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It wasn't all fun and games at Beertavia on Saturday afternoon. There was also the serious business of sampling beers from more than two dozen brewers from Batavia, Buffalo, Rochester, the Southern Tier, the Finger Lakes and beyond.

Four years ago, there were only three brewers participating and 300 people in attendance. This year, at least 700 people attended.

"It’s only going to get bigger and bigger every year," said Cory Wolcott, who has been one of the organizers of the event since its inception. "People love it. We run it well. People are happy, so it will grow."

Four years ago, there were no breweries in Batavia and how we have Eli Fish Brewing Company, reviving a local brand that died out 100 years ago. Eli Fish was a lead sponsor of this year's Beertavia.

This is the first year that VIP tickets sold out in advance.

Wolcott said one reason people love Beertavia is it's easy to try so many different craft beers.

"They like the ability to get to a brewery and try their beer pretty effortlessly," Wolcott said. "There are a lot of bigger events but this is like a medium event so you can still try just about everybody who is here without waiting too long or feel like you’re elbow-to-elbow with somebody. It’s so relaxed but still big enough to enjoy a lot of different breweries."

Previously: Photos: BID's first Beertavia

Dick McClurg was excited to see the Thomas Rocket Car return to his shop on West Main Street Road, Batavia, today, after more than five months under the care of Josh Quick in Caledonia.

Quick fabricated all of the sheet metal parts, such as replacing a fender and the floorboard, that is needed to help restore the concept car designed by Charles Thomas and built by Thomas and Norm Richardson in Batavia in 1938. 

Once the car is fully restored it will be donated to the City of Batavia.

Quick put in 320 hours of work on the car and McClurg said he went above and beyond what he was asked to do.

"You haven't left any work for me," McClurg joked.

McClurg said what Quick did confirms there is a God because Quick is an angel, adding, "the ugliest angel I've ever seen, but an angel."

Next for McClurg, filling and sanding parts of the body that aren't yet smooth. There's still work to do on the trunk and hood, and of course it needs to be primed and painted and the interior restored.

There's still a lot of work to do.

Luke Rindell is congratulated by Deputy Matthew Butler, middle, and Sheriff William Sheron during the graduation Friday of the first class to complete the new Teen Academy in law enforcement presented by the Sheriff's Office at Byron-Bergen High School.

Rindell was the only student in the 14-member class to score 100 on his final exam.

Below, a press release from the Genesee County Sheriff's Office about the academy:

“I am pleased to announce that the First Teen Academy was an extreme success," Sheriff William Sheron said. "The students were provided with the opportunity to experience the various roles of law enforcement in our community, and they eagerly embraced all aspects of the curriculum.

"I want to thank the students for their hard work and dedication and to all those that provided instruction throughout this weeklong program. A special thank you to the Academy Director, Deputy Matthew R. Butler, and deputies Chad P. Cummings and Deborah L. Snyder for their assistance and efforts in coordinating such a unique, one-of-a-kind experience for the students.

"We look forward to hosting the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office Teen Academy on an annual basis for students throughout Genesee County."

The following participants are graduates of the First Annual Genesee County Sheriff’s Office Teen Academy:

• Class captains -- Brandon Kowalski, Devon Reigle and Morgan Rhodes;
• Zachary Babcock;
• Cameron Buck;
• Shaina Dejesus;
• Bailey Faucett;
• Ethan Pocock;
• Luke Rindell;
• Noah Toal;
• Shawn Turner;
• Gianni Vallese;
• Alessandra Wolf;
• Jayson Yauchzee.

Previously: There's no slack in training for first group of students going through law enforcement Teen Academy

Press release:

Grandma’s Luv’n Care is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization located in Batavia. The facility is a childcare and developmental center established in 2005 with the mission to help children grow physically, socially and emotionally in a loving environment. The daycare center currently employs 21 staff and provides care for 59 children.

Managing a not-for-profit daycare in today’s economy has become increasingly challenging. Minimum wages have risen each year for the last two years and further minimum wage increases are planned at the end of this year, and each year thereafter through at least 2020. Other operating costs have also risen with typical inflation. Appropriately, the childcare industry is also highly regulated and staffing ratios must be maintained in order to provide optimal care to the children.

The Board and management team of Grandma’s Luv’n Care have taken numerous steps over the past two years to manage the financial pressures of operating the daycare. However, when all factors are combined, the economics of keeping the center open are no longer viable. The Board of Directors has made the difficult decision to close the facility on Aug. 31st.

The Board highly values its staff and the children and families it has served for many years and felt it was imperative they provide adequate notice of the closure. As such, notification of the closure was provided this week to allow families time to seek care for their children and staff time to seek other employment.

Jim Goff never knew. For decades the Stumblin' Inn in Elba was a haven for local musicians. He knew he was having fun. He didn't know what it meant to the musicians he nurtured and the community that followed them.

Now he knows.

A fire destroyed the storied watering hole the second Sunday of the July, despite a valiant effort by the Elba Volunteer Fire Department and their mutual aid companies to save the 143-year-old building. Jim and his brother Steve, or Stork to everybody who knew him, were asleep upstairs when the alarm went out. They were alerted in time to make a safe escape.

They found themselves on the sidewalks of their small village surrounded by friends and neighbors sharing their tears.

"I never knew until this happened how much it meant to the community," Goff said shortly after arriving Thursday at an open mic night in a park across the street, next to the Elba Fire Hall.

More than 150 local musicians and music fans had gathered for what is likely the last open mic night for the Stumblin' Inn, a Thursday night tradition for years.

"Musicians have always been my people," Goff said. "That’s who I relate to, that’s who I feel comfortable around. We started an open mic in the 1980s and did it off and on. Musicians just liked to hang out there. It felt like home to everyone. We had a lot of bands who called that place home."

Standing next to Goff was local musician Doug Barnard. He said Barnard and his band Southbound were responsible for helping Goff recognize the value of local bands to his bar business.

"They said 'Give us a chance,' " Goff said. " 'We guarantee we'll pack this place.' They told me that about three times so I gave them a chance. They packed the place for five years. I realized maybe this local band thing is a pretty cool thing to embrace."

It all worked, Goff said, because he and his brother kept their priorities straight.

"It’s all about having fun," Goff said. "If you’re having fun, you’re going to make money. Money and fun, it all goes together."

As for the future, that's still a blank slate.

"All the experts say you don’t make big decisions right away," Goff said. "You let things sink in. There’s certainly some pressure to rebuild. Age is definitely a factor. We honestly don’t know. I would say we’re leaning toward probably not, but who knows? I’m not going to say no because I don’t know. I honestly don’t know."

Top photo: Goff as he arrived at Thursday's open mic night, hugging local musician Dylan Desmit, who helped organize the fundraiser for the Goffs with co-host Paul Draper.

Those who made it a habit to read arrest reports locally have come across the name Raymond Lee Morgan a few times over the years but that public profile paints an unfair picture of the man, his friends and family said during a vigil in his honor yesterday outside 111 Liberty St., where he was murdered on Tuesday.

The 47-year-old had a big, loving heart, said his sister, Natalie Urbanski (top photo).

"He had seven grandkids," Urbanski said. "He had sisters. He had family. He’s always there, no matter what. You needed something he would be there to help you and it seems like no one wants to hear that."

The vigil was, as Victor Thomas put it, a celebration of Ray Morgan's life, but Thomas and others also made pleas for anybody who knows anything to help the police solve the murder case, and for Batavia to come together.

"He would want us to come together and spread the same love that he spread," Thomas said.

With arms wide open he said, "I want to spread love today because that is what Ray did and that is who he was. He didn’t deserve to go out like this. Nobody does. So at the end of the day, if anybody knows anything they need to say something because my man didn’t deserve this."

Then he looked to the sky and addressed Morgan, "I know you're up there and I know you're looking down on this. Something’s got to give, bra. This stuff in Batavia has got to stop. This isn’t what it was. We’ve got to get back to what it was."

Natalie Urbanski said Morgan was "one of a kind."

"He was a sweet loving man who did not need to go out the way he did," she said. 

She also made a plea for anybody with information to come forward and help the police solve Morgan's murder.

"His daughters, his grandkids, his loved ones, his aunt, his mother, need some type of closure," Urbanski said. "Let’s not let this be a cold case. Let this be solved immediately."

And she included a plea for Batavia come together.

"Batavia you need to come back as one, as we were before," she said. "All of this violence and nonsense, senseless killings is not who were are. We are not the city. We are Batavia."

Dionne Thomas also recalled Morgan's kind, loving ways.

"I remember the Christmas he told the kids he was going to kidnap Santa Claus," Thomas said. "The kids were really scared that Uncle Ray Ray was going to kidnap Santa Claus. He said if he didn’t leave no presents on Hall Street there wasn’t going to be no Christmas. The kids woke up on Christmas, Santa visited Hall Street. Uncle Ray Ray made sure Santa was on Hall Street. That’s who he was for us all."

People know he had problems in his past, Thomas said, but his murder was just senseless.

"No matter what was done in the past doesn’t justify what was done to him," Thomas said. "No one deserves that, especially not Ray. We all know that."

Funeral arrangments have been made for Morgan. Calling hours will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at H.E. Turner, 403 E. Main St., Batavia, with a funeral service at 1 p.m.  (Full Obituary)

Previously:

• Batavia PD investigating homicide on Liberty Street
• Name released of Liberty Street murder victim
• Person of interest in custody in Raymond Morgan murder investigation

Victor Thomas

Matt Green, pouring a 40 in honor of Ray Morgan.

Nicole Griffen

Victor Thomas with Jeff Hull and Lamar Randall.

Ray Morgan with his seven grandchildren (photo used with permission of his daughters).

There will be drink specials at the tavern formerly known as Billy Goats, 345 W. Main St., Batavia, on Tuesday because the bar won't open again on Wednesday, or Thursday, or Friday, any other day after that unless some entrepreneur wants to sign a lease and open a new nightspot.

Owner John Spyropoulos wants to eliminate his existing inventory of booze because he's decided his family is more important than trying to run two demanding businesses by himself.

His father, Steve Spyropoulos, died May 11, at age 66. John said Steve wasn't just his father. He was his best friend and his business partner. 

"There's a lot of ground to cover and it's physically straining on me," Spyropoulos said during a conversation at Settler's Family Restaurant. "There are late nights there, early morning here. I have a family at home. I have two boys who are 14 and I've got a daughter. She's 5. You know something's got to give sooner or later; I prefer it not to be with my family."

Steve Spryopoulos arrived in the United States at age 19 with just the suitcase in his hand. He made his way to Batavia, started a family, and built two successful businesses. John is proud of his father's legacy and knows how much he loved running the bar, but the two businesses are too taxing and require too many incompatible hours to be managed by one person.  

Settler's is the primary family business and the one Spryopoulos really wants to run. If he couldn't do both, closing the bar made the most sense.

"It needs to be done," Spryopoulos. "You know I feel bad for the employees. We had good help over there, three employees, good employees. They've been there for a long time and I feel bad for them but they understand."

While most people still know the bar as Billy Goats, Steve and John officially changed the name about a year ago to The Goht. Now, with the business being shut down, Spryopoulos is open to talking with anybody with the wherewithal to run a bar business about leasing the building. Or he will lease it for office space. The one thing he's not going to do, he said, is sell the property. He'll put it to some use if he can't lease it.

When Spryopoulos broke the news that The Goht would be closing, one bartender today told him he made a decision his father would encourage.

"She said to me that my dad's biggest concern for me was that I would not spend enough time with my family," Spryopoulos said. "She told me, 'your father always worried about you and your family. He wanted to make sure you spent enough time with your family.' So, you know, when a bartender tells me that, that means something."

It's still a sad decision, Spryopoulos said, because he also knows the bar meant a lot to his father and just walking into the place reminds him of his dad.

"My dad touched a lot of lives over there," Spryopoulos said. "He made a lot of friends. The imprint he left on people is incredible. It says a lot."

When you run your own business there are no off hours. Running two of them is especially difficult; and bars and restaurants come with many headaches and worries you never escape. Spryopoulos said he's had no time to really come to grips with the loss of his father

"I haven't even had a chance to cope with my father's death since he passed away May 11," he said. "You get through the funeral. You get through everything. Then it's right back to work. There's no time coping, no time for myself and for my family."

Spryopoulos picked Tuesday to close down because that's the final day of the current liquor license and he decided not to renew it.

"I don't want people to think, 'oh he couldn't handle it on his own,' " Spryopoulos said. "Or saying my dad passed away and now I'm giving up. I'm not giving up. You just have to pick your battles. I'm working here six, seven days a week, from seven or eight in the morning to five or six in the evening. I've got to worry about over there and I've got my wife and kids at home. That's only going to last so long. Something has got to give."

The Goht will be open Tuesday from 4 to 11 p.m. with DJ Kevin providing entertainment. There will be "HUGE" drink specials Spryopoulos said.

A person of interest in the murder of Raymond Lee Morgan is in custody on an unrelated matter, Batavia PD announced this morning. 

The police are not releasing the name of the person or a description of the person because of "the very active nature of the investigation."

The police are not releasing further information about the case at this time, the department said in a statement. 

Morgan was found badly beaten in his room at 111 Liberty St., Batavia, at 11:15 p.m., Tuesday after police received a report of a disturbance. Mercy medics responded but Morgan, 47, who had two daughters and seven grandchildren, died at the scene.

According to family members, a person was seen fleeing through a second-story window and police officers, including a K-9, conducted a search of the area that night.

The day after the murder, two men living at 111 Liberty were taken into custody on alleged parole violations.

Funeral arrangments have been made for Morgan. Calling hours will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at H.E. Turner, 403 E. Main St., Batavia, with a funeral service at 1 p.m.  (Full Obituary)

Previously:

• Batavia PD investigating homicide on Liberty Street
• Name released of Liberty Street murder victim

The Holland Land Office Museum hosted its annual penny carnival Thursday for children participating in the History Heroes summer program.

Below is a photo submitted by Tiff Plimpton of Carson Colantonio and Ben Landers.

Hundreds of children turned out Thursday for a safety carnival at the Falleti Ice Arena sponsored by the combined Genesee County and Batavia youth bureaus. There were games, contests, and prizes along with safety lessons.

Batavia Downs started a trend in harness racing in New York in 1989 by creating a passing lane, which seemed like the right move at the time to give horses behind the leader a better chance to move into position.

But times change. Over the years, the passing lane came to give favorites an advantage so after Yonkers removed its passing lane and races suddenly became more competitive, Batavia Downs, for the 2018 season, decided the passing lane was, indeed, passé.

"Taking out the passing lane affects the race because there’s more movement in the race," said Todd Haight, GM of live racing for Batavia Downs. "Instead of horses staying at the rail and closing up the inside and never moving, the passing lane being gone, they have to move to the outside at some point, so you’re seeing more flow."

That makes for more exciting racing, Height said.

"You heard the track announcer few times tonight say three in, four out," Haight said. "Those are things he never said because very few horses ever left the rail because they were just lined up along the inside. Now they can’t do that."

Yonkers was the first track in New York to remove the passing lane and it's reduced the times the favorite wins the race by 9 percent.

That reduction increases the odds for race fans to place money-winning wagers.

A lot has changed at Batavia Downs, Haight said, since he first came to the track in the 1970s. Back then, Batavia Downs was just harness racing. There are now multiple restaurants, the sports bar Rush 34, video terminal gaming, and a hotel.

"This is a destination now," Haight said. "We are now a designation and you can see by the size of our crowd tonight on a Wednesday, I can guarantee you there were more people in our clubhouse tonight than in any track in the country. I can guarantee that. People are responding and that’s why we’re doing so well right now."

More changes are planned, including opening up 34 Rush to the track side of the main building.

The 11th race Wednesday night also had a touch of nostalgia. By the time the 11th race rolled around, the regular starters truck had developed a mechanical issue, so the track put into service the sedan it used in the 1980s. It was the same sedan that paced the legendary harness racing horse Niatross, with trainer and driver ‎Clint Galbraith.

"Many people think to this day, Niatross is the greatest harness horse of all time," Haight said. "Niatross set world record after world record."

Top photo: Step Beyond, winner of the 11th race on Wednesday. All photos are from the 11th race.

Video of Niatross racing at Batavia Downs, Sept. 6, 1980.

An Oakfield woman was seriously injured late Thursday night on Route 5 in Pembroke when her Ford sedan collided with a semi-truck hauling Perry's Ice Cream.

Megan King was transported to ECMC by Mercy Flight following a lengthy extrication from her white 2015 Ford Fusion. 

The cause of the accident is still under investigation.

King's Fusion was eastbound and the tractor-trailer, driven by Robin L. Alexander, of Buffalo, was westbound. Physical evidence at the scene indicates the truck and car collided in the eastbound lane.

Alexander reportedly told deputies he swerved into the eastbound lane in an attempt to avoid a crash. The force of the collision forced King's car backward and Alexander's truck traveled off the south shoulder and up an embankment.

Alcohol does not appear to be a factor, according to the Sheriff's Office.

The accident was reported at 9:40 p.m. in the area of 2040 Main Road.

Members of the Crash Management Team responded to the accident scene. The accident investigation is being handled by Chief Deputy Joseph Graff, Sgt. Andrew Hale, Investigator Chad Minuto, Deputy Travis DeMuth, Deputy Eric Meyer, and Deputy Joshua Brabon. Assisting at the scene were volunteer fire departments from East Pembroke, Pembroke, Alabama, Indian Falls, Oakfield, and the Town of Batavia, along with Mercy EMS and the NYS Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit.

(Initial Report)

An ambulance is requested to the New York State Police Barracks on West Saile Drive, Batavia, to evaluate a 15-year-old who jumped off a train.

The youth reportedly suffered minor injuries.

Deputies are cramming a lot of police training into one week for the first Teen Academy hosted at Byron-Bergen High School by the Sheriff's Office.

In this one week, said Deputy Matthew Butler, the 14 students enrolled are covering the same material a cadet at a standard police academy must grasp in five-and-a-half months.

"I don’t want any student to come away and say 'that was nothing, it wasn’t tough,' or 'it was too easy, I didn’t get anything out of it,' " Butler said. "That’s why we’re trying to throw a lot of stuff at them so they get the most from the experience and see what it’s really like."

Each day, at 8 a.m., starts with physical training or PT, and students take turns leading PT. Police officers all need to have leadership skills and be able to communicate effectively and PT and marching in formation are a chance to practice.

Instruction from there includes classroom lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on practice.

Deputy Chris Erion has been out with K-9 "Destro"; Sgt. Jason Saile presented a crash management demonstration; there are tours of the jail and communications; and a chance to see how the scuba team and Emergency Response Team work.

Instruction includes defensive tactics, penal law, vehicle and traffic law, and crime scene investigation and evidence recovery.

Patricia Reeves led a DWI victim impact panel.

There is homework every night and a test tomorrow followed by graduation at 1 p.m.

“We’re giving them a real taste of what it’s like to be a police officer and what you have to go through in the academy to become a police officer," Butler said.

The Teen Academy was pitched to Sheriff William Sheron by Butler, who is the school resource officer at Byron-Bergen, after he had seen something similiar in Monroe County. This is the first teen academy in Genesee County.

The training is no-nonsense. Tuesday, during traffic stop training followed by felony stop training, deputies Ryan DeLong, Andrew Mullen, and Chad Cummings were quick to stop, correct, and lecture in a tone that didn't permit embarrassment but understood that is a lot to master even in a simple traffic stop.

Proper procedures, situational awareness, emotional intelligence, and observation are all critical in a traffic stop, which is both the most routine task in law enforcement and the one daily task most fraught with risk, both to officers and civilians. A good officer never grows complacent.

DeLong, Mullen, and Cummings demanded the attention of the students, and attention to detail, from how they approached the car, to where they stood while talking with the driver, which hand they used to grab and hold paperwork, and how they safely walked back to the patrol vehicle.

With the basics understood, the students who role-played as drivers and passengers could improvise their responses to the cadets, from denying wrongdoing to revealing they were licensed handgun permit holders and were carrying a weapon. Responses were critiqued and corrected.

On two consecutive "stops," the "deputy" didn't notice the passenger holding a handgun in his lap.

Mullen emphasized, when approaching a vehicle, you've got to see everything going on inside the vehicle. The weapon could easily be viewed even before an officer would reach the driver-side door. At that point, Mullen said, you fall back and radio for backup.

DeLong, Mullen, and Cummings then simulated a felony traffic stop, with Cummings assuming the role of the criminal suspect, and then the students took their turns at practicing the procedure.

Many of the students participating do anticipate a career in law enforcement, so that's why they signed up for the academy.

"I really want to go into law enforcement," said Morgan Rhodes, a senior at Notre Dame HS. "It interests me a lot. I’ve always wanted to do it and this is really helping me figure it out."

She's interested in solving mysteries, she said, "making it right" after a crime has been committed, and ensuring people follow the law.

She thinks she will start her law enforcement career in the military but hopes to become a deputy some day.

Devyn Reigle, who has been taking Criminal Justice courses at BOCES, is also considering starting his law enforcement career in the military. The academy, he said, was a chance to get a more hands-on grasp than his college class on what being a cop is all about.

"I've learned a lot more," Reigle said. "I've learned what to be aware of, that it's a lot more serious than you think, and to keep your eyes focused on everything."

Top photo: Deputy Chad Cummings in the role of suspect during a felony stop demonstration.

Deputy Andrew Mullen with simulated pistol drawn while conducting a felony stop demonstration.

Deputy Ryan DeLong during the felony stop demonstration.

Deputy Ryan DeLong cuffing Deputy Chad Cummings.

Gianni Vallese, a Byron-Bergen student, practicing a felony stop.

Devyn Reigle taking Deputy Chad Cummings into custody.

Deputy Ryan DeLong providing instructions on procedures for a traffic stop.

Gianni Vallese conducting a traffic stop while Deputy Ryan DeLong observes.

Devyn Reigle accepting paperwork from a driver during a practice traffic stop.

Morgan Rhodes conducting a traffic stop.

The inaugural class and some of the instructors of the Sheriff's Teen Academy at Byron-Bergen High School.

After the jump, more pictures of training submitted by Deputy Deb Snyder and Deputy Chad Cummings.

The Batavia Muckdogs snapped a four-game skid Wednesday night against the Staten Island Yankees with a 5-4 win.

Michael Donadio had three hits for the home team, scored a run and drove in a run. Denis Karas had two hits and scored to runs. The winning pitcher was the second one into the game, Peyton Culbertson, who entered the game with a 3-2 lead and scattered five hits over three innings without giving up a run. He's now 1-1 with a 1.73 ERA. C.J. Carter, who alternates a 3/4 release with a sidearm delivery, picked up his first save, pitching an inning and a third, striking out three without allowing a base runner.

Top photo: Umpire Matt Whipple jumps to avoid an errant throw by catcher Pablo Garcia, who scrambled to recover a wild pitch by Elkin Alcala, seen jumping to avoid a sliding score by Yankees Jesus Bastidas in the top of the eighth inning. Next to photos, Sean Reynolds with a stolen base in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Elkin Alcala.

Pablo Garcia attempts a sacrifice bunt in the bottom of the seventh. The ball rolled foul, well down the third-base line. He would later single to left in the at-bat.

C.J. Carter with his sidearm delivery.

A fire in a detached garage at 6943 Knowlesville Road has now apparently caused the house to catch on fire.

Alabama fire dispatched along with Oakfield, East Pembroke, Pembroke, Elba and the City of Batavia's Fast Team.

UPDATE(S) (By Billie) 9:46 a.m.: Multiple explosions are heard. Indian Falls is standing by in their quarters. The city's second platoon is called its fire hall.

UPDATE 9:51 a.m.: National Grid and a code enforcement officer are called to the scene.

UPDATE 10:03 a.m.: National Grid has about a 10-minute ETA. Command asks that Salvation Army be contacted.

UPDATE 11:02 a.m.: The man who owns the house told Alabama Fire Chief Bill Schutt that he had been in his garage trying to repair his lawnmower and had stopped briefly to go elsewhere on the property to talk to a neighbor. Both people heard a loud pop then saw flames coming from the garage. The homeowner grabbed a garden hose in an attempt to keep the fire contained. Firefighters arrived quickly and were able to take advantage of new water lines and fire hydrants installed in the hamlet just last month, Schutt said. The garage burned down and the back of the house is heavily singed. The house next door has melted siding on a rear corner due to heat exposure. The fire is out. Firefighters are overhauling now.

The great thing about the Stumblin' Inn is that owners Steve and Jim Goff give every musician who walked through the door and had the courage to ask for a spot on the stage a chance to perform.

They did it for Dylan Desmit when he was first starting his music career.

"The first time we were here, my keyboard player put my amp through the window," Desmit said. "I was mortified. I thought for sure we would never play here again but Jim just kind of laughed it off. We’ve been playing here ever since and it just felt like a second home."

Desmit lost count of how many times he played the Stumblin', whether with one of his bands for an acoustic open mic night.

So many musicians have benefited from the largess of the Goffs that many of them are coming together for one more Thursday open mic nite in Elba where they will play music and pass the hat to raise money to assist Steve and Jim, who lost not just their business but their homes in a fire July 8.

Desmit and Paul Draper (who had last-minute work commitments that kept him from participating in the photo above) organized the event for tonight, starting at 8 p.m. in front of Chap's Elba Diner, and Desmit said the outpouring of musicians wanting to help Steve and Jim has been substantial.

The Stumblin' Inn was the place in the area for local musicians to congregate and get a chance to be heard and those musicians want to repay the favor.

"I saw someone compared it to the Penny Arcade in Rochester and that’s pretty much, yeah, every local band, ever, played here," Desmit said. "There’s so many musicians, and judging by the reaction on Facebook for the benefit, there are so many people devastated by losing it."

A two-car accident is reported on Route 20 at Colby Road, Darien.

A caller reports two females out of the vehicle and lying on the ground.

Another person may be trapped in a vehicle.

There are potentially four patients.

No word yet on how serious the injuries might be.

Darien fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 5:06 p.m.: All four patients out of the vehicles. Three will be taken by Darien ambulance to ECMC for evaluation. The fourth will be evaluated by Mercy EMS and may be transported to UMMC.

A 47-year-old Batavia man with many local family members has been identified by Batavia PD as the victim of a homicide last night at 111 Liberty St.

Raymond Lee Morgan died in his room last night after police and medics were dispatched because of a reported fight.

The suspect apparently fled on foot after jumping from a small second-story window. Police have not released a description of the suspect and he is apparently not yet in custody. 

In a release, Batavia PD said Morgan was well known to local officers. He had a criminal history and was on parole.

He was released from State Prison in November after serving a year on a criminal possession of a controlled substance, 5th, charge. He also served time from 1999 to 2002 on a grand larceny conviction.

But to his friends and family members gathered across the street from 111 Liberty St. this afternoon, he was a father, son, uncle and brother.

Victor Thomas, who said he grew up with Morgan as his uncle but called him his brother by the time he was an adult, said Thomas loved the Yankees and he loved cars.

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"He was big into cars and any car he had, it was going to have a system in it," Thomas said. "He loved to hear it bang. He loved to let people know he was coming before he was there."

Thomas got a little choked up talking about Morgan. He recalled that Morgan was always there when he was a kid to help him and his family.

"He had a big heart," Thomas said. "From the time I was knee high, he made sure I went back to school with nice clothes. If my mother and father couldn't do it, he was there to get me things I needed to be just OK."

He saw Morgan as bigger than life.

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"Ray was a dude that lived his life with an open heart," Thomas said. "He had so many friends. He had so many people who wanted to be around him. I mean, he was a character. He was one of a kind. You can ask anybody that. He was one of a kind. There is nobody else walking this earth who was like that dude."

Family members in the parking lot across from the rooming house were agitated while police officers and parole officers were inside the multi-unit building trying to untangle their complaints and deal with a couple of suspected parole violators.

One of them, family members said, had spread false rumors on Facebook that Morgan was the killer and he also apparently entered the room where Morgan died after police cleared the scene and took photos of the blood-soaked scene and posted them on Facebook.  

Taken into custody today was Michael Elmore. Family members shared with The Batavian posts with Elmore's name on them where Elmore said Morgan was killer and they accused Morgan of taking and posting the bloody pictures. 

Police Chief Shawn Heubusch explained this afternoon that once investigators finish processing a crime scene, the property is turned over to its owner and the owner from that point is responsible for securing the scene.

A source family with police procedures explained further that by law, police can't remain in custody of a scene once processing is completed without a warrant.

It was unfortunate, Heubusch said, that before the landlord could secure the scene, another resident of the boarding house went in and took pictures of the pools and splatters of blood in the room and posted them on social media.

"It doesn't help our investigation at all," Heubusch said. "It compromises our investigation."

He said he understands seeing those pictures online was very upsetting to family members.

"It's a shame there is no social norm anymore where people won't publish that on social media," Heubusch said. "It's absolutely ridiculous."

Ryan Macdonald is the property owner. He said he was notified at 6 a.m. by Batavia PD that he needed to secure the crime scene. He said when he arrived there was no door into Morgan's room and the window had been removed. Both were taken by investigators as evidence.

Removing Morgan's personal effects wasn't easy, Macdonald said, but that everything that could be returned to them was returned (at the scene this afternoon there were accusations that items were missing and that Morgan's laptop was found in the room of one of the parolees arrested, but Batavia PD could not confirm that information).

"I hate to say this but everything else in that room was covered in blood," Macdonald said. "Everything that was a health hazard, we had to clean or throw out. We had to throw out the bed. I own the bed but we had to throw out the bed. The sister wanted to go into the room but we had to bleach everything and clean everything. I spoke with a hazmat company and they came out and looked at the room and saw the work we did and they said we did what we were supposed to do."

At the start of the interview, Macdonald expressed his condolences for the family. 

"It's unfortunate that someone has died," Macdonald said. "My heart goes out to all of the family. They have lost a son, a child, a father, a brother."

It's days like today that being a landlord is especially difficult, he said.

"We all make choices and I chose to be a landlord but on days like this, I hate being a landlord because no matter what I do people will be mad at me," Macdonald said. "But I believe people can change. I believe people can become better. And that's why we rent to parolees."

Michael Elmore being taken into custody for an alleged parole violation.

The Muckdogs could manage only three hits and one run Tuesday night to open a three-game series against the Staten Island Yankees.

The home team lost 7-1 with Alberto Guerrero (2-2, 2.72 era), who gave up four runs, two earned, in the first four frames, taking the loss.

Batavia will try again against the Yankees farm team at 7:05 tonight and they'll wrap up the series tomorrow at 11:05 a.m.