Le Roy

Press release:

It’s the season of giving, and Woodward Memorial Library in Le Roy is doing its part by holding a Holiday Book Drive!

All donated books will benefit the Le Roy Pantry and Help Fund’s Holiday Partnership.

You can participate by bringing new (or gently used) children’s books to the Library from now until Nov. 30.

Need some ideas? You may visit our Giving Tree in the Children’s Room for suggestions on the types of books you can purchase to donate.

All who donate will have their name added to a leaf on our Giving Tree!

Callie McCulley, a former standout with Notre Dame in her high school basketball career, helped the University of Rochester to its second straight Chuck Resler Tournament Championship with a 55-44 win over #21 ranked Messiah University.

McCulley was named the tournament MVP after Saturday's win. On Friday, she set a school record for blocked shots in a game. 

After the first two games of her senior season, McCulley is averaging 9.5 points per game and 10.5 rebounds.

Her former ND Coach Tom McCulley said McCulley, from Le Roy, "has really been grinding to be a top player.  She was an Academic All-American last year."  He said UofR has a good shot at winning a berth in the NCAA Tournament this season.

For more on UofR's tournament win, click here.

Photo: File photo by Howard Owens from 2018. 

The closure of Sweet Betty's in Le Roy has opened up an opportunity for a pair of businessmen looking to bring back a family-style restaurant into the ground-floor space and convert the empty 4,500 square feet on the upper floors into market-rate apartments.

Dustin Beardsley, representing himself and his partner, Gabe Dean, presented the plan to the Genesee County Planning Board on Thursday night as part of the process to obtain a special use permit for the apartments.

Beardsley, who is from the Stafford/East Bethany area, and Dean, who lives out of state, already own a 10-unit apartment complex for college students in Brockport and see Le Roy as a great place to do business.

"We came across the space and thought it was a nice, interesting location in a great locale," Beardsley said. "Le Roy is a great location, kind of like a smaller booming little city. We're hopeful everything passes and then we can be part of that."

Sweet Betty's closed last month and the sale of the property by Gabrielle Keister to Beardsley and Dean is contingent on the partners obtaining the special use permit for the apartments.

Beardsley is a commercial contractor.

In the application for the project, Dean called the 4,500 square feet of space on the upper floors "a blank canvas."  

The plan is to construct three two-bedroom and one one-bedroom higher-end apartments.

"We have studied the market demand in the area; it is extremely high," Dean wrote. "We also own other rental properties in the local region and understand the need for housing. We feel this would be a great opportunity to provide four living spaces right in the heart of Le Roy on Main Street and in the commercial district, adding to the local economy."

Beardsley said they will seek a qualified operator for the restaurant space but are open to operating the restaurant themselves if necessary.

"Sweet Betty's was a nice spot for families," Beardsley said. "All of the families could go in there, bring their kids, it wasn't overly expensive and nobody has to dress up, so that's really our intention, to keep something along those lines."

With the county planning board's recommended approval in hand, the Le Roy Planning Board is expected to consider the application on Nov. 15.

Pavilion, Notre Dame, and Le Roy are all Section champions, having won their respective finals matches in Girls Volleyball.

Pavilion beat Cuba-Rushford three games to one for the Class D2 crown, and Notre Dame beat Charles Finney three games to two to win in Class D3.

The Class D wins sets up a consolidation game between Pavilion and Notre Dame on Tuesday at a location to be determined.

Le Roy beat East Rochester three games to two for the C2 championship. Le Roy will play Midlakes in a Class C consolidation game on Tuesday, location to be determined.

East Rochester/Gananda upset #1 seed Le Roy in the Section V Class C semifinal on Friday, 22-21.

Scoring Summary:

• East Rochester/Gananda, Cadearrell Sneed 8 yd run (run failed)
• Le Roy, Tony Piazza 26 yd run (Andrew Pocock kick)
• East Rochester/Gananda, Caddearrell Sneed 2 yd run (Sneed run)
• Le Roy, Drew Strollo 1 yd run (Andrew Pocock kick)
• Le Roy, Jackson Fix 3 yd run (Andrew Pocock kick)
• East Rochester/Gananda, Brayden Bohse 1 yd run (Sneed run)

Jackson Fix ran for 96 yards and a TD on 20 carries. Tony Piazza.  10 rushes for 67 yards and a Td. Drew Strollo, 40 yards on the ground on nine attempts, and he scored a TD. 

On defense, Ryan Higgins eight tackles and a sack. Jack Tonzi had six tackles and Emmanuel Fisher five and a sack.

Photos by Ed Henry.

Top photo: Le Roy’s Xavien Walker latches on to the ER-G quarterback.

Le Roy defense swarms the ER-G back.

 Tony Piazza rushing hard for good yardage.

 Jackson Fix on the move.

Jack Tonzi ends an ER-G rush.

Ayden Riggi prepares for the battles in the trenches.

Ryan Murphy storming in to sack the ER-G quarterback.

Drew Strollo hanging on to slow the ER-G back. 

The American Warrior Festival has been involved for some time in providing military-level physical training to potential recruits, and at a recent event at BeyonDriven in Le Roy, organization produced this video.

The mentorship training program helps individuals qualify for military physical fitness standards.

Director Dan Clor said that "the U.S. military is experiencing the greatest volunteer shortage in recent history," and the program, he said, "helps youth improve overall academically and physically with the goal of entering the U.S. military."

For more information, click here.

A large tree is reported down in the roadway with multiple wires down in the area of 7146 Randall Road, Le Roy.

Le Roy Fire dispatched.

UPDATE 10:51 a.m.: Fire police requested to shut down West Bergen Road and Randall Road.

UPDATE 10:56 a.m.: Bergen requested to the scene mutual aid.

The Le Roy Business Council sponsored a Small Business Trick or Treat on Saturday in the Village.

Twenty-one businesses participated.

Submitted photos.

The Oatkan Knights edged out Bath/Haverling in their sectional playoff match-up on Friday in Le Roy, 28-20.

Jackson Fix gained 141 yards on the ground in 20 rushes, scoring once. Tony Piazza added another 112 yards on 11 carries and scored twice. Drew Strollo scored on one of his 12 runs in which he gained 52 yards. 

Connor Hegeman led the defense with eight tackles.  Tony Piazza, Jack Tonzi, and Maverick Cole had five each.  Tonzi also recorded a sack.

Photo by Ed Henry. Top photo:  Knights are led onto the field by senior Ryan Murphy (75). 

Tony Piazza (far right) gives the Bath RB a lift. 

Piazza putting the pressure on the Rams’ QB. 

Antonio Martinez (17) puts an end to this run.

Jackson Fix (5) leaving the Rams behind. 

Jack Tonzi (33) gives the Bath QB nowhere to go in the backfield. 

The Bath RB has a line of Knights to deal with. 

 LeRoy O-line providing a wall of push for QB Drew Strollo (far right). 

Students at Le Roy Schools are getting broad exposure to STEAM skills and trades (science, technology, engineering, arts and math), STEAM teacher Luke Weaver told the Board of Education on Tuesday during a meeting.

Rube Goldberg Machines, computer coding, food sciences, robotics and drones, and environmental sciences are all getting covered with one class or another, Weaver said.

Superintendent Merritt Holly emphasized what Weaver illustrated during his introduction of Weaver to the board.

"We offer STEAM Club," Holly said. "We offer things in the library. We offer things in the summer. The kids have a ton of opportunities, so there's no like, I'll try this and then I don't care about it again for another year. It's a really a continuing program, which I think is really powerful."

Currently, 10th, 11th, and 12th graders are working on Rube Goldberg Machines and they're excited by the projects, he said.

For those who might not be familiar with a Rube Goldberg Machine, Weaver explained that it is an "unbelievably complicated machine to do an unbelievably simple task. So you would build something with pulleys, levers, catapults, dominoes knocking each other over to do something you could easily do by yourself."

(For an entertaining example of a Rube Goldberg Machine, see the music video below.)

He said when he first introduced the concept to students, they looked at him like he was crazy.

"They went from that mindset to kids coming in in the morning, before homeroom, coming in and start working because they want that extra half hour to work on their project, which is just awesome."

There are 46 students currently enrolled in a coding class. They're starting with blocks of code that fit together to make a working program.

"I've got two kids who are already done," Weaver said. "That is fascinating to me, to see kids who've never done this before, pick this up and be so cohesive going through the process."

The block program will move the students into coding languages commonly used in the business world, such as Python and C++, Weaver said.

The programming experience also moves the students into working in robotics and with drones.

Already this year the school has held a Manufacturing Day, which included a field trip to visit Orcon, Bonduelle, and U.S. Gypsum.

"The kids had an opportunity to see different careers and how many different types of jobs that can happen in one place, which I think is mind-blowing," Weaver said. "I mean, you had electrical engineers, you had manufacturing people, you had artists, anything you could think of at all of these different plants."

The stop at Bonduelle in Oakfield was interesting because spinach was being delivered from a farm owned by one of the student's father.

"So we got to like watch that and see how they go through that whole freeze-drying process and things like that," Weaver said.

An area of expansion for the program that Weaver is working on is aquaponics, he said. 

"Aquaponics is basically a huge fish tank that is fully cyclical," Weaver said. "The plants provide the nutrients for the fish and the fish provide nutrients for the plants. You don't have to clean the fish tank. You can grow vegetables, or fruit and grow flowers. They actually have huge systems where people grow or raise tilapia and actually have harvestable fish. We're going to take baby steps and start with a goldfish that are at my house, bring those in. But we're just trying to pull in other kids that might not have that engineering mindset, they might not only want to be tech-savvy, but they might like some natural science stuff."

Weaver also went through some of the entry-level STEAM projects being introduced at Wolcott Street School.

 "It's fun," Weaver said. "I love this stuff. I love seeing their faces just confused and excited at the same time. That's exactly what you're looking for."

Photo: Luke Weaver. Photo by Howard Owens.

The musical will hit the stage in March.

Video via Le Roy Central School District. 

Isaiah Lorenzo Poole, 22, of South Clinton Street, Albion, is charged with 16 counts of possession of a forged instrument and criminal contempt 2nd. Poole allegedly possessed 16 counterfeit $100 bills at 4:45 p.m., Oct. 23, at the Crosby's in Elba. He also is accused of violating an order of protection. 

Breanna Michelle Cragg, 29, of Richmond Avenue, Buffalo, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Cragg was charged following a roadside check at 1:19 a.m., Oct. 23, on Route 33, Stafford, by Sgt. Mathew Clor and Deputy Nicholas Chamoun. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Johnnie M. Waston, 39, of Dodge Street, Rochester, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child and harassment 2nd. Waston is accused of being involved in a disturbance reported at 7:04 a.m., Oct. 21, at a residence on Shady Lane, Batavia. He was arraigned in Town of Stafford Court and released.

Kevin P. Kage, 35, of West Avenue, Medina, is charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance 5th and criminal possession of a controlled substance 5th. Kage is accused of selling methamphetamine to an agent of the Local Drug Task Force in Batavia on two separate occasions. He was arrested on a warrant stemming from a sealed indictment and jailed pending arraignment in County Court. He was arraigned on Oct. 20 and released.

Connie Rae Todd, 51, of Slayton Sett Road, Gasport, is charged with DWI and speeding. Todd was stopped at 1:12 a.m., Oct. 26, on Lewiston Road, Batavia, by Sgt. Mathew Clor. She was released on an appearance ticket.

Margareta Tamasi, 75, of Le Roy, is charged with unlawful dealing with a child/alcohol. Tamasi was arrested by State Police on Oct.  24 in the Town of Batavia in relation to an incident reported at 7:04 p.m. on Oct. 21 in Le Roy. She was released on an appearance ticket. No further information released.

The Le Roy Oatkan Knights shut down Letchworth/Warsaw/Perry in football on Friday, 21-0.

Tony Piazza scored all three of Le Roy's touchdowns on runs of 36 yards, three yards, and six yards, leading to three successful point after attempts by Andrew Pocock.

Piazza finished with 102 yards rushing on 13 carries.

Drew Strollo gained 87 yards on 22 carries.  Strollo was 3-4 passing for 31 yards.

Piazza also led the way on defense with nine tackles and a sack.

Photos by Ed Henry.  Top photo: Le Roy’s Bryce Lathan drops another kickoff returner.

Tony Piazza posted three TDs to power the Le Roy offense.

LeRoy’s Jack Lathan (51) contests a Let-Saw-Perry pass.

Tony Piazza drops the L-S-P QB.

Le Roy speedster Maverick Cook.

Drew Strollo spots his receiver downfield.

Jackson Fix cuts back on this run.

Manny Fisher breaks free.

Keegan Park (72) and his teammates halt this run. 

A 17-year-old resident of Wolcott was charged with grand larceny 3rd and unauthorized use of a vehicle. At 12:38 a.m. Oct. 15, Le Roy police officers received a report of a stolen vehicle on Selden Road, Le Roy. Officers were able to track the location of the vehicle using its OnStar system. A short time later, the 2020 Chevy Silverado was located in the Town of Cheektowaga and was reportedly occupied by the 17-year-old.  He was arrested by Cheektowaga PD and turned over to Le Roy PD. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Joseph T. Martino, 30, no permanent address, is charged with four counts of petit larceny. At 1:37 p.m. Oct. 8, Martino allegedly stole merchandise from a local business on East Main Street, Batavia. He is also accused of shoplifting three separate times from two businesses on Jackson Street, Batavia on Oct. 2. He was issued an appearance ticket on all arrests.

Aaron T. Hendershot, 26, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Hendershot is accused of violating an order of protection by being at the home of the protected party at 1:39 p.m. Oct. 10 on Ellsworth Avenue, Batavia.  He was issued an appearance ticket.

Marcella F. Greene, 38, of Bliss, is charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle. Greene was arrested on a warrant issued in connection with an incident reported at 3 p.m. April 23 on East Main Street, Batavia. He was arraigned in City Court and ordered held on bail and ordered to appear again on Oct. 27 appearance.

Tammy L. Cicatello, 52, of Batavia, is charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs, leaving the scene of a property damage accident, and following too close. Cicatello was allegedly involved in a property damage accident at 9:55 a.m. Sept. 1, on Oak Street. She was arrested on Oct. 6 by Batavia PD. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Christine M. Caplis, 42, of Batavia, was arrested on a bench warrant. She was arraigned in City Court and ordered held on $5,000 bail, $7,500 bond, or $10,000 partially secured bond.  No information released on the nature of the warrant. 

(name redacted upon request), 32, of xxxx, xxxx, xxxx. xxxx is charged with DWI, obstruction of governmental administration, failure to dim lights, drinking alcohol or using cannabis in a motor vehicle on a highway, and unregistered vehicle. xxxxx was stopped at 10 p.m. Oct. 6, on Route 20 in Darien by Deputy Alexandar Hadsall. He was ordered to return to Darien Town Court at 1 p.m. Oct. 20.

Seth Alan Wilt, 18, of Richley Road, Corfu, is charged with grand larceny 4th and petit larceny. Wilt is accused of stealing more than $1,000 worth of merchandise from his employer at 8363 Lewiston Road, Batavia (the former Kmart location) and of stealing $724.45 in merchandise from the same location. The thefts were reported at noon on Sept. 1. He was arrested on Oct. 12 by deputies Mason Schultz and Nicholas Charmoun. He was released on an appearance ticket. 

James Preedom, 38, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 1st, harassment 2nd, and endangering the welfare of a child. On Oct. 14, State Police responded to a report of a disturbance at a residence in the Town of Batavia and arrested Preedom as a result. He was released under supervision.

Justin Cowell, 40, of Batavia, is charged with four counts of criminal contempt 2nd, acting in a manner injurious to a child, unlawful dealing with a child, and selling tobacco to a minor. Cowell was arrested by State Police on Oct. 20 in connection with an incident reported at 2:08 p.m. Oct. 3 in the Town of Batavia. He was ordered held in jail. No further information was released.

Charles L. Dockstader, 76, of Basom, is charged with two counts of course of sexual conduct with a child less than 11 years old. Dockstader was arrested by State Police on Oct. 19 in connection with an incident reported at 12:02 p.m. Oct. 12 in the Town of Alabama.  He was ordered held on bail. No further information released.

Earl B. Benson, 34, of Byron, is charged with DWI. Benson was stopped at 10:17 p.m. Oct. 18 in the Town of Byron by State Police. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Keona R. Thomas, 33, of Stafford, is charged with DWI.  Thomas was stopped at 2:22 a.m. Oct. 16 in the Town of Stafford by State Police. Thomas was released on an appearance ticket.

Le Roy shut out Hornell on Friday night in Hornell, 33-0.

Adrian Stephens was 3-8 passing for 51 yards and a TD.

The TD was a 17-yard connection to Merritt Holly, Jr.

Jackson Fix was 1-4 passing for 21 yards, hitting Cal Koukides for a touchdown.

Emmanuel Fisher gained 90 yards on five carries and scored a TD.

Fix rushed 16 times for 54 yards and a TD.

Stephens, 47 yards on nine carries, also scoring a TD.

Photos by Ed Henry.

Top photo: Connor Hegeman displays perfect tackling technique. 

Ryan Higgins’ pressure led to an incomplete pass.

Le Roy center Holden Sullivan taking on multiple linemen. 

Le Roy’s Merritt Holly pulls in a TD pass for the Knights. 

Mav Cook (left) and Cal Koukides double-team on defense. 

Le Roy’s Bryce Lathan smothers the Hornell QB. 

Xavien Walker (left) congratulates Manny Fisher on his 84-yard TD run.

Many businesses have found it hard recently to staff their operations, and now one restaurant's inability to find a cook has forced it to close its doors.

Sweet Betty's owner Gabrielle (Gabby) Keister said her restaurant is closing because of kitchen staffing issues.

"We’ve been looking for a cook for over a year, part-time or full-time," Keister said. "We are done trying to beg people to work."

Restaurants across the nation have been struggling with staffing since the shutdown at the start of the pandemic. The National Restaurant Association estimates nearly a million workers have left the industry.

The Department of Labor has not yet released September's unemployment rate, but in August it was 3.0 percent in Genesee County with only 900 people considered unemployed.  

Genesee County's unemployment rate has remained below 4.0 percent since September 2021.

Sweet Betty's opened in 2020 at 15 Main St., Le Roy, during the pandemic.

In a social media post, Keister said, "Who would have thought we’d make it through, and so successfully? It was because of your (customers) continuous patronage that this was possible."

For those who have gift certificates, she said, customers can stop by on Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. with gift cards for a refund or to buy hard ice cream -- 25 flavors to choose from.

She said Sweet Betty's will participate in the Winterfest on Dec. 3.

"We will have Santa and Mrs. Claus and the second annual “Maddie Master’s Pay it Forward” one-mile walk, as well as luminaries and a walk to the tree-lighting.

"Thank you for making the past two years a lot of fun," she told customers. "We will always remember all who supported us during our venture!"

Previously: From burgers to cheesecake, new Le Roy restaurant is a sweet addition

Photo: File photo by Howard Owens of Gabby Keister, her husband Scott Keister, and their son Scott (on left).

Press release:

Katy Stone Annual Memorial Blood Drive
LeRoy American Legion, 53 West Main St., LeRoy  
Thursday, October 20 from noon to 7 p.m.

Please remember Mrs. Stone by contributing at the annual Red Cross blood drive in her memory. A lifetime LeRoyan who was devoted to her community, Katy attended St. Peter’s School and then LeRoy Central Schools.  She then worked for many years as a deputy clerk/treasurer for the Village of LeRoy. She served on many advisory boards which included LeRoy Little League, LeRoy youth football, CYFL football, American Red Cross, Genesee County United Way, Triad, and Marshall Fund. 

She also served in various capacities with the Botts Forito American Legion Post 1956, Girls State, Genesee County American Legion Auxiliary, Genesee County Red Cross, LeRoy Village Green Nursing Home, Office of the Aging, LeRoy-Stafford Senior Citizens and volunteered many hours at the V.A. Hospital in Batavia. 

She was selected as LeRoyan of the Year in 1975, Genesee County Woman of the Year in 1984 and received the St. Jerome Health and Humanitarian Award in 1993.

Drew Strollo helped Le Roy to four scores on four early possession on Friday night to help the Oatkan Knights to a 53-14 win over Vertus Charter.

Strollo scored hit Jack Tonzi on a 34-yard TD pass, ran four two yards to score, hit Tonzi again on a 33-yard pass, and ran for a three-yard touchdown.

The score was 27-8 at the half. 

In the second half, Tony Piazza scored on runs of 24 yards and one yard. Jackson Fix scored on a run of 30 yards and Simeon Fisher ran the ball in from 13-yards out.

Strollo was 2-5 passing for 67 yards.  He ran for 141 yards on 17 attempts. Jackson fixed gained 86 yards on ten carries and Piazza rushed for 66 yards on 10 carries.

Bryce Lathan had six tackles. Ryan Higgins had a QB sack and three tackles.

Photos by Ed Henry.  Top photo: Xavien Walker, Tony Piazza, and Jackson Fix halt the Vertus running back.

Cal Koukides (24) celebrates (33) Jack Tonzi’s touchdown reception.

Bryce Lathan (42) is a terror on the LeRoy kickoff team.

LeRoy’s Andrew Pocock (40) boots another successful PAT kick.

LeRoy’s Keegan Park drops the Vertus RB in the backfield.

 LeRoy’s Manny Fisher disrupts the Vertus pass attempt.

LeRoy’s Ayden Riggi provides a block for teammate Cal Koukides (24).

LeRoy’s Drew Strollo avoids a would-be tackler.

Drew Strollo (34) celebrates (5) Jackson Fix’s TD run. 

Daniel Lee Goodell, 41, of South Volutia Street, Wichita, Kan., is charged with sex abuse 1st. Goodell was arrested by the Sherriff's Office on a warrant in Kansas and returned to New York. He is accused of sexually abusing children less than 11 years old in 2009 and 2010 in Alexander.  He was arraigned in Town of Alexander Court and ordered held without bail. Goodell was also arrested by State Police and charged with 12 counts of Sexual Abuse 1st, 12 counts of endangering the welfare of a child, and one count of sexual conduct with a child. The State Police alleged that between 2019 and 2021, Goodell abused children less than 14 years old on multiple occasions. Goodell moved from New York before the criminal investigation was opened, according to State Police. Goodell was extradited from Kansas on Sept. 30.  On the State Police charges, he was arraigned in Town of Alexander Court and ordered held on $30,000 bail or $60,000 bond.

Delonta R. Curry, 21, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon on school grounds and criminal possession of a weapon. Curry is accused of possessing a weapon on school grounds on Feb. 13 at 8:26 p.m. on Washington Avenue. He was arrested on a warrant on Sept. 24, arraigned in City Court, and ordered held on bail.

Shawn R. Wisniewski, 33, of Medina, is charged with petit larceny. Wisniewski is accused of stealing from a business on Jackson Street on Sept. 20 at 10:36 a.m. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Chazmar T. Walters, 29, of Le Roy, was arrested on a warrant on Aug. 15. The nature of the warrant was not released. Walters was released and ordered to appear in City Court at a later date.

Daniel T. Henning, 42, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property 5th. Henning is accused of possessing stolen property while on Veterans Memorial Drive, Batavia, on March 28 at 2:55 p.m. He was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court and released on his own recognizance.

Jolene Y. Stevens, 33, no permanent address, is charged with failure to appear. Stevens was arrested on multiple warrants. She was arraigned in City Court and ordered held on $500 bail, $1,000 bond, or $5,000 partially secured bond.

Phillip P. Heale, 44, of Batavia, is charged with criminal trespass 3rd. Heale is accused of being on property he was previously banned from being on. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Evan F. Maynard, 21, of Batavia, is charged with assault 3rd. Maynard is accused of being involved in a disturbance on Sept. 24 at 8:24 p.m. at a location on East Main Street, Batavia. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Justin T. Calmes, 44, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Calmes is accused of violating an order of protection on Aug. 29 at midnight. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Jennifer L. Cudney, 41, of Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and operating a vehicle with a suspended registration. Cudney was stopped on Sept. 18 at 7:31 p.m. on Bank Street by a Batavia patrol officer. She was released on an appearance ticket.

Jason H. Freeman, 41, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Freeman is accused of stealing beer from a business on Jackson Street on Sept. 18 at 9 a.m. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Jeffrey A. Hewitt, 43 of Le Roy, is charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs, failure to properly signal, driver's view obstructed, unlicensed driver, and aggravated unlicensed operation 1st. Hewitt was stopped by a Batavia patrol office on Sept. 25 at 10:37 a.m. on Summit Street. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Laura B. Beatty, 44, of Batavia, is charged with unlawful dealing with a child 1st. Beatty is accused of providing alcohol to a juvenile at her residence on Oak Street on Sept. 24 at 10:05 p.m. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Brian M. Raphael, 34, of Batavia, and Michelle L. Misiak, 57, of Batavia are charged with petit larceny. Raphael and Misiak are accused of stealing groceries on Sept. 27 from a store on East Main Street, Batavia. Both were issued appearance tickets.

Karrie A. Morrow, 39, of Batavia, was arrested on two bench warrants. The nature of the warrants was not released. She was released under supervision. Morrow was also arrested by State Police on a petit larceny charge. Morrow is accused of stealing merchandise valued at $17.98 from 48 Express Deli on Park Road on Sept. 29. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Renee Lynn Coughlin, 32, of Park Avenue, Oakfield, is charged with falsely reporting an incident 3rd.  Coughlin is accused of falling reporting an incident to police on Sept. 21 at 7:30 p.m. on Park Avenue in Oakfield. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Jamie Lee Broadbent, 39, of Federal Drive, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Broadbent is accused of entering an unsecured storage room and a vacant room at a hotel at 4371 Federal Drive, Batavia, and stealing items belonging to the hotel. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Hunter Joseph Stetz, 19, of Zimmerman Road, Hamburg, is charged with possession of a forged instrument. Stetz is accused of being in possession of a forged NYS driver's license on Aug. 25 at 8:15 p.m. while at Darien Lake. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Dale W. Gress, 54, of Elba, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Gress was stopped by State Police on Oct. 5 at 12:13 a.m. in the Town of Batavia. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Federal prosecutors have an interest in a North Carolina man who was arrested March 19 in Le Roy after allegedly being found in possession of an AR-15 rifle in violation of the SAFE Act.

Michael Alan Jones, 24, of Raleigh, has been charged in U.S. District Court in Western New York with possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, and has reportedly reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors.

The FBI's interest in Jones may have more to do with his alleged participation in the Jan. 6 attempted insurrection in Washington, D.C.

The online news site RAW Story links Jones to two extremist groups, the Proud Boys and Patriot Front, and places Jones in the Capitol on Jan. 6.

At 4:36 p.m. March 19, deputies Kenneth Quackenbush and Nicholas Charmoun stopped a gray Nissan Sentra driven by Jones for an alleged traffic violation. Upon approaching the vehicle, the deputies observed several knives, military surplus gear, and two compound bows inside the vehicle, according to a Federal affidavit by an FBI agent. 

 The affidavit says a passenger in the car was identified only as PK.  The deputies reportedly observed a backpack on the passenger-side floorboard with bolt cutters protruding from the pocket.

Upon searching the vehicle, the deputies located pry bars, bolt cutters, and gloves, which, the affidavit states, the deputies believed to be consistent with burglary tools. They also found pepper spray and ammunition. 

When asked about the ammunition, according to the affidavit, both Jones and PK claimed ownership.  

Jones later said he owned everything in the vehicle except the backpack, and that the ammunition was "someone else's."

The agent wrote, "GSCO deputies asked JONES if there was a firearm inside the vehicle. JONES responded, 'There shouldn't be.'"

Deputies determined that the plate on the vehicle didn't match the vehicle, and the plate was removed from the vehicle and the vehicle was towed from the scene.

A subsequent inventory search uncovered, according to the report, military surplus gear, Beofang handheld radios, additional knives, and the "Army Tactical Combat Casualty Care Handbook."

Deputies also located in the trunk a Palmetto State Armory AR-15 rifle, bearing serial number 5CD729076, and a 30-round Magpul PMAG magazine was found in the trunk of the vehicle.

The agent says that Jones told deputies that he purchased the firearm a "long time ago," but never fired it. He allegedly said he brought the rifle from North Carolina to New York.

The agent said that on April 19, the FBI interviewed a person in North Carolina who had worked with Jones at a Cracker Barrel in Mebane, N.C., and that this former co-worker, HN in the report, said initially that he didn't recognize the rifle but that he had purchased it for Jones. He said he purchased it through the Palmetto State Armory website and used PayPal to complete the purchase.

The rifle violated the state's SAFE Act because the rifle was equipped with a flash hider, capable of accepting a removable magazine without a pinned magazine release, and was equipped with a telescopic stock. 

Jones' prior felony conviction in North Carolina, referred to in the Federal charging documents as "a crime against nature," involves Jones, at 18 and 19, having sex with minors, aged 14 and 15. He was arrested on charges.

According to sources, Jones has no known ties to Genesee County. It's unknown why Jones and PK, who is from the Finger Lakes region, were in Genesee County when deputies spotted the Sentra reportedly making an illegal turn in the area of Route 33 in Le Roy.

Locally, Jones was initially charged with criminal possession of an assault weapon 3rd, criminal possession of a weapon 3rd (ammunition feeding device), unsafe turn, number plate violation, and driving an unregistered vehicle on a highway. 

Jones, according to the arrest report, served in the U.S. Army.  The report states he wasn't employed at the time of his arrest and his highest education level was high school.

District Attorney Kevin Finnell said the local case was dropped after Jones was charged Federally because of a defendant's Constitutional protection against double jeopardy. 

Sheriff William Sheron praised the effort of Quackenbush and Charmoun in apprehending Jones.  

"This was another example of good police work," Sheron said. "Looking beyond the traffic ticket."