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Press release:

From 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 18th, the Batavia Cemetery Association will host a candlelight guided ghost walk through the Historic Batavia Cemetery on Harvester Avenue in Batavia. The tours will feature the famous and infamous movers and shakers who shaped and influenced the City of Batavia.

The guided tour will bring guests to meet men and women of Batavia who, for various reasons, held great power and exerted great influence in their day, were victims of tragic events, or both.

Some of the ghosts who will tell their stories on the tour are: Philemon Tracy, one of the few Confederate officers buried in the North; Ruth, the unknown victim of a horrendous murder; Joseph Ellicott, a man of great power and great flaws; and William Morgan, the man who disappeared and was allegedly murdered before he could reveal the secrets of the Masons.

Tours begin at 7 p.m. and run every 15 minutes until 8:30 p.m. Admission is $10 and includes refreshments. Tickets are available at the gate the day of the event at Historic Batavia Cemetery, Harvester Avenue, Batavia. Reservations are suggested. Proceeds benefit the upkeep and restoration of the cemetery. For more information, or to make reservations, contact 343-0248.

Join us for some spooky fun!

Press release:

The New York Office of the Attorney General has awarded the Batavia Police Department with grant funds from the Community Overdose Prevention Program enabling select first responders from both the fire and police department to receive naloxone kits and training for administering the life-saving medication.

Also known as Narcan, naloxone is a medication administered by nasal spray to an individual who has overdosed on opioids (synthetic substances that mimic the narcotic effect of opium, from which heroin is derived). Naloxone works by temporarily reversing the effects of the opioid, whether illicit or prescription, allowing the individual to regain consciousness and resume normal breathing.

The kits cost approximately $60 each, and Batavia has received a grant of $720 to purchase kits for 12 first responders.

In addition, the Community Overdose Prevention Program has dedicated $5 million in funds seized as crime proceeds from joint federal and state criminal investigations to fund the purchase of a naloxone kit for every sworn officer in the state that might encounter an acute opioid overdose in the line of duty.

While City of Batavia first responders have received the commitment from the Attorney General’s Office, the kits still need to be ordered and training needs to take place. Each kit consists of a zip bag or pouch containing: two vials of naloxone; two mucosal atomization devices for nasal administration; one pair of latex gloves; and a booklet on the use of naloxone.

Training on the use of the naloxone will be conducted by the City of Batavia Fire Department.

“We are fortunate to have had a number of individuals trained to both administer naloxone and train others to administer the drug,” said City of Batavia Fire Chief Jim Maxwell. “We are thrilled to be partnering with the Batavia police to offer a service that has already seen more than 1,000 successful overdose reversals in New York State.”

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, someone dies every 19 minutes from a drug overdose, and nearly three out of four prescription drug overdoses are caused by prescription painkillers. When prescription medication is no longer available, individuals often turn to illicit drugs, such as heroin.

“While we are certainly not seeing the use of heroin at the epidemic proportions of many communities, heroin and other opioids are here in Batavia,” said City of Batavia Police Chief Shawn Heubusch. “A key deterrent to opioid use, as with all drugs, is education and relentless attention.

“It’s difficult to keep up with trends among teens,” adds Heubusch, “but the ever-expanding choices among the synthetic drug market are something parents must pay attention to.”

According to Heubusch, one of the current top choices among teens is the drug "Cloud 9," an opioid that can be purchased over the Internet and looks just like an over-the-counter bottle of eye drops.

Batavia High School Principal Scott Wilson supports Chief Heubusch’s assessment of the strong need to educate the public on the constantly changing drug trends and ways to maintain vigilance. Wilson is holding a community roundtable designed to educate the community and provide information about the many resources available for both prevention and rehabilitation. The roundtable event, entitled “Community Awareness: Vaporizers, E-cigarettes and Their Use,” will take place at 6 p.m. on Oct. 15 in the Batavia High School Library.

“From a school administrator’s position, we cannot bury our heads in the sand and claim to be diligent about monitoring our kids’ activities and behaviors,” says Wilson, emphasizing that the school district wants to make sure all community members are armed with the most updated and accurate information available.

“I’ve had well-meaning parents share with me that they’ve purchased a vaporizer for their child, because they believe it’s safer than cigarettes,” Wilson said. “What parents don’t know is that the synthetic drugs that go into these vaporizers are very different. These drugs are not regulated and users face sometimes dire, unintended consequences.”

The Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse (GCASA) will bring samples of legally purchased -- but uncontrolled -- opioids to the roundtable and review the most effective preventative measures. The Batavia Police, Genesee County Sheriff and City of Batavia Fire Department will also be on hand to share information and answer questions.

“We’ve seen an increase in opiate addictions in both Genesee and Orleans counties; Providing our City police and fire professionals with the naloxone kits will save lives," said Pamela LaGrou, GCASA Communications/Development director, who has seen giant steps taken to respond to this increase all over the state.

LaGrou also places a strong emphasis on education: “heroin and other opioid drugs are easy accessible, relatively inexpensive and can be highly addictive.” LaGrou recommends the Web site www.combatheroin.ny.gov as one of the best sites available for public education. Links to that site can also be found at GCASA’s Web site at www.gcasa.net.

Press release:

The Batavia Police Department and other law enforcement agencies throughout the county, have been receiving reports of unlocked vehicles being entered and property being taken. These incidents have occurred over the last several months.

We would like to remind citizens to secure their vehicle’s, and other valuable property, at all times to help prevent these types of larcenies from occurring.

Citizens with information pertaining to these incidents which have occurred in the City of Batavia, are asked to contact the Batavia Police Department at 585-345-6350. Information can also be provided by calling the Batavia Police Confidential Tip Line at 585-345-6370 or by accessing the Batavia Police Department’s Web site and making use of the Suspicious Activity reporting link.

A rollover accident is reported on the eastbound Thruway at mile marker 382.4. Le Roy fire and ambulance are responding.

UPDATE 5:22 a.m.: Le Roy medics have just arrived at Strong Memorial Hospital with one patient.

Two older German shepherds were found on Galloway Road in the Batavia/Oakfield area. One male and one female. Very friendly and calm. Contact DJ at 585.509.3943.

Cordyn C. Mack, 25, of Wood Street, Batavia, is charged with unlawful imprisonment, 2nd, endangering the welfare of a child, and second-degree harassment. On Oct. 8, Mack was involved in a domestic disturbance that was physical with a female who resides with him. Mack allegedly refused to allow the victim to leave the residence with her infant, and then struck the victim in the face with an open hand while she still had her child in her arms. Mack was arraigned in city court and released under supervision of Genesee Justice. The incident was investigated by Batavia Police officer Frank Klimjack, assisted by officer Mitchell Cowen.

Delwin D. Robinson, 33, of Lake Road, Pavilion, was arrested on Oct. 8, 2014 by the Le Roy Police Department and charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Robinson was a passenger in a vehicle which was stopped for alleged vehicle and traffic violations. After a brief investigation, Robinson was allegedly found in possession of marijuana. Robinson was issued an appearance ticket and is scheduled to appear in the Le Roy Town Court on Nov. 17.

Press release:

United Memorial Medical Center and the Cancer Services Partnership will provide free health screenings to Genesee County residents who meet specific age criteria residents of Genesee County -- women between the ages of 40-64 and men aged 50-64 with no insurance or high deductibles.

The screening will be available from 4 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct.29, at the Jerome Center, 16 Bank St., Batavia. Appointments are necessary for some of the screenings.

For women age 40-64, nurse midwife Cecilia Stearns, MSN, will perform women’s health screenings, including pap smears, pelvic exams and clinical breast exams.

Urologist William Guthinger, MD, will provide prostate screenings to men age 50-64. Additional services available at the event include mammography, total cholesterol and take-home colorectal cancer screening kits.

All screenings will be provided at no charge. Funds are available for follow-up care, if necessary.

Please call United Memorial’s Healthy Living Department to schedule an appointment at (585)344-5331. Light refreshments, health information and free giveaways will also be available.

Press release:

One in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and in response to recent incidents involving professional athletes and domestic violence, the YWCA of Genesee County will “go purple” during the month of October.

The campaign “Go Purple With YWCA,” will help raise awareness about the prevalence of violence against women. In addition, YWCA will host its signature initiative, Week Without Violence, from Oct. 13 - 17, to mobilize people in communities across the United States to take action against all forms of violence, wherever it occurs.

"In addition to our annual Stiletto & Sneaker Walk, which was Oct. 2, we now look forward to going purple in an even bigger way," Executive Director Jeanne Walton said. "I challenge everyone to wear purple in support of domestic violence awareness, snap a picture of it and post to Facebook or send it to us. While it's so true that there's safety in numbers, we need to remember the numbers one in four and how crucial it is to stop domestic violence altogether."

The YWCA is one of the largest providers of domestic violence services in the United States with more than 200 local YWCA associations in 46 states and the District of Columbia. Each year, the organization provides hundreds of thousands of women and families with programs and services for both survivors and perpetrators, including emergency shelter, crisis hotlines, counseling, educational programs, prevention training, support groups, and abuse intervention. The YWCA also provides domestic violence training to businesses, law enforcement, and medical personnel across the nation.

Throughout October, YWCA of Genesee County encourages supporters to “join our team” and wear purple when watching or attending sports events to raise awareness, and share their photos on social media. In addition, we encourage supporters to change their Facebook and Twitter profile pictures to our Go Purple jersey during football games on Sundays and Mondays, to show solidarity with domestic violence victims and survivors. This virtual jersey features the phrase “1 in 4,” to represent the number of women that will experience domestic violence in their lifetimes. To learn more about the “Go Purple With YWCA” campaign, visit www.ywca.org/gopurple.

Batavia-based YWCA offers Domestic Violence Crisis & Prevention Services that include advocacy, court accompaniment, access to free legal services, safe housing and, currently in development, the You Engaging Success program that will connect victims to community professionals for the necessary training, education and motivation to stop the cycle of abuse.

There will also be a panel, "Dressing for Distress," featuring ordinary women who have gone through extraordinary things. Despite horrific circumstances these women got through it all with faith, strength and courage. Join them for an evening of sharing hope. It's set for 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 23 at Stuart Steiner Theatre.

For more information about any of YW's programs, call (585) 343-5808 or go to www.ywcagenesee.org.

About the YWCA

The YWCA is a voice for every woman. For over a century, the YWCA has spoken out and taken action on behalf of women and girls. The YWCA is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. More than 2 million people participate each year in YWCA programs at more than 1,200 locations across the U.S. For more information, visit: http://www.ywca.org.