batavia

A car vs. pedestrian accident is reported at Jackson and Ellicott streets in the City of Batavia. The suspect vehicle (not described) left the scene. The pedestrian who was struck is said to be limping in front of the Kwik Fill / Red Apple gas station and convenience store on the corner.

UPDATE 5:56 p.m.: Police say the suspect vehicle is a gold Ford Taurus that went southbound on Ellicott Street (Route 63).

(Pete and Anupa Hirani)

Locals can now buy a cup of frozen yogurt and a few household items at the new Jackson Express Mini-Mart.

Owners Pete and Anupa Hirani decided to expand YoTwisters, the former frozen yogurt shop, into a mini-mart to keep customers coming back in the winter. The frozen yogurt shop could not bring in enough business this winter, forcing them to close during the month of December. 

Since then, Pete and Anupa Hirani expanded the business, renamed it and reopened on July 4.

In addition to the frozen yogurt bar, the mini-mart is stocked with snacks, soda and soft-serve ice cream. They also offer a variety of grocery and cleaning items like sugar, coffee and toilet paper. They will be selling cigarettes and lottery tickets soon.

Anupa Hirani has experience managing convenient stores and is excited to grow her family's business. Her goal is to have customers stop in for frozen yogurt or ice cream and pick up a few grocery items as well. 

"Customers can enjoy a cup of frozen yogurt and buy a few household items they need all in one place without having to wait in a long line at the grocery store," Anupa Hirani said.

In the next couple of months, they plan to use the full kitchen in the back to serve a variety of hot food. Before opening YoTwisters, they owned Salsa & Curry, a restaurant offering Indian and Mexican cuisine. They are looking into bringing back some of their old customers favorite dishes as well as pizza and wings.

Press release:

Local health care organizations United Memorial Medical Center and Oak Orchard Health will be hosting an event for breastfeeding mothers that will attempt to break international records as well as raise awareness on the important health benefits of breastfeeding.

Pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and their babies are invited to attend the event that will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Jerome Center in Batavia on Friday, July 31.

It's part of the international "Global Big Latch On," a synchronized breastfeeding event that will include thousands of breastfeeding women and their babies/children across the world.

In addition to the count, the Latch On event at the Jerome Center will also have refreshments, giveaways, face painting, car seat check, and drawing for a Vera Bradley diaper bag. Please arrive early to register!

Crystal M. Bouter, 26, of Oak Orchard Road, Elba, is charged with two counts of giving or selling alcohol to a minor. Bouter allegedly supplied alcoholic beverages to minors.

Lee C. Clark, 35, of Lewiston Road, Oakfield, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, DWI, refusal to take a breath test, failure to keep right, moving from a lane unsafely, speeding and driving while talking on a cellphone. Clark was pulled over on Lockport Road in Oakfield by Deputy James Diehl. He was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Douglas J. Ostrander, 57, of North Bergen Road, Bergen, is charged with driving with a BAC of .08 percent or greater, DWI, drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle, speeding and driving with license restrictions. Ostrander was pulled over on Buffalo Road in Bergen for traffic violations when Deputy Joseph Corona allegedly ound him to be in an intoxicated condition.

Shannon K. Kestler, 41, of Jefferson Street, Attica, is charged with petit larceny. Kestler is accused of shoplifting from Kohl's in Batavia.

Joseph A. Sunday II, 19, of South Lyndonville Road, Lyndonville, is charged with petit larceny. Sunday allegedly stole items from Kmart in Batavia.

Benishio C. Coger, 19, of Buffalo, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. State police pulled over the car Coger was riding in for alleged tinted windows in Pembroke. An investigation revealed he allegedly possessed a cigar containing approximately one gram of marijuana.

FRIDAY, JULY 24TH - COMMUNITY DAY & THRILL NIGHT
All Day - Wade Henry - Entertainment Tent
9am - Open Class Sheep Show - Open Sheep Barn
10am - 4-H Horse Show Fitting, Showmanship & Western - Horse Ring
11am - EXHIBIT HALLS AND BUILDINGS OPEN
1pm - Open Class Beef Show - Show Ring
1-11pm - MIDWAY OPENS - Amusement Area
4-H Goat Obstacle Course Contest - Livestock Building
3pm - 4-H Sheep Trimming and Blocking Contest - Sheep Barn
5:30pm - 4-H Tractor Driving Contest - Via Pre Registration - Kennedy Building
5:30pm - 4-H Goat Costume Contest - Kennedy Building
6pm - NIOGA Jr. Showmanship - Show Ring
7pm - 4-H Fur & Feather Knowledge Contests - Merton Building
7pm - COUNTY FAIR GRAND DEMOLITION DERBY - Grandstand
7pm - Beer Tent Opens - Beer Tent
8pm - 11 pm Audibull - Band - Beer Tent
10pm - EXHIBIT HALLS AND BUILDINGS CLOSE

For more information on this year's fair and daily events, please click here to visit our site!

A small group of juveniles got into a ruckus this evening at Austin Park during the weekly Care-A-Van Ministries cookout event and Batavia PD was called to respond, said Sgt. Chris Camp.

Camp said normally you want parents who are present to get involved and deal with their children, but tonight the parents got too involved. They started yelling at each other.

Four city units and three county units responded to the call as a result.

Camp said it's unfortunate that 95 to 98 percent of the people who attend the Care-A-Van event never cause a problem, but Thursday night calls to Austin Park are becoming routine, he said.

A caller at Ficarella's Pizzeria reports watching a woman steal an air conditioner from a tent set up for the Crossroads House rummage sale off Liberty Street (behind the car wash). The caller said the woman is carrying the unit and walking toward the Pok-A-Dot. City police are responding.

The tent sale started today (ending at 4 p.m.) to help terminally ill people in Batavia. It runs Friday and Saturday, too.

UPDATE 9:17 p.m. (by Howard): The caller was a volunteer night watchman who was just arriving at the garage sale to set up his night lights. He spotted the woman taking the air conditioner from under a tarp. She didn't move it far. The volunteer was wondering how she was going to transport it on her bike. The woman left, but police caught up with her and she said she was only looking at the unit. "How'd it look?" asked the officer. "Good," she said. "So you're coming back tomorrow to buy it?" "Yes," she said. Police took down the woman's ID information and released her.

So far, there's no plea agreement for Suzanne Corona in her alleged drug sale charge. The attorneys in the case could not reach an agreement, though Corona was scheduled to appear in Genesee County Court today for a possible plea.

Judge Robert C. Noonan held a conference with Assistant District Attorney Will Zickl and Corona's attorney Brian Degnan but with no deal, the case was adjourned.

Corona, 45, of Osterhout Avenue, Batavia, is charged with fourth-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. She allegedly sold suboxone to an agent of the Local Drug Task Force in March.

If a plea is not negotiated, the case will go to trial.

She is due back in court at 9 a.m. on Aug. 3.

For previous coverage, click here.

Brandi Bruggman, a multimedia artist from Batavia, will be showcasing her fine art pieces at one of the largest exhibits in Manhattan tonight.

"Glimpse" is a one-night art show at the Highline Ballroom. The multifaceted art show features work from visual artists, musicians and makeup artists.

RAW, an international arts organization, presents the show and has invited emerging independent artists from all over New York to showcase their work. The organization holds art shows in 60 cities across the United States.

"This is my first big art show in New York City that I have participated in with a whole showcase," Bruggman said. "It's a good social networking event and an opportunity for me to sell my work as well."

 ("Be Love" is one of Brandi Bruggman's paintings showcased at the art show in Manhattan. Her full showcase includes 10 paintings, sample glassware and a book of prints.)

RAW found Bruggman's work on Etsy and recruited her for the show a month ago. Due to the short notice, she has been working diligently to finish her paintings and organize a print book. All of the paintings featured in her showcase are new and made within the last 60 days.

Bruggman has owned her art business for six years. She first started her business producing Bruggies, a line of soft goods, in her college dorm room. Now her main focus is on fine arts. She does a variety of paintings and murals for local businesses but also ships her work all over the country and to England and Canada.

There is certainly a train load of stuff to consider buying at the Crossroads House garage sale today, and all of it is priced to sell.

The sale, on School Street between Liberty and Swan, goes until 4 p.m. It resumes at 9 a.m. tomorrow and goes to 4 p.m., and then 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

THURSDAY, JULY 23RD - VETERAN’S DAY AT THE FAIR
All Day - Wade Henry - Entertainment Tent
9am - 4-H Dairy Show & Showmanship - Show Ring
9am - 4-H Horses In Place
10am - 4-H Horse Show, Fitting, Showmanship and English - Horse Ring
11am - EXHIBIT HALLS & BUILDINGS OPEN
1pm - 4-H Goat Knowledge Olympics Contest - Livestock Building
2pm - 4-H Horse Show Dressage Classes - Horse Ring
5-10pm - MIDWAY OPENS - Amusement Area
5pm - NCCC Tanzen Dance Team - Entertainment Tent
5:30-7pm - 4-H Market Animal Auction Buyers Dinner - Entertainment Tent
6pm - RACEWAY 5 SPECIAL STOCK CAR RACES    - Grandstand
7pm - “Genesee’s Got Talent” Talent Showcase - Entertainment Tent
  Karaoke (Following Talent Show)    - Entertainment Tent
7pm - 4-H Market Animal Auction - Show Ring
8pm - Beer Tent Opens - Beer Tent
8-11pm - Julie Dunlop & High Maintenance - Country Band - Beer Tent
10 pm - EXHIBIT HALLS & BUILDINGS CLOSE

For more information on this year's fair and daily events, please click here to visit our site!

Press release from the city's Maintenance Bureau:

Paving operations on North Street have been rescheduled due to delays outside our area. Work originally scheduled for today will take place on Friday. North Street -- from Ross Street to Naramore Drive -- will experience traffic delays between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.on July 24.

Traffic will be reduced to a single lane for paving operations. The following side streets that intersect with North Street will see temporary traffic closures preventing access to North Street while paving operations are ongoing:

• Manhatten Avenue
• Columbia Avenue
• Vine Street
• Trumbull Parkway
• North Spruce Street
• Allenview Drive
• Naramore Drive

Residents and businesses are not to park on the roadway during paving operations.

Residents and businesses of North Street, from Ross Street to Naramore Drive, will have access to their properties, but should expect delays when paving operations are in front of their properties. If work is postponed by weather, work will be rescheduled for the next calendar day.

All other traffic is asked to avoid this area and seek alternate routes. Thank you for your cooperation.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 22ND - CHILDREN’S DAY / 4H FAMILY NIGHT

All Day - Wade Henry - Entertainment Tent
9am - 4-H Dairy Goat Show & Showmanship    - Show Ring
9am - Draft Horse Halter Classes - Arena
9am - Regional Tunis/Shropshire Sheep Show - Open Dairy Barn
11am - EXHIBIT HALLS & BUILDINGS OPEN
11:30am - GPS & Solar Fun Fest- Merton Building
12-3pm - MIDWAY OPEN for SPECIAL KID'S DAY $5 Ride Wrist Bands - Amusement Area
12pm - CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES - Exhibition Building
1:30pm - 4-H Sheep Show, Showmanship & Breed Show - Show Ring
  Followed by 4-H Sheep Leadline Classes and 4-H Sheep Costume Class
2-4pm - Balloon Animal Demonstration - Exhibition Building
3pm - Small Fry Tractor Pull - Exhibition Building
5-10pm - MIDWAY Re-OPENS - Amusement Area
5pm - Draft Horse Show Hitch Classes - Arena
6pm - 4-H & Open Swine Breeds & Showmanship - Show Ring
6pm - 4-H Rabbit Show & Sportsmanship - Merton Building
7pm - Beer Tent Opens - Beer Tent
7-11pm - In The House - Band - Beer Tent
7pm - Fair Queen Crowning - Entertainment Tent Stage
  Karaoke (Following Fair Queen) - Entertainment Tent Stage
10pm - EXHIBIT HALLS & BUILDINGS CLOSE
For more information on this year's fair and daily events, please click here to visit our site!