elba

A reader sent us this photo of a new sign put up by the state Department of Transportation near Elba Central School on Route 98.

Did the DOT worker who installed the sign read it? Notice the 22-hour window of a.m. time.

Fines are higher on school days!

Speeding in a school zone is a violation of New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law 1180-(c). On days that school is in session, speeding in a school zone costs $90-$300 for going 1 to 10 mph over the limit; $180-$600 for going 11 to 30 mph over; and $360-$1,200 for going 31+ mph over.

When asked about complying with the law as currently posted, Elba Highway Superintendent Mark Youngfleisch retorted: "You mean I have to go 25 miles an hour at 3 a.m. when I'm plowing snow? I'm sure I'm not going to go 25 miles an hour at 3 a.m. when I'm plowing snow!"

Duh.

The Aggies won't get a chance to officially defend their 8-Man Football state championship because the other sections in the state dropped out of the competition, but with a convincing 60-34 win over Maple Grove in the Section V championship at St. John Fisher College, they left little doubt who is #1.

Ty Mott, who gained 202 yards, scored three touchdowns and intercepted two passes, was the game's most valuable player. 

Colton Dillon was the offensive player of the game. He rushed for 296 yards, giving him 1,473 yards on the season. He scored four times.

The defensive player of the game was Dylan Rykert who had eight tackles giving him 81 on the season. He also had two sacks. CJ Gottler had three sacks. Dillion had nine tackles.

The Batavian's coverage is the only Section V Athletics-authorized local coverage of the 8-Man championship.

Photos below by Kristin Smith. For more photos, click here, here, and here.

Large fenced in area for all your animals, a small shed and a cute gazebo! Inside features three good size bedrooms, kitchen with slider leading to outside deck and an awesome extra living/den/man cave with wet bar! Downstairs could be finished and also has pellet stove for supplemental heating if wanted. Great home and great location! Call today!

Please click here for more information on 0 Prole Road, Stafford.
Awesome almost 3.5 acre lot located in a great country spot but close to everything! Located in Byron Bergen School System -- this lot is ready for someone to come build their dream home or have a place to hang out have a fire and rip it up! Come take a walk! There are two separate 1.6 acre parcels (listed as MLS#) owner will sell separate or together for a great price!

Call Reliant Real Estate today to view any of one of our properties, call 344-HOME (4663) or visit us online!

The Oakfield-Alabama/Elba Aggies racked up 514 yards on their way to a 55-0 victory at Van Detta Stadium in the eight-man football Section V semifinal game against Frewsburg.

OA/Elba plays Mercy Grove at Van Detta at 1:30 p.m. next Saturday (Nov. 16) for the sectional championship.

QB Colton Dillon ran for 193 yards and scored three touchdowns. Ty Mott ran for 155 yards and scored two touchdowns and a two-point conversion.

Ty Kornow scored on a 59-yard run and Gaige Armbrewster scored on a 30-yard run. Nick Munger had a TD reception.

Peyton Yasses was involved in 18 tackles, Jayden Hughes and Dylan Rykert, 14 each, Alex Hoy, 13. Rykert had four sacks, CJ Gottler, three, and Yasses, Hughes, Dillon had one apiece. Joey Burdick had two interceptions.

The Batavian's sideline coverage is authorized by Section V Athletics.

Photos below by Kristin Smith. More photos available here and here.

Jazmyn Fredo captured this picture today of a bald eagle in Elba, off Pekin Road.

Submitted by Jessica Fredo.

A jury today declared Mark Daniel Tooley, 35, of Oak Orchard Road, Elba, not guilty of sex abuse charges involving a minor.

In January Tooley was arrested following a Grand Jury indictment stemming from a Sheriff's Office investigation. He was charged with: first-degree sexual abuse; acting in a manner injurious to a child less than 17; and first-degree criminal sex act.

He was accused of having sexual contact with a victim under the age of 13 on Main Road in Stafford on Dec. 24. The jurors acquitted him following a trial this week in Genesee County Court.

Submitted photo and press release:

Annual Foam Training was held for members of fire departments in Genesee and Orleans counties, with three-hour classroom sessions held in each of the counties followed up with a three-hour hands-on session held on Sept. 30 at the Genesee County Fire Training Center. 

The annual foam training centered on terminology related to firefighter suppression foam, application techniques, equipment, calculations used in accordance with NFPA 11 and water supply to perform foam firefighting or vapor suppression operations.

The 52 Genesee County participants were:  

ALABAMA

Press release:

Responding to concerns over the length of firefighting training programs, the NYS Office of Fire Prevention and Control has redesigned the Fire Officer I (FOI) program into five individual modules. Completion of all five modules will earn the participant a Fire Officer 1 certificate. 

Solid ranch on quiet pretty country road! This 3 bedroom, 1 and a half bath, home has a lot to offer for someone looking for country living. The yard is park-like with small outbuilding that has electric and water run to it and what used to be 4 kennels and large fenced in area for all your animals.

Also small shed and a cute gazebo! Inside features three good size bedrooms, kitchen with slider leading to outside deck and an awesome extra living/den/man cave with wet bar!

Downstairs could be finished and also has pellet stove for supplemental heating if wanted.

Great home and great location! Click here for more information on this listing & call Lynn Bezon. List with us today!

Joseph Charles Barone, 39, of North Pearl Street, Batavia is charged with: obstruction of government justice; second-degree harassment; unlawful possession of marijuana; and trespass. Barone was arrested at 2:04 a.m. on Sept. 21 at a business on East Main Street in Batavia after he allegedly refused to leave and attempted to strike an employee. He also allegedly physically resisted Batavia police. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on Oct. 1. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Arick Perkins, assisted by Officer Stephen Quider.

Jacob L. Hernandez, 25, of Holland Avenue, Batavia, is charged with criminal trespass in the second degree. He was arrested at 5:54 a.m. on Sept. 22 on Prune Street in Batavia after he allegedly entered a residence without permission and refused to leave. He was processed and is due in Batavia City Court on Oct. 1. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Mitchell Cowen, assisted by Arick Perkins.

Zachary John Gillard, 24, of West Avenue, Elba, is charged with driving while intoxicated, and aggravated driving while intoxicated -- a BAC of .18 percent or more. Gillard was arrested by Batavia Police Officer Peter Post at 2:44 a.m. Sept. 22 on East Main Street in the City of Batavia. He was arrested after a disturbance at a local business. He was subsequently release to a third party and is scheduled to be in Batavia City Court on Oct. 2. Batavia Police Officer Stephen Quider assisted in the arrest.

Andrew J. Rock, 33, of North Spruce Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt. He was arrested at 8:26 p.m. on Sept. 6 while in Genesee County Jail for allegedly contacting the protected party of a stay away order of protection. He was issued an appearance ticket for Oct. 1 in Batavia City Court, then released back into custody of the jail. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Quider.

Grace Crystal Murray, 20, of Pratt Road, Pavilion, is charged with petit larceny and conspiracy. She was arrested at 11:06 a.m. on Sept. 18 following a shoplifting incident at Dollar General on East Main Street in Batavia. She was released on an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on Oct. 1. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Jordan McGinnis, assisted by Officer Mitchell Cowen.

A motorcycle accident with injuries is reported at 7192 Pekin Road, Elba. The motorcyclist is down. Elba Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

This 3 bedroom, one and a half bath home has a lot to offer for someone looking for country living. The yard is park-like with small outbuilding that has electric and water run to it and what used to be four kennels and large fenced in area for all your animals. Also a small shed and a cute gazebo!

Inside features three good size bedrooms, kitchen with slider leading to outside deck and an awesome extra living/den/man cave with wet bar! Downstairs could be finished and also has pellet stove for supplemental heating if wanted.

Great home and great location! For more information on 6556 Miller Road in Elba, click here.

Submitted photo and press release:

Hard working and motivated are just two of the words that instructors used to describe Jay Lewis, who recently earned a Class B commercial driver's license through an Adult Education program of the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership.

A 2019 graduate of Genesee Community College (GCC) and 2017 graduate of Batavia City Schools (he graduated from high school at the age of 16), Lewis completed this CDL training while attending college full time.

Though this is no small feat, Lewis is modest about this accomplishment.

“I work part time at Torrey Farms, my cousin’s farm in Elba, and I knew that they needed drivers for their hay trucks, so I knew that it would be helpful to them if I earned my CDL license," Lewis said. "I thought that if I got this license, these skills could also help me to be more marketable in the future."

The 30-Hour CDL Class B License training course was a lesson in time management for Lewis.

“I’m grateful that the instructors were flexible with scheduling my coursework because I was able to fit this into my schedule of GCC classes,” Lewis said.

“The instructors were thorough and detailed," he said."Besides the specific training for this CDL Class B license, I learned so much about being a safe and aware driver, which is valuable training that any driver can apply."

Art Keicher is a CDL instructor for Adult Education at the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership, a position he’s held for 23 years.  He described Lewis as a solid student and also explained how the CDL Program is structured.

“Jay was a terrific student; he was eager to learn, always on time and very responsible," Keicher said. "He will be a great driver. We offer full- and part-time programs. The goal is to offer CDL instructional programs that work for everyone.

"So many people in this day and age change careers. We aim to meet the needs of our customers by being as flexible as possible so we can create a plan that works for everyone. That’s what trucking is all about."

The training includes one-to-one instructor-to-student training ratio, field training for highway, rural and city driving including day and nighttime traffic conditions. Defensive driving, backing, emergency procedures and safety are emphasized. Keicher noted the many opportunities available in this field.

“This is a great occupation!" Keicher said. "Where else can you invest six weeks of training and start in a career making between $40-45,000 per year? We see people who were financially struggling before they begin the training and after they completed the training, they now own a trucking company."

Lewis currently attends Rochester Institute of Technology, where he is studying Mechanical Engineering Technology. He continues to work part time at Torrey Farms.

The Genesee Valley Educational Partnership offers four different driving training programs including: two Class A License courses; a Class B course; and a School Bus Driver 42-Hour Program.

For more information about any of these Commercial Driver’s License Programs or any Adult Education Program, contact (585) 344-7704.

Top photo: Art Keicher, CDL Instructor, watches as Jay Lewis completes a tire check before operating a dump truck.

For the first day of school at Elba Central School, high school seniors were welcomed with poster-sized photos of their faces planted in the front lawn.

Photo submitted by Sharon Cole.