Bethany

Christian J. Finkney, 26, of South Academy Street, Wyoming, is charged with 18 counts of criminal contempt, 2nd, aggravated unlicensed operation and unlicensed operation. Ashly N. Boatwright, 27, of South Academy Street, Wyoming, is charged with 18 counts of facilitating aggravated unlicensed operation, 3rd, and one count of circumventing an interlock device. Finkney allegedly drove a vehicle 18 times in Genesee County while his license was revoked for an alcohol-related offense. Darien Town Court reportedly directed Finkney not to drive until his privileges were reinstated by the DMV. Finkney was arraigned in Batavia, Darien, Alexander, Pembroke and Bethany and jailed on $10,000 bail. Boatwright is accused of allowing Finkney to drive a vehicle registered to her on 18 occasions. She is also accused of blowing into an interlock device to circumvent the device.

Nathan Robert Arnold, 22, of Terry Street, Byron, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st. Arnold was allegedly involved in a fight with a person protected from him by court order. He was jailed on $5,000 bail.

Jamie Michelle Lauck, 27, of Spencer Court, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 and parking in the highway. The Sheriff's Office received a report at 12:51 a.m. Sunday on Colby Road, Darien. Lauck was allegedly located in a vehicle stopped in the roadway by Sgt. Thomas Sanfratello.

Louis James Stoller Jr., 22, of Erie Street, Le Roy, is charged with burglary, 2nd, and petit larceny. Stoller is accused of entering a residence on South Street Road, Le Roy, with the intent of taking the dog from the residence. He was jailed on $5,000 cash bail or $10,000 bond.

Damian Christopher Woodruff, 32, of Walmore Road, Niagara Falls, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon, 4th. Woodruff was stopped by Deputy Patrick Reeves on federal game lands on Sour Springs Road, Alabama. He was allegedly hunting without a permit. He allegedly was found in possession of a shotgun, in violation of the law barring convicted felons of possessing firearms. 

Nathaniel Michael Dickes, 21, of Broadway Street, Oakfield, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Dickes was allegedly involved in a fight at 9:57 pm., Saturday, at a location on Webber Avenue, Oakfield, in which Dickes allegedly pushed and grabbed another person and threw an object at that person.

Donald Ivan Manes, 58, of Lewiston Road, Basom, is charged with DWI, refusal to take breath test, misuse of dealer plate, speeding (74 in a 55 mph zone) and failure to keep right. Manes was stopped at 2:06 a.m. Sunday on Kelsey Road, Batavia, by Deputy Joseph Corona.

Kristen Irene Merriam, 33, of Summit Street, Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Merriam was charged following a traffic stop at 12:30 a.m. Saturday on Clinton Street Road, Stafford, by Deputy Joseph Corona.

Bryan D. Bates, 35, of Mill Street, Batavia, is charged with conspiracy, falsely reporting an incident to law enforcement and offering a false instrument, 1st. Bates allegedly reported an incident that did not occur and providing a false written statement. Bates is being held on a parole violation.

Tyler J. Warfle, 19, of Chapel Street, Elba, is charged with five counts of identify theft, 3rd. Warfle is accused of using the debit card of another person without permission.

Mark T. Zdrojewski, 61, of Meyer Road, Pendleton, is charged with issuing a bad check. Zdrojewski was arrested on a warrant. 

A 17-year-old resident of Liberty Street in Batavia was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear. He was taken into custody during an investigation of an unrelated complaint.

A leaf fire that is moving toward a wooded area is reported at 5482 Jerico Road. Bethany Fire Department is responding. Light smoke is showing in the vicinity.

UPDATE 2:25 p.m.: Fire is under control and firefighters are working to douse hot spots.

UPDATE 3:01 p.m.: Fire is out. Bethany is back in service.

The Farm, the Nashville-based band featuring Krista Marie, from Alexander, released a new single and video today, "Mud." I think we can be pretty sure it wasn't shot in Bethany.

It ain't nothin' but a party, Frank Stanton told the Genesee County Planning Board on Thursday evening in his second attempt to win approval for a special-use permit to host mudding events on his seven-acre property in Bethany.

"This is not a business," Stanton said. "It's a party. It's just a bunch of people getting together and having fun. That's all it is."

Planners recommended disapproval of his permit and didn't offer much encouragement for him to try again.

After a meeting two weeks ago, where planners were much more receptive to his proposal but told Stanton he needed a more formal plan before they could approve it, a pair of nearby Bethany residents wrote the planning board and raised objections to these mudding events.

Robert Reyes and Elaine Shell contend Stanton operates his mudding events as a business.

There's a Facebook page with 700 likes. The events are listed on at least two mudding event Web sites. They suggest it's not just friends showing up to run their trucks in the mud.

"Whether it's a trick of acoustics, with him being in a 'dip', we don't know, but the noise level at and in our home is awful," the couple wrote. "Most of the trucks running are modified with high revving engines, have no mufflers, and are extremely loud."

While Stanton tried to assure planners that there are never more than a couple hundred people at a time on his property at 9832 Bethany Center Road, Reyes and Shell argued that as many as 400 people might be on the property at one time and are concerned that Stanton wants the events to grow even bigger.

Stanton said they can't get any bigger because he'll never be able to buy adjoining property since it's currently owned by a large and successful dairy operation. He said he doesn't make any money off the events. There are no prizes, no awards, nothing that would make these commercial events.

"This will probably fizzle out in five or six years as my kids get bigger and things change," Stanton said.

The vote recommending disapproval was 6-0.

This is what's left of the barn on Transit Road, Bethany, this morning, after yesterday's fire.

Doug Yeomans took these pictures.

As you can see, there's a bit of smoke and licks of flame. I checked with a dispatcher about any reports of a rekindle and was told none have been received. The dispatcher was sending a chief out to the scene to check on the site.

Heading back to Batavia this afternoon, I stopped in at Roanoke Apple Farm, in Bethany, for the first time.

Above, Alex Kiefer, an employee, picks apples.

Scott Darron and his daughter Natalya load up a bushel of apples. Darron said he was planning on making pies.

A barn is reportedly on fire with Flames showing at 13096 Transit Road, Bethany. 

Bethany Fire along with several othe companies. 

UPDATE 3:45:  one of the county's beautiful old barns. Gone. You'll be sad when you see the pictures. 

UPDATE 5:15 p.m. Top photo submtted by Joan Fernays. By the time I got there, the barn was nearly gone and the fire had largely burned itself out. The owner said he was gone for about 15 minutes and when he came back, the fire was already burning. He said the barn hadn't been used for five years because of structural issues.  The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Below, a picture of the barn I took in May 2013. There's also pictures here and here.  It will be a couple of hours at least before I get my pictures from the fire posted.

UPDATE: Photos and slideshow of today's fire followed by drone-camera photos submitted by a reader.

To purchase prints, click here.

A chimney fire is reported at Baskin Livestock on Creek Road, Bethany.

Bethany fire along with Alexander and Town of Batavia dispatched.

UPDATE 10:56 a.m.: Alexander was going to respond from this fire to an alarm of fire in its own district, but the alarm company confirmed false alarm. Alexander is back in service. Town of Batavia also has an alarm at College Village. Batavia's Ladder 25 is on scene at the chimney fire.

James Timon Saddler III, 33, no permanent address, is charged with criminal impersonation, 2nd, forgery, 2nd, offering false instrument, 1st, aggravated unlicensed operation, 3rd, and consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle. Saddler was reportedly stopped at 10:30 p.m. May 31 on Ellicott Street, Batavia, by Officer Jason Ivison. Saddler allegedly provided a name and date of birth other than his own and signed a consent to search form under the false name. Upon further investigation of the stop and a review of camera footage of the stop, Ivison determined that Saddler was the person stopped who allegedly provided a false identity. Saddler is currently an inmate in the Genesee County Jail being held on unrelated charges.

Jerry Tyrone Saddler, 38, of Maple Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment ,2nd. Saddler is accused of hitting a woman several times during an argument, causing minor injuries.

Samuel Forrest Brown, 26, of River Street, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and failure to dim headlamps. Brown was stopped at 11:51 p.m. Friday on Route 5, Stafford, by Deputy Chris Parker.

Douglas Scott Sprague, 47, of Hutchins Place, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt,1st. Sprague was arrested on a warrant for allegedly violating an order of protection on June 2.

Michael Lee Milroy, 48, of McLernon Road, Bethany, is charged with assault, 3rd. Milroy was allegedly the driver of a vehicle at 7:45 p.m. Thursday that drove away from a residence while another person was leaning in the open passenger side door of the vehicle. Milroy is accused of striking that person with the door frame and rear tire, causing an injury to that person.

Joseph Allen Hogan, 46, of Bank Street, Batavia, is charged with four counts of petit larceny and five counts of falsifying business records. Hogan is accused of altering weight slips at Ed Arnold Scrap in order to receive overpayment on scrap. Hogan was jailed without bail.

Christopher M. Colantonio, 35, of South Swan Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny and forgery, 2nd. Colantonio was arrested on a warrant for allegedly stealing checks from a woman he knew, forging them and cashing them at a local bank. Colantonio was jailed on $2,500 bail.

Thomas E. Hensel, 31, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with possession of burglar tools. Hensel was allegedly found in possession of a full set of lock picks at a location on Pearl Street at 10:25 p.m. Saturday.

Anya R. Rambuski, 44, of Birchwood Drive, Batavia, is charged with driving while ability impaired. Rambuski was stopped at 11:58 p.m. Saturday on West Main Street, Batavia, by Officer Marc Lawrence.

Linda L. Fagan, 65, of Ross Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Fagan allegedly got rid of several instruments and other property owned by her brother.

Robert J. Propst, 34, of Maple Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd, and endangering the welfare of a child. Propst was allegedly involved in a domestic incident in which he grabbed the shirt of the victim, threw her phone and was yelling at her in the presence of children. Propst was jailed on $2,000 bail.

A 16-year-old resident of East Avenue, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd, and criminal contempt, 2nd. The youth allegedly threatened another person, violating an order of protection.

Paul M. Gelardo, 29, of Fargo Road, Stafford, is charged with petit larceny. Gelardo allegedly stole a bicycle from T.F. Brown's.

A pair 17-year-olds from Buffalo are charged with petit larceny. The two youths are accused of stealing money from their employer at the time, Darien Lake Theme Park.

Jeffrey John Farrell, 27, of West Avenue, Medina, is charged with petit larceny. Farrell allegedly stole $433.74 in merchandise from Walmart.

Kimberly Ann Pietrzykowski, 26, of Old Telephone Road, Bethany, is charged with petit larceny. Pietrzykowski is accused of stealing $204.90 in groceries from Walmart. The shopping cart of groceries was recovered in the parking lot of Home Depot.

Bradley J. Barnard, 19, of Byron, is charged with petit larceny. Barnard is accused of taking a carbonated beverage and placing it in his backpack while in the cafeteria at GCC. Surveillance video was used to confirm the alleged theft.

Kyle B. Sovocool, 21, of Le Roy, is charged with promoting sexual performance of a child less than 17 years old, possession of sexual performance by a child and criminal possession of a weapon, 4th. Sovocool was arrested as the result of a State Police investigation stemming from a Jan. 22 complaint. Sovocool was jailed on an unspecified bail. No further details released.

Press release:

Frank and Jamie Stanton want to host truck mud bog races and truck mud tug-of-wars on their seven-acre property in Bethany.

County Planning Board members said they think it's a great idea.

"It sounds like a lot of fun," one board member said.

But the Stantons need to write up a more detailed plan to get a special use permit.

"It's not just to protect the town, but to protect you," said Board Member Lucine Kauffman.

A site use plan should detail all of the activities and uses, so if some future neighbor complains, code enforcement can just pull the plan and tell whether the use was approved or not.

That includes amplified, recorded music, which is part of Stanton's plan.

While the board recommended disapproval of the special use permit, board members emphatically urged Frank Stanton to return with a detailed plan.

For this application, Stanton's plan consisted of a single sheet of a handwritten description of what he plans to do.

Stanton said no more than 300 people turn up to the events, in no more than 50 vehicles, and activities start around 11 a.m. and end at dark.

"They have to," Stanton said. "Mud trucks don't have lights."

There will be two events per month from April through October.

Stanton will also need DEC permits for water drainage.

The property is located at 9832 Bethany Center Road.

A car accident with injuries is reported at Bethany Center Road just south of Ellicott Street Road. Bethany fire is responding and medics just arrived.

UPDATE 6:52 a.m.: The driver was transported to UMMC. The assignment is back in service.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo and former Genesee County congressional representative Kathy Hochul have been declared the winners of the Democratic Primary race.

They also were the top choice of local Democrats.

According to Genesee County unofficial results, Cuomo beat Zephyr Teachout 427-187, with Randy A. Credico receiving 45 votes.

Hochul topped Tim Wu 505 to 156.

In the Republican Primary for supervisor in Bethany, Carl L. Hyde Jr. beat Edward F. Pietrzykowski Jr. 74 to 26.

In the primary for Independence Party delegates to the 8th Judicial District convention of the 139 Assembly District, Debra M. Buck-Leaton beat Carol A. Sheehan 14-7.

It's Primary Day in New York.

Here's what you can vote on at your local polling place.

Countywide Democratic Primary, Governor (vote for one)

• Zephyr R. Teachout
• Andrew M. Cuomo
• Randy A. Credico

Lt. Governor (vote for one)

• Kathy C. Hochul
• Timothy Wu

Countywide Independence Party Primary

8th Judicial District Delegate (vote for one)

• Carol A. Sheehan
• Debra M. Buck-Leaton

Town of Bethany (Republican), Supervisor (unexpired term) (vote for one)

• Carl L. Hyde Jr.
• Edward F. Pietrzykowski Jr.

A motor vehicle accident is reported at 5563 Broadway Road. Injuries are minor. Bethany Fire Department is responding.

A semi-truck and car collided at 6071 Ellicott Street Road. There are no injuries reported, but it is blocking traffic and fluids are leaking. Stafford and Bethany fire departments are responding.

A two-car accident is reported at Route 20 and Transit Road, Bethany. It is blocking traffic. There are injuries. Bethany Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 3:09 p.m.: Mercy medics are en route from Byron.

UPDATE: Photo submitted by Doug Yeomans.

Driving back from Le Roy this afternoon I took the long way home.

Above, field of white flowers off Transit Road, Le Roy.

Below, a field of sweet peas and barn on Cackner Road, Bethany.

A 10-wheeler is on its side on Route 63 near Little Canada Road.

No word on injuries.

Bethany fire and Stafford fire dispatched.

UPDATE 9:45 a.m.: According to Deputy Cory Mower, it appears the weight of gravel in the bed of the truck shifted causing the driver to lose control rounding the curve just north of Fargo Road. The estimated speed of the truck was 40 to 45 mph. At 8:45 a.m., it was expected it would take at least another hour before Route 63 was reopened. At this time, it's still closed. There were no injuries.