On Saturday, we paid a visit to the Farmers Market in Le Roy in part to catch up with what's been going with the Woodward Memorial Library as well as check in on the market. The market is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon in Trigon Park.
A resident in Le Roy told a Le Roy police officer that he spotted a bear in the area of Lent Avenue. The officer is going to check out the area now.
Jillian L. Hupp, 30, North Street, Le Roy, is charged with fourth-degree grand larceny and offering a false instrument for filing at 3 p.m. on Dec. 31. On July 9, after an investigation by the Genesee County Social Service investigator, Hupp was arrested on the charges. She was released with an appearance ticket returnable to Batavia Town Court on Aug. 6. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Jenna Ferrando.
Colby Le-Andrew Ellis, 31, of Albion, is charged with second-degree burglary, petit larceny, and first-degree criminal contempt. At 3:03 a.m. on July 8 in Alexander, Ellis was arrested on the charges after allegedly violating a full stay-away order of protection issued by City of Batavia Court. He was put in jail on $10,000 cash bail or $20,000 bond or $40,000 partially secured bond. He is due in Alexander Town Court on Aug. 18. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Austin Heberlein, assisted by Nicholas Chamoun.
Roy Alvin Watson Jr., 31, Shepard Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, and criminal use of drug paraphernalia. Watson was arrested on July 6 on the charges. Prior to that, on June 16, he was arrested on an outstanding warrant out of Orleans County. During the execution of the arrest warrant, Watson was allegedly found in possession of cocaine and drug paraphernalia. He is due in Batavia City Court Aug. 4. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Andrew Mullen.
Kaleb James Bobzien, 22, of Lockport, is charged with second-degree criminal contempt. He allegedly made numerous phone calls to a protected party who lives on West Main Street in Batavia starting on Jan. 28. He was arrested July 6 and issued an appearance ticket to be in City of Batavia Court on July 14. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Investigator Joseph Loftus.
She was even on duty in the middle of winter on her 90th birthday.
Five days ago, Burrell, at the age of 92, passed away.
Burrell rarely missed a shift and said in 2017, "I don’t believe in missing time unless something is really wrong. I guess I'm too dedicated."
Her dedication made her a community icon and a treasure. It was common for members of the community to volunteer to do spring cleanup in her yard for her, as they did in 2015.
Staff at the Le Roy Village Green prepared hot dog drive-thru meals for Le Roy residents on Thursday evening to thank them for the community's support of the senior residential health care facility during the pandemic.
Residents also made signs to display at the Green's entrance expressing their thanks. Residents were kept inside during the event because of the heat.
Above, Director Samantha Vagg delivers two meals to a Le Roy couple.
Sam Vagg, Sue Diflippo, Kate Flint, John Gagnon, and Kellie Kreiley.
The band Judah played at The Ridge NY on Thursday night. We recorded one of the songs as part of our series, "The Batavian Sessions."
Judah is: Anthony Blood (vocals/guitar), Brody Schenk (guitar), Joe Fornieri (bass), and Quintin Rich (drums). Rich is a resident of Bergen.
Jeremy M. Fairbanks, 42, of Main Street, Batavia, is 306 (three hundred and six) counts of second-degree criminal contempt. He was arrested July 2 after a complaint of violations of a City of Batavia Court order, beginning at 4:31 p.m. on March 17. Fairbanks was issued appearance tickets and is due in Batavia City Court at 1 p.m. on Aug. 25. The case was investigated by Genesee County Sheriff's Officer Jonathan Dimmig.
Leah Rose Helen Kelly, 35, of Harvester Avenue, Batavia, is charged with 306 (three hundred and six) counts of second-degree criminal contempt. She was arrested July 5 after a complaint of violations of a Village of Bergen Court order, beginning at 4:31 p.m. on March 17. Kelly was scheduled for arraignment in Genesee County Court this morning (July 6). The case was investigated by Genesee County Sheriff's Officer Jonathan Dimmig.
Richard J. Wendt, 59, of Batavia (no address provided), is charged with criminal obstruction of breathing and second-degree harassment. He was arrested June 26 after Wyoming County Sheriff's Deputy Austin Harding and Sgt. Aaron Chase responded to a domestic incident reported at the Yogi Bear Campground on Youngers Road in the Town of Java. Wendt was transported to Wyoming County Sheriff's Office for processing, then released with tickets to appear in Town of Java Court at a later date.
David James Loiacono, 40, of Buffalo Street, Bergen, was arrested following a domestic incident at 1:02 p.m. on July 5 on Buffalo Street in Bergen. He is charged with obstructing governmental administration in the second degree, and unlawfully fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle in the third degree. Loiacono was issued appearance tickets for Aug. 19 in Bergen Town Court then released to a third party. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Officer Jonathan Dimmig, assisted by Deputy James Stack.
Elis Salkic, 22, of Adele Drive, Greece, is charged with: unlawful possession of marijuana; aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the third degree; operating a motor vehicle while using an electronic device; unlicensed operation of a vehicle; and failure to stop at a stop sign. Salkic was arrested at 5:44 p.m. on June 29 after Genesee County Sheriff's deputies stopped his vehicle on Richmond Avenue in the City of Batavia. Salkic was issued an appearance ticket for Aug. 18 in Batavia City Court. The case was handled by Deputy Jacob Gauthier, assisted by Deputy Erik Andre.
Gavin J. Yauchzee, 28, of Le Roy (no address provided), is charged with petit larceny. Wyoming County Sheriff's Deputy Adam Hope responded on June 29 to a report of a larceny at the Walmart in the Town of Warsaw. It is alleged that Walmart's Asset Protection assistant observed him concealing items in his pockets, then exiting the store without paying for them. He was arrested and released with an appearance ticket for Warsaw Town Court, where he is due at a later date.
For the first time in 2020, The Ridge NY in Le Roy, had a full slate of activities, including live music, fireworks, and a waterslide. All of this had to be coordinated by owners David and Greg Luetticke-Archbell with social distancing in mind.
Press release:
Beginning on July 7, Office for the Aging will be at the Genesee Country Farmers’ Market every Tuesday from 1 to 3 p.m. and every Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. for the months of July and August.
We will also be at the Le Roy Farmers’ Market every Saturday in July from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. This will begin on July 10th.
If you live in Senior Subsidized Housing, please check with your site manager and/or look for our flyer announcing when we will be at your location.
The Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program Coupons are for income-eligible individuals 60 years of age or older. You may receive one booklet per person in a household who qualifies. Individuals may provide a note allowing another person to pick up their booklet.
2020 Income Guidelines:
Maureen Estabrooks, Office for the Aging’s coordinator for the program, noted, “New this season! If you cannot come to a distribution site and you do not have someone as your Power of Attorney, you can provide a handwritten note naming another person (a proxy) to pick up a booklet on your behalf.
"This person may also be a proxy for other seniors as well. The note must be signed by the senior and presented by the proxy to the Office for the Aging staff at the distribution site.”
Please note that Farmers Market Coupons are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. A waiting list will be established if necessary.
If you have any questions, please call Office for the Aging at (585) 343-1611.
Top photo: Macayla Burke (right) receives the first-place Holowach Scholarship from Jon Sanfratello, executive principal, GV BOCES Batavia Campus. Macayla is a Health Careers Academy student from Batavia City School District.
Submitted photo and press release:
The Batavia Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center is proud to announce the achievements of its seniors. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this awards ceremony event that was scheduled to be held in June was canceled.
The 25 Genesee County award winners, their programs, home schools and scholarships received, are noted below.
A possible drowning was reported at a quarry in Le Roy -- at the junction of Gulf and Circular Hill roads. Then the dispatcher said the potential victim was "out of the water...possibly intoxicated...and climbing the hill." Le Roy fire and medics are responding.
Press release:
Jam At The Ridge: This week, Western New York's Family Fun Destination, is having a Fourth of July Weekend Celebration.
This 12th annual, open to the public event, is for all ages and looks keep folks safe while having fun.
Thursday, July 2nd
- Live Band: Judah, makes their Jam At The Ridge debut
- Pizza and Wings Special, with cold beer on-tap
Friday, July 3rd
- DJ Josh will rock the night away (no stage access, but there are 2 acres of space to socially distance while getting your groove on)
- Professional Fireworks thanks to Young Explosives
- Tie-dye and a Water War
Saturday, July 4th
- The Giant Slip and Slide
- and sign up for a night time glowing wagon ride (family groups together)
Jam At The Ridge is a recreation, entertainment, and camping facility focused primarily on family fun. Bring the kids and the grandparents and enjoy a great time, whatever we're doing. Have a great meal in our on-site restaurant (no microwaves), take a dip in our crystal clear in-ground swimming pool, catch a great concert with some of the best artists around (local, regional and national), and camp under the stars with a tent, RV, or one of our cabins.
Come join our family for some long overdue fun!
Greg, Dave and The JATR Team
Jam At The Ridge, 8101 Conlon Road, Le Roy
(585) 768-4883
info@theridgeny.com
www.JamAtTheRidge.com
The Virginia-based trucker whom Le Roy police encountered May 27, starting a perilous chase that eventually led to his death, was a credible threat to cops and civilians, Livingston County Sheriff Thomas J. Dougherty said yesterday in a press conference.
The bombs, guns and ammo Joshua Blessed had stored in his private vehicle and the bedroom he was renting in Rockingham County, Va., along with is social media posting, indicate Blessed was planning something big.
But it wasn't part of his plan in May, Dougherty said, to engage with law enforcement on that day.
"Our investigation shows that Blessed really was on the road to Batavia and what prompted this and triggered Blessed this day was the proactive traffic stop by the Le Roy Police Department," Dougherty said.
Blessed's white tractor-trailer, owned by Yurman Express, based in Harrisonburg, Va., was stopped by Le Roy PD officers in the Village of Le Roy for speeding on Main Street. The trailer was empty, which lends credence to the theory, Dougherty said, that Blessed really was driving to Batavia to pick up dairy product.
The search by the FBI of Blessed private vehicle in Virginia turned up three IEDs (improvised explosive devices), an AK-17, 9mm magazines, and $18,000 in cash.
A search of the bedroom he was renting -- Blessed, previously known as Sergia Journev, had apparently not been living with is family for at least 18 months -- found 11 IEDs, an AK-47 with a scope, a .50-caliber rifle, a .338 sniper rifle, thousands of rounds of ammunition, and $130,000 in cash.
Blessed had made several social media posts attacking law enforcement and promoting violence against police officers.
"The traffic stop set him off," Dougherty said. "That doesn't mean he didn't have a plan for the future. Based on what was recovered in the vehicle and in the bedroom, he certainly had a plan for the future. What that plan was, I don't have that information."
There is no indication that others were specifically involved in Blessed's planning, Dougherty said. That may be part of an ongoing FBI investigation.
"There are no details showing an immediate concern either here or there," Dougherty said.
Blessed died of a gunshot wound to the head. He also suffered three gunshots to his hip. Two deputies were firing long guns at Blessed at the time the shoot-out came to its fatal conclusion. The bullet that killed Blessed has not been recovered. Dougherty said he would not release the names of the deputies firing at Blessed at the time he was killed.
Blessed fired at least 24 rounds at cops. There were 24 shell casings recovered. His empty magazines indicate he fired at least 29 shots but that doesn't mean he hadn't discarded empty magazines somewhere along the way. A magazine for Blessed's 9mm Glock with seven rounds still in it was recovered, along a magazine containing 17 rounds (the capacity of the magazines Blessed was using).
Deputies from Livingston and Genesee counties returned fire at least 129 times in four different locations along the chase route, with 48 rounds fired at the final standoff location at Route 20a and Morgan View Road.
The incident started at 8:37 p.m. with the traffic stop in Le Roy and ended with Blessed death at 9:27 p.m. The chase went through Le Roy and Stafford before Blessed executed a U-turn and headed back toward Le Roy, going to Route 19 south into Wyoming County and then into Livingston County.
Dougherty said during the chase he remembered thinking that the driver was a danger to the public and to his officers but that he was also a highly skilled driver.
“This is a very unique situation," Dougherty said. "Somebody said to me, ‘that’s once in a career.’ This isn’t once in a career. You could serve multiple careers in law enforcement and never encounter a heavy vehicle, it’s pretty much impossible to stop unless you have a heavier vehicle and then add in an active shooter, a guy who is actively trying to kill cops. That’s something that is more Hollywoodesque than reality."
It was a miracle, with all the bullets flying around, the high-speed chase, Blessed's clear intention to harm other people, that nobody besides Blessed lost any blood.
"Not even a scratch," Dougherty said.
Photos: Livingston County Sheriff's Office.
Thanks to our news partner 13WHAM for video of the press conference.
Previously:
Genesee Community College named 63 Genesee County students to the President's List for the Spring 2020 semester. Students honored on the President's List have maintained full-time enrollment and earned a quality point index of 3.75 (roughly equivalent to an A) or better.
In total, there were 253 students named to the President's List from all seven campus locations in Batavia, Albion, Arcade, Dansville, Lima, Medina and Warsaw.
Online, Genesee Community College's Spring 2020 President's List (PDF) honorees are listed alphabetically by their hometowns.
The College also maintains a Provost's List to recognize part-time students with a quality point index of 3.75 or better and a dean's list comprised of students who earn a quality point index of 3.50 to 3.74. These other GCC honorees are announced separately; see the College's website
Below are the 69 Genesee County students named to the President's List for the Spring 2020 semester:
Macie Riggs of Alexander
Jessica Scharlau of Alexander
Naomi LaDuke of Alexander
Jessica Lennon of Alexander
Jordin Cecere of Alexander
Logan Kellogg of Basom
Donovan Nephew of Basom
Megan Gilman of Basom
Stephanie Gilman of Basom
Megan Jacques of Batavia
Jocelyn Castaneda of Batavia
Monique McKenrick of Batavia
Kate Wasik of Batavia
Stacey Johnston of Batavia
Kristen Gloskowski of Batavia
Samuel Rigerman of Batavia
Gregory Metz of Batavia
Heather Demmer of Batavia
Steven Geyer of Batavia
Abigail Swinehart of Batavia
Meredith Cutro of Batavia
Bethany Ruffino of Batavia
Brandi-Lyn Heidenreich of Batavia
Nichole Ambrosoli of Batavia
Macy Midla of Batavia
Janelle DiMartino of Batavia
Trevor Zewan of Batavia
Mackenzie Pedersen of Batavia
Shane Cockle of Batavia
Jennifer Bartz of Batavia
Brittaney Lang of Batavia
Margaret Richardson of Batavia
Tara Clattenburg of Batavia
Cortney Dawson of Batavia
Alexis Balduf of Batavia
Tylin Torcello of Batavia
Anne Koestler of Batavia
Jessica Accardi of Batavia
Bailey Faucett of Batavia
Ryan Weaver of Batavia
Bailey Gavenda of Batavia
Danielle Joyce of Bergen
Marlaina Fee of Bergen
John Gabalski of Byron
MacKenzie Rosse of Byron
Julia Starczewski of Corfu
Mackenzie Jurek of Corfu
Nicholas Brown of Corfu
Carley Staebell of Corfu
Olivia Kohorst of Corfu
Katharine Smallwood of Corfu
Ryan Curtis of Corfu
Dustin Wheeler of Darien Center
Joshua Kramer of Darien Center
Haley Alvord of Darien Center
Caroline Pelton of East Bethany
Jessica Padilla of Elba
Emily Reynolds of Elba
Nicole Roth of Le Roy
Hanna Erion of Le Roy
Marshall Schultz of Le Roy
Brenda Turner of Le Roy
Morgan Ferrara of Le Roy
Kristin Griffin of Le Roy
Emma-Kate Uberty of Le Roy
Samantha Reinhardt of Oakfield
Annette Velletta of Oakfield
Jazmyn Dobson of Oakfield
Josilynn Russo of Pavilion
Genesee Community College serves more than 5,000 students with more than 65 academic programs and certificates. Among the many options are the Marketing and Social Media concentration within the Business Administration program, Computer Repair, and the newest Micro-Credential offerings in Human Resource Management, NYS Coaching and Professional Sales. GCC also offers a variety of Fine Arts, Theatre Arts and six different healthcare programs including the new Health Studies, A.S.
Each GCC student is assigned a success coach at the College's Student Success Center. The coach provides academic and career guidance from the first steps of the admissions process through to graduation or transferring credits to other institutions. The College's robust athletic program is housed in the state-of-the-art Richard C. Call Arena featuring a fieldhouse, fitness center, Human Performance Lab, press box, as well as coaches' offices and classrooms.
GCC operates seven campus locations throughout Western New York, a significant online program and student housing is available at College Village, just a three-minute walk from the Batavia Campus. With small class sizes and innovative technology inside and out of the classroom, SUNY GCC is known for its quality education at an affordable price.
Video by Le Roy HS Principal Tim McArdle.
A two-vehicle accident is reported at 100 Main St., Le Roy, the Le Roy Service Center. The property-damage accident involved a pickup truck towing a camping trailer and a white SUV.
The drivers got into a verbal altercation and the pickup truck allegedly attempted to leave the scene, then when a Le Roy officer arrived and is out with the operators now.
No injuries reported.
UPDATE 2:13 p.m.: "Things have calmed down," reports the officer. "Minor MVA." He's leaving the scene and another officer is taking over to write the report.
Video by Le Roy High School Principal Tim McArdle.
Winchester, Va.-- Grant Hertzler is one of the 738 students who made the dean's list for the 2020 spring semester at Shenandoah University.
Students must attain a grade-point average of at least 3.50 to be recognized for the honor.
Hertzler, of Le Roy, is earning a degree in Exercise Science.
Shenandoah University was established in 1875, and is headquartered in Winchester, Va., with additional educational sites in Clarke, Fairfax and Loudoun counties. Shenandoah is a private, nationally recognized university that blends professional career experiences with liberal education. With nearly 4,000 students in more than 200+ areas of study in seven different schools, Shenandoah promotes a close-knit community rich in creative energy and intellectual challenge.
Shenandoah students collaborate with accomplished professors who provide focused, individual attention, all the while leading several programs to be highly nationally ranked. Through innovative partnerships and programs at both the local and global level, there are exceptional opportunities for students to learn in and out of the classroom. Shenandoah empowers its students to improve the human condition and to be principled professionals and leaders wherever they go. For more information, visit su.edu.
The following local residents made the dean's list at Rochester Institute of Technology for the 2020 Spring Semester.
Degree-seeking undergraduate students are eligible for dean's list if their term GPA is greater than or equal to 3.400; they do not have any grades of "Incomplete", "D" or "F"; and they have registered for, and completed, at least 12 credit hours.
Marissa Dispenza, of Batavia, who is in the Chemical Engineering program.
Nicholas Kelly, of Byron, who is in the Software Engineering program.
Celia Mercovich, of Bergen, who is in the Physics program.
Cody Zajaczkowski, of Le Roy, who is in the Packaging Science program.
Erik Scharlau, of Alexander, who is in the Physician Assistant program.
Andrew Pickard, of Batavia, who is in the Software Engineering program.
Ava Vescovi, of Le Roy, who is in the Business Administration-Marketing program.
Bethany Zwolinski, of Corfu, who is in the Biomedical Sciences program.
Tyler Henry, of Bergen, who is in the Illustration program.
Taylor Schofield, of Pavilion, who is in the Biomedical Engineering program.
Lauren Burke, of Bergen, who is in the Biomedical Sciences program.
Maddi Howard, of Elba, who is in the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program.
Jessie Abrams, of Corfu, who is in the Medical Illustration program.
Triton Adamski, of Corfu, who is in the Game Design and Development program.
Jacob Gualtieri, of Le Roy, who is in the Computer Engineering program.
Alex Warren, of Corfu, who is in the Computer Science program.
Grace Vogler, of Corfu, who is in the Business Administration-Management program.
Sarah Nati, of Corfu, who is in the Applied Arts and Sciences program.
Lily Mercovich, of Bergen, who is in the Film and Animation program.
Olivia Fox, of Alexander, who is in the Applied Arts and Sciences program.
Jordan D'Alba, of Oakfield, who is in the Mechanical Engineering program.
Melissa Mountain, of Batavia, who is in the Interior Design program.
Kiera Gross, of East Bethany, who is in the Computational Mathematics program.
Katelyn Hersee, of Batavia, who is in the business administration-accounting program.
Chase Roth, of Alexander, who is in the Mobile App Development program.
Charles Carroll, of Oakfield, who is in the Chemistry program.
Ethan Stone, of Batavia, who is in the Computer Engineering program.
Colin Hunt, of Batavia, who is in the Packaging Science program.
Allen Snyder, of Darien Center, who is in the Mechanical Engineering program.
Rochester Institute of Technology is home to leading creators, entrepreneurs, innovators and researchers. Founded in 1829, RIT enrolls about 19,000 students in more than 200 career-oriented and professional programs, making it among the largest private universities in the U.S.
The university is internationally recognized and ranked for academic leadership in business, computing, engineering, imaging science, liberal arts, sustainability, and fine and applied arts. RIT also offers unparalleled support services for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. The cooperative education program is one of the oldest and largest in the nation. Global partnerships include campuses in China, Croatia, Dubai and Kosovo.
Cazenovia College recognizes students for their academic achievement during the Spring 2020 semester. Those named to the dean's lst have achieved a 3.5 or better grade-point average.
Cazenovia College is an independent, co-educational college near Syracuse offering graduate and bachelor degree programs in the liberal arts and professional studies in an exceptional community environment, with academic and co-curricular programs devoted to developing leaders in their fields.
Cazenovia has been named a "Best College" by U.S. News & World Report for 16 consecutive years and has also been recognized by Money and Washington Monthly as a best value institution. For more information, visit www.cazenovia.edu.
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