The snowy season is the perfect time to explore a museum (or two, or three). And Genesee County is the perfect place to find interesting information and interactive fun just waiting to be discovered. From surprising local history to immersive experiences to a whole gallery dedicated to the dessert that changed the world, we’ve rounded up a few great museums to set your sights on.

Get ready to warm up while you brush up on your local historical knowledge. The hardest part is deciding where to start!

Holland Land Office Museum

What better place to begin your journey than in Batavia, NY – called “the birthplace of Western New York?” Step into the Holland Land Office Museum, an 1810 stone building bursting with artifacts and information that tell the story of the area and those notable people who impacted it in a major way. See the Medal of Honor earned by Charles F. Rand, a Batavian who was to first soldier in the nation to volunteer for the Civil War. View an original gibbet used in hangings up until 1881. Combine your visit with a stop at the Batavia Peace Garden, located right next door.

In the spirit of the holidays, the museum currently has a tree wonderland exhibit where visitors can explore nearly 50 well-decorated trees, pictures and festive displays. The 2018 theme is “Favorite Holiday Movie,” so get ready for a trip down memory lane! The museum also hosts monthly trivia nights on the second Thursday of the month.

JELL-O Gallery Museum

Did you know JELL-O was invented right here in Genesee County in 1897? Follow the JELL-O brick road and see where it all began! Explore the history of “America’s Most Famous Dessert” while you enjoy old TV commercials and ads, famous JELL-O works of art, and lots of wiggly, jiggly fun facts. A stop at the museum isn’t complete until you browse the gift store and take home a souvenir in every color.

Rolling Hills Asylum

No plated glass, no guard rails, no barriers. Just pure unfiltered history at Rolling Hills Asylum. Once housing the Genesee County Poor Farm, the addition of the infirmary in 1938 sealed the fate of poor unfortunate souls who were sent there. This unusual museum provides a more hands-on experience for guests, allowing them to get up close and personal with its past. Take a history tour, a flashlight tour, join a guided ghost hunt, or spend several hours exploring during an overnight lock-in. Special events like painting parties, movie showings, and dinners are also offered year-round.

Genesee Country Village & Museum

Centuries of American history come to life (literally) in this living history complex of more than 600 acress in Wheatland (Monroe County). Sixty-eight authentic, historic buildings dot the charming Genesee Country Village, with thousands of artifacts housed throughout. Find yourself immersed in 18^th and 19^th century life, as you browse homes from early settlers in the 1800s up to affluent members of society in the 1900s. Visit with farm animals, interact with costumed interpreters, attend a special event -- and don’t forget to swing by the on-site brewery for a swig.

Harford House Barn & Livery

The Harford House Barn & Livery museum resides in the former 1880 Harford Hotels Livery Stables in Downtown Bergen. Inside the barn, guests can browse interesting, life-size tableaux depicting a blacksmith shop, a general store, school classroom and more. Presentations are also available by village Historian Raymond MacConnell for those curious to learn more.

Historic Le Roy House

More than 100 years of unique history can be found in this mansion-turned-museum! Built in 1822, the home was once owned by the Chancellor of Ingham University -- the first female university in the United States to grant a four-year degree. As you tour three floors of period-designed rooms, learn about local abolitionists, see a real open-hearth kitchen, and enjoy hands-on activities for the kids. The building itself is a sight to behold – listed on the National Register of Historical Places!

Medina Railroad Museum

The Medina Railroad Museum (in Orleans County) is the largest freight depot in the country, with the largest collection of train artifacts and memorabilia housed under one roof. Browse the exhibits before hopping on a scenic train ride or themed seasonal excursion. Throughout the year you’ll find rides that travel along the Erie Canal, zip past fall foliage, take you to the North Pole to meet Santa and his reindeer – or allow you to hop aboard an Easter Express and meet the big bunny himself.

Tonawanda Indian Reservation Historical Society

Immerse yourself in the lives of local Native Americans. The history of the Tonawanda Band of Seneca Indians is celebrated throughout the hallways of the Tonawanda Indian Community House. Wander the halls as you explore large-scale photographs and illustrations that display the history and heritage of the Reservation. Learn about the tribe and the history of the Seven Nations, and don’t forget to see the chief’s headdress on the second floor.

Le Roy Barn Quilt Trail

Who says a museum has to be enclosed? Barn Quilts of Le Roy began as a bicentennial project for the town and has grown to feature more than 100 handmade quilts on display on barns throughout the area. Step-on bus tours are offered by appointment or you can hop in a car with some friends or your family and take the driving tour yourself! The quilts represent the pride of Le Roy, a town rich with heritage.

Alabama Museum

Local history can hold some surprising secrets…did you know that the town of Alabama, NY used to have three-gun manufacturers in town? The Alabama Museum resides in an old schoolhouse and features everything from a hammered dulcimer to an old doctor’s buggy. Browse the artifacts and get an understanding of a little local history, dating back to the mid-1800s. You can also grab a copy of the Alabama Cookbook for your home or as a gift. The 70-page cookbook includes cooking tips, favorite recipes from the locals, and some recipes from the 1895 Alabama Cookbook.

History buffs need not stop there! See all of the local museums within Genesee County and find more fascinating facts here.

We don't know if Sheriff William Sheron has been naughty or nice -- only Santa knows for sure -- but he sure had a lot of fun during Shop with a Cop at Walmart on Dec. 8. We previously shared a shot of Sheron standing on a shopping cart. This morning we obtained this picture of Sheron on Santa's lap in a photo taken by Trooper James O'Callahan.

Press release:

Providing students with authentic learning experiences is the goal of every career and technical education program. Students in the Conservation Program at the Batavia Career and Technical Education Center got just that opportunity when they constructed a kiosk for the Town of Bergen.

Despite the rainy, cold weather and muddy grounds, the Conservation students built a kiosk that has a roof, two benches and an information board. This project can be found in the Town of Bergen’s Drew’s Nature Center, located on West Sweden Road.

Ernest Haywood is the supervisor for the Town of Bergen. He contacted Jon Sanfratello, executive principal of the Batavia Campus, which includes the Batavia Career and Technical Education Center, to inquire about the possibility of constructing the kiosk.

“I thought the opportunity to build a kiosk for the nature center would foster the students understanding and appreciation of our natural resources as well as provide students a real-life experience to build something that would benefit the community for years to come,” Haywood said.

“It is my hope that the kiosk will provide information for community members to enhance their knowledge of what the Drew's Nature Center has to offer and directions and guidance to visitors on how to independently explore, at one’s own pace, the natural wonders of the center.”

Sanfratello echoed Haywood's thoughts.

“This project gave the students the opportunity to understand the importance of time management, and customer satisfaction all while using the skills learned in the classroom and shop," Sanfratello said. "They worked under some difficult weather conditions but they got the job done."

Jacob Vandenbosch is the Conservation Program instructor.

“The Conservation students were able to learn carpentry skills by creating a location for the community to enjoy the outdoors. As an added bonus, they learned the importance of giving back to the community,” Vandenbosch said. “We will also be exploring future class projects at the nature center and working alongside the town to improve the community’s experience."

Submitted photo: The Conservation a.m. session class with their completed project. Not in order of photo. Ali Mann, Peyton Armison, Andrew Clark, Chad Green, Evan Hands, Mitchell Humel, Dominic Ianni, Kristofer Kuszlyk, Breanna Mest, Adam Offen, Noah Pangrazio, Tristan Rasmussen, Kaitlyn Shultz, Alec Slepinski, Nathan Tabor, Hunter Wade, Tyler Will.

A reader submitted this video of a car fire this morning at Main And Oak streets, Batavia, in front of Oliver's Candies.

The Batavia Town Planning Board on Tuesday night advanced a pair of projects – one industrial and the other residential – to the public hearing stage next month.

Planners lined up in favor of a 4,000-square-foot boiler room expansion at HP Hood LLC, 5140 Ag Park Drive West, an endeavor that will give the food processing facility greater capacity as business increases.

Kevin Moyer, the company’s project engineer manager, and Scott Blair, construction project manager for Design Group out of Concord, N.H., addressed the board during the site plan review.

Moyer said the addition will be adjacent to the existing boiler room with a roll-up door at the front.

Construction specifications are consistent with the rest of the building, Blair added.

 “(The project) is redundancy more than anything else,” Moyer said, noting that putting in a third boiler gives the facility a spare during times of inspection and the expansion provides room for a fourth in the future.

The request, which the board said does not pose any significant adverse environmental impact, will go to the Town Zoning Board of Appeals on Jan. 14 for a public hearing and back to the Town Planning Board the next night.

Planners also set a public hearing for Jan. 15 to consider a special use permit to allow Maren and Matt Holman of 45 Edgewood Drive to operate an appointment-only hair salon as a Home Occupation 1 in a Residential District.

Maren, a licensed cosmetologist for 14 years, and her husband have set up a 200-square-foot room behind the garage of their ranch home for the business.

Planners inquired about the Genesee County Planning Board’s recommendation that a turn-around on the driveway should be included to prevent customers from having to back their vehicles into the street.

Matt Holman said that is their plan but, for the time being, there is a 15-foot wide driveway of asphalt fillings that would act as a turn-around.

Now that she's reached a personal goal, senior guard Ryann Stefaniak has her sights set on leading the Batavia High Lady Devils to a legitimate run at a sectional title.

Stefaniak eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for her varsity career tonight, scoring 22 points in Batavia's 67-28 win over Eastridge. The bucket that put her right at 1,000 came with 5:17 left in the second quarter -- a three-point shot from the left side that gave her 19 points at the time and pushed the Lady Devils' lead to 31-5.

It followed a trio of three-point attempts that missed the mark, and had Stefaniak wondering when it was going to happen.

"I was like c'mon," she said, "but it finally went. It was my time."

The 5-foot-9-inch sharpshooter said reaching the milestone became a goal of hers after watching a couple star teammates score over 1,000 points in their time at BHS.

"After seeing Tiara (Filbert) do it in her junior year (2015) and Maddie McCulley in her senior year (2016), I felt I could do it," she said.

Now, she said she's committed to doing all that she can to help Batavia soar to lofty heights.

"I think we have a great chance to go undefeated the rest of the season and make a long run in the sectionals," she said.

Batavia Coach Marty Hein, who presented a plaque to Stefaniak during a timeout after the defining three-point, said the achievement couldn't happen to a better person.

"Ryann has been on the varsity since eighth grade and to see her grow up to become a nice young lady and the way she has matured as a basketball player makes me very proud," Hein said. "I'm just so glad for her."

Mackenzie Reigle chipped in with 15 points for Batavia, 3-1, while Bryn Wormley and Emma Krolczyk each had eight and Meghan Houseknecht seven.

Batavia High girls basketball standout Ryann Stefaniak, receiving a plaque from Coach Marty Hein and celebrating afterward with teammates, from left, Emma Krolczyk, Mackenzie Reigle, Bryn Wormley and Jenae Colkey, scored the 1,000th point of her varsity career tonight in the Lady Devils' 67-28 victory over visiting Eastridge. In photo at top, the crowd goes wild after Stefaniak's three-point basket at the 5:17 mark of the second quarter.

Press release:

What do Gettysburg and Charles Dickens have in common? In 1868, both were "cleaning up." One from the devastation of the famous battle, while the other was raking in cash doing a tour of America in which he read and performed his famous work, "A Christmas Carol."

This Friday night, Dec. 21, the GCC History Club will call on Buffalo Meteorologist Mike Randall to summon the spirits of Jacob Marley and the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future as he performs "A Christmas Carol" in the guise of Charles Dickens.

Randall's critically acclaimed performance represents the major fundraiser of the year for the GCC History Club, which hopes to raise enough to go on its annual trip to Gettysburg, Pa.

This educational trip takes students to the famous battlefield, where they walk the field and learn the lesser-known details of the battle. In past years, students have also made day trips to places like Washington, D.C., and Monticello, Va. This year they hope to make a trip into Philadelphia.

For many students, the History Club trip is a life-changing experience. For Bobby Washington, a GCC alumnus, former president of the Club and now Social Studies Education major at the SUNY College at Brockport, the trip was a high point of his time at GCC. A native of New York City, Washington had seen little outside the city before coming to Western New York.

The Club and the trips "helped me progress as a person and armed me with new knowledge," Washington said. "You don't know what you don't know until you have an opportunity to see these important places. And one of the things the history club taught me was if opportunity knocks, let it in."

Tickets are still available for the Friday 7 p.m. performance at the Stuart Steiner Theater. To reserve or purchase tickets in advance call (585) 343-0055, ext. 6270, and ask for Marie Kochmanski or Michelle Forster at ext. 6312. Tickets are $15 each presale or $20 at the door. All tickets are general admission, so arrive early for the best seats.

Press release:

Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel has announced the lineup for their late winter and spring indoor tribute shows, with one concert each month featuring music from great artists.

The Paddock Room will play host to ZBTB, based out of Rochester. ZBTB is the nation’s premier Zac Brown Tribute Band. The band captures the true Zac Brown experience. They will play on Saturday, Jan. 19^th.

Friday, Feb. 8^th is the date for the Soul Brothers – a Blues Brothers Tribute from London, Ontario, Canada. Real-life brothers Chris and Geoff Dahl have been performing as the iconic duo for 25 years. The show features songs from the Blues Brothers, James Brown, Ray Charles, the Righteous Brothers, Sam and Dave and more!

Next up, on Saturday, March 23^rd, Batavia Downs welcomes Music of the Stars – A  Tribute to Eight Internationally Famous Artists Such as Neil Diamond, Tom Jones, Elton John, Paul McCartney, The Bee Gees, Roy Orbison, Gary Puckett and Elvis. Music of the Stars has achieved a reputation of excellence, owing to its committed and talented team members and mentors.

21 Gun Salute –  AC/DC Tribute takes the stage on Saturday, April 6^th. 21 GUN SALUTE is undoubtedly one of the premiere AC/DC reviews ever assembled. The band plays true homage to AC/DC’s high voltage rock 'n' roll. Every detail has been painstakingly reproduced, from the Hell’s Bell stage props to Angus Young’s schoolboy outfit and signature live antics and lead singer’s dead-on vocal rendition of both Bon Scott and Brian Johnson.

$10 General Admission tickets went on sale at www.BataviaConcerts.com for each show today, Dec. 18^th. Each ticket is redeemable on the gaming floor the day of the concert or the next day for $10 in Free Play. Tickets can also be purchased in person at Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel at their “Lucky Treasures” Gift Shop located in the lobby. Seating availability varies for each concert, full details are available on the website.

“Following the success of our fall tribute shows, including several sellouts, we are excited to continue booking these events to entertain our guests,” said Henry Wojtaszek, CEO/president at Batavia Downs Gaming.

“With ticket prices again set at a reasonable $10, getting $10 back in Free Play, we’re trying to make sure everyone can enjoy these great tribute shows and visit our newly renovated facility.”

About Batavia Downs/WROTB

Owned and operated by 15 Western New York counties and the cities of Rochester and Buffalo, Western Region Off-Track Betting Corporation is a public benefit corporation with headquarters in Batavia. WROTB owns and operates 29 branches, as well as Batavia Downs Gaming, a standard bred racetrack and gaming facility. Since its inception, Western Region OTB has generated more than $215 million in operating and surcharge revenues to the taxpayers of those participating municipalities.

An accident with injuries is reported on West Main Street Road, east of Wortendyke Road, Batavia.

East Pembroke fire and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 4:19 p.m.: East Pembroke assignment is back in service.

Terry Thompson and Becky Marsh, of Mercy Flight/Mercy EMS, talk about a career as a paramedic to a group of 10th-graders from throughout the region as part of the 10th Grade Career Day at Genesee Community College, sponsored by Batavia and Mount Morris CTE.

Throughout the morning, students rotated among a couple of dozen classrooms led by speakers from the local community representing various career fields including environmental science, cosmetology, educational administration, media and communications, the military, border protection, and nursing, among other fields.

More than 450 students from GLOW along with Steuben County participated.

Chris Suozzi, vice president of business development, Genesee County Economic Development Center, was the keynote speaker to kick things off in the morning.

The Attica Blue Devils beat the Oakfield-Alabama Hornets in a game played at O-A on Monday night, 58-48.

Travis Wiedrich scored 17 points for the Hornets and Joey Bordick scored 13.

For Attica, Devon Henderson scored 18 points. Frankie Bisceglie scored 14.

CORRECTION: In our story on the upcoming Lions' Tournament, we incorrectly referred to Coach Ryan Stehlar as a first-year coach. He is in his sixth year coaching the Hornets. We apologize for the error.

To purchase prints, click here.

AP: Federal court says NY ban on nunchucks unconstitutional

An ambulance is requested to Swan and Ellicott for a subject with stab wounds.

Police are on scene.

A few minutes before there was a reported of an individual saying he was going to kill somebody and an officer was chasing a black male, bald, in a blue jacket.

Multiple police units are in the area.

UPDATE 12:04 a.m.: One person is in custody.

UPDATE 1 a.m.: The apparent stabbing victim left the scene with another individual while police chased a person they believe was the suspect in the stabbing. The possible suspect ran through the neighborhood but managed to return to the residence where the alleged stabbing took place and went into the basement. He was then spotted crawling out of a basement window (see second picture) and taken into custody. He has not yet been charged with a crime because the alleged victim was not available to interview by the time he was taken into custody. He was taken back to the station for questioning. The stabbing victim, as of 12:30 a.m., hadn't shown up at UMMC but he may be from Rochester and may have tried going to a Rochester-area hospital. There's no information available on how serious the wounds might be. There were no other suspects, no other people taken into custody, and no other injuries reported either to civilians or police.

A retired Army general who was born in Batavia, attended Notre Dame High School, and was nominated by the late Rep. Barber Conable to attend West Point, has been accused by his grown daughter of sexual abuse that started when she was a toddler and continued into her high school years.

The Army attempted to court-martial Maj. Gen. James J. Grazioplene, 69, who retired in 2005, last year. But a judge ruled the statute of limitations had run out under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, even though there was otherwise enough evidence to prosecute Grazioplene.

While Grazioplene avoided a court-martial, civilian authorities took up the investigation and Grazioplene was arrested Dec. 7 following an indictment by a grand jury in Prince William County, Va., on multiple counts of rape and incest.

Jennifer M. Elmore, 47, a Virginia resident, told the Washington Post, which broke the story, her earliest memory of sexual abuse was when she was 3 years old and at her grandmother's house in Le Roy.

The military's investigation focused on events from 1983 to 1989. Virginia authorities concentrated on events in 1988 and 1989, when the family lived in Woodbridge, Va., where Elmore attended high school in her junior year.

According to the Post, Grazioplene has denied the charges, telling a reporter in September, “The charges are false and incorrect." Grazioplene and his attorney have declined to comment on the case otherwise.

Like many news organizations, the Post does not typically reveal the names of victims in sexual crimes but Elmore told the Post she wanted to go public.

According to the Post, reporters interviewed Elmore, other family members, including Grazioplene 's sister, coworkers, and reviewed letters, all of which corroborated some of Elmore's version of events.

Elmore said she's been estranged from her parents for years and her parents have tried to bridge the gap. She decided to tell the military about the alleged abuse in 2015 after a phone call where her parents apparently again tried to talk her into being part of the family again and her father said, according to Elmore, that “the only thing worse that I could have done to you is murder you.”

Grazioplene was nominated to West Point by Conable in 1967. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from the academy in 1971. His LinkedIn profile says he is currently CEO at Mission Readiness LLC. He's also worked for Total Life Cycle Support and DynCorp. International.

Press release:

Members of the Byron-Bergen Central School District’s learning community can always be counted on to provide assistance to neighbors in need during the holidays. For many years, district students, teachers, staff, and administrators have worked together with local partners to make the season happier for everyone in the Byron-Bergen area. This year’s Holiday Community Service program collected toys and games, clothing items, rolls of wrapping paper, boxes for wrapping gifts, and over 2,000 non-perishable food items. In addition, close to $4,000 was donated by the faculty, staff, and others in our learning community to purchase gifts for district families in need. Many area businesses also helped out by “adopting” local families and individuals, providing special holiday gifts.

The District partnered with the local Hesperus Lodge No. 837 Free & Accepted Masons, where donated food items were taken for sorting and packing. Organized by Dick Sands, Carol and David Coffta, and the Masons; employees from both the Byron-Bergen Elementary and Jr./Sr. High Schools, Board of Education members, and community volunteers pitched in to help. More school volunteers helped to deliver over 100 food baskets and gifts before the holidays.

“The magic of this special season is the community spirit it inspires in so many of us,” said District Superintendent Mickey Edwards. “I am so proud of the generosity shown by all of the members of our learning community.”

A big part of the program’s success this year was the contribution made by the Varsity Club Holiday Food Drive. Student-athletes from the high school pulled together to collect more than 950 food items—a record amount. The food drive was organized by Varsity Club student officers, combined with hard work provided by the girls and boys basketball teams and the swim team. Team members pooled their competitive spirit to make the challenge more fun: it became a contest, won by the girls basketball team who collected almost 400 items. Varsity team members from all three seasons of sports at Byron-Bergen perform community service throughout the school year, with projects like the annual Lift-a-thon, the Retro Apparel Sale, and the spring Blood Drive. 

Top photo: Volunteers from the Byron-Bergen learning community packed over 100 food baskets and delivered them during the weekend of December 15. 

Students in Ann Marie Starowitz's class at St. Joe's performed a Christmas story play today for the third week of Advent that included students narrating the story of the birth of Jesus and singing Christmas songs for their fellow students.

Photos by Howard Owens. Bottom photo by Ann Marie Starowitz.