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It took two overtimes but in the end, Notre Dame prevailed over Elba in a fiercely contested match on Tuesday night.

The Fighting Irish came out on top 58-53.

Gabe Macdonald led the Fighting Irish with 18 points. Mark Sanders scored 12. Cody Henry and  Keith Szczepanski had 10 each, and Colin McCulley
scored eight.

For the Lancers, Colton Dillion led Elba with 23 points. Zach Marsceill hit four three-pointers and had 15 total points. Jaden Hughes scored seven.

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Press release:

Nate McMurray, Democrat running in the Special Election in NY-27 to fill the vacancy left by the disgraced felon Chris Collins, has called for ethics reforms in light of multiple members of Congress resigning after guilty pleas and Chris Collins repaying himself over $100,000 from a decades-old campaign loan.

McMurray is calling for Congressional pensions to be forfeited if the member resigns after a felony guilty plea. He first called for pension forfeiture in an October letter to the judge overseeing Collins’ case after Collins pled guilty. Now, McMurray plans to introduce legislation to codify pension forfeiture for members of Congress who break the public’s trust.

“Taxpayer-funded pensions should not go to corrupt Members of Congress who abuse the public’s trust. Americans from California to Western New York deserve better,” McMurray said. “No felon former Congressmember should continue to profit off of their crimes.

"We will send a clear message to every dirty politician -- Chris Collins, Duncan Hunter, and anybody else, Democrat or Republican that they will pay when they break our trust.”

Collins, a multimillionaire, also paid himself back over $140,000 for a personal loan he gave to his 1998 campaign. McMurray also announced plans to introduce legislation to stop this corrupt practice by requiring the repayment of personal loans within two years of the election

“Political campaigns should not be personal piggybanks, and we must close loopholes that allow someone like Collins to raise money and put it into his own pocket twenty years later,” McMurray said.

McMurray also criticized Collins’ efforts to seek a light sentence for his crimes.

“Chris Collins must pay his debt to society and to the voters he lied to and cheated. The rich and powerful should not dictate the terms of our criminal justice system and the U.S. Probation Office should not be recommending a slap on the wrist to one of the president’s cronies after he committed multiple felonies,” McMurray said.

Kim Smith is a candidate for the 61st State Senate District. Yesterday she stopped in Batavia at the Richmond Memorial Library as part of what she calls a "listening tour," a chance for her to hear from residents of the district about what is important to them. This video is a quick introduction to the candidate.

Mobile app users, click here to view the video

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Press release:

Today, New York State Senator Rob Ortt, Army combat veteran and candidate for New York’s 27^th Congressional District, is calling for the State Legislature to take action on Senate Bill 5156, which would amend and strengthen the 2012 passage of the state’s Iran Divestment Act. This legislation would amend the current language of the Iran Divestment Act, conforming current definitions to fit state law.

"New York shouldn't be investing in a country in the business of killing American citizens and military personnel or support a fundamentalist regime committed to wiping Israel off the map,” Ortt said. “Rather than condemning the legitimate use of force in killing one of the leading architects of terrorism across the Middle East (Qasem Soleimani), Senate Democrats should send an unequivocal message that Iran's disturbing past and current aggression is wholly unacceptable.

"Senate Republicans prioritized and passed this important legislation for several years and it is time for Democrats to get on board and condemn this terror-sponsoring, American-killing, the anti-Semitic Iranian regime."

Ortt believes that Iran’s mounting aggression and recent threats necessitate immediate action by New York lawmakers. Senate Republicans successfully passed this bill from 2015-2018, but Senate Democrats have yet to take it up for a vote. The bill memo and justification notes that Iranian leaders have repeatedly sought to target New York City should they acquire a nuclear weapon, putting at risk the health and safety of New Yorkers.

Ortt also contrasted the inaction on Iran with state and national Democrat calls to divest from Israel.

Press release:

Congressional Candidate (NY-27) and State Senator Chris Jacobs announced if elected to Congress he will reintroduce legislation sponsored by former Congressman Chris Collins. The legislation would eliminate New York’s Scaffold Law for federally funded projects in the State and protect taxpayers.

“New York is the last state in the country that still has the outdated Scaffold Law, which was enacted in the 1800s when there were very little regulations on the construction industry," Jacobs said. "The law imposes absolute liability on the owner or contractor if a worker is injured in a fall, no matter how irresponsible the worker’s actions.

"For instance, a worker could be completely drunk and if he fell off even a stepladder, the owner would be completely liable in a lawsuit.”

Due to the Scaffold Law, New York State is home to many more frivolous lawsuits at construction sites and workplaces, and consequently, New York has some of the highest insurance costs.

In New York State a typical single-family home can cost up to $10,000 more as a result of the Scaffold Law. The taxpayer-funded new Tappan Zee Bridge project paid $200 million more in insurance costs due to New York’s Scaffold Law.

“This all translates into construction projects costing more and inevitably taxpayers paying more,” Jacobs said. He continued, “in a state that already has a $6.1 billion budget deficit, we can not afford to put more wasteful costs on the backs of taxpayers.”

The legislation Jacobs will reintroduce –called the Infrastructure Expansion Act— requires that states receiving federal money for projects will not be able to use the Scaffold Law absolute liability standard due to the unnecessary increases it causes in project costs.

“We are no longer going to waste taxpayer money on an outdated law that every other state except New York has eliminated long ago,” Jacobs said. "Hopefully passage of this legislation and the risk of losing federal money will cause state leaders to finally eliminate the Scaffold Law, saving New York taxpayers millions.”

Press release:

Congressional Candidate (NY-27) and State Senator Chris Jacobs announced a congressional endorsement from the New York Young Republican Club. The club made the decision to endorse Jacobs recently after Jacobs delivered the keynote address at their annual holiday gathering.

“This endorsement is a large honor for me as I continue to build my Congressional Campaign to represent the State of New York," Jacobs said. "Young Republicans are the future of this party and their support makes me confident that we can work together to build a party that is strong and vibrant for future generations.

"In a time where Republicans, especially younger ones, are vilified it is inspiring to see so many individuals confident and energized to stand up for their beliefs. I look forward to working with The New York Young Republican Club, and other organizations alike, in Congress to bring our message of solutions, innovation, and conservative values to the nation.”

The New York Young Republican Club was established in 1911. They are the oldest and largest Young Republican club in the United States. The Club is affiliated with and officially recognized by the New York State Young Republicans and the Young Republican National Federation, as well as the county, state and national Republican committees.

NYYRC President Gavin Wax said, “I am proud to announce that our organization has endorsed Chris Jacobs in his Congressional Campaign. Our Club represents the future of the Republican Party and we believe that Chris Jacobs is the best candidate to go down to Washington to represent the conservative values that both the people of Western New York and the youth movement within our party holds dear.”

At $821, the average weekly earnings of a Genesee County resident is on the lower end of wages paid in New York and well below the national average of $1,095 and the New York State average of $1,347.

It's also lower than the other GLOW counties: Livingston, $859; Orleans, $891; Wyoming, $885.

Downstate counties and Albany are where the state's highest wage earners are, of course, with New York City workers earning $2,109 per week on average.

Erie County's average is $986. Monroe County is $1,009.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (a federal agency), "Forty-two of New York’s 44 counties with employment below 75,000 had average weekly wages below the national average of $1,095. Steuben ($1,127) and Schenectady ($1,115) were the exceptions. Yates and Hamilton counties reported the lowest average weekly wages at $690 and $691, respectively."

Statement from David Bertola, spokesman for National Grid in WNY, about yesterday's power outage:

A faulty piece of equipment that caused a Le Roy area substation to fail yesterday at around 9:08 a.m.
As a result, around 5,500 customers lost power. Around 5,000 of those customers had power restored by 2 p.m.

The remaining were restored by around midnight.

Press release from AAA:

Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $2.58, no change since last week. One year ago, the price was $2.24. The New York State average is $2.72 – up 2 cents from last week. A year ago, the NYS average was $2.59. AAA Western and Central New York (AAA WCNY) reports the following averages:

• Batavia -- $2.66 (no change since last week)
• Buffalo -- $2.65 (no change since last week)
• Ithaca -- $2.70 (up 4 cents since last week)
• Rochester -- $2.69 (down 1 cent since last week)
• Rome -- $2.69 (up 4 cents since last week)
• Syracuse -- $2.64 (up 4 cents since last week)
• Watertown -- $2.71 (up 3 cents since last week)

Gas prices were expected to be lower at the start of the new year, but with oil prices on the rise, motorists are still awaiting a drop at the pump.

Oil prices continue to rise and that directly impacts pump prices. Analysts are keeping a close eye on escalating tensions in the Middle East. The death of the Iranian leader in a U.S. airstrike could eventually lead to higher gas prices.

However, the U.S. has increased domestic production in recent years, so the country is in a better position than in the past.

From GasBuddy:

"To start the first week of a new decade, the national average has seen little change, but with the U.S. targeting and Iranian general in an attack last week, there is a distinct possibility that escalations in tensions may have an affect on gas prices moving forward," said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy.

"For now, there's been no physical disruption or retribution from Iran, but it has been promised. Oil markets have risen on the rising risk of Iran retaliating, but until it happens, don't expect gas prices to see much of a jump.

"For now, I could see a small 5-10 cent per gallon increase over the next couple of weeks, but the real potential for fireworks at the pump will be contingent on retaliation, and whether that retaliation targets oil infrastructure like Iran struck last year. For now we're in limbo, but typically gas prices decline slightly in January and February thanks to seasonally weak gasoline demand."

Photos and information submitted by Coach Matt Holman.

SWAIN -- The Batavia Ski Team and Southern Tier Race League began their race season Saturday at Swain Resort with a double race.

Two runs of Giant Slalom in the morning, followed by a single run of slalom in the afternoon.

It was an above-average temperature day for ski racing, spring-like conditions and morning mist turned to sleet and back to rain that making the top layer of snow soft and lumpy like mashed potatoes and also exposed the hard-packed ice base in spots of Wheels Run at Swain.

The Batavia Alpine Ski Team had a successful day, senior Aubrey Towner had the best finish of her career and led the way in fourth place in the giant slalom, and sixth in slalom. Junior Lily Whiting came in ninth in giant slalom and 13th in the slolam. Junior Zack Wagner finished in 11th in giant slalom and 12th in the slalom on the boys' side.

Modified skiers Lily Wagner (11th/13th), Ethan Bradley (12th/12th), Ben Stone (16th/18th), Elijah Abdella (18th/15th), Brody Swinehart (23rd/20th) and Abby Bestine (24th/23rd) all had strong first races.

The ski team will next compete at Swain on Wednesday, in a two-run Giant Slalom race at 5:30 p.m.

Team photo: Aubrey Towner, Lily Wagner, Lily Whiting, Elijah Abdella, Abby Bestine, Zack Wagner, Ben Stone, Ethan Bradley, and Brody Swinehart.

Zack Wagner

Aubrey Towner

A car and tractor-trailer accident is reported in the eastbound lane of the Thruway around mile marker 385.6.

Unknown injuries if any.

Town of Batavia fire and Mercy EMS responding.

A power outage has hit a major portion of the east side of Genesee County with more than 5,000 National Grid customers without power.

National Grid reports it is assessing the situation. There is no estimated time for power restoration at this time.

The power outage affects Le Roy, much of Stafford, Bethany, Byron, and South Byron and into Bergen.

UPDATE 11:10 a.m.: Crews have been assigned. Estimated time of restoration, 5:15 p.m.

UPDATE 3:26 p.m.: We're not sure when power was restored but according to National Grid, power has been restored to all but fewer than five customers.

At about 1:30 p.m. today a Stafford resident thought he saw a dog fall through the ice at Horseshoe Lake and after the dog didn't reemerge from the water, he called emergency dispatch.

Stafford fire along with the water rescue team from City of Batavia fire responded but the prospects appeared grim. The dog was nowhere to be seen, there was no motion in the area where the dog reportedly went in, and 15 minutes may have already passed.

Still, the water rescue team went about its task of inflating its boats and slipping into cold water gear.

Then a call came over the radio, "tell them not to go into the water yet."

A second later, a deputy received a phone call, "It's not a dog?" he said to the person who called him.

It turns out, another resident has been aware of what was going on all along but wasn't aware emergency crews had been dispatched. Mike Mullen, a retired City firefighter, had seen the animal out on the frozen lake and spied it through his binoculars. His wife grabbed her camera and a long lens and took pictures. It was an otter eating a fish.

Every once in a while, the otter would dive back in the water with its giant catch of the day and then come back up on the ice to surface to feast some more.

"Without binoculars, it would look like a dog struggling," Mullen said.

When his wife had to leave the house a short time later, she spotted the police and fire response and Mullen came out with the camera, with its LCD screen on the back to show the pictures, and let everybody know, "it's just an otter."

(Initial Post) (Mobile App users, click here to view the video)

The Batavia Blue Devils fought through a couple of lead changes against local rival Notre Dame on Friday night in the championship game of the 31st Annual Rotary Tournament but prevailed in the end, 53-46.

Mackenzie Reigle scored 22 points on the night and was named the tournament's MVP.

Reigle's scoring included a pair of three-pointers while Bryn Wormley added 13 points, hitting four three-pointers in the second and third quarters. Emma Krolczyk scored nine points.

For Notre Dame, Morgan Rhodes scored 20 points, hitting a pair of threes along the way. Amelia McCulley, who fouled out with about 1:30 left in the game, scored 15. Lindsay Weidman scored six points.

In the consolation game, Pembroke beat Le Roy 59-49. It's the most points the 7-1 team has scored on the season. It is also the most points the Lady Dragons have allowed. Serene Calderon scored 17 points as did Nicole Von Kramer. Von Kramer hit five three-point shots. Mackenna Johnson scored 11 points. Jillian Curtis scored 12 points for Le Roy. Bryn Luckey added 11 and Kailyn Tresco scored nine.

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Jackson Briggs, son of Batavia Blue Devils football Coach Brennan Briggs, made his first snowman today, finishing it this morning in advance of the Buffalo Bills' playoff game today in Houston.

Photo submitted by Brennan Briggs.

There's a report of a dog falling through the ice in the area of 5420 Horseshoe Lake Road, Stafford.

Stafford fire is responding.

UPDATE 1:36 p.m.: The city's Water Rescue team is called to provide mutual aid.

UPDATE 1:46 p.m.: A source on scene says the dog has been in the water for about 15 minutes. It was last seen about 100 yards from the shoreline in the icy pond. It is no longer visible. The owner is not known.

UPDATE 1:57 p.m.: Rescuers made contact with another witness who reported the animal that went in the water was not a canine. The witness, Mike Mullen, retired City of Batavia fireman, subsequently told The Batavian that it was a river otter, and the witness said he watched it for a while. The otter had captured a fish that was as large as the otter itself. The otter proceeded to eat the fish, sometimes diving in the water with the fish, coming back out, and gnawing on it some more. "If you didn't have binoculars, it might look like a dog struggling in the water," Mullen said. 

UPDATE: Photo by Mike Mullen. We have a video interview with Mullen we'll post later.

A trial date has been set for accused murderer Quinten Edmonds, who is accused of stabbing a Batavia man to death on Ross Street after the man tried to help protect a woman whom he apparently believed was being attacked by Edmonds.

The trial could begin May 20 if there is no plea agreement prior to the plea cutoff date of Feb. 19.

No plea offer was discussed in court and District Attorney Lawrence Friedman said outside of court that there is no plea offer on the table. He indicated, however, that he would listen to anything the defense might propose.

Edmonds is charged with second-degree murder, a Class A-1 felony. He is accused of killing Good Samaritan Michael R. Paladino outside Paladino's Ross Street home at 12:44 a.m., June 1.

Fred Rarick, appointed attorney, represented Edmonds, who once before refused to show up for court. During today's proceedings in front of Judge Charles Zambito in County Court, Rarick said that his client had requested a change of attorney, that Edmonds wanted to hire his own attorney, and wanted to address the court.

Then after Zambito said OK, Edmonds apparently told Rarick he didn't wish to speak. Rarick and Edmonds and a short, quiet exchange and then Rarick told Zambito that Edmonds didn't want to speak and there was no further discussion of a change of attorneys.

On Dec. 13, Edmonds appeared in court for a hearing on the admissibility of evidence at his trial, specifically the identification in a walk-by of Edmonds as the suspect by witnesses shortly after the stabbing. Zambito ruled against the motion in a written statement delivered to the attorneys prior to today's hearing.

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Le Roy and Batavia battled it out Thursday night at Genesee Community College in a Rotary Tournament first-round game but the Lady Blue Devils managed to pull away in the fourth quarter for a 46-39 win.

Kenzie Reigle scored 19 points for Batavia. Emma Krolczyk scored 13 and Bryn Wormly, who hit two three-pointers early in the first quarter to give Batavia a lead it soon lost, scored eight.

For Le Roy, Kailyn Tresco scored 11 points, Jullian Curtis, nine, and Bryn Luckey, six. Tresco hit three-point shots in the first and fourth quarters.

The Rotary championship game is at 7:45 at GCC tonight, pitting Notre Dame vs. Batavia.

Bonus Video: Batavia's fifth- and sixth-grade girls basketball players playing a half-time scrimmage.

The Notre Dame Girls Basketball Team, ranked number 19 in the state in Class D, upset the Pembroke Lady Dragons, ranked #4 in Class C, in a first-round Rotary Championship game at Genesee Community College on Thursday night.

The Lady Irish won 33-28.

Amelia McCulley (top photo) scored 20 points for ND. Morgan Rhodes scored six.

For Pembroke, Serene Calderon, MacKenna Johnson, and Emily Peters, all scored six points each.

Photos by Philip Casper.

Mackenna Johnson

Serene Calderon

Dekari Moss

Montana Weedman