Attica

Cody Matthews Bedard, 21, of Lake Road, Corfu, is charged with DWI, DWI drugs, DWI with a child less than 16, endangering the welfare of a child and back seat passage age 4-6 without appropriate safety restraint. Police responded to the area of 240 Richmond Ave. at 7:27 p.m. Friday after a report of a driver "not acting right." Bedard was arrested by officers Darryle Streeter and Jamie Givens.

Michael B. Neth, 37, of Summitt Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Neth allegedly made contact with a person he was barred from contacting by court order while at a store in City Centre at 6:25 p.m., Saturday.

Lois Omar Perez Lopez, 34, of Trumbull Parkway, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, failure to stop at stop sign and failure to signal. Perez Lopez was stopped at 2:22 a.m. Sunday on Trumbull Parkway by Deputy Chad Richards.

Joey Robert Tatro II, of Main Street, Attica, is charged with trespass and criminal mischief, 4th. Tatro was arrested on warrants related to the charges. He was jailed on $250 bail or $500 bond.

Ryan Michael Byrnes, 28, of Maple Street, Elba, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, failure to keep right and driving while using a mobile phone. Byrnes was stopped at 9:35 p.m. Monday on Main Street, Byron, by Sgt. Gregory Walker.

Photos by Jim Burns.

The first of two All-County Music Festival concerts was held Saturday in Attica, with student musicians from throughout Genesee and Wyoming counties participating.

The concert is the culmination of a lot of hard work by students, including an audition process that also contributes to the grades of many students in music classes.

The next show is at 2 p.m., Saturday, at Batavia Middle School. Tickets are $4 at the door.

A house fire is reported at 4 Genesee St. in the Village of Attica and Alexander fire is responding. A fire chief on scene confirms heavy smoke showing.

UPDATE 2:21 p.m.: Town of Batavia fire is requested to the scene. Mutual aid from Warsaw and Bennington also responding.

UPDATE 2:35 p.m.: Inmates from Wyoming Correctional Facility called in to help. Checking with Attica water utility to make sure hydrants are working correctly. A fire crew from Darien is asked to stand by in Alexander's hall.

A Batavia man is in custody in Attica after an alleged assault at the Tops Store in the Wyoming County village.

Joshua T. Pehrson, 29, of 330 Ellicott St., Batavia, is accused of choking his girlfriend while they were parked in a car outside the store. The woman, an employee of Tops, entered the store and Pehrson allegedly attacked her again when they got inside, choking her and attempting to stab her with scissors.

Employees and customers intervened and held Pehrson until Attica PD officers arrived.

He is charged attempted assault, 1st, criminal obstructing breathing, menacing, 2nd and criminal possession of a weapon, 4th.

The suspect was jailed on $25,000 bail or $50,000 bond.

A former Marchias resident has been identified as the Attican Motel resident who told authorities he was armed Friday night, leading to a four-hour standoff that ended after the use of teargas. He's been charged with a felony.

Michael A. Balla, 39, was arrested by Attica PD, Chief Dean Hendershott announced this evening, and he is being held in the Genesee County Jail on $10,000 cash bail or $20,000 bond.

Balla is charged with falsely reporting an incident, 2nd. 

Authorities say Balla called 9-1-1 and reported that he had a loaded gun, that he did not want anyone coming there because there would be an explosion when they walked in the door. 

Hendershott was dispatched to the scene and he requested backup from deputies in both counties along with State Police.

A State Police negotiator tried to talk Balla out of the Attican's Room 101 and the State Police robot was used at one point to check the room and as a communications device to try and convince Balla to surrender.

When he didn't teargas was fired into room. 

After being taken into custody, Balla was transported to Wyoming County Community Hospital for treatment of an apparent overdose and a mental health evaluation. 

He was arrested on the charge when he was released from care at 3:30 p.m.

Balla is schedule for a felony hearing at 4 p.m. Feb. 10 in Alexander Town Court.

The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are pending.

A person is reportedly barricaded inside the Attican Hotel, 1180 Alexander Road, Attica. The person is believed to be armed.

Genesee County Emergency Management has issued a shelter in place order.

There are detours around the affected area and roads are closed.

The incident started about an hour ago.

UPDATE 12:30 a.m.: No change in the status of the situation. Road blocks are established on Route 98 at Stroh Road, at Route 98 and Old Buffalo Road and at Prospect and North Street in the Village of Attica. State Police and Attica PD are on scene. Authorities are not making any other information available at this time.

UPDATE 12:36 a.m.: Subject is in custody. Shelter in place is lifted.

UPDATE 2:10 a.m.: The subject called 9-1-1 around 10 p.m. and was connected with Genesee County dispatch. He claimed he had weapons and was going to harm himself, Attica PD Chief Dean Hendershott said. Hendershott was first dispatched. Hendershott arrived on scene and ensured the area was secure. Dispatchers had intermittent contact with the subject and talked to him about giving up, but he wouldn't. At that point in time, Hendershott said, he decided to issue the shelter in place order for the immediate area and a reverse 9-1-1 call was made to residents on Colony Run. Lockdowns were initiated at Tops, Family Dollar and Burger King and Prospect Street was closed at East Avenue.

Assisting a the scene were deputies from Wyoming and Genesee counties and troopers from the State Police. The State Police SWAT team and the bomb squad were called in.

The bomb robot attempted to establish communications with the subject, but the robot got no response. The door was knocked down and the robot entered the hotel room -- Room 101. 

After the suspect didn't comply with law enforcement orders, officers fired tear gas into the room and then the subject surrendered.

No weapons were found in the room.  

Hendershott said it appeared that the subject had taken too many of the pills prescribed to him and he had been drinking.

The subject was taken to Wyoming Community Hospital for evaluation and treatment.

No injuries were reported in the incident.

Darrell Smith, 47, of Hutchins Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th, and harassment, 2nd. Smith was allegedly involved in an argument with his girlfriend and during the incident ripped the shower current and punched, pushed and grabbed her. Smith was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Kyle J. Snyder, 26, of Colony Run, Attica, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear on an appearance ticket. Snyder turned himself in at Batavia PD. The original charge was aggravated unlicensed operation, 3rd. Snyder posted $200 of his $500 fine, released and scheduled to appear again at a later date.

Robert E. Saari, 33, of Alleghany Road, Attica, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear on an aggravated unlicensed operation charge, 2nd. Saari turned himself in. He posted $500 bail and was released.

Dustin Guy Nicometo, 27, of Jackson Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property, 4th, and violation of probation. Nicometo was arrested on a warrant.

Steven James Snyder, 25, of West Avenue, Attica, is charged with petit larceny. Snyder is accused of shoplifting from Kmart.

David R. Cook, 20, of Lindsey Road, Attica, is charged with forgery, 2nd. Cook allegedly altered a prescription in an attempt to deceive a pharmacy into giving him more medication than original prescribed. Cook was jailed on $10,000 cash bail or $20,000 bond.

Daniel W. Hennebohl, 59, of Bethany Center Road, East Bethany, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th. Hennebohl is accused of scratching a car with a key while in the Walmart parking lot at 11:48 a.m., Sunday.

Nancy Ann Bennet, 44, of Center Street, Medina, is charged with petit larceny. Bennet is accused of shoplifting at Kmart.

Christina M. Sanchez-Anderson, 26, of Bank Street, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear. Sanchez-Anderson is accused of failing to appear in court on a grand larceny charge in October.

Daniel J. Saeva, 35, of Central Avenue, Batavia, is charged with strangulation, 2nd, criminal mischief, 3rd, endangering the welfare of a child, harassment, 2nd and assault, 3rd. Saeva is accused of putting his hands around the next of another person and shoving another while in the presence of three children during an alleged incident reported at 9:01 p.m., Friday.

Donya M. Vaughn, 48, of Richley Road, Corfu, is charged with issuing a bad check. Vaughn was arrested on a warrant issued by City Court.

Carter L. Hall, 37, of Oakfield, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Hall was stopped at 9:10 p.m. Friday at Route 63 and Veterans Memorial Drive by State Police.

The 18-year-old resident of Attica, Dominic Maksymik, who died Sunday night after his vehicle crossed the center line on Route 98 in Bennington, was a student in Batavia, part of the BOCES Culinary Arts Program.

From the 13WHAM story:

Ask anyone who knew him, Maksymik was a driven young man who had a passion for cooking.

"Like many students who come to BOCES, it gave him a way to express himself," explained Chef Nathan Koscielski, Maksymik's culinary teacher at the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership in Batavia. "Dom just loved cooking that was one of the great things about him. It didn't matter what we were cooking, he was going to be passionate about it. If we were making mashed potatoes, it was going to be the best mashed potatoes he could make."

Maksymik's ambition to be the best chef showed in his work. Koscielski credits Maksymik's abilities to helping their culinary school win the American Culinary Federation Culinary Cup for the last two years. They beat out other BOCES programs and area colleges.

13WHAM is an official news partner of The Batavian.

Previously: 

• Pair of BOCES teachers mixing the right ingredients for culinary and animal science students
• In Chef K's kitchen, if it's not right, it's wrong

"Luckson" -- a "very large" green-eyed all-black cat from Water Street, Attica -- has been missing for several nights now and the owners are hoping someone took him in during the severe weather conditions.

They would love, of course, for their dear, four-legged friend to be returned. They are just worried sick about their shelter adoptee and hope Luckson's luck has not run out.

If you know of his whereabouts, please contact Brittany Boyce at 585-813-2772.

UPDATE: Luckson has been found.

The Fighting Irish of 2014 may not be the champion caliber squad of recent seasons, but Notre Dame is still the team other teams love to beat.

Today's proof: Fresh off its fifth touchdown through the middle of the third quarter, with the score 33-7, the Attica Blue Devils chose to squib and onside kick.

"It's a big rivalry," said Attica Head Coach Rob Cusmano.m"It's been a rivalry for years with Attica and Notre Dame. Last year was for the league title, and this year, they've got a couple of losses, but still, you throw those records right out the window and you just keep going after it."

It was a hard fought game, even when Attica seemed to have it well in hand. Coaches on both benches tried constantly to get referees to see things their way, pointing out holds, clips and chop blocks, and disclaiming guilt when flags were thrown against their own players.

It got so hot at one point, Attica was flagged for a 15-yard penalty.

The first quarter gave little indication of where this game was going, ending at a 0-0 tie.

Cusmano said the Blue Devils made some adjustments, which enabled them to pull away from ND.

"We couldn't run between the tackles, so we needed to get outside," Cusmano said. "We got outside a few times and that made the difference."

With the score 14-0 and two minutes left in the half, Notre Dame Head Coach Rick Mancuso decided to go to the air in the hopes of a quick score before intermission.

QB Joe Zickl completed a couple of passes. There was the ember of a drive glowing when he tried to hit a receiver just beyond the line of scrimmage. The receiver reached high and tipped the ball. It fell into the hands of Alex Piechocki, who sprinted to the end zone, giving Attica a 21-0 lead.

Another drive early in the second half was reversed into a Blue Devils score on a touch down.

Cusmano gave credit to scouting and film study for the picks.

"We knew their routes and our guys did a great job stepping in front of the ball and a couple of those went for touchdowns, and I attribute that to them watching a lot of film and doing their homework," Cusmano said.

Receiver Levi Snyder said the win, after a slow start, showed the team's character.

"We had to fight a little adversity at first," Snyder said. "We came in here, got a little rattled, but stuck together as a team and stuck it out. We got the win. That's all that's important right now."

Senior Derek Walker said it was exciting, a big deal to beat the Irish.

"It's huge," he said, "because nobody really likes Notre Dame."

The victory clinched the Genesee Region title for Attica, who will take a 6-0 record into next week's game against Oakfield-Alabama (3-3).

The Blue Devils said they didn't want to look past next week's game, but Cusmano conceded, the Class C post-season is going to be tough.

First week matchups haven't been determined yet, but Bath, Le Roy and Attica have all secured spots in sectionals. The fourth team in the playoffs could be Dansville, East Rochester or Elba/Byron-Bergen.

"It's very, very tough," Cusmano said. "I saw Le Roy last night and they're a very tough team and Bath is a good ball team, plus you throw Dansville in there, throw East Rochester in there, it's a very, very, very good class."

Even so, Cusmano is hardly throwing in the towel.

"We're getting healthier," Cusmano said. "One game at a time. We're thinking Oakfield. But I like our shot."

For Attica, Damian Marchetti was eight for 13 passing for 80 yards. He had eight carries for 74 yards and a TD. He also kicked five PATs. Jake Strzelec rushed for 89 yards on 25 carries and scored twice. Derek Walker had four receptions for 48 yards and a TD. Besides the interception return for a touchdown, Alex Piechocki also rushed for a score. Kyle Zawadzki had an interception return for a TD. Levi Snyder had two interceptions.

For Notre Dame, Joe Zickl was 15 for 31 passing for 159 yards and two TD. He was picked six times. On the ground, only Spencer Misiak had positive yardage, with one yard gained on one carry. C.J. Suozzi caught five passes for 45 yards. Josh Johnson had two TD receptions and gained 37 yards. Casey Midwick had four receptions for 31 yards. Joe Zickl had 10 tackles. Jack Sutherland, six. Peter Daversa had a sack.

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Attica 21, Alexander 9. Alexander played a tough game, but fell to GR rivals Attica, 21-9. The Trojans are now 1-2 on the season and Attica is 3-0. QB Jared Browne was five fo 12 for 113 yards. Samuel Brown was one for two passing for 58 yards and a TD, which was caught by Jacob Riggs. The Trojans were held to 34 yards on the ground on 26 carries. Zack Shilvock made a 45-yard field goal. Ty Laird had seven tackles and Rick Amico, Tristan Aldinger and Riggs all notched six each.

Batavia 41, Hornell 21. The Blue Devils had 350 total yards on the ground. Dominick Mogavero had three touchdowns. 

Photos by Rick Franclemont.

Baybhann Osman Tagber, 38, of North Almond Drive, Beverly Hills, was arrested as a fugitive from justice. Tagber was being held at the Buffalo Federal Detention Center on a possible immigration issue. While in custody, authorities learned of a warrant in the City of Los Angeles. Tagber was wanted on a burglary charge. Tagber is being held in the Genesee County Jail pending an extradition hearing.

Gary William Bird, 60, of Vine Street, Batavia, is charged with stalking, 4th. Bird is accused of contacting a person at their place of employment while knowing that such contact was unwanted and would cause alarm and annoyance.

Carrie A. Stewart, 34, of Attica, is charged with conspiracy, two counts of criminal trespass and petit larceny. Stewart was arrested at Walmart by State Police at 10:10 p.m., Sunday. No further details released.

Timothy M. Ryan, 20, of East Pembroke, is charged with burglary, 2nd. Ryan is accused of entering the residence of a family member and taking more than $600 worth of electronics. The items were sold to a pawn shop. Ryan was released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

Dozens of bright yellow school buses have been gleaming in the sun (when there is sun) at the corner of Dodgeson Road and Route 98 in Alexander just about all summer long.

The name on the sides of the buses -- Student Transportation of America -- is a new name to Genesee County.

STA is now in town after winning the main transportation contract with the Batavia City School District, which entered into a joint agreement with the Attica School District.

The company purchased a former rigging shop location at 3784 Dodgeson Road in an auction through Bontrager's earlier in the summer.

The state encourages school districts to review and re-bid bus transportation contracts every 10 years, explained Batavia Superintendent Chris Dailey. 

The district experienced many difficulties with the previous contract, Dailey said. 

"The Board of Education decided to bid and increase the accountability and expectations for the bus contractors while also increasing features available to the district with our bus contractors, such as more cameras and GPS," Dailey said. "We bid for 2013-14 but the bid was rejected because of cost and lack of competition."

For 2014-015, the district decided to seek another district for a cooperative bid and reached an agreement with Attica and STA won the bid for regular school transportation, field trips and sports trips.

Attica Bus Company will remain the contractor for transportation of special education students.

BCSD's transportation costs per year is more than $1 million, plus another $731,690 for special education transportation.

"In our contract, the contractor is responsible for all aspects of providing transportation: purchasing and maintaining the fleet, building, staffing, routing of the students, directly handling parent calls," Dailey said.

Two weeks ago, STA announced the release of a mobile device and desktop app that will allow parents to track the location of school buses in the fleet.

"A child’s bus is displayed on a detailed map showing its current location in relation to the child’s stop, so parents can monitor the bus along its route," the company said in a press release.

The app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and Google Play.

“Registering for the SafeStop app is easy,” the company said. “Parents in select schools simply log on to www.schoolwheels.com from any computer or mobile device to register for the app. They then can link to the Apple App Store or Google Play to download on a mobile device.”

A Batavia Downs patron is alive today because of the training and calm professionalism of a security guard who started CPR and helped administer defibrillation.

Cory Lapp is only 21, but he's already been a volunteer EMT with the Attica Fire Department for three years (he joined the department at age 16). His medical training came in handy while working security at the casino when he checked on a report of a patron who was down and unresponsive.

"There were a couple of people standing around, so I peaked over and realized he wasn't moving at all," Lapp said.

Lapp immediately started CPR and summoned a partner, Officer Bob Humphrey, to retrieve the defibrillator.

Together, they used the machine on the patient and the man revived and was later transported to the hospital.

The name of the patient has not been released.

As an EMT, Lapp has been called on to perform CPR before, but he said it still feels pretty good to save a life.

"It feels good to know that when he was in my hands, he was alive," Lapp said. "It's a good feeling. It's kind of hard to describe it."

As Lapp walked with a reporter through the facility, coworkers congratulated him.

"Good job, Cory," they said as he walked by.