A two-vehicle accident with injuries is reported at Bloomingdale and Sand Hill roads, on the border of the Town of Alabama and the Tonawanda Indian Reservation. One person is said to have a mouth and arm injury, another is complaining of chest pain due to the seat belt restraint. Alabama Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 3:17 p.m.: The patients are both children.

UPDATE 3:19 p.m.: A second ambulance is requested.

UPDATE 3:54 p.m.: The patients are being transported to Women's and Children's Hospital in Buffalo.

UPDATE 4:11 p.m.: Alabama is back in service.

Bishop William R. Franklin, the Episcopal bishop for all of Western New York, praised God and praised the efforts of the congregation of St. James Episcopal Church in Batavia today at a dedication ceremony for the restored church tower.

The restoration was a difficult financial undertaking for the congregation, but Franklin said the tower was an important symbol of hope in the community.

"When we look upward, we look to the future and it reminds us that the joy of God belongs to us," Franklin said.

The front doors of the church, which have been kept closed for years because of safety concerns from falling masonry, were once again reopened.

"We open doorways of hope," Franklin said. "We open our doors and go out into the community and give people hope."

Previously: Photos: St. James restoration project reaches pinnacle with placement of new cross

Remember a while back we ran a contest for Shop Batavia -- leave a five-star rating on your favorite local businesses for a chance to win a $100 gift certificate to that business?

I totally forgot to pick a winner.

So I just did.

It's Ingrid Bowen, of Elba. She wins a $100 gift certificate to the Log Cabin Restaurant.

UPDATED Saturday at 12:48 p.m. with the names of the suspects and clarified/corrected information from the Sheriff's Office.

A federal helicopter passing over Genesee County this evening just happened to spot what looked like marijuana plants growing in a field off Angling Road in Corfu, and following an alleged frenzied attempt to hide or destroy the crop three people were taken into custody.

The three suspects are being charged with felony counts of criminal possession of marijuana 3rd and tampering with physical evidence as well as a misdemeanor charge of unlawful growing of cannabis.

Taken into custody were James P. Cox, 49, of 2109 Angling Road, Corfu, Jessica D. Cox, 22, of Benedict Street, Perry, and Beau T. Bressler, 25, of Benedict Street, Perry.

Sheriff's dispatchers received a call from a Homeland Security helicopter piloted by U.S. Border Patrol Agents just before 8:30 p.m. saying that the agents had spotted a suspected marijuana field at 2109 Angling Road, Corfu.

"The border patrol was not actively working with us or actively looking for marijuana," said Sgt. Steve Mullen, of the Sheriff's Office. "They just happened to be flying over the area on their way back to their base."

Immediately after the initial call, the agents informed dispatchers that an individual had run from the field into a residence at that address. At least four people immediately left the residence.

Two people reportedly jumped into a white sedan.

The other three people were allegedly spotted pulling up marijuana plants from the ground and carrying them into the house, into a barn, into a cornfield and into a red SUV parked at the house.

The red SUV was reported to leave the scene and was subsequently stopped by a trooper on Angling Road.

"We had communication with the helicopter through the inter-county system and the helicopter was able to tell us what was going on play-by-play and give us a description of the vehicles as they were leaving," Mullen said.

"(They were able to) observe it (the suspected marijuana) being placed in vehicles and observe it being destroyed or tampered with by throwing it into the cornfield in the hope that we wouldn’t subsequently see it or find it."

Several suspected marijuana plants, with their roots still attached and dusted with dirt, were found inside the vehicle (top photo with Sgt. Greg Walker and Deputy James Diehl, who is also the driver in the photo below).

Mullen said all suspected marijuana plants had been pulled from the ground by the three people allegedly involved in the incident. A total of 32 marijuana plants were recorved, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Two individuals who reportedly left in a white sedan told law enforcement that they left the scene when the suspects started to pull up the plants because they weren't involved and didn't want to be involved in what was going on. Neither of those people were arrested.

The residence at 2109 Angling Road is owned, according to the county's online database, by James P. Cox.

Mullen said one of the inviduals arrested was a resident of the property and the other two people were visiting at the time the suspected pot plants were discovered.

"After noticing the helicopter they decided to help (the suspected grower), or so they thought, remove or destroy the evidence."

Deputies are responding to East Pembroke where a U.S. Border Patrol helicopter has reportedly spotted people cultivating marijuana.

One person reportedly saw the helicopter and ducked into a house.

Two other people are reportedly pulling plants into a barn and there is some concern they are trying to destroy the evidence.

A white sedan with a sunroof was reported leaving the property and a deputy has located the car.

Other deputies are responding to the scene.

One suspect is carrying plants to the residence.

An older model red SUV has reportedly left the property.

UPDATE 8:32 p.m.: The subject in the white car reported that he left because they were pulling the plants. Another subject is in custody. The red SUV has not been stopped yet.

UPDATE 10:41 p.m.: I inadvertently failed to publish to the home page when it was breaking. I just returned from the scene. Three people taken into custody. More info and pictures coming.

Reminder, the "Let's Beat Bath Salts" rally is tomorrow (Saturday) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at L&L Transmissions, 8781 Alexander Road, Batavia.

Sponsors for the event are:

A church burglary suspect who allegedly tried to escape from the Genesee County Jail had an alleged accomplice, the Sheriff's Office revealed today.

Along with 22-year-old John Anthony Cabrera, Paul Joseph Doctor, 34, of West Main Street, Batavia, is facing an escape in the first degree charge. The charge is a Class D felony.

Both were arraigned in Batavia City Court today.

According to Investigator William Ferrando, Doctor aided Cabrera by giving him a boost into the ceiling area of the jail dormitory.

Cabrera then allegedly used the jail air duct system to access the correction officer locker room and stole a CO's uniform and boots. 

Somehow, Cabrera allegedly then made his way into the basement area under Genesee Justice (the old Sheriff's Office), which effectively meant he was out of the jail and an alleged escapee.

According to Ferrando, Cabrera was unable to proceed further because by that time corrections officers discovered he was missing. Jail-escape protocols were initiated, which included law enforcement setting up a perimeter around the building at 15 W. Main St., Batavia.

The Cabrera case, which includes multiple felonies, including two felonies charged in the Town of Batavia prior to his arrest July 22 for an alleged church burglary, will be presented to the Grand Jury on Tuesday, District Attorney Lawrence Friedman said. 

In the Town of Batavia, Cabrera was charged with possession of stolen property, 4th, and forgery, 2nd, for allegedly possessing a stolen credit card and using it.

At the end of June, Cabrera was arrested on misdemeanor charges of criminal mischief, petit larceny and conspiracy. Cabrera, with an alleged accomplice, was accused of using a rock to smash a window of a parked car and steal a purse from the front passenger seat.

In city court today, besides the escape charge, Cabrera was arraigned on charges of burglary, 3rd, stemming from his alleged attempt to escape from the jail, and criminal mischief, 3rd, for allegedly damaging county property in the process.

Judge Robert Balbick ordered Cabrera held without bail.

"The court has discretion on bail in this matter, but it's clear to the court that no bail in this case would be appropriate," Balbick said.

A 29-year-old Batavia man was jailed on a $10,000 cash bail after allegedly spitting blood on a deputy's face when the deputy attempted to arrest him at an address on Bennett Avenue, Oakfield, at 7 p.m., Thursday.

Shawn Michael Twardowski, of Montclair Avenue, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st, and harassment, 2nd.

Twardowski was arrested by Deputy Matthew Fleming after Fleming responded to a report that Twardowski was at the address in Oakfield in violation of an order of protection.

The criminal contempt charge was elevated to the first degree because Twardowski has a second-degree criminal contempt conviction within the past five years.

As Fleming placed Twardowski under arrest, Twardowski allegedly spit blood on the deputy's face, leading to the harassment, 2nd, charge.

Bail was set at $10,000 or $25,000 bond.

For Brian English, the prospect of people no longer parking on the front lawn of his home on Sumner Road won't make or break him.

He has a full-time job. He can still meet his expense budget. He just won't get the extra cash that made living next door to Darien Lake Theme Park so much fun.

For some of his neighbors, the new policy banning pedestrian traffic from entering the concert venue from off-site parking could be a problem, English said.

"I'm going to hate to lose the money, but I'm not going to go bankrupt," English said. "Some of the people that count on the money, it's going to drive them to bankruptcy."

When the new policy takes effect Aug. 17, according to officials, it is aimed at addressing three ongoing issues with concerts at the park:

• Pedestrian safety on Sumner Road;
• Traffic flow in and out of the venue;
• Underage drinking sometimes associated with concerts at the venue.

Steve Hollowell, marketing director for Darien Lake, said the park's owners and management started working on a plan to deal with these issues last summer and decided to implement it this year.

Gordon Dibble, deputy chief with the Sheriff's Office, said it's been obvious there is a safety problem along Sumner Road on concert nights.

"Well, I think the safety concern is obvious to anybody that if you have that kind of foot traffic at any venue anywhere and then throw in alcohol into it, you don't have to be a police officer to understand the danger there," Dibble said. "It's a major concern."

Earlier this summer a young man stepped in front of a van on Sumner Road and was killed. Though the driver has been cleared of any wrongdoing, the accident remains under investigation and details about events around the accident have not been released.

Dibble and Hollowell both said they expect the changes to improve access into and out of the parking areas.

Hollowell said one of the major problems with the private lots is that the owners let all of their customers leave at the same time, dumping thousands of cars all at once onto Sumner Road. That blocks up traffic for customers who have parked for free in Darien's own lots.

The change will allow the Sheriff's Office to more efficiently manage the traffic, Dibble said, in part because with less traffic they can use Sumner as a detour when traffic to the Thruway becomes too backed up. Deputies will also be able to send traffic out of the back gate from the grass lots in either direction, giving the Sheriff's Office greater flexibility in managing traffic.

While there's never been a problem with law enforcement going onto private property, such as the Hill, to check for underage drinking, it isn't something deputies do often, Dibble said.

Typically, deputies position themselves at the bottom of the driveway to the Cherry Hill Campground or on Employee Road and detect and ticket alleged underage drinkers that way.

Hollowell said with all of the parking confined to the Darien Lake property, it will be easier for law enforcement and Darien Lake's own security to detect possible underage drinkers.

Officials hope that will reduce the amount of underage drinking at concerts.

"We think we will be able to better enforce the rules much more effectively in our own lots," Hollowell said.

Brian English said that if pedestrians on Sumner Road are an issue, that shouldn't really effect his property, which is on the north side of the road and pedestrians can walk right onto Darien's property without getting anywhere near the roadway.

Officials said allowing even access to the venue for pedestrians leaving his property and other north-of-the-road properties doesn't address the traffic flow issues.

The first area of construction for the new fences being erected by Darien Lake is directly across the road from Cherry Hill Campground, known far and wide as "The Hill."

The couple who identified themselves as the owners of Cherry Hill Campground, but didn't provide their names, refused an interview with The Batavian.

They objected to our coverage of the pedestrian's death (the man was hit on Sumner Road while crossing from the driveway of The Hill and the male owner objected to The Batavian reporting that the incident happened at The Hill) and they both objected to yesterday's headline on the Darien Lake parking story that began "End of The Hill."

'It's far from the end of 'The Hill,'" the man said.

The woman said, "When you can engage in unbiased reporting, then we'll talk with you."

To any further questions she said, "No comment."

Tracy Avenue resident Richard Stevens holds a bass he said weighed in at 5 pounds and was 20-inches long. Stevens and his friend Gavin Demmer, he said, caught it at Dewitt Recreation Area this afternoon.

A few minutes ago, Batavia PD took a subject into custody in the 200 block of East Main Street.

The subject was seen struggling with police after he was handcuffed.

The initial indication is he will be charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

We don't have details yet on the situation, but minutes prior to his arrest there was a complaint of two male subjects fighting, with one possibly having a baseball bat, at an other location. Sgt. John Peck said he was only aware of a verbal argument proceeding the arrest.

Mercy EMS was dispatched to Batavia Police HQ for a subject who had been sprayed with pepper spray.

UPDATE 4:23 p.m.: The subject at the police station refused medical treatment.

T-Shirts, Etc. and the Batavia Business Improvement District (or "the BID") will present "DC in the Square," a benefit for local philanthropist Don Carroll, on Sunday from noon until 4 p.m. It will be downtown at Jackson Square.

Carroll, who is well-known locally for raising thousands of dollars on behalf of underprivileged youth, was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in April.

Brian and Beth Kemp of T-Shirts, Etc. have known Carroll for several years and helped him every year with Toys for Kids, an annual toy drive Carroll founded to purchase Christmas presents for children who might not otherwise receive them.

"When I found out about Don's cancer," Beth said, "I went to Brian and suggested we host a benefit. Because he has helped so many people, I thought it would be awesome for the community to be able to give back."

They approached the BID to ask if they could use Jackson Square as the venue. The BID went even further and agreed to sponsor the event.

"DC in the Square" will feature live performances by three bands: "Old Hippies," "Soul Craft" and "Savage Cabbage," plus a Chinese auction and a 50/50 raffle.

Items included in the auction and raffle will include all kinds of goodies donated by several local businesses, including:

• Clothing apparel from Lamb Farms (Oakfield)
• A goodie basket from Oliver's Candies
• T-shirts and gift certificates from The Batavian

Coffee Culture Manager Brenda Richardson, who is also helping out with the event, said that M&T Bank has donated money, which they may use for a kids' basket or something similar.

Clor's Meat Market will be providing BBQ dinners for $9. People have their choice of chicken, rib or pulled pork dinners. Each dinner comes with a roll, butter, and two out of the following three sides:

• Salt potato
• Coleslaw
• Macaroni salad

Tickets can be purchased at the Square on July 29 or in advance at the following Batavia locations:

• T-Shirts Etc., 111 Main St.
• Clor's Meat Market, 4169 W. Main St. Road
• Coffee Culture, 6 Court St.

A minimum $2 donation is asked of everyone at the gate.

Jerry Foster, a former teacher and lifelong friend of Carroll's, provided an update on his condition.

"He's completed his third cycle of chemo," Foster said. "He is starting to be able to swallow a little bit, though not much. ... He will be going back to Strong Memorial Hospital to see if the tumor has shrunk enough that they can operate on it."

For more information about "DC in the Square," contact Brian and Beth Kemp at 345-1993 or email tshirtsetcsales@rochester.rr.com.

Picture courtesy of Brian and Beth Kemp.

Samantha M. Williams, 31, of 218 State St., Batavia, is charged with resisting arrest and false personation. Batavia PD contacted Williams at 8:58, Thursday, in an attempt to execute an arrest warrant out of the Town of Hamburg on charges of resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration, 2nd. When Batavia PD officers attempted to arrest Williams, she allegedly gave a false name and then allegedly resisted arrest. Williams was issued an appearance ticket for city court and turned over to the Hamburg PD.

Nicole Marie Paddock, 24, of Liberty Street, Warsaw, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Paddock is accused of striking a female friend as the exited the concert at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center parking lot at 10:30 p.m., Thursday.

Hollywood Reporter: Harvey Weinstein Calls for Filmmaker Summit on Violence in Movies After Colorado Shooting

A caller reports to emergency dispatch that flames 20- to 30-feet high are shooting from a stand in the parking lot of Ferrellgas at 655 Ellicott St. City fire personnel on scene say it looks like a controlled burn. An off-duty firefighter reported that a "burn off" was being conducted at the company.

Submitted by Scott Gayton:

Oakfield-Alabama defeats the Batavia Yankees to win the Junior/Senior Championship Title. The final score was 4-3. Front row from left: Coach Joel D'Alba, Jordan D'Alba, Andrew McIntyre, Tristian Korzelius, Cole Phelps, Cameron Dayka. Back row: Coach Scott Gayton, Zach Gayton, Allen Chatt, Danny Dinsmore, Austin Fisher, Chris Nanni, Hunter Spiotta, Josiah Yantz, Manager Bruce Chatt.

An employee of a smoke shop on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation was charged in federal court today for allegedly selling synthetic marijuana and bath salts.

Tiffany E. Greiner, 22, of Akron, was arraigned in federal court in Buffalo on a single count of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance analog intended for human consumption.

The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison or a $1 million fine or both.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Greiner was employed as a sales clert at the Sacajawea Smoke Shop in Basom.

The charge stems from a lengthy investigation by the DEA involving sales of synthetic marijuana and bath salts that resulted in numerous search warrants being served at various shops on the reservation in February.

The criminal complaint alleges that Greiner sold quantities of "Sexy Monkey" and "Alien Incense."

The substances are allegedly analogs to controlled substances and the government is accusing Greiner of knowingly selling the products for human consumption to undercover agents.

The Genesee County Sheriff's Office assisted in the investigation.

A hot circuit breaker has been reported inside an apartment at the Royal Apartments, 103 West Main St., Le Roy.

A Le Roy chief on scene reports, "we have a very hot circuit breaker."

He's requested a thermal camera into the building to see if it extends up the wall.

Bergen's ladder truck is requested to the scene mutual aid.

UPDATE 5:59 p.m.: A chief informs dispatch "we're all set here," just waiting on maintenance.

UPDATE 6:09 p.m.: Le Roy and Bergen back in service.

Yesterday our story on the raid at The 420 Emporium contained information from an affidavit we obtained that had been filed in support of a search warrant request.

It turns out, that affidavit came out of the Northern District of the U.S. Attorney's Office. Today, we obtained a copy of the affidavit from the Western District, which includes Batavia, Brockport and Rochester.

Below is some of the information that is specific to the WNY affidavit, presented in the order it appears in the affidavit, omitting information covered in the previous affidavit and concentrating on items relevant to Batavia:

• Product obtained at the stores allegedly contained controlled substance analogs known as alpha-PVP, Pentedrone, MPPP, UR-144, and AM2201.
• The first undercover purchase was May 10 at the Brockport store. The agent inquired about "Snowblind" and "Rave." The agent paid $60 for the products and left. Tests showed the products allegedly contained Pentedrone.
• On July 19, an undercover agent again entered the Brockport store and noticed packages of synthetic marijuana were no longer available. The agent inquired about a product called "Da Bomb." A clerk reportedly said the store did not carry the product anymore because it had been outlawed. A second clerk said the problem was the packages didn't contain a surgeon general warning and the first clerk allegedly said that somebody would "repackage that shit in like a month or two and send it back out, you know that," and the second clerk added, "You know it's going to be the same companies, different name."
• The first alleged controlled purchase by agents in Batavia was July 2. Two undercover agents entered. The first agent inquired about Amped, Pump-It and Spice. A store clerk allegedly said the Batavia location was out of Pump-It but the Rochester store might have it. UC-1 asked if a different synethetic cannabinoid had the same watermelon flavor as "Mr. Happy." The clerk allegedly said that was like "comparing apples to oranges." The UC asked for a recommendation and the clerk said she could not recommend anything, saying "people like what they like." The agent reportedly recognized face-down packages of Amped on the counter, so asked if there was any Amped available. The agent purchased one package of Amped for $65.
• The second agent requested a synthetic cannabinoid known as "Purple Haze." The agent said one of the product made his girlfriend's stomach sick and asked what product might make someone's stomach sick. The clerk said she didn't know and added that the product was not supposed to be used for human consumption. The clerk then sold the agent a package of "Purple Haze" for $21.60. The affidavit notes that agents made it abundantly clear they intended to use products for human consumption and the female clerk was reluctant to talk about it.
• On July 16, two undercover agents entered the Batavia store. The first agent asked for a packet of Snowman and the clerk said the store was out of it. "The clerk further stated the brands Rave and Snowman tested positive in 'field test,' " the affidavit says. "When asked if they had anything like it the clerk said he could not lead the agent in any one direction, but then, in a not-so-subtle fashion, displayed an empty packet of Amped." The agent said he had taken "Amped" before and tried to purchase one package for $54. When the agent couldn't produce ID, the other agent allegedly made the purchase.
• The second agent then inquired about G-13. The clerk said the product was illegal. The agent asked if any was still in stock and the clerk allegedly responded that they had "Da Bomb" and "WOW" in stock. The first agent then said, "we need papers." The clerk said he could not sell the product and papers in the same purchase "because I have to assume it is going to be consumed," allegedly adding, but "you can go outside and come back." Agent one allegedly made the synthetic cannabinoid purchase, left the store while the second agent waited, returned 10 seconds later and bought papers. 
• During the July 16 undercover buy, the clerk advised the agents 420 Emporium had been in the news recently about bath salts. The clerk allegedly explained that he would only get into trouble if he sold bath salts for human consumption.
• The Amped was not being kept in plain view, the agent notes in the affidavit. A sign read, "All products are intended for their legal purposes only. Any mention of illegal activity will not be tolerated. Thank you."
• During an alleged buy in Rochester, a clerk reportedly told an agent that there were 16 remote cameras in the store that were monitored by the owner from his home.
• The affidavit notes that the Batavia store had been subject of multiple police reports from concerned citizens and community activists. The report makes note of, but not by name, the arrest of Nicole Lang for alleged trespassing. The incident spawned increased media attention on the store and led to a protest at the location, the affidavit notes.
• Michelle Condidorio, Joshua Denise and Austin Szczur are all named in the affidavit as suspects for arrest.

Press release:

In its latest step to ensure the safety and enjoyment of guests going to the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, Darien Lake has announced it will require concertgoers to park in free on-site lots. As of Aug. 17, pedestrian access to the Performing Arts Center will be restricted to passenger drop-off at a designated area near the main gate.

“We offer more than enough parking to accommodate park visitors, overnight guests, and a sell-out crowd at the Performing Arts Center,” explained Darien Lake General Manager Bob Montgomery. “In our work with Live Nation, the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department, and New York State Police, we’ve determined that allowing pedestrian access to concerts increases risk to those walking along the roadway, increases traffic jams before and after concerts, and increases the incidence of excessive pre- and post-show alcohol consumption.”

The new parking rules mark the second significant step Darien Lake’s management organization, Herschend Family Entertainment, has implemented this year to improve the concertgoing experience. At the beginning of the 2012 season, Darien Lake stepped up patrols to decrease the incidence of underage drinking at its events. As a result, arrests for underage drinking have more than doubled over last year.

To help enforce its new parking policy, Darien Lake will erect a fence along Sumner Road (County Road 21). Construction of the fence began on July 24th, and will take approximately three weeks. All concert attendees will be required to enter by vehicle at the main Darien Lake entrance. There will continue to be no charge for on-site parking for concertgoers.

“Darien Lake was built to handle an influx and outflow of traffic,” Montgomery said. “With less traffic coming onto side roads from offsite parking, we believe this new policy may ultimately result in smoother traffic flow.”

The Darien Lake Performing Arts Center schedule includes eight concerts between now and the end of this year’s concert season (Sept. 15). The new policy will be in effect beginning August 17, throughout the 2012 and future concert seasons.