As we move into August, football is in the air. The Batavia Bulldawgs started practices this week with sessions in the late afternoon at Kibbe Park. The first league games are Aug. 16, with Batavia hosting Attica at Lions Park.
As families left a lunchtime soup kitchen at the Assembly of God Church on North Spruce Street this afternoon, an unknown person apparently fired BBs at them.
The thwack of a BB against the siding of a building got everybody's attention and then after another shot, a BB was seen on the ground.
One BB narrowly missed a child, the child's mother said.
Police were called and a canvass of the area failed to produce a suspect. The shots were believed fired from a neighboring apartment complex.
"I don't know the motivation," said Sgt. Dan Coffey. "I don't know why somebody would decide to shoot BBs in the direction of a church, let alone the people standing outside near it. I couldn't speculate on that at this point."
The building wall showed clear evidence of at least one BB's impact.
Valerie White and Daniel Orlando said their little was almost struck by one of the shots as she was sitting in her stroller. The couple and their two children, ages 3 and 5, were outside talking with another family and their kids when the incident occurred just before noon today.
"All the sudden we hear two ping, pings hitting the side of the building," White said. "We're looking around to see what's going on. It sounded like little stones hitting the building. Somebody noticed it was a BB coming toward us and we looked on the ground and there was a BB on the ground and there was a hole in the building. One just missed our daughter."
Orlando held up two fingers an inch apart and said, "it was probably this close."
Coffey said the weapon could either be CO2-powered or a pump-style BB gun.
The suspects, if identified, are looking at possible reckless endangerment and criminal mischief charges.
Anyone with any information can contact the Batavia Police at 585-345-6350.
Original reporting for this story by Alecia Kaus/Video News Service.
Voters in the East Pembroke Fire District today approved on a 167-45 vote the construction of a new fire hall for their community.
The vote authorizes the district to proceed with the $3 million project, which will provide volunteer firefighters with a new 11,128 square-foot facility.
The building will contain not only more room for existing fire trucks, but rooms for hose drying, decontamination and air packs.
As a result of the vote, property owners in the district will see their tax assessment increase from the current $1.10 per $1,000 of assessed value to a maximum of $1.98.
The new hall will replace an aging and structurally deficient building that has seen its better days.
Press release:
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today announced the arrest of Dennis Snow, the treasurer of the Le Roy Fire Department in Genesee County. Snow was charged with two counts of grand larceny in the third degree (class D felony), 42 counts of forgery in the first degree (class C felony) and two counts of falsifying business records in the first degree (class E felony) for allegedly stealing nearly $50,000 in public funds.
“This individual blatantly abused his position and went on a spending spree with public money,” DiNapoli said. “It is alarming that my office continues to uncover instances such as this where local officials misuse their office for their personal benefit. I commend the village of Le Roy Police Department and District Attorney (Lawrence) Friedman for working closely with my staff to make sure this individual is held accountable for his actions.”
DiNapoli’s office found that Snow allegedly made unauthorized transfers, withdrawals and deposits from the department’s account, as well as from the firemen's benevolent association. Snow used the money to pay his personal bills and admitted that he forged the required co-signers signatures in order to complete his theft. The audit is expected to be finalized in the next month. Snow is due back in court on Aug. 13.
Police investigators are looking into separate incidents last week to try and determine if the crimes are related and identify suspects.
The first incident involved a robbery in the area of Tracy and Washington avenues in which three people robbed a pedestrian at about 11:20 p.m., July 19.
The second incident was two nights later and involved four individuals jumping a victim in the area of State Street and Willow Street.
While the robbery was previously reported, BPD has released suspect descriptions.
The three youths are described as a black male, late teens, wearing a dark-colored hoodie; a light-skinned male in his late teens wearing a white tie-died muscle shirt; and, a person in the late teens with no other description provided.
One of the teens threatened the victim with the use of a weapon and told him to give him his money. The victim did not see a weapon displayed, but followed orders and handed over his money.
In the second incident, the victim was sitting on a porch talking with a friend when a person approached and asked to speak with him along the side of the house.
As he moved to the side of the house, three other individuals surrounded him.
The first person started a confrontation with the victim and the other three people jumped in.
A witness called police and when police arrived, the suspects ran.
One juvenile was detained and later released to a parent.
The 20-year-old victim was treated at the scene by Mercy EMS and said he didn't require further treatment.
Anyone having information should contact the Batavia Police at 345-6350 or confidentially via e-mail on the City of Batavia Web site link to the Batavia Police or Tip Line 345-6370.
If you saw a couple of guys with cameras on tripods this morning on Main Street, they are Drew and Adam Hilker, who are contractors with Google traveling the state shooting pictures for an updated street view map on Google Maps.
The new street view is intended to provide more detail in business districts, such as Downtown Batavia.
Dennis C. Bump, 33, of Stannard Road, Alexander, is charged with grand larceny, 3rd. Bump is accused of stealing from his employer at various locations in Batavia. Bump was released under supervision of Genesee Justice.
Ann M. Capuano, 29, of West Main Street, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear. The underlying charges for her court appearance in this case were not released by police. She had been issued an appearance ticket on a previous matter. Capuano was released on $100 cash bail.
Desmond L. Majors, 21, of Walden Creek Drive, Batavia, is charged with two counts of harassment, 2nd, and disorderly conduct. Majors allegedly struck another person and yelled obscenities in a public place.
Kenisha A. Thomas, 16, of Dellinger Avenue, Batavia, is charged with assault, 3rd. Thomas is accused of assaulting another person while in Austin Park at 3:10 p.m., Sunday.
Daniel Robert Ruffner, 28, of Telephone Road, Pavilion, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Ruffner is accused of being the primary aggressor in a fight with another person.
Laurie J. Lerkins, 37, of Le Roy, is charged with driving while impaired by drugs and unlawful possession of marijuana. Lerkins was reportedly involved in a two-car accident on Route 98, Town of Java. Lerkins allegedly failed to maintain her lane and struck a vehicle driven by Rodney L. Gleason, 53, of North Chili. Upon subsequent investigation by state troopers, Lerkins was allegedly found to be under the influence of drugs. She was issued traffic tickets for failure to keep right, aggravated unlicensed operation, unlicensed operation and failure to notify DMV of a change of address.
Also, a Grand Jury indictment:
Cassandra R. Blake is indicted on one count of grand larceny, 4th. Blake is accused of stealing 245 lottery tickets with a face value of $1,028, along with payouts from those tickets and other cash, from the Yellow Goose store in Pavilion on or about June 21 and 22.
Two people were hurt and two drivers received a traffic ticket following a two-car accident at the intersection of Sumner and Fargo roads, Darien, at 12:38 p.m., Saturday.
Dan Devera and Dana Devera, no ages listed, were passengers in a vehicle driving by Danilo Devera, 48, State Street, Medina, were transported to UMMC with minor injuries.
Danilo Devera was cited for alleged failure to stop for a stop sign.
The other driver, Ellen F. Cornelius, 34, of Perry Road, Le Roy, was cited for allegedly driving an unregistered vehicle.
Devera was driving southbound on Fargo Road and Corelius was eastbound on Sumner Road. Devera's vehicle reportedly entered the intersection and was struck by Cornelius's car.
The uninjured passengers were Rowena Devera, age not listed, and Shirley Christiano, 49.
The accident was investigated by Deputy Chris Parker.
A reader asked us to look into reports of a series of car break-ins in the city. We e-mailed Chief Shawn Heubusch and here's his response:
There have been several reported thefts from vehicles in the past month throughout the south side of the city. No suspects have been identified at this time. People in the area are strongly encouraged not to leave any valuable items in their vehicles and to keep their vehicles locked at all times. Most thefts from vehicles are crimes of opportunity and therefore little to no force is used. By keeping your car locked, and alarm active if you have one, will deter thieves from targeting your vehicle. Residents should contact the City Dispatcher at 345-6350 if they see suspicious activity taking place in their neighborhood.
Barbara E. Ferrando, 42, of West Main Street, Corfu, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property. Ferrando was allegedly found in possession of a stolen phone after the victim tracked the phone using the "Find My Phone" app and located a moving vehicle pulling into the Walmart parking lot. The victim was able to provide an accurate description of Ferrando and her vehicle. The arrest was made by Officer Jason Davis and Sgt. Christopher Camp.
Oliver Thomas, 22, of Chestnut Street, Batavia, is charged with assault, 2nd, menacing, 2nd, criminal possession of a weapon, 3rd, and criminal mischief, 4th. Thomas was allegedly involved in a domestic incident at 10:46 p.m. July 23. Thomas was jailed on $10,000 bail or $20,000 bond.
Lamar L. Mobley, 20, of Wood Street, is charged with DWI, refusal to take breath test, open container, speed not reasonable and leaving the scene of a property damage accident. Mobley is accused of being involved in a hit-and-run accident at 3:53 a.m. Sunday on Bank Street, Batavia. The accident was investigated by Officer Devon Pahuta.
Stephan P. Durham, 17, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal trespass, 2rd, criminal mischief, 3rd, grand larceny, 4th, and criminal possession of stolen property. Durham is accused of breaking into an impound lot, breaking a car window and stealing property from the car. Durham was jailed without bail.
Alexander L. Jordan, 19, of Ridge Road, Ontario, Canada, is charged with menacing, 3rd. Jordan allegedly physically threatened another person while in the parking lot of Tim Horton's at 11:25 p.m. on July 20.
Coty A. Patrizi, 24, of Morton Avenue, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant stemming from an unreasonable noise complaint.
Alex S. Dumbleton, 21, of Jackson Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st, endangering the welfare of a child, criminal obstruction of breathing/blood circulation, criminal mischief, 4th, and harassment, 2nd. The charges stem from alleged domestic incident reported at 4:18 a.m. July 23. Dumbleton was jailed without bail.
Willie Albert Sabb Jr., 40, of Hutchins Place, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Sabb is accused of being in the presence of two people in violation of an order of protection.
Byron R. Lee, 47, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Lee is accused of shoplifting from the deli department of Tops.
Dakota Patrick Pursel, 17, of Pavilion Warsaw Road, Pavilion, is charged with making graffiti and criminal tampering, 3rd. Pursel is accused of writing on windows, window sills, doors and brick walls at Pavilion High School.
Richard John Abramski, 26, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with promoting prison contraband, 1st, and criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th. Abaramski was allegedly found in possession of suboxone while serving an intermittent sentence at the Genesee County Jail.
Sean Douglas Lacy, 27, of West Bergen Road, Bergen, is charged with conspiracy, 5th. Lacy was allegedly involved in an incident at 12:32 a.m. Friday on Swamp Road, Byron, along with two other individuals, that resulted in the reckless discharge of a firearm.
Brian Paul O'Grady, 49, of Main Street, Le Roy, is charged with felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, speeding (55 in a 35 mph zone), failure to keep right and drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle. O'Grady was stopped at 1:15 a.m. July 22 on East Main Street, Batavia, by Deputy Eric Seppala.
Norman D. Brockenshire, 58, of Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief 4th/preventing emergency call and harassment, 2nd. Brockenshire was allegedly involved in a domestic incident at 1:15 p.m., Saturday. The investigation was handled by the State Police.
Ravae S. Quonce, 27, of Syracuse, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Quonce was stopped at 9:56 p.m. Friday on Simonds Road, Darien, by State Police.
There is apparently a power outage in Le Roy. We have no information at the moment regarding the extent of the outage.
There's also flooding on Route 5 by the Le Roy Country Club.
A Le Roy fire chief has requested fire police to the intersection of routes 5 and 19.
UPDATE 9:32 a.m.: Power is out for 2,300 National Grid customers centered around Le Roy. The outage area stretches from Route 19 to Bergen.
Also, the Thruway is being closed because of flooding between Le Roy and Henrietta. Le Roy has been told to expect extra traffic coming through the village.
UPDATE 9:43 a.m.: Stafford recreation is cancelled today due to weather.
UPDATE 10:27 a.m.: The power outage has been reduced to 645 customers in the Village of Le Roy. National Grid estimates power will be restored by 12:45 p.m.
Thunderstorms tonight have already produced an inch to an inch-and-a-half of rain in some areas, according to the National Weather Service, and the slow moving storm may produce heavy rain for the next few hours.
Another inch to two inches of rainfall is possible.
This could create excessive runoff and lead to flooding of roadways, farmlands and along creeks.
Caution is advised while traveling, especially at night, and people in areas susceptible to flooding should move to higher ground, the Weather Service advises.
Town of Batavia firefighters proved once again they know how to throw a party.
Saturday night, the department hosted its annual Harley Raffle party, the biggest fundraiser of the year for the volunteers.
Mary Miesner, of Albion, with ticket #1281, won the Harley Fat Boy (or she could choose a cash prize). The four $500 winners were Andrew Chapman, of Batavia, David Metzger, of Buffalo (his ticket being drawn above), Roy Baker, of Medina, and Joseph Sherman, of Le Roy.
The band this year was Audibull.
To purchase prints, click here.
This dog was found this evening wandering on Mechanic Street in Elba. It has tags, but the village hall is closed until Monday. If it's your dog, call Carol at (585) 757-6856.
Nate Fix sent over these photos he took with his drone earlier this evening of the Town of Batavia Fire Department's annual Harley Raffle party.
The party goes until midnight. Audibull is the band and they're rockin' the tent.
The fire hall is on Lewiston Road, across from Kmart.
I'll have ground-level photos posted in the morning some time.
Batavia Downs.
Kaden Lyons, 9, models his Harley-Davidson gear atop his dad's bike at the YWCA's Wheels and Heels fundraiser today at Stan's Harley-Davidson.
The event featured a fashion show and Kaden was one of the models.
Funds raised will be used for the YW's for domestic violence programs.
The event's band was "driVen," with Mike Warren on bass and vocals, Dylan DeSmit on lead guitar and vocals and Alex DeSmit on drums.
The following people were arrested by the Genesee County Sheriff's Office during the Keith Urban concert at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center on Friday.
Veronica E. Dudla, 19, of Carolyn Avenue, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, is charged with criminal impersonation, 2nd, after allegedly impersonating another person. She was also issued a ticket for alleged possession of another’s license.
Tyler J. Sobkowiak, 19, of Dean Road, Depew, is charged with trespass after allegedly reentering the concert venue after being ejected and told not to return.
Nicholas M. Boulard, 22, of College Road, Stevensville, Ontario, Canada, is charged with criminal trespass, 3rd, after allegedly reentering the concert venue after being ejected and told not to return.
Sara E. Friedman, 26, of Ayrshire Lane, Henrietta, is charged with disorderly conduct after allegedly causing a disturbance in the campground.
Dominic J. Manarasi, 24, of 26th Street, Niagara Falls, is charged with harassment, 2nd, after allegedly punching a security guard.
Breanna M. Rivers, 23, of Rhode Island Avenue, Niagara Falls, is charged with harassment, 2nd, after allegedly pushing and hitting a security guard.
The following people were ticketed for alleged possession of a fictitious license:
Nicole D. Dugo, 18, of Dansville
Caroline A. Grande, 18, of Scottsville
Brittany M. Copeland, 19, of Warsaw
Ryan S. Cordis, 19, of Springville
Samuel E. Anderson, 20, of Kane, Pa.
Mackenzie C. Garby, 18, of Great Valley
Megan E. Arno, 20, of Clarence
Thomas C. Schena, 18, of Great Valley
Danielle N. Mueller, 19, of Rochester
Michael Gallagher, 19, of Hamburg
The following people were issued tickets for alleged possession of another person's license:
Anthony J. Laurienzo, 19, of Akron
Lydin N. Kallin, 19, of Orchard Park
Haley M. Waple, 20, of Lockport
Kayla B. Kreuder, 19, of Hamburg
Angela N. Creek, 19, of Cheektowaga
Alec E. Davis, 18, of Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada – 2 counts
Molly K. Gorski, 19, of Akron
Chelsea D. Rzepka, 20, of Rochester
Patrick G. Stairs, 18, of Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada
A car has reportedly struck a pole in the area of 11017 South Street Road, Pavilion.
A person is pinned in the car. Wires are down.
Injuries are possible.
Pavilion Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.
Le Roy's rescue requested to the scene.
UPDATE 9:31 a.m.: Mercy Flight dispatched.
UPDATE(s) by Billie 9:36 a.m.: Mercy Flight #5 is airborne.
UPDATE 9:40 a.m.: Mercy Flight has landed. National Grid is expected to arrive in 20 minutes for repairs.
UPDATE 9:50 a.m.: National Grid is on scene.
UPDATE 10:11 a.m.: The victim has been extricated.
UPDATE 10:17 a.m.: Mercy Flight is in the air, going to Strong Memorial Hospital.
UPDATE 10:47 a.m.: Howard at the scene reports that officials believe the seriously injured driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel of his pickup truck. He appears to be in his mid-40s. It took at least 45 minutes for rescuers to extricate the victim. They had to use a winch to pull the front of the cab from the rear of the truck. The man was conscious and able to talk throughout the rescue effort. He suffered serious injuries to his legs and chest, and possibly internal injuries.
UPDATE 11:30 a.m. (by Howard): The truck's front end was heavily damaged and the pole was sheared in half. The wires were pulled off the house at that location and a second pole near the house was on the ground. The truck came to rest in a cornfield. Pavilion Assistant Chief Dewey Murrock said, "When I first pulled up, I thought it was going to be very bad, but he was awake and talking. I was actually surprised at that." We'll post pictures from the scene after we receive word that family notifications have been completed.
UPDATE 12:10 p.m.: Family notifications completed, but we don't have the victim's name yet.
UPDATE 12:21 p.m.: The driver is identified as Steven Lantz, 47, of North Street, Le Roy.
UPDATE 5:22 p.m.: Lantz is listed in satisfactory condition, according to the Sheriff's Office.
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