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Press release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department will be flushing fire hydrants on Wednesday, Nov. 5, from approximately 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the general area south of East Main Street and east of Jackson Street. Homes and businesses nearby will be affected.

These tests may result in a temporary discoloration of water in that area. As in the past, please do not attempt to wash any clothing if your water appears discolored.

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.

Press release:

This year, members of the Elba Central School District’s Celebration Committee would like to establish an Alumni Hall of Fame.

The Alumni Hall of Fame program will recognize outstanding achievements by alumni who, after graduation, have greatly contributed to the well-being of our society through their hard work, talents and leadership.

There are three categories for nominees: a graduate of Elba High School, community member or an honorary selection (non-alum). The induction ceremony will be held later this school year.

If you would like to nominate someone for the inaugural Alumni Hall of Fame, please complete a 2014-15 Nomination Form. Nomination Forms are located on the school Web site and in the District Office. The deadline for nominations is Jan. 1.

“The purpose and tradition of Elba Central School District and its community is to empower and inspire our students to be continuous learners who are challenged to succeed.”

State funds for a system of bicycle trails around the city of Batavia, which the governor's office announced Monday, are actually eamarked for sidewalk replacements and repairs, not biking trails, according to City Manager Jason Molino.

The Healthy Schools Corridor project is slated to get $720,657 for sidewalk improvements on Summit Street, Liberty Street, South Liberty Street and Washington Avenue.

Today's press release:

With a $720,657 grant from the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) funded by the Federal Highway Administration and administered by NYS Dept. of Transportation, the City of Batavia Public Works Department will be able to expand sidewalk replacements along Summit and Liberty streets and Washington Avenue.

The project will include the removal of old sidewalks, installation of new sidewalks, handicap access ramps, high visibility crosswalks and selective tree removal and will be matched with $240,219 of City funds. In total the $960,000 project will include over 12,300 linear feet of improved sidewalks providing safer routes for pedestrians and bicyclists connecting United Memorial Medical Center, Batavia Middle School, St. Joe’s School, the Downtown Corridor and Jackson Elementary School.

“Improving sidewalks has been a priority for City Council and this grant will allow us to do even more over the next few years” said City Council President Brooks Hawley. “With this grant we will be able to make our sidewalks safe for our residents and children.”

The City has approximately 73 miles of sidewalk, and in 2011 it was estimated that more than 20 percent of the sidewalk system needed repair. The City has made a concerted effort since to 2011 and has replaced over 26,500 linear feet, or almost 7 percent of the sidewalk system. This includes more than 130 curb ramps.

“This grant will allow the City to more than quadruple our annual effort,” said Sally Kuzon, director of Public Works.

Sixth Ward Councilwoman Rosemary Christian and longtime advocate for sidewalk improvements added, “I’m ecstatic about getting this grant. Every year I ask for more and more sidewalk improvements and now we are going to do almost $1 million in one year. Our residents deserve it.”

TAP provides funding for non‐motorized transportation alternatives such as bicycle and pedestrian facilities, safe routes to schools projects, trails, and other infrastructure improvements to the transportation system. The City applied for the grant in June 2014 and was one of seven communities in the nine-county Finger Lakes Region to receive an award.

A motor-vehicle accident is reported at 8572 Lake Street Road. A person may have a broken foot, according to dispatch. Le Roy fire and ambulance are responding.

UPDATE 4:23 a.m.: Mercy medics are asked to respond, mutual aid, to the accident. The location is between Randall and Red Mill roads.

UPDATE 4:44 a.m.: Le Roy ambulance is transporting one patient to Strong Memorial Hospital. Mercy medics #2 are taking a patient to Warsaw Community Hospital. A fire hydrant was damaged as a result of the accident and Monroe County Water Authority is being notified.

Two individuals are in custody because they have warrants out on them and two others were released following an incident that occurred late this morning at Tim Horton's on Lewiston Road.

Law enforcement initially responded to a report of four people loading a gun in the parking lot of the Tops Market plaza. After a search of the area, including a foot patrol, nothing was found. Soon thereafter, the suspect vehicle was spotted by an officer as it pulled into the parking lot of the new Tim Horton's.

Sheriff's deputies, City PD and State Troopers responded and with guns drawn apprehended the four suspects. A search turned up nothing except a small amount of marijuana inside their vehicle. The two people with active warrants were kept in custody and two others were released.

UPDATE 3:50 p.m. (by Howard): Initial information above based on what we were first told at the scene. Only one person was released without charges. The driver was arrested and charged with unlicensed operation and unlawful possession of marijauna. Investigators spent a good deal of time interviewing the four individuals. Det. Thad Mart, Batavia PD, said the investigation is ongoing, but declined to discuss what investigators are still looking at in the case. The vehicle was initially reported near the Verizon store. Mart said based on the report originally called in, it was something to take seriously. "Obviously, in this day and age, somebody loading ammunition into a firearm in a public parking lot, it raises some eyebrows and some cause for concern. We have to be concerned about the public and be concerned about officers investigating."

UPDATE: We should have included that the vehicle was a rental. Two of the subjects were from Orleans County and two from Monroe County. The vehicle was impounded.

A two-car accident is blocking westbound traffic on Ellicott Street at Jackson. Injuries are believed to be minor. There is one person possibly entrapped. City fire and Mercy medics are scene.

UPDATE 5:04 p.m.: City Fire back in service.

Insource Urgent Care is now Genesee Urgent Care, and there are other changes in store for the acute healthcare provider that opened in Batavia just last year.

For one, Melissa Marsocci is now the sole owner of the business, located Downtown at 35 Batavia City Centre. (Three other locations were sold earlier this year to urgent care groups in Philadelphia and Auburn.) And as head of the company, Marsocci has "really innovative plans."

"Batavia has always been 'the model' for the characteristics I've wanted," said the 30-year-old lifelong Genesee County resident.

One of those is the expansion of telemedicine. The center has a contract with Genesee Community College to augment its student health services. Marsocci donated desktop telemedicine equipment to the college to enable Genesee Urgent Care to see students as patients virtually, seven days a week.

They are planning to roll out a telemedicine system the week before Thanksgiving. If a student isn't feeling well, he or she could go to the telemedicine area, which would have a nurse on duty, and there a dialog could take place with Genesee Urgent Care about appropriate care.

Marsocci calls this the "hub-spoke model."

She sees it as having global applications.

"We are researching putting in a (telemedicine) clinic to help a Christian missionary in Haiti and the Dominican Republic to provide care for people," Marsocci said.

The company is making a big push into occupational medicine, too, and negotiations are under way with two orthopedic groups.

Genesee wants to partner with a psychiatrist for "telepsychiatry," and to sublease space to an oncology group to see patients on site.

A Downtown daycare center in the building wouldn't be a bad idea either.

"I would like to get support for other medical businesses in the building so we could offer (daycare) as a service to patients," Marsocci said.

Genesee has teamed up with another firm to craft a commonsense healthcare option that would "give employers a means of circumventing Obama Care." Because she wants to trademark the plan, which targets self-funded health plans, she is keeping pretty tight-lipped about it.

Awhile back, she said the company was briefly without a healthcare plan for its employees and the available options were a sorry lot.

"My premiums went up 20 percent," she said. "Employees who were used to paying $20 to $40 deductibles, were now paying for an office visit because of high-deductible plans."

The lawsuit with Health Now, the BlueShield BlueCross franchise for WNY, is settled and Genesee Urgent Care now takes their insurance.

As regards staffing, there's a new medical director. Dr. Tom Malinich has replaced Dr. Magdi Credi, but for the foreseeable future Credi will remain on staff and continue to be a valuable mentor. Dr. Henry Moscicki, DNP, is at the clinic once a week.

"He blends into the hybrid model we've always prided ourselves on," Marsocci said.

There are no other changes to speak of but the center is in hiring mode.

"We still promise to see patients within 15 minutes," Marsocci said. "We have no intention of replacing primary care doctors. But it is important that patients needing acute care be followed."

(The sign currently on the outside of the building in City Centre will soon be replaced. The job is out to bid locally.)

A motor-vehicle accident is reported on the eastbound Thruway at mile marker 381.3. Le Roy fire and ambulance are responding. Injuries are unknown as there are conflicting reports.

A two-car accident with injuries is reported at 10153 Colby Road in Darien. Darien fire is responding along with Mercy medics. The location is between Sumner and Sharrick roads. It is blocking traffic. Law enforcement is also en route.

UPDATE 7:39 p.m.: One person is complaining of head pain.

Former Batavia City Councilman and Le Roy High School graduate Barry W. Bower died Wednesday (Oct. 22) at the University of Maryland Medical Center. He was 81 and a resident of Hanover, Pa.

Born Oct. 26, 1932, in Batavia, he was the son of the late Roland H. and Vivian (Chapman) Bower.

He was retired from Scott Foresman Company in New Jersey after working there many years. After graduating from Le Roy HS, he attended the State University Teachers College in Geneseo. He was an Army veteran who enjoyed bowling and was an avid golfer. He loved the Batavia Muckdogs, but especially enjoyed spending time with his family.

Friends and colleagues are invited to join the family for a Celebration of Life from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 2, at the Terry Hills Restaurant and Banquet Facility Conference Room, 5122 Clinton Street Road, Batavia, NY.

Online condolences and memories may be shared at:  www.murphyfuneralhomeinc.com

For his full obituary, click here:  http://thebatavian.com/obituaries