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With an aggressive Blue Devils defense harassing Vertus QB Malachi Jones all night, forcing turnovers and lost yardage, Batavia was able to securing a convincing win over Vertus Charter 37-16.

Bronx Bucholz was 11-16 passing for 139 yards and two touchdowns. 

Cole Grazioplene had two receptions for 18 yards, and 22 yards on one carry, with two TDs and a defensive interception.

Zailen Griffin had 10 carries for 89 yards.

Carter Mullen had four receptions for 44 yards and touchdown.

Mekhi Fortes, who was also a dominant presence on defense, had three receptions for 43 yards and ran for a touchdown.

The Blue Devils are now 2-2 on the season.

This is exclusive game coverage by The Batavian. You can help support The Batavian's coverage of the community by joining Early Access Pass.

To view more photos for purchase prints, click here.

Based on feedback from the community, the engineer and property owner planning an apartment complex at 8900 Alleghany Road, Pembroke, have scaled back the project, the Pembroke Planning Board learned on Wednesday night before voting 6-1 to let the development move forward.

A month ago, when the plan was last publicly discussed, developer Michael Schmidt and engineer Michael Metzger were planning six buildings in the complex and a total of 144 apartments with 326 parking spaces.

The new site plan calls for four buildings -- plus garages -- with 96 apartments and 168 parking spaces.

The change helps reduce the amount of impervious developed service to less than 50 percent, leaving 57 percent greenspace on the 8.2-acre lot.

The changes will make the complex more attractive from the roadway, Metzger said.

"There was some talk of making the project a little bit more of a park-like as opposed to what we had before where we had six buildings in there and a lot of asphalt," Metzger said. "With these large tracts of natural vegetation, we're trying to replicate a park-like setting that would be better for the aesthetics for the community as well as the residents that would live in this facility."

Chairman David Knupfer voted no after expressing his concern about setting a precedent while not expressing any specific objections to the project.

"This project is a precedent-setter for this town," Knupfer said. "There's no other project like this in this town. So whichever way it goes, it sets a precedent with stipulations or no stipulations. So if this is approved, and somebody else, some other developer comes in, you gotta be careful. So make sure you have what you want in here."

There were two big concerns raised by planners and community members. First, access for school buses; second, whether Schmidt would pull a bait-and-switch, which speakers expressed concern about in light of what happened with Ellicott Station in Batavia, and turn the complex into low-incoming housing.

Metzger explained the plan for school buses, worked out with Pembroke Central School Superintendent Matthew Calderon, and Schmidt said there is no way the complex will become low-income housing.

Calderon sent a letter to the planning board expressing his thoughts on school buses, which Metzger acknowledged.

"He goes into detail there about various options, and actually, some of the options he's suggesting would work quite well," Metzger said. "He also offered the opportunity for the buses to actually come on site. One of the things that he talked about, and he talked about it with Mr. Schmidt, and he would be agreeable to is allowing the buses to actually come on site and stop at each one of the buildings, each of the four buildings. Because of the geometry that is set up for the largest of emergency vehicles and fire trucks, there's way more than enough capacity and room for buses to maneuver on the property."

Metzger explained that the driving lanes and turning lanes through the parking lot are compliant with state fire codes so that fire trucks can easily maneuver through the area.  School buses, he noted, have shorter wheelbases than the largest fire trucks.

Schmidt said he favors the buses stopping at each of the four buildings because it will be safer for the children of his tenants.

"As you know, it can be snowing, raining, sleeting," Schmidt said. "So if you have a tenant in the back building who has a little seven-year-old and the bus was to come in and park in a spot (up front), now that seven-year-old is going to be trucking down (the parking lot) with a backpack to get out on the bus where other people might be leaving for work. We talked about it being a bad situation from a safety standpoint for the children and said the best-case scenario in my mind is to have the bus be able to come around to each building. There will be plenty of clearance. So he (Calderon) was agreeable to that."

That scenario, Schmidt also noted, would allow the children to wait in the building's vestibule during inclement weather.

As far as concerns about low-income housing, Schmidt noted that, unlike Ellicott Station, his project is not subsidized by any state or federal agencies.  

"They already had all the agencies lined up to work with them," Schmidt said. "We are here alone. Mike's my engineer. We have no intention of doing that. I can put that into writing. We certainly aren't going to be looking for any state financial aid or any type of anything from the government to help us."

While the apartments will be available to anyone who can demonstrate the ability to pay the rent, he indicated that a person who qualifies for subsidized housing isn't likely going to be able to qualify to rent an apartment in his complex.

Applicants will need to be able to demonstrate full-time employment with a credit score of at least 700 and an income of at least three times the monthly rental rate. The rent on a two-bedroom apartment will be at least $1,695 per month and $1,395 for a one-bedroom.

After one resident complained that apartments will just bring in a bunch of "riff-raff" and drive down property values, Schmidt, who owns and operates several other similar complexes in the region and repeatedly drew on his experience to explain the kind of tenants who fill his complex, told the man, "respectfully," that he had it backward.

"The people who are gonna live here are going to make a minimum of $50,000 with a credit score that is going to have to be very strong," Schmidt said. "In my experience, once they live here for a while, they're going to realize if they're moving in from another place, which a lot of people will be, I think -- we all know your whole corridor is growing -- and some of you don't like that, I understand. I grew up in Akron, a small town that has grown a little bit. But the reality is it's happening. The STAMP project and other things that are going on are gonna lead other people to want to move in. 

"When they move in, they're gonna look for a nice place to move, and hopefully, we will be able to provide some of that," Schmidt added. "And then what they're going to do is look for places, homes to buy, which is going to take the prices of the homes up like it always does. When more people come in, the value of the homes goes up. That's good for everyone. You have more people coming in to help pay taxes and pay for the infrastructure ... You've got a great town. I'd say one of the towns in Western New York that's on the move. So I think it's going to be the opposite. I think what you find is when more people move in -- nice, good, hardworking people -- they're going to be looking for homes to buy. You're going to see the real estate values start climbing."

Related to the school bus issue, as well as traffic in and out of the complex, as well as the number of parking spaces, and the nature of the up-and-coming workforce quality apartments attract, is there simply won't be a lot of children living in the apartments, Schmidt said. He predicted fewer than 20 children at any one time.

He said the apartments are on the smaller side, and most are one-bedroom, and in his experience, even the two-bedrooms don't tend to attract adults with children.

Eight units in every building will be one-bedroom, and six will be two-bedrooms. There are no three bedrooms. 

"They're not large units," Schmidt said. "They're very medium-sized units. So really, our experience is that we have very few children. And when people start having children, they look for a house."

Schmidt said he maintains high standards for his tenants.  For example, tenants can have dogs under 30 pounds, but if a tenant's dog bites anybody, the dog has to go.

"We don't tolerate anything," Schmidt said. "That's why we keep the standards very high in who we rent to. If you don't, good people will not live around bad people, but bad people love living around good people. So you have to take care of the good tenants that you have."

And that's why he's attracted to building in Pembroke, he said. He believes Pembroke is a community that attracts good people.

"It's a community built around hardworking people," Schmidt said. "Hardworking people don't have a lot of time usually to screw around. We're going to protect that. I think you're gonna see there's a lot of great people that move in here."

The Town of Pembroke Planning Board approved a proposal for a new travel plaza off Exit 48a of the Thruway on Wednesday, clearing the way for construction to begin in the spring.

When completed, the as-yet-unnamed travel plaza will join Flying J, TA, and Speedway as locations on Route 77 where travelers and truckers can rest, get a bite to eat, refuel and perhaps get a wash.

The vote to approve the environmental review and site plan passed 6-1, with board member Thomas Marshall casting the lone "nay."

In a brief presentation before the vote, Engineer Michael Metzer addressed some of the issues raised at last month's public hearing before the board and by the Genesee County Planning Board.

Previously, there were concerns expressed about sight lines coming from the Thruway overpass and the increase in traffic the new travel plaza is likely to bring to the interchange.

Metzer said since the last meeting, a traffic study has been completed.

"The results of that study were that there are no sightline issues whatsoever," Metzer said.

As for additional traffic, that won't be an issue either.

They've determined that there would be no impact on the level of service in the area, interchanges or intersections," Metzger said. "They looked at seven intersections altogether, and every one of those still meets code. There are no adverse impacts to the intersections; obviously, there's gonna be more traffic, you know, nobody's debating that. But what this traffic impact study does is that it makes a determination of whether the impacts are adverse or not, whether they create a problem. And so, in summary, ... (there is) no significant impact as a result of this project."

Through the environmental review process, it was determined the project could impact an endangered species, the northern long-eared bat.  

The developer has two options: Conduct a detailed study to see if the bat is present on the property, or not cut down any trees on the property during hibernation season -- from Nov. 1 to March 31.

The second option is the one the developer will take, Metzger said.

"If you don't remove any trees (during those months), you are in compliance with DEC guidelines and federal guidelines as well," Metzger said.

To address another issue, Metzger said the project is designed in full compliance with floodplain regulations.

As for historical preservation, Metzger said, "One thing that was identified through the environmental review through the State Office of Parks and Historic Preservation is that we are in a potentially archaeologically sensitive area. As such, we would commit to -- actually, we've started the process of doing a phase 1A and a phase 1B study. We will do that and provide the results prior to a request for a building permit."

During the board discussion, Marshall indicated he didn't agree that the project would have no traffic impact.

"I just think it's way too much volume for that intersection through the interchange," he said.

Board member Greg Kuras said he thought the additional travel plaza would actually help with truck traffic, especially during winter storms.

"Whenever you get storms, you get the states basically begging for parking spots for these things," Kuras said. "They want to get them off of (routes) 5 and 77. It's better to have a big parking lot for them than having them sit on the road."

Following a raid by the FBI on a residence in Batavia Wednesday, two men have been arraigned in U.S. District Court on a sex trafficking indictment, including Joseph Barsuk.

The listed owner of the residence at 3604 South Pearl Street Road, Batavia, according to county tax records, is Barsuk Buffalo Properties LLC, and records list Joseph Barsuk Jr. as a former owner of the property.

Barsuk and Brian Rosenthal are indicted on federal charges of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking. Barsuk is also accused of sex trafficking by coercion.

On the first count of the indictment, Barsuk and Rosenthal are accused of working together, and perhaps with others, to "knowingly recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, obtain" sex workers for financial gain.

Barsuk is accused of using force, threats of force, fraud and coercion to get a victim, referred to as "Victim 1," in paid sex work.

The Buffalo News reported today that the case may be linked to an investigation of  Pharaoh's Gentlemen's Club in Buffalo. Rosenthal is reportedly a long-time employee of the club.

Previously: 

• Photo and video: Large load leaves Graham plant in Batavia, heads down Clinton Street
• Graham, the little manufacturing gem in Batavia making big equipment for a global market

Mr. Simpson’s in the building.

If you don’t know what that means, you’re one of the many students, staff and faculty at the school districts that don’t use such lingo as a secret indicator of a particular message to be broadcast when necessary over the public address system.

Just imagine what it would be like as a visiting student or substitute teacher on a day when this cryptic notification is aired, and all of the other school members respond in a knowing awareness. What if this message held special significance in relation to a school threat or community emergency? On the other hand, there are two very common terms used by most every school that have caused much confusion as well: lock out and lock down.

Now that a Standard Response Protocol has been implemented this summer, the language and related directives during school incidents will be the same for each of the city school district schools, St. Paul Lutheran, St. Joseph’s, Notre Dame High School and the state School for the Blind, and for Batavia Police Detective Eric Hill, it's about time.

“They've had the lockdown procedure in place and lockout procedure in place for a very, very long time. It's just now we're calling the lockout secure, so there's not that confusion any more. I'm really trying to push the education portion of it. Because a lot of times, you know, because of the very similar wording between lockout and lockdown, the general public would get confused as well. So we'd call for a lockout. And people would be like, 'Oh, my gosh, my kid was in lockdown.' They weren't, but it was just that the language is so close to one another that you don't understand what the difference is between them,” Hill said. “So we're trying to get that information out to the general public, and schools have actually had Parent Night and stuff like that, where they've been pushing out this wording and what it actually means. So when a parent hears 'Oh, you know, my school or my kid was in a Secure,' they understand that there wasn't any threat to the child at all … so we're hoping that that'll alleviate some of the anxiety that comes along with this kind of stuff.”

There have been some districts that used phrases such as Mr. Simpson is in the building to indicate a certain message to the student body, and a more universal language would help to clarify those messages as well, he said.

As for the wording, the new language to be used in this protocol will be:

Hold — is followed by “in your room or area,” and is the protocol used when hallways need to kept clear of occupants.

Secure —  is followed by “get inside. Lock outside doors,” and is the protocol used to safeguard people within the building.

Lockdown — is followed by “locks, lights, out of sight,” and is used to secure individual rooms and keep occupants quiet and in place

Evacuate  — may be followed by a location, and is used to move people from one location to a different location in or out of the building.

Shelter — is to include the hazard causing the incident and safety strategy for the group and for self protection.

These words will be announced by public address system when necessary, although Hill would like to eventually move to having the software available for use on cell phones, laptops, computers and Smart Boards. That will take future grants or other types of funding, he said. 

An example of a Hold would be if a student is sick and other students need to be kept away and out of the hall, a Hold may be called out over the PA, he said. 

A secure might be if there’s a threat outside of the building — there was a recent real example when police had a car chase, and the driver bailed from his vehicle and police officers chased him on foot. Previously that would have been a lock out, but now is a secure, meaning keep everyone inside and safe, and go about your business with the doors locked to prevent anyone from getting inside.

A lockdown is when the threat is inside the school and students and staff need to keep themselves safe inside, perhaps locked inside a classroom. 

Evacuate is to move out of the building, and shelter is to find a safe place to be in a time of crisis, perhaps a blizzard or other natural disaster.

An initiative that began from tragedy — a school shooting that took the life of Emily Keyes — the I Love U Guys Foundation was founded by her parents, Ellen and John-Michael, in 2006 to “restore and protect the joy of youth through educational programs and positive actions in collaboration with families, schools, communities, organization, and government entities.” 

The couple drafted these directives as ways to provide more uniform responses for kids to follow when incidents occur in schools, up to the point when the incident ends, Hill said. So if it’s a threat inside of school, no one would leave a locked classroom until an authorized person with a key unlocks that door. Because “no one, under any circumstances should open that door for anybody,” Hill said.

“Because, you know, we'll be opening that door. But we specifically set it up that way. The SRP is they've literally thought of everything at the I Love U Guys Foundation. They've put a lot of time, a lot of effort into this,” he said. “And we've actually had several trainings with them over the summer, and with school staff, both private and public school staff, to really understand their SRP and where it would be beneficial to everybody in our community, law enforcement, staff, students in the public, just to get everybody on the same page. So we're all talking the same language.”

The program’s name stems from when Emily was held hostage during her school’s shooting, and she texted that message to each of her parents. One goal is to get schools across the country to sign up and train using this standardized response protocol. Hill wants to ensure that the city’s program is up and running strong before then moving onto spreading it throughout Genesee County.

“Once we kind of get that in place, then we do want to hopefully grow the school safety team by pulling the Sheriff's department in with us. And then rolling it out county wide,” he said. “So that way, all the schools in Genesee County are using the exact same language, they're using the exact same protocols. And we all know what each other is doing. But we just haven't gotten to that step yet. So we're working towards that.”

Crisis response training for each of the schools began in August and will continue throughout the year. This protocol is not to be a replacement for any school safety plan, but an enhancement for critical incidents, officials said. 

Clear communication is critical in a crisis situation, City Schools Superintendent Jason Smith said, and the “standardization of these terms will provide clear direction to our students, staff, families, and community in case of emergency.”

“Thank you to our partners at the Batavia Police Department for leading this effort and for their consistent prioritization of school and community safety,” Smith said. “I’m thrilled to see Batavia’s educational community come together to implement these essential protocols.”

Part of the program includes posters that can be downloaded and printed out for schools to place on walls for free use in times of crisis — especially when someone forgets what a directive means or the steps involved, Hill said. 

There are also other posters that may be placed in windows to alert visitors that “School is Secured” with monitored entry, or “Drill in Progress” with no one in or out, or other such messages, and trainings offered through the program’s website.

 For more about the program, go to I Love U Guys.

A North Carolina man suspected of extremist ties and caught in Genesee County in March 2022 with an illegal firearm and subsequently charged by federal law enforcement was sentenced on Wednesday to time served.

Michael Alan Jones, who reportedly had ties to white supremacist groups, served 10 months in federal custody after his arrest in by deputies Kenneth Quackenbush and Nicholas Chamoun, who relentlessly questioned Jones and a companion during a traffic stop on School Road in Le Roy after a vehicle driven by Jones tried to make apparent evasive moves.

It turned out Jones did not have the proper license plate on the vehicle he was driving, giving the officers the authority to impound the car and inventory its contents. While compiling the inventory, they discovered an illegal AR-15.

The video of his arrest, above, is edited from body-worn camera footage obtained by The Batavian in February through a Freedom of Information Law request filed with the Sheriff's Office.

Once the FBI learned of the arrest of Jones, an agent with the Joint Terrorism Task Force responded to the Sheriff's Office on Park Road and questioned him.

The FBI took over the case and filed federal charges against Jones because he was a convicted felon -- in North Carolina -- who crossed state lines in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Jones admitted to the Federal charges in December and was eventually released under supervision, returning to his parents' home in North Carolina, pending sentencing. He was apparently released, in part, because of a serious medical condition involving his leg.

In a letter to Judge David G. Larimer, Jones said the release probably enabled him to receive the care he needed to keep his leg.

A probation officer also noted for the court record that Jones was in full compliance with the terms of his release.

In his letter, Jones admitted he had made mistakes.

"I would like to apologize for my actions that have led me to your courtroom," Jones wrote to the judge. "I have had time to reflect on what circumstances led me there and what thought processes led me to believe I was doing the right thing, and I can see now that I was simply wrong. There is no justifying it. We have laws in place for the betterment of society, and it is not up to me or anyone on my level to try and decide which ones are to be followed or not. I regret the steps I took that led to us being in my position today, but I can honestly tell you that I have learned from my mistakes, and I have no desire or intention of ever putting myself in a situation to end up in any situation like this again."

UPDATE 5:30 p.m. Since publication of this story, The Batavian has obtained a copy sentencing memo presented to the court by Federal Public Defender Steven Slawinski in support of a time-served sentence for his client. In it, Slawinski states that Jones, who had a leg injury prior to his arrest, was in danger of losing his leg and was barely able to walk because of inadequate medical care while in the custody of the Monroe County Jail. The wound had become infected, and Jones had been denied antibiotics in jail. Slawinski asked the court to consider the possibility of Jones again not receiving adequate health care if he were incarcerated again. 

Slawinski also confirms that Jones was a former member of Proud Boys, which Jones joined when he was a teenager.  Over time, his views changed, and Jones became a paid FBI informant. Jones infiltrated the Charlotte chapter of Proud Boys and provided the FBI with "valuable information" about the organization.  He writes, "Jones has since matured and no longer harbors these views. In fact, renouncing these views was a prerequisite for his parents allowing him to come back to their home after he was released from jail."

Slawinski said Jones is considering becoming a trucker or going back to college to earn a degree in agriculture.

Previously:

• Law and Order: North Carolina man accused of possessing illegal weapon
• Feds take over case involving North Carolina man found in Le Roy with AR-15
• N.C. man with apparent extremist ties admits to federal crime in relation to arrest in Le Roy
• Deputies' doggedness leads to illegal firearm arrest, interest of terrorism task force

Federal officials confirmed with The Batavian on Wednesday afternoon that an arrest warrant and search warrant were executed by agents of the FBI at 3604 South Pearl Street Road, Batavia, earlier in the day.

Jeannie McBride, public affairs officer for the FBI, referred The Batavian to the U.S. Attorney's Office for details on the arrest.

A spokeswoman confirmed a subject did appear in U.S. District Court on Wednesday afternoon and is scheduled to appear again at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. She said details of the case could be obtained through PACER, the website where federal court documents are made available to the public.

As of Wednesday night, no documents had yet been released related to the case.

McBride said the investigation is "ongoing."

County records indicate the registered property owner is Barsuk Buffalo Properties LLC. The LLC was registered with the Secretary of State in 2018 with a postal box address in Batavia.

Benjamin G. Evans, 34, of Batavia, is charged with trespass and criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th degree following an investigation by patrol and the Genesee County Probation Department. Evans and another individual were found to be inside a vacant building on Swan Street without permission on Sept. 19. Evans was issued appearance tickets and released. Jessica M . Horton, 33, of Batavia, was also charged with trespass. Horton was issued an appearance ticket and turned over to the probation department.

Angelo P. Mana, 49, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny following a shoplifting complaint at Tops Market on Sept,. 17. Mana was issued an appearance ticket and released.

Brandon C. Pinzon, 49, of Roselle, N.J., is charged with harassment following a complaint that he made threats towards an individual at UMMC on Sept. 17. Pinzon was issued an appearance ticket and released.

Michael J. Holler, 37, of Rochester, is charged with petit larceny following an investigation into a theft at 7-Eleven on Sept. 18. Holler was issued an appearance ticket and released.

Scott M. Hinckley, 37, of Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child following an investigation by members of the detective bureau and patrol officers. Hinckley was arrested on Sept. 6 and issued an appearance ticket. The summary of the alleged incident and when and where it took place were not released by Batavia PD.

Tonya M. Weber, 39, of Batavia, was arrested on a bench warrant on Sept. 6 after allegedly failing to appear in County Court on charges of criminal use of drug paraphernalia, criminal possession of controlled substance 3rd, and criminal possession of a controlled Substance 7th. Weber was arraigned in County Court and held on bail.

Misty R. Scutt, 34, of Attica, was arrested on a bench warrant on Sept. 6 after allegedly failing to appear in City Court on a charge of driving while ability impaired. Scutt was arraigned in City Court and released on her own recognizance.

Deanna L. Smith, 39, of Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, and open container. Smith was stopped by a Batavia patrol officer on Sept. 6 on Ellicott Street at an undisclosed time. Smith was issued a traffic ticket and released.

Robert L. Drennen, 41. of Batavia, is charged with driving while ability impaired and open container following a complaint on Sept. 6 of a person passed out in a vehicle at MacArthur Park in Batavia. Drennen was issued traffic tickets and released.

Debrorah M. Cross, 51, of Batavia, was charged with multiple counts of endangering the welfare of a child and forcible touching following a lengthy investigation by the detective bureau, assisted by patrol officers. It is alleged that Cross did act in a manner that endangered the welfare of an individual with disabilities. Cross was issued appearance tickets.

Thomas J. Domion, 29, of Richfield Springs, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Domion was stopped on Oak Street by a Batavia patrol officer on Sept. 11 for an alleged equipment violation. Domion was issued traffic tickets and released.

Paul Lee, 51, of Rochester, is charged with criminal possession of a stolen credit card, two counts of petit larceny, and two counts of identity theft. Lee is accused of using a stolen debit card at businesses in Batavia. He was arraigned in City Court and jailed.

Joshua J. Dalle, 30, of Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Dalle is accused of striking another person during a disturbance on Maple Street, Batavia, on Sept. 11. Dalle was arraigned in City Court and released.

Tatyanna M. White, 20, of Batavia, White is charged with criminal mischief and criminal possession of a weapon 4th. White is accused of damaging the property of another person while on Dellinger Avenue on Sept. 14. No further details about the incident were released. White was arraigned and released.

Ashton L. Mohney, 33, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 1st, criminal contempt 2nd and aggravated harassment. Mohney is accused of violating an order of protection on Sept. 14 and again on Sept. 15 at a location on Ross Street, Batavia. Mohney was arraigned and jailed.

Denise M. Roberts, 62, of Rochester, with burglary 2nd, petit larceny, and criminal mischief. Roberts is accused of forcibly entering an apartment on North Spruce Street, Batavia, on Sept. 15, causing damage in the process and stealing items. Roberts was arraigned and ordered held on cash bail.

George J. Budzinack, 43, of Batavia, was arrested on an arrest warrant out of City Court after allegedly failing to appear on an appearance ticket on the charge of criminal possession of stolen property. Budzinack was arraigned and released.

Lexia Andreana Davis, 19, of South Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Davis is accused of subjecting a fellow employee to physical contact causing pain during an incident on Park Road at 10 a.m. on Sept. 22. Davis was released on an appearance ticket.

A car has reportedly hit a pole in front of the Batavia Police Department at 10 West Main St., Batavia.

Unknown injuries.

City Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched

The Le Roy Central School District is considering a $12.5 million capital improvement project that would provide upgrades to buildings and facilities in the school district and not result in additional taxes levied on properties in the district.

The superintendent shared details of the plan with district parents in a letter last week, and the Board of Education will hear details of the plan at tonight's (Tuesday) meeting at the Jr./Sr. High School.

The board will be asked to vote on the package at its October meeting.

At the Wolcott Street School, 

• Rooftop replacement on the Lapp Building, which houses the cafeteria kindergarten, nursing office and main elementary school office.
• Window replacements
• New generator and enclosure
• Roof ladder access to the small gym
• Ductwork

Total: $5,147,930

At the Jr./Sr. High School, Hartwood Park, and transportation building:

• New soccer stadium field lights
• Multipurpose turf field at soccer field
• Two 250-seat bleachers at the soccer field
• New press box at soccer field
• Bus garage access drive
• Conduit for future EV chargers

Total: $7,368,943

The new multipurpose field is possible as a project covered by state aid because of the structure of state rules regarding the timing and scope of the work for a multipurpose field. This "reopened the door" for the district to consider a new multipurpose field, Holly said in his letter to parents. 

"The multipurpose field would be used for physical education classes, sports practices (fall and spring), soccer games, and youth sports," Holly said. "Outdoor fall sports in Section V, specifically soccer and football, end with their sectional semifinals and finals playing on multipurpose turf fields. This would also be the case for regionals and states. Our district families have expressed a need to bring this proposition back to the voters."

There would be no change to the grass football field at Hartwood Park, Holly said. Modified, JV, and varsity football teams would continue to play games on the grass field unless it was deemed unplayable.  The multipurpose field would be equipped with goalposts and lined for both soccer and football.

The entire project would be eligible for 91.1 percent in state aid with the balance paid for by the district's capital reserve fund, which would mean there would be no need to raise taxes specifically to pay for the project, Holly said.

If the board approves the plan at its October meeting, the community would be asked to vote on the proposal in December -- time and date to be determined. Voters must approve expenditures from the capital reserve fund.

Holly said the work is required because every five years, public school districts are required to pay for a complete a Building Conditions Survey, conducted by a certified architect. The report determines what work must be done on school buildings.

The Board of Education meeting is at 6 p.m. at the Jr./Sr. High School.

Brandan Smith shared this photo by his uncle Danny of sunrise in Bergen.

The Batavian has a limited number of Genesee County Barn Dance tickets available at half-price as a special Deal of the Day sale.

The tickets are available for $17.50 each with no shipping charge. No purchase limit.

Your ticket will be your PayPal payment receipt.

The Second Annual Barn Dance is sponsored by the Town of Batavia Republican Committee.  It is this Friday, Sept. 29, from 6 to 10 p.m. The location is 7411 Oak Orchard Road, Elba.

Use the PayPal button below to make your purchase

Elba crowned its 2023 Onion Queen and her court on Saturday.

The Elba Onion Queen is Adison Norton. 

Her court:

• 1st Runner Up is Emma Pangrazio 
• 2nd Runner Up is Halie Scouten 
• 3rd Runner Up is Madison Thompson

From the previous press release:

Adison Norton is the daughter of Chirs and Sarah Norton and has a younger brother and sister. She is involved in volleyball, basketball, and softball. Adison participates in Multicultural Club, Yearbook Club, Student Athletic Association, and Pageturners at school. She has been the Treasurer of her class since Freshman year. She has also participated in the 4H Dairy Club for nine years. Adison enjoys reading and spending time with her family and friends. After graduation, Adison plans to attend a four-year school to study journalism and communications and pursue a career in sports journalism.

Previously: 2023 Elba Onion Queen candidates announced

Photos by Laura Luft.

Notre Dame (1-3) picked up its first win of 2023 with a 21-7 victory over Oakfield-Alabama/Elba (2-2) on Friday.

It was the second straight loss for the Aggies, who are without QB Brodie Hyde.

OAE Statistics:

• Junior RB Avery Watterson - 21 Carries, 103 Yards, one touchdown
• Junior QB Gavin Armbrewster - 4-9 Passing, 30 Yards, seven Carries, 51 Yards
• Senior LB Ashton Bezon - 16 Tackles, 4 TFLs

"We've got a young team still trying to find their way," said OAE Head Coach Tyler Winter. "A lot of guys are playing competitive minutes of football, and it's a new experience.  The loss hurts, but the goal remains the same.  If we can persevere and build upon the positives, our best football is still in front of us."

UPDATE with Notre Dame's stats:

• Jay Antinore, 8-12 passing for 80 yards, seven carries for 51 yards and a TD.
• George Woodruff, 62 yards rushing on 23 carries, one TD. On defense, he had 8 1/2 tackles.
• Gabe Castro scored a TD on three carries for two yards. On defense, he had eight tackles.
• Jaden Sherwood had two receptions for 25 yards and a TD.

Photos by Debra Reilly.

A car has reportedly hit a utility pole in the area of 5025 Ellicott Street Road, Batavia.

Unknown injuries.

Town of Batavia Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

A motorcycle and car are involved in an accident at Route 238 and Darien Alexander Townline Road, Darien.

Darien Fire and Alexander ambulance responding.

An injury is reported and medics on scene are starting treatment.

A 22-year-old Rochester man is accused of possessing an illegal "ghost gun" following an incident at West Main Street and Ellicott Avenue that precipitated a chase and foot pursuit by Batavia PD.

Taken into custody was Ezequiel Serrano.

Serrano is charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree (ghost gun), criminal Possession of a weapon in the second degree, criminal use of a firearm in the second degree, menacing in the second degree, unlawfully fleeing a police officer, along with multiple vehicle and traffic violations.

The incident at 12:14 p.m. on Thursday caused BOCES and Batavia High School to go into a "lockout" safety precaution.

It began with a report that a person outside Dunkin' Donuts had displayed a handgun in a way that was threatening to another person.  Upon arriving, officers learned the suspect and the victim were known to each other and that the suspect was still in the area.

When officers attempted to stop the suspect vehicle, the driver allegedly ignored officers' commands and fled. 

There was a vehicle pursuit on Batavia side streets until the driver abandoned the vehicle on a dead-end street and fled on foot.

With the assistance of K-9 Batu, the suspect was taken into custody several blocks away without further incident by members of the Batavia PD Detective Bureau. 

Assisting Batavia PD were Genesee County emergency dispatchers, the Sheriff's Office, and State Police.

The handgun was recovered. 

Serrano was arraigned in City Court, and held on $50,000 cash bail, $100,000 bond or $500,000 partially secured bond pending his next court appearance.

"The quick and efficient work of all officers involved ensured the safety of our community and led to the successful apprehension of a fleeing felon," said Chief Shawn Heubusch.

Christopher S. Usselman is indicted on counts of assault on a police officer, a Class C violent felony, obstructing governmental administration in the second degree, a Class A misdemeanor, and resisting arrest, a Class A misdemeanor. Usselman is accused of causing serious injury to an NYSP trooper during an attempted arrest on April 17 in the Town of Batavia while the trooper was performing his official duties.

Jason W. Whitehead, Jr., is indicted on counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree, a Class D felony, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a Class B felony, and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, a Class A misdemeanor. Whitehead is accused of possession of 500 milligrams or more of cocaine on Dec. 1 in the Town of Batavia with the intent to sell it. He is also accused of unlawfully possessing amphetamine. He is also accused of possessing a metal knuckle knife.

Cordero L. Royes is indicted on counts of burglary in the second degree, a Class C violent felony, criminal contempt in the second degree, a Class A misdemeanor, DWI, a misdemeanor, aggravated unlicensed operation in the first degree, a Class E felony, and promoting prison contraband in the first degree, a Class D felony.  Royes is accused of entering a residence on Maple Street, Batavia, on Feb. 8 with the intent to commit a crime in the dwelling. He is accused of violating an order of protection on that date. He is accused of driving drunk on Dec. 31 on Pringle Avenue in the City of Batavia. He is accused of possessing a lighter in the Genesee County Jail on Jan. 3.

Leonard A. Johnson, III, is indicted on counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance 5th, a Class D felony, criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd, a Class B felony, and tampering with physical evidence, a Class E felony. Johnson is accused of possession of 500 milligrams or more of cocaine on Jan. 13 in the Town of Batavia with the intent to sell it. While in custody, he is accused of trying to conceal narcotics in the seat of a patrol vehicle.