Stories from

Photos from the fire that broke out about 7:30 a.m., today, at Big O Farms, a property of Torrey Farms, where onions are processed.

We'll have more coverage later. Initial coverage, here.

Give thanks for our volunteer firefighters.

Batavia-based p.w. minor held an official kickoff party for its two new lines of shoes on Tuesday night in the future home of its new retail store, the former Chamber of Commerce headquarters on East Main Street.

Sen. Mike Ranzenhofer and Assemblyman Steve Hawley were both in attendance and they tried on some new shoes.

The new shoe lines are Abram Boots, an affordable, steel-toed work boot, and a line of higher end men's fashion shoes, under the brand of the Batavia Boot and Shoe Company.

The store will be a joint venture between p.w. minor and Charles Men's Shop, run by owners Dave Howe and Don Brown.

Next year, p.w. minor will celebrate its 150th anniversary. It recently moved all of its production back to Batavia from China and the new store will stock only American-made products.

Howe said owner Pete Zeilff, his family and the rest of the team at p.w. minor have done something a lot of people talk about but few do: make a real investment and commitment to the local community.

"I will tell you," Howe said, "we need your commitment as a community to support us. We're hoping for a partnership that everyone can be proud of."

Brian Benedict, the new director of sales for p.w. minor who was lured from a good job in Chicago to return to his hometown and work for Zeliff, said he's amazed at how far p.w. minor has come as a company in a short time and that he's excited about the potential of these shoe lines.

"We have 86 people employed at p.w. minor, so when you buy a pair of shoes, a pair from the Batavia Boot and Shoe Company, seven people touched that shoe as it goes through production," Benedict said. "And, 94 percent of our employees live in Genesee County. It’s not buying an American-made shoe. You’re buying a shoe from people who are your neighbors, your friends, people you see in the street, you see at Tops.

"If you buy two pair we can actually hire more people," he added, which got a laugh from the invited guests in the room.

The kickoff party is the first of six such events over the next couple of months, including a factory tour and chance to check out the new shoe lines at the factory in late December. The invited guests for that event will be people who have liked p.w. minor on the company's Facebook page.

Zeliff said he doesn't think he could have better partners for this venture than Howe and Brown.

"I had to learn a new profession (in taking over p.w. minor) and a new way of making a living over the past two years," Zeliff said. "I really didn't think I would do that at my age, but I really didn't want to learn another one doing retail, so Dave and Don are great people to partner with. I'm happy we're able to do this with them."

Howe has been in the retail business for 50 years, and owned Charles Men's Shop for 31 years, a business that has been in Batavia for 70 years.

The new shoe lines were developed by Kristine McCarthy, a graduate of Batavia High School, who returned home after working in New York City, to join the team at p.w. minor.

Zeliff said he's excited to reach this point of growth for p.w. minor. He sees bright days ahead.

"We've finally turned a corner and we've got a new product out," Zeliff said. "We've got a lot of exciting things happening. I think in these next 12 months will really be the turning stone for us to become a proftable company again and grow more."

Photo and information provided by John Sisson and GCC.

A turkey was fried at College Village today to help demonstrate how to safely cook with oil for residents at the apartment complex at Genesee Community College.

Chief of Safety, Bob Guesno and College Village Director John Sisson are seen lowering the turkey into the oil.

"As many of our fire calls at College Village are related to cooking with oil, we thought that we would take this opportunity to give the residents not only a safe example but also a chance to share some tips for cooking with oil in their apartments as well," Sisson said.

The residents will be served a turkey dinner with all the fixings, including stuffing and mashed potatoes.

“This will be our 12th year holding this annual feast in honor of Thanksgiving,” said Mary-Clare Stokes, assistant director of Residence Life and Learning at College Village. “It’s a great way for our students and resident assistants to come together in a bonding experience. And, as the semester winds down, it certainly is a ‘de-stressor’ as well.”

Each resident assistant of College Village works throughout the day to prepare the meal, and are being charged with cooking one turkey apiece to share with residents. That usually is approximately 10 turkeys and will feed at least 150 student residents. For some students, this will be their only Thanksgiving celebration, and for some international students, it may be the first time they’ve experienced the holiday or tasted the traditional foods of an American Thanksgiving.

“The tradition is a great experience for everyone,” Stokes said. “Not only is it the first Thanksgiving experience for some of our residents, but it may also be the first experience for some of our resident assistants and staff at cooking a Thanksgiving meal. We look forward to a great turnout and a fun evening!” 

Since Sept. 1, mixed martial arts competitions have been legal in New York, and Batavia will be at the forefront next month of hosting tournaments.

Rich Mitchell, of Le Roy, and originally from Stafford (far right in photo) is a former professional MMA fighter and for the past five years has judged fights. Now he's moving into the promotional side of the business, sponsoring his first tournament Dec. 17 at the Quality Inn & Suites in Batavia.

"I’ve been involved with this sport and it was just time (to become a promoter)," Mitchell said. "It’s a natural progression."

There was a promoter in Buffalo, but he's become a deputy commissioner for the sport in New York, so that opened up the WNY market to competition.

Mitchell is planning on promoting six events a year, three in Batavia and three in Buffalo.

At first, the events will be all amateur bouts because professional fights, especially for insurance, are a lot more expensive to stage, but moving up into the promotion of professional fights is definitely part of the plan, Mitchell said.

"It's a little way off," Mitchell said, "maybe a year or two."

The event Dec. 17 starts at 6 p.m. and will feature Morgan Cavanach and Tom Shelby. Tickets are $30 pre-sale, $35 at the door, and VIP cage-seats are $50.

For more information, visit groundforcefights.com.

Top photo: Eddie Ortiz and Pete Flanagan, both on the left, are two of the local fighters who will participate Dec. 17. Joe Loftus, second from right, was originally on the card but will have to sit out because of an injury; and Mitchell.

Bottom photo: Wrestling students and MMA participants at Main Street Fitness, Le Roy.

David C. Truesdale, 26, of Bank Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, and unlawful possession of marijuana. Truesdale was arrested by members of the Local Drug Task Force after being called by NYS Parole to assist in an investigation. Truesdale was allegedly found in possession of marijuana and crack cocaine. Truesdale was jailed on an alleged parole violation. He was issued an appearance ticket on the drug charges. Additional charges possible pending a lab report. Deputy Chris Erion and K-9 "Destro" assisted in the investigation.

Shane Zimblis, 45, of Pearl Street, Batavia, is accused of criminal mischief, 3rd. Zimblis is accused of spray painting the headlights and grill of a pickup truck at 1:47 a.m. Tuesday at a location on Pearl Street, without the owner's permission. He was ordered held without bail.

A winter weather advisory has been issued for Genesee County starting at 6 p.m. and lasting until 10 a.m. because the National Weather Service expects freezing rain to hit the region.

Winds will be from the southeast at 10 to 20 mph.

Extremely slippery conditions on roadways and sidewalks are expected. Caution is advised.

James D. Pontillo is indicted on four counts of falsifying business records, 1st, and one count of grand larceny, 4th. Pontillo is accused of filing false business records with Pathstone related to Section 8 housing by filing a false information sheet, a request for tenancy approval, owner responsibility form and lead paint disclosure form. In the course of these filings, he's accused of defrauding the agency of more than $1,000.

Michael J. Jarmuz II, is indicted on a count of driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol, aggravated unlicensed operation, criminal impersonation, 2nd, four counts of forgery, 2nd, forgery, 3rd, and two counts of offering a false instrument for filing. Jamuz is accused of driving while under the influence in the Town of Elba on Aug. 13. He was allegedly driving while his privilege was suspended. He allegedly provided a false identity when stopped and provided a false identity when submitting to a blood sample, a fingerprint record and a patient record at UMMC.

A car vs. deer accident is reported in the area of 7373 Pekin Road, Elba.

Injuries are reported. 

Elba fire and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 9:19 p.m.: A Mercy medic first on scene reports minor injuries. All responders can come in non-emergency.

Press release:

On Tuesday, Nov. 22, the Genesee County STOP-DWI Advisory Board sponsored its premiere STOP-DWI Awards Luncheon at Terry Hills Restaurant & Banquet Facility.

Seven young people from districts in the county were honored for their commitment to the community for entering the Board’s STOP-DWI Poster Contest. There were First- through Third-place winners in two grade categories, 6-8 and 9-12, as well as a Grand Prize Winner. Additionally, the luncheon recognized two Top Cop Awards and a Coordinator’s Award.

The following young people were recognized for their STOP DWI poster submissions: 6-8th grade winners; Jessica Andrade, Isabella Biviano, Taylor Hutton and Grace Shepard. The 9th-12th grade winners are Isabella Riner and Morgan Harrington. The Grand Prize Winner whose artwork will appear on two billboards in Genesee County throughout the month of December is Kallie Totten, an eighth-grader from Elba Central School.

Batavia Police Officer Matthew J. Wojtaszczyk and Genesee County Sheriff Deputy Rich Schildwaster received the Top Cop Award for going above and beyond with DWI arrests during a twelve month time period. They were also honored for their dedication to keeping our community safe. Genesee County Sheriff Gary Maha received the Coordinator’s Award for his outstanding commitment to our community for the last 49 years.

The law enforcement honorees each received a challenge coin. STOP-DWI coordinator Matt Landers explained that there have been only 50 such coins made, each is sequentially numbers and they will be given out to honorees in the coming years. Genesee County Sheriff Gary Maha, who is retiring at the end of this year, received coin #1.

Here's something you don't hear often in the chambers of the Old County Courthouse: Members of the Genesee County Legislature raising their voices and talking over each other during a policy discussion.

Members of the normally decorous body got a little testy with each other at times Monday night during negotiations over the 2017 county budget that has no easy answers as state and federal mandates continue to drive up expenses, eating up more of what local taxpayers contribute to the county budget, leaving precious little left for essential local services.

A substantial property tax increase looks inevitable, bringing it up to a rate as high as $10.30 per thousand. That's a 5-percent increase in the levy. That would mean the Legislature would need to override the state-mandated tax levy increase, which the full body approved earlier in the evening.

As members chattered near the end of the discussion about what level of increase they could accept, Legislator Shelly Stein said, "We know we’re going over. We absolutely know we’re going over."

It's just a question of if they can find a way to cut expenses enough to shrink the size of the increase, and with each member of the Legislature having a good reason to protect this or that expenditure, reaching a consensus on what to cut is proving difficult. They agreed not to eliminate the request for two new corrections officers in the Sheriff's Office, nor to eliminate a road patrol position next year. They also won't eliminate a case worker position in the Public Defender's Office after PD Jerry Ader explained that the position legislators thought was grant funded really isn't. They couldn't agree on whether to make cuts in the planning department or the District Attorney's Office -- and County Manager Jay Gsell explained why a hiring freeze would be a bad idea.

Cuts to the highway department would leave an already depleted staff with fewer people to get road work done. You would have, Gsell said, all flagmen and no workers on road projects, for example. In social services, there has been a significant increase in case load post-Obamacare with no increase in staffing. Any cuts to the Department of Motor Vehicles would reduce county revenue. 

“We are a service business," Gsell said. "Even in this day and age with all the technology, the bottom line is, we deal with people, and most people on a face-to-face basis, and if we don’t, they still end up coming in our offices to get their problems resolved. If we were retail, we could do that kind of stuff, just stop hiring people, but then of course our shelves wouldn't get stocked."

Over the course of his tenure as county manager, Gsell said, the county has eliminated nearly 100 jobs, leaving all departments operating at a bare-minimum staffing level.

When Chairman Ray Cianfrini did a straw poll asking members what percentage of tax increase would members be willing to support, there was no support for a 7-percent or a 6-percent increase, but a passing majority was willing to go along with a 5-percent or 4-percent increase.

Cianfrini joked that he knew Legislator Andrew Young wants to hold it at zero percent, but Young said he raised his hand for 5 percent.

"I understand we’ve got to increase taxes," Young said. "We can’t help it and we should increase it less by cutting more is my opinion, but can’t allow ourselves to become insolvent either. "

The potential of insolvency is a real concern for Young, who has raised it several times during budget discussion. The concern is a big reason legislators are unwilling to take more than $500,000 from reserves to help balance the budget and don't want to transfer nearly $1 million in anticipated sales tax revenue from the road and bridge fund and use it to balance the 2017 budget.

Young, Robert Bausch and Marianne Clattenburg are all arguing that the county needs to come up with a five-year plan that will guide budgeting decisions, with more data and some anticipation of the variables the county might face on revenue and spending in the coming years.

"I've never been part of an organization that didn't have a plan for the future, and we don't have a plan," Young said.

If the budget process doesn't start sooner next year, Bausch said, and there's no budget discussion prior to an October meeting, then that meeting might as well be canceled right now because it will be a waste of time.

The Legislature will meet at 5 p.m. Monday to discuss the budget again.  

An Attica woman is in critical condition at Strong Memorial Hospital tonight after her 2003 Chevy Trail Blazer hit a large, thick patch of compacted ice on Route 98 in Alexander and then turned sideways and slid into an oak tree.

Lorna Johnson, 53, was the lone occupant in the vehicle.

The SUV struck the tree right in the middle of the driver's side door.

Johnson was reportedly unconscious when first responders arrived on scene. It took more than 30 minutes to get her stabilized in an ambulance before she could be flown to Strong by Mercy Flight.

The patch of ice and compacted snow was at least 50 yards long and an inch or more thick, the result of blowing snow across the highway that melted on the road in the afternoon and then froze as the sun went down.

The SUV traveled off the road another 25 yards or more after leaving the iced area and struck the tree in the front yard of a residence.

The Alexander Fire Department responded, along with the Alexander ambulance, and volunteer firefighters extricated Johnson from her vehicle.

Mercy EMS, the Sheriff's Office and State Police also responded to the scene.

Speed unsafe for conditions may also have been a factor in the accident, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Deputy Kyle Krzemien and Sgt. Ron Meides are heading the investigation. Trooper Robert Breidenstein assisted at the scene.

(initial report)

It's been years since Downtown Batavia had a nice shoe store and it's a void in the Downtown retail space that Dave Howe has looked at since the day Thomas and Dwyer closed up shop.

He never added a shoe section to his store because of limited space, but two things have come together to make it possible for Howe and partner Don Brown to open up a shoe store just a few doors down from their current East Main Street location.

One, the Chamber of Commerce vacated its space in the City Church (former Mancuso Theater) building, opening up an attractive retail store front with lots of space and great visibility. Two, p.w. minor has two new fashionable shoe lines it wants to sell locally.

"We love the fact that Pete Zeliff and his family and all the family of p.w. minor decided to bring all of the production back from China to here in our own community," Howe said. "It seems like it's the perfect partnership to put together a hometown."

The move is the start of a business expansion for p.w. minor, said Brian Benedict, director of sales. The more than 150-year-old, Batavia-founded and Batavia-based company is going into shoe lines beyond the orthopedic shoes it's long been known for.

The Abrams Boot line is made up of fashionable work boots and the company will also introduce the Batavia Shoe and Boot line.

Bennett said the Downtown retail store will be the company's one-and-only retail location as it seeks new distribution channels for its new line with shoe retailers across the nation.

Howe said two factors will be hallmarks of the new store: quality and American-made products.

And there will be other products besides shoes, such as American-made workwear, belts, gloves and other accessories.

Howe thinks the shoe store will be a good complement to Charles Men's Shop.

The new store won't open until sometime in January, but people looking for shoes for themselves or as Christmas presents can stop into Charles Men's Shop to see the lines of shoes and be fitted for some of the first pairs to come out of the Batavia factory.

Photos and information provided by St. Joe's:

Throughout the month of October, St. Joe’s National Junior Honor Society held a fundraiser to collect items for All Babies Cherished. Items and monetary donations totaled more than $300. Some items collected included diapers, wipes, pacifiers and baby clothes. Co-advisers Mr. Landfried and Mr. Bowman along with the NJHS students were invited by All Babies Cherished Director Sue Sherman to visit the office to see how their organization operates and where the donations go.

Press release:

The Western New York Chemical Dependency Consortium held its annual Gold Key Awards and Holiday Luncheon in Buffalo on Friday, Nov. 18. Dr. Bruce Baker, currently a medical consultant for GCASA, received the Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Dr. Baker graduated from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in 1959. He worked as the Genesee County Jail physician for 25 years, which is where he began addressing substance abuse issues with his patients. He also worked as the medical director of Hope Haven Alcohol and Chemical Dependency Inpatient Service at United Memorial Medical Center from 1963-2013. While Dr. Baker has been a physician for almost 60 years, he has worked in the addiction field for more than 35 years. 

Dr. Baker has been on the cutting edge of addiction medicine throughout his career. He was an early adopter of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT). As the medical director at Hope Haven, he was responsible for the initiation of Suboxone treatment. He recognized early on, especially working at the Genesee County Jail, that individuals who suffered from addiction needed treatment, both medically and therapeutically. 

Dr. Baker is extremely knowledgeable about addiction. He shares his knowledge with others in a straightforward, uncomplicated way. He created an easy to understand document, Opioid Addiction and Medically Assisted Treatment, to share with his patients. In this document he describes what opiate addiction is, how the brain is affected, and how MAT can help. He truly wants to help people; and he does. Dr. Baker has helped thousands of patients in the WNY region recover from addiction. 

When asked about his greatest accomplishment in his career, Dr. Baker acknowledged his service of providing medical care to patients for more than 50 years. He adds that at 83 years old, he plans to continue practicing and loves the work he does at GCASA. Dr. Baker shared that of all the work he has done throughout his career, including delivering babies and working in his family practice, he feels most fulfilled in his work at GCASA. His compassion for his patients is exceptional. 

In addition to his career accomplishments, he’s very proud of his family. He and his wife raised six children and have a total of 21 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Jerard L. Wilson, 18, of Roycroft Drive, Rochester, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Wilson was charged following a complaint of excessive marijuana smoke coming from a vehicle in the parking lot of 337 Bank St., Batavia.

A 17-year-old resident of Shanley Street, Cheektowaga, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, inadequate exhaust, uninspected motor vehicle and unlicensed operator. The youth was stopped at 1:43 a.m. Saturday on Route 77, Darien, by Deputy Eric Meyer. Also charged with unlawful possession of marijuana was Megan Lynn Murby, 18, of Aurora Street, Lancaster.

Shawn P. Burns, 38, of Oak Orchard Street, Albion, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .18 or greater. Burns was charged after police responded to a disturbance complaint at 12:17 a.m., Nov. 10 at 301 North St. Burns is accused of having driven to that location while intoxicated. The incident was investigated by Officer Nicole Salamone.

Reginald C. Sampson, 50, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, is charged with grand larceny, 4th. Sampson allegedly stole a purse containing credit cards.

Brian J. Miller, 35, of Ellicott Street Road, Bethany, is charged with assault, 3rd, unlawful imprisonment and criminal obstruction of breathing. Miller was arrested following an investigation into an incident reported at 1 a.m. Saturday on Edward Street, Batavia.

Jordan R. Bradley, 23, of Colby Road, Corfu, is charged with petit larceny. Jordan is accused of shoplifting from Tops. Bradley was held on an alleged parole violation.

Bernard Thomas, 57, of Whitney Avenue, Pittsburgh, is charged with sex offender failure to report an address change. Thomas, a Level One sex offender, reportedly moved to Pittsburgh without notifying officials of his address change within 10 days. After speaking with investigators, he returned to Batavia and was charged. He was released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

Brandon D. Delelys, 18, of Hartshorn Road, Corfu, is charged with burglary, 2nd, conspiracy, 4th, and petit larceny. Delelys is accused of committing a burglary on Hutchins Street in August. He was released under supervision of Genesee Justice. Also charged was Michael E. Welchman, 21, of West Main Street, Batavia.

Patricia A. Sand, 59, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with grand larceny, 4th, and conspiracy, 5th. Also charged, Michael R. Ostrander. Sand and Ostrander are accused of stealing a wallet while at Aldi's. Sand was issued an appearance ticket. Ostrander was jailed without bail.

Cheryl M. Lyons, 51, of Tracy Avenue, Batavia, is charged with menacing, 1st, criminal possession of a weapon, 3rd, and criminal contempt, 1st.

Fawn Lynn Marie Kaczmarek, 28, of Thorpe Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Kaczmarek allegedly stole the tip cup of a waitress at Batavia Downs.

Williams T. Gibbs, 61, of West Main Street, Corfu, was arrested on a a warrant for alleged failure to appear. Gibbs allegedly failed to appear in City Court on traffic tickets. 

Kenneth W. Cook III, of Galloway Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st. Cook allegedly violated an order of protection.

Jacklyn M. Ganzhorn, 29, of Central Avenue, Batavia, is charged with failure to appear. Ganzhorn was located by a Sheriff's deputy and transported to Batavia PD. He was jailed on $1,000 bail or $2,000 bond.

A lake effect snow warning has been issued and is in effect until 4 a.m., Tuesday.

The storm will bring from three to five inches of snow today, but mainly over eastern Monroe and northern Ontario counties. 

Winds will be 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph, causing blowing and driving snow.

A motor-vehicle accident with injuries is reported at Alexander Road and Peaviner Road, Alexander.

Alexander fire and Alexander's ambulance are dispatched.

UPDATE 8:54 a.m.: This is a three-car accident. Mercy EMS also requested to the scene.

We've had a few hours now of steady, lake effect snow with a brisk wind, but accumulations are a couple of inches at best. A lake effect snow advisory remains in effect through tomorrow.

UPDATE 6:45 p.m.: A lake effect snow warning is now in effect for Genesee County. A band of lake effect snow is expected to drop snow at a rate of one to two inches an hour. No ETA for when the warning will be lifted or what the total storm accumulation might be.

Bergen's fire chief has requested available manpower to assist with multiple vehicles off the road in the westbound lanes of the I-490 near mile marker 1.0.

Bergen Fire responding.

Rollover accident reported at 9536 Warsaw Road, Le Roy.

Unknown injuries.

That's at the corner of Warsaw Road and Cole Road.

Le Roy fire and Le Roy ambulance dispatched.