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Two new COVID-19 cases reported in Genesee County, six people in quarantine due to travel

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

New Cases – As of 2 p.m.

  • Genesee County received two new positive cases of COVID-19, for a total of 230 positive cases.
    • The positive individuals reside in Batavia and Darien.
    • One of the positive individuals is in their 40s and one is in their 60s.
    • The positive individuals were not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
    • One of the previous community positive cases has recovered and has been released from mandatory isolation.
    • Six individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
    • No individuals are hospitalized.
  • Orleans County received zero new positive cases of COVID-19, maintaining a total of 267 positive cases.
    • Nine individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
    • Seven of the total active positive cases are hospitalized. Please note those in the hospital may be from the community or a state-regulated facility. We do not separate them out to protect their privacy.

Photos: Food distribution at St. Anthony's

By Howard B. Owens

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City Church hosted another in a series of food distributions at St. Anthony's today.

Ryan Macdonald said the church will announce more food distribution days soon.

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Photo: God Loves Everyone

By Howard B. Owens

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James Spiecher, of Rochester, was in Batavia today for a funeral and he and his grandson Jaxon took a short walk down East Main Street and stopped in front of a sign at Batavia First Presbyterian Church that reads "God Loves Everyone No Exceptions."

Spiecher said he spoke with Jaxon about the sign and Jaxon said, "It’s really nice. It sounds really loving."

Photos: Batavia girl turns 8, gets carriage ride

By Howard B. Owens

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Aubree Lacey Read turned 8 yesterday and for her birthday, she got to ride around Batavia in a horse-drawn carriage.  

Photos submitted by Savannah Read.

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COVID-19: No new cases in Genesee County

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

New Cases – As of 2 p.m.

  • Genesee County received zero new positive cases of COVID-19, maintaining a total of 228 positive cases.
    • One of the previous community positive cases has recovered and has been released from mandatory isolation.
    • No individuals are hospitalized.
  • Orleans County received zero new positive cases of COVID-19, maintaining a total of 267 positive cases.
    • One of the previous community positive cases has recovered and has been released from mandatory isolation.
    • Seven of the total active positive cases are hospitalized. Please note those in the hospital may be from the community or a state-regulated facility. We do not separate them out to protect their privacy.

There are four people in mandatory isolation in Genesee County.

The Batavian Sessions: Judah performs 'Sunshine of My Love' at The Ridge NY

By Howard B. Owens
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The band Judah played at The Ridge NY on Thursday night. We recorded one of the songs as part of our series, "The Batavian Sessions."

Judah is: Anthony Blood (vocals/guitar), Brody Schenk (guitar), Joe Fornieri (bass), and Quintin Rich (drums). Rich is a resident of Bergen.

Truck strikes toll booth in Pembroke

By Howard B. Owens

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A Chevy Blazer has reportedly struck a toll booth at the 48a Exit of the Thruway in Lane 5.

Unknown injuries but an ambulance is requested to the scene and entrapment was reported. The subject is out now.

An oil and gas spill is reported.

Indian Falls fire and Pembroke fire on scene. Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 5:31 p.m.: Only one injury reported. The driver of the vehicle. The driver is conscious and alert, reporting neck pain. 

Reader-submitted photo.

Three new COVID-19 cases reported since Thursday

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

As of 2 p.m.

  • Genesee County received three new positive case of COVID-19, for a total of 228 positive cases.
    • The positive individuals reside in Batavia, Bethany and Oakfield.
    • One of the positive individuals is in their 30s, one is in their 50s, and one is in their 70s.
    • Two of the positive individuals were not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
    • Three of the previous community positive cases have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation.
    • No individuals are hospitalized
  • Orleans County received zero new positive cases of COVID-19, maintaining a total of 267 positive cases.
    • Seven of the total active positive cases are hospitalized. Please note those in the hospital may be from the community or a state-regulated facility. We do not separate them out to protect their privacy.

VIDEO: A 'New Summer' weekend at The Ridge NY

By Howard B. Owens
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For the first time in 2020, The Ridge NY in Le Roy, had a full slate of activities, including live music, fireworks, and a waterslide. All of this had to be coordinated by owners David and Greg Luetticke-Archbell with social distancing in mind.

Average gas price in Genesee County up four cents

By Howard B. Owens

Press release from AAA:

Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $2.18, which is 1 cent higher than a week ago. One year ago, the price was $2.76. The New York State average is $2.25 – a penny higher than last week. A year ago, the NYS average was $2.88.

AAA Western and Central New York (AAA WCNY) reports the following averages:

  • Batavia -- $2.25 (up 4 cents since last week)
  • Buffalo -- $2.19 (no change since last week)
  • Ithaca -- $2.15 (down 1 cent since last week)
  • Rochester -- $2.21 (no change since last week)
  • Rome -- $2.27 (no change since last week)
  • Syracuse -- $2.15 (no change since last week)
  • Watertown -- $2.28 (up 1 cent since last week)

Despite the holiday weekend with many people traveling, gas prices remain steady across the United States and across the local region. In fact, motorists are seeing some of the cheapest summer prices than they have in recent years.

The national average is 58 cents less than last year while the New York State average is 63 cents cheaper than last summer at this time.

AAA continues to see motorists requesting maps and tour books for summer road trips as cars are the most popular form of travel this summer.

From GasBuddy:

"With July 4 behind us, we're now half way through the summer driving season, and the pace of gas price increases has finally hit a wall. As of Sunday evening, it appears possible that we may break the nine straight weeks of rising prices thanks to a drop in demand fueled by COVID-19 cases surging in some states," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy.

"So far this summer, both holidays have seen the lowest prices since 2004, and its possible that if things don't improve much by Labor Day we could see the rare trifecta of every summer holiday setting multiyear lows. For now, I believe we may see increases stall and some minor increases or decreases until we see a solid change in the coronavirus situation. For now, some states will see slight increases, some may see slight decreases, but gas prices are essentially stuck in limbo."

Caller reports dog locked inside a black GMC pickup truck

By Howard B. Owens

A caller reports a dog is locked inside a black GMC pickup truck at Dave's Ice Cream on West Main Street Road, Batavia. An officer is responding.

It is about 82 degrees outside.

Weather Outlook (By Billie) 1:29 p.m.:

According to the National Weather Service in Buffalo, starting tomorrow through Friday there is a Hazardous Weather Outlook in place due to an expected prolonged period of heat and humidity that will build across portions of Western New York. It is expected to get between 95 and 100 degrees during those afternoons.

The temperature inside a vehicle can soar quickly on a hot day. For example, if it's 95 degrees outside, say this coming Wednesday, the air termperature inside a vehicle can reach 114 degrees Fahrenheit in 10 minutes flat; if it's 100 degrees outside, the inside temp goes up to 119.

VIDEO: Fireworks at The Ridge NY in Le Roy

By Howard B. Owens
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The Ridge NY in Le Roy hosted a fireworks display to celebrate Independence Weekend. It is the only professional fireworks display in the county this year.  

Happy Fourth of July! Here is a video of most of the show for your Independence Day celebration. 

For those who tried to watch the livestream last night: Sorry, it just didn't work. There wasn't enough available bandwidth at the campground.

Dennis Wittman, Batavia resident recognized internationally as pioneer in restorative justice, has passed

By Howard B. Owens

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Dennis Wittman, the founding director of Genesee Justice, the nation's first county-level agency built around the concepts of restorative justice, has passed away.

He was 77.

Wittman was a probation officer and supervisor in the Town of Bethany when newly elected sheriff Doug Call came to him in 1980 and asked him to be the agency's founding director. At first, Wittman said no. The supervisor's position felt like a second full-time job and the last thing he needed, he told The Batavian in 2010, was to become the head of a program that was untested and may not last.

Then one day in 1981, Wittman was summoned to his supervisor's office. There he found Tom Gillis, his boss, Call, Family Court Judge Charles Graney, and County Judge Glen Morton.

"I could see they were going to pound away on me," Wittman recalled. "I said, 'OK, I'll give it a try.' "

While Wittman reported to the sheriff, officials didn't want him hanging out with detectives or attorneys, so he was given a desk in the law library. He had no staff at first.

As a former seminary student, Wittman's attitude toward offenders already aligned with the goal of finding alternatives to incarceration.  

Call's goal was to cut the inmate population in the Genesee County Jail to help avoid the construction of a new facility.

By the time Wittman retired in 2006, 4,959 offenders had performed community service, doing 356,858 hours of unpaid work.

The alternative to jail had also saved county taxpayers more than $5.9 million because those offenders weren't in jail for the 60,000 days they would have served otherwise.

During his career, Wittman was also concerned about caring for the victims of crime. Under his leadership, Genesee Justice became the lead agency for:

  • Victim's Assistance
  • Judicial Diversion
  • Justice for Children
  • Child Advocacy
  • Justice for Women
  • Release Under Supervision (a Probation Department program until 2002)
  • DWI-Conditional Discharge 

The effort at establishing a government agency dedicated to restorative justice made Wittman an in-demand speaker in the restorative justice community. He traveled to 40 states plus Japan and Canada to talk about his work at Genesee Justice. He received another 2,500 invitations to speak in Europe that he was unable to accept.

To read his obituary, click here.

Previously: The Genesee Justice Story

Photo: File photo from 2010.

VIDEO: Keeping it safe with fireworks for the 4th of July

By Howard B. Owens
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Press release:

As we approach the  Fourth of July Independence Day Holiday, Fire Chief Stefano Napolitano of the City of Batavia Fire Department would like to remind the residents of the City of what sparkling devices are allowed by law.

“We want to ensure that our residents enjoy the holiday in a safe and responsible manner,” Napolitano said.

According to the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services "Sparking Devices" are considered, “ground-based or handheld devices that produce a shower of colored sparks and or a colored flame, audible crackling or whistling noise and smoke.”

"These sparkling devices can only be bought and sold from June 1st to July 5th and from December 26th to January 1st in any given year," Napolitano said, furthermore, the law states that “Sales of sparkling devices by certified temporary stands or tents can only occur from June 20th to July 5th and December 26th to January 1st in any given year.”

According to the fire chief, allowable sparkling devices under the law are sparkling fountains, sparklers on wooden sticks (not metal sticks), smoking devices, snakes confetti-filled party poppers and paper-wrapped snappers. Non-allowable and illegal devices include firecrackers, bottle rockets, Roman candles and any other aerial devices.

As a result of COVID-19 canceling many public fireworks displays, Chief Napolitano recommends the following alternatives to celebrate the Fourth of July Holiday without fireworks. Furthermore, these alternatives are pet and children friendly.

  • Use glow sticks; they glow in the dark and are a safe alternative to a sparkler.
  • Use noisemakers; they can be found at a local party supply store.
  • Red, white and blue Silly String.
  • Outdoor movie night. Set up a television or screen and projector.
  • Make patriotic crafts with the family.

Lastly, Napolitano says it is important to take the necessary fire safety precautionary steps when using these devices. Last year there were 18,500 fireworks-related injuries reported in the United States.

If any resident has questions regarding what is allowable or would like information regarding safety precautions, they can call the City of Batavia Fire Headquarters at (585) 345-6375.

Picnic in the Park will continue virtually this year while flag hangs as usual in Centennial Park

By Howard B. Owens

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Press release:

On July 4th, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., GO ART! will be holding their 42nd annual Picnic in the Park, virtually, via YouTube Live.

During this event, they will have bands, dance performances, culinary demonstrations, cow plop bingo, muralists in action, and Explore ART! lessons. 

Please subscribe to their YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/c/GOARTgeneseeorleansart.

Music performances on July 4th will be given by the Batavia Concert Band, No Blarney, Strummerz, Kelly’s Old Timers, Cannon Steel Band, The Old Hippies and Frank Reino (accordion).

Culinary Demonstrations will be performed by Chef Tracy of the Genesee Valley Education Program and Leonel Rosario of Mariachi De Oro. A menu and supply list are on their website at www.goart.org/picnic-in-the-park-july-4.

David Burke will be painting a new mural on one of GO ART!’s interior walls.

Troupe Nisaa Bellydance, The Rosario Family and Shanda Spink will be gracing us with their choreography.

GO ART! staff will be giving art lessons and Uncle Sam will be leading a cow around 500 squares for GO ART!’s first Cow Plop Bingo! More information on the Cow Plop Bingo and a schedule of the days events can be found on GO ART!'s website at www.goart.org/picnic-in-the-park-july-4

GO ART!’s 42nd Annual Picnic in the Park is brought to you by The Batavian, Lamb Farms, City of Batavia, Tompkins Bank of Castile, Friends of Stephen M. Hawley, Stephen M. Hawley & Assoc. LLC -- a division of Great Lakes Insurance Services Group LLC, New York State Council on the Arts, United Way of Genesee County, United Way of Orleans County, Orleans County Youth Bureau, Rotary Club of Batavia, Turnbull Heating & Air Conditioning, Freed Maxick, CY Farms, Batavia Turf, Lori Goergen, Bob & Linda Knipe, Arc of Genesee Orleans, Paul Figlow, Carrotman Productions, and Albion NY ROCKS.

Photos: American flag that is traditionally hung in Centennial Park for Picnic in the park, which was hung in the park and lit yesterday by Gregory Hallock, executive director of GO ART!

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Photos: Snow cones on a hot day in Batavia

By Howard B. Owens

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Vivienne Bellavia, 10, of Batavia, and her friend Anna Di Risio, make up a snow cone as part of a hot-day fundraiser for Golisano Children's Hospital.

The girls hoped to raise $200. By 2:30 this afternoon they had raised more than $500.

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One new COVID-19 case reported in Genesee County

By Howard B. Owens

As of 2 p.m.

  • Genesee County received one new positive case of COVID-19, for a total of 225 positive cases.
    • The positive individual resides in Oakfield.
    • The positive individual is in their 20s.
    • The positive individual was on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
    • Currently no individuals are hospitalized and no individuals have been released from mandatory quarantine.
  • Orleans County received one new positive case of COVID-19, today for a total of 267 positive cases.
    • The positive individual resides in Clarendon.
    • The positive individual is in their 50s.
    • The positive individual was not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
    • No individuals have been released from mandatory quarantine.
    • Seven of the total active positive cases are hospitalized. Please note those in the hospital may be from the community or a state-regulated facility. We do not separate them out to protect their privacy.

NOTE: Public health will not release an update again until Monday.

Currently, only four active COVID-19 cases in Genesee County

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

As of 2 p.m.

  • Genesee County received zero new positive cases of COVID-19, for a total of 224 positive cases.
    • Currently, no individuals are hospitalized and no individuals have been released from mandatory quarantine.
  • Orleans County received zero new positive cases of COVID-19, today for a total of 266 positive cases.
    • No individuals have been released from mandatory quarantine.
    • Seven of the total active positive cases are hospitalized. Please note those in the hospital may be from the community or a state-regulated facility. We do not separate them out to protect their privacy.

Note: In the chart of cases, Public Health reports four active/mandatory isolation cases and 43 people in mandatory community quarantine.

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