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One-vehicle rollover accident on Alexander Road, Alexander

By Billie Owens

A one-vehicle rollover accident was reported about 20 minutes ago at 1050 Route 98 in Alexander. (Due to a computer glitch, we were unable to post it then.) The female driver was reportedly unresponsive. Mercy Flight was called, then cancelled. The location is between Main and Stroh roads. Mercy medics and law enforcement are on scene and no further development have been heard on the scanner.

UPDATE 5:02 a.m.: Mercy medic #2 is transporting the patient to Erie County Medical Center. A tow truck is called for the vehicle.

UPDATE 10:52 a.m. (by Howard): In a news release, the Sheriff's Office identified the driver as Ann L. Cox, 42, of Attica. She was driving a 2006 Pontiac G6 south on Route 98 when the car left the roadway and struck a sign post and continued south until it struck a culvert at 10850 Route 98. Cox suffered non-life threatening injuries and was transported to ECMC by Mercy EMS. The investigation is continuing and charges are pending. The investigation is being handled by Deputy Kevin McCarthy, Deputy Bradley Mazur and Deputy Frank Bordonaro.

Batavia Bulldawgs putting up good numbers near end of third season

By Howard B. Owens

In its third year, the Batavia Bulldawgs football program is putting up some good numbers, both in the number of players on each roster and on the field.

Today, the JV and varsity squads posted big wins against the Hawks in Holley, with a 35-0 win for JV and a 35-6 win for varsity.

There are 120 kids participating. For the beginners (ages 6-7), the minis (8-9), JV (10-11),  there are 35 players on each team. Varsity (12-13) has 25 players and five cheerleaders.

Varsity is 7-2 and JV is 5-4.

"I think overall things are going very well," Head Coach Matt Della Penna said. "I think our numbers speak well for themselves. We've got some good numbers throughout and we're winning some games. We're beating some teams that have been in the league for awhile. I think that's a pretty good pat on the back for us."

The Bulldawgs wrap up the regular season next Saturday with games on Woodward Field at Van Detta Stadium.

For pictures of the minis' game against Holley by Pete Welker, click here.

To purchase prints, click here.

Batavia Armory: A gem in the rough?

By Robert Brown

My route to the GCLP Liberty Garden (located at the Batavia Youth Center's public garden) required me to pass by the New York State Armory on State Street in Batavia many times this summer. I usually posted to my Facebook friends and Twitter followers on the limited signs of life (deer, woodchucks, rabbits, the occasional grounds mower...) sighted which tended to ignite conversations about the building vacancy and potential uses for the extensive and somewhat unique hilled property.

Maybe it could be used as an office building. How about a restaurant and drive-in theater? Maybe a driving range in the summer and a tubing hill in the winter. Maybe a new neighborhood could be built tucked in behind everything with ample wooded surroundings and maybe a pond. Is the property big enough for a 9 hole par 3 golf course? How about something, anything, other than sitting idle and being maintained at taxpayer expense, or worse, deteriorating until we have another taxpayer expense for removal?

Last night, I was pleasantly surprised to see a friend's post that indicated the Batavia Armory is going up for auction on Nov. 13th for the low, low starting bid of $80,000! Those of us online at the midnight hour had a quick conversation about how it would be great to get the property back on the tax rolls and utilized!

We then discussed a few other options that may be even more appropriate and just as equally beneficial to taxpayers. Could this be the site of the new Batavia police station if we have to abandon the current location? Could this facility be used to solve the County's female inmate problem? Could it be used to augment the County jail so we're not forced to hire 10 more guards or be pressured into building a brand new jail? Could this facility get the County out of leasing space on Route 5 and other sites that are costing taxpayers somewhere between $600K to $1M annually? An $80K investment to solve any one of those problems seems like a bargain!

Then again, since the State already owns the site and since it was funded by taxpayer dollars, why can't the City or County obtain the property from the State via one of those magical $1 transfers we often read about? Hmmm...

Whether the property gets sold to a private interest who develops it or it is used to solve one of the budget concerns for the City and/or County, this property presents opportunity for City and County taxpayers. Let's hope we don't miss out and end up continuing to babysit a property that has already consumed a significant amount of our tax dollars.

WGRZ's coverage of the Batavia Armory sale can be seen at:

http://www.wgrz.com/news/article/229880/37/State-to-Auction-Off-Batavia-Armory

Firefighters host fire safety contest winners for lunch at fire hall

By Howard B. Owens

Information and photos provided by Greg Ireland.

City firefighters hosted a lunch today for winners of the first fire safety poster contest sponsored by IAFF Local 896.

Above, Ian Keberle, with Chief Jim Maxwell and Local 896 President Greg Ireland.

Emma Bigsby with Maxwell and Ireland.

Children who participated today.

Here are the winners of the contest:

Group 1:
  • First Place: Andrew Beal -- “Turn off the Stove”; John Kennedy School, Mrs. Grammatico, Room 20, second grade.
  • Second Place: Sophie Fryer -- “Call 9-1-1”; John Kennedy School, Mrs. Grammatico, Room 20, second grade.
  • Third Place: Emma Bigsby -- “Blow out Candles”; John Kennedy School, Mrs. Grammatico, Room 20, second grade.
Group 2:
  • First Place: Amelia McCulley -- “Turn off the Oven”; St. Joseph School, Mrs. Clattenburg, third grade.
  • Second Place, Maylee Green -- “Don’t Leave Candles Lit”; St. Joseph School, Mrs. Clattenburg, third grade.
  • Third Place, Ian Keberle -- “Keep an Eye on what you Fry”; St. Paul Lutheran School, Mrs. Porter, Art Room, third grade.

City firefighters join effort to provide warm winter coats for at-risk children

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

The City of Batavia Firefighters, IAFF Local 896, will provide new winter coats to warm the hearts, minds, and bodies, of the students at Agri-Business Child Development (ABCD) School on Brooklyn Avenue in Batavia. This campaign is led by the City of Batavia Firefighters to provide at-risk children that attend school in Batavia with brand-new, American-made coats for the winter. 

This is the first year the City of Batavia Fire Department has joined forces with national non-profit Operation Warm to launch the program, “Firefighters Coats for Kids,” a movement led by firefighters across the United States to combat the effects of childhood poverty while saving American jobs.

This distribution event is the culmination of the firefighters' fundraising efforts since August. 

The City of Batavia firefighters are raising funds to provide coats to 30 children at ABCD, which utilizes a system of points, in accordance with the Head Start Performance Standards, to ensure that the neediest of the eligible families receive services. The coats, manufactured especially by Operation Warm, have been ordered in just the right size and in a variety of colors so that the children may enjoy a unique coat that fits properly. “Keeping them warm and safe throughout the winter is the least we can do,” firefighter Adam Palumbo stated. 

City firefighters will surprise the students with their new coats, personally fitting each child, and help them to write their names in the interior tag, which reads, “Made Just for You.”  “This is a program that strengthens communities and the overall well-being of children,” said Carey Palmquist, executive director of Operation Warm. “A new coat boosts a child’s self-esteem and allows families to stretch limited financial resources to other basic necessities, such as food and shelter.”

Operation Warm is dedicated to providing new winter coats to U.S. children in need and has reached more than 1.2 million children since 1998. The International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) represents more than 300,000 professional firefighters who are dedicated to serving their communities beyond the traditional call of duty. In 2012, Operation Warm joined together with the IAFF to form a widespread, high-impact program called Firefighters Coats for Kids.

The collaboration of these two organizations deepens the reach and support of our efforts, as firefighters protecting communities across the USA has become the face of this mission and the catalyst for a multidimensional program that not only provides coats to impoverished children but also helps Americans get back to work and out of poverty.

Through this unprecedented partnership firefighters are distributing coats made and sourced 100 percent in the USA. This collaboration provides relief for families who struggle to meet basic needs and to children who will now experience the joy and pride of owning something brand new – a gift of warmth from their local firefighters.

To learn more and donate, please visit: www.operationwarm.org/batavia

Smoke in the residence reported on North Lake Road, Bergen

By Howard B. Owens

Residents of 6568 N. Lake Road have evacuated the structure after reporting smoke in the house from a possible electrical problem.

The call came in through Monroe County dispatch.

Bergen fire is being dispatched. Brockport ladder and a Churchville engine are in route.

A chief on scene reports nothing showing from the single-story ranch home.

UPDATE 6:04 p.m.: First Bergen crew arriving on scene, will be deployed to the basement with a thermal camera.

UPDATE 6:06 p.m.: A chief reports "a basement charged with smoke." Also, Mercy EMS responding from Batavia.

UPDATE 6:10 p.m.: Mercy's response cancelled. A firefighter reports, "basement's been checked. Everything's cool down there." Proceeding to check ground floor.

UPDATE 6:18 p.m.: Fans are being brought in to air out the structure. No cause found at this time.


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Fundraising Penn State students appreciate the generosity of Batavians

By Bonnie Marrocco

Abby Arbutina, of State College, Pa., Angela Ru, of Pittsburgh, Pa., Ken Marrocco, of Batavia.

Ben Gorgonzola, of Honeybrook, Pa.

Conor Sweeney, of Stamford, Conn.

Danielle Schrey, of Bethel Park, Pa.

Students from Penn State are once again soliciting donations with canisters (canning) on busy street corners of Batavia as part of their charity drive on behalf of pediatric cancer.

The students are part of a group called THON (The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon), which is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world. It is an ongoing effort to raise funds and awareness for the fight against pediatric cancer.

Two of the members, Ken Marrocco and James Leisenring, are from Batavia and their group raised more than $2,000 last fall during a canning weekend here.   

The students are impressed by the support they've received from the community. 

“Everyone has been so nice and generous,” Meghan Wade, of Berea, Ohio said. “A man stopped to tell me how he lost his wife to cancer and gave a $100 donation.”

Since 1977, THON has raised more than $101 million for the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital. This year alone, THON raised more than $12 million.  

Fundraising methods include canning weekends, THONvelopes, door-to-door canvassing and online donations. THON culminates its charity events when thousands of Penn State students, alumni and friends participate in the 46-hour no-sitting, no-sleeping dance marathon on campus in February.

“Hearing about everything these families who are battling cancer have to go through is difficult,” Leisenring said. “But seeing how much the money we raise helps them is incredible and that’s why we’re all involved.”

They will be collecting cash and change from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. tomorrow before heading back to State College, Pa.

For more information, visit THON.org.

Disclaimer: Ken Marrocco is the son of The Batavian staff writer Bonnie Marrocco.

Cole Quattrone of Monongahela, Pa., Brandon Butwin of Hewlett, Ny., Addy Avdic of Carlisle, Pa., James Leisenring, of Batavia.

Meghan Wade, of Berea, Ohio.

Jessica Partridge, of Pittsburgh.

Jaanki Patel, of Mclean, Va.

New food pantry in Le Roy serving a growing number of people

By Howard B. Owens

The lines just seem to get longer and longer each month Pastor John Gariboldi and a group of volunteers host a free food pantry in the parking lot off Mill Street Park in Le Roy.

People come from throughout the region to gather up as much food as they can carry, all provided by Foodlink at no cost.

And it's good food, too. Fresh apples, bread, Greek yogurt along with sweet baked goods and cases of water.

"You get everything you can fit in your arms," Gariboldi said. "There are no requirements. Even if last week you went to another pantry, it doesn't matter."

The pantry is a Godsend, said Mary, from Geneseo, who adopted her granddaughter when she was 3 months old.

Mary is raising her granddaughter with only her Social Security check to cover household expenses.

"I got complete custody of her because her mother broke her back," Mary said. "I'll be 80 in November. I'm raising her. She's 14 now and I would love to see her graduate and I'm sure the Lord is going to let me."

Gariboldi said he's had a lifelong passion for helping the poor, the homeless and people in need. He became pastor of Penuel Christian Fellowship, 10 Main St., Le Roy, 10 years ago and started praying for the opportunity to feed the poor.

He got involved with Paul Ohlson and Care-a-Van Ministries in Le Roy.

"I met the Foodlink representative there and she said there was a high need in Genesee County and I thought, 'wow, this is a God thing,' " Gariboldi said. "I said 'would you be willing to do it in Le Roy?' and she said, 'yeah.' "

The pantry started slowly this summer, but by August, the line stretched from the parking lot up to the post office on Mill Street.

Last month, more than 100 people showed up even though it was pouring rain the entire morning.

"A long line shows that it kind of sucks," said Ashley, the mother of two children, a third on the way and a husband who can't work because of disabilities. "It shows that this place is so bad that people have to come out to get free food when there's no jobs."

Government assistance just isn't enough in this economy, Ashley said.

"I get food stamps, but sometimes food stamps isn't enough when you have growing kids," Ashley said. "They eat you out of house and home. I know it's not much, but at least I've got food on the table for my kids. They're not going to go hungry."

When people have a hard time getting food, social service experts call it "food insecurity." An estimated 14.7 percent of New York's residents live in food-insecure situations and 21.3 percent of children don't necessarily know where their next meal is coming from.

According to its Web site, Rochester-based Foodlink "rescues and redistributes more than 16 million pounds of food annually to a network of 450 member agencies in a 10-county service area: Allegany, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates counties."

In the past four years, Foodlink has seen a 30-percent increase in the number of people it serves.

Cheryl Maxwell, a Le Roy resident who teaches nutrition for Cornell Cooperative Extension, has been coming out to the Le Roy pantry almost from the start, and she said she's seen it grow and she thinks it's an economic issue.

"The last time out, it was pouring rain and they all came out and it was just amazing, the need that I saw," Maxwell said. "Some people might have bills to pay and if they can just get this little bit of extra food it might help them pay an electric bill or something throughout the month. With the economy the way it is, that little bit of food might help them get by and pay an extra bill."

Tracy, friends with Ashley, and a Batavia resident, said she has "a houseful of children" and a grandchild with cystic fibrosis. The food bank is a big help, she said, and not just because of the free food. It's also nice to know there are still people who help others.

"Even if it's just one bag of food, that bag of food is maybe a day or two worth of meals for a family that's having a rough time right now, so it really benefits them," Tracy said. "People need it nowadays to see that there are people out there who really do care."

Pastor Gariboldi delivers a mini-sermon for volunteers followed by a short prayer minutes before the food pantry line opens.

While Pastor Gariboldi hands out donuts, his son fills cups with cider for people waiting in line.

Sarah, from York, said with she and her husband and their child on a limited income, the free food from the pantry is a big help.

Mary brings her own cart to the pantry to gather food for her and her 14-year-old granddaughter, whom she's raising on just her Social Security benefits.

Tracy, left, and Ashley.

Photo: Town of Batavia's Ladder 25 sees first action in Albion

By Howard B. Owens

Town of Batavia's newest fire truck, Ladder 25, saw its first live firefighting Thursday at the large factory fire in Albion. Photo by John Spaulding, a Livingston County-based fire services photographer. For complete coverage of the fire and its aftermath, visit Orleans Hub and scroll down.

 

CORECTION: First structure fire. The truck was used in Ed Arnold Scrap fire. 

Two-car accident at Route 77 and Akron Road

By Billie Owens

A two-car accident with injuries is reported at Route 77 and Akron Road, Indian Falls. Pembroke and Indian Falls fire departments are responding, along with Mercy medics. A female complains of neck, side and back pain.

UPDATE 12:54 p.m.: Firefighters are working to extricate a victim(s).

UPDATE 1:22 p.m.: The firefighters are back in service.

Rollover accident on Bloomingdale Road in Alabama

By Billie Owens

A truck rolled over at 944 Bloomingdale Road at Griffin Road. The driver has minor injuries. Alabama Fire Department is on scene and Mercy medics are responding. The truck is leaking fluids and there is a van blocking the roadway.

UPDATE 12:11 p.m.: Alabama commands puts the medics back in service.

UPDATE 12:50 p.m.: The Alabama assignment is back in service.

Tonight's Ghost Walk at Batavia Cemetery cancelled due to weather

By Billie Owens

The Ghost Walk tonight at the historical Batavia Cemetery on Harvester Avenue is cancelled due to the weather. There will be another walk next Saturday, Oct. 26, weather permitting. People can call 343-0248 for more information.

Erratic driver allegedly displays weapon in dispute

By Billie Owens

Law enforcement is on scene with an erratic driver who displayed a weapon in some sort of dispute in the area of 5248 East Main St. in the Town of Batavia. The suspect vehicle is an SUV. An officer is speaking with the complainant.

Le Roy falls short of undefeated season with 34-29 loss to rival Cal-Mum

By Howard B. Owens

Friday night, under the bright lights of Hamilton Field, a clash of two historic rivals, the Oatka Knights of Le Roy and the Red Raiders of Caledonia-Mumford, was once again its own kind of Fall Classic.

The game was a back-and-forth battle between two well-stocked teams already guaranteed slots in sectional play. It was a fight to the end with the outcome uncertain until the Knights final drive stalled with 30 seconds left on the clock.

Only then, were the Raiders (6-1) assured their six-point lead would hold for a 34-29 victory over Le Roy (6-1).

"I thought it was a great atmosphere for high school football," said Brian Moran, in his 25th season as head coach for Le Roy. "It's just great for both communities. Obviously, we hate to come out on the down side of this, but you know what, it's great for the kids, it's great for the communities and I just thought it was a great atmosphere for high school football and this is what it's about."

The player of the game was Cal-Mum senior QB Kurtis Haut, who rushed for 248 yards and three TDs on 24 carries.

Play after play, it seemed at times, Cal-Mum called QB keepers and Haut would find a hole and exploit it.

Arm tackles couldn't stop Haut who ran through defenders like they were turnstiles in a packed subway station.

Asked for the key to the game and Moran said that was it: Haut.

"Hey that five is pretty good, isn't he?" Moran said. "That's the game right there. The whole story line is him. He's a great athlete and he played a great football game tonight. They made a few more playes than we did and they deserve the win."

Le Roy played well, but not quite good enough. Moran acknowledged the Knights needed to execute a little better, make a few more plays, play better defense, make better tackles and finish off the game offensively.

"We've got to finish it that's the main thing," Moran said. "In a game like today, you've got to be able to make those plays and you've got to be able to go to the last second. I thought we had a chance late but we just didn't make the play when we needed to."

Junior QB Mike McMullen showed a lot of poise with the game on the line, getting the ball with two minutes left and bringing his team deep into Raider territory, but with a minute left on the clock, one last completed pass to advance the ball eluded the Knights' offense.

McMullen finished 18 for 33 for 192 yards and four TDs.

The knights opened the scoring with 3:56 left in the first quarter on a nine-yard pass from McMullen to Jon Pierce, who had six receptions for 86 yards and two TDs on the night.

Cal-Mum answered near the end of the quarter on a 16-yard run by Haut, and so the game went until the fourth quarter, with both sides trading scores.

In the fourth quarter, the Raiders put together the only back-to-back, unanswered scoring drives of the game and that proved pivotal in this match.

A 30-yard field goal by Pierce with 3:09 left in the 4th brought the Knights within six points and a chance for a win those final minutes.

Tom Kelso helped carry the offense with 13 carries for 102 yards. Peter Privitera had 11 carries for 27 yards and Nick Egeling gained 17 yards on five touches. Egeling also had five receptions for 48 yards.

Ryan McQuillen scored twice on four receptions for 43 yards.

On defense, Zack Fitzsimmons had seven tackles, Anthony Paladino, five, Egeling, four, Kelso, four, Lamkin, four, and Steve Cappotelli, four, and a fumble recovery.

Also on Friday night:

Alexander (6-1) beat Pembroke 41-0. Dylan Scharlau, 17 carries for 141 yards and one TD. Will Burke seven carries for 52 yeards. Tristan Alding nine touches for 75 yards. Tyler Laird scored a TD and had 25 yards on four rushes. Burke was 5 for 8 passing for 105 yards and 3 touchdowns.  Sam Browne, 2 catches for 61 yards and a TD.  He also had a 65 yard punt return for a score. Zach Laird had an 11-yard TD reception and Jacob Riggs had a 15-yard TD reception. Pembroke had only 49 yards total offense. Tyler Laird had seven tackles and one sack and one fumble recovery. With a share of the GR league title, it's the first time Alexander has come out on top in the division since 1977.

Elba/Byron-Bergen plays at Finney today. Oakfield-Alabama is at Holley. Batavia is at Olympia.

Lamkin forces a Joe Cappotelli fumble in the second quarter.

Haut scores on a 50-yard TD run late in the second quarter.

Pierce hauls in 52-yard TD pass from McCullen early in the third quarter.

McQuillen looks for and gets a pass interference call during the Knights' final possession in the closing minutes fo the game.

To purchase prints of photos, click here.

Attica runs past ND, forces three-way tie for G-R title

By Nick Sabato

Attica took home a share of the Genesee Region League championship after defeating Notre Dame, 28-14.

Notre Dame came into the contest with a chance to finish undefeated in the regular season, and win the league outright for the first time since 2002. For Attica, a win would guarantee them at least a share of the league title. It would also guarantee them home field advantage in the first round of sectionals, and it would avenge a loss to the Fighting Irish almost exactly one year ago that cost them the league championship.

It would be Attica who would come out on top in this game, forcing a three-way tie with Notre Dame and Alexander.

The Blue Devils saw the return of star running back Matt Perry, who missed the last two games due to injury, and they felt his impact immediately. Perry ripped off a long run to put Attica deep into Notre Dame territory, before he finished off the drive with a 24-yard touchdown run less than five minutes into the game.

Notre Dame would respond a few minutes later after their star, quarterback Tim McCulley, took off on a 58-yard touchdown run to knot the game at 7.

Neither team could gain the upper-hand throughout the second quarter, with Attica getting the best opportunity of the frame after they stopped an Irish fake punt attempt inside their own 20 with five seconds left in the half. The Devils would miss a field goal as time expired and the score remained tied at halftime.

Perry would strike again, ripping off a long run to set up another seven-yard touchdown scamper early into the third quarter to take a 14-7 lead. Attica would strike again less than two minutes later after Jake Dollard scored on a 40-yard run to take a two-score lead.

The Irish refused to go away, however, as they cut the lead in half just before the end of the third quarter as McCulley found Jason Hart in the end zone on a six-yard pass just after McCulley found Josh Johnson on a 32-yard pass and catch on third down to move the chains.

Attica would once again respond, as they began their ensuing possession at midfield. Jake Strzelec, who scored two touchdowns a week ago, would scamper 23 yards to regain their 14-point lead just a minute into the fourth quarter.

The Blue Devil defense would hold strong in the fourth quarter, keeping Notre Dame out of the end zone, including a big stand on fourth down at the Attica 16-yard line with just four minutes to play in the game.

“We challenged our team,” said Attica Head Coach Rob Cusmano. “We had worked hard all season. It has been 366 days since [Notre Dame] beat us. They thought about that and worked very hard since then.”

Notre Dame struggled to find their rhythm on offense all night, as the Attica defense held the Irish to 163 yards of total offense, including 35 on the ground.

After throwing six touchdown passes a week ago, McCulley was held to just 12-of-34 passing for 128 yards and was sacked eight times.

“We didn’t execute,” said Notre Dame Head Coach Rick Mancuso. “We dropped a couple of balls, missed a couple of blocks and they played well defensively. We didn’t make good of the opportunities when we had them, they are a very good ball club.”

The return of Perry was a key factor for the Blue Devils as he picked up 162 yards on 29 carries, and also caught two passes for 44 yards.

However, Attica’s team attack was just as potent on the ground as they racked up 302 rushing yards, 69 from Strzelec.

“Matt [Perry] makes a huge difference,” Cusmano said. “They were keying him in the second half so we hit Stzelec and Dollard for long runs. Perry is a great runner, but we have two other great guys, too.”

While the Irish failed to win the league outright, they still claim a share of the crown along with Attica and Alexander, who defeated Pembroke 41-0. The Trojans defeated Attica three weeks ago, while Notre Dame beat Alexander earlier this season. All three teams finish the regular season with a record of 6-1.

Notre Dame should also still maintain the top seed in Class D as they hold the head-to-head tiebreaker with Alexander.

“Our goal was to make sectionals,” Mancuso said. “That’s our goal: to make sectionals and then win it, and hopefully we go a little bit further than we did last year.”

Caller reports hearing gunshots on Myrtle Street in Le Roy

By Billie Owens

A caller reports hearing four gunshots in the area of Myrtle Street in Le Roy. Police are responding.

UPDATE 7:33 p.m.: One person at a business told an officer he heard four sounds. Other people officers spoke with in the vicinity said they heard nothing unusual. Police are back in service.

Batavia PD seeks public's help in its investigation of Liberty Street store burglary

By Billie Owens

Press release:

The Batavia Police Department is investigating a forcible entry burglary at the I.D. Booth, Plumbing, Heating and Electrical Supply at 60 Liberty St.

The crime took place between 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17, and 3 a.m. this morning, Friday, Oct. 18.

Suspects made forcible entry into the business and committed the larceny of a large quantity of Milwaukee brand power and hand tools.

Anyone with information is requested to contact the Batavia Police Department at 585-345-6350. Persons may also provide information via the Batavia Police Department's Confidential Tip Line at 585-345-6370 or by accessing the Suspicious Activity link of the Web site of the Batavia Police Department.

Felony arrest warrant issued for suspect in State Street shots-fired incident

By Howard B. Owens

A felony warrant has been issued for a suspect in the State Street shots-fired incident Sept. 27 as police continue their investigation of that matter as well as the report of shots fired on Jackson Street on Oct. 8.

Police are looking for information on the whereabouts of Batavia resident Dashawn Allen Butler, who is described as a black male, 34 years old, 6' 2" and 183 lbs.

Butler, who has prior arrests in the city, has resided at 101 Summit St.

According to a law enforcement source, Butler was questioned in connection with a shots-fired incident at Walmart on Jan. 22. The following month, the mechanic for a resident who had been at Walmart that evening discovered a bullet had hit the radiator of the car driven by the resident.

Batavia PD can be reached at (585) 345-6350, or the confidential tip line is (585) 345-6370.

Residents are cautioned not to try to apprehend or detain Butler. If seen, witnesses are asked to call 9-1-1 immediately.

According to a release from Batavia PD, investigators are continuing to follow and develop leads in the two recent incidents.

Physical evidence was recovered at the Jackson Street scene and was sent to the NYS Police Forensic Investigation Center in Albany for DNA and fingerprint analysis.

Investigators believe three people were involved in the Jackson Street incident. Two people were identified and questioned and one has been detained on an alleged parole violation and is being questioned further by Batavia PD.

The department is working with members of the Local Drug Enforcement Task Force (the local major crimes unit) and NYS Parole.

“Batavia is not going to tolerant this type of violence,” said Chief Shawn Heubusch in a statement. “We are committed to providing safe neighborhoods for our residents and Police Department and citizen collaboration is vital to maintaining a safe City.”    

Pavilion soccer team avoids taking a loss in 2013 season

By Howard B. Owens

Photo and information provided by Tracy Norway.

The seventh- and eighth-grade soccer team from Pavilion went undefeated in 2013, finishing with a record of 11-0-2.

From left, Josh O'Neill, Timmy Zipfel, Joe O'Neill, Zach Weidrich, Cody Penders, Ryan Moffatt, Brandon Wilson, Matt Bernard, Jason Normandin, Coach Hollinger.

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