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A driver told an investigator he fell asleep prior to a head-on collision on Galloway Road at 9 a.m. that sent both that driver and another driver to ECMC.

Rylend L. Callicutt, 18, of Batavia, was driving a white 2011 GMC SUV eastbound when it crossed the center line. The vehicle struck a 2011 Hyundai sedan driven by Danielle C. Neuhaus, 31, of Batavia.

Neuhaus was trapped in the vehicle and sustained serious injuries. She was transported by Mercy Flight to ECMC, where she is currently in the trauma ICU.

Callicutt was transported by Mercy EMS.

He was issued a citation for failure to remain in the right-hand lane.

The accident report was prepared by Deputy Travis Demuth. The Crash Management Team also responded to the scene.

(Initial Report)

Two Le Roy wrestlers came away from the Section V tournament on Saturday with championship titles.

Brock Flint won at 160 pounds and Joey Brennan won at 162 pounds.

Coming in second at 138 pounds, Cole Rauscher, and at 152 pounds, Nate Andrews.

Photos by Tim McArdle.

Brock Flint

Joey Brennan

Number 3 seed, at 10-2, Oakfield-Alabama knocked off #1 seed Cal-Mum, at 13-0, by a score of 55-50 to win Saturday's Class C2 Section V trophy at Cal-Mum.

Travis Wiedrich scored 20 points and Kaden Cusmano sunk a trio of three-pointers on his way to a 19-point game.

Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here, here, and here.

Press release:

The City of Batavia Police Department announces the launch of CRIMEWATCH, a new website that gives people who use social networks and mobile devices an easier, more effective way to help fight crime and stay informed.

The new Batavia Police Department website was developed in partnership with CRIMEWATCH Technologies and is part of the CRIMEWATCH Network (crimewatch.net). The website is an online tool that gives the public direct access to crime and public safety-related information happening in their community. 

“This new website is the perfect entry point for establishing better police and public relationships. CRIMEWATCH gives us the opportunity to communicate with the public and gives residents the anonymity to report neighborhood issues. Several police departments throughout the Northeast region are having great success using this technology”, said Chief Heubusch, City of Batavia Police chief.  

The City of Batavia Police Department is the first New York-based police department to go live on the CRIMEWATCH Network; a communications platform developed specifically for law enforcement agencies that allow for geographically targeted information sharing and intelligence gathering.

This resource allows residents to do the following:

• Sign up for a free account to receive e-mail alerts;, 
• Submit a tip to the Batavia Police Department; 
• View recent arrests and “most wanted” lists;
• Get info on local sex offenders; 
• Share information with others through social media; and 
• Get connected with resources and services.

A motor-vehicle accident with entrapment is reported at River Street and West Main Street, Batavia.

City fire and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 9:14 a.m.: Possible transformer on fire in the area.

UPDATE(S) (By Billie) (9:34 a.m.): A vehicle is on its side in front of 389 W. Main St. A utility pole is sheared off that has three transformers on it. The city's second and fourth platoons are called to stand by in quarters. A woman named Lynn Mucica says she was in her vehicle eastbound on West Main Street at the stop light at River Street and there was another car next to her's, when a car approached at a high rate of speed. She feared it would hit the vehicle next to hers. But it swerved instead and struck the pole, then came to rest on its side.

UPDATE 9:44 a.m.: There is a lot of debris in the roadway on West Main Street and some spilled fluids; it appears the accident at West Main and River may have started at the light in front of Top's Market as the car now on its side turned left from the parking lot onto West Main Street.

UPDATE 9:54 a.m.: City command calls for clean up of the spilled fluids, some of which is said to be oil from a transformer.

UPDATE 10:16 a.m.: A rep from National Grid is on scene and awaiting a bucket truck. Command requests that Five Star Bank personnel be contacted and informed that power is partially out to the bank building.

UPDATE 12:21 p.m. The following closures and detours remain in effect, per City Fire.

CLOSED: River Street between West Main Street and South Main Street
CLOSED: Five Star Bank - No power, No ATM
NO LEFT TURN: From Redfield Parkway to West Main Street
NO LEFT TURN: From West Main Street to Redfield Parkway
OPEN: West Main Street 1 lane both east and west bound.
OPEN: Dunkin’ Donuts!
EXPECT RESTRICTIONS & POWER OUTAGES FOR APPROXIMATELY THE NEXT 8 HOURS

A motor-vehicle accident with people trapped in a vehicle reported in the area of 2905 Galloway Road, Batavia.

Town of Batavia fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

Mercy Flight being placed on ground standyby.

UPDATE 9:11 a.m.: One person trapped, a lengthy extrication expected, Mercy Flight requested to the scene.

UPDATE(S) (By Billie) 9:30 a.m.: Galloway Road is being shut down at Downey Road. Mercy Flight is en route and will land in a church parking lot.

UPDATE 9:37 a.m.: The entrapped person has been extricated.

UPDATE 9:52 a.m.: Mercy Flight is airborne with one patient, en route to ECMC.

UPDATE 10:11 a.m.: The accident involved a white GMC SUV and a black sedan. The white GMC crossed the center line and struck the sedan head on. A second patient was also taken to ECMC, via ground ambulance.

UPDATE 10:15 a.m.: The Town of Batavia fire assignment is back in service.

UPDATE 10:21 a.m.: A press release will be issued later and photos from the scene will be posted at that time.

Notre Dame traveled to South Seneca today as the #2 seed in the Class D1 tournament, with two losses on its record, and proceeded to upset the unbeaten #1 seed 55-48 to win a Section V title.

The Lady Irish were once again lead by sophomore Amelia McCulley who scored 30 points.  Lindsey Weidman scored 14 points. Emma Sisson had 12 rebounds, Maylee Green, 11, Weidman, nine, and McCulley, eight.

Submitted photo.

Five straight section titles are nice, Elba's players will tell you, but they also know there is a "what could have been" question that will forever remain unanswered.

If not for a coronavirus pandemic that wiped out the 2020 postseason and shortened 2021, ending the title push with a sectional championship, could the Lady Lancers have won one, maybe two state titles?

We will never know. But we do know Elba knocked off the #2 seed, Prattsburgh/Avoca,  in a pretty convincing fashion -- a team that regularly won by scoring 60 points or more per game while going 9-1 on the season. The game was never really close. The Lancers won 66-27.

It's the fifth straight Section title for Elba under Head Coach Tom Redband. 

On Saturday, Byrnn Walczak scored 22 points, Taylor Augello, 13, Maddie Muehlig, 12, and Leah Bezon, 9. Muehlig also had eight assists. Dakota Brinkman, who scored five points, had nine rebounds, Walczak, eight, and Augello, seven.

Walczak, Muehlig and Bezon have been part of all five title teams and Augello has been there for the last four. All four graduate this year.

Notre Dame won its Class D1 championship game, so with Elba winning class D2, in any other year, the two archrivals would faceoff in a division consolidation game to determine which team would represent Section V in a Far West Regional championship game. Not this year.

Photos by Debra Reilly.

Pavilion's undefeated season came to a disappointing end Friday night in the Class C2 Section V championship game as York took home the trophy with a 57-49 win.

The game was a battle with Pavilion taking an early lead, falling behind, and regaining the lead before the end of the second half. But the Lady Gophers lost that lead early in the second half and never regained it.

Karlee Zinkievich scored 17 points and Lauren Kingsley scored 16. Emily Kingsley scored six and Shea Amberger scored six.

A gas leak reported earlier today at Pavilion High School has been dealt with by RG&E and tonight's championship game between the Lady Gophers and York will start at 7 p.m. as scheduled.

If you just looked at the score (67-50), you would think the Lady Irish had a pretty easy time of it against C.G. Finney in their Class C2 Section V semifinal game played at Notre Dame.

If you took that view, you would be mistaken. The Falcons are a small, fast, aggressive, scrappy team led by a diminutive sophomore (her height isn't listed on the roster), Jahniya Johnson, who is as dangerous outside the arc as she is driving the lane and tossing up one of her stock-in-trade floaters.

Johnson scored 35 points. But with no other Falcon presenting much of a scoring threat, Johnson couldn't carry the team alone, especially against one led its own young stars, such as Amelia McCulley and Lindsey Weidman. 

McCulley, herself just a sophomore, was also hard to stop and she scored 29 points. Weidman scored 16. Sarah McGinnis scored nine and Judah Macdonald added seven.

Maylee Green led the Irish with 16 rebounds. Weidman and Emma Sisson, who also scored six points, had 12 apiece.

The D1 championship will be decided Saturday at 7 p.m. in South Seneca. South Seneca is 13-0 and #1 seed in the division. Notre Dame is the #2 seed.

Press release: 

Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) released the following statement calling for the resignation of Governor Cuomo. 

“As I’ve said from the beginning, the sexual assault and harassment allegations against Governor Cuomo are deeply troubling. I continue to support the Attorney General’s investigation and believe it is imperative. And while I strongly believe in due process, the revelations that the Governor and his staff worked to conceal the truth and undermine his accusers are unconscionable and disqualifying. 

"It is clear to me that this crisis of his own making is a distraction from the very important work that needs to be done right now to move our state forward. The Governor is incapable of leading our state and can no longer effectively carry out the duties of his office. The investigations must continue, and he must be held accountable for his actions, but for the good of our state, he must resign.”

The smell of natural gas was reported at Pavilion High School this morning at 10:08 a.m.

Pavilion fire responded and confirmed the odor but could not locate the origin of the possible leak.

After about an hour on scene, the scene was turned over to RG&E and Pavilion fire went back in service.

High school classes were canceled for the rest of the day and students were sent home. The rest of the school is unaffected.

The Pavilion girls basketball team is scheduled to play a Section V championship game at home tonight. The status of the game is unknown at this time.

UPDATE 1:20 p.m.: Superintendent Mary Kate Hoffman confirms that students in grades 6-12 have been sent home. Crews from RG&E are in the building attempting to locate the leak. "No decision has been made at this point regarding tonight's game," she said.

Kaden Cusmano exploded for 30 points Thursday night against Harley-Aliendale-Columbia to lead Oakfield-Alabama to a 80-57 win in the Class C2 Section V semifinal.

The win puts #3 seed O-A in the championship game on Saturday at Cal-Mum against Cal-Mum, the #1 seed at 13-0. Game time is 6:30 p.m.

Gaige Armbrewster scored 20 points for the Hornets and Travis Wiedrich scored nine.

Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here.

It was a big night for Brynn Walczak on Thursday and her 28 points helped propel the Elba Lady Lancers to a 68-42 win over Northstar in the Class D2 semifinal game at Elba.

Walczak also snagged 10 rebounds. 

Maddie Huehlig scored 10 points, Leah Bezon, nine, Taylor Augello, eight, and Dakota Brinkman, seven. Brinkman also had 10 rebounds, and Augello and Bezon, eight each.

Alavna Garwood scored 18 points for Northstar.

Elba, now 13-0, will host Prattsburgh/Avoca (9-1 and the #2 seed) at 7 1 p.m., Saturday, for the Class D2 Section V championship game.

Photos by Debra Reilly.

Lauren Kingsley came up big against Bolivar-Richburg to lead Pavilion to a 53-28 Class C2 semifinal at home on Wednesday night.

Kingsley scored 19 points.  

Karlee Zinkievich scored 13, Emily Kingsley, 11, and Shea Amberger, 8.

The Lady Gophers (12-0, #1 seed) will now face York, who started the tournament as the #7 seed at 7-3 and beat the #2 seed (Oakfield-Alabama) and the #3 seed (Dundee/Bradford) to advance to the championship game.

Game time tomorrow is 7 p.m. and the game will be played at Pavilion.

Also in girls basketball last night, Alexander lost to East Rochester, 63-34.

Tonight's games in girls basketball:

• Elba hosts Northstar at 6:30 p.m., Class D2.
• Notre Dame hosts Finney at 7 p.m., Class D1.
• Batavia is at Midlakes at 6 p.m., Class B1.

In boys basketball tonight, Oakfield-Alabama plays Harley Allendale Columbia at HAC at 6 p.m., Class C2.

On Friday night, Notre Dame travels to Avoca/Prattsburgh to play for the Class D2 title and on Saturday, Batavia hosts Wayne at 6 p.m. in Class B1 for the championship.

The Genesee County Highway Department has created a website to help the public informed during the reconstruction of the South Lyon Street Bridge.

To visit the website, click here. 

This is a $3 million project with 80 percent covered by federal grants.

Construction is expected to begin in spring 2022.

Considering the importance of this bridge to the traveling public in our community, a website was created to keep residents and businesses apprised of the project's progress," said Laura Wadhams, assistant county engineer. "Please check the website for updates as the design process continues, and through construction for progress photos."

Notre Dame handily beat Alfred on Tuesday, 52-24, to advance to the semifinals of the Class D1 Section V tournament.

McCulley scored 22 points, hitting two three-point shots, and McGinnis scored 18, hitting a trio of three-pointers. She also had seven rebounds.

The Fighting Irish (10-2) will play C.G. Finney (11-2) at home, 7 p.m., tomorrow.

Tonight's schedule:

Girls: 

• Bolivar at Pavilion, 7 p.m.
• Alexander at East Rochester, 6 p.m.

Boys: 

• Pal-Mac at Batavia, 6 p.m.
• Notre Dame at Belfast, 7 p.m.

A grass fire has reportedly spread to a porch at the back of 30 Vine St., Batavia.

The upstairs apartment may be occupied.

City fire responding.

UPDATE 2:15 p.m.: A quick response by City fire appears to have gotten the fire knocked down before there was any serious structural damage. All occupants exited the apartments safely and no pets were hurt or lost. The fire is under investigation and more information will be released later.

UPDATE 3 p.m.: City fire is back in service.

Oakfield-Alabama zoomed past Dundee on Tuesday night to win the Section V Class C2 quarterfinal by a score of 72-40.

Travis Wiedrich and Kaden Cusmano each scored 11 points. Ty Mott scored eight.

The Hornets (9-2, #3) will face Harley-Allendale-Columbia (10-1, #2) in a semifinal game at HAC at 6 p.m., Thursday.

Also on Tuesday, Pembroke lost to Avon, 58-53.

Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here.