A train derailment is reported in Darien. 

Darien fire and ambulance companies are requested to the Fargo Road railroad crossing for the reported derailment, and no injuries have been reported.

No Mercy ambulance is available.

Colby Road crossing is not blocked.

UPDATE 1:55 p.m.: A train with about 60 cars derailed at Countyline Road due to an apparent equipment failure, according to Darien First Assistant Chief Mark Starczewski. At least four cars came off the tracks with no injuries and no hazardous materials involved. Most of the cars were empty. 

Fargo and Countyline roads are closed. Both east and west tracks are closed, and this line is also used by Amtrak. No ETA for when the roads and track will reopen. 

After sweeping the Auburn Doubledays in a double header at home on Friday, the Batavia Muckdogs split a twin bill at Falcon Field in Auburn on Saturday.

The Muckdogs took the first game 3-1, and lost the second game 3-0.

Batavia is now 7-4 on the season.

Jack Keeler went six innings giving up on earned run to pick up the win, his first W of the season.

Trey Bacon pitched a scoreless seventh for his fourth save.

Anthony Calabro hit a triple, his one hit of the game, scored a run and picked up an RBI.

In the second game, Preston Prince, from Hilton, lasted four innings, giving up three runs, two earned, and only two hits, but yielded four walks. He struck out three. He was tagged with his first loss in three appearances.

The Muckdogs are back home on Monday to play Newark.  Game time is 6:35 p.m.

For the 42nd time on Sunday, the Batavia Rotary Club hosted its Father's Day Fly-In Breakest at the Genesee County Airport and Rotary Club President John McGowan said the breakfast is more than just a fundraiser.

 "It's a great way to give back to the community, and the community really appreciates us hosting this on Father's Day," McGowan said.

Rotary volunteers typically serve from 1,200 to 1,400 people each Father's Day.

This year's Fly-In chairs were Paul Marchese and Mark Schneider.

"They just they give endless hours to help coordinate this," McGowan said.

Photos by Steve Ognibene.

In the inaugural Batavia Downs Jackpot 5K, Kimberly Tomasik, age 30, ran away from the field for a wire-to-wire win at 18:02.

Matt Oberst, 42, was the top male runner at 19:03.

Third place overall and second among the women was Kimberly Mills, 32, at 20:12.

Marie David, 52, was third among the women at 24:08.

Jacob Seppe-Shultz, 31, was second among the men at 21:27, and Kevin Sheehan, 61, was third among the men at 21:44.

The course opened with a lap around the race track, exited Batavia Downs onto Park Road to Richmond, and back to Batavia Downs, finishing with another lap around the track.  The length of the 5K race was not certified.

Proceeds from the race benefit WNY Heroes, an organization that services area veterans.

A fire is reported outside the residence of 118 Hutchins St., Batavia.

City Fire dispatched.

UPDATE 12:18 p.m.: City Fire responding non-emergency.

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The following were arrested at Six Flags Darien Lake during the Luke Bryan Concert on June 16.  The defendants were issued appearance tickets.

Jaxson R.W. Larsen, 21, of Lakeview Road, Lakeview, is charged with two counts of disorderly conduct after allegedly spitting on a Darien Lake security guard and knocking over a fence and threading security in the parking lot.

Cole L. Friend, 18, of Winfield Avenue, Lancaster, is charged with criminal trespass 3rd after allegedly jumping a fence into the venue.

Ryan A. Miller, 22, of Bailey Road, East Aurora, is charged with criminal trespass 3rd after allegedly re-entering the concert venue after being ejected and told not to return.

Derek J. Goodwin, 27, of Sherman Avenue, Hamilton, Ontario, is charged with harassment 2nd after allegedly punching another subject in the face.

The Genesee County Spartans outlasted the Ithaca Warriors, 16-12, in Northeastern Football Alliance semipro action Saturday night at Genesee Community College.

After Ithaca scored on an interception in the game's opening minutes, the Spartans took the lead for good with 24 seconds left in the first quarter on a five-yard run by fullback Brandon Bethel and the point-after kick by Marc Montana.

The home team made it 13-6 midway through the second quarter on a 70-yard burst up the middle by Jed Reese, who burst through the line and ran untouched to the end zone.

Montana's 28-yard field goal gave the Spartans a 16-6 lead early in the third quarter. Ithaca scored on a touchdown pass with 1:09 left in the game.

The game was marked by more than a dozen turnovers and at least that many penalties, including several personal fouls (and a couple of ejections) for unsportsmanlike conduct.

For the Spartans, Cody Wenner, Amir Cleveland, Tre Woods, Keith Neureuter and Max Rapone had interceptions, with Rapone's play ending a last-ditch effort by Ithaca in the closing seconds.  Defensive end Gunner Rapone had another outstanding game for Genesee.

The Spartans, 2-1, are home again next Saturday for a 7 p.m. clash against the Broome County Stallions.

Photos by Nick Serrata

Not to negate the dozens of local families that stopped by the Just Kings fourth annual Juneteenth Freedom Celebration event this weekend, but there was also one special visitor who drove over from Buffalo as well.

State Attorney General Leticia James heard about the festivities — vendors, live music, African dancers, a chicken barbecue, and a performing spoken word artist — and dropped by Williams Park in Batavia.

“I went to the Buffalo parade. I'm here in Batavia celebrating Juneteenth. I'll be going to Rochester shortly. And then tomorrow we're going to Orleans County, so we're doing a number of events here in upstate New York, and it's an honor and a privilege to be here in Batavia. It's absolutely beautiful. So Juneteenth, to me, represents courage. It represents resilience, it represents strength, and it represents freedom,” James said early Saturday afternoon. “And so there are still challenges that we all have to, you know, address. But if we walk together arm in arm, shoulder to shoulder, there's nothing that we cannot overcome together.”

What do you think an event like this, with these various vendors and people, means to this community?
“There's so many services, and to me, it really represents three things. It represents faith, family, and community. And that's really what this day is about. And that's what Batavia appears to be all about. So, you know, obviously, there's housing issues all across the state of New York. There's issues obviously, there's a number of migrants who have been sent to upstate New York that we've got to address, there's a crisis in affordable housing, reproductive rights is a major issue, health issues is an issue, employment issues, there's issues with regards to antitrust, there's issues with respect to social media, I can go on and on and on of the issues that we're dealing across the state,” James said. “But if we work together, I'm sure that we can come to a resolution on a lot of these issues. And I, using the strength of the law, will use my office to address those issues because the law is both the sword and shield and protecting the rights here in the state of New York, and that's what I do every day.”

What is the latest status of migrants in upstate New York?
“So I was just speaking to the county executive in Buffalo. And he indicated to me that a number of migrants were sent here (Buffalo) this morning. And he was also told that they anticipate that more will be coming here to Buffalo. And so what we've got to do is work together all across political differences and political parties to try to come to some sort of resolution,” she said. “I do know that there are individuals obviously in need of employment. There's companies up here, obviously, who need workers. So there’s workforce issues that we've got to address. But right now, it's all about housing, finding the housing, and finding the resources to pay for the housing. And hopefully, the federal government will step up and be part of this discussion.”

James has heard of Just Kings, a grassroots group of Black men with a mission to give back to the community through Christmas toy drives, school supply backpack giveaways, chicken barbecue fundraisers and the Juneteenth event.

“And I do know that during the pandemic, they were particularly instrumental in providing individuals who are unfortunately under-resourced and who had a number of challenges. It was this organization who reached out to people in need, communities and families that were most vulnerable,” she said. “And so I really wanted to thank them, and that's why I decided to come up here and celebrate Juneteenth with these young men who are on the ground doing the work of others.”

One of those young men, Brandon Armstrong, was on the other side of the park, working the grill for the chicken barbecue. He believed the turnout was even better this year, with about 20 vendors plus a few guest performers and special guests, including an African drum band and, of course, the state attorney general.

“I think they heard about the event and just showed up. This is just some acknowledgment; it’s celebrating the freedom and just letting people be aware of the holiday,” he said. “We just try to lead by example. When we were younger, we had a few people that would do certain events for different things. Juneteenth wasn’t a big thing back then. We just saw what they did and kind of picked it up from there a little bit. There were some years that we didn’t have anything going on, so I figured we could kind of pick up from there and help out.”

The sun darted in and out of clouds throughout the day as winds occasionally flared, blowing organizational materials off of tables. Various area services and businesses were represented, from mental health and law enforcement to the Democratic Committee, McDonald’s, GO ART!, Mama Dee’z, Genesee County Public Health and — a shameless plug — The Batavian, which conducted a contest for a guitar giveaway.

The first part of the day began at Robert Morris School with many more service organizations and activities for kids and families.

Several families milled about, checking out what each booth had, including jewelry, artwork, face painting, educational materials, popcorn, pizza and other assorted foods and beverages. Vianiliz Rivera carried a goodie bag of items while enjoying an icy blue snow cone.

“I think what they're doing is they're opening what the community is truly about, the black and brown community, and having these beautiful vendors here: domestic violence, mental health, the food that is beautiful food, it's basically opening up to see what the community is about,” Rivera said. “These men, they're giving a beautiful example to the youth, actually to the Batavia community, so I'm proud of them. They're doing a beautiful job.”

All photos by Howard Owens.

Takara Odom may not have realized it Saturday, but her minion’s emergency repair may one day help the three-year-old deal with her own medical needs.

Takara, of Batavia, attended a Teddy Bear Clinic during the Creative Communities: Interactive Health Fest Saturday at Robert Morris School.

With a focus on whole body health, including physical, mental, social and emotional well-being, the event was to provide opportunities to learn about ways to strengthen one’s overall fitness, including when dealing with doctor and emergency room visits, said Laurie Ferrando of Rochester Regional Health’s Healthy Living program.

“This offers exposure to some of the things they might have to come into contact with,” she said. “It really does help with those things to make it not so scary.”

Takara brought in her baby minion for some TLC and, while wearing her own surgical cap, was allowed to see various procedures and touch the instruments used to help her baby get better. Ideally, that will ease Takara's mind down the road when and if she may need her own medical treatment because she has been exposed to objects and procedures that will now be more familiar to her in the future, Ferrando said.

Art teacher Linda Fix was at another table, where she offered a creative workshop for the day. Students Addison Forsyth and Madelyn Demena, both 12 and going into seventh grade at Batavia Middle School this fall, were each finishing up their crafts.

The girls had visited all of the tables earlier and played some games but spent the majority of their time fine-tuning their pieces — a brilliant butterfly scene for Addison and a colorful flower masterpiece for Madelyn.

Thanks to a grant through GO ART!, Fix is working on a project titled “Kindness, Empathy and You,” which will end up as a traveling exhibit of her work.

“My primary goal is to paint a large mural on the wall at John Kennedy (Intermediate) School on Vine Street in Batavia. The mural will then be professionally photographed, and will be transferred to canvas and become a traveling mural in the Batavia School system,” she said. “The workshops will concentrate on the theme of the project with expressions, and creativity through art.”

A marketing company based in Buffalo will be reproducing the mural, which is to be ready for travel by mid to later July, she said.

The second half of Saturday provided families the opportunity to visit the Just Kings Juneteenth Freedom Celebration at Williams Park.

The Business Improvement District hosted its inaugural Cider Walk, modeled after the popular Wine Walk in the Fall, in Downtown Batavia on Friday.

Photos by Nick Serrata.

Empire State Pullers hosted a tractor pull at the WNY Gas & Steam Engine Association Show Grounds in Alexander on Saturday. Photographer Nick Serrata was on hand for The Batavian to capture the 4x4 Street Legal Trucks Pull.

A steady stream of vehicles pulled through the parking lot of the DSS office on West Main Street Road, Batavia, for the annual electronics recycling event on Saturday hosted by Sunnking and Assemblyman Steve Hawley.

The event makes it easier for people to drop of large electronic items, including TVs, as well as large amounts of electronics, all for free, with staff on hand to empty the vehicles.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Photo by Nick Serrata.

On Thursday, the Jerome Foundation awarded the William F. Brown, Jr., scholarship to Parker Dowell, a senior at Le Roy High School, who will be attending the  University of Cincinnati, majoring in marketing

Brown was a local journalist and author who at one time owned WBTA and was a founder of the Jerome Foundation. 

Each year, the foundation awards a scholarship of $1,000 a year for four years to a Genesee County student who plans to study journalism, public relations, communications or marketing in college.

Photo: Ron Chrzanowski, chairman of the scholarship committee, Christine Dowell, Jim Dowell, Parker Dowell, and Justin Calarco-Smith, president of the Jerome Foundation

Submitted photo and information

Rick Ruhlman, a fixture at Dwyer Stadium for decades, was recognized before the Batavia Muckdog's second game of a twin bill on Friday against Auburn.

He threw out the first pitch, and PA announcer Paul Spiotta read the following statement:

Rick Ruhlman, BHS Class of 1976, is an essential and beloved figure in the history of Batavia sports.

Whether on the sidelines, in the locker room, from the press box, or in the stands, Rick has enriched and encouraged Batavia athletes in countless ways over the past half century. For his labors of love, Rick was inducted into the Blue Devils Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007.

Tonight, the Batavia Blue Devils and the Batavia Muckdogs would like to thank Rick Ruhlman for a lifetime of service. Rick, you have made Batavia a better place.

The Muckdogs won the first game 9-0.  Ty Woods, from Alexander and a student at GCC, tossed six innings of shutout ball, yielding a single hit, walking one, and striking out three.  Woods picked up his first win in two starts with an ERA on the season of 0.75.

The team collected 11 hits, with Kyle Hetherington and Zach Kasperowicz getting two hits apiece.  Nine different players scored once and only once, and Kasperowicz was the only player who didn't cross the plate in the game.  He had one RBI.

Batavia won the second game 1-0. Julian Pichardo went the distance (seven innings) to pick up his second win and a complete-game shutout. He scattered three hits and one walk, striking out nine.

The Muckdogs were held to three hits.

Photos by Nick Serrata.

A proposal to place a Seneca Nation-owned full casino in the City of Rochester reportedly is on hold.

On Friday, New York Assembly leaders – following a protest in Rochester by unionized gaming workers -- announced that the chamber will not vote on a new 20-year compact between the state and the Seneca Nation despite the Senate’s robust approval of it.

“I believe the Seneca Nation deserves a fair deal. However, the sentiment of the Assembly’s Monroe County delegation, coupled with the potential loss of union jobs, is concerning, and we cannot move forward with a vote on the compact at this time,” said Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie on Twitter.

News of a potential deal to build a casino in Rochester came to light earlier this week, prompting immediate and strong opposition from local government officials, politicians and representatives of Batavia Downs, Hamburg and Finger Lakes gaming facilities.

"The state needs to make sure that they get local input, to make sure they have an economic analysis done relative to siting such a casino in Rochester, period, and we want to make sure we safeguard the jobs that we have at Batavia Downs as well as the money we return to our communities," said Henry Wojtaszek, president and chief executive officer of Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp., when contacted this morning.

Assemblyman Steven Hawley made his feelings known on Thursday, stating that the construction of a new casino in the area “would be damaging to the local economy and would jeopardize the more than 400 jobs at Batavia Downs.”

“Local officials and New York lawmakers were also not included in any discussions between the governor and the Seneca Nation,” Hawley added.

In a statement released to the press, Seneca Nation President Rickey Armstrong Sr. blamed the governor’s office for failing to keep local leaders informed throughout the negotiations.

Calling the Assembly’s decision “despicable,” Armstrong said the Seneca Nation did not impose a non-disclosure agreement despite what Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration had claimed.

A portion of Armstrong’s statement is as follows:

“The blame for keeping Rochester officials out of the loop lays directly at the feet of the Executive. The Executive and the Nation agreed not to negotiate through the press or in public, but contrary to media coverage, the parties never entered into a Non-Disclosure Agreement.

“The Nation regularly consulted our own legislative branch and expected that the Executive was doing the same. The Executive's claim that it was legally barred from communicating with other State officials is simply inaccurate. The Executive was free to communicate with local officials throughout the process on what it was negotiating for and what it agreed to.

“The failure of the Executive to communicate with its own government speaks to the utter disregard the Governor had for this process.”

The state’s gaming compact with the Seneca Nation expires on Dec. 21, leaving the door open for the Senate and Assembly to vote on a revised agreement.

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