Darien

John A. Snook, 26, of Central Avenue, Batavia, was arrested June 10 and charged with criminal obstruction of breathing/blood circulation, second-degree harassment, and unlawful imprisonment. The arrest was made following his release from Orleans County Jail on a separate charge. The new charges stem from a domestic incident in the City of Batavia. Orleans County Sheriff's Department transported Snook to the Genesee County line and he was taken to Batavia City Court and arraigned in front of Judge Balbick. He was then put in county jail and bail was set at $2,500. The matter was investigated by Batavia Police officer Jamie Givens.

Nathen Edward Donald Brege, 22, of South Main Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree criminal contempt. On June 11 he was arrested for allegedly violating an order of protection issued by the Town of Oakfield Court by allegedly threatening the protected individual in an incident on May 31 on South Pearl Street in Oakfield. He was issued an appearance ticket. The matter was investigated by Sheriff's deputy Joseph Loftus.

Sean Robert Doran, 24, of Harper Street, Rochester, is charged with DWI, aggrevated DWI, and speeding over 55 mph on June 11 on Route 20 in the Town of Alexander. He is scheduled to be arraigned on July 1 in Alexander Town Court. The incident was investigated by Sheriff's deputy Kevin McCarthy.

Thomas Edward Bobeck, 44, of Parwood Drive, Cheektowaga, is charged with operation of a motor vehicle with a BAC of .08 or more as a first offense, and DWI, first offense. He was arrested on said charges after being observed allegedly driving in an unsafe manner while on Alleghany Road in Darien on June 12. He is to be arraigned on July 8 in Darien Town Court. The matter was investigated by Sheriff's deputy Joseph Corona, assisted by deputy Brian Thompson.

Ivan Jerrod Walton, 21, of Yates Avenue, Sauk Village, Ill., is charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument, 2nd, stemming from an incident on March 25 at the Sears Hometown Store on Lewiston Road, Batavia. The subject was being held in the Livingston County Jail on an unrelated matter. He was arrested on June 9 and arraigned in front of Justice Williams from Batavia Town Court on said charge and returned to Livingston County Jail. Bail was set at $2,500. The matter was investigated by Sheriff's deputy Christopher Parker, assisted by deputy John Baiocco.

A person who was trapped inside a flooding vehicle at 1600 Erie St. in Darien managed to get out. Darien firefighters are on scene. The location is between Tinkham and Alleghany roads.

UPDATE 8:54 p.m.: Darien fire is back in service.

From the National Weather Service in Buffalo:

A flash flood warning has been issued for Southwestern Genesee County until 12:45 a.m., June 13, by the National Weather Service.

At 8:20 p.m. the Doppler radar indicated a narrow band of torrential rainfall from a persistent area of thunderstorms. Radar estimates that two to three inches of rain has has fallen in a small area, including the towns of Darien and Alexander. An additional one to two inches are possible through late evening.

Excessive runoff from heavy rainfall will cause flooding of small creeks and streams, country roads, as well as farmlands along the banks and creeks.

Never drive through flooded roads, or turn around. Don't drown!

A vehicle that reportedly looks like a school bus stopped at property on Sumner Road in Darien, near the junction with Route 77, and a female is said to have gotten off the bus and defecated on the lawn. She then got back aboard and the bus continued. A Sheriff's deputy is trying to find the bus. Although the caller described the vehicle as a school bus, we're skeptical since the Dave Matthews Band concert is tonight at Darien Lake.

A motorcycle accident is reported on Sumner Road near the sharp turn at Simonds Road. The rider and his bike are in a ditch. Unknown injuries. Law enforcement is on scene. Darien fire and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 5:44 p.m.: Mercy Flight, although available, will not be needed, according to medics on scene.

UPDATE 6:40 p.m.: The subject has been transported to ECMC. The Darien assignment is back in service.

Nik Wallenda, "The King of the Highwire," performed at Darien Lake for the first time on a 750-foot-long wire stretched over one of the lakes.

He performed with is wife, Erendira, and Nick Slimick and Alec Bryant, who were making their professional debut. Slimick and Bryant are graduates of a high school in Sarasota, Fla., where they studied circus performing.

Wallenda drove a specially equipped motorcycle across the wire, which was 150 feet above the water at its apex, with Erendira and either Nick or Alec on a trapeze bar attached below. At the apex, Wallanda performed a handstand on the bike seat on one trip. On another he stood on the seat. On other trips, Erendira and the two young men performed stunts. The final trip was just Nik and Erendira and they performed barrel rolls at the far end of the wire.

This isn't the show Wallenda will be performing at Darien Lake this summer.

The show this summer will be in the Galaxy Theater (to be renamed the Nik Wallenda Theater). Shows start June 24 and run through Sept. 1. The 10-week run will feature two performances every day (4 p.m. and 7 p.m.) except Monday.

The hour-long show will feature top aerialists and stunt performers, Wallenda said. The finale will feature the Wallenda Family Pyramid on the Wire, untethered high above the stage.

During the show's run, performers will entertain park guests with wandering performances throughout the park, called "pop up performances." There will also be a regular interactive 20-minute show on the Gazebo Stage.

Wallenda said one reason he agreed to perform at Darien Lake is he that felt the need to give back to Western New York after being so warmly embraced during the run-up to his highwire walk over Niagara Falls.

"When I got off that cable in Niagara Falls, I said there will always be a piece of my heart that is in this region," Wallenda said. "This community has embraced me. It's been amazing. I get goosebumps.

"I think this shows my commitment to this region, to Western New York and Toronto," Wallenda said. "The community has been so good to me."

More pictures after the jump:

An adult male in a boat in a pond flipped over the boat and is clinging to the side of it, unable to swim to shore. The caller to dispatch said she doesn't believe he is injured. The location is 11221 Harlow Road. Darien fire and EMS are responding to rescue the man from the water.

UPDATE 1:35 p.m.: Law enforcement is on scene.

UPDATE 1:48 p.m.: Darien fire reports the man is now on shore, conscious and alert. He still needs to be evaluated by medics.

Tishaun H. Conde, 19, of 16 Harvester Ave., Batavia, is charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle, unlawful possession of marijuana, petit larceny and trespassing. Conde was arrested following a report at 10:06 a.m., Monday, of a car being broken into on Harvester Avenue. Conde was jailed on $2,500 bail. (Previously: Man suspected of rifling through cars on Harvester Avenue is subject of manhunt)

Sharon E. Herdtner, 51, of North Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief. Herdtner allegedly punctured a tire of a vehicle on Tracy Avenue.

Tracy A. Hilton, 33, of Jackson Street, Batavia, is charged with menacing, 2nd, unlawful imprisonment, 1st, criminal possession of a weapon, 3rd, endangering the welfare of a child and criminal contempt, 1st. Hilton was allegedly involved in a domestic incident with his girlfriend at 5:50 p.m., Sunday, at their residence on Jackson Street. Hilton allegedly restrained his girlfriend and threatened her with a knife while in the presence of their two children. In the process, Hilton allegedly violated an order of protect. Hilton was held without bail.

Kimberly M. Douglas, 32, of Buell Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal tampering, 3rd. Douglas was arrested after police were dispatched at 7:40 a.m., Saturday, to a residence on Buell Street for a report of a disturbance. Douglas is accused of spitting on the screen door of a house on Buell, "causing a substantial inconvenience for the owner to clean."

Justin J. Caryl, 26, of Batavia, was arrested on a warrant. Caryl was arrested by a Wyoming County Sheriff's deputy at 5:30 a.m., Sunday, on Bank Road, Town of Middlebury, after he was located during an unrelated investgation. Caryl was turned over to the Genesee County Sheriff's Office.

Jeffrey Lewis Smith, 44, of Vinton Road, Rochester, is charged with petit larceny. Smith was arrested on a Town of Batavia warrant after being released from the Monroe County Jail. Smith was jailed in Genesee County on $2,500 bail.

Felicia Mae Downs, 20, of Broadway Road, Darien, is charged with identity theft, 3rd, and petit larceny. Downs allegedly used another person's credit card to make purchases without permission.

Randall W. McKeown, 52, of South Brooklyn Avenue, Wellsville, is charged with three counts of criminal contempt, 1st. In a violation of a stay away order of protection, McKeown allegedly sent text messages to the protected person on three separate dates. McKeown was released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

In another sign that spring is really here, Darien Lake opened to the entire public today (season pass holders had access last weekend).

Via WBTA:

The case of a Canadian man accused of seriously injuring an Alden native at Darien Lake with a single punch will head to trial.

Jury selection will begin for 34-year-old Craig Lawson of Ontario June 23. He’s charged with second-degree assault.

The deadline passed today for a plea deal. Although defense attorney Joel Daniels said in county court today that there was an offer, he said it was not accepted by the prosecution.

Lawson’s accused of punching Jason McNeil of Tuscaloosa, Ala., at a Kid Rock concert last July. McNeil was in a coma after the accident.

Daniels said he expects the trial to run a full week.

UPDATED AT 5:37 a.m.

A 19-year-old Genesee County resident died Wednesday night after he was struck by an SUV on Route 33 in Darien just east of County Line Road.

Dean Cullinan, of Corfu, was walking with his bike along Genesee Street heading east when an eastbound vehicle driven by Kris Clark, 32, of Corfu, struck him.

Cullinan was pronounced dead at the scene by Coroner Kristine Flanagan.

Chief Deputy Gordon Dibble said the Cullinan appeared to have been in the driving lane when he was struck.

"We don't see any signs of lights or reflectors on the bicycle," Dibble said. "That would be a factor in the accident."

Cullinan's name was not released until some hours after the accident pending further family notification. Some members of his family where on scene after learning of an accident involving a bicyclist.

The accident remains under investigation and the belief that the rider was in the driving lane is still a preliminary conclusion, Dibble said.

"We have some work to do," Dibble said. "Some of the work will have to be done in the daylight when we have better lighting, but we've done what we can do tonight."

Clark also apparently had a hard time seeing Cullinan because Cullinan was wearing dark-colored clothing, according to the Sheriff's Office. There was also an oncoming vehicle that created difficult site conditions prior to the accident.

There was an initial attempt to perform CPR on the victim, but a deputy arrived on scene minutes later and informed dispatchers the accident was a fatal.

Darien Fire, Darien Ambulance and Mercy EMS responded to the scene.

The name of the SUV driver has not yet been released either. The SUV was towed from the scene. Its passenger-side headlight assembly was heavily damaged.

"It was dark. It was unlit road. I don't think he (the SUV driver) had much time for reaction," Dibble said.

(Initial Report)

A car has reportedly hit a bicyclist in the area of 475 Genesee St., Darien

That's between South Lake Road and County Line Road.

CPR reported in progress. Mercy Flight in Batavia is on a ground standby.

Mercy EMS, Darien Ambulance and Darien Fire Department dispatched.

Two Darien volunteer firefighters -- Joshua Reeb and Paul Redden -- and several other residents lost everything they own in a devastating house fire on March 10 at 1363 Broadway Road. The firefighters helped people evacuate safely. A pet dog died in the blaze.

A fundraiser for their benefit is planned for Sunday, May 4, at the Darien Fire Hall, which is located at 10537 Alleghany Road in Darien Center.

There will be a chicken BBQ, Chinese auction, and 50/50.

Dinner includes: half chicken, two sides and dinner roll. Hot dogs will be provided to children too young for the BBQ plate. Presale tickets are $10. A limited number will be available at the door.

The organizers are still seeking donations for the raffle baskets!

To purchase tickets, make a donation, or for questions, contact any of the following people:

Deanna Crawford  (716) 310-3083

Austen Gielow (716) 783-2562

Paul Redden (585) 356-0466

A field fire is reported in the area of 550 Sumner Road, on the north side. Darien fire and EMS are responding. The location is between Harlow and County Line roads.

UPDATE 2:24 p.m.: Darien command requests Alexander to bring its Gator to the scene.

UPDATE 2:57 p.m.: Darien command reports the fire is out.

Marianne B. Molaro, 53, of 2224 Ham Road, Oakfield, is charged with grand larceny, 4th. Molaro allegedly removed business records from her place of employment containing data of a scientific or technical process.

Meaghan L. Schiavi, 21, of 43 N. Main St., Perry, is charged with identity theft. Schiavi allegedly used credit card information from a friend and made a purchase in the Village of Le Roy.

Bernard Lee Evans, 43, of Cato Street, Pavilion, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st, and aggravated harassment, 2nd. Evans allegedly contacted his ex-girlfriend 16 times by mobile phone in an alleged violation of a court order of protection.

Bryon Gilbert Keller, 19, of Sumner Road, Darien, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Keller allegedly violated an order of protection.

Justin L. Pyatt, 26, of Pearl Street, Batavia, is charged with two counts of harassment, 2nd, criminal mischief, 3rd, and petit larceny. During an incident reported at 4:40 p.m. Wednesday, Pyatt allegedly made threats to harm another person, took property that belonged to that person, shoved that person and hit a refrigerator causing damage to the person's property.

Paul Dennis Barth Jr., 23, of Cohocton Road, Corfu, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Barth allegedly approached a person while in Tops Market whom he has been ordered by a judge to not contact at all. Barth then allegedly followed the person to the Sheriff's Office on Park Road. The alleged incident was reported at 3:15 p.m.. Barth was arrested by Officer James DeFreze and jailed on $2,500 bail or $5,000 bond.

Christopher R. Hoover, 27, of North Drive, Rochester, is charged with possession of a forged instrument, 2nd. Hoover was turned over to Batavia on a warrant after he was taken into custody by Greece PD. He was jailed without bail.

A driver was cited for alleged failure to stop at a stop sign following a minor-injury accident at 7:11 a.m., Friday, on Route 77 and Sumner Road.

Debra Lynn Knauber, 50, of Harlow Road, Darien Center, reportedly told Deputy Chris Parker that she knew the stop sign was there but was unable to stop.

Judith A. Slyle, 47, of Garden Drive, Batavia, the driver of the second car, and her passenger Abigail E. McLean, 14. Neither victim required ambulance transport.

Slyle's second passenger, Colin J. McLean, 11, wasn't injured, nor was Knauber.

(Initial Report)

A minor injury accident is reported at Route 77 and Sumner, Darien.

Dispatchers spoke with both drivers, who declined medical assistance, but a resident in the area "reports otherwise."

Darien fire and ambulance dispatched.

A responder reports a juvenile was struck by an airbag and an evaluation is requested.

When Rod Rankin -- the new general manager of Darien Lake Theme Park -- was a young man, he never thought he'd wind up running facilities with rollercoasters and waterslides.

"If you'd asked me I would have said you were crazy," Rankin said. "I was going to be a high school teacher."

He studied secondary education at the University of Southern California and was working as a production manager at Paramount Pictures when Paramount bought a chain of six entertainment parks. Paramount transferred him to the theme park division. He's been working in and running theme parks for 25 years now.

But it's worked out for the would-be high school teacher. Asked what his favorite part of his job is his first response is that it's working with the youngsters who take jobs in the parks each summer.

"It's the good and the bad of this industry," Rankin said. "You're training a new generation of children every year, because this is really kind of a first job. That's the good part." Then he laughs (Rankin, a big man, has a hearty laugh). "The bad part is you're training a new generation of kids every year."

Rankin replaces Bob Montgomery, who ran the park for two years, but decided over the winter that he wanted to return to his native Canada to pursue opportunities closer to home.

Under Montgomery's leadership, Darien Lake was working on developing more of a local flare, bringing in Anchor Bar to serve wings, serving Weber Mustard and Dippin' Dots. That's a trend that will continue, Rankin said.

Besides hiring Nik Wallenda to provide entertainment throughout the season, Three Brothers Winery has agreed to set up a wine-tasting area, a wine shop and will cross promote Darien Lake with tags on its bottles at retail locations.

Another change coming to Darien Lake is a redesigned menu for Beaver Brothers and Maria's Italian Kitchen. The new menu will focus on lighter fare for health conscious diners, Rankin said. Just this week he hired a new chef to oversee the creation of the new menu.

With Paramount, Rankin started out as a project manager and was involved in rollercoaster development.

He describes himself as a coaster junkie. A native of the Los Angeles area, Rankin had plenty of access to coasters at numerous theme parks growing up, notably, of course, Disney and Knotts Berry Farm (he spent a lot of time at Knotts, he said).

Does that mean there's a new coaster in the works for Darien Lake? He won't say. He did say, "It's really fun when you go into a facility to learn the new coasters and then hopefully, eventually, build a new coaster."

Rankin spent 22 years with Paramount and its successor company, before leaving in 2007 as the Western regional vice president. He's been with Herschend Family Entertainment for four years, most recently as general manager of the company's park in Denver (unrelated side note: Herschend recently acquired the Harlem Globetrotters).

A certified master gardener, Rankin is looking forward to putting down roots in Genesee County.  He was excited that he had no trouble selling his home in Denver. He's looking forward to visiting the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Batavia. His gardening interest drifts toward heirloom tomatoes and roses. In fact, he's started a rose garden at every theme park he's run and Darien Lake will be no different, he said.

Darien Lake Theme Park's opening day is May 10. The park is hiring now for seasonal positions.

A house-trailer fire is occurring at 1765 Broadway Road, just east of Tinkham Road. Darien fire is on scene. The structure is next to a barn.

UPDATE 7:14 p.m.: Alexander is requested to respond, mutual aid, with a tanker to the scene.

UPDATE 7:32 p.m.: Darien command reports the fire is out; overhauling the structure now.

UPDATE 8 p.m.: Command calls for Wyoming County inmates to respond to help out as needed. It will take an hour or two to make that happen, according to dispatchers in contact with the prison officers.

UPDATE 8:36 p.m.: All Darien units are returning to service.