Watch live coverage of all six Saturday games from the Genesee Region/Niagara-Orleans League Showdown at Genesee Community College in sports.

Here is the Roy-Hart/Lyndonville game.

Here is the Byron-Bergen/Barker game.

Here is the Alexander/CSAT game.

Here is the Attica/Albion game.

Here is the Pembroke/Wilson game.

Here is the Oakfield-Alabama/Akron game.

The Kendall/Medina game is close to starting and this is looking like it should be a great game. Medina looks like a confident team with some good athletes, while Kendall has superstar Josh Laureano. I have seen Laureano play a couple of times and he is the type of player that can take a game over. He might have to in this one. 8:11 p.m. - here we go.

8:26 p.m. - Medina jumped out to a big lead in a hurry, gaining a 9-2 advantage in the first four minutes of the opening frame. Big man Levi Pace stepped out and drained a 3-pointer and four consecutive foul shots by Brad Balcerzak helped the Mustangs take the big lead. But Laureano and the Eagles battled back. Laureano distributed the ball and Matt Driesel scored with an and-1 and Philip Kludt drained a 3-pointer. Colt Tooley hit a basket at the buzzer to cut the Medina lead to 15-11 after a period of play.

8:42 p.m. - Medina has a lot of tall, skinny players and should have a big lead in this game. But the Mustangs are missing easy shots in the paint and the Eagles are taking full advantage and lead 25-24 at halftime. After Tooley hit a trey for Kendall, Medina scored seven straight points, including four straight by Nick Peterson. With a 24-19 lead for Medina, Laureano hit his first basket of the game when he swished a 3-pointer to start a run. Chad Bentley had a put-back basket and Kludt made a steal and scored. Bentley had the last basket of the half to cap a nine point run by Kendall.

9:08 p.m. - Laureano was looking to score in the third quarter and did, getting seven points. But Medina regained the lead, 34-32, as the 6-foot-6 pace scored a basket and hit two free throws, with Nick Peterson also scoring. Medina's height advantage is starting to take a toll on the Eagles, who are no longer winning the battle on the boards like in the first half.

 9:30 p.m. - This game was a classic.

Pace and Laureano went head-to-head for the fourth quarter, with Pace scoring 12 of his 25 points and Laureano scoring 13 of of his game-high 27 points. 

Medina was holding a four point lead for most of the period but expanded it to 48-40 with two minutes left in the game. There was no doubt that Laureano was going to get the ball. He hit a 3-pointer, then a two to cut the deficit to just three points. Laureano then drove with 59 seconds left and drew the defenders. The then kicked the ball out to a wide open Bentley, who hit a 3-pointer to tie the game. Pace then scored at the other end with 35 seconds left. Kendall was blocked at the other end, but caused a turnover with the press and had the ball with 11 seconds left. Laureano worked the clock, but was blocked when he attempted a 3-pointer with two seconds left.

Final score - Medina 50, Kendall 48

 We are about 10 minutes from tip-off of the first Genesee Region/Niagara-Orleans League Showdown at Genesee Community College. Tonight's games are Elba vs. Newfane and Kendall vs. Medina.

Stay tuned to The Batavian for live updates throughout the night in this thread.

6:33 p.m. - Lineups are being introduced. Elba has a significant size advantage. About to start the game.

6:48 p.m. - Newfane jumped out to a 17-6 first quarter lead because of speed. Elba has big guys, but they aren't keeping up with the Panthers, who are playing a full court press and attacking the basket on offense.  Adam Baily scored nine points for Newfane and Phil Ostroski scored all six for Elba, on two 3-pointers.

7:04 p.m. -  Wow. Elba stormed back into this game in a hurry and leads 27-23 at the half. Sonny Giuliano and Phil Ostroski hit back-to-back shots to start things off and then Dan Ramsey - who was called up from jayvee earlier in the season - got hot. Ramsey hit a 3-pointer and a long 2-pointer before Giuliano brought the game within a point with a 3-pointer.  Ramsey then hit a 3-pointer and two jumpers near the end of the period. Ramsey scored 12 points in the second quarter.

7:29 p.m. - The third quarter was extremely ugly. Both squads turned the ball over like it was going out of style. The Lancers went away from Ramsey for the most part and tried to get the ball inside, with Max Torrey scoring four points. But Ramsey did hit a long jump shot andBronson Cole came off the bench to hit a 3-pointer for the final basket of the third quarter. Elba leads 36-32 as we enter the fourth.

 7:53 p.m. - If this entire Showdown is going to be like the opening game, this is going to be a great weekend of basketball.

Newfane's Dan Hambruch scored twice at the start of the fourth quarter and a Ron Pierce basket and 1 gave Newfane a 41-40 lead midway through the final period. It was tight from that point on. Elba took back the lead on a Guiliano jumper and then Newfance captured it back moments later when Garth Seefeldt hit a 3-pointer, giving the Newfane a 46-45 lead with 1:07 left in the game.

Ostroski got to the foul line seconds later and hit both shots, putting Elba back on top 47-46. Newfane took the ball down to the other end of the floor and tried to set up a shot, but an errant pass at the top of the key sailed out of bounds and the Panters were forced to foul. Giuliano hit one of two foul shots, then Adam Bailey of Newfane chucked up a bad 3-point attempt.

Ostroski hit a free throw to put Elba up by three points and the Panthers missed three 3-point attempts in the last 12 seconds of regulation.

Elba wins 49-46.

Buffalo News reporters have been updating the site all day with updates on the crash of Continental Flight 3407 that plummeted onto a home in Clarence. Names of passengers have been leaking out throughout the day, and reporters have got up a video of eyewitness accounts.

Names of the dead began trickling out at midday, giving a window onto the group of passengers aboard the flight from Newark to Buffalo that crashed at about 10:15 p.m.

The names of victims emerging from families and friends included Alison DeForges, a noted historian and human rights activist who documented the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

Also killed in the crash was Susan Wehle, cantor at Temple Beth Am in Amherst, and Zhaofang Guo, the husband of Dr. Ping Wang at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

In addition, the black boxes from the flight have been recovered, and the investigation into the cause of the crash has begun in earnest.

From United Memorial Medical Center:

United Memorial Medical Center is experiencing difficulties with the electrical power redundancy system at its North Street Campus which will affect the main hospital. To repair this issue, the Hospital will be without power for 15 -90 minutes while the issue is diagnosed and repaired at approximately 12:20 pm..

United Memorial officials are working with the Genesee County Office of Emergency Management, City of Batavia Fire and Police, and the Department of Health to insure patient safety. The Hospital is on full diversion and all surgeries have been cancelled for the remainder of the day.

The Hospital has initiated an internal labor pool in order to address issues that may arise due to the lack of elevator service. Currently, there are 90 patients admitted to the hospital at North Street. The Hospital is working to discharge patients that were expected to go home today before the power disruption is expected.

Visitors to the hospital today should expect to see increased activity and emergency personnel on stand-by. Their cooperation while we address this electrical concern is appreciated.

Earlier this week, we picked up an article from Forbes magazine that dubbed Buffalo the 8th most miserable city in the nation. Just or unjust, we thought that may have touched on a few of the less desirable aspects of living in this part of the country. Sure, we've got much to boast about here in Western New York—the people, the history, the landscapes, the fresh water—but surely they are a few things about our region that we would get rid of if we could.

So, what would you scrap if you could?

Identities of the victims of the crash of Continental Flight 3407 are not yet being released, but many are believed to be inhabitants of Western New York.

We put together this roundup of news coverage.

From the Buffalo News:

Forty-nine people died when a Continental Connection airplane crashed into a house in Clarence Center shortly after 10:15 p.m. Thursday, setting off a huge fire that could be seen miles away.

The dead included 44 passengers, four crew members and a person on the ground.

A nurse at Erie County Medical Center said the hospital's second shift had been told to stay late to treat survivors but was sent home before midnight.

"There were no souls to bring in and treat," she said.

You can also view video coverage of the press conference and footage taken from the scene at the Buffalo News video page. The site also hosts the final radio transmission received from Continental Flight 3407 prior to the crash.

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Comments from the scene, featured in today's Democrat & Chronicle:

“The whole sky was lit up orange,” Bob Dworak, who lives less than a mile from the crash site, told The Associated Press. He said that residents of the neighborhood, about 10 miles from the Buffalo airport, were used to planes rumbling overhead, but he took note last night when one sounded louder than usual and made some odd noises.

“We were thinking it was just another plane,” he said. “It kind of made some sputtering noises but they lower the landing gear over our house a lot so the noise from the planes a lot of time will change kind of drastically as they go over.”

Kathy Dworak said she and her husband stepped outside and saw a huge ball of fire.

“We could see nothing that told us it was a plane,” she said. “It was just a massive ball of flame.”

A follow-up piece in the Buffalo News looks into icing as a potential cause of the crash.

Just minutes after Continental Connection Flight 3407 crashed, air traffic controllers began quizzing other pilots about the icy conditions over Buffalo.

A recording of those conversations Thursday night suggests ice may be one of the suspected causes of the nation's deadliest air crash in more than two years.

"Delta 1998, you getting any icing where you're at?" a Buffalo air traffic controller asked just minutes after Continental's 74-seat aircraft went down, killing 49 people.

"We picked it up on the way down," the pilot reponds. "I don't think it's building any more here but about 6,500 (feet) down to 3,500 (feet) maybe."

We received the following statement from Rep. Chris Lee, a resident of Clarence.

Congressman Chris Lee, who represents and is a resident of Clarence, will be on the ground this morning with federal, local and state officials. He has issued the following brief statement:

“We are deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic accident that occurred last night in Clarence. Our focus right now is supporting the first responders on the ground, who have done heroic work in ensuring the health and safety of people in the area. My website is continually providing residents and concerned citizens with updated information, as well as the opportunity to leave messages for the families of the victims, first responders, and the members of the community.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims' families at this difficult hour.”

Dan Fischer has audio of Lee talking about the location of the crash up on the WBTA Web site.

Update (9:45 a.m.): A report from CNN explains that this particular passenger jet is one of the safest around.

The turboprop plane that crashed in New York state, killing all 49 people on board and one on the ground, was one of the safest and most sophisticated aircraft of its type, according to an aviation industry expert.

The Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 was less than one year old and had flown for only about 1,500 hours, said Kieran Daly, of the online aviation news service Air Transport Intelligence.

Update (10:39 a.m.): Statement from state Senator Mike Ranzenhofer:

"On behalf of the citizens of the 61st District and the Town of Clarence, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the families affected by the tragedy of Flight 3407.  Our thoughts and prayers, as well as those of the entire State of New York, are with you at this most difficult time.

"Our sincere thanks and gratitude go to our communities' first responders. It is times like these where our Western New York community comes together to help and console one another."

Raymond W. Schramm Jr., 22, of Oakfield, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child Thursday evening, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Schramm's son is alleged to have wandered out of their home some time around 6 o'clock yesterday evening and was outside for approximately 30 minutes before a passing motorist stopped to check on the child. The boy was taken to United Memorial Medical Center and treated for exposure. Schramm will answer the charge in court in March.

Frederick M. White, 71, of 10 Woodland Dr., Batavia, was charged with driving while intoxicated Thursday, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. White was located in his vehicle off the side of the road on Lewsiton Road in Alabama. His vehicle appeared to have gone off the roadway as the result of an alleged unsafe lane change. White was also ticketed with changing lanes unsafely and misuse of dealer plates.

Connie L. King, 37, of Oakfield, was charged with driving while intoxicated early this morning, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. King allegedly crashed her vehicle on Route 63 in the town of Batavia. She was also ticketed with failure to keep right.

The Buffalo News is reporting that 49 people were killed Thursday night when a Continental Airlines flight crashed into a home in Clarence Center.

Continental Flight 3407, flying from Newark, N.J. to Buffalo, crashed into a house located at 6050 Long St. in Clarence Center, starting a large fire.

Unconfirmed reports from the Buffalo Niagara International Airport told the News that 44 passengers, four crew members and a person on the ground were killed in the accident, which is being blamed on mechanical problems that happened as the plane approached the airport.

There are also several injured people that have been taken to Erie County Medial Center.

An ice damn that formed on Oatka Creek caused some flooding in the Village of Le Roy, according to a report on the R-News Web site.

LeRoy Fire Chief Bill Wood told R-News that crews spent the day pumping water from basements along Munson Street.

There were also problems with the sewer system, according to the report, but those issues have been cleared up.

No word on an estimated amount of damage to any property.

 This passage from the New York State Public High School Athletic Association bylaws has opened up a chance for each Section to determine if they continue playing a full schedule and avoid the recent cuts made.

 "The maximum number of contests which may be established for interscholastic sports during a regular schedule shall be determined in the sections ... The maximum number of contests established for each sport during the regular schedule is subject to review by the state athletic associations and may be altered where it is found that disparities in the number of games contribute to unequal competition between teams in different sections."

Section 2 might fight the decision made by the NYSPHSAA because of this passage.

Jackie Friedman of Poststar.com writes that in the most recent meeting by the Section 2 athletic council, a mothing was passed to give member schools a chance to vote to overturn the state's ruling. 

If the majority of schools vote to overturn the state's decision, Section 2 will try to get an endorsement from the NYSPHSAA to stop the rule in that area. The votes will be collected by March 16 and a decision will be announced on April 1 at the athletic council meeting.

Section 2 executive director Doug Kenyon is quotes as saying that athletic directors and schools "should have control over their destiny."

Kenyon believe that even if the vote passes, the state may still not approve the decision because it would give Section 2 an advantage over the other Sections in state competition because the teams will have played more games.

There has been harsh criticism of the state's ruling to cut the number of games from people in every Section, so this could be a way to reverse the cuts. It would be interesting if other Sections - including Section 5 - were to try this as well.

Maybe a full schedule could return, with Section 2 leading the way.

We may be in the clear for any further threats of severe wind damage for Genesee County, but Batavia is still under watch for a flooding of Tonawanda Creek. This is a clip of the roiling creek that looked set to swell up and over its banks earlier this afternoon out back of the county court house.

From the National Weather Service:

The flood warning continues for the Tonawanda Creek at Batavia until Friday afternoon. At 12:00 p.m. Thursday, the stage was 9.5 feet and rising. Minor flooding is occurring and minor flooding is forecast. Flood stage is 9.0 feet. Forecast: The river will continue to rise and crest near 9.8 feet this evening. Impact: At 10.0 feet, moderate flood, minor to moderate flooding along the entire reach from Batavia to Tonawanda, most focused in Alabama swamps, rapids and northern Clarence and Amherst, and also in the city of Batavia, west of Main Street.

On the wind advisory:

Southwest winds of 20 to 35 mph this afternoon could gust over 45 mph. The greatest chance for the higher gusts will be found over elevated terrain. These winds will become more westerly during the course of this afternoon before diminishing late in the day.

While the threat of widespread wind damage has diminished, shallow rooted trees, namely pines, will still be vulnerable in this event as their shallow root system has become less stable with the thawing of the previously frozen ground. Scattered power outages will still be possible from downed tree limbs and power lines.

Robert J. Rudnicki, 36, of 4016 W. Main Street Road, Batavia, was charged with a felony count of driving while intoxicated early this morning, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Rudnicki was stopped for alleged traffic violations on Jackson Street in the city of Batavia. He was also ticketed with driving left of the pavement markings in a no passing zone, inadequate headlights and driving without a license.

Joseph J. Ferraro, 55, of Basom, was charged with driving while intoxicated Wednesday afternoon, deputies said. Ferraro was stopped for an alleged traffic violation after he was seen by an off-duty deputy driving erratically on Route 262 in the town of Oakfield. He was also ticketed with moving from the lane unsafely.

We've received reports of a possible fire at Stella's Collision on East Main Road in LeRoy. Reports on the scanner indicate smoke in the building. Fire crews from LeRoy, Caledonia and Pavilion have been dispatched. We will update as more information becomes available. 

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Update (11:45 a.m.): Additional manpower has been requested to the scene as a second alarm was just sounded over the scanner.

Update (1:05 p.m.): LeRoy dispatch reports that all crews have returned to base. No fire was present on scene. Firefighters reported a haze in the building that was not exactly smoke, but the cause of the disturbance has not yet been identified.

Roads around Genesee County are getting ever worse throughout the day today. Snow and rain have added to the already bloated mix of melted ice and snow from yesterday. Some roads are barely navigable at this time. Add to that the winds that are bringing down power lines across the region, and you've got a messy situation out there.

In the past half hour, we've heard of two reports of downed wires over the scanner.

Poles and wires have come down on Molasses Hill Road near Chaddock Road in Alexander. Another pole along with wires are blocking a roadway in Attica. We haven't yet got the report on that exact location, but crews are out trying to get things cleaned up as quickly as possible.

Conditions are even worse in Wyoming County, where the winds are whipping even more fiercely. Dan Fischer reports that the office of emergency management there has put out a general travel advisory for motorists. It reads: "Caution should be used when traveling in Wyoming Co. due to damage from high winds including downed utility poles and power lines. Be prepared to seek alternate routes as some roads have been closed due to blockage."

You can find out more on area closings by visiting the WBTA Web site.

A faulty alarm caused an evacuation at Genesee Community College's Batavia campus this morning. Rick Ensman, director of external affairs at the college, told us by phone that the alarm sounded some time around 9:50 a.m.

"It was a faulty alarm head," he said. "We're not sure why it got set off, but we did clear the buildings and alert the fire authorities just as a precaution. The alarm head is back working, and we've got everybody back in now."

Ensman said he didn't know what could have caused the false alarm. It could have been dust, something in the air, or just an old head, he said. "There was no actual emergency."

People were allowed back in the buildings approximately 20 minutes after the alarm sounded and the administration got the OK.

"It was just a report in the C building," said Ensman. "So the technology and arts buildings and the arts center were clear. So we were able to move people inside pretty quickly."

And that's a good thing. It's not the kind of day to be standing around outside.

Attica and Wyoming central schools are closed this morning as a result of the fierce weather, according to WBTA's Dan Fischer.

We've also got power outages in the area: some 73 folks are without electricity in and around Alexander, and another 65 are in the dark in Darien. Wires have come down on Dewey Road in the town of Batavia. No outages yet reported in that region.

We received this image of a truck stuck under an overpass on Cedar Street yesterday evening from one of our readers. The photo was taken by Brandon Fegley from inside a car.

A story this morning on the Daily News site informs us that this incident slowed up traffic on Cedar Street for an hour.

The driver got stuck when he “failed to obey” posted signs stating the bridge’s height, Sgt. Dave Kleinbach said. The 13.6-foot-tall truck attempted to drive under the 12.3-foot-tall bridge, he said.

Police were called to the scene at 12:20 p.m. and remained there for about an hour to close one lane and redirect traffic. The driver was issued a ticket for failing to obey a traffic control device, Kleinbach said.

We're in for an ugly cocktail of dangerous weather today. Right now, Batavia is under three separate warnings, issued by the National Weather Service. Ice floes and warm temperatures look to flood the Tonwanda Creek. Winds of sustained gusts at 40 mph are whipping up to 70 mph at times. And, just for good measure, we've got a snow storm.

On the flood:

The flood warning continues for the Tonawanda Creek at Batavia from this morning to tonight. At 5:00 a.m. Thursday the stage was 72 feet and rising. Minor flooding is forecast. Flood stage is 9.0 feet... The river is expected to rise above flood stage late this morning and crest near 9.2 feet this afternoon.... At the 9.0 flood stage: Flood protection at Chestnut Street Bridge begins to be toppd. There is also flooding in Kibbe Park area of Batavia.

On the wind:

Deep low pressure will pass by to our north today. Southwest winds of 30 to 40 mph will gust as high as 70 mph during the day today. The powerful winds will become more westerly this afternoon then will gradually diminish tonight.

Shallow rooted trees, namely pines, will be especially vulnerable in this event as their shallow root system has become less stable with the thawing of the previously frozen ground. The added weight from several inches of wind blown wet snow will likely increase the potential for some downed tree limbs and power lines.

On the snow:

A winter weather advisory remains in effect until 6:00 p.m. this afternoon.

Cold, moist air filtering in behind a departing low will bring 2 to 4 inches of snow to the area today. Another 1 to 3 inches is expected tonight. Strong winds will add to the problems and generate very poor visibility at times and make it difficult to keep roadways clear.

Things do not look pretty out at the Thruway right now. Please be safe.