batavia

Joseph Charles Barone, 39, of North Pearl Street, Batavia is charged with: obstruction of government justice; second-degree harassment; unlawful possession of marijuana; and trespass. Barone was arrested at 2:04 a.m. on Sept. 21 at a business on East Main Street in Batavia after he allegedly refused to leave and attempted to strike an employee. He also allegedly physically resisted Batavia police. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on Oct. 1. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Arick Perkins, assisted by Officer Stephen Quider.

Jacob L. Hernandez, 25, of Holland Avenue, Batavia, is charged with criminal trespass in the second degree. He was arrested at 5:54 a.m. on Sept. 22 on Prune Street in Batavia after he allegedly entered a residence without permission and refused to leave. He was processed and is due in Batavia City Court on Oct. 1. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Mitchell Cowen, assisted by Arick Perkins.

Zachary John Gillard, 24, of West Avenue, Elba, is charged with driving while intoxicated, and aggravated driving while intoxicated -- a BAC of .18 percent or more. Gillard was arrested by Batavia Police Officer Peter Post at 2:44 a.m. Sept. 22 on East Main Street in the City of Batavia. He was arrested after a disturbance at a local business. He was subsequently release to a third party and is scheduled to be in Batavia City Court on Oct. 2. Batavia Police Officer Stephen Quider assisted in the arrest.

Andrew J. Rock, 33, of North Spruce Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt. He was arrested at 8:26 p.m. on Sept. 6 while in Genesee County Jail for allegedly contacting the protected party of a stay away order of protection. He was issued an appearance ticket for Oct. 1 in Batavia City Court, then released back into custody of the jail. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Quider.

Grace Crystal Murray, 20, of Pratt Road, Pavilion, is charged with petit larceny and conspiracy. She was arrested at 11:06 a.m. on Sept. 18 following a shoplifting incident at Dollar General on East Main Street in Batavia. She was released on an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on Oct. 1. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Jordan McGinnis, assisted by Officer Mitchell Cowen.

A two-vehicle accident is reported at Swan and East Main streets in the city. Injuries are believed to be minor. City fire, police and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 12:14 p.m.: This accident involved three vehicles. An SUV rear-ended another vehicle, which shoved it into the back of another vehicle. Minor, if any injuries, and little damage to the vehicles involved.

Submitted photo and press release:

The Batavia City School District Foundation lnc.'s Board of Directors is pleased to announce the most recent recipient of the BCSD Foundation Apple Award.

On Sept. 8, the BMS counselors recognized Maureen Notaro (in photo, second from left) with the BCSD Foundation Apple Award.

She worked tirelessly to support students, families, staff and the counselors at Batavia Middle School.

Notaro’s presence at BMS over the last 18 years made a significant impact on our school culture and lives of our students.

Her time and dedication are evident, from building community partnerships through PBIS initiatives, to leading the district-wide Trauma, Illness and Grief Team, to supporting students’ social and emotional needs and building relationships with her staff, families and community stakeholders.

Her impact is very apparent by the number of students that come back to visit her year after year.

Notaro was an integral and fearless leader of the BMS counseling team. She calmly and ably assisted them in crisis situations and always collaborated with them to make the best decisions for students. Notaro is an administrator to the whole student; "she has been the heart of our school," counselors said.

She is greatly missed at the middle school, where she served as assistant principal. But the Jackson Primary School community is fortunate to have her as their leader in her new role as interim principal. Those who have worked with her are beyond confident that she will succeed in her new position.

On behalf of the middle school counselors, we wish Mrs. Notaro the best of luck!

The BCSD Foundation Apple award is given by a member of the school and/or local community to a Batavia City School District employee or volunteer. In the opinion of those giving the honor of this distinction, the awardee has gone above and beyond in their role and is being recognized by one or more people for these accomplishments.

Local artist, Mark Jensen, will be making each individual resin apple -- none will be exactly the same.

If you are interested in giving a Foundation Apple award, please submit your nomination form and $75 (payable to the BCSD Foundation Inc. 260 State St., Batavia NY 14020 att: Allison Chua). Nomination forms may be found on our webpage (at www.bataviacsd.org under Quick Links).

Community members with questions are asked to email us at: foundation@bataviacsd.org.

Lisa Felicia sent over this picture she took at Genesee Community College on Friday of a pair of contrails crisscrossing for an interesting photographic composition.  

Raelene and RoseMary Christian found this three-legged dog, apparently lost, on Williams Street in Batavia this evening.

Raelene can be reached at (585) 330-8869

UPDATE: Raelene informs us the owners had called police this morning and are picking up the dog.

A caller on East Main Street in Batavia reports the padlock on his bicycle is broken and "he's insisting that police have the tools to remove it," says a dispatcher. "He won't take no for an answer."

Batavia police just arrived at his location.

Under ideal weather conditions, as part of a national campaign, there was a walk this morning in Batavia to end Alzheimer’s.

The event started and ended at Premier Genesee Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation, which hosted the event. 

Individuals and families came together to rally around friends and relatives effected by the disease. They wore colorful shirts and carried flowers that signified how Alzheimer’s affected them or their loved ones. Purple, the predominate color, signified they had lost a loved one to the disease. 

Proceeds from the walk go to the Alzheimer’s Association Western New York Chapter so they can continue to provide supportive services and education at no cost, while raising awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and Association services all across the Genesee Valley.

The Buffalo Bills #1 draft pick, rookie defensive tackle Ed Oliver, will be at T.F. Brown's Restaurant from 5 to 6:30 p.m., Tuesday (Sept. 24).

The first 100 kids age 12 and under will receive a free Ed Oliver commemorative T-shirt.

Photo: Rick Mancuso and Dominic Grazioplene.

A larceny of several coats is reported at Dick's Sporting Goods in Towne Center at Batavia. A black female and male reportedly left the store with the merchandise, got into an unknown make vehicle, and left the parking lot in an unknown direction of travel.

Law enforcement is responding. The store employees are trying to get more information from the customer who allegedly spotted the larceny.

UPDATE 1:28 p.m.: The getaway car is reportedly a black four-door sedan; another person allegedly was driving the vehicle -- so there are three people involved. No clothing descriptions provided.

Natalie Helen Brown, 25, of Weber Avenue, Oakfield, is charged with: Driving while intoxicated, with a BAC of .08 percent or more; DWI; insufficient stop lamp; speeding in a 55-mph zone; and moving from lane unsafely. Brown was arrested at 1:45 a.m. this morning (Sept. 20) on Route 63 in Alabama following a traffic stop. She was released on appearance tickets and is due in Alabama Town Court on Oct. 9. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Jordan Alejandro, assisted by Deputy Ryan Young.

Geoffrey Paul Jamele, 25, of North Spruce Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, unlawful possession of marijuana, and having an obstructed driver's view. On Sept. 19 Jamele was arrested at 4:18 p.m. at Genesee Community College after a traffic stop on 1 College Road in the Town of Batavia. He allegedly possessed two THC oil cartridges (THC -- tetrahydrocannabinol -- is the principle psychoactive compound in marijuana.). He was issued an appearance ticket to be in Town of Batavia Court on Oct. 10. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Kenneth Quackenbush, assisted by Deputy Mathew Clor.

A larceny of tomatoes from a stand at the Downtown Batavia Public Market is reported.

A caller to dispatch reports the alleged tomato nabber is driving a silver SUV that is now in the drive-thru at Tonawanda Valley Federal Credit Union, adjacent to the outdoor market on Alva Place. Batavia police responding.

UPDATE 11:52 a.m.: It is said that the complainant is "not interested in pursuing (charges); they just want him advised that he's not welcome back here."

While coming to terms with entering a guilty plea to a sexual abuse charge, Wesley Thigpen told his attorney the statements attributed to a young girl were "(expletive) lies" after hearing the evidence the people would present against Thigpen if the case went to trial.

Thigpen was entering his plea on an Alford basis, which means that he pleads guilty without admitting the accusations against him are true.

The defendant himself told Judge Charles Zambito, "it's a strategic decision."

By accepting a plea deal, Thigpen guarantees he will spend no more than four years in prison, instead of more than a decade if he were convicted at trial of sexual abuse in the first degree, two counts of burglary, and criminal contempt in the first degree.

As part of the Alford plea process, First Assistant District Attorney Melissa Cianfrini summarized the case that would be made against Thigpen if he turned down the plea offer and went to trial on the sexual abuse charge.

According to Cianfrini, Thigpen was alone with a girl less than 13 years old in her room when he engaged in a series of sexually related actions, including but not limited to showing her pictures on his phone of body parts.

Cianfrini said in a recorded interview later, Thigpen admitted that he had been alone with the girl and that she may have somehow gotten access to his mobile phone.

Throughout the legal process of this case, Thigpen has denied the sexual abuse allegations while admitting to the criminal contempt charge.

Today, Thigpen did plead guilty to criminal contempt after Zambito recited the specific actions of Thigpen's that led to the charge. Thigpen slapped food out of the hands of a person who was the subject of an order of protection and raised a fist as if threatening to hit that person.

Dressed in jail orange, Thigpen wasn't afraid to speak up for himself during the proceedings. Bright and articulate, Thigpen made it clear why he was pleading guilty and on key points asked Zambito to clarify the law and the terms of the deal.

He conferred more than once with his attorney Mark Lewis about the charges and the plea deal, most of the time speaking in hushed tones. But after Cianfrini recited the evidence against him, he spoke with Lewis in a more agitated manner, raising his voice slightly at one point to call the statements against him a lie.

At that point, Zambito explained very clearly that he understood that Thigpen wasn't admitting to the allegations but pleading guilty because he accepted the fact he was at substantial risk of being found guilty at trial and facing a potentially harsher prison term.

Thigpen also spoke up for himself when it came time to discuss his bail status while awaiting sentencing. He argued for lower bail because he has several financial matters to clear up, including taking care of penalities for use of his 401(K) during these proceedings to support his family, as well as collecting his final paycheck from his former employer.

Lewis said before his arrest, Thigpen, a lifelong Batavia resident, worked for five years at a major corporation in Genesee County.

Despite all this, Zambito kept his bail at $10,000 cash or $20,000 bond while he awaits sentencing.

This morning, for the 12th time in as many years, a group of veterans departed with Assemblyman Steve Hawley from the parking lot of Batavia Downs for Hawley's annual Patriot Trip to Washington, D.C.  

The veterans will visit historic monuments in Washington.

Pictured with Hawley are Jim Freas, of Medina, and George Bakeman, of Albion.

UPDATED Sept. 19, 1:23 p.m.: The following event is postponed. A new date will be announced once the parties' availablity is confirmed.

Ithaca Beer Co. and Batavia Downs announced today they will launch the sale of the new Thurmanator Beer at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 19th at the 34 Rush Sports Bar.

“We’ve been looking forward to this special release for some time," said James Sapienza, head of Brand Development for Ithaca Beer Co. “The Thurmanator beer is an easy-drinking lager we hope will score big with hardcore Buffalo football fans, as well as those seeking a refreshing and crisp, light golden lager with a subtle sweetness and restrained hop character that lends a gentle floral quality and clean finish.”

The public event will include an appearance by the beer’s namesake, Buffalo Football Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas, and sampling from many of Ithaca’s line of products while attendees enjoy the Thursday Night Football game on the big screens.

Batavia Downs is located at 8315 Park Road in the City of Batavia.

About Ithaca Beer Co.

Begun in 1998 in a small renovated retail store just outside of Ithaca, the original space had a small seven barrel brewhouse, a modest tasting bar and sold full growlers to go as well as homebrew supplies.

Today, Ithaca Beer brews about 25,000 barrels of beer per year and features both 50 and five barrel pilot brew houses. In addition to a state-of-the-art brewing facility, Ithaca Beer has fully automated packaging capabilities for bottling, canning and kegging.

Ithaca Beer distributes beer to 54 wholesalers in 14 states in the Northeast from New England in the East to Ohio in the West and Virginia and North Carolina to the South.

A Rochester resident has been arrested and accused of dealing crack cocaine in the City of Batavia.

David C. McClary, 29, of Mt. Hope Avenue, Rochester, was arrested in Monroe County after a warrant was issued for his arrest based on evidence developed through an investigation by the Local Drug Task Force.

He is charged with two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, 3rd, and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd.

McClary allegedly sold crack cocaine to an agent of the task force on two separate occasions. 

He was arraigned in Genesee County Court and jailed on $10,000 bail or $20,000 bond.

The task force was assisted by Batavia PD, uniformed deputies, and the District Attorney's Office.

Three people were arrested earlier this week after a drug raid on a Batavia residence West Main Street Road by the Batavia Emergency Response Team and the Local Drug Task Force.

The raid was the result of an investigation into narcotics trafficking in the area.

Arrested were:

• Scott E. Hodgins, 55, of West Main Street Road, Batavia. Hodgins is charged with: criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd; criminal possession of a weapon, 4th; criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th; criminal use of drug paraphernalia, 2nd; and unlawful possession of marijuana. Hodgins was ordered held without bail.
• Kara B. Sass, 25, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd, criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, criminal use of drug paraphernalia, and unlawful possession of marijuana. She was jailed on $10,000 bail.
• Heywood E. Wellington, 23, of Winterroth Street, Rochester, is charged with: criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd; criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th; criminal use of drug paraphernalia, 2nd; and unlawful possession of marijuana. Wellington was released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

The District Attorney's Office assisted in the investigation.

A car fire is reported at 11 Garfield Ave., Batavia.

The car is in a garage.

The garage is not attached to a house.

City fire responding.

UPDATE 8:39 p.m.: A second alarm is sounded. Alexander's Fast Team requested to the scene. Town of Batavia to stand by in headquarters.

UPDATE 8:42 p.m.: Town of Batavia now requested to the scene.

UPDATE 1:25 a.m.: Photo by Frank Capuano added. I shot video at the scene a little later. It's taking forever, for some reason, to upload to YouTube. I'm going to bed and will add the video in the morning.