batavia

Press release:

The Batavia Development Corporation (BDC) Board of Directors reviewed the agency’s 2018 results and set goals for 2019 at their last board meeting.

In 2018 the BDC assisted eight projects that invested $3.5 million and pledged to create 38 new jobs. The JJ Newberry Building, award winner of the Robert Macon Award from the Community Design Center of Rochester, was the signature project opening its doors in February of 2018.

“The BDC is positioned to help small businesses and building owners in the City advance their projects,” said Pier Cipollone, president of the Batavia Development Corporation.

“We are also working to advance the Batavia Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) sites including Ellicott Station, Creek Park, City Centre, the Medical Corridor and the Harvester Campus.”

Other planning efforts guiding the BDC’s work include the recently updated Comprehensive Plan and Downtown Revitalization Investment (DRI) Strategy.

“The BOA, Comprehensive Plan and DRI Plan were created through a civic engagement model that allowed input and direction from the community to create a road map for land use and economic development in the City,” said Martin Moore, City of Batavia manager.

“The plans identify some of the most pressing issues in the City including blighted, contaminated and underutilized sites, housing issues and recommendations to reverse these trends.”

With the DRI award of $10 million the BDC plays a critical role in overseeing and advancing DRI projects. Currently the BDC is working with all of the DRI project owners and multiple state agencies to coordinate and assist projects.

The BDC successfully launched the $600,000 Batavia DRI Building Improvement Fund and is in the process of working with applicants before final selections are made.

“The momentum and excitement of the DRI has attracted new businesses and developers across the City,” said Rachael Tabelski, director of Economic Development for the BDC. “We will start to see scaffolding and construction starting in 2019.”

BDC Board approved 2019 goals:

• Secure capital/business commitments of $5 million;
• Secure business pledges to create 25 jobs;
• Secure a micro-enterprise grant/loan program for the City of Batavia to foster new start-up businesses;
• Achieve the BDC’s 2019-2020 budget;
• Successfully administer and implement the Batavia DRI Building Improvement program;
• Encourage, enable and incentivize downtown building owners to add new upper-floor apartments and new residential living in the City of Batavia;
• Participate in the City’s environmental investigation and planning around the BOA Creek Park site;
• Continue to enhance the BDC’s value and build strong relationships with the City of Batavia government, schools, businesses and residents, and other economic development organizations.

The 72nd annual Batavia Gun and Sportsman Show will be held the weekend of March 16-17 at Quality Inn & Suites in Batavia.

Times are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. The hotel is located at 8250 Park Road.

Admission is $5; children age 12 and under get in free when accompanied by adult.

More than 130 8-foot vendor and exhibitor tables will be chock full of items and there's plenty of free parking.

This event is sponsored by the Alabama Hunt Club, located on Lewiston Road in Alabama.

The show will feature collector, antique and investment firearms, swords and knives, Revolutionary War to World War II militaria, books, traps, pistols, gun parts, ammo and hunting accessories, black powder accessories, reloading equipment, archery, medals and more!

NOTE: All firearm laws MUST be obeyed.

Public participation is encouraged: bring items to sell or trade with dealers.

A National Instant Criminal Background Check MUST be completed prior to all firearm sales. The background check is free.

For more information, contact Dennis Davis at:   dwdavis70@gmail.com or phone (585) 798-6089.

Luis A. Torres-Otero, 20, of Hutchins Place, Batavia, is charged with second-degree harassment and endangering the welfare of a child. He was arrested after Batavia police investigated a domestic incident which occured at 9:29 a.m. on Feb. 6 on Hutchins Place. It is alleged that the defendant struck a female in the face while she was holding a child. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and released under supervision of Genesee Justice. He is due back in court on Feb. 20. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Miah Stevens, assisted by Officer Kevin DeFelice.

Joseph J. Mazzarella, 66, of Bank Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree harassment and second-degree criminal contempt. On Feb. 11 at 2:45 p.m., he allegedly threatened an individual on Bank Street in violation of an order of protection. He was jailed in lieu of $2,000 bail or bond. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Miah Stevens, assisted by Officer Jason Davis.

Joseph J. Mazzarella, 66, of Bank Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree criminal contempt. Mazzarella was arrested after he allegedly violated an order of protection by contacting a protected person by phone at 4:55 p.m. on Feb. 13. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on Feb. 26. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Quider, assisted by Officer Christopher Lindsay.

Patrick M. Viscuso, 54, of Vernon Avenue, Batavia, is charged with second-degree burglary and second-degree criminal contempt. He was arrested after allegedly violating an order of protection at 8:58 p.m. on Feb. 18 by being inside a protected person's residence on Evans Street in Batavia. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and put in jail on $5,000 cash or bond. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Christopher Lindsay.

Zachery V.D. Seeley, 22, of Lyman Road, Bergen, is charged with three counts of second-degree criminal contempt. He was arrested at 9 p.m. on Feb. 12 after allegedly violating an order of protection by having direct contact with a protected person on Miller Avenue in Batavia. Seeley was arraigned and put in jail in lieu of $1,000 cash or $2,500 bond. He is due in Batavia City Court at a later date. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Quider, assisted by Officer Stephen Cronmiller.

Damian C. Cogovan, 19, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with two counts of second-degree criminal contempt. At 7:29 p.m. on Feb. 7, the defendant was allegedly observed by Batavia police in the direct presence of two protected parties while at his residence. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and jailed in lieu of $1,000 cash or $2,000 bond. He is due in city court at a later date. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Quider, assisted by Officer Christopher Lindsay.

Lawrence W. Worsley, 39, of Ridge Road, Albion, is charged with second-degree contempt. He was arrested on Feb. 10 on a warrant out of Batavia City Court for allegedly violating an order of protection issued to a person on Vine Street in Batavia on Jan. 16. He was arraigned and put in jail in lieu of $1,000 cash or bond. He is due back in Batavia City Court at a later date.The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Quider, assisted by Officer Stephen Cronmiller.

Nicholas M. Korczak, 33, of Pike Road, Batavia, is charged with second-degree aggravated harassment. He was arrested on Feb. 7 following an investigation into alleged threats of violence via text messages on Feb. 6. He was arraigned in Batavia Town Court and released on his own recognizance. He is due in Batavia Town Court again on March 12. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Eric Meyer, assisted by Deputy Mathew Clor.

Daniel Joseph Geller, 35, of Moulton Avenue, Tonawanda, is charged with aggravated DWI, DWI, and failure to use designated lane. Geller was arrested on the charges following the investigation of a property damage accident at 12:19 a.m. on Feb. 10 on Main Road in Pembroke. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Pembroke Town Court on March 5. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Joshua Brabon, assisted by Deputy Andrew Mullen.

Melynda M. Gayhart, 31, of Hutchins Place, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. She was arrested after a shoplifting investigation allegedly found that she stole beer from her employer -- the 7-Eleven on East Main Street in Batavia. Gayhart was released on an appearance ticket and she is due in Batavia City Court on Feb. 26. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Jason Ivison.

Christopher John Raymond Diers, 36, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. On Feb. 8 Diers was arrested at 4 p.m. for allegedly stealing property from Walmart. He was released on an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia Town Court on Feb. 25. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Travis DeMuth, assisted by Sgt. Andrew Hale.

Christopher John Raymond Diers, 36, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. At 6:39 p.m. on Feb. 8, Diers was arraigned in Batavia City Court after he was arrested on a Batavia City Court bench warrant. It was issued after he failed to appear in court on a petit larceny charge stemming from the alleged theft of two lottery tickets on Nov. 4 from the Circle 3 convenience store and gas station at Ellicott and Cedar streets in Batavia. Diers was jailed in lieu of $2,000 cash or bond. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Quider, assisted by Officer Jamie Givens.

Erica Michelle Raphael, 34, of Pratt Road, Batavia, is charged with third-degree bail jumping and petit larceny. Raphael was arrested on two warrants on the two charges after being located in Orleans County on Feb. 18. She was turned over the the Genesee County Sheriff's Office and arraigned in Batavia Town Court. She was released on her own recognizance and is due in Batavia Town Court on Feb. 25. The original charges were issued on Oct. 29 following an incident at an unspecified location on West Main Street Road in Batavia. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Travis DeMuth.

Justin T. Gladney Sr., 29, of North Spruce Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. He was arrested following a shoplifting complaint at 10:10 a.m. on Feb. 16 at the Family Dollar store on East Main Street in Batavia. Gladney was released on an appearance ticket and he is due in Batavia City Court on Feb. 19. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Jason Ivison.

Pre-need funeral accounts in New York State are considered assets of the individual, not the funeral home. Each year, those that have prepaid their funerals with a funeral home receive a tax document for the interest earned in the previous year.

If you have an account with any of our funeral homes, and did not receive your statement, please call us. We'd be happy to assist you.

Press release:

City of Batavia Democrats announce the endorsement of Benjamin Bonarigo Sr. for full-time City Court Judge.

The City of Batavia Democratic Committee voted unanimously to endorse Benjamin Bonarigo Sr. for full-time City Court Judge at their endorsement meeting on Feb. 5th.

Of the endorsement, Chair of the City of Batavia Democratic Committee Erica O’Donnell said, “Mr. Bonarigo’s resume speaks for itself. He is beyond qualified for this position, but beyond that he exhibits a deep commitment to service in our community.”

Bonarigo said: “I am truly honored to have received the support of the City of Batavia Democratic Party and I promise to work hard, just as I have done everyday for the past 36 years of my legal career, to earn the trust and support of the voters in this election.

"I hope to live up to the faith the Democratic Party has shown in me and to make all voters proud to vote for me as the next Batavia City Court Judge. I pledge to be a fair and impartial jurist in every case, listening to the voice of every person that comes before me.”

Aside from establishing his own successful legal practice in the City of Batavia, Bonarigo has serve on many boards, committees and volunteer organizations. He has been involved in youth football, Mock Trial, Literacy Genesee/Orleans, Notre Dame High School Foundation Board and Board of Trustees, the Holland Land Office Museum, Genesee Community College Board of Trustees, and The Twenty-Five Neediest Children’s Fund Inc.

O’Donnell says, “Ben is the perfect example of a public servant and I’m honored to support him. I’m in no way shocked that he received such a warm response from our committee.”

Press release:

Recently, our New York City controlled State Legislature passed, and Governor Cuomo signed, a big change in the schedule for our local elections. Previously, our local parties used the spring and early summer to field and endorse candidates. This resulted in our local Republican candidates and Committee members approaching Republican voters during July to seek your signatures and support.   

The new rules push the whole process much earlier and our Republican Committee had to work hard to have our candidates in place this month as we’re being forced to approach Republican voters in a couple of weeks.

The Republican candidates we endorsed are: City Court Judge Durin Rogers, to replace our retiring full-time City Court Judge; Ward 1 City Council Member Paul Viele for reelection; Ward 2 City Council Member Patti Pacino for reelection; Ward 3 City Council Member John Canale for reelection; Ward 4 City Council Member Al McGinnis for reelection; Ward 5 City Council Member Kathy Briggs for reelection; Wards 1 and 6  County Legislator John Deleo for reelection; Wards 2 and 3  County Legislator Marianne Clattenburg for reelection; and Wards 4 and 5 County Legislator Gary Maha for reelection.  

I’m asking all City Republicans to work with our local Committee to support ALL of our endorsed candidates. Our endorsed candidates are fine Republicans who’ve been working hard to serve you, while promoting our values and efficient local government in Batavia. Each has the valuable experience to continue providing for our needs as residents and taxpayers.

Over the next several weeks, we will be approaching many of you seeking your support for these great Republicans. Unfortunately during these shorter winter days, some of us may be forced to knock on doors during the cold evenings after dark. Please understand that this is out of necessity.

Finally, I’d like to remind all Republican voters that for your signature to count, you must only sign one petition for each position that’s on the ballot. We’ve worked hard on your behalf to recruit, research, interview and consider the candidates that we’ve endorsed and ask you to make sure any petition you sign is presented by a member of our Republican Committee or an endorsed candidate. If other candidates approach you, I ask you to reserve your support for our endorsed candidates.

On behalf of our Republican Committee, I want to thank the Republican voters of Batavia for their continued support. We are proud to serve all citizens of the City of Batavia, regardless of political affiliation.

Dave Saleh
Chairperson, City of Batavia Republican Committee

Prepare Your Vehicle for Winter: The best time to get ready for winter is before the first storm of the season. Some items to check and talk to your mechanic about include:

• Test the battery strength.
• Inspect the exhaust system and the air, fuel, and emission filters.
• Check the cooling system, windshield wiper and antifreeze fluid levels, and change the oil.
• Make sure hoses and fan belts and all components are working properly.
• Consider changing the spark plugs.
• Check the tire pressure, tread life and consider installing winter tires.
• Locate the spare tire, jack, and ice scrapper.
• Inspect your wiper blades to make sure they're functional and in good condition.

Some Simple Winter Driving Tips: Winter driving has its own set of challenges from the moment you start your vehicle. Here are some useful winter driving suggestions:

• Never warm up your vehicle in a closed garage. This could lead to carbon monoxide problems.
• Keep your gas tank at least half full to prevent gas line freeze-up.
• Make sure your exhaust pipe is not clogged with mud or snow.
• Don't use cruise control on icy roads.
• Allow more time for braking when visibility is poor.
• Stay calm if you start to skid.

Commercial vehicle drivers should exhibit caution when driving in winter conditions. If your vehicle is large, like a truck, it needs more time to stop in ideal conditions, so snow and icy conditions magnify the challenge. Take care to continue safe practices when sharing the road in winter conditions.

Carry a Winter Driving Kit: Winter weather could leave you stuck in the snow, but the following items in your winter driving kit might help you get back on the road and on your way:

• Small folding shovel
• Tow and tire chains
• Basic tool kit
• Bag of road salt or cat litter
• Flares, battery powered flashlights and extra batteries
• Extra windshield wiper fluid and antifreeze
• Jumper cables to start your car if your battery dies

Pack a Winter Survival Kit: In case you're marooned in your car, truck or SUV, you might want to keep a small winter survival kit on hand. Some useful items include:

• A first-aid kit
• Cell phone charger
• Ice scraper and brush
• Blankets, warm clothing and other cold weather gear to protect against hypothermia
• Drinking water, and high-energy, nonperishable foods

Snow Safety Tips if You Become Stranded in the Winter: Few people like driving through a snow storm, and most heed warnings to stay off the roads when a storm is bearing down. But even the best-prepared and expert drivers can get stuck. If it happens to you, here are some important reminders:
Be prepared. While the best first step is prevention, some storms come on quickly. If you do get stranded, keeping a few essentials, noted above, in your car can help keep you comfortable while you wait.
Stay inside. If possible, pull off the highway and turn your hazard lights on or tie something bright to your car’s antenna to signal that you need help. Then wait inside your car until help arrives to avoid exposure to frostbite and prevent hypothermia.
Call 9-1-1. If you have a charged phone and reception, call for help and describe your location as best you can.
Clear the tailpipe. Make sure there’s no snow covering your tailpipe in order to prevent carbon monoxide buildup inside the car. Check the tailpipe periodically to ensure that fresh snow isn’t blocking it, always watching for oncoming traffic before exiting your vehicle.
Keep moving. Staying active inside your car will help you keep warm. Clap your hands and tap your toes to keep your circulation moving and prevent frostbite but avoid overexertion and sweating.
Drink fluids. Dehydration can make you more susceptible to the effects of cold. If there’s no drinking water inside your car, melt some snow inside a bag or other makeshift cup to stay hydrated.
Conserve your vehicle's battery. Use lights, heat, and radio sparingly.
Run your engine. Provided you have enough gas in your tank, run the engine for about 10 minutes every hour to keep the car warm. Turn on interior lights when your engine is on so you can be seen inside your car. Open a downwind window slightly for ventilation and clear snow from the exhaust pipe to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
Don’t overexert yourself. Cold weather puts your heart under added stress. If you’re not used to exercise, shoveling snow or pushing a car could put you at risk of a heart attack. 
Stay safe and warm this winter by learning more about preparation for and recovery from winter storms with State Farm®

A tractor-trailer fire is reported on the Thruway in the area of mile marker 390.6.

The truck is fully involved and a trooper on scene reports the fire is starting to get into the trailer.

Town of Batavia fire dispatched. Mutual aid requested from Le Roy, Elba, and Oakfield.

UPDATE 2:27 p.m.: The westbound lanes of the Thruway are being shut down.

UPDATE 3:36 p.m.: Thruway assignment back in service.

A conscientious reporter, he exceled at community coverage for the Batavia Daily News.

Muehlig was born in Buffalo and served in the Coast Guard during the Vietnam War. He was a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan and to his family, a loving husband, devoted father, grandfather, caring son, brother and devoted friend to all who knew him.

For his full obituary, click here.

The Michael Napoleone Memorial Foundation and Gilda's Club of Rochester hosted a new fundraiser Sunday evening at Eli Fish called "Hops for Hope."

Proceeds from the event benefited both organizations, both of which assist children with cancer.

Danielle Rotondo, Donna Kabel, members of the Michael Napoleone Memorial Foundation board of directors, Laurie Napoleone, cofounder, and Mark Parsons, with Gilda's Club of Rochester.

A mild but persistent snowstorm passed through the area overnight and into this morning. Snowfall is expected to taper off as we head into the afternoon. 

If you're viewing this on The Batavian app, click here to view the video on thebatavian.com.

Girls indoor track teams from Le Roy and Batavia, and the boys team from Batavia came away with sectional titles after competing at meets at RIT on Friday and Saturday.

Le Roy garnered 78 points, far outpacing second-place Warsaw at 38 points in Class D.

In Class C, the Batavia girls team also finished well head of the next closest team with 132 points to 47.5 points for Palmyra-Macedon.

For the boys, they notched first with a dominating 152 points to 56 points for Wayne Central.

First-place showings for Le Roy:

• McKenna Cone in the 55 Meter Hurdles with a time of 9.03.
• McKenna Cone in the Long Jump with a distance of 6-07.25

The Le Roy Boys Track Team finished second to East Rochester with 43 points to 53 points.

First-place finishes for Batavia girls:

• Arianna Brown in the High Jump with a height of 4-08.00
• Emily Caccamise in the 1500 Meter Race Walk with a time of 9:04.69

First-place finishes for Batavia boys:

• Zakariah Jantzi in the 1000 Meter Run with a time of 2:40.24
• Garrick Havens in the 1600 Meter Run with a time of 4:46.34
• Garrick Havens in the 3200 Meter Run with a time of 10:25.96
• Batavia won the 400 Meter Relay with a time of 9:03.44
• Daemon Konieczny in the High Jump with a height of 6-01.00
• Alex Rood in the Shot Put with a distance of 53-10.00
• Matt Grover in the Weight Throw with a distance of 51-02.25

Batavia Coach Nick Burk also sent along this meet report:

The Batavia Indoor track and field team competed in Sectionals last night at RIT and came away with the double championship (boys and girls) for the third year in a row. The boys team won their eighth overall Sectional Championship and seventh title since 2008. The girls' team won their 15th Sectional Championship in 17 years with this being their sixth consecutive title. Both teams came into the meet very confident and excited to continue the high level of excellence that our program has developed.

For the boys' meet, our dominance in the throws continued with Alex Rood winning the Shot Put (53-10), while Jaheim Smith (48-7.25) and Evan Bartz (44-4.5) took second and fourth, respectively. Not to be outdone, our boys' Weight Throwers were even more impressive taking the top four places with Matt Grove (51-2.25) winning the event, followed by Evan Bartz (50-0.75), Alex Rood (49-11.25), and Cody Eisenberger (48-6.75).

Batavia's distance crew certainly shined in this meet, particularly Garrick Havens who won the 3200m (10:25.96), the 1600m (4:46.34), and was part of the winning 4x800 Relay (9:03.44) with Zak Jantzi, John Bruggman, and Mario Rosales. Zak Jantzi also won the 1000m (2:40.24) and Mario Rosales took second in the 1000m (2:43.32) and fourth in the 1600m (4:57.67). John Bruggman finished in fourth in the 600m (1:28.77).

Daemon Konieczny had a phenomenal meet as well winning the High Jump (6-1), placing third in the Pole Vault (12-0), and fourth in 55 Hurdles (8.52). Also in the Pole Vault, Andrew Lin placed fifth (11-0) and Matt Adams placed sixth (11-0).

Senior Taiyo Iburi-Bethel had a very impressive meet with a fourth-place finish in the 55m (6.76) and second-place finish in Long Jump (20-11). Other scorers for Batavia were Joey Gefell finishing fifth for Triple Jump (38-9), Terrez Smith finished fifth in the 55m (6.78), Troy Helsdon finished fifth in the 3200m (11:12.23), Brock Every finished sixth in the 600m (1:31.89) and the 4x400 Relay with Joey Gefell, Colton Martin, Leo Liang, and Zack Anderson finishing fifth (3:49.80).

Batavia's boys finished first out of 17 scoring teams with 152 points, followed by UPrep with 71 points and Wayne with 56 points.

The Batavia girls' indoor track team had a truly gritty performance last night led by a group of seniors that have been a part of our success for a long time. Liz Cohen had an incredible meet placing second in the 55 Hurdles (9.20), second in the Pole Vault (9-0) and third in Triple Jump (33-3.5). Emily Caccamise earned a repeat championship in the 1500m Racewalk (9:04.69), Jalesa Smith placed second in the High Jump (4-6), second in Long Jump (16-4), and fourth in the Weight Throw (32-8.75), and Caitlin Kingston placed fourth in the 600m (1:45.96) These four athletes finish their indoor track careers having never lost a Sectional meet and contributing 56 points toward last night's team championship.

Arianna Brown earned a Sectional Championsip in the High Jump (4-8) while also running on the 4x200 Relay with Sarah Adams, Jadin Vasciannie, and Caitlin Kingston, which placed third (1:56.04). Sarah Adams also place second in the Triple Jump (34-0.5). The girls' 4x400 Relay of Caitlin Kingston, Noelia Ventura, Aurelia Colby, and Piper Harloff finished third (4:30.43), and the 4x800 Relay of Sadie Loria, Maddie Taggart, Sam Davis, and Makayla Andolora finished sixth (11:14.87).

The girls' Throwers also had a tremendous meet! Along with Jalesa Smith's fourth-place finish in Weight Throw, Maggie Andersen finished in second (41-7.5) and Rebekah Daniszewski finished sixth (32-2.25). Rebekah also earned a second-place finish in the Shot Put (32-2).

Other scorers for the Blue Devils last night were: Melanie Quinones-Santiago, who finished fifth in the 3000m (12:05.91) and fourth in the 1500m (5:40.03); Sydney Konieczny, who finished fourth in the 1000m (3:20.56); Elizabeth Kingston, who finished fourth in the 1500m Racewalk (9:22.23); Gavin Konieczny, who finished third in Pole Vault (8-6); and Camryn Buck, who finished third in High Jump (4-6).

Batavia's girls finished first out of 19 scoring teams with 132 points followed by Wayne with 72 points and Pal-Mac with 47.5 points.

This performance really demonstrates the tremendous effort by our Blue Devil athletes and also the guidance from our incredible coaching staff. Dan Geiger (Throws), Rich Boyce (High Jump/Distance), William Buckenmeyer (Hurdles/Distance), Eric Allen (Jumps), Alex Veltz (Sprints), Wayne Wadams (Pole Vault), and Brandon Stevenson (Sprints) provide our athletes with the essential skills and motivation necessary to continue our very successful tradition of track and field at Batavia High School.

Between indoor and outdoor track, we've been blessed with so many great athletes and great individual performances, which have directly led to 33 Sectional Championships (Indoors and Outdoors) for our program since 2003. Batavia's Indoor Track Team rose to the occasion once again to represent our community and our school as a tough and dedicated team! Go Blue Devils!

Submitted photos.

For three years, Genesee County SCOPE has held a rally in Batavia to call attention to the erosion of personal rights in New York and this year in front of City Hall they held their rally, called the "Life, Liberty and Freedom" rally.

They invited those concerned about a broad range of rights being eroded in New York, if not the rest of America, including the right to life, gun-possession rights, as well as high taxes, freedom of religion and freedom of the press.

Batavia PD officers report that traffic lights are out at West Main and River Street and Main and Oak streets.

National Grid is conducting a planned power outage affecting about 500 customers along West Main Street until about 2 a.m.

The outage was originally scheduled for last weekend but was postponed a week because of winter weather.

The outage is necessary, according to a National Grid spokesman, because the utility must replace a damaged piece of equipment.

The Batavia Police Department has arrested a 17-year-old in connection with the burglaries which occurred over the weekend of Jan. 4^th.

The 17-year-old was arrested on Feb. 13 on a Grand Jury indictment warrant for four counts of third-degree burglary, a Class D felony.

The suspect was put in Genesee County Jail on $15,000 bail pending a bail review.

During the weekend of Jan. 4^th– 7^th, the Batavia Police Department investigated nine burglaries, which includes attempted burglaries, to local businesses. The areas where the burglaries took place are Ellicott Street and Jackson Street, Harvester Avenue, Swan Street, Center Street, Apollo Drive and Liberty Street.

The suspects broke windows or kicked in doors to gain entry at most of the businesses. Items were taken at some of the businesses but not all. The suspects stole a white 1998 Dodge RAM 2500 diesel pickup truck from one of the businesses, but it has since been recovered.

Evidence was located at the scenes which appeared to indicate the burglaries were committed by the same suspects. Parolee Christopher T. Sprague had been previously arrested in connection with the burglaries.

No additional arrests are expected at this time.

Anyone with information in reference to the case may contact Detective Eric Hill at 585-345-6373 or the Batavia Police Department at 585-345-6350, the confidential tip line at 585-345-6370 or online here.

Press release:

With a 55-49 loss to Eastridge on Thursday night, the Batavia Blue Devils finished out their season with a 10-10 record and ranked #7 in Section V Class B1 basketball.

Mason McFollins scored 28 points, hitting five three-point jumpers. Camden White scored nine points and Andrew Francis scored six.

The Blue Devils jumped out to an early lead and edged Eastridge 12 to 9 at the end of the first quarter continued to lead at the half 21-18. 

Batavia's undoing, perhaps, was starting the second half without scoring for seven minutes. The team's only points came on a McFollins' three-pointer in the final minute of the third quarter.

Eastridge scored 22 points in the third. 

For Eastridge, Jahmel Demery scored 14 points, Jordan Capers, 12, and Jalen Rose Hannah scored 10.

Photos by Steve Ognibene.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Press release:

The Batavia Muckdogs and Miami Marlins have announced that Jorge Hernandez has been named Manager of the Muckdogs for the 2019 season. The move comes after the promotion of Mike Jacobs to the Marlins Low-A affiliate in Clinton, Iowa after two seasons in Batavia.

Hernandez is entering his 13th year with the Marlins organization after spending the past five as Infield Coordinator. 2019 marks his fifth season managing within the Marlins system after spending four seasons as manager of the Gulf Coast Marlins and one as manager of the Single-A Greensboro Grasshoppers. Hernandez spent the 2008 season as the hitting coach in Greensboro and 2007 season as hitting coach for the Gulf Coast League Marlins. He began coaching professionally in 2004 as hitting coach with the Pensacola Pelicans.

Hernandez began coaching in 1993 as the hitting coach for the University of Mobile. From there he spent two seasons at Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi. In 2003, he was the hitting coach at the University of West Florida. Hernandez is a former ninth-round pick of the Houston Astros in 1986, but did not sign. He earned All-Conference honors at Troy State University and was a member of the Trojans team that won the 1987 Division II World Series. In addition, he was a member of the 1984 American Legion World Series championship squad.

Hernandez and his wife, Hilma, reside in Frisco, Texas. The couple has a daughter, Haley, and a son, Eric.

Hernandez is joined by three new additions to the Muckdogs coaching staff for the 2019 season. 

Mike Jacobs, the Muckdogs' manager the past two seasons, has been promoted and will manage the Class A Clinton LumberKings in 2019.

Trevon R. Slaughter, 20, of Affinity Lane, Rochester, is charged with: two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree, a Class B felony; and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a Class B felony. Slaughter was arrested on Saturday evening, Feb. 9, after a six-month investigation into the possession, transportation and sale of crack cocaine in and around the City of Batavia. It is alleged that Slaughter sold a quantity of crack cocaine to an agent of the Genesee County Local Drug Task Force on two separate occasions. He was arraigned in Genesee County Court and put in Genesee County Jail with bail set at $25,000 cash or $50,000 bond. The task force is comprised of police officers from the Genesee County Sheriff's Office, Batavia Police Department and the Le Roy Village Police Department. The task force members were assisted by the GC District Attorney's Office.

Edwin S. Coleman, 52, of Wilson Street, Rochester, is charged with: two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree, a Class B felony; and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a Class B felony. Coleman was arrested on Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 12, after a six-month investigation into the possession, transportation and sale of crack cocaine in and around Genesee County. It is alleged that Coleman sold a quantity of crack cocaine to an agent of the Genesee County Local Drug Task Force on two separate occasions. He was arraigned in Genesee County Court and released under the supervision of Genesee Justice. The task force is comprised of police officers from the Genesee County Sheriff's Office, Batavia Police Department and the Le Roy Village Police Department. The task force members were assisted by the GC District Attorney's Office.

Nicholas Edmond Kabalan, 21, of Batavia Bethany Townline Road, Bethany, is charged with: driving while intoxicated; operating a motor vehicle with a BAC of .08 percent or more; unlawful possession of marijuana; speed not reasonable and prudent; and drinking and possessing an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle. On Feb. 13 at 11:05 p.m. Sheriff's deputies responded to a property damage accident on Route 98 in the Town of Elba and Kabalan was subsequently arrested on these charges. He was issued appearance tickets and is due in Elba Town Court on March 20. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Erik Andre, assisted by Deputy Joshua Brabon.