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Candido Candelaria III, 26, of East State Street, Albion, is charged with: felony DWI; felony driving with a BAC of .18 or greater; first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation; consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle; following too closely; driver's view obstructed; and leaving the scene of a property damage accident. Candelaria was reportedly involved in an accident at 12:12 p.m., Thursday, on Clinton Street Road, Le Roy, which was investigated by Deputy Kevin Forsyth. Candelaria reportedly has two DWI convictions in the past 10 years.

Mikhail Alexander MacPherson, 35, of Gully Road, Le Roy, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th, menacing, 3rd, and unlawful imprisonment, 2nd. MacPherson allegedly prevented a victim from calling for emergency assistance or leaving a residence during a dispute reported at 12:32 a.m. Friday on Gully Road, Le Roy.

Keith Smith shared this picture of a capsized boat on Route 19 near North Road, Bergen, from about 3 p.m. yesterday. We have no other information on the accident.

Reader Chris Brush says he and his family were heading to church this morning when they spotted a black bear off Judge Road, Alabama.

"We were passing by a cornfield on the north side of the road between Gorton and Maple when we saw the bear. Looked as though he was wanting to cross the road to the south side of 63. We turned around to see if he was still there, and found him about 10-15 yards from the edge of the road."

The map, he says, is of the approximate area where they saw the bear.  

Billie and I are heading out of town for four days. We celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary on Tuesday.

We're going to take as much time off as we can, work as little as possible. There are some news stories coming in but we won't have a scanner with us.

I won't post Deal of the Day while away. I may or may not do polls. We'll see.

A shed fire is reported at 10035 Perry Road, Pavilion.

The shed is reportedly about 25 feet from the house. The location is just south of Junction Road.

Pavilion, Le Roy and Caledonia dispatched.

UPDATE 11:27 p.m.: Working structure fire, two structures involved, "with exposure problems."

UPDATE 11:43 p.m.: Bergen requested to stand by at the Bergen hall.

It was Firefighters Fun Day at The Ridge in Le Roy today, with the families and volunteers from Le Roy and Caledonia participating along with other guests of Frostridge Campground in games, auctions, a concert, and a cookout.

We were there during the waterslide fun.

There was a community event with Mercy EMS at Lambert Park yesterday and Dayne Burroughs spotted Officer Christopher Lindsay in the midst of an intense game of Jenga with two of the children who attended and sent us these pictures.

"It's so nice to see the community and police interacting positively, with smiles and laughter," Burroughs said. "Batavia still is a 'small town' in some ways."

The Muckdogs found both incredible highs and lows in their split doubleheader with the Auburn Doubledays on a late Friday night. The Muckdogs took game one in a sixth-innings comeback that gave them a 4-1 win, but dropped the second game of the twin bill in extras, as Auburn walked it off for the 4-3 win.

The first game saw a pair of incredible starts by both teams’ pitchers. Peyton Culbertson went four innings and allowing just one run. Francys Peguero went the same distance into the game, all shutout frames and gave up just three hits.

In the sixth inning of the first seven-inning game, Batavia found their spark to come back. Ricardo Cespedes took what he thought was ball four, and was able to get to second base because Auburn catcher Adalberto Carillo could not get to the baseball right away sitting at the backstop. He did not go right after it because he had thought the pitch hit Cespedes. Doubleday’s manager Jared Head went to discuss, and in the end, Cespedes was sent back to first after ruling that he was hit by the pitch. It didn’t matter all too much because in the next at-bat, Sean Reynolds blasted his 12th home run of the season to get the Muckdogs in front 2-1.

The rally continued with two outs. Davis Bradshaw, the newest Mukckdog outfielder picked up his second hit of the day with a ground ball through the left side hole. He then stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Gunnar Schubert walked and took second on that same wild pitch. Both Bradshaw and Schubert would get home on two more wild pitches from Colin Morse to put Batavia in front 4-1.    

Jameson McGrane and Zach Wolf came in to finish the final three innings of game one. They were both locked in, not allowing a run to score, winning just the second game of the season against the Doubledays.

Game two did not fare as well for the Muckdogs. It was another low-scoring game that did not see runs until the seventh inning. Again, the starters Bryce Howe and Angell Guillen held their opposition scoreless in their starts. Dylan Cyphert was able to lock down the Doubledays as well, setting up for Batavia to take the lead and the win in the last inning.

Angel Guillen, on the other side, went six shutout innings in his second spot start of the season. However, Tanner Driskill could not be as dominant.

The first runs of the game came from Batavia’s bats. Bubba Hollins notched his second single of the day for Batavia with one out in the top of the seventh. That brought Michael Donadio to the dish. He clubbed a monster home run over the right field wall to give the Muckdogs the lead, plus an insurance run.

The bottom of the seventh did not go as well. Elkin Alcala came on looking for his fifth save of the season. He allowed the first four batters to reach base, partially due in part to an error from Alcala trying to start a double play at second base. Jose Sanchez hit a line drive single up the middle to score the tying run. He would make his way to third as the winning run, but Alcala did get out of the jam by striking out Israel Pineda.           

In extra innings, where the Muckdogs are now 2-3 on the season, Gerardo Nunez reached base on his fielder’s choice bunt, that set up Brayan Hernandez to drive in Pablo Garcia to put the Muckdogs back in front 3-2. Batavia loaded the bases later in the inning after a Sean Reynolds walk, but could not cash in, which proved to be costly.

The bottom of the eighth did not see a single out recorded for Batavia. Pablo O’Connor was swinging to start off the inning, and a ground ball that skipped off of Nunez’ glove put runners on the corners with no outs. Jamori Blash drove in the tying run, putting the winning run on second base. Carson Shaddy drew a walk to load the bases, still with no outs. It felt more of a matter of when, not if, the Doubledays would score that run. Justin Connell had the answer: a four-pitch walk to walk it off for the Doubledays, and win 4-3.

The second day and third game of the series pickup with a 6:30 p.m. first pitch in Auburn. The final game of the series comes Sunday, before Batavia heads back to West Virginia for a three-game set with the Black Bears.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley's pitch to the committee of eight selecting the possible GOP candidate to replace Rep. Chris Collins on the November ballot got the support of Andrew Young today.

Young grabbed a couple of Hawley signs from his garage and replaced "Assembly" with "Congress" and stuck the signs in front of his business, Reliant Reality, on West Main.

Young said he made the signs on his own with "no input or awareness on Steve's part. I did it because I think he is the best man for the job. He has proven to be an effective advocate for our community and he has lived up to the highest level of integrity. Perhaps more important than anything right now, we could use some old-fashioned integrity."

UPDATE: Michael Pullinzi did it first out on Route 98, which Young noted when we spoke about his signs.

Young submitted the top photo, Pullinzi​ the bottom photo.

Press release:

The Batavia Police Department is investigating a personal injury accident which occurred on today at approximately 9:15 a.m. The accident reportedly occurred at the traffic circle and involved a bicyclist being struck by a sports utility vehicle.

Anyone with information in reference to the case may contact Officer Kyle Krtanik at the Batavia Police Department at 585-345-6350, the confidential tip line at 585-345-6370 or online. 

UPDATE: Additional information:

A female in her early 20s was riding her bicycle in the roundabout when she was struck by a gold SUV operated by a male believed to be in his 30s with short blond hair. The female sustained only minor injuries and was treated at a local medical facility. The vehicle then left the scene.

Press release:

These are pictures from this morning of the ongoing work on the new Bethany Center Road Bridge over Route 20 in Bethany.

A foreman said the work is on schedule and they expect the bridge to be ready for traffic the first week of September.

Empire Access suffered a significant fiber network outage earlier tonight. Here is a statement from the company:

A truck struck and sheared off a pole at the interconnection point of two fiber networks providing service to our customers in the Western New York area. The damage to the fiber-optic cables is extensive, but crews are on site and will restore services as quickly as possible.

For status updates, please visit our website at:

https://status.empireaccess.com/

A car with no license plates was reported on fire on the Thruway side of the toll booth in Pembroke.

A toll taker reports the driver got out of the car and into a car driven by a female.

The car is a Nissan Altima.

Officers on scene suspect it's stolen and they are asking to see any Thruway video surveillance of the area.

Pembroke and Indian Falls fire departments dispatched.

UPDATE 10:32 a.m.: Fire is out.

The eight men who met with GOP party leaders in Geneseo yesterday to discuss their interest in replacing Chris Collins as the Republican nominee in the 27th Congressional District were met by a group of reporters as they walked into the meeting, including two hopefuls from Batavia, Assemblyman Steve Hawley, and Iraq War veteran David Bellavia.

Both Hawley and Bellavia stuck to an upbeat message about serving the district and noting the voters in the 27th are perhaps a little tired of scandal from their representative in Washington.

"We got to bring dignity back," Bellavia said. "These people (in the NY-27) have been through a lot. I mean, it's our second time around."

Bellavia was referring to Rep. Chris Lee, who was accused of posting shirtless pictures of himself on Craigslist while looking for transexual dates, and Rep. Chris Collins, currently under indictment on charges of securities fraud, wire fraud, and lying to the FBI.

"We've got to put that behind us and get a candidate that the people can get behind," Bellavia said. "Vitality is important and the Republican Party needs to bring energy back. You start by registering more Republicans and get more people to join the committees. That's the kind of a model that I'm bringing to the table and that's what I'm proud to represent."

Collins has bowed out of the race for 2018 -- a critical mid-term election for the GOP to try and retain a majority in the House of Representatives -- and now the Republicans are scrambling to figure out a legal way to get Collins off the November ballot, pick a new candidate and get that candidate's campaign up and running. All under the assumption that after the Collins fiasco, the Democrats are coming hard after this seat, fully funding Nate McMurray's effort to switch the 27th from red to blue.

Under the circumstances, Hawley suggested, the voters of the NY-27 are ready for an experienced representative with the maturity to handle the job.

"They've had a long, long road over the past eight to 10 years," Hawley said. "This is about representing people and having a feel for what it is they need and I think what they need is a calm, steady, firm hand and the ability to be able to listen to what their needs, wants and desires."

With a short campaign window, Hawley said he can raise the funds needed for the campaign, and though he can't afford to self-fund, he can make a contribution.

"I am a prolific fundraiser and the vice chairman of the Republican Campaign Committee and I have a healthy amount in my Friends of Steve Hawley account," Hawley said. "Where we should be looking is for small donations and contributions from people who think you would be able to do the job for them. Whether it's 10 dollars, 25 dollars, 50 bucks, that's really what America is all about."

Fundraising will be a challenge, Bellavia said but he also said it's going to take a lot of hard work to win the race.

"It's an 80-day election cycle," Bellavia said. "Everyone's worried about funding. The D Triple C is going to put in a lot of money into this campaign and you've got a guy out there in Grand Island -- who ... he's going to need a real estate agent to be your congressman -- but he's working his tail off. He's a good guy who's out there working hard and it's going to take a lot of elbow grease to be able to defeat him."

Hawley and Bellavia were showing up for kind of a candidates forum with 17 party leaders from the NY-27. This wasn't the formal interview with the eight county chairs nor were any decisions made about who to support as the party's nominee.

Also attending were Erie County Legislator Ed Rath, Erie County Comptroller Stefan Mychajliw, Assemblyman Ray Walter, State Senator Robert Ortt, former gubernatorial candidate and former Buffalo school board member Carl Paladino, and State Senator Michael Ranzenhofer.

Bellavia said the party bosses should pick the right person for the job, not somebody who just wants the title of congressman.

"My whole life has been about service," Bellavia said. "I mean, we were electing a congressman. Why are we doing this? Are we doing this for ourselves? Are we doing this because we're bored? Or are we doing this because it's our time and you know we held the position before but this one's really super juicy? Are we doing this because we want to serve our country? I believe that this country is worthy of any sacrifice and if I'm called to duty I'm going answer that duty you know."

Hawley also said the short election time frame will mean he needs to work hard if he's selected to represent the party but, he said, that isn't any different than what he does every election cycle.

"I have campaigned door-to-door in this Assembly District and before that for the county legislature, door-to-door all of the time," Hawley said. "Last time I didn't have an opponent. I didn't like that. I think people deserve a choice. And even though I had no opponent I still went door-to-door. Some people would say, 'What the heck you're doing here?' And I said, 'I'm here to ask for your support and listen to those questions you might have.' So, whether we've got an opponent or not, whether they're well-financed, whether they're well known, it's all about the people."

Top composite photo: Steve Hawley on the left, and David Bellavia.

Audio and images provided by our news partner, 13WHAM. For their story about the event, click here.

UPDATE 8:30 p.m.: Tammy Taylor has been located. She is safe.

Press release:

The City of Batavia Police Department is asking for assistance in locating the individual pictured in the attached photo. Tammy L. Taylor, age 50, of the City of Batavia, is listed as a Missing Vulnerable Adult.

Tammy was last seen on Aug. 15 around 1:30 p.m. in the City of Batavia, she is believed to have been dropped off in the area of 625 Elmwood Ave. in the City of Rochester by a transportation service for a pre-arranged appointment. At this time her whereabouts are unknown, and we are asking for the public’s assistance.

Tammy is listed as biracial, approximately 5’03”, 120 lbs., with brown hair and brown eyes last seen wearing a black and white shirt, jeans and flip-flops. Tammy suffers from bipolar disorder, PTSD and has a diminished mental capacity. She is missing from a residential facility in the City of Batavia and may be in need of medical attention.

Anyone with information regarding Tammy’s whereabouts or anyone who has seen Tammy is asked to contact the City of Batavia Police Department at (585) 345-6350, information may also be submitted via the confidential tip line at 345-6370 or via the City of Batavia Police Department website. 

A series of strong thunderstorms is passing through the area, reports the National Weather Service.

The storms may intensify and torrential rains are possible, which could cause localized flooding.

Winds in excess of 30 mph are expected.

As a matter of his employment contract, the just-hired new city manager for Batavia, Marty Moore, recognizes he answers to the city council but as a matter of accountability, he works for the City of Batavia residents.

"As a city manager, I am hired to represent the people who live, work, and play in the city in particular and I am accountable to them," Moore said during a 42-minute video press conference with members of the local media.

"I don't see myself as being shielded from them. I see myself as having a responsibility. I've learned in my career that it's important to show myself as a servant of the people not this guy who sits back in the office and lets everything come to him. It's not my style."

Moore promises to get out into the community, join organizations, talk with residents and business owners and get to know them and what's on their minds.

His first goal will be to get to know his staff and the members of the council.

Overall, he thinks the city is in sound shape financially and plans to support and champion the ongoing economic development projects, particularly the Downtown Revitalization Initiative.

The progress Batavia has shown, in fact, is what attracted Moore to the job.

"I really did a lot of research into all of the places I applied and Batavia really impressed me with things like revitalization and bringing new businesses in, the financial structures that are set up, the good things that your previous people at the city have done, has created, I think, a good atmosphere," Moore said.

"It's a really progressive, want-to-move-forward, can-do, all-in type of attitude and that's the type of attitude that I have. It just really felt good. It felt right."

Moore and his wife, Joanne, just celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary. She's from Buffalo and grew up in Tonawanda and still has brothers and sisters in the area. They met while Joanne's father had a job in Hawaii and Moore was studying there at the Brigham Young University campus there. 

They have seven children and five grandchildren: Jessica, 32, has two children and lives with her family in St. John's, Mich., just six hours from Batavia; Spencer lives in the Albuquerque, N.M., area, works at Sandia National Laboratories, and has three children; Aubrey, 20, is single, working on her master's degree and lives in Provo, Utah; Melissa, 24, lives in New Mexico and is engaged; Amanda, 23, just got married to a young man from Alaska and they live in Idaho where they're attending college; Christopher, 22, is also recently married and lives in Las Cruces, N.M., where he is going to college; and 17-year-old Martin Moore Jr. is near the end of his Eagle Scout project, and will be a senior in high school this year.

Moore says he enjoys the outdoors. He and his son have climbed 22 of the highest peaks in New Mexico and intend to climb the rest. He also enjoys fly-fishing and looks forward to trying out the creeks in Western New York.

For the past six years, he's been the voice of the Eunice Cardinals on a Eunice, N.M., radio station.

As for his view on what the city is doing right and where it can improve, from what he's observed so far, he said economic development is definitely heading in the right direction. The city's finances are in good shape. There is work to be done on infrastructure and he thinks grants can be pursued more aggressively. He's taken notice of property crime issues but believes Chief Shawn Heubusch is working to address that.

A big area for improvement, he said, is transparency.

"I sense there is the need for more of a feeling of openness and transparency with the employees and with the citizens," Moore said, adding a bit later, "I think when you don't have clear communication all kinds of rumors and feelings and challenges and difficulties arise."

One of the first things he wants to look into once he starts his job Oct. 15 is the housing situation in Batavia. He wants to better understand the housing needs of the city and whether they are being adequately addressed.

Related to crime, he said one of the first things he did when he became city manager in Eunice seven years ago was hire a new police chief. Together, they tackled the serious drug problem -- mostly methamphetamine -- they felt was growing in Eunice.

The days of drug dealers openly selling meth from their front porches are over in Eunice.

"(We) made it clear that drugs are not something that we will be known for in the City of Eunice," Moore said. "I'm not going to say it's perfect. Drug deals still do go on but the drug dealers have gone underground."

Out in the middle of the desert, water is a big issue for Eunice, but so are roads and sewer lines, just like Batavia.

The budget for Eunice is typical $8 million to $10 million but is currently more than $15 million because of some bonds for capital projects. There are 50 full-time employees, along with 22 volunteer firefighters, and 10 different department heads.

The economy cycles up and down with the flow of oil from the thousands of wells dominating the skyline.

"We probably have as many oil pump jacks as Batavia has trees," Moore said.