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In what may be the last regular season meeting between Batavia and Notre Dame in boys basketball, the Blue Devils came out on top 68-45 to win The Peter Arras Memorial Basketball Tournament.

The tournament has commonly been known as the Lions Tournament, but the Lions Club of Batavia renamed it this year in memory of Pete Arras, a longtime Lions Club member and founder of the tournament.

The tournament is usually the one meeting each year between Batavia and Notre Dame, but next year, the tournament format will change to include eight teams, four each in Class A and B, and four teams in Class C and D, which is why Batavia and Notre Dame aren't likely to play each other again.

Last night, Mason McFollins scored 17 points, hitting five three-point shots. He was named tournament MVP. Steve Gilebarto and Antwan Odom scored 14 apiece.

For Notre Dame, Ryan Moffet scored 11 points and Keith Szczepanski scored eight.

Besides McFollins, the all-tournament team was Liam Ward, Albion, Colin O'Hallohan, Elba, Antwan Odem and Steve Gilebarto, Batavia, and Ryan Moffet, Notre Dame.

A new feature of the tournament is a banner acknowledging all of the teams. The winning team signs the banner and will be able to display it in the school. Above, Nancy Arras, wife of Pete, signs the banner.

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Pembroke pulled out a narrow win Friday night in overtime over Charter School for Applied Technologies in boys basketball.

The final, 66-64.

Jamil Marable scored 22 points for the Dragons. Ethan Stone, 16, Lucas Kohurst, 11, and Reid Miano, 9.

Top scorer for CSAT was Devin Ashley with 21 points.

Photos by Destin Danser.

For more photos and to purchase prints, click here.

On Friday nights, the lights are on for outdoor skating at DeWitt Recreation Area, sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Batavia.

This coming Friday, Kiwanis members will be serving hot cocoa from Tim Hortons to skaters who show up between 4:30 and 7:30 p.m.

Above, Kiwanis member Peter Guppenberger.

An odor of fuel is reported in the building of the Flying J travel plaza in Pembroke.

The building was supposed to be evacuated, but a chief on scene reports the building is not evacuated.

Pembroke and Indian Falls fire departments responding.

UPDATE 7:41 a.m.: Newstead fire requested to the scene to help with roof access.

UPDATE 7:41 a.m.: Code enforcement also requested to the scene. Building is evacuated.

UPDATE 7:50 a.m.: Units on the road can continue response, all others can remain in quarters.

UPDATE 7:53 a.m.: A chief reports no issues found. No sign of fire. He suspects diesel fuel getting sucked in by vents was the cause.

A deal to sell property on Ellicott Street to Savarino Companies for development of Ellicott Station, which includes a restaurant, office space, and apartments, was finalized in Buffalo today.

Pier Cipollone, president of the Batavia Development Corporation, and Julie Pacatte, economic development coordinator for the BDC, were authorized earlier this week by the BDC board to finalize the property transfer.

Technically, the BDC sold Ellicott Station LLC to Ellicott Station Development LLC/Savarino Companies. Ellicott Station LLC, not the BDC or the City, was the owner of the real estate.  

The sale needed to close by Jan. 31 because of changes in the tax law would have meant loss of a $200,000 tax credit for the new owners.

Savarino is still working with 16 different entities to finalize financing for the development and has some environmental investigations yet to complete. Officials expect financing to close by mid-February.

The Buffalo-based firm is making a direct investment of about $3.5 million and will borrow approximately another $10 million or more, and local, state, and federal programs will cover another $5 million or so of the more than $18 million in project expenses.

Some of the financing is coming through the New Market Tax Credit program, which is one factor in why the financing is complicated (see prior story).

Resurgence Brewery will be the anchor tenant for the development and BDC officials expect a 2018 opening for the new restaurant.

The approximate 64,000-square-foot development will include office space and a five-story apartment complex with 51 units.

The location is the former buildings of Santy's Tire Sales and Soccio & Della Penna Construction.

Members of the basketball program with the Pembroke Youth Association showed "horns up" for UB men's basketball at Alumni Arena in Buffalo on Thursday night.

The kids got a chance to see a great Division I basketball game (the Bulls beat NJIT 86-81 in overtime) as a group outing.

(I attended the game and when one of the girls with the group won "Fan of the Game" during the second half, I noticed the Pembroke jersey and decided to get a picture of the group at the game. The kids were clearly having a blast.)

The Byron-Bergen Lady Bees beat Greece Odyssey on Thursday night to capture, for the second year in a row, the Sports Boosters Tournament championship.

The Bees came back from a 29-23 half-time deficit to win 56-48.  

After starting the season with three losses, Byron-Bergen has won five in a row.

On Thursday, Juliana Amesbury had 19 points, Kelsey Fuller 14 and Miriam Tardy with 12. Odyssey Shyasia McCullough had 16 points.

Byron-Bergen's Kelsey Fuller was named tournament MVP. The rest of the all-tournament team is Lydia Borrelli from Le Roy, Shyasia McCullough and Abby Wilson from Odyssey and Juliana Amesbury.

Information submitted by Kathryn Krzewinski. Photos by Tammy Fuller.

Investigators are unsure why a 2004 Acura TSX driven by Tracy B. Carpenter, 54, of Oakfield, crossed the center line on Route 33 in Stafford just before 12:30 p.m. today and struck a westbound semi-truck head on.

Carpenter was pronounced dead at the scene by Coroner Donald Coleman.

The weather was not a factor, according to the Sheriff's Office investigators. The road was dry and the sky was clear.

The accident closed Route 33 between Prole Road and Caswell Road for the entire afternoon. Stafford fire is just now clearing the scene. The Department of Environmental Conservation's spill management crew is still working to clean up a fuel spill. National Grid was on scene to replace a utility pole that was broken when the semi-truck struck it.

The 2007 Western Star was driven by Fay B. Warner, 67, of Geneseo. Warner was not injured in the accident.

The crash is being investigated by deputies Jenna Ferrando, Joseph Loftus, Chris Erion, and the Crash Reconstruction Unit. 

Stafford fire responded along with Byron fire, South Byron fire, and Bergen fire to assist at the scene and block roads. Mercy EMS also responded. State Police also assisted at the scene.

(Initial Report)

District Attorney Lawrence Friedman and his staff, including new First Assistant District Attorney Melissa Cianfrini, took their oaths of office today at the County Courthouse.

Submitted photo: Lawrence Friedman, Robert Zickl, County Clerk Michael Cianfrini, Melissa Cianfrini, Kevin Finnell, and Shirley Gorman.

Lazeula D. Washington, 40, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with trespass. Washington is accused of entering the Genesee Country Mall though previously barred from the property. He was jailed on $250 bail.

Jeffery Thomas Dutton, 26, of Buell Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Dutton was arrested after police responded to Walnut Street for a report of two men fighting.

Zachary J. Marrow, 26, of Seven Springs Road, Batavia, was arrested after allegedly failing to appear on a subpoena related to a charge of criminal contempt, 2nd. 

Dexter L. Turner, 26, of Victor Lane, Hamlin, was arrested on two warrants out of City Court. He was jailed on $5,000 bail or $10,000 bond.

David C. Wojkowski, 33, of Swan Street, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear on a traffic ticket.

Daniel J. Horner, 37, no permanent address, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear on a prior appearance ticket.

Deina Chavez, 36, of Rochester, is charged with conspiracy and petit larceny. Deina was arrested by State Police in relation to an incident reported at 1:13 p.m. Oct. 28 at Kohl's Department Store. Chavez was jailed on an unspecified amount of bail. No further details released.

Members of the Batavia High School softball team, along with parents and coaches and parents, were at the basketball tournament on Wednesday night selling snacks and drinks.

The concession booth is a fundraiser to help the team pay for a trip to a softball camp in Myrtle Beach, S.C., in March. The camp will allow the team to start practices and see game action, helping them prepare for the season, while most of the team's spring competition is still stuck in frigid WNY.

Notre Dame and Batavia will meet in the finals of The Peter Arras GCC Basketball Tournament at Genesee Community College on Friday after both teams won opening round games of the annual tournament organized by the Batavia Lions Club.

Notre Dame beat Elba 77-66 and Batavia beat Albion 84-58.

In the first game, Notre Dame and Elba traded leads throughout the first three quarters, but the Irish pulled away by scoring 30 points in the fourth quarter even as Elba scored 24.  

Ryan Moffat scored 26 points for the Irish, hitting five three-point buckets. Nico Zambito scored 17 points. Spencer Miskiti and Brendin Klotzbach each scored eight.

For Elba, Jonathan Boyce scored 20, Collin O'Halloran scored 16, Colton Dillon, 14, and Ben Pflaumer, 13.

In the nightcap, Mason McFollins scored 31 points, hitting seven three-pointers, while Ray Mlodozeniec scored 13, Trevor Zewan, 12, and Jonathan Liciaga, 8.

For Albion, Liam Ward scored 20, hitting four three-point shots and Bryce Pritchard scored 17, hitting five three-point shots.

Elba and Albion will play the consolation game at 6:30 p.m. Friday, and Batavia and Notre Dame tip off at 8 p.m. Both games are played at GCC.

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Two women are in custody following an apparent confrontation inside another person's home in Alexander at 5:28 p.m., Tuesday.

Arrested were Jennifer Martino, 42, of Pearl Street, Batavia, and Amber Holland, 35, of Cambridge Square, Buffalo. They were charged with second-degree robbery, second-degree burglary, criminal mischief, 3rd, endangering the welfare of a child, and criminal mischief, 4th.

According to the Sheriff's Office, the duo forced their way into the home of an acquaintance. Once inside, investigators said, there was a physical confrontation. The duo also allegedly damaged property and stole property belonging to the resident.

Martino and Holland allegedly prevented the victim from calling 9-1-1 by taking the person's mobile phone. 

One of the occupants of the home was reportedly a 12-year-old child.

No significant injuries were reported.

Following the report, deputies located a vehicle with Holland and Martino inside and Holland driving. She was also charged with DWI, failure to submit to breath test, and unlawful possession of marijuana.

The pair were arraigned in Alexander Town Court and jailed on $10,000 bail or $20,000 bond each. Holland was also arraigned in City Court and ordered held on the DWI charge on $2,500 bail.

The investigation was conducted by Deputy Micheal Lute, Deputy Kyle Krzemien, and Investigator Joseph Graff.

Byron-Bergen's Lady Bees beat Le Roy in a girls basketball game Tuesday night at Byron-Bergen, 58-34.

The two teams were tied at the half, but the Bees outscored the Knights in the third and fourth quarter, 21-11 and 16-2.

For Byron-Bergen, Kelsey Fuller scored 16 points, Miriam Tardy, 14, Juliana Amesburg, 12, and Emily Kaczmarek, 8.

For Le Roy, Erin Cappotelli had 12 points, Bryn Luckey, 7, and Ava Horgan, 6.

More people in Genesee County now have jobs or want jobs than the same period a year ago, and this has actually meant the county's unemployment rate grew from November 2016 to November 2017, according to the latest statistics from the Department of Labor.

The November labor force is an estimated 29,600, up from 29,000 a year ago and while the number of people with jobs grew, the number did not grow as much as total labor force participation.

Labor force participation is the measure of how many people either have jobs or who report they are under-employed and looking for full-time work or are unemployed and looking for work.

The county's labor force participation rate has been at or below the previous year's number for more than a year.

While the pool of eligible workers grew, so did the total number of employed people. In all, 400 more people in the county are reported to have a job in November than the previous year. The total grew from 27,700 to 28,100.

Even with that growth, the bigger jump in total participation meant that county's unemployment rate grew from 4.5 percent to 5.1 percent year-over-year.

The GLOW-area unemployment rate rose at the same pace, hitting 5.3 percent, up from 4.7 percent a year ago. Buffalo's rate rose from 4.9 percent to 5.3 percent and Rochester, from 4.5 percent to 5.1 percent.

The state's rate was 4.5 percent.

Earlier this month, the Department of Labor reported 22,600 non-farm jobs in Genesee County, down from 22,500 a year earlier. There were 16,700 private sector jobs in Genesee County for November 2017, the same as 2016.

STORY UPDATED: 12:30 p.m.

Police are trying to locate the driver of a vehicle that struck a jogger on Richmond Avenue near the Blind School at 5:09 a.m., Friday.

Batavia PD is unable to provide a vehicle description or information on whether the vehicle was damaged. 

A Good Samaritan who stopped to assist the jogger, Rosemary Demske, did not see the vehicle that struck her. He thinks.

Glen Enouen, an employee of Scalia's Landscaping who was working that morning driving a snowplow truck, said he was heading back to his route after going to the company's shop on Bank Street Road to repair a plow controller. Heading back, he turned the corner on Richmond and found a car stopped in the middle of the road.

The driver told him a woman had just been struck by a car.

He said he and the other man helped Demske into his plow truck and Enouen proceeded to call 9-1-1.

Asked if the car driver might have been the driver who struck Demske, he said he didn't know. 

"Other than he said, 'don't bother with the phone' and he didn't stick around, I don't know," Enouen said. He said the driver disappeared as soon as he heard sirens.

"I didn't see him leave," Enouen said. "I heard the sirens, looked around and he was gone."

Enouen said he didn't take a good look at the car.

"I didn't have any reason at the time to look deeper than helping that lady out," Enouen said.

A family member said Demske and her husband, John, are avid joggers. 

"They both are very generous with their time volunteering in the community," said her sister-in-law, Michele Bettendorf. "Rosemary is a special education aide in the Batavia School District. She also volunteers at the Genesee Animal Shelter and is involved in their Pet Therapy Program. She is an active member of Resurrection Parish serving as Eucharistic Minister/RCIA Instructor."

When Demske was struck she was thrown to the other side of the street, Bettendorf said.

She suffered a broken tibia, her entire left side was bruised and she has two black eyes, Bettendorf said.

"Rosemary is very thankful that he (Enouen) was there to help her," Bettendorf said.  

Anyone with information that may assist in the investigation is asked to call Batavia PD at (585) 345-6350 and ask to speak with a supervisor any time of day or night.

In a press release, police officials said, "As a reminder to residents please keep sidewalks shoveled for pedestrians. Pedestrians please use sidewalks and if you have to be on the roadway walk facing traffic with reflective outerwear."

A Subaru Outlander is reportedly in a pond off of Feeder Road, near Klossen Road, or perhaps Meadville Road, in the Tonawanda Wildlife Management Area.

The caller apparently reports being in the area of Meadville, but dispatchers say the phone signal is closer to Feeder Road and Klossen Road.

The callers say they are unable to exit the vehicle.

State Police, Alabama fire, Wolcottsville fire, Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 10:52 a.m.: There is water in the vehicle, but it is not sinking. There are two people in the vehicle. One is disabled.

UPDATE 11 a.m.: Alabama fire on location. One vehicle partially in the water, hanging over the bank.

UPDATE 11:02 a.m.: Confirmed, two people in the vehicle. No injuries. First responders stabilizing the vehicle until more help arrives.