A 42-year-old male inmate of the Buffalo Federal Detention Center on Federal Drive in Batavia is requesting transport to the hospital because he is "dazed and confused."

A two-car accident is reported on the eastbound Thruway at mile marker 378.6. Le Roy Fire Department and Le Roy Ambulance Service are responding. One car is in the ditch.

UPDATE 5:06 p.m.: All parties involved are sign-offs. Le Roy is back in service.

A head-on collision with serious injuries is reported at routes 63 and 20, Texaco Town. At least two cars are involved. Mercy Flight is put on in-air standby. Pavilion Fire Department is on scene. Mercy medics and law enforcement are responding. One subject in a vehicle is alert, but entrapped.

UPDATE 1:16 p.m.: A landing zone for the helicopter will be set up. Eastbound traffic on Route 20 will be shut down.

UPDATE 1:17 p.m.: Mercy Flight is told to stand down.

UPDATE 1:23 p.m.: Southbound Route 63 is shut down and now westbound Route 20 is also shut down. National Grid is called to respond to pole number 249-1 and two flatbed tow trucks are responding.

UPDATE 1:38 p.m.: One person is being transported to Erie County Medical Center. A 36-year-old man is being taken to UMMC with a complaint of left shoulder and leg pain. He was the person initially entrapped in a vehicle.

UPDATE 2:16 p.m.: The roadways are reopened. Units back in service.

UPDATE 2:24 p.m.: A third patient was also taken to Erie County Medical Center.

UPDATE 8:52 p.m.:  Photos of the involved vehicles submitted by a reader (The vehicles were taken to Dan's Tire):

Following a slow-speed chase through the Village of Le Roy, a Rochester resident was arrested and charged with multiple crimes, including felony DWI and fleeing a police officer.

Nicholas M. Klusek, 31, of Electric Avenue, Rochester, was jailed on $25,000.

The chase started about 10 p.m., Friday, when a Le Roy PD officer observed Klusek's vehicle allegedly fail to stop for a stop sign and make a turn without a turn signal. The officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but Klusek allegedly just kept driving.

The chase wound its way down several village streets and was joined by a Sheriff's deputy, who observed the driver stop at Village Square and run into the woods.

The deputy apprehended Klusek.

At one point, Klusek reportedly stopped his vehicle and as a Le Roy officer exited a patrol car, Klusek allegedly put his car in reverse and hit the passenger door of the patrol car.

The officer was not injured.

Besides felony DWI and fleeing, Klusek was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation, 1st, attempted aggravated assault on a police officer, unlawful possession of marijuana, 12 counts of failing to signal, five counts of failing to stop, two counts of speeding in zone, one count of failing to yield to an emergency vehicle, one count of leaving the scene of a property damage accident and one count of unsafe start.

The alleged assault on a police officer is a Class C felony.

A win by Elba/Byron-Bergen and a loss by Attica on Saturday puts the Lancers atop the Genesee Region Conference.

The Lancers beat Oakfield-Alabama 56-0 behind another big game fro Zack DuBois, who gained 331 yards on 25 carries, scoring touchdowns of 14, 3, 86 and 63 yards.  DuBois now has 1,198 yards rushing.

Zac Gillard was 4-6 for 67 yards and two TD passes. He had two carries for 36 yards.

Kyle Morse caught of Gillard's TD passes and gained 51 total yards.

Andy Underhill had 10 carries for 84 yards and one touchdown.

For the Hornets, QB Chase Manzella was 6-16 for 20 yards and five carries for 24 yards. Paul Ferraro had three receptions for 13 yards

On defense, Underhill had 17 tackles, including four tackles for a loss. Brandon Naylor, 13 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Nate Jonathan, eight tackles, five for a loss, one sack and one interception. Jon Levchuck had five tackles, two for a loss and half a sack. Chad Kowalik, two tackles and one interception.

On defense for O-A, Manzella, six tackles, Chris Nann, five tackles, Dominic D'Alba, one Interception and Danny Monachino had five tackles.

With the win, Elba/BB moves to 5-0 and is the last undefeated team in the GR.  Attica, who started the day 4-0 lost to Livonia 6-0.

In the only other local game on Saturday, Alexander lost to Holley, 44-12.

My intention was to stop for sweet corn. What I found when I pulled into Pully's Farm Market on Route 19 in Le Roy was a fall festival.

Owner Dave Pullyblank opened the market in the spring of 2008 on the farm that has been in his family since 1804. His goal then as now is to turn the farm into a family-friendly, agri-tourism attraction.

For fall, Pully has transformed his farm into a wonderland of play areas colored by the vibrant oranges, yellows and greens of the harvest season.

There is a corn maze, pumpkin cannon, corn (instead of sand) box and duck race, but Pully said the number-one attraction is the pumpkins.

The variety, he believes is the largest available in any single location in New York State.

"What I say is all these weird colored pumpkins, that’s fall," Pullyblank said. "You won’t find more variety of a decorative product in any other place. Anybody can grow an orange pumpkin. You won’t find anybody else growing that product in there (the green house)."

Pully's goal is to be a year-round destination. In the spring he sells bedding flowers, hanging baskets and vegetable seedlings. During the summer, he sells produce, including sweet corn, which he believes is the sweetest you'll find, plus tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and squash.

"The biggest thing I tell the folks, at the end of the day, the stuff that hasn’t sold goes to my cows, so when you come the next day, the stuff was picked that morning," Pullyblank said.

He wants kids to learn where their food comes from, Pully said. Eventually, he plans to include farm animals as part of his attractions for families.

For winter, Pully would like to sell u-cut and pre-cut Christmas trees, but two dry summers have slowed the growth of the trees.

What Pully doesn't sell, he brings in from other area farms.

"I can’t do it all, but I want to get it from the other farmers as close as I can," Pullyblank said.

All of the attractions and products at Pully's now will be available through the end of October.

The property has been in Pully's family for at least six generations and Pully got his start driving a tractor for his grandfather when he was 7. Pully said his farm is the last of the original four Le Roy farms still being run as a family operation by the original family.

The spring of 2008 turned out not to be a great time to start a new business, Pully admitted. It hasn't always been easy to grow a business during down economic times, but each year he keeps adding new products and new attractions.

"You have to keep going forward," Pullyblank said. "No matter what, you’ve got to keep going forward. If you don’t, you’re going to go stagnate and then there’s no reason for people to come out and see what you’re doing."

Pully's Farm Market is located 8160 Lake Road, Le Roy.

An ambulance is being dispatched to a car-into-pole accident in the area of 9768 Colby Road, Darien.

Darien Fire Department and law enforcement on scene.

The ambulance is requested for evaluation of a subject due to airbag deployment.

UPDATE 10:59 p.m.: The pole is still standing, but it's cracked. National Grid notified.

UPDATE 11:32 p.m.: All units back in service.

Laura DiPasquala, center of the photo, got her wish today -- she visited an Alpaca farm.

The DiPasquala's said they've driven past the Northwoods Alpaca Farm in Bergen many times, but today was the perfect day to stop. Owners Belinda and Bob Grant were hosting an open house.

Northwoods is part of a tour of Alpaca farm tour in Western New York (the open house continues on Sunday) aimed at promoting alpaca fiber (it's not called fur) for clothing and promoting alpaca farming to increase the number of growers in the nation.

Alpaca fiber is known for its soft texture, moisture resistance, warmth and comfort.

The Grants have operated Northwoods for about eight years.

Laura and Rich DiPasquala are from Greece.

Le Roy PD is chasing an individual, now on foot, though the chase initially involved a vehicle and was largely contained to streets in the village.

The subject is now on foot heading toward the Royal Apartments.

A deputy has spotted an individual in the woods off Gilbert.

We didn't hear how or why the chase started.

UPDATE 10:08 p.m.: A deputy has the subject in custody and his walking him toward Gilbert.

UPDATE 10:10 p.m.: A Le Roy officer involved in the vehicle chase has requested a tow truck to Le Roy Village Square.

UPDATE 10:17 p.m.: It sounds like the subject is in custody. Possible charges include unlicensed operation and unlawful possession of marijuana.

UPDATE 10:38 p.m.: The chase began with an attempted routine traffic stop on Route 19 at about 10 p.m. The green 1997 Chevy pickup truck made a left on Summit heading south at 39 mph. The vehicle is registered to a village resident. The driver was described as a white male. From Summit, the vehicle turned on Union, back toward Route 19. From Route 19 to Munson. The truck then went north on Gilbert, from Gilbert to Myrtle Street, then left on Craigie heading toward Route 5. On 5, the vehicle head westbound. An officer stated, "he's just playing games. He's back in Village Square" behind the American Legion Hall. It was shortly after going to Village Square that the suspect exited the vehicle and started running.

When Batavia scheduled Hornell for its homecoming game some people thought it was crazy, Head Coach Brennan Briggs admitted after last night's 30-14 loss to the Raiders.

Hornell came into the game with a 43-game winning streak and is arguably the best team in the state of New York in any class.

But at the half, with the score tied 14-14, and the Blue Devils' defense coming up big on some key plays, it didn't look so crazy.

The theme for the team all week in preparing for the game, Briggs said, was "great moments come from great opportunities."

The second half didn't go as well for Batavia, but Briggs came out of the game believing the Blue Devils, in his first season as head coach, are ready to play with anybody.

"These kids showed they can come out and play with the best and compete with them," Briggs said. "Yes, obviously, we got beat by 16. We’re not super excited about getting beat by 16, but we know we can play with them. We really do."

Justin Washington and Brett Scheuerlein had big games for the Blue Devils.

Washington snagged an interception in the first quarter and returned it 30 yards for a TD. He also nabbed a 20-yard reception from Scheuerlein in the second quarter for a touchdown (top photo).

Scheuerlein was 7 for 12 passing for 93 yards.

The Raiders played a tight, disciplined defense all night however and the Blue Devils were forced to punt four times in the second half.

In the third quarter, Brendan Buisch hit Richie Harkenrider on a 40-yard TD play. A Batavia defender got a hand on the ball as Buisch hauled it in, but when he couldn't strip it, there was nobody between Harkenrider and the end zone.

With the lead, the Raiders turned their offense over to Zach Bacon, their big, strong full back, who wasn't unstoppable (defenders a couple of times took him down for losses), but could also shake off tackles (or jump over) and get big gains.

In the fourth quarter, Bacon (#40 in photos)  scored on a 50-yard run, just plowing through blue jersies for the first 20 yards like a combine in a cornfield.

"The kid’s a stud," Briggs said. "You can’t really coach against that. You do what you can against him, but he’s one heck of a football player."

In preparing the Blue Devils for Hornell, Briggs reminded them that 31 years ago, Batavia (Correction: It was Notre Dame) snapped Cal-Mum's 49-game winning streak on Woodward Field.

"I told them, 'this field's made for breaking winning streaks,' " Briggs said.

While the final score was disappointing, Briggs said the game will give Batavia great confidence going into the final two games of the season and into, hopefully, sectionals.

"We know that if we continue with the same intensity, the same enthusiasm, the same execution, we can have a great ending to our season," Briggs said.

In other football action on Friday:

• Le Roy's winning streak was snapped by Perry, 44-36. Perry's QB Cory Dillon hit Jake Kiehle on a fourth-down, less than two minutes to play, 11-yard TD pass to put Perry in the lead. Dillon passed for 299 yards and 4 TDs. He was 25 of 40 passing. Perry, now 4-1, last beat Le Roy in 1991. Peter Privitera carried the ball 18 times for 149 yards and two touchdowns. Le Roy is now 4-1.
• Notre Dame is 4-1 after beating Pembroke 35-7. Andrew Mullen carried the ball 14 times for 180 yards and one TD. Jason Hart also scored on the ground and had 13 attempts for 14 yards. (Nick Taylor apparently did not play Friday). Tim McCulley was 4-7 passing for 105 yards and three touchdowns. Hart had one TD reception of 12 yards. Josh Johnson's only reception was for a 46-yard TD, and Jared Thornton's lone catch was for a 29-yard score. John Lapple notched Notre Dame's only sack. He had three tackles. Anthony Paladino had 5.5 tackles. Peter Thomas had 10.5 tackles for Pembroke.

This afternoon, Oakfield-Alabama is at Elba/Byron Bergen and Alexander hosts Holley. The other game of significance is Attica at Livonia. Both Elba/BB and Attica are undefeated. The Genesee Region rivals meet next week.

If you're unable to view the slide show below, click here. To purchase prints of these photos, click here.

In Week 3, Robert Tretter was among 13 people who correctly picked Arian Foster of Houston as the top rusher (amongh players eligible for picking) in the NFL.

Tretter wins a prize from T.F. Brown's.

To enter this week's contest (deadline is tomorrow at 1 p.m.), click here.

At half-time, the football game between between the Batavia Blue Devils and Hornell is tied 14 to 14.

Hornell came into the game with 43 straight consecutive wins.

Look for complete coverage Saturday.

UPDATE 8:54 p.m.: Complete coverage is currently available via WBTA radio.

UPDATE: At end of third, Hornell 20 to 14.

UPDATE: Final, 30-14.

Four men, including two with reputed ties to the Hell's Angels, were convicted by a jury in Federal Court today of stealing scrap metal in Batavia.

Convicted of conspiracy to steal an interstate shipment and theft of an interstate shipment were Richard E. Riedman, 39, of Webster, Anthony Toscano, 47, of Rochester, Anthony J. Russell, 39, of Rochester and Timothy M. Stone, 32, of Chili.

Riedman and Stone were indicted in April 2011 on federal racketeering charges for their part in an alleged plot to help James Henry McAuley Jr. (aka "Mitch"), 62, an alleged Hell's Angel vice president, avoid apprehension for an alleged assault on a person viewed as a threat to the motorcycle club.

McAuley is married to 45-year-old Donna L. Boon (aka Donna L. McAuley), a Town of Batavia resident, who was first arrested in July 2009 as an alleged member of a methamphetamine ring headed by Donald G. Vanelli, 48, of 8394 Lake St., Le Roy. Vanelli is currently serving a lengthy federal prison sentence, but the original charges against Boon were later dropped.

In February, Boon, along with Riedman, was re-arrested by federal authorities and accused of being part of a meth distribution ring.

All of those charges are still pending.

Riedman, Toscano, Russell and Stone face a possible sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

The four men, along with Christopher Monfort, who was previously convicted in the case, were caught June 30 by Sheriff's deputies using a logging truck and pickup truck to steal more than 16 tons of scrap steel from a rail car at the CSX Transportation yard in Batavia, along with 17 tons of processed scrap steel.

The stolen scrap was awaiting shipment to a steel mill in Pennsylvania.

The federal case was prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Brett A. Harvey.

Sentencing is scheduled for January.

Press release:

The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce has just launched its newly redesigned Web site at www.GeneseeNY.com. Web site visitors will notice easier navigation in finding relevant community information, such as census data, major employers, employment information, as well as an easier to search chamber member database.  

Key upgrades were made to the Community Calendar section and adding interactive functionality. The new site also allows users to easily print the data they find on the site. 

The chamber is currently seeking updates to the popular Clubs & Organizations directory for Genesee County.  Please visit the Community section of the new site to see if your club or organization's data is listed. If it is not listed, we need your updated contact information.

Nabbed through DNA evidence in May for a Dec. 15 break-in of a Town of Batavia home, a 19-year-old Buffalo man entered a guilty plea in Genesee County Court today and faces up to seven years in prison.

Steven Carnell McKnight, already sentenced to a prison term of one to three years for an unrelated crime in Erie County, will be sentenced Oct. 15.

McKnight will be sentenced on two charges. There's today's guilty plea on second- degree attempted burglary, plus an earlier plea to the same charge for a break-in Dec. 14 in the Town of Pembroke.

All three sentences -- Erie County, Pembroke and Batavia -- will be served concurrently.

The entire sentence range, from probation up to seven years in prison, is available to Judge Robert C. Noonan. McKnight could have been sentenced today under the plea arrangement, but there is paperwork that must be completed first.

Press release:

The Batavia Muckdogs and Miami Marlins today announced the signing of a new two-year Player Development Contract through at least the 2014 New York-Penn League season. A joint announcement was made by Marlins Farm Director Brian Chattin and Brian Paris, president of the Genesee County Baseball Club, the non-for-profit that owns the Batavia Muckdogs franchise.

The agreement ends a six-year affiliation with the St. Louis Cardinals, who signed a two-year agreement with the State College Spikes last week. The Marlins had been affiliated with the Jamestown Jammers since 2002. During that time, the Jammers posted a combined record of 370-451 (.451), with two post-season appearances.

“We are excited to have the Miami Marlins as our new affiliate. I look forward to developing a relationship with them and to welcome them into our community. The Marlins are a fine organization that brings with them solid baseball experience and good people. This is a good fit for us as we enter our 74^th season of baseball in Batavia. On behalf of the entire community and the Genesee County Baseball Club, we are anxious to get started with another year of professional baseball in Batavia,” Paris said.

“We’re very pleased to sign a new working relationship between Batavia and the Miami Marlins. The Marlins are everything a Minor League franchise could hope for in an affiliation. They also understand how important small town Minor League Baseball is to the Batavia Community and we can’t wait to play host to some extremely talented young players,” said Naomi Silver, president and CEO of Red Wings Management, LLC, the company which has managed the Muckdogs since 2008.

"The Miami Marlins are very excited to begin an affiliation with the Batavia Muckdogs. With its rich baseball history, supportive front office and loyal fan base, Batavia will be the ideal place for our players and staff to call home each summer,” the Marlins' Chattin said. “The Marlins are proud to have Batavia as our player development partner and look forward to a long and productive partnership together."

The Muckdogs are one of seven affiliates in the Marlins’ player development system, joining the New Orleans Zephyrs (AAA/Pacific Coast League), Jacksonville Suns (AA/Southern League), Jupiter Hammerheads (Advanced A/Florida State League), Greensboro Grasshoppers (A/South Atlantic League), Dominican Summer League Marlins (Rookie) and Gulf Coast League Marlins (Rookie).

Press release:

The Batavia City School District Board of Education’s Public Relations Committee continues to explore cost-effective ways to increase communication with the public and is looking to expand the amount of coverage of district news and accomplishments, the methods of delivery, and opportunities for interaction and feedback.

To help with this, a survey was developed to gather input from a full spectrum of Batavians -- including parents, students, staff, business leaders, and all other community members. The short survey asks about preferences in terms of what kind of communication is important as well as what are the most accessible means for receiving information and responding to district news.

In addition to the survey being available on the district Web site where it can be completed in a few minutes (http://www.bataviacsd.org/news.cfm?story=958&school=0), a paper copy has been included in all school newsletters and will be in the A+ Batavia Communicator newsletter scheduled to be in district residents’ mailboxes the first weekend of November.

Completed surveys can be returned to any school office, mailed to the Administration Building (39 Washington Ave.) or to the high school (260 State St.), which is where administrative offices are moving. Please mark envelopes with “Attn: Public Relations Committee.”    

Communication with the community we serve is important; we hope you will take a few minutes to share your thoughts so we can better serve you.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,I,C–Batavia) was recently named to the New York State Farm Bureau’s 2012 Circle of Friends. The organization awarded Hawley for his voting record on issues of importance to New York agriculture and other measures of legislative support. The assemblyman, a past president of the Farm Bureau, reiterated his commitment to New York’s hardworking family farmers.

“Here in Western New York, farming isn’t just a cornerstone of our economy; it’s a way life,” Hawley said. “Having grown up in a farming family, I understand both the economic benefits and cultural significance that agriculture offers all of our lives.

"That is why for the last 35 years, as a former president and member of the Farm Bureau, I have worked tirelessly to promote agribusiness. I look forward to continuing my work with the Farm Bureau and joining with my Assembly Committee on Agriculture colleagues to further New York’s proud farming traditions.”

The Farm Bureau is a non-governmental, volunteer organization financed and controlled by member-families for the purpose of solving economic and public policy issues challenging the agricultural industry.

Michael Smith hopes that "future generations of our children will ask, 'What were landfills?'"

Smith is the trash/recycling coordinator at Genesee ARC. He is pictured (left) with Floor Supervisor Mark Wood.

His comment was part of an opening speech at last night's open house for the agency's new Trash & Recycling Center.

The open house was in celebration of the center's move from its former location on Clinton Street (in the City of Batavia) to a larger facility at 3785 W. Main St. Road in the Town of Batavia.

Genesee ARC, which serves children and adults with developmental disabilities, has handled the City of Batavia's waste management for nearly 30 years.

"Recycling was a natural spinoff," Smith said.

And now, with New York State's recycling and take-back program for electronic items, they are going to be even busier.

By law, businesses, municipalities and waste collection companies can no longer throw away old computers, TVs, or other covered electronic devices -- known as "e-waste" -- into the trash or into landfills. Instead, the manufacturers must take them back for recycling purposes.

ARC's new Trash & Recycling Center location will house the agency's e-waste recycling efforts, which are part of an expansion of endeavors and a growing need for services that prompted the move to West Main Street Road.

At this time, according to Wood, all of the materials that go through ARC's Trash & Recycling Center are sent to mills around the Northeast region and Canada.

"They take the products and re-manufacture the raw material into new soup cans, new milk cartons, new boxes," etc.

In addition to being good for the environment, the center also give employment opportunities to people with disabilities, which Wood sees as a major plus.

Photos: Top four photos by Howard Owens. Other photos by Dan Crofts.

Government officials present at last night's event included:

Jeremy Bennett, a representative from Congresswoman Kathy Hochul's office, with ARC Executive Director Donna Saskowski.

Genesee County Manager Jay Gsell, with ARC Director of Development Shelley Falitico.

For more information on ARC's Trash & Recycling Center, click here.

Disclosure: Dan Crofts works for Genesee ARC. He is employed at the Day Habilitation site in Elba.

More pictures (click on the headline for more):

The "hopper," by way of which all materials are taken to the sorting line.