Article submitted by Drew Muehlig:

Over the past year, Elba Central School District’s Board of Education has been moving forward with an initiative to bring international high school students from all over the world to their school. The approval, which comes from the United States Department of Homeland Security, was granted after a lengthy process, earlier this month.

These international students, known as F-1 students, will be paying tuition to attend Elba Central School for no more than 12 months. This also grants these students eligibility to participate in all activities as a traditional non-immigrant student.

“These international students typically want to perfect their English and experience the life of an American teenager,” said Laura Williams, Elba Central’s F-1 coordinator. “Attending a high school with cutting-edge academic programs, practicing with high school sport teams, and exploring after-school activities that make American schools what they are today: drama, model UN, cheerleading, band, choir, sports, etc., they are able to achieve this goal. The F-1 student is different than other international students who are strictly in the school district for the cultural interaction.”

“This has potential to be a tremendous opportunity for our families and District,” said Elba Superintendent Keith Palmer, who learned of the program in 2016 at a New York State Counsel of School Superintendents' workshop in Albany.

“Newcomb Central School, a smaller school in the Adirondacks, has been accepting international students for over ten years now,” Palmer explained. “They were initially looking to boost enrollment as a potential source of revenue, but their focus has shifted from a revenue opportunity to a cultural benefit. The impact International students have on the rest of the student body is significant and exposing students to different cultures has been a tremendous learning experience.”

Williams, who also teaches Global Social Studies at the high school, echoes the idea that this experience will be a valuable and exciting opportunity for Elba’s own students to learn the growing importance of globalism in the world beyond their high school education.

“The benefits are endless, but the important benefit is the cultural and international experience that our students will be exposed to as members of classes as well as host families," she said. “As our world is becoming smaller and the work force is becoming more and more globally connected, it is imperative that we introduce our students to the cultures, work ethics, and international experiences that they are bound to experience in college and the workforce.”

Elba Central School is the first school in Genesee County to be approved for this program, according to Williams. Elba’s small size, compared to other areas of the state and country, could actually aid in drawing the interests of international students.

“A surprising number of international students are looking for a safe educational environment, away from large urban areas, in which to perfect their English language and gain the educational benefits offered by a New York State education,” Williams said.

“The importance of creating a school profile that accurately describes our school district as one that provides an individualized education plan in a small rural setting will be important in order to match the specific needs of the international students into our school district.”

There was minimal cost to the school for processing the application which means this program will generate some revenue for the district, according to Palmer.

“International students must pay the subsidized cost per pupil which will be around $20,000," Palmer said. "Because class sizes are relatively low, there will be no need to hire extra staff. Host families will also receive a stipend for offsetting room and board costs.”

With everything set up and ready to go, Elba is looking to start this program as early as next year.

“We are working with a placement organization to finalize the requirements for admission so that we can start the 2017-2018 school year off with a very successful international program. We plan to start small and build as the years progress,” Williams said.

Press release:

The City of Batavia Republican Committee is seeking City Republicans interested in running for the position of City Council At-Large.

There are three seats that will be up for election in November and each position is a four-year term. Each seat represents the entire City of Batavia.

Letters of interest can be emailed to City Republican Chairman David Saleh at salehdavej@gmail.com by April 21. If you are interested in getting involved in making Batavia a better place to live and work then we want to hear from you!

A flood watch remains in effect from Thursday morning through Saturday afternoon.

More than two inches of rain is predicted and the chance of rain Thursday and Friday is put at 100 percent.

The weather service said there is a chance of minor flooding. Those living in flood-prone areas should be prepared to take action.

City fire is dispatched to Ellicott Street and Swan Street for a tractor-trailer leaking oil. 

Batavia PD on scene.

A Mexican national who entered the country illegally after deportation and should have registered as a sex offender was sentenced in Federal Court today to 24 months in prison.

Jose Maria Agustin, 43, had previously entered a guilty plea to reentry after deportation subsequent to an aggravated felony conviction.

He was arrested in December after he was located working in Elba.

In 2009, the Agustin was convicted in California of rape and assault with a deadly weapon and sentenced to five years in prison. After serving his prison sentence, Agustin was returned to Mexico and permanently barred from entering the United States.

Besides being in the United States illegally, he was also legally obligated, as a registered sex offender in California, to register in New York once he established a residence in Elba.

It's just two partisans fighting, County Manager Jay Gsell said of a proposal to shift money around so that counties in the State of New York could get relief from the unfunded mandate known as Medicaid.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is backing legislation called the Empire State Equity Act, which would shift back to New York, some $30 billion in taxpayer money from the federal government to the state.

With that money, the state then could assume the cost of the $2.3 billion shelled out by counties now to support Medicaid, but only for counties that agreed to cut local property taxes by the amount of their current share.

That could be $277 average savings per property in Genesee County, according to a chart released by the governor's office.

Where the governor sees tax savings for county residents, Gsell sees smoke and mirrors and political rhetoric aimed at Rep. Chris Collins.

"It's a political war of words between two people, Collins and Cuomo, who seem to really dislike each other and engage in negative partisanship to the max," Gsell said.

The way Gsell sees it, the proposal is asking the feds to "artificially" adjust a funding formula for New York, which is similar to something Schumer did temporarily a few years ago, and give it the "innocent sounding phrase, 'Empire Equity,' and then only provide a cost shift."

Gsell noted the benefit level -- a cause of the state's high Medicaid expense as he sees it -- wouldn't be cut under the governer's proposal, which leaves him distrustful of the long-term effects.

He thinks many counties might pass 100 percent of the cost savings onto taxpayers in the form of lower property taxes, but he fears that is just a trap.

"Our concern, borne out of 50 years of NYS unilateral imposition of cost shifts and mandates," Gsell said, "is that just like with re-K/EI (early intervention) funding and the elimination of the counties from the AIM dollars (a state revenue share with municipalities), as the state was going to take over 75 percent of the total program cost, but they stopped at 59 percent and left the counties out to dry.

"The same can happen with the Empire Equity Act in that the state holds all the cards, all the control, and always blames we locals for the abysmal state of property taxes, and they -- and he, Gov. Cuomo -- refuse to take any responsibility for the unfunded mandates and cost shifts, creating in essence a NYS property tax 'levy' within our county budgets."

Cuomo has called New York a "donor state," in that it pays out $30 billion more in taxes to the federal government than it receives in benefits. He touted this bill as a way to "level the playing field."

The governor backed the proposal as a response to an amendment from Collins to the American Health Care Act, which was eventually pulled from a vote by Speaker Paul Ryan, that would have prohibited the State of New York from taking money from counties to help fund Medicaid. Cuomo called the Collins proposal "a fraud."

"Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, God rest his soul, used to talk about the unfairness that New York gave so much and got back so little," Cuomo said during a press conference on the proposal. "Second, the promises made, from Congressman Ryan to President Trump to Mr. Faso to Mr. Collins was tax relief for the working men and women of this country. Right? That’s what they all ran on. That’s what they all promised. That’s what they all said.

"Well, this actually does just that. This says, 'let’s give New York additional Medicaid money because they are a donor state, let’s reduce the inequity' and New York will then give the money to the taxpayers in property tax relief."

An aide to Collins provided this statement:

“Although late to the party, I am glad Governor Cuomo has finally seen how unsustainable it is to force hardworking property taxpayers to subsidize New York’s out of control Medicaid program,” said Congressman Chris Collins. “Unfortunately, instead of reviewing his own bloated budget for the 1.5 percent needed, the out-of-touch Governor demands more federal government for the nation's most bloated Medicaid program.

"The Governor needs to quit living a federally funded fairy tale and find savings in New York's Medicaid program which costs 44-percent more per recipient than the national average, and spends more than those of Texas and Florida combined.”

Karyn Winters, a 2003 graduate of Pavilion High School, is the new director of the Business Education Alliance.

She replaced Beth Kemp, who is now director of the Business Improvement District.

Winters gave her first department review to the Human Services Committee of the County Legislature yesterday afternoon and shared some of the things she will be working on in the coming year.

Among the highlights: improving the process for students to apply and get involved in the job shadow program; an expanded agriculture summer camp; continued work with schools in Le Roy, Byron-Bergen, and Oakfield-Alabama, on a career agriculture program; a program in Le Roy and Byron-Bergen on adult life skills; and a program already in Elba and expanding to Alexander to assist students with developmental disabilities on job skills.

The summer ag camp, Winters said, probably won't change this year, because of the short time left until it starts, but she would like to expand it beyond a veterinary camp working with large animals, to include crops and tractor maintenaince as well as other ag-related skills.

"Agriculture is such a changing industry," she said, noting how technology is playing an ever bigger role in farm operations.

She said students today are much more attunded to what is available in the job market and are looking beyond just big dreams, such as, "I want to be a star in the NBA," but are more interested in making practical decisions. Part of her job, she said, is to help them explore career opportunities close to home, both what is available now and what is coming in the future.

Not all kids, she said, are looking to take the college path.

"There are students who love the hands-on experience with BOCES who are making great livings and they’re not digging themselves out of the hole of student loans," Winters said.

Winters was previously with Junior Achievement in Rochester and spent a year-and-a-half working in Wyoming County in prevention education.

She went to college to become a teacher and is education certified, but her career has taken her on the nonprofit route, which she said she's passionate about.

That passion, a passion for helping kids, and the fact that the BEA job was in her home county all attracted her to the position, she said.

"I often think there are a ton of resources for urban and suburban areas, but often times, rural communities kind of get forgotten," Winters said. "It’s nice to be able to provide summer camps and exposing kids who don’t normally get a ton of exposure to different careers. Here’s what’s available to you right in your back yard, so that’s a really nice thing."

Three small dogs, all with collars, are reportedly running in the roadway in the area of Ellicott Street and Harvester Avenue.

A police officer has been dispatched.

UPDATE 4:25 p.m.: The officer was unable to locate the dogs and now has a traffic stop in the area.

Press release:

On Saturday April 8th, Congressman Chris Collins of NY 27, will be hosting a coffee with Collins event at the Miss Batavia Diner in Batavia. The cost per ticket is $55.

Several local grassroots organizers have teamed up to speak out against this. Individuals from Citizens against Collins, GLOW Progressives, Le Roy Voices for Change, Metro Justice and Stronger Together WNY and citizens who are just frustrated will meet near the diner bright and early at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning to rally against the Congressman and his lack of interest to host an open Town Hall for his constituents.

Many of these individuals have been trying for months to meet with the Congressman to discuss numerous issues. To date, no one has had that opportunity. The lack of communication has even caused frustration from members of his own party. 

The individual organizers welcome everyone who wishes to join them in a peaceful display of agitation Saturday at 8 a.m.

CLARIFICATION: A local Democrat Party official wrote to say, "this event isn't organized by the Democratic Party." He felt the headline was misleading. The press release came from the same person who typically sends out press releases from Democrats, and while I don't think the original headline said, per se, the Party is behind the event, I decided to change the headline for this reason: It's long been our policy not to make an issue of partisan affiliation, to not define people by their partisan affiliation, and I did that with the headline and now feel I was being inconsistent with past practice. 

A serious injury accident is reported at the intersection of Route 98 and Stroh Road. Alexander Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding. The accident is blocking traffic. Mercy Flight is unable to fly south of the City of Batavia due to weather conditions. A door of a vehicle may need to be forced open to extricate a victim.

UPDATE 2:52 p.m.: This was not a serious injury accident. It was a rear-ender, and one of the vehicles has been removed. There is one person complaining of head pain who is being evaluated by medics at the scene. A determination about whether to transport the person is pending.

UPDATE 2:55 p.m.: The roadway remains closed but is expected to reopen momentarily.

The Pembroke Lady Dragons Varsity Softball Team dropped its home opener to the visiting Alexander Trojans 6-2 on Monday night.

Leading scorers for Alexander were Hannah Paolucci and Lindsay Czechowski, with two runs each. 

Photos provided by Destin Danser Photography. To view complete album and purchase prints, click here. 

Press release:

The students at St. Joe’s Catholic School look forward to Career Day every year. This year the students had the opportunity to choose three professionals to visit with from more than 20 different professionals that came into their school.

Local businesses as well as many St. Joe’s parents took time out of their busy day to come in to discuss and help the students become more familiar with their career. From seeing what it’s like to be a part of Mercy Flight to learning the ins-and-outs of being a veterinarian, the students had a wide variety of careers to check out.  

Steven David Fox, 35, of Bater Road, Stafford, is charged with menacing, 2nd, and harassment, 2nd. Fox allegedly threw a hammer at a person and tackled that person to the ground during an argument reported at 7 p.m. on March 29.

Richard Michael Corke, 52, of Old Beaham Road, Rochester, is charged with disobeying a court order. Corke allegedly sent unwanted text messages in violation of an order of protection. 

A 17-year-old resident of East Main Street, Le Roy, is charged with disorderly conduct. The youth was arrested following a report of an incident at Le Roy High School at 9:30 a.m., March 29.

Le Roy PD is asked to respond to a location in the village in response to a complaint from a resident who is concerned that a neighbor has already out put his recycling and there's a windstorm coming.

The caller is concerned the recyling will blow all over the neighborhood and would like an officer to speak to the neighbor.

Press release:

The Downtown Batavia Business Improvement District will hold its Annual Meeting & Awards Breakfast on Friday, April 21st
from 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. (registration at 8 a.m.). At City Church Generation Center, 15 Center St., Batavia.

Overview of this year’s goals, announcement of newly elected board members, and presentation of “Spirit of Downtown” Awards. It costs $10 to attend. All BID members are invited.

RSVP by Monday, April 17th to the Downtown Batavia BID office at 200 E. Main St., Suite 12, Batavia, NY 14020. For further information contact Beth Kemp at 585-344-0900 or bkemp@DowntownBataviaNY.com.

A storm with heavy rain, 30 mph winds and rumbles of thunder is rolling into Batavia, according to the National Weather Service.

The storm has already come up through Darien, the weather service reports.

Gusts up to 50 mph are possible.

There's also a flood watch in effect from Thursday morning through Saturday.

“This nearly 2,000 page budget extender serves as a microcosm of the dysfunction, secrecy and incompetence in Albany’s budget process," Hawley said. "We have been kept mostly in the dark for days and now are expected to vote on an almost 2,000 page budget extender that will keep the government in function until May 31 only minutes after it was printed.

"This is an absolutely unacceptable way to operate state government, and the state leaders and New York City politicians who are perpetuating this stalemate because they can’t agree after weeks of negotiations should be ashamed of themselves.

"Furthermore, they have cost taxpayers roughly $250,000 in per diem in travel expenses for legislators by keeping them here through the weekend while an agreement is being negotiated.”

A Rochester man has been arrested and accused of stealing a weight loss supplement, valued at $387.94, from the Walgreens store in Le Roy.

He's also a suspect in similar larcenies in three other counties.

Thomas H. Gilbert, 52, of Manor Parkway, Rochester, was taken into custody in Rochester by the Le Roy PD with assistance from Rochester PD following a two-month investigation into the thefts.

Gilbert is accused of stealing “Alli kit 60s” in Le Roy, but the investigation also identified him as a suspect in a theft of Prevagren, marketed as a memory aid, in Avon and in Rochester. He's also suspected of stealing Prevagen from a CVS in Farmington and headlamps from Advantage Auto in Geneva.

The first theft was reported Jan. 31.

Gilbert was charged with one count of petit larceny in Le Roy, arraigned and put in Genesee County Jail. He faces potential charges in Monroe, Livingston and Ontario counties.