Le Roy

The folks at Wolcott Street School made this morale-boosting video.

Press release:

Beginning as early as today (March 26), Tops will be rolling our additional safety measures at all of its 162 stores in New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont. There are two Tops stores in Genesee County, in Batavia and Le Roy.

Those safety measures include installing plexiglas shields on as many of their front-end registers as possible. Where plexiglas cannot be affixed because of equipment limitations, associates will be provided with protective face shields which will also be used by Tops associates working in our pharmacy department and at our customer service desk.

This installation process will take place over the course of the next few weeks.

These safety measures are in addition to Tops existing PPE (personal protection equipment) procedures, which include providing gloves for their associates, hand sanitizer and wipes for their associates and customers respectively; and the newly instituted Comfort Zone areas at the registers providing more social distancing between customers as well as the customer and Tops associate.

Additionally there is an associate assigned at each store specifically in charge of sanitization of the front-end registers, check stands, conveyor belts, customer service desks, point-of-sale devices and other frequently touched surfaces most accessed by customers on a continual basis during operating hours.

From Patrick S. Privatera, MS, PT, ATC, president, Village Physical Therapy & Village Fitness, 3 West Ave., Le Roy.

To our valued patients:

Like most other businesses, organizations, and government agencies, we at Village Physical Therapy and Village Fitness continue to monitor the developing situation regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19). I’d like to take this opportunity to provide some updates.

Our physical therapy operations, deemed “essential services” by New York State, are continuing. We want our patients to know that we are still here for them now — and always — during this crisis and beyond. However, we have made some adjustments intended to protect our staff, patients, and communities.

Although our offices remain open on a limited basis and with enhanced measures in place to reduce the risk of infection, we’re encouraging our patients to transition to telehealth services so that they can remain safe at home. You can initiate a telehealth appointment by:

• Send an email to info@villagefit.com
• Calling our Le Roy office at (585) 768-4550 or our Batavia office at (585) 343-9496;
• Visiting our website and completing the Request An Appointment form.

We’re using a teleconferencing app, called Zoom, which can connect with a computer, tablet, smartphone, or other audio/visual-capable device. You can connect at home, at work, or anywhere else you have access to the internet. To initiate a connection, we will simply send out an email containing a secure link from Zoom; you click on the link, and then we’re automatically connected.

If you are unable to connect this way, we can also connect by phone. Most insurance companies have waived co-pays, deductibles, and co-insurance for telehealth visits while the state of emergency is in place.

Behind the scenes, the local healthcare systems have begun making emergency preparations for a large influx of critically ill patients. Many are cancelling routine visits, elective surgeries, and nonemergency tests and procedures so that they can deploy their staff and resources to the “front lines” of the crisis where they are needed most. We, as physical therapists, stand ready to fill that void. You can see a physical therapist without a physician’s prescription for up to 30 days in most cases, so please don’t hesitate to call upon us if we may be of assistance.

We at Village Physical Therapy and Village Fitness will continue to strive to meet our clients’ needs while mitigating the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Amanda S. McDonald, 26, of Ellsworth Avenue, Batavia, is charged with making unreasonable noise. She was arrested at 9:13 p.m. on March 13 after she allegedly played unreasonably loud music at her residence, an upstairs apartment in the 100 block of Ellsworth Avenue, which "could be heard several houses away." McDonald was processed, issued an appearance ticket for Batavia City Court, and she is due there on March 31. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Wesley Rissinger, assisted by Officer Adam Tucker.

Derrick Roy Kio, 29, of North Road, Le Roy, is charged with second-degree criminal contempt. The defendant was arrested at 12:45 p.m. on March 19 on North Road in Le Roy after he asked law enforcement for help in removing a person from his residence who was not welcome there. Upon arrival, it was discovered that an order of protection was in place directing Kio to stay away from the other person and that they had been living together for quite some time, in violation of the order of protection. He was issued an appearance ticket for Town of Le Roy and is due there May 11. The case was handled Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Christopher Erion.

Josie R. Panepinto, 18, of Ellicott Avenue, Batavia, is charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief. Panepinto was arrested after allegedly damaging another person's property during a domestic incident at 8:45 p.m. on Maple Street in Batavia. The defendant was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on May 19. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Christopher Lindsay, assisted by Officer Miah Stevens.

Douglas J. Taylor, 31, of Church Street, Medina, is charged with petit larceny and possession of a hypodermic instrument. At 11:11 a.m. on March 20, Douglas was arrested on the charges at the Dollar General Store on East Main Street in Batavia. He was issued an appearance ticket to be in Batavia City Court on May 19. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Quider, assisted by Officer Peter Post.

Taylor L. Finnin, 27, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of drug paraphernalia in the second degree. Finnin was arrested at 3:49 p.m. March 12 on Swan Street in Batavia. The defendant was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on March 24. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Connor Borchert, assisted by Officer Wesley Rissinger.

(name redacted -- charge dismissed) and John R. Gorton (no age or residence provided) are charged with unlawful possession of marijuana in the second degree. They were arrested at 1:12 a.m. on March 14 in the Eastown Plaza parking lot on East Main Street in Batavia after a complaint of two males smoking marijuana in a vehicle. Both men were issued appearance tickets then released from custody. They are due in Batavia City Court on March 31. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Alec Roberts, assisted by Officer Jordan McGinnis.

The Le Roy Town Board meeting scheduled for Thursday, March 26th has been cancelled.

The Le Roy Rotary Community Kitchen will be serving its regular hot dinner from 5 to 6 p.m. today at Le Roy Masonic Community Center, 12 Bank St.

Organizers said meals – pulled pork or ham, potatoes, salad, desserts -- are being served via a drive-thru process and bags of groceries will be given to their patrons.

There is no charge for the dinners and take-home items will also be available at no cost.

The Le Roy Rotary Community Kitchen is a biweekly dinner that is available at no cost. The meals are served on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month from 5 to 6:15 p.m. at the Le Roy Masonic Community Center, 12 Bank St. in Le Roy.

A tanker carrying liquid fertilizer has leaked about a thousand gallons of liquid fertilizer by the Circular Hill Road railroad crossing in Le Roy (not sure if it's from a railroad tank car or a truck tanker). Le Roy fire and ambulance service are dispatched. No word on how or why the leak occurred.

UPDATE 4:10 p.m. (By Howard): Le Roy Fire Chief Tom Wood said about 13,000 gallons of fertilizer spilled. The Department of Environmental Conservation and Genesee County Emergency Management also responded. The location is a transfer station and employees were operating a valve when there was a leak and fertilizer got on them. They shut off the valve and left to wash and change and when they returned, they discovered the valve had failed, causing the leak. Heavy equipment is on scene now beginning remediation.The spill area is about 50 yards wide and the soil will need to be removed and taken to a remediation site.

Press release:

While the current situation hasn’t been easy on anyone, if you find yourself or someone you know looking for a job, Tops Friendly Markets is hiring for temporary and permanent positions and they welcome your application.

Stop by any one of Tops' 162 stores, their warehouse in Lancaster, NY, or visit here online to learn more.

At about 3 p.m., we're talking with Jennifer Blackchief, VP Housing, St. Ann's Community in Le Roy.  We're going to talk about St. Ann's providing their employees with a generous bonus as well as what they're doing to keep their residents safe.

Press release:

St. Ann’s Community has announced that it will give approximately $400,000 in bonuses to 875 employees this week in a major show of appreciation and support. The organization’s workers are helping to provide around-the-clock care to residents and patients – the most vulnerable and at-risk populations of the rapidly spreading coronavirus COVID-19 global pandemic.

“The extraordinary performance of our employees during these unprecedented times deserves appreciation and recognition,” said St. Ann’s Community President and CEO Michael McRae. “We can only hope that the bonuses, along with other measures, help acknowledge their service and sacrifice. We would not be able to provide care to those most in need without our dedicated and brave healthcare workers.” 

Appreciation bonuses will be paid on Friday, March 27, to all full-time and part-time workers. Full-time workers will receive $500 and part-time workers will receive $250. Senior managers are excluded from the bonus.

In addition to the bonuses, smaller measures are also being implemented to show support for staff members. St. Ann’s is providing complementary food to all workers while on duty, and has also relaxed the uniform and dress code for all employees.

“Our team members are balancing work with the support and care they need to provide to their own families, especially during this anxious and difficult time for all of us,” McRae said. “They are incredible, and we are completely in awe of their willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty.”

NOTE: St. Ann's operates in Le Roy what was formerly known as the Greens of Le Roy.

DECLARATION OF A LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY

A State of Emergency is hereby declared in the TOWN OF LE ROY, effective at 12 p.m. today, March 19, 2020.

This State of Emergency has been declared due to the existing and continuing declared States of Emergency at the Federal, State, County, and Town of Le Roy, related to COVID-19.

This situation threatens the public safety.

This State of Emergency will remain in effect for thirty (30) days or until rescinded by a subsequent order.

As the Chief Executive of TOWN OF LEROY, County of Genesee, State of New York, I, James R. Farnholz,exercise the authority given me under Section 24 of the New York State Executive Law, to preserve the public safety and hereby render all required and available assistance vital to the security, well-being, and health of the citizens of this Municipality.

I hereby direct all departments and agencies of TOWN OF LEROY to take whatever steps necessary to protect life and property, public infrastructure, and provide such emergency assistance deemed necessary.

James R. Farnholz

Le Roy Town Supervisor

March 19, 2020

Press release:

In these uncertain times we at Tops Friendly Markets feel the need to address the concerns of our most vulnerable population, our seniors 60 years of age and older.

We've heard you and therefore, effective Thursday, March 19, and until further notice, Tops will open its doors for this select audience only, allowing them to shop from 6 – 7:30 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday.

Rest assured we will not be asking for identification as we trust the community will not abuse this privilege. Tops also has curbside and pickup delivery as an alternate shopping solution.

Please visit Topsmarkets.com to shop online.

Press release:

As we continue to do all we can to serve the needs of our customers, beginning Wednesday, March 18, Tops Friendly Markets -- with locations in Genesee County in Batavia and Le Roy -- will change hours of operation at most of our stores from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. to restock and continue to maintain the increased sanitation levels in our stores.

Stores that typically open later and close earlier will maintain their existing hours of operation. This also pertains to Tops Fuel sites. These revised hours will be in effect until further notice.

For more information on these and other details re: COVID-19 updates, please visit our website.

We interviewed Merritt Holly, superintendent of the Le Roy Central School District, live and this video is a replay of that stream.

We'll get an update on how the district is dealing with the closure, what's available for students, and families, and how things are going in Le Roy.

If you're unable to view the stream on our home page, click here.  Also, if you follow that link, there is a live chat on YouTube where you can ask questions that I will try to incorporate into the interview.

UPDATE: Unfortunately, and I don't know why, the interview cuts off a minute or so early, a problem on YouTube's end I imagine.

Press release:

Tops Friendly Markets, with Genesee County locations in Batavia and Le Roy, are temporarily limiting hours of operation.

As we continue to do all we can to serve the needs of our customers, we will be changing our hours of operation from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. to restock and continue to maintain the increased sanitation levels in our stores.

Stores that typically close earlier will maintain their existing hours of operation. These revised hours will be in effect until further notice.

For more information on these and other details re: COVID-19 updates, please visit our website.

District announcement:

We will offer FREE breakfast/lunch meals to all students Pre K-12 starting 3/17 until further notice!‬ Click for more information about pickup.

‪Meals can be picked up at the Wolcott Street School's main entrance for outdoor pickup Mon-Fri between 11:30 a.m.- 1 p.m.‬

‪We encourage our families to take advantage!‬

Michael Robert Simcick, 26, of Keeney Road, Le Roy, is charged with: driving while intoxicated -- first offense; refusal to take a breath test; unlawful possession of marijuana; failure to stop at stop sign; and moving from lan unsafely. At 1:26 a.m. on March 8, Simcick was arrested on Perry Road in Pavilion after a traffic stop for a violation of vehicle and traffic law. An investigation allegedly determined him to be intoxicated by alcohol and in possession of marijuana. He was issued appearance tickets and is due in Pavilion Town Court on March 17. Genesee County Deputy Kenneth Quackenbush handled the case, assisted by Deputy Austin Heberlein, and the Le Roy Police Department.

Shane R. Reisman, 50, of Montclair Avenue, Batavia, is charged with: failure to stop at a stop sign; driving while intoxicated; drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle on a highway; and refusal to take a breath test. Batavia Police Officer Peter Post arrested Reisman at 2:36 p.m. on March 2 on Trumbull Parkway in Batavia after a traffic stop. Reisman was later released with appearance tickets and is due in Batavia City Court on March 18.

Baltazar de la Rosa Sifuentes, 26, of Parkland Creek Lane, Chili, is charged with: operating a motor vehicle while having a BAC of .08 percent or more -- first offense; driving while intoxicated -- first offense; and moving from lane unsafely. At 9:30 p.m. on March 6, Sifuentes was arrested after an investigation of a single-car accident on Route 33 in the Town of Stafford. He was released with appearance tickets and is due in Stafford Town Court on March 17. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Kenneth Quackenbush, assisted by Deputy Andrew Mullen.

Jessica Lyn Revier, 35, of Hall Road, Holley, is charged with: aggravated driving while intoxicated; DWI; failure to stop at a stop sign; and speed not reasonable and prudent. At 7:55 a.m. on March 7, Revier was arrested on North Bergen Road in Byron. She allegedly drove her vehicle off the roadway while in an intoxicated condition. Revier was released on appearance tickets and is due in Byron Town Court on March 16. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy David Moore, assisted by Deputy Travis DeMuth.

Phillip Detraell Byford Jr., 29, of Brockport Spencerport Road, Brockport, was arrested March 3 on two separate warrants out of Batavia City Court. It is alleged that Byford stole from the Speedway convenience store at 204 W. Main St. in Batavia at 8:44 p.m. on Jan. 24 and then failed to appear in court after his appearance ticket was issued. He was arraigned in city court and released. He is due back in court on March 25. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Austin Hedges, assisted by Officer Kevin DeFelice.