Alabama

There is a rollover accident on Council House Road on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation.

There was initially a report of a serious injury and Mercy Flight was being dispatched.

There is also a report that a person has fled from the scene.

Alabama Fire and Mercy EMS are responding.

UPDATE: A first responder says there is nobody in the vehicle.

A man who was a hero to his country and his community was laid to rest in Alabama this afternoon.

Thomas Alan Cortright, 56, of Basom, died Sunday at his residence after a lengthy illness.

Cortright received the the Distinguished Flying Cross while serving in Vietnam in 1972-73. He was also Fire Police captain for the Town of Alabama Volunteer Fire Department and worked as grounds keeper for the State Police barracks in Batavia.

"He may have been the most decorated veteran in Genesee County," said Ron Konieczny, commander of Batavia's American Legion post.

At least 100 people attended his burial shortly after noon in the Town of Alabama cemetery, including numerous members of Alabama Fire and volunteer firefighters from throughout the county. Friends, family and fellow veterans also attended.

Cortright was honored with a 21-gun salute and the playing of taps while his mother, Eleanor Sullivan Cortright, and his wife, Mary Ann Brodfuerer Cortright, sat beside his flag-draped casket.

For the full obituary, and a complete list of all his military honors, click here.

Elizabeth R. George, 19, of 587 Council House Road, Tonawanda Indian Reservation, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Mickey Aaron Jacobs, 18, of Poodry Road, Basom, is charged with menacing, 2nd. George and Jacobs were arrested as a result of an ongoing investigation into an alleged incident on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation at 4:14 a.m., July 21. Previously arrested were Cara L. Skye and Stormy Skye. George allegedly punched another person in the face a couple of times. Jacobs allegedly brandished a rifle, which reportedly caused fear in one witness, who was told to "back off" during the argument.

Timothy J. Becker, 45, of 653 Ellicott St., Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Becker is accused of pushing another person during a domestic incident. The person who was pushed fell down a flight of stairs. Becker was jailed on $1,500 bail.

Michael A. Shelter, 20, of 1050 Lewiston Road, Alabama, is charged with DWI, failure to stop at a stop sign and inadequate exhaust on vehicle. Shelter was stopped at 3:51 a.m., Saturday, on Washington Avenue by Officer Dan Coffey.

Jameson A. Crocker, 23, of 117 Walnut St., Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and unsafe lane change. Crocker was stopped at 2:36 a.m., Sunday, on West Main Street in the city by Officer Mark Lawrence.

Sean P. Flynn, 24, address not provided, is charged with DWI and moving from lane unsafely. Flynn was stopped at 11:29 p.m., Friday, on Route 33, Pembroke, by Deputy Brad Mazur.

Douglas Scott Sprague, 43, of South Pearl Street, Oakfield, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Sprague is accused of punching another person in the back of the head.

Sean N. Lindquist, 48, of Judge Road, Alabama, is charged with DWI and failure to keep right. Lindquist was stopped at 9:24 p.m., Friday, on Ledge Road in Alabama by Deputy Jason Diehl. Further charges possible pending lab results.

Ryan Micael Flatley, 23, of Union Road, Cheektowaga, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and making a U-turn at grade. Flatley was found stuck off the road at 12:19 a.m., Saturday, on Tinkham Road in Darien by Sgt. Brian Frieday. Flatley apparently tried to make a U-turn and became stuck.

Name Redacted Upon Request, 18, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, was arrested on a bench warrant stemming from charges of reckless endangerment and harassment, 2nd. xxxx was reportedly spotted in the parking lot of Department of Social Services by a probation officer who knew of the warrant for a failure to pay a fine in Town of Le Roy Court. xxxxxx was detained until Sheriff's deputies arrived. He was jailed on $500 bail.

Melissa Courtney Kent, 18, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Kent is accused of stealing several items from a car parked near a party on Route 19, Town of Le Roy, over Memorial Day weekend.

A car has hit a house at 1522 Ledge Road, Basom.

The driver is reportedly disoriented.

Alabama Fire and Mercy EMS are responding.

No other vehicles are involved.

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Cara L. Skye, 22, of South Loop, Steamburg, and Stormy Skye, 18, of Skye Road, Basom, are accused of being involved in an altercation at 4:14 a.m., Wednesday, in the area of Council House Road and Meadville Road, Town of Alabama. Cara Skye is accused of punching a woman and taking away her mobile phone while she was attempting to call 9-1-1. Cara Skye's brother, Stormy Skye, allegedly took the phone and smashed it on the roadway. Cara Skye is charged with robbery, 3rd. Stormy Skye is charged with criminal mischief, 4th. The investigation is continuing and additional arrests are anticipated. The investigation is being handled by Deputy Kevin McCarthy, Inv. Roger Stone, Inv. Kris A. Kautz, Inv. Timothy Weis and Juvenile Officer Christopher Erion.

Michael C. Hill Jr., 18, of 25 Bacon St., Le Roy, is charged with one count of criminal possession of a weapon, 4th. Sgt. Timothy Hayes and Det. John Condidorio investigated a report of a disturbance in Mill Street Park. It was alleged that Hill was at the park discussing an issue with another person. The talk became heated and Hill allegedly pulled out a four-inch hunting knife. Somehow, Hill was disarmed. The police were called. The knife was located in Oatka Creek.

Michael J. Hilton, 19, no permanent address, was picked up by Le Roy Police on a bench warrant for alleged failure to comply with terms of his release. Hilton previously pled guilty to burglary, 3rd. Hilton was jailed pending an appearance in Genesee County Court.

James M. Alvut, 46, of Batavia, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Alvut was stopped by State Police at 5:15 p.m., Tuesday, on Bank Street Road, Batavia.

A 16-year-old Elba resident is charged with disorderly conduct and obstructing traffic. The youth was arrested by State Police for an alleged incident in Elba at 9:07 p.m., Saturday. No further details were released.

While out in Alabama today I spotted these two cars for sale at the corner of Bloomingdale Road and Route 77 and thought they looked pretty interesting together.

(Update II at 2:19 p.m.)

A late night fire at a Presbyterian Church on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation may have been deliberately set, according to Tim Yaeger, emergency management coordinator for Genesee County.

The fire is under investigation by the Genesee County Sheriff's Office, the Alabama Fire Department and Yaeger's office.

Chief Deputy Jerome Brewster said the fire was spotted by a person driving by the church who saw an orange glow through the windows. He turned around, confirmed the fire and called dispatch at 11:05 p.m..

"It's on the further recesses of the reservation," Brewster said. "I'm surprised somebody was out driving by that church that late. Not a lot of people drive through there at 11 o'clock at night. It's very remote."

Quick action by three Alabama Fire chiefs who arrived on scene at the same time kept the fire from causing more serious damage.

Chief Bill Schutt said he and assistant chiefs Andy Merkel and Gary Patnode realized shortly after arriving on scene at 6978 Meadville Road that the biggest fire was confined to a piano, so they used extinguishers to put it out. They dealt with some additional flames using water in an ice cooler that had been left in the church. A fire hose was needed only to deal with some minor extension into a wall.

"Minimal water was used," Schutt said.

Brewster said whoever set the fire, set several small fires inside the building. No accelerant was used and because it was extinguished quickly, there was no structural damage.

The most serious damage was to the piano.

There are no suspects yet, though several church members and the original caller were interviewed. Because it's a church fire, and therefore a potential hate crime, ATF and the FBI were notified, per protocol.

Brewster described the church congregation as small and they meet only once a month with an out-of-town pastor conducting services. The church did meet yesterday.

"Our crew along with Indian Falls, who responded, too, did a good job," Schutt said. "It could have been much worse."

NOTE: I went to the scene to get a picture of the church, which is now boarded up, and when I spoke to a Tribal Council member, he said I couldn't publish the picture without council approval, and the earliest approval could be granted would be tomorrow. So, no picture.

Joseph S. Martaus, 26, of 14 Overlook Drive, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving under the influence of drugs, controlled substance not in original container, possession of a hypodermic instrument, disobeying pavement markings. At 6:48 p.m., Wednesday,  Batavia Police responded to a report of an individual who appeared either drunk or ill getting behind the wheel of a car. The caller provided the license plate number of the car and a vehicle description. The vehicle was located and stopped on Ellicott Street. Martaus was allegedly unable to pass a field sobriety test. An officer who is an expert in recognizing the influence of drugs responded to the scene and determined Martaus was allegedly also driving under the influence of drugs. He was jailed on $500 bail. Officers Mark Lawrence, Eric Hill and Jason Davis were involved in the arrest.

Daniel D. Reese, 55, of 97 Abbott St., Rochester, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, and following too close. Reese was reportedly involved in a rear-end accident in the area of 210 E. Main St., Batavia, at 4:51 p.m., Wednesday. Officer Chris Camp conducted a field sobriety test and found Reese was allegedly driving drunk. Reese was booked and released on an appearance ticket.

Christopher Lawrence Bauld, 21, of Kinmont Drive, Rochester, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, no front license plate. Bauld was stopped at 8:22 p.m., Wednesday, on Route 77 in Alabama by Deputy James Diehl for allegedly having no front license plate.

Kelsey Anne Sanders, 23, of E. Main Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Sanders is accused of shoplifting from Kmart.

Louis Alfredo Mercado, 22, of Bank Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Mercado is accused of shoplifting from Kmart.

Jacob John McCowen, 26, of Oak Street, Warsaw, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. McCowen is accused of visiting the residence of, and calling a person in Pavilion whom he'd been ordered not to contact.

A one-vehicle accident has been reported at Griffin and Bloomingdale roads, on the Tonawanda Reservation.

There is an injury.

Alabama Fire is responding along with Mercy EMS.

Melissa C. Kent, 18, of 131 State St., Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property, 4th. Kent is accused of being with Kyle Monroe when he made purchases at a local store using an allegedly stolen credit card. Monroe is accused of stealing a credit card from a car on Gateway Drive on June 14.

Juanita Jackson, 53, of 214 Ellicott St., Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. While investigating a report of two children fighting, Officer Kevin DeFelice found that a 9-year-old had allegedly been left to care for a 3-year-old. The 3-year-old was reportedly left alone in the house. Jackson was located and arrested.

Annette C. Eleczko, 50, of Gilbert Street, Le Roy, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and failure to dim headlights. Eleczko was stopped at 11:20 p.m., Saturday, on Route 77 in Pembroke by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

Lisa Marie Elmore, 45, of Pearl Street, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and failure to dim headlights. Elmore was stopped at 2:37 a.m., Sunday, on Route 33, Batavia, by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

Jamie Lynn Haseley, 25, of 30th Street, Niagara Falls, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and driving left of pavement markings. Haseley was stopped at 11:06 p.m. on Harlow Road, Darien, by Deputy Kevin McCarthy.

Cheryl Adele Vagg, 53, of Warsaw, is charged with promoting prison contraband and unlawful possession of marijuana. Vagg was arrested at 3 a.m., Sunday. She was allegedly found to have marijuana in her purse while in Genesee County Jail.

Abram W. Harrison, 21, of Pratt Road, Batavia, is charged with driving while impaired by drugs. Harrison was stopped at 9:57 p.m., Friday, in the Walmart parking lot by Deputy Chad Minuto.

Jarrett Tyler Pietrowski, 21, of Broadway Road, Lancaster, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, criminal possession of a controlled substance, improper right turn, failure to keep right. Pietrowski was stopped at 1:40 a.m., Saturday, on Route 20 in Darien by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

Tashara Moore, 28, of Andrews Avenue, Cheektowaga, is charged with petit larceny.  Moore and James Alfred Hicks, 40, of Andrews Avenue, Cheektowaga, were detained by loss prevention officers at Kmart, where they were accused of trying to steal more than $450 in merchandise.

Adam James Robertson, 23, of Pennels Drive, Rochester, is charged with assault, 3rd. Robertson is accused of breaking the arm of another person while attending the Dave Matthews concert at Darien Lake on June 2.

Justin Mathew Forrester, 29, of Evergreen Circle, Fairport, was arrested in Monroe County on a family court warrant and turned over to the Genesee County Sheriff's Office.

Robert J. VanPelt, 33, of Council House Road, Alabama, is charged with vehicular assault, 1st, DWI and driving with a BAC of .18 or greater. VanPelt's arrest stems from an investigation into a motor vehicle accident May 2 at 7605 Sandhill Road.

Michelle A. Parker is indicted on four counts, including grand larceny, 3rd, petit larceny, grand larceny, 4th and perjury,1st. Parker is accused of stealing in November 2006 from a bank branch in Batavia and making a false statement related to the case. The amount of the alleged thefts exceed $4,000.

Gerardo Pineda-Sanchez is indicted on a count of assault, 2nd, a Class D felony. Sanchez is accused of stabbing a victim with a knife April 28 in Elba.

Theodore R. Cooper is indicted on one count of grand larceny, 3rd, a Class D felony. Cooper is accused of stealing property valued in excess of $3,000 sometime between Dec. 30 and Feb. 3 from a Batavia resident.

Scott Stine (aka Scott Campbell) is indicted on a count of DWI. Stine is accused of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated on Lovers Lane Road, Batavia, on May 1.

Ami L. Blackmore is indicated on three counts related to driving while intoxicated. Blackmore is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and driving with a BAC of .18 or greater. Blackmore is accused of driving a car while intoxicated on Bloomingdale Road, Alabama, on Jan. 22.

Jamie R. Montgomery is indicted on two misdemeanor counts and one felony count related to an alleged DWI. Montgomery is charged with a misdemeanor count of DWI and a misdemeanour count of driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. She is charged with a Class E felony of aggravated unlicensed operation. Montgomery is accused of driving intoxicated on Route 5 in Stafford on March 17.

A car fire has been reported on Judge Road, Alabama.

Alabama Fire is being dispatched.

UPDATE 11:34 p.m.: An anonymous female caller said, "the car was set on fire."  A chief has been notified. It's near Purdy Road.

UPDATE: Alabama fire cleared at 12:25 a.m.

Joshua John King, 21, of 42 Genesee St., Attica, is charged with harassment, 2nd. King is accused of using his account on Facebook to send threatening messages to another Facebook member.

William D. Hirsch III, 23, of 11025 Buckman Road, Bethany, is charged with burglary, 2nd, criminal contempt, 1st, and stalking, 4th. Hirsch is accused of showing up at the house of a protected person and entering and staying without permission with the intent to stalk that person. He's also accused of sending text messages to that person, whom he was ordered not to contact. He allegedly caused that person to fear for his or her safety. He was jailed on $10,000 bail.

Philip M. Niccloy, 23 of 75 Summit St., Le Roy, is charged assault, 2nd. Niccloy allegedly punched another person in the face, causing extended pain, numbness and diminished eye sight and multiple fractions of the victim's facial bones. He was jailed on $2,000 bail.

Andre Leigh Little, 21, of Ham Road, Alabama, is charged with petit larceny. Little allegedly stole three pre-paid phone cards from the TA Travel Plaza.

Jasmine Lynn Oliver, 20, of Water Street, Attica, is charged with petit larceny. Oliver was taken into custody on a bench warrant out of Niagara County.

Colleen Fisher just may be the most popular Prom Queen ever selected at Oakfield-Alabama High School.

In a landslide of ballot votes, the 18-year-old garnered all but about two votes to be crowned at the junior/senior prom held at Stafford Country Club.

She is a graduating senior, very well liked, who happens to have Down syndrome.

“She is a wonderful young girl,” said High School Principle Lynn Muscarella.

Colleen’s teacher says Colleen’s thrilled with the honor.

“She’s on Cloud 9,” teacher Adrienne Fuore told Muscarella. “Being named Prom Queen has made her whole year.”

And it has been a busy one. She studies basic life skills for a half-day, then takes vocational classes --called the West Program – at Boces.

In addition, she’s been active in Drama Club and this year she started learning how to play clarinet.

For the spring musical presention, the musicians all learned a song that Colleen could perform on her clarinet. It was the traditional standard “Hot Cross Buns.” She also played the final song with the group and the audience was delighted.

“I’ve never seen or heard of anyone with Down syndrome being named Prom Queen,” Muscarella said. “I am just so proud of my kids here. It tells you a lot about them.”

Colleen's mother, Dawn Fisher, said the event was the highlight of her daughter's senior year.

"She was excited about the prom in general, about life, and when she won she yelled 'I won!'" Dawn said. "It is awesome that the kids chose her. They recognized her. It was very selfless of them."

Prom royalty pictured on top, from left: Princess Randi Zakes, Prince Nathan Klos, Queen Colleen Fisher and King Kevin Beuler.

Inset above, the royal couple, King Kevin and Queen Colleen.

Jay M. Blatchley, 36, of Colby Road, Darien, is charged with robbery 3rd, resisting arrest and aggravated unlicensed operation. At 3:23 p.m., Monday, the Sheriff's Dispatch Center reportedly received a 911 hang up call from a residence on Colby Road, Darien. When a deputy arrived, he was reportedly told that Blatchley had been to the residence to retrieve some property. A domestic dispute reportedly ensued. The resident tried to call 911, but Blatchley allegedly grabbed the phone and terminated the call. Deputy Kevin McCarthy along with Sgt. Thomas Sanfrattelo and State Police responded to Blatchley's location both on this complaint and a reported outstanding warrant from another jurisdiction. Blatchley allegedly tried to flee and resisted arrest. Bail was set at $20,000.

Thomas T. Lapree, 26, of Galloway Road, Alabama, is charged with false reporting, moved from lane unsafely and leaving the scene of a property damage accident. Deputy Kevin McCarthy responded at 10:03 p.m., June 4, to a report of a property damage hit-and-run accident on Galloway Road in Alabama. Upon further investigation, McCarthy determined that Lapree may have been involved in the accident. When contacted, Lapree reportedly said his car had been stolen. It was later found hidden behind a barn across from Lapree's property and Lapree allegedly admitted to driving the car and being involved in the accident.

Cecilia R. Conklin, 46, of Skuse Road, Geneva, is charged with harassment. Conklin is accused of showing up at her daughter's College Village room and refusing to leave after being asked to leave. Conklin then allegedly followed her daughter to the GCC campus, where she was asked to leave by college security. When she allegedly refused, she was arrested.

A possible electrical fire in a home's basement has been reported at 8094 North Pembroke Road. Fire crews from East Pembroke and Alabama are responding.

UPDATE: Reader submitted photo.

A car is reportedly on fire in a field, well off the road, near Judge Road in Alabama.

A dispatcher reports, "nobody is around," and adds, "It appears to be a File 1." (anybody know what that means?)

Alabama Fire is responding.

UPDATE 7:41 p.m.: A chief in the area reports, "Nothing showing." Alabama vounteers are checking the area.

UPDATE 7:49 p.m.: The car has been located off Klossen Road.

One of the three suspects in an alleged meth lab operation uncovered in November died May 17.

At the time of this death, charges were still pending against Kenneth Mosholder, 45, as well as the other two defendants in the case, Dustin R. Benham, 20, of Darien and a 41-year-old woman from Batavia.

Mosholder's obituary was published on The Batavian by Burdett & Sanford Funeral Home yesterday. We confirmed today with the Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Attorney's Office in Buffalo that the obituary was for the same Mosholder charged in the case.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office said only that, "the case is proceeding."

Mosholder, according to the obituary, suffered a heart attack.

Local law enforcement as well as the DEA announced a raid on a property in Alabama on Nov. 12. It was one of five suspected meth labs uncovered in the county over a couple of months late in 2009. The property was auctioned off in March for back taxes.

A Le Roy woman said her brakes failed, causing her to enter the intersection at Ledge Road and Route 77 in Alabama, resulting in a two-car accident Tuesday that sent her to the hospital.

Injured was Sarah Scott, 21, of Oatka Trail, Le Roy. She was transported by ambulance to UMMC with "complaint of pain" injuries.

At 3:55 p.m., Tuesday, Scott was reportedly driving her 1990 Buick sedan eastbound on Ledge Road when she failed to stop at the intersection with Route 77.

She told Sgt. Greg Walker, who investigated the accident, that her brakes failed. Walker reported that a check of the vehicle showed it was low on brake fluid, but the brakes appeared operational.

Scott was issued a traffic citation.

The driver of the other vehicle, 53-year-old Maryann Ander of Medina, was not injured in the accident.