During the half time of last nights finals in the Batavia Rotary Girls Basketball Tournament, 6th graders from St. Joseph School and Pavilion matched up in a game of their own.

More pictures after the jump:

An Erie County man has been accused of selling narcotics to a Genesee County undercover agent.

John L. Tillman, 34, of 87 Phyllis Ave., Buffalo, was picked up by the Erie County Warrants Office and turned over to the Genesee County Sheriff's Office today.

Tillman is charged with two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance 3rd and criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd.

The Genesee County Local Drug Enforcement Task Force received a sealed indictment against Tillman after he allegedly sold crack cocaine in the City of Batavia to an undercover agent.

Tillman was arraigned in Genesee County Court and jailed without bail.

A two-vehicle accident with injuries is snarling rush-hour traffic on Main Street. The accident occurred in front of Denny's on West Main and one of the vehicles is said to have heavy front-end damage.

No word yet on injuries. Medics and tow trucks have been called to the scene.

A 20-year-old Stafford man has been arrested following an investigation into the theft of more than $7,000 worth of construction tools in 2008.

John R. Testa, of 6005 Bartof Road, was arrested Wednesday by the Genesee County Sheriff's Office and charged with one count of criminal possession of stolen property in the 3rd degree, a class D felony.

He is accused of allegedly taking about $7,331 in tools reported stolen from trailers at the Lowe's construction site on Veteran's Memorial Drive in Batavia. The goods were believed to have been taken during the night hours June 25 - 26, 2008.

The tools were allegedly found in Testa's possession on July 1, 2008 at a location in the Town of Stafford. They were recovered by the Sheriff's Office, with the exception of two saw-alls and a cordless drill, which are still missing.

Testa was arraigned before Stafford Town Justice Call and released under the supervision of Genesee Justice. His next court date is set for 1 p.m. on Feb. 2.

Investigator Timothy Weis handled the case, with assistance from Deputy Daniel Vanvalkenburg and Deputy Ronald Meides.

Batavia-based Graham Corporation is bouncing back from the economic downturn, CEO James R. Lines told the Buffalo News.

The company has recently booked $37 million in orders and that revenue should start hitting the books by the fall.

“We believe that sales over the next few quarters will continue to reflect the sporadic nature of order receipt that began over a year ago,” Lines said. “We also believe this should be the bottom of the cycle for us.”

Graham still expects its sales during the fiscal year that ends in March to be between $60 million and $65 million, down from its record sales of $101 million the year before.

We might see a little sun on what Weather Underground calls a "partly cloudy" day, but we're more likely to see a little more snow.

Temperatures will hover in the mid 20s.

And looking forward over the next few days, the cold and dabs of snow is likely to continue.

Jocks. Brainiacs. Skaters. Cheerleaders. It may sound like a typical high school experience, but this weekend the spectacle won't be in the Batavia High cafeteria, it'll be on the stage. 

Starting Thursday night, Encore Theatre Arts will be performing "Disney's High School Musical." The play, which is based on the smash-hit movie, follows nerdy Gabriella and jock Troy as they sing and dance their way through falling in love and discovering their place in high school.

Director Lynda Hodgins says that the play is very similar to the movie, with only a few changes, such as a new character and a slightly different setting. Some of the original characters were cut out completely, and others' parts were slightly adjusted.

"The Taylor in the musical has a bigger part than in the movie," says Maureen Edwards, 12, of her role as Gabriella's best friend. "You see her friendship with Gabriella more."

The show will also differ from the movie when it comes to dancing, says choreographer Tara Kaczorowski, who also has the part of mean-girl diva Sharpay Evans. 

"The only dance that's the same as in the movie is for 'We're All in This Together,' because we thought kids would be expecting that. Surprisingly, this has been one of the easiest shows I've choreographed so far, because the music has a good beat and it's fun to dance to," says Kaczorowski.

So is it difficult taking on the roles of some of the most beloved actors in recent 'tween media? 

"Well, I based some of my character off of Zac Efron's," says Brian Bodgan, who plays jock-turned-actor Troy Bolton. "I try to give him the same passion and pizzazz that Zac did, but I'm definitely a different Troy."

Bogdan, 24, says he was attracted to the role right away because of similarities between him and his character. 

"I was a lot like Troy in high school. I grew up playing sports year-round, and also doing theater. They always went hand-in-hand for me, and Troy is trying to find the balance between them. So I see a lot of myself in the character."

Justin Ryan, 22, who plays Sharpay's equally attention-loving sidekick, brother Ryan Evans, also has no trouble getting into his role.

"I basically am Ryan in real life," he laughs. "You know, theater geek, classy dresser. I actually used a lot of stuff from my own closet for my costumes." 

The cast, which is mostly composed of high school and college students as well as twenty-somethings, is proof that the story is popular among all ages, not just children.

"I love the movie," Edwards confesses. "I used to listen to the soundtrack every day."

"When it first came out, I thought it was fantastic, and I was in college!" says Ryan.  "There was so much hype for it, and I thought it was really great."

When asked if it was his favorite movie, Paul Teresi, 16, replies, "Duh!"

And Bogdan said "It's a story I think everyone can relate to. The characters are going through this journey of discovering themselves, and everyone goes through that in high school. It's a time for finding who you are. I think that's what makes the show so successful and recognizable."

"Encore is a new company," says Hodgins, "and they wanted to do something with a wide appeal that's a big ticket seller."

Sell tickets it surely will. After all, everybody loves a high school musical.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 7-9 and 2 p.m. Jan. 10 at Batavia High School. Tickets are $10 when purchased at Adam Miller Toy & Bicycles and $12 at the door.

We are mature, Rubenesque, spayed females seeking long-term, committed relationships with humans. We need not be together, but we do insist on puurrrfect homes.

We agree that this includes affection, nourishment, brushing and long walks (sic). We are past the age of curtain climbing and toy chasing. We want long naps in sunny spots, to lounge in front of the fireplace or over the heater vent, and to ponder life's persistent questions.

We enjoy watching people cook delicious meals and will do dishes in exchange for the pleasure.

We are more than just pretty faces -- Velvet, above, and Star, right. (AKA Black Velvet and Belle Star.) There is more here than meets the eye. There's the unfathomable allure of feminine mystique, which should never be underestimated in its ability to charm.

Serious inquiries only. No games. Please contact our representative at the front desk.

Volunteers For Animals
PO Box 1621

Batavia, NY   14021
www.vol4animals.org <http://www.vol4animals.org>

Working in partnership with:
Genesee County Animal Shelter
3841 W. Main Street Road
Batavia, NY   14020
(585)343-6410

Adoption Hours:
Sunday - Friday 1 - 3 pm (closed on Thursdays)
Wednesday 7 - 9 pm
Saturday 11 - 1 pm

Adopt a New Friend at the Genesee County Animal Shelter
 

Wanted by the Genesee County Sheriff's Office: Gene S. Schmidt. The Sheriff's Office has two warrants for Schmidt: Alleged violation of probation and alleged harassment 2nd. Any information on his whereabouts can be provided to the Sheriff's Office at (585) 343-5000.

A 43-year-old teller for Bank of Castile is accused of stealing $45,000 from the Le Roy branch where she worked.

Tracy L. Smith, of 77 Rochester St., Bergen, was arrested by Le Roy Police Detective John Condidorio after a lengthy investigation.

Condidorio says that Smith's alleged thefts began in 2007 when she stole $20,000 from her cash drawer over a period of time. Smith allegedly manipulated the accounting system to cover up the theft.

Then, starting in June 2008 and continuing until December, Smith allegedly forged checks and deposit slips to steal another $25,000.

An alleged attempt by Smith to cover her tracks by removing a $20,000 lump sum from a cash delivery is what caused an investigation into her conduct to begin.

Smith is charged with two counts of grand larceny 3rd and four counts of forgery 2nd.

The Bank of Castile, through the Le Roy Police Department, is asking customers to review bank statements and notify the bank immediately if any unusual activity is found.

Assisting in the investigation was the Buffalo office of the FBI and the Bank of Castile.

Two people were injured Tuesday when a tired came off a truck and struck their car.

The truck driver was not cited following the accident that sent Marcia Gere, 63, and Colleen Gere to UMMC by ambulance for treatment.

Marcia reportedly suffered whiplash and Colleen was reportedly in shock and complaining of chest pain.

The truck is owned by Hanson Aggregates of Pavilion. It was driven by Michael J. Walker, 56, of Pavilion.

The accident occurred at 11:41 a.m. on Route 5 in Stafford.

Walker had a proper overweight permit, according to Deputy Brian Thompson, who investigated the accident.

Jeffery Owen Coats, 45, of 10553 Bethany Center Road, Bethany, is charged with stalking 4th. Coats is accused to sending text messages to his ex-wife after State Police ordered him to stop texting her.

A 16-year-old from Batavia has been charged with menacing 2nd. The boy is accused of brandishing a large kitchen knife during a domestic dispute.

There could be some snow today, or even a freezing drizzle, but mostly it's going to be cloudy and cold.

The expected high is 22 degrees.

The wind could blow from 10 to 20 mph.

We're hearing reports this morning of several non-injury accidents throughout Genesee County.

I-490 seems to be a particularly slick area with at least three accidents, including a rollover, and several cars off the road.

One patrol officer noted that even after DOT salted, drivers were not slowing down and cars were sliding off the highway at the rate one every five or 10 minutes.

Pavilion beat Batavia 52-25 in game two of the Batavia Rotary Girls Basketball Tournament last night at GCC.  Pavilion moves to 6-0.

For Pavilion, Amie Brooks scored 21 points. Danielle Tallo added 9.

For Batavia, Michelle Jordan scored 6 points and Lashonna Mims added 5.

More pictures after the jump:

Notre Dame (7-1) beat Alexander 56-43 in game one of the Batavia Rotary Girls Basketball Tournament.

Liz Geandreau scored 16 points and had 11 rebounds for Notre Dame. Trish Pike had 12 points, five rebounds and three steals.

For Alexander, Anna Dominick scored 17 points and Chelsea Turcer added 11.

This was the first appearance for Alexander in the annual tournament.

More pictures after the jump:

During the half times of last night's Rotary Girls Basketball tournament, area elementary school-age girls played their own games. After the jump are more pictures from those games.

It's a big question that figures into any conversation people have about business in Downtown Batavia -- what's the future of Latina's Market?

The empty hulk on Jackson and Ellicott sits like a concrete elephant that obscures any notion of increasing Downtown's business vibrancy.

And conventional wisdom around town is that a trio of lawyers in Buffalo owns it and has no intention of doing anything with it -- they're happy to just let it sit.

"That's (bunk)," said co-owner Vito Gautieri during an interview today. 

Local business man Gautieri is a co-owner and broker of the building that has served as a location for Montgomery Ward, Super Duper and Jubilee as well as Latina's over the past 20 years.

Gautieri said he's trying to lease or sell the 40,000 square foot building (which also has 11,000 square feet of office space above the retail floor).

"We've been spending tons of money trying to find a buyer," Gautieri said. "We've showed it 10 or 12 times in the past year. "

Gautieri's partners are indeed a group of lawyers in Buffalo, but he said they are just as anxious as anybody else to see the building sold or leased.

Don Burkle, director of the Batavia Improvement District, said it's good news if the owners are indeed trying to sell the building, but he's been unaware of any effort to sell or lease the building and that there's never been any response from the current ownership whenever the BID has referred potential buyers.

The BID is very interested in seeing a grocery store go into the location, or maybe it could serve as a retail business incubator, or perhaps a hotel and convention center could be built on the location -- anything that would help downtown would interest the BID, Burkle said.

"(The building) has a lot of potential and any grocery store in that location would certainly enhance downtown," Burkle said.

Gauiteri said the asking price on the location is $1.8 million.

In 2008, the property was assessed at $700,000.

One obvious potential buyer is Ken Mistler, who just opened a new gym and a coffee shop at the corner of Main and Jackson and has a history of buying downtown buildings -- he owns 10 now -- and renovating them.

Both Gauiteri and Mistler confirmed they've talked about the building, but it doesn't sound like there are any ongoing negotiations.

Mistler said he's both concerned about the vacant building and, now that his gym is open, wonders what will happen to parking if anything is opened in that location.

"That's a big vacancy and any possible business that might want to come Downtown looks at that big vacant building and starts asking why?" Mislter said in between signing up new gym memberships this afternoon. "We know it has a negative impact on Downtown when it's such a massive location and it's empty. But I also think, what if it is filled? What is the city going to do about parking? Did you see the parking lot last night -- people were parking down by South Beach and we (the gym) opened only four days ago."