Use the Coupon Code GOLOCAL2025 for 10 percent off for all of 2025 on either a monthly or annual plan.  Offer good through Jan. 1.

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Notre Dame beat Eugenio Maria de Hostas 66-61 in the small school division of the Peter Arras Memorial Basketball Tournament at Genesee Community College on Friday.

Makyell Walker scored 29 points for the Fighting Irish. Aiden Bellevia scored 12, and TJ Cephus and Evan Fitzpatrick scored eight each.

Seth Peterson scored 22 points for EMH.

Photos by Jennifer DiQuattro.

Alexander beat Elba 68-32 in the first round of the Peter Arras Memorial Basketball Tournament in the small school division at Genesee Community College on Friday.

The final score: 68-32.

Kingston Woods scored 16 points for the Trojans, and Dylan Pohl scored 14.

Nicholas Scott and Ryan Marsceill each scored 10 for the Lancers.

Photos by Debra Reilly.

Flanked by colleagues from Genesee County's criminal justice system, Jail Superintendent William Zipfel strolled out of the new Genesee County Jail in a ceremonial "walk-out" on Friday to end his 42-year career.

Zipfel spent the past decade as jail superintendent, which included helping the county build a new jail over the past couple of years, moving it out of an aging and dilapidated facility on West Main Street.

But for Zipfel, that is not the capstone of his career. As a corrections officer, he's valued the opportunity to help people.

"The occasions when you've actually been able to help somebody, that's difficult to find in the corrections setting, but occasionally it happens, and that's meaningful when it happens," Zipfel said.

What he values most over his long career are his colleagues.

"The people in the department, the camaraderie and the people who made it worthwhile, especially the sheriff," Zipfel said. "I have nothing but the highest regard for the sheriff."

During his career, Zipfel has been a firearms instructor, defensive tactics instructor, aerosol chemical agents instructor and suicide prevention instructor.

His passion, though, is skydiving, and skydiving figures prominently in his retirement plans.

"My wife will be ticked, but I probably will go renew my skydive ratings and get my instructional ratings back that I've had and do some more skydiving," Zipfel said.

Press Release:

Join the Richmond Memorial Library for a Blizzard of Reading winter reading program from January 6 through March 1! The basics? Read books, stay cozy, and have a chance to win prizes!

Teens 13-17 and adults 18 and up are invited to take part in A Blizzard of Reading. Participants can earn up to 6 grand prize entries!

• Read four books (or three books and one magazine) (4 entries)
• Attend a library program (one entry)
• Play the “Who Said It?” game around the library by matching the quote to the book/ author. (one entry)

Grand prizes: One teen and one adult will each win a $50 gift card to Author’s Note bookstore in Medina. All participants will receive a small prize beginning February 21. Participants must have a valid library card from a NIOGA library to be eligible to win grand prizes.

Registration begins online or at the library on Monday, January 6, at 9 a.m. Visit batavialibrary.org for more info.

A Blizzard of Reading is sponsored by the Friends of Richmond Memorial Library.

Press Release:

The Town of Alexander Republican Committee is seeking a qualified resident of Alexander for the vacant elected position of Town Clerk. 

If interested or have any questions, please contact Republican Chairwoman Barbara Eddy at 585-507-9930 no later than Monday, January 6.  

Photos from Friday's swearing-in ceremony at the Old County Courthouse for Genesee County officials.

Press Release:

Join us at the Holland Land Office Museum for the next edition of our Trivia Night @ the Museum on Thursday, January 9 at 7 p.m. In honor of the presidential inauguration this month, come and test your knowledge of when a President of the United States takes office. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you would like to attend.

The Holland Land Office Museum is proud to welcome back as its first Guest Speaker of 2025, Civil War historian and author Chris Mackowski on Tuesday, January 21 at 7 p.m. In honor of the birthday of Stonewall Jackson, Chris will be presenting on his book, "The Last Days of Stonewall Jackson" of the Emerging Civil War series. The presentation will cover Jackson's military career and the last fateful days during the Battle of Chancellorsville that led to his mortal wounding. Admission is $5 or $3 for museum members. If you plan on attending, please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.

The Holland Land Office Museum’s first Java with Joe of 2025, will be on January 23! Our Executive Director, Ryan Duffy, will be talking about the life and legacy of Batavia’s own Medal of Honor and Order of the First Volunteer of the Civil War from New York recipient, Charles Rand! Admission is FREE and both coffee and donuts will be provided! Please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com if you would like to attend.

Press Release:

The Town of Alabama Republican Committee is looking for candidates to immediately fill two positions on the Alabama town council due to resignations. The prospective candidates will be recommended to the Town of Alabama Board to fill the remaining year of the term.

Also, the Alabama Republican Committee is looking for candidates to run in the 2025 November election. The committee is looking for two (2) town council candidates for 4-year terms and also a candidate for Genesee County Legislator to be elected for a 4-year term in November of 2025.

All interested candidates are asked to send their information to Earl LaGrou, 7420 Macomber Rd., Oakfield OR by email to earl@lwemail.com.

All letters need to be in no later than January 11.

Press Release:

The Justice for Children Advocacy Center (JFCAC) has been awarded a $1,000 grant from the Rotary Club of Batavia.

The Justice for Children Advocacy Center serves children that have been victims of sexual or physical abuse or witness to violence. The mission of the JFCAC is to seek to reduce the incidence of child sexual and physical abuse, to minimize trauma to alleged victims, and to promote healing for victims and their families by collaborating with a variety of professionals to provide services at a single, child-friendly location. 

The JFCAC works closely with law enforcement and Child Protective Services to provide on-site forensic interviews for children, mental health therapy, medical examinations, and victim advocacy. Victim advocates will work with the child and family throughout the life of a court case and beyond.

Many children testify in grand jury and criminal court proceedings and are brave enough to give Victim Impact Statements at the sentencing proceedings of their perpetrators. The JFCAC will utilize this grant to purchase “Pocket Hug” tokens for children to hold in their hand or pocket while in court. 

This Pocket Hug will serve as a reminder of their bravery and strength, and of the support they have behind them. 

The coin is inscribed with the following, “You are Strong, you are Awesome, you are Loved, you are Not Alone, you are Tough, you are Brave, you are a Fighter.”

Facing a court room, a jury, defense attorneys, and their perpetrators is a terrifying experience for child victims and one that requires an immense amount of strength. The children may or may not have adequate family support, and the JFCAC strives to help these children feel as supported as possible. 

Advocates and parents cannot always be present while a child is testifying or facing court, but these pocket hugs will remind the children that we are right there with them. This will assist the children in cultivating a sense of courage and strength while facing their perpetrators. The JFCAC and Genesee County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Rotary Club of Batavia for its generosity.

“We are so grateful to the Rotary Club of Batavia for their work in the community and for this incredible gift. We’re excited to begin distributing the Pocket Hugs and are proud to be among such wonderful community partners as the Rotary Club,” stated JFCAC Program Coordinator Trisha Reynolds.

Press Release:

The Holland Land Office Museum will be closed from Wednesday, January 1 through Saturday, January 18. The staff and volunteers of the museum will be working getting the museum ready for a brand new year in 2025 full of new exhibits, displays, programs and special events. 

The museum will be resuming its regular operating hours of Tuesday through Saturday 10 am to 4 pm on Tuesday, January 21. For further information or questions please contact the museum at 585-343-4727 or hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.

When Pete Zeliff’s team presented a plan to host the World Aerobatic Championships in rural Batavia, he was clinging to hope that something might sway the Commission Internationale de Voltage Aerienne (more commonly known as CIVA) delegates.

After all, the competition has been in places such as Las Vegas, and the last time it was in the United States, it was in 2013 in Sherman-Denison, Texas, a metropolitan area with a population of more than 137,000.

“I was really surprised, I thought it was a long shot,” Zeliff said to The Batavian Thursday. “When it’s been here in the U.S., it’s been in places like Las Vegas. So, to go from Las Vegas to Batavia, New York, is a long stretch.”

And surprised he was, along with planning team members Shad Coulson, John Smutny, Doreen Hillard-Zeliff, Jennifer Vukovic, Monique Hartmann, and Rob Holland, a past world participant. Now, there will be one right here from Aug. 22 through 31 in 2026. The last event was in 2024 in Poland, and they are held every two years.

The team flew to Greece to make its pitch for the international event to be held at Genesee County Airport. One major reason why this site was chosen, Zeliff believes, “had to do with how well the Air Show went the last two years,” and an important logistical detail that there’s no tower or commercial air traffic.

Add to those assets the number of hotels and restaurants in the surrounding area, and Batavia made the cut, Zeliff said. 

“There’s normally anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 people over the 10 days that they compete that will attend the competition. And there will be 40 to 60 competitors from around the world,” he said. “There’s three to five Americans that will compete, and the rest of them will be from Europe and Australia and New Zealand. The competition goes for 10 days, and the competitors will get here four days early and practice before the competition starts.”

Part of the set-up includes nearby practice sites at Bethany Airpark (8NK4), Geneseo (D52), LeRoy (5G0) and Perry-Warsaw (01G). Part of practice means having an aerobatic box set up to line up the arena for competition. That block of airspace is approximately 3,300 feet long by 3,300 feet wide by 3,300 feet high, according to an “In The Loop” article on the CIVA website. 

For safety, a minimum height above the ground is established, and severe penalty points are assigned if the pilot flies below the minimum height. The minimum height above the ground is 1,500 feet for the Primary and Sportsman categories, 1,200 feet for Intermediate, 800 feet for Advanced, and 328 feet for the Unlimited category, it states. 

At the start of each category flight, the first pilot will fly past the judges at the minimum height to give them a visual reference for that height. When the pilot flies into the box, he looks down at a marked playing field. The aerobatic box markings are an L-shape in each of the 4 corners, a T-shape in the middle of each side, and an X-shape in the center of the playing field.

“When competitors compete, they have to stay within those guys; it protects the air space and the people on the ground,” he said. “They’ll fly three different routines in each category or class.

Given that this will be a first for Zeliff to actually watch a World Championship event himself, what prompted his interest in it for Batavia? He first mentioned Rob Holland, quite the skilled pilot from New Hampshire who has won the national competition 13 times in a row, he said. 

“But he’s never won the overall world. And he’s one of the ones that came to us and asked what we thought about putting in an application to hold it in Batavia,” Zeliff said. “I thought it would be great to have a really world-class competition in Batavia.” 

He described this competition as “the Olympics of aerobatics,” and medals are awarded to the winners in the end.

CIVA will be sending its own panel of judges for the event, and Zeliff said there are already various committees set up locally to handle the organization of the event. The proposed schedule begins with an unofficial practice day on Aug. 18, the Opening Ceremony on Aug. 22 and official contest flights to run through Aug. 31. It will end just five days before Wings Over Batavia 2026 is to begin on Sept. 5, which is the beginning of Labor Day weekend that year, he said. There has been talk about possible packages for attending both events, but no details have been finalized, and ticket sales will be announced closer to the end of 2025, he said. 

In addition to the county airport being a non-towered airfield surrounded by mostly farmland, there are four hangars available for use with a total of 20,800 square feet to hangar aircraft, providing office space and a hospitality area.

The team’s presentation listed Batavia as being “blessed with an abundance of hotels within 1.5 miles of the contest site,” and being able to provide meals, transportation, shelter and dedicated team villages, Wi-Fi, judges’ stations at major points of the compass, portable restrooms, hydration and snacks for the event.

During late August, the weather has historically been “quite favorable for a successful contest,” with average temperatures at 70.3F, a wind speed of 7 mph and average precipitation of .13 inches.

The planning team has also proposed to Live Stream the contest, modeled after the U.S. Nationals experience for the last three years. The addition of the Live Stream has many benefits, the team said in a news release, including commercialization of the sport, benefits to the local economy, viewing access for friends and family of the competitors, additional sponsorship opportunities, and the video remains accessible online after the end of the event.

There was no application fee, however, the budget for this event is estimated at $400,000, Zeliff said. Competitors pay a fee to participate, and other revenue will be raised through sponsorships and ticket sales. Unlike the air show, there won’t be tents and concession stands on the airport grounds, so participants and visitors are likely to visit nearby restaurants and stores to buy food and other necessities. 

“The big thing is, if you’ve got 3,000 people, you have to put them up in hotel rooms,” he said. “They’re gonna eat breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, and have rental cars and all that.” 

Douglas Grant Goodwin, 33, of Maple Road, Alabama, is charged with criminal contempt 1st. Goodwin, currently in custody at the Genesee County Jail, made a phone call to a specific person at 11:44 a.m. on Dec. 15 in violation of an order of protection. Goodwin is also charged with promoting prison contraband 2nd. Goodwin is accused of possessing two mobile phones while being incarcerated.

Philip Roy Chin, 37, of Conrad Drive, Greece, is charged with criminal mischief 3rd. Chin is accused of intentionally damaging a door by kicking it multiple times at 4:45 p.m. on Dec. 15 at a location on West Main Street, Batavia. 

Roy Joseph Knauss, 34, of East Main Road, Le Roy, is charged with harassment 2nd. Knauss is accused of spitting on and kicking another person during a fight at 2:55 p.m. on Dec. 15 at a location on East Main Road, Le Roy. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Linda Maria Doucette, 59, of Lake Road South, Brockport, is charged with DWI. Doucette was stopped at 7:33 p.m. on Dec. 17 following a traffic complaint on Peachey Road, Beren. Doucette was released on a ticket.

Daniel Lawrence Kensy, 41, of Schlemmer Road, Lancaster, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and failure to keep right.  Kensy was stopped at 12:05 a.m. on Dec. 18 on Pearl Street Road, Batavia, by Sgt. Mathew Clor. Kensy issued tickets and released.

Use the Coupon Code GOLOCAL2025 for 10 percent off for all of 2025 on either a monthly or annual plan.  Offer good through Jan. 1.

Local news is what holds communities together. Local news reporters are the ones who keep tabs on local elected officials. Without local reporters, you would know very little about what is happening in your community. You would be in the dark.  

Click here to get started today!