A motor-vehicle accident, believed to be with minor injuries, is reported at Route 98 and Stroh Road. Alexander Ambulance and Fire Department are responding.

UPDATE 3:31 p.m.: A fireman on scene reports there are no injuries and it is not blocking traffic. Ambulance is cancelled.

UPDATE 4:03 p.m.: There were two sign-offs and one patient is being taken to UMMC.

UPDATE 4:13 p.m.: The patient is a 20-year-old male complaining of head and right knee pain. Alexander fire is back in service.

Press release:

A new offer to purchase the Wiss Hotel from the Village of Le Roy has been submitted to the village by Le Roy New York, LLC. The new offer eliminates the prior provision that the village loan the group money to purchase the property. The village board will provide the opportunity to residents to appear at the beginning of its meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 12, in the Le Roy Village Hall to comment on the proposal.

UPDATE: The backers of the project have established an e-mail address for people who would like information regarding the Wiss Hotel Project and the formation of the LeRoyNY LLC.  It is WissHotelProject@gmail.com.

The first night of Taste of the Holidays in Downtown Batavia had hundreds of people turn out to sample food from local restaurants and visit downtown merchants.

The event continues from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, with Jason the Juggler, music by Bart & Kevin, and horse and wagon rides.

Donors drove up to Ken Barrett Chevrolet and Cadillac today by the dozens to deliver presents for Genesee County youngsters who might not otherwise get a visit from Santa and filled up two pickup trucks with new toys.

It was one of the biggest hauls for the toy drives in recent years.

Besides a big donation from Genesee ARC, the folks at Lawley Genesee (above) turned up in a Mancuso limo on the way to a Christmas party and dropped off several toys.

Pictured above are Lt. Marty Hinz and Chuck Harmon, of the City of Batavia Fire Department, Beth George, Nancy Hale, Patricia Kurtz, Tom Ditzel, Marissa Weaver, Susie Boyce, Wendy MacKay, Kim Morello.

Dan Fischer of WBTA with Kurtz.

Firefighter Green and Mary Blevins, manager of the Batavia branch of Key Bank.

Blevins with WBTA's Sloan Martin.

Edward and Beverly Corcoran were honored today by the UMMC Foundation and the Jerome Foundation with the 28th annual Health and Humanitarian Award.

The Corcorans founded and run Stephen’s Table, a soup kitchen that provides lunches six times a week, on average to 30 people a day.

The Corcorans prepare the meal each day. A typical lunch is homemade soup, sandwich, fruit, dessert and beverage. Volunteers help serve the meal. Ed and Beverly spend hours each week visiting local businesses that donate food to Stephen’s Table. Mrs. Corcoran also completes reports and correspondence.

The lunch was held at Terry Hills.

Alexander native and rising star soprano Emily Tworek-Helenbrook will perform with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra on Saturday night in a program titled "A Classical Christmas."

Fresh from her recent appearance on the nationally broadcast radio show "From the Top," she will perform pieces by Handel and Massenet. The concert is at 8 p.m. at the Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle, in Buffalo. Tickets range in price from $32 to $77.

Tworek-Helenbrook has performed at the Music Festival of Perugia in Italy, and with the Rochester Philharmonic, Genesee Symphony and with other regional groups. She is studying at Eastman School of Music and the University of Rochester, in the dual degree program for vocal performance and pre-law.

JoAnn Falletta will conduct this concert, which also features music from Amahl and the Night Visitors and works by John Rutter and Leroy Anderson.

Tickets are available by calling (716) 885-5000 or visiting www.bpo.org.

The premiere of the Circle of Giving, a charitable event hosted by Community Action of Orleans & Genesee and local Girl Scouts, is Saturday afternoon at Byron-Bergen High School in the cafeteria. Time is 1 to 3 p.m.

The opening ceremony for the new initiative will begin promptly at 1:15 p.m.

Pat Standish, founder of Angels in Action in Genesee County, will tell a story of hope and inspiration.

You are invited to become a Junior Angel in Giving by providing new or clean, gently used items in good condition. All donations for this event will remain in Genesee County. There will be four donation stations set up:

• Food and Toys
• Pet Supplies
• Coats/Gloves/Hats
• Gift-wrapping supplies

In addition, enjoy holiday crafts and make Christmas cards that will be delivered along with the gifts to the needy. Cookies and punch will be provided. The school is located at 6917 W. Bergen Road in Bergen.

Press release:

The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Committee has announced the 2012 Annual Award Dinner will be held on Saturday, April 13 at the Clarion Hotel, Park Road, Batavia. This is the county’s premier event that honors businesses and individuals for their achievements in business, community service and volunteerism.    

The chamber has streamlined its nomination forms to make submissions less cumbersome and time consuming. Please note that a brief write-up will qualify your nominee for consideration. Nominations are now being accepted for Business of the Year, Entrepreneurial Business of the Year, Agricultural Business of the Year, Innovative Enterprise of the Year, Special Service Recognition, and Geneseeans of the Year. Business nominees must be a chamber member (If unsure of your nominee's status, call the chamber to verify). 

Nomination forms are available at the chamber of commerce office, 210 E. Main St., Batavia, and can also be down loaded from the chamber Web site at www.geneseeny.com. 

Nominations MUST BE RECEIVED BY JAN. 11 to be considered.

If you would like more information, feel free to call Kelly J. Bermingham, director of Membership & Special Events at the chamber office, 343-7440, ext. 26.

The Genesee County Economic Development Center Board has approved the following projects:

KNW Manufacturing, 35 Spring St., Bergen. The company is moving its mold injection business from Ogden to a 2,012-square-foot building in Bergen. The building is already under a PILOT tax abatement issued in 2007. GCEDC is re-assigning the PILOT to KNW Manufacturing. The PILOT will expire in 2018 as scheduled. No other tax abatements are offered for this project. The move will create 10 new jobs in Genesee County.

Yancey's Fancy, $150,000 from revolving loan fund. Project is an interim plant expansion and equipment upgrades to support ongoing business and growth during a period that Yancey's Fancy is awaiting sewer construction in Pembroke. A larger project is expected to begin construction in early 2013 and be completed within the following 12 months. There are no tax abatements with the interim project.

Callahan Motion Control, $100,000 from revolving loan fund. CMC is buying the assets of Callahan Weber Hydraulics, an existing sales and service center in Darien. A local bank is financing the majority of the project through a coordinated program with Empire State Development. The program will save the company from 2 to 3 percent in interest over the next four years. GCEDC is providing a gap loan from its revolving loan fund to help finance the $434,000 project. CMC will also receive a mortgage tax exemption of $5,425. The company provides sales, service and repair of hydraulic components and systems for use in industry, agriculture, construction, gas drilling, lumber and mining industries.

Trevon L. Armstrong is indicted on counts of burglary, 2nd, criminal possession of stolen property, 4th, two counts of criminal mischief, 4th, falsely reporting an incident, 3rd, six counts of forgery, 2nd, three counts of offering a false instrument for filing and tampering with a witness, 4th. Armstrong is accused of entering a residence on East Avenue on Oct. 9 with the intent to commit a crime inside the residence. Armstrong is accused of possessing stolen property, a 46-inch Hisense LCD TV, a HP laptop computer and two boxes of jewelry. Armstrong is accused of damaging a window at the East Avenue property, as well as a door. Armstrong is accused of falsely reporting a burglary at a neighboring residence. He is accused of falsely implicating another person in possessing the stolen property. He is accused of signing a fake name on a fingerprint card, a witness statement and a deposition, as well as other government documents. Armstrong also allegedly tried to keep another person from testifying before the grand jury.

Earl F. Sprague III, is indicted on a count of criminal solicitation, 2nd. Sprague is accused of trying to engage another person in a Class A felony, murder in the second degree.

Janet M. Brady is indicted on counts of felony DWI, felony DWI with a child under age 15 in the car. Brady is accused of driving drunk Aug. 9 in the parking lot of Darien Lake Theme Park, Darien.

Martin F. Jones is indicted on counts of felony DWI, two counts of aggravated unlicensed operation and criminal mischief, 4th. Jones is accused of driving drunk Oct. 9 in the City of Batavia in the parking lot of Settler's Restaurant and Hess Mart. He is accused of damaging property at Settler's Restaurant with a value that exceeds $250.

Dennis E. Hopkins is indicted on charges of burglary, 3rd, and grand larceny, 4th. Hopkins is accused of entering a residence in February on Lewiston Road, Batavia, with the intention of committing a crime inside. He is accused of stealing $2,000 in cash.

Guillermo Roman Roque is indicted on three counts of incest, 3rd. Roque is accused of having sexual relations with a person he knew to be a family relative.

Elaina J. Mead is indicted on counts of menacing a police officer, assault, 2nd, criminal possession of a weapon, 3rd, and obstructing governmental administration, 2nd. Mead is accused of placing a knife to the chest of a deputy while attempting to block the arrest of her son, Michael Mead Sr., on June 17. Mead is accused of intentionally injuring a Le Roy police officer with a knife. She is accused of unlawfully using a knife as a weapon. She is accused of attempting to prevent the arrest of another person.

James Smith Jr.,  is indicted on counts of criminal possession of a weapon, two counts of menacing, 2nd, and assault, 2nd. Smith is accused of using a weapon with the intent to injure another person. He allegedly displayed a knife. He allegedly injured another person using a knife on July 22.

Most viewed posts for November:

• BREAKING: Jacquetta Simmons sentenced to five years in prison
• Dollar General store on East Main Street in Batavia just robbed, by Billie Owens
• Popular local restaurant closes for good after most recent cook quits without notice
• BREAKING: Prison sentence for Jacquetta Simmons stayed pending appeal
• Three people injured, two needing helicopter transport, in accident on West Main Street, Batavia
• Church burglar gets near maximum sentence from Noonan
• Another good bow season for Batavia's Pietrzykowski brothers, by Jim Nigro
• Batavia PD seeks assistance in identifying Dollar General robbery suspect
• Rowell Mansion finding new life in the hands of couple with Hollywood and Batavia ties
• Today's Poll: Are you surprised that Obama won?

Submitted by Tom Ingalsbe:

Members of the Batavia Teachers' Association pose for a picture at the culmination of their "No Shave November" competition. The competition raised nearly $200 for Anna's Wish and the Kay Dean Memorial Scholarship Fund. For more information on Anna's Wish, please go to http://www.annaswish.org/.

Press release:

Local entrepreneur Tim Walton, has decided to pull the plug on bringing a teen nightclub to Batavia after many hurdles and a bigger opportunity.

Walton had plans to turn the former Powerhouse Gym into a 7,500-square-foot venue that would cater toward the under-21 crowd, bringing them dances, parties and other events to keep them out of trouble.

The process had been delayed several times by the city due to codes that had to be met.

"We installed a sprinkler system, then needed another entrance, so we made that, then needed this and that, and things just kept adding up," Walton said.

Despite the setbacks, Walton said that the main reason for pulling the plug was due to bigger opportunities that were presented to him.

Walton recently took over as marketing and events director at LUX Nightclub in Buffalo.

"I got an offer that I couldn't turn down," Walton said. "It's the largest nightclub in the area so it's a great opportunity to do what I love to do."

The building at 624 E. Main St, which Walton had leased for a little over a year, has been put back up for lease by building owner Ken Mistler and Walton still has hopes to see something similar in there.

"It's a great wide-open structure that would be a great business opportunity for the right person, and I'd even be willing to help promote it if something were to come about in there," Walton said. 

Although the club is no longer in the works, Walton still hasn't given up on bringing quality entertainment to the area.

"It's something that people enjoy and it's something I have the experience to bring to the city," he said.

Currently, he has scheduled for Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stevie Johnson to make an appearance at City Slickers. The appearance will be headlined by Johnson's cousin, national recording artist YB the Rockstar (Ya Boy) and Batavia native DJ Macy Paradise. The event is set for Dec. 21. That event is sponsored by IR Systems DirecTV and The Batavian.

Press release:

The Board of Education of the Oakfield-Alabama Central School District has a vacancy on the board. This vacancy will be filled by a special election on Jan. 24.

The newly elected member will serve the remainder of a three-year term set to expire on June 30, 2015.

Qualifications for membership on a school board include:

• Must be able to read and write;
• Must be a qualified voter of the district; that is, a citizen of the United States, at least 18 years of age or older;
• Must be and have been a resident (but need not be a taxpayer) of the district for a continuous and uninterrupted period of at least one year;
• May not have been removed from any school district office within the preceding year;
• May not reside with another member of the same school board as a member of the same family;
• May not be a current employee of the school board;
• May not simultaneously hold another incompatible public office.

All interested candidates are invited to pick up a Petition for Board Member Nomination form from the district office, Monday through Friday between 7:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

There was a long line of people waiting for tattoos this morning at 10 when High Voltage Tattoo and Piercing opened its doors for its second annual fundraising event.

The event continues on Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with patrons being able to choose from a set of predetermined designs for $30 per tattoo and piercings for $20 (includes jewelry).

All proceeds benefit Don Carroll's Toys for Kids and Golisano Children's Hospital.

High voltage is located at 110 W. Main St., Batavia.

Above, Kenny McCarthy inks John Veitch with a four-leaf clover.

H.E. Turner Funeral Homes hosted their annual Service of Prayer and Remembrance this evening at Grace Baptist Church, Batavia. The service is a chance for local families to remember and honor loved ones who have passed on in the last year. A candle is lit for each of the departed and family members are encouraged to take the candle home and light it on Christmas morning.

Pastor Donal Shirk spoke briefly during the service, which featured hymns and prayers.

For music lovers, the best place to be in Batavia this afternoon was Terry Hills, where Serendipity Swing serenaded a lunch crowd of more than 100 people.

Chef Gene Hewitt (pictured below) prepared a lavish buffet lunch that featured fish, roast beaf, soups (including Terry Hill's famous seafood bisque) and salad.

NOTE: A reader contacted us recently suggesting we look into what happens to dead deer left by the side of the road. So we looked into it ...

Dispatchers often call them car vs. deer accidents, but the deer never wins.

If it doesn't die on the spot, a deputy is called to deliver the coup de grâce. 

Some deer are just left to die by the side of the road and when that happens, there can be some expense to county taxpayers for disposal of the animals.

According to Tim Hens, county superintendent of highways, when the county had a contractor to remove the deer, the fee was $30 per animal.

On average, the county had 160 deer a year removed for an approximate expense of $4,800 per year.

The contractor used to feed the dead deer to mink he raised, but recently discontinued his deer pick-up business, Hens said.

That has left county workers the task of disposing of the carcasses.

"It is just not as cost effective when you factor in the loss of productivity to leave an active job to run across the county to pick up one deer," Hens said. "It might be different if you could wait a few days and pick up several in one trip, but most residents don't like the deer lying there for more than a day or two, especially in the summer."

Hens said the county is collecting quotes from potential new contractors and hope to resume a paid pick-up service in 2013.

Not all dead deer go to waste, however. Some become venison stew, steaks or hamburger.

If a driver reports a deer strike, the driver has first dibs on getting the animal tagged, or dispatchers maintain a list of people who might be interested in claiming the animal.

Drivers are only required to report the collision with a deer if their vehicle sustained more than $1,000 in damage or they need an accident report for insurance purposes.

So far in 2012 (as of a week ago), there have been 512 car vs. deer accidents reported to Genesee County dispatchers. In 2011, there were 514. In 2010, 406 (stats from earlier years are harder for clerks at the Sheriff's Office to retrieve from records, so we didn't request those figures).

There are no special permits necessary, according to Linda Vera, spokeswoman for the DEC, to remove deer for disposal purposes.

If a deer carcass is off the road, a farmer can just scoop it up with a loader or drag it off with a tractor and dump it in the woods.

"The DEC encourages the composting of animal carcasses, but the animals are allowed to be disposed of in landfills or other approved disposal areas," Vera said.