batavia

A red car in the parking lot of Walmart allegedly has a dog locked inside with the windows rolled up this summer afternoon. A Sheriff's deputy is responding to the complaint.

UPDATE 4:13 p.m.: The deputy is going to have someone at the customer service desk inside the store page the registered owner of the car over the PA system. The car is registered to a woman in Stafford.

UPDATE 4:22 p.m.: A few minutes ago, the deputy reported "The owner has come out of Walmart and is taking the dog away." Next, the officer asked what the temperature is and a dispatcher replied: 84 degrees.

UPDATE 4:32 p.m.: Typically on these types of calls, no other information is put forth over the scanner. If a citation is issued, there's no press release about it. But we will do a follow up on this issue soon.

Two vehicles crashed at Main and Bank streets in the city. There are no injuries, but it is blocking traffic, which the police are handling.

PHOTO (by Howard): I was walking on East Main just west of Jackson, heard the collision behind me, turned around, snapped this shot before the smoke even cleared.

It's July 11, and you know what that means -- free Slurpees at 7-11 convenience stores.

Above, Zach Paris, of Alexander, draws himself a cold one at the store in Batavia, corner of East Main and Elm streets.

Emily Smith, 28, of 31 Williams St., Batavia, is charged with disorderly conduct. Smith is accused of waving a carving knife while in the middle of Williams Street, threatening people and alarming them. The alleged incident was reported at 11:52 a.m., Tuesday. According to a police report, Williams and a neighbor were allegedly intoxicated on bath salts and began to believe they were mad at each other, leading to a confrontation.

Jason Barnhardt, 25, of 108 Tracy Ave., Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Barnhardt is accused of living at a residence on Tracy Avenue since June that he was allegedly barred by court order from being at. Barnhardt's residence was reportedly discovered during an emergency call to the residence Monday.

The mother of Jason Lang marched into 420 Emporium, at 400 Ellicott St. Batavia, tonight and demanded that employees sell her "Amped," a brand of bath salts she believes had been sold to her son at the store earlier in the evening.

She said she is trying to make a point -- that the recently opened head shop is killing her son by selling him the chemical substance.

For her trouble, she was issued an appearance ticket for alleged trespassing.

Jason Lang, previously arrested for allegedly making false reports to law enforcement in 9-1-1 calls, was bailed out of jail recently, according to his mother, Nicole Lang, by an employee of Lang's cab company.

"I want them to stop selling to my son because they are killing him right now," Mrs. Lang said.

Sgt. John Peck said that as a parent he sympathizes with Mrs. Lang's position, but said, "she's not going about it the right way."

Mrs. Lang said she went in the store, tried to buy bath salts, was told to leave and then left. Peck said store employees saw and what he observed himself is something different.

According to Peck, Mrs. Lang was told to leave, and did, but then stormed back in, disrupting business transactions in the store. After Peck and Officer Kevin DeFelice arrived on scene, Peck said Mrs. Lang reentered the store and started yelling at employees.

The store manager, Peck said, wanted to press trespass charges.

"We could have charged her with other possible crimes," Peck said. "We charged her with simple trespass."

Simple trespass is equivalent to getting a traffic ticket.

Mrs. Lang said she isn't done protesting against 420 Emporium for allegedly selling bath salts. She and her daughter, Brandi Smith, said they are going to organize a protest picket against the store to raise community awareness about 420 allegedly selling the chemical compounds.

They're hoping, they said, other community members concerned about bath salts in Batavia will join the protest.

The date of the protest will be announced at a later time.

According to Mrs. Lang, a person she encountered coming out of 420 Emporium when she arrived told her he had just purchased Amped in the store and snorted a line in front of her.

"He said he loved it," she said, and then he laughed and walked off.

While Mrs. Lang was out on the sidewalk after one of her previous entries into the store, she said two people -- a former employee of Lang's and a relative of Lang's -- walked past and one of them shoved her into the roadway on Ellicott Street.

She wanted the woman charged with assault, but Peck told her that complaint is still under investigation.

Peck told The Batavian that witnesses who don't know any of the parties involved said Mrs. Lang was trying to prevent the couple from walking down the sidewalk and one of the people simply tried to push her out of the way.

The two people would be interviewed, Peck said, before he reached any conclusions about the case.

Meanwhile, Peck said Batavia PD are dealing with an increasing number of bath salts related calls.

Today, he said, there were at least three bath salt related calls in the city, including one where two people allegedly on bath salts both started thinking the other was mad at the other. One of the people involved ended up going into the street brandishing a knife threatening the other person.

"We've been dealing with it (bath salts) all day," Peck said.

While police were on scene at 420 Emporium, Lang reportedly drove up to a Batavia PD cruiser and told an offer that gang members were out to kill him and drove off.

Brandi Smith said Lang's report to police isn't entirely bath-salt-inspired paranoia. According to Smith, a couple of months ago, Lang turned over to State Police all the Amped he had in his shop -- the former Laughing Buddha -- and that Lang  acquired the supply of Amped from a well known alleged criminal enterprise.

According to Smith, members of the crminal enterprise had laced the Amped with meth, unbeknownst to Lang, and Lang is facing possible criminal charges for selling the substance.

Now, she said, members of the gang are demanding Lang either return the Amped or pay them the money they're owed. 

The Amped in question, she said, is in the custody of State Police.

Finally, both Mrs. Lang and Mr. Lang (Jason's father) expressed displeasure with The Batavian's reporting about Jason Lang. They said The Batavian's stories leave people with the impression that Jason is some sort of "low life."

"Jason is really a good person," Mrs. Lang said. 

She said she wants the community to know he's really a good person just having a problem right now. She said she is worried about his health, but, "he's a really good person."

Photo: Nicole Lang sobs in front of 420 Emporium while awaiting Batavia PD to issue her an appearance ticket for alleged trespassing.

A controlled burn at 311 Bank St. is requiring the response of city firefighters and mutual aid from the Town of Batavia. According to authorities, this address has previously been advised regarding the requirements of controlled burns.

UPDATE 10:30 p.m. (approximately): Fire is out.

Monday the Batavia Lions Club held its annual Ballpark Bicycle Drawing during the Batavia Muckdogs game at Dwyer Stadium.

This year's winners are Aliyah Curry, left, of Batavia who won the girls bike, and Shane McClurg, of Le Roy, winner of the boy's bike. Also pictured, Paul Bisig, first VP of the Batavia Lions Club.

Again this year, several local nursing home residents were guests at the game, courtesy of the Batavia Lions.

Submitted photo.

City Manager Jason Molino's 1.5-percent raise approved unanimously by the Batavia City Council on Monday is "reasonable," said Council President Tim Buckley after the meeting.

"In today’s economy (it) is very reasonable," Buckley said. "It’s not a lot of money, but it shows something that council supports him and his efforts."

Molino will now make $86,009.

Councilwoman Patti Pacino said, "he deserves it. Trust me, he does."

Pacino credited Molino with greatly improving the city's financial standing.

"When I started on this council we were ready to turn the lights off in the city and now we have a rating of A2," Pacino said. "He knows what he’s doing and he’s taking us there."

Buckley said Molino's recent performance review "came back with high marks."

The only criticism of Molino's raise heard in council chambers Monday was from John Roach, who suggested Molino should be required to give up his six-month severance package before getting any more raises.

"If he's ever fired, even for cause, he gets six months severance," Roach said. "I think $43,000 is excessive."

Roach added, "Obviously, the council didn't agree with me."

The 1.5-percent raise was part of the city's last approved budget and is in line with what other non-union workers are getting.

Molino said he's grateful for the vote of confidence from the council.

Joseph M. Dispenza, 18, of 36 Church St., Le Roy, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, reckless driving, leaving the scene of a property damage accident, unlawful possession of marijuana and consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle. Dispenza was taken into custody after Batavia PD received numerous reports of a vehicle operating erratically at 6:48 a.m., Monday, in the Valu Plaza parking lot. Witnesses reported seeing the vehicle being driven at a high rate of speed in the parking lot and squealing its tires. The vehicle struck a light utility pole causing a significant amount of damage and rendering it inoperable. Dispenza and two passengers allegedly fled the scene but were located by patrols in the Batavia Commons Plaza. (Initial Report)

Bradley J. Broadbent, 32, no permanent address, is charged with burglary, 2nd, and petit larceny. Broadbent is accused of forcibly entering a residence on Tracy Avenue, causing damage to the door, and once inside, allegedly stealing clothing. Broadbent was arrested on these charges Monday while appearing in Batavia City Court stemming from his arrest Friday for alleged incidents on Hutchins Street. Broadbent is being held in Genesee County Jail without bail.

Kelly J. Rhim, 33, of 30 Bell St., Cheektowaga, is charged with harassment, 2nd, and endangering the welfare of a child. Rhim was allegedly involved in an argument with a female acquaintance. Rhim is accused of throwing a bowl of food at the friend, striking her with the object. There were allegedly two children in the room at the time.

Jernie Edward Kuhns, 44, of Ridge Road, Elba, is charged with aggravated harassment, 2nd. Kuhns allegedly sent text messages to another person threatening to come to the residence of that person and physically harm another person. Kuhns allegedly went to the residence but left when the occupants did not answer the door. Kuhns was jailed on $350 bail.

Jason A. Klinkbeil, 24, of Le Roy, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, and unlawful possession of marijuana. Klinkbeil was taken into custody by State Police at 8:15 p.m., Saturday, at 80 South St., Village of Le Roy. No further details released.

Will Greek yogurt mean a boom for local dairy farmers? Marwa Eltagouri takes a look at that question for the Buffalo News.

Local dairy farmers Gordon Offhaus and Dale Stein are featured.

In order to keep up with the Greek yogurt demand, it is estimated that milk produced by Western New York farmers must increase by 15 percent over the next four to five years, said Dave Dean Norton, president of the New York State Farm Bureau.

Since there isn't enough milk in the state right now to feed the Alpina Foods and PepsiCo plants, the plants will have to pay additional costs to freight the milk in from another state, likely Michigan, said Stein, the farmer from Le Roy.

The article is full of useful information to know if this segment of the local economy is important to you.

From County Highway Superintendent Tim Hens:

The work scheduled to start tomorrow on the River Street Bridge in the City of Batavia has been postponed until Friday due to a rescheduling of contractors. Milling of the existing asphalt overlay will be performed Friday and should be completed that day. The bridge will be reduced to one lane during the work.

A 24-year-old Batavia resident who allegedly gave bath salts to a minor did so, she reportedly told a DSS caseworker, because she thought the chemical was legal, "therefore it was OK."

Ashley R. Keene, of 244 Liberty St., Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child.

Her alleged admission to giving bath salts to a 14-year-old girl are contained in court documents on file with Batavia City Court.

According to a DSS worker who made a statement in support of Keene's arrest, Keene said she didn't understand on May 28, Memorial Day, that giving a child bath salts was illegal.

Keene is the girlfriend of Jason D. Lang, 28, of 244 Liberty St., Batavia, who is currently being held in Genesee County Jail. He is accused of falsely reporting an incident for allegedly calling 9-1-1 to report gunshots at a local hotel July 2.

In court documents, a Batavia PD officer reports that in a jailhouse interview, Lang denied participating in giving the girl bath salts and says he warned Keene against it, but admits, according to the officer, of "having a problem with bath salts."

Lang has reportedly been involved in other bizarre calls to the emergency dispatchers, placing multiple calls to 9-1-1 one morning in late June and either he or Keene reported a toxic chemical odor at 244 Liberty St. in June that city fire later declared unfounded.

Lang is the former owner of The Laughing Buddha, 238 Ellicott St., Batavia, which was a head shop and tattoo parlor. The shop has been closed for a few weeks and is reportedly out of business.

In late May, Lang was arrested by State Police for allegedly calling the property owner of 400 Ellicott St. and telling the landlord that he was a "State Police detective." Lang was allegedly warning the landlord not to rent to 420 Emporium because, according to Lang, the business sold bath salts.

According to court documents, on May 28, the 14-year-old girl was given permission to go with Lang and Keene to a rib festival in Rochester. She was reportedly going along as a babysitter for Lang and Keene's daughter.

At about 5 p.m., her parents gave her permission to go home with them. On the way back to Batavia, Lang drove to Warsaw and stopped at a 420 Emporium location there.

The girl reportedly told officers that Lang gave Keene $100 to buy two packages of "Amp" (aka Amped).

When Keene came out of the store, according to the girl, she gave one package of the compound to Lang and kept one for herself. Lang, the girl said, got in the back seat and Keene got behind the wheel. Before driving away, according to the statement, Keene snorted a half line of the bath salt.

Jason slept in the back seat during the drive home, the girl said.

Upon arriving at 244 Liberty, according to the girl's statement, she got permission to stay with Lang and Keene overnight.

In the statement, the girl is reported to have said that Keene was going to do her hair and makeup for her last day of school.

Once home, the girl reported that Lang and Keene argued about "cheating and lying."

Then they decided to go to McDonald's and Tops for food.

When the group returned to 244 Liberty, Keene allegedly asked the girl, "do you want to do caffeine powder with me?"

The girl said she had never snorted anything before, according to the statement, and Keene allegedly showed her how to snort the powder.

At 10:30 p.m., Lang reportedly said he was hot and wanted to go for a walk. The girl also said they were going to look for Lang's dog, which had apparently run off.

When the got home, the girl took a swig from a Sprite bottle, according to the statement, that she later learned contained some "Amped" mixed in the bottle.

The girl said she started feeling hot. Keene, she said, got a bag of peas from the freezer and put them on her forehead. Lang asked her if she needed to take a shower. She declined the shower.

The group stayed up all night watching TV, the girl reportedly said. She said she couldn't sleep.

At 5 a.m., she started getting ready for school. 

She took a shower and Keene stayed in the bathroom during the entire shower, the girl said.

When she got out of the shower she said she noticed scratches on both of her forearms but didn't know how they got there.

Keene did the girl's hair and makeup.

When she got to school, she said, she wasn't feeling well. At about lunchtime, she started throwing up.

Her mother came and took her home.

According to the report, the girl didn't eat for two days.

Lang has previously denied selling bath salts at The Laughing Buddha, but has admitted to selling what is commonly accepted as synthetic marijuana, which Lang called incense and potpourri (previous coverage here). Just before his store closed, Lang said he had found a new kind of synthetic marijuana that was all organic and wasn't covered by a recent statewide ban on most substances known as synthetic marijuana.

After the jump (click on the headline) a press release from Sen. Charles Schumer on President Obama signing legislation making it illegal to sell (as a federal crime) many of the chemicals used in bath salts and synthetic marijuana.

Press release:

Today, United States Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that President Obama has signed into law new drug legislation that will permanently ban the deadly chemical compounds marketed and sold as bath salts and incense in the New York State and the United States.

Schumer successfully fought to include three bills relating to synthetic substances – S. 409 (Bath Salts), S. 605 (Synthetic Marijuana) and S. 839 (Synthetic Hallucinogens) – as part of the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act. Schumer and his colleagues were able to pass this ban over the strenuous objections of Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) and Schumer applauds President Obama today for his swift approval of the bill once it arrived at his desk for signature.

“President Obama’s swift approval of this federal ban is the final nail in the coffin for the legal sale of bath salts in smoke shops and convenient stores in New York State and throughout the rest of the country,” Schumer said. “This law will close loopholes that have allowed manufacturers to circumvent local and state bans and ensure that you cannot simply cross state lines to find these deadly bath salts, and I’m pleased that after a great deal of effort, it has become law.

"We have seen bath salts catalyze some of the most heinous crimes in recent months across Upstate New York, and the President’s signature ensures that the federal government can fight this scourge with a united front, across state lines and at our borders.”

Schumer’s bath salt legislation will specifically ban MDPV (methylenedioxypyrovalerone) and mephedrone, the active ingredients in bath salts and are now being sold online, at convenience stores, and in smoke shops under names like Tranquility, Zoom, Ivory Wave, Red Dove, Legal Phunk and Vanilla Sky.

According to numerous reports, the chemicals found in bath salts cause effects similar to those caused by cocaine and methamphetamines, including hallucinations, paranoia, and suicidal thoughts. In one case a user was reported to have resorted to self-mutilation after abusing the substance. In several cases, users have died after overdosing or because of violent behavior.

Schumer’s legislation will make bath salts illegal in the United States by adding the active ingredients, MDPV and mephedrone, to Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, which classifies drugs that are illegal and cannot be prescribed under any circumstances. In addition to MDPV and mephedrone, there are 29 other substances that Schumer’s bill bans.

Over the past year, New York State has seen a drastic increase in both the use and the occurrence of destructive incidents involving bath salts. This new federal ban will significantly curb the accessibility of this life-threatening scourge.

Below are a list of all 31 substances that Schumer’s legislation would ban on a federal level:

A) Synthetic Marijuana:

1.      2-(3-hydroxycyclohexyl)phenol with substitution at the 5-position of the phenolic ring by alkyl or alkenyl, whether or not substituted on the cyclohexyl ring to any extent.

2.      3-(1-naphthoyl)indole or 3-(1-naphthylmethane)indole by substitution at the nitrogen atom of the indole ring, whether or not further substituted on the indole ring to any extent, whether or not substituted on the naphthoyl or naphthyl ring to any extent.

3.      3-(1-naphthoyl)pyrrole by substitution at the nitrogen atom of the pyrrole ring, whether or not further substituted in the pyrrole ring to any extent, whether or not substituted on the naphthoyl ring to any extent.

4.      1-(1-naphthylmethylene)indene by substitution of the 3-position of the indene ring, whether or not further substituted in the indene ring to any extent, whether or not substituted on the naphthyl ring to any extent.

5.      3-phenylacetylindole or 3-benzoylindole by substitution at the nitrogen atom of the indole ring, whether or not further substituted in the indole ring to any extent, whether or not substituted on the phenyl ring to any extent.

6.      5-(1,1-dimethylheptyl)-2-[(1R,3S)-3-hydroxycyclohexyl]-phenol (CP-47,497);

7.      5-(1,1-dimethyloctyl)-2-[(1R,3S)-3-hydroxycyclohexyl]-phenol (cannabicyclohexanol or CP-47,497 C8-homolog);

8.      1-pentyl-3-(1-naphthoyl)indole (JWH-018 and AM678);

9.      1-butyl-3-(1-naphthoyl)indole (JWH-073);

10.  1-hexyl-3-(1-naphthoyl)indole (JWH-019);

11.  1-[2-(4-morpholinyl)ethyl]-3-(1-naphthoyl)indole (JWH-200);

12.  1-pentyl-3-(2-methoxyphenylacetyl)indole (JWH-250);

13.  1-pentyl-3-[1-(4-methoxynaphthoyl)]indole (JWH-081);

14.  1-pentyl-3-(4-methyl-1-naphthoyl)indole (JWH-122);

15.  1-pentyl-3-(4-chloro-1-naphthoyl)indole (JWH-398);

16.  1-(5-fluoropentyl)-3-(1-naphthoyl)indole (AM2201);

17.  1-(5-fluoropentyl)-3-(2-iodobenzoyl)indole (AM694);

18.  1-pentyl-3-[(4-methoxy)-benzoyl]indole (SR-19 and RCS-4);

19.  1-cyclohexylethyl-3-(2-methoxyphenylacetyl)indole (SR-18 and RCS-8);

20.  1-pentyl-3-(2-chlorophenylacetyl)indole (JWH-203).'.

B) Bath Salts

21.  4-methylmethcathinone (Mephedrone).

22.  3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV).

C) Synthetic Hallucinogens

23.  2-(2,5-Dimethoxy-4-ethylphenyl)ethanamine (2C-E).

24.  2-(2,5-Dimethoxy-4-methylphenyl)ethanamine (2C-D).

25.  2-(4-Chloro-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)ethanamine (2C-C).

26.  2-(4-Iodo-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)ethanamine (2C-I).

27.  2-[4-(Ethylthio)-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl]ethanamine (2C-T-2).

28.  2-[4-(Isopropylthio)-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl]ethanamine (2C-T-4).

29.  2-(2,5-Dimethoxyphenyl)ethanamine (2C-H).

30.  2-(2,5-Dimethoxy-4-nitro-phenyl)ethanamine (2C-N).

31.  2-(2,5-Dimethoxy-4-(n)-propylphenyl)ethanamine (2C-P).'.

Workers this morning carefully dismantled the landmark Batavia Downs sign atop the roof of the grandstand of the legendary racetrack.

The neon sign is being replaced with a more energy efficient and less costly LCD sign that has been fabricated to exactly match the lettering of the old sign.

Ryan Hasenauer, marketing director for Western Regional OTB, said officials plan to keep the B and the D from the old sign and display them in some manner on the property, but the future of the remaining letters of the sign has yet to be determined.

Bottom photo: The first two letters of the new sign, time permitting, will be fitted into place some time today.

A patient, described as combative, is having seizures and is being transported to UMMC by Mercy EMS.

The patient, according to a medic, may have used bath salts and synthetic marijuana.

Mercy EMS was initially dispatched to an address on Tracy Avenue for a 25-year-old person having seizures. Upon arrival, medics requested police back-up.

Ashley R. Keene, 24, of 244 Liberty St., Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Keene is accused of providing bath salts to a juvenile to snort.

Chad E. Merle, 31, of 3225 Broadway Road, Alexander, is charged criminal contempt, 1st. Merle is accused of sending multiple text messages to a person protected from contact by a court order.

Jamie E. Andrews, 19, of 15 School St., Batavia, is charged with harassment,1st. Andrews is accused of continually following around her ex-boyfriend and driving by his house repeatedly for no legitimate purpose. Andrews was previously arrested by Batavia PD for allegedly harassing her ex-boyfriend.

Valerie Marie Covill, 23, of Oaklawn Drive, Rochester, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, failure to keep right and unlawful possession of marijuana. Covill was charged following a one-vehicle accident at 12:014 a.m., June 28, at 3064 Galloway Road, Batavia. The accident was investigated by Deputy James Diehl and Deputy Matthew Fleming.

Peter James Przybyl, 19, of Peachy Road, Bergen, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and unreasonable speed on a curve. Przybyl was arrested following a motor-vehicle accident at 3:10 a.m., Saturday, on Route 19, Bergen. The accident was investigated by Deputy Frank Bordonaro.

Kelly Elizabeth Howard, 19, of Judge Road, Oakfield, is charged with two counts of petit larceny. Howard was allegedly observed by loss prevention at Target shoplifting June 8 and July 16. Howard allegedly stole merchandise worth $64.60.

Quentin Israel Humphrey, 20, of East Bethany Road, Le Roy, is charged with unlawful dealing with a child. Humphrey is accused of hosting an underage drinking party.

Justin Baehr, 21, of Linwood Road, Le Roy, is charged with DWI and unlawful possession of marijuana. Baehr was observed early Sunday morning allegedly driving erratically, swerving in and out of his lane on West Main Street, Village of Le Roy, and operating with a loud exhaust. During the traffic stop, officers allegedly found marijuana, marijuana paraphernalia and other apparent drug paraphernalia. Additional drug charges possible pending the outcome of lab tests.

Michael Perdue, 49, of West Broad Street, Rochester, and Jeffrey L. Hayes, 47, of Meadow Circle, Avon, are charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, and aggravated unlicensed operation, 2nd. Perdue was allegedly operating a vehicle at 4:46 p.m., Sunday, on Route 237 in Byron. Perdue was stopped for allegedly speeding. An ID check revealed Perdue allegedly has 13 prior suspensions on his driving record. Hayes was allegedly found in possession of a crack pipe with residue. Perdue was stopped by Deputy Brad Mazur, who was assisted at the scene by Deputy Chad Minuto.

Matthew James Pietrzykowski, 19, of Bethany Center Road, East Bethany, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and moving from lane unsafely. Pietrzykowski was taken into custody following a report of a vehicle in a dith at 1:15 a.m., Sunday, in the area of 3630 Broadway, Alexander. The accident was investigated by Deputy Kevin McCarthy.

A Batavia resident, along with his passengers, was rescued Sunday afternoon on Lake Conesus in Livingston County after his boat caught fire.

Paul J. Battaglia, 60, and his passengers all got off the boat safely, assisted by emergency personnel and other boaters.

Livingston County Sheriff's deputies say they were called to the north end of Conesus Lake around 2:15 p.m., according to WHAM 13.

Lakeville and Livonia fire departments responded to the blaze.

Police have yet to determine how the fire started, but the boat is considered a total loss.

Police responded at 6:45 a.m. to a report of an erratic driver in the Valu Plaza parking lot after a car slammed into a light pole, according to witnesses, and then the driver tried to continue operating the vehicle.

Witnesses told police once the car wouldn't go any further, the occupants jumped out and ran. One of them threw items onto the roof above Great Kutz, according to police.

A work crew was on scene and provided a ladder for a Sheriff's deputy to get on the roof and reportedly recover beer bottles.

According to a police, the car had pulled into McDonald's and an employee allegedly observed open beer bottles in the car. The driver, according to police, then pulled into the parking lot, the occupants ate their meals and disposed of trash in the parking lot. The car then allegedly sped toward the light pole at about 90 mph.

The occupants were quickly taken into custody and the driver is reportedly facing a DWI charge.

No injuries were reported as a result of the crash.

Three Batavia churches were broken into overnight and items were stolen from at least one of the buildings, according to Officer Eric Hill, Batavia PD.

Det. Pat Corona said there was evidence recovered that should help police identify the suspect or suspects.

The first burglary was reported early this morning at St. James Episcopal Church, 405 E. Main St., and Hill and Corona responded to the scene.

Hill didn't release what was stolen from St. James, citing an ongoing investigation.

Corona said the burglar at St. James kicked in a door to gain entry.

While Hill and Corona were tied up at St. James, officials at the First Baptist Church, 306 E. Main St., reported somebody had forced his way into the church building.

Det. Rich Scauff reported for duty to investigate that break-in. Hill said no items have yet been reported stolen at the Baptist church.

As Corona was leaving St. James, officials from St. Mary’s Church, 16 Ellicott St., reported signs of forced entry at their church.

Corona said the suspect or suspects forced their way in through a basement window (photo above) and forced their way into several storage areas but so far nothing is confirmed missing.

No arrests have been made yet. The investigation is continuing.