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The distribution of free food for local residents may not be grabbing the headlines the way it did at the start of the pandemic, but the programs haven't stopped and the need has not subsided, according to leaders at two organizations involved in handing out bags and boxes of vegetables, dairy products, and canned goods.

"We've been feeding 500 families a week," said Ryan Macdonald, a pastor at City Church, which conducts free food distributions on Wednesday mornings at St. Anthony's on Liberty Street. "There's a lot of need out there. It's sad."

While The Salvation Army is not giving out as much food as it did when the pandemic first started when it utilized well-publicized drive-thru distribution days at Northgate Church, its three-day-week allocation at its location on East Main Street is still exceeding the pre-pandemic demand for food, said Todd Rapp, the local coordinator of emergency services.

"We're still seeing a significant need," Rapp said.

It's been a year since the first COVID-19 case was officially recorded in the United States, and 11 months since the first case was recorded locally.

People are out of work and are worried about paying their bills, both Macdonald and Rapp said.

"People are scared," Macdonald said. "They're scared to go out and that's hurting the economy."

Neither program requires recipients to provide financial information and is open to all residents who feel they need the assistance. 

The Salvation Army, 529 E Main St., offers drive-up pick up on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. If you want to receive food, drive up, call the phone number on the sign, and somebody will assist you.

City Church's distribution at St. Anthony's starts at 9 a.m. on Wednesdays and lasts from one to two hours, depending on food availability.

Rapp said The Salvation Army also has a program to assist people with housing and he wanted to remind people that even though there is an eviction moratorium in place, tenants are still obligated for their rent. He said the Army has assisted a few local landlords who need food assistance because some tenants haven't been paying their rent.

At 7:34 a.m., Town of Batavia fire was dispatched to a report of a box truck that had overturned on the Thruway in the westbound lane near mile marker 390.7.

There were no injuries nor leaking fluids.

Rescue 20, 24, and Brush 23 all responded. All crews were back in service by 8:35 a.m.

Information and photo courtesy Town of Batavia Fire Department.

Protests were held at several Walmarts around New York today, including Batavia, over concerns that Walmart has reportedly pressured GE-Savant to lower prices for lightbulbs, forcing the company to move a LED light factory from Ohio to China.

Press release:

On Saturday, Jan. 30, at Walmart stores at four locations in New York state, a coalition of labor and community groups will hold a protest as part of a national consumer awareness campaign informing the public of Walmart’s two-faced stance as a champion of “Made in America” products. 

LED light bulbs that are sold at Walmart are currently made by IUE-CWA workers at the GE-Savant Systems LLC lighting plant in Bucyrus, Ohio. GE-Savant recently announced that they intend to move the LED residential light bulb product line out of the facility to China, permanently laying off 80 workers, and putting the future of the plant in jeopardy.

The GE-Savant facility is one of the only residential lighting plants left in the USA, nearly all other residential light bulbs are now made in China.

Walmart’s website and TV ad campaign says “We are committed to American renewal. We believe we can create more American jobs by supporting more American manufacturing.” The coalition is calling on Walmart to live up to this promise. 

“This should be easy for Walmart,” said IUE-CWA International President Carl Kennebrew. “Walmart’s brand of LED Bulbs that now carry an ‘Assembled in the USA’ label are scheduled to be moved to China.

"Walmart can tell their supplier (GE-Savant) to cancel plans to ship them overseas. If Walmart is serious about supporting American manufacturing, this is how they can show it.”

“This is only the beginning,” said Ron Herrera, president of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. “Americans are waking up to the power of their spending dollar. When we choose to buy American, we are purchasing a product of the highest quality while investing in our communities and in our fellow Americans.

"Walmart must be part of the solution and invest more in our great nation and its people. The bulbs currently manufactured in Bucyrus, Ohio should continue to be made in Bucyrus, Ohio.”

Le Roy's winter track and field teams participated in a virtual track meet today.

Photos by Tim McArdle.

It has been seven years since public school students cracked open a textbook at the Robert Morris building on Union Avenue in Batavia but the Batavia City School District superintendent is thinking it's time for that to change.

Anibal Soler Jr. suggested to the Board of Trustees on Monday night, along with a facilities consultant who made a presentation during the Zoom conference meeting, that Robert Morris is being underutilized; that there are space constraints elsewhere in the district, particularly at the middle school; and without students at Robert Morris, the building is a financial drain on the district.

"We wanted to throw something out there to get your mind working," Soler told the trustees. "We know we’ll have some fiscal challenges but to maintain a building that we don’t get anything for and we have to keep finding tenants as we do at Robert Morris, I think we have to start thinking about that, especially when we know the middle school is extremely packed right now."

In 2012, city schools consolidated their five schoolhouses into four -- Jackson Elementary, John Kennedy Primary, the middle school and the high school -- with Robert Morris becoming home to a couple of school programs with space available to tenants. The building has been generating $100,000 annually in lease payments for the district. That revenue will drop to $36,000 in the coming fiscal year. One tenant currently in the building is leaving once its lease expires in June. 

Meanwhile, because there are no students in the building, the district cannot receive state aid for any maintenance or improvements needed on the structure, Soler said.

The future of Robert Morris came up during a presentation by Richard Little and Brian Cieslinski, of SEI Design Group. The architectural firm was hired by the district to fulfill a state mandate to do a facilities review every five years.

The state requires each school district to go through these periodic reviews because identification of issues at school facilities helps the state's education department budget for aid to school districts.

SEI identified more than $40 million in maintenance issues that need to be addressed within the next five years.

“This looks daunting as far as a $40 million sum," Cieslinski said. "I would tell you, statistically, (compared to) a lot of our school districts this is actually a very good list. You’re maintaining your buildings very well."

The list includes items such as:

• Jackson School
  • Improving accessibility to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act
  • Replacing rooftop heating, ventilation, and air conditioning units
  • Installing an emergency generator
• John Kennedy School
  • Improving drainage
  • Replacing broken or cracked concrete slabs
  • Accessibility
  • Moisture mitigation in the gym
  • Upgrades to the alarm and PA systems
• Middle School
  • Exterior brick restoration
  • Moisture in the gym walls
  • Accessibility
  • Fire barrier in the auditorium
  • Installing an emergency generator
• High School
  • Locker room renovations
  • A boiler upgrade
  • Moisture mitigation
  • Lighting upgrades
  • A new public address system
• Robert Morris
  • Brick repairs
  • Window replacements
  • Accessibility
  • An upgrade to the fire alarm system and PA
  • An emergency generator

SEI delivered to the school district a thick binder that listed these items and many more that were ranked from 1 to 5 by priority. It will be up to district officials to figure out how best to prioritize these items over the next five years.

Board President Alice Ann Benedict asked if the conversion of Robert Morris back into a school is something that will be part of the upcoming budget discussions. Soler said, no. The conversion and reassignment of students will be a significant planning issue. It will take a lot longer than a couple of months to pull together and it also needs to involve discussion with the board, administrators, teachers, parents, and other community members.

Little did present one suggestion under consideration: Moving two classes of students out of the middle school -- possibly to Robert Morris, and then relocating district offices to the middle school. That would free up space at the high school, possibly for expanded STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) education, as well as accommodate students in the future who might do better with remote learning even in a post-COVID-19 education world.

Soler was quick to emphasize that is just one idea and that more ideas need to be explored with community input.

Press release:

Genesee County Sheriff William A. Sheron Jr. reports that an inmate has died after attempting suicide at the Genesee County Jail on Jan. 4.

A Genesee County Correction officer found the 28-year-old inmate hanging from a shower curtain rod at approximately 12:27 p.m., Jan. 4, while making routine rounds. The Correction officer immediately summoned assistance and began performing life-saving measures. The inmate was transported by ambulance to Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo where he passed away on Thursday, Jan. 14.

The inmate is identified as Kyle Adam Scheuerlein, of Batavia, NY. He had been incarcerated on bail in the Genesee County Jail since Jan. 1, following his arrest by the City of Batavia Police Department on the charges of second-degree burglary and criminal contempt - disobeying a court order in the second degree.

An investigation into this incident is being conducted by the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with the NYS Commission of Corrections.

A chimney fire is reported at 9565 Old Creek Road, Alexander.

Alexander fire is dispatched.

The Board of Trustees for Batavia City School District has adopted a new public communications policy that Superintendent Anibal Soler Jr. characterized at this week's meeting as allowing more public input into board decisions and discussions.

The initial idea for drafting a new policy came from board President Alice Ann Benedict in October. At that meeting, Soler suggested running any proposed policy change through a subcommittee.

The proposed policy came to the attention of attorneys at the Cornell Law School First Amendment Clinic, who drafted a letter to the school district expressing concern about some of the proposed changes, which Attorney Heather Murray said could run afoul of the First Amendment.

In the new policy, the school district seems to have heeded the advice of the clinic.

In the initial draft, a paragraph prohibited public discussion of individual district personnel and students. Murray said this policy would prevent members of the public their right to criticize public officials. She cited a case involving a school board in Virginia where similar language was struck down.

The new policy does not include language prohibiting discussion of individuals.

The original draft also indicated, “Obscene language, libelous statements, threats of violence, statements advocating racial, religious, or other forms of prejudice will not be tolerated.”

Murray informed the district this language was overly vague, noting that a basic tenet of the First Amendment jurisprudence is that speech cannot be restrained in anticipation of libel. She said the appropriate remedy for an alleged libel is a civil suit for money damages.

She also said, "Second, the quoted language as a whole, and in particular 'other forms of prejudice,' is impermissibly vague and provides too much discretion to the Board to restrain certain viewpoints. Further, because these terms are not well defined and left to the determination of the Board President, there would likely be a chilling effect on public speech at Board meetings.

The final policy alters the language from the first draft, too, "All speakers are to conduct themselves in a civil manner. Obscene language, threats of violence, statements advocating racial, religious, or other forms of prejudice on the basis of protected class will not be tolerated."

Federal and state law establishes what constitutes a "protected class" when it comes to discrimination.

The board did retain a requirement that people wishing to speak at meetings first fill out a form, that includes a request for identifying information. Murray's letter suggested requiring people to identify themselves violates the state's open meetings law. However, the new policy does strike a proposal giving the board president the ability to rule on what topics were "generally appropriate." 

Murray noted that giving the board president power to silence people on certain topics prior to them speaking would constitute unlawful prior restraint.

Previously, Benedict had suggested the questions submitted by the public for the board be prescreened. Murray recommended against such a practice since it could constitute viewpoint discrimination and that pre-writing answers to questions submitted prior to the meeting could violate the open meetings law.

Overall, Murray said today she is pleased that the board seems to have listened to the clinic's recommendations.

“The Board’s decision to make revisions to the proposed policy prior to its adoption is a great example of elected officials making decisions with input from the public," Murray said. "Providing the opportunity for members of the public to address school board members on matters of public concern is critical to maintaining trust during this unprecedented time for us all.”

Please join me as I discuss my experience in politics, business, and prison. What do you all want to hear about? #businesscoach #BusinessNews #PrisonReform #prison pic.twitter.com/k6nNMnQiKP

— Chris Collins (@realC_Collins) January 27, 2021

Chris Collins, the former Congressman for the GLOW region who admitted in Federal Court to illegal insider stock trading and lying to the FBI, has reemerged publicly after being pardoned last month by former President Donald Trump.

Collins has started a new Twitter account under the handle @realc_collins. In his first tweet Collins posted a video explaining that as a businessman, politician, and former convict, he is ready to share what he's learned with the social media world.

"I have a lot to share with my many years of experience in the business world, the political world, and just current affairs," Collins said. "I hope you will join me on my various social media platforms and we can have a communication going forward."

Collins represented Genesee County in Congress from 2013 to 2019. He was the first member of Congress in 2015 to endorse Trump for president. 

Following an FBI investigation in 2018, Collins and his son, Cameron Collins, were arrested Aug. 8, 2018. The senior Collins was accused of tipping Cameron to a failed drug trial for a publicly traded company that Collins served as a board member. Cameron and other associates then began dumping stock before the news of the failed trial was made public. 

For months, even while running for reelection, Collins denied any wrongdoing and vowed he would be vindicated at trial and then in September 2019, he resigned from Congress and entered a guilty plea in Federal Court.

In January 2020, Collins was sentenced to 26 months in prison. His term was delayed because of COVID-19 and his incarceration in a Federal prison in Florida didn't begin until October. Two months later he was released after being pardoned by Trump.

These are my 5 I’s for the #DepartmentOfInJustice #DOIJ

1. Incompetent
2. Inefficient
3. Insensitive
4. Indifferent
5. Inhumane

— Chris Collins (@realC_Collins) January 28, 2021

Press release:

Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) is announcing that he is returning to the House Committee on Agriculture for the 117th Congress.

“Western New York’s economy and communities are directly supported by our agriculture industry,” Jacobs said. “Our farms, processing facilities, and agribusinesses provide thousands of good-paying jobs and present major opportunities to set our region up for future prosperity. It has been my mission to support our farmers in Congress – I made it a priority to be seated on the Agriculture Committee in July when I was first elected and look forward to carrying my work there into the 117th Congress.”

Announced earlier this year, Rep. David Scott (D-GA) will serve as Chairman, and Rep. Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (R-PA) will serve as Ranking Member of the House Committee on Agriculture for the 117th Congress. The Committee is charged with reviewing, developing, and advancing policies and proposals to support, improve, and further the needs of American farmers, agricultural businesses, and rural communities.

As of 2017, Western New York had more than 4,400 farms producing over $1.1 billion in products, representing 22 percent of all NYS agriculture sales.

“Serving on the Agriculture Committee puts me in the best possible position to advocate for our farmers and their needs,” Jacobs said. “These past few months alone, I was able to work with my colleagues to ensure the Commodity Credit Corporation was allocated necessary funding, increase investments for the USDA ReConnect Broadband Program, and pass COVID-19 relief legislation with direct support programs for farmers like the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP).”

“This term, there are major priorities that must be addressed. Our region needs improved broadband infrastructure, the agriculture sector needs new and younger farmers to ensure the longevity of such a critical industry, and we need to protect and support our farmers from unfair trade practices so they can access expanded markets and grow their businesses,” Jacobs said. “Finally, we will be in the beginning stages of developing a new Farm Bill early this year. I will be working diligently to ensure that the needs of Western New York farmers are met in that legislation.”

GO ART! held a Buffalo Bills logo coloring contest for area children. To view all of the entries, click here (Facebook).

Four adults were displaced by a late-night fire in Le Roy on Monday but Le Roy Chief Craig Johnson credited volunteers keeping things from getting worse at 95 Summit St. after a fire was reported to an upstairs bedroom.

"Our guys did a great job of getting in there quickly and getting the fire knocked down," Johnson said. "They definitely saved the house."

The fire contained to the bedroom. There is some water damage and smoke damage on the second floor. 

The four adults were able to relocate with family members and Johnson said because power was cut to the house because of the fire, it will be some time before the house can be occupied again.

No injuries were reported.

The residents did not have any pets, Johnson said.

Along with Le Roy, responding agencies included Bergen, Stafford, City of Batavia, Pavilion, and Town of Batavia was a fill-in at Le Roy's hall.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

A house fire is reported at 75 Summit St., Le Roy.

A caller reports a fire in a second-floor bedroom.

Le Roy fire and Bergen fire dispatched. City's Fast Team dispatched.

UPDATE 10:30 p.m.: Second alarm. Stafford, Pavilion dispatched. Town of Batavia to fill in at Le Roy station.

Batavia High School's Athletic Director, Michael Bromley, said he's beyond excited that high-risk sports, delayed because of COVID, might be able to start their seasons on Feb. 1.

That could mean basketball, hockey and wrestling could all start next week but final approval for practices to begin must come local health departments. 

Public Health Director Paul Pettit said he has been on conference calls with health officials from the Finger Lakes Region, with more to come, as they work to develop a uniform approach to restarting specific high school sports.

Statement from Pettit: 

Genesee and Orleans counties are working with the other local health departments in Western New York and the Finger Lakes.  As a region, the local health departments are in support of reopening high-risk sports, but want to make sure it’s done safely and uniformly. As a region, we will be discussing and reviewing the state guidance with our school partners to ensure a consistent, regional approach.  

Bromley said he's also been on conference calls as athletic directions from throughout Section V work to figure out how they will piece together seasons that are starting weeks behind the normal schedule and just weeks before the normal spring schedule begins. And it will likely be a spring with a twist since football can possibly start back up March 1.

The regular spring sports schedule is slated to start April 19.

"The Section V COVID-19 task force and Winter/Fall II sports coordinators have already been communicating to finalize plans with membership," said Shaun Jeffers, spokesman for Section V. "Section V Athletics has 12 different health departments to coordinate with and will communicate with them throughout this process."

Also eligible to begin seasons are boys lacrosse, competitive cheerleading, and volleyball.

Bromley said his response after learning on Friday that high-risk sports were given the go-ahead, "I was so happy for the committed athletes and coaches in our district! We have proven in our fall season that we could successfully host events. Our winter athletes are currently involved in 'open gym' type activities following all COVID-19 protocol. I believe we are ready to safely begin the state-designated 'high risk' sports! Go Devils!"

Click here for the latest guidance (PDF), just released this evening, from NYS Public High School Athletic Association.

Section V Athletics announced eight scholarship winners today to fall sports student-athletes, including one from Genesee County.

The $250 scholarship is awarded to students who excel in scholastics and athletics. Winners are selected based on a letter of recommendation from their coach, their high school transcript and activities sheet, as well as their responses to application questions. There were more than 80 applications for this season’s scholarships.

Press release from Section V:

Girls Soccer: Hope Hersom, Byron-Bergen High School
Hope has been playing soccer for six years, and also participates in basketball and track and field.

She says that highlights from this season include “getting to play my last season with an amazingly talented and young team, making it to the final round of sectionals, and all the positive support I received from my school, family and friends.”

In the fall Hope plans to attend college to study Mechanical Engineering.

She shares that one word that best describes herself is “positive -- no matter what the score was, what was going on, or whether it was a game or practice, I always walked off the field with a smile and encouraging words.”

South Korean technology company Samsung is reportedly eyeing WNY STAMP, along with two locations in Texas, for the construction of a $13 billion chip manufacturing plant.

Citing The Wall Street Journal (paywall), The Hill reports, Samsung aims to become the leader in the $400 billion industry and needs a plant in the Uniited States to make that happen.

Sen. Charles Schumer was in Alabama in August to discuss a congressional push to increase semiconductor manufacturing in the United States as a matter of national defense. The National Defense Authorization Act has not yet been funded.

The Hill reports that Samsung is looking to negotiate with federal officials for financial incentives to build the plant in the United States because it would be cheaper to develop its product in other parts of the world. 

Reportedly, Samsung’s goal is to have a chip-making plant operational by October 2022 and to employ 1,900 people.

o   Genesee County received 76 new positive cases of COVID-19.

• The new positive cases reside in the:
  • West Region (Alabama, Darien, Pembroke)
  • Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield)
  • East Region (Bergen, Byron, Le Roy, Pavilion, Stafford)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.
• Correction: The following case was double-counted and has been retracted from today’s data; Case in his/her 30s from Batavia.
• Thirty-seven of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list. 
• Eighteen of the positive individuals are hospitalized.
• Five of the new positive cases are residents of the Leroy Village Green Residential Healthcare Facility.
• Two of the new positive cases are residents of the Batavia VA Medical Center.
• Two of the new positive cases are residents of the New York State Veteran’s Home at Batavia.
• Correction: One of the previously reported cases is a resident at the New York State Veterans Home at Batavia.

• Orleans County received 24 new positive cases of COVID-19. 
• The positive cases reside in the:
  • West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby)
  • Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre)
  • East Region (Kendall, Murray, Clarendon)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.
• Five of the new positive individuals were on quarantine prior to testing positive.
• Twenty-six of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
• Thirteen of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.
• One of the new positive cases is a resident of Orchard Rehabilitation and Nursing Center.

At Le Roy High School, Regis Pollard's Career & Financial Management conducted a mock job interview competition yesterday with more than 70 students participating along with managers and owners from nine companies in the region.

Video by Principal Tim McArdle.

This video was submitted by Jazmyn Dobson, a teacher at KMS Dance Academy in Batavia. Students and staff, under the direction of owner Erica Grazioplene, put together this video in support of the Buffalo Bills.

The addition of the Batavia Muckdogs to the Perfect Game Colligate Baseball League has apparently prompted the college-ball team in Niagara Falls two switch allegiances, the Niagara Gazette reports.

The Niagara Power will move from the New York Collegiate Baseball League to the PGCBL in 2021.

Patrick Tutka, executive director of the Power, said the move was "win-win-win," especially after the Batavia Muckdogs, formerly of the professional New York-Penn League, agreed to join the PGCBL. The Muckdogs give the PGCBL five former NY-Penn League teams, along with Newark, Geneva, Elmira and Jamestown.

In addition to the PGCBL offering one more nearby potential rival, the PGCBL teams generally play in better facilities, Tutka said.

"The facility quality is much better," Tutka said. "We'll be playing in all former minor league stadiums, while most of the other places (outside home games at Sal Maglie Stadium) we were playing were high school or college fields.

It looks like the PGCBL will have 15 teams in the league for the 2021 season, all in New York.