batavia

About 20 minutes ago, law enforcement called off an extensive search around Indian Falls and Little Falls roads for a wanted man. The search went on for about an hour.

They say he's known locally and "will turn up."

The man, whose name has not been released, has warrants out of Ontario County and was allegedly driving a vehicle without a driver's license.

He was spotted by state Trooper Holly Hanssel, who attempted to make a traffic stop, prompting the suspect to flee on foot.

She called in additional law enforcement, and Batavia police and Sheriff's deputies responded, along with a K-9 team and a state helicopter.

They combed both sides of the Tonawanda Creek and at some point found muddy footprints, and it is believed he crossed over in a couple of places.

He's described as being white, about 5'8", with a medium to heavy built, tattoos, a shaved head and sporting a goatee. No description of clothing was given.

UPDATE 2:43 p.m.: The suspect was possibly spotted near Route 77 wearing a red shirt and black shorts. A resident with a gun had chased the suspect to a picnic cookout area where the guy ran down an embankment. The resident contacted law enforcement and subsequently went home. The Sheriff's K-9 unit is scouring the area but officers "do not have a visual" on him.

UPDATE 4:21 p.m.: The suspect was apprehended at 3:17 p.m. Some time later, one deputy was heard on the scanner congratulating Deputy Brian Thompson on "another awesome job." Deputy Thompson, in response, gave credit to K-9 "Pharoah."

Here's the unofficial tally of today's vote on the $39,366,045 Batavia City Schools budget.

yes   - 561    (58.50%)

no    - 398    (41.50%)

Some evenings, we have spectacular clouds and stunning sunsets and I just can't get out to take pictures. Sunday was one such evening. Yesterday, Monday evening, wasn't as lustrous or colorful, but it was still better than average, so I did take a drive.

Above, the transmission lines from a vantage point on Transit Road, Elba.

A view from Watson Road, Elba.

An abandoned Mack truck and dilapidated house on Ridge Road, Elba.

A tractor in a field by a church on Bank Street Road, Batavia.

Raymond Gandolfo is indicted on three counts of forgery, 2nd, three counts of identify theft, 1st, three counts of criminal possession of stolen property and one count of grand larceny, 4th. Gandolfo is accused of using and attempting to use the credit cards of another person on Sept. 25 at Walmart, The Home Depot and Lowe's. Gandolfo allegedly ran up charges in excess of $1,000.

Patrick J. Ettleman is indicted on a count of robbery, 2nd. Ettleman is accused of forcibly stealing the wallet of another person while on Main Street in Batavia on May 6.

Eric P. Williams is indicted on four counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd, and two counts of criminally using drug paraphernalia, 2nd. Williams is accused of being at 29 Central Ave., Batavia on March 12 and possessing cocaine with the intent to sell it along with packaging material to facilitate the sale of cocaine.

UPDATED 5 p.m.:

A 13-year-old girl was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital by Mercy Flight this afternoon after she was struck by a car while riding her bike on a sidewalk on West Main Street, Batavia.

The girl, Emily Sherman, is at strong in stable condition. 

Her injuries are not believed to be life threatening, according to Lt. Eugene Jankowski, Batavia PD.

"(Mercy Flight) was more of a precaution, because we don't know," Jankowski said. "In things like this you can always have more serious internal injuries."

Jankowski described the Emily's apparent injuries as cuts and abrasions.

"She was conscious and alert," Jankowski said. "She was complaining, which I think is a good thing."

Emily and a friend -- believed to be students at St. Joe's -- were riding on the sidewalk eastbound when a car attempted to pull from the Denny's parking lot, making a right-hand turn onto Main.

The driver, Erin George, 23, apparently saw the first child go by and thought the coast was clear, but the second child was just coming by and obscured by a door pillar of the sedan.

Jankowski said George stopped as quickly as she could, but did drag the girl under her car into the street.

City of Batavia Fire arrived on scene and used air bags to lift the car and safely extricate Emily.

She was then taken by a Mercy EMS ambulance to a field off River Street on the opposite side of the Tonawanda Creek.

George was obviously distraught following the accident. Jankowski said she would be taken to the police station for a witness statement then helped home.

"I don't think she's in any condition to drive," Jankowski said.

The mother of both girls showed up at the scene as did the principal of St. Joe's and Batavia City Council President Marianne Clattenburg, who teaches at St. Joe's.

Jankowski said parents need to remind their children of bicycle safety during the summer months. Bicycles should not ride on sidewalks, but on the roadway and with the flow of traffic, Jankowski said.

While it's not known whether the girl was wearing a helmet -- none was visible at the scene -- and there's no indication she suffered a head injury, Jankowski emphasized the importance of bicycle helmets.

"It could be an important factor in saving a life," Jankowski said. "I'm a big promoter of helmets. I wear one myself when I ride."

(initial post)

A child on a bicycle has been struck by a vehicle in front of Denny's restaurant at 364 W. Main St. in Batavia. The child is still under the vehicle.

Batavia Fire Department and Mercy EMS are responding. Mercy Flight is being sent in, with a five minute ETA.

UPDATE 12:58 p.m.: Ladder truck 15 out of the city is going to set up a landing zone for the helicopter on River Street, south of Main street by the creek.

UPDATE 1:03 p.m.: Mercy Flight is on the ground.

UPDATE 1:06 p.m.: The victim has been extricated.

Michele Ann Case, 46, of North Bergen Road, Bergen, is charged with petit larceny and criminal mischief, 4th. Case is accused of spray painting a mailbox that did not belong to her. Case allegedly took a mailbox and painted over the house numbers on it and then painted her own house numbers on it.

Jesse Jack Carney, 19, Highland Drive, Marcelius, is charged with petit larceny and possession/consumption of alcohol by a person under 21. Carney is accused of stealing Dippin Dots ice cream while at Darien Lake Theme Park. During the investigation by Deputy Patrick Reeves, Carney was allegedly found in possession of alcohol.

Elizabeth Rose Kaylie Searle, 18, of Apulia Road, La Fayette, is charged with petit larceny and possession/consumption of alcohol by a person under 21. Searle is accused of stealing Dippin Dots ice cream while at Darien Lake Theme Park. During the investigation by Deputy Patrick Reeves, Searle was allegedly found in possession of alcohol.

Andrea Murphy Harrington, 19, of Otisco Valley Road, Preble, is charged with possession/consumption of alcohol by a person under 21. Harrington was reportedly at Darien Lake Theme Park and allegedly consuming alcohol.

Candice Ashley Clemens, 19, of Route 80, La Fayette, is charged with possession/consumption of alcohol by a person under 21. Clemens was reportedly at Darien Lake Theme Park and allegedly consuming alcohol.

Tyler Pasquale Schroeder, 19, of Lewiston Road, Batavia, was turned over to the Sheriff's Office by Attica Police on a bench warrant out of Batavia City Court. Schroeder was jailed on $50,000 bail.

Lewis Martin Fuller, 51, of Clinton Street Road, Bergen, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Fuller reportedly voluntarily turned over suspected smoking paraphernalia during an investigation into a domestic incident on June 14. The paraphernalia allegedly contained a quantity of marijuana.

Submitted by Pamela Fry:

For the past six days, a ferret has been living in our backyard. It is a very friendly critter which leads me to believe that it's a pet of somebody's. My neighbor next door has been kind enough to keep the ferret safe in her garage with food and water for the time being.

If you have lost your ferret, or, if you are interested in keeping this ferret as your own pet, please let me know so we can get this ferret a safe home.

UPDATE: A home has been found for the ferret.

I was out at Area 51 yesterday to watch the races and take some photos. I had a great time and figured I would share a few. If you have never been there, you are really missing out on one of the great attractions in Genesee County! 

A young rider waves to the camera, making it look easy! He's in the 7-11 age group!

Four more photos after the jump:

Two riders battle for the lead during the final lap!

Photos by Destin Danser

Anthony Devon Alexander, 37, Wast Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd, and endangering the welfare of a child. Alexander is accused of slapping a 13-year-old boy on the face leaving welts and bruising. The alleged incident occurred at noon, Sunday (Father's Day).

Stephanie Rae LaVoice, 26, of Brown Road, Corfu, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, driving left of the pavement markings in a no-passing zone and driving left at railroad crossing. LaVoice was stopped at 1:17 a.m., Saturday, on Brown Road, Batavia, by Deputy Jason Saile.

Ryan M. Palmer, 29, of 10 Birchwood Drive, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Palmer is accused of shoving a female acquaintance.

Paul B. Heale, 58, of 29 Linwood Ave., Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd, endangering the welfare of a child and resisting arrest. Heale was arrested following an alleged domestic incident at 6 p.m., Saturday.

Shawn William Shanahan, 40, of Bonnie Brae Drive, Darien, is charged with DWI, aggravated driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, failure to keep right, possession/consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle. Shanahan was stopped at 2:16 a.m., Sunday, on Route 20, Darien, by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

Rene Corez-Marrero, 28, of East Utica Street, Buffalo, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and dark window tint. Corez-Marrero was stopped at 7:54 p.m., Saturday, on Route 77, Pembroke, by Deputy Patrick Reeves. Corez-Marrero is also charged with coercion, 2nd, and harassment, 2nd. Corez-Marrero was reportedly involved at an incident at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, at Darien Lake Theme Park where Corez-Marrero allegedly did not allow a woman to contact police and took her personal property.

Dean Wilkins, 47, of Telephone Road, Pavilion, is charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument, 2nd. Wilkins is accused of depositing a forged check into an account at the Le Roy Federal Credit Union. Wilkins was jailed without bail.

Heidi L. Thomas, 27, and Denise R. Queen, no age given, both of 20 1/2 Dellinger Ave., Batavia, are charged with attempted petit larceny. Thomas and Queen allegedly tried to steal merchandise from Dollar General on June 17.

Hannah E. Dibble, 18, and a 16-year-old, both of Akron Road, Corfu, and a 17-year-old of Longs Lane, Corfu, are all charged with petit larceny. The trio is accused of shoplifting at 10:08 p.m., June 14, from Walmart.

A trailer being pulled by a pickup truck is on fire on the Thruway. Town of Batavia Fire Department is headed to mile post 386 westbound. There is also a grassfire at this location.

Update: Troopers on location at 387.7 westbound with Town of Batavia fire.

Update: Fire is reported to be out.

Update: Mercy Medic 3 to scene for subject with burns to hands and arms.

A GCC nursing graduate who once worked at the Batavia Nursing Home and had a couple of brushes with the law while in Batavia is a "person of interest" in the death of a young woman in Auburn, the Syracuse Post-Standard reports.

The murder victim, of Katie Socci, 29 of Auburn, had a child with Donald F. McNamara. She was reported missing earlier this week and a day later her body was found in a shallow grave.

McNamara's ties to the case have police looking at him as a possible suspect.

The Post-Standard reports that McNamara was accused in 2006 of reckless endangerment, a charge he later entered a guilty plea on, for firing a military-style rifle within Batavia city limits.

In February 2007, his license was suspended for a time after admitting to withdrawing narcotics for personal use.

In 2008, while employed at the Batavia Nursing Home, he was accused of criminal mischief. He was accused of altering the labels on medications.

For the full Post-Standard story, click here.

My parents are flying into Buffalo tonight and will be spending Saturday and Sunday in Batavia. Much of our weekend, then, will be taken up with showing them the beauty and wonders of Genesee County. We'll do some sightseeing on Saturday, and on Sunday, Billie and my mom are going shopping and I'm taking my dad to the Batavia Muckdogs game.

Alecia Kaus, a local freelance journalist (she shoots a lot of news video for Buffalo and Rochester TV stations) will monitor the scanner for us and report anything that needs to be reported. If something big breaks, well, we'll figure out how to handle that if it happens.

Of course, I'll still be around and check in on the site from time to time.

It should be a beautiful Saturday and we're hoping it doesn't rain on Sunday. Have a nice weekend, and to all the dads, Happy Father's Day.

The photos are from a short little drive I took this afternoon. Top, a cloud disperses the sun's rays over West Main Street Road, and below, a duel stand of trees on South Main Road (which, as many times as I've driven down this street, I've never noticed before).

Here's a press release from Steve Hawley.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,I,C – Batavia) was one of several Assembly Minority members to speak up against a bill that sought to ban smoking in cars carrying passengers ages 14 and under.

The measure was ultimately defeated and removed from consideration. While Hawley noted that the intent of the legislation was admirable, he described the bill as an affront to personal freedoms and liberties. He also questioned whether a convertible would be exempted and told “no,” further
exemplifying the absurdity of the inane legislation.

“Most everyone can agree that people shouldn’t smoke in the car with young children present, but government does not exist to legislate what a citizen should and should not do,” Hawley said. “This bill is a blatant example of government meddling with the rights of individualism to an obscene extent.

"Just as we cannot legislate who is qualified or unqualified to be a parent, the legislature cannot tell a citizen of legal, tobacco-purchasing age that they cannot smoke in their own vehicle.”

A little less than a year ago, there was only one independent bakery in Genesee County. As of yesterday, there are six.

The latest to open is Sweet Ecstasy, next to the Stafford Trading Post, in Stafford. Above are Tonisha Price, Carla Price, Ginny Robins and Debra Ingham. In the store, Sweet Ecstasy offers cookies and pastries and takes special orders for cakes and other baked dessert items.

Sweet Ecstasy took over the former location of Heavenly Sweets • Deli, which has moved to the corner of routes 63 and 19 in Pavilion. Heavenly Sweets offers pastries, bread and cakes, as well as a fully stocked deli counter. Pictured are owner Bonnie Totten, lower center, Peggy Ellis, left, Caitlyn Meeder and Sherif Woodworth.

The first of Genesee County's current six bakeries is Greg'ry's in Bergen. Greg'ry's was opened 17 years ago by Diane Cunningham. It was started nearly 20 years ago by Gregory Stefl, who sold it to Diane Cunningham. She sold it two years ago and then reacquired the bakery just two weeks ago.

Her new partner, Maura Schaffer (unfortunately, not in today when I dropped by unannounced) has created a line of all-natural pet treats. The bakery still carries a full line of breads, pies, cakes and pastries.

The trend of new bakeries started with Mary Margret Ripley opening up Scratch Bakery in Le Roy (on Main Street, sharing space with Java's). Scratch does most of its business special order, though there's usually cookies and scones (one Ripley's specialities) available in the store. Ripley also has a number of wholesale customers and sells items at local festivals. Customers can order a full line of cakes, cup cakes, pastries, cookies and bread. Ripley also offers home delivery.

Michelle's Bakery and Cafe opened in February on West Saile Drive, Batavia. Michelle said the bakery specializes in old-fashioned pastries, "like grandma used to make." It's a full-service bakery and owner Michelle Farina, left, said the shop can make a decorated sheet cake for any special occasion. The cafe is open for breakfast and lunch and offers sandwiches, wraps, salads and soups. Farina also offers catering. Pictured with Michelle are Samantha McDonald, Cassandra Hirsch and Liz Fenton.

The second newest bakery is Buttercrumbs Bakery in Corfu. Owner Darlene Miller, right, said she researched more than 100 bakeries, including some as far away as Florida, before coming up with a business plan. The shop, right in the Village of Corfu, has a seating area and offers pastries, pies and bread as well as cakes on special order. Miller said the closing of the village grocery store created a real opportunity for her and local residents have responded enthusiastically to the new business. "Corfu has never had anything like this before," said Miller, a longtime resident. Pictured with Miller is Julie Patterson.

It's perhaps just coincidence that I finally got around to putting this post together (I started planning on it back when there were only four bakeries) on the same day my dad is arriving from California for a weekend visit. I grew up in the bakery business and have always loved what a good, independent bakery can produce.

The baked goods at the chains can never match what a good independent bakery makes. Genesee County is now blessed with six quality local bakeries. As consumers, we need to be sure to support them. Entrepreneurs like these owners are what make a community strong and prosperous.

Trevor Wanberg, of Rochester, was in the little park behind the Upton Monument this afternoon waiting for a friend to get off work so they could jam. Wanberg said he and his friend are looking to get a band together, but don't get many chances to practice together. Wanberg is generally only able to make the trip to Batavia on his days off, when his girlfriend, who has a job in Batavia, is able to give him a ride. While I snapped a few pictures, he picked out a crisp version of Neil Young's "Needle and the Damage Done."

Justin Zane Barker, 22, of North Lyon, Batavia, is charged with burglary, 3rd. Barker is accused of burglarizing the Beaver Brothers Restaurant at Darien Lake Theme Park sometime during the morning hours of Sept. 6, 2009. (Barker was also recently part of a trio that allegedly refused to leave a local hotel, leading to a multi-agency manhunt for Derick Barker.)

Lena M. Evans, 23, of 4037 W. Main St. Road, Batavia, is charged with three counts of petit larceny. Evans is accused of shoplifting from Target on April 11, from Kmart on April 19, and from Bed, Bath & Beyond on an unspecified date. The petit larcenies were investigated by deputies Parker, Richardson and VanValkenburg.

A caller reports the smell of a possible electrical fire coming from the garage at 3269 W. Main St. Road, Batavia.

East Pembroke Fire Department and one engine from Town of Batavia are dispatched.

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Local entrepreneur Tim Walton has arranged for iTeen to bring an MTV season premier party to Falleti Ice Arena on June 24.

The premier party will be for the MTV series "The Challenge: Rivals." Cast member Wes Bergmann will be on hand and teens attending the event will all have a chance to meet him and get their pictures taken with him.

The entire skate floor will be turned into one huge dance floor.

 "Were going all out for this," Walton said.

ITeen, with more than 20,000 followers on Facebook, is based in Buffalo and hosts events in nightclubs such as PURE, Infinity and Club Paradise.

iTeen is for high school students only and is supervised by NYS licensed security that have handled numerous of these events before.

"We take safety seriously," Walton said. "Our security takes the highest priority in making sure that it is a safe atmosphere. We overstaff on security, with each one being NYS security licensed or a police officer, and some are even EMT certified as well."

The June 24 party, which will run from 7 to 11 p.m., is the first of several iTeen events he hopes to bring to Batavia.