batavia

WBTA, Batavia's hometown radio station, was honored on Thursday by the Business Improvement District as the BID's Business of the Year.

BID Director Shannon Maute praised station owner Jim Ernst for the innovations he's initiated that have helped keep Batavia residents engaged. 

"They have really gone a long way with changing how things are done at this radio station," Maute said.

Ernst gave credit to his staff.

"I didn't do anything special except put a really great team together," Ernst said. He singled out staff member Marc Tillery as "the one who did all the work," especially with his efforts to get the station involved in the Box Car Derby, the Wine Walk, and the FeBREWary.

"I wouldn't have had this opportunity without Jim Ernst," Tillery said. "He's the one who brought me in nearly two years ago and I appreciate every chance he's given me."

Tillery was also recognized with the first-ever Supporter of the Year Award.

"Things have changed this year," Maute said before introducing Tillery. "New people are helping out and getting involved. And this person, I don't know if I could do as much as I have been doing without him. He's a huge supporter. He is always there to help. He helps promote. He comes up with all these new ideas."

Kelsey Dilcher, marketing and community coordinator at Tonawanda Valley Federal Credit Union, was named Volunteer of the Year. 

“Kelsey is always the first to help with anything that the BID needs," Maute said. "You always see her with a smile on her face. So, I just want to say thank you for everything that you do. I greatly appreciate you. You are down for everything and so I want to present you with this amazing award."

The BID's annual meeting was held at Center Street Smokehouse.

Press Release:

For the second year in a row, Nahiely Dones, a senior in the Health Dimensions program at the Batavia CTE Center, earned first place in the Personal Care event at the Spring Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) Leadership Conference. Her back-to-back victories are a testament to her skill, determination, and drive to succeed in the healthcare field.

“I was literally shaking when they were announcing the winners,” Nahiely said. “When they finally called my name for first place, I was just so happy and excited.”

Nahiely first competed in the event as a junior and won first place, giving her the confidence to return this year and aim even higher. She chose to participate again not just to defend her title, but also to prepare for her upcoming Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) exam.

“I knew the competition would help me get more comfortable with the CNA test,” she said. “The skills are really similar, and being around judges and people makes me nervous. I thought it would be good exposure so I could feel more prepared and confident.”

During the competition, Nahiely was assigned to perform the skill of making an unoccupied bed—but with an unexpected twist. The bed was king-sized, which added an extra challenge she hadn’t trained for. Still, she handled it with professionalism and poise.

“I wasn’t used to that size bed,” she said. “But we practiced so much in class. We went over the skills again and again—repeating them, reviewing them, and making sure we really understood every step. Since I competed last year, I had a strong base to build on.”

Her teacher was thrilled with the results. “I was so glad that Nahiely’s hard work had paid off. She’s done well because she’s put in the time and consistently pushes herself to improve.”

Throughout the year, Nahiely demonstrated incredible growth—not just in technical skills, but in personal confidence. She said overcoming anxiety and learning to handle high-pressure situations independently were some of the biggest challenges she faced.

“I used to hate speaking in front of people or being in crowded spaces,” she said. “And during the competition, I had to go in completely on my own. Just me and the judge—no one else. That was a big step for me.”

Nahiely credited her teachers for supporting her along the way. “They’ve been amazing,” she said. “I couldn’t have done this without them.”

Her teacher echoed that sentiment, noting Nahiely’s compassion, empathy, and determination as key strengths. “Nahiely is a very special person,” she said. “She’s demonstrated love and care for everyone around her. Despite facing significant personal challenges, she’s remained positive and proven that she’s capable of achieving anything she sets her mind to.”

Nahiely plans to take her CNA exam in May and is already exploring job opportunities in healthcare for the summer. Looking ahead, she hopes to become a nurse and specialize in trauma care.

Participating in HOSA helped shape her goals and boost her confidence. “Before HOSA, I didn’t think I could do a lot of things,” she said. “But now I know nothing is impossible. No matter how hard it is, you just have to keep going and never give up.”

Amy Smith was as sad as anybody about the Mogadore Hillton closing with her mother's retirement.

The bar and restaurant had been part of her life for 45 years. So, after much discussion with her husband, David Scroger, she decided to take the business over herself, with Scroger's help.

"It's just been a very family-oriented community, and in December, my mom decided to retire, and the community was very depressed because people come in as customers, then become friends, and then they really become family. So I could not close the doors on everyone," Smith said.

Smith and Scoger opened the doors under their ownership for the first time on Wednesday. With the restaurant closed, the couple worked a few months to renovate the kitchen and bar. 

The Mog Bar & Grill, as its now called, has a long history. The building is 168 years old. It was originally a hotel for farmers who brought their grain to the mill on the other side of North Pembroke Road.

Smith's grandfather, Albert Smith, bought the building in 1971 and opened a bar. His daughter, Amy's mother, Linda Smith (Albert's daughter-in-law), took it over 10 years later and five years later added the restaurant. 

"I did grow up in this business," Amy said. "My mother moved all three of her kids into the attached apartment. So I've grown up with this for about 45 years now. I've been helping my mom as a waitress and bartender for the past 20 years."

Amy teaches English as a new language in Le Roy, and Scroger is a car hauler. They're both keeping their full-time jobs. Linda is working four days a week and Amy's niece, Hannah, is helping out on the day shift.

"We had to hire outside the family for the first time ever," Smith said. "We have a new cook."

The menu classic country road bar fare -- soups and salads, pizza, wings and things, hamburgers, and on Friday, haddock and shrimp are on the menu.

What will you find when you visit The Mog? Amy says, "When you come, everyone is just so friendly. It's very country, very cozy. We have really good bar food. On Fridays, we have fish fries, and my mother makes a homemade special every Friday. So it's about friendship and community and bringing everyone together."

That's what The Mog means to her, Amy said. Family."

"The Mog means just family to me, honestly, because growing up here and all these people have seen me grow up since I was five years old. So I mean, they're kind of like my extended family. So yeah, The Mog honestly means family and friendship to me. I'm just excited to welcome back familiar faces and a lot of new faces who have come in today."

The Mog's grand opening is April 19.

The Mog Bar and Grill is at 8100 North Pembroke Road, Batavia. The phone number is 585-762-9917. Its hours are Wednesday from noon to 9 p.m., Thursday from 1 to 8 p.m., Friday from noon to 9 p.m., and Saturday from 1 to 8 p.m.; it is closed on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.

Friends of Ascension are celebrating a win, albeit it’s uncertain for how long, with the Dicastry's decision to accept a second appeal from Ascension Parish to halt its closure in Batavia.

Longtime parish member Bill Brach dropped that second appeal to the Buffalo Diocese in the mail in mid-December. That action was another step in a relentless process of collecting petitions, sending out updates, encouraging participation, and ongoing financial support as a display that the Sacred Heart Church community wasn’t going away without a fight.

Member Nancy Brach had said at the time that it was one thing for a parish to lose its home based on legitimate underutilization, poor physical condition, and lack of financial viability; however, none of that was the case for Ascension.

“But to close healthy churches that are needed, cared for, and loved in their communities is another story,” she said in December. “It is clear that individual parishes are being closed due to the transgressions of the Diocese.”

Those transgressions were from sex abuse lawsuits filed against the Diocese and costly settlements resulting in church closures and merging assets to pay off the plaintiffs instead of the defendants paying directly, according to prior news articles.

Attorney Ilan Schard said, “If the diocese is going to survive as an entity, other parishes, even those without claims directly against them, can contribute to help fund a settlement. It’s been done in every other settlement across the country,” according to the Buffalo News.

Brach disagreed.

“While this may be legally correct, it is ethically wrong to punish people for the sins of others,” she said. 

The parish was one of more than 10 “from all corners of our diocese” that received letters from the Nuncio in Washington notifying them that their appeals had been acknowledged and accepted for further review, the nonprofit group Save Our Buffalo Churches said.

“In addition, the letters mentioned that the decrees issued were suspended pending the review in Rome.  Of note, the letters all mentioned that the Dicastry would be corresponding with Bishop Fisher on the matter,” the nonprofit said in an email to The Batavian.  “Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik is the prefect.   Most of the letters were written on 3/25, the feast of the Annunciation, when we celebrate the incarnation of our Lord Jesus in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, nine months before Christmas. 

Also, our faith community is eager to learn about the status of the bankruptcy as well as the class action lawsuit. Since no settlement nor closure for either has been formally announced, we do not understand why the diocese is informing various parish and church offices to expect ‘bills’ for their share of the settlement,” it stated. “In the 2020 document issued by Bishop Scharfenberger entitled ReOrganizing for the Future Together, page 9 states: ‘The Diocese cannot use parish assets or property to settle claims.’ The document is linked from our webpage.”

Nonprofit members continue “to pray for abuse victims,” it states, as each parish community in the diocese continues to operate “as is,” celebrating Easter and other holy traditions and services, it stated.

“We continue to pray for the bishop, priests of our diocese as well as the faithful Catholics in our diocese as we complete the holy season of Lent,” it stated. “God bless you all.”

It's time for "Lights, Camera, Action" at Main St. 56 Theater in Batavia.

The Batavia Players are presenting a show tunes showcase, a cabaret, this weekend.

Show times are at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

Tickets are $22 online and $24 at the door. Students and seniors pay $20/$22.

For more information or tickets, click here.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Press Release:

Emmanuel Baptist Church’s Community Garden is looking for green thumbs to come and grow! We have 20 raised 3x4 garden plots, along with water, tools, seeds, and fertilizer to help you get started.

We need gardeners!

Do you want to provide fresh veggies or flowers from the garden for your family? Come grow with us!

This year, we will be completely refilling our plots and working to keep the climbing bindweed out. We could really use some help with this project, which will begin as soon as it’s warm enough.

The cost is $15 per plot. For more information or to sign up, call 585-343-4905 or email ebcbatavia@gmail.com.

Submitted photos.

Press Release:

To bring awareness to sex and labor trafficking, Genesee County Safe Harbour will host a “Sunrise Breakfast” on Wednesday, May 7, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Main Street 56 Theatre (City Centre, 56 Main St, Batavia). 

This free event is open to the public and aims to enhance awareness and contribute to the prevention of sex and labor trafficking in our county. 

Event Highlights:

• Free breakfast catered by Alabama Hotel
• Keynote Speakers: Kait Gannon- Survivor, Advocate, Podcaster, Medical Social Worker & Mother accompanied with Laurie Krull- LCSW-R Clinical Social Worker, Podcaster, & Healer.
• Kait & Laurie will discuss, “The Ugly Truth About the Girl Next Door”.
• Opening & Closing Remarks- Presented by the Genesee County Youth Bureau and the Genesee County Safe Harbour.

Registration: 

This event is free to attend, and breakfast will be provided at no cost. Registration is required to attend as seating is limited. All RSVPs are due to the Genesee County Youth Bureau by Friday, April 25. To register, please contact Genesee County Youth Bureau at Genesee.Youthbureau@dfa.state.ny.us or 585-344-3960.

For additional information, contact Genesee County Youth Bureau at Genesee.Youthbureau@dfa.state.ny.us or (585)344-3960.

Batavia defeated Brockport in Flag Football on Monday night, 52-12.

Quarterback Jaimin Macdonald was 14-24 passing for 81 yards, with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Macdonald added four carries for 33 yards and a rushing TD.  

Nicole Doeringer scored three total touchdowns, two through the air and one on the ground.  Kylee Brennan scored two touchdowns, one running and one receiving.  Kaylynn Peyman added a 45-yard rushing touchdown.

Defensively, Nicole Doeringer led the Lady Devils with seven flag pulls, five for loss.  Haiden Brooks recorded four flag pulls.  Alyssa Turner returned an interception 60 yards for a touchdown.  Kylee Brennan and Kaylynn Peyman also grabbed interceptions.

The Lady Devils improve to 1-2 and travel to Greece Olympia/Odyssey on Thursday.

Although there are multiple agencies ready to help victims of crime in Genesee County, sometimes all it takes is that one person with a particular forte, Jess Marciano says.

“Having a Swiss Army knife is not always the most effective tool,” Marciano said during a Criminal Justice Day panel Monday at Grace Baptist Church in Batavia. “It might be better having somebody who is specialized … to have diversified experts. Knowing who to tap, that’s what makes this so incredibly helpful.”

Marciano represented GLOW OUT!, and was with five others — Batavia Police Youth Detective Eric Hill, Grace Baptist Church Associate Pastor Zack Dawson, Restore Sexual Assault Services Training Coordinator Bobbie Steinhauer, and Jacquelyn Wheeler and Samantha Rychlicki of YWCA, all who spoke about their local resources within the county that offered those specialized services to victims.

They were given a scenario of a mother and father that didn’t get along, and had a transgender child who was struggling with the turmoil and dad’s addiction and abusive behavior toward the mom.

How would each agency respond?

The police department would refer the family, dad in particular, to the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (PAARI), Hill said, plus the fire department and Genesee County Sheriff’s Office.

“You can come to us with those drug addiction problems, and we won’t arrest you,” he said. “That would be a case where we would not arrest you, but we would actually get you in touch with ConnectCare services and counseling services without any questions asked. So if we were called to the scene, or if this family came to our police department with these issues, that would be a potential avenue for them to go down.”

There’s a countywide Single Point of Access group (SPOA) for pulling multiple agencies together to discuss issues and needs; the Mental Health Department for counseling; YWCA’s domestic violence services and a safe house for mom and the child if needed; Family Court and orders of protection; Grace Baptist certified counselors; and the police department’s jurisdiction of making an arrest and getting an arraignment for the husband’s abusive actions to prevent further harm while the case goes to court.

Restore would probably focus first on mom and make sure that she had supports for the sexual assault history, and is connected with a counselor, Steinhauer said.

“Because, again, her services are all free, trying to get whatever support she needs. And because we've got counselors that serve Batavia, that would be one piece of the puzzle, and then to try to figure out what else is needed,” she said. “We have some resources for the queer community, for the parents and for the kids that just say, here's some books, here's some resources, so that you know that you're welcome here and might be supportive to what means this family have. And then always, always the hotline. Any time, any reason you wake up at 3 a.m. and because, for reasons that trauma likes to hit at 3 a.m. we have a full volunteer (schedule). These people learn to be volunteers. They work hard, and they show up at 3 a.m. for those calls, and that's why they're there.”

As for Dawson, he’d want people to show up at the church.

“I’d want them to find that church community, and life is better connected. We’re not meant to live life in isolation, and it sounds like that family is isolated,” he said. “They need relationship and they need to find safe people. One of the things that I'd encourage you to do is I know that there's safe people in the school, and teachers love the students that they have, and the way that I've tried to work is just to be a person that is known as a safe person.”

He likened a person to a four-legged chair, with each leg an extension of that being: the spiritual aspect, social aspect, emotional aspect and the physical. So if someone has suffered physical and/or sexual abuse, there’s damage that “as a church we would want to get that person out of that situation,” he said.

“We would work with dad’s addiction … it’s not just the flip of a switch. We need to walk alongside that man and help him navigate, what are the triggers for that? How can we walk alongside with you and have accountability to where we can help you be successful to conquer that?” he said. “And for the child, man, they’ve faced a lot of stuff. Some of it has been … because the parents are trying to figure out how to handle that. And so that child needs to know that they’re loved, that they’re cared for, and that blame that they might feel, that shame that they might feel, we need to help them navigate that. I want to help them see their identity isn’t just in sexuality or a gender, their identity is beyond that.”

“You’ve gotta walk with people, life is hard,” he said. “And so, you want to keep going with them for the long haul … as well as walking through what the Bible says.”

YW staff would consider it a domestic violence situation, Rychlicki said, and ask the mother to fill out an intake form, meet with a case manager and staff could serve as advocates during her time in court, offer food from the nonprofit’s pantry and help manage a safety plan.

“We’re going to meet them where they are,” Wheeler said, explaining that they wouldn’t dispense advice such as get a divorce. “We are there as a support. We’re not necessarily dictating or putting conditions on how they have to act in order to receive our services or engage with us.”

While it’s true that each agency has its own level of expertise, they do often collaborate on a case, which Hill often initiates as part of his job as coordinator, he said. A case may go before SPOA, and then to GLOW OUT! For one portion and to Restore for another need. He gave an example of when there’s an attempted suicide.

“There’s agencies that are automatically activated when certain things happen,” he said.

Trisha Reynolds, program coordinator of Justice for Children Advocacy Center, facilitated the panel and said it was a big help for all the key players to get to know one another to “make sure we’re coordinating services.” After all, the theme of the day for the more than 100 people in attendance was about healing the community through awareness.

“So that people in the community know what's out there for them. Everybody knows that there's mental health. Everybody knows about substance abuse treatment, UConnect. But then there's some other resources that we felt like maybe people wouldn't be so aware of … especially like youth detective. I mean, people hear police, they think they're just out to arrest, but they can offer so many other services and support groups and all kinds of things,” Reynolds said. “So I think we just wanted people in the community to be aware that if you find yourself as victim of a crime, there are a multitude of community agencies out there to help you.”

Joseph Robinson of the District Attorney’s Office had the job of summarizing all of the day’s presenters. Now in his sixth year with the office, he has handled domestic violence cases — “cases with people who are in the most vulnerable position in their life” — he said.

He wasn’t going to do that alone, and relied “heavily” on county agencies like those that were just up on stage, he said.

“Back then, I didn’t even know about all the other agencies involved with this, and they really helped me be able to connect with the victims, make sure the victims were heard, and that what the victims were looking for was something we took into consideration during these cases,” Robinson said. “Like the sheriff said earlier, a lot of the criminal justice system is focused on holding the offender accountable. But that’s not the only thing we do. We listen to the victims, and we make sure they’re heard in the courtroom, whether it be in the plea we offer or giving them the chance to speak at sentencing, so that they know their voice is heard, not just to us but to the courts.

“And when it comes to holding that person accountable. My job, without having the victim feel safe, feel like they can talk to us, we have no case,” he said. “These victims aren’t on their own. They don’t need to handle this on their own, there are numerous agencies out here to help them, the community is here to help them, and it really does take a village for these people to get thought he situation, to feel safe again.”

Photos by Howard Owens

Press Release:

There will be over 5,000 eggs hidden in the park, spread out over three age groups, (0-3), (4-7), and (8-10). There will be 3 Golden Prize Eggs in every age group, where the lucky boy or girl who finds a Golden Egg will receive a large Oliver’s Chocolate Easter Bunny. The Easter Bunny will be making an appearance and available for photos.

In addition, an event that started a few years ago and continues to be a favorite with families is the daily hidden Golden Easter Egg at Centennial Park, starting this Friday, April 11, and running for 7 days until April 17. 

Inside the Golden Egg are instructions on how to take the Golden Egg to the big Easter Egg Hunt on April 19 to claim a large Oliver’s Chocolate Easter Bunny. The Golden Egg will be hidden at different times each day over the course of the seven days to try and accommodate varying schedules for different families.  

We ask that families that find the daily Golden Egg please message the Batavia Kiwanis Club on Facebook with a picture of their kid(s) that found the Golden Egg so we can post on our Facebook page and alert others that the Golden Egg has been found that day. 

This is a fun, free, family event that gets everyone outside to enjoy the park and spend time together. There may be other Easter Egg Hunts in the area, but there aren’t any other daily Golden Easter Egg Hunts! Come on out and continue a tradition or make a new one!

Submitted photos. 

Marian Dworzack -- who credits her longevity to always carrying a song in her heart -- celebrated her 100th birthday on Saturday during a party hosted by her children, Sheila Craver and Steven Dworzack, at Miss Batavia Diner. 

The family enjoyed a toast with champagne, birthday cupcakes, and plenty of smiles.

Marian was born in 1925 on her grandfather’s farm in Basom, the eldest daughter of Chauncey and Eleanor Cramer. She attended Oakfield School and graduated from Corfu High School in 1943, where she was a ping-pong champion and star of the school musical. 

She worked at the Brown Knitting Company in Warsaw until she married Chester Dworzack in 1946. They operated a small dairy farm in Varysburg until 1962. Avid ballroom and square dancers, they belonged to the Batavia Twirlers and WyCo Promenaders. Marian also sang with the Sweet Adelines. She was an active member of St. Vincent Church in Attica, where she belonged to the Catholic Daughters and the Altar & Rosary Society. After Chet’s retirement in 1980, they moved to the city of Batavia, where she now resides. 

Marian is a 45-year breast cancer survivor. In addition to her two children, she has seven grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.

Batavia First Presbyterian Church hosted a children's Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Gavynn Trippany is Mr. Batavia 2025.

Trippany won the annual Batavia High School event on Friday night in front of a capacity crowd in the auditorium.

The event raised in the neighborhood of $5,400 (the final total hasn't been calculated yet). Half of the funds will go to Trippany's chosen charity, Rosewell Cancer Institute. 

Will Fulton, representing Genesee Cancer Assistance, came in second, and Kahler Evans, representing Bella's Bumbas, came in third. Their charities will each receive 25% of the proceeds.

Since the first year of the competition in 2013, Mr. Batavia has raised $43,052 for charity. 

The event is supported by the Batavia City School Foundation along with local businesses Charles Men Shop, Main St. Pizza, Zach Korzelius at Geico Insurance, LP Graphics in LeRoy, Extreme Streetwear, Beverly's Flowers and Gifts, along with the students and staff at BHS. 

This year's contestants where:

The 2025 contestants are:

• Cooper Banser: Crossroads House
• Jeremiah Childs: The Neri Family through Reece's Rainbow
• Kahler Evans: Bella's Bumbas
• Greyson Fix: The Ricky Palermo Foundation
• Will Fulton: Genesee Cancer Assistance
• Cooper Konieczny: Volunteers for Animals
• Anthony Kopper: Suicide Prevention of Genesee County
• Marcus Nichols: Habitat for Humanity
• Gavynn Trippany: Roswell Cancer Center
• Myles Wahr: Muscular Dystrophy Association
• Matt Wittmeyer: All Babies Cherished

Photos by Howard Owens.

Press Release:

The Batavia Society of Artists is hosting artist Pat Tribastone on Tuesday, April 8 at Go-Art/Seymour Place, 201 E. Main St., Batavia, starting at 7 p.m.

She will be demonstrating Pastel Techniques. New members are always welcome, any media or any skill level. Membership for 2025 is $30 for a Single, $50 for a Couple, and $10 for a Student or Veteran. Non-members are welcome for a $5 fee. Light refreshments will be served. Tavern 2.o.1. is open for cash purchases. 

If you have any questions please call Teresa Tamfer at 585-506-2465.

Submitted photos.

Press Release:

The Holland Land Office Museum (HLOM) is proud to announce the opening of three new exhibits in the month of April.

“Embossers and Painters: The Mason Family” is now on display through the end of the year. It features paintings from the members of the Mason Family, (Frank, Nina, Roy and Max), along with items from the F.E. Mason Embossing Factory. The Mason family created nationally known and recognized art, but also a business that allowed growing artists in Genesee County to express themselves with their creativity and their skills. The F.E. Mason Embossing Factory gave way to numerous locally famous artists. Charter members of the Batavia Society of Artists, art in Genesee County would not be the same without the Masons!

“Ingham University” is a new mini-exhibit featuring artifacts from the women’s university that spent much of its 65 year history in Le Roy, 1837-1892. It grew over time, graduated hundreds of students. It was the first women’s college New York State, and the first chartered women’s university in the United States. Though designated as a women’s university, men were also enrolled it its highly regarded Fine Arts program. Many of its alumni went on to teach at institutions like Wellesley and Vassar College. The exhibit features catalogs and bound histories from the 1880s.

“World War II on the Home Front: Propaganda and Rationing” will be opening mid-April and running through December. The Home Front was just as vital to the Allied powers victory in World War II. Poster campaigns and rationing in the United States, instilled by the government, were two of the biggest reasons as to why the Home Front was just as determined and motivated to win the war as the men fighting across the ocean! The exhibit features a wide array of propaganda posters as well as rationing items, along with other aspects of the Homefront.

Henry Banks, 55, of Batavia, has been charged with criminally negligent homicide and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child in the death of 10-year-old Javarius Williams in a fire at 3 Vine St., Batavia, on Feb. 6.

Banks was arraigned in County Court on a sealed grand jury indictment. Judge Melissa Lightcap Cianfrini ordered Banks held in the Genesee County Jail pending further court proceedings.

On the night of Feb. 6, City Fire responded to 3 Vine after a neighbor spotted a fire in the upstairs apartment. The neighbor said he attempted to gain entry to the apartment to help the three children inside escape but was unable to get past the locked door.

All three children were rescued, but Javarius succumbed to the injuries he sustained.

The children, ages 4, 10, and 12, had apparently been left alone in the middle of the night.

According to Chief Shawn Heubusch, Banks is the biological father of the 12-year-old and was legal guardian of the other two children, including Javarius. 

He is accused of leaving the children unsupervised for an extended period of time.

The fire started in a child's bedroom. City Fire has yet to determine a cause, Heubusch said.

All three were transported to area hospitals after being rescued by the Police and Fire Departments. 

The fire was investigated by Batavia PD along with partner agencies.

The cause and origin of the fire have not been released.

Imani I. Hurd, 23, of Buffalo, is charged with attempted grand larceny 3rd and possession of a forged instrument 2nd. Hurd is accused of attempting to cash a forged check at the M&T Bank branch in Batavia. She was arraigned and released.

Dominic O Mogavero, 20, of Batavia, is charged with burglary 2nd, conspiracy 4th, and criminal facilitation 4th. Mogavero is accused of being an accessory to a burglary on Hutchins Street on Jan. 12. He was arrested on March 24. He was arraigned and released.

Leroy Thornton, III, 34, of Batavia, is charged with sex offender failure to report change of address. Thornton, a Level 3 sex offender, was arrested March 27. He allegedly failed to report a change of address within the required 10 days. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Jonathan C. Perrine, 42, of Batavia, was arrested on March 22 on a warrant charging him with criminal mischief 3rd. He is accused of damaging windows on a vehicle on March 28. He was arraigned and released.

Katelyn L. Walsh, 30, of Batavia, is charged with felony DWI. Walsh was arrested on March 22 following a traffic stop by a Batavia patrol officer on Chase Park. Walsh was issued traffic tickets and released.

Rhiannon J. Graff, 44, of Batavia, is charged with DWI and petit larceny. Graff was accused of drinking and driving on March 21 after police responded to a suspicious vehicle on East Main Street.  Graff is also accused of shoplifting at Quicklee's On Oak Street on March 18. She was issued appearance tickets. 

Hillary D. Russell, 32, of Batavia, was charged with petit larceny. Russell is accused of stealing merchandise from Dollar General on March 19. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Brandon C. Dodd, 38, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Dodd is accused of stealing merchandise from Family Dollar on March 18. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Christine J. Saab, 20, of Batavia, was arrested on March 10 on a warrant. She was initially arrested and charged with harassment 2nd, following a fight at the Mobil gas station on East Main Street. She allegedly failed to appear in court on the charge as ordered. Saab was arraigned in City Court and released. 

Michael J. Hilton, 34, of Le Roy, was arrested on March 22 on a warrant charging him with petit larceny. Hilton is accused of stealing merchandise from 7-Eleven on Feb. 26. He was arraigned and released.

Press Release:

The M & M concerts, a local tradition, began in 2009 and continued annually until 2019 when they were paused due to the Covid-19 pandemic. After a five-year hiatus, the concert series is set to return, bringing excitement to the community once again. This area has a rich history tied to the famous Drum & Bugle Corps, Mighty St. Joseph’s of Batavia, which dominated the state VFW scene and maintained a top 10 national ranking for many years.

This year's concert will feature a lineup of talented musicians from across the country. Performers will be traveling from Syracuse, Erie, Pa., Canada, Buffalo, Rochester, and Tennessee. Many of these musicians have previously played for national contenders and champions, and they are eager to return to the stage after the disruptions caused by Covid. This concert holds special significance, marking a return to a cherished tradition.

The concert will also support Crossroads House, a cause that holds deep meaning for the community. This event is a revival of the annual Musical Memories Concerts, which were known for generating extraordinary excitement in the past. Organizers are hopeful that this year’s concert will rekindle that same level of enthusiasm.

The event is scheduled for April 5 at Batavia Middle School, located at 96 Ross Street in Batavia. Doors will open at 5:15 p.m., with the show starting at 6 p.m. This year’s lineup is one of the best yet, featuring the All in Brass Band from Rochester, the Rochester Hit Men, Michael Noce performing Sinatra, the St. Joseph’s Brass Ensemble, the Hamburg Kingsmen Drum & Bugle Corps, musicians from BCSD, the St. Joseph’s Drum & Bugle Corps from Le Roy, and special guests “Brig Juice” from Syracuse.

For more information, contact Frank at 585-409-4364 or Crossroads House at 585-343-3892. Tickets are available for purchase at Valle Jewelers, Millennium Computers, and Crossroads House.

A group of folks, led by Diana Kastenbaum and Millie Tomidy-Pepper, have gotten together to begin doing something instead of just fretting and wondering individually about the actions being taken by the White House administration and how those things might affect citizens.

They formed Concerned Citizens of NY-24, and town halls have broken out already in various parts of the state, including Canandaigua and Geneva. One has been scheduled for 7 to 9 p.m. on April 15 at the Arc GLOW Community Center, 38 Woodrow Road, Batavia.

“The one we did in Geneva was on healthcare and Medicaid … there was a panel of four, and we thought maybe we would have 10 people," Kastenbaum said to The Batavian. "Over 400 showed up in Geneva, at the opera house. We call ourselves Concerned Citizens of NY-24 just because we don’t want it to be partisan. We really want to bring in everybody because it’s going to affect everybody.”

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney has been invited to discuss recent federal actions and policies with a panel of community members in various fields of social security, Medicare, healthcare, Medicaid, agriculture, small business, veterans, and education.

Kastenbaum, of Batavia, is no stranger to politics and civic engagement, having run against former Congressman Chris Collins and for a seat on City Council in the past. This event is not meant to have a Democrat or Republican slant, however, as she and her co-organizer encourage people of any affiliation to attend, ask questions, and hopefully leave with more information than they had at the beginning.

“We really just want some answers,” she said. “And the reason I got involved in it is because people kept saying 'well, we should have a town hall,’ and I said I wanted to work on a town hall, so then people started to reach out and said, ‘well, what are you doing on it?’ So I just sort of took the lead.”

This is a public forum, so come and engage in the discussion, she said. Sample questions include:

• How will our K-12 public schools, BOCES and local colleges be affected if the Department of Education is eliminated?
• What will happen to our local hospitals and counties if Medicaid is cut?
• What will happen to your social security and Medicare if the makeshift department of government efficiency (DOGE) privatizes it?

Topics are anything that the federal administration has been doing that has or might affect citizens, including ongoing deportations, tariffs (re-enacted internationally on Wednesday), the stagnant or rising cost of goods, thousands of federal employee layoffs, agency reductions or closures, and freedom of speech issues.

“We’re encouraging people to come and ask questions and share their stories,” Kastenbaum said.

The community center has an occupancy limit, so attendees are also urged to get there before the event begins.

Organizers had not yet heard back from Tenney but “would love to have her attend,” Kastenbaum said. 

Tenney’s office did not return The Batavian’s request for comment about the event as of Wednesday night.