State police have made several arrests after setting up a permiter patrol at the site of the crash of Continental Flight 3407 in Clarence Center.

On Friday morning, police charged Thomas Woodman, 19, of Clarence, with trespassing. Troopers located Woodman allegedly hiding behind a residence on Long Road, where he was attempting to video tape the crash site.

That same day, in the afternoon, Paul R. Brenton, 63, of Clarence, was charged with disorderly conduct. Brenton is accused of wandering into the restricted area while he was allegedly intoxicated. He had to be restrained, according to police, to be kept from entering the crash site.

State police also reported that a third individual was charged with a DWI at a roadblock set up nearby.

From the Genesee County Democrats:

The Genesee County Democratic Party held their Annual Valentine’s Day Dinner Dance at Sacred Heart Hall on Saturday, February 14th.  Under the Chairmanship of Lew Henning of Batavia, this annual event brought together party faithful and elected officials from across Western New York.  As part of a GLOW County commitment program, Democrats joined from Genesee, Livingston, Wyoming Counties as well as Erie County to celebrate the past successful elections.

“We are very excited about our local, statewide and national elections this past November,” declared Lorie Longhany, Genesee County Democrat Party Chair.  “It is great to be here celebrating with all those that worked hard on that election.  I am also pleased that we are able to share that success with our surrounding Democrat Party leaders and elected officials.”

The Master of Ceremonies for the event was City of Batavia Council President Charles Mallow.  Music and entertainment were provided.  “This year we will be working hard on our local races, including the City of Batavia At-Large Council Seats,”declared Mallow.  “Now is the time to move forward, assess issues and work hard to insure the best possible government for our constituents.”

Democrats are expected to announce their slate of candidates in late spring or early summer.  All County Legislature Seats are up as well as City Council At-Large Seats.

Big winners of the evening were Raymond Yacuzzo of LeRoy, who won the 50/50 Drawing and Margaret Kapperman of Batavia, winner of the Door Prize.

A state trooper pulled a driver out of his overturned vehicle following a crash on Groth Road in the town of Murray, state police said. Zoltan M. Koleszar, 43, of Medina, was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital for evaluation once he had been freed from the vehicle. Koleszar was charged with driving while intoxicated. He had refused to submit to a breath test at the scene.

State police in Albion had responded to reports of an erratic driver traveling on Route 104. When they arrived on scene, they found that Koleszar had flipped after striking a guardrail. His vehicle was found overturned and partially submerged in a swampy area off the roadway. Trooper Matt Luft was the first on scene and spotted Koleszar still in the vehicle. With the help of fire personnel, Luft pulled the victim out the rear window of the vehicle.

Photo submitted by state police.

Sixteen-year-old Shaquille L. Davis, of Lockport, was charged with two felony counts of second-degree assault and one felony count of first-degree attempted robbery Saturday, city police said. Davis is accused of demanding the coat and money of an individual who was out for a walk during the early morning hours Saturday in the area of Center and Court streets. The victim refused to give up his belongings and attempted to walk away when Davis allegedly punched the victim in the face several times, knocking him to ground and causing serious physical injury, including a broken jaw.

Davis then fled the scene, accordng to victim reports. Police canvassed the area and later located someone matching the description of the attacker amidst a group of others walking along Ellicott Street. Davis was sent to Genesee County Jail without bail. He is due to appear in court Tuesday.

Sara A. Weaver, 39, of Oakfield, was charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation Sunday, city police said. Weaver was stopped for an alleged traffic violation on West Main Street in Batavia. She was sent to Genesee County Jail in lieu of $200 bail.

Thomas G. Rowland, 37, of LeRoy, was charged with driving while intoxicated Sunday afternoon, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Rowland was stopped on Hopkins Road in the town of Batavia for an alleged traffic violation. He was also ticketed with driving to the left of the pavement markings.

Margaret A. Oliveri, 48, of Bergen, was charged with driving while intoxicated early Sunday morning, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Oliveri was stopped for an alleged traffic violation on Townline Road in Byron. She was also ticketed with driving to the left of the pavement markings.

Stephanie DeGeest, 22, of West Seneca, was charged with second-degree harassment and resisting arrest Sunday, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. DeGeest is accused of kicking a sheriff's deputy in the groin while she was being detained during a domestic dispute in Pembroke. Deputies also allege that DeGeest continued to fight and resist while she was being placed under arrest. She was sent to Genesee County Jail in lieu of $500 bail.

One of four people murdered over the weekend was a Batavia native, WBTA's Dan Fischer said. Former Lakeside Hospital worker Frank Garcia is accused of shooting five people Saturday, killing four of them. One of the victims, 23-year-old Mary Silliman was born in Batavia, according to Fischer.

Daily News reports reference Silliman as a Corfu native.

The rampage began about 5 a.m. when the suspect drove to Lakeside on Route 31 and found Mary Silliman, a nursing assistant at Lakeside's long-term care facility, outside, apparently on a break, law enforcement sources familiar with the case said. Silliman, 23, lived in Albion and was a former Corfu resident.

Police are still unclear on all the details of the alleged murders. Garcia is also suspected of murdering a Canandaigua couple in their home execution-style later that day. OAS_A

From the Democrat & Chronicle:

Police have not released several details surrounding Saturday's killing spree, including how the suspected killer knew the slain Canandaigua couple or how he spent the nine hours between the first killing and his arrest.

[...]

Garcia, a registered nurse, started working as a per-diem nursing supervisor at Lakeside's Beikirch Care Center in late October or early November, said interim Chief Executive Officer Michael Stapleton. Beikirch Care Center is also where Sillman worked. Garcia's employment was officially terminated last week, though he had not worked a shift "in several weeks," Stapleton said.

Silliman attended Pembroke Central and Batavia High schools, according to Fischer. Check back with that site later for a full obituary on Silliman.

At 5:15 Friday morning I was standing in our dimly-lit basement, sweeping water toward a pump. Out of the corner of my eye I saw movement to my left. Despite not having had any coffee yet, my eyes were not playing tricks on me. Out of the shadows emerged a round, furry gray ball. It was a rather large vole! Had it come inside to escape the flood waters or had it been wintering in our home? Whatever the reason, it showed no fear, first scurrying slowly past a stack of totes labeled Christmas decorations, then passing behind me and under a pallet.

Where is the Great Gray Owl when you need one?

Rarely seen in our neck of the woods, the Great Gray is North America’s biggest owl. Reaching a height of 33 inches and wing span that can top 5 feet, it rivals the Eurasian Eagle Owl and the Fish Owl as the world’s largest.  But looks can be misleading. A large head, long tail and fluffy feathers hide a body that actually weighs less than the Great Horned and Snowy Owl.  Physical characteristics aside, the Great Gray Owl loves to eat voles – or meadow mice as they are sometimes called. 

Once in a blue moon, maybe not that often, we are paid a visit by the “gray ghost” of the north. During those winters when its food supply becomes scarce, the Great Gray Owl (strix nebulosa) will temporarily relocate to more favorable climes, traveling as far south as the Great Lakes.

 The species name, nebulosa, is Latin for misty or foggy, and along with the Great Gray’s rarity, may be the reason it is sometimes referred to as the “phantom of the north.”     

For the most part a nocturnal raptor, the Great Gray will alter its hours in winter, hunting post sunrise and pre-sunset. At such times it may perch and wait for a meal or it may fly about in search of prey. The latter method requires extremely low flight, never more than a few feet above the ground. 

In the warmer months, the Great Gray has a variety of food sources including squirrels, weasels, chipmunks and mice. Ducks and grouse have also been included on their food group and in rare occurrences they have been known to take crows and even small hawks.

But it is the vole which the Great Gray is particularly fond of – particularly in winter.The vole is highly nocturnal in summer, but come winter it is active in the daytime. This may be a factor in the Great Gray Owl’s altered hunting hours during the coldest months of the year. One of the species method’s of hunting voles in winter is unique and worth mentioning.

Beneath the snow pack is a series of tiny tunnels through which voles scurry about. This network beneath the snow enables the furry rodents to access small trees and gnaw at the bark. (Have you ever wondered, after the snow melts in the spring, what happened to the bark at the base the maple saplings you planted?)  

Though the small mammals are out of sight, the Great Gray can still detect their presence. Every move made by the rodents, even beneath a thick blanket of snow, emits sound waves. With acute hearing, the Great Gray Owl is able to pick up the sound from a nearby perch. Its large, feathery facial discs act as receptors, reflecting the sound to the owl’s ears. Once honed in on its quarry beneath the snow, the Great Gray will descend on the targeted location. With talons clenched, it will smash into the snow pack, caving in the mini-tunnels below. Their travel network clogged, the voles become trapped. The owl then uses its feathered talons to sift through the snow, searching for its meal (as depicted in photo).               

Adult Great Gray Owls do fall victim to predation in their far north home range. They are on the hit list of Great Horned Owls, Northern Goshawks, marten, lynx and wolverine. But the biggest contributors to a decline in its numbers are logging operations and electrocution from power lines.

Ryan Darch and Nick Lazarony were sectional champions last year for the Batavia wrestling team and the two were favorites heading into the Section 5 Class BBB Tournament this weekend.

They didn't disappoint and won individual championships, helping to lead the Batavia wrestling team to a third-place finish overall. Palmyra-Macedon won the team title with 272 points with Bath taking second with 190 and Batavia third with 160.

Attica was fifth with 136.5 points.

 Lazarony was a Monroe County League champion for the Blue Devils and remains hot this postseason. The 112-pounder rolled to the sectional championships.

Lazarony first won a major decision of Midlakes' Max Peters 16-1, in 6:00. After that it was a 10-1 win over Ryan Howes of North Rose-Wolcott, earning him a trip to the semifinals.

He blanked Palmyra-Macedon's Dylan Rifenberg 7-0 in the semifinals. Lazarony had a tough match with Bath's Kyle Conrad in the finals but pulled through with a 4-3 decision, earning his second consecutive title.

Darch had a pair of pins at 160 pounds to get to the semifinals. He dropped Pal-Mac's Chris Argus in 2:33 in the first round and Hornell's Zach Bacon in 1:55 in the second.

He won a 7-2 decision over Brad Vecellieo of Wayland-Cohocton in the semifinals before defeating Ethan Lamphier of Wellsville, 9-2, in the championship round.

Troy Ireland almost got a shot at his teammate in the finals as he made the semifinals at 160 pounds, where he lost to Lamphier via pin in 1:30. Ireland went on to take third by beating Vecellieo 10-2 in the consolation finals.

Batavia also had three second place finishes.

Josh Mase knocked off Skyler Hendley of Way-Co in the semifinals before losing to top-seeded Bradley Mayville of Bishop Kearney 7-5 in the finals.

Anthony D'Aurizio was seeded third at 171 pounds, where Bath's Cody Hutcheson was expected to roll to the title. Hutcheson is the defending state champion.

D'Aurizio knocked off second-seeded Adam Slater of Sodus in the semifinals, 6-2, and nearly shocked everybody at the tournament in the finals. D'Aurizio took Hutcheson to the wire and wound up losing 3-2 to take second.

Dylan Goodsell finished second at 215 pounds as he made the finals with a 5-4 win over Lester Fanton of Wellsville in the semifinals. He lost a 4-3 decision to Pal-Mac's Pat Krenz in the finals.

 Attica's Doug Beitz won the 285 pound championship.

Beitz beat Mike Pryce of Sodus in the opening round 4-2 and pinned Bryan Wood of Dansville in 3:51 in the quarterfinals. He then pinned Waterloo's Zach Brown in 3:27 to earn a trip to the finals.

In the finals, Beitz held on for a 1-0 decision over Pal-Mac's Mason Judd.

Vinnie Napierski made the finals at 119 pounds with an 11-0 win over William Wells of NR-W in the semifinals, but was pinned by Tyler Marlow of Pal-Mac in 3:31 in the championship.

Dave Jennings pinned Tyler Deuel of Waterloo in 2:54 at 189 pounds to make the finals, where he lost to Zack Simons of Bath 4-1.

Lance Compton took third at 125 pounds and Spencer Ford took third at 152.

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Letchworth brought home the team title in Class BB with 243 points, topping Holley, which finished with 191.5 points. Le Roy took fourth (148), Byron-Bergen was sixth (102.5), Pembroke was 10th (78) and Alexander was 15th (42).

Defending state champion Quentin Murphy won for the Hawks at 119 pounds, pinning Pembroke's Adam Hill in 2:30 in the finals.

Jessi Kimmerly won the title at 112 pounds and Tim Banks is the champion at 130.

Pembroke's Graham Jensen won a 9-4 decision over Holley's Kyle Steadman to win the 189 pound title.

Jake Harvey, Tyler Fenstermaker and Ed Cigno all had runner-up finished for Le Roy with Colby Sanner and Travis Taylor having second place finishes for Pembroke. Byron-Bergen's Zach Green was second at 171 pounds.

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There was no question that Warsaw was going to win Class B and the Tigers easily won the team tournament.

Lyndonville took second and Kendall was fifth.

Josh Brabon took home the 119 pound title and John Brabon won at 160 pounds for Lyndonville.

Jake ReQua won at 96 points for the Eagles.

(Thank you to Tony D'Aurizio for the photos)

The Batavia boys and girls indoor track teams defended their titles Saturday at the Section 5 Class C Indoor Track Meet at Hobart. And the boys barely got it.

It was a second consecutive championship for the boys and it came right down to the last event as the Blue Devils needed the 4x200 meter relay to get at least sixth place.

Well, Ryan Wood, Devonte Rolle, Ray Williams and Francisco Martinez came in sixth and scored one point and Batavia edged Bath 71-70 for the title.

The only event winner for Batavia was Greg Kryman, who won the high jump with a jump of 6-feet. He was also on the second place 4x400 relay team with Rich Baird, Rolle and Adam Pierce.

The girls won a seventh straight championship, crushing second place Palmyra-Macedon 192-63.

Angela Jarvela had a dominant performance in winning the 1500 and 3000 while taking second in the 600.

Jordan Mancuso won the 1000 and triple jump with Samantha Yager taking first in the shot put. Batavia also won the 4x200 relay as Tessa Williams, Erica Williams, Cady Hume and Shannon Shmitt won in a photo finish.

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The Le Roy boys track team scored 127 points to blow out second place Oakfield-Alabama in Class D, as the Hornets scored 51 points. Alexander was fourth (50) and Byron-Bergen (12) was 11th.

Alonzo Wilson won the 55 meter dash with Jake Krautwurst winning the 1600 and 3200 for the Oatkan Knights.

Joe Schwab won the pole vault and Ethan Belcher won the triple jump. Le Roy also won the 4x200 meter and 4x800 meter relays.

Cody Dieterle won the 300 and 600 while Kevin Grazioplane took the 1000 for O-A.

Alexander had a 1-2 finish in the long jump as Tim McGreevy was first and Steve Shaffer was second.

The Alexander and Le Roy girls tied for fourth overall in Class D with Oakfield-Alabama taking sixth and Byron-Bergen finishing seventh.

Le Roy's Jasmine Poles was a triple winner, taking the top spot  in the 55 and 300 meter dashes as well as the long jump.

O-A's Kim Mills took first in the 600 and the Byron-Bergen girls won the 4x800 relay.

Complete results from the championships can be found here.

 (Thanks to Mary Jo Hume for the photos)

 Watch live coverage of all six Saturday games from the Genesee Region/Niagara-Orleans League Showdown at Genesee Community College in sports.

Here is the Roy-Hart/Lyndonville game.

Here is the Byron-Bergen/Barker game.

Here is the Alexander/CSAT game.

Here is the Attica/Albion game.

Here is the Pembroke/Wilson game.

Here is the Oakfield-Alabama/Akron game.

The Kendall/Medina game is close to starting and this is looking like it should be a great game. Medina looks like a confident team with some good athletes, while Kendall has superstar Josh Laureano. I have seen Laureano play a couple of times and he is the type of player that can take a game over. He might have to in this one. 8:11 p.m. - here we go.

8:26 p.m. - Medina jumped out to a big lead in a hurry, gaining a 9-2 advantage in the first four minutes of the opening frame. Big man Levi Pace stepped out and drained a 3-pointer and four consecutive foul shots by Brad Balcerzak helped the Mustangs take the big lead. But Laureano and the Eagles battled back. Laureano distributed the ball and Matt Driesel scored with an and-1 and Philip Kludt drained a 3-pointer. Colt Tooley hit a basket at the buzzer to cut the Medina lead to 15-11 after a period of play.

8:42 p.m. - Medina has a lot of tall, skinny players and should have a big lead in this game. But the Mustangs are missing easy shots in the paint and the Eagles are taking full advantage and lead 25-24 at halftime. After Tooley hit a trey for Kendall, Medina scored seven straight points, including four straight by Nick Peterson. With a 24-19 lead for Medina, Laureano hit his first basket of the game when he swished a 3-pointer to start a run. Chad Bentley had a put-back basket and Kludt made a steal and scored. Bentley had the last basket of the half to cap a nine point run by Kendall.

9:08 p.m. - Laureano was looking to score in the third quarter and did, getting seven points. But Medina regained the lead, 34-32, as the 6-foot-6 pace scored a basket and hit two free throws, with Nick Peterson also scoring. Medina's height advantage is starting to take a toll on the Eagles, who are no longer winning the battle on the boards like in the first half.

 9:30 p.m. - This game was a classic.

Pace and Laureano went head-to-head for the fourth quarter, with Pace scoring 12 of his 25 points and Laureano scoring 13 of of his game-high 27 points. 

Medina was holding a four point lead for most of the period but expanded it to 48-40 with two minutes left in the game. There was no doubt that Laureano was going to get the ball. He hit a 3-pointer, then a two to cut the deficit to just three points. Laureano then drove with 59 seconds left and drew the defenders. The then kicked the ball out to a wide open Bentley, who hit a 3-pointer to tie the game. Pace then scored at the other end with 35 seconds left. Kendall was blocked at the other end, but caused a turnover with the press and had the ball with 11 seconds left. Laureano worked the clock, but was blocked when he attempted a 3-pointer with two seconds left.

Final score - Medina 50, Kendall 48

 We are about 10 minutes from tip-off of the first Genesee Region/Niagara-Orleans League Showdown at Genesee Community College. Tonight's games are Elba vs. Newfane and Kendall vs. Medina.

Stay tuned to The Batavian for live updates throughout the night in this thread.

6:33 p.m. - Lineups are being introduced. Elba has a significant size advantage. About to start the game.

6:48 p.m. - Newfane jumped out to a 17-6 first quarter lead because of speed. Elba has big guys, but they aren't keeping up with the Panthers, who are playing a full court press and attacking the basket on offense.  Adam Baily scored nine points for Newfane and Phil Ostroski scored all six for Elba, on two 3-pointers.

7:04 p.m. -  Wow. Elba stormed back into this game in a hurry and leads 27-23 at the half. Sonny Giuliano and Phil Ostroski hit back-to-back shots to start things off and then Dan Ramsey - who was called up from jayvee earlier in the season - got hot. Ramsey hit a 3-pointer and a long 2-pointer before Giuliano brought the game within a point with a 3-pointer.  Ramsey then hit a 3-pointer and two jumpers near the end of the period. Ramsey scored 12 points in the second quarter.

7:29 p.m. - The third quarter was extremely ugly. Both squads turned the ball over like it was going out of style. The Lancers went away from Ramsey for the most part and tried to get the ball inside, with Max Torrey scoring four points. But Ramsey did hit a long jump shot andBronson Cole came off the bench to hit a 3-pointer for the final basket of the third quarter. Elba leads 36-32 as we enter the fourth.

 7:53 p.m. - If this entire Showdown is going to be like the opening game, this is going to be a great weekend of basketball.

Newfane's Dan Hambruch scored twice at the start of the fourth quarter and a Ron Pierce basket and 1 gave Newfane a 41-40 lead midway through the final period. It was tight from that point on. Elba took back the lead on a Guiliano jumper and then Newfance captured it back moments later when Garth Seefeldt hit a 3-pointer, giving the Newfane a 46-45 lead with 1:07 left in the game.

Ostroski got to the foul line seconds later and hit both shots, putting Elba back on top 47-46. Newfane took the ball down to the other end of the floor and tried to set up a shot, but an errant pass at the top of the key sailed out of bounds and the Panters were forced to foul. Giuliano hit one of two foul shots, then Adam Bailey of Newfane chucked up a bad 3-point attempt.

Ostroski hit a free throw to put Elba up by three points and the Panthers missed three 3-point attempts in the last 12 seconds of regulation.

Elba wins 49-46.

Buffalo News reporters have been updating the site all day with updates on the crash of Continental Flight 3407 that plummeted onto a home in Clarence. Names of passengers have been leaking out throughout the day, and reporters have got up a video of eyewitness accounts.

Names of the dead began trickling out at midday, giving a window onto the group of passengers aboard the flight from Newark to Buffalo that crashed at about 10:15 p.m.

The names of victims emerging from families and friends included Alison DeForges, a noted historian and human rights activist who documented the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

Also killed in the crash was Susan Wehle, cantor at Temple Beth Am in Amherst, and Zhaofang Guo, the husband of Dr. Ping Wang at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

In addition, the black boxes from the flight have been recovered, and the investigation into the cause of the crash has begun in earnest.

From United Memorial Medical Center:

United Memorial Medical Center is experiencing difficulties with the electrical power redundancy system at its North Street Campus which will affect the main hospital. To repair this issue, the Hospital will be without power for 15 -90 minutes while the issue is diagnosed and repaired at approximately 12:20 pm..

United Memorial officials are working with the Genesee County Office of Emergency Management, City of Batavia Fire and Police, and the Department of Health to insure patient safety. The Hospital is on full diversion and all surgeries have been cancelled for the remainder of the day.

The Hospital has initiated an internal labor pool in order to address issues that may arise due to the lack of elevator service. Currently, there are 90 patients admitted to the hospital at North Street. The Hospital is working to discharge patients that were expected to go home today before the power disruption is expected.

Visitors to the hospital today should expect to see increased activity and emergency personnel on stand-by. Their cooperation while we address this electrical concern is appreciated.

Earlier this week, we picked up an article from Forbes magazine that dubbed Buffalo the 8th most miserable city in the nation. Just or unjust, we thought that may have touched on a few of the less desirable aspects of living in this part of the country. Sure, we've got much to boast about here in Western New York—the people, the history, the landscapes, the fresh water—but surely they are a few things about our region that we would get rid of if we could.

So, what would you scrap if you could?

Identities of the victims of the crash of Continental Flight 3407 are not yet being released, but many are believed to be inhabitants of Western New York.

We put together this roundup of news coverage.

From the Buffalo News:

Forty-nine people died when a Continental Connection airplane crashed into a house in Clarence Center shortly after 10:15 p.m. Thursday, setting off a huge fire that could be seen miles away.

The dead included 44 passengers, four crew members and a person on the ground.

A nurse at Erie County Medical Center said the hospital's second shift had been told to stay late to treat survivors but was sent home before midnight.

"There were no souls to bring in and treat," she said.

You can also view video coverage of the press conference and footage taken from the scene at the Buffalo News video page. The site also hosts the final radio transmission received from Continental Flight 3407 prior to the crash.

View Larger Map

Comments from the scene, featured in today's Democrat & Chronicle:

“The whole sky was lit up orange,” Bob Dworak, who lives less than a mile from the crash site, told The Associated Press. He said that residents of the neighborhood, about 10 miles from the Buffalo airport, were used to planes rumbling overhead, but he took note last night when one sounded louder than usual and made some odd noises.

“We were thinking it was just another plane,” he said. “It kind of made some sputtering noises but they lower the landing gear over our house a lot so the noise from the planes a lot of time will change kind of drastically as they go over.”

Kathy Dworak said she and her husband stepped outside and saw a huge ball of fire.

“We could see nothing that told us it was a plane,” she said. “It was just a massive ball of flame.”

A follow-up piece in the Buffalo News looks into icing as a potential cause of the crash.

Just minutes after Continental Connection Flight 3407 crashed, air traffic controllers began quizzing other pilots about the icy conditions over Buffalo.

A recording of those conversations Thursday night suggests ice may be one of the suspected causes of the nation's deadliest air crash in more than two years.

"Delta 1998, you getting any icing where you're at?" a Buffalo air traffic controller asked just minutes after Continental's 74-seat aircraft went down, killing 49 people.

"We picked it up on the way down," the pilot reponds. "I don't think it's building any more here but about 6,500 (feet) down to 3,500 (feet) maybe."

We received the following statement from Rep. Chris Lee, a resident of Clarence.

Congressman Chris Lee, who represents and is a resident of Clarence, will be on the ground this morning with federal, local and state officials. He has issued the following brief statement:

“We are deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic accident that occurred last night in Clarence. Our focus right now is supporting the first responders on the ground, who have done heroic work in ensuring the health and safety of people in the area. My website is continually providing residents and concerned citizens with updated information, as well as the opportunity to leave messages for the families of the victims, first responders, and the members of the community.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims' families at this difficult hour.”

Dan Fischer has audio of Lee talking about the location of the crash up on the WBTA Web site.

Update (9:45 a.m.): A report from CNN explains that this particular passenger jet is one of the safest around.

The turboprop plane that crashed in New York state, killing all 49 people on board and one on the ground, was one of the safest and most sophisticated aircraft of its type, according to an aviation industry expert.

The Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 was less than one year old and had flown for only about 1,500 hours, said Kieran Daly, of the online aviation news service Air Transport Intelligence.

Update (10:39 a.m.): Statement from state Senator Mike Ranzenhofer:

"On behalf of the citizens of the 61st District and the Town of Clarence, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the families affected by the tragedy of Flight 3407.  Our thoughts and prayers, as well as those of the entire State of New York, are with you at this most difficult time.

"Our sincere thanks and gratitude go to our communities' first responders. It is times like these where our Western New York community comes together to help and console one another."

Raymond W. Schramm Jr., 22, of Oakfield, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child Thursday evening, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Schramm's son is alleged to have wandered out of their home some time around 6 o'clock yesterday evening and was outside for approximately 30 minutes before a passing motorist stopped to check on the child. The boy was taken to United Memorial Medical Center and treated for exposure. Schramm will answer the charge in court in March.

Frederick M. White, 71, of 10 Woodland Dr., Batavia, was charged with driving while intoxicated Thursday, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. White was located in his vehicle off the side of the road on Lewsiton Road in Alabama. His vehicle appeared to have gone off the roadway as the result of an alleged unsafe lane change. White was also ticketed with changing lanes unsafely and misuse of dealer plates.

Connie L. King, 37, of Oakfield, was charged with driving while intoxicated early this morning, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. King allegedly crashed her vehicle on Route 63 in the town of Batavia. She was also ticketed with failure to keep right.

The Buffalo News is reporting that 49 people were killed Thursday night when a Continental Airlines flight crashed into a home in Clarence Center.

Continental Flight 3407, flying from Newark, N.J. to Buffalo, crashed into a house located at 6050 Long St. in Clarence Center, starting a large fire.

Unconfirmed reports from the Buffalo Niagara International Airport told the News that 44 passengers, four crew members and a person on the ground were killed in the accident, which is being blamed on mechanical problems that happened as the plane approached the airport.

There are also several injured people that have been taken to Erie County Medial Center.

An ice damn that formed on Oatka Creek caused some flooding in the Village of Le Roy, according to a report on the R-News Web site.

LeRoy Fire Chief Bill Wood told R-News that crews spent the day pumping water from basements along Munson Street.

There were also problems with the sewer system, according to the report, but those issues have been cleared up.

No word on an estimated amount of damage to any property.

 This passage from the New York State Public High School Athletic Association bylaws has opened up a chance for each Section to determine if they continue playing a full schedule and avoid the recent cuts made.

 "The maximum number of contests which may be established for interscholastic sports during a regular schedule shall be determined in the sections ... The maximum number of contests established for each sport during the regular schedule is subject to review by the state athletic associations and may be altered where it is found that disparities in the number of games contribute to unequal competition between teams in different sections."

Section 2 might fight the decision made by the NYSPHSAA because of this passage.

Jackie Friedman of Poststar.com writes that in the most recent meeting by the Section 2 athletic council, a mothing was passed to give member schools a chance to vote to overturn the state's ruling. 

If the majority of schools vote to overturn the state's decision, Section 2 will try to get an endorsement from the NYSPHSAA to stop the rule in that area. The votes will be collected by March 16 and a decision will be announced on April 1 at the athletic council meeting.

Section 2 executive director Doug Kenyon is quotes as saying that athletic directors and schools "should have control over their destiny."

Kenyon believe that even if the vote passes, the state may still not approve the decision because it would give Section 2 an advantage over the other Sections in state competition because the teams will have played more games.

There has been harsh criticism of the state's ruling to cut the number of games from people in every Section, so this could be a way to reverse the cuts. It would be interesting if other Sections - including Section 5 - were to try this as well.

Maybe a full schedule could return, with Section 2 leading the way.