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News reports: Former Oakfield resident found guilty of double murder in Pennsylvannia

By Howard B. Owens

Two Pennsylvania papers, including the Bradford Era, are reporting that Steven Rebert has been found guilty of murder.

The 48-year-old Rebert is originally from Oakfield and has been a person of interest in the November 2005 homicide of Bill Fickel.

While investigators have been unable to gather sufficient evidence to substantiate a charge in the local homicide, Bill's widow, Lisa Fickel, has offered a $100,000 reward to anybody providing evidence that leads to a conviction of Bill's killer.

Rebert, according to reports, was found guilty of murdering Wayne and Victoria Shugar in April 2010 in Jefferson County.

UPDATE: Brittany Boyer with WJAC reports, "Rebert was found guilty of the following: first-degree murder, second-degree murder, aggravated assault, theft, robbery and burglary." The jury deliberated for one hour and 50 minutes. On Thursday, the jury will begin the penalty phase. Rebert could get the "death penalty," which in Pennsylvania means spending the rest of his life in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day.

Labor statistics show improvement for Genesee County

By Howard B. Owens

The year-over-year job and employment picture for Genesee County brightened in December, according to Department of Labor statistics.

The county's unemployment rate for December was 7.4 percent, a slight improvement over December 2010 when it was 7.9 percent, but not as good as last November when unemployment stood at 6.7 percent.

Overall, non-farm jobs increased from 22,600 in December 2010 to 23,800 last December. However, that's still below the November job figure of 24,100.

Historically, Genesee County sees a decline in jobs from November to December.

According to the latest report, there are 30,200 people in Genesee County with jobs, compared to 29,400 people with jobs in December 2010.

Year-over-year, goods producing jobs increased from 3,900 to 4,000.

Total service jobs increased from 18,700 to 19,800, including those in education. Health service jobs increased from 3,000 to 3,300, and leisure and hospitality jobs increased from 2,200 to 2,500

Government jobs increased from 6,100 to 6,200.

Albany news station reports Tourette-like symptoms in two girls

By Howard B. Owens

An Albany television station is reporting that two girls have developed tics and verbal outbursts and linking the report to the 12 girls in Le Roy who have suffered similar symptoms.

As for a possible connection to the cases in Western, NY, both girls did eat at a restaurant in Le Roy this summer.

"Maybe she had been carrying something that she brought with her to Le Roy," says Nicholson.

The piece on the girls describes joint pain along with the tics and verbal outbursts. One girl was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome, though her mother doesn't seem to accept the diagnosis.

Meanwhile, The Week, a British publication quotes Dr. Lazlo Mechtler, the neurologist who has reportedly examined 11 of the 12 girls from Le Roy, as blaming the outbreak locally on terror alerts.

“Ever since 9/11, Americans have been subjected to warnings of orange alert and red alert, and, unlike Israelis for instance, they are not culturally used to it,” says Mechtler. “What has happened to these girls is the result of Americans being made to live in fear. We are going to see more of these outbreaks.”

According to the article, Mechtler has not examined Thera Sanchez, whom the article says was the first Le Roy girl to exhibit symptoms. But in her Today Show appearance, Sanchez said she was in treatment.

At the community meeting Jan. 11 in Le Roy, the mother of the reported 12th girl said she hadn't been to treatment yet because she was the last of the girls to develop symptoms.

In the past couple of weeks, we've received emails from people all over the United States with their own theories and suggestions. It would be a time-consuming task to chase down every theory and get response from officials, and, as we know, there's only so much officials can, or are willing, to say.

After the jump (click the headline to read the whole thing) are three of the emails we've received.

From Susan Walker:

Here is what I hope will be helpful information for the girls afflicted with the strange tics and Tourette-like problems in New York. I’ll try to keep this short!

Our grandson was afflicted with Tourette-type tics along with accompanying nervousness and difficulty sleeping quite suddenly at the age of about 7 years. It was heartbreaking to see him struggle with it. For a year or so he was treated with various medicines all of which left him lethargic but not improved. Our daughter asked me to research anything I could find to help him so I embarked upon a reading and Internet frenzy for information.

The only thing I found, aside from medicines he had already tried or things that seemed worse than the problem, was a fair amount of anecdotal evidence, which was first noted in a book by Mitzi Waltz about Tourettes Syndrome. She reported that a number of boys had found  great relief from the symptoms by taking grape seed. I passed this information to my daughter after researching grape seed and finding it to be very high in antioxidants and otherwise harmless.

To make a longer story short, our grandson showed marked improvement in just a couple of weeks and he felt much “better inside” as he described it, after taking 1 mg. per pound of body weight twice per day of grape seed extract in pill form. Within a month or two he had no symptoms at all and was able to sleep much better. He is now 18 years old and has been tic free all these years. He still takes grape seed.

I have kept myself open for any articles or info over the years which might explain this phenomenon and have run across a few things which suggest to me that perhaps the area of the brain which is involved in causing tics and related symptoms can be affected in some susceptible people by a sort of autoimmune response to oxidants which build up in their blood either from outside causes or perhaps from their own metabolic peculiarities.

In any case, grape seed has been a lifesaver for our grandson and there are numbers of mothers and sons who report similar experiences. It’s worth a shot and I’d surely try it if my daughter was one of  these cases.

From Denise Grubbs, RN:

I am founder and director of PPARS: PANDAS-PITAND Awareness & Research Support and I am also a Registered Nurse. I just registered to leave a comment as I am very concerned about the underlying cause of tics in these children.

I wonder if they have tested the girls for strep, myco p, Lyme and related diseases. I hope if they used titers such as ASO & Anti-DNase only that they did not use this to rule out this condition as we know that some kids never elevate titers. Inability to elevate titers does not rule out PANDAS-PITAND -- it only means we have to look harder before it can be ruled out as a cause.

Another potential cause to consider is the GARDASIL vaccine. Because only girls are reported and the age, we have to consider this as a potential cause.

There are physicians who are knowledgeable about this condition and could fully evaluate the students to determine if it can be ruled out or not.  Treatment can bring healing, but it is important to catch it early.

How can we reach someone who can fully evaluate to help these girls?

Website: http://www.pandas-pitandawareness.org/Home.php
FB page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/PANDAS-PITAND-PANS-Awareness-Ribbon-Research-Support/104784939604627
Twitter: https://twitter.com/?ref=nf&utm_campaign=PANDAS_PITAND&utm_content=146545841648308224&utm_medium=fb&utm_source=fb#!/PANDAS_PITAND

From Laurie Endicott Thomas, www.gorillaprotein.com

I was greatly disturbed to see the girls with Tourette syndrome from Le Roy on the TODAY show and highly annoyed to see a neurologist attribute the problem to "conversion disorder." I have written an article that will be published soon in the medical journal Medical Hypotheses that argues that doctors should never make the diagnosis of conversion disorder. Doctors make a diagnosis of conversion disorder when they can't find the real cause of the problem. It's a cop-out and shouldn't be permitted.

Chances are good that the girls' problems are due to a simple problem with the temporomandibular joint, which is the hinge joint where the jawbone attaches to the skull. If the jaw is not in the correct position, it can irritate one of the cranial nerves, thus setting up a reflex arc that causes the movement problems.

In many cases, the problem can be solved simply and without drugs by giving the girl a dental appliance that holds her jaw in the correct position. The girl might be able to get longer-lasting relief from a simple surgical procedure to take a "tuck" in the articular disk in the temporomandibular joint, to put it back where it is supposed to be.

Here's an article from the Journal of Craniomandibular Practice about the problem.

http://www.tmjstack.com/casereport.pdf

Here's video of a patient with gait problems and all of the typical Tourette symptoms. Watch how rapidly the problems go away when the woman gets a dental appliance to reposition her jaw.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5W7qBbjbRZ8

I wouldn't be surprised to find that all of the girls in Le Roy had the same dentist or orthodontist. That could account for why you've had an outbreak of Tourette syndrome in girls locally.

The Batavian has also received phone calls suggesting lead poisoning, mercury poisoning and telecommunication radiation.

Law and Order: Man accused of biting face of victim during argument

By Howard B. Owens

Jonathan Donnie Laverne, 47, of Council House Road, Alabama, is charged with assault, 3rd, unlawful imprisonment, 2nd, and criminal mischief, 4th. Laverne is accused of biting the face of another person during a domestic incident Jan. 17. Laverne allegedly took the mobile phone of the person and prevented the person from leaving or calling for help. Laverne was jailed on $5,000 bail.

Gregory Seppe, 53, of North Spruce Street, Batavia, is charged with five counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th. Seppe was arrested following a report at 10:22 p.m., Monday, of a man causing a disturbance at the Arrow Mart store on Clinton Street Road, Batavia.

Andrea Linda Kempisty, 23, of Lovers Lane Road, Pembroke, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, failure to stop at stop sign, failure to yield right of way at stop sign and moving from lane unsafely. Kempisty was stopped at 2:17 a.m. Monday on Route 5, Batavia, by Deputy James Diehl.

Alleged crack dealer from Rochester arrested in Batavia

By Howard B. Owens

A suspected crack dealer from Rochester was taken into custody Monday on Buell Street by members of the Local Drug Enforcement Task Force.

Nekia "Nick" Newton, 35, of Duran Street, Rochester, was allegedly found in possession of a quantity of crack cocaine.

He was charged with two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd, criminal sale of a controlled substance, 3rd, and aggravated unlicensed operation, 3rd.

Following arraignment in Batavia City Court, Newton was jailed without bail.

Task force members located Newton's car on Buell and as they approached, he reportedly got out of the vehicle and started walking toward a residence.

Newton was reportedly wanted on a pending charge of selling crack cocaine.

Assisting in the arrest were the Batavia PD and Sheriff's deputies.

Council member floats idea of pay raise for herself and her colleagues

By Howard B. Owens

Batavia City Council members deserve a pay raise, veteran Council Member Rose Mary Christian said to kick off Batavia's budget session Monday night, according to WBTA.

Christian, who represents Ward Six, didn't say how much the raise should be and apparently there wasn't much support from the nine-member council, which includes six new members.

Currently, council members are paid $2,000 per year.

The council is reviewing a proposed budget that would raise property taxes 4.2 percent and also increase water rates and fees more than $13 a year for the average customer.

Village of Corfu officials bicker at meeting about lost STOP-DWI funds

By Howard B. Owens

The county has suspended STOP-DWI funding for the Village of Corfu Police Department, and the issue made for a contentious village board meeting Monday night.

A village board member asked for disciplinary action against the police chief One police officer blamed the village board for dragging his name through the mud. And the mayor blamed Board Member Ralph Peterson (inset photo) for costing the village $3,000 in funding.

Peterson claims he only went to county officials to ask questions about how STOP-DWI vouchers should be processed. He said he didn't ask for a criminal investigation.

But after Peterson raised the issue, a State Police investigator opened a fraud investigation, which included visiting the home of at least one part-time village police officer.

The investigation concluded with no charges filed.

"There was no evidence of malfeasance," said village Attorney Mark Boylan.

Mayor Todd Skeet characterized the mishandled paperwork as a mistake, a misunderstanding between the village and the STOP-DWI committee that approves the vouchers.

"The STOP-DWI panel didn’t seem to understand the Corfu Police Department," Skeet said. "They didn't understand how it worked until this came along."

In a letter to the village, Frank Ciaccia, assistant county manager and the STOP-DWI coordinator, informed the village that recently submitted vouchers wouldn't be paid and 2012 funding for the village was suspended. The letter also states:

"Unlike the other police agencies with full-time officers, I believe that the Corfu Police Department is a unique operation that doesn't lend itself to easily comply in a verifiable manner with the requirements of the STOP-DWI program."

Funds for the STOP-DWI program come from DWI fines paid and are distributed to departments to help pay for equipment that can be used in apprehending suspected drunken drivers, such as radar units and license plate readers.

Agencies submit vouchers and time cards indicating times officers spent on road patrol with a specific intent of looking for drunken drivers.

The allegation is that the village submitted vouchers for times when officers were on general patrol, not specifically DWI patrol.

Skeet said the village completed the paperwork exactly as Ciaccia trained officials to do several years ago.

Officer Gene Nati spoke up at the meeting and complained that the whole village is gossiping about recent allegations of corruption in the village. And with State Troopers showing up at his door on a supposed criminal investigation, he feels like he's getting his reputation soiled when he didn't do anything wrong.

"My neighbors are talking about how the Corfu court is corrupt, the Corfu Fire Department is corrupt and the Corfu Police Department is corrupt," Nati said. "I'm not going to have my name dragged through mud for any wrongdoing for anything anybody else is doing.

"This is a part-time job," added Nati, who is also an Erie County Sheriff's deputy. "I don't need the money. I do it so I get a little extra money and buy a few cigars.

"I come here write a few tickets and generate some revenue for the village, but I and the other officers don't need our names dragged through the mud. It's the Village of Corfu, and you guys can't even get along at your own meetings."

Peterson opened the meeting by reading from a lengthy statement expressing his doubts that the problems with the STOP-DWI program paperwork were just an oversight. Peterson said that Chief James Meier, a 20-year veteran of the Sheriff's Office, should already know how to complete the paperwork.

At the end of his statement, Peterson made a motion for "some sort of disciplinary action" against Meier.

Attorney Boylan told Peterson he couldn't make such a sweeping motion, and then explained that because of the finding of the State Police investigator and the lack of evidence of any intentional wrongdoing, there was no basis to discipline anybody.

"My personal feeling is that I believe that Ralph Peterson is the cause of the village losing $3,000 in funding," Mayor Skeet said. "He didn't ever come to the board once, never once saying there is a problem with the STOP-DWI program. Instead, he went straight to Batavia and got Frank Ciaccia all boiled up over it."

After the meeting, Peterson said he still isn't satisified that there was no wrongdoing in how the funds were handled. He said the reason he didn't come to the board first is that, in the past, issues he's raised with the board haven't been taken seriously.

Skeet said Peterson started pursuing the STOP-DWI issue only after the village board asked state auditors to look into potential problems with the village court.

Officials expected Village Justice Robert Alexander to go to Monday's meeting and address the recent NYS audit report on alleged missing funds in his court, but Peterson informed the board at the onset that Alexander was sick and unable to attend.

CLARIFICATION: Chief Meier said neither he nor his officers prepare the STOP-DWI vouchers. They are completed by the village clerk. There were no errors in the paperwork, but rather a "procedural problem" over how patrols were designated.

Multiple cars involved in crash on Route 63, near Transit Road, Bethany

By Billie Owens

An accident involving multiple vehicles is reported on Route 63 near Transit Road. It is completely blocking the roadway. There is no entrapment. Wires are everywhere. National Grid is called. Bethany Fire Department is responding along with Mercy EMS.

Pavilion Fire Department is asked to respond as mutual aid and shut down Route 63 at Bethany Center Road. Southbound traffic is to be shut down at Bethany Center Road / Batavia Stafford Townline Road at Route 63 by Town of Batavia Fire Department, responding as mutual aid.

The roadway is slippery and wet. One person in a minivan has minor injuries, according to law enforcement on scene. At least one car is off the road.

UPDATE 1:33 a.m.: Traffic on Transit Road is backed up at least all the way to East Bethany Le Roy Townline Road. Pole number 6084 6072 is damaged.

UPDATE 1:36 a.m.: The person in the minivan is "all set," and medics are asked to check on the driver of a tractor-trailer. The transformer on the damaged pole is leaking. National Grid has an ETA of 35 minutes. Northbound traffic is also shut down on Route 63 at the juncture with Route 20.

UPDATE 1:50 a.m.: One car struck the utility pole. And a tractor-trailer that followed pulled down the wires. (It is considered two separate accidents, and other drivers involved responded to that sequence of events.) Mercy medics are back in service. The mother of the minivan driver responded to the scene.

UPDATE 1:59 a.m.: At this point, it appears to be just a matter of getting vehicles towed as needed and clearing the roadway so traffic flow can resume.

UPDATE 2:08 a.m.: There will be no further updates to this post.

Photos: Alpina executives tour plant construction site

By Howard B. Owens

Top executives from Alpina Products were in Batavia on Monday touring the site of their future Greek yogurt plant in the Genesee Agri-Business Park, and they heard from Jim Billington, project manager, that construction is right on schedule.

A mild winter has certainly helped, Billington said.

"We've been pouring concrete every day, and according to some of the locals, that's quite unusual," Billington said. "We've been trying to take advantage of that."

CEO Julian Jaramillo (top photo, left) was all smiles during the tour and nodded enthusiastically when Managing Director Carlos Ramirez (top photo, right) said they consider it a good sign that Project Wave is under construction (The Batavian has previously reported Project Wave appears to be the work of PepsiCo).

"It says we made a good decision in coming here," Ramirez said.

He added that with the milk supply, the transportation, the labor pool and now the chance to be in a location with a complimentary business will only benefit Alpina and could lead other yogurt makers to come to the same conclusion.

"I think developing a yogurt cluster is a really good idea – the Silicon Valley of yogurt," Ramirez said.

With Jaramillo and Ramierz was Alpina' Colombia General Manager Ivan Lopez, who was seeing the location for the first time.

"It’s going to be great," Lopez said. "We have a huge operation in Colombia and when I see this, we can see the future in United States. I think we can do good things here, just like in Colombia."

The 40,000-square-foot plant should open in early spring and initially employ 50 people, with the first shipment of product going out in June.

Ramirez said Alpina remains excited about the opportunity to sell Greek yogurt in the United States.

"It’s one of the few categories where America is an emerging marketing," Ramirez said. "It's grown like crazy over the past three or four years and we think there is still room to grow."

For previous Alpina coverage, click here.

Farm supply company signs deal to open store on Ellicott Street, bringing 15 jobs downtown

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

Java Farm Supply is expanding its operations to the City of Batavia by subleasing the entire two-plus-acre property located at 45 Center St., formerly known as United Rental. Java Farm Supply will be hiring up to 15 sales and service employees for this new tractor dealer location. Renovations to the property will begin immediately in preparation for a late February opening.

“I have been working to secure this lease for a while,” said Tony Mancuso, of Mancuso Commercial Realty. “We are really happy to be filling another vacant downtown building and creating jobs. It’s a win-win for everybody.”

Java Farm Supply represents more than 20 different brands of new and used farm equipment from advanced agriculture machines and compact tractors to lawn and garden equipment.

“Opening the Batavia location is a leap of faith for us,” said John Bookmiller, owner/partner. “Our business has grown steadily but, it is still a big commitment for our family-run operation.”

Mancuso Commercial Realty coordinated the transaction with help from the Genesee County Economic Development Center and the Batavia Development Corporation. City Manager Jason Molino also helped the process by highlighting the favorable zoning and daily drive-by traffic counts at the corner of Ellicott and Center streets. The summer farmers’ market across the street from the site was also a factor in closing the deal.

"The GCEDC is excited to have assisted Java Equipment on securing a site for their expansion into Genesee County", said Chris Suozzi, VP Business Development for GCEDC.  "It's a perfect use of the former United Rentals building in the City of Batavia."

Java Farm Supply has been in business since 1951 in North Java, Wyoming County, and currently employs 25 people representing two locations. The first company expansion was the opening of a sales office in Yorkshire, Cattaraugus County. The City of Batavia will host Java Farm Supply’s third sales office as well as the company’s second equipment servicing location.

Both the Batavia Development Corporation and the GCEDC are likely to support the project through financing and/or tax exemptions.

Interested job seekers should visit www.javafarmsupply.com to download an employment application.

Simmons escorted into Batavia Town Court by supporters forming human shield

By Howard B. Owens

Whatever drama there was at the Town of Batavia Court today, it was all outside the Town Hall building, both before and after Jacquetta Simmons made her appearance there.

This was the first appearance for the 26-year-old Simmons following her initial arraignment Dec. 23 on two felony counts of assault, 2nd.

Simmons is accused of punching a 70-year-old Walmart employee in the face on Christmas Eve, knocking her several feet across the floor and causing facial fractures.

Television crews from Rochester and Buffalo were on hand for her appearance. After the crews milled about for nearly an hour waiting for her after her scheduled 2 p.m. appearance, several supporters of Simmons pulled up in a sedan and came out of their car and shouted, "Jesus saves!" -- with one member of the group reading aloud from a Bible while waiting for Simmons' arrival.

When Simmons did drive up, the supporters met her at her car, covered her with a jacket and formed a human shield to escort her into the Town Hall building.

Television cameramen tried to position themselves to get a shot of Simmons who had her face covered (listen to audio courtesy WBTA of the jostle).

In court, Simmons' case was called quickly after an attorney, Jerry Ader, from the Public Defender's Office, conferred with her.

Ader was filling in for Public Defender Gary Horton. Ader told Justice Michael Cleveland that Horton had not yet had conferred with Simmons. The case was continued until 2 p.m., Feb. 27, so Horton and Simmons can talk before she enters a plea.

Simmons left by a side door, and in the parking lot, a couple of Simmons' supporters decided to address the media. One gentlemen invited reporters to a new church he said is opening at 47 Swan St., Batavia.

He asked reporters repeatedly, "Are you saved?"

Then a young man came up demanding to know where the media was when his family was slandered. It was unclear what incident or situation he was talking about.

Previously:

Tree and power lines down on Reuben Road, Alabama

By Billie Owens

A tree entangled with primary power lines is reportedly down and blocking the roadway at 7444 Reuben Road on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation. Traffic is being shut down at Reuben and Ledge roads.

Alabama Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 6:24 p.m.: A Sheriff's deputy on scene says the power lines are intact but they are pinned underneath the tree. National Grid is being contacted so it can shut off power on the lines and thereby enable crews to remove the tree.

UPDATE 8:41 p.m.: Power is restored, the tree is removed, the road is open and Alabama fire units are back in service.

Law and Order: Two accidents lead to two DWI arrests

By Howard B. Owens

Gary A. Goodwin, 51, of Hamlin, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08. Goodwin was reportedly involved in a motor vehicle accident at 11:12 p.m., Jan. 21, on Cockram Road, Town of Byron. The accident was investigated by Deputy Brad Mazur.

Rene Peres Roblero, 46, of McGregor Road, Corfu, is charged with DWI, moving from lane unsafely, operation by an unlicensed driver, operating without insurance. Roblero was arrested following the report of a one-vehicle accident at 11:24 p.m., Jan. 17, on Richley Road, Darien. He was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Debra G. Fields, 43, of 18 South St., Le Roy, is charged with unlawful dealing with a child, 1st. Field is accused of hosting an underage drinking party at her residence.

Uriah Ian-Charles Smoke, 27, of Bloomingdale Road, Tonawanda Indian Reservation, is charged with reckless endangerment, 2nd, and criminal mischief, 4th. Smoke was arrested on a warrant and jailed on $2,000 bail or $4,000 bond.

Grand Jury Report: Felony count filed against man accused of smashing windows

By Howard B. Owens

Jerod P. Norcross is indicted on a charge of criminal mischief in the third degree, a Class E felony. Norcross is accused of smashing the windows of a 2003 Toyota Camry on July 21 in the Town of Alexander, causing more than $2,500 damage.

Name redacted upon request, is indicted on two counts of aggravated DWI, a Class E felony. xxxx is accused of driving drunk on July 24 on Route 33, Town Batavia, while a child under age 15 was in the vehicle, and of driving with a BAC of .08 or greater.

GCEDC announces tax abatements, revolving loan

By Howard B. Owens

The following projects were approved for tax abatements by the Genesee County Economic Development Center Board:

Premier Credit of North America: Total capital investment, $150,000; Sales tax exemption on equipment purchases, $12,000; Anticipated new jobs, 50; Premier will be leasing 8,500 square feet and up to 13,500 square feet at 1 Mill St., Batavia (the former Pioneer Credit location). Premier will be hiring 50 full-time employees with a target start date of March 1; Premier originally sought locations in Hamburg, Springville, East Aurora, Orchard Park and West Seneca, but not Batavia; GCEDC won the bid with the sales tax exemption, according to the GCEDC-produced project summary.

Tri County Welding: Total capital investment, $111,000; Sales tax exemption, $4,440, Mortgage tax exemption, $938, PILOT, $24,945; Jobs retained, five, new jobs, two and a half; Tri County is expanding its facility to support an increase in business. The expansion includes a 35 x 85 foot addition during the first quarter of 2012.

Als Enterprises (Batavia Pediatrics): Total capital investment, $150,000; Sales tax exemption, $6,000; Retained jobs, eight, new jobs, two; Batavia Pediatrics is planning on renovating its office space of 6,700 square feet, including 1,000 square feet of space not currently being used. The sales tax exemption will apply to new equipment purchases.

The following project received a loan from GCEDC's revolving loan fund:

Batavia Enclosures, Inc: Batavia Enclosures is moving from the Batavia Industrial Center (Harvester Center) to 6 Treadeasy Ave., Batavia (the former Prime Materials Manufacturing location). GCEDC is providing a $50,000 loan from the revolving loan fund, payable over seven years at a fix rate of 80 percent of prime, with a floor of 3 percent. The loan will be used to assist with purchase of the building. Batavia Enclosures intends to create three new full-time positions (a punch press operator, programmer and press brake operator).

Twenty parcels slated for county tax lien auction

By Howard B. Owens

County Treasurer Scott German has released the list of properties in Genesee County slated to be auctioned off as a result of unpaid tax liens.

There are 20 parcels with a total assessed value of $579,500. The total unpaid taxes on the 20 parcels is $174,259.28.

The auction is set for 10 a.m., March 3, at Bontrager's Auction Center, Wotendyke Road, Batavia.

Location Accessed Value Taxes Notes 1281 Bloomingdale Road, Alabama $69,300.00 $6,222.13   3544 West Main Street Road, Batavia $38,000.00 $5,359.81   7645 Dublin Road, Bergen $17,200.00 $12,298.92   6865 McElver Street, Byron $67,600.00 $13,312.08   6896 Route 262 $12,500.00 $39,652.25 .78 acres of land with more than $22,000 in fire clean up costs 1322 McVean Road, Darien $83,900.00 $8,682.67   East Hundredmark Road, Elba $5,200.00 $752.85 9.3 acres of vacant land Batavia Oakfield Townline Road, Oakfield $5,600.00 $1,317.98 No house on the property Telephone Road, Pavilion $7,800.00 $1,169.86 8.3 acres, vacant land Telephone Road, Pavilion $1,000.00 $736.73 No house on the property Boyce Road, Pembroke $20,100.00 $3,316.99 50.2 acres, vacant land, two parcels Boyce Road, Pembroke $40,300.00 $4,532.38 88.9 acres, vacant land Angling Road, Pembroke $5,500.00 $988.47 10.9 acres, vacant land Anglng Road, Pembroke $8,500.00 $1,197.84 15.3 acres, vacant land Ellinwood Road, Pembroke $74,000.00 $20,964.30 63.6 acres, vacant land Horseshoe Lake Road, Stafford $100.00 $442.55 No house on property 27 Le Roy Street, Bergen $55,000.00 $7,932.49   West Main Street, Le Roy $10,000.00 $2,495.87 No house on property West Main Street, Le Roy $6,100.00 $1,454.60 No house on property 27 South Pearl Street, Oakfield $50,800.00 $5,660.89  

 

Photos: A Sunday afternoon in Genesee County

By Howard B. Owens

This afternoon, Billie and I went for a drive -- she drove, stopped the car occasionally, and I took pictures. Here are seven of the photos from today.

Above, a barn and tree on Warboys Road, Bergen.

A falcon on Sackett Road, Bergen.

White horse on Swamp Road, Byron.

Dock on Mill Pond, Mill Pond Road, Byron.

Barn, Batavia Elba Townline Road, Elba.

Steer, Batavia Elba Townline Road, Elba.

Daws Cemetery, Batavia Elba Townline Road, Batavia.

Batavia man charged with DWI after allegedly plowing into porch on Watson Street

By Billie Owens

Scott C. Fauth, 24, who lives at 106 Evans St. in Batavia, was charged with driving while intoxicated, having a BAC of .08 percent or greater, and leaving the scene of a property damage accident following an incident at 1:54 a.m. this morning.

Fauth was arrested by Batavia police after a report of a car accident in which the defendant's car allegedly struck a house at 6 Watson St. in the city. This caused damage to the enclosed front porch. Fauth allegedly fled the scene by driving off.

Fauth and his damaged vehicle were located at his residence by Officer Darryle Streeter. Subesquently, the defendant was deemed to be intoxicated at the time of the accident.

He was also charged with driving at a speed not reasonable and prudent, failure to keep right, driving on a sidewalk, unsafe backing, and displaying a forged/fictitious inspection sticker.

Fauth was released on his own recognizance and is scheduled to appear in Batavia City Court at 9 a.m. on Feb. 1.

In addition to Streeter, the incident was investigated by Officer Eric Bolles.

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