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An 18-year-old Dansville girl died last night in a three-car crash on Route 20 in Darien, and the 24-year-old driver who allegedly caused the crash has been charged with manslaughter.

He was allegedly driving drunk.

Katie M. Stanley, of 8956 McNair Road, Dansville, suffered head and chest injuries in the 11:08 p.m. accident.

Stanley was a passenger in a car that struck a truck making an allegedly illegal left-hand turn.

She was initially transported to UMMC and later transferred to Strong. Her time of death has not been reported.

According to a Sheriff's Office press release, a 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 pickup operated by Ronald Wendt II, 24, of 10448 Brookville Road, Alexander, was heading westbound on Route 20, just east of Harper Road. Wendt reportedly tried to make a left-hand turn into a parking area and allegedly failed to yield the right of way to oncoming traffic.

Wendt's truck was struck by a 1993 Toyota Camery driven by Rachel L. Enderle, 27, of 10281 Jacobs Road, Dansville. Wendt's truck then struck an unoccupied 2002 pickup truck.

The two other passengers in the Toyota were Timothy L. Enderle, 20, of 49 N. Meandowbrook , North Chili, and Gabrielle E. Mahus, 18, of 11493 Mendoleine Road, Dansville.

Mahus and Rachel Enderle were transported to Erie County Medical Center. It's unknown at this time what injuries Mahus sustained. Rachel suffer a lower leg/foot injury. Timothy Enderle was transported to UMMC with a hip injury. He was later transferred to Strong.

No injuries were reported for Wendt. Besides being charged with manslaughter, Wendt faces charges for allegedly driving with a BAC .08 or greater, driving without insurance, driving an unregistered vehicle, driving an uninspected vehicle and failing to yield the right of way. His truck also allegedly did not have a front license plate. Additional charges may be pending.

Wendt was  arraigned in Darien Town Court and placed in the Genesee County Jail on $25,000 bail.

Assisting at the scene were the Darien Volunteer Fire Department, the Alexander Fire Department, Mercy Flight, the City of Batavia Ambulance Service and the Attica Police Department.

UPDATE Aug. 16, 8:51 a.m.: The Sheriff's office provided an amended report giving the age of Rachel L. Enderle as 27, not 17 as originally reported.

Lori Ann Santini took these pictures today. She reports that it appears today's "Fill the Boot" campaign put on by the firefighters union was successful. The union raised money today for MDA.

Above is firefighter Jeff Stevens. 

Union president Greg Ireland and Captain Jay Steinbrenner.

Firefighter Tim Stengal.

UPDATE: Greg Ireland reports the fundraiser brought in $4,500.

"It's a bit shy of last year's total but it will still go a long way to help the kids. Local 896 wants to send a big THANK YOU to everyone who stopped and donated to this great cause."

Mercy Flight is responding to an accident involving a motorcycle at Bloomingdale and Parker roads.

The motorcycle driver is reportedly unconscious.

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A special-use permit for a new RV, boat and auto storage facility in Elba were among several items approved last night by the Genesee County Planning Board.

The 37,000-square-foot facility will, be located on Drake Street Road at the former location of Drake Street Motors. The lot is adjacent business owner's home.

If final approval is granted by Elba's planning commission, the facility will be required to only store operational vehicles -- no parts or junk.

Other business included:

• A resident at 8846 Kenney Road in Le Roy is seeking permission to kennel up to seven rescued dogs on that property. If approved by the Le Roy Planning Commission, the owner will not be allowed to operate a commercial kennel without seeking a new special-use permit. Some board members expressed concern about barking dogs, but Jim Duval, director of planning, said that issue is really the responsibility of the local planning board. "In her application, she assures everybody they're quiet dogs," Duval said.
• A site plan review for Jeffries Ag Services, 6905 Ellicott Street Road, Pavilion, for construction of a new loading area, conversion of a former tank area to dry fertilizer storage and conversion of the front storage area into office space. On the recommendation of Mel Wentland, board president, the board added a provision that the DEC be contacted to review the dike capacity and ensure it is sufficient to protect Oatka Creek from any spills.
• A sign-variance approval for Coffee Culture, going in at 6 Court St., for signs on the three public-facing sides of the building.
• Both Bergen and Stafford are proposing changes to their zoning laws.

A few people had a question for us yesterday: Why was a State Police helicopter circling over the City of Batavia?

Answer: Marijuana eradication.

Rebecca Gibbons, spokeswoman for the State Police, just provided the answer.

"This is the time of year that it is very visible," Gibbons said.

The helicopter is in the air again today, but Gibbon's doesn't have information what areas it would be covering during its marijuana eradication mission.

Valle Jewelers, 21 Jackson St., Batavia, N.Y.: Does your ring need a good cleaning, re-sizing or the prongs fixed? Your gift certificate from The Batavian can be used for jewelry repair services, too. We have a $50 gift certificate for $25.

Alex's Place, 8322 Park Road, Batavia, N.Y.: People come from all over the region for a fine dining experience at Alex's. It's best known for its ribs, of course, but Alex's seafood is also a favorite of the restaurant's diners. We have a 50 gift certificate for $25.

Delavan's Restaurant and Tavern, 107 Evans St., Batavia, N.Y.: To me, Delavan's is one of those restaurants where you want to eat frequently until you try everything on the menu. We have a $25 gift certificate for $12.50.

Center Street Smoke House, 20 Center St., Batavia, N.Y.: Ribs, brisket, steak, prime rib -- Center Street is a meat lover's paradise. We have a $25 gift card for $12.50.

T.F. Brown's, at 214 E. Main St., Batavia, N.Y.: T.F. Brown's is a great place for a good meal, good friends and to catch up on what's going on in the sports world. When you need to book your next party, think T.F. Brown's. See the ad on the right side of the page for contact information. We have a $20 gift card for $10.

O'Lacy's Irish Pub, 5 School St. Batavia, N.Y.: In Irish pubs, it doesn't get more authentic than O'Lacy's.  Be sure to try the homemade chips. We have a $25 gift certificate for $12.50.

A $1 PayPal service fee applies on items more than $10. The fee is 50 cents on items below $10.

Rules: The gift certificate must be used by within 30 days of purchase. It is not valid with other offers and has no cash value. Only one gift certificate per-merchant per-person every six months. Gift certificates cannot be combined with other offers without prior approval of the merchant. Gift certificates bought separately cannot be combined for a single purchase. Individuals buying gift certificates must use their own personal PayPal account for the purchase.

How to Win: Purchase using the PayPal "Buy Now" button below. After the first person to hit the "buy now" button completes the purchase, PayPal will let you know that the item has been sold. Unless other arrangements are made immediately after purchase, the gift certificate will mailed to the winner at his or her PayPal-provided postal address within two or three days of purchase.

Valle Jewelers

Alex's Place

SOLD

Center Streak Smoke House

SOLD

Delavan's

SOLD

O'Lacy's

sold

T.F. Brown's

SOLD

Checkpoints were set up in Genesee County yesterday by the Batavia Police Department and the New York State Police, leading to the arrests of 14 people.

The checkpoints were at Clinton Street, as well as in the Town of Darien and on Colby Road in Pembroke.

Sally C. Dixon, 39, of 5801 Byron-Holley Road, Byron, is charged with DWI. Dixon was stopped on Clinton Street by Batavia police.

The following arrests were made by State Police:

Robert Davis, 24, of N. Tonawanda, NY,  charged with DWI, allegedly driving with a BAC of .10 percent.

John Blackmore, 36, of Ewing, N.J., charged with three counts of criminal possession controlled substance and unlawful possession of marijuana.

Michael Hirsch, 26, of Tonawanda, charged with DWI for allegedly driving with a BAC of .14 percent.

Richard Gentilozzi, 25, of Fairfield, Conn., charged with unlawful possession of marijuana.

Ryan Rich, 23, of Norwalk, Conn., charged with unlawful possession of marijuana.

Lawrence Taylor, 36, of Depew, charged with DWI for allegedly driving with a BAC of .08 percent.

Bret Cimerman, 27, of Buffalo, charged with unlawful possession of marijuana.

Hunter Ciliberti, 20, of Redwood, charged with DWI for allegedly driving with a BAC .13 percent.

Adam Drexler, 30, of Rochester, charged with DWI for allegedly driving with a BAC of .10 percent.

Thomas Lalomia, 26, of Getzville, charged with DWI for allegedly driving with a BAC of .16 percent.

Gregory Martin, 31, of Niagara Falls, charged with DWI for allegedly driving with a BAC of .09 percent.

Michael Sargent, 29, of Rochester, charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs.

The following arrests were made last night in conjunction with the Phish concert at Darien Lake Theme Park:

Matthew Maziarz, 26, of 216 Spaulding St., North Tonawanda, charged with criminal possession of marijuana.

Ryan P. Flannery, 20, 52 Lookout View Road, Fairport, allegedly found with LSD and charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Ramon Ratiniskiy, 18, of 1048 N. French Road, Amherst, and a 16-year-old companion where charged with petit larceny for allegedly pushing a Darien Lake water cart through the crowd allowing patrons to take water for free.

Nhut D. Frawley, 41, 2 Brookside Drive, Catawissa, Pa., was allegedly found in possession of LSD and charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance. He was jailed on $500 bail.

Michael R. Sunley, 26, of 3893 Foleys Trail, Lexington, Ky., was charged with selling a noxious material. Sunley was allegedly selling balloons containing nitrous oxide. He was jailed on $500 bail.

Michael E. Mugridge, 24, of 47 Coldwater St., Hillsdale, was charged with disorderly conduct. He was jailed on $250 bail.

Justin D. Ritchie, 27, of 19 Chestnut St., Waretown, N.J., was allegedly found in possession of psilocybin (hallucinogenic) mushrooms. He was charged with possession of a controlled substance. Ritchie was jailed on $500 bail.

Robert J. Krueger, 37, of 38 Kenneth Ave., Toronto, Ontario, Canada, was charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly trying to break into vehicles in the parking lot. He was jailed on $500 bail.

Richard W. Tweedy, 24, of 6011 Fallough St., Taylor, Mich., was charged with selling a noxious material. Tweedy was allegedly selling balloons containing nitrous oxide. He was jailed on $500 bail.

Dianna M. Quinn, 36, of 65 Ashwood Lane, Phoenixville, Pa., was charged with selling a noxious material. Tweedy was allegedly selling balloons containing nitrous oxide. He was jailed on $500 bail.

T.F. Brown's, at 214 E. Main St., Batavia, N.Y.: T.F. Brown's is a great place for a good meal, good friends and to catch up on what's going on in the sports world. When you need to book your next party, think T.F. Brown's. See the ad on the right side of the page for contact information. We have a $20 gift card for $10.

Settler's Restaurant, 353 W. Main St., Batavia, N.Y.: Settler's has a 25-year history in Batavia of serving great, affordable breakfasts, lunches and dinners to Batavians. We have a $20 gift certificate for $10.

Sport of Kings Family Restaurant, 419 W Main St., Batavia, N.Y.: A favorite locally owned family restaurant that is open 24 hours per day, seven days a week. We have a $15 gift card for $7.50.

Jackson St. Grill, 9 Jackson St., Batavia, N.Y.: Try the fresh, skinless haddock fish fry on Fridays. We have a $10 gift certificate for $5.

The Enchanted Florist, 202 E. Main St., Batavia, N.Y.: Brighten up your home or office with flowers!  We have a $20 gift certificate for $8.50.

A $1 PayPal service fee applies on items more than $10. The fee is 50 cents on items below $10.

Rules: The gift certificate must be used by within 30 days of purchase. It is not valid with other offers and has no cash value. Only one gift certificate per-merchant per-person every six months. Gift certificates cannot be combined with other offers without prior approval of the merchant. Gift certificates bought separately cannot be combined for a single purchase. Individuals buying gift certificates must use their own personal PayPal account for the purchase.

How to Win: Purchase using the PayPal "Buy Now" button below. After the first person to hit the "buy now" button completes the purchase, PayPal will let you know that the item has been sold. Unless other arrangements are made immediately after purchase, the gift certificate will mailed to the winner at his or her PayPal-provided postal address within two or three days of purchase.

T.F. Brown's

SOLD

Sport of Kings

SOLD

Settler's

SOLD

Jackson St. Grill

SOLD

The Enchanted Florist

SOLD

The Genesee County Legislature plowed through a 39-item agenda last night, taking vote after vote on a series of resolutions with little discussion of the items.

(The legislature confines most of its discussion and fact finding on proposed resolutions to its committee meetings.)

Among the items approved:

• Authorization for the Sheriff's Office to accept a $23,000 grant to buy Tasers.
• Approved $59,100 allocation (part of the funds coming from a Homeland Security grant) for a rapid-response vehicle for the Sheriff's Office. The vehicle will be used in SWAT actions.
• In order to facilitate the merger of the Le Roy dispatch center with the Genesee County dispatch center, purchase of a $7,200 upgrade to the New World Systems software that powers the dispatch center.
• Appointed Cheryl Pfund of Batavia to the Mental Health Community Service Board.
• Authorization of communication tower construction by ITT at the Genesee County Airport. The tower will be a 46-foot high monopole and require .015 acres of land. The FAA is requiring installation of Automatic Dependence Surveillance-Broadcast technology at the airport.
• Renewed the county's extra 1-percent sales tax for another two years. The tax generates about $8 million annually for the county.

PDF: Download copies of all resolutions passed.

Charles Zambito will be honored by Batavia Downs on Aug. 29 as the second Genesee County resident to receive its now annual "Italian-American of the Year" award.

Joe "The Mayor of Batavia" Gerace received the first award last year.

Zambito, an attorney who was born and raised Elba and now serves as a Genesee County legislator, will receive the award inside the winner's circle at Batavia Downs.

The award honors a local Italian-American who has made a significant contribution to the community.

Zambito was elected to the Genesee County Legislature in 2001. He serves as the legislature’s liaison to the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce and Genesee Community College.

A father of three, Zambito, 57, is a trustee of St. Padre Pio Roman Catholic Parish, where he also serves as a lecturer and usher. He is chairman of the Town of Elba Republican Committee and member of the county GOP committee.  Zambito is a former attorney adviser to the Genesee County Mock Trial Program, member of the Batavia Rotary Club, Genesee-Orleans Cornell Club and active with the Paolo Busti Foundation.

Zambito and his wife, Pat, will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary in September.

Italian-American Night is one of several ethnic celebrations at the Downs during racing season, now through Dec. 5. Anyone wishing to make reservations to attend the Aug. 29 festivities may contact Arna Tygart at (585) 343-3750 (Ext 437).  A special Italian Buffet will be served and live music will be featured with The Formula Band.

A new utility tax that costs consumers between $40 and $200 annually is in the cross hairs of Assemblyman Steve Hawley.

Hawley announced this week that he's introducing legislation to repeal the new 2-percent tax, which was put into effect as part of the governor's budget plan on July 1.

"Already residents are struggling to pay their utility bills, especially our seniors. This tax is a perfect example of Albany shifting the burden of their out-of-control spending in our state and I am working to relieve residents and businesses from this unnecessary tax," Hawley said.

The new tax is expected to take $557 million out of the economy and siphon it to the state's general fund. The tax would generate $2.8 billion through March 31, 2014.

Full press release here.

There may be some federal relief coming to Corfu and Darien for tornado damage clean up after all, according to Assemblyman Steve Hawley.

Hawley announced this morning that the Genesee County communities will be included in an omnibus relief rquest to the Federal Inspection Team along with other counties recently damaged by severe weather events.

Federal relief requirements mandate that eligible areas damaged by storms must have at least 25 uninsured houses, or five damaged businesses, among other guidelines, which means Darien and Corfu alone may not qualify.

The single relief package would include Cattaraugus, Erie, Chautauqua & Allegheny counties, also hit by heavy storms recently, and Columbia, Rensaleer, Cortland and Chenango counties, which also suffered storm-related damage.

"We will continue to keep all residents and businesses who were adversely 
affected apprised of the progress regarding possible monetary assistance as a 
result of these catastrophic weather patterns of destruction," Hawley said in a statement.

Apparently, Dannie Sims didn't want to pass through a State Police road check on Route 63 in Oakfield today.

Troopers spotted a Chevy Lumina making an alleged illegal u-turn after it started to approach the road check, so a trooper initiated a traffic stop.

It turns out that Sims may have had good reason for avoiding the road check -- a felony warrant in Monroe County. He is also a suspect in several alleged larcenies of purses, wallets and other items at several retail store locations. Sims is a "person of interest" for the Genesee County Sheriff's Office in several alleged larcenies in the Batavia area.

Sims, 53, is a resident of Alabama.

After his apprehension, Sims was turned over to the Monroe County Sheriff's Department. The investigation is ongoing in Genesee County.

The purpose of the road checks is to check all safety related equipment that is required by the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Laws as well as ensuring that all vehicles are properly registered, insured and inspected.

At least for Friday, it's time for the community to come together and forget any disagreements over the soon-to-be-discontinued Batavia ambulance service, says Greg Ireland.

Friday is the 15th-annual "Fill the Boot" drive for MDA, a fundraiser sponsored by City of Batavia Firefighters IAFF Local 896.

Money collected during the fundraiser benefits children who are diagnosed with neuromuscular diseases. Donations cover the costs of everything from wheelchairs and braces to physical therapy, as well as summer camps.

"This year is as important as any to these kids," Ireland said in an e-mail. "There is no reason why our Union's disagreements with City Hall should get in the way of helping them. Sure there is a lot of tension around the Fire House right now with the impending layoffs, but that doesn't change the fact the the MDA needs our support."

Ireland said union members held a meeting recently and united around the need to ensure "Fill the Boot" came together again this year.

Off-duty members of Local 896, including firefighters and medics who will be out of work on Sept. 1, will be at the fundraiser at 1 Court St. on Friday.

Last year's "Fill the Boot" campaign set a record with $5,000 in donations.

"To me, the MDA is very important," Ireland wrote. "These kids have been sentenced to a life of pain and suffering for no apparent reason. If we can raise money to make their life easier in any way, it's worth it. For example, The MDA of Rochester has several day camps for the kids. I've visited there before, and to see the kids being kids, being able to do the things that normal children can do, it is really great. It gives them a day or two to just leave their illness behind and enjoy being a kid! It is quite touching to see."

William G. Potter, 53, and Tina L. Ground, 49, of 6924 Council House Road, Alabama, are charged with crimes stemming from a dispute at their residence. During a fight, Ground allegedly threatened Potter with a claw hammer. Potter allegedly made contact with Ground, which violated a court order. During the investigation of the incident, Deputy Kevin McCarthy and state troopers allegedly found seven potted marijuana plants in the house. Ground also allegedly had marijuana on her person. Potter is charged with criminal contempt. Ground is charged with menacing, unlawful possession of marijuana and unlawful growing of marijuana.

Robert M. Browne, 48, of 282 Route 20, Room #3, Darien, is charged with DWI and criminal contempt. Reportedly, law enforcement received a report that Browne had contact with a person he is ordered not to contact. Deputy Patrick Reeves was dispatched to find Browne, and reportedly found him driving on Route 20 in Darien. Reeves determined that Browne was allegedly driving while intoxicated. Browne was also charged with unlicensed operation and operating a vehicle that was unregistered, uninsured and that had improperly switched plates.