batavia

A reader sent in this photo Friday (and I've not had time to post it until now) of the sun over the lake at DeWitt Recreational Area when it was 89 degrees locally.  

Transportation company RTS Genesee (formerly Batavia Bus Services) introduced three new buses yesterday, all named after local children.

Hallie Wade stands next the bus named after her.

Photo submitted by Kellie Wade.

A vehicle struck a pole and then left the scene at 305 Washington Ave. in the city. Wires are down and arcing. It is blocking traffic. City fire is on scene.

 

A fire in the oven is reported at 24 Buell St. City fire is responding.

UPDATE 12:52 p.m.: Firefighters on scene report light smoke is coming from the two-story frame house.

UPDATE 12:55 p.m.: Fire contained to the oven. House is charged with smoke. Now ventilating.

Great athletes and "4 actors from The Sopranos" will be at the Western New York Sports Card Expo at Batavia Downs on Sept. 20-21.

In addition to the unspecified cast members of The Sopranos, the event will feature: Dave Bing, Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Lou Piniella, Jose Canseco, Gayle Sayers, and Ric Flair.

The Expo runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. Parking is free. Admission is $5 and includes $5 in free play for those 18 and older. Children under 8 get in free.

A sales rep with the Castilone car dealership came across this lost dachshund while on a test drive with a customer. The pup was corralled, brought back to the dealership and then turned over to BPD to be taken to the shelter. So if you're in the City of Batavia and missing a dachshund, that might be the place to find it.

Kristine S. Baker, 27, of Clinton Street, Batavia, is charged with dog running at large. Baker's cane corso (a mastiff-type breed) reportedly weighing more than 100 pounds, allegedly jumped the fence of her yard and attacked and injured another dog that was being walked along Clinton Street. Police report that this is the second time in a week Baker's dog allegedly attacked and injured another dog.

Gregory Seppe, 56, of Liberty Street, Batavia, is charged with appearance in public under influence of narcotics or drugs other than alcohol and possession of a controlled substance not in original container. Seppe was reportedly observed repeatedly falling down on a Main Street sidewalk. He was allegedly incoherent and unable to stay awake for more than a few seconds at a time. He was issued an appearance ticket and turned over to Mercy EMS for treatment.

Keanon Sean Williams, 37, of Harvester Avenue, Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child and strangulation, 2nd. Williams allegedly grabbed a woman by the neck and applied pressure while in the presence of her children during a domestic dispute. Williams was jailed without bail.

Dale Eugene Stiles Jr., 45, of Galloway Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Stiles allegedly removed funds from a banking account following a court order "not to have any further involvement."

A motor vehicle accident is reported on the Thruway by the Batavia exit, mile marker 390.1. The car is on its roof. Unknown injuries. Town of Batavia fire and Mercy medics responding.

UPDATE 12:56 p.m.: The mile marker is now said to be eastbound 385.5.

UPDATE 12:59: The driver is out; minor injuries. Mercy medics on scene and a Sheriff's deputy.

William Kelly Robert Kelly Michael Correia

Three men from Syracuse have been charged with third-degree burglary in Genesee County for allegedly breaking into a pair of local businesses.

The trio are also suspected of burglaries and thefts in Erie and Livingston counties.

They were picked up following a traffic stop in Wayne County last week and deputies spotted what they thought might be stolen material in the vehicle.

Upon questioning by investigators in Wayne County, the men admitted, according to Chief Deputy Jerome Brewster, to heists in Genesee County.

Investigator Kris Kautz took a trip to Wayne County and questioned the men and gathered the evidence, working with Deputy Brad Mazur, to file local charges.

Charged are brothers William H. Kelly III, 44, and Robert P. Kelly, 43, and Michael J. Correia, 58.

Additional charges may be pending.

The three men are accused of breaking into a Kutter's Cheese building, and stealing items from a residential construction site on East Main Street, Batavia, some time during the early morning of Aug. 27.

They were allegedly found with more than $3,000 in material, including brass plumbing components and copper wire.

They are being held without bail.

Photos provided by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office.

Joseph M. Marranco, 43, of Walnut Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument, unlawful possession of marijuana and possession of controlled substances outside original container. Marranco was arrested following the report of an overdose at 10:40 p.m. Monday at an apartment on East Main Street. Marranco was allegedly found in possession of a hypodermic needle, an assortment of controlled prescription medications outside their original container and marijuana.

Travis M. Blue, 30, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Blue allegedly made a threat of physical contact during an incident reported at 9:35 p.m., Monday, at a location on Ellicott Street.

Randy Kevin Wilmet, 37, of Lake Street, Le Roy, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Wilmet allegedly struck another person in the face with his forearm during an incident reported at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, at a location on South Main Street, Batavia.

Jeffrey C. Pero, 31, of Brooklyn Avenue, Batavia, turned himself in on a warrant for an unpaid parking ticket. Pero posted $100 cash bail and was released.

Kritin S. Payne, 31, of South Main Street, Batavia, turned herself in on on a warrant for an unpaid parking ticket. Payne paid $45 of a $100 bail and was released.

Michael David Senay Jr., 20, of Valley View Drive, Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of alcohol by a person under age 21. Senay was allegedly in possession of alcohol during a traffic stop at 1:14 a.m. on Clinton Street, Batavia, by Deputy Joseph Corona.

Stephen Bakos, 55, of Alexander, is charged with DWI following a traffic stop on Silver Lake Road, Perry. Bakos was stopped for an alleged equipment violation. According to New York State Police, Bakos operated the vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Bakos reportedly failed a roadside field sobriety test and was taken into custody. He is accused of refusing to provide a breath sample for analysis.Bakos was jailed on $1,000 bail. 

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.”

So far, one potential bidder for the Genesee County Nursing Home has submitted a letter stating an intent to make an offer on the 260-bed facility.

Interested buyers have until Sept. 23 to submit a letter of intent and until Oct. 6 to submit proposals.

So far, some 25 to 30 potential buyers have expressed interest in the nursing home, County Manager Jay Gsell said, but there's still just the one written intent to submit a bid.

The nursing home has been dragging down county finances for years, and financial disclosures included in the RFP package show the facility losing $2.9 million in 2011, $3.7 in 2012 and $4.3 million in 2013.

A non-government agency (whether a not-for-profit group or for-profit company) will have greater flexibility in generating revenue than the highly regulated government-owned facility, have greater leeway in reducing expenses, and won't be facing a squeeze on funding from the State of New York, according to county officials.

The county Legislature decided to sell the home to escape the ongoing financial drain on the budget.

The RFP states the facility will be sold to the most qualified, responsible bidder who meets a range of criteria. The highest bid won't necessarily win the purchase contract.

The current assessed value of the nursing home, on Bank Street, is $10.9 million.

Of course, currently no taxes are collected on the government-owned property.

Serious bidders will be invited to pre-proposal site visits Sept. 24, 25, 26 and 29.

Bids must include a $100,000 refundable deposit and provide financial statements and a letter of credit indicating not only the ability to close on the final purchase price, but to operate the facility at the current level or improved level of services after the purchase is completed.

The purchaser will be prohibited from involuntarily transferring or evicting any current resident of the nursing home.

Bidders must agree that the RFP process is subjective and the Legislature has the final say on whether to accept or reject any and all bids, and the county reserves to right to enter into negotiations with a bidder to modify a proposal.

The company must provide a company history, executive bios, information and qualifications on employees, experience with similar facilities, and plan for a smooth transfer of ownership.

There will be no public bid opening and bids won't become public until after a proposal is accepted by the Legislature. It's up to the company to declare any portion of the proposal that would be exempt from public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Law.

The sale of the nursing home has generated a little public opposition. There is a "Save the Genesee County Nursing home in Batavia NY" group on Facebook with 166 members currently.

The complete RFP package is available on the county's Web site.

Thomas A. Gorrow III, 23, of 59 Mill St., rear apt., Le Roy, was arrested based on a complaint from last evening (9/1/2014) that he allegedly unlawfully entered a neighbor’s apartment and while inside damaged both a stove and a window. Gorrow was initially taken into custody by the Le Roy Police Department under section 9.41 of the Mental Hygiene Law and transported by ambulance to a hospital for evaluation, but allegedly left the hospital without the medical staff’s knowledge and/or permission. Gorrow was located at work and arrested by the Le Roy Police Department and charged with one count each of burglary, 2nd, a Class C felony, and criminal mischief, 3rd, a Class E felony. Gorrow was arraigned before the Hon. D. Sehm of the Le Roy Town Court and released under the supervision of Genesee Justice.

Roberto Varona-Gonzalez, 57, of Clifford Avenue, Rochester, is charged with evading or defeating cigarette tax. It is alleged that he possessed 31 cartons of cigarettes or 6,200 cigarettes following a traffic stop on Bank Street Road in the Town of Byron. He was issued an appearance ticket and is to appear in Byron Town Court at 5 p.m. on Sept. 22.

Thomas A. Webb, 54, of Gifford Street, Syracuse, is charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument, 2nd, and grand larceny, 4th. He was arrested on the charges after allegedly cashing a forged check at a bank. The investigation was  conducted in coordination with the Le Roy Police Department. Webb was arraigned in Batavia City Court and put then put into Genesee County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bail. He is set to appear back in court at 11 a.m. on Sept. 11.

Joshua Lee Baltz, 38, of West Main Street, Batavia, is accused of first-degree criminal contempt. He was arrested for allegedly making phone calls from the county jail on Aug. 30 to a protected person, in violation of a stay-away order of protection.

The back porch of the residence at 249 Ross St. is reportedly on fire. The blaze was called in to dispatch by a neighbor who is unsure if the house is occupied. City fire just arrived and there's no smoke showing.

UPDATE 1:49 p.m.: Command reports smoke is showing from the rear of the wood frame structure.

UPDATE 1:51 p.m.: Command says the fire is in a wall and is "out of control."

UPDATE 1:52 p.m.: Dispatch has made contact with the homeowner who returning home now.

UPDATE 2:09 p.m.: Fire is out. Firefighters are picking up and preparing to leave the scene.

UPDATE (by Howard): An alert neighbor and quick response by City Fire is probably what saved this house. Damage to the back porch, railing, eaves and smoke damage along the back of the house, showing it was minutes, if not seconds, from spreading extensively before it was put out.

A car vs. bicycle accident with injuries is reported at Bank Street and Washington Avenue. City fire and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 5:42 p.m.: The assignment is back in service.

These are the latest indictments issued by the Genesee County Grand Jury.

James T. Saddler III is indicted on a charge of second-degree assault, a Class D violent felony. It is alleged that on Nov. 21 in the City of Batavia, with intent to cause physical injury to another person, he caused such injury by means of a dangerous instrument -- scalding water.

Ronnie R. Simpson is indicted on a charge of aggravated driving while ability impaired by drugs, a Class E felony. It is alleged that on March 29 in the Town of Byron Simpson drove a 2001 Chevrolet on Route 262 while his ability to do so was impaired by drugs and while a child age 15 or less was a passenger.

Kassandra R. Funk is indicted on a change of drving while intoxicated, a Class E felony. It is alleged that on May 6 in the Town of Bergen Funk drove a 2006 Pontiac on North Bergen Road while in an intoxicated condition. In count two, she is accused of aggravated drving while intoxicated, per se, as a Class E felony, for allegedly having a BAC of .18 or more at the time.

Press release:

August 29, 2014, Batavia, NY.  On August 28th the City of Batavia Police Department joined by the Genesee County Drug Task Force (The Genesee Drug Task Force is comprised of personnel from Batavia PD, Le Roy PD and the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office), Genesee County Sheriff’s Office and Genesee County Probation participated in the fourth neighborhood enforcement detail this summer. The purpose of these details is to systematically approach known problem areas within the City and target criminal activity.

In total 10 law enforcement personnel from four different agencies were partnered in a focused enforcement details in seven separate locations. NET patrols included State Street, Washington Avenue, Jackson Street, Liberty Street, Swan Street and Sumner Avenue, Central Avenue, Pringle Avenue, Harvester Avenue and Clifton Avenue. The following are results of this year’s fourth detail:

• 52 data runs
• 12 vehicle/traffic stops
• 2 Traffic tickets issued
• 4 Penal Law Arrests
   -- Brasky, Alex P., age 23, unlawful possession of marijuana
   -- Blake, Ian J., age 27, unlawful possession of marijuana
   -- Scheuerlein, Jacob M., age 18, unlawful possession of marijuana
   -- McWethy, Randy S., age 44, criminal possession of hypodermic instrument
• 16 probation checks
• 1 probation violation

Neighborhood Enforcement Team (NET) details were outlined in the City’s Strategic Plan as part of the City’s Neighborhood Revitalization efforts. They include dedicated patrols for targeted enforcement with the goal of intercepting and interrupting the flow of illegal drugs, weapons and other contraband as well as locating and arresting wanted persons. All agencies involved expect to continue joint law enforcement efforts in the future. These details are not advertised prior to taking place and locations are selected based on criminal data, the presence of nuisance and illegal behavior and ongoing investigations. 

If you see criminal activity or know about a crime that has occurred please contact the Batavia Police Department at (585) 345-6350 or the confidential tip line at (585) 345-6370.

Police are asking the public to help identify a motorcyclist involved in a hit-and-run accident at about 5 p.m. Aug. 19 on East Main Street in front of Key Bank in Batavia.

The motorcycle hit a bicyclist.

The bicyclist was not seriously injured in the accident.

The motorcycle operator did stop and check on the bicyclist's condition, but then left the scene without providing name, address, license information and plate number.

The operator is described as a white male in his early 40s with a "salt and pepper" beard.

The motorcycle is described as a "cruiser (meaning not a street bike)." It was red and may have sustained damage on the right side of the handlebar and possibly to the front master cylinder.

Anyone with information is asked to call Officer James DeFreze at (585) 345-6350.

Jeremy Dean Lyons, 29, of South Pearl Street, Oakfield, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property, 3rd. Lyons was allegedly found in possession of more than $3,000 worth of copper wiring that was stolen from several buses parked at a business in Oakfield. Lyons was jailed on $50,000 bail.

William H. Kelly III, 44, Robert Kelly, 43, and Michael Correia, 58, all of Syracuse, are charged with criminal possession of stolen property, 3rd. The three men were arrested by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office for allegedly stealing more than $3,000 worth of brass fittings, electrical wire, tools, and plumbing and construction materials from a location in Batavia. They were arrested following a traffic stop in Huron and held without bail. (Source: 13WHAM).

Roger James Farney III, 31, of Clayton Street, Buffalo, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st. Farney was located by law enforcement at this former residence on Pearl Street Road, Batavia, allegedly in violation of an order of protection out of Family Court. 

Four Canadians -- Sarah C. Glassford, 22, of Acton, Ontario, David L. Jones, 22, of Walkerton, Ontario, Hayley M. Halls, 23, of Acton, Ontario, and Nicole P. Spurrell, 22, of Acton, Ontario -- are all charged with trespass. They were arrested by State Police in connection with a reported trespass at a location in Darien at 11:45 p.m. Aug. 16. No further details released.

A 16-year-old Batavia resident is charged with criminal mischief. She was arrested by State Police in the Town of Barre in connection with an incident reported at 6:55 p.m. on Monday. No further details released.