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UPDATED: Harlem Wizards Basketball Team performs at O-A HIGH School Gym

By Billie Owens
UPDATED at 1:42 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 28:
 
The Oakfield-Alabama Elementary Student Council, in conjunction with the Genesee Community College Baseball Team, are excited to welcome the Harlem Wizards Basketball Team to Oakfield-Alabama Elementary High School Gymnasium on Thursday, Feb. 28.
 
The switch to the high school gymnasium was made due to higher than anticipated ticket sales.
 
Doors open at 6 p.m. and the game begins at 7 o'clock.
Event Date and Time

Harlem Wizards Basketball Team will perform at O-A Elementary School Thursday night

By Billie Owens
From Oakfield-Alabama Elementary School
 
UPDATED Feb. 28: Due to higher than anticipated ticket sales, the game has been moved to the O-A High School Gymnasium. 
 
The Oakfield-Alabama Elementary Student Council, in conjunction with the Genesee Community College Baseball Team, are excited to welcome the Harlem Wizards Basketball Team to Oakfield-Alabama Elementary High School Gynasium on Thursday, Feb. 28.
 
Doors open at 6 p.m. and the game begins at 7 o'clock. The school is located at 7001 Lewiston Road, Oakfield.
 
This event is open to the public and tickets can be purchased online until Feb. 27 here or at the door, if available, on the day of the event only.
 
Tickets at the door the day of the game, if available, will be sold for $10 for students and $12 for adults.
 
It's best to purchase your tickets in advance. An online processing fee of $1.25 per ticket will be added to your final total for online tickets. The online box office for this event closes at 11:59 p.m. the night prior to the game.
 
If you purchase tickets online, you will receive your ticket via email. You MUST print the ticket(s) and bring them to the event. Your ticket will be scanned for entry.
 
We hope to see you at this exciting, family-friendly event! "Tricks, hoops & ally oops!"

Reel Discussion at Richmond library: 'The Children Act'

By Billie Owens

Come view the movie and join us for a group discussion afterward. On Thursday, March 7th at 6 p.m., we will be showing the movie is “The Children Act."

In the midst of a marital crisis, a High Court judge must decide if she should order a life-saving blood transfusion for a teen with cancer despite his family's refusal to accept medical treatment for religious reasons.

For more information, call the library at 343-9550 or log onto www.batavialibrary.org

19 Ross St., Batavia

Event Date and Time

Richmond library presents the traditional Irish music of No Blarney

By Billie Owens

Richmond Memorial Library presents the music of No Blarney. Join us in the reading Room on Tuesday, March 12, at 7 p.m. as perennial favorites, Rich Conroy and Don Bouchard, return to get you in the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day with traditional Irish music.

For more information, please call the Richmond Memorial Library at 343-9550 or log onto www.batavialibrary.org.

19 Ross St., Batavia

Event Date and Time

Richmond library presents writer Steven Huff speaking about the final resting places of Upstate authors

By Billie Owens

On Thursday, March 14, 7 p.m., Richmond Memorial Library will host writer Steven Huff in a unique talk called "In Our Home Ground" exploring the final resting places of authors in Upstate New York.

For more information, call the library at 343-9550 or log onto www.batavialibrary.org.

19 Ross St., Batavia 14020

Event Date and Time

CANCELLED: Reel Discussion at Richmond library: 'On the Basis of Sex' about Ruth Bader Ginsburg's fight for equal rights

By Billie Owens

UPDATED Thursday, March 28, 3 p.m.: Due to a sewer backup and loss of access to running water, the Richmond Memorial Library closed at 2:45 p.m. today. Tonight's movie and other programs are cancelled. We all regret the inconvenience, but we are expecting to reopen at 9 a.m. tomorrow. Thank you. Bob Conrad, Library Director.

*****************

Come view the movie and join us for a group discussion afterward. On Thursday, March 28that 6 p.m., we will be showing the movie is “On the Basis of Sex."

Event Date and Time

Taking a break from updates, unless something major happens

By Billie Owens

Taking a break from posting. Will update as warranted if something major happens. Try to stay inside and stay safe!

(The list of updates was made "unsticky" and is back in the lineup in accordance with its original time stamp of 2:30-ish this afternoon. Scroll down to find it.)

Dangerous winds, flash freeze in tonight's forecast

By Billie Owens
From the National Weather Service in Buffalo:
 
Dangerous winds and flash freeze are forecast for late this afternoon and evening in Genesee County.
 
Very strong and damaging winds will continue late this afternoon and early this evening from the Lake Erie shore northeastward across the Niagara Frontier and Genesee Valley, including the Buffalo and Rochester areas. Peak wind gusts will reach 75 mph at times. 

Winds of this magnitude will result in extensive damage to trees and power lines, widespread power outages, and property damage to roofs and siding.
 
Buildings which are under construction and older deteriorating buildings may experience significant damage or even collapse. 

This is a particularly dangerous situation!
 
If you must travel be prepared for extensive damage and downed power lines. Always assume power lines are live. Falling trees and power lines will create a very dangerous environment to be outside in, including in vehicles. Seek shelter in a substantial building until the strongest of the winds begin to subside. 

In addition to the very strong winds, temperatures will also fall below freezing as we progress through the late afternoon and early evening hours. This will result in the rapid freezing up of water on untreated roadways, leading to areas of ice that could make travel hazardous, particularly on bridges and overpasses.
 
If you must travel, be sure to slow down and exercise caution.

Bricks fall from ledge at City Centre

By Billie Owens

A reader sent this photo of wind-caused damage at City Centre. Some bricks fell from the top ledge and a light fixture's glass got broken. The business is located at 46 City Centre.

National Grid Outage Map: 1,018 customers in Genesee County without power

By Billie Owens

According to the National Grid Outage Map, which they update every 15 minutes, there are currently 1,018 Genesee County customers without power. They are still assessing damages.

A total of 26,948 customers are served here by the utility company.

To view the interactive map, click here.

UPDATE 4:03 p.m.: Checked the map and nothing has changed since we first posted it at 3:24 p.m.

UPDATE 5:16 p.m.: There's been an uptick in the number of Genesee County customers without power. National Grid reports 1,066 customers without power, up from 1,018 almost two hours ago.

Weather-related calls starting at 2:30 p.m.

By Billie Owens

Unknown wires are down in the roadway at Colby Road and Genesee Street. Corfu Fire Department is responding.

******

A tree is down on wires, which are smoking, at 2679 Galloway Road, Batavia. East Pembroke Fire Department is responding. National Grid has been informed.

*****

UPDATE 2:38 p.m.: A broken tree branch is pulling wires from a house at 3104 Dodgeson Road, Alexander. Lines are in the roadway. The location is between Beaver and Seward roads. Alexander Fire Department is called.

UPDATE 2:42 p.m.: City of Batavia Fire Department is called for a tree and wires down at 66 Franklin St. between Davis Avenue and the dead end.

UPDATE 2:56 p.m.: A tree and wires are down, completely blocking the roadway, at 7116 Tripp Road, Byron. Byron and South Byron fire departments are called. National Grid crews are no longer on scene (after responding earlier when seven poles toppled into a field).

UPDATE 2:58 p.m.: A tree and wires are down at 2623 Brown Road, Corfu. The location is between Wilkinson Road and Ridge Road. East Pembroke Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 3:02 p.m.: A tree and wires are down at 3650 Batavia Oakfield Townline Road. Town of Batavia Fire Department is called to respond.

UPDATE 3:07 p.m.: A fire alarm is sounding at city Public Works Department, 147 Walnut St. A power failure has occurred and the "supervisory alarm" has been tripped. City Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 3:15 p.m.: A tree is down in the roadway at 2879 Batavia Oakfield Townline Road. Town of Batavia Fire Department is called.

UPDATE 3:52 p.m.:  A tractor-trailer has tipped over on Bank Street Road at Cockram Road. Byron and South Byron fire departments are called to respond along with Mercy medics.

UPDATE 3:53 p.m.: A tree is down and wires are on fire at 10498 W. Bethany Road. Alexander Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 3:57 p.m.: A tree and primary wires and secondary wires are down at 3073 Pearl Street Road, Batavia. East Pembroke Fire Department is called. The location is between Upton and Wortendyke roads.

UPDATE 4:08 p.m.: Wires are down on a house and arcing at 8885 Keeney Road in Le Roy. The home is being evacuated. Le Roy Fire Department is responding. The location is between West Main Street and Quinlan Road.

UPDATE 4:11 p.m.: A celler pump detail is requested at a house at 7509 Mechanic St. in Byron. The power is out there. Byron and South Byron fire departments are called.

UPDATE 4:53 p.m.: Power lines are down in the road and in water on Powers Road, Batavia. East Pembroke Fire Department is called.

UPDATE 4:58 p.m.: Town of Batavia Fire Department is called to 3658 Batavia Elba Townline Road for wires down in the roadway.

UPDATE 5:56 p.m.: A tree and wires are down at 8151 Kelsey Road, Batavia. East Pembroke is called to respond.

UPDATE 5:58 p.m.: A tree is down across the front steps of a residence at 7041 N. Pearl Street Road, Oakfield. Oakfield Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 6:07 p.m.: East Pembroke command requests mutual aid from Town of Batavia fire to shut down traffic at Kelsey and Galloway roads because of multiple trees and wires down in the roadway.

Utility crews ready for deployment in several staging areas in Batavia

By Billie Owens

A reader sent us photos just taken in Batavia showing the apparent readiness of utility crews staged by businesses, ready to deploy as needed due to the  high wind warning in effect today and tomorrow.

In addition to these staging areas photographed in Batavia, there are about a dozen vehicles in the KMart parking lot and 15 or so in the lot at BJs Warehouse Plaza; and there may be other staging areas in Batavia as well.

"Seems like a high degree of readiness," a reader commented.

Above, at the Quality Inn & Suites.

Staging area by Target and Quality Inn & Suites.

More utility vehicles in Batavia Towne Center parking lot.

Tree, pole and wires down on Akron Road, Pembroke

By Billie Owens

An officer reports a tree, utility pole and wires are down across the roadway on Akron Road, just east of Wyman Road. Pembroke and Indian Falls fire departments are responding.

Seven poles topple onto field on Tripp Road, Byron

By Billie Owens

Seven utility poles, possibly with power lines attached, are down in a field on Tripp Road near Townline Road in Byron. Byron and South Byron fire departments are called to investigate.

UPDATE 1:27 p.m.: National Grid crews are called to the scene.

Crash victims in overnight Le Roy accident were from out of the area, IDs pending

By Billie Owens

Photo and information from Alecia Kaus, of Video News Service.

The three male occupants who crashed into a house on Clay Street in Le Roy in the wee hours this morning were from out of the area, authorities say, but their identities have not yet been released.

The front-seat passsenger died at the scene at 77 Clay St., and the driver and back-seat passenger were transported to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, although Le Roy Police Chief Chris Hayward said he's not sure which one of them was taken by Mercy Flight and which by ambulance.

"It's very early in the investigation," Hayward said.

The Crash Management Team arrived shortly after 6 a.m. and code enforcement was there at that time determining whether the house with an upstairs and downstairs apartment was habitable. The downstairs unit was unoccupied. The upstairs tenant was not injured.

The victims who were transported both had severe injuries.

"They were extensive," Hayward said. "I don't really want to specify."

The car -- and Haywood said they could not tell if it was a sedan or a coupe based on looking at the wreckage -- was coming from the south around 3:30 a.m., heading northbound on Route 19 (Clay Street at the crash site), when it failed to negotiate the Wolcott Street curve and smashed into the house.

Car crashes into house on Clay Street, Le Roy, after two-car collision

By Billie Owens

Photo courtesy of Alecia Kaus, of Video News Service.

A two-vehicle accident is reported, with one of the vehicles crashed into a house at 77 Clay St. in Le Roy. It's in the village between Wolcott and Myrtle streets. Le Roy Fire Department, Le Roy Ambulance Service and Mercy medics are responding. 

A first responder on scene says there are three patients. Mercy Flight out of Batavia is put on standby. Pavilion Fire Department is called for extrication. An ambulance out of Monroe County is requested.

Le Roy Fire Police are going to shut down all northbound traffic on Route 19 at Munson Street.

UPDATE 3:46 a.m.: Le Roy command asks that Route 19 at Route 5 also be shut down.

UPDATE 3:53 a.m.: Serious injuries are possible. The county's Crash Management Team is being called in and along with a code enforcement officer. Mercy Flight is called to the scene. It will land at the Le Roy Ambulance Service base on Tountas Avenue.

UPDATE 3:59 a.m.: Mercy Flight has a 12-minute ETA.

UPDATE 4:05 a.m.: The Mercy Flight landing zone is changed to the area by the middle school field by the bus garage. One patient has been extricated.

UPDATE 4:14 a.m.: Mercy Flight has landed. All patients extricated.

UPDATE 4:16 a.m.: Le Roy medics are transporting one patient to the Mercy Flight helicopter.

UPDATE 4:26 a.m.: Alecia Kaus, of Video News Service, who is at the scene, says: "According to Le Roy Police Chief Hayward, this was a one-vehicle accident. A car lost control at the curve and struck a house. Three males were in the vehicle. One front-seat passenger has died at the scene. The driver and another passenger were transported to Strong Hospital, one via Mercy Flight and one via ambulance."

UPDATE 4:31 a.m.: The gas is being shut off at the house on Clay Street where the crash occurred.

UPDATE 4:34 a.m.: Alecia Kaus says no one inside the house was injured. There was no one in the first-floor apartment at the time of the crash; the second-floor occupants were unharmed.

UPDATE 4:36 a.m.: State DOT will be notified about a traffic sign that will need to be replaced.

UPDATE 4:48 a.m.: Le Roy fire's auxiliary was summoned about 20 minutes ago.

UPDATE 4:53 a.m.: Le Roy ambulance is back in service.

UPDATE 5:48 a.m.: The State Police are in charge of the scene now; the vehicle is covered. A picture(s) of the vehicle involved will be posted later when it becomes available. No more updates anticipated until then.

Three people arrested on drug charges on Hutchins Street after task force executes search warrant

By Billie Owens
      Darius L. Jones        Lynda Harris

The Genesee County Local Drug Enforcement Task Force announced the arrest of three people on Friday morning on Hutchins Street in the City of Batavia.

Arrested were:

  • Darius AKA "D" L. Jones, 27, of Dewey Avenue, Rochester, who is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a Class B felony, and criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, a Class A misdemeanor;
  • Lynda Harris, 59, of Hutchins Street, Batavia, who is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a Class B felony, and unlawful possession of marijuana, a violation;
  • and Jenna M. Morrill, 25, of Hutchins Street, Batavia, who is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, a Class A misdemeanor.

On Feb. 22, the Drug Task Force and the Batavia Emergency Response Team executed a search warrant at a residence on Hutchins Street. Subsequently, Jones was allegedly found in possession of a quantity of fentanyl, crack cocaine and U.S. currency. Harris was allegedly found in possession of a quantity of crack cocaine and marijuana. Morrill was allegedly found to possess a quantity of crack cocaine and she was issued an appearance ticket.

Jones and Harris were arraigned in Batavia City Court. Then Jones was put in Genesee County Jail with no bail and Harris was released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

The Drug Task Force is comprised of police officers from the Genesee County Sheriff's Office, Batavia Police Department and the Le Roy Village Police Department. It investigates the possession, transportation and sale of narcotics locally.

Members were assisted by Batavia police officers, the Batavia Emergency Response Team and the Genesee County District Attorney's Office.

GC Conservative Party announces endorsements for 2019 election

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Today, Feb. 23, at its County Committee meeting, the Genesee County Conservative Party announced the following endorsements for office in the November 2019 elections.
 
Batavia City Court
  • Judge Durin Rogers for Batavia City Court Judge

The committee had also interviewed Benjamin Bonarigo for City Court Judge. And while he and Durin Rogers both have an excellent record, we decided that Judge Rogers had more experience as a judge already. Except for Judge Rogers, all our endorsements are for incumbents who have had our support in the past.

Genesee County County Legislature
  • Gordon Dibble, District 3 (Pembroke and Darien)
  • Andrew Young, District 4 (Town of Batavia and Stafford)
  • Rochelle Stein, District 5 (LeRoy)
  • Gregg Torrey, District 6 (Alexander, Bethany and Pavilion)
  • John Deleo, District 7 (City of Batavia wards 1 & 6)
  • Marianne Clattenburg, District 8 (City of Batavia wards 2 & 3)
  • Gary Maha, District 9 (City of Batavia wards 4 & 5)
City of Batavia Council
  • Paul Viele, City Ward 1
  • Al McGinnis, City Ward 4
  • Kathy Briggs, City Ward 5

Press release:

The Committee to Elect Judge Rogers is proud to announce that Judge Durin Rogers, Batavia City Court judge, has received the endorsement of the Genesee County Conservative Party for the full-time Batavia City Court position up for election in the fall.

Following the Conservative Party Committee meeting and candidate interviews, the Genesee County Conservative Vice Chairman John Roach said, “We found Judge Rogers to be exceptionally well qualified and he is already a sitting judge—he received the Committee’s unanimous endorsement and we look forward to seeing Judge Rogers on the bench. We encourage all conservative voters to support Judge Rogers throughout the entire process.”

After receiving news of the endorsement, Judge Rogers said, “I am honored to have received the Genesee County Conservative Party’s endorsement for Batavia City Court Judge and I am very thankful for their support. I will continue to work hard for the residents of the City of Batavia.

"As a judge, my commitment is to fairly and impartially apply the law to all of the people of Batavia. Over the coming months, I look forward to talking to the people of Batavia and getting to know them better."  

Judge Rogers’ is now officially endorsed by City of Batavia Republican Committee and the Genesee County Conservative Party. This April will mark Judge Rogers entering his fifth year on the Batavia City Court bench.

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