A motor vehicle accident with unknown injuries is reported in the area of 5549 Clinton Street Road, Stafford.

The location is near the Prole Road Extension.

Stafford Fire dispatched.

UPDATE 12:36 a.m.: Two vehicles blocking the westbound lane.

UPDATE 12:41 a.m.: There is only one Mercy EMS ambulance available to respond.  There are five patients, "most of them will be signoffs," said chief on scene. Bethany's ambulance to be requested to the scene.

Le Roy enjoyed its 33rd Oatka Festival Parade on Saturday.

The Oatka Festival continues on Sunday and will include a car cruise and a duck barrel. 

Photos by Howard Owens. For more photos (a total of 72) and to purchase prints, click here.

A two-car accident with unknown injuries is reported at Byron Holley Road and Route 262 in Bryon.

Byron, South Byron, and Stafford fire departments dispatched along with Mercy EMS.

UPDATE 6:38 p.m.: Fire police requested to the scene.

UPDATE 6:44 p.m.: Minor injuries.

The Batavia Muckdogs hosted clients of Arc GLOW at Dwyer Stadium on Saturday for the agency's annual Challenger Baseball Day.

Photos by Nick Serrata.

Great White, stepping in for Skid Row after that band canceled, headlined another rockin' night at Batavia Downs on Friday.

Photos by Nick Serrata.

Press Release:

Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel has announced that tickets are on sale dates for two upcoming events taking place this August at Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel’s Park Place Room.

A “Sock Hop” to benefit Mothers of Veteran Suicide will take place on Monday, August 7 from 2 - 6 p.m. Special musical guests Ruby Shooz will play from 3 - 5 p.m. and there will be 50/50 and Penny Raffles as well as Silent Auction Items.  Attendees are encouraged to wear their best “Grease” outfit for the costume contest. Tickets are $15 and you get back $15 in Free Play. Those with Military ID will receive a complimentary ticket. See all details on BataviaConcerts.com. 

Seltzers and Sulkies presented by White Claw Hard Seltzer and Bud Light Seltzer will be on Saturday, August 19. The cost is $40 and includes Seltzer Sampling, Grazing Stations, $20 in Free Play, and a $5 wager on Live Racing at Batavia Downs which is happening that night. The event will run from 4 to 6:30 p.m.

Tickets for these events will be available at www.BataviaConcerts.com beginning on Friday, July 14 at 5 p.m. Hotel Deals for these events will go live on Monday, July 17.

“As we say in our commercials, we love you right back,” said Henry Wojtaszek, President and CEO of Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel. “We are honored to host Michelle and her Mother’s Veterans Group here for their fundraiser. As with all charities and groups that have events onsite, we’ll be doing our best to help them raise awareness and much-needed funds for their cause.”

By L. Kent Wolgamott

The Marshall Tucker Band had its hits in the ‘70s. But when singer Doug Gray looks out at the audiences at the band’s shows, he doesn’t see a room full of those who grew up on the songs. 

He sees a lot of people who weren’t born when “Can’t You See,” “Fire on the Mountain,” and “Heard It in a Love Song.” were all over the radio.

“We didn’t start out knowing these songs would be a hit, that these songs would be played 8 million times on the radio or somewhere,” Gray said in a phone interview from his Carolina home. “‘Heard It in a Love Song’ is catching up to ‘Can’t You See,’ and ‘Fire on the Mountain’ is in there, and they keep going up.

“It’s because of the young people and all the stuff that’s out there, in movies, on Netflix,” he said. “They hear a song, look up Marshall Tucker Band, they hit click, and they download that song. It’s made life simple for them, and it’s not hurting our pocketbook at all.”

It’s also because the MTB classics have become staples on the TV singing contest shows.

“I’m guilty of watching ‘The Voice.’ I’m guilty of watching ‘American Idol’,” Gray said. “I’m 75, but my girlfriend is 20 years younger. She’ll see me after watching and say, ‘You’ve got tears coming out of your eyes.’ It’s because I just heard about a 16-year-old girl who’s going to be a star. I can feel it right now, just like Elvis did. And she did one of our songs.

“When they do ‘Can’t You See’ in front of 8, 9 million people, I always reach out to them. I wish them good luck and all of that,” he said. “Not all of them win.”

Gray was one of six young guys who got together in Spartanburg, S.C., in 1972 and borrowed the name of a blind piano tuner for a band moniker.

Unintentionally, the band came up with a distinctive brand of music that got played on rock and progressive country stations.

“We did it without knowing there was any difference between country, rock ‘n’ roll, rhythm and blues or jazz,” said Gray. “We put all of those together without knowing what the heck we were doing. We even got invited to jazz festivals. 

“Toy and Tommy (Caldwell) were the country influences in the group, Doug, that would be myself, and George (McCorkle) were the R&B players,” Gray said. “Jerry (Eubanks) was the flautist. He played sax in the high school band, too. You bring all that together, and it’s like the soup your mama made on Sundays when she cleaned out the refrigerator. You drop everything into the pot, and out comes the Marshall Tucker Band.”

Toy Caldwell was the band’s primary songwriter and lead guitarist. His brother played bass, McCorkle played rhythm guitar, Paul Riddle was the drummer, and Eubanks played everything else -- keyboards, saxophone and flute.

Signed to Capricorn Records in 1973, the band released its self-titled debut album, toured with labelmates The Allman Brothers Band, and put out the first of their three signature songs, “Can’t You See.” Two years later came “Fire on the Mountain,” and in 1977, “Heard It in a Love Song.”

The Marshall Tucker Band has, for four decades, continued to tour, with the new audience helping to keep them on the road for about 100 nights in a normal year. And the group isn’t too far off of reaching that level of activity this year, the 50th anniversary of the band’s debut album. Gray is happy to have shows to play.

“Here’s a band that hasn’t really done anything but play,” Gray said. “That’s what the Marshall Tucker Band is about. If you want to know what the band’s about in actuality, that’s it. Even from the beginning, we just wanted to go out and play. First, to buy beer, to be honest.”

Gray is the only remaining original member of The Marshall Tucker Band. Tommy Caldwell died in an auto accident in 1980. Four years later, Toy Caldwell, McCorkle and Riddle retired, leaving Eubanks and Gray running the band. Eubanks retired in 1996

“Tommy died in 1980 in a car wreck, but before that, in 1971, we had an attorney draw up an agreement; we all had first right of refusal about everything with the band. Everything was split equally by six,” Gray said. “Two or three shares I bought up when guys got tired of it and wanted to get off the road. That’s how I ended up with The Marshall Tucker Band.

“Luckily, I can still sing, and I have some other great players in the band. People will ask me how the new band is working out. They’ve been in the band for 25 years. The same band has been together for 25 years. The old band was together for eight years.”

The Marshall Tucker Band, of late, has regularly played the Grand Ole Opry, CMA Fan Fest and the Stagecoach Festival, the country version of the Coachella festival -- it only took 40 years for the country music industry to figure out that the band had country songs, all the way back to the first album.

The group these days typically plays clubs, theaters, and casinos -- venues that Gray said are perfect for his band, small enough that he’ll know just what the MTB is in for before he walks in the door.

“When the bus pulls up, I see how many pickups are in the parking lot. That way, I know we’re going to have a good time,” Gray said. “I don’t want to see too many vans. Those are the moms bringing the kids to see us for the first time. Our biggest, largest drawing audience is 18-37 now. We love playing for them. There’s nothing better for me than putting that microphone out in the audience and having them sing “Can’t You See” and “Fire on the Mountain’ or some of the more obscure songs.”

The Marshall Tucker Band plays at Batavia Downs on Friday.

The 200-year history of the Historic Batavia Cemetery is on display at the Holland Land Office Museum in a show curated by HLOM Director Ryan Duffy and Cemetery Association President Sharon Burkel.

The display opened on Wednesday.

"All the people who founded this community are buried in there," Burkel said. "These people came from Connecticut, Massachusetts, in the late 1700s, early 1800s. They came in wagons, probably drawn by oxen and horses. I always ask people, would you do that? Would you leave your home in those areas and come this far, make your way through Indian Territory and everything else to establish a city? A lot of them were very influential nationally, like Dean Richmond. These people held a great deal of power. (The cemetery is) Also important when you look at all the streets in the city. All the names on the streets are all the people that are buried in that cemetery. And the reason that it's on the state national register -- because most of their homes and businesses are gone. And that was one of the main reasons we got designated."

Burkel said the city's first cemetery was on South Lyon Street, by the Tonawanda Creek, but when there were floods, bodies washed away, so they moved it over to what is now known as Harvester Avenue but was originally Cemetery Street. It was owned by the Presbyterian Church and the Episcopal Church.

In 1823, the Batavia Cemetery Association was formed and that not-for-profit organization took over ownership and still owns it today. 

Duffy said HLOM had some artifacts related to the cemetery, but the association loaned to the museum much of what is on display. 

"It was about creating a new space, but also shining light on another local hidden gem that people tend to forget about sometimes," Duffy said.

Preparing the display was an interesting task at times. He had to research what organizations some metal grave markers represented, and some of the artifacts the museum already had in its inventory hadn't necessarily been connected to the cemetery before. 

"There was a little bit of detective work going into some of this, which always makes it a little more exciting," Duffy said. "Going through things that are here in the museum, we didn't necessarily know they were connected to people in the cemetery because we hadn't really taken a deep look into them. So it uncovered a lot of things that we didn't even know we had."

Vette opened the Thursday Night concert series in Jackson Square yesterday.

The band consists of Kole Moore, lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Alex Fitzak, lead guitar, and on Thursday, the substitute rhythm section was Mike "Thunder" Warren on bass and Alex DeSmit on drums.

The next show is the band Free Beer on Thursday, followed by Qwister on Aug. 10 and Radio Relapse on Aug. 17.

The concerts are hosted by the Business Improvement District.

Photo by Kara Richenberg.

St. Ann's Community at the Greens in Le Roy hosted a free outdoor concert on Thursday.

A stage was set up in on the back lawn of The Greens and Inside Out, playing mostly a set of The Beatles, performed for 90 minutes. 

Food trucks were available for food and beverages.

Photos by Howard Owens.

After a high-speed chase from Oakfield to Bergen, deputies say they recovered a loaded 9mm handgun with no identifying information on it from the vehicle two suspects ran from after it wouldn't go any further.

Taken into custody were Sylvan P. Grayson, 24, from Le Roy, and Luke A. Rose, 19, from Batavia. A juvenile backseat passenger did not flee from the vehicle and was detained at the scene without incident.

Grayson and Rose are accused of possessing a "ghost gun," which is an unserialized and untraceable firearm. 

The case began at 2:38 a.m. on Thursday on Batav ia Oakfield Townline Road and Route 63 when Deputy Jacob Kipler attempted a traffic stop on a 2013 blue Dodge Avenger for an alleged headlight violation.

The Avenger fled at speeds that reached 90 mph. The vehicle went off the road several times on Batavia Stafford Townline Road, and the Sheriff's Office reports that the Avenger "intentionally" drove through a crop field, causing extensive damage to the crops.

Spike strips were successfully deployed on Route 237 in the Town of Stafford, according to the report. The Avenger lost several tires but continued to drive on rims at high rates of speed.

The driver lost control of the vehicle in the area of Clinton Street Road and Apple Tree Avenue in Bergen.  It went off the road, struck a street sign and crashed into an earthen embankment. 

According to deputies, the driver and a front-seat passenger took off running, heading south toward businesses an Apple Tree.  The passenger was apprehended without further incident after a short foot pursuit and was later identified as Luke A. Rose.

The other suspect, Sylvan P. Grayson, was located behind a business on Apple Tree about an hour later and taken into custody without further incident.

During an inventory of the contents of the vehicle, before it was impounded, deputies allegedly found a loaded 9mm handgun with no serial number, make or model identification.

Grayson is charged with:

• Criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, a Class C felony;
• Criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, a Class D felony;
• Criminal possession of a firearm (a "ghost gun"), a Class E felony;
• Criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, a Class A misdemeanor;
• Unlawful fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle;
• Obstructing governmental administration;
• And 16 traffic tickets.

Rose is charged with:

• Criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, a Class C felony;
• Criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree (a "ghost gun"), a Class A misdemeanor;
• And criminal possession of a firearm, a Class E felony.

Both Grayson and Rose were arraigned and ordered held on bail.

The Sheriff's Office did not release whether there were charges against the juvenile in the backseat.

Standing in the hallway leading into Le Roy Historical Society’s newly named and dedicated Research Library, Bruce Wilcox recalled the shambles of a place the former academic building was back when his father Gary led the way to turning it into something magical around 1991.

“He and about a half a dozen other local men who were about the same age spent a good five years remodeling this building. It had been when I was growing up, it was just a shack, it was a wreck, with boarded up windows and storage, and turned it into this beautiful museum over the course of about five years,” Bruce said during a dedication gathering Thursday at the Le Roy site. “So it seemed a natural. And so I reached out to the board here at the Historical Society and just said we're interested, and they’ve been great. And they came up with this whole idea of a research library, which, given both of our parents’ involvement with education and history, seemed like a perfect fit.”

As Society member Carol Wolfe phrased it in no uncertain terms, the late Gary Wilcox, a former Le Roy educator and integral community member, invested “a lot of back-breaking labor and everything else in the 80s” to create the Jell-O museum, offices and a transportation museum space out of what others may have deemed unsalvageable. 

And in turn, Bruce and his brothers Paul and Jeffrey decided to donate money to carve out an additional amenity of the research library. Folks will be able to use the space to trace their ancestry and other types of research, and new technology equipment has been purchased for that purpose. 

“We’ve got another floor that's just loaded full of archival, you know, newspapers and articles and books and things. And a lot of the things are, they're quite valuable historically,” Wolfe said. “We do have a microfilm machine, but we want to get things digitized. That's where some of that money is going.” 

Society members have also hired a Web designer to update their websites, worked with Ed Henry for his expertise on how to save archive photos, purchased new computer equipment and updated others, purchased a sturdy workstation for computers, and a newer version of Past Perfect, plus a new carpet.

There’s much more to do, members said, with organizing and digitizing the aging photo stock collections, and they are busy with that mission.

And doing an important job, Bruce said.

“This part of the country has such a rich, rich, deep history,” he said. “And they had so many great historical records here, but it takes a lot of effort and money to be able to organize and present them well. So they've done a phenomenal job here.”

His brother Paul agreed. They both flew in from California for the occasion, while brother Jeffrey, who lives in northern Virginia, couldn’t make it out for the event.

“My mother, Eleanor, was a docent here and a research person. If she saw this, she would right now be in heaven. This is exactly what she would, she would be living in this area if she were here today,” Paul said. “So yeah, it's completely fitting. I'm amazed at the job they've done. It's incredibly impressive. The boards work so hard, and all of the folks here, we’re speechless about how much work they've done and what a great honor it is for my parents.”

Society Vice President Anne Frew thanked the Wilcox family for its donation and dedication to giving back through the library and to the many volunteers that helped with the conversion of the space.

“We have turned this room into a place where our members and our community will feel comfortable and welcome,” Frew said. “I would like to thank all of those who have helped us with this vast undertaking, most especially … Bruce, Jeffrey and Paul. Without your help, we would not have been able to accomplish all of this.”

Gary Wilcox died Oct. 19,  2017, after an active life as an all-state third baseman, first trumpet in the Army band at West Point, playing for President Eisenhower’s inauguration parade and for Queen Elizabeth, impacting countless lives through his dedication to his students and community at the Le Roy school district from 1962 until his retirement in 1991 as a music teacher, band director, high school principal and capping it off with the role of superintendent for those final six years.

Eleanor died on March 20, 2022; also one said to have richly contributed to her community, Eleanor volunteered with the Le Roy Historical Society, Jaycees, First Baptist Church, Meals-on-Wheels, Le Roy Ambulance Service and the Fresh Air Fund. 

Not surprisingly for two people with passions for education and learning, their names will now adorn the door of the research library as a new chapter begins in the memories of Gary and Eleanor, who also had a love of reading and a deep sense of curiosity and engagement with the world.

Press release:

On Thursday, a ceremony was held in the lobby at Batavia Downs Gaming as Batavia Downs presented both local K-9 Units with a check from money that went unclaimed at Batavia Downs. 

When the money went unclaimed, Batavia Downs decided to sponsor the Department’s K-9 Unit as they have done in the past.  Both the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department and the Batavia Police Department’s K-9 Units received $2,000 each.

“We’re happy to once again support the local K-9 Units,” said Henry Wojtaszek, President and CEO of Batavia Downs.  “Now more than ever, it’s important for our local law enforcement to have the resources they need to keep local residents safe.  These officers do so much for the community, and we’re glad to do our part to help.”

“We appreciate the support from local businesses like Batavia Downs, “said Genesee County Sheriff William Sheron, Jr.  “These funds will help cover the K-9 unit’s expenses like food, training and equipment.”

“Public support and donations play an integral role in supporting our K-9 program,“ said Batavia Police Chief Shawn Heubusch.  “These funds will be used to offset the cost of food, veterinary services, training, equipment and other K-9-related expenses.”

Akari Lewis-Iburi and Shin Iburi are mixing a keen eye for light and shadow and composition to capture the special moments and occasions of area families and couples.

Their success so far has made it possible for the brother and sister team to open a photography studio in Downtown Batavia.

They've been working together as photographers for more than a decade.

Akari Lewis-Iburi was always interested in photography, she said. She took her first photojournalism class in high school and continued photography as a hobby into college. 

It wasn’t until deep into her college career that her brother asked her to go photograph a wedding for the first time. 

“It was the summer of my senior year in college,” Akari recalled. “I was an English major, but I actually wanted to be a journalist. I was really interested in photojournalism. My brother got asked to shoot a wedding, and that was our first wedding together. From there, it kind of snowballed.” 

The pair now owns and operates a photography studio that specializes in weddings, engagements, senior photos, family photos and maternity shoots. Pulling from her journalistic roots, both Akari Lewis-Iburi and Shin Iburi mix the art of being a wallflower and staging engaging photos. Customers can expect to receive images that feel both beautiful and natural. 

Since moving into the new, larger studio space, the siblings hope to install a projector screen within the studio. The pair believes that it will help the couples reminisce about their wedding day in a new way. 

“I want them to feel what they felt on their wedding day,” Akari said. “I want them to look back on that moment and feel those feelings again. It’ll be a nice closure to our working relationship.” 

Akari also plans to make her new studio space a place for communal gatherings. Since experiencing live music has also been one of her passions, she foresees the studio place to host live music nights showcasing local bands and open mic nights. 

“When I was a kid growing up here, there was this cool coffee shop on main street,” she said. “I just want to give a space for original music.”

Iburi Photography is located at 35 Jackson St. in Batavia.

Super sweet country ranch that’s meticulously maintained and move in ready! This solid home has so much to offer-great spacious layout, extra large eat in kitchen with tons of cupboards, cozy wood burning/coal fireplace, that leads out to fully windowed 3 season room that overlooks a beautiful park like yard! There are two very large bedrooms with great closet space, as well as the possibility of a 3rd bedroom or ideal in-law setup with its own private entrance - currently used as private work from home space! Not only is there a 2 car attached garage there is also a 24x40 garage/barn with work shop space and large storage space as well! Situated on 1.3 acres this homes location is ideal with all the quiet and peacefulness of country living surrounded by fields and trees but only minutes to town for shopping and restaurants! This home is perfect whether you are starting out or downsizing with a lot to offer to everyone and perfect for entertaining both inside and out!! Connected to public water many upgrades and super inexpensive utility bills makes this one of the most affordable country properties out there! Delayed negotiations until Monday July 17th at 7:00. Call Reliant Real Estate to see this property today! Call 344-HOME (4663). Click here to view this listing.

The Muckdogs split a doubleheader at home with the Elmira Pioneers on Thursday, winning game one 11-4 and dropping the nightcap 5-3.

Victor Alongi, from Greece and a GCC student, led the offense in the first game, going 3-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored.

Rashad Robinson was 2-2 with a walk, three runs scored, and two RBIs.

The winning pitcher was Jack Keeler, going four innings and giving up two hits, walking none while striking out six. He's now 3-1 with a 2.08 ERA.

In the second game, Robinson went 2-2 with a walk.

Julian Pichardo took the loss, going five innings and giving up four runs, three earned while striking out seven. He's now 3-1 with a 2.17 ERA.

Batavia is now 21-10 and still on top on the Western Division of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League.

The Knights of Columbus Kirby council 325 sponsored the night at the ballpark in honor of celebrating their 125th anniversary that was chartered on April 25th, 1898.  The assembly colorguard and members of the council attended the event.  They also held a 50/50 raffle where the winner took home $205.00.

At 6:35 p.m. tonight (Friday), the Muckdogs play a non-league game against Rochester at Dwyer Stadium.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

Sweetland Road, between Roanoke Road and east to Bater Road is temporarily closed.

The closure starts at 7 a.m. on July 17 and ends at 4 p.m. on July 20. The road will open each day 4 p.m. until 7 a.m. the next day.

Expect traffic delays and/or possible road closure.

The work is weather dependent and may be delayed by a day if inclement weather occurs.

If there are any questions concerning this work, please contact The Town of Stafford Highway Department at 585-344-1554 ext. 201.