Press release:

Dawn Puleo, 55 of Batavia pled guilty to a single count of petit larceny in Genesee County Court on February 24, 2022.  Sentencing has been scheduled for April.

Puleo was originally charged with 4 counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing and one count of Grand Larceny 3^rd after an investigation by Genesee County Department of Social Services Investigator Robert Riggi found that Puleo failed to report that she was receiving child support payments on her applications.  She received $4555.00 in SNAP benefits she was not entitled to. 

Full restitution has been made to the Genesee County Department of Social Services, and Puleo will be disqualified from the SNAP program for a 12-month period.

Anyone wishing to report suspected cases of welfare fraud in Genesee County can contact the Genesee County Department of Social Services Fraud Unit at 585-344-2580, ext. 6417 or 6541.

Press release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) Board of Directors will consider an initial resolution for a proposed $3.25 million investment by J&R Fancher Property Holdings LLC at its board meeting on Thursday, March 3, 2022.

The J&R Fancher Property Holdings LLC project includes the construction of a 52,332 sq. ft. facility in the town of Pembroke at Buffalo East Tech Park. The facility will include a 45,000 sq. ft. pre-engineered steel warehouse building with 7,332 sq. ft. office space.

J&R Fancher Property Holdings LLC plans to create four full-time positions and with the investment, the project is expected to generate an estimated $9 in economic activity for every $1 of public investment. The project would receive approximately $900,000 in sales, mortgage, and property tax exemptions.

A public hearing on the proposed project would be held in the town of Pembroke at Pembroke Town Hall if the project application is accepted by the board of directors.

March 3, 2022, the GCEDC Board meeting will be held remotely at 4 p.m. A livestream and on-demand recording of the meeting also will be available at www.gcedc.com.

The 62-year-old right-hander (photo at right) averaged 230 for his seven games in the event to win the $310 top prize.

In the finals, Cole's 227 was good enough to defeat Chris Buonaugurio (212), Mike Feola (201) and Don Perrault (169). To reach the title match, Cole posted games of 225 and 216 following his 942 four-game total in the qualifying round.

In November, Cole won the Genesee Region USBC Senior Masters at Perry Bowling Center.

Two Batavia bowlers cashed as well with Paul Spiotta (923 in the qualifying round) and Bill Neubert (891) each earning $70 after exiting in the first eliminator round.

The next tournament is at 1 p.m. March 20 at Bowl-A-Roll Lanes on Jefferson Road in Rochester.

NEUBERT WINS SUPER BOWL TOURNEY

Neubert took top honors in the Super Bowl handicap tournament at Mancuso Bowling Center on Feb. 13, outlasting 46 others.

The right-hander posted a 261 game in the title match to claim the $450 first prize. His first two games in the head-to-head match play were 211 and 235.

Other local cashers were Nick Johnson of Byron and Rick Underhill of Batavia.

798 FOR HAYDEN ALLIS

Hayden Allis continued his stellar bowling in the Sunday Rolloffs League at Medina Lanes yesterday, registering a 798 series on games of 252-257-289. He rolled two 800 series over the past month.

For a list of high scores around the Genesee Region USBC last week, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of the home page.

TWO EVENTS THIS WEEKEND

Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion is hosting the sixth annual NY Gamerz/Smash It Sports Triples Handicap No-Tap Tournament this Saturday and Sunday, with squads at 1 and 3 p.m. both days. Call Bill Hickman at 585-590-6717 to enter.

Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia is hosting the annuak King & Queen Mixed Doubles Handicap Tournament Saturday, with squads at noon and 2 p.m. Call Mark Brown at 716-474-7960 to enter.

Garlyn Maurice Gause, 42, of Brookhaven Terrace, Rochester, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th, aggravated unlicensed operation, insufficient turn signal, and consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle. Gause was stopped at 2:11 a.m., Feb. 12, on East Main Street, Batavia, by Deputy Nicholas Charmoun. During the stop, K-9 "Rayzor" (handler Deputy James Stack) alerted on the possible presence of narcotics inside the vehicle. It's alleged that Gause was in possession of narcotics. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Jerry Tyrone Saddler, 45, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 4th, tampering with physical evidence, criminal possession of a controlled substance, and obstructing governmental administration 2nd. Saddler was arrested in connection with a traffic stop at 2:12 a.m., Feb. 12, by Deputy Nicholas Charmoun, on East Main Street, Batavia. Saddler was a passenger in the vehicle. During the stop, K-9 "Rayzor" (handler Deputy James Stack) alerted on the possible presence of narcotics inside the vehicle. Saddler was allegedly attempted to conceal his possession of narcotics while being booked into the Genesee County Jail. He was arraigned in City Court and ordered held without bail.

Victoria L. Jacques, 52, of Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child and assault 3rd. Jacques was arrested in connection with an incident on Elm Street reported at 8:35 p.m., Feb. 20. Jacques was arraigned in City Court and released under supervision.

Jeremiah D. Williams, 30, of Batavia, is charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon 3rd. Williams is accused of possession of a fully automatic handgun on Aug. 17 at a location on Oak Street, Batavia, and of possessing a weapon with a prior felony conviction. He was jailed without bail.

Loretta L. Baer, 50, of Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Baer is accused of charging a person and placing her hands around that person's neck while at UMMC at 3:36 a.m., Feb. 18. Baer was issued an appearance ticket.

Jeremiah T. Jones, 48, of Batavia, is charged with tampering with a witness 4th. Jones is accused of threatening a person who was testifying in a court proceeding. The alleged threat was reported at 1:40 p.m., Feb. 6.  Jones was released on his own recognizance.

Janell M. Sauer, 46, of Batavia, was arrested on a bench warrant. Sauer is accused of petit larceny on Jan. 16. Sauer was arraigned in City Court and released under supervision.

Melody J. McMaster, 51, of Batavia, is charged with criminal tampering 3rd. McMaster is accused of removing fire extinguishers from their designated locations at a business on State Street, Batavia, at 7:19 a.m., Feb. 17. McMaster was arraigned in City Court and released on her own recognizance.

Lyndsay T. Young, 38, of Batavia, is charged with conspiracy 6th. Young was arrested by State Police in connection with an incident reported at 6:11 p.m., Nov. 10, in the Town of Batavia. She was released on an appearance ticket. No further details released.

Press release from AAA:

Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $3.61, up eight cents from last week. One year ago, the price was $2.72. The New York State average is $3.80, up five cents from last week. A year ago, the NYS average was $2.78. AAA Western and Central New York (AAA WCNY) reports the following averages:

• Batavia - $3.75 (up seven cents from last week)
• Buffalo - $3.75 (up five cents from last week)
• Ithaca - $3.81 (up five cents from last week)
• Rochester - $3.79 (up four cents from last week)
• Rome - $3.80 (up four cents from last week)
• Syracuse - $3.75 (up four cents from last week)
• Watertown - $3.79 (up six cents from last week)

Demand for gasoline increased last week as many families traveled for February break. An increase in gas demand, alongside a reduction in total supply, is contributing to price increases, but increasing oil prices continue to play a leading role in pushing prices higher. Pump prices will likely continue to rise as crude prices continue to climb. 

This morning oil prices remain elevated. Crude prices surged after Russia launched its military invasion of Ukraine. As the conflict escalates with more sanctions and retaliatory actions, the oil markets will likely respond by continuing to increase the price of crude oil to reflect more risk of disruption to tight global oil supplies. Additionally, EIA reported that the total domestic crude stock level is approximately 10 percent lower than mid-February 2021, contributing to pressure on domestic crude prices.

From Gas Buddy:

“The Russian invasion of Ukraine has sparked high-level concern that oil production could eventually be stifled, or even sanctioned, from the world's second-largest oil producer, leading to less supply as demand grows. That possibility has pushed up the national average price of gasoline considerably in the last week, and the situation could worsen at any time, keeping gas prices elevated for the foreseeable future," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. "In addition to the unstable situation with the Russian invasion, we're also entering the time of year that seasonality pushes gasoline prices up by anywhere from 25 to 75 cents by Memorial Day. It's simply looking like a perfect storm for motorists at the pump, with little to no relief anytime soon."

Press release:

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced plans to end the state mask requirement in schools starting on March 2, 2022. The Governor made this decision based on the analysis of several key COVID-19 data trends and after consulting with health and education experts, as well as parents, teachers and school administrators. The announcement also follows recent changes in metrics used by the CDC to determine risk and transmission levels in communities. Other mitigation measures should remain in place.

"With more New Yorkers getting vaccinated, and the steady decline over the past several weeks in cases and hospitalizations from Omicron, we are now entering a new phase of the pandemic. Because New Yorkers have stepped up, we can confidently remove the statewide mask requirement in our schools," Governor Hochul said. "This is a huge step forward for our kids and communities and I am grateful to the students, educators and parents for their dedication to keeping us all safe—we've reached this milestone because of your hard work."  

New York has made significant progress in the fight against COVID-19. Among large states, New York has the highest rate of adults fully vaccinated for COVID-19, the highest rate of teenagers fully vaccinated for COVID-19, and the second-highest rate of children ages 5-11 fully vaccinated. New York State has experienced a 98 percent decline in COVID-19 cases since the Omicron peak, and a continuous downward trend in cases for 51 consecutive days.  

The number of children testing positive for COVID is declining to levels not seen since before students returned from summer break; yesterday 229 cases were reported compared to a 7-day average of 832 cases at the beginning of the school year. Pediatric hospitalizations have declined by roughly 80 percent since the Omicron peak. 

Ahead of Midwinter break, 4.8 million tests were sent to schools for children to take home. An additional 4.8 million tests will be sent this week for students to take home upon their return to school. In total, 20.8 million tests have been distributed to schools. Over the past six weeks, the State established 261 #VaxForKids sites, bringing the vaccine directly to New York families to help parents and guardians get their eligible children vaccinated and boosted.  

State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett said, "Thanks to the hard work of New Yorkers, today we are able to lift the statewide mask requirement for schools. As Governor Hochul said, we will remain vigilant as New York moves forward, and our team at the Department of Health will continue to monitor the data and advance early warning monitoring systems like wastewater surveillance. We continue to urge all New Yorkers to get vaccinated and get boosted, and we will work with our partners in education statewide to ensure our schools, teachers, and students have the support they need to keep our classrooms healthy and safe." 

State Education Commissioner Dr. Betty A. Rosa said, "I thank the Governor for her leadership. Working together we look forward to keeping our schools safe for students and educators."

Statement from NYSUT:

New York State United Teachers President Andy Pallotta issued the following statement today regarding the governor’s announcement that the statewide mask requirement for schools is ending:

“We welcome this step toward normalcy. The governor is striking the right balance by empowering local officials to use data to determine if and when the mitigation strategies need to change in their areas. As the guidance changes, one thing must remain constant: It’s essential that districts work closely with educators to ensure there is confidence in their health and safety plans.”

In girls basketball:

• Alexander (#7, 13-9) vs. Addison (#6, 14-8), at 6 p.m., Wednesday, Canandaigua HS, C1 bracket
• Pavilion (#1, 17-2) vs. Kendall (#4, 16-5), at 7:45 p.m., Wednesday, HFL, C2 bracket
• Notre Dame (#2, 16-5) vs. Genesee Valley (#3, 16-5), at 6 p.m., Monday, at Letchworth, D1 bracket
• Elba (#3, 15-6) vs. Andover/Whitesville (#2, 17-3), at 6 p.m., Tuesday, at Dansville, D2 bracket

In boys basketball:

• Batavia (#8, 9-13) vs. Palmyra-Macedon (#4, 15-7), at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, at Bloomfield HS, B1 bracket
• Le Roy (#2, 15-6) vs. Myderse Academy (#3, 13-8), at 7 p.m., Wednesday, at Marcus Whitman HS, B2 bracket
• Oakfield-Alabama (#2, 20-1) vs. Pembroke (#3, 15-6), at 7 p.m., Monday, at Genesee Community College, C2 bracket
• Notre Dame (#1, 18-3) vs. Romulus (#4, 12-9), at 7 p.m., Monday, at McQuaid, D2 bracket
• Elba (#2, 14-7) vs. Jasper-Troupsburg (#6, 10-9), at 7 p.m., Monday, at Warsaw, D2 bracket

Oakfield-Alabama, the #3 seed in Class C2, was upset Saturday by #6 seed Gananda, 47-45 ending the Hornets' hopes of a sectional title in 2022.

Caitlin Ryan scored 15 points and had 10 rebounds along with 5 assists. Brooke Reding scored 10 points, Emma Wray, eight, and Kelsey Schlagenhauf had seven rebounds at three assists.

Photos by Karly and Brayden Smith.

The Elba Lancers, seeded #3 in the Section V D2 bracket, will continue their quest for another sectional title after beating Hammondsport on Saturday 61-49.

Dakota Brinkman scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Adrianna Long scored 10 points and Kennedy Augello, nine.  Haile Deville had 16 rebounds and three blocked shots.

The Lancers (15-6)  face #2 seeded Andover/Whitesville (17-3) at 6 p.m., Tuesday in Dansville in a semifinal match.

Photos by Kristin Smith.

The Golden Gophers beat Warsaw on Saturday to advance .. 

Pavilion's 46-23 victory was keyed by Lauren Kingsley's16 points and 11 for Karlee Zinkievich. Shea Amberger scorednine.

Pavilion (17-2), the #1 seed in C2, will play #4 Kendall (16-5) at 7:45 p.m., March 2, at a site to be determined in the sectional semifinal.

The Batavia Blue Devils, who entered sectional play as the #8 seed, with a losing record (7-13), upset #1 ranked Northstar Christian in the Class B1 quarterfinal at Northstar.

Batavia won 81-71.

Carter McFollins was on fire, scoring 34 points.  Javin McFollins scored 20 points, hitting six three-pointers, and Sawyer Siverling scored 10.

The Blue Devils, now 9-13, will face #4 seed Palmyra-Macedon (15-7) on March 2 at a time and site to be determined.

Merritt Holly, Jr., dominated and Le Roy advanced Section V Class B2 bracket with a 67-50 win over Haverling.

Holly scored 31 points.  Mitchel Hockey scored 17 points.

The Oatkan Knights are ranked #2 in the bracket and are now 15-6.  They take on #3 seed Myderse Academy (13-8) on March 2 at a time and location to be determined.

Photos by Jim Burns.

It was a see-saw game from the start and both #4 Byron-Bergen and #5 Keshequa entered the game with a 15-5 record in a battle for Class C3 in girls sectional game.  

The Bees lead after the first quarter by three and were down three at the half.  After the third quarter, Keshequa led by one and what appeared to be a neck-and-neck battle that could go into overtime did not.

The fourth quarter was all Keshequa, which played a scrappy defense to get the ball and score to secure for themselves for a victory and advance to the semifinals.

• Keshequa Libby Benner scored 12 points, Julia Wilkins 11, including a pair of three-pointers and three free throws.
• Byron-Bergen's Ava Wagoner scored 10 points. Dayanara Coballero scored eight.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

It was a packed house at Batavia Downs today for the first day of the Legends & Stars Sports Expo.

Dozens of vendors are selling sports memorabilia while sports stars, including some current members of the Buffalo Bills, are signing autographs.

At the autograph tables in these photos are Lee Evans, Willie McGahee, and Roscoe Parish.

Doors are open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS! You have the right to a safe workplace. Federal laws state that your employer must provide a work area with no known health or safety hazards. You also have the right to: 

The City of Batavia apparently has concluded its “hunt” for the right engineering firm to handle the City Centre/Mall rehabilitation project.

According to a memo to City Council dated Feb. 16, City Manager Rachael Tabelski is recommending that the city contracts with HUNT E/A/S of Rochester for architectural and engineering services for the design of the project’s improvements. The total cost of the contract is $99,317.

Tabelski wrote that three companies responded to the city’s Request for Proposals in connection with the $1 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative and that two were selected as finalists. From there, Tabelski met with a panel of city staff and Batavia Development Corp. members to make the final selection.

Per the memo, HUNT’s work includes the Commissary at Sibley Square, Wegmans Food Markets re-use project and the Regal Cinema Complex repurposing project.

“They bring together a team of professionals dedicated to drive the public rebirth of the Batavia City Center Mall and reestablishing Main Street as a destination,” Tabelski wrote. “The HUNT team in conjunction with Vargas Associates has a long-established reputation for the creation of adaptive reuse projects and involves customized unique approach.”

The topic is part of the agenda of Monday night’s City Council Conference Meeting, scheduled for 7 o’clock at the City Hall Council Board Room.

Other agenda items of note include:

• Public hearings to adopt the 2022-23 city budget and to amend a local law to set new water rates, meter fees and a capital improvement fee. The $29,700,792 All-Funds budget ($17,853,892 general fund) calls for a tax levy of $5,986,000.  The property tax rate is $8.94 per $1,000 of assessed value – a 78-cent decrease from the 2021-22 rate. Water rates and meter fees will go up by 1.5 percent.

• Four measures dealing with work at the Water Treatment Plant and Waste Water Treatment Plant:

(1) Issuing a bid package for a licensed construction firm to replace six filters at the Water Treatment Plant to improve efficiency and capacity of the plant’s water output;

(2) Following a bid process, award contracts to six companies to supply the various chemicals used at the facilities – quicklime, ferric sulfate, fluosilicic acid, carbon dioxide, liquid alum and liquid phosphate;

(3) Contracting with Ron Hutcheson, lowest bidder, for the harvesting of fat head minnows at the WWTP. Hutcheson has agreed to pay the city $27,000 in 2022, $28,000 in 2023 and $29,000 in 2024.

(4) Using $60,000 from the city’s sewer fund sludge reserve to conduct Maximum Allowable Headworks Loadings evaluation as part of the headworks, capacity analysis and financial planning study at the WWTP. The plan is to sample different pollutants at multiple points in the system, including the influent, effluent and lift stations, Tabelski said.

• Acceptance of a $1 million Community Development Block Grant for the installation of 2,250 linear feet of 8-inch water main along Jackson Street and to commit $414,017 from the city’s water fund reserves to pay for the remaining cost of the project.

• Acceptance of a $5,000 grant from the GO Art! Statewide Community Regrant Program to fund “Community Garden in Bloom,” the creation of a seasonal mural of multiple painted panels at the Community Garden on MacArthur Drive. The project is set to run from June through October.

Following a traffic stop on Thursday, Deputy Kenneth Quackenbush had reason to believe "criminal activity was afoot" and requested backup, which came from the K-9 unit, Deputy James Stack and "Rayzor."

The team reportedly found in the vehicle, stopped at Route 33 and West Bergen Road in Bergen, a quantity of crack cocaine and a firearm.

Arrested at the scene was Marlon O. Hibbert, 35, of Rochester.  His passengers were released without charges.

Hibbert is charged with:

• Criminal possession of a narcotic drug, a Class B felony;
• Criminal possession of a narcotic drug with intent to sell, a Class B felony;
• Criminal possession of a weapon 2nd, a Class C felony;
• Aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd;
• Unlicensed operator;
• Failure to yield the right of way at a stop sign.

Hibbert was arraigned in Town of Bergen Court and ordered held on bail of $5,000 or $10,000 bond.

Assisting in the investigation were Sgt. Andrew Hale, Deputy Nate Chamound, members of the Local Drug Task Force, and the District Attorney's Office.

The Hornets are moving forward in their quest for a Section V Class C2 title after their win Friday over Kendall, 82-40.

Next up for the #2 seed Hornets (20-1), neighbors Pembroke (15-6, #3) at a time and place to be determined on Monday.

For Oakfield-Alabama:

• Kam Cusmano, 25 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals
• Gaige Armbrewster, 16 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals
• Kaden Cusmano, 10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists
• Brenden Wescott, 12 points
• Kyle Porter, 9 points

"I was proud of the focus and effort of the team tonight," said Head Coach Ryan Stehlar. "We went up against a solid team and a great coach in Coach Zimmer.  He always has his boys prepared and ready to compete.  I have all of the respect in the world for him and the program he has built. We will enjoy this victory, but get back to work tomorrow and focus on the next game."

“I am looking forward to this because I love the city,” Rich Richmond said this morning when asked about his selection by the City Republican Committee to replace Council member-at-large Jeremy Karas, who resigned at the end of January. “We’ve got good people living here.”

Richmond, 66, (photo at right), reported that he is expected to be appointed prior to Monday’s City Council Conference Meeting at 7 p.m. at the City Hall Council Board Room.

If that does happen, he would serve until an election in November and, if he wins in November, would serve out the remaining time in that term.

The City GOP chair, Richmond said a Republican committee of 24 people met earlier this week at the Old County Courthouse to interview three candidates and vote on Karas’ replacement.

“I recused myself from running that meeting,” he said. “The three of us were there to answer as many questions as the committee had.”

With his selection, Richmond said he would give up his position on the Genesee County Planning Board (he’s been a member of that committee for four years), but would continue on as City Republican chair.

“My experience on the planning board will be a plus, having dealt with zoning issues and related items, but I’ve got a lot of catching up to do regarding city codes,” he said “I am also familiar with budgets as a member of the Godfrey’s Pond board of directors.”

About eight years ago, Richmond ran for a Ward seat on City Council but lost by 11 votes.