Stories from

Photo submitted by Chris Crocker.

Dispatchers have received multiple calls regarding an automobile accident in the area of 211 West Main St., Batavia.

Unknown injuries.

At least one caller reported a possible ejection.

City Fire and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 10:17 p.m.: No one was ejected. There was one driver in each vehicle and they were each in their vehicles when police arrived on scene. One occupant is being transferred to United Memorial Medical Center for evaluation, and the other driver is being evaluated on scene. One vehicle was traveling southbound and the other vehicle was eastbound, and the vehicle on West Main Street allegedly was speeding, according to a witness, and ran a red light. That vehicle was T-boned by the other vehicle traveling on Oak Street. 

Jonathan P. “Bless”  Little, 32, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd, criminal possession of a controlled substance 4th, resisting arrest, and criminal impersonation 2nd. During a traffic stop in the City of Batavia on May 12, officers determined that the passenger of the vehicle was proving a false name. Batavia patrol officers identified the passenger as Little and that Little had several Genesee County warrants.  During a search, Little was allegedly found in personal possession of several bags of cocaine. Little was booked into the Genesee County Jail pending arraignment. Batavia PD was assisted by the Local Drug Task Force.

Carl T. Amesbury, 29, of School Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance 3rd and criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd. Amesbury was arrested by Batavia PD while dealing with an unrelated matter on a warrant stemming from a sealed indictment. It's alleged that Amesbury sold crack cocaine to an agent of the Local Drug Task Force. Amesbury was arraigned and released under supervision.

Richard Alan Steen, 53, of Lake Street, Le Roy, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon 2nd, criminal mischief 2nd, and menacing 2nd. Steen was arrested by deputies Morgan Ewert and Ryan Young after they responded to a call of a disturbance at 8:54 p.m., May 27, at a residence on Cole Road, Le Roy. Steen allegedly displayed a long gun in a threatening manner and allegedly shot a camper causing damage to it. He was arraigned in Town of Le Roy Court and released.

Tammy O'Shea, 50, of Stafford, is charged with grand larceny 3rd and filing a false instrument 1st. O'Shea is accused of marrying in 2019 and failing to report her husband or his income to Social Services. She allegedly received $5,265 in SNAP benefits she was not qualified to receive. O'Shea was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court and released on her own recognizance.

Angela Mueller, 49, of Corfu, is charged with grand larceny 3rd, grand larceny 4th and filing a false instrument 1st. Muller allegedly failed to report income and as a result, received $1,454 in SNAP benefits she should not have received.  She was issued an appearance ticket.

Chandah Sundown, 30, of Batavia, is charged with 11 counts of filing a false instrument 1st and one count of grand larceny 3rd. Sundown is accused of failing to report that the father of her children was residing in her residence and earning income. As a result, Sundown allegedly received $8,353 in SNAP benefits she should not have received. She was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court and released on her own recognizance. 

Megan Courtney, 26, of Batavia is charged with grand larceny and three counts of filing a false instrument. Courtney is accused of failing to report that the father of her children was residing in her home and earning income. As a result, Courtney allegedly received $6,830 in SNAP benefits she was not eligible to receive.

Matthew Edward Schultz, 32, of Park Avenue, Lockport, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, speeding, and uninspected motor vehicle. Schultz was stopped at 12:23 a.m., May 29, on Lewiston Road,  Batavia, by Sgt. Mathew Clor.

Jacquelyn Mary Siverling, 41, of South Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, speeding, improper signal, and moving from lane unsafely. Siverling was stopped at 7:47 p.m., May 20, on South Main Road, Pembroke, by Deputy Trevor Sherwood. 

Riann Ledford, 27, of West Main Street, Le Roy, is charged with harassment 2nd and criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation. Ledford was arrested by Officer Zachary Klafehn following the report of a dispute at 6 p.m., May 24, at a location on West Main Street, Le Roy.  Ledford was arraigned in Town of Le Roy Court for the purpose of issuing an order of protection and released on her own recognizance.

Thomas J. Wolcott, 38 of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 1st. Wolcott is accused of violating an order of protection. He was arraigned in City Court and ordered held on $10,000 bail.

John L. Smith, 47 of Batavia, is charged with Felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, and speeding. Smith was stopped by a Batavia patrol officer at 1:14 a.m., May 13, in the City of Batavia. He was released on appearance tickets.

Katrina M. Mana, 37, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Mana was arrested by State Police on a complaint reported at 3:30 p.m., May 28, on the Town of Batavia. She was issued an appearance ticket. No further information released.

Top photo by Chris Crocker.  Bottom photo by Joanne Meiser.

As part of its Memorial Day observance, the Town of Byron honored Steve Vernaccini, a 99-year-old World War II veteran.  The Byron-Bergen High School band played the Star-Spangled Banner and Taps.

Photos and information submitted by Tamara Hillabush Walker.

Article and photos by Glenn Adams.

The Bethany Fire Department hosted a Memorial Day Celebration at the Genesee County Park Monday morning.

The service began at 7 a.m.

Veterans and their families gathered to reminisce and remember those who had fallen in the line of duty.

Coffee and doughnuts were provided by the fire department.

The featured speaker was Assemblyman Steve Hawley, who spoke about our country's stand against tyranny. He reminded us that freedom is not free: It is bought with a price.

A wreath was placed at the memorial, followed by the gun salute and the playing of taps.

Batavia residents display the Stars and Stripes year around for the most part but in honor of Memorial Day, here is a sampling of some of those displays.

Top photo: Chestnut Street.

Kibbe Avenue

Otis Street

Elm Street

Fisher park

Vine Street

Vine Street

Vine Street

Vine Street

North Street

North Street

UMMC

North Street

Photos by Howard Owens.

To purchase prints, click here.

More photos after the jump (click the headline)

Photos, continued ... 

Le Roy Jr/Sr High School is hosting its 8th annual Fine Arts Festival from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday.

There will be live music in the Atrium and in the Cafeteria, student art displays in the Atrium and Library, and food trucks.

Photo: File photo from 2018 by Howard Owens.

Chris Crocker submitted this photo of Sunday's sunset.

 

Brayden Smith's five RBIs and home run keyed Oakfield-Alabama's semi-final Section V playoff win over Warsaw on Saturday, helping the Hornets to a 16-8 win.

Smith had four hits and scored twice.

Bodie Hyde had three hits, an RBI and scored three times. Cooper Colantino had two hits, an RBI and scored twice. David Schnaufer was 2-2 with two walks and scored twice. 

The winning pitcher was Kyle porter. He gave up three hits, three runs and struck out 10 over 5 2/3 innings.

Notre Dame and O-A will play for the sectional crown in Class C on Tuesday.

Photos by Kristin Smith.  For more, click here.

At the start of Memorial Day Weekend, Ryan Macdonald, a resident of Clinton Street Road, Stafford, installed a giant 20x30 foot flag on the silo of the barn on the farm. 

Photos submitted by Marty Macdonald.

For the first time since it opened, veterans, family members, and area residents gathered at the WNY National Cemetery in Pembroke to pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of their country as part of Memorial Day Weekend.

Photos by Alecia Kaus/Video News Service.

A two-car motor vehicle accident with airbag deployment is reported at Main and Bank, Batavia.

Unknown injuries.  

Traffic is blocked.

City Fire and Mercy EMS responding.

A dump truck is reported on fire in the area of 4868 Batavia Elba Townline Road, Batavia.

Town of Batavia Fire dispatched along with mutual aid from Elba.

Andrew A. Searight, 35, of Batavia, and Jerrtonia A. Scarbrough, 24, of Batavia, are charged with aggravated cruelty to animals. Searight and Scarbrough are accused of abandoning an animal in a cage for an extended period of time at a residence on Bank Street.  The incident was reported at 9:18 a.m., May 10. They were both issued an appearance ticket.

Angela N. Bennett, 24, of Strathmore Circle, Rochester, and Shamya I. Brown, 22, of Verona Street, Rochester, are charged with grand larceny 4th.  Bennett and Brown are accused of stealing $1,726.28 in merchandise from Dick's Sporting Goods in Batavia at 1:10 p.m., May 23.  Deputies responded to a report of a larceny in progress and later located the suspect vehicle on River Street in the City of Batavia. Both were issued appearance tickets.  The case was handled by Investigator Erik Andre and Deputy Trevor Sherwood.

Brandon Charles Dodd, 35, of Montclair Avenue, Batavia, and Trace Garrett Brewer, 21, of Montclair Avenue, Batavia, are charged with petit larceny. Dodd and Brewer are accused of stealing air conditioner units from Walmart at 3:38 p.m., May 22. Dodd was also arrested by Batavia PD on petit larceny and conspiracy charges. He is accused of stealing several cans of Red Bull from a business on West Main Street at 10:52 p.m., May 5. Brewer is charged with conspiracy related to the same incident.

Jamian J. "Jay" Edwards, 38, of Lake Avenue, Rochester, is charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance 3rd and criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd.  Edwards is accused of selling crack cocaine to an agent of the Drug Task Force in the City of Batavia. He was taken into custody on an arrest warrant while checking in with Monroe County Probation and turned over the Sheriff's Office.

Timothy Robert Nurmi, 30, of West Main Street, Le Roy, is charged with criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation and harassment 2nd.  The alleged incident was reported at 11:15 a.m., May 24, at a location on West Main Street, Le Roy. The charges are a misdemeanor and a violation. Nurmi was arraigned in Town of Le Roy Court for the purpose of issuing an order of protection and released on his own recognizance.

Alexis Rae Kenyon, 28, of Church Street, Le Roy, is charged with aggravated harassment, 2nd. The alleged incident was reported at 12:59 p.m., May 26, at a location on Church Street, Le Roy. Kenyon was released on her own recognizance.

Anthony Wade Travis, 59, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with bail jumping 2nd. Travis is accused of failing to appear as ordered in County Court on a felony charge. Travis was issued an appearance ticket.

Thomas William McCabe, III, 44, of Scio (no street address provided), is charged with attempt grand larceny 3rd, criminal mischief, aggravated unlicensed operation, and driver's view obstructed.  McCabe is accused of trying to steal Diamond C. equipment trailer in the Town of Darien at 1:15 a.m., May 21. He was arrested by Deputy Austin Heberlein.  He was released on an appearance ticket.

Marie Rachael Brown, 44, of Bethany Center Road, Bethany, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and speeding. Brown was stopped at 2:26 a.m., May 22, on Route 237, Stafford, by Sgt. Mathew Clor. She was released on traffic tickets.

David Carl Stephens, 56, of Prole Road, Stafford, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd, obstructing governmental administration, and harassment 2nd.  Stephens is accused of violating an order of protection and of attempting to fight with deputies when they responded to a complaint at a residence at Prole Road, Stafford, at 3:48 p.m., May 23.

Terrence T. Freeman, 31, of Batavia, is charged with trespass. Freeman is accused of refusing to leave a residence on Liberty Street at 10:16 p.m., May 14. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Anthony D. Underwood, 22, of Buffalo, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd, unlawful imprisonment 2nd and criminal mischief 4th. Underwood was arrested by Batavia PD following an investigation into a disturbance reported at 6 p.m., May 16, on South Main Street, Batavia. He was arraigned in City Court and ordered held on $5,000 bail or $10,000 bond.

Zoro D. Reisman, 18, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Reisman is accused of stealing sausages from a business on Ellicott Street at 1:37 p.m., May 15. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Garrett L. Strickland, 30, of Medina, criminal contempt 2nd. Strickland was arrested on a warrant.

Crystal A. Mounts, 44, of Batavia, is charged with failure to appear. Mounts was wanted on six warrants out of City Court related to a series of crimes she is accused of committing within the calendar year. Mounts is accused of failing to appear on the charges on April 29. Mounts was arraigned in City Court and released.

A two-car motor vehicle accident is reported in the area of 140 West Main St., Batavia.

One person has a complaint of difficulty breathing because of an anxiety attack.

City Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

 

Brighton Securities hosted their annual Shred Day today near its office on East Main Street, in the parking lot between Batavia Bootery and Main St. Pizza.  Staff members said there were a lot of people showing up today to dispose of documents safely and securely.

Previously: Got old paperwork? Shred it and forget it on Shred Day

Article submitted by Mike Cintorino.

It has been quite the run for the Elba/Oakfield-Alabama Lancers Golf Team. 

On Thursday, at a blustery Livingston Country Club in Geneseo, the Lancers earned their 4th Section V Class C Boys Golf Championship in the last 6 seasons. 

The day started with a semi-final match against the top-seeded Gananda Blue Panthers.  The Lancers were led in that match by their stalwarts, CJ Gottler and Brayden Smith who shot 39 and 45 respectively on the par-36 front nine. 

Gananda's Carter Lathrop fired a 47, but behind solid efforts from the Lancers' Jake Walczak and Aiden Warner, they were able to defeat the Blue Panthers 194 to 234 in the first of two Class C semi-final matches. 

In the second semi-final, the Byron Bergen Bees had a nail-biter against the Geneseo Blue Devils that came down to the final pairing of the match. 

Ryan Muscarella, Brendan Pimm, and David Brumstead all fired 50's on the front nine, all lower than the top four golfers for the Blue Devils. 

The medalist of the match would come from the third pairing with a Geneseo golfer (name not submitted) who shot the low round of the match with a 48. 

However, the steady and consistent rounds of the Bees allowed them to edge out the Blue Devils 202-207.  

For the second consecutive season, the Byron Bergen Bees matched up with the Elba/Oakfield-Alabama Lancers in the Section V Class C Boys Golf Finals. 

Last year the Lancers defeated the Bees 172-199 at Caledonia Country Club.  This year, the conditions, specifically the wind blowing over 20b mph at times, proved for much tougher conditions on a difficult Livingston Country Club back nine. 

Although the conditions were different, the results were similar as the Lancers defeated the Bees by a score of 189-206. 

CJ Gottler once again medaled in the finals with a round of 41 while teammate Brayden Smith and Byron Bergen's Ryan Muscarella fired a round of 47.  The Lancer's Jake Walczak (46) and Kaden Cusmano (55) rounded out the scoring for the Lancers as they successfully defended their Class C title.  

The win was the Lancers' 4th Section V Golf Title in the last 6 seasons (2016, 2017, 2021, 2022 - there was no season in 2020). 

In 2018 the Lancers finished 2nd. 

With the win, the Lancers end the season 13-3 overall while the Bees fall to 12-3. 

This was a fantastic season for the Lancers as for the second consecutive year they swept both the team title and individual title (CJ Gottler in 2021 and Brayden Smith in 2022) in Section V Class C Boys Golf. 

This group of young men (and women) have grinded all season to live up to the legacy set for them by previous teams. 

For Elba/OA Senior, CJ Gottler, he finished his 6th year as a varsity golfer as a 3-time team and 2-time individual Section V Champion, along with back-to-back Genesee Region League Player of the Year honors.  Gottler's leadership on and off the course will be sorely missed, and his personality and ability to make not just teammates, but competitors laugh during a round of golf.  

Reader-submitted photos.

The Le Roy High School tennis team beat Avon today 4-1 to win a Class C2 Section V championship.

Photo submitted by David Russell.