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Le Roy and Batavia both pick up 48-0 wins in Saturday's football games

By Howard B. Owens

Le Roy beat Notre Dame at Notre Dame on Saturday, 48-0.

The Fighting Irish hung tough for the first quarter and into the second quarter against the undefeated Oatkan Knights, trailing only 7-0 with six minutes left before the Knights snagged three interceptions and converted all three opportunities into touchdowns.

Cineque Robinson gains 108 yards and scored a TD on 14 rushes. Kyler LaCarte also scored while gaining 81 yards on 15 carries. Luke Stella added two touchdowns while gaining 80 yards on eight carries. Cole Biggins was 8-13 passing for 158 yards and three TDs. Gavin Luckey caught five of those passes for 77 yards and two TDs. Reece Tresco had two catches for 64 yards and TD. 

Tresco, Luckey, and Jake Hill each had four tackles and an interception. Bryce Bordonaro also had four tackles.

For Notre Dame, Gabe MacDonald gained 29 yards on seven carries. Devon Grimshaw had two catches for 27 yards. Micheal Keeler had 10.5 tacks, Tyler Trotten had eight and MacDonalds had seven.

Saturday's other game was Batavia at Bishop Kearney. The Blue Devils won 48-0. Ray Leach rushed 24 times for 153 yards and three touchdowns. He also scooped up a fumble and returned it for a TD. Chandler Baker was 5-8 passing for two TDs. He was intercepted once but got one back on defense. Eric Davis also had an interception. Taiyo Iburi-Bethel had eight tackles. Anthony Ray had five tackles. Josh Barber had five tackles.

Top photo: Reece Tresco. Photos by Ed Henry.

Cineque Robinson

Cole Biggins

Kyler LaCarte, #34

Luke Stella, #2

Steve Lyness, #67

Darien Lake releases statement on problem with ride yesterday

By Howard B. Owens

Darien Lake management reports that some patrons received minor injuries yesterday on the Silver Bullet ride.

Here's the statement released last night by Chris Thorpe, Darien Lake Theme Park manager:

At approximately 5:12 this evening, in the process of bringing the Silver Bullet to a stop, some guests received injuries, resulting in minor first aid response from the Darien Lake Medical Team. The Silver Bullet, and all of our rides, receive standard daily inspections each morning. After injuries were reported, our safety crews conducted an assessment and confirmed that the ride is operating safely within standard guidelines. Darien Lake will reopen tomorrow at 11 a.m. and the Silver Bullet will be operational.

Friday Night Football: Alexander remains undefeated

By Howard B. Owens

The Alexander Trojans are looking more and more like a threat to repeat as Section V champions as they moved to 5-0 Friday with a 36-12 win over previously undefeated Canisteo Greenwood.

Coach Tim Sawyer said the Trojans offensive line dominated as the team chewed up 440 total yards. 

Chris McClinic had another big game, going for 208 yards on 20 carries scoring four touchdowns. He now has 1,022 yards on the season on 90 carries with 16 TDs.

Freshman Terrez Smith ran for 97 yards on 12 carries, scoring on a five-yard run.

Dylan Busch was 7-9 passing for 83 yards. Tight end Erik Scharlau hauled in two of those passes for 32 yards and two TDs. 

On defense, Scharlau had six tackles and a sack for a safety. Danny Burns had seven tackles and a sack. Nick Young also had seven tackles.

Next up for the Trojans, Notre Dame at home.

Also on Friday night:

  • Cal-Mum/Byron-Bergen beat Oakfield/Elba  34-0 
  • Holley beat York/Pavilion  34-22 

Person reportedly injured after tractor falls off trailer in Alexander

By Howard B. Owens

A tractor has reportedly fallen off the trailer resulting in an injury accident  in the area of Darien Alexander Townline Road and Attica Road, Alexander. 

Alexander fire and ambulance responding 

UPDATE 12:39 p.m.: It's now reported as a backhoe that fell off the trailer, no other vehicles involved.

UPDATE 12:30 p.m.: A chief on scene reports the vehicle off the road, no injuries.

Police looking for suspect in thefts from local store

By Howard B. Owens

Batavia PD released these images today of a larceny suspect. The man in the pictures may have stolen items from a local store. People with information that may assist in the investigation are asked to call Officer Nicole McGinnis at (585) 345-6350.

Law and Order: 'Destro' helps find alleged drunken driver who fled accident

By Howard B. Owens

Michael Alan Shelter, 27, of Lewiston Road, Alabama, is charged with: DWI; driving with a BAC of .08 or greater; criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th; aggravated unlicensed operation, 2nd; and leaving the scene of a property damage accident. At 2:23 p.m., deputies responded to a report of a motor-vehicle accident on Maple Road, Alabama, where the driver had fled the scene. Deputy Chris Erion and K9 "Destro" were dispatched and Shelter was located not far from the scene of the accident. The incident was investigated by Deputy Eric Meyer.

Aaron Robert Webb, 21, of West Combe Park, West Henrietta, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, failure to stop at stop sign and insufficient tail lamp. Webb was stopped at 11:57 p.m., Thursday, on Telephone Road, Pavilion, by Deputy Eric Meyer.

Joshua A. Aughenbaugh, 23, of Junction Road, Pavilion, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child and harassment. Aughenbaugh is accused of holding a child behind a running vehicle in an attempt to prevent the child's mother from putting the vehicle in reverse. Aughenbaugh is also accused of butting heads with the woman and shoving her. He was jailed on $500 bail.

Leaha RaeAnne Wimmer, 25, of Allen Road, Albion, is charged with grand larceny, 4th. Wimmer allegedly stole a debit card and made purchases with it.

City fire announces coloring contest

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department is sponsoring the 5th Annual Fire Prevention Week Coloring Contest. This coloring contest is open to students from grades kindergarten – five.

“Our hope is to get the children to discuss fire safety with their teachers, other students and parents/guardians.” 

Information has been distributed to City schools, but we wanted to include any City area homeschooled children as well. Copies of the official coloring page and contest rules can be picked up at City Fire Headquarters, 18 Evans St. We encourage all eligible students to participate.

The 2017 Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 8-14) theme is “Every Second Counts: Plan 2 Ways Out!” Additional information can be found at the Fire Prevention Week website www.FPW.org

“We all practice fire drills at work, at school; but how many of us have actually practiced a fire drill at home?”

“Practicing Exit Drills in the Home (EDITH) is important for the entire family. Drawing a map of your home, knowing two ways out of every room and having a meeting place outside where all family members can gather in case of an emergency are important steps that all families should practice.” 

Any posters wishing to be entered need to be at the Fire Station located at 18 Evans St. in Batavia no later than 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 12.

Judging of the posters will take place Oct. 13th – 15th. The winner of each group will receive a ride to school on a City fire engine, and be invited to a special awards luncheon with their family held at the fire station. Second- and third-place finishers in each group will also be invited to the fire station awards luncheon.

The best of luck to the students! Full rules are available at the City of Batavia Fire Department on Evans Street in Batavia or by contacting us via email. (gireland@batavianework.com)

With new big game hunting legislation in place, Hawley points to Oct. 1 bow hunting season opening

By Howard B. Owens

Press release from Assemblyman Steve Hawley:

“Hunting is deeply indoctrinated in Western New York culture. Nothing is more satisfying to hunters across the state than waking up early and trekking the woods with family and friends in pursuit of taking home big game.

This is a time-honored tradition passed from parents to their children and with that comes the respect and appreciation for firearms and the Second Amendment.

“I was proud to introduce and once again pass a bill authorizing big game hunting for Orleans and Genesee counties and look forward to the festivities and success of our local hunters. As a proud outdoorsman myself, I always strive to advocate for and protect our right to bear arms and of course, ensure the highest level of hunter safety and environmental conservation.

"It is crucial to receive proper training before practicing the art of hunting and always adhere to strict safety procedures when out tracking your game. Hunting is a prominent tourist attraction in our region, drawing many from across the state to our world-class hunting destinations and in doing so supporting our local small-businesses bolstering the regional economy.

"Good luck to all my fellow outdoorsmen this year and happy hunting!”

Hawley decries new 'Raise the Age' rules for teenage defendants

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) today voiced his continuing opposition to a policy pushed by Downstate special interests during this past budget cycle, which raises the age of criminal responsibility from 16 to 18 in some circumstances. The law, which many have coined the "gang recruitment bill" establishes a youth classification in a superior court in each county that has jurisdiction over juvenile offenders and a new class of adolescent offenders.

“This is one of the most misguided and frankly dangerous pieces of legislation that has ever hit my desk as a state legislator,” Hawley said. “As I said at the time it was being considered, a contentious policy like this should never be used as political leverage in a state budget and this was a cowardly attempt by downstate liberals to handcuff many legislators into voting for this as it was lumped in with various other spending items in one massive bill.”

With the new law, certain criminal cases can be sent to Family Court even if the charges are 2nd-degree murder, 1st-degree rape, 1st-degree criminal sexual act or an armed felony. The governor is using this as another mechanism to force counties to adhere to his reckless spending practices. If a county stays under the tax cap, there is no cost to them but if they exceed it they may not be reimbursed by the state. 

“Allowing murderers, rapists, and armed robbers to avoid harsher sentencing by sending them to family court is unconscionable,” Hawley said. “In doing so, we run the risk of these violent offenders returning to our neighborhoods more quickly and that should scare everyone. Only in liberal-dominated New York do New York City politicians think a 16 or 17-year-old doesn’t know that murder or armed robbery is wrong and shouldn’t be responsible for his or her actions.

"I was proud to vote against this bill and am requesting Gov. Cuomo use state funds to reimburse counties for the added court and administrative costs that our local governments simply can’t afford.”

Photo: Rainbow over GO ART!

By Howard B. Owens

Mother Nature got a little artistic this afternoon, putting a rainbow over Seymour Place, home of GO ART!, in Batavia.

Reader-submitted photo.

Office Max in Batavia is closing

By Howard B. Owens

Signs reading “store closing” were posted out front of the office supply store on Veterans Memorial Drive for customers yesterday.

Parent company Office Depot has confirmed that amid declining sales the Batavia location will be closing along with around 300 other stores nationwide.

Via our news partner WBTA.

Premier Healthcare to acquire Le Roy Village Green

By Howard B. Owens

Le Roy Village Green, a residential health care facility in Le Roy has submitted an application for a Change in Ownership, Merger or Consolidation to the States Department of Health.

The submission was dated Sept. 27th.

Licensed Nursing Home Administrator for the Le Roy Village Green Robert Rubens confirmed that Premier Healthcare was indeed acquiring the once independently owned operation.

Rubens declined to comment further on the acquisition details.

If the deal is finalized, it will be Premier’s second nursing home in Genesee County following their recent purchase of the Genesee County Nursing Home.

Via our news partner WBTA.

Photos: Open house at BHS

By Howard B. Owens

Thursday night was open house for Batavia High School, with teachers on hand to provide parents information on homework, assignments, chances for college credit, classroom expectations, and to answer questions and show off students' work.

Name released of driver in fatal truck accident on Thruway

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

On Thursday, Sept. 28, at approximately 12:14 p.m., State Police were dispatched to investigate a serious injury tractor-trailer accident on I-90, westbound near exits 47 and 48, in the Town of Stafford.

The investigation at the scene revealed that the driver of the tractor-trailer William W. Frank, age 46, of Alden, was traveling westbound on I-90, in the Town of Stafford and for an unknown reason drove off the right shoulder of the roadway and into a heavily wooded area. The driver of the tractor-trailer was ejected from the vehicle and was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The accident is being investigated by New York State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit (CVEU). No other vehicles were involved in the accident, no other injuries were reported.

County historian to give talk on 'Becoming American: The Journey of Italians in Genesee County

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

GO ART! is pleased to cosponsor this free presentation with the Oakfield Historical Society at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 3, at the Oakfield Community & Government Center. Michael Eula, Ph.D., Genesee County Historian, will speak on the history of Italians in Genesee County, a subject particularly interesting to the Oakfield community's history with the gypsum mine.

This talk is presented as part of GO ART!'s GO-C Series.

Eula gives the following introduction to his program: 

"On November 2nd, 1905, an Italian immigrant, Gaitano Valente, while working as a miner in Oakfield for the United States Gypsum Company, was killed in an avalanche of rocks that were being excavated. Less than a year later, on September 13th, 1906, it was reported that “200 Italians from New York City” were being brought into Oakfield to work as strikebreakers for that same company. It was assumed that a riot would ensue – and as a result, there was a collection of guns to be used in the expected confrontation.

"These two incidents took place within a national context of mass Italian immigration punctuated by a perception of Italians as the 'other' – a characterization capable of producing the largest mass lynching to ever take place in American history – the infamous murder of eleven Italian immigrants in New Orleans in 1891. This event served as a catalyst for attacks on Italians throughout the nation. The obvious question, then, is how the Italian immigrants of the late nineteenth century – the 'other' as depicted routinely in the newspapers of the day – could become, only a few generations later, a respected and influential member of American society.

Focusing on this question in terms of Genesee County, we will follow the journey of the typical Italian immigrant in the late 1800s as he or she, in subsequent generations, evolved from the outsider on the margins of society into a member of the mainstream of Genesee County – and American – life.

Becoming American: The Journey of Italians in Genesee County, NY
By Michael Eula, Genesee County Historian
Tuesday, Oct. 3, 7 p.m.

Oakfield Community and Government Center
3219 Drake Street, Oakfield
Free admission. Co-sponsored by GO ART!'s GO-C Genesee-Orleans Culture Connects Series

Sylvia Traxler is the Le Royan of the Year for 2017

By Howard B. Owens

Sylvia Traxler has been named the 49th Le Royan of the Year.
  • Sylvia lovingly raised a family of five children and has five grandchildren;
  • She is a member of the Presbyterian Church for over 60 years; helps with fundraising projects for the church;
  • She has volunteered for over 30 years with the Le Roy Ambulance Service, serving in various positions including base officer, driver, and medic, volunteering virtually every Monday evening;
  • Sylvia is a member of the Board of Directors and serves as Treasurer of the Le Roy Pantry and Help Fund and continues to serve weekly maintaining inventory, receiving shipments and distributing foodstuff to those in need;
  • Sylvia volunteers with the American Red Cross for Drives at the American Legion and the county Mega Drive;
  • She is an active member of the Pavilion Young at Heart Seniors serving as the Greeter and Vice President; she is also the contact for the Genesee County Office of the Aging.

The "Le Royan of the Year" Recognition Banquet 
Saturday, Oct. 7th
Social hour: 6 p.m.
Dinner:  6:45 p.m.
at The American Legion, 53 W. Main St., Le Roy
Tickets: $20, available at the American Legion -- 768-2090

Run for the ACORNS celebrates 5th anniversary with event Sunday

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

Grab a friend for some great exercise, fun and free stuff!

This race is part of the United Way of Genesee County race series, which is sponsored by LaCivita Enterprises.

Race signup includes coupons and special offers from local businesses and restaurants! This year's race will feature the first-ever Kids Fun Run! Free to youth 10 and under. Must register on race day. Age-appropriate categories and distances. Run is on a grassy playing field. Everyone is a “winner”! This 5K/10K trail run and walk is designed for people of all ages and activity levels.

Walk or run on single and double track trails through the forest, along a creek and up and down rolling hills in the Genesee County Park & Forest, with an estimated 100 feet of climb in the 10K loop. Trails are very wide and easy to negotiate (minimal rocks and roots). The course starts on asphalt and then leads into the woods for a truly beautiful run and walk through the countryside. Enjoy post-race snacks and drinks as you congratulate your fellow participants!

East Bethany – The 5th Anniversary Run for the ACORNS is Sunday, Oct. 1st, at Genesee County Park & Forest and promises to be the best event yet!

Run for the ACORNS and surround yourself in the beauty of the forest in October on trails through the woods, along with the headwaters of Black Creek and over rolling hills.

All proceeds benefit the ACORNS, the nonprofit organization that supports the Genesee County parks with a mission to enhance the visitor experience and foster environmental stewardship and education.

Awards prizes will be given to the top overall male and female running finishers in each race. Awards will also be given to the top male and female running finishers in each age group.

Check-in begins at 8 a.m. The 10k run begins at 9 a.m; the 5K run/walk begins at 9:15 a.m. Kids Fun Run begins about 10:30 a.m.

Registration is required! The fee is $25 before Sept. 27th; $30 late registration. Those who registered before Sept. 17th will get your long-sleeved race tech shirt! Special 5th-year-anniversary shirts to participants registered for this and all other previous Run for the ACORNS races!

 Register online  or at check-in on the day of the race. Enjoy the morning in the forest and run for the ACORNS – You’re “NUTS” if you don’t! See you there! For more information visit our website or call 585- 344-1122. 

Photo: File photo by Howard Owens.

JK principal is a jailbird for a day

By Howard B. Owens

The students at John Kennedy School raised $555 for new library books and Principal Paul Kessler paid the price.

As a "reward" for the students, Kessler spent the day in jail.

Students, such as third-grader Anthony Nesbitt, took turns as guards to ensure he didn't escape.

The pre-lunch crowd passing the jail was pretty merciless. "You stay locked up, Mr. Kessler," more than once said as they walked in their class lines.

"The kids are having fun with it," Kessler said. "So are some of the teachers."

Cuomo cancels appearance in Batavia

By Howard B. Owens

For a second time, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office has sent out invitations to members of the community for an announcement at City Hall only to cancel the same day. 

Cuomo’s office sent out invitations this afternoon and before 5 p.m. canceled the appearance. 

No reason was given for the cancellation. 

State Police investigating fatal truck accident on Thruway in Le Roy

By Howard B. Owens

A truck driver died this afternoon when his truck left the roadway on the westbound Thruway in Le Roy and headed into a line of trees.

The driver was ejected and found nearby with only a slight pulse. He died a short time later and a coroner was called to the scene.

Troop T, State Police, are investigating the accident, but have little to go on at this point. A spokesman said there is no apparent cause for the driver to have lost control of the truck and no prior reports of erratic drivers in the area.

The truck was apparently making drop-offs and deliveries in the area and the nature of its cargo is not currently available.

Both lanes are now open, but the shoulder in the area of mile marker 392 is closed, making travel through the area slower.

The name of the driver has not been released yet pending notification of his family.

Le Roy fire and Le Roy ambulance responded to the scene.

(Initial Report)

Our news partner 13WHAM contributed to this story.

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