corfu

Amanda Marie Putnam, 25, of Selden Road, Le Roy, is charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Putnam is accused of using her landlord's vehicle without permission and then being involved in a motor vehicle accident while driving the vehicle.

Jonathan Paul Bouter, 28, of Oak Orchard Road, Elba, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation, 3rd. Bouter was arrested on a warrant for the charge out of Corfu Village Court. He was jailed on $500 cash or $5,000 bond.

Edwin L. Stancliff, 32, of Alleghany Road, Pembroke, and Adrienne F. Yocina, 31, of Alleghany Road, Pembroke, are charged with unlawful growing of cannabis and criminal possession of marijuana, 5th. Both charges are misdemeanors. Stancliff and Yocina were allegedly found growing cannabis on their property and possessing marijuana in excess of 25 grams during an investigation of an incident at 8:20 p.m., Aug. 13, 2010.

Tammy Marie Chojnacki, 40, of Pike Road, Batavia, is charged with felony DWI and felony driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Chojnacki was arrested by Deputy Matt Fleming at her residence following an investigation at 9:24 p.m., Saturday, into a reported domestic incident in her car.

Jesse Stephen Stocking, 24, of Genesee Street, Corfu, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and speeding. Stocking was stopped on Route 33 in Pembroke at 4:46 p.m., Saturday, by Deputy Matt Fleming.

Robert Jeffery Curry, 22, of Dillon Road, Pavilion, is charged with unlawful dealing with a child. Following a complaint to the Tip Line at 1:02 a.m., Saturday, Curry was arrested for allegedly hosting an underage drinking party at his residence.

Christopher Willard Logsdon, 24, of Big Tree Road, Pavilion, is charged with unlawful dealing with a child. Following a complaint to the Tip Line at 12:23 a.m., Saturday, Curry was arrested for allegedly hosting an underage drinking party at his residence.

Cody Allen Eaton, 22, of Main Street, Attica, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater and speeding. Eaton was stopped at 1:54 a.m., Saturday, on Pearl Street Road, Batavia, by Deputy Howard Carlson.

John Charles McGrath, 43, of South Main Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th, resisting arrest and harassment, 2nd.

Lori Ann Brightenfield, 52, of Main Road, Stafford, is charged with aggravated harassment, 2nd. Brightenfield is accused of using a telephone for no legitimate purpose to contact another person she was allegedly told previously not to contact.

Joseph Carl Jeffords, 21, of Swan Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief. Jeffords is accused of driving across the lawn at College Village and while driving across the lawn, intentionally speeding up, leaving ruts. The alleged incident was caught on tape.

Wilson Figueroa, 28, of Conkey Avenue, Rochester, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Figueroa's car was stopped for alleged traffic violations on Route 33, Stafford, and was found to allegedly have as a passenger protected by an active stay away order.

Stephen D. Reamer, 53, of 76 Gilbert St., Le Roy, is charged with felony aggravated DWI. Reamer was stopped Friday morning in Le Roy by Le Roy Police.

Election results  from the Village of Corfu (vote for two):

Trustee: (2) Years – Democrat   – Arthur Ianni, 30                 
Trustee: (2) Years – Republican – Kenneth Lauer, 29                                
Trustee: (2) Years – Republican – Michael Tost (write in), 17

We've not received reports from the other villages. Jeremy Yasses has posted on Facebook that he won seat in the Village of Oakfield by 35 votes.

UPDATE: Lorie Longhany reports the winners in Le Roy: Greg Rogers, mayor; and, trustees Jim Bonacquisti and Mike Tucci.

Jason William Wolf, 36, of Hutchins Street, Batavia, is charged with felony DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, unlicensed operator and aggravated unlicensed operation, 1st. Deputy Kevin McCarthy was reportedly on routine patrol in the Village of Corfu at 3:51 a.m. Sunday when he observed a vehicle pulling randomly into driveways. Wolf was arrested following further investigation.

Jessica M. Miller, 18, of South Pearl Street, Oakfield, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Miller is accused of hitting another person during a dispute.

Evan Ryan Anderson, 30, of 2832 Pearl St. Road, Batavia, is charged with operating while ability impaired by drugs. Officer Darryle Streeter responded to a report at 3:43 a.m. Saturday of a person passed out behind the wheel of a car with its engine running at 419 W. Main St. Anderson was allegedly found at the wheel of the car.

Daniel Jeffrey McGiveron, 26, Phelps Road, Basom, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th. During an unrelated investigation at 9:50 p.m. Saturday in Oakfield, McGiveron was allegedly found in possession of suboxone. Deputy Brian Thompson was assisted by K-9 "Pharoah."

Jessie Lee Jackson, 27, of Byron Holley Road, Byron, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th, and harassment, 2nd. Jackson was reportedly involved in a domestic incident in which he allegedly struck a vehicle with a skateboard and hit a person in the side of the head with his hand. Jackson was jailed on $800 bail.

Alexandra R. Wood, 21, of 8193 McCall Road, Le Roy, is charged with DWI, unsafe start and failing to yield the right of way. Wood was stopped at 2:14 a.m. Friday on Myrtle Street by Sgt. Michael Hare. Wood allegedly refused to submit to a breath test.

Heavy smoke is spewing from the chimney of a church in Pembroke that has been converted into a house, according to a Pembroke firefighter on scene. The location is 690 Main Road on the corner of Lake Road. It looks like it's confined to the chimney. Corfu and Darien are also responding.

UPDATE 5:29 p.m.: The address is determined to be 8576 North Lake Road. Indian Falls is responding, too. All incoming units are to stage at Pembroke Engine 85, which is in a driveway across the street.

UPDATE 5:32 p.m.: They are trying to contact the homeowner regarding entry to the house but "have not heard back."

UPDATE 5:34 p.m.: An unlocked door has been located on the north side of the structure. Interior firefighters are going to enter "to see what we can see." A firefighter warns that dogs can be heard barking inside. Akron is on scene. They are putting up ladder(s) on the roof.

UPDATE 5:37 p.m.: Two dogs are seen locked in the basement along with a cat. There's no smoke. The furnace is on. The cat is running around. They'll need to gain front entry to get to the basement. They have not been able to contact the occupants. Animal control is not available, according to dispatch. A code enforcement officer is called. There are multiple renovations under way. They are putting up a light tower and taking statements from people at the scene.

UPDATE 5:43 p.m.: They are going to contact the owner of the building, who lives in Indian Falls. The interior crew has reached the stove in the center of the building and they have knocked the fire down, now checking for extentions. Firefighters have to be careful inside as there are places where flooring is missing and there are open beams.

UPDATE 5:45 p.m.: They are shutting off the gas to the stove, which was "jerry-rigged," according to a firefighter. National Fuel has been contacted.

UPDATE 5:52 p.m.: One of the occupants has been located at the Union Hotel and firefighters are speaking with him. They are getting into the basement. They are all set with manpower and will begin releasing some of the responders.

UPDATE 5:55 p.m.: The Town of Pembroke's building inspector is going to be contacted. "It's definately needed," says the firefighter making the request. The female occupant is heading to the scene.

UPDATE 6:03 p.m.: "You can disregard contacting the building inspector. We're on the phone with zoning now." Once the occupant arrives, she can "take care of the dogs so we can get in there."

UPDATE 6:10 p.m.: A zoning officer is on scene.

UPDATE 6:14 p.m.: Corfu units are leaving the scene, in service. A National Fuel rep is on site.

UPDATE 6:30 p.m.: Darien is back in quarters. The zoning officer has been provided the appropriate paperwork from the fire chief and there will be no further use of the chimney allowed at the residence until proper repairs are made and there is a re-inspection.

A barn fire is reported at the Miller farm in the Town of Darien. It's located at 9697 Ridge Road. Darien Fire Department is responding along with mutual aid from Alexander and Corfu.

Caller is the owner who says flames are shooting out of one end of the barn and there's a possibility other structures nearby could be compromised.

UPDATE 1:37 p.m.: The fire has gone to a second alarm and mutual aid is called in from Pembroke, East Pembroke, the Town of Batavia and the city's Fast Team. The city's first platoon is called to stand by in quarters. There are three sites of fire inside the barn.

UPDATE 1:40 p.m.: County emergency coordinators are called to the scene. Monroe County Water Authority is notified of the fire, and tanker personnel are communicatinn on the "water channel."

"I have the owner heading up toward you. All the barns are full of pigs."

UPDATE 1:48 p.m.: Indian Falls is also responding along with Attica. "I need all available manpower to the back of the barn."

UPDATE 1:51: All available manpower from the Town of Batavia is called in.

UPDATE 1:53 p.m.: Wyoming County offers Bennington's "Super Tanker" and it is called in.

UPDATE 1:58 p.m.: Akron,  Alden, and Crittenden are assisting or called to assist.

UPDATE 2:01 p.m.: Oakfield is responding.

UPDATE 2:05 p.m.: "The fire is contained to the center of the building." This is a hog farm. The pigs are in their pens and the roof over them is on fire. They are frantically working to save the livestock. Stafford is called to stand by in Town of Batavia's Station 2.

UPDATE 2:09 p.m.: Firefighters on scene are saying the first responders did a good job of knocking down the fire's progress northward where most of the hogs are penned.

UPDATE 2:11 p.m.: The power is on in the building. All incoming responders are told to take their time getting to the scene because they'll be waiting in line. The staging area is behind City of Batavia's Engine 12. Some firefighters are working to ventilate the buildings so the pigs can breathe more comfortably.

UPDATE 2:15 p.m.: A gas-fired ventilation fan is requested to the staging area, but the one on hand is electric.

UPDATE 2:42 p.m.: Firefighters are overhauling the burned barn then the plan is to shut water down there, dismantle and bring in a truck to transport the hogs.

UPDATE 3:04 p.m.: The farm is owned by Charlie Miller. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. It appears to have started in the nursery.

UPDATE 4:06 p.m.: All available manpower from Darien is called to the scene. Crews are breaking down their equipment and preparing to clear out.

UPDATE 4:16 p.m.: Darien and Corfu are to remain at the scene. All other tankers and equipment from mutual aid responders are released.

UPDATE 5:26 p.m.: Darien went back in service from this scene at 5:14 p.m., but is now providing mutual aid at a chimney fire in Pembroke.

Eric Charles Zglinicki, 49, of Alleghany Road, Darien Center, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon, 4th. Zglinicki was allegedly found in possession of three shotguns following an investigation and search of his residence by the Genesee County Probation Department and the Sheriff's Office. Zglinicki has a prior felony conviction.

Samantha Mary Williams, 31, of Warsaw Road, Le Roy, was arrested on a bench warrant out of the Hamburg Town Court to appear on charges of resisting arrest and obstruction of governmental administration. Williams was turned over to the Hamburg Police Department.

Allen Skye Dockstader, 29, of Council House Road, Alabama, was arrested on a bench warrant out of Genesee County Court on a charge of violating probation following an investigation into a criminal mischief complaint.

Cody L. Osborn, 24, of 3265 State St., Caledonia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, inadequate head lights, aggravated unlicensed operation, 1st, possession of an open container of alcohol in a vehicle and unlawful possession of marijuana. Osborn was stopped in the early hours Saturday by Le Roy Police. He was jailed on $1,500 bail.

Shawn Richard McGiveron, 23, East Main Street, Corfu, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. McGiveron is accused of violating an order of protection by calling and sending text messages to a protected person.

A chimney fire was reported about 15 minutes ago at 812 Genesee St., Corfu.

Corfu Fire Department with mutual aid from East Pembroke, Darien and Akron along with City of Batavia Fast Team dispatched.

The Fast Team along with Arkon have returned to station.

A fire was found, contained to the chimney. Corfu remains on scene.

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A State Police investigation into the alleged misappropriation of STOP-DWI funds in Corfu has concluded there was no criminal wrongdoing in the case.

Allegations of malfeasance have been percolating in Corfu for months after Village Trustee Ralph Peterson first started looking into rumors that part-time police officers were being required to sign falsified time cards.

Investigator Ken Dubrinski concluded that there is no evidence any officers signed time cards that had notations on them claiming they were on DWI patrol when they were not.

STOP-DWI is a county program which uses funds from DWI fines to help pay for extra patrols by local law enforcement agencies -- either to operate DWI checkpoints or put DWI-specific patrols on the road.

Typically, the Village of Corfu Police Department has only one officer at a time on the road and that officer is engaged in general patrol duties. The only time two officers are on duty is during Darien Lake concerts, and one of those officers operates the intersection stop light at routes 33 and 77.

Even so, the village has been filing paperwork for STOP-DWI funding since at least 2009.

Dubrinski concluded that in the absence of falsified time cards, the filing of the STOP-DWI vouchers by the village clerk was the result of village officials misunderstanding how the program worked.

According to the investigator's report, obtained recently by The Batavian, the case started when Justice Robert Alexander (separately, a possible subject of an investigation into missing court funds) contacted Peterson and said that village police complained to him that they were being asked to sign time cards saying they were on DWI patrol when they were not.

Perterson told Dubrinski that he obtained copies of the program vouchers and interviewed police officers. He reportedly told Dubrinski that 39 out of 39 times, officers were reported to have worked DWI patrol but had only worked routine patrol.

Once officer told Dubrinski that he believed that the village was turning in STOP-DWI vouchers for any shift that resulted in a DWI arrest.

The officers interviewed by Dubrinski -- all seven or eight in the department are part-time -- said that as far back as a year ago, officers were asked to start signing time cards following a state audit. All said they had never been asked to sign a time card with additional notations on them.

A woman told a deputy she was fiddling with her GPS (global positioning system) prior to rear-ending a car which was stopped on Route 5 at Lovers Lane Road, Corfu.

The accident occurred at 10:50 a.m., Monday, and caused injuries to both drivers but neither was seriously hurt.

Jessica M. Reynolds, 24, of McVean Road, Corfu, was cited for allegedly following too closely. Also injured was Joan Marie Dugan, 75, of Erie Street, Darien Center.

The accident was investigated by Deputy Chris Parker.

(Initial report)

A beautiful clear morning -- hard to believe it was 21 degrees at 9 a.m. when I headed out for a bit of a drive to see what sort of pictures I might be able to take.

Above, a barn on Indian Falls Road just west of North Pembroke Road.

Barn at the intersection of Indian Falls Road and Little Indian Falls Road.

A tree in a field off Phelps Road.

A barn on Gorton Road, taken from Phelps Road.

I need somebody to ID this plant for me, please.

Telephone pole on Pratt Road.

A two-car accident is reported in front of Kutter's Cheese Store, 857 Main Road, in Corfu. The westbound lane is blocked. There is a lot of debris and heavy damage, according to a Sheriff's deputy on scene. Injuries are believed to be minor. Pembroke and Indian Falls fire departments and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 10:59 a.m.: Darien ambulance is also requested. There are two victims. One is out and walking around. The other is a 75-year-old female, who is still inside a vehicle.

UPDATE 11:44 a.m.: Darien ambulance transported one patient to UMMC.

Melissa C. Verton, 32, of South Main Street, Batavia, is charged with two counts of petit larceny and resisting arrest. Verton is accused of stealing $35 in cash and merchandise while employed at Walmart as a cashier. Verton is accused of verbally and physically resisting arrest.

Brandon Marshall Weig, 33, of Shady Lane, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Weig was arrested on a warrant for an alleged violation of an order of protection Nov. 13. Weig is accused of having contact with a protected person. Weig is accused of doing the same thing on Dec. 18.

Kahlil Nathaniel Johnson,19, of Ross Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal trespass. Johnson is accused of being at College Village after being banned from the property.

Dustin Stephen Williams, 24, of Simonds Road, Corfu, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, failure to signal and speeding. Williams was stopped at 2:12 a.m. on Route 238, Darien, by Deputy Jason Saile.

The county has suspended STOP-DWI funding for the Village of Corfu Police Department, and the issue made for a contentious village board meeting Monday night.

A village board member asked for disciplinary action against the police chief One police officer blamed the village board for dragging his name through the mud. And the mayor blamed Board Member Ralph Peterson (inset photo) for costing the village $3,000 in funding.

Peterson claims he only went to county officials to ask questions about how STOP-DWI vouchers should be processed. He said he didn't ask for a criminal investigation.

But after Peterson raised the issue, a State Police investigator opened a fraud investigation, which included visiting the home of at least one part-time village police officer.

The investigation concluded with no charges filed.

"There was no evidence of malfeasance," said village Attorney Mark Boylan.

Mayor Todd Skeet characterized the mishandled paperwork as a mistake, a misunderstanding between the village and the STOP-DWI committee that approves the vouchers.

"The STOP-DWI panel didn’t seem to understand the Corfu Police Department," Skeet said. "They didn't understand how it worked until this came along."

In a letter to the village, Frank Ciaccia, assistant county manager and the STOP-DWI coordinator, informed the village that recently submitted vouchers wouldn't be paid and 2012 funding for the village was suspended. The letter also states:

"Unlike the other police agencies with full-time officers, I believe that the Corfu Police Department is a unique operation that doesn't lend itself to easily comply in a verifiable manner with the requirements of the STOP-DWI program."

Funds for the STOP-DWI program come from DWI fines paid and are distributed to departments to help pay for equipment that can be used in apprehending suspected drunken drivers, such as radar units and license plate readers.

Agencies submit vouchers and time cards indicating times officers spent on road patrol with a specific intent of looking for drunken drivers.

The allegation is that the village submitted vouchers for times when officers were on general patrol, not specifically DWI patrol.

Skeet said the village completed the paperwork exactly as Ciaccia trained officials to do several years ago.

Officer Gene Nati spoke up at the meeting and complained that the whole village is gossiping about recent allegations of corruption in the village. And with State Troopers showing up at his door on a supposed criminal investigation, he feels like he's getting his reputation soiled when he didn't do anything wrong.

"My neighbors are talking about how the Corfu court is corrupt, the Corfu Fire Department is corrupt and the Corfu Police Department is corrupt," Nati said. "I'm not going to have my name dragged through mud for any wrongdoing for anything anybody else is doing.

"This is a part-time job," added Nati, who is also an Erie County Sheriff's deputy. "I don't need the money. I do it so I get a little extra money and buy a few cigars.

"I come here write a few tickets and generate some revenue for the village, but I and the other officers don't need our names dragged through the mud. It's the Village of Corfu, and you guys can't even get along at your own meetings."

Peterson opened the meeting by reading from a lengthy statement expressing his doubts that the problems with the STOP-DWI program paperwork were just an oversight. Peterson said that Chief James Meier, a 20-year veteran of the Sheriff's Office, should already know how to complete the paperwork.

At the end of his statement, Peterson made a motion for "some sort of disciplinary action" against Meier.

Attorney Boylan told Peterson he couldn't make such a sweeping motion, and then explained that because of the finding of the State Police investigator and the lack of evidence of any intentional wrongdoing, there was no basis to discipline anybody.

"My personal feeling is that I believe that Ralph Peterson is the cause of the village losing $3,000 in funding," Mayor Skeet said. "He didn't ever come to the board once, never once saying there is a problem with the STOP-DWI program. Instead, he went straight to Batavia and got Frank Ciaccia all boiled up over it."

After the meeting, Peterson said he still isn't satisified that there was no wrongdoing in how the funds were handled. He said the reason he didn't come to the board first is that, in the past, issues he's raised with the board haven't been taken seriously.

Skeet said Peterson started pursuing the STOP-DWI issue only after the village board asked state auditors to look into potential problems with the village court.

Officials expected Village Justice Robert Alexander to go to Monday's meeting and address the recent NYS audit report on alleged missing funds in his court, but Peterson informed the board at the onset that Alexander was sick and unable to attend.

CLARIFICATION: Chief Meier said neither he nor his officers prepare the STOP-DWI vouchers. They are completed by the village clerk. There were no errors in the paperwork, but rather a "procedural problem" over how patrols were designated.

Gary A. Goodwin, 51, of Hamlin, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08. Goodwin was reportedly involved in a motor vehicle accident at 11:12 p.m., Jan. 21, on Cockram Road, Town of Byron. The accident was investigated by Deputy Brad Mazur.

Rene Peres Roblero, 46, of McGregor Road, Corfu, is charged with DWI, moving from lane unsafely, operation by an unlicensed driver, operating without insurance. Roblero was arrested following the report of a one-vehicle accident at 11:24 p.m., Jan. 17, on Richley Road, Darien. He was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Debra G. Fields, 43, of 18 South St., Le Roy, is charged with unlawful dealing with a child, 1st. Field is accused of hosting an underage drinking party at her residence.

Uriah Ian-Charles Smoke, 27, of Bloomingdale Road, Tonawanda Indian Reservation, is charged with reckless endangerment, 2nd, and criminal mischief, 4th. Smoke was arrested on a warrant and jailed on $2,000 bail or $4,000 bond.

The Corfu Fire Department held its annual installation and awards dinner Friday night.

Honored were Ben Trapani, Most Calls (left); Greg Lang, Service Person of the Year (center); and, Mitch Bates, Firefighter of the Year (right). Pictured with Trapani, Lang and Bates are Kathy Skeet, president of the fire department and Chief Dean Eck.

Three-year-old Ethan Dawson received a toy fire truck as a present from the department. Ethan was born Aug. 1, 2008, at the Corfu Fire Hall, delivered by Karen Lane, Kathy Skeet and Mary Beth McMartin. With Ethan were his mother, Amanda, and father, Ken (not pictured).