Liz, 13, was downtown with her mother this afternoon in her fine winter hat she bought at JCPenney.

It was a bit like winter in Batavia today, with a couple of inches of snow falling so far.

More snow is on the way, with less than an inch expected overnight, but then tomorrow, three to five inches is expected, some of it in "squalls," with winds up to 20 or 30 mph.

Today's weather seems to have contributed to more than a half dozen, or more, property damage and minor injury accidents around the county.

Maddie, 8, on the left, with Maranda, 9, and Tess, 9, decorate cookies this afternoon at the Holland Land Office Museum.

The Valentine's-themed event was put together by Tonisha Price, owner of Sweet Ecstasy Baker in Stafford.

Children were invited to HLOM throughout the afternoon to decorate heart-shaped cookies.

Below, Tess with her cookie.

A car has reportedly hit a tree in the area of 10903 Alleghany Road, near Herkimer Road.

A deputy on scene reports minor injuries.

Darien Fire and Mercy EMS responding.

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Funeral services for Alyce M. Huntoon, the 24-year-old Batavia woman who died under undetermined circumstances Wednesday night, will be at 10 a.m., Monday, Grace Baptist Church.

Huntoon, originally from Elba, leaves behind two small children, Ava and Maddox. She was a 2005 graduate of Batavia High School.

From her obituary:

She was a secretary at Zirbel Automotive and had just begun working part time at Tully's. A shy, family oriented person, Alyce had a great love for her family and her world was being a mommy to her sweet babies, Ava & Maddox. She loved holidays, baking, family dinners and family traditions.

Calling hours are today from 6 to 9 p.m., and Sunday, from 1 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. at Michael S. Tomaszewski Funeral & Cremation Chapel, 4120 West Main Street Road, Batavia.

Previously: Batavia woman's cause of death not yet known

An alarm of fire is reported at a natural gas compression station located behind a residence at 3337 Lockport Road in Oakfield. The caller reported hearing a loud bang followed by the sound of the fire alarm.

Law enforcement and Oakfield Fire Department are en route.

UPDATE 9:02 p.m.: Oakfield fire on scene reports nothing showing.

UPDATE 9:04 p.m.: A National Fuel Co. rep is on scene en route, with an ETA of about 20 minutes. The other responders are staging outside the main gate.

UPDATE 9:07 p.m.: National Fuel tells dispatch that the station is programmed to automatically shut down if excess gas is present. A responder says there is excess gas pressure at the site and it is "bleeding off." Winds are blowing southwesterly at 9 mph.

UPDATE 9:15 p.m.: A key holder to the property has arrived and is being escorted into the area by a deputy. A responder says "It seems there is no power at the plant at this time."

UPDATE 9:21 p.m.: A rep from National Fuel is now on scene.

UPDATE 9:24 p.m.: A senior foreman for National Fuel is headed into the compression station.

UPDATE 9:27 p.m.: Deputies are escorting the National Fuel rep to the station and the expectation is  "we'll be released shortly."

UPDATE 9:45 p.m.: The Oakfield assignment is back in service.

A caller reported seeing people trying to break into a house and an RV at or near 23 Central Ave. in the City of Batavia. There are three suspects being sought, one of whom was seen wearing a red hoodie. They were last spotted walking eastward on Ellicott Street.

Three well water samples gathered by Bob Bowcock while he was in Le Roy tested negative for TCE (trichloroethylene), Bowcock told The Batavian this evening.

The results are preliminary, but the lead researcher for environmentalist / lawyer Erin Brockovich said he's confident in the results.

The samples were taken from the wells of private residences, two to the south of the massive TCE spill in 1970 and one to the west.

That would indicate that the TCE (used for degreasing metal parts) plume from the Lehigh Valley train derailment, located four miles from Le Roy High School, has not migrated west and south as some people seem to have feared.

As for TCE being found in fill dirt used at the school, the NYS Department of Health report states that a "very low level of TCE" was found in groundwater at the dolomite quarry near the derailment site. Crushed stone was used for road construction and subsurface drainage at the school.

"Residual TCE that might be present in stone from the quarry would be reduced or eliminated through evaporation during stone crushing and handling operations," states the report.

Bowcock said that is likely true, but he awaits anticipated soil testing by Leader Profession Services for confirmation.

More troubling -- though unrelated to any neurological disorders -- said Bowcock was the discovery of MTBE in a water sample taken near the school.

Methyl tertiary butyl ether is a gasoline additive that has been illegal in New York since 2004.

Bowcock said it is a "carcinogen under investigation," explaining that toxicology takes 20 years to determine for certain that a chemical agent is cancer-causing.

"I've never seen any research to suggest it causes neurological disorders," Bowcock said.

He emphasized he doesn't believe presense of MTBE has anything to do with anything going on with the teens manifesting tics at the school.

There are reports, Bowcock said, that MTBE is used by fuel companies in fracking natural gas wells.

Bowcock's team has yet to determine if MTBE-laced gasoline used as a fracking liquid, rather than as gasoline, is also illegal in New York.

The amount in his sample was six milligrams per liter, Bowcock said, which is higher than recommended by the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

Bowcock said he isn't sure if there are wells in the area other than those on school property, but if there are, it's possible the MTBE came from another operation. Further research is needed, Bowcock said.

You can't catch conversion disorder from breathing the air in Le Roy, but that hasn't stopped parents in Rochester from keeping their kids at home this weekend rather than play basketball at Holy Family School.

"It's just disappointing," said Holy Family Coach Joan Fernaays. "These kids practice so hard. They work so hard and now they only get to play eight games of their 10-game season."

The teams are made up of children in third through sixth grades, with the fifth- and sixth-grade teams being all girls.

The teams from Rochester that canceled their games are associated with Catholic schools and are part of a Catholic school league.

"I realize it's not all of the parents (who are keeping their kids at home), but it's still disappointing," Fernaays said.

It doesn't take many parents pulling their kids from a game to mean there aren't  enough players.

The games would have been played at Holy Family School, not Le Roy High School, and as Fernaays points out, if the school wasn't safe, the state and district wouldn't allow students to go there every day.

"I feel it's just ignorance on the part of the parents," Fernaays said. "These are parents who don't want to dig and find out the correct information."

Bill Albert, who is acting as spokesman for the Le Roy Central School District, said there are no games canceled at the public school.

Local law enforcement is looking for trespassing suspects in the area of Maple Avenue in Bergen.

The suspects were last seen heading into a wooded area walking toward Route 33.

The suspects allegedly entered a building there they weren't authorized to enter.

One of the suspects is described as a teen wearing a blue jacket and a hoodie.

No students were hurt today when an Elba school bus on Union Avenue, Batavia, swerved off the road and into a fence surrounding Notre Dame High School's football field.

There were 16-18 students on the bus, all Elba residents who attend Notre Dame.

Sgt. John Peck said the driver apparently suffered a medical condition, though he is being cited for alleged failure to keep right.

Jeanine Lynn Calice, 39, of Summit Street Road, Le Roy, is charged with three counts of burglary, 2nd. Calice is accused of entering a home on Creek Road on three separate occasions to steal items while the residents were on vacation. Calice allegedly entered the residence Dec. 24, Dec. 25 and Jan. 2.

Brian T. Cole, 33, of Route 262, Elba, is charged with criminal mischief, 3rd. Cole is accused of damaging a vehicle while it was parked at Batavia Downs.

Daquan Jamar McGrew, 19, of Palnet Street, Rochester, is charged with trespass. McGrew was allegedly at College Village after being banned from the property.

Michael Thomas Martinez, 27, of Orient Street, Medina, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, criminal contempt, 2nd, aggravated unlicensed operation and speeding (51 mph in a 40 mph zone). Martinez was stopped at 1:58 a.m., Feb. 5, on Lewiston Road, Batavia, by Sgt. Thomas Sanfratello.

Morale is high in the Le Roy Ambulance corps these days, according to Chuck Hammon, thanks to a $90,000 FEMA grant that has enabled the department to upgrade to the latest, most advanced mobile defibrillators available.

The high-tech defibrillators will help EMTs save lives, Hammon said.

"The Lifepack 15 came out two years ago," Hammon said. "We've been working with Lifepack 12s for 10 years. For a nonprofit like us, this never could have happened without a grant."

The units cost $33,000 each. FEMA provided a grant of $90,000 -- the only one of its kind awarded in the State of New York in 2011 -- and the ambulance service had to provide an 8-percent match.

The match came from selling the old units for $5,000 to a company that will refurbish them and resell them.

The manufacturer did a good job of listening to what EMTs needed to be changed about old units, Hammon said. The new ones have better bump guards, are easier to access and read controls, plus they have extra features and buttons that are less difficult to clean and sanitize.

The unit can not only grab an EKG -- that can be saved wirelessly to a smartphone, a laptop computer (along with other patient information) -- but  transmit it to the hospital, either for consultation with a doctor or to provide emergency room personnel advance information on a patient.

In fire situations, the unit can check firefighters or victims for carbon monoxide poisoning.

And in the case of a hazardous spill, it can be used to monitor people with possible exposure to dangerous chemicals.

"It's not all-inclusive," Hammon said. "It's not going to test everything, but it will test hemoglobin and test for nitrates in the blood."

He said the defibrillators are currently the most advanced in service in Genesee County.

There's been some great activity taking place on Shop Batavia recently:

• Turnbull Heating and Air Conditioning has signed on as a premium business.
• Making Memories of Travel WNY provides nearly daily updates about specials and events.
• About Morgs Sawz & Stoves is offering a free ton of pellets with purchase (a $244 value).
• Dumbleton Used Auto Parts Inc.'s Online Store is offering 5 percent off any purchase of $25 or more.
• Bill Fox & Son Construction & Remodeling has a new listing, as does Foxprowl Collectables.
• McAuley's Bargain Bin is offering a FREE gift with a purchase of $5 or more.

And the list could go on.

If you check the home page of Shop Batavia daily, you'll find new specials and new information about great local businesses.

Remember, when you shop locally, more of your dollars stay in the local community to help our community grow and thrive.

Adults age 50 and over now have more opportunities to pursue leisure-time learning with new courses in history, languages, hobbies, travel, and other subjects at Genesee Community College. Thanks to an initiative of The BEST Center, 15 courses have been added to the Leisure Learning roster.

Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Eunice M. Bellinger reported this to the Board of Trustees on Monday evening.

The courses are designed to help senior adults explore personal interests and build new skills, Bellinger said. They do not carry academic credit, and will be offered during the evenings and weekends, and the summer months.

Over the next four months, Leisure Learning courses will cover such topics as "Quick and Easy Italian," "Geocaching 101," "Quilting," "Watercolor," and a variety of courses in scrapbooking, Civil War history, and family law. A tentative schedule of upcoming Leisure Learning courses is available at http://www.genesee.edu/best/development/leisure-learning/.

The cost for each course varies, and ranges from $10 to $99.

The college is planning educational tours for interested residents. Housing at College Village will be available for out-of-area seniors who want to participate in Leisure Learning courses during the summer.

Faculty and staff are eager to share their skills and knowledge with the community in informal settings.

"We believe our new Leisure Learning program will bring the college's expertise to many residents over the age of 50 who are eager to learn, and eager to explore new interests," Bellinger said.

Area residents are also invited to complete a survey of their educational interests. It is available at http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22EGQ7R6K59/.

Investigators have no clear understanding yet of how or why Alyce Huntoon, 24, of Batavia, died Wednesday night.

Monroe County medical examiners conducted an autopsy today, and according to Chief Randy Baker, "found no obvious sign of physical injury that resulted in her death."

There were injuries to her body that were consistent with medical personel trying to revive her, Baker said. Otherwise, her body suffered no physical trauma.

An unnamed city resident, Baker said, reported finding an unresponsive female in a parked car at 427 E. Main St., Batavia, at 10:30 p.m.

City fire, Mercy EMS and police officers responded to the scene.

Huntoon was transported to UMMC where she was pronounced dead.

The medical examiner's office will complete toxicology tests, but investigators will need to wait for up to three months for results.

Meanwhile, Det. Pat Corona said investigators will continue to question people who may be able to shed light on who Huntoon had contact with, what she was doing and what was going on in her life.

Corona called the investigation a "death investigation."

Huntoon was most recently employed at Tully's and did work Wednesday night.

Baker would only say that the person who called 9-1-1 was "a city resident."

The chief acknowledge there weren't a lot of details to report and said, "We're trying to give out accurate information," and he was careful not address specific aspects of the investigation.

"We've talked to several different people who may have had contact with her last night," said Baker, when asked about questioning a specific person.

In her Facebook profile, Huntoon wrote:

Having fun with life and being a mommy! spending my time with ppl that make me smile:-) bound and determined to smile and laugh everyday!

I am a momma of two beautiful babies Ava and Maddox! I try to spend my time with ppl that make me happy! i am determined to live a happy and fun filled life with the people that make me smile everyday!

Press release:

For the third consecutive year, volunteers at Genesee Community College are providing free income tax preparation services. This opportunity is made possible through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), in collaboration with Genesee County Department of Social Services (GCDSS).

The services for 2011 taxes are available to anyone whose household income is below $50,000 and does not require the filing of Schedule C or D. Each client leaves with a copy of his or her return that has been prepared.

Business tax returns or complicated capital gains transactions cannot be completed through the VITA program.

Interested participants have access to walk-in sessions at GCC's Batavia campus or appointment-based services at GCDSS, located at 5130 E. Main St. in Batavia.

The three walk-in sessions at the college are held from 4 to 7 p.m. in room T204 on Tuesday, Feb. 7; Tuesday, March 6; and Thursday, March 22.

The appointment-based services available at the Department of Social Services are from 5 to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning today, Feb. 9. Call 344-2580, ext. 6552, to make an appointment. Mark Castiglione is the site coordinator.

Through VITA, IRS-certified volunteers prepare free, basic income tax returns for community members with low to moderate income. The volunteers have undergone rigorous online training and provide assistance in communities nationwide. VITA sites are generally located at community and neighborhood centers, libraries, schools, shopping malls and other convenient locations.

"Last year we prepared 114 federal and NYS income tax returns," said local VITA Program Director Cheryl Corke, who is an associate professor of Accounting and Business at GCC.

"Through this effort, our clients received $115,304 in federal income tax refunds, including $23,795 in earned income tax credits, $5,682 in child tax credits and $9,170 in education tax credits."

Corke advises participants to bring all their necessary documents including:

• W-2 (wage and earning statement(s) from employer(s)
• W-2G
• 1099-R
• 1099-Misc (interest and dividend statements from banks) forms
• Social Security cards for all persons listed on the tax return
• A copy of last year's federal and state returns, if available
• For direct bank deposits, bank account routing numbers and account numbers are needed
• Other information needed may include total annual payment for daycare providers, plus the daycare provider's tax identifying numbers and address.
• For married couples filing joint tax returns, both spouses must be present to sign the required forms.

"I want to personally thank all of those who have been involved in this program," Corke said. "It really is a fantastic opportunity for community members and our students. We have several certified preparers from GCC, including faculty and students, and three people certified from DSS, and many others have put time and effort into this endeavor.

"On behalf of the many users and participants of this program, I send a special 'thank you' to my colleague, Amy Conley, and to her students who worked very hard to become certified intermediate income tax preparers."

For more information, contact Cheryl Corke, VITA program director at GCC, at cacorke@genesee.edu.

Somewhat silhouetted by the sun, these phragmite plumes stand out nicely against the blue winter sky, creating a scene hardly resembling early February. 

To my memory, I don't recall seeing as much waterfowl activity in our area as evidenced this winter. With no snow cover, waterfowl have been able to glean the grain fields, and local waters have iced over only occassionally but never for very long.

This scene is more reminiscent of April -- and trout season.

This snowfall was picturesque and like the others it didn't last long.

Here dining on sumac, wintering songbirds haven't had trouble finding food this season. While sumac is a normal part of their winter diet....... 

it seems they don't care much for sumac sno-cones.

By Sunday morning these waterfowl could find themselves evicted. Predicted low temps for Friday and Saturday show single digits and this mantle of ice could envelop the entire marsh.

It's been a nice run but we're certainly not out of the woods yet. Over the course of the next few weeks will we see more blue sky with just an occasional bite from Old Man Winter......

or will we one morning wake up to a setting such as this?

NEW TODAY -- Scooter's Family Restaurant, 3711 W. Main St. Road, Batavia NY: Nestled just outside of the Village of Batavia, Scooter's offers a homestyle menu, daily specials, kid's meals and homemade desserts! We have a $20 gift certificate for $10.

Alex's Place, 8322 Park Road, Batavia, NY: People come from all over the region for a fine dining experience at Alex's. It's best known for its ribs, of course, but Alex's seafood is also a favorite of the restaurant's diners. We have a $25 gift certificate for $12.50.

Bourbon & Burger Co., 9 Jackson St., Batavia, NY: Batavia's newest burger joint offers more than two dozen different types of tasty hamburgers. Our menu also includes a variety of sandwiches, appetizers and an extensive beer list, plus a full bar. We have a $20 gift certificate for $10.

Kravings, Valu Plaza, 4152 W. Main St., Batavia, NY: Kravings offers soups, salads and sandwiches, fresh and flavorful; Monday through Saturday. We have a $10 gift certificate for $5.

Larry's Steakhouse, 60 Main St., Batavia, NY: The name says it all -- Larry's is a great place for steak. Larry's has a fine dining atmosphere with a great menu and outstanding service. We have a $25 gift certificate for $12.50.

Indian Falls Log Cabin Restaurant, 1227 Gilmore Rd, Corfu, NY: Overlooking the picturesque Indian Falls on the Tonawanda Creek, the Log Cabin is known for casual dining, beef on weck, burgers, steaks, prime rib and mouthwatering BBQ baby back ribs. The Log Cabin is located off Route 77, 1.7 miles north of Exit 48 on the Thruway. We have a $20 gift certificate for $10.

Palm Island Indoor Water Park, 8250 Park Road, Batavia, NY: The newest family fun center in Genesee County, featuring a hot tub, monsoon lagoon pool and play area, tipping buckets, water slides, arcade with 15 games and birthday party rooms. We have a pair of gift certificates worth $40 in merchandise or services for $20.

Rancho Viejo, 12 Ellicott St., Batavia, NY: Traditional Mexican cuisine, from tacos and burritos to pollo norteno, Rancho Viejo brings a bit of "South of the Border" to Batavia's restaurant scene. We have a $20 gift card for $10.

Salsa & Curry, 13 Jackson St., Batavia, NY: An authentic Mexican restaurant, offering all of your favorite dishes from enchiladas and burritos to tacos and fajitas, as well as daily Indian food specials. We have a $20 gift card for $10.

Settler's, 353 W. Main St., Batavia, NY: Settler's has a 25-year history of serving great, affordable breakfasts, lunches and dinners to Batavians. We have a $20 gift certificate for $10.

Spirits, 78 Lake St., Le Roy, NY. Le Roy's favorite sports bar, where fun and good food are always on tap. Come try one of our many delicious burgers that we have to offer, as well as our HUGE Bomber Sandwich, homemade chicken fingers made to order, and the all-time favorite Dumpster Plate with many choices. We deliver. We have a $20 gift certificate for $10.

Viking Valhalla Restaurant & Rose Garden Bowl, 21 Buffalo Road, Bergen, NY: Open for lunch Monday through Sunday, and dinner Friday and Saturday evenings. Dinner favorites are our succulent prime rib and Friday fish fries! We are always happy to help plan your special occasion -- wedding, shower, rehearsal dinner, stag party, graduation, company function, banquet, family or class reunion. We have a $20 gift certificate for $10.