Motor-vehicle accident at Transit Road and Route 262
A motor-vehicle accident is reported in the area of Transit Road and Route 262. A car that was headed toward Byron is in the ditch.
Elba fire personnel are on location.
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Trailer fire in Elba
A trailer fire is reported in the area of Oak Orchard and Hundredmark roads. Elba Fire Department is called -- all manpower and equipment to the scene. Medics are also responding
UPDATE 12:25 p.m.: Injuries are minor.
Police Beat: Man wanted in Florida allegedly tries to flee from police
Ricky Allen Marsceill, 46, of 174 Ross St., Batavia, is accused of being a fugitive from justice. Marsceill was arrested by Batavia Police Det. Pat Corona on a warrant out of Florida. The underlying charge of the Florida warrant was not released. At 1:10 p.m., Wednesday, Corona approached Marsceill's residence on Ross Street and spotted Marsceill on a bicycle. Marsceill allegedly tried to flee on foot. Corona pursued Marsceill and Officer Jay Andrews responded to the scene. Marsceill was apprehended by Corona and Andrews on Manhatten Avenue. Marsceill was jailed without bail pending extradition to Florida. (Initial Report)
Randy K. Braun, 48, of Maier Lane, Caledonia, is charged with DWI, failure to keep right, moving from lane unsafely and uninspected vehicle. At 9:04 p.m., Wednesday, Deputy Matthew Butler responded to Route 63 in Bethany to investigate a report of a car off the road in a ditch. Braun was allegedly found to be the driver of the vehicle. He was arrested on suspicion of DWI and jailed on $1,000 bail.
Vesna Brongo, 41, of Cadillac Avenue, Rochester, was arrested on a warrant for alleged aggravated unlicensed operation. Brongo was taken into custody by Rochester Police and turned over to the Genesee County Sheriff's Office. Brongo was arraigned in Town of Elba Court and jailed on $250 bail.
A 14-year-old boy from Byron is charged with criminal sexual act with a child 11 years old or younger and endangering the welfare of a child. The name of the suspect was not released by State Police. The crime was reported Dec. 21. No further details were released.
Two-car accident in Village of Elba
A two-car accident partially blocking the roadway is reported in the Village of Elba south of the intersection of Route 98 and Chapel Road. No word on injuries.
Elba Fire Department is responding and/or a Sheriff deputy.
UPDATE 5:02: About 20 minutes ago, the first responder reported no accident was located in the vicinity.
Elba Presbyterians celebrate Christmas Eve in barn
For the 30th year, the Elba Presbyterian Church will gather in a barn on Transit Road to celebrate Christmas Eve. One hundred candles in milk jugs will line the roads leading to the Yunker Farm.
A star at the top of the loft window can be seen at the approach. A rough wooden manger will be the focal point, while a newborn baby and the parents will portray the Holy Family. Rows of seats for the congregation will be wooden planks held up by onion crates.
Event Date and Time
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Police Beat: Driver charged with DWI following accident in Elba
Robert David Cassatt, 23, of South Main Street, Elba, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, moving from lane unsafely, and driving at a speed that is not reasonable or prudent. Cassatt was charged following a vehicle accident at 1:20 a.m. in the area of 7733 Oak Orchard Road, Elba. The accident was investigated by Deputy Jason Saile.
Collin M. Camp, 19, of North Spruce Street, Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, unsafe speed for conditions and uninspected motor vehicle. Camp was charged following a traffic accident at 12:20 p.m., Dec. 5, on Byron Road, Stafford. Three people, including Camp, were injured in the accident.
Mandy Jean Fogarty, 21, of North State Road, Nunda, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Fogarty was charged following a vehicle accident at 11:30 p.m., Dec. 14, on Route 63 in Pavilion after Deputy Brian Thompson reported smelling the odor of marijuana coming from her car. Also charged with unlawful possession of marijuana was Amie Lynn Fogarty, 23, of North State Road, Nunda.
Mark Laney, 30, of Clinton Street Road, Bergen, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation, speeding (49 mph in a 30 mph zone) and unlawful possession of marijuana. Laney was stopped at 11:50 p.m., Dec. 12, by Deputy Brian Thompson on Route 262 in Elba.
Driver either swerved to avoid deer or fell asleep
A driver says he swerved to avoid a deer on North Byron Road this morning, which caused his car to go of the road and strike a tree.
The driver suffered minor facial cuts and did not require transport to a hospital.
Deputy Chris Parker, however, writes in his report, that he couldn't find evidence of a deer in the area.
"Investigating officer was unable to observe any fresh tracks near the roadway at the scene," Parker writes in his report. "No evasive maneuvers able to be observed prior to vehicle exiting the roadway. Appeared as driver may have fallen asleep as the tire tracks indicated a linear exit from the paved surface."
The driver, Joseph T. Bortle, 39, of Knowlesville Road, was not cited.
The accident occurred at 7:11 a.m. in the area of 5335 North Byron Road, Elba.
Police Beat: Man who argued with cabbie and cops arrested
Dorsie M. McGill Jr., 26, of 21 Buell St., Batavia, is charged with theft of services and resisting arrest. McGill allegedly got into an argument with a taxi driver over the amount of fare due, then struggled with police officers Frank Klimjack and James DeFreze when they attempted to take him into custody. McGill was jailed on $2,500 bail.
Vincent D. Henning, 33, of 610 Ellicott St., Batavia, is charged with two counts of petit larceny. Henning is accused of renting two laptop computers at two different rent-to-own stores and then selling the laptops to a pawn shop.
Veronica Garcia, 30, of 2414 Walker Road, Alexander, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle and speeding. Garcia was stopped at 10:59 p.m., Friday, on Pearl Street Road by Officer Dan Coffey.
Melissa Courtney Kent, 19, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and consumption of alcohol inside a motor vehicle. Kent was charged following a call at 1:56 a.m., Saturday, of a car off the road on Route 5 in Pembroke.
Ricky Dean Newbould, 52, of Oak Orchard Road, Elba, is charged with felony DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, failure to keep right and improper right turn. Newbould was arrested following the investigation of a motor-vehicle accident at 5:01 a.m., Sunday, on Hundredmark Road, Elba.
Troy Damien Schimley, 17, of Clifton Avenue, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, failure to keep right and operating a vehicle in violation of a restricted license. Schimley was stopped at 2:39 a.m., Sunday, by Deputy Kevin McCarthy on Wortendyke Road, Batavia.
Vidis E. Malejs, 73, of Buffalo, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and failure to yield right-of-way. Malejs was charged following a report of a property damage accident at 6:20 p.m., Saturday, on Park Road.
Tammy J. Green, 40, of Attica, is charged with DWI, aggravated driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, unsafe start. Green was reportedly involved in a property damage accident at 9 p.m., Saturday, in the parking lot of Alabama Tee Off, on Route 77 in Alabama.
Adam Lee Leaton, 20, of Caswell Road, Byron, is charged with unlawful dealing with a child. Leaton is accused of hosting an underage drinking party.
Jamie L. Broadbent, 27, of 60 Swan St., Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Broadbent is accused of shoplifting a six-pack of soft drinks and over-the-counter medication from Tops Market.
Tyler P. Schroeder, 18, of Oak Street, Oakfield, is charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Schroeder is accused of allowing a 14-year-old to drive the car of another person. A 17-year-old was also in the vehicle. The car was stopped by Deputy James Diehl at 6:36 p.m., Saturday, at the intersection of Pratt and Kelsey roads, Batavia. The 14-year-old was referred to Genesee County Family Court.
Dean Norton re-elected as NY Farm Bureau president
Here's a news release sent today from the NY Farm Bureau.
ALBANY -- Dean Norton, a dairy farmer and agricultural consultant from Elba, was re-elected as president of New York Farm Bureau, the state’s largest general farm organization, during the organization’s state annual meeting in Melville, Long Island.
“I am proud to have the opportunity to continue to lead this organization as we face a time of tremendous challenges in the agricultural community,” Norton said. “It’s an opportunity to make a difference in the ability of our farms to continue into the next generation.
"We face both unparalleled challenges and unparalleled opportunities, and need to find better ways, quickly, to maximize the connection between New York farmers and New York consumers, in order to keep the next generation farming.”
Norton is a senior agriculture consultant for Freed, Maxick & Battaglia in Batavia. His family dairy farm also manages a custom trucking operation for forage and commodity harvesting.
He has served as New York Farm Bureau’s president since 2008. His term lasts two years.
New York Farm Bureau is a statewide agricultural organization that represents nearly 30,000 member families.
Photo: File photo of Dean Norton.
Police Beat: Trio of youths accused of breaking into cars in Le Roy
A 17-year-old from Le Roy and a 16-year-old from Stafford are charged with petit larceny, trespass and conspiracy, 6th. The two youths were allegedly observed by officers Robert Tygart and Emily Clark of the Le Roy Police Department running through backyards on Hilltop Drive. The two youths were allegedly going through vehicles in the area and taking items from the cars. The suspects were located by following footprints in the snow. A 15-year-old was also involved and he was referred to Family Court. (Note: In most cases The Batavian does not release the names of youths under 18 involved in minor crimes. In this case, the Le Roy Police Department did not release the names.)
Alissa A. Fodge, 21, 7705 W. Bergen Road, Bergen, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and speeding. Fodge was stopped at 3:25 a.m., Saturday, on Ellicott Street by Officer Kevin DeFelice.
Martin F. Jones, 39, of 10 S. Main St., Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Jones is accused of striking a woman at her residence on Spencer Court.
Jamie Marie Hamill, 33, of Lockport Road, Elba, is charged with grand larceny, 4th, and offering a false instrument for filing, 1st. Hamill was arrested following an investigation by Genesee County Social Services stemming from an incident first reported in June 2009.
Elba man accused of sexual contact with child under 11
A 25-year-old Elba man is being charged with sexual abuse in the first degree following his arrest for allegedly having sexual contact with a child under 11 years old.
Rigoberto Aguilar, of Oak Orchard Road, was jailed on $25,000 bail.
Aguilar was taken into custody following a 9-1-1 call at 3 a.m., Friday.
Tree limb reportedly on wires on Quaker Hill Road
A tree limb has fallen across electrical wires in the area of 6173 Quaker Hill Road.
The wires are arcing and sparking.
Elba Fire is responding.View Larger Map
Elba students build robots one Lego at a time
Here's a news release submitted by Elba resident Chantal Zambito, co-coach of Elba's FIRST Lego team; please see the Aug. 5 article:
On Saturday, Nov. 20 the NXT Lancers Team from Elba competed in the Finger Lakes Regional Foundation for the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Qualifier Tournament.
It took place at Churchville-Chili High School.
Five students made up the Lancers' team: Christian Gerould, Garrett Sinemus, Evan Hare, Colin Hunt and Johnny Zambito.
They used LEGO kits to build robots programmed to perform specific tasks.
Over the course of eight weeks, they designed, researched, built, programmed, tested and refined a fully autonomous robot capable of completing various missions.
This year’s theme, "Body Forward Challenge," explored the cutting-edge world of biomedical engineering.
Participants learned about innovative ways this science is used to repair injuries, overcome genetic predispositions, and maximize the body’s potential -- with the goal of helping people lead healthier, happier lives.
The NXT Lancers designed a hockey helmet with a visual warning, airbag, and damping system to help a player avoid a concussion if they were body checked during a game.
The boys performed a newscast skit using themselves as "emergency medical technicians" and expert "doctors" to present their invention to a panel of judges. They were limited to five minutes.
The team was then asked questions about their project for another five minutes. The judges commented, “Great presentation and teamwork. We really like how you researched concussions and included an explanation of them in your skit.”
Next, the robot design judges interviewed the team. They talked about the construction of the robot and its programming. The judges were interested in what the team came up with to solve problems and what they considered to be the best parts of the robot.
The NXT Lancers demonstrated several of the robot's programs during their interview. The technical presentation judge commented: “Sturdy robot, nice consistency with the robot arm and good documentation.”
Then it was on to the robot performance rounds. Each team performed in three rounds, each lasting two-and-a-half minutes.
The team scored a total of 205 points, winning one of the three rounds -- an exceptional accomplishment for their first qualifier event.
In all, there were 21 teams, seven of which will go on to the RIT competition.
Saturday was a nonstop day of preparing and presenting. The team members worked hard and their determination was amazing, according to co-coach Evelyn Hunt.
Next, they will be preparing for an exhibition competition at Genesee Community College on March 17 during the GLOW region Tech Wars.
The Elba team is looking for more members, especially girls. Robotics are not just for boys! (In fact, there were two all-girl teams at the Nov. 20 competition and one of them earned the highest award. Both are going on to the next round.)
Elba students provided with information on cyberbullying
Deputy Tim Wescott and Youth Officer John Dehm were at Elba School this morning to talk with students about cyberbulling and Facebook and mobile phone safety. They explained how to avoid cyberbullying and the legal implications.
Photo and information submitted by Jason Smith.
Structure fire on Pine Street in Oakfield
A structure fire, believed to have begun in a bedroom, is reported at 7154 Pine St. in Oakfield. It's off of Maple Avenue, the last street coming out of the village.
Oakfield, Alabama and Elba fire units are called to respond.
UPDATE 12:56 a.m.: Firefighters are working on extricating people from the building.
UPDATE 12:58 a.m.: An investigator requested to the scene. At least one person is out of the building and requires medical attention.
UPDATE 1:06 a.m.: National Grid notified. No ETA.
UPDATE 1:24 a.m.: Fire's been knocked out.
UPDATE: Further updates on this fire will be available in the morning.
Smell of electrical fire reported in house in Elba
The smell of a possible electrical fire is reported at a house located at 30 Chapel St. in Elba.
Elba Fire Department is called to respond.
UPDATE (7 p.m.): Firemen on scene say nothing was found. Elba fire is back in service.
Stove fire reported at home on Drake Street Road
A stove fire is being reported at 4325 Drake St. Road, Elba.
Elba and Town of Batavia fire departments are being dispatched.
UPDATE 12:18 a.m.: Smoke in the residence. Fire was in a self-cleaning oven and it appears to be out. Town of Batavia Engine 24 returning to the station.
19th Century couple's headstones returned to Elba
It's a mystery that may never been solved: How did the headstones of Thomas and Elizabeth Reay wind up on a former Batavia resident's property in Bethany?
The Reays lived and died in the 19th Century and were buried in Elba's Maple Avenue Cemetery.
The woman who owns the property where the stones have been kept for years, if not decades, told Deputy Chief Jerome Brewster of the Genesee County Sheriff's Office that her uncle stole the headstones a long time ago.
Brewster said the displaced headstones have bothered her for years and she wanted to find a way to return them but wasn't sure what to do.
Nobody in Elba, however, knew they were missing.
Steve Davis, the current cemetery caretaker said that as best as he can figure, the Reays' headstones were replaced in the 1950s.
It's impossible to know if they were replaced because the old stones were stolen or the family wanted to have uniform headstones for its plot.
The family is Graham, but not the Grahams who currently reside in Elba and Oakfield, as near as our research can determine.
Barbara Graham, and other residents confirm, that up until the 1970s, two sisters named Graham lived alone in Elba. Barbara Graham believes they were distant cousins of her late husband's.
There is an Agnes and Carolyn Graham buried in the same plot as the two current headstones for the Reays. The group of headstones all uniformly match.
Thomas Reay dies Aug. 1, 1887 at the age of 89. His wife Elizabeth died in 1893.
We can find no Reays currently living in Genesee County.
If the headstones were stolen, the statute of limitations has surely run out, according to Brewster. Besides, the supposedly "slightly wild uncle" who took credit for the theft is long ago deceased.
The location of the headstones came to light when a reader contacted The Batavian anonymously a couple of weeks before Halloween and said he knew about some headstones stolen from a graveyard in Elba.
We contacted Brewster to see if there were any reports of stolen headstones. There was nothing on record, but ever the investigator, Brewster began the process of tracking down the property owner -- who now lives in New Mexico -- and seeing what she had to say about the headstones.
According to Brewster, she eagerly gave him permission to go onto her land and retrieve the stones so they could be returned to Elba.
The Elba Historical Society took possession of the stones today and will display them on their property.
Even though recovering the headstones brought no criminals to justice, so to speak, Brewster said he felt like getting them back to where they belonged was a good deed.
"It feels good when you can do something to give back a little bit," Brewster said.
Pictured above are incoming society president Ron Komer, society member Earl Roth, Chief Brewster board member June Rowcliffe.
Elba/BB drops Section V playoff game to Holley
The Lancers' offense never quite got untracked and the defense was a bit too porous at Marina Auto Stadium in Rochester on Saturday as Elba/Byron-Bergen dropped a Section V semi-final playoff game to first seed Holley, 0-29.
Holley out gained Elba/BB 259 to 141 yards, including 169 on the ground compared to 80 rushing yards for the Lancers.
Elba/BB coach Michael Cintorino said Holley simply got the job done.
"There were probably a couple of missed opportunities, but Holley has a great team," said Cintorino. "They’re very disciplined and strong and they’re very well coached. Today they did their job. I’m not saying we didn’t do ours, but they just did a better job."
Even so, Cintorino said, he told his players they could be proud of their season.
They had a great season," he said. "There were a lot of people who doubted they could get this far. They had a great year. Obviously, it didn’t end the way we wanted it to, but they have nothing to be ashamed of."
Zack DuBois (pictured above) led the Elba/BB offense with 52 yards on 14 attempts, while Dylan Bordanaro was held to 22 yards on 11 carries.
QB Eric Kowalik was 7 for 18 with two interceptions, tossing the ball for a total of 68 yards.
The Lancers never advanced the ball into the red zone.
To purchase pictures from this game, click here.
More pictures after the jump:
Utility trailer catches on fire in Elba
A fire inside a "utility trailer" is reported at 5989 Oak Orchard Road in Elba. It is off the roadway.
Elba Fire Department is responding.
