A caller in the area of Rite Aid on West Main Street and Lewiston reports an encounter with a man who may have had a gun who said he was a police officer chasing someone and was last seen heading toward Tops.

He is described as a thinner white male wearing jeans, a red windbreaker and a black of blue ball cap.

Troopers and deputies are responding with Batavia PD.

UPDATE 9:13 p.m.: A responding officer reports detaining a subject fitting the description behind Tops.

Mercy Flight/Mercy EMS hosted an open house at its facility on Call Parkway on Saturday, with Cub Scouts selling hot dogs, a craft room where kids could paint coupons, a basket raffle, a mum sale, games, and displays and apparatus from State Police, and fire departments from Town of Batavia, Stafford, Elba, Alabama, and Pavilion.

At 10 years old, throwing a baseball against the wall of a brick building, Brian Kemp never imagined he would someday own a 25-year-old business making custom T-shirts and that he would also own that building on Center Street, as well.

It's all very humbling, said Kemp, a Batavia HS graduate who spent much of his youth living in a house on School Street with a backyard that abuts the building that now houses T-Shirts Etc.

"To think like, I'm probably driving the people inside the building crazy," Kemp said during a 25th Anniversary celebration for T-Shirts Etc. on Thursday evening. "I'm not thinking of it as a kid like that but now if somebody started throwing a ball against my wall, I might say, 'Hey, what's going on?' you know. But I would have a little empathy for him because I did it, too."

Kemp and a partner, with the help of his girlfriend at the time, started T-Shirts Etc on the third floor of the Harvester Center three years after Kemp graduated from high school.  Soon they moved into a larger space on the first floor, then to the former WBTA building at Harvester and East Main, then to the former Newberry's building (now Eli Fish) on Main Street, and finally to his current location at 37 Center St.

A lot of people -- a whole community, really -- he said, helped him reach this milestone.  He gave credit to his former partner John, his former girlfriend, Heather, and to his ex-wife, Beth Kemp.

"Beth and I were married for seven or eight years," Kemp said. "We're not married anymore but it was a great time that helped me turn the business into where we are today. We moved the company three times, so she was a very integral part of the business."

Kemp also said he couldn't sustain any success without his employees.

"I have a great crew that has weathered the storm of the last few years," he said. "My current crew consists of my son Parker who runs the print production department, Melissa Flint, who runs the embroidery, shipping, and receiving departments and lastly, Mikah Burdic who is currently working as a production assistant.  I am truly honored to work daily with my crew that puts in the work on a daily basis, producing quality products for our customers.  I come here to the shop, hang out and make stuff, and these people make it enjoyable."

His younger sons, Myloh, 10, and Aslan, are also helping out in the shop these days, he said.

He noted that a lot of his customers were at the celebration.  

"All these relationships with our business are personal and have all impacted on my life," Kemp said. "I've got these great boys and this amazing business that we call home here in Batavia. We got our own little piece of Batavia. It's been fantastic."

Photos by Howard Owens.  Top photo, Kemp, left, with Tom Turnbull, Chamber of Commerce interim president.

Students from Batavia High and Notre Dame participated in “Project Sticker Shock” this morning to kick off Red Ribbon Week, the annual end-of-October alcohol, tobacco, and other drug and violence prevention awareness campaign.

Red Ribbon Week began in 1985 as a tribute to Enrique Camarena, a fallen U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency special agent. According to the DEA, it is the nation's largest and longest-running drug awareness and prevention program.

“It’s just the right thing to do,” said ND sophomore Jack Weddle (photo above) as he placed warning stickers on multi-packs of beer and hard seltzer at Tops Friendly Market in Batavia.

He was joined by ND senior Greg Narburgh and members of the ATOP (All Types of People) social club from Batavia High. The exercise was supervised by Carol Nicometo and Shellye Dale-Hall, prevention educators at Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, and Heidi Meides-Judge, counselor at Batavia High.

The stickers were colored bright orange and featured the following message:

Warning! It is illegal for any persons 21 or older to purchase or provide alcohol to minors. Fines up to $1,000 and/or 1 year in jail.

Prudence Favalora, one of the ATOP members, said that she will be reading the Red Ribbon Week honor code prior to tonight’s Batavia High junior varsity football game (6 p.m. start) at Van Detta Stadium.

Additionally, the Batavia City School District board of education issued a proclamation in observance of Red Ribbon Week and Batavia Middle and Batavia High parents signed pledges to keep their kids drug- and alcohol-free.

GCASA officials reported that Red Ribbon Week activities include special events at The Recovery Station on Clinton Street Road.

Photo: Students taking part in Project Sticker Shock are, front from left, Casey Reynolds, Kassandra Kessler, Prudence Favalora, Abbigayle Leone, Issac Tidd and Jen Ewert; back, Greg Narburgh and Jack Weddle. Photos by Mike Pettinella.

Disclosure: Mike Pettinella is the publicist for GCASA.

Press Release

City-wide leaf collection will begin Oct. 31, and will continue until Nov. 30.

Residents are asked to rake leaves into piles and leave them in the parkway (un-bagged). Please, place close to curb line/edge of roadway without placing in the street. Do not pile around fire hydrants, trees, utility poles or signposts. Leaf piles should only contain leaves and no branches, grass clippings or other materials.

Leaf operations typically have one crew on the Northside working from Grandview Terrace moving West, North of Main Street, and a second crew on the Southside beginning on River Street moving East in areas South of Main Street. A third crew will work using a vacuum along main roads and numbered routes. It takes about 2 weeks to go through the entire city.

Any resident with leaves can also bring them to the Yard Waste Station until it closes for the season on Dec. 10. The Yard Waste hours are 12 to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday through Oct. 29, and then 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Oct. 31 through Dec. 10 due to the hours of daylight. The Yard Waste Station will be closed Nov. 24 (Thanksgiving) and will officially close for the season after Dec. 10, 2022.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT LEAF COLLECTION:

· Leaf piles must be clear of sticks and other debris.

· Leaf piles must be clear of all animal waste – if animal waste is found in the piles, they will not be picked up

· Grass clippings, Flower potting’s, Branches, Pumpkins cannot be picked up and residents may bring those items to the Yard Waste Station on Law Street (which will be open through December 10th, 2022)

· Leaves should not block traffic.

· Leaves should not be piled near intersection corners. This causes sight issues for motorists/bicyclists/pedestrians.

· Keep leaf piles clear of drainage ways and catch basins. Blocked drainage leads to localized flooding.

· Leaves should not be piled around mailboxes, power poles, fences, fire hydrants or other obstacles.

· Do not park on leaf piles. The heat from a vehicle exhaust system could start a fire.

· Do not wait to get your leaves out. We will normally collect leaves twice within the month of leaf collection.

· If it is snowing, we plow first. If it continues to snow, then leaf operations will be suspended.

There is no leaf pickup in the spring.

Contact the Bureau of Maintenance at 585-345-6400 option 1 if you have any questions.

Fire investigators believe, preliminarily, that a malfunction in a furnace at 8920 Batavia Stafford Townline Road is the source of a fire that destroyed the home this morning.

The structure was fully involved before firefighters were dispatched shortly before 8:40 a.m.

"(The furnace is) propane-powered and forced hot air," said Tim Yaeger, Genesee County Emergency Management Coordinator. "(The homeowner) had left to go and give assignments to her crews for the business that they run here. When they came back, she said she smelled something funny, something hot, and one of her employees saw smoke exiting from the garage. They entered the garage, opened the door into the house and there was heavy black smoke in the house itself. So right now we're leaning towards, based on an investigation, preliminarily, we're looking at the furnace that may have had a malfunction."

Nobody was injured as a result of the fire and an employee reportedly rescued two dogs from inside the house.

The initial dispatch for the fire reported that two people had entered the house and may be trapped but when a Stafford assistant chief was first on scene, he informed dispatchers that both people were out of the house and that it was believed nobody was in the house at that point.

Town of Batavia Chief Chris Strathearn said the heavy, tall column of black smoke from the fire was visible well before he arrived on scene. He called for a second alarm.

Companies dispatched included Town of Batavia, City Fire, Stafford, Le Roy, and Alexander's FAST Team. Mercy EMS, Sheriff's Office, and State Police assisted at the scene.

The ranch-style home was built in 2016 and is owned by William and Stacy Corcoran. The 2,387-square-foot house sits on a 3.7-acre parcel. The Corcorans also own other adjoining farm property. 

Photos by Howard Owens. For more photos, click here.

Batavia left-hander Brian Green and Honeoye Falls right-hander Scott Culp set the pace during a high scoring week in Genesee Region USBC league action at Mancuso Bowling Center.

The high-revving duo each posted 299 games, with Green topping the 800 mark with 801 and Culp falling just short with a 794 series.

Green rolled games of 246, 256 and 299 in the County Line Stone Friday Trios League -- leaving a 6-pin on the last ball.

Culp registered 299, 228 and 267 in the Mancuso Real Estate Monday Doubles League -- leaving a 4-pin on the final ball of the opening game.

Other big scores last week:

• Mike Pettinella of Batavia rolled a 775 series in the Turnbull Heating Triples League at Mancuso's on games of 279-229-267.

• John Lowe of Le Roy rolled a 791 series in the American Legion Men's League at Le Roy Legion Lanes on games of 278-246-267. A 4-pin after a strike in the 10th frame of game three cost him a shot at 800.

For a list of high scores, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of the home page.

Town of Batavia Fire dispatched.

UPDATE 8:34 a.m.: There was initially a report that two people had re-entered the house and were entrapped.  They are now reported out of the house.  There was also an explosion reported not attached to the structure.  A second alarm is requested.

UPDATED 9:20 a.m.: The fire has been knocked down.

UPDATE 11:05 a.m.: Batavia Stafford Townline Road has been reopened.

An investigation stemming from the report of a vehicle that was damaged while the owner was at a City Council meeting on Sept. 12 has resulted in charges for Jill M. Turner of Batavia.

Turner, 40, was charged with criminal mischief, second-degree, upon her arrest on Oct. 13, city police said. She was arraigned in Batavia City Court and released on her own recognizance, to return at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.

The unidentified owner of the defiled automobile filed a claim after that September meeting, stating that someone had poured nail polish on her vehicle while she was at the meeting and a public hearing about a current law that allows farm animals within city limits.

Some residents, including the claimant, who lived near Turner had complained that her goats and other animals were a nuisance to the neighborhood. Turner was not at the meeting that drew some 30 people to the second-floor City Council chambers that evening. Shannon Maute, one of her neighbors, said she "was happy to see that an arrest had been made."

"We are tired of being tormented and bullied by Jill," Maute said to The Batavian Sunday evening. "I hope that this will send her a message that she can't get away with it any more. There are consequences for her actions and her behavior."

Detective Eric Hill had confirmed at the time when the damage was first noted that there was “an open investigation into the matter right now,” after The Batavian inquired about the damaged vehicle that was parked in Jefferson Square.

“I’m not sure on the level and location of polish and we don't have an estimate (of the value of the damage) at this time,” Hill had said in an email to The Batavian.

UPDATED 3:20 p.m.: According to a source close to the vehicle owner, the damage has been assessed at nearly $2,000.

The Pembroke Dragons improved to 7-1 by defeating CG Finney/Christian Northstar 47-12 Saturday.

Tyson Totten rushed for over 200 yards for the fifth time this season. Felski added three touchdowns while Sean Pustkulla caught a 48-yard pass from Cayden Pfazler for TD right before halftime. 

Nate Duttweiler had a sack and forced a fumble on defense while Cayden Pfalzer had an interception with Joe Gibson recovering a fumble. 

Tyson Totten, Jacob Von Kramer, Jayden Mast, Octavius Martin, Jacob Dulski, Caleb Felski, Jayden Bridge, JJ Gabbey and Cayden Pfazler all had five or more tackles on the day. 

Photos courtesy of Kim Dulski.

For the seventh time in seven games, the Oakfield-Alabama/Elba Aggies scored at least 38 points on their way to a dominating win.

Only once has an opponent scored more than one touchdown against the Aggies.

This time, OAE beat Notre Dame 48-0.

Scoring:

• Bodie Hyde runs for 2 yards.
• Bodie Hyde passes to Kyle Porter for 55 yards.
• Bodie Hyde runs for 67 yards.
• Noah Currier runs for 27 yards.
• Bodie Hyde runs for 27 yards.
• Noah Currier runs for 33 yards.
• Noah Currier runs for 41 yards.

Avery Watterson hit six of seven point after attempts.

Hyde was 7-9 passing for 154 yards, a TD and an interception.

Currie rushed for 169 yards and three touchdowns on 12 attempts.  Hyde gained 145 yards, scored three times, on 12 carries.

Porter had three receptions for 74 yards and a TD.

"This was a great game to wrap up the end of the regular season with," said Head Coach Tyler Winter. "It was a solid performance on the scoreboard and we took a step in our team's process.  However, there is still plenty to take back to the film room and dive into as we prepare for our second season."

The Fighting Irish finish the regular season 4-3.

Photos by Kristin Smith.  For more, click here.

In a season in which no opponent has even come close to beating Batavia, for the fourth time in seven games the Blue Devils held a challenger to fewer than seven points.

This time it was Newark/Marion that Batavia dominated for a convincing 54-6 win.

Scoring: 

• Ja'vin McFollins 30-yard pass to Aidan Anderson.
• Cam McClinic, six-yard run.
• McFollins 6-yard pass to Brendan Burgess.
• Anderson, 3-yard run.
• McFollins 15-yard pass to Carter McFollins
• Anderson, 6-yard run.
• Newark scores on a kickoff return.
• Bronx Buchholz 30-yard run.
• Devan Flanagan, 7-yard run.

McFollins was 10-11 passing for 141 and the three TDs.

Mekhi Fortes gained 67 yards on six carries. McClinic, 54 yards and a TD on six carries. Anderson 34 yards and two TDs on five carries.  Bucholz, 45 yards and a TD on three carries.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

Bethany, Alexander, Town of Batavia dispatched.

Second alarm, Stafford, Pavilion, Le Roy, and City of Batavia FAST Team dispatched.

Photo by Howard Owens.

The Le Roy Oatkan Knights shut down Letchworth/Warsaw/Perry in football on Friday, 21-0.

Tony Piazza scored all three of Le Roy's touchdowns on runs of 36 yards, three yards, and six yards, leading to three successful point after attempts by Andrew Pocock.

Piazza finished with 102 yards rushing on 13 carries.

Drew Strollo gained 87 yards on 22 carries.  Strollo was 3-4 passing for 31 yards.

Piazza also led the way on defense with nine tackles and a sack.

Photos by Ed Henry.  Top photo: Le Roy’s Bryce Lathan drops another kickoff returner.

Tony Piazza posted three TDs to power the Le Roy offense.

LeRoy’s Jack Lathan (51) contests a Let-Saw-Perry pass.

Tony Piazza drops the L-S-P QB.

Le Roy speedster Maverick Cook.

Drew Strollo spots his receiver downfield.

Jackson Fix cuts back on this run.

Manny Fisher breaks free.

Keegan Park (72) and his teammates halt this run. 

The Alexander Trojans finish the regular football season at a perfect 7-0 after a perfect shoutout when over Cal-Mum/Byron-Bergen on Friday, 43-0.

Touchdowns were scored by:

• Christian Kissell on a 9-yard reception.
• Ricky Townley scored on a 1-yard run.
• Kaden Lyons scored on a 1-yard run.
• Benny Merrill on a 12-yard reception.
• Tyler Marino scored on a 2-yard run.
• Mason Bump scored on a 3-yard run.

QB Trenton Woods was 7-11 for 106 yards and 2 touchdowns and an interception. 

Tyler Marino gained 71 yards on nine carries. Rickey Townley finished with 55 yards.  Kaden Lyons added 40 yards rushing.

Benny Merrill led the Trojans with three receptions for 57 yards and a TD.

The Trojans have outscored their opponents 282 to 29 on the season.

Press Release

#TakeBackDay is just a week away!  But don’t worry, cleaning out your medicine cabinet takes just a few minutes and there are plenty of convenient collection sites near you.  Sharing this post takes seconds too.  Just a small effort can have a huge impact! Visit www.DEATakeBack.com to learn more and come see us in the Alva Lot on October 29th, 10 AM - 2 PM!
 

Have you seen Elba’s power couple? Although a bit lumpy and odd-looking, the self-titled king and queen stand proudly on Main Street every day.

If you hadn’t noticed them, the firefighters rescuing a cat up a utility pole may have been a distraction. Or perhaps the tired PTA mom caught your attention, poor thing — her life is full of fundraisers and supporting the Lancers.

Those are just some of the entertaining Scarecrows on Main entries for this year’s contest. Sponsored by the Elba Betterment Committee with Genesee-Orleans Council on the Arts funding meant there wasn’t an entry fee this year, Pauli Miano said.

“This is the second year that we have done the Scarecrows on Main.  Last year the village clerk, Jerah Augello, came to the Elba Betterment Committee and asked us to help them sponsor a contest.  We charged $5 per entry and then used the money to pay out prizes,” Miano said. “This year we included the contest in our grant request to GO Art!, so we did not need to charge per entry.  While that made it more alluring, I'm sure, it also made it a little more confusing for us, because a few of these scarecrows just showed up on the street and we weren't sure who they belonged to.”

Not to worry, they got it all figured out, and there are 39 entries, which is 10 more than last year, she said. One change for this year is a display at Elba Central School. With a theme of  “It’s a Small World,” it’s a testament to diversity that exists in the village and town, she said.

“We have many students who are of Mexican descent, and this year we also have two exchange students: one from Italy and one from Denmark,” she said.  

The contest has also drawn more participation from families and businesses, with more than a dozen that include farms, restaurants, M&T Bank, the post office, and other places “that help to make our community such a great place to live,” she said.

Four judges — one from each the town and village boards, a community member and Onion Queen Bella Mateos — have just begun their reviews of the colorful creations, and there is also a People’s Choice option for the public. To view all entries and vote for your top three, go to Elba Betterment Committee.

Adding to the fun is the yearly tribute to the Stumblin Inn, and this year’s display does not disappoint: “it’s even bigger this year,” Miano said.

The contest itself isn’t directly tied to Halloween in the Park, but the month culminates with a seasonal event for local Elba children to enjoy games, candy, refreshments, and photos. That runs from 5 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31.

“We have done this in the past and it has really been an awesome event,” she said. “But this is the first time in four years that we are back in the park and open for children from Elba to come on down.”

Photos submitted by Pauli Miano.