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The eighth annual National Prescription Drug Drop-Off Day is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday, April 26.

Three dozen sites in WNY are taking part. It's the largest single day drop-off in the region.

In Genesee County, drop off locations are:

• Batavia Police Department, 10 W. Main St., City of Batavia
• Le Roy Police Department, 3 W. Main Street, Village of Le Roy
• Pembroke Town Highway Barns, at routes 5 & 77, operated by the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is leading this effort as part of a national campaign with the support of local police agencies and other organizations. A similar event in October collected more than four tons of unwanted and unneeded medications from residents. WNY leads the state in collections.

The purpose is to keep medications out of the hands of teens lokking to experiment and to keep our water safe. Flushing old medications contaminates the water table and eventually our drinking water.

Numerous state and national suveys show time and again that prescription pain medications are fast becoming the drug of choice among our teens, with most teens report taking the medications from someone's home. Death by accidental overdose is the number one cause of accidental death today, surpassing car accidents for the first time since 1979 when drug overdose stats started being tallied. Taken as prescribed, these medications can control severe pain. When abused, addiction can come quickly, often ending in death.

All medications -- prescription and over-the-counter -- will be accepted at all participating sites. Needles will also be accepted. For a complete list of locations visit:

WWW.DEA.GOV

WWW.MAKEACHANGENEWYORK

A four-car accident, no injuries, is reported at West Main and River streets in the city. City fire and police are responding.

A car has crashed into a building at Leisure Timers Apartments, 364 Bloomingdale Road. Injuries are reported. Alabama Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding. The location is between Shanks and Tesnow roads.

UPDATE 2:14 p.m.: A responder requests a code enforcement officer to the scene along with a digital camera. The vehicle has been removed from the building.

UPDATE 2:16 p.m.: Alabama command says responding units can continue non-emergency.

UPDATE 3:13 p.m.: The Alabama assignment is back in service. The driver was a sign-off.

SADD -- Students Against Destructive Driving -- is holding a fundraiser night of bowling at the Mancuso Bowling Center from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, April 25.

Cost is $12.50 per person and includes two hours of bowling and shoe rental. The bowling center is at 214 E. Main St. in Downtown Batavia.

Pre-register by calling the Genesee County Youth Bureau at 344-3960.

Half of the profits will go to the countywide SADD chapter, which is supported by GC STOP-DWI & the Youth Bureau.

A fight is reported outside The Harvester bar on Harvester Avenue in Batavia and the caller says there are chairs being thrown. City police are responding.

UPDATE 1:21 a.m. (by Howard): Apparently, two of the people involved in the original fracas tangled again. Police are looking for a suspect and an ambulance has been requested to The Harvester to treat a victim with an injured nose.

A cherished tradition among firefighters is honoring a departed comrade by flying mourning flags on each side of the fire station and displaying a helmet and turnout coat on a folding chair, with a set of boots in front.

And so it was after the unexpected death Monday, April 14, of Bethany Town Supervisor Louis J. Gayton, whose dedicated service to his community was well known and respected. It included more than 50 years as a volunteer firefighter.

The loss of Louie, who was 75, is deeply felt, not only by family and friends, but also many residents in Bethany and the entire firefighting community.

Now there is a lot of outrage, too.

Outrage that someone stole the helmet and the turnout coat from Mr. Gayton's mourning display. (The chair and boots were left there.)

The theft was discovered at about 8 o'clock the next day, Tuesday, and subsequently reported to law enforcement by Bethany Assistant Chief Jeff Fluker. (The chief is out of town for two weeks.)

No suspects as of yet.

The dollar value is estimated to be $350. But you can't really put a price on a gesture of bereavement.

"I've never heard of these items being stolen before," said a dumbfounded Deputy Sheriff Gordon Dibble. "It's a respect thing. I liken it to tipping over gravestones."

Press release:

Genesee County volunteer fire departments will open their doors to residents this weekend so they can learn about what it takes to be a volunteer firefighter. This is part of the fourth annual RecruitNY statewide initiative of the Firemen's Association of the State of New York (FASNY).

Over the last several years it has been very tough for many fire departments throughout New York State to recruit and retain volunteers for a variety of reasons. Like most volunteer fire departments, those in Genesee County need to bolster their emergency response numbers so they can continue to provide the optimal level of protection for residents.

As part of RecruitNY, this Saturday and Sunday, April 26 and 27, the volunteer fire departments listed below will be open along with others throughout the state for a unified recruitment drive. This will be an opportunity to highlight the duties and rewards that come with being a volunteer firefighter; it's also a chance to check out the equipment, try on the gear, and tour the station.

Volunteer firefighters will be on hand to discuss the requirements to be a volunteer, and they will also conduct demonstrations, answer questions and let visitors know how to get involved in their fire department.

Last year, more than 500 fire departments in 55 counties statewide held recruitment Open Houses. FASNY is hoping for an even higher turnout this year.

Over the last year and a half, FASNY has worked exceptionally hard to build and deploy a multi-tiered plan for helping the state's 1,700 volunteer fire departments recruit more than 15,000 new volunteers by using federal SAFER grants for programs, including the "Fire in You" ad campaign, and the FASNY HELP community college reimbursement program, plus recruitment training programs.

Here is the line-up of Open Houses and activities at fire departments in Genesee County: (Information as provided by the individual departments and may not include everything offered; for more information contact the local department.)

Saturday, April 26:

Bethany -- 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. -- Coffee & Donuts, Open House, and Demonstrations

Byron -- Burn Car & Open House

Elba -- 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. -- Open House & Soft-serve Ice Cream

Indian Falls -- 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. -- Open House

Pembroke -- Open House, Auto Extrication & Other Demonstrations

Stafford, Pavilion, Le Roy -- 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. -- All three departments will converge at the Stafford Fire Station and will offer many demonstrations, an Open House, and a light lunch.

Sunday, April 27:

Alabama -- 12 to 3 p.m. -- Open House & Ice Water Suit Demonstration

Bethany -- 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. -- Coffee & Donuts, Open House, Demonstrations

Byron -- Auto Extrication & Free Spaghetti Dinner

Elba -- 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. -- Open House & Soft-serve Ice Cream

A pickup truck slammed into a pole at 8596 W. Bergen Road. The driver is still inside but can talk, according to a responder on scene. Le Roy fire and ambulance responding. Fire police are requested to shut down West Bergen Road at Quinlan and at Randall roads.

UPDATE 4:33 p.m.: Once the driver was extricated and evaluated by medics, he declined further medical assistance. National Grid is on scene to fix the pole. The road remains closed until the truck is towed and a tow-truck company is en route.

Maleak H. Green, 21, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, was charged with menacing, 3rd, and trespass following an incident which occurred at about 9:30 p.m. on April 18 on Ellicott Street. He allegedly walked onto the property of another person and struck the door to that person's residence with a baseball bat. He was released on an appearance ticket. The incident was investigated by officer Peter Flanagan, assisted by officer Chad Richards. But the next day, April 19, Green was jailed after being charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct following an incident that occurred at a coffee shop on Main Street. Green allegedly entered the building and started throwing chairs around and demanding that police be called. When police arrived, Green was allegedly observed brandishing a can of peas and allegedly saying he wanted to strike someone with the can of peas. Green allegedly refused to comply with verbal demands to drop the can of peas and he then allegedly struggled with officers who were trying to arrest him. He was arraigned and jailed with bail set at $1,500. The latter incident was investigated by officer Chad Richards, assisted by officer Jason Ivison. Green is to appear in City Court this afternoon on all of the charges.

Jorge Rodriguez Martinez, 31, of South Main Street in Batavia, was charged with obstruction of governmental justice following his arrest on April 19 for allegedly attempting to keep a police officer from investigating a disturbance on South Main Street. Martinez allegedly physically placed himself between the officer and another person during the incident and also allegedly attempted to fight with the officer. Following his arraignment in Batavia City Court, Martinez was jailed and bail set at $1,500. He is scheduled to return to Batavia City Court this afternoon. The investigating officer was Peter Flanagan, assisted by officer Devon Pahuta.

Alex S. Dumbleton, 20, of Jackson Street, Batavia, was charged with disorderly conduct following his arrest at 2:45 p.m. on April 19 for allegedly yelling obscenities at a female acquaintance earlier in the day on South Jackson Street. He was issued an appearance ticket for Batavia City Court. The investigating officer was Eric Foels, assisted by officer Frank Klimjack.

Tanya L. Parsons, 29, of Hutchins Street in Batavia, was charged with petit larceny following an investigation into an incident which occurred April 18 at a bargain store on East Main Street. She is accused of concealing sidewalk chalk and a package of Andes Mints in her purse and leaving the store without paying for them. She is set to appear on the charge this afternoon. The incident was investigated by officer Jamie Givens who was assisted by officer Stephen Cronmiller.

Candace M. Sanchez, 48, of Jackson Street in Batavia, is charged with petit larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, 5th, possession of a forged instrument, 2nd, and forgery, 2nd. She had an active arrest warrant out of the City of Batavia due to an incident April 1 in which she allegedly possessed and passed a forged check. Sanchez was taken into custody April 17 following an investigation and jailed without bail. The incident was investigated by officer James DeFreze and Sgt. Christopher Camp.

Kelly J. Woodrow, 34, of Hutchins Street in Batavia, was charged with petit larceny following an investigation into a complaint of a larceny April 18 at a bargain store on East Main Street. He was arraigned today in City Court, issued an appearance ticket and released. He is to return to City Court on Wednesday. The incident was investigated by officer Stephen Cronmiller who was assisted by officer Jamie Givens.

Tamara L. Butler, 36, of North Main Street in Albion, was charged with petit larceny following her arrest on April 21 at about 2 a.m. after an arrest warrant from Orleans County was executed. She was issued an appearance ticket for Batavia City Court. The investigating officer was Peter Flanagan.

Eric. R. Swede, 25, of Perry Road in Pavilion, was arrested in Monroe County on a bench warrant issued by Batavia City Court. He posted $100 bail and was released. He is scheduled to be in City Court on April 29. The incident was investigated by officer Kevin DeFelice.

Press release:

Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. (WROTB), Hamburg Gaming and Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack today announced they have contributed $32.6 million during the first quarter of 2014 to the State of New York as part of their gaming revenue-sharing arrangement.

They also provided horsemen purses of $5.4 million during the same period.

WROTB owns and operates Batavia Downs Gaming in Batavia as well as OTB branches throughout Western New York.

The quarterly payment brings the total paid to the State by the three gaming entities to $1,061,374,354 since the venues opened about 10 years ago. Horsemen have received an additional $174,854,433 since the inception of the facilities.

Michael P. Nolan, executive vice president/COO of WROTB, noted that more than $215 million has been given to the 15 counties and two cities that own WROTB since its inception.

"The operations at Batavia, Hamburg and Finger Lakes have not only positively impacted the lives of thousands of families across our region through direct and indirect employment, they also provide a consistent and significant stream of revenue for 15 counties and two cities, helping to alleviate the tax burden for people across the region," said WROTC President Michael Kane. "Every person within the 15-county area that we encompass has a vested financial interest in the success of our operations."

Two Darien volunteer firefighters -- Joshua Reeb and Paul Redden -- and several other residents lost everything they own in a devastating house fire on March 10 at 1363 Broadway Road. The firefighters helped people evacuate safely. A pet dog died in the blaze.

A fundraiser for their benefit is planned for Sunday, May 4, at the Darien Fire Hall, which is located at 10537 Alleghany Road in Darien Center.

There will be a chicken BBQ, Chinese auction, and 50/50.

Dinner includes: half chicken, two sides and dinner roll. Hot dogs will be provided to children too young for the BBQ plate. Presale tickets are $10. A limited number will be available at the door.

The organizers are still seeking donations for the raffle baskets!

To purchase tickets, make a donation, or for questions, contact any of the following people:

Deanna Crawford  (716) 310-3083

Austen Gielow (716) 783-2562

Paul Redden (585) 356-0466

Two males are reportedly fighting at State Street and Richmond Avenue and bystanders are taping it. City police are responding.

A grass fire is reported at 56 S. Lake Ave. in Bergen. The caller indicated it may be a controlled burn that got out of control. Bergen Fire Department is responding. The location is between Mackenzie Street and Parkview Drive. A responder on scene reports smoke coming from behind a residence.

UPDATE 1:03 p.m.: The fire is out. Bergen is back in service.

A two-car accident with believed to be minor injuries is reported at the intersection of Bank Street and Washington Avenue. City fire, Mercy medics and law enforcement are on scene.

UPDATE 11:25 a.m.: Mercy just arrived at UMMC with a patient complaining of pain between the hip and knee.

A one-car rollover with injuries is reported on School Street in Downtown Batavia. City fire and Mercy medics are on scene. The car is on its roof but the victims are extricated.

UPDATE (by Howard): It appears a blue sedan was westbound on School Street from Swan Street when it struck a parked SUV. The passenger-side front tire struck the rear tire on the driver's side of the SUV. The SUV was pushed forward about five feet and its rear wheel assembly was broken. The fender was scraped but not dented. The frame of the sedan was broken. The owner of the SUV said he just recently got the vehicle. It still had a temporary registration in the window, he pointed out. He hasn't even made a payment on it yet, he said. He was at a friend's house for Easter Dinner. Police conducted a field sobriety test on the driver of the sedan. He was taken into custody pending further investigation. 

UPDATE 10:30 a.m., Monday (by Howard): The driver was released after further investigation found neither drugs nor alcohol were a factor in the accident.

A field fire is reported in the area of 550 Sumner Road, on the north side. Darien fire and EMS are responding. The location is between Harlow and County Line roads.

UPDATE 2:24 p.m.: Darien command requests Alexander to bring its Gator to the scene.

UPDATE 2:57 p.m.: Darien command reports the fire is out.

Press release:

The Batavia Business Improvement District will hold its annual meeting and awards luncheon from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, April 25 (registration at 11:45 a.m.) at the City Church Generation Center, 15 Center St. in Downtown Batavia.

The agenda will include a review of the B.I.D.’s accomplishments and the announcement of the newly elected members to the Board of Directors.

The “Downtown Spirit” Business Awards are presented to: Greg Gluck, Alberty Drug Co. and Christine Crocker, The YNGodess Shop.

The “Downtown Spirit” Volunteer Awards presented to: Dan Fischer (WBTA Radio) who served as a board member and chairperson for Summer In The City, Beth Kemp (T-Shirts Etc.) for serving on the BID Promotion / Wine Walk committees and Steve Coraci (community volunteer) for serving on the Downtown Public, Summer In The City and Wine Walk committees.

Guest Speaker: Mark Masse, vice-president Genesee Economic Development Center. His topic: “When The STAMP Project Comes, Will Downtown Be Ready?”

All B.I.D. members and area businesses are invited. A special buffet will be served from Sweet Ecstasy Bakery & Bistro.

Price is $20 per person. RSVP and payment by Tuesday, April 22. Reservations contact BID - Don Burkel or Laurie Oltramari, at 585-344-0900 or e-mail at dburkel@downtownbataviany.com