Stories from

Press release:

Each Wednesday evening, a team from Northgate Free Methodist Church meet at 8160 Bank Street Road (North Campus) and walk a trail around the perimeter of the church property, praying for the community, the church and congregational needs as they walk.

The “Community Prayer Walk,” was scheduled to be open to the public this fall and is being developed by the members of the church and the youth of Northgate. It is a beautiful trail to walk, reflect, and meditate on and will soon include multiple prayer stations located along the path.

Last Wednesday, on Aug. 8, the prayer team’s lives were theatened as they were chased by a man who had intentionally driven his vehicle off of the Thruway and onto Northgate’s property. They narrowly escaped into the church, and the offender was apprehended by law enforcement.

Many within the community have offered prayer and support for our prayer team, and expressed gratitude for their protection.

In response to this unfortunate event, Northgate is inviting the community to join the prayer team as we commit this "Community Prayer Walk" to the Lord at 6 p.m. tomorrow, Aug.15th.

The walk will begin behind Northgate’s North Campus at 8160 Bank Street Road, Batavia.

For more information, please contact the church office at 343-4011.

(Editor's note: For previous coverage of the incident cited above, click here.)

A two-car accident with injuries is reported at 4135 W. Main Street Road in front of the 4 Nails salon. Town of Batavia Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding. The vehicles are off the roadway in the parking lot.

The second annual Batavia Boys Basketball Program Golf Tournament will be held Saturday, Aug. 18, at Batavia Country Club. Cost is $70 per golfer and all proceeds benefit Batavia basketball.

Price includes 18 holes of golf -- four-man scramble, cart, lunch and dinner.

Registration starts at 2 p.m.; tee off is at 3 p.m.

The country club is located at 7909 Batavia Byron Road, Batavia.

If interested, please contact Varsity Head Coach Buddy Brasky -- 356-4050; Bryan Falitico -- 201-1075; or Dave Hall -- 703-5063.

Prizes will be awarded to: first-place team; second-place team; third-place team; longest drive; closest to the pin.

There will be a Chinese auction and raffle prizes.

Businesses are wanted to help with $50 hole sponsorships and prizes. To do so, please contact Brasky or Falitico at the numbers above.

Checks should be made out to Batavia Boys Basketball Boosters.

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

Shawn Gray had the night of his life on Saturday (Aug. 11) as he won seven of the 12 races he drove at Batavia Downs and during that run, garnered his 4,000th career driving win.

Gray came into the night needing four wins to reach that plateau and once “The Maine Event” got rolling, there was seemingly no stopping him from getting to the winner’s circle. Besides his seven wins (which included the last five straight races of the night), Gray also had a second and two thirds giving him a stellar universal driver rating (UDR) of .685 for the night.

A native of Waterville, Maine, the 44-year-old Gray has been driving since 1993 when he got his first pari-mutuel win with Timer Choice at Presque Isle, Maine. He has been a regular on the New England circuit for his entire life, but in 2012 he came to western New York and made an instant impact on the racing scene here, taking the driving title at Batavia Downs that year.

Gray has also been a regular at Saratoga Raceway and Plainridge Park in recent years and enjoys the same success at those tracks as he does everywhere else.

In 19,230 starts, Gray has now won 4,003, has been second 3,098 times and third 2,709 more times making him more than 50 percent in the money for his career. That high percentage performance has earned him $15,114,821 in purses over that time.

Gray’s best career year was 2012 when he captured 356 victories and earned $1.859 million in purses. A habitual high percentage driver, Gray posted a personal best .440 UDR in 2011 but consistently ends the year in the high .300 range. Gray is currently second in North America in 2018 for UDR with a .404.

There was another horseman making history at Batavia Downs. Trainer James Clouser Jr. won a track record seven races on the card and posted an unbelievable universal training rating (UTR) of .917 in the process.

Clouser won with Freak On A Leash (1:55.2, $7.10), Whosurpapa (1:54.2, $3.20), Lenny Mac (1:57.3, $7.90), Upfront Countryboy (1:53.2, $4.20), Tyler (1:54.4, $2.90), Zipnthruthehall (1:54.3, $3.40) and Autobiographical (1:54.3, $2.60).

Gray drove six of Clouser’s seven winners.

The top Open pacing and trotting features were also contested on Saturday night.

Validus Deo, below, ($4.40) won the $10,500 Open Handicap pace in 1:54.3 for driver Kevin Cummings who also trains and co-owns the winner with Matthew Rosiek and Robert Johnson.

And BZ Glide, bottom photo, $29.60) upset in the $10,500 Open Handicap trot in 1:56.2 for driver Mike Caprio. Alana Caprio trains the winner for owner the Caprio Stable.

Live racing resumes at Batavia Down on Wednesday (Aug. 15) with post time set at 5 p.m.

A motor-vehicle accident with injuries is reported at 602 Genesee Street in Darien. Darien Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 7:41 p.m.: All patients were sign-offs.

A structure fire is reported at 8010 Wilcox Road, Le Roy. Le Roy Fire Department is responding along with mutual aid from Pavilion, Bergen, Stafford and the City of Batavia. National Grid is called to the scene, as well as an ambulance from Caledonia. The location is off of Circular Hill Road.

UPDATE 6:30 a.m.: An engine and Fast Team from Mumford are also called in.

UPDATE 6:40 a.m.: A tanker from York is responding.

UPDATE 6:43 a.m.: Town of Batavia Fire Department is asked to stand by in its hall for Stafford Fire Department.

UPDATE 6:54 a.m.: Fire is knocked down; checking for extensions. York told to continue non-emergency.

UPDATE 7 a.m.: Le Roy's auxiliary is requested to the scene.

UPDATE 7:06 a.m.: One engine from Avon is requested to fill in at Le Roy's fire hall.

UPDATE 7:07 a.m.: A Le Roy engine at the scene is being rerouted to the Dunkin' Donuts shop on West Main Street, Le Roy, for the odor of something electrical burning inside a refrigeration unit there.

UPDATE 7:13 a.m.: An electrical problem in a bathroom is thought to have caused the fire on Wilcox Road, which damaged the bathroom. There is smoke and water damage in the house.

UPDATE 7:19 a.m.: The fill in for Le Roy from Avon is canceled; York at the scene will be the fill-in instead.

UPDATE 7:24 a.m.: The Dunkin' Donuts refrigeration unit is deemed to have a faulty motor, which has been disconnected. Le Roy's engine is returning to the Wilcox Road incident, and most of the mutual aid responders are put back in service.

UPDATE 7:42 a.m.: Command says Red Cross assistance will be needed for one adult and two dogs who lived in the home.

Plush Dozier, AKA Plush Kevin Dozier, is indicted for the crime of first-degree arson, a Class A-1 felony. It is alleged that on the night of June 15 or the early morning of June 16 that he intentionally damaged a building -- a residence on Maple Street in the City of Batavia -- by causing a fire. This fire caused serious physical injury to another person, who was present and not a participant in the crime, and the defendant allegedly knew the person's presence inside the residence was a reasonable possibility. In count two, Dozier is accused of second-degree attempted murder, a Class B felony. It is alleged in count two that at the time of the crime, Dozier acted with intent to commit murder in the second degree -- to intentionally cause the death of another person -- and engaged in conduct to that end.

Torrence C. Greene is indicted for the crime of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a Class B felony. It is alleged that on Feb. 2 in the City of Batavia that Greene knowingly and unlawfully possessed a narcotic drug -- cocaine -- with intent to sell it. In count two, he is accused of the same crime for allegedly knowingly and unlawfully possessing one or more preparations, compounds, mixtures or substances containing cocaine that had an aggregate weight of one-half ounce or more.

Michael J. Mawn is indicted for the crime of aggravated unlicensed operation in the first degree, a Class E felony. It is alleged that on May 14 in the Town of Stafford that Mawn drove a 2000 Jeep Cherokee on Route 33 knowing or having reason to know that his driver's license was suspended, revoked or otherwise withdrawn by authorities. It is further alleged that he did so while under the influence of alcohol. In count two, he is accused of DWI, as a misdemeanor, for allegedly driving while intoxicated on that day. In count three, Mawn is accused of driving while ability impaired by alcohol for allegedly driving that day while his ability to do so was impaired by the consumption of alcohol. In count four, he is accused of speeding, a vehicle and traffic law infraction, for allegedly driving in excess of the 55-mph speed limit. In Special Information filed by the District Attorney's Office, Mawn is accused of having been convicted of DWI, as a misdemeanor, on Jan. 7, 2005, in Monroe County Court and that conviction forms the basis for the suspended or revoked license referred to in count one. It further states that Mawn knew or should have known that his license was revoked because of the conviction and the revocation was still in effect when he committed the crimes alleged in the current indictment.

Gary D. Burney is indicted for the crime of bail jumping in the second degree, a Class E felony. It is alleged that Burney was released from custody or allowed to remain at liberty by court order, either upon bail or his own recognizance, upon condition he would subsequently personally appear in Genesee County Court in connection with a felony charge against him. He failed to appear on Jan. 9 or voluntarily within 30 days thereafter, hence the indictment.

Press release:

The Genesee County Youth Bureau is seeking applicants for the Genesee Youth Lead Program. Applicants should be a Genesee County high school student entering their freshman through senior year.

The program is focused on developing leadership skills within an individual through each specific session and through hands-on experience.  Each session will have a different focus on our community and leadership.

The Youth Lead Program will take place at GVEP BOCES beginning Oct. 10, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and will be held once a month on the second Wednesday of each month.

The program dates are Oct. 10, Nov. 14, Dec. 12, Jan. 9, Feb. 13, March 13, April 10, and May 8.

Youths who complete the program are encouraged to use the skills and information gained through their experience to support the communities in which they live.

The selection process will be done through an application and interview process by the staff. The class size is limited.

The program will cost $75 for each student. If there is an economic hardship please contact the Genesee County Youth Bureau.

Applications for the program can be found here. 

Please contact the Genesee County Youth Bureau with questions at (585) 344-3960 or at youthbureau@co.genesee.ny.us.

CANCELLED: The Genesee County Women's Republican Club will hold its Lucky Numbers Fundraiser on Thursday, Aug. 16, at T.F. Brown's restaurant in Downtown Batavia. It is located at 412 E. Main St.

The public is invited to this basket raffle fundraiser, which begins at 5:30 p.m.

Cost is $30 per person. There will be hors d'oeuvres. Please RSVP by Aug. 10.

Corporate sponsorships are available for $500. This includes 10 tickets, a speaker, event signage, and press materials.

Please consider donating a basket; donations accepted in advance.

To donate a basket or to inquire about a corporate sponsorship, contact:

• Trisha Werth:  twerth74@hotmail.com  or  (716) 560-0843
• Melissa Haacke:  mhaacke5@gmail.com  or   314-4501
• Michele Smith:  msmith1548@frontiernet.net  or   329-7967