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Exhibitors said there was a steady stream of people coming through the Chamber of Commerce's Home Show today at Falleti Ice Arena in Batavia, and that had them in pretty good spirits.

Here's a quick photo tour of some of the activity today.

Doors are open tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

More pictures after the jump:

A car has reportedly hit a utility pole and wires are down in the area of 6071 Ellicott Street Road, Bethany.

No injuries are reported, but Mercy EMS is dispatched as a precaution.

Bethany fire and Stafford fire dispatched.

UPDATE 9 a.m.: Bethany and Stafford, back in service.

A 23-year-old woman was transported to UMMC with a complaint of right knee pain after a two-car accident shortly after 6 p.m. at Jackson and Ellicott streets, Batavia.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

Traffic was impeded for about 30 minutes.

The woman had a passenger in her van who was uninjured and the other driver was not injured.

Batavia PD, Batavia fire and Mercy EMS responded.

Late this afternoon, vendors were busy putting together the final touches on their booths for the annual home show at Falleti Ice Arena.

The home show, brought to you by the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, opens at 5 p.m. today and continues tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday.

There are about 70 exhibitors with goods and services designed to help you make home life better, beautiful or more efficient. For more information, visit the Chamber's Web site.

A fully involved barn fire is reported in Alexander at 9633 Old Creek Road. The road will be shut down by Fire Police. Alexander Fire Department is responding along with Bethany, Town of Batavia, Darien and East Pembroke. Bethany is also requested to fill in at Alexander's fire hall.

UPDATE 3:25 a.m.: Bethany is unable to secure a second crew for the fill-in detail at Alexander Fire Hall so one from East Pembroke is requested.

UPDATE 3:28 a.m.: Command cancels the request for a fill-in crew at its hall from East Pembroke.

UPDATE 3:33 a.m.: A crew from East Pembroke is requested to stand by in their own hall for fill-in on behalf of Town of Batavia's fire district.

For at least two weeks, I'm going to be unable to do much work.

Friday morning I was diagnosed with a detached retina in my right eye. I'm having surgery this morning. I get to spend the next week in a constant facedown position. It will be at least two, possibly three, weeks before I can return to work.

Billie is going to step up and provide more news coverage. Our corps of freelance contributors are also ready to pitch in, as is our news partner WBTA.

You can help, too: If you there is something going on you think others in the community will be interested in knowing about, email photos and information to billie@thebatavian.com.

Anything related to advertising support, contact Lisa Ace at lisa@thebatavian.com.

I'll have access to e-mail. I'll forward anything work related to Billie or Lisa.

As for me, I'll be fine. It's not going to be fun, but I get to catch up on all the movies and documentaries on Netflix that I never have time to watch. There's also the NCAA tournament starting, which I usually can only watch portions of here and there.

Patrick Spear received the Firefighter of the Year award from Deputy Chief Dan Coffey on Saturday night during the Town of Batavia Fire Department's annual banquet at the Clarion Hotel.

The department responded to 317 calls in 2015. An average of 10.8 volunteers responded to each call and total man hours spent on calls exceeded 25,000. The volunteers also attended 76 training sessions.

"I think those are some pretty impressive numbers when you think about how we all have jobs, we all have families, we all have other obligations to attend to," Coffey said. "I truly want to give you guys a round of applause. We wouldn't be successful without that dedication."

Gary Diegelman​ was recognized for his 40 years of service to the department.

William Zipfel was recognized for his 45 years of service to the department.

Doug Yeomans took this picture. It's of the metal dragon sculpture on Transit Road in Bethany, Pavilion sunrise, yesterday morning.

CORRECTION: A reader, admittedly being nitpicky, wrote to say this dragon actually sits on the Pavilion side of Transit Road, not the Bethany side.

Properties there were foreclosed on by either the city or county in the past year for failure to pay property taxes were auctioned off today at Bontrager's.

We'll post the results of the auction once they are available to us.

(UPDATED 7:30 p.m.): Here are partial results from today's auction. They are for county-owned properties and do not include city-owned parcels. Those figures were not available today.

Note that the selling prices are listed along with the approximate amount of taxes and penalties owed. ***However, included in the amount DUE is interest, but that needs to be removed, as it was not earned. So the final amounts DUE are not available today, but they will be less than shown below.

GENESEE COUNTY PROPERTIES

PARCEL #1:       SELLING PRICE: $450               ***DUE: $768

Town of Batavia: Shepard Road (corner w/Batavia Bethany Townline Road), .62-acre lot, Tax Map No. 20.-2-30

PARCEL #2:     SELLING PRICE: $4,750            ***DUE: $5,650

Town of Batavia:  7697 Lewiston Road, .5-acre lot w/ commercial building,Tax Map No. 3.-1-6.112

PARCEL #3:      SELLING PRICE: $6,000            ***DUE: $3,150

Town of Pavilion: 10179 South Street Road, .78-acre lot w/burnt mobile home,Tax Map No. 6.-1-10.12

PARCEL #4:     SELLING PRICE: $5,000         ***DUE: $2,400

Town of Pembroke: Cleveland Road, 1-acre lot, Tax Map No. 16.-1-12.2

PARCEL #5:     SELLING PRICE: $650              ***DUE: $655

Town of Stafford: East Bethany -- Le Roy Road, 1.1-acre lot, Tax Map No.12.-1-46  

PARCEL #6:      SELLING PRICE: $33,000         ***DUE: $12,338

Town of Stafford: 8476 Route 237, single-family residence, .41-acre lot, Tax Map No. 7.-1-54

PARCEL #7:      SELLING PRICE: $28,000        ***DUE: $20,107

Village of Le Roy: 31 Mill St., storage/distribution, .27-acre lot, Tax Map No. 7.-2-1.1

PARCEL #8:      SELLING PRICE: $24,500         ***DUE: $15,660

Village of Le Roy:  63 Church St., single-family residence, .29-acre lot , Tax Map No.  6.-1-47

Students participating in the 4-H Club's annual tractor safety course were tested today on their hands-on knowledge at Empire Tractor.

Above, Christian Gerold steers through an obstacle course, and below, Tim Zipfel attached a combine to the back of a tractor while instructor Tim Adams scores his effort. Zipfel passed.

Press release:

On March 4, the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center at Strong Hospital received a check for $1,277 to help combat head and neck cancer. The money was raised by the Byron-Bergen Jr./Sr. High School’s girls’ soccer team. The team, led by Coach Wayne Hill, hosted a fundraising event in October. This is the second year the team has focused their efforts on head and neck cancer. Teammate Karson Richenberg’s mother, Toni, has throat cancer.

Many local businesses supported the school’s fundraiser, including Sloat Tire Shop in Batavia, Fullerino’s Pizzeria, and NAPA Auto Parts in Bergen. They donated products and services to fill baskets that were raffled during halftime at one of the team’s games.

“We are very grateful to the many individuals and businesses in the community who donated,” said Jr./Sr. High School Interim Principal Patrick McGee. “We are so proud that our students are learning that they have the power to drive change in the world and give back to their community.”

The Byron-Bergen girls’ soccer team is no stranger to fundraising to beat cancer. Earlier years’ efforts supported breast cancer awareness. The girls' soccer team plans to expand their endeavors next year by encouraging additional athletic teams to participate.

Photo: Representatives from the Byron-Bergen girls’ soccer team presented a check for $1,277 to the doctors and medical team at Strong Hospital’s Wilmot Cancer Center. Center, holding check, is junior Karson Richenberg. Then (l-r) Toni Richenberg, junior Olivia Audsley, senior Alex Rosse, Interim Principal Patrick McGee and (far right) Coach Wayne Hill.

Press release:

Genesee County STOP DWI coordinator Matthew Landers announced today that the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, City of Batavia Police Department and the Village of Le Roy Police Department will participate in a special enforcement effort to crackdown on impaired driving.

The statewide STOP-DWI Crackdown efforts start on March 17th and will end on March 20th. St. Patrick’s Day Weekend is historically a deadly period for impaired driving due to the number of drivers on the road. New York State Police, County Sheriff and municipal law enforcement agencies across the state will be out in force in this across the board effort to reduce the number of alcohol-related injuries and deaths.

Undersheriff William Sheron reminds us: “Don’t count on the luck of the Irish, arrange for a designated driver.”

The STOP-DWI St. Patrick’s Day Weekend Crackdown is one of many statewide enforcement initiatives promoted by the New York State STOP-DWI Association and funded by local STOP-DWI programs as well as the STOP-DWI Foundation and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee. This partnership has allowed local programs to significantly increase their enforcement and public awareness efforts. The statewide STOP-DWI Crackdown Campaign also targets Memorial Day, 4^th of July, Labor Day Weekend, Halloween and the national Holiday Season in December.

While STOP-DWI efforts across New York have led to significant reductions in the numbers of alcohol- and drug-related fatalities, still too many lives are being lost because of crashes caused by drunk or impaired drivers. Highly visible, highly publicized efforts like the STOP-DWI Crackdown Campaign aim to further reduce the incidence of drunk and impaired driving.

Press release:

Darien Lake Theme Park is enhancing its popular in-park laser show Ignite the Night with the addition of full-color laser beams, extra pyrotechnics, an all-new soundtrack and radio frequency-driven LED color wands that enable guests to “glow with the show.” This advanced technology brings an exciting new element to a long-standing park tradition.

The new handheld color wands are integrated with the show, flashing and glowing a kaleidoscope of colors throughout the performance. Guests can purchase color wands for $8 and have a souvenir of their family-fun experience for long after the show concludes.

Ignite the Night has been part of Darien Lake’s free family entertainment since 1992. The show started with simple green and yellow lasers, which were New Age at the time. The show has seen several enhancements over the years, including a 3D laser show introduced in 1995 and the addition of a 100-foot-wide water screen and hydro-cannon blasters in 2013.

From its humble beginnings to today’s fully modernized production, the show has paid tribute to our American heritage, and still to this day “Proud to be an American” by Lee Greenwood closes every show with a blast of fireworks.

“Our Ignite the Night laser show is the perfect way to end a fun-filled day with us,” said Darien Lake General Manager Chris Thorpe. “Families gather at the lawn on a warm night and look to the sky for a spectacular and magical experience.”

Ignite the Night, presented by Tops Friendly Markets, takes place every evening at 10:10 on the lawn at the Lakeside Amphitheater from May 20^th to Sept. 4^th. For a full list of special park events click here.

Duty E. Caswell, 24, of Hutchins Place, Batavia, is charged with dog at large. Caswell's canine was allegedly involved in a series of biting incidents at 3:01 p.m., Monday. The dog reportedly broke loose from its chain and attacked an individual in front of its residence on Hutchins Place. The dog then ran down the street and attacked another person near State Street. Both people suffered injuries. Police believe the dog also bit a neighbor's dog. The dog was seized by police and taken to the Animal Shelter. The same dog was allegedly involved in a biting incident in late January. (Previous report)

Bonnie L. Cortright, 28, of Summit Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Cortright is accused of stealing 28 handcrafted items from the artisan shop at the YWCA.

Nicholas F. DiFillippo II, 50, of Kingsbury Avenue, Batavia, is charged with DWI, refusal to take breath test and speeding. DiFillippo was stopped at 12:36 a.m., March 4, on West Main Street by Officer Eric Foels.

Bailey Loren Gavenda, 19, of Shepard Road, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Gavenda is accused of stealing $77.46 in clothing from Kohl's Department Store.

A group of city firefighters will climb 38 floors, 800 steps, in Buffalo on March 12 to help raise funds for the American Lung Association.

The effort is part of the Fight for Air Climb and takes place at the HSBC Tower.

Firefighers have an increased risk for lung disease, including lung cancer, from the exposure to gases, chemicals and smoke in the line of duty. Funds will be used for research, education and patient programs to assist firefighters.

The Fight for Air Climb has so far raised $114,000 and Batavia Local 896 has raised $1,372.

To donate, visit fightforairclimb.org and enter Batavia L896 in search.

Pictured are Jerry Yoder, Adam Palumbo, Christine Marinaccio and Zack Gowanlock.

The attorney for a Batavia man accused of rape is troubled by the wide range of potential dates for the alleged attack and would like District Attorney Lawrence Friedman to try and get the woman making the accusation to try and come closer to an exact date.

Establishing a more accurate date would enable attorney Clark Zimmermann to determine if his client has alibis for the time of the alleged rape.

Jason A. Armstrong Sr., is accused of anally raping a woman at a residence on South Main Street, Batavia, sometime between Nov. 6 and 10.

Zimmermann said it was good that the indictment was able to specify the alleged attack happened between 8 and 9 p.m. on whichever day it occurred, but Nov. 6 to Nov. 10 is rather wide range to accept without more effort to narrow it down.

"I would think an adult as the complainant is, would be able to further specify or narrow the time frame," Zimmermann told Judge Michael F. Pietruszka. "Right now we have five possible days between 8 and 9 that this event could have occurred."

Friedman said he is certainly willing to cooperate in working with the alleged victim in narrowing the time frame down, but given the fact that the complaint wasn't made until the end of December, the amount of time that had passed before she was interviewed, made it difficult for her to recall the exact date.

"While I would like to provide a precise date or more precise date, I'm simply unable to do that at this time," Friedman said.

Zimmermann said he would expect the woman would have some ability to use work records or other life records to help her recall and narrow the time frame. He said the woman was working some jobs off the books in November and perhaps knowing when and where she worked would help. He indicated he uncovered some of that information through is own investigations and offered to provide that information to Friedman.

Friedman said he would accept the information and attempt to use it to help the woman come up with a more precise time frame.

Armstrong was indicted by a grand jury on counts of criminal sexual act in the first degree and assault in the second degree for allegedly causing physical injury.

He's also indicted on a count of third-degree assault for allegedly causing physical injury to another person on or about Dec. 5 while at the same address, on South Main Street, as the alleged rape.

Zimmermann said he was still gathering evidence that might assist Armstrong in establishing alibis in both cases, including recorded phone messages left by one of the alleged victims.

Friedman objected that he had not yet received the evidence, despite filing a motion to receive it, and Zimmermann said that given the fact no trial date has been established yet, he still had time to gather the details and provide them in a timely manner.

"I certainly don't intend to sandbag him and I hope he doesn't do the same to me," Zimmermann said. "I think I've provided ample notice and if he disagrees, that's why we have you, Judge."

The case was set for another appearance on March 25, giving both sides more time to prepare their cases. At that time, if no plea deal is reached, Pietruszka will establish a plea cutoff date before setting a trial date.

There is a natural gas leak reported at Le Roy Junior/Senior High School.

Le Roy fire is on scene. Stafford, Bergen and Pavilion dispatched mutual aid.

About 20 minutes ago, Le Roy fire was dispatched to the school for a pull station alarm.

UPDATE 10:41 a.m.: Town of Batavia fire requested to fill in at Le Roy's fire hall. Pavilion, which was standing by, now called to the school, located at 9300 South Street Road, Le Roy.

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