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Law and Order: Man accused of possessing 16 counterfeit C-Notes

By Howard B. Owens

Isaiah Lorenzo Poole, 22, of South Clinton Street, Albion, is charged with 16 counts of possession of a forged instrument and criminal contempt 2nd. Poole allegedly possessed 16 counterfeit $100 bills at 4:45 p.m., Oct. 23, at the Crosby's in Elba. He also is accused of violating an order of protection. 

Breanna Michelle Cragg, 29, of Richmond Avenue, Buffalo, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Cragg was charged following a roadside check at 1:19 a.m., Oct. 23, on Route 33, Stafford, by Sgt. Mathew Clor and Deputy Nicholas Chamoun. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Johnnie M. Waston, 39, of Dodge Street, Rochester, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child and harassment 2nd. Waston is accused of being involved in a disturbance reported at 7:04 a.m., Oct. 21, at a residence on Shady Lane, Batavia. He was arraigned in Town of Stafford Court and released.

Kevin P. Kage, 35, of West Avenue, Medina, is charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance 5th and criminal possession of a controlled substance 5th. Kage is accused of selling methamphetamine to an agent of the Local Drug Task Force in Batavia on two separate occasions. He was arrested on a warrant stemming from a sealed indictment and jailed pending arraignment in County Court. He was arraigned on Oct. 20 and released.

Connie Rae Todd, 51, of Slayton Sett Road, Gasport, is charged with DWI and speeding. Todd was stopped at 1:12 a.m., Oct. 26, on Lewiston Road, Batavia, by Sgt. Mathew Clor. She was released on an appearance ticket.

Margareta Tamasi, 75, of Le Roy, is charged with unlawful dealing with a child/alcohol. Tamasi was arrested by State Police on Oct.  24 in the Town of Batavia in relation to an incident reported at 7:04 p.m. on Oct. 21 in Le Roy. She was released on an appearance ticket. No further information released.

City announces Halloween hours

By Press Release

Press release:

The City of Batavia will recognize Halloween on Monday, Oct. 31 from 4 to 9 p.m. Trick-or-treaters should be off the streets by 9 p.m. on Halloween night.

Batavia ends a “hard finish to a fantastic season” vs. Aquinas

By Steve Ognibene

The Batavia Lady Devils soccer team ended its sectional run Tuesday evening in Brockport against Aquinas in a semi-final matchup with a 3-0 loss. 

Aquinas had 15 shots on goal, Batavia five. 

Julia Petry had 15 saves for Batavia.  Aquinas had 3 corners, with goals scored twice by Emily Silverstein and one by Mya Kotsch.

Batavia finishes the year 11-3-4.

"This team worked for each other and played with their hearts," said Head Coach Roger Hume. "It was a hard finish to a fantastic season.  We congratulate our seniors on a job well done and are looking forward to the future."

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

'Giant basket raffle' this weekend in Batavia to benefit VFA's efforts

By Joanne Beck

This month may be October, but there are many people looking forward to OctoFUR this weekend.

It’s a Volunteers For Animals fundraiser (ahem, Furaiser), complete with oodles of baskets with a wide variety of items just waiting to be won. This event is set for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Pudgie’s Lawn and Garden, 3646 West Main St., Batavia.

Volunteer Shelley Falitico is part of the event committee, which also includes Angie Knisley, Marcy Colantonio and Becca Walters, who have been “committed, dedicated volunteers for several years,” she says.

Falitico has been impressed with all that the nonprofit does to help animals at Genesee County Animal Shelter, from providing much-needed medical care, vaccinations, fostering, walking, assisting with adoptions, to, of course, showering them with lots of TLC. All or at least some of these services have eased the temporary transition to shelter life for dogs, cats, and even a bird, Falitico said.

“I am a new volunteer and I have met so many long-time, dedicated volunteers since my introduction to the Volunteers for Animals mission,” she said. “They hold a couple of fundraisers each year.”

This event promises to be a good one, and includes an “extra special raffle” this year featuring a grand prize of two Buffalo Bills game tickets. The game pits local favorite Buffalo Bills against the New York Jets on Dec. 11. Get ready to watch from Section 118, Row 6 if you’re the lucky winner. Tickets are $10 each.

There’s free entry and several baskets in the “giant” basket raffle event, and all proceeds support animal care. Winners need not be present to win. Pudgie’s is also offering 10 percent off all pet-safe plants.

For those wanting to help out with the cause another way, donations of new items or themed baskets may be dropped off at the shelter during regular hours: 1 to 3 and 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, and 1 to 3 p.m. Friday at 3841 West Main Street Road, Batavia.

JJ, top, and Digger are just two of the shelter residents waiting to go to a loving forever home. Photos courtesy of VFA's website.

Former Batavia couple loses home, retains faith, after Hurricane Ian

By Joanne Beck

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Former Batavians John and Joelle Lyman had just gotten settled into their new life at Fort Myers, Fla. by renovating portions of their home, making a sizable investment, and preparing to enjoy some sun, beach and relaxation.

After years of uprooting their lifestyles by downsizing and traveling to spend quality time with family, the Lymans had finally landed. Or so they thought. Toward the end of September, Hurricane Ian, with torrential winds and muddy waters, crashed into their serene world.

“We said, ‘OK, adventure time is over,’ it’s time to settle down,” John said during an interview from his current home in Naples, Fla. “We've been here for seven years, and we weathered Irma. And, you know, Irma gave us a false sense of security on the storm this time. I have been through a tremendous number of hurricanes … with this one, the warnings that came in came in fast. With Irma, it was really slow-moving. We had a lot of time to prepare and figure things out.

"Ian brought the fury," he said. "It looked like someone filled (the house) with water, shook it with all of the furniture, and left it as it laid,” he said.

Hurricane Ian was a large and destructive Category 4 Atlantic hurricane, cited as being the deadliest hurricane to strike the state of Florida since 1935. Ian caused widespread damage across western Cuba and the southeast United States, especially the states of Florida and South Carolina.

As a paramedic and responder to several smaller hurricanes over the years, John thought he had seen it all — and was fairly certain that he and his wife could ride out this September storm as well. As fate would have it — or luck or whatever you would call it — their son Philip planned to visit Florida for vacation, and attend a concert while he was there. When the worst of the storm hit, the Lyman family was at that concert in Orlando.

“So we stayed in Disney. Amazingly, we were able to find a hotel, everything really was kind of closed down. And we did get hit there with like category one-ish. We were on the 12th floor and it was still pretty scary as category one. All the while, you know you're thinking what's going on with the house,” Joelle said about their home nearby Sanibel Beach. “You know what's going on with the area because we're so close to the beach, and you know the storm is 400 miles across.”

After learning of the deadly touchdown by Ian, the Lymans weren’t able to contact any neighbors because “everybody left,” John said. Ian moved automobiles, boats, trailers and dumpsters, and knocked down trees, wires, buildings, homes, the Sanibel bridge, and power. Nearly 150 deaths, including 136 people in Florida, and an estimated $50 billion of damage and loss was left in Ian’s wake. Fort Myers and Naples have reportedly been the most hardest hit, and millions lost power.

When the Lymans returned, John’s first thought was that their home wasn’t that bad. From the outside, despite some missing windows, and the wreckage and debris all around them, their place looked fairly intact, he said. First, they had to drive through a lot of water just to get to their place, and it looked like “an absolute war zone,” John and Joelle said, each filling in details for one another. In addition to power outages, the sewer system broke as well.

“So on top of the surge, there's sewer water in our house. Everything was just absolutely ruined, windows blown out we had gotten on Monday, the Monday before the storm we just had the guy who sided our house a week and a half prior finish up by hanging the shutters. We just redid all the floors, furniture, a new wall, windows, doors. And the frightening thing is our insurance covers hurricanes, but a hurricane in their eyes doesn't include storm surge. And we got hit with between seven and nine feet of water in our house,” John said, as Joelle added “So our plumbing, our electrical system, all of our storage, all of my kids, you know, stuff when they were kids, is all gone. It's just devastating.”

The fridge was full of that dirty water, and furniture, appliances, clothing and other household items had been ruined by flood waters. But there were more emotional items, in particular, that got to Joelle.

“I can get another copy of a birth certificate, but there were baby books (in a storage container), and it was filled with water,” she said.

Recounting the danger of even fully inspecting their home, the Lymans said there could be unwelcomed visitors, such as alligators and water moccasins, and certainly, developing mold as the days go by. They aren’t allowed to begin any recovery and restoration until their insurance company and FEMA evaluate it and determine if, and how much, the Lymans will receive in compensation.

They’ve had to fill out paperwork, applications, and more paperwork, all in an effort to try and recoup some of their loss. But, in the face of seeing others living in tents, they feel grateful. A childhood friend of John’s has loaned them a fifth-wheel trailer in Naples until they can move on with their lives.

“There are so many people that don’t have that, there’s no lodging,” Joelle said. “I know that God’s got us. It’s like going through these phases of grief … like when I went to church yesterday, and the pastor told everyone because we're all in the same boat, he said, ‘It's okay to feel this way. It's okay to feel tired. It's okay to feel uncertain, but just know that God's got you.’ And we've known that all along. It's just, it was almost like he gave us permission to feel our feels.”

They have both managed to continue working — Joelle once worked in education at Genesee Valley BOCES and John had worked for Mercy EMS — and her current employer in Florida has set up a fundraiser for the couple to help offset some of the inescapable costs they will have. When they left for the concert in Orlando, Joelle had only brought a pair of flip-flops and some shorts and shirts. Their remaining world possessions stayed behind in their home, she said.

The couple isn’t certain just yet what they’re going to do. With the hope of getting some insurance and/or FEMA money, the Lymans haven’t made any solid plans. Their highest hope is to not have to use the Go Fund Me donations, and instead, they will pay it forward to someone else in need, they said. But right now, it’s hard to say what they’ll have and what they may need in the future.

“I don’t think we’ll be able to afford where we were,” Joelle said. “We don’t know what we’re going to do … You don’t feel rested. Your mind is always going.”

For more information about the fundraiser, go to John and Joelle Lyman

Photos submitted by the Lymans of their home and surrounding neighborhood. The car was parallel to the house before getting pushed up onto the lawn, and boats were carried by the storm surge from other parts of the city.

Motorcycle accident reported on West Main, Batavia

By Howard B. Owens

An accident involving a motorcycle is reported in the area of 3875 West Main Street Road, Batavia.

The motorcyclist is reportedly down in the road.

Town of Batavia Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 1:51 p.m.: No collision, according to a deputy on scene. A motorcyclist tried to break quickly after a car in front of him slowed suddenly, and he lost control of the bike.  The motorcyclist sustained minor injuries and will be transported for evaluation. 

Investigators believe they know where fire at Baskin Livestock started, just not why

By Howard B. Owens

There is no definitive cause that fire investigators have determined for the fire Sunday at Baskin Livestock, 9778 Creek Road, Batavia., said Tim Yaeger, Genesee County emergency management coordinator.

Yaeger said the origin appears to be in a bay area of the facility where paper -- typically paper that contained waste food items being converted at the factory into cattle feed -- is stored prior to shipment to a landfill. 

If that is the origin of the fire, what could possibly have caused the ignition of the fire is undetermined at this time.  There is no obvious ignition source.

There were no employees in the building at the time of the fire, Yaeger said.

Because Baskin Livestock is self-insured, fire investigators are unlikely to return to the scene for further investigation unless requested by the company, Yaeger said.

There is a fire suppression system installed in the building, Yaeger said, and Baskin Livestock is going to investigate to try and determine why is seems to have malfunctioned.

Photos by Howard Owens

Photos: Ghost Walk at Historic Batavia Cemetery

By Howard B. Owens

The Batavia Cemetery Association held its annual Ghost Walk on Saturday, which is both a fundraiser and a chance to provide area residents with an entertaining history lesson about the people who shaped the development of Western New York.

Photos by Howard Owens, Top photo, Michael Gosselin as Rev. John Yates.

Tim Buckman as Maj. Philemon Tracy.

Patrick Weissend as Joseph Ellicott.

Dan Snyder as Albert Brisbane.

Photos: Dwyer filled with tiny super heroes and scary monsters for annual Halloween event

By Howard B. Owens

The line for the Halloween trick-or-treat event at Dwyer Stadium on Saturday stretched from the front gate to State Street throughout most of the event.

Various businesses and organizations were spread out around the grandstands and onto the field handing out candy to costumed kiddies.  Many of the organizations had to send out members of their party to retrieve more candy from local stores after bringing only enough for 1,000 or 2,000 children.

The event was sponsored by the Batavia Muckdogs and the team's owners Robbie and Nellie Nichols. Robbie said that 2,100 kids and 5,000 families showed up this year. 

Man reportedly on West Main claiming to be cop chasing someone

By Howard B. Owens

A caller in the area of Rite Aid on West Main Street and Lewiston reports an encounter with a man who may have had a gun who said he was a police officer chasing someone and was last seen heading toward Tops.

He is described as a thinner white male wearing jeans, a red windbreaker and a black of blue ball cap.

Troopers and deputies are responding with Batavia PD.

UPDATE 9:13 p.m.: A responding officer reports detaining a subject fitting the description behind Tops.

Photos: Mercy Flight open house

By Howard B. Owens

Mercy Flight/Mercy EMS hosted an open house at its facility on Call Parkway on Saturday, with Cub Scouts selling hot dogs, a craft room where kids could paint coupons, a basket raffle, a mum sale, games, and displays and apparatus from State Police, and fire departments from Town of Batavia, Stafford, Elba, Alabama, and Pavilion.

It takes a community to build a business, Brian Kemp says at 25th Anniversary of T-Shirts Etc.

By Howard B. Owens

At 10 years old, throwing a baseball against the wall of a brick building, Brian Kemp never imagined he would someday own a 25-year-old business making custom T-shirts and that he would also own that building on Center Street, as well.

It's all very humbling, said Kemp, a Batavia HS graduate who spent much of his youth living in a house on School Street with a backyard that abuts the building that now houses T-Shirts Etc.

"To think like, I'm probably driving the people inside the building crazy," Kemp said during a 25th Anniversary celebration for T-Shirts Etc. on Thursday evening. "I'm not thinking of it as a kid like that but now if somebody started throwing a ball against my wall, I might say, 'Hey, what's going on?' you know. But I would have a little empathy for him because I did it, too."

Kemp and a partner, with the help of his girlfriend at the time, started T-Shirts Etc on the third floor of the Harvester Center three years after Kemp graduated from high school.  Soon they moved into a larger space on the first floor, then to the former WBTA building at Harvester and East Main, then to the former Newberry's building (now Eli Fish) on Main Street, and finally to his current location at 37 Center St.

A lot of people -- a whole community, really -- he said, helped him reach this milestone.  He gave credit to his former partner John, his former girlfriend, Heather, and to his ex-wife, Beth Kemp.

"Beth and I were married for seven or eight years," Kemp said. "We're not married anymore but it was a great time that helped me turn the business into where we are today. We moved the company three times, so she was a very integral part of the business."

Kemp also said he couldn't sustain any success without his employees.

"I have a great crew that has weathered the storm of the last few years," he said. "My current crew consists of my son Parker who runs the print production department, Melissa Flint, who runs the embroidery, shipping, and receiving departments and lastly, Mikah Burdic who is currently working as a production assistant.  I am truly honored to work daily with my crew that puts in the work on a daily basis, producing quality products for our customers.  I come here to the shop, hang out and make stuff, and these people make it enjoyable."

His younger sons, Myloh, 10, and Aslan, are also helping out in the shop these days, he said.

He noted that a lot of his customers were at the celebration.  

"All these relationships with our business are personal and have all impacted on my life," Kemp said. "I've got these great boys and this amazing business that we call home here in Batavia. We got our own little piece of Batavia. It's been fantastic."

Photos by Howard Owens.  Top photo, Kemp, left, with Tom Turnbull, Chamber of Commerce interim president.

No injuries, two dogs rescued but house total loss in morning fire

By Howard B. Owens

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Fire investigators believe, preliminarily, that a malfunction in a furnace at 8920 Batavia Stafford Townline Road is the source of a fire that destroyed the home this morning.

The structure was fully involved before firefighters were dispatched shortly before 8:40 a.m.

"(The furnace is) propane-powered and forced hot air," said Tim Yaeger, Genesee County Emergency Management Coordinator. "(The homeowner) had left to go and give assignments to her crews for the business that they run here. When they came back, she said she smelled something funny, something hot, and one of her employees saw smoke exiting from the garage. They entered the garage, opened the door into the house and there was heavy black smoke in the house itself. So right now we're leaning towards, based on an investigation, preliminarily, we're looking at the furnace that may have had a malfunction."

Nobody was injured as a result of the fire and an employee reportedly rescued two dogs from inside the house.

The initial dispatch for the fire reported that two people had entered the house and may be trapped but when a Stafford assistant chief was first on scene, he informed dispatchers that both people were out of the house and that it was believed nobody was in the house at that point.

Town of Batavia Chief Chris Strathearn said the heavy, tall column of black smoke from the fire was visible well before he arrived on scene. He called for a second alarm.

Companies dispatched included Town of Batavia, City Fire, Stafford, Le Roy, and Alexander's FAST Team. Mercy EMS, Sheriff's Office, and State Police assisted at the scene.

The ranch-style home was built in 2016 and is owned by William and Stacy Corcoran. The 2,387-square-foot house sits on a 3.7-acre parcel. The Corcorans also own other adjoining farm property. 

Photos by Howard Owens. For more photos, click here.

House fire reported on Batavia Stafford Townline Road

By Howard B. Owens


A house fire is reported at 8920 Batavia Stafford Townline Road, Batavia.

Town of Batavia Fire dispatched.

UPDATE 8:34 a.m.: There was initially a report that two people had re-entered the house and were entrapped.  They are now reported out of the house.  There was also an explosion reported not attached to the structure.  A second alarm is requested.

UPDATED 9:20 a.m.: The fire has been knocked down.

UPDATE 11:05 a.m.: Batavia Stafford Townline Road has been reopened.


Photos by Howard Owens.

Woman charged in nail polish damage to car that was discovered after City Council meeting

By Joanne Beck
Jill Turner

An investigation stemming from the report of a vehicle that was damaged while the owner was at a City Council meeting on Sept. 12 has resulted in charges for Jill M. Turner of Batavia.

Turner, 40, was charged with criminal mischief, second-degree, upon her arrest on Oct. 13, city police said. She was arraigned in Batavia City Court and released on her own recognizance, to return at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.

The unidentified owner of the defiled automobile filed a claim after that September meeting, stating that someone had poured nail polish on her vehicle while she was at the meeting and a public hearing about a current law that allows farm animals within city limits.

Some residents, including the claimant, who lived near Turner had complained that her goats and other animals were a nuisance to the neighborhood. Turner was not at the meeting that drew some 30 people to the second-floor City Council chambers that evening. Shannon Maute, one of her neighbors, said she "was happy to see that an arrest had been made."

"We are tired of being tormented and bullied by Jill," Maute said to The Batavian Sunday evening. "I hope that this will send her a message that she can't get away with it any more. There are consequences for her actions and her behavior."

Detective Eric Hill had confirmed at the time when the damage was first noted that there was “an open investigation into the matter right now,” after The Batavian inquired about the damaged vehicle that was parked in Jefferson Square.

“I’m not sure on the level and location of polish and we don't have an estimate (of the value of the damage) at this time,” Hill had said in an email to The Batavian.

UPDATED 3:20 p.m.: According to a source close to the vehicle owner, the damage has been assessed at nearly $2,000.

Batavia finishes regular season undefeated vs. Newark on senior day

By Howard B. Owens

In a season in which no opponent has even come close to beating Batavia, for the fourth time in seven games the Blue Devils held a challenger to fewer than seven points.

This time it was Newark/Marion that Batavia dominated for a convincing 54-6 win.

Scoring: 

  • Ja'vin McFollins 30-yard pass to Aidan Anderson.
  • Cam McClinic, six-yard run.
  • McFollins 6-yard pass to Brendan Burgess.
  • Anderson, 3-yard run.
  • McFollins 15-yard pass to Carter McFollins
  • Anderson, 6-yard run.
  • Newark scores on a kickoff return.
  • Bronx Buchholz 30-yard run.
  • Devan Flanagan, 7-yard run.

McFollins was 10-11 passing for 141 and the three TDs.

Mekhi Fortes gained 67 yards on six carries. McClinic, 54 yards and a TD on six carries. Anderson 34 yards and two TDs on five carries.  Bucholz, 45 yards and a TD on three carries.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

Barn fire reported at Baskin Livestock

By Howard B. Owens


A barn fire with flames showing is reported at Baskin Livestock, 9778 Creek Road, Batavia.

Bethany, Alexander, Town of Batavia dispatched.

Second alarm, Stafford, Pavilion, Le Roy, and City of Batavia FAST Team dispatched.

Photo by Howard Owens.

Drug Take Back Day is Oct. 29

By Press Release

Press Release

#TakeBackDay is just a week away!  But don’t worry, cleaning out your medicine cabinet takes just a few minutes and there are plenty of convenient collection sites near you.  Sharing this post takes seconds too.  Just a small effort can have a huge impact! Visit www.DEATakeBack.com to learn more and come see us in the Alva Lot on October 29th, 10 AM - 2 PM!
 

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