corfu

Richard David Farley, 64, of New Bethehem, Pa., is charged with criminal possession of a weapon, 4th, unlawful possession of marijuana and possession alcohol in a motor vehicle. Farley was a passenger in a vehicle stopped on Route 77 in the Village of Corfu at 11:58 p.m. on Friday. During the traffic stop, Farley was allegedly found in possession of an open container of alcohol, a marijuana cigarette and a loaded, unregistered semi-automatic .22-caliber pistol. Farley was jailed on $2,000 bail.

Brandon P. Stagg, 20, and Oscar J. Familia, 21, of 25 Trumbull Parkway, Batavia, are charged with possession of alcohol under age 21 and unnecessary noise. Stagg and Familia were arrested following a complaint of an underage drinking party at their home. Stagg was charged with possession of alcohol and Familia was charged with unnecessary noise.

Caroline B. Robinson, 31, of 38 Gilbert St., Le Roy, is charged with trespass. Robinson is accused of remaining at a hotel on Oak Street after being told to leave by hotel staff and a Batavia PD officer.

William G. Raschi, 62, of 5630 W. Lake Road, Conesus, is charged with felony DWI, unlicensed operation, unsafe lane change, failure to stop for traffic signal and consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle. Raschi was stopped on East Main Street, Batavia, at 5:57 p.m. Saturday, by Officer Matt Lutey. The charge is a felony because of an alleged prior DWI conviction in the previous 10 years. Raschi was jailed without bail pending a court appearance today.

Steven J. Raimondi, 19, of 679 E. Main St., is charged with possession of alcohol under age 21. Raimondi allegedly hosted a large underage drinking party at his residence, which was reported at 1:12 a.m., Sunday. A 16-year-old female was also charged.

Paul B. Heale, 58, of 234 Ellicott St., lower, Batavia, is charged with DWAI. Heale was stopped following a complaint of a possibly intoxicated driver at 2:30 p.m. Thursday on Pearl Street by Officer Eric Hill.

Robert D. Griffin Sr., 34, of 319 E. Main St., Batavia, is charged with two counts of criminal mischief, 4th. Griffin is accused of breaking a window by throwing a boot at it during an argument and then preventing a female from calling police by taking her mobile phone.

Frank J. Falcone, 27, of 10599 Main St., upper, Alexander, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th, and harassment, 2nd. Falcone was charged following a lengthy investigation by Batavia PD into an incident in the parking lot of Billy Goats on Oct. 20. Falcone is accused of kicking a vehicle, causing damage, and of punching and slapping the owner of the vehicle.

Tharon Joseph Kunkle, 52, of Read Road, Pembroke, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, operating an ATV on a public highway and unregistered ATV. Kunkle was charged after allegedly being observed driving his ATV on Route 5, Batavia at 2:32 a.m. Sunday by Deputy Joseph Corona.

Samantha Nicole Frear, 25, of Hempstead Avenue, Buffalo, was arrested on a bench warrant out of Town of Darien Court by Buffalo PD following a traffic stop.  The warrant stems from a harassment, 2nd, charge in November, 2009. 

John J. Maroni, 50, of Clay, is charged with possession of unstamped cigarettes, DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, failure to use/improper use of four-way flashers, and consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle. Maroni was arrested following a report of a vehicle parked along the roadway on Oakfield-Elba Townline Road, Oakfield at 7:13 p.m., Friday.

Vincent Donald Henning, 35, of Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with BAC of .18 or greater, improper right turn and unlicensed operator. Henning was stopped on Seven Springs Road, Batavia, at 10:47 p.m. Friday by Deputy James Diehl.

Andrew Garry Anderson, 28, of Basom, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and speeding in zone (65 in a 40 mph zone). Anderson was stopped on Route 77, Basom, at 12:25 a.m. Friday by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

Danielle R. Dixon, 29, of Batavia, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Dixon was stopped at 2:30 a.m. Sunday on Hutton Road, Oakfield, by State Police.

Saturday, the Village of Corfu celebrated its annual Winterfest with music, hockey, magic, clowns and food.

Above, Paul "Sebar" Schuler fashions a balloon butterfly for 3-year-old Sydney, with her mother, Laura Corbitt, of Corfu.

Deputy Brian Thompson provided demonstrations of his K-9 work with "Pharaoh."

Aaron Wilkins, of Corfu, brought several of his snakes for visitors to see.

Joanne Furer and Ben, 10, of Pittsford, make a "bobble head" video.

To purchase prints: These photos along with some others from Corfu today (along with other Saturday photos) are in this gallery (click here).

A fully involved tractor-trailer fire has been reported on the New York State Thruway near mile post marker 396.1 eastbound.

East Pembroke has called for help from Pembroke, Indian Falls, Oakfield and the Town of Batavia fire departments.

The driver is not sure what he is hauling.

UPDATE 10:02 p.m.: All mutual aid companies told to stand down. Fire is out. Corfu filling in for East Pembroke.

UPDATE 10:07 p.m.: Corfu can also go back into service along with all other mutual aid departments.

UPDATE 10:22 p.m.: State Police are on scene. Tractor-trailer driver is going to try and have the truck towed to Batavia.

A tractor-trailer has reportedly been involved in an accident on Route 77 at Cohocton Road, Corfu, and the driver struck his chest on the steering wheel.

The truck is blocking Route 77.

Corfu fire and Mercy EMS responding.

Jamie S. Schlonski, 40, an inmate in the correctional facility in Collins, is charged with burglary, 2nd, and criminal possession of a forged instrument, 2nd, and petit larceny. Schlonski was charged following an investigation by Le Roy PD into burglaries in August in the village. The victim reported numerous checks stolen and cashed in the village. Schlonski was living in Le Roy at the time and was later identified as a suspect.

Rebeca Lynn Rose, 26, of North Street, Le Roy, is charged with petit larceny. Rose is accused of shoplifting clothing from Target on Thursday. Also charged with petit larceny was Megan Lynn Furr, 26, of North Street, Le Roy.

Alicia M. Stankwick, 21, of 2955 Angling Road, Corfu, is charged with harassment, 2nd.  Stankwick is accused of sending unwanted text messages to a male whom she was advised by a Batavia PD officer the day before not to contact.

Ryan C. Cook, 34, of 7 Mill St., Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Cook is accused of having unwanted physical contact with a woman.

Kristen L. Brightenfield, 19, of Stafford, is charged with criminal mischief 4th/prevention of emergency call. Brightenfield was arrested by State Police for an alleged incident reported at 2:17 p.m. on Wednesday. No further details were released.

About 100 people gathered in Pembroke tonight for a prayer walk and candlelight vigil in remembrance of Kelsey Milks.

The 19-year-old graduate of Pembroke High School died Sunday night following an automobile accident on Route 63, Town of Shelby.

The walk started at the Pembroke Fire Hall and headed west to the Milks' residence where Rev. Karen Grinnell, of the Indian Falls United Methodist Church, said a few words and led a short prayer. A group of high school students sang "Noel" and at the end of the vigil, the group raised their candles and flashlights to the sky and sang "Silent Night."

A prayer vigil for Kelsey Milks is being organized for tomorrow night in Pembroke.

Milks is the 19-year-old Corfu resident who died Sunday night following an automobile accident on Route 63, Town of Shelby.

Participants are asked to bring a candle or flashlight and gather at the Pembroke Fire Hall at 7 p.m. A prayer walk to the Milks' home will begin at 7:30.

Funeral services will be held Friday for Kelsey N. Milks, 19, of Corfu, at Indian Falls United Methodist Church, 7908 Allegheny Road.

Milks died Sunday night at ECMC following a motor vehicle accident on Route 63 in the Town of Shelby.

A graduate of Pembroke Central School, she was the daughter of Gregory and Roxane Savage Milks.

She was attending Genesee Community College, loved dogs and hoped to become a dog trainer.

Calling hours are from 3 to 7 p.m. at the church, with a funeral service to follow at 7.

(Full Obituary)

For the second time in eight days, a motor vehicle accident has claimed the life of a Genesee County teen.

Kelsey Milks, 19, of Corfu, died Sunday night in a three-car accident on Alleghany Road, Town of Shelby, just north of the county line.

The cause of the accident has not been determined.

Milks was a passenger in a vehicle driven by 20-year-old Dana R. Cipra. Cipra is hospitalized at Erie County Medical Center.

Two Mercy Flight helicopters were called to the scene Sunday and Town of Alabama volunteer firefighters provided traffic control and set up a landing zone at a location in Genesee County.

According to WIVB, "a red minivan was traveling north on Route 63, near the Iroquois Wildlife Refuge Swamp, when it collided head-on with a southbound car. A third vehicle then collided with the car."

Walter C. Hawkins, 73, of Medina, was driving the minivan. He was treated and released at Medina Memorial Hospital.

The driver and passenger in the third vehicle were uninjured.

Milks was a senior at Pembroke High School when she participated in a GO ART! art show.

A possible house fire is reported at 8757 S. Lake Road, Corfu.

Pembroke and Indian Falls dispatched. One tanker from East Pembroke requested to the scene. Mercy EMS also dispatched.

There is light smoke showing, according to the first chief on scene.

UPDATE 6:02 p.m.: The fire started in the bathroom and has spread into the ceiling. A second alarm is sounded. (And just as we write this, a chief says the fire is out, second alarm can respond non-emergency. City Fast Team canceled.)

UPDATE 6:06 p.m.: Alabama to fill in at Indian Falls. Darien and Corfu requested to the scene non-emergency. South Lake at Route 5 being shut down.

UPDATE 6:43 p.m.: Responders can go back in service.

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Marijuana, both growing and harvested, was allegedly found in the home of two Corfu men Wednesday after members of the Local Drug Enforcement Task Force executed a search warrant at the residence.

Two men were charged with criminal possession of marijuana, a Class D felony.

Jailed on $10,000 bail was Matthew T. Milleville, 26, of Main Road, Corfu, and bail was set at $2,500 for Andrew J. Marlinski, 26, of Main Road, Corfu.

Both men were also charged with a misdemeanor count of unlawful growing of cannabis and Milleville was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th.

Investigators report that they found LSD in the residence.

Allegedly found in the residence were more than 30 growing marijuana plants along with harvested marijuana and marijuana paraphernalia.

A motor-vehicle accident with minor injuries is reported at 853 Genesee St. in Corfu. Corfu Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding. Law enforcement is on scene.

UPDATE 4:33 p.m.: Three people are signs-offs and one person will likely be transported to a hospital.

The Village of Corfu's newest part-time police officer made a bit of news earlier this year when his name surfaced as part of an alleged prostitution scandal involving a Buffalo-based state trooper.

Michael L. Petritz, 33, was suspended by the State Police in April and has since resigned from the force, though he's never been accused of criminal conduct.

Sgt. James Meier, Corfu police supervisor, said he completed a background check of Petritz before recommending him for the job.

"He wasn't engaged in criminal conduct," Meier said. "He was at a location he shouldn't have been at. He had no involvement with the parties whatsoever. There were never any criminal charges against him."

Petritz's suspension followed allegations of involvement with prostitution against Trooper Titus Taggart, an 18-year veteran of the State Police assigned to Troop T. Taggart was accused of organizing parties that may have included prostitutes. Taggart was eventually fired.

The only allegation against Petritz at the time was "misconduct," with no public disclosure of what that may have entailed.

Meier said he spoke to several people who knew Petritz, including supervisors, who all had good things to say about the former trooper, who, according to Meier, regularly led all of Troop T with the most citations issued.

"I personally did the checking into this guy," Meier said. "The people I talked to, especially his supervisors, said we were getting a highly trained, highly capable police officer. They all said we should be proud to have him."