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The temporary shutoff of water to Batavia's spray park in Austin Park Friday, with temperatures approaching 90, is over, and a steady stream of kids was hitting the park throughout Saturday morning and into the afternoon.

Mikayla Brown and James Malone went to the park on Saturday to cool off with no idea the park had just been through a temporary water shutoff.

Malone said the spray park is important on hot days.

"When it gets to be 90 degrees some days, with the humidity, yeah, yeah, it would be kind of sad (without water)," he said.

When told the water was temporarily shut off because of a water shortage, both Malone and Brown said they could understand why it would be shut off. 

Le Roy's spray park had also been turned off, and there has been no word on whether it was up and running again for the weekend.

Previously: Water shortage means no spray parks in 90-degree heat

The season has been played, the championships contested, and in Batavia Youth Baseball, after finals were played, two teams stand atop the rest.

In the 12U Division, The Guardians edged out the Dodgers 2-1.

In the 10U Division, The Royals Barbershop Mets defeated the Angels 10-8.

Submitted photos and information.

Raymond L. Leach, III, 22, a former Batavia football star who has been called among the greatest high school running backs in New York State history, has been charged with rape and sexual abuse.

The Sheriff's Office announced his arrest on Friday. 

Leach is charged with rape in the first degree, a Class B felony, criminal sexual act in the first degree, a Class B felony, and sexual abuse in the first degree, a Class D felony.

All charges are related to an accusation that Leach had sexual contact with a person incapable of giving consent. 

According to a Sheriff's Office investigation, Leach allegedly subjected another person to sexual contact, including sexual intercourse as well as oral or anal sexual intercourse while the person was incapable of consent due to physical helplessness.

The Sheriff's Office states that the alleged crime occurred in the Town of Batavia in August.

Leach was arrested Wednesday by Batavia PD on a sealed grand jury indictment and turned over to the Sheriff's Office, and arraigned in County Court that day.  He was released on his own recognizance and is scheduled back in court for further proceedings on July 18.

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 is first in Section V in career rushing yards at 6,203. He also leads Section V with 111 career touchdowns. 

Leach carried Batavia to a state title game in 2018, which the Blue Devils lost to Glen Falls and their star QB Joseph Girard.

Before the start of the 2018 season, Leach and former football and basketball teammate, Antwan Odom, were involved in a dispute, and Odom was accused of stabbing Leach. 

Odom was charged with assault in the first degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree.

The young basketball star was represented by flamboyant Buffalo attorney Frank Housh.

In a jury trial, Odom was found not guilty.

Earlier this year, Housh was suspended by the Bar Association for misconduct in handling the civil matters of other clients.

In May 2022, Odom was charged with an alleged burglary in Covington. His trial on that charge was stopped after Housh was suspended.

Following Housh's removal from the case, new counsel was appointed for Odom and Odom and his co-defendants entered guilty pleas. 

According to Wyoming County District Attorney Donald O'Geen, Odom entered a guilty plea to four counts of burglary in the second degree, a Class D violent felony.  He was sentenced on May 18 to five years in prison and five years on parole on each charge, with each term running concurrently. He was ordered to pay restitution of $10,411.87.

In the same case, Christopher McClinic entered guilty pleas to the four counts of burglary in the third degree. He was sentenced in accordance with his plea agreement:  one to three years in prison on each charge to run concurrently.  He was also ordered to pay the same restitution. McClinic entered his plea on July 29, 2022, and he was sentenced per the plea deal on June 15, 2023.

Jacob William Patterson, 27, of Killian Road, Pembroke, is charged with destroying physical evidence, criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th, resisting arrest, and obstructing governmental administration. Deputy Jeremiah Gechell and Deputy Alexander Hadsall conducted a traffic stop on Dellinger Avenue, Batavia, at 1:41 a.m. on June 21. During the traffic stop, deputies identified Patterson as a backseat passenger. The deputies were aware of warrants for the arrest of Patterson. While attempting to take Patterson into custody, Patterson allegedly resisted arrest and fought with the deputies. Once he was taken into custody, a further investigation with the assistance of Deputy James Stack and K-9 Razor, a controlled substance was allegedly recovered from the vehicle. Patterson had allegedly tried to destroy the controlled substance just prior to his arrest. Patterson was held pending arraignment.

Jacob W. Patterson, 27, of Killian Road, Pembroke, was arrested on a warrant out of City Court. The warrant stems from an incident on April 24 where Patterson was charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs, obstructing governmental administration 2nd and four counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. During that incident, Patterson allegedly ran from and fought with officers as they attempted to take him into custody. He was issued an appearance ticket. On May 10, a warrant was issued after Patterson failed to appear in court. Patterson was located on a traffic stop and arrested on the warrant on June 21. He was arraigned in City Court and remanded to the Genesee County Jail. The arrest was handled by Officer Richard Messmer.

Gerald Lawrence Smith, 37, of Walnut Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance (degree not specified), moving from lane unsafely, speed not reasonable and prudent, and criminal use of drug paraphernalia.  Smith was reportedly involved in a motor vehicle accident at 10:18 p.m. on June 25 on Byron Road, Stafford. According to an investigation by Deputy Kenneth Quackenbush and Deputy Nicholas Charmoun, Smith's vehicle went off the roadway and into a wooded area. Following the accident, Smith was allegedly found in possession of cocaine, scales, and baggies for packaging. Smith was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released on an appearance ticket.

Nekia Drio Newton, 47, of Rochester, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd, signal less than 100 feet, and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle 3rd. Newton was stopped by Deputy Jeremiah Gechell at 11:49 p.m. on June 28 on West Main Street in the City of Batavia. During the stop, Newton allegedly admitted to possession of a controlled substance.  Newton was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released on an appearance ticket.

Nicholas C. Kingdollar, 27, of Batavia, was arrested on a warrant stemming from charges of criminal mischief 4th and harassment 2nd. Kingdollar is accused of being involved in a disturbance on April 15 at an undisclosed location in Batavia, where he allegedly damaged property and pushed another person. Officers were unable to locate him, and a warrant was issued. On June 22, Kingdollar was located and arrested. He was arraigned in City Court and released on his own recognizance pending his next court appearance.

Jaqulyn A. Dueppengiesser, 39, of Perry, was arrested on June 22 on a pair of warrants out of City Court. The first warrant stems from an investigation on April 20 where Dueppengiesser was initially arrested for petit larceny, after allegedly stealing merchandise from a local business. She was issued an appearance ticket and was to appear in Batavia City Court at a later date. Dueppengiesser allegedly failed to appear, and an arrest warrant was issued. She was arrested on the warrant on May 24 and arraigned in City Court, where she was released on her own recognizance. She allegedly failed to appear again, and a bench warrant was issued on June 15. On June 22, Dueppengiesser was arrested on that warrant and arraigned in City Court. The second warrant initially stems from a traffic stop on Feb. 19, where Dueppengiesser was allegedly found to be in possession of a narcotic. She was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 5th. She was arraigned and released under the supervision of Genesee Justice. On May 1, a bench warrant was issued after Dueppengiesser allegedly failed to comply with a court-ordered program. She was arrested on that warrant on May 24 and released on her own recognizance. Another bench warrant was issued on June 15 after she allegedly failed to appear in court. She was arrested on that warrant on June 22. Dueppengiesser was arraigned in City Court and remanded to the Genesee County Jail. The arrests were handled by Officer Andrew Mruczek.

Andrew D. Beedham, 37, of Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. The arrest is the result of an investigation into a disturbance where Beedham allegedly hit another person. During his arrest, Beedham was allegedly found to be in possession of a narcotic. He was charged with an additional count of criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Beedham was arraigned in City Court and released on his own recognizance. 

Jennifer J. Hogan, 32, of Rochester, is charged with two counts of bail jumping 3rd and one count of bail jumping 2nd. Hogan was arrested on June 27. She was already in custody at the Genesee County Jail after a previous arrest on June 15 on three bench warrants. The bail-jumping charges stem from those three cases. She was arraigned in City Court and remanded to jail.

Breanna E. Brummond, 32, was arrested on two bench warrants. Brummond was arrested on June 27 on warrants out of City Court. The warrants stem from two separate incidents on Feb. 3 where Brummond was charged with petit larceny and criminal trespass 3rd. Brummond was issued appearance tickets in both cases and released. She allegedly failed to appear, and two warrants were issued on Feb. 14. Brummond was arrested on both warrants on April 5. She was arraigned and released. April 20, warrants were issued again after she allegedly failed to appear. Brummond was arrested on those warrants on June 27 and arraigned. She was remanded to the custody of the Genesee County Jail and is due back in court at a later date. The arrest was handled by Officer Kevin Defelice. Brummond was also arrested by the Sheriff's Office and charged with bail jumping 2nd. She is accused of failure to appear in City Court.

Shameek T. Taylor, 36, of Bergen, is charged with criminal obstruction of Breathing. Taylor was arrested on June 27, after an investigation into a disturbance on West Main Street. Taylor allegedly placed his hand around the neck of another person and applied pressure, causing their breathing to be obstructed. Taylor was arraigned in City Court and released on his own recognizance. He is scheduled to appear back in court at a later date. 

Bill A. Thomas, 63, of Batavia, is charged with open container. Thomas was allegedly found to be in possession of an open alcoholic beverage container on June 21 in a local park. He was issued an appearance ticket and released. 

Billy Joe Budziszewski, 31, of Varysburg, was taken into custody on an arrest warrant issued in City Court. The warrant is the result of an incident on Jan. 1 where Budziszewski allegedly refused to leave a local business. He was charged with trespassing and allegedly fought with officers when they attempted to take him into custody. He was issued an appearance ticket and released. Budziszewski allegedly failed to appear, and a warrant was issued on Jan. 24. He was arrested on the warrant on June 24. 

Dustin T. Forkell, 32, of Ogden, was arrested on two bench warrants. Forkell was taken into custody on June 24. The warrants stem from an incident that led to a charge of criminal possession of stolen property 4th after he was allegedly found in possession of a stolen vehicle. He was additionally charged with false impersonation and petit larceny after he allegedly stole merchandise from a local business and lied to officers about his identity. Forkell was arraigned and ordered to return to court at a later date. 

Brittanee J. Hooten, 34, of Batavia, was taken into custody on an arrest warrant issued by City Court.  Hooten was arrested on June 22. Hooten was originally charged with petit larceny on Sept. 17 after allegedly stealing merchandise from a local business. Hooten was released on an appearance ticket. A warrant was issued on Oct. 20 after Hooten allegedly failed to appear in court. Following her June 22 arrest, Hooten was arraigned and remanded to the Genesee County Jail on $100 cash bail and $200 surety bond. 

Kenyetta D. Culver, 47, of Batavia, was taken into custody on an arrest warrant on June 23. Culver turned herself into Batavia PD on a warrant issued by City Court. The warrant is the result of a traffic stop on Feb. 12 where Culver was issued a misdemeanor traffic ticket for operating a vehicle with a suspended registration. The warrant was issued on June 14 after Culver allegedly failed to appear in court. She was arraigned in City Court, where she pled guilty and was assessed a fine. 

William Avant Lewis, 37, of Riley Street, Buffalo, is charged with bail jumping (degree not specified). Lewis is accused of failure to appear in Batavia Town Court. He was held pending arraignment. 

Dontaya Nell Kyles, 31, of Jessamine Street, Macon, Ga., is charged with bail jumping 2nd. Kyles is accused of failure to appear in Town of Batavia Court on a grand larceny 3rd charge and then failing to appear on her reappearance date. She was arrested and ordered held on $10,000 bail.

Amber Lynne Westenberger, 32, of Loomis Road, Farmington, is charged with bail jumping 2nd. Westenberger was held pending arraignment.

Cain Alexander Catino, 51, of South Swan Street, Batavia, is charged with grand larceny 4th. Cantino is accused of stealing a wallet while at Batavia Downs on June 25 at 10:30 p.m. He was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released on an appearance ticket.

Lester Shakayla Ebony Deas, 25, of Affinity Lane, Rochester, is charged with petit larceny. Deas is accused of stealing from an undisclosed location (the Sheriff's Office withheld the information) on Veterans Memorial Drive in the Town of Batavia at 6:27 p.m. on June 27. Deas was issued an appearance ticket. UPDATE: The Batavian submitted a FOIL request for the name of the store. It is Old Navy.

Pablo Viera, 44, no known address, is charged with criminal mischief 4th and criminal possession of a weapon 4th. Viera is accused of using a wooden tire knocker to strike the side of a Kenworth semi-truck multiple times, causing dents in the side door at 7:35 p.m. on June 25. Viera was released on an appearance ticket.

Joseph Gerard Eyer, 75, of Cowen Road, Piffard, is charged with grand larceny 4th. Eyer is accused of stealing a purse that contained a mobile phone and multiple credit cards at 5:15 p.m. on June 23 while at Target. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Mark Louis Frongetta, 53, of Park Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon 3rd and menacing 2nd. Frongetta is accused of threatening another person with a weapon making the person fear for his life at a location on Park Road at 8:44 p.m., July 1. Frongetta was held pending arraignment. 

Francis Jermey Fuest, 44, of South Main Street, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, and speeding. Fuest was stopped at 12:14 a.m. on May 25 on Clinton Street Road, Batavia, by Deputy Mason Schultz. Fuest was arraigned on the charges on July 1 and released on an appearance ticket.

Maurice Richard McCoy, 70, of North Street, Batavia, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. McCoy was stopped by Deputy Zachary Hoy in the parking lot of Walmart at 8:38 p.m. on July 2. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Andrew Scott Hartman, 40, of Route 78, Java Center, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 greater, and inadequate headlamps. Hartman was stopped at 12:13 a.m. on July 2 on Clinton Street Road, Stafford, by Deputy Ryan Mullen. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Austin F. Buzard, 25, no known address, is charged with assault 2nd and aggravated criminal contempt. Buzard was arrested by State Police in connection with an incident reported at 8:30 p.m. on July 3 in the Town of Stafford. He was held in custody. No further details released.

Andrew R. Bastiano, 36, of Batavia, is charged with felony DWI. Bastiano was stopped at 12:39 a.m. on July 3 in the Town of Elba by State police. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Paula A. Kingdollar, 54, of Pavilion, is charged with petit larceny. Kingdollar is accused of stealing in the Town of Batavia at 1:33 p.m. on June 2. She was arrested by State Police and released on an appearance ticket. No further details released. 

A 17-year-old was arrested by State Police and charged with petit larceny in connection with a theft reported at 5:17 p.m. on July 2 in the Town of Darien. The youth was released on an appearance ticket.

Rudy Lebron Cartagena, 33, of Niagara Falls, is charged with felony DWI. Cartagena was stopped at 5:25 a.m. on June 30 in the Town of Alabama by State Police. He was released on an appearance ticket.

When you're playing in the postseason, good defense helps win games, and Le Roy's 12-U Little League team didn't commit a single error on its way to a 10-0 victory on Wednesday against ECLV.

Drew Beachel tossed a complete game shutout. He went five innings and struck out 15 hitters, allowing only one hit.

Le Roy opened with four runs in the first inning with hits from Sammy Bogue and Michael Warner. Ethan Rose had an RBI ground out as well.

Warner and Dalton Luke each went deep in the game.

Overall, Le Roy had eight hits. Warner and  Bogue had multi-hit games. Beachel, Eddie Lathan,  Luke and Ryan Crissy all chipped in with one hit a piece. RBIs were recorded by Rose, Luke, Warner, and Beachel (2). Runs scored were recorded by Matthew McCulley, Beachel, Warner (2), Ryker Vangalio, Rose, Lathan, Carson Wetsell, Luke, and Carter McClurg.

Le Roy plays for the district championship at 6 p.m. on Friday.

Submitted info and photo.

Police officers have been dispatched to Veterans Memorial Drive in order to locate a shoplifting suspect who is accused of stealing more than $2,000 in merchandise from Target, including a $500 scooter.

The suspect is on foot and described is wearing a black T-shirt, jeans, and a grey baseball cap.  He's headed toward the Thruway.

He was last seen behind Sally Beauty.

UPDATE 12:47 p.m.: The suspect apparently got into a Black SUV, silver trim, newer model, and the caller didn't see direction of travel, but a patrol officer reports, "We're lighting him up on Route 98 heading toward the hotels."

UPDATE 12:49 p.m.: The suspect will be in the passenger seat, a dispatcher informs the officer.

UPDATE 12:55 p.m.: The suspect apparently left the cart and merchandise in the parking lot. Target loss prevention has secured the shopping cart and will be awaiting law enforcement in the store.

UPS workers in Batavia gathered outside the company's Batavia location at 7 Apollo Drive on Thursday morning to demonstrate their willingness to go on strike if, in their view, working conditions don't improve.

Jeremy Pietrazykowski, VP of Teamsters Local 180, said the short picket this morning both served the purpose of sending a message to the leadership at the company and also preparing workers for picketing if a strike becomes necessary.

Wednesday, he said, talks between the union and UPS broke down.

"It's about the last 25 years in a nutshell," Pietrazykowski said. "It comes down to the excessive overtime, the forced working extra days. It's about how you're treated as an employee. It goes well above and beyond the monetary value at this point. It's your time away from work, the valuable time that we have. 

"In today's world is not just about working 20 hours a day. It's about coming to work, doing a great job, and then going home and spending time with the ones you love. So that's the most precious time. You can't put a price on your free time. And that's what the company doesn't understand. And they fail to understand that we're not just machines, or industrial athletes, as they call them. We're human beings with families that we want to spend time with."

This is not yet a work stoppage.  After the short picket, everybody returned to work to make sure customers get their packages on time.

"This is so that we get our act together," Pietrazykowski said, "so that when the time comes, if we are going to strike and make no mistake, everyone is prepared to strike. But we want to prepare our members what to expect on that first day. Right? So we just don't stand up here, and we don't know what we're doing."

Pietrazykowski once worked in the Batavia facility. He's from Batavia. He said he's known the workers in the local UPS crew for 30 years. This is his home, which is one reason he chose to do this first pre-strike picket in Batavia.  He was also traveling to Geneseo today for a similar practice, message-sending picket.

"I love all my members, but you know, I'm from Batavia. I worked here for a long time. I know everybody," Pietrazykowski said. "I always keep them involved."

Photos by Howard Owens.

The Batavia Muckdogs continued their recent winning ways and padded their lead in the PGCBL Western Division by dominating their closest division rival, the Jamestown Tarp Skunks, for a 9-2 win at home on Wednesday.

Julian Pichardo, a University of Fort Lauderdale senior and in his third year with the Muckdogs, notched his 100 career strikeout in the game. 

Pichardo got the win (3-0, 1.73) by going 6 2/3 innings, allowing only one run.  

He now has K'd 103 batters in his PGCBL career.

It was also a big night for Josh Leadem. The U of R senior scored his 50th career run in the PGCBL, and with three runs scored in the game, now has 53.  He was 2-4 with two doubles and two stolen bases.

Leadem is hitting .238 on the season but has drawn 11 walks. He has 21 stolen bases, 18 runs scored, 15 hits, seven RBIs, and one of the team's two home runs.

Adam Agresti went 2-3 with a run scored, a double, and two RBIs, along with a walk. Henry Daniels went 2-2 with an RBI.

The Muckdogs are now 17-8 on the season, and the Tarp Skunks fall to 13-8.

The attendance on Wednesday was 1,844.

Tonight (Thursday), the Muckdogs travel to Geneva to face the Red Wings.  They're back home on Friday for a non-league game against Syracuse. Game time is 6:35 p.m.  On Saturday, they face Elmira at home. Game time is 6:35 p.m.

The owners of a dog that bit two people on June 22 at a residence on South Main Street in Batavia was surrendered by the owners to the Genesee County Animal Shelter, and it has been euthanized.

The attack on a home health care aide and one of its owners was unprovoked, said City Police Chief Shawn Heubusch of the Batavia Police Department.

A mail carrier walking her route that afternoon heard screams from inside the house and intervened. 

"The incident could have been much worse if not for the actions of an uninvolved postal worker that came running to help," said Heubusch in response to an inquiry about the case from The Batavian on Wednesday. "The postal worker heard screaming coming from the residence and ran over to see what was happening and witnessed the dog attacking. The postal worker was able to spray a chemical deterrent on the dog, forcing it to release its bite."

Heubusch said that both victims were treated for their injuries and released. He said both injuries were severe, but he didn't have exact details.

"The healthcare worker had been to the residence once before and, during the previous visit, had not encountered the dog," Heubusch said. "It is the policy of the healthcare worker’s company that any dog be placed into a secure area while the visit is taking place, and this was relayed to the homeowner before the healthcare worker entered the residence. The homeowner acknowledged this regulation but failed to secure the dog."

The chief said there were no prior reports of the dog, named Steve, displaying aggressive behavior.  The owners said Steve, a pitbull mix, was six years old, and they told police of no prior issues. 

"The attack was completely unprovoked as the dog immediately attacked the healthcare worker upon her entering the residence," Heubusch said. "The family did surrender the dog to the Genesee County Animal Shelter with the expectation that it would be euthanized."

Undersheriff Brad Mazur confirmed on Wednesday that the dog was euthanized.

Previously: Mail carrier hailed as hero after stopping vicious dog attack in home on South Main, Batavia

A 60-year-old Oakfield resident died in an ATV accident reported at 6:28 p.m. on Monday, according to State Police.

According to troopers, Michael D. Borkholder was driving a 2008 Cam-Am Outlander Max XT southbound on Maple Road, Town of Alabama, and failed to stop and struck the rear end of another ATV, a 2021 CF Moto ZForcce 950, that was slowing to make a turn into a driveway. 

Borkholder was ejected from his ATV. 

He was transported by Mercy Flight to Erie County Medical Center with severe injuries. He succumbed later that night.

The Batavia Muckdogs picked up their 16th win of the 2023 season on Tuesday in an Independence Day match-up in Niagara against the Power.

Tyrone Woods went 6 2/3 innings to pick up the win in the Muckdogs' 3-2 victory.  He struck out four.  The Alexander resident and GCC student is 2-1 on the season with a 2.91 ERA.

Rijnaldo Euson, who also has two wins on the season, picked up the save, his second.

The Muckdogs' offense:

• Lucas Lopez went 2-4. 
• Adam Agresti went 2-3 with a double, a walk, a run, and a stolen base
• Giuseppe Arcuri went 2-4 with two RBIs, a run scored, and a double.

With the win, the Muckdogs put another game between them and third-place Niagara (11-8) and remain a game ahead of second-place Jamestown (13-7), which is tonight's (Wednesday) opponent at Dwyer Stadium.  Game time is 6:35 p.m.

The Muckdogs are 8-1 over their last nine official league games and 10-1 overall during that span.

With flags flying and fans anticipating a post-game fireworks show, the Batavia Muckdogs took to the field Monday night for a non-league game against Erie-Buffalo and won 8-7.

Giuseppe Archuri was named Player of the Game, going 3-3 and scoring two runs.

No box score is available for the game.

Arcuri, from Allentown, N.J., has become one of the team's most productive hitters, with 21 hits, an Avg. of .309, and 13 RBI.

Adam Agresti leads the team with an average of .375. He also has 21 hits to go along with 11 RBIs.  He's eighth in the league in average. 

Matt DeStefano, of Westbury, is hitting .333 (12 hits) with seven walks. 

James Aselta is hitting .365 but doesn't have enough at-bats (22) to qualify among league leaders. Anthony Calabro has drawn 14 walks to go along with 11 RBIs with an average of .238. Infielder Lucas Lopez is hitting .300.

The next home game is Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. against the Jamestown Tarp Skunks.

Photos by Nick Serrata.

A car has reportedly hit a house at 7610 Bank Street Road, Elba.

Unknown injuries.

Elba Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 12:50 P.m.: This is now reported as a two-vehicle accident with rollover and entrapment. Town of Batavia Fire requested to the scene.

UPDATE 12:59 a.m.: Mercy Flight unavailable due to weather.

An unexpected thunderstorm at about 1 p.m. on Saturday couldn't keep the Batavia Ramble and Arts Fest from rolling on, though it did put the music on pause for about an hour.

Paul Draper, one of the festival's organizers, said the music will continue throughout the day, pausing only for more thunder if it comes back.

Bands will continue to take the stage as scheduled, Draper said, just before his band, Shotgun Pauly, started its 2:20 p.m. scheduled set about 10 minutes late, giving him and his guys only 10 minutes to perform.

"We just keep an eye on it," Draper said. "We'll pause and pick up as the weather dictates.  We can only plan so much, but at the end of the day, it all comes down to the weather."

He said plenty of people were sticking around, and the sun had come back out, so, he said, "I still think it's going to be a good day."

Photos by Howard Owens.

An abandoned house in the area of 422 Council House Road, Tonawanda Indian Reservation, is reportedly on fire.

The call reports flames and smoke showing.

Alabama Fire, Pembroke Fire, and Indian Falls Fire dispatched.

The new bridge over Tonawanda Creek on South Lyon Street in Batavia looks beautiful, and it feels sturdy, but the thing motorists will like the most, perhaps, is that it accommodates two-way traffic.

"I want to remind people that it is, in fact, two lanes," said County Highway Superintendent Tim Hens. "You don't have to wait for a left turn left at the bridge. You don't have to wait for an oncoming car, nose and nose like used to happen on the old bridge. It's two lanes. It's just normal. Just go normal."

The new $2.9 million bridge, 95 percent funded by state and federal aid, replaces a bridge that had gotten so old it was no longer serviceable. That bridge was dedicated in 1957.  There were substantial repairs in 1971, a deck replacement in 1980, a superstructure/truss replacement in 1986, and a decision to seek a replacement in 2007.

Now, in 2023, that old bridge is gone and completely replaced by a bridge that, as Hens noted, maintains the historical character of bridges that have been at the same location going back to 1910.

"I think the cool thing about this bridge is that we kind of recreated what was here with the truss," Hens said. "There was always a truss bridge here. I think everyone's pretty familiar with, obviously, making it two lanes is cool, but having the same character with the same-looking bridges, I also think is kind of neat."

The South Lyon Street Bridge opened this morning following a ribbon-cutting attended by both county and city officials.

The only real challenge in bridge construction, Hens said, was concern that crews might find historical artifacts, either Native American or related to the War of 1812.

"When Buffalo was burned to the ground by the British, a lot of the refugees and people that got displaced by (the fires) came to Batavia," Hens said. "There was like, I think, a typhoid outbreak, and they buried people in the creek bank, which is kind of an odd place to bury people. You're gonna contaminate the water, but that was years ago, and maybe they didn't know any better, but (the burial site is) somewhere here in the area of this bridge. We didn't find anything, so must not be that close."

Such a discovery could have greatly slowed the construction process.

This project was originally submitted for federal aid in 2007. The project was removed from the funding list in 2011, put back on in 2014 and delayed due to lack of funding until 2020. 

The county awarded a contract for design during COVID and then had struggles with utility relocations, property acquisitions, DEC easements along the creek bank and other minor hurdles, according to a fact sheet released by the county. 

The old bridge closed in 2021 after a DOT inspection. Construction started last fall and went through the winter, with the truss being set in late February.

Union Concrete out of West Seneca was the contractor, and Fisher Associates out of Rochester provided engineering and construction inspection.

Press release:

The Batavia Police Department is seeking public assistance in locating a runaway 16-year-old boy. 

Jesus Reyes was last seen on June 28 at approximately 3:00 a.m. in Batavia. He was last wearing a white Batavia Track t-shirt and matching shorts. 

Jesus is about 5'4" and 175 lbs with black hair and black eyes. 

It's possible that he is in the Miami, Fla. area. 

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Batavia Police Department at 585-345-6350 or the NYS Missing Persons Clearinghouse at 1-800-346-3543.

The Batavia Muckdogs ran their win streak to seven games on Thursday in an unusual fashion: A walk-off interference call.

With the score tied 3-3 in the 10th inning against Niagara Power, an umpire ruled Power's third baseman Andrew Fairbrother interfered with the Muckdog's runner, Anthony Calabro, while Calabro was advancing to third on a wild pitch. Calabro was awarded home plate and the winning run.

Garrett Beaver, who pitched the final two frames and didn't give up a hit or a run while striking out two, got the win.  Starter Julian Pichardo went six innings, giving up four hits, two runs (one earned) and striking out six.

Earlier in the evening, the Muckdogs picked up a win against Niagara by completing a game the two teams started on Tuesday, which was suspended in the bottom of the ninth.

At the time of the suspension, the Muckdogs trailed 5-4 with one out and Caleb Rodriguez at the plate on a 3-2 count. Matt DeStefano was on third base.

When the game resumed, Rodriquez singled, driving in DeStefano. 

Rashad Robinson then reached on an error, putting runners at first and second.  Rodriguez then scored the winning run on a single by Lucas Lopez.

Garrett Beaver got the win in relief. Adam Agresti went 3-3.

The Muckdogs are now 15-7 on the season and a game ahead of Jamestown (12-6) in the Western Division and two games ahead of Elmira (11-7).

Tonight (Friday), the Muckdogs are on the road for a game against Niagara Power. They return to Dwyer on Saturday to start a three-game homestand. First up, Queen City at 6:35 p.m. On Sunday, the game time is 4:05 p.m. against Elimra, and on Monday, with a 4th of July Fireworks celebration to follow, the Muckdogs play Erie Buffalo at 6:35 p.m.

At the game on Monday, be sure to visit The Batavian's booth.

Photos by Nick Serrata.

The welcome mat, in the form of entry signs into the village, will be a little brighter in Corfu beginning this summer.

After 15 years, the entry signs along the main thoroughfares into Corfu have become a bit faded, so the village board invited art students at Pembroke High School to design and paint new signs.

They wanted color, flowers, especially tulips, and a welcoming message.

That's what they got, and students involved in the project said they got to work on an exciting, meaningful project.

"It was a cool experience because we could kind of shape how things in our community look," said Kayla Reynolds, who just finished her senior year and is heading off in the fall to Roberts Wesleyan. "It was a fun project. We could be creative and try to represent our town in the best way possible."

Junior Sophie Crandall is thinking about making a career in art so the project was especially fascinating to her, she said.

"I just think it was really interesting getting to do such a big project with very little restriction," she said. "We kind of got to do whatever we wanted with those designs."

Fifteen years ago, a group of Pembroke students designed the outgoing signs, and when the village's maintenance supervisor Norm Waff noticed the signs were showing their age, he approached the village board about designing and painting a new set of signs.

Waff said he thinks the students are really talented and did a wonderful job.

"I think that it really gives the students an opportunity to get involved in activities of the village around Pembroke," Waff said.

Deputy Mayor Michael Doktor said the students were given only a little direction -- incorporate village history, which means flowers.

"Other than that, it was just really leaving it up to the kids' imagination and their creativity," Doktor said.

About tulips: In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there were five greenhouses in Corfu. The florists mainly grew tulips and the tiny village was one of the largest exporters of tulips in the nation. Changing tastes and the Great Depression led to the eventual demise of the tulip, but a couple of the greenhouses survived until just the past decade or so (both were heavily damaged by the 2009 tornado that blew through town) by growing mums.

Mayor Tom Sargent said the project both helps beautify the community as well as builds community spirit.

"This is something that keeps the kids involved in our community," Sargent said. "It's a way for them to give back. Now every time that they come into the village, even 10 years from now, the signs will still be here. They can say, 'I did that sign.'"

The fact that the students knew everybody entering the village over the next 10 or 15 years would see the signs really motivated them to do their best work, Reynolds said. 

"We really wanted it to be the best quality possible because people are gonna see it for -- we don't really know how many years -- and everyone that drives into Corfu is going to see these signs. We wanted them to be as finished and as professional looking as possible."

A motorcycle is reportedly off the road with injury at Route 33 at Snipery Road, Corfu.

Corfu Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 11:24 p.m.: Apparently, only cuts and scrapes, according to a first responder.