Stories from

Downtown merchants, through the Business Improvement District, hosted their annual Christmas in the City Parade on Saturday evening.

Photos by Philip Casper.

Alexander held a Christmas parade on Saturday afternoon.

Photos by Philip Casper.

As part of Christmas in the City on Saturday, EverPresent Church in City Centre hosted a live nativity.

Submitted photos.

Northgate Free Methodist Church in Batavia held a Vintage Christmas celebration on Friday evening.

The church will host another Vintage Christmas event from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday. 

It includes a nativity walk through the woods with live animals, food, tree lighting, s’mores roasting over an open fire, Santa and outdoor Christmas movies.

Photos by Allison Lang.

These two pooches know who to root for in tonight's big game.

Photo submitted by Paul Nichiporuk.

Tyshon L. Taylor is indicted on counts of attempted murder in the second degree, a Class B violent felony, assault in the first degree, a Class B violent felony, and criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, a Class D felony. Taylor is accused of stabbing a victim with a knife with the intent to kill the victim on Oct. 18 in the City of Batavia. Previously: Man accused of attempted murder in stabbing on Jackson Street

Adam M. Kreutz is indicted on two counts of burglary in the second degree, a Class C violent felony, a count of assault in the second degree, a Class D violent felony, assault in the third degree, a Class A misdemeanor, and attempted coercion in the first degree, a Class E felony, On Sept. 6, Kreutz allegedly twice entered a dwelling on Ellicott Street, Batavia, with the intent to commit a crime. He allegedly caused injury to a person using steel-toed boots. He allegedly told the victim he needed to vacate the apartment that was the victim's legal residence. 

Christian I. Andrzejek is indicted on counts of burglary in the third degree, a Class D felony, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, a Class A misdemeanor, and petit larceny. Andrzejek is accused of entering a shed on Washington Avenue, Batavia, on Sept. 6 with the intent to commit a crime inside the shed. He is accused of possessing methamphetamine on Sept. 6. He is accused of stealing clothes on Sept. 6.

Tammy L. Cicatello is indicted on a count of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, a Class D felony. Cicatello is accused of possessing a firearm on July 30 in the City of Batavia.

Chaz T. Brandon, Jr., is indicted on counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a Class B felony, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fourth degree, a Class C felony, and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, a Class A misdemeanor. On Aug. 11, 2020, while in the Town of Bergen, Brandon was allegedly found in possession of 67 red plastic containers, each containing cocaine, with the intent to sell it. The aggregate weight was allegedly more than one-eight of an ounce. He is also accused of possessing Oxycodone.

Rolling Hills Asylum in Bethany, which operates now as a ghost tour venue, has been awarded a $50,000 grant to fund roof repair and replacement of the east wing of the main building and the ice/dairy house’s roof.

The asylum was constructed in 1827 and was once a county-owned building.

According to an announcement from the NYS Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Department, "The site has been determined to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. The owner intends to rehabilitate the property and turn the buildings into an inn/restaurant while continuing to capitalize on its paranormal reputation."

The grant is part of $470,000 in federal grants and local matching funds in rural WNY announced this week by the agency.

From the press release:

Made under the Genesee Valley Rural Revitalization Grant Program (GVRR), this second round of funding will support such projects as structural repairs and restoration work of historic commercial buildings, ADA compliance upgrades to public spaces, and window improvements for a creative arts center. The first round of grants was announced in September 2021 and included over $300,000 to five awardees.

"These business owners, nonprofits, and local government units are deeply connected to the economic health of their rural communities, and all have historic assets that need support,” said Erik Kulleseid, Commissioner of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. “We are thrilled that these projects aim to increase accessibility and sustainability through preservation efforts and welcome the opportunity to demonstrate that investments in local historic resources can have a powerful impact for New York’s rural communities.”

GVRR is supported by a $750,000 award made to the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) through the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Fund as administered by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Another $43,250 in matching funds were provided by the Rochester Area Community Foundation, Letchworth Gateway Villages, and the Landmark Society of Western New York. 

“The Landmark Society is thrilled to be assisting OPRHP in administering this grant program. We are currently working with Round 1 awardees and seeing the impact this funding has on their ability to complete important preservation, restoration, and repair work and are looking forward to starting the projects awarded in Round 2,” said Wayne Goodman, Executive Director of the Landmark Society of Western New York, which is co-administering the GVRR program. “This grant program has shed light on the need for this type of funding in our rural communities around the Genesee Valley.”

Beth Ann Jeffres, 40, no permanent address, is charged with criminal possession of a narcotic drug, two counts of criminal possession of a narcotic drug with intent to sell, promoting prison contraband 1st, and criminal possession of a controlled substance. Jeffres is accused of entering the Genesee County Jail in possession of narcotic drugs. She was ordered held on cash bail.

Giuseppa G. Flannaca, 33, of Orleans Avenue, Batavia, is charged with grand larceny 3rd. Flannaca is accused of stealing more than $3,000 in merchandise from The Home Depot between Aug. 1 and Oct. 12. Flannaca was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court and released on her own recognizance.

Summer Rose Sewar, 29, of Sunset Parkway, Oakfield, is charged with driving while ability paired by drugs. Sewar was arrested on Nov. 23. She was stopped at 11:42 p.m. on Aug. 24 on Judge Road in Alabama by Deputy Mason Schultz after deputies responded to a "check the welfare" call. Sewar was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released on an appearance ticket.

The lights are up, the air is crisp, and it's time for Santa to make his rounds to hear from all the good little boys and girls about what they want for Christmas.

One of Santa's stops again this year is at 150 State St., Batavia, the home of Angelina Pellegrino.

Santa will be at Pellegrino's house from 5 to 7 p.m. on Dec. 9 and 10.

"Santa and Mrs. Claus will be outside our home in front of the light display, ready to meet and take photos with the children," Pellegrino said. "We will use the parents' phones to take the photos so they may also participate and be in the photo as well! Also, we will have doughnuts and hot cocoa available for purchase."

Photo: File photo by Howard Owens

About 400 National Grid customers in Genesee County are without power due to weather-related outages.

The largest outage is in Darien with 310 customers without power.

There is an outage along Beckwith Road in Batavia, one in Basom and one in East Oakfield, along with outages that affect five or fewer customers in East Bethany, and Batavia.

East Pembroke was dispatched to Beckwith Road on wires.  National Grid is on scene.

Earlier, Alexander Fire was dispatched to Halstead Road for a wire down and a field on fire.

Batavia United got its season off to a fast start on Tuesday, scoring three goals in the first period on its way to a 6-1 win over the WFL-Geneva Panthers.

The first goal came at 2:02 on a power play with Jameson Motyka and Brady Johnson feeding  Cooper Hamilton.

Later in the quarter, both Motyka and Ronin Hofmaster would score with assists from Hamilton and Jake Hutchins.

Brady Johnson, Motyka assist, scored in the second period.

Motyka scored on another power play in the third period with assists from Hofmaster and Johnson. 

The Panthers scored their lone goal at 7:34 in the third period and Hofmaster capped off the scoring at 12:06 with an assist from Hutchins.

Goalie Thys Tanner blocked 15 of the 16 shots sent his way.

“All in all, not a bad effort from the squad," said Head Coach Marc Staley. "It’s early in the season, so we are trying to gel as a team and get everybody on the same page. Not sure we have found our identity yet.  We’ve only had 10 practices together due to the storm, and the Thanksgiving holiday. And only two times did we have all of our players on the ice together.   We will learn from this game and get better.  We have a rather large test in front of us this weekend with back-to-back games against Starpoint, and Hamburg, two very strong Section VI teams.  We’re jumping right into the deep end.”

United plays Starpoint at the Northtowne Center in Buffalo on Friday at 5:30pm.  The team faces Hamburg at home at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

Submitted photo.

Cardenas Modesto Otoniel Domingo, 29, of Pearl Street, Batavia, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Domingo was stopped on Nov. 24 at 11:47 p.m. on Pearl Street in Batavia by Deputy James Stack as part of an investigation into a disturbance reported earlier in Elba.  Domingo was issued an appearance ticket.

Tara Lyn Hall-Dilaura, 44, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th, tampering with physical evidence, and insufficient turn signal.  Hall-Dilaura was stopped on Nov. 24 at 9:05 p.m. on Clinton Street Road, Batavia, by Deputy Mason Schultz. Hall-Dilaura is accused of hiding a controlled substance on her person while deputies conducted a traffic stop.  She was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released on an appearance ticket.

Brian t. Stachewicz, 27, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon 3rd and DWI.  Stachewicz was stopped by State Police on Nov. 25 at 10:03 p.m. in the Town of Barre. He was allegedly found in possession of an illegal rifle. He was released on an appearance ticket. No other details released.

Allyson P. Lawrence, 28, of Batavia, is charged with bail jumping 3rd. Lawrence was arrested by State Police on Nov 26 at 12:50 a.m. in the Town of Batavia. She was released to a third party.  No further details released.

Nicholas S. Goodell, 25, of Le Roy, is charged with petit larceny. Goodell is accused of stealing in the Town of Batavia (location not released) on Nov. 22 at 2:41 p.m. and was arrested by State Police. He was released on an appearance ticket.

It's been more than a year since Devon Wright entered a guilty plea to weapons charges, among other crimes, but he has finally been sentenced to prison for his crimes.

Wright was released from custody after his guilty plea in November 2021 so he could be present at the birth of his first child.

Then he disappeared and evaded capture for several months.  

He then wanted to withdraw his plea and he asked for a new attorney.

Wright got the new attorney.  And then last week, he withdrew his request to withdraw his guilty plea and was sentenced to 24 years in prison.

Judge Melissa Cianfrini sentenced him to: 

• 12 years plus five years parole on his attempted assault in the first-degree conviction;
• Seven years, the maximum, on the criminal sexual act in the third degree with 10 years on parole;
• 10 years on attempted criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree; and,
• 364 days jail term on his assault in the third-degree conviction, which by law merges with the above sentences.

Because Wright failed to appear for his prior scheduled sentencing date in 2021, Wright lost the benefits of his prior plea deal and Cianfrini ordered the prison terms be run consecutively, putting Wright in prison for a determinate sentence of 24 years with 10 years following on parole.

District Attorney Kevin Finnell recommended a sentence of 20 to 29 years (29 years being the maximum consecutive sentence available under the law).

Fred Rarick, Wright's new attorney, argued that while Wright failed to appear as ordered for sentencing previously, he did avoid getting arrested on new charges since his conviction, so he should be given the benefit of his prior plea agreement.

If the agreement had stood, the sentence cap would have been 10 years in prison.

Cianfrini said that Wright's pre-sentence investigation report did not look good for him. She also said his crimes were violent and that Wright's regard for human life was non-existent. 

For prior coverage of Wright, click here.

The elevator at the Woodward Memorial Library in Le Roy is out of service, and the school district is expecting some costly repairs.

While the library operates on its own budget, the district owns the library building and is responsible for its maintenance.

Superintendent Merritt Holly gave the Board of Education a heads up at this past week's meeting and will come back at a future meeting with details on cost.

"Obviously, we will be out of compliance with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) if we don't do it," Holly said.

District Finance Director Brian Foeller explained that because the elevator is seldom used, the oil in the hydraulic system dries out.  If the elevator were used 100 times a day, everything would stay well lubricated, but with dry oil, metal rubs against metal and then shavings begin to impede movement.

The current elevator was installed in 1995 and is inspected annually -- also a significant expense -- but it hasn't been fully serviced before.

"So it comes down to -- we have to evaluate what's the most efficient way to get this done without having more issues with it but also knowing what the full cost is," Holly said.

The Le Roy Girls Volleyball team was honored at this past week's Le Roy Central School District board meeting for the team's Section V Class C championship.

It's the ninth straight year under Coach Sue Staba that the team has made the finals.

The Knights were 22-2 on the season.

Their second loss came in the Far West Regional Championship against Portville.

 "We can't seem to get past Portville," Staba said. "But it was definitely a huge accomplishment making it."

Staba was named the Class C coach of the year for Girls Volleyball, but she gave all the credit to her team.

"The bond that they have, the friendship they have, was -- I've coached 16 years, and it's definitely one of the best, if not the best, team that I had the privilege of coaching with their maturity, their friendship, the things they did with each other off the court," Staba said. "I mean, they're all together all the time, which I think made them play so much better on the court." 

The school's outstanding Cross Country runners also received certificates of recognition, including Aiden Soggs (pictured below).

Soggs finished in the Top 10 at sectionals for the third straight year. He's won four Cross Country patches, three individual and one team patch. He finished first in five regular season meets.

Also recognized was Charlotte Blake, who couldn't attend the meeting. She finished third in sectionals. It is her fourth consecutive Top 3 finish and the first girl in school history to win four Cross Country patches, and the second runner overall to achieve that feat.  She's the second girl in school history to win a Genesee Region championship.

Photos by Howard Owens.

A raid at 126 State St., Batavia, has led to the arrest of three people on drug-related charges, with one of the suspects accused of dealing narcotics.

Kenneth J. Campbell, 34, of Oak Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd and criminal possession of a weapon 3rd.

Also charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th are Joanna F. Larnder, 29, of Summit Street, Batavia, and Andre W. Taylor, 35, of Main Street, Albion.

Campbell was arraigned in City Court and ordered held without bail. Larnder and Taylor were released on appearance tickets.

The raid on Nov. 22 by the Emergency Response Team was in response to a warrant obtained by the Local Drug Task Force following an investigation into the sale of narcotics in Batavia.

Assisting were Batavia PD, the Sheriff's Office, City Fire, Mercy EMS, and the District Attorney's Office.

Jamie S. Schlonski, 50, of Old Meadow Lane, Batavia, is charged with grand larceny 4th, criminal possession of stolen property 4th, and three counts of falsifying business records 1st. Schlonski is accused of stealing more than $1,000 in merchandise from Dick's Sporting Goods and pawning it at Pawn Kings, which required completing paperwork for the transaction. Schlonski was issued an appearance ticket. 

Lisa Marlene Durham, no age provided, no residence provided, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Durham was allegedly found in possession of fentanyl at 12:27 a.m. on June 9 at a location on East Main Street, Batavia. She was arrested on Nov. 20 and issued an appearance ticket.

Kervin John Jonathan, 28, of Council House Road, Tonawanda Indian Reservation, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Jonathan is accused of violating an order of protection by being at the home of a protected party at 2:14 p.m. Nov. 17. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Andrew J. Duckworth, 43, of Liberty Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance (degree not listed in press release) and criminal use of drug paraphernalia 2nd. Duckworth was arrested at 10:22 p.m. Nov. 9, by Deputy Mason Schultz at a location on Liberty Street, Batavia.  Details of the arrest were not released. he was released on an appearance ticket.

Robert P. Grimm, Jr., 56, of Batavia, is charged with aggravated DWI and other vehicle and traffic infractions. Grimm was stopped on Nov. 24 in the Town of Batavia by State Police. He allegedly failed a field sobriety test and State Police report his BAC was .18. He was issued an appearance ticket.

 Michelle S. Froebel, 44, of Alexander, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Froebel was arrested by State Police following a traffic stop by Warsaw Police on Genesee Street in the Village of Warsaw. She was allegedly found in possession of cocaine. She was processed at SP Warsaw and released on an appearance ticket.

The Pembroke Dragons beat Groton on Friday afternoon 38-18 at Union Ellicott HS near Binghamton to become the 2022 state champions in eight-man football.

Behind the blocking of JJ Gabbey, Octavius Martin, Jayden Mast, Madden Perry, Ben Steinberg, Chase Guzdek and Caleb Felski, Tyson Totten rushed 29 times for 276 yards and three touchdowns.

Cayden Pfazler added a rushing TD as well and a 24-yard pass to Chase Guzdek for another score.

Octavius Martin had 8 tackles, Caleb Felski had 10, Jeremy Gabbey Jr. had 12, and Chase Guzdek led the way with 14.

Coach Brandon Ricci said, "The team would like to thank Superintendent Matthew Calderon, the Board of Education, district administration, the Pembroke Teachers Federation, who led fundraising efforts, the local fire and police who provided home escorts and, of course, the fans and families who showed unconditional support all season. The Dragons are honored to represent Section V as the number one eight-man Team in New York State!"

Submitted photos.

A Great Dane enjoyed the sunshine through a sunroof Saturday while stopping at Main and Jefferson in Batavia.

Photo submitted by Lynn Bezon.