elba

Friday was "Drive Your Tractor to School Day" at Elba Central School and several students did just that,

Photos by Debra Reilly.

There have been nine accidents involving the Bell 429, the model helicopter being flown by James E. Sauer, 60 of Churchville, and Stewart M. Dietrick, 60, of Prosper, Texas, when it went down in a field near Norton Road in Elba at 1 p.m. Wednesday.

The National Transportation Safety Board has determined the cause of four of those accidents.  Three of them were the result of human error and one was an apparent mechanical failure.

The preliminary evidence in Wednesday's crash of the Mercy Flight aircraft, said Aaron McCarter, air safety investigator with the NTSB, is that the rear tail section of the aircraft became detached during the flight.

"Onboard (the helicopter) were two pilots and seasoned professionals about 1300 or 1 p.m. local time, several credible witnesses of the helicopter transitioning the area behind me over Elba, New York, at about 2,000 feet observed and heard a loud boom. We don't know which occurred first (the tail separating or the boom). The tail separated from the helicopter and was found 300 feet from the main wreckage."

The main wreckage was in a gully just a few yards from the edge of Norton Road, about a mile north of Edgerton Road.

McCarter said he will be at the accident scene gathering evidence for three to five days.

"The on-scene portion of the investigation is only a small part of a much larger list, or process," he said. "Most of the work being done by the investigative team happens behind the scenes when the on-scene portion is over. In 10 days, I will be completing the preliminary report. In approximately 12 months, the factual report, followed very shortly by the probable cause, signed off by the Transportation Safety Board members (will be released)."

The cause won't be determined until the investigation is complete, and that investigation, regardless of what the evidence shows now, looks at all factors of the case, McCaster said.  That includes mechanical, environmental, and human elements, and how all three elements interacted.

While both Sauer and Dietrick are experienced pilots, they were on a training mission.

"Even though they are seasoned pilots, you know how much time they had in this particular helicopter?" McCarter said. "I'm not trying to equate aircraft with cars, but have you ever gotten to a car rental that was completely different than yours? It takes you a while to kind of figure out where all the buttons are and how how to maneuver. So that's what we're looking at, we're looking at their familiarity with the machine, how much experience did they have in this particular machine, in addition to all the other aircraft that they have flown."

Wreckage to be examined in Delaware
The wreckage, which was spread over a 2,000-foot area from beginning to end, will be transported to Clayton, Delaware.

"It will be transported back to this facility to a two-dimensional assembly of it on a hangar floor and we'll be able to see how the helicopter -- it can assist us in determining how the helicopter came apart and what happened first."

He added, "We will be doing a thorough engine check. We're gonna be checking on the rotor blades. We're gonna be checking the tail rotor. And we're gonna be downloading data."

While the Bell 429 doesn't have a "black box" as most people are familiar with -- its data isn't in a hardened protective case -- McCarter is confident the flight recorder data can be recovered.

Investigators will also look at flight and maintenance logs and any reports on the helicopter's performance on previous flights.

The aircraft was manufactured in Canada so by international treaty, Canadian aviation experts will be participating in the investigation.

McCarter indicated he doesn't believe there was anything of the ordinary for a training mission prior to the crash.  The mission started at the Genesee County Airport at 11:15 a.m. and the crew did a typical training flight pattern around the airport for about an hour before heading toward Elba.

Once the tail separated, McCarter said, the pilot would have found it impossible to maintain directional control over the aircraft.

"That tail rotor is what keeps the nose of the helicopter pointed in the correct direction," he said. "Because the torque when the rotor blades are spinning around the helicopter, the fuselage wants to spin in the opposite direction, if you remember your high school physics, so the tail rotor actually keeps the nose of the helicopter pointed in a specific direction."

Of the nine prior crashes involving the Bell 429, four claimed six lives.

Prior aviation crashes locally
Of the nine Bell 429 crashes, one was in Batavia on Oct. 6, 2021. That 429 was also owned and operated by Mercy Flight but was not the same aircraft involved in Wednesday's accident. There were no injuries when that helicopter had a hard landing at the Genesee County Airport.  The cause has not yet been determined.

There has been one other helicopter crash in Genesee County over the past 30 years. On Dec. 27, 2003, in Byron, when a pilot practicing autorotations over an airport open field made a hard landing. The pilot was seriously injured. 

The NTSB reported, "The pilot reported that he felt a shudder during the autorotation and tried to regain airspeed by using forward cyclic, but he was unable to regain airspeed. Examination of the helicopter found evidence of low main rotor rpm. No discrepancies were found with the flight controls and engine."

Previous airplane accidents, as reported by the NTSB, in Genesee County:

• March 31, 1983, Batavia, Cessna 182, mechanical failure, four aboard, no injuries;
• Sept. 24, 1983, Batavia, Cessna 152, an unexpected gust of wind on landing, two aboard, no injuries;
• Oct. 7, 1984, Cessna 150H, pilot error at dusk, no injuries; 
• May 17, 1985, Batavia. Piper PA-22-150, commercial-rated flight instructor encountered unexpected wind at takeoff, no injuries;
• May 29, 1985, Batavia, Piper PA-28-235, loss of power during takeoff, two aboard, no injuries;
• Oct. 15, 1986, Le Roy, Piper PA-38, instructor error, two aboard, no injuries;
• June 20, 1987, Batavia, Cessna 177RG, mechanical failure resulting in an emergency landing, no injuries;
• March 17, 1991, Le Roy, Cessna 172M, inexperienced pilot error in poor lighting conditions, four aboard, no injuries;
• Feb. 15, 2004, Batavia, Cessna 172E, the inability of the pilot to maintain control in winds on an icy runway, no injuries;
• June 15, 2007, Cessna 172s, student pilot error, no injuries;
• Feb. 7, 2009, Le Roy, Cessna 172A,  pilot error in heavy winds, no injuries;
• July 15, 2011, Batavia, Murphy Aircraft Elite, pilot error, one serious injury;
• Aug. 2, 2012, Alexander, Piper PA-25-260, pilot error, no injuries;
• Sept. 20, 2014, Bethany Center, Cessna 182A, pilot error, no injuries;
• June 11, 2915, Le Roy, Brandt Leroy E Challenger II, pilot error, no injuries;
• Oct. 27, 2019, Batavia, Beech A36, pilot error in heavy winds, four aboard, no injuries;
• June 1, 2020, Le Roy, Beech 36, pilot error, no injuries.

The only other fatal aviation crash in Genesee County since the early 1980s was on Oct. 2, 2020, in Corfu, which claimed the lives of attorneys Steve Barnes and Elizabeth Barnes. The cause of that crash remains undetermined.

CORRECTION: There was another fatal airplane crash in Genesee County on Aug. 11, 2001.  Two people were killed when a Dominiak Kitfox crashed in Byron. Alcohol and drugs were found in the inexperienced pilot's blood.

As Genesee County school districts provide details about their 2022-23 budgets, there seems no escaping inflation, and Elba Central Superintendent Gretchen Rosales isn’t afraid to admit she’s looking to cut corners.

Rosales, with the assistance of her district treasurer, Lisa Penna, has joined the list of district administrators who have pointed to the problem of rising prices for everything from electric and gasoline to wood.

“Some of the issues that we face include the sharp increase in utilities and other expenses. We have found that materials we need to operate have doubled in price. For example, the lumber for the high school construction class has nearly doubled,” Rosales said to The Batavian this week. “In order for our students to have the same experiences they have always had, we need to figure out where to cut corners in other areas. Everything from the cost of food to the topsoil we purchase has increased dramatically.”

Rosales and Penna have been working closely to create a budget that is “both fiscally responsible and also maximizes our expenditures to best serve the needs” of Elba Central School students, the superintendent said. 

The district has proposed a budget of $11,215,950, which is a 2.5 percent increase from the current budget. Rosales doesn’t expect any related tax rate increase, as the rate has decreased over the last year due to the estimated average assessed property values, she said. 

The financial plan includes a $100,000 Capital Outlay Project for enhancements to district security (re-keying the building, installing reinforced doors) and improving the heating/ventilation and air conditioning system and the boilers. 

A 65-passenger bus is also in the budget,  and that should be reimbursed by the state for up to 90 percent of the cost, she said. 

While the 2.5 percent increase is partially due to contractual obligations, instructional programs and BOCES services (occupational and special education), there are other reasons for this year’s proposed extra spending, she said.

Those rising prices, coupled with a steep increase in health insurance for employees, have prompted a focus on making cuts of any unnecessary expenses while “still providing top-notch instruction,” she said. 

“Being good stewards of the public's investment in education is not something that we take lightly; schools are not the only organizations feeling the pain of supply chain issues and rising costs,” Rosales said. “The families in the Elba community are feeling it just like everyone else.   Being cognizant of that reality is our primary focus right now.” 

She is thankful for a “great leadership team” that’s willing to be creative with new ideas for the student population. The district wants to hire a part-time social worker to better meet the needs of students in a post-pandemic time period, she said. That’s another common thread amongst county districts: counteract what was lost to students during two years of remote and hybrid learning away from class. The hiring process has just begun for this position, she said.

“We are also looking at enrichment and extension programs to help students bridge the learning gap that happened during COVID.  Schools will certainly need to contend with the COVID pandemic for years to come,” she said. “Elba is lucky in the sense that our small, tight-knit community is nurturing and supportive; we will continue to work through any challenges with this in mind.”

Another part of the upcoming budget vote are board members, both new and long-serving, she said. Current President Mike Augello will be stepping down from his role later this year, while newcomer Mercy Caparco and Travis Torrey run for two open seats.

Collaboration has been key to working on a budget, Rosales said, and she is “very thankful” for the help of Penna as district treasurer, her district clerk Donna Harris, a leadership team composed of department heads and the board.

“Of course, the Board of Education has always had the community's best interests at the forefront of this process; we want to be fiscally responsible while still providing the best education around,” she said. “I think we have a great balance in the 22-23 budget.”

The district’s vote will be from noon to 8 p.m. on May 17. There are four propositions to be on the ballot: The total budget, purchase of a new 65-passenger bus, authorizing a $100,000 Capital Outlay Project, and a vote for two Board of Education seats. 

For more information, go the district’s website at: elbacsd.org

Charlene Schultz is used to hearing helicopters over her house on Edgerton Road in Elba.  She seems to live in a flight path for both the military and Mercy Flight. So she knows what a helicopter passing overhead sounds like when all is all right.

Shortly before 1 p.m. today, she knew she heard a helicopter that was in trouble.

"The motor sounded weird," Schultz said. "You know when you start your car and it goes woo-woo? That's what it sounds like to me twice. Like it won't start. Then it went out completely. Then it came back on and I heard the Big Bang."

She speculated the pilot managed to get the motor started again as the helicopter was heading down but it was too late.

She went outside expecting to see smoke but there was no smoke.  She got in her car and drove to the scene.

"Three men stopped me and I was from here to your car (less than 50 yards) and saw what I didn't want to see. So I turned around and came back home."

Major Eugene Staniszewski, State Police, confirmed this afternoon that two crew members aboard the flight died in the crash. Their names have not yet been released.

The cause of the accident is under investigation. Investigators from both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have been dispatched to the scene.

"We will be here for quite a while," Staniszewski said. "This could be into tomorrow while we're still on scene and then after that, it usually takes quite a while, it could be months until they come up with a final determination (as to the cause of the crash)."

The helicopter was on a training mission, Staniszewski confirmed, and it was flying out of the Mercy base at the Genesee County Airport. 

The major said there is at least one person who saw the helicopter go down and several who heard the helicopter in the area.

One neighbor said she saw a Mercy Flight helicopter circle the area before she and her husband went to Walmart.  They only learned of the crash while at the store and returned home immediately.  Schultz, however, said she believes the helicopter that circled the scene showed up after the crash.  She said when she first saw it, she hoped it was a sign that the crew survived but then the Mercy Flight helicopter left without landing.

"We are interviewing several witnesses and local neighbors that live on this road," Staniszewski said. "We'll be working with Mercy Flight and NTSB and FAA to come up with a reason for this crash."

UPDATE:  The pilot was James E. Sauer, 60 of Churchville. The second person was a Bell Helicopter employee and pilot, Stewart M. Dietrick, 60 of Prosper, Texas. They were flying a Bell 429 that was based in Batavia. They were pronounced dead at the scene and taken to the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office.

An unidentified helicopter circled the scene an hour or so after the accident.

Power lines were cut because lines had fallen dangerously close to the helicopter, impeding the investigation.

File photo of a Mercy Flight helicopter taken April 24 at GCC following a serious injury accident at Clinton Street Road and Seven Springs Road. Photos by Howard Owens.

Photo by Howard Owens

Multiple callers report a helicopter going down in the area of Norton and Edgerton roads in Elba. Elba Fire and Town of Batavia Fire, along with Mercy EMS, responding.

Genesee County Emergency Management Services has ordered the area to be closed to all unauthorized traffic.

UPDATE 2:03 P.M.: An area resident said that shortly before the crash she had seen a helicopter circling the area. It has been confirmed that it was a Mercy Flight helicopter. No information has been released yet about the crew. The crash site is at 7269 Norton Rd.

UPDATE 2:26 p.m.: National Grid removes power lines that fell on the helicopter. Photo by Howard Owens.

UPDATE 3:17 p.m.: State Police said that two crew members died in the crash; their names have not yet been released. The helicopter was on a training mission. The cause of the crash is undetermined at this time.

Press release:

The NYS Principles of Instructions course is an introductory course for individuals who will be conducting training at the fire company level.  This 15-hour course was recently offered at the Genesee County Fire Training Center and is designed for fire service training officers and company officers. 

Participants reviewed the qualities of a good instructor, job performance requirements, components of a lesson plan, cognitive and psychomotor lesson plans, dealing with adult learners, meeting individual learning needs, factors that affect learning, the instructor’s role in safety, new technologies in course delivery, and learning characteristics of different generations. 

Volunteer and career firefighters regularly attend training courses to continually develop and refresh skills making the job of quality instructors even more valuable.

Ten firefighters representing five county fire companies completed the program held March 16 through March 21, 2022.

ALABAMA

• Ryan M. Thompson

 ALEXANDER

• Anthony R. Johnston

BERGEN

• Jared Hicks 

ELBA

• Jennifer A. Cardinali   
• Nicholas J. Esten        
• Michael Heale
• Michael J. Pfendler
• Michael J. Schad
• Nathan J. Tabor          

LE ROY

• Fay Fuerch  

Visit your local fire department to find out more about volunteer opportunities

Elba Central School hosted  “Heroes and Hoops” Friday night in the high school gymnasium.  The game was a fundraiser for the senior scholarship fund.  The senior basketball athletes played against local service members.

Photos by Debra Reily. For more, click here.

Press release:

Elba Central School is excited to host “Heroes and Hoops” tonight at 6:30 pm.  This showcase game benefits the senior scholarship fund.  The senior basketball athletes will complete for bragging rights against local service members.  The guest coach for the Elba athletes is our very own Tyler Winter, who is also a championship Aggie football coach, while the coach for the Heroes team is renowned girls’ basketball coach, Kenzie Bezon.  Leah Bezon, former Lancer basketball all-star, will join Coach Kenzie Bezon.

There will be a three-point contest at halftime, along with a basket raffle and concessions.  Tickets are $5 each and are on sale in the Elba Central District office.  Seating is limited, so get your tickets now!  American flags will be given to the first 50 entrants to the game; doors open at 6:00.  

Anthony Daniel Micucci, 27, of Darien Alexander Townline Road, Alexander, is charged with five counts of criminal contempt 1st, criminal contempt 2nd, stalking 3rd, and stalking 4th. Micucci was arrested on a warrant for allegedly violating a complete stay-away order of protection. Micucci was also arrested by State Police on charges of stalking 3rd and two counts of criminal contempt 2nd.  He was jailed without bail.

Matthew Scott Williams, 34, of Hundredmark Road, Elba, is charged with harassment 2nd and endangering the welfare of a child. Williams is accused of head butting a person while in the presence of a child during a disturbance reported at 9:15 a.m., March 10, at a residence on Hundredmark Road, Elba

Michael Joseph Elmore, 31, of Washington Avenue, Batavia, is charged with obstructing governmental administration. Elmore allegedly refused to obey lawful orders by deputies during an investigation at Days Inn in Batavia at 4:45 a.m., March 13.

Michael Andrew Kos, Jr., 43, of Hampton Brook Drive, Hamburg, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater.  At 8:25 p.m., March 10, Deputy Nicholas Charmoun and Sgt. Andrew Hale were dispatched to the Kwik Fill on West Main Street Road, Le Roy, for a report of a suspicious condition behind the building. At that location, they located Kos and upon investigation determined he was allegedly too intoxicated to operate a motor vehicle. He was transported to the Genesee County Jail for processing and issued an appearance ticket.

Lauralee Pacer, 36, of Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for failure to appear.  Pacer had previously been issued an appearance ticket. 

Shante R. Williams, 38, of Batavia, is charged with bail jumping 3rd. Williams was arraigned in City Court and released under supervision.

James D. Hooten, 33, of Batavia, and Brittanee J. Hooten, 33, of Batavia, are charged with petit larceny and conspiracy 6th. James and Brittanee are accused of shoplifting from the Kiwk Fill at 99 Jackson Street, Batavia. They were issued appearance tickets.

Shawn M. Twardowski, 39, of Le Roy, was arrested on multiple warrants for failure to appear for trespass and petit larceny.  Twardowski was arraigned in City Court and released under supervision.

Lyndsay T. Young, 38, of Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Young is accused of striking another person in the face causing a scratch under the person's eye at 2:34 p.m., March 4, at a location on State Street, Batavia. Young was issued an appearance ticket.

Jolene Y. Stevens, 33, of Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for failure to appear. Stevens was arraigned in city court and released on her own recognizance. 

Rufus G. Johnson, 28, of North-Chili, is charged with petit larceny. Johnson is accused of stealing merchandise from a business in Batavia. He was allegedly located with the merchandise and arrested. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Matthew S. Williams, 34, of Elba, is charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and criminal contempt 2nd. Williams was arrested by State Police in connection with an incident reported at 1:03 p.m., March 11, in Elba.  His release status is unknown.  No further information released.

Somebody apparently thinks that would make a fine item to own for themselves.

Recently, somebody cut down and stole the sign.

Until about 2013, the sign is well known for its phrase, "POP: Just Right."  That was changed because it didn't seem welcoming to some people.

Mayor Norm Itjen asks that anyone with information contact the Genesee County Sheriff's office at (585) 345-3000 or the VIllage of Elba @ (585) 757-6889.

Photo by provided by Norm Itjen.

The Elba Lancers, seeded #3 in the Section V D2 bracket, will continue their quest for another sectional title after beating Hammondsport on Saturday 61-49.

Dakota Brinkman scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Adrianna Long scored 10 points and Kennedy Augello, nine.  Haile Deville had 16 rebounds and three blocked shots.

The Lancers (15-6)  face #2 seeded Andover/Whitesville (17-3) at 6 p.m., Tuesday in Dansville in a semifinal match.

Photos by Kristin Smith.

Angelo Pena and Mike Lang each scored 14 points to help lead the Elba Lancers to a D2 sectional quarterfinal win over Andover/Whitesville 67-30.

CJ Gottler scored 12 points and Zak Marsecill scored 10.

The Lancers will take on Jasper-Troupsburg at a time and site to be determined on Monday.

Photos by Kristin Smith.  For more, click here.

Photos below by Debra Reilly. For more, click here.

It was Mike Rapone's night at Notre Dame and in front of a capacity crowd there to honor the legendary coach, the Fighting Irish emphasized the point with a win over archrival Elba 63-52.

Rapone said he wanted the focus to be where it should be, where it's always been, on the kids, but also admitted it was an emotional night for him.

"It really didn't hit me until tonight," Rapone said. "I've been talking, you know, this is my last year. It hit me tonight. It was pretty emotional."

Rapone coached at Notre Dame for 42 seasons amassing 709 wins (a Section V record), 32 Genesee Region championships, nine Section V championships, and two state championships.

On Wednesday, Jordan Welker led the scoring with 15 points. Ryan Fitzpatrick and Aiden Sisson scored 14 points each and Cody Henry scored 13.

For Elba, Zach Marsciell scored 23 points, hitting four three-pointers along the way.  Conner Scott scored 15 points.

Porfirio Gabriel has worked for Torrey Farms in Elba for 13 years and helps the Torreys recruit workers from Mexico, specifically Comachuen, to obtain H2A temporary visas and work planting onions and harvesting squash, cabbage, and beans each year.

These workers, Gabriel told NPR for a recent story about money sent from workers back to Mexico to help support local economies, have helped Comachuen families receive as much as $5 million over three years, by far the town's largest source of income.

These funds sent to Mexico, called remittances, may have exceeded $50 billion for the first time last year, according to the story.

Travis Torrey sent the link to the NPR story to The Batavian noting that as regulators try to limit the number of hours farmer workers can labor each week they're really hurting the people they say they're trying to help.

"I think you can see that coming to WNY to work is their version of the ‘American dream,’" Torrey said. "Everyone that has come here has bettered themselves and families.  The inhumanity is denying them the opportunity.

"Without the farmworkers, there would be no farms," he added. "The same can be said if there are no farms there are no farmworkers."

A week ago, the state's Farm Labor Board, on a 2-1 vote, recommended the overtime threshold for farmworkers be lowered from 60 hours a week to 40 hours a week.

Both farmer-owners and farmworkers have repeatedly spoken out against the rule change over the past few years saying that workers will seek jobs in states that don't restrict potential earnings.

Torrey notes the rule change will hurt workers like Gabriel when they get their hours cut.

From the NPR story:

Gabriel is resigned to working in the United States as long as he can. He sends home about $7,500 each year from what he earns working the fields. That money is largely used to fund his children's education, paying private college fees so his eldest son can be a registered nurse.

His hope is that his children will get university degrees and not have to emigrate. "I am paying for their studies, so that they don't have to do what we had to do," Gabriel says.

Press release:

The Village of Elba will be handing out free COVID- 19 test kits on Saturday, January 29, 2022, from 11 a.m. to Noon based on availability.

There is a limit of to two (2) test kits per individual, four (4) tests per household. You must be a Genesee County resident and there are no pre-orders.

This event will take place at the Village Office, 4 South Main St. in Elba.

Press release:

Hecate Energy announced today that the application for its proposed 500- megawatt Cider Solar Farm in the towns of Elba and Oakfield, New York has been deemed complete by the New York State Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES). If approved by ORES, Cider Solar Farm would be the largest solar project permitted and constructed to date in the State of New York.

Established by Section 94-c of Executive Law, ORES is the newly established state office charged with implementing the timely consolidated review and permitting for major renewable energy facilities in New York State. Its acceptance of the Cider Solar Farm application is the first time ORES has deemed a renewable energy application complete.

“This is the first 94-c application to be deemed complete by ORES, which is a significant milestone for renewable energy in New York,” said Harrison Luna, Cider Solar Farm’s project developer. “The establishment of ORES and the 94-c permit process underpins the state’s commitment to supporting sustainable power, and we’re fortunate to be in a position to use it to bring clean, homegrown electricity to Genesee County. We are encouraged both by the transparency brought to the permitting process by ORES and the comprehensiveness of that process, and we believe this project will be an excellent addition to the next generation of sustainable power supply in New York State.”

The completed permitting application for Cider Solar Farm was extensive and comprehensive. It included 6 bound volumes and more than 96,000 pages of detailed analysis of data from studies assessing the proposed project’s effect on the host communities. Surveys were commissioned regarding a wide range of environmental, cultural, land use, and socioeconomic considerations such as wetlands and streams, wildlife habitat, nearby traffic patterns, cultural resources, noise and vibrations, visual effects from nearby areas, site security, and other potential concerns.

If approved by ORES, Cider Solar Farm would be built on nearly 3,000 acres in the towns of Elba and Oakfield in Genesee County. It is expected to create over 500 construction jobs and will be capable of supplying 920,000 megawatt-hours of renewable electricity per year – enough to power over 120,000 average New York households. Clean energy from Cider Solar Farm is expected to offset 718,694 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, which according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is equivalent to the annual emissions from 141,794 passenger vehicles.

“For years people have talked about bringing economic development to upstate New York. This milestone is a very positive sign to other developers who are considering bringing their investment, jobs, and sustainable energy projects to this region,” said Luna. “The New York State Legislature, Governor Hochul, and ORES are to be commended for following through and making this happen. Together with the renewable energy industry, we are finally bringing long-term, sustainable economic development to the upstate region.”

To learn more about Hecate Energy and the proposed Cider Solar Farm, visit the project website at www.CiderSolarFarm.com.

The Lady Lancers defeated the Lady Dragons on Thursday night 59-44.

Dakota Brinkman scored 17 points for Elba and Laci Sewar scored 15 points.  Sewar had 11 rebounds and Brinkman 10.

For Pembroke, Ellie Peterson scored 15 points.

Also in girls basketball:

• Byron-Bergen beat Alexander 43-34
• Kendall beat Notre Dame 33-19

There were no local boys' basketball games on Thursday.

Two people are reportedly injured after a snowmobile accident in the area of 6920 Norton Road.

The accident occurred on the old railroad bed just west of Norton Road.

The callers are going to attempt to make it to the roadway. 

Elba Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 10:33 a.m.: Mercy Flight on standby. Norton Road is being shut down.

UPDATE 10:48 a.m.: Mercy Flight not required at the scene.