Brush fire 'out of control' on Transit Road, Byron
An out-of-control brush fire is reporred at 6925 Transit Road, north of Route 262. Byron and South Byron fire departments are responding.
An out-of-control brush fire is reporred at 6925 Transit Road, north of Route 262. Byron and South Byron fire departments are responding.
Amelia Rose Witkowski, 30, of Angling Road, Pembroke, is charged with second-degree burglary, making a punishable false written statement and petit larceny. She was arrested for allegedly entering a resident on Main Road in Pembroke at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 29 and stealing property from within. She also allegedly provided a written deposition to a Sheriff's deputy which contained false information. The case was handled by Sheriff's Deputy Joseph Graff, assisted by Deputy Christopher Erion.
Kimberly M. Zeiner, 48, of Caroline Street, Albion, was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation, 2nd, and driving without headlights following a traffic stop at 3 p.m. April 6 on West Main Street, Batavia. Zeiner was subsequently arrested on April 14 on an outstanding bench warrant on those charges issued out of City of Batavia Court. The defendant was jailed in lieu of $250 bail. The case was handled by Sheriff's Deputy Richard Schildwaster.
Nicholas Adam Dubois, 18, of Shady Lane, Batavia, is charged with two counts of petit larceny. Dubois was arrested following an investigation of theft of stone from two locations in the Town of Byron. He was released with appearance tickets. The case was handled by Sheriff's Deputy Matthew Fleming, assisted by Deputy Michael Lute.
A 17-year-old is charged with two counts of petit larceny. The youth was arrested following an investigation of theft of stone from two locations in the Town of Byron. The subject was released with appearance tickets. The case was handled by Sheriff's Deputy Matthew Fleming, assisted by Deputy Michael Lute.
Chief Charles Durkee sent in these pictures from the Byron Fire Department's recent installation dinner.
Eddy Sharp received the award for most training hours and Robert Mruczek received Firefighter of the Year.
Durkee received a gift from the ladie's auxiliary -- a PIG axe. He said it is the first one in the county at a volunteer department.
Pictures courtesy Marie Bohn Studio.
Kevin C. Greene, 61, of Bloomingdale Road, Akron, is a convicted sex offender who is charged with failure to notify an address change within 10 days. He was arrested March 11 at noon for allegedly moving out of his residence in February 2015 and not filing an address change within 10 days. He was issued an appearance ticket and is to appear in Batavia City Court on April 26. The case was investigated by Batavia Police Det. Eric Hill.
Carmelina Munoz Chavez, 48, of Sunrise Parkway, Oakfield, is charged with driving while intoxicated. She was arrested at 12:40 a.m. on April 10 following a complaint of a motor-vehicle accident in the Town of Byron. The defendant's vehicle was located and upon investigation, the defendant was arrested for allegedly driving while intoxicated. She was issued an appearance ticket and is to appear in Oakfield Town Court on May 9. The case was investigated by Sheriff's Deputy Ryan DeLong.
Submitted photo. Front row: Teacher Peter Spence, Maya Benda, teacher Tiffany Lucksh, Melanie MacCowan, Mackenzie Fox, Kitana Maher, Clare Fraser, Kerri Bates. Middle row: Morgan Fuller, Will Kennett, Dominick Andres, Zach Swapceinski, Olivia Audsley, Dana VanValkenburg, Isabell Bliss. Back row: Russell Flaherty, parent Michelle Geiger.
Press release:
After a year of planning, 14 students from Byron-Bergen Sr. High School traveled to Costa Rica to explore the country’s incredibly diverse habitats of rainforests, volcanoes, waterfalls and pristine ocean coastline.
Accompanied by Byron-Bergen teachers Peter Spence, who teaches Earth Science, Biology, and Chemistry, and Tiffany Luksch, who teaches Math, the young explorers arrived at the capital of San José on March 18 for an exciting seven-day expedition.
The group spent two days in Sarapiquí, a small village in the Caribbean lowlands located in the heart of the rainforest, surrounded by surreal sounds of howler monkeys, tree frogs, birds, and insects. They visited the largest active crater in the world at the Poás volcano, and experienced the cloud forest environment. A cloud forest receives little rain during the year; plants receive their moisture from the clouds that constantly shroud the volcano.
The stay in Sarapiquí also included white-water rafting (where students found tiny poison dart frogs with bright orange bodies and deep blue hind legs), and zip lining in the rainforest.
The trip continued to La Fortuna, where they visited the Mount Arenal Volcano, studied the ecological succession of plants and orchids on the once-barren lava slope, and kayaked on the man-made Lake Arenal. Students hiked to the La Fortuna waterfall and explored the Baldi hot springs.
Moving on to Guanacaste, the group saw the second-largest dry forest in the world and visited Rincòn de la Vieja Volcano. They learned how Costa Rica uses the steam generated by the thermal vents to create electricity. A riverboat ride at Palo Verde National Park offered views of crocodiles, iguanas, red macaws, and white-faced capuchin monkeys. Snorkeling in the Pacific Ocean ended the extraordinary trip.
For many of the students, this amazing educational experience was the first time they had flown or been outside the United States. It was a great opportunity to not only learn about geology, ecosystems, and biology, but also gain practical fluency in Spanish.
“All of our kids have taken Spanish and a couple of them used Spanish a lot,” Spence said. “I did rely on them to communicate when I could not.”
Upon their return, student Clare Fraser summed up the feelings of her traveling companions.
“This has been an amazing experience that I will always remember. The trip was better than I had ever expected, and it has encouraged me to travel more in the future.”
Press release:
Earlier this month, 23 students from the Byron-Bergen Jr./Sr. High School were inducted as new members of the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS). They proudly joined the 30 standing members of the school’s NJHS.
The NJHS program highlights the well-rounded students at Byron-Bergen. Inductees are selected based on their high standards of scholarship, citizenship, service, leadership, and character. All members are required to demonstrate their achievements in each of these areas. The 2016 new members are:
7th Grade
8th Grade
Nicholas Baubie
Bianca Brumsted
(not pictured)
Emily Chaback
Jonah Clare
Richard Denson
Joshua Fleming
Eden Goff
Sara Goodman
Hope Hersom
Kelly Ireland
Colby Leggo
Gavin Lewis
John Mercovich
Bryanne Puma
Alaura Rehwaldt
Joshua Swapceinski
Xavier Thomas
Matthew Zwerka
Elizabeth Donnelly
(not pictured)
Kyle Foeller
Chad Green
Caleb Sharpe
9th Grade
Sabastian Pawlukewicz
NJHS President Abby Vurraro addressed the audience and told of a recent meeting with her idol Jennie Finch, the University of Arizona NCAA softball champion and Olympic gold medalist. Vurraro shared Finch’s motto of “Dream and Believe.” She challenged her fellow members to “be determined to push the limits even if no one believes you can.”
The induction ceremony featured two additional guest speakers: Byron-Bergen Math teacher Tiffany Luksch; and Social Studies teacher Bryan Kavanaugh.
Luksch shared examples of how individuals with drive and determination are “able to overcome adversity and challenging circumstances with strength and resilience.” She told the stories of several young activists, including education advocate Malala Yousafzai; 14-year-old feminist Julia Bluhm, who challenged "Seventeen" magazine to portray real women; ambitious 13-year-old Neveah Mosher, who challenged herself to read over 300 books a year; and Jack Andraka, a high school sophomore who invented a new method to detect pancreatic cancer. She then shared a personal story of a current student at Byron-Bergen who has also overcome great challenges.
Kavanaugh’s speech continued the empowering message. He shared a quote he had placed on his classroom whiteboard from one of the most powerful businesswomen in the country, NBCUniversal Cable Chairman Bonnie Hammer: “The biggest mistake to me is complacency.” Kavanaugh applauded the students for their accomplishments so far in life, but also challenged them to not become complacent and always strive to improve.
As part of the induction ceremony, each new inductee received a certificate and pin, and the distinct honor to be a part of the National Junior Honor Society. Over a million students participate in NJHS: https://www.njhs.us/. Membership not only recognizes students for their accomplishments, but also challenges them to develop further through active involvement in school activities and community service.
Press release:
The Genesee County Local Drug Enforcement Task Force, comprised of officers from the Genesee County Sheriff's Office, Batavia Police NET officers, and the Le Roy Village Police Department, concluded an investigation into the sale of marijuana in the towns of Bergen and Byron.
Cody D. Mayer, 23, of Lake Avenue, Bergen, was arrested and charged with two counts of criminal sale of marijuana, 3rd, a Class E felony, and one count of criminal sale of marijuana, 4th, a Class A misdemeanor.
On March 30, Mayer was arrested by a uniformed deputy of the Genesee County Sheriff's Office at the County Jail, while he was incarcerated for a separate charge, on a Genesee County Grand Jury indictment warrant. It is alleged that Mayer sold a quantity of marijuana to an agent of the Drug Task Force while in the towns of Bergen and Byron.
Mayer was jailed without bail.
The District Attorney's Office and uniform members of the Sheriff's Office assisted the Task Force members with the investigation.
Due to changing circumstances and the diminished availability of volunteers, the Genesee County Dances for Adults with Developmental Disabilities has decided to only hold one dance per year, according to dance coordinator Pat Iamon.
With the help of many, many dedicated volunteers, the dances have been sponsored by Byron Ladies Auxiliary and held at the Byron Fire Hall.
The dances, always well-attended with fun, timely themes, started back in 2002 as part of an internship project by Iamon, then a student at SUNY Brockport. This “one-time” event grew into monthly dances from September through May. Last year, the dances were cut back from nine to three.
They provided much-needed community-based fun for all of Genesee County’s adults with developmental disabilities living at home, in group homes or in facilities.
“Circumstances have changed for us and sadly it’s time that we cut back on the dances to one per year," Iamon said. "Our volunteers are mostly retired and some of us head South for most of the winter; so rather than stop the dances all together, we decided to cut back to one great dance per year."
She plans to make the announcement at the next dance -- the PJ Dance from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 12th at the Byron Fire Hall.
As always the dances are open to all individuals with developmental disabilities ages 13 and up living in Genesee County. Anyone wanting more information on the dances can call Pat Iamon 245-2918 or Laura Platt 548-2245.
These are photos submitted from previous dances and published on The Batavian.
(Photo of Gregory J. Vogt.)
Press release from the Genesee County Sheriff's Office:
On Tuesday, March 22, the Genesee County Probation Department conducted a search at 5919 Cook Road, Byron, the residence of Gregory J. Vogt, presently under supervision of the Probation Department.
The Genesee County Sheriff's Office and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation also assisted at the scene.
Various items were seized during the search and as a result of the investigation, Vogt is charged with:
Vogt was jailed on $25,000 bail and is to reappear in Byron Town Court at 5 p.m. on March 28.
The case was investigated by Sheriff's Deputy Ryan Young, the county Probation Department and the DEC.
David Michael O'Connor, 55, of Byron, has been charged with attempted aggravated murder of a police officer, the Sheriff's Office has announced.
O'Connor is accused of firing a single round from a .22-caiber rifle from the window of his apartment at the Byron Hotel at Deputy Andrew Hale yesterday, blowing out the windows of Hale's patrol vehicle while Hale was performing a traffic stop in the parking lot of the Byron Arrow Mart.
Nobody was struck by the projectile and there were no injuries.
Hale was supported at the scene by Deputy Joseph Corona, who spotted a person in a second-floor window of hotel building.
O'Connor was taken into custody without incident.
He was initially charged with first-degree reckless endangerment and third-degree criminal mischief and held on $25,000 bail.
With the new charge, O'Connor is now being held in the Genesee County Jail on no bail.
Previously: Single gunshot in Byron highlights the dangers of modern law enforcement
With his life on the line this afternoon, Deputy Andrew Hale had to hope for the best after a single gunshot rang out in Byron and shattered two windows in his patrol vehicle.
He needed to assess the situation, and to do that, he had to get out of his car. He had to get out without knowing where the shot came from, and no immediate idea of where or how he should take cover.
It was a perilous moment.
"Where do I hide?" Hale said during a press conference at the Sheriff's Office less than four hours after the incident at the Arrow Mart in Byron. "Where do I go? That's not stuff they can teach you at the academy. That's something you've just got to roll the dice and hopefully, you get lucky."
Fortunately, Hale said, he had immediate backup.
Deputy Joseph Corona was at the side of his patrol vehicle just a few hundred feet away when he saw Hale exit his SUV.
"I did observe Deputy Hale exit his vehicle with kind of a stunned look on his face on what possibly may have happened," Corona said. "I saw him look around to the side of his vehicle at which time when he looked at the side of his vehicle, I watched the exterior glass fall out of his vehicle onto the parking lot of the Arrow Mart, at which point I saw him going to radio for assistance. At that point, I'd already placed my vehicle in drive. I went to go offer support and offer a cover for Deputy Hale, so I put my patrol vehicle in front of him and his vehicle. I didn't know what situation was going on but he said 'possible gunshot'; so in my mind, I utilized our vehicles, I utilized our training, I made sure Deputy Hale was OK."
Hale said, "It was good when somebody showed up at the scene and you know you've got a friend."
Corona noticed an open window on the second floor of the Byron Hotel and a man moving in and out of the window. Corona thought it was likely that's where the shot came from and tried to yell commands to the man by the window.
"He did not obey my instructions," Corona said. "Whether he didn't hear me or wasn't paying attention to me, I didn't know at that point. "`
The Arrow Mart was busy and there were civilians all around the intersection of Route 262 and Route 237. Corona and Hale shouted instructions for people to take cover and leave the area.
Backup arrived from the Sheriff's Office and State Police.
Hale, Corona, Chief Deputy Gordon Dibble and Undersheriff William Sheron entered the hotel and went to the second floor.
David Michael O'Connor, 55, of Room 3, Byron Hotel, Byron, was taken into custody and charged with first-degree reckless endangerment, a Class D felony, and third-degree criminal mischief, a Class E felony. Additional charges may be filed. He was jailed on $25,000 bail.
Hale and Corona were at the intersection running a traffic detail, watching for drivers without seatbelts. Corona would mark the spot and Hale would initiate the traffic stop.
At noon today, Hale stopped a vehicle in the parking lot of the Arrow Mart and wound through the routine -- speaking with the driver, who admitted to driving without a seatbelt, gathering his license, registration and insurance information and then returning to his patrol vehicle to check the data on his computer.
Once in the SUV, Hale heard "a pop" and the glass of his patrol vehicle's rear, passenger seat, windows shattered.
"At that point, you really don't know what's going on and you're trying to figure out, first, 'Was that a shot?' and second, 'Where did it come from?' " Hale said. "We were both sitting out in the open. It's a residential neighborhood and there are people 360 degrees around you and you don't know what window or what person. You don't know anything except that you potentially had gunfire."
The no-seatbelt driver got out his car.
Hale admitted, yeah, of course, it crossed his mind that the driver was the attacker. A person getting out of a vehicle is a big red flag for a cop, Hale said, but the driver immediately put his hands up and asked Hale if he was OK.
"Somebody who just shot at you doesn't throw up his hands in the air and ask if you're OK," Hale said. "Once I was kind of assured he wasn't a threat, my eyes went elsewhere."
The driver did not receive a citation.
District Attorney Lawrence Friedman wouldn't speculate on what additional charges O'Connor might face, but yes, there is an attempted murder of a police officer to consider.
O'Connor was allegedly found in possession of a .22 bolt-action, single-shot rifle. Maha said that when he entered Room #3, after the scene had been secured, he observed a box of shells on the bed. A casing was still in the rifle, but the slug has not yet been recovered.
Maha said only a single shot was fired.
Nobody was hurt.
There is no known motive at this time. O'Connor does have a local DWI arrest on his record from 2003 but had never had prior contact with Hale.
O'Connor "made certain admissions," Maha said, but wouldn't say what O'Connor said or characterize their nature.
Maha said there were indications O'Connor was under some recent stress and that he may have been a little intoxicated, though not noticeably intoxicated.
The job of law enforcement seems to have gotten more dangerous in recent years, Maha said.
"People seem to be more aggressive," Maha said. "I think it's a sign of the times, whether drug abuse, or alcohol abuse or stress, a lot of people out there with mental health issues."
Hale noted that so much of the work of law enforcement can be routine and it's easy to get complacent, but that's the last thing you want to do these days. So much has changed.
"You try and remind yourself, and incidents like this do remind us that we do have to be vigilant out there," Hale said. "We have to pay attention. A simple stop for a seatbelt and look what it turned into. It's not that easy sometimes. You've got to see and keep yourself sharp and do your job.
"As the Sheriff stated," Hale added, "policing has changed now and the traffic stop has become, as a stated earlier, a 360. It's no longer just in front of you. You have to be more aware of the hostility toward police officers. You know, people walking down the street, you never know. I guess that's just part of the job now."
A deputy making a traffic stop was reportedly fired upon early this afternoon at the Arrow Mart in Byron.
Deputy Andrew Hale and Deputy Joseph Corona were conducting a traffic detail when Hale initiated a traffic stop, according to Sheriff Gary Maha.
After speaking with the driver, Hale was returning to his vehicle when he heard a pop and the rear window of his patrol vehicle shattered.
He radioed for backup and Corona noticed that an upper floor window of the Byron Hotel was open.
Once backup arrived, Hale, Corona and Chief Deputy Gordon Dibble entered the building and located a man inside.
The suspect "made some admissions" and is currently in custody, Maha said.
No one was injured in the incident.
The Sheriff's Office is planning a press conference for 4 p.m.
Justin T. Calmes, 37, of Watson Street, Batavia, is charged with trespass and illegal disposal of items. Calmes allegedly dumped items into a dumpster at North Spruce Apartments when he did not have permission to use the dumpster.
Andrei P. Sliker, 25, of Silver Road, Bethany, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear. Sliker was taken into custody at 9:31 p.m. Thursday by Batavia PD and transported to City Court, where the matter was resolved.
James R. Kosiorek, 23, no permanent residence, was arrested on a warrant out of City Court by Rochester PD. Kosiorek was turned over to Batavia, was arraigned in City Court, and released.
Jessie M. Cramer, 30, of South Jackson Street, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant. Cramer was located on Jackson Street during an investigation into an unrelated matter. He was released on $500 police bail.
Kimberly M. Volk, 27, of Montclair Avenue, is charged with criminal using drug paraphernalia, 2nd. Volk was contacted by police in front of Dollar General after a report of a verbal argument. She was allegedly found in possession of two glass crack pipes.
Shane Eric Ashton, 46, of Walkers Corners Road, Byron, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, failure to keep right and moving unsafely from lane. Ashton was stopped at 2:34 a.m. Sunday on East Main Street, Batavia, by Deputy Patrick Reeves.
Triton Adam Drock, 21, of Buell Street, Batavia, is charged with failure to register change of address within 10 days. Drock was arrested on a warrant of Town of Batavia Court.
Jaime Vega Tinuco, 26, of Walkers Corners Road, Byron, is charged with stalking, 4th, and endangering the welfare of a child. Tinuco allegedly showed up at the residence of a 16-year-old female after being told numerous times to cease contact. Bail was set at 2,500.
Woodrow Horseman, 39, of Walnut Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal trespass and endangering the welfare of a child. Horseman allegedly refused to leave the residence of another person. Horseman was released under supervision of Genesee Justice.
Kyle B. Smith, 27, of Knox Road, East Aurora, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, speeding and failure to signal. Smith was stopped at 12:36 a.m. Saturday on Richmond Avenue, Batavia, by Officer Mitchell Cowen.
A 17-year-old resident of Walnut Street, Batavia, is charged with menacing, 2nd. The youth is accused of menacing a 14-year-old with a realistic looking BB gun.
Amber L. Ostrander, 25, of West Main Street, Fillmore, was arrested on a warrant. Ostrander was arrested by the Wyoming County Sheriff's Office and turned over to Batavia PD. She posted $500 bail and was released.
Martin F. Jones, 44, of Liberty Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Jones allegedly stole two cans of beer valued at $2.67 from Southside Deli. Jones was jailed on $2,000 bail or $4,000 bond.
Nicole Georgantopoulous Belluccio, 35, of Juliane Drive, Rochester, is charged with possession and transport of more than 400 untaxed cigarettes and obstructed plates. Belluccio was stopped at 12:47 p.m. Wednesday on Route 77, Pembroke, by Deputy Patrick Reeves. Belluccio was allegedly found in possession of 6,400 untaxed cigarettes.
Jimmy Ray Wenzel, 29, of Seven Springs Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st. Wenzel was allegedly in contact with a person in violation of an order of protection. Wenzel has a prior criminal contempt conviction within the past five years.
Amy Lynette Cliff, 44, of West Main Street, Byron, is charged with driving while ability impaired by alcohol, refusal to take prescreen test and speeding. Cliff was stopped at 9:35 p.m. Tuesday on Parkview Drive, Bergen, by Deputy Joseph Corona.
Adam M. Kruetz, 27, of Ross Street, Batavia, is charged with strangulation, 2nd, petit larceny and criminal mischief, 4th. Kruetz allegedly grabbed the throat of another person at 10:20 a.m. Sunday at 5 Ross St., Batavia, and caused that person to nearly lose consciousness, then stole property and broke an item belonging to that person. Kruetz was jailed without bail.
Elizabeth A. Wortman, 28, of Lake Street, Le Roy, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and driver's view obstructed. A witness reported a vehicle driving erratically on Lake Street Road, Le Roy, on Monday. A Le Roy PD patrol stopped Wortman's vehicle on Lake Street and Wortman was allegedly found to be intoxicated.
Michael J. Elmore, 25, of Liberty Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal impersonation. Elmore was located in the parking lot of 305 E. Main St., Batavia, and Elmore allegedly provided false identification to a Batavia police officer in an attempt to avoid arrest on a warrant.
Joseph A. Auricchio, 25, of Broadway Road, Darien, is charged with possession of a hypodermic instrument. Auricchio was allegedly found in possession of a needle at 4:53 p.m. Monday at a location on South Main Street, Batavia.
Brant Gordon Matthews, 21, of Maple Avenue, Le Roy, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Matthews allegedly showed up to a probation meeting at 2:08 p.m. Monday with marijuana in his pocket.
Tyler D. Price, 23, of East Main Street, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to meet conditions of sentencing.
Todd Patrick Galen, 53, of Merrill Road, Byron, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Galen allegedly violated a court order by failing to comply with animal control regulations.
Tyler J. Penepent, 21, of Oakfield, is charged with petit larceny. He allegedly stole a car lighting bar worth $12.96 from WalMart.
Kristen E. Dwyer, 23, of Rochester, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Dwyer was stopped on Judge Road by State Police for an alleged expired registration. She was allegedly found in possession of 3.5 grams of marijuana in a baggie, a glass pipe containing burnt marijuana and a multicolored glass pipe containing burnt marijuana residue.
A single-vehicle rollover accident is reported on Swamp Road in the area of Log City Road.
Unknown injuries.
Byron and South Byron fire along with Stafford are dispatched.
UPDATE 9:48 p.m.: Driver got himself out of the vehicle. Stafford and South Byron can go back in service.
A pickup truck is off the road on Route 262 at Bank Street Road, Byron.
Unknown injuries.
Byron and South Byron fire departments dispatched along with Mercy EMS.
UPDATE 5:23 a.m.: Assignment being held to South Byron.
UPDATE 5:28 a.m.: Chief says, "If you can get the heaters going in that pretty good, we're going to have a couple of people sitting in it for awhile."
Submitted photo and press release:
The MCA Gymnastics competitive team, the Brockport Junior Eagles, competed at the 21st Annual Winter Graffiti Meet in Niagara Falls on Jan. 9th and 10th. There were 325 gymnasts that competed at this meet and many were from Genesee County. This was the third meet of the season and the girls are off to a great start.
The Level 3 gymnasts placed 2nd as a team and had several top finishers. In the child age 9 division, Genna Klein, of Oakfield, placed 6th on Vault, 1st on bars with a 9.25, 2nd on beam with a 9.025, 2nd on floor with a 9.475 and 1st all around with a 36.85.
In the level 3 senior division, Haylie Leitten, of Alexander, placed 3rd on vault with a 9.25, 2nd on bars with a 9.20, 1st on beam with a 9.425, 1st on floor with a 9.8 and 1st all around with a 37.675. Anna Logsdon, of Le Roy, placed 2nd on vault with a 9.4, 1st on bars with a 9.375, 7th on beam, 7th on floor, and 3rd all around with 36.625. Robin Scroger, of Batavia, placed 6th on vault, 7th on bars, 3rd on beam with a 9.0, 3rd on floor with a 9.45 and 4th all around with a 36.175. Abrianna Gabriel, of Batavia, placed 9th on vault, 5th on bars, 6th on beam, 5th on floor and 6th all around with a 35.825. Elizabeth Sorensen, of Le Roy, placed 4th on beam, 8th on floor and 7th all around with a 35.425.
The Level 4 gymnasts placed 2nd as a team and also had several top finishers. In the child ages 6-9 division, Victoria Rogoyski, of Churchville, placed 5th on vault, 6th on bars, 9th on beam, 9th on floor and 8th all around with a 33.55.
In the Level 4 child age 10 division, Kassidy Tully, of Brockport, placed 4th on vault, 1st on bars with a 9.425, 3rd on beam with a 9.225, 1st on floor with a 9.45 and 1st all around with a 36.55. Sydney Konieczny, of Batavia, placed 9th on vault, 3rd on bars with 8.4, 5th on beam, 4th on floor and 5th all around with a 34.45.
In the level 4 Junior/Senior 11 and up age division Alexis Potter, of Brockport, placed 8th on vault, 4th on bars, 4th on beam, 1st on floor with a 9.2 and 3rd all around with a 35.55. Cameron Parker, of Pembroke, placed 15th all around.
Level 6 gymnasts Carli Kirkwood, of Byron, placed 10th on bars and Autumn Mathisen, of Byron, placed 9th on beam. Level 7 gymnast Sara Cottone, of Le Roy, placed 6th on vault, 2nd on bars with a 9.075, 10th on beam, 8th on floor and 8th all around with 35.725.
Press release:
Sixth-grader Elli Schelemanow bested 22 other participants in the annual Robert Fowler/Byron-Bergen Grades 6-8 and Buffalo Evening News Spelling Bee held last month. Schelemanow now represents Byron-Bergen in the run for regional representation at The Scripps National Spelling Bee. Up next for her is a written test in early February to determine her eligibility for the regional spelling bee. That competition, The Western New York Oral Final, will be held on Sunday, March 13, at 1:30 p.m. at the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society.
Runners-up this year are Byron-Bergen seventh-grader Joshua Swapceinski and eighth-grader Garrett Swinter. The competition put all the students through their paces, with eight challenging rounds and scores of demanding words before a champion emerged. The competition was moderated by teacher Andrew McNeil; with instructors Charlene Kelly, Laurie Penepent, and Diana Walther acting as judges.
Byron-Bergen’s exceptional spelling contestants:
Grade 6: Corey Abdella, Madison Burke, Sadie Cook, Grace Huhn, Elli Schelemanow, Alex Toal, Ella Van Valkenburg, Hallie Wade, and Corden Zimmerman.
Grade 7: Julietta Doyle, Josh Fleming, Gavin Lewis, John Mercovich, Alaura Rehwaldt, Sarah Streeter, and Josh Swapceinski.
Grade 8: Siomara Caballero, Alex Dean, Cambria Kinkelaar, Ethan Ray, Garrett Swinter, Justice Towne, and Grant Williams.Byron-Bergen’s Jr./Sr. High School Interim Principal Patrick McGee congratulated Shelemanow, Swapceinski, Swinter, and all the participants.
“Our schools are proud to have Elli represent us, and I’m confident she will do a great job,” he said. “All our kids did impressive work with very difficult spelling challenges. McGee also wished to thank all the teachers at the Elementary School and Junior HS for their support, “especially Jason Blom and Elizabeth Findley and the sixth-grade team.”
Top photo: Robert Fowler/Byron-Bergen Grades 6-8 and Buffalo Evening News Spelling Bee (l-r) runner-up Garrett Swinter, Bee champion Elli Schelemanow, and runner-up Joshua Swapceinski.
An ATV struck a steel barrier on Chapel Road, just north of Route 262, in Byron. Unknown injuries. The caller reports not seeing an operator of the ATV in the vicinity. Byron and South Byron fire departments are responding. The location is just north of the old railroad bed. Command on scene tells responders to approach in non-emergency mode. "It appears this accident occurred some time ago. We're still looking in the brush here. ... I don't think there's anyone to be found here," command says. Law enforcement is responding, too. Mercy medics' response was cancelled.
UPDATE 10:55 a.m.: The fire departments are returning to service. "Law enforcement will handle it from here," command says.
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