batavia

Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul made a pair of stops in Genesee County today, including a tour of p.w. minor led by owners Andrew Young and Peter Zeliff. 

The shoe manufacturing company recently received a boost from the governor's office to help move 100 jobs from China back to Batavia.

Hochul also spoke this morning at Genesee County Criminal Justice Day at Genesee Community College.

Photos submitted by p.w. minor.

An unknown-type wire fell onto an occupied vehicle at 31 Ganson Ave. in the city. The person remains inside and city fire is responding.

UPDATE 12:28 p.m.: A firefighter on scene says it's a cable line.

Sometimes canvas and an easel just isn’t enough for an artist with a big idea. Sometimes, you need to search out a different medium, something bigger, like a building. Brian Kemp is spearheading an effort to connect commercial business owners with artists of all genres to create the “Batavia City Canvas Art Trail.” Brian envisions this art trail as 20 to 30 works of art painted directly on a building or weatherproof art hung on a building. The art trail will incorporate existing works, such as those in Jackson Square, as well as planned new works.

Brian is asking for volunteer business owners to donate a specific portion of an exterior wall for the art trail. Artists are asked to donate their time and talents for creating these works on the buildings.  Artists interested in participating are asked to submit representative samples of their original works so the building owners can be matched with suitable artists.

Below, Brian readies the side of his building for future paintings by local artists.

Much like the Le Roy Barn Quilts, Brian plans on printing free maps for a self-guided tour. The maps will be available available for the patrons of the establishments that are participating in the Batavia City Canvas Art Trail as either a cash sponsor or donation of wall space. 

Kemp says, “This is a creative project between building owners and local artists. Just a grassroots effort to place art into our community with the goal of making Batavia a more vibrant place to live and work.”

For more information or to participate in the Batavia City Canvas Art Trail please contact Brian Kemp at 585-345-1993 or bataviacitycanvasarttrail@gmail.com

To learn more about the LeRoy Barn Quilts go to: http://www.leroybarnquilt.org

The man federal authorities identified as the owner of the former 420 Emporium that was a source of synthetic drugs in Batavia will serve 30 months in prison and forfeit $771,109 dollars in seized money.

Charles Fitzgerald was sentenced in U.S. District Court on Friday.

He had previously entered a guilty plea to possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.

The 420 Emporium, which was located at 400 Ellicott St., was the locus of synthetic drug dealing in Batavia for a period in the summer of 2012. Bath salts and synthetic marijuana appeared to be at the root of bizarre behavior by some users and the cause of seizures and other medical conditions that landed people in the emergency room at UMMC.

In July, 2012, local and federal authorities raided the 420 Emporium as part of a nationwide operation to crack down on synthetic drug trafficking.

The home of Fitzgerald in Greece, which he shared with co-defendant Amber Snover, was also raided, where authorities seized boxes of drugs as well as a bag full of cash.

Snover has also entered a guilty plea and will be sentenced June 23 in U.S. District Court.

Police officers are sorting things out and trying to determine whether a crime was actually committed earlier today in what was initially reported as a robbery at the Dollar General store on East Main Street, Batavia.

A robbery was reported at 11:20 and police received a description of a suspect and a suspect vehicle. 

Within minutes, the vehicle was stopped and three people inside were detained and questioned and subsequently released.

"The investigation is ongoing," said Sgt. Dan Coffey. "There's no question that these individuals were the ones involved in the incident, if that's what you're asking. They were definitely at the store. They were definitely involved in the incident. We're working to determine whether a crime occured."

Coffey said there were things said in the store and police are trying to determine if anything happened that constitutes a crime.

No merchandise nor money were taken from the store.

The call center -- or as the folks at Tompkins Insurance call it, the "care center" -- that the Batavia-based financial company opened on the second floor of Main and Center streets now has 27 staff members.

That means in less than six months, Tompkins has hit its three-year projected employment goal for the remodeled office space.

Tompkins purchased the building for $550,000 and has invested nearly $1 million in interior and exterior improvements, from gutting and refitting the entire second floor, putting in a new heating and air conditioning system, painting the outside and hanging new signs.

Investing in Downtown Batavia made good sense said David Boyce, president and CEO of the insurance unit.

"Batavia has been and continues to be a great draw for getting great employees," Boyce said. "Batavia is nicely centered within various counties. When we have an opening we get a lot of attention from people who want to work at a good company."

• 8 week program 
• Fun ways to exercise
• 
Nutrition Education

• Guidelines and support to maintain a healthy lifestyle

• Resources to encourage family physical activity

• Weekly incentives and a chance to win a grand prize 

Jayson W. Dersham, 31, of Wortendyke Road, Alexander, is charged with attempted arson, 2nd. Dersham was arrested following an investigation into an incident on Maple Street in February. He was jailed on no bail.

Nickolas R. Miller, 23, of State Street, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant related to an unspecified charge. He turned himself in, was arraigned and jailed on $5,000 bail.

Glenn Homer Quintern, 56, of Jackson Street, Batavia, is charged with exposure of a person. Quintern allegedly exposed his bare bottom at 4:38 p.m. Tuesday while on Central Avenue, in front of an adult and some children.

Kevin A. Cole, 36, of North Lyon Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Cole allegedly visited a person at that person's residence where the protected party resides in alleged violation of a stay away order.

Dan M. Carter, 53, of Hutchins Street, Batavia, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation, 2nd, and unregistered motor vehicle. Carter was stopped at 6:54 p.m. Wednesday on East Main Street for an alleged traffic infraction by Officer Nedim Catovic.

Vicky L. Devie, 57, of Bank Street, Batavia, is charged with uninspected motor vehicle and parking in city lot over the 15-minute limit. Devie turned herself in on a warrant and posted a $50 police bail.

Shane Zimblis, 44, of Hutchins Street, Batavia, is charged with assault, 3rd. Zimblis is accused of stabbing another person in the arm with a kitchen fork during an argument.

Maurice A. Glasco, 36, of North Avenue, Medina, is charged with falsely reporting incident and unlawful possession of marijuana. Glasco is accused of falsely reporting an incident at 12:59 a.m. Saturday at 20 Main St., Batavia.

Colleen Frances Walker, 40, of Garfield Street, Rochester, is charged with possession of more than 400 untaxed cigarettes, speeding and unlicensed operator. Walker was stopped at 11:47 a.m., Thursday, on Route 77, Pembroke, by Deputy Patrick Reeves. She allegedly possessed 1,200 untaxed cigarettes.

A motor-vehicle accident with injuries is reported at Ellicott Street and Ellicott Place. City fire and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 5:49 p.m.: The city assignment is back in service.

An E-cigarette/vapor retail shop at 327 Ellicott St. was raided this afternoon by agents of Homeland Security who had a search warrant for counterfeit E-cigarettes. The shop is across from Hutchins Street in the City of Batavia and has no business name on the outside of the building. The feds are investigating the alleged sale of E-cigarettes made in China but marketed under a competitive brand name.

UPDATE: The business name is A Plus Vapors.

UPDATE: Here's a New York Times piece on China's booming electronic cigarette manufacturing business, including counterfeits.

UPDATE 4:34 p.m.: After initially being told by a federal authority that details would be available later, we're now told the search warrant is still under a court-ordered seal and no more information will be released. We'll continue to try and find out what we can.

The first of the necessary paper is being pushed to move jobs from China to the p.w. minor shoe factory in Batavia with the Ways and Means Committee approval yesterday of a resolution to accept a $750,000 grant from the state to assist the company's local expansion.

The county must accept the grant, which passes through the Genesee Gateway Local Development Corp. (a branch of Genesee County Economic Development Center), which will become part of a grant and deferred loan program for p.w. minor.

The grant was approved by Empire Development Corps after the agency encouraged p.w. minor to apply for the grant.

The application pledges 80 new local jobs added over a two-year period, but p.w. minor is planning to transfer a total of 100 jobs over time from China to Batavia.

The LDC will package the $750,000 with $125,000 loan from LDC funds to assist p.w. minor in buying shoe-making machinery.

Mark Masse, VP of business development for GCEDC, laid out the terms of the resolution for members of the Ways and Means Committee, who recommended approval of the resolution to the full County Legislature.

Andrew Young, one of the co-owners the New p.w. minor, is also a member of the Legislature, and while he attended Wednesday's meeting, he was not present during the discussion of the resolution.

Young and local entrepreneur Peter Zeliff, purchased p.w. minor after the previous owners announced plans to close the plant, thereby saving dozens of local jobs at Batavia's oldest, continuously running business.

A motor-vehicle accident is reported at Center Street and School Street, Batavia.

Unknown injuries.

City fire and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 11:15 a.m.: No injuries. Two vehicles, moved to parking lot.

The 157 city school students who live more than a mile and a half from their schools could soon have the option of riding a bus.

Currently, bus transportation isn't offered to students who live within the city boundaries, but the proposal should change the policy.

The district contracts with Student Transportation of America for bus transportation. Under the proposal, BTA will conduct two pick-ups and two drop-offs at designated locations in the city.

Currently, the buses only do one run and pick-up all of the kids on the first pass. 

“We’re paying for time that we aren’t using,” Business Administrator Scott Rozanski said.

The Board was hopeful that the change for transportation would solve concerns that have been raised.

“This would limit the number of students who have to walk well over two miles,” Rozanski said. “They could just walk to their pick-up and then come directly to the high school."

“Ideally, no student will have to walk more than half of a mile to their pick-up destination,” Superintendent Christopher J. Dailey added.

Safety would increase due to less traffic on State Street. Attendance at the high school is expected to improve during the winter when parents might keep their kids at home in bad weather.

The transportation change will be conducted within the parameters of the current contract with Student Transportation of America. There will be no additional cost to the budget or the taxpayers.

The Board of Education thanked Rozanski for his effort to solve the transportation issue Batavia High School has had for several years.

The proposed increased transportation will be added to the ballot which goes to voters on May 19.

Three people have been arrested as the result of two separate investigations into the illegal sale of narcotics in Genesee County.

In the first investigation, arrested were Sege D. Kalmbacher, 39, of Overlook Drive, Batavia, and Paula R. Kalmbacher, 43, of Overlook Drive, Batavia.

Sege is charged with two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, 5th, and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 5th. Paula faces one count of criminal sale of a controlled substance, 3rd, and one count of criminal possesison of a controlled substance, 3rd.

Both are accused of selling a controlled substance to agents of the Local Drug Task Force.

Sege was arrested Friday and jailed on $10,000 bail. Paula turned herself in Monday and was released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

In the second investigation, arrested was Cynthia C. Richardson, 35, of Maple Street, Batavia. 

Richardson is charged with two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, 5th, and criminal possession of a controlled substance, 5th. 

She is accused of selling a controlled substance to an agent of the Local Drug Task Force.

She was arrested at the courts facility and jailed on $10,000 bail.

Heavy smoke and flames are confirmed in the area of 8487 Lovers Lane Road. Town of Batavia fire is responding.

Thomas E. Hensel, 31, and Tonya D. Smith, 29, are charged with grand larceny, 4th, and conspiracy, 6th. Hensel and Smith were allegedly caught stealing items from the Target store. Upon further investigation, they were found to have allegedly committed additional larcenies during March at Target and Walmart. Hensel was charged with four counts of petit larceny and Smith was charged with one count of grand larceny, 4th, and two counts of petit larceny. Some of the stolen items were recovered.

Amir D. Gifford, 19, of Cherry Street, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for alleged violation of probation. Gifford turned himself in. He was jailed on $2,500 bail.

Jessica M. Rivera-Mann, 31, of Liberty Street, was arrested on a pair of warrants related to alleged parking violations. Rivera-Mann turned herself in and entered a guilty plea in City Court. and was ordered to pay a $100 fine within 60 days.

Kerri L. Forsberg, 43, of East Main Street, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear on a harassment, 2nd, charge. Forsberg was arrested following a reported incident at UMMC on April 3.

Laura J. Reed, 23, of Walnut Street, Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Reed was allegedly found in possession of marijuana at 6:18 p.m. April 10 by Officer Jamie Givens.

Kenardo R. Fields, 25, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd, and endangering the welfare of a child. Fields was allegedly involved in a domestic incident at 9:20 a.m., Sunday.

Zachary Michael Burk, 18, of Sparks Road, Pavilion, is charged with petit larceny. Burk allegedly stole a 30-pack of Busch beer from Pavilion Farm Market.

Charles H. Wroten, 54, of Buell Street, Batavia, is charged with aggravated DWI (Leandra's Law), DWI, improper right turn, improper signaling a turn. Wroten was stopped at 11:03 p.m. Tuesday on West Main Street, Batavia, by Sgt. Ron Meides. Wroten is accused of driving while intoxicated with a child less than 15 years old in the vehicle.

Michael Robert Sigl, 22, of Pratt Road, Batavia, is charged with possession of a forged instrument, 2nd. Sigl was arrested on a warrant. He was jailed without bail.

Taylor Nicole Tillotson, 19, of Perry Road, Le Roy, is charged with trespass. Tillotson allegedly returned to College Village after being banned from the property.

A two-car accident with minor injuries is reported at Oak Street and Prospect Avenue in the city. It is blocking traffic. City fire and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 3:54 p.m.: An 80-year-old female is complaining of chest pain due to the seat belt.

UPDATE 4:21 p.m.: The patient is being taken to UMMC.

A portion of Main Street, Downtown Batavia, was blocked off by traffic cones this morning in advance of clean-up work by city crews along the street and sidewalk. The work is expected to take most of the morning.