For the second time in less than 13 months, the Ricigliano family is looking for a place to live and trying to figure how how to replace all of their belongings.

On Wednesday night, they were burned out of their apartment at 20 Vine St., Batavia.

The suspected cause and origin of the fire has yet to be released by the Batavia Fire Department.

A year ago, Nick and Melissa were living 132 State St., where a woman died after reportedly starting a fire by smoking too close to her oxygen tank.

"My son’s birthday is Feb. 7," Melissa Ricigliano said. "Last year, two days after his birthday, he lost everything. This year, two weeks after his birthday, he loses everything."

Both Melissa and Nick work (at Sunny's restaurant and McDonald's), but after spending the past year replacing all of their belongings, money is tight and they can't afford the expense of a new rental.

After the State Street fire, they knew they needed to get renters' insurance and started the process but hadn't yet signed the paperwork.

Meanwhile, they lost all of their clothes, a new couch, TV and Xbox.

"It took almost a whole year to buy all of our stuff back and now it’s all gone again," Melissa said.

Melissa said she's been disappointed in the response she's gotten from the American Red Cross. On Wednesday, Ricigliano was given $300 and told to come back the next day.

The next day, the woman she talked to said, "What are you doing here?" The woman said there was no more assistance available. When Melissa said, "I'm homeless and we need food," she was told she should have used the $300 for food.

The $300, Melissa said, went for two sets of clothes for each member of the family, toothpaste and toothbrushes.

Judy Nagel at the Genesee Region Red Cross said the available money for fire victims is tightly regulated by the national headquarters. Each victim, she said, is given a debit card and a form that says, "spend X amount on clothing and X amount on food."

"It's all put into a computer and there's a formula based on policies set by headquarters," Nagel said. "The computer creates the debit card. We're not able to do more than that. We don't have any control over the amount (of assistance)."

Nick and Melissa are currently staying with friends. Their children, Dominic, 6, and Martha, 3, are with family in Chili. Melissa also said the people at John Kennedy School and New Hope Church have been trying to help, as well as several others in the community.

Her sister is working on organizing a fundraiser at a town fire hall, but no date has been set yet.

Melissa said she has a message for any potential landlords: "You might want to put out there that I am a good tenant and I don’t have a curse.”

"New to area. Very fit classy, successful guy. 39, 6ft 190lbs, blond/blue. Smooth hard body. Looking for a sexy ts/cd that i can spoil. I promise not to disappoint."

In a shocking new post, this is the ad Gawker.com suggests  ex-Congressman Chris Lee posted on Craigslist in January.

However, almost by writer Remy Stern's own admission, holes could be poked into the "evidence" that Lee was seeking transgender and transvestite hook-ups through the free classified site. Yet, there's enough to the story that makes it hard to ignore.

Hardest to disregard is the new photo published by Gawker that seems to show a shirtless Lee posing in front of a mirror. It's very similar to an image Gawker published with the initial story about the married Lee allegedly trolling Craigslist for dates. Still, it's different enough in key ways, making makes it hard to believe it's a PhotoShop counterfeit.

Stern reports that the photo was submitted by a transvestite prostitute, whom Gawker calls "Holly."

"The first thing Holly sent us was a never-before-seen picture of Chris Lee's now-familiar torso and red Blackberry. She edited the picture to obscure the Congressman's face, however, and printed her e-mail address over his chest. (We have covered up the address in the photo above.)" If we wanted to publish the unedited image, Holly explained, we'd have to pay her for it."

As for the ad above, Stern claims that it came from a transgender woman who said she found the ad posted on Craigslist and later figured out that the person who posted it was allegedly Lee.

Read the whole thing and see what you think about the claims.

The storm that passed through Genesee County this morning has passed to the east and the National Weather Service has canceled the storm warning for our area.

Some light snow, with as much as an inch accumulation, is expected this evening and tonight.

The picture above was taken during some of the heaviest of the snowfall out on Prole Road, Stafford.

This information is from Genesee Community College.

Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter allow Genesee Community College students to connect with peers, faculty and staff almost instantaneously. And in just two months time, GCC's social media presence has seen rapid growth thanks to a renewed, re-focused effort.

Whether it's information about the study abroad options, its Army ROTC program, campus closing information under the threat of an impending snowstorm, or just a place to connect and share memories with a friend -- the importance of social media is increasing exponentially.

"With 600 million people on Facebook alone, social media platforms are a great place to have a conversation with students, alumni and the community," said Kevin Manne, Genesee's new media specialist, who was hired in December.

"Students are becoming more comfortable using social media than traditional forms of communication like direct mail or even e-mail."

Genesee's Facebook page has seen 169-percent growth, with a total of more than 1,100 "likes" from students, alumni, faculty, staff and local community members. Genesee's new Twitter account, @sunygcc, was established in December and has already connected with more than 140 "followers."

A big advantage of these digital platforms is the analytical information that can be compiled and analyzed for future use and reference.

"The majority of our Facebook fans are between the ages of 18-24, a segment that we regularly communicate with because that's the age range of most of our students," Manne said.

"But the demographics show that we're connecting with people from 13 to over 55, illustrating that the reach of these platforms goes beyond the 'traditional' student."

Social media are attractive to businesses because most are free to use. But Manne said organizations should be prepared to invest a significant amount of time to them if they hope to achieve social media success.

"Facebook and Twitter don't shut down when you leave the office at the end of the day," he said. "A social media administrator should listen, respond and provide relevant and entertaining information in a timely manner – and that means keeping tabs on your social networks beyond traditional office hours."

Along with the college's Facebook and Twitter pages, the YouTube page (videos), Flickr page (photos) and student Wordpress blogs have been revamped with a new look and more unified usernames.

Other new communication technology Genesee is using includes applying Quick Response (QR) codes to print ads, fliers and posters. These black and white, two-dimensional bar codes allow users to "scan" the code using the camera on their mobile device or smart phone to instantly connect online.

In addition, the college will soon begin using geo-location-based social networks such as Foursquare and Facebook Places to offer special deals when users "check in" to the Stuart Steiner Theatre for discounts on tickets.

Get connected with all of GCC's social media pages from the college's homepage using the special icons on the lower right corner.

Manne leads Genesee's communication efforts across social media, blogging, Web and other emerging mediums. He previously served as communications and public relations specialist at Catholic Charities of Buffalo.

Manne earned his associate degree from GCC and graduated magna cum laude from Buffalo State College with a bachelor's degree in Public Communication. He serves as secretary on the Public Relations Society of America, Buffalo Niagara Chapter Board of Directors and is a member of its E-Communications Committee.

In 2009, he was awarded the platinum "best of show" Excalibur Award for development of a Web-based employee newsletter and in 2010 he received a silver Excalibur Award in social media.

Manne and other guest speakers are available to make presentations to local community groups at no cost to their organization through the Genesee Community College Speakers Bureau.

For a complete list of speakers, visit:

<http://www.genesee.edu/resources/SpeakersBureau.cfm.>

WHAM13's Sean Carroll shared this picture of the Thruway with us showing the traffic snarl from one of the accidents this afternoon.

While traffic was congested, a trooper told me there were no significant injuries. "It sounded much worse than it was," he said.

UPDATE: Also for those who might need to travel west (or returning to Batavia), the Thruway is closed between Hamburg and Dunkirk.

There are multiple accidents countywide due to weather conditions. The Thruway has accidents at several paces eastbound and westbound, most thought to be noninjury.

Many calls are flooding the dispatch center and dispatchers are asking for all scanner communications to be kept to a minimum.

A propane truck and another truck have crashed at 8053 Lake St. Road in Le Roy. Le Roy Fire and Ambulance are called. Injuries unknown.

Bergen Fire Department is asked to standby in its quarters.

UPDATE 11:50 a.m.: Bergen is now requested to go to the scene. A second ambulance is called. State Trooper is on scene.

UPDATE 11:57 a.m.: Bergen is told to go back in service. A trucker trying get through the clogged traffic is reportedly "in a hurry," to which someone replies "no doubt."

A serious accident involving a tractor-trailer and another vehicle on the Thruway is reported. There are believed to be multiple injuries.

The location is eastbound at mile marker 387.3. It's nearest to the Byron Road Bridge.

Town of Batavia Fire Department is called to respond along with Mercy EMS.

UPDATE 11:47 a.m.: Oakfield Fire is requested to standby in the Town of Batavia's hall.

Several inches of snow have fallen this morning and we seem to be in the heaviest band of the storm right now.

There's a 50-60 percent chance of snow through the afternoon, tapering off by this evening.

The winter storm warning remains in effect.

There is a report of smoke in the basement of a house at 210 Osterhout Ave., Batavia.

City fire dispatched.

UPDATE: Never heard any more on this and when I went by about 30 minutes after the initial call, the fire department had cleared.

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Proposed cuts in state aid to school districts will hit rural districts harder, local educators told Sen. Mike Ranzenhofer and Assemblyman Steve Hawley at a well-attended gathering Wednesday night at John Kennedy School.

The hour-long session centered on school district leaders from throughout Genesee County expressing their concern and asking questions about the proposed cuts.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is proposing a $1.5 billion reduction in state aid to schools. But the funding formula currently in place would make the cuts inequitable, to the detriment of rural school districts, local education leaders say.

Some downstate districts will see funding drop about $700 per student, while rural districts will get $1,200 to $1,700 less.

"Our concern isn’t that we won’t make the cuts," said Mark Johnson (inset, left), a trustee in the Oakfield-Alabama School District. "We’ll do the same with less. The issue is we just want the cuts to be equitable."

Hawley said he will only support a 2-percent property tax cap if there is mandate relief.

"There has to be mandate relief," Hawley said. "These are costly, cumbersome and overburdening mandates by the state of New York on districts that know how to operate a business."

City Schools Superintendent Margaret Puzio said the meeting was fruitful, if for no other reason than to hear Ranzenhofer say there is a conversation going on in Albany about the inequality of the budget proposal.

"Our kids have to compete with kids from rich urban districts," Puzio said. "If they can’t get the same AP course, the same gifted and talented programs, the same chances in athletics, how can that be fair?"

A 16-year-old resident of Sparks Road, Pavilion, is charged with petit larceny. The youth is accused of shoplifting from Kmart on Tuesday.

A 17-year-old resident of Wyoming Road, Wyoming, is charged with petit larceny. The youth is accused of shoplifting from Kmart on Tuesday.

A 17-year-old resident of Black Street Road, Le Roy, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. K-9 "Pharoah," handled by Deputy Brian Thompson, alerted on a car parked in the East Park Street area of Pavilion. After an interview with the driver, Thompson allegedly found a small quantity of suspected marijuana and three pipes with suspected marijuana residue.

The cause of a rollover accident on Clinton Street Road yesterday evening remains under investigation.

The driver was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital by Mercy Flight with non-life threatening injuries.

No citations have been issued.

Jody B. Gillette, 50, of Pine Hollow Drive, Batavia, was driving a 1993 Chrysler sedan east on Route 33 when he lost control of his car for an unknown reason. The car left the roadway, struck a sewer pipe and overturned coming to rest on its roof.

Town of Batavia fire, State Troopers, Sheriff's deputies and Mercy EMS responded to the 6:32 p.m. accident near Terry Hills.

The accident is being investigated by Deputy Cory Mower.

(Initial Report)

Before all heck broke loose this evening, I was out in the western part of the county looking for a good sunset picture when I came across this scene.  Picture shot on Gabbey Road (just west of Route 77) in Pembroke/Indian Falls.

While Republicans are rallying around Jane Corwin as their standard-bearer in any upcoming special election to replace the fallen Chris Lee in the 26th Congressional District, and the Democrats have yet to select a leading candidate, the potential field of candidates could yet get crowded.

Three-time loser Jack Davis is saying he plans to run as an Independent, according to the Buffalo News, and YNN reports that Batavia resident and Iraq vet David Bellavia has registered an exploratory committee.

Buffalo News:

Davis, an Amherst resident, said Tuesday he is committed to participating in the contest for recently resigned Republican Rep. Chris Lee’s former seat one way or another, and is not reneging on his promise to spend $3 million in the process.

“As far as I’m concerned, I no longer have it; it’s spent,” he said. “It’s for a good cause with the powers behind it, and it’s for a good cause without the powers behind it.”

YNN:

Bellavia’s communications director tells YNN that Bellavia has formed an exploratory committee and filed with the Federal Elections Commission. The move allows Bellavia to start raising funds for a run in the yet-to-be announced special election to replace former Congressman Chris Lee. The communications director said that Bellavia would seek the Conservative Party endorsement.

All of this before Gov. Andrew Cuomo has even announced a special election to replace Lee.

A Rochester man was arrested for allegedly possessing brass knuckles Wednesday after getting involved in a one-car, non-injury accident on Park Road.

Charged with criminal possession of a weapon, 4th, was Joseph Samuel Caiazza, 32, of Elmwood Avenue, Rochester.

Caiazza said he was pulling out of the parking lot of the Best Western Hotel at 10:38 a.m. when his phone rang. When he went to answer it, he struck a utility pole.

Caiazza also received citations for alleged failure to maintain lane and alleged equipment violations.

The accident was investigated by Deputy Chris Parker.

A rollover accident, with unknown injuries, is reported in the area of 5007 Clinton St. Road in the Town of Batavia.

Town of Batavia Fire Department and Mercy EMS are responding.

The vehicle is on its roof and two people are the driver is trapped inside. Extraction equipment will be needed. Gas is leaking from the vehicle.

UPDATE 6:39 p.m.: Mercy Flight is called and will be flying in. A landing zone will be established.

UPDATE 6:50 p.m.: Mercy Flight is preparing to land in the parking lot at Terry Hills Golf Course.

UPDATE 7 p.m.: The victims have has been extricated.

UPDATE 7:25 p.m.: Mercy Flight is headed to Strong Memorial Hospital with a male patient who is alert.

UPDATE 7:30 p.m.: The scene is cleaned up and all units are back in service.

A structure fire is reported at 20 Vine St. in the City of Batavia. City firefighters are on scene and the second and fourth platoons have been called in. Mercy EMS is going to scene in case needed.

UPDATE 6:26 p.m.: A fire chief has asked that police officers shut the street to traffic. Three rooms have been engulfed with flames at this point. National Grid and National Fuel are being contacted to shut off power to the structure.

UPDATE 6:29 p.m.: A firefighter says the second floor is full of smoke but there are no visible flames.

UPDATE 6:43 p.m.: Three rear windows upstairs have been opened, providing ventilation. The structure consists of two apartments. A young woman lives upstairs and Nick Ricigliano and his wife and toddler live downstairs. They are all out and safe. Ricigliano said he was burned out of his home last year, too. His family lived in an apartment on State Street in the city, in the same building where a woman died in a fire caused by her smoking cigarettes near her oxygen tank.

UPDATE 7:03 p.m.: A chief reports that the building housed a total of seven people. He asked that the American Red Cross be contacted and come to the scene to help those displaced by the fire.

UPDATE 7:15 p.m.: Firefighters are checking for hot spots in cavities of the building.

UPDATE 7:28 p.m.: A city inspector is called to the scene and "someone who boards up buildings."

UPDATE 7:37 p.m.: The fire is out and crews are cleaning up.

UPDATE 7:55 p.m.: The fire chief asks for the water department to shut off service to the building.

PHOTOS: Top photo by Frank Capuano.