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It's not clear how a utility pole on Jackson Street broke -- there is no indication it was struck -- but sparks flew according to a witness when it did break.

There isn't even much of a breeze tonight.

The call originally came in as a blown transformer but there is no transformer on the pole.

With wires down and a broken pole, Jackson is being closed between Ellicott Street and Central Avenue.

The Kwik Fill is closed after losing power.

National Grid is responding.

Officer Pete Flanagan, Batavia PD, pictured at right, presents $600 in Tops gift cards to Caryn Dilandro, director of the PTSD Clinic at the VA Hospital in Batavia, and Michael Swartz, director of the VA for Western New York.

Dilandro said the gift cards will be used by residents of the PTSD clinic to make one of their regular family meals -- where they all cook together and dine together, sometimes as a picnic or a BBQ.

Flanagan said the donation is the result of his desire to grow a beard. A year ago, he asked Chief Shawn Heubusch if he ran the GLOW Cup in full uniform if he could grow a beard for a year. Heubusch said he would think about it. This year, Flanagan asked again. This time, Heubusch told him he needed to turn it into a fundraiser and told him to pick the charity.

Flanagan picked the PTSD Clinic because last year he and some other officers weren't able to compete in The Murph through Batavia Cross Training, which was a fundraiser for the clinic, because of injuries.

Each of the participating officers ran in uniform in the GLOW cup and contributed $100 each to the cause. Besides Flanagan, they are Asst. Chief Todd Crossett, Officer Chad Richards, Det. Matt Wojtaszczyk, Det. Eric Hill, and Officer Marc Lawrence.

Assemblyman Michael Benedetto, a Democrat from the Bronx, joined Assemblyman Steve Hawley on a tour of Hawley's 139th District, which included a stop late in the afternoon yesterday at Chapin Manufacturing International Inc, in Batavia.

The tour started in Lyndonville and included a couple of farms in the area, continued through Medina, and then stopped at LandPro Equipment in Oakfield, Genesee Community College, and then Chapin before a visit to Batavia Downs Gamiong & Hotel before dinner at Alex's Place.

Hawley has been conducting these tours for Downstate colleagues now for a few years and they are reciprocal. Hawley will visit Benedetto's district. It's a chance, Hawley said, for representatives from two halves of the state to get to know the whole state better and the unique issues faced in different parts of the state.

At Chapin, Benedetto was given a presentation on the company by CEO Jim Campbell before a tour of the factory.

Chapin employees 300 people at its U.S. locations, which now includes a plant in Ohio. It makes sprayers and spreaders, primarily, but also has a line of bird feed made in Michigan.

Campbell described its bird feed as tasty and nutritious to help birds in the Northeast store energy to make it through winter.

One of the biggest challenges for the company right now is finding qualified workers, Campbell said.

"If you want a job in our area today, you can work, absolutely," Campbell said.

The tight labor market is requiring Chapin to change its approach to recruiting employees.

"We used to use the temp-to-permanent model but the people you have out there in temps today are not the people you’re after," Campbell said. "The people you’re after are now working for somebody else. They’re not going to leave a full-time job without a good opportunity to work for us."

Benedetto said he often hears on the floor of the Assembly that New York is not a business-friendly state. He asked Campbell if that was his experience in dealing with New York.

Campbell said if his company were to look at building a 100,000-square-foot addition to its facility it would cost in New York $7 million.

"I can build it in Ohio for $1 million," Campbell said. "It's a huge difference."

Campbell's other concern is the skyrocketing costs of New York's workers' compensation insurance, which is now the highest in the United States.

In photos below, William Kegler, director of operations, is conducting the tour.

Work crews today are changing the traffic signal configuration at Main and Ellicott for eastbound traffic, which is creating traffic jams in both the eastbound and westbound lanes of Route 5 and Route 63. Traffic is backing up for blocks at a time.

A worker said two sets of lights over Main Street's eastbound lane are being reconfigured, a new light pole with a set of lights on it has been set up for eastbound/southbound traffic turning onto Ellicott Street, and a new traffic control box is being installed.

Press release:

The Democratic Committee Chairs of the eight counties that make up NY-27 conferred together last night by conference call as their GOP counterparts met and failed to concoct a way to get Chris Collins off the November ballot.

After their conversation, the Democrats of the district reaffirmed that there was no legitimate way to change candidates now. Any attempt to do so would be a fraud against the voters of this district.

"Just like Chris Collins believed that rules against insider trading did not apply to him, local Republican bosses seem to think that election law doesn't apply to them when it suddenly becomes inconvenient," said Cindy Appleton, the Democratic chair of Wyoming County. "They don't get to do a do-over months after the deadline for changing the congressional ballot has passed, even if the man they insisted on being their candidate inconveniently got arrested and faces up to 150 years in jail."

The Ontario County Democratic Committee Chair John Hurley pointed out that the GOP bosses were all in for Chris Collins until a week ago, despite the fact that Collins was already under a congressional ethics investigation because of his questionable financial dealings. They ignored pointed critiques of his conduct, such as those launched by the late Rep. Louise Slaughter (NY 25), and did everything possible to smooth the path for Collins' reelection campaign.

"There were all sorts of red flags being raised about Collins, but GOP bosses didn't care," Hurley said. "They had a choice, remember. Frank Smierciak II submitted petition signatures to run in a Republican primary, and they succeeded in getting him thrown off the primary ballot to benefit Collins. They also tried to run an obvious fake Green Party candidate to split the anti-Collins vote, a move they didn't get away with."

Hurley added, "they won't get away with this move, either. They don't just get to change the ballot that was set under the rules because it now suits them. It's blatantly clear that they only care about Chris Collins' ethical issues this week because he got caught last week."

Jeremy Zellner, the Erie County Democratic chair, said that there were good reasons that the GOP hadn't yet been able to announce any way of removing Collins from the ballot.

"They're flailing," Zellner said. "There isn't a legitimate path to do what they want to do, so they keep telling us they're going to get him taken off, but they haven't been able to tell us how yet."

Zellner went on to say that there is case law that states that candidates can't simply move out of state and get off the ballot.

"It didn't work for Tom DeLay after he was indicted in 2006, and it won't work for Chris Collins when he was indicted in 2018," Zellner said.

He also noted that the town of Clarence where Collins resides has no local offices up for election this year, so that Republican bosses would have to force a current town officeholder to retire just to create a vacancy for an accused criminal -- who would be unlikely to have any real interest in serving in that smaller office -- to run for.

"And they can't just put him up for some office somewhere else," Zellner said. "He's under multiple indictments He has no interest in these other positions. It's dishonest and disgraceful."

Judith Hunter, the Livingston County chair, declared, "Nate McMurray played by the rules and will be our candidate in November. The Republicans are trying all kinds of backroom maneuvers to ditch a suddenly vulnerable candidate who has become embarrassing for them. That doesn't change the fact that he is the candidate they chose and cleared the way for.

"And it doesn't change the fact that election law is clear that the deadline for changing the federal ballot has passed. They can parade people they might desperately prefer to accused criminal Chris Collins in front of the press, but they can't ignore the law."

Kevin Feary with his painting "Distance From Transit Rd.," was the winner Tuesday night at the opening of the Summer Art Show for the Batavia Society of Artists.

The show runs on the second floor of GO ART! through Oct. 5.

Kate Engle's "Badge #2," a pencil and felt pen drawing, took third place in the show. The drawing is of her great-grandfather, who was a Batavia police officer and wore Badge #2.

JL Wenrich, who could not attend the opening, placed second with "Back Yard Chickens," a pen and pencil drawing.

A pen and ink drawing by Rick Ellingham of the Swartz Hotel (the Stumblin' Inn) in Elba.

Republicans are confident they can ensure the name of Rep. Chris Collins is not on the November general election ballot, Erie County Chairman Nick Langworthy said Tuesday night after a closed-door meeting of the eight GOP chairs in the NY-27 at Batavia Downs.

He didn't say, however, how the might get the task done. He went no further than promising that Collins, in the midst of fighting federal allegations that he engaged in insider stock trading, will cooperate with whatever method the party tries to implement. 

"We have communicated back and forth through his team but I have not directly personally spoken to him," Langworthy said. "We are confident there are mechanisms in place where his name can be removed from the ballot and we can nominate a new candidate."

Collins didn't face a challenger in the June 26 primary for the NY-27 but he committed to the race at an even earlier date. Once petitions were gathered, he had until April 16 to decline the nomination and the party had until April 24 to fill the vacancy.

Three Methods to Remove Name from Ballot

That leaves three methods to remove his name from the November ballot: Disqualification by means of accepting another office, moving out of state, or death.

Collins reportedly has residential property in Florida he could declare his legal domicile and there are potentially town-level offices in Erie County with a vacancy he could fill.

Either move will almost certainly be challenged in court by the Democrats.

“The GOP chairs are in a very bad position," said Todd Aldinger, an Albany-based attorney who has researched the relevant law and served as chairman of the Erie County Charter Revision Commission and was Senator Patrick Gallivan’s legislative director.

"They will either have to rely on constitutionally dubious means to remove Collins from the ballot or will have to utilize provisions of the election law to circumvent the normal nomination procedure by nominating Collins for a manufactured vacancy, which a court may find to be void against public policy.”

In favor of the GOP effort to remove Collins is a 2008 case in the NY-26 race, which at the time included Genesee County. In the Matter of Kryzan v New York State Bd. of Elections, Jon Powers had won the Working Families Party line and Alice Kryzan was the Democratic nominee. Powers then moved out of state and after the ballot certification deadline Powers sought to have his name removed from the ballot and the WFP wanted to replace his name with Kryzan. A court ruled Power's name could be removed from the ballot and replaced by Kryzan.

That decision was later overturned because absentee voting had already started.A federal court ruled those voters who already received their ballots would be disenfranchised if Kryzan's name replaced Powers on the ballot.

The November ballot won't be certified until Sept. 13. Military ballots will go out in the mail Sept. 21. The GOP will, presumably, have until then to win any legal battle with the Democrats or they lose the fight and potentially the war.

To counter any GOP maneuver -- declaring Collins a resident of another state or appointing him to a dog catcher position in Erie County -- the Democrats might be able to counter that such a move has been made in bad faith or to circumvent the normal nomination process.

The relevant case law, however, isn't on point with this set of circumstances and has apparently not been tested before.

"We are very confident, consulting with what are some of the best election lawyers in the State of New York, that there are mechanisms in place to remove Congressman Collins from the ballot," Langworthy said.

Even before Langworthy met with the press outside of Batavia Downs, Michael Plitt, chairman of the Genesee County Democratic Committee, was texting The Batavian to decry the GOP chairman's efforts to remove Collins from the ballot.

"The GOP already picked their candidate, Chris Collins," Plitt said. "There are no do-overs. Petitions are in. Collins will be on the ballot. The GOP knew Collins had an ethics investigation."

That's a similar line of attack the Democratic nominee, Nate McMurray, is taking in tweets and news interviews.

Democrats Call for Accountability

"I think these guys should be held accountable," McMurray told The Hill. "They shouldn't be able to hit reset or take a mulligan. If they try to get him to run for another office, I will call it out for what it is: a fraud upon the United States."

While the statutory feathers fly, the eight GOP chairs of the NY-27 are moving ahead with the process of handpicking a new candidate. At one point, at least 15 people had expressed an interest in the seat but Tuesday night, Langworthy indicated the winnowing process has already begun. He said he expects there will be some more informal interviews to help determine who gets a chance to sit down with all eight county chairs and lobby for the nomination.

Those interviews will take place next week.

"We were handed the extraordinary situation that you know we're not happy to find ourselves in, but we have to work through it," Langworthy said. "We have to work together. We have to work collaboratively and we need to nominate a candidate that can succeed in all eight counties to deliver a victory in November."

The public won't be part of the committee process and voting will be weighted, which means Langworthy, representing Erie County, will have the biggest say in who potentially could appear on the R line in November.

It's a momentous selection.

Michael Caputo, a GOP political consultant, and nationally known Trump ally, told The Batavian just before news broke that Collins was withdrawing from the race, that the very future of the presidency may hinge on what happens in the NY-27.

"It may boil down to one or two seats," Caputo said. "If we lose control of the house, there will be impeachment proceedings, no doubt about it."

Erie County GOP's Questionable Candidates

Erie County, however, doesn't have a strong track record when it comes to picking representatives for the GLOW region.

Rep. Bill Paxon's career ended after he helped lead a failed attempt to oust Newt Gingrich as Speaker of the House. Rep. Tom Reynolds didn't run for reelection after his name was linked to a couple of scandals in the House. Rep. Chris Lee posted a bare-chested picture of himself on Craigslist. Assemblywoman Jane Corwin lost a race generally thought to be hers to lose.

And now Chris Collins, federally indicted on counts of securities fraud, wire fraud, and lying to the FBI. Collins was allegedly the tip of a tipping tree where he provided the crucial tidbit of bad news that caused his son, and eight other associates, to dump millions of shares of Innate Immunotherapeutics Limited before the Australia-based company publicly announced its only product, a drug to treat secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, had failed its critical medical trial.

Collins said he's not guilty.

Langworthy said none of the GOP chairs have expressed any dissatisfaction with the process that has led to this string of questionable GOP candidates being foisted on GLOW.

"I think it's a matter of the party rules," Langworthy said. "I think we work collaboratively. We're working together. Many of the candidates now hail from the GLOW region, so I didn't hear any sort of problems from any of the chairs here tonight about them."

Whoever gets the pick will instantly become the front-runner in a district that tilts +22 for Republicans, and barring the winner getting caught with his shirt off or making ill-advised stock trades, he is likely being appointed to the seat for life. The Batavian asked Langworthy if a process of eight men in a room, denying both candidates and voters the normal primary process to fill a vacancy, is the right process to follow.

"I'm going to ask you, do you think we want to be in the situation right now?" Langworthy said.

The Batavian asked, "is it fair?"

"I think it's a bush league question you asked," Langworthy said.

"So you don't want to answer it."

Langworthy: 'We Don't Want to Be Here.'

Langworthy responded, "I've already addressed this. We find ourselves in an extraordinary situation. We don't want to be here. This is a sad and unfortunate time for us. We are doing the best we can with the election law as it exists at this late date."

The choice for the chairs includes inexperienced candidates, candidates who have run a race but not won, or a slate of current office holders who would be forced to vacate a ballot line creating a new legal challenge for the party.

"I'll let you all decide who you think the front-runners are," Langworthy told the gaggle of assembled reporters from throughout the region. "We have a process to maintain. We have to continue to work together.

"You know there are candidates from throughout this district that represent different portions of this district. We're all dedicated the same thing, which is finding a conservative Republican candidate that can win this district and help President Trump achieve his agenda.

A bit later Langworthy said: "We need we need a candidate that we can all get behind in eight counties (who) can be out there meeting the voters, talking about the important issues. I mean it's a very geographically diverse district.

"I mean, you have cities, you have suburban towns, you also have a lot of rural and agricultural areas, so you have a lot of different types of people who (need to) get up to speed on federal issues. Even if they're a state official, they might not understand the federal ramifications. Those are things that we have to hit the ground running on very, very quickly."

It will be such a difficult race in such a compressed time frame that Langworthy doesn't think it's the place for novices to enter.

"I personally think that this is probably not the time for a completely new candidate, someone that doesn't understand the political process or maybe hasn't been a part of an election before in a big league level," Langworthy said. "I don't think there's a lot of time for a learning curve for a first-timer that hasn't been through the process."

White House Weighs in on Selection 

Langworthy also revealed that the White House is weighing in on the selection process.

"We're in consultation," Langworthy said. "Yesterday I had a meeting with the White House political director to discuss this race. We have been in discussions with the executive director of the National Republican Congressional Committee. They are very concerned about the future of the seat. They want to make sure it stays in Republican hands."

Whoever gets the nod from the eight chairs, Langworthy said he hopes to attract Trump to WNY to campaign for the candidate.

"I came from Utica yesterday where I saw President Trump come in for a Congresswoman Tenny," Langworthy said. "It's a very hot seat and I know they raised an awful lot of funds in a short window. It was only a one week lead-up to the event and there were hundreds and hundreds of people there showing their support and writing checks to support the congresswoman. I would love to see that sort of enthusiasm with a presidential visit."

Ty Acquard, from Alexander, selects a flower to add to an arrangement he's building with the help of instructor Jan Goodenbery during a free flower arranging class at Richmond Memorial Library on Monday evening.

Goodenbery is a master gardener and owner of Rooted in Joy Farm in Oakfield.

Ty is proprietor of Ty's Worm's, a stand he runs at Mooch's Auto Glass in Alexander. He plans to expand his business to include flower bouquets. 

Press release:

Now that Chris Collins has withdrawn in the NY 27th District race, Larry Piegza is demanding to be considered for the Republican, Independent and Conservative Party endorsements. He has already earned the endorsement of the Reform Party in the June primary and is now looking to secure the other nominations as well.

“I’ve been trying to get support from the Republican Committees in this district since November and they won’t return my call. Even now that Chris Collins has been arrested they still won’t give me an interview. This is just another example of the corrupt, pay-for-play Republican committees not caring about their district.

“The District’s GOP establishment failed to admit that Collins was a criminal in the first place. Then also tried their failed election scam of getting the fake Green Party candidate Michael Zak on the ballot. I think it’s time that we voters demand an open process for choosing Collins’ replacement instead of letting the corrupt establishment tell us which crony we have to vote for next.

"I am only one of two candidates chosen by the fair election process and have already stated that I am willing to give up my entire congressional salary if I get elected. Instead of endorsing me, they are jumping through legal hoops to try to get their next establishment crony on the ballot. The voters don’t want a rigged election. If we are going to Make America Great Again, we have got to really drain the swamp at the district level as well," Piegza said.

In a hearing to determine whether there is reasonable cause to charge Antwan Odom with attempted assault in the first degree for cutting his teammate, classmate and neighbor Ray Leach during a fight over stolen property Aug. 4 in Batavia, Leach said their disagreement was over $60.

Court documents indicate the 18-year-old Odom said Leach accused him of stealing marijuana.

Both teenagers agreed to fight, Leach testified in the preliminary hearing, also called a felony hearing. Things got out of hand, according to his version of the story, when Odom pulled out a small, yellow pocket knife and stabbed Leach 10 times.

District Attorney Lawrence Friedman said, “It was a fairly involved situation he explained for the judge. He was the only witness.”

Odom's attorney Frank Housh said no weapon was found on his client. He said that Odom is the victim in the case. 

“It was some remarkable testimony,” Housh said. “He testified that a few days before he went over to my client’s house, demanding he come out and fight him, he had sent a Facebook post telling him that he was going to end him."

City Court Judge Robert Balbick ruled there is reasonable cause to conclude that Odom committed attempted assault, 1st. The case will now be referred to the grand jury to consider an indictment.

Leach has not been cleared to play football. His stitches will be removed Monday but the Blue Devils' star running back could have nerve damage to his upper leg.

Odom, like Leach, was expected to start his senior year next month and once again be one of the key players on Batavia's football team. At the close of yesterday's hearing, his bail, set last week by Balbick at $50,000/$100,000 was reduced to $15,000 cash or $30,000 bond.

Story based on reporting by 13WHAM, The Batavian's news partner.

All across America, there is a shortage of rural doctors. That problem is expected to only get worse as doctors born during the Baby Boom retire with greater frequency in the coming years.

New York isn't immune. A recent survey of the state's hospitals by Healthcare Association of New York found that Upstate needs 615 more doctors.

Connor Lynskey, the 18-year-old resident of Hinckley, who was killed by a hit-and-run driver in Darien on Saturday, was well aware of Upstate's doctor shortage, which is why he decided to attend medical school and become a rural doctor.

He had already been accepted into Upstate Medical University, according to Don Lynskey, his brother-in-law. Connor Lynskey was planning to attend Siena in the fall as part of a dual-admissions program to undergrad study and medical school for students committed to becoming rural doctors. His brother, Don said, is in the third year of the same program.

In his admissions essay about his plans, Lynskey said the difficulty his sister had in getting a correct diagnosis for Type I Diabetes in Utica inspired his career choice.

"Her struggle to find a local treatment center motivates me to become a rural physician," Lynskey wrote. "Pursuing this goal, I began a shadowing program at Rome Hospital to achieve insight regarding my future job. I was able to shadow the Emergency Room, Radiology Unit, Intensive Care Unit, and Pediatrics. Each day, I attempted to absorb the knowledge presented while becoming increasingly involved in the care of patients. With my newfound knowledge, I now prepare to conquer the obstacles that await me on the road to becoming a physician."

Friday evening Lynskey attended the Jason Aldean concert at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center with friends and family. After the concert, the group walked back to their campsite at Darien Lakes State Park, taking Sumner Road. At some point, Lynskey decided to run ahead to catch up with his friend.

On the dark, hilly road, nobody in the group saw what happened next. Lynskey was hit by a car whose driver didn't stop to help or call police. When the group reached their campsite and Lynskey wasn't there, they contacted the State Park Police who notified the Sheriff's Office. Officers patrolled the area, including Sumner Road but nobody saw Lynskey or any scene of a problem.

Perhaps 30 minutes later, a woman, Jennifer L. Serrano, 48, of Charles Street, Irving, was driving on Route 77 in Darien and her car nearly struck a marked patrol car. A deputy stopped her and wound up charging her with DWI.

The next morning, Deputy Richard Schildwaster, checking Sumner Road, found debris in the roadway and when he got out of his vehicle and looked around, he found Lynskey's body in a ditch.

Serrano, who had been released on bail on the DWI charge, was identified as the suspect and was arrested in Amherst, her vehicle was seized, and she has been charged with vehicular manslaughter in the second degree and leaving the scene of a personal injury accident. She is being held on $100,000 bail or $200,000 bond.

The Batavian's news partner, 13WHAM contributed to this story.

The driver in an alleged fatal hit-and-run accident on Sumner Road in Darien just after midnight Saturday was later arrested for DWI after her car nearly hit a marked Sheriff's patrol vehicle at 1 a.m. on Route 77.

It's estimated that the hit-and-run victim, 18-year-old Connor Lynskey, of Hinckley, was struck at about 12:30 a.m.

Jennifer L. Serrano, 48, of Charles Street, Irving, was identified as a suspect based on a tip received by the Sheriff's Office after news of Lynskey's death was reported.

Serrano is charged with vehicular manslaughter in the second degree and leaving the scene of a personal injury accident. She is being held on $100,000 bail or $200,000 bond.

Lynskey attended the Jason Aldean concert at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center on Friday evening with family and friends. The group was camping at Darien Lakes State Park. After the concert, some members of the group started to walk back to the state park together and at some point, Lynskey reportedly decided to run ahead and catch up with a friend.

Upon returning to the park, the group realized Lynskey had not returned to the campsite so State Park Police were contacted.

State Park Police officers and Sheriff's deputies commenced a search of the area but did not locate Lynskey. The Sheriff's office reports deputies continued to patrol the area throughout the night, keeping an eye out for Lynskey.

The next morning, members of the group reported to State Park Police that perhaps they had heard a crash on the Sumner Road, which has a couple of dips and hills along the way, while walking back to the park in the dark of the night.

At 11:51 a.m., Saturday, Deputy Richard Schildwaster found vehicle debris in the roadway on Sumner Road and upon further investigation found Lynskey's body in a ditch along the roadway.

Investigators were able to determine the type of vehicle involved based on the debris.

Following her arrest on DWI in connection with the Alleghany Road incident at 1 a.m., about 30 minutes after the estimated time Lynskey was struck on Sumner Road, Serrano was arraigned in Darien Town Court and put in Genesee County Jail in lieu of $1,000 bail. A few hours later, she posted bail.

Through information developed during the investigation, the Sheriff's Office determined that Serrano was at a relative's residence in Amherst and obtained a search warrant for her vehicle. Her vehicle was seized and she was taken into custody.

The following people were arrested by the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office during the Rob Zombie concert at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center on Sunday:

Scott E. Staubitz, 36, of Union Road, Cheektowaga, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, after allegedly being found in possession of Suboxone and LSD. Staubitz was arraigned in Darien Town Court and released. Staubitz was turned over to Cheektowaga Police on an outstanding warrant in Cheektowaga.

Brock A. Hathaway, 26, of Davidge Street, Coudersport, Pa., is charged with trespass after allegedly attempting to reenter the concert venue after being ejected and told not to return. Hathaway was arraigned in Darien Town Court and jailed in lieu of $150 bail.

Christopher C. Crum, 52 of Maple Street, Rochester, is charged with trespass after allegedly attempting to reenter the concert venue after being ejected and told not to return.

Ashley M. Whittaker, 26 of Kensington Avenue, Buffalo, is charged with false personation after allegedly providing a false name to police officers.

Antonio Diego Dames, 42, of Knowlesville Road, Oakfield, is charged with: DWI; driving with a BAC of .18 or greater; aggravated unlicensed operation, 1st; driving without an interlock device; and moving from lane unsafely. Dames was arrested following an investigation by Deputy Travis DeMuth into a one-car accident reported at 4:28 p.m. Thursday on Lewiston Road in Alabama.

Yahaira Ann-Marie Brown-Diaz, 19, of Bethany Center Road, Bethany, is charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs, unlawful possession of marijuana, and speeding. Brown-Diaz was stopped at 8:28 a.m. Friday on Maple Avenue, Bergen, by Deputy Ryan DeLong. Brown-Diaz was transported to the Sheriff's Office where she was evaluated by a Drug Recognition Expert.

Genna Lynn Miller, 33, of Center Street, East Aurora, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, failure to comply with traffic control officer, and failure to keep right. Miller was stopped at 12:16 a.m. Saturday on Alleghany Road, Darien, by Deputy Patrick Reeves after her vehicle's mirror allegedly struck a traffic control officer in the arm.

Matthew Paul Sunseri, 33, of Harlem Road, Rochester, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Sunseri was charged following an investigation by Deputy Mathew Clor into a disturbance reported at 10:50 p.m. Sunday in the parking lot of Darien Lake Theme Park.

A 17-year-old resident of Buffalo is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. The youth was allegedly found in possession of marijuana by State Police in the Village of Corfu at 11:05 a.m. on Aug. 5.

Walter B. Hale, 65, of Oakfield, is charged with: felony DWI; felony driving with a BAC of .08 or greater; failure to keep right; and moving from lane unsafely. Hale was stopped by State Police at 1:40 a.m. Sunday on Route 98 in Elba.

Casandra E. Holloway, 25, of Newfane, is charged with: DWI; driving with a BAC of .08 or greater; no headlights; failure to keep right; moving from lane unsafely and drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle. Holloway was stopped by State Police at 11:01 p.m. Friday on Colby Road, Darien.

Scott P. Rammacher, 42, of Lockport, is charged with DWI and impeding traffic. Rammacher was stopped by State Police at 6:35 p.m. Thursday on Route 77, Darien, for allegedly driving too slow.

Christian A. Dangelo, 28, of Rochester, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Dangelo was stopped by State Police at 9:44 p.m. Thursday on Route 33, Bergen.

Kyle J. Howard, 29, of Basom, is charged with criminal trespass. Howard was arrested by State Police for an alleged incident reported at 1:30 p.m., Aug. 6.  No further details released.

The Sheriff's Office has made an arrest in a fatal hit-and-run accident on Sumner Road, Darien, on Friday night after the Jason Aldean concert at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center.

Jennifer L. Serrano, 48, of Charles Street, Irving, is charged with vehicular manslaughter in the second degree and leaving the scene of a personal injury accident.

The Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant early this morning in Amherst and seized the vehicle they believe Serrano was driving when it struck Connor Lynskey, 18, of Hinckley.

Lynskey was camping with a group of people who attended the Aldean concert and they were walking back to Darien Lakes State Park on Sumner Road when he decided to run ahead and catch up with a friend.

None of the group apparently saw what happened. 

When they got back to the state park, they contact State Park Police because Lynskey had not returned. Park Police and deputies search the area but did not locate Lynskey.

At 11:51 a.m., Saturday, during another search of Sumner Road, Deputy Richard Schildwaster found Lynskey's body in a ditch at the side of the road.

Serrano was jailed on $100,000 bail or $200,000 bond.

Christopher Parker was the lead investigator on the case.

It was a beautiful morning in Genesee County on my drive back from the fire in Le Roy.

The field and mist above is off of Circular Hill Road near the fire scene, and below a horse on a property off of Transit Road in Stafford, next door to where I stopped for a barn sale.

Trees on reportedly on fire on Knowlesville Road just north of Lewiston Road, Alabama.

Alabama fire and Oakfield fire dispatched.

UPDATE 1:08 a.m.: Units can respond non-emergency.

UPDATE 1:11 a.m.: It's a brush pile.