A motor vehicle accident is reported in the eastbound lane of the Thruway at mile marker 402.1.

That's near the Pembroke exit.

Injuries are reported.

Pembroke Fire and Indian Falls Fire along with Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 9:10 a.m.: One person injured, complaining of shoulder pain. One ambulance should be sufficient. Troop T and Thruway maintenance requested to the scene.

UPDATE 9:12 a.m.: East Pembroke is requested to assemble a crew in quarters for standby in case the department's assistance is needed at the accident scene.

A car has reportedly hit a tree on Route 98 at Edgerton Road.

Injuries are reported.

Elba fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 8:17 a.m.: Possible head injury.

UPDATE 8:20 a.m.: The vehicle is partially blocking.

UPDATE 8:22 a.m.: A trooper reports the patient is conscious and alert and complaining of neck pain.

UPDATE 8:24 a.m.: All responding Elba units can come in non-emergency.

UPDATE 8:34 a.m.: The Edgerton assignment is back in service.

A winter weather advisory is in effect until 10 o'clock tonight.

The National Weather Service office in Buffalo says snow accumulations of 4 to 8 inches are expected. The heaviest snow will fall mid-afternoon through early evening.

Plan on snow-covered and slippery road conditions, making travel difficult. Hazardous conditions will significantly impact the evening commute.

Visibility will be limited. Slow down and use caution while driving.

Michael L. Jackson, 38, no address provided, was charged at 10:45 a.m. on Dec. 3 with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the second degree and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. He was arrested at or near the JCPenney store in Batavia City Centre, arraigned in Batavia City Court and released on his own recognizance. He was to appear in city court at 9 a.m. on Jan. 10 to answer the charge. Then at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 18, he was arrested at the Sav-A-Lot grocery store on Ellicott Street in Batavia and charged with petit larceny. He was also to appear in city court at 9 a.m. on Jan. 10 to answer the second charge. When he failed to appear at the appointed time in city court to answer the charges, an arrest warrant(s) was issued for him. He was subsequently arrested on the warrant(s) by the Genesee County Sheriff's Office and turned over to Batavia police. After his arraignment at 4:47 p.m. on Feb. 25, he was jailed in lieu of an unspecified amount of bail and is due in city court Thursday (Feb. 28). The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Cronmiller, assisted by Officer Felicia DeGroot.

Othello Garwo, 19, of Halford Street, Rochester, is charged with: operating a motor vehicle while registration suspended; unlawful possession of marijuana; unlicensed operator; and driver's view obstructed. At 2:26 a.m. on Feb. 26, Sheriff's deputies conducted a traffic stop on Clinton Street Road in Stafford (Route 33) and Garwo was arrested on the charges. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Stafford Town Court on March 28. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Erik Andre, assisted by Deputy Andrew Mullen.

The advanced manufacturing plant that could have been in Genesee County with a little more political support will open soon in Cyberjaya, Malaysia.

Bedford, Mass.-based 1366 Technologies has been building a plant with the support of one of the companies that have invested in the startup, Hanwha Q CELLS, and announced this week the plant will open soon.

Until this week, 1366 had been unwilling to release the location of its new factory.

It will be the world's first direct wafer factory. The direct wafer process was invented at MIT and patented by 1366. It makes solar wafers much like glass is made, with silicon being poured on a flat surface. The company has claimed the process is more energy efficient and produces less waste.

In 2015, Gov. Andrew Cuomo came to Batavia to announce 1366 as the first tech company to agree to open a plant in STAMP, the advanced manufacturing project in Alabama, that would bring 1,000 mostly high-paying jobs to Genesee County.

The plan was for 1366 to invest $700 million in the plant. GCEDC and Empire State Development and other state agencies would provide $53 million in tax abatements and grants, based on certain incentives being met over 10 years.

The Department of Energy, in 2009, also promised 1366 a $150 million loan guarantee based on 1366 meeting two criteria: selecting a site for their factory and raising $100 million in private investment.

That deal fell apart on claims by Department of Energy officials that 1366 failed to select a site for its factory and had failed to raise the $100 million.  

The company had raised $80 million in private equity but the DOE would not renegotiate the terms of the loan.

Rep. Chris Collins, based on a conversation with a member of his staff, was not hugely supportive of his staff and it's not clear he did much to help the process along. After 1366 announced plans to pull out of the STAMP deal, Collins questioned the company's credibility. He said at the time that 1366's announcement was evidence that the company was never serious about building a plant in Genesee County.

Based on the expectation that 1366 was coming to STAMP, with the help of Sen. Michael Ranzenhofer, the state released $33 million for development of shovel-ready infrastructure at the Alabama location. 

Since 1366 pulled out of the deal nearly a year ago, GCEDC Steve Hyde has said on multiple occasions that GCEDC is talking with several prospective tenants for STAMP but so far no new deals have been announced. 

As of May 1366 and the DOE were locked in a dispute over ownership of patents because of the assistance the DOE had given to 1366 early in the process of developing its technology. The Batavian is not aware of any change in the status of that dispute.

UPDATE 4:16 p.m.: In this story, and previously, we reported that 1366 withdrew from plans to build in STAMP in March. Shortly after this story published we received documents, in response to a Freedom of Information Act request, from the Department of Energy, that revealed that STAMP informed DOE of its request to withdraw its loan application on Jan. 31, 2018.  There was no other new information in the set of documents.

For all of The Batavian's previous coverage of 1366, click here.

Top photo: Frank van Mierlo, CEO, 1366 Technologies, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo at the October 2015 announcement at GCC of 1366's plans to build a plant at STAMP.

Photo released by 1366 of its nearly completed plant in Cyberjaya, Malaysia.

A car-into-tree accident, with airbag deployment, is reported on westbound Route 490 by mile marker 3.0. Bergen Fire Department and Le Roy Fire Department and Ambulance Service are responding.

UPDATE 1:14 p.m.: Bergen command is holding all units in quarters.

A robbery at the Speedway at Oak and Main in Batavia was reported at about 9:55 p.m., Tuesday.

Det. Eric Hill said Daryl Leach, 37, of State Street, Batavia, has been identified as the suspect and taken into custody.

Leach, who is currently on parole, made off with an undisclosed amount of cash.

The suspect was found at a location on Swamp Road and taken into custody with the assistance of NYS Parole and the Sheriff's Office.

It's believed Leach acted alone.

Nobody was hurt in the robbery.

In October 2003, Leach was sent to prison by a judge in Livingston County on a 12- to 15-year sentence on convictions for grand larceny, 4th, attempted robbery, 1st, attempted assault, 1st, and robbery, 3rd. He was released from prison in July with parole lasting into 2023. He also had an attempted robbery conviction in 1999.

The Elba Lancers lost to Belfast at Mount Morris on Tuesday night in the Class D2 Section V semifinal 44-40.

Also on Tuesday, Alexander lost to Red Jacket 71-58 in the Class C2 Section V semifinal.

There are no boys teams from Genesee County who survived past the semifinal rounds of the sectional playoffs.

Photos by David Zuppelli.

Brynn Walczak scored 19 points over Romulus in the Section V Class D2 semifinal playoff game to lead the Elba Lady Lancers to a 46-30 win.

"Well, it definitely was a slower-paced game with not a lot of shots of taken on both ends," said Coach Tom Redband. "It seemed like one of those games where every possession kind of mattered. It wasn't a real high-flying game. It didn't feel that way and statistics said that as well, too."

Leah Bezon scored 10 points for Elba as did Taylor Augello.

Bezon also had four steals.

The #1 ranked Lancers now advance to a Section V championship game at 6 p.m. at Letchworth against #3 ranked Whitesville.

"It's going to be a tough game," Redband said. "We played them last year and we could see that defensively they're a good team. Their shots weren't falling when they played us last year.

"The score was a little lopsided first in the first quarter and then in the second half, we saw what they are capable of. So hopefully we come out and a few more shots fall and we continue the defensive game plan and put ourselves in a position to win."

Tonight in girls basketball, Pembroke plays Marion at 7:45 at Canandaigua in a Class C2 semifinal, and Oakfield-Alabama plays Keshequa at 6 o'clock at HFL in a Class C3 semifinal.

Emma Krolczyk goes up for a layup.

Jenae Colkey (34) and Mackenzie Reigle attempt to stop Pal-Mac's Sophie Lyko.

Ryann Stefaniak looks to drive to the hoop.

A steal by Reigle leads to a Batavia basket.

Bryn Wormley controls the loose ball.

Part of the large contingent of Batavia fans react to the victory.

Finding themselves up by only two points with about five minutes to play, the top-seeded Batavia High Lady Blue Devils were in need of a spark, something to put some distance between them and the No. 4 Palmyra-Macedon Lady Red Raiders in their Section 5 Class B1 semifinal girls’ basketball game tonight at Caledonia-Mumford High.

Pal-Mac, a decided underdog, had jumped out to a seven-point quarter lead and hung in there through three quarters as Batavia was unable to get its offense in gear.

But just when it looked as though Pal-Mac was about to tie the game, key plays by a trio of Lady Devils in a minute’s time resulted in a 7-0 spurt and propelled Batavia to a 44-32 victory.

The win puts Coach Marty Hein’s team in the championship game at 8 p.m. Friday at Cal-Mum against Midlakes, a 58-32 winner over Greece Odyssey in the first game of the doubleheader.

On a night when top scorer Ryann Stefaniak struggled from the field (4-for-11 including 0-for-5 from three-point territory), Emma Krolczyk and Mackenzie Reigle came through with 14 and 13 points, respectively, and Jenae Colkey led a stifling defense that allowed only 15 points over the final three quarters.

Colkey, a senior guard/forward who has to play inside on defense, came up with a remarkable defensive stop when she got in position in the lane to prevent a fast-break layup that would have tied the game. The missed shot eventually made its way to Krolczyk who drove to the hoop to make it 31-27 – a four-point swing.

Krolczyk then rebounded a Pal-Mac missed and kicked the ball out to Reigle, who sank Batavia’s first three-pointer of the game to make it 34-27 at the 3:52 mark. Following a Pal-Mac timeout, Reigle stole the ball and flew in for a layup to give the Lady Devils a 36-27 edge.

Another three-pointer, this one by Bryn Wormley, and pair of baskets by Stefaniak in the closing 1:30 sealed the win.

The decisive seven-point run came just after Stefaniak had been called for her fourth foul, sending her to the bench. The fact that her teammates picked her up should give Batavia a lot of confidence heading into Friday’s match against No. 2 Midlakes, 19-3.

Hein credited the defense for saving the day while lamenting the team’s offensive execution.

“In all the interviews that I have been giving, I have said I’m not worried about the offense, but I almost shot myself in the foot (with this game),” Hein said. “We were helter-skelter and impatient and didn’t move the ball very well. Hopefully, we will put the pieces together on Friday.”

He called Reigle (she also had five steals and three rebounds) a “huge sparkplug” and praised Colkey, one of three seniors on the team, for “taking on the leadership role tonight and settling the team down.”

Colkey had three assists, six rebounds and two steals to go with her two points, while Stefaniak, who was coming off a 35-point outburst in the quarterfinals, finished with 10 points – nine less than her average -- along with four rebounds and four steals.

Overall, Batavia was 18-for-50 from the field (36 percent) and just 2-for-10 on threes.

For Pal-Mac, senior forward Gretchen Earl was the top scorer with 12 points while junior guard Katie Smith sank a pair of three-pointers in the first quarter and finished with seven points.

Photos by Steve Ognibene. To view or purchase photos, click here.

From a flier sent in by Ricky Palermo:

The nonprofit Ricky Palermo Foundation presents a Comedy Show starring Moody McCarthy and Nick Marra at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 29, at Ascension Parish Hall.

Pat Mancuso is the show's master of ceremonies. Doors open at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $50. VIP packages are available for $500 for a table of eight -- includes VIP seating, signage and table wine.

Proceeds will benefit Rochester Regional Health, Batavia YMCA, Strong Memorial Hospital Spine Center and The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis.

Come and enjoy a night of laughs, heavy hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar! Dibble Family Center is catering.

Register to attend by March 22.

Make checks payable to:

Spinal Injury Tournament C/O Ricky Palermo

5159 Sunset Terrace

Batavia, NY 14020

********

Questions? Contact Ricky Palermo at (585) 739-8522 or email  rickypalermo24@gmail.com

To find out more about the Ricky Palermo Foundation, click here.

About Moody McCarthy

He's a stand-up comic (writer and comic writer) who has performed on Conan, Jimmy Kimmel, and the Letterman Show. He was raised in Syracuse and now lives in New York City. He began doing comedy in the 1990s and before moving to the Big Apple, he was on Syracuse's top radio show covering sports.

Moody, the nickname his big Irish family gave him (born Matthew), has also been featured on "The Last Comic Standing," the 2003 reboot of "Star Search," and "America's Got Talent." He's performed at the world-famous Comedy Cellar and can be heard on SiriusXM radio.

His material is described as original but universal, smart without being trite. Couple that with a disarming stage presence and in-the-moment chops and you'll see why he's earned the admiration of his peers for his ability to "go up cold." From pubs to corporate outings, this versatile performer brightens any event.

About Nick Marra

He's been entertaining crowds with his down-to-earth comedy for more than 20 years. Drawing on his experiences from growing up in an Italian Catholic home, to his current family comprised on two sons in their 20s and a young daughter (born 16 years later), audiences easily relate to his quirky observations.

Nick performed live at the 2017 Red Carpet Live ESPY show on ESPN.

Producer Bill Bonnell of ABC/ESPN television networks said: "Nick Marra is a throwback. That's what I love about Nick. It's like he parachuted in from another time and place. To me, his style represents the glory days of stand-up comedy. It's good to know that there's still a comedian that represents those days gone by. He never disappoints!"

Press release:

The Batavia Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center’s Culinary Club will host a Pop-Up Dinner at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, March 11.

The public is invited to this three-course dinner that be held in the Culinary Arts Dining Room at the Batavia CTE Center, located at 8250 State Street Road, Batavia.

Chef Tracy Burgio is the Culinary Arts Instructor at the Batavia CTE Center. She noted how events like these give student real-world experiences as the event is student driven. 

“The students have researched menu possibilities in order to plan the menu," Burgio said. "They will prepare and cook all the entrees and also serve our customers. Everyone works together as a team to create a memorable, pleasant experience for our patrons."

Tickets are $25 per person and may be purchased at the Batavia CTE Center.

Any questions may be directed to Chef Burgio at (585) 344-7795 or tburgio@gvboces.org.

About the Batavia Career and Technical Education Center

It is a program of the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership. The Partnership operates as a Board of Cooperative Educational Services providing shared programs and services to 22 component school districts located in Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston and Steuben counties in New York state.

Brian Andrew Simpson II, 38, no permanent address, is charged with: promoting prison contraband in the first degree, which is a felony; criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree; criminal use of drug paraphernalia in the second degree; driving while ability impaired by drugs; unlawful possession of marijuana; and a window tint violation. At 11:04 a.m. on Feb. 12, Simpson was stopped on Ellicott Street in the City of Batavia following the alleged observation of a vehicle and traffic violation. After an investigation, the defendant was allegedly found to be driving while impaired by drugs. After Simpson's arrest, he was processed at the Genesee County Jail and allegedly found to possess drug paraphernalia and a white powdery substance identified as cocaine. Simpson was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court and jailed without bail. In the same incident, his passenger was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana: Walter S. Bennett, 29, no address noted, of Rochester, was issued an appearance ticket for City of Batavia Court. The case was investigated by Deputy Ryan DeLong, assisted by Deputy Lonnie Nati, and other members of the Genesee County Sheriff's Office, including Corrections officers.

Paul G. Avery, 41, of Indian Falls Road, Pembroke, is charged with: driving while intoxicated; aggravated DWI wwith a BAC of .18 percent or more; throwing trash on a highway; driving left of pavement marking; and failure to keep right on a highway with four lanes or more. Avery was arrested at 9:21 p.m. Feb. 23 on West Main Street Road in Batavia following a traffic stop. Avery is due in Batavia Town Court on March 21. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Mathew Clor, assisted by Dpeuty Lewis Henning.

Nathan S. Bowes, of Buffalo Street Road, Alexander, is charged with: driving while intoxicated; DWI with a BAC of .08 percent or more; and moving from lane unsafely. He was arrested at 6:41 p.m. on Feb. 23 following the investigation of a motor-vehicle accident in the Town of Alexander. He was released on an appearance ticket and is due in Alexander Town Court on March 19. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Mathew Clor, assisted by Deputy Travis DeMuth.

Joseph Dimitri Rivera, 36, of Cole Avenue, Gates, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Rivera was arrested on the charge at 4:30 p.m. Feb. 24 on Lake Avenue in Bergen following a traffic stop. He is due in Bergen Town Court on March 13. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy James Stack.

Kelly Anne Vanbortle, 32, of Parkwood Lane, Hilton, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. It is alleged that she possessed a quantity of marijuana and a glass smoking pipe with burnt marijuana residue following a traffic stop at 5:14 p.m. Feb. 23 on Clinton Street Road, Bergen. She was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Bergen Town Court on March 13. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Jeremy McClellan.

Genesee Community College Fashion Program students continue their yearlong preparations for the 38th Annual Fashion Show that is scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, May 4.

This year's theme "Limitless" was chosen by the students of the Fashion Program. It is a no boundaries, inclusive, inspirational and innovative take on fashion.

The show will feature a variety of colors, creativity and originality in an array of designed and styled scenes.

"Limitless" will take place in the 24,000-square-foot indoor field house of the Richard C. Call Arena on the west side of the Batavia Campus.

With plenty of space to accommodate 2,000 guests including ample parking, the students are planning one dynamic, fast-moving production, and a post-show party with entertainment and a vendor market.

Tickets are now available for purchase online here. General admission tickets remain just $5 (plus a ticket processing service fee of $1.30 per ticket.)

This year however, special VIP tickets are also available for $25 (plus a ticket processing service fee of $2.41 per ticket.) providing preferential seating, a GCC Fashion Show SWAG bag, as well as admission to the Vendor Fair, Fashion Show, entertainment and the post-show reception.

For questions or to support "Limitless" send an email to: fashionshow@genesee.edu

(Photo of model in 2018's "Ascendant" fashion show at GCC. )

Press release:

TicketReturn announced today that it will become the exclusive ticketing provider for the Batavia Muckdogs professional baseball team.

The club’s box office will be able to take advantage of TicketReturn’s strategic partnerships and dedicated client support representatives to best serve fans across Genessee County.

TicketReturn, a leading provider of box office, online and mobile ticketing services, offers nearly two decades of technology management experience to help clients across the country exceed their goals.

The Charlotte, N.C.-based company offers a full suite of ticketing innovations, including event marketing, access control, attendance reporting, accounting and fundraising features for sports and entertainment venues.

The Muckdogs will benefit from TicketReturn’s strategic partnership with Groupmatics, which offers a streamlined process for the sale and distribution of group tickets. The club will also be able to add its own color palettes and logos on TicketReturn’s enhanced mobile design for customer transactions.

Batavia can now offer non-ticket inventory items during the online transaction. TicketReturn has shown a proven ability to deliver incremental revenue for its ticketing partners.

The Muckdogs will be able to offer fans a variety of ticket packages, including season tickets and mini-plans.

“We’re looking forward to working closely with Batavia’s box office team as they prepare for the season.” said Christie Hussey, TicketReturn’s vice president of Sales and Marketing.

“We pride ourselves on offering client support representatives that are available to provide support and fast onboarding as the Muckdogs prepare for the new season.”

The Batavia Muckdogs competes in the New York-Penn League as the Short-Season Class-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins.

This partnership furthers TicketReturn’s commitment to provide ticketing solutions and services to professional sports teams, colleges and universities throughout the country.

About TicketReturn  

TicketReturn is a leading provider of box office and online ticketing services serving more than 250 client venues and issuing more than 38 million tickets annually. As the leading provider of ticketing services for Minor League Baseball (MiLB) in the United States and Canada, TicketReturn also serves minor league hockey teams, soccer, basketball and lacrosse. TicketReturn’s diverse client venues range from theater and casino showrooms, motorsports, horse racing, university arenas and sports stadiums reflecting the ease of use and scalability of the platform.

For more information about TicketReturn, visit us at www.ticketreturn.com

Submitted photo and press release:

The Wind Ensemble of the Greatbatch School of Music at Houghton College will kick off its 2019 tour by performing Friday evening at Elba Central School.

Comprised of nearly 40 students and faculty, the wind ensemble will perform a diverse musical program in more than 12 communities throughout New York, Vermont and Connecticut from March 1 through 10.

Concert offerings range from hymn settings and classic band repertoire to compositions by George Gershwin and Percy Grainger.

The March 1 concert in Elba begins at 7 p.m. It is free and open to the public. The school is located at 57 S. Main St.

The Houghton Wind Ensemble is a premiere ensemble with critical acclaim for its performances and impact on its players and audiences. This wind band of select members exposes its students and audiences to the highest-quality music written for wind and percussion instruments.

While maintaining an emphasis on newer music, the traditional music for wind bands is well represented.

"This is a very exciting opportunity for our community," said Mike Colletti, band director for Elba Central School District.

Colletti notes that two Elba alumni are members of touring wind ensemble -- Dakota and Dillon Hirsch.

Timothy McGarvey, Ph.D., professor of Conducting, leads the ensemble. Graduate assistants regularly conduct this outstanding ensemble. Guest and student soloists are regularly featured as well as working with composers from around the country on recent compositions and premieres.

The ensemble performs multiple times each semester on campus and in the region, tours regularly in the spring semester, and has full-length CDs on the Mark Records label.

About Houghton College