District will conduct a thorough search for a permanent replacement. Stehm also served as Interim Principal at the Byron-Bergen Elementary School for the first half of the 2022-23 school year.

“I am excited to welcome Mrs. Stehm back to Byron-Bergen,” said Superintendent Pat McGee. “She expertly facilitated the smooth and successful transition to Principal Kristin Loftus at the Elementary School in December, and I am confident that she is the ideal person to lead the Jr./Sr. High School during the search process.”

Stehm retired from the Gates Chili Central School District in July of 2021 where she was the Associate Superintendent for Instruction. She served as Interim Principal of Northwood Elementary School in the Hilton School District during the 2021-22 academic year. In her 36-year career, she served as an Interim Superintendent, Middle School Principal, and High School Assistant Principal. She taught elementary and gifted education and currently teaches for SUNY Brockport as an Adjunct Professor in the Educational Leadership Department.

“I am genuinely thrilled to return to Byron-Bergen,” said Stehm. “I had a wonderful experience at the Elementary School last year and look forward to getting to know the older students and seeing some familiar faces.”

A head-on collision is reported in the area of 1410 Main Road, Pembroke.

Extrication will be required on two vehicles.  There are four patients, one with possible serious injuries.

Pembroke and Indian Falls fire departments dispatched with mutual aid from East Pembroke.

UPDATE 3:45 p.m.: Checking the availability of Mercy Flight.  Traffic is being closed in both directions, with roadblocks at Route 5 and 77 and Boyce Road and 77.

UPDATE 3:47 p.m.: Mercy Flight is unavailable.

UPDATE 3:48 p.m.: Corfu requested to break away at least one engine and some manpower from its wires-down scene to assist with extrication. An additional ambulance requested to the scene. 

UPDATE 4:04 p.m.: The first victim is extricated.

UPDATE 4:07 p.m.: Victim two is extricated.

UPDATE 8:30 p.m.: There was a fatality in this accident.  The Sheriff's Office will release more information once family notifications are completed.

Corfu Fire is on scene on Water Street where a pole and wires came down and Waters Street is completely blocked.

It's near 24 Alleghany Road, but Route 77 remains open.

National Grid is in route.

UPDATE 3:36 p.m.: The wires over Route 77 are coming down lower so the Corfu chief is asking Darien Fire to respond and block traffic at McVean and Route 77.  Corfu is shutting down traffic at Route 33 and Route 77.

Photos by Philip Casper.

Press release:

The Pembroke Town Board meeting tonight (Thursday) has been canceled due to extenuating circumstances.

The next Town Board meeting will be held on August 24th.

By L. Kent Wolgamott

The guys in Nickelback weren’t dreaming about selling millions of records and filling arenas when they started playing together in tiny Hanna, Alberta, back in 1995.

“We had no idea what this even looked like and what it meant to be winning in the music business,” said bassist Mike Kroeger. “When you're 19 years old, and you're trying to figure out how to play the instrument and maybe get a couple of people to stop and see you play at your local community center or even just come to the garage and pop a couple of beers
and watch, you're not thinking to yourself about arenas.” 

Nor did Kroeger, his younger brother, singer, and songwriter Chad and keyboardist/backing vocalist Ryan Peake have a clue about the reality of the “rock star” life they’ve led since 2005’s chart-topping album “All The Right Reasons” propelled them out of the clubs and opening act slots to arena headliners.

“I'm, right now, sitting on a tour bus that I travel on by myself,” he said. “My blessings are so many that I couldn't possibly try to count them with you. I'm so happy and fortunate to be where I am. But there's no chance any of us had any idea what this was going to look like as we went along.”

And, Nickelback certainly couldn’t have predicted one of the elements that fueled its rise to popularity – Napster and the other “peer-to-peer” file-sharing apps that emerged on the music scene in 1999 -- just before the release of “The State,” the Canadian quartet’s third album – and he band’s first to go gold.

“We were just starting to come up when Napster was just starting to come up and that whole dust-up with Metallica and some of the other artists and societies going on,” Kroeger said. “We were one of the most downloaded and probably uploaded artists on Napster when we were just coming up."

“To be honest, I think that the timing of being the new band at the genesis of this new sort of interface with fans served us tremendously,” he said. “I don't think we'd be where we are now without the whole illegal file sharing.” Napster, Kroeger said, let Nickelback build a relationship with fans who wouldn’t have paid for the music and helped spread the band’s songs beyond radio and the tight selection of the band’s hits that would get played a few times a day.

A quarter century later, however, Kroeger has some issues with what arose when Napster undermined the industry by providing free music–streaming services, which largely do the same.

“What that kind of relationship has done to the music business since Napster, I'm not as happy about,” he said. “It's essentially hollowed out about 65% of the capital in the music industry. There's no sort of licensing."

“It's a very rare thing to see a label or somebody else actually investing money to develop talent now because there's just no money,” Kroger said. “That exploratory capital just doesn't exist anymore.”

As Kroeger talked about the growth of Nickelback – “I wouldn't want to sound too self-aggrandizing to say evolution, like we're kind of closing in on some kind of perfection or something” – he turned to speaking of how Chad Kroeger has gotten ever better as a songwriter. “I think he’s got it down,” he said.

Chad Kroeger’s songwriting, Nickelback’s now two-decade-plus experience, and the versatility within its music – hard rock, metal, ballads, love songs, and nostalgic songs -- have combined to make the band better, record by record, year by year, Kroeger said. 

These qualities can be heard on “Get Rollin’” -- the band’s new album and the songs from it that get nightly showcases in Nickelback’s set. 

“We’re doing three every night on the tour, stuck in there with the old standbys,” Kroeger said. “It’s not like we put them into a block together where everybody’s gonna go buy a beer...We want to keep our momentum up on stage and keep people excited.” 

While it rarely, if ever, makes headlines, Nickelback is a band led by brothers, who, defying the norm set by The Kinks and Oasis, have managed to get along since day one. 

“Truthfully, not everybody can do that,” Kroeger said. “We all know about the bands that have brothers in them that have made the papers or whatever. There was one point really early in our career I'll never forget. We'd gone overseas. I remember where I was, in London. I got this phone call in the middle of the night. It was a person on our record label’s team. They were suggesting Chad and I get into a public fistfight in London to drum up some noise. I was just like, ‘Okay, I know you're, I know you think you're trying to help, but that's a level that we will not stoop to, and that's it.’” 

And the fact that Nickelback fills arenas night after night is evidence that thousands of people like the band, for which Kroeger is grateful. “Just to hear that phrase – It never gets old –  filling arenas,” Kroeger said. “It's an incredible, humbling gift”.

Nickelback will be performing at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center on Wednesday.

Jeremiah L. Hayes, 29, of Le Roy, is charged with obstructing governmental administration 2nd and speeding. Hayes was stopped by Batavia PD on July 26 on West Main Street, Batavia. During the traffic stop, he allegedly refused to identify himself or provide police with a driver's license. He allegedly refused to exit his vehicle. He was removed from his vehicle by patrol officers. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Francisco Antonio Quiones, 32, of Buffalo, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 5th. He was allegedly found in possession of cocaine at 12:21 p.m. on Aug. 7 following a complaint at Darien Lake Theme Park. He was held for arraignment.

Bleyke Z. Culver, 27, of Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for burglary 2nd and two counts of criminal contempt 2nd. Culver is accused of violating an order of protection on June 23.  He allegedly entered the residence of the protected party. An arrest warrant was issued on July 7. On July 24, Culver was located by Batavia PD in Austin Park. He allegedly attempted to flee but was taken into custody a short distance away. Culver was allegedly with the protected party in violation of the order protection. Culver was arraigned and remanded to the Genesee County Jail.

Zakara R. Jackson, 19, of Batavia, was arrested on two arrest warrants issued by City Court. The first warrant charges Jackson with bail jumping 2nd. It’s alleged that Jackson had been previously charged with a separate count of bail jumping 2nd. She was arraigned and released but failed to appear back in court. The second warrant charges her with bail jumping 3rd, in relation to a charge of criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. She was arraigned on that charge and released, but failed to appear back in court. Jackson was arraigned on the warrants and released under the supervision of Genesee Justice. 

Robert D. Griffin, 45, of Batavia, is charged with felony DWI, open container in a vehicle, and criminal mischief 4th. Griffin was arrested by Batavia PD following a report of a disturbance on Summit Street at Ellsworth Avenue, Batavia on July 19. An investigation indicated he drove while intoxicated. While being processed at police headquarters, Griffin allegedly damaged a wall. He was arraigned and jailed.

Heather N. Holbrook, 38, of Batavia, was arrested on a bench warrant issued by City Court. Holbrook was initially arrested on May 17 on charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd with Intent to sell, a Class B felony, and criminal possession of a controlled substance 4th, a Class C felony). She was arraigned in City Court and released on her own recognizance. Holbrook allegedly failed to appear at her next court date, and a warrant was issued on July 10. On July 18, Holbrook was located and arrested on the warrant. She was arraigned and released. 

Kimberly L. Bue, 34, of Batavia, is charged with bail jumping 3rd.  Bue was previously arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Bue was arraigned and released. She allegedly failed to appear at a scheduled court appearance. On July 20, she was arrested at the Genesee County Jail, where she was incarcerated on an unrelated matter. 

Zachary J. Sauberan, 28, of Lakewood, was arrested on a warrant issued by City Court. Sauberan was previously arrested on Jan. 14 and charged with harassment 2nd. He was issued an appearance ticket and released. He allegedly failed to appear in court, and a warrant was issued on April 5. On July 19, Sauberan was arrested. He was arraigned in City Court, where the case was resolved.

Sheri A. Jansen, 45, of Corfu, is charged with DWI. Jansen's vehicle was located and stopped after police received a complaint of an erratic driver on Clinton Street on July 22. She was issued traffic tickets and released.

Andrew D. Beedham, 37, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. He was arrested following a report of a disturbance on July 23 at an undisclosed location in the City of Batavia. He allegedly violated an order of protection. He was arraigned and released.

Michelle L. Preston, 57, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Preston is accused of using another person's debit card without permission to make several online purchases. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Tyler J. Mills, 23, of Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Mills is accused of shoving another person and throwing an item at her during a disturbance on Washington Avenue, Batavia, on July 22. He was arraigned and released.

Frank H. Williams III, 40, of Batavia, has a warrant issued in Pennsylvania related to a drug possession charge. He was located on July 20 by Batavia PD during a traffic stop on Main Street in Batavia. He was arraigned as a fugitive from justice and ordered held pending extradition.

Niyoki T. Simmons, 51, of Rochester, is charged with aggravated DWI. Shortly before 7:30 p.m. on July 17, Batavia PD was dispatched to a report of a disturbance on Park Road in a parking lot. Simmons was allegedly found operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Shannon M. Armstead, 30, of Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief 4th. Armstead was arrested after an investigation into a disturbance on July 18 where she allegedly damaged numerous items inside a residence in an undisclosed part of Batavia. Armstead was arraigned and released on her own recognizance.

Christine M. Caplis, 43, of Elba, is charged with petit larceny. Caplis is accused of stealing another person's mobile phone on July 21. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Andrew J. Draper, 44, of Batavia, was arrested on a warrant issued by City Court.  Draper was initially arrested on Aug. 24, 2022, on a charge of criminal contempt 1st, after allegedly violating an order of protection. He was issued an appearance ticket, but failed to appear in court. The warrant was issued on Sept 22, 2022. On July 29, Draper was located and arrested. He was arraigned in City Court. His release status is unknown.

George J. Budzinack, 43, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property 5th. On June 17, Budzinack was allegedly found in possession of a stolen mobile phone. He was arrested on Aug. 3 following an investigation. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Kayla M. Geissler, 31, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. She is accused of stealing merchandise from Tops in Batavia on Aug. 1. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Weldon J. Ervin, 31, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd and obstruction of governmental administration 2nd. On Aug. 1, Batavia PD responded to Richmond Avenue and North Lyon Street in Batavia to investigate a report of a suspicious vehicle. During the investigation, Ervin was identified as the front-seat passenger, and officers found that there was an order of protection in place in respect to the driver of the vehicle. When police attempted to arrest Ervin, he reportedly fled on foot. He was taken into custody a short time later at a residence on Oak Street. He was arraigned and jailed on $5,000 bail, $10,000 bond, or $20,000 partially secured bond.

Matthew P. Parker, 33, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Parker is accused of shoplifting from Tops in Batavia. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Amber L. Turner, 30, and Angela M. Samson, 42, both of Batavia, are both charged with making graffiti. Turner and Samson are accused of spray painting a sidewalk on South Main Street, Batavia. They were issued appearance tickets.

Jason T. Knickerbocker, 32, of Batavia, was arrested on a warrant issued by City Court. Knickerbocker was initially arrested on April 23, 2022, after an investigation into an incident on Feb. 7, 2022, where he was allegedly found to be operating a vehicle while impaired by drugs. A warrant was issued on April 12 after Knickerbocker allegedly failed to appear for a court appearance. He was arrested on July 29. He was arraigned and ordered to reappear in court at a later date.

Savannah T. Parsons, 19, of Groveland, was arrested on a warrant issued by City Court. Parsons was initially charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle 2nd, along with several other traffic offenses, following a traffic stop at Center Street and Main Street on March 4. The warrant was issued after Parsons allegedly failed to appear in court. She was arraigned in City Court. A plea agreement was reached, and Parsons was released.

Jarrod A. Grimmelt, 27, of Attica, was arrested on a warrant issued by City Court. Grimmelt was initially charged on July 26 and charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle 3rd following a traffic stop on Law Street, Batavia. The warrant was issued after Grimmelt allegedly failed to appear in court. He was arraigned in City Court, fined and released.

Bonjier M. Albaram, 27, of Rochester, is arrested on a warrant issued by City Court. Albaram was initially charged on Feb. 18 with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle 3rd and speeding following a traffic stop on Ellicott Street. The warrant was issued after Albaram allegedly failed to appear in court. He was arrested on July 24 and arraigned in City Court, where he was fined and released.

Crystal A. Mounts, 46, of Batavia, was arrested on a warrant issued by City Court. Mounts was initially arrested in April of 2022. She was accused of stealing a package off a porch on Ross Street. She allegedly failed to appear in court, and a warrant was issued on Sept 29. Mounts was arraigned and ordered to return to court at a later date.

Shawn Michael Blanc, 29, of Warsaw, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and parked on a highway. Blanc was stopped by Deputy Austin Herberlein on Colby Road on Aug. 2 at 12:03 a.m. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Karli P. Teitsch, 31, of Cedarvale Road, Syracuse, is charged with felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, aggravated unlicensed operation, circumventing an interlock device, and unlicensed operation. Teitsch was stopped at 12:50 a.m. on July 18 on Route 77 in Darien by Deputy Jeremy McClellan. Teitsch was released on an appearance ticket.

Thomas Michael Tacito, 63, of Park Road, Batavia, is charged with arson 5th. Tacito is accused of starting a fire at 1:02 p.m. on July 28 that burned items owned by the Relax Inn at 8212 Park Road, Batavia. He was arraigned and ordered held. 

Duane E. Andrews, 47, of Niagara Falls, is charged with criminal contempt 1st and aggravated family offense. Andrews allegedly struck another person violating an order of protection at 10:47 p.m. on Aug. 1 at a location on Park Road, Batavia. He was arraigned and ordered to reappear at a later date.

Marcus Christopher Taylor, 33, of Viking Way, Brockport, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and speeding. Taylor was stopped at 2:05 a.m. on Aug. 3 on Route 33 in the Town of Stafford by Deputy Ryan Mullen.

Katherine Frances Donohue, 29, of Mercer Avenue, Rochester, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, driving left of pavement markings, moving lane unsafely, and following too close. Donohue was stopped at 11:30 p.m. on Aug. 4 on Genesee Street in Pembroke by Jacob Kipler. She was released on appearance tickets.

Brandon Michael Poth, 29, of Regal Street, Depew, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Poth was stopped by Sgt. Mathew Clor at 11:32 p.m. on Aug. 4 outside the Darien Lake Amphitheater following a citizen complaint. Poth was released on appearance tickets.

Christopher James Parker, 34, of Batavia Elba Townline Road, Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child and harassment 2nd. Parker is accused of shoving a woman in front of their children during a disturbance reported at 11:50 a.m. on Aug. 8 at a location on Batavia Elba Townline Road. He was held pending arraignment.

Adam C. Gilley, 32, of West Seneca, is charged with driving with a BAC of .08 or higher. Gilley was stopped by State Police at 10:35 a.m. on Aug. 3 in the Town of Darien. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Cast members and leaders of Batavia Players' Summer Youth Theater want you to grab a seat for their production of “Cry Baby, The Musical,” this weekend, and the only question is: just where will that seat be?

Director Patrick Burk has been teasing the community’s curiosity with the debut of this show, via the sign outside of City Centre and an online post about the long-awaited opening of the new Main St. 56 Theater. 

"We have done a great job, thanks to our community, raising needed funds for seating so that we could open the theater for our summer program.  We still have a lot of work to do to complete the overall project.  We are at approximately $41,000 of our $265,000 goal," Burk said Wednesday. "It is our hope that the community will continually support this fundraising effort so that we can complete the project by the New Year."

Even by Burk’s own recounting of the process, it’s been a long, arduous journey of paperwork, grant applications, construction details, COVID delays, increased labor and raw material costs, and, most importantly — fundraising, fundraising, fundraising. 

"Much of the funds we raised paid for rent, interest, insurance and utilities while the project was on hold during Covid.  Now, we have to raise all that funding again to finish the project. We have had a huge outpouring of donated materials and sweat equity from a number of individuals and local companies. More is needed," he said. "It is our hope that the community will look at this beautiful facility and donate to make it happen."

In May, Burk was at best hopeful for a September splash of the new downtown theater at Batavia City Centre. Batavia Players ramped up a “Be My Guest” campaign seeking donations of any amount to help pay for theater amenities, such as that seat you’re going to hunker down in to watch this musical billed as a rebellious teen comedy based on the 1990 film “Cry-Baby.”

"We are very excited to be opening this weekend with the cult classic 'Cry Baby' and present to the community this highly entertaining and fantastic production," Burk said.  "Our cast is amazing."

Based in 1954, when everyone likes Ike, nobody likes communism, and Wade "Cry-Baby" Walker is the coolest boy in Baltimore, this show features a bad boy with a good cause: truth, justice and the pursuit of rock and roll. 

Wade and the square rich girl, Allison, are star-crossed lovers at the center of this world, with plenty of detractors and distractions to get in the way for a fun plot. Or, as the show’s website states: It's Romeo and Juliet meets High School Hellcats.

“Filled with unforgettable songs and a truly unique and fresh story, Cry-Baby is a perfect choice for any theatre looking to add a-rockin' good time to their season,” the site states. “Cry-Baby, Allison and Baltimore's energetic juvenile delinquents will dance their way right into your audience's heart!”

Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and at 2 p.m. Sunday at 56 Main St., Batavia. 

Tickets are $18 for adults, $16 for students and seniors. Go HERE to purchase. 

The following subjects were arrested by the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office during the 50 Cent concert on Aug 5 at the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center:

Terrance L. Falk, 24, of Woodsmeadow Lane, Rochester, is charged with assault 2nd after allegedly punching a female and knocking her unconscious.  Terrance was arrested and held for arraignment

Eliecer Angulo, 27, of Haddon Road, Rochester, is charged with criminal trespass 3rd after allegedly kicking over a fence to enter a restricted area of the venue.

Stephen J. Hunter, 38, of Demunn Road, Beaver Damns, is charged with harassment 2nd after allegedly pushing and fighting with Darien Lake security.

Tyrell T. Lynch, 35 of 10th Street, Niagara Falls, is charged with harassment 2nd after allegedly pushing a Darien Lake security officer.

Megan L. Kendall, 34, of Lilac Street, Buffalo, is charged with obstructing governmental administration 2nd after allegedly interfering with deputies making an arrest. 

Jayson P. Lazan, 46 of Folger Street, Buffalo, is charged with harassment 2nd after allegedly punching another concert patron.

Giovanni E. Paige-Mota, 21, of Glide Street, Rochester, is charged with obstructing governmental administration 2nd, harassment 2nd and disorderly conduct after allegedly causing a disturbance and then fighting with deputies. 

A caller reported hearing a large boom and seeing a cloud of black smoke behind S&S Limousine at 7160 West Main Road, Le Roy.

A second caller reports a pickup truck on fire in a backfield.

Le Roy Fire dispatched.

UPDATE 7:32 p.m.: A fire investigator is requested to the scene.

UPDATE 7:42 p.m.: Fire is knocked down.

Press Release:

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) unveiled her agriculture plan and tax plan that work to support small and locally owned businesses and family farms across New York’s 24th District.

Earlier this month, Tenney visited multiple family farms and local businesses in Cayuga County and Wayne County to discuss their concerns and the Congresswoman’s efforts in Congress to support our farming and business community. To outline her work to support our NY-24 producers and employers, Tenney unveiled her three-pillar agriculture plan and tax plan. 

Her agriculture plan focuses on supporting NY-24 specialty crops, bolstering New York’s dairy industry, and protecting American farmland from foreign interests. Her tax plan centers around her work on the House Ways and Means Committee to build on the successes of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, revitalize our communities, support our families, and ensure essential taxpayer protections.

“Small businesses and family-owned farms will always be the backbone of NY-24’s economy,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “I’ve toured numerous small businesses and farms across the district to learn more about their daily operations and the challenges they face. It is imperative that we put forward policies in Congress that address these concerns and deliver lasting results for our community. Today, I released my agriculture plan and tax plan to highlight my efforts to unleash the potential of our rural communities and to give farmers, producers, and small business owners the certainty and opportunities they need to succeed.”

To view Tenney’s full Agriculture plan, click here.

To view Tenney’s full Tax plan, click here.

Press Release:

It is early August and the height of summer, which often means the peak of “bat season” for local health departments and when people more commonly have encounters with bats.

Bats can occasionally find their way into houses, particularly in older homes that are not properly sealed. This most often occurs during the summer nights. When you find a bat in your home, it is extremely important to safely capture the animal if it is suspected to have been in contact with people, pets, or livestock so that it can be tested for rabies. If the bat cannot be captured, you should call the health department for advice and next steps.

In some situations, it is possible that a bat bite could go undetected. For example, if you awaken and find a bat in your room, if you see a bat in the room of an unattended child, or if you see a bat near someone who is unable to speak or is under the influence of drugs/alcohol, it is important to seek medical advice and have the bat tested.

To safely capture a bat:

1. Turn on room lights and close all the windows.
2. Close the room and closet doors.
3. Wait for the bat to land.
4. While wearing thick leather-like gloves, place a coffee can, pail, or similar container over the bat (Never handle a bat with your bare hands).
5. Slide a piece of cardboard under the container to trap the bat.
6. Firmly hold the cardboard in place against the top of the container, turn it right side up and tape the cardboard tightly to the container.
7. If you do not feel comfortable capturing the bat or cannot do it safely, contact the Genesee County health department during regular business hours. If it is after regular business hours, contact Genesee County dispatch at (585) 343-5000. 

“Love your own, leave the rest alone”, stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health). “It is important that residents DO NOT pick up, touch, or feed wildlife (raccoons, foxes, skunks, bats, etc.). This is also true for stray cats and dogs. Wild or feral animals, including their babies, can be rabid.”

By avoiding contact with stray or wild animals, or by safely capturing the bat or other animal that may have had contact with us or our pets, and reporting the incident to your local Health Department, we may be able to avoid unnecessary medical treatment that averages over $3,000.00 per person.

Keep rabies vaccinations current for all dogs, cats, and ferrets. This is important not only to keep your pets from getting rabies but also to provide a barrier of protection for you and your family if your pet is bitten by a rabid animal.

Please take note of our upcoming drive-thru rabies vaccination clinics for dogs, cats, and ferrets in Genesee County offered at no charge.

Genesee County Fairgrounds (5056 E. Main St., Batavia):

• August 10 from 4 - 6:30 p.m.
• October 12 from 4 - 6 p.m.

For more information on GO Health’s programs and services, visit GOHealthNY.org. You can also contact Genesee County health department at 585-344-2580 x5555 or Health@co.genesee.ny.us