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A Genesee County jury on Friday rejected rape charges against a former Batavia High School football star, acquitting him in a unanimous decision on all counts following a trial.

The defense attorney for Ray Leach, Public Defender Jerry Ader, said the acquittal was appropriate.

"While the outcome was welcome and justified, the mental pain and suffering that these accusations and trial put Ray and his family and friends through were significant and long-lasting," Ader said.

The jury found Leach not guilty on counts of:

• Rape in the first degree (Penal Law section 130.35(2)
• Criminal Sexual Act in the first degree (Penal Law section 130.50(2) and
• Sexual Abuse in the first degree (Penal Law section 130.65(2).

If not for the jury's decision, Leach's life could have taken a tragic turn, Ader said. 

The counts against Leach included two Class B violent felonies and a Class D violent felony.  Mandatory sentencing requirements, if Leach had been convicted, could have meant from five years to 25 years in prison, plus 20 years on parole and becoming a registered sex offender for life.

"Prosecutors are required to do justice, not necessarily get convictions," Ader said. "A prosecutor’s client is the public, not the police, witnesses or complainants.  This case had many issues from the start, almost two years ago.  Hopefully, cases like Ray’s will make people who investigate complaints and possibly prosecute them take a hard look at their practices and intentions to ensure that justice is done in the future.”

Leach is among the greatest high school running backs in New York State history. 

In 2018, Leach set the Section V single-season scoring record with 310 points. That was fifth all-time in the state. He set the Section V single-season rushing record at 3,012 yards, which was sixth all-time in the state. He scored 50 points against Cheektowaga on Nov. 10, 2018, a Section V record. He ended his high school career at the top of the list in Section V in all-time rushing yards at 6,203. He also set a new Section V record with 111 career touchdowns. 

A Dansville man accused of leading deputies on a high-speed chase on city streets on early Sunday morning is facing multiple felony weapons charges.

Dandra Jamie Cramer, 25, of Main Street, Dansville, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, criminal possession of a firearm or knife, and resisting arrest.

The incident began at 1:42 a.m. when Deputy Jacob Kipler attempted a traffic stop of a minivan on West Main Street, Batavia, for an alleged traffic violation. As deputies approached the vehicle, the vehicle fled.

The driver led deputies on a chase that reached speeds of 93 mph on city streets, including Bank Street, Fairmont, and Ross. The vehicle damaged a mailbox and ended on Swan Street when it struck a utility pole, knocking it down before overturning just on the corner of School Street.

The suspect attempted to flee on foot, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Cramer was taken into custody at 1:46 a.m. 

A search of the vehicle allegedly yielded the discovery of a defaced Glock Model 19 chambered in 9mm.

The suspect is accused of possessing a firearm in a place other than the person's home or business, of possessing a weapon with a prior conviction, and of possessing a firearm defaced for concealment.

Cramer was held pending arraignment.

Previously: Pursuit ends on South Swan with overtuned minivan, suspect uninjured and in custody

A Sheriff's Office pursuit that started somewhere on the north side of the city of Batavia ended at Swan and School streets at around 1:45 a.m. on Sunday when the suspect vehicle struck a utility pole and flipped over.

One person is reportedly in custody.

A deputy was overheard telling a distraught family member who ran up to the scene and crossed the police crime scene tape that the suspect was uninjured and was in custody at the Genesee County Jail.

Another woman was taken into custody kicking and screaming, "That's my brother," with a deputy telling her he was OK.

This is an ongoing investigation, and while The Batavian was on the scene, no members of the Sheriff's Office, which is the agency handling the case, were available to provide more information.

The pursuit was reported on both State Street and Ross Street prior to the crash.

There were flames coming from the vehicle when City Fire arrived on scene. The fire was quickly extinguished.

UPDATE 3 a.m.: Sgt. Mathew Clor confirmed charges are pending and should be part of a press release in the morning. One suspect in custody. The woman who struggled with police was released with a warning once she calmed down. Besides taking out the utility pole on Swan, the vehicle also struck a mailbox on Ross Street.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Statement from Sen. George Borrello:

“The shooting at a rally for President Trump in Pennsylvania this evening was reprehensible and should concern people of every political affiliation. Differences in political views are never a justification for violence. Reports indicate an attendee has been killed, which is tragic. My prayers are with the family of this victim who died because of the senseless, hateful actions of the shooter. I pray that President Trump is okay and that no other individuals were hurt."

The Red Hot Chili Peppers hit the stage hot at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center on a steamy Saturday night with an instrumental jam that featured Flea's funky slap baselines, Chad Smith's pounding beat, and John Frusciante's sizzling fretwork.

Then Anthony Kiedis took the stage and kicked things up a notch.

The LA-based punk/funk band ran through 18 songs on the night, both hits and deep tracks, pulling material from most of their 13 studio albums released since 1984, including Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Californication, Stadium Arcadium, and their two most recent releases, Unlimited Love and Return of the Dream Canteen.

"Eddie" is Frusciante's tribute to one of his guitar heroes, Eddie Van Halen, and it is a standout track on Dream Canteen. From the same album, they also played "Carry Me Home." From Unlimited Love, they featured the opening track "Black Summer" and Kliedis's name-dropping ode to the LA music scene of his youth, "Aquatic Mouth Dance," which opens with one of Flea's greatest bass riffs.

Reliable fan favorites in the set included "Suck My Kiss" and "Californication."

The Peppers also included two covers of the Ramones: "I Remember You" and "Havana Affair."

The biggest hits, "Under the Bridge" and "Give It Away," were saved for the encore.

The opener on Friday was LA-based psychedelic rock band Wand, which is currently on tour supporting its fifth studio album, Vertigo. 

Singer and lead guitarist Cory Hanson, with a David Byrne-like wiryness, is an impressive musician and strong presence on stage. Unfortunately, the set was marred by a poor mix.  The bass guitar and kick drum dominated and overwhelmed everything else coming from the stage, making the mix muddled and suppressing most sense of melody from the songs. That's a shame because a check of a couple of the band's releases indicates they strike the right tone to potentially win over Chili Pepper fans.

The Genesee County Economic Development Center plans to build a 500,000-gallon water storage tank at WNY STAMP to help with the fire suppression needs of current and potential park tenants. 

The immediate need to provide sufficient water pressure for the Edwards Vaccum plant is now under construction.

Mark Masse, CEO of GCEDC, said a 12-inch water main supplies STAMP now, but the water pressure isn't sufficient to meet Edwards's fire suppression needs.

Edwards will need 120,000 gallons of water at the ready from the tank to support its fire impression system. The excess capacity will provide service to any future tenants. 

The water will be non-potable and rarely changed. A heating element will keep it from freezing in the winter.

A 30-acre parcel is available to the north of the new Edwards facility. If a potential buyer were interested, Edwards would have first right of refusal.

"There is a potential for a project there that could utilize that tank as well," Masse told the Genesee County Planning Board on Thursday.

STAMP Waterworks Corporation, which will own the tang, currently has an operations and maintenance agreement with the town of Batavia for the tank and the rest of the water system at the STAMP site.

The tank's design and engineering have yet to be completed, so Massee couldn't provide an estimated cost when asked by The Batavian. He said bids should go out by the end of the year. Funding is from a grant, Fast New York, already received by GCEDC to fund the overall infrastructure for STAMP.

One of Genesee County's most successful industrial manufacturers, Oxbo International, founded in Byron 50 years ago, is planning a new 195,000-square-foot facility in Bergen.

According to planning documents, the new factory will replace the existing plant at 7275 Byron Road, Byron.

The new location is part of the GCEDC-created industrial park, Apple Tree Acres, which already includes Liberty Pumps, Craft Cannery ), All Season Party Tent Rentals, GE Renewable Energy, Insurance Auto Auctions, and Leonard Bus Sales.

The 49.7-acre parcel is off South Lake Road, just south of Clinton Street Road.

The Genesee County Planning Board recommends project approval after a brief presentation on Thursday evening.

Oxb manufactures custom-built specialized farming equipment. Planning documents state that the new facility will allow the business to continue growing.

The new site will provide ample room for expansion, said project manager David Ciurzyski.

In response to a question about parking, Ciurzynski said there would be parking in the back for existing employees, with room to add more parking.

"Right now, they have 140 employees," Ciurzynski said. "They're expecting over the next five or six years to have another 140 employees. They'll have room there to expand that parking for those new employees as they come on board."

The company is applying for tax abatements on the project from the Genesee Economic Development Center.

Oxbo began in Byron as a pallet repair business and then became Byron Equipment after filing for a patent on a corn head -- a mechanism to attach to the front of a combine that picks ears of corn off of stalks, leaving the stock behind. 

The company then grew through mergers and acquisitions.

In 1998, Byon Equipment acquired a competitor in Wisconsin, and the new management team settled on the name Oxbo, after an oxbow that yolks and ox team together, to symbolize the concept of the new two integrated teams pulling together.

Both plants stayed in production.

In 2003, Oxbo acquired a pea-picking combine company in Illinois and moved that manufacturing operation to Byron.  Oxbo is the only manufacturer of a pea-picking combine in the U.S.  

In 2004, Oxbo acquired a fruit company in Washington state, and this past June, the company acquired another company in Wisconsin.

However, one of the biggest mergers occurred in 2009, when Oxbo merged with its largest customer in Europe and moved its headquarters to the Netherlands.

The company also operates plants in Brazil, the United Kingdom, and France.

Oxbo employs about 1,200 people in total, 700 in the U.S. The company's gross annual revenue exceeds $400 million.

Douglas Grant Goodwin, Jr., 33, of Maple Road, Alabama, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation, criminal impersonation, lights that don't meet standards, and unsafe tires. Goodwin was stopped at 10:58 p.m. on July 6 on West Main Street, Batavia, by Deputy Jacob Kipler. During the traffic stop, Goodwin was allegedly found to be driving on 10 or more suspensions and he allegedly attempted to misrepresent his actual name. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Nafis Ameer Jackson, 28, of Crittenden Way, Rochester, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Jackson is accused of violating a stay-away order at 1:55 a.m. on July 2 at a location on Kelsey Road, Batavia. He was held pending arraignment.

Michael Anthony Sweet, 38, of Raymond Avenue, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property 4th. Sweet was stopped at 9:39 p.m. on July 1 by Deputy Trevor Sherwood on Oak Street, Batavia. He was allegedly found in possession of stolen property (unspecified). He was issued an appearance ticket.

Esmeralda D. Ocampo, 22, of Batavia Elba Townline Road, Elba, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, aggravated unlicensed operation, and unlicensed driver. Ocampo was stopped at 4:09 a.m. on July 5 on Church Street in Bergen by Deputy Ryan Mullen. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Jonathan Roy Beilfuss, 37, of Knollwood Drive, Buffalo, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .18 or greater. Beilfuss was stopped at 10:47 p.m. on July 3 on Route 77 in Darien by Deputy Kipler. He was issued an appearance ticket.

James Ronald Williams, 39, of John Street, Lockport, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd, unlicensed driver, and speeding. 

Joseph Michael Degweck, 52, of Pine Street, East Aurora, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Degweck is accused of violating a stat-away order of protection at 8:20 p.m. on July 7 at a location on Main Road, Pembroke. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Phillip Louis Preston, 50, of Bloomingdale Road, Alabama, is charged with harassment 2nd. Preston is accused of harassing, with intent to alarm or annoy, a worker in a business on Bloomingdale Road at 7:01 p.m. on July 5. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Justine Danae Wood, 37, of South Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Wood was allegedly found in possession of cocaine at 4:49 p.m. on July 10 at a location on Woodland Drive, Batavia. She was held pending arraignment.

Brian Daniel Gilfilian, 44, of Northwood Drive, Greece, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and illegal turn signal. Gilfilian was stopped at 1:10 a.m. on July 10 on Oak Orchard Road, Batavia, by Deputy Mason Schultz. Gilfilian was released on an appearance ticket.

Shawn Michael Sloan, 39, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with promoting prison contraband 1st and conspiracy 5th. Sloan is accused of conspiring with another person to introduce contraband into the Genesee County Jail on June 23. 

Bonnie L. Cortright, 37, of Holland Avenue, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Cortight was arrested at 9:30 p.m. on July 10 on Veterans Memorial Drive. Details on Cortright's arrest were not released. Cortright was issued an appearance ticket.

As part of the Le Roy School Central School District's strategic plan, cultural awareness and what it means to be a good citizen will be a greater focus in the coming year.

Superintendent Merritt Holly briefed the Board of Education on the process to define those terms and goals before the district's retreat on Aug. 6.

"I guarantee I'm gonna get seven, I hope I do get seven different definitions from you of what it means to you and how it applies to both of our buildings," Holley said. " I'm going to have you look at it as a district-wide setup of what cultural awareness means to you. ... The other part I'm going to have you define is what it means to be a successful citizen?"

He's asking other district administrators to provide their definitions as well.  

The results will be shared with the instructional team and they will start take a look, he said, at getting some idea of a definition. 

Other stakeholders, he said, will also be asked for input.

"We're trying to alleviate the craziness of the Aug. 6 retreat and really get some things (in place) ahead of time so we can have good dialogue and conversation," Holly said.

Once the initiative is in place, Holly told the board, he will report back during the year on the progress the district is making in these areas.

The questions will be sent to board members in a Google doc, along with other topics of conversation related to the district's mission statement and vision statement.

"We should get in the routine here now and understand what our mission statement and what our vision statement is, what are the goals inside of those mission and vision statements," Holly said. "Then most importantly, what you're going to hear ad nauseam throughout this year, and it's a point of emphasis for us, is our graduation outcomes."

That includes ensuring students are ready for college or careers after receiving a diploma. 

"Things like accountability, responsibility, effective communicators, community minded critical thinkers, able to persevere, able to embrace diversity," Holly said. "So those are the things you're going to hear from us throughout the year."

The key takeaway from Le Roy High School Regents Exams results is that the pass rate is pretty consistent, Principal David Russell reported to the Board of Education on Tuesday.

Recent pass rate:

• 23-24, 88%
• 22-23, 82%
• 21-23, 88%
• 20-21, 79%
• 19-20, no test due to pandemic
• 18-19, 93%

Naturally, Russell said he would like to see better results.

"As a building principal, you're always going to want to strive for 100 over 100," Russell said. "I think if any principal would come in here and say otherwise, you've questioned their motivation, right? I think what I would say is, looking at this, I think it's encouraging to see passing grades staying consistent. I think one thing that we can focus on with this data is working with our department chairs next year to say, 'All right, what can we do? We have some students who scored 63 and 64. How can we support those students getting to passing?"

Russell, of course, would also like to improve the percentage of students achieving mastery grades.

"I would say that the overall goal would be to try and focus on mastery, right?" Russell said. "We can keep pushing our students to get better, and not just being complacent, looking at passing. There's always going to be room that we're striving for the highest bar that we can attain."

• 23-24, 26%
• 22-23, 28%
• 21-23, 32%
• 20-21, 31%
• 19-20, no test due to pandemic
• 18-19, 39%

Not all districts in the county have posted the Regent results yet so Russell said he can't yet offer comparables with other districts.

Jackie Whiting, who has served on the Le Roy Central School District Board of Education since 2011, was elected to another term as president of the board at the board's reorganization meeting on Tuesday.

At the start of the meeting, all school board members, Superintendent Merritt Holley, and Clerk Lori Wrobel took their oaths of office.

The 2024-25 board and their terms of office:

• Jacalyn Whiting, president, 2011-2026
• Denise Duthe, vice president, 2023-2026
• Christine Dowell, trustee, 2019-2024
• Peter Loftus, trustee, 2016-2025
• Rachael Greene, trustee, 2022-2025
• Jason Karcher, trustee, 2022-2024
• William MacKenzie, trustee, 2018-2024

A tornado warning has been issued for Batavia, Byron, Oakfield, Stafford, Bergen, Corfu, Elba, and Alexander.

The warning is in effect until 2 p.m. Wednesday.

A tornado was reported on Wednesday near Attica and moving northeast at 30 mph.

Weather sports reported the tornado.

UPDATE 1:50 p.m.: A tornado reportedly touched down at Route 77 and Route 5 in Pembroke.  So far, no damage has been reported.  If you have photos or video, please send to howard@thebatavian.com or text 585-260-6970.

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for all of Western New York, including Genesee County.

The watch is in effect until 9 p.m. Wednesday

UPDATE 1:20 p.m.: There is a warning in place now until 1:45 p.m. for Darien and Pembroke. At 1:11 p.m., a tornado was reported in Billington Heights and over East Aurora, moving northeast at 40 mph. The weather service warns, "Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely."

Previously: Weather services warns of heavy rain, thunderstorms, elevated risk of tornadoes

Rick Mancuso is offering a reward for the arrest of a suspect and the recovery of a stolen utility cart from outside T.F. Brown's in Batavia.

The person in the surveillance pictures is a suspect. 

Mancuso will pay the person who provides information leading to arrest and recovery either $75 cash or a $100 T.F. Brown's gift card.

To provide information in the case, call Batavia PD at (585) 345-6350.

Press release:

Richmond Memorial Library will close at 1 pm on Monday, July 7 due to problems with the air conditioning system. 

Please check our website at batavialibrary.org for up to date information. 

Judy Schildwaster took these photos of two sandhill cranes in a field off of Le Roy East Bethany Road, Le Roy.

Last week, the Yankees of the Batavia Youth Baseball League defeated the Mets in the 10-U championship game, 6-5.

The sun was out and people were in a happy place in Downtown Batavia on Saturday for the 2024 Batavia Ramble Music & Arts Fest, which was spread out over Jackson Street, School Street, and, of course, in Jackson Square.

For a lot of people and musicians, the festival was their first experience with the new stage in the square.

It received rave reviews for visibility and acoustics. The soundman said it was a big improvement, with the metal ceiling providing a great acoustic reflection.

The stage was funded by a state grant as part of a larger city of Batavia project to transform Jackson Street into a more attractive public square.  The total grant was for $750,000 with the stage being just one component of the costs.

Twenty-five acts performed on two stages, including the stage on Jackson Street.

A spot of rain didn't send everyone scurrying from Jackson Square following the open mic in Jackson Square on Friday evening.

A couple of dozen people stuck around to dance to the beats and take in the vibes of DJ Scotty D (Scotty D'Martino of Batavia), Esdee Entertainment.

See also: Ramble weekend kicked off on Friday with open mic and open art in Jackson Square

Photos by Howard Owens