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Assemblyman Steve Hawley is seriously considering a run for Congress.

The five-year veteran of Albany said that calls encouraging him to run began as soon as news hit that Rep. Chris Lee (NY-26) resigned following a revelation that he apparently tried to pick up a woman on Craigslist.

"I've been getting text-messages, phone calls and messages on Facebook from people throughout the district urging me to run," Hawley said. "I believe I have the background, experience and years in business."

Hawley then discussed his background and his family's background at length, hitting on both their deep involvement in the community.

"This is my community," Hawley said. "This is my home and this is my district. I know the business people and the people of the district as if they were family. So I'm seriously considering it."  

He added that he was flattered that so many people have come forward to urge him to run.

Hawley said he was on the phone until midnight and on the phone all morning, including talking with each of the Republican county chairs in the district.

On the Democratic side, Genesee County Chair Lorie Longhany said first and foremost, "I'm going to back the Democrat. The Democrat who gets chosen is who I'm going to back."

She said the Democrats have not yet lined up behind a candidate, but there is a lot of talk going on among area leadership about who might make a good candidate.

Even though the registration advantages lean heavily in favor of Republicans, Longhany said in a special election, anything is possible.

"It's all about getting out the base, getting people motivated," Longhany said. "I've watched my party in other special elections across the state. We have a tremendous machine to get out the vote. I've seen our local Democrats work very hard to get out the vote. Yes, the Democrats can win this seat. Most definitely."

Hawley said the special election will get national attention, and Longhany agreed. Hawley said he believes even President Obama will take an interest in the election because the Democrats need to pick up votes in the House. 

The GOP candidate, Hawley said, will need to be somebody with the financing to run the race and give 110 percent to the campaign.

While Hawley can't self-finance a race, he said he can raise the funds necessary. He said he's proven he can raise funds for himself and other candidates and he's been involved in successful fund-raising campaigns for nonprofits in the community.

"I don't have any qualms about being able to raise money," Hawley said.

Even so, Hawley said he isn't eager to give up his Assembly seat.

"I enjoy what I'm doing even though these are difficult times," Hawley said. "We now have a governor who has indicated verbally that he's ready to lead and he's ready to do the things that not just me but others say we should be doing to turn around the state and stop the spending spree. I'm excited about that, so leaving the Assembly would be difficult."

The GOP has a reputation in Western New York for running disciplined campaigns and backing chosen candidates. Hawley said each of the county Republican committees get a weighted vote on picking a candidate. It breaks down roughly to Erie County getting 40 percent, the rural counties getting 30, Monroe 20, and Niagara 10.  

Hawley said he is friends with many of the other potential candidates and he will back whomever gets the nod.

PHOTO: File photo from Hawley's announcement of his re-election campaign in 2010.

 A driver suffered minor injuries Wednesday after she lost control of her car while trying to pass another vehicle on Route 33 near Old State Road in Bergen.

Melissa J. Davis, 37, of Cleon St., Rochester, received citations for alleged speed too fast for conditions and failure to keep right.

Davis was westbound on Route 33 at 8:21 a.m. when she attempted to pass another car. She apparently spun out and her car overturned as she attempted to maneuver back into the westbound lane.

There were reportedly other cars that had already gone off the roadway in the area.

Though her injuries were reportedly minor, firefighters from Byron and Bergen were called to extricate her from her car.

The accident was investigated by Deputy Chris Parker.

(Initial Report)

Dylan Allen Barclay, 17, of Lewiston Road, Basom, is charged with criminal sexual act, 1st. Barclay is accused of a criminal sexual act with a child less than 11 years old. 

Robert Jackson, 62, of Robinson Road, Lockport, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 and failure to keep right. Jackson was stopped at 7:21 a.m. Wednesday on Lewiston Road, Alabama, by Deputy Brad Mazur.

Robert Paul Leiser, 42, of Lockport Road, Oakfield, is charged with petit larceny and failure to pay a fine. Leiser was picked up on a bench warrant for the petit larceny. He is accused of not paying a fine out of Batavia City Court. Leiser was jailed on $500 bail.

Robert J. Macklem, 21, of 1 Prospect Ave., Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st. Macklem is accused of violating a "stay away" protection order. A probation officer allegedly found the protected person at Macklem's residence during a routine visit. Macklem was jailed without bail.

Brian D. Leavy, 32, of 10 Cedar St., Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater and speeding. Leavy was stopped at 12:16 a.m. on West Main Street, Batavia, by Sgt. Steve Mullen, Batavia PD.

 A one-car accident has been reported on I-490 at mile marker 3 and there are possible injuries.

The white car is about 12 feet off the roadway.

Bergen fire and ambulance, Le Roy fire and ambulance along with Mercy EMS have been dispatched.

UPDATE: All Genesee County responding units put back in service. This is a Monroe County call.

 U.S. Rep. Chris Lee, representing New York's 26th District, including Genesee County, has reportedly resigned his congressional seat following a report by Gawker.com that he was trolling Craigslist for women.

UPDATE: Chris Lee released this statement:

“It has been a tremendous honor to serve the people of Western New York. I regret the harm that my actions have caused my family, my staff and my constituents. I deeply and sincerely apologize to them all. I have made profound mistakes and I promise to work as hard as I can to seek their forgiveness.

“The challenges we face in Western New York and across the country are too serious for me to allow this distraction to continue, and so I am announcing that I have resigned my seat in Congress effective immediately.”

Lee became caught up in a sex scandal today when New York City-based Gawker reported the the second-term congressman was apparently trolling Craigslist for women.

According to reporter Maureen O'Connor, Lee exchanged e-mails with a woman who placed a personal ad on Craigslist in the women-seeking-men category. Lee had told her he was divorced and a lobbyist, according to the report, and in the course of the e-mail exchange he sent along a shirtless picture himself.

The woman, according to Gawker, cut off correspondance with him after doing a little Google research and finding out who he really was. She then contacted Gawker thinking it was a 'humorous story."

There's no allegation in the story that Lee actually "hooked up" with that woman or any other woman through Craigslist.

UPDATE: Here's how the Washington Post reported it:

Lee experienced his fall from grace in a single afternoon, undone at the speed of the digital age. At lunchtime Wednesday, he was an obscure but promising second-term congressman. Then, at 2:33 p.m., the Web site Gawker.com posted an alleged e-mail exchange between a man who used Lee's name -- but identified himself as a divorced lobbyist -- and an unidentified woman. Gawker reported that the two had met through the personals section of Craigslist.

After that, the familiar cycles of a Washington sex scandal were compressed into a blur of tweets and news alerts. There was confusion, a hint of denial, then a pledge from Lee to "work it out" with his wife.

By 6 p.m., a clerk was announcing Lee's resignation in the House chamber.

The Honda that crossed the center line and struck an SUV in a fatal accident yesterday may have been going too fast for conditions, according to Deputy Chief Gordon Dibble, Genesee County Sheriff's Office.

It was under 9 degrees and there was still ice and snow on West Main Street Road at 9:02 a.m. when the accident ocurred.

The investigation is ongoing and there is still much to be learned about what happened, according to Dibble.

"There may be other factors that our investigation will eventually uncover," Dibble said.

Nineteen-year-old Delores Opuku-Boateng, a Batavia resident and student at GCC, died at the scene after being ejected from the Honda.

The driver, 21-year-old Levert R. Kimble, of Batavia, was seriously injured and transported to ECMC. He's out of intensive care and listed in stable condition, according to ECMC patient information.

The other driver, Justin J. Jaszko, 31, suffered a leg injury and was treated at UMMC.

A friend of Delores Opuku-Boateng, the 19-year-old GCC student killed in an accident on West Main Street Road, Batavia, yesterday posted this tribute video on YouTube and the GCC Facebook page.

Burnette McWilliams, 56, of Bartlett Street, Rochester, is charged with criminal impersonation, 2nd, aggravated unlicensed operation, leaving the scene of a property damage accident, unlicensed operation and following too closely. McWilliams is accused of causing a motor-vehicle accident in December in Oakfield. McWilliams allegedly told Deputy Brian Thompson  that her name was Barbara Brown. Upon further investigation, it was determined that McWilliams allegedly provided a false identity and was driving on a suspended license. McWilliams turned herself in to the Sheriff's Office on Monday.

 A 23-year-old snowmobile rider was seriously injured Tuesday evening after the vehicle he was riding struck a tree.

Nathan C. Swimline, of Boyce Road, Pembroke, was transported to ECMC by Mercy Flight with internal injuries.

Swimline was riding his snowmobile at 6:39 p.m. eastbound on Genesee Sno-Packers secondary trail GS 207, East Pembroke, when his vehicle traveled off the south side of the trail and struck a tree. Swimline was partially ejected from the snowmobile. 

According to the accident report, Swimline has five years experience with snowmobiles and was driving a 2004 Polaris Switchback, 700cc.

The accident was investigated by Deputy Kevin McCarthy.

UPDATE: According to ECMC patient information, Swimline is out of intensive care and listed in stable condition.

(Initial Report)

A driver was issued three citations following a secondary accident on Byron Road yesterday afternoon.

The driver and another car were approaching an accident scene on Byron Road at 4:42 p.m. when his car rear-ended the other car.

Cited for allegedly following too closely, aggravated unlicensed operation and driving on a suspended license was 41-year-old Scott P. Dunham, of Batavia.

Dunham's car hit one driven by Patricial Williams, 41, of Byron. Williams and her passenger, Lauren E. Williams, 11, suffered minor injuries and were transported to UMMC.

The accident was investigated by Deputy Joseph Graff.

(Initial Report)

 A car is on its side in the area of Route 33 and Old State Road, Byron.

A deputy called in that three or four cars were off the road and then said, "now I've got a rollover." 

There is a reported minor injury.

Byron and South Byron fire dispatched along with Mercy EMS.

UPDATE 8:37 a.m.: Bergen's rescue engine requested to the scene to help with extrication. Mercy EMS told to continue non-emergency.

A car has struck a utility pole and a 500-gallon diesel fuel tank on Batavia-Stafford Townline Road near R. Steven Hawley Drive.

The tank, on a farm at the location, was ruptured at a seam and was leaking fuel. The leak is now stopped.

The driver is out of the vehicle and walking around.

Both Stafford Fire Department (the accident is in the Stafford district) and Town of Batavia fire have responded.

UPDATE 4:56 a.m.: A fuel specialist from a local fuel company requested to the scene to help drain the remaining 200 to 300 gallons of fuel in the tank. Also, dispatch asked to contact the father of the driver. "Let him know (his son) is OK. He just needs a ride home."

The road is  being kept open.

For the second time this season, the Lady Lancers came up just points short against Notre Dame, dropping an emotional rematch in Elba, 43-40.

Notre Dame remains undefeated at 15-0 and Elba drops to 12-3.

The Lady Irish were led by Liz Geandreau, who scored 15 points with seven rebounds, and Riley Norton, 11 points and seven rebounds.

For Elba, Meg Stucko had 14 points and 16 rebounds and Racheal Cook scored 12 points.

To purchase pictures from this game (site template a little messed up right now, but site otherwise working) click here.

More pictures after the jump:

Mercy Flight was used to transport an injured person to a hospital following an incident at Billy Goats at 2 a.m., Jan. 31 and Batavia Police would like to interview witnesses to determine what happened.

The investigation is pending and police have released no details.

Witnesses should contact Officer Eric Bolles at 345-6350 or leave a message at 345-6444.

Investigators believe that a fire in Bergen on Monday night was deliberately set. Nobody was injured in the fire.

The fire, reported at 9:10 p.m., destroyed an old trailer and two cars used for parts at Bergen Auto Recycling, 7652 Clinton St. Road.

Deputy Chief Jerry Brewster said investigators don't have much to go on.

"The owner of the yard has no idea of why anyone would do this," Brewster said. "There was scant evidence...a set of snow-covered footprints approaching the RV and then leaving."

Brewster said Jim Bouton of Genesee County Emergency Services determined the fire was likely deliberately set.

Brewster said he was told the trailer was worthless.

"I presume that some type of accelerant was probably used," Brewster said.

Fire departments from Bergen, South Byron and Churchville responded to the scene.

 A two-car accident with a possible minor injury is blocking the eastbound lane of West Main Street, Le Roy.

One subject is complaining of a possible arm injury.

The accident occured in the area of 70 West Main St.

Le Roy Fire and Ambulance responding. 

City DPW workers were busy Monday night in Downtown Batavia. Crews hauled off a good deal of the snow that was blocking walkways between parking and the sidewalk along Main Street. Tim Walton supplied the picture below of the snow removal.

Chelsie R. Dibble is indicted on a felony charge of DWI and a felony charge of driving with a BAC of .18 or greater. Dibble is accused of driving drunk Sept. 19 on Hopkins Road.

No other grand jury indictments were released this week.