Oakfield

(To support a local cause, Bruce Gerould wore a Navy jersey and Mark Proia wore an Army jersey for the "Men of Courage." The organization is a ministry of the Batavia Assembly of God Church that coordinates free hunting and fishing trips for wounded veterans. The ministry set up a Facebook page so people could track their progress and make donations.)

Bruce Gerould, of Oakfield, and Mark Proia, of Pavilion, pedaled more than 4,400 miles from Oregon to Virginia in the 2015 Trans Am Bike Race.

They set out to finish the bike race in 33 days and rode an average of 132 miles per day to accomplish their goal. They crossed the finish line on July 9. 

The race started in Astoria, Ore., on June 6 and ended in Yorktown, Va. The course was composed of all roads and went across 10 states.The race was self-supported so there were no entry fees, official checkpoints or prizes. Participants rode at their own pace and were responsible for their own food and lodging.

The two friends started their journey each day at 6 a.m. During the day, they took short breaks every three hours and a longer break for lunch. Their lunch typically consisted of prepackaged muffins and sandwiches from a convenient store. After lunch, they continued biking until they found a hotel around 11 p.m.

Gerould enjoyed riding through the Rocky Mountains and seeing the scenery of each state.

"It's a good way to see the country and can be very relaxing," Gerould said. "There is so much that you see from a bike as opposed to a car whizzing by at 60 mph. We seen moose and had a bear encounter in Virginia. The people you encounter along the way are great, too."

They were constantly biking through mountains and rural areas. The only time Proia remembered biking on flat land was in Kansas but that even proved to be a challenge due to strong winds.

"One particular day going across Kansas there was a 20-mile stretch where we had to jog south directly into the wind," Gerould said. "It took three and and a half hours to go 20 miles."

They also encountered heavy rain and flooding traveling through Kentucky.

"We would get up in the morning and put on our rain gear," Gerould said. "By midday, if we were lucky, it would stop raining but usually by evening it would start raining again. There was a lot of days we would put the same wet clothes back on and start riding again."

Gerould considers it a huge accomplishment to not only finish the race but to do it within their set goal of 33 days. In the beginning, 41 people were riding in the race but only about half crossed the finish line.

Even though they both extensively trained for the race, they still are recovering from minor injuries. Gerould is recouping from a pinched nerve in his right shoulder and Proia spent a couple days in the hospital on antibiotics for an infected foot blister. They are both resting up before they participate in several local mountain bike races later this summer.

Oakfield resident Preston S. Daigler, 17, was sentenced by Judge Robert C. Noonan to two years in state prison and three years of post-release supervision in Genesee County Court today.

Judge Noonan denied Daigler youthful offender status for his guilty plea to first-degree robbery. As a result, Daigler received prison time instead of probation.

District Attorney Lawrence Friedman, argued in court that Daigler had stated in phone calls with his mother while he was incarcerated that he wouldn’t complete probation and would run away when he got out of jail.

Emily Fusco, representing Daigler, said that he didn’t mean what he had stated in the phone calls. Daigler made a statement addressing the phone calls as well.

“I said some things I didn’t mean, your honor,” Daigler said. “I was scared and freaking out.”

Based on the seriousness of the case, Judge Noonan didn’t consider the crime to be a youthful offense.

Daigler and Tyshon L. Taylor, 18, hit the victim in the head with a gun, punched the victim and stole property. The incident happened in March at a residence on Central Avenue, Batavia.

Taylor was sentenced last week to three years in prison and three years of post-release supervision.

A one-car rollover accident is reported at 3768 Drake Street Road, Oakfield.

A person is trapped in the vehicle.

Oakfield fire and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 10:08 p.m.: Town of Batavia Fire's Rescue 20 requested to the scene. Fire Police requested to set up road blocks. Mercy Flight on ground standby.

UPDATE 10:10 p.m.: Mercy Flight requested to the scene.

UPDATE 11:12 p.m.: Mercy Flight landed, but wasn't needed. The driver was extricated and appeared to have no or only minor injuries. She was transported to UMMC. The car appeared to have been westbound and crossed the road and into a ditch, pitching it end over end.

A one-car rollover accident is reported at 3238 Maltby Road. Oakfield Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding. One patient is complaining of a head injury.

A two-car accident with multiple injuries is reported in Oakfield at Drake Street Road and Fisher Road. Oakfield Fire Department is responding, along with Elba fire and two Mercy medic units. Three people are involved but the extent of their injuries is not yet known. All are conscious. There is entrapment and extrication is needed.

UPDATE 7:17 a.m.: Fire police are asked to shut down traffic at Drake Street Road.

UPDATE 7:24 a.m.: An ambulance from Byron is requested to the scene.

UPDATE 7:43 a.m.: Two patients are being transported to UMMC. One is a 27-year-old male; the other is a 28-year-old male.

UPDATE 7:48 a.m.: One patient is being taken to Strong Memorial Hospital. None of the victims are seriously injured.

UPDATE 8:30 a.m. (by Howard): A deputy on scene it appears the Ford Explorer ran a stop sign and broadsided the other vehicle. No names released yet.

Amanda Rose Hagedorn, 25, of West Hazeltine Avenue, Kenmore, is charged with acting in a manner injurious to a child less than 17 and disorderly conduct. Hagedorn allegedly voiced numerous obscenities while in a public place, BJ's Wholesale Club, at 6:22 p.m. Saturday. She was jailed on $1,000 bail. Additional charges are possible.

Kirk Arnold Thomas Jr., 30, of Woodstock Gardens, Batavia, is charged with three counts of grand larceny, 4th. Thomas is accused of stealing more than $1,000 in merchandise from Target on three separate occasions.

Duty Everett Caswell, 23, of North Main Street, Oakfield, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Caswell's vehicle was stopped in response to a complaint of an intoxicated driver on Angling Road, Pembroke, at 12:13 p.m. Monday. The traffic stop was made by Deputy Joseph Graff.

Harvey J. Lockhart, 32, of Batavia, and Kevin Q. Thomas, 26, of Batavia, are charged with criminal possession of a weapon, 2nd, criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd, and endangering the welfare of a child. Lockhart and Thomas were arrested following a traffic stop in the Village of Le Roy by Le Roy PD. As a result of an investigation, Lockhart was allegedly found in possession of loaded .22-caliber handgun in his shorts pocket as well as 10 bags of crack cocaine. Thomas was also accused of possessing a handgun and crack cocaine. A child was reportedly in the vehicle. Lockhart was held without bail and Thomas was held on $10,000 bail.

Bryan Henry Fetterly, 29, of Byron Holley Road, Byron, is charged with criminal tampering, 3rd. Fetterly allegedly threw property belonging to another person into a garbage dumpster that contained garbage. The alleged incident was reported at 10 a.m. Sunday.

Dekota Starr Leiser, 23, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny and unlawful possession of marijuana. Leiser allegedly stole tools from a business on Bank Street Road, Batavia. During the investigation by Deputy Joseph Graff, Leiser was allegedly found in possession of marijuana.

Philip William Czaja, 31, of Elm Street, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to pay fine. Czaja turned himself in. No further information released.

Kristen Anne Cianfrini, 30, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Cianfrini was arrested after a passerby found her 3-year-old child unattended, wandering near the roadside of Route 5, by a passing motorist. It's alleged that Cianfrini did not know her child had walked out of their residence and that the child had been wandering near the road for an undetermined period of time while Cianfrini was sleeping. The alleged incident was reported at 9:10 a.m. Saturday.

Adam Michael Jellison, 37, of Sierk Road, Attica, was arrested for an alleged probation violation. Jellison was issued on a warrant out of Wyoming County. He was arrested after he went to the Sheriff's Office on Park Road to retrieve found property and the warrant was discovered.

Melissa Courtney Cicatello, 23, of Webber Avenue, Oakfield, is charged with criminal mischief. Cicatello allegedly intentionally damaged the car door of another person's vehicle.

An aging and leaky roof on the Victorian home that houses the Oakfield Historical Society's Museum and Research Center is jeopardizing the collection of artifacts and documents in the society's care. Water and old things usually don't mix well and members of the society are concerned about the current condition of the roof, which they've been unable to repair.

The society is planning a series of fundraisers, including an upcoming golf tournament, but they're also making a direct appeal for donations through GoFundMe.com.

The cost of a new roof and needed repairs are expected to be at least $25,000.

A defibrillator was donated by the Armbrewster family Saturday for use at the Oakfield Little League fields and in the fall for the Oakfield-Elba Titans football program. The donation was made in the memory of Chad Armbrewster, who passed away last year from a heart attack. Participating in the ceremony were Sonya Armbrewster and sons Gage and Gavin, along with Matthew Durham, president of the Little League, and coaches Jeff Hyde, Mike Cusmano and Tim Westcott.

Zachary J. Ayres, 21, of Bankside Drive, Hamlin, is charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance, 4th, and criminal possession of a controlled substance, 5th. Ayres was arrested on a warrant for allegedly selling suboxone to an agent of the Local Drug Task Force. He was jailed on $10,000 bail.

Shaun Claude Connors, 36, of Bissell Avenue, Depew, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th. Connors was arrested after being found sleeping in an unsecured, parked car on South Lake Road, Pembroke, at 8:21 a.m., May 20. 

Kimberly L. Winn, 61, of Church Street, Le Roy, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, inadequate exhaust and unlawful possession of marijuana. Winn was stopped at 9:09 p.m. Thursday in the Village of Le Roy.

Mark D. Nash, 56, of Curtis Street, Rochester, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to pay fine. Nash has a conviction for issuing a bad check. He was arrested at the Monroe County Jail and jailed in Genesee County on $105 bail.

Rae Charlene Cook, 26, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, is charged with trespass and resisting arrest. Cook is accused of entering a residence without being invited nor having the owner's permission to enter. Cook reportedly left the residence before officers arrived, but allegedly returned later and was located on the front porch of the residence and taken into custody after a struggle.

Mark Jackett, 45, and Courtney Hewitt, 33, of Irving Parkway, Oakfield, are charged with eight counts of offering a false instrument for filing, 1st, and one count each of third-degree grand larceny. Jacket and Hewitt were arrested following an investigation by the Department of Social Services. Jackett and Hewitt are accused of submitting an application, recertification and wage verification forms that failed to report Jackett's correct income. As a result, Jackett and Hewitt allegedly received $9,747.09 in Medicaid benefits they were not entitled to between Dec. 1, 2010 and March 31, 2013. Jackett and Hewitt turned themselves into the Sheriff's Office, were arraigned and released.

Eric K. Ricks, 36, of Ellicott Street Road, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd, unlawful possession of marijuana and criminal obstruction of breathing. Ricks was allegedly involved in a domestic incident on State Street. He's accused of strangling and punching another person. He was also allegedly found in possession of marijuana. He was jailed on $2,000 bail or $4,000 bond. Ricks was also arrested by the Sheriff's Office on a charge of disobeying a court mandate for allegedly violating an order of protection.

Charles I. Farraro, 27, of Barron Road, Mount Morris, is charged with DWI, refusal to take breath test, moving from lane unsafely and drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle. Farraro was stopped at 11:56 p.m. Tuesday on Walnut Street, Batavia, by Officer Darryle Streeter.

Samantha Lynn Gibbs, 27, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with unauthorized use of a computer. Gibbs is accused of gaining access to a computer network of another person and posting items on that network.

Jason Scott Stanley, 22, of Judge Road, Alabama, is charged with trespass. Stanley was arrested following an investigation into an ATV accident at 10:14 p.m. Monday at 7394 Hutton Road, Oakfield. Stanley was allegedly on private property without permission when she was involved in an ATV accident. Also charged, Amber Lynn Sharick, 22, of Lewiston Road, Batavia.

Stacey Lynn Santillo, 39, of Montclair Avenue, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Santillo is accused of shoplifting from Kohl's.

Adam Bielski submitted these photos of Memorial Day events in Oakfield.

An ATV accident is reported in the area of 7394 Hutton Road, Oakfield.  

A teenage female reportedly suffered a head injury. A person will meet a fire chief roadside and escort him to the accident location.

Mercy Flight out of Olean is on in-air standby with a 40-minute ETA, weather permitting. 

UPDATE 10:30 p.m.: Mercy Flight 5 now available, 20-minute ETA.

UPDATE 12:32 a.m.: A responder subsequently told Howard, on scene at another incident -- the explosion/fire on Read Road, Town of Pembroke, that the girl was transported primarily as a precaution and that she didn't suffer severe injuries.

Ashley Marie Fladie, 24, of Pearl Street Road, Batavia, is charged with two counts of cruelty to animals. Fladie is accused of possessing two dogs that were deprived of proper care and, as a result, suffered from numerous medical conditions that authorities say could have been avoided with proper care. The dogs were examined by a veterinarian, who allegedly determined the dogs were in unsatisfactory condition due to improper care. Animal Control assisted in the investigation. The dogs were discovered during a response to a fire at 2720 Pearl Street Road the evening of March 11.

Ashley M. Kreutz, 27 of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Kreutz is accused of stealing a gift card from her employer, Kohl's, worth $37. The alleged theft was detected on surveillance video.

Jordan C. Dunham, 42, of Batavia, is charged with three counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, controlled substance in non-original container and no license plate lamp, and Nicole P. Gonzalez, 32, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, and controlled substance in non-original container. State Police stopped Dunham's Chevrolet Cobalt on Route 33, Bergen, for an alleged license plate lamp out. During the interview, Dunham reportedly said he didn't have a license. A trooper reportedly observed his hands shaking and he appeared nervous.  The trooper allegedly spotted five glassine bags of heroin on the back seat floor. During the subsequent search, a trooper allegedly found two plastic baggies containing cocaine and a large glassine bag containing suboxone sublingual strips.

Merlin L. Brainerd, 34, of Silver Springs, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Brainerd was stopped by State Police on Route 63, Batavia, for alleged tinted windows. A trooper detected the alleged odor of marijuana. Further investigation turned up a baggie allegedly containing two grams of marijuana and a glass smoking pipe with marijuana residue.

Alexis A. Camilo, 19, of Buffalo, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Camilo was stopped in Corfu by Village police for allegedly driving 48 in a 35 mph zone on Route 77.

Craig M. Stevens, 54, of North Spruce Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Steven allegedly slapped a woman at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at a location on North Spruce Street.

Yolanda E. Johnson, 28, of West Main Street, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant related to an aggravated unlicensed operation, 3rd, charge. Johnson was arrested, arraigned and released on her own recognizance.

A 17-year-old resident of Batavia is charged with criminal mischief, 4th. The youth allegedly punched a hole in a wall at an undisclosed location at 9:30 pm. on May 12. Batavia PD withheld the name of the suspect.

Francisco Martinez Jr., 42, no permanent residence, was arrested on a warrant related to an endangering the welfare of a child charge. Martinez was arraigned, had a DNA sample collected at the jail, and was released.

A 17-year-old resident of Batavia is charged with endangering the welfare of a minor and menacing, 2nd. The youth allegedly threatened his 13-year-old brother with a knife at 6:30 p.m., May 5, at an undisclosed location. The name of the suspect withheld by Batavia PD.

Carlos Samol, 50, of Liberty Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd, and endangering the welfare of a child. Samol allegedly struck two people, including a juvenile, in an alleged incident reported at 2:38 p.m., Wednesday.

Sarah Mae Wilson, 32, of Hutchins Street, Batavia, is charged with disobeying an order of protection. Wilson was allegedly located by police officers hiding in the closet of a protected party. Wilson was jailed on $5,000 bail or $10,000 bond.

Karen D. Bannister, 74, of South Main Street, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear on a harassment charge. Bannister was arraigned and released on her own recognizance.

Daniel L. Dioguardi, 34, of Summit Street, Batavia, is charged with obstructing governmental administration. Dioguardi allegedly ran from police when they attempted to detain him for questioning during a burglary investigation at 5:17 p.m., Friday. Dioguardi was jailed on $3,000 bail or $6,000 bond.

Stanley D. Wilson, 54, of Bank Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Wilson is accused of stealing beer from the Red Apple at 99 Jackson St., Batavia.

Michael A. Galas, 24, of Woodcrest Boulevard, Tonawanda, is charged with trespass. Galas was allegedly trespassing at Rolling Hills Asylum, Bethany. Also charged, Nicholas J. Hora, 24, of Old Farm Court, Cheektowaga, Rebecca M. Klein, 24, of Knowlton Road, Kenmore, and Jessica M. Cichocki, of Elm Place, Lancaster. The four people were allegedly caught on the property at 6:54 p.m., Sunday.

Daniel Thomas McPhee III, 48, of Losson Road, Cheektowaga, is charged with possession or transport of unstamped cigarettes, motor vehicle lights not meeting safety standards and running a red light. McPhee was stopped at 8:53 p.m. Sunday on Route 77, Pembroke, by Deputy Joseph Corona.

Christina Aminta Soler, 37, of Phelps Road, Pembroke, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Soler allegedly violated an order of protection by contacting the protected party.

Jacob John Stone, 39, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief. Stone allegedly kicked and damaged a door during an argument.

Honour Haley Myers, 26, of Hamm Road, Lockport, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and failure to stop at stop sign. Myers was stopped at 6:33 p.m. Saturday on Route 33, Stafford, by Deputy Joseph Corona.

Eric Charles Zglinicki, 53, of Alleghany Road, Darien, is charged with criminal possession of weapon, 4th. Zglinicki was allegedly found in possession of firearms despite his prior felony conviction. The weapons were confiscated.

Patricia Leslie Brown, 61, of Park Avenue, Whitesboro, is charged with possession of more than 400 untaxed cigarattes. Brown was stopped at 9:56 a.m. Sunday on Route 77, Pembroke, by Deputy Richard Schildwaster.

Kathleen Marie Szkotak, 46, of Park Avenue, Whitesboro, is charged with possession of more than 400 untaxed cigarettes and driving with dark-tinted windows. Szkotak was stopped at 9:56 a.m. Sunday on Route 77, Pembroke, by Deputy Richard Schildwaster.

Robert James Lefrois, 30, of Down Street, Rochester, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, unlicensed operator, possession / display of a forged inspection certificate and inadequate muffler. Lefrois was stopped at 12:52 p.m. Sunday on Route 77, Pembroke, by Deputy Richard Schildwaster.

Harvey Arthur McMurray Jr., 47, of Bennett Avenue, Oakfield, is charged with driving while ability impaired by alcohol, speeding, unlicensed driver and unregistered motor vehicle. McMurray was stopped at 2 a.m. May 8 on Lewiston Road, Oakfield, by Deputy Joseph Corona.

Wendy S. Dempsey, 44, of Sunset Parkway, Oakfield, is charged with trespassing. Dempsey allegedly entered a business in Oakfield where she had been previously told not to enter.

From our news partner, WBTA:

In a nationwide fundraising effort to fight childhood cancer, an Oakfield family will represent New York State.

This is the story of Brady Williams, a lemonade stand, and a whole lot of determination.

The Foundation’s fundraiser, called Alex’s Lemonade Days, occurs during a weekend in June and is designed to raise money for fighting childhood cancer as well as raising awareness of the issue.

"We'll have our lemonade days fundraiser on June 13th and then we'll have our annual stand that we do every year during the Oakfield Labor Day celebration in September," says Brady's mother, Megan Williams.

Alex Scott was an 8-year old girl who passed away from neuroblastoma in 2004, the same cancer affecting Brady. 

She and her family helped raise more than $1 million to help find a cure with homemade lemonade stands.

The cancer in Brady was first detected in his chest wall before extending into his spinal cord and column.

He was diagnosed with cancer when doctors tried to determine why he hadn’t learned to walk as a baby.

After undergoing two surgeries as well as chemotherapy, the lively second-grader is in remission.

Brady and his family speak at schools to spread awareness of childhood cancer.

Alex’s Lemonade Days runs from June 12-14 this year.

"Our six-year total is over $20,000, so this year we're hoping to break $25,000 but I may adjust that based on how we do here June 13th. We may have to push that up even higher," says Megan.

Everyone wants lemonade around June, so the Williams family will continue to satisfy customers as well as work to fight for childhood cancer.

A smile like Brady’s shows a hope that never fails.

The Williams family lives on Drake Street in Oakfield.

Brady is one of a set of triplets.

I wasn't around for this, didn't even know about it until a few minutes ago when a relative of Katie Brownell sent me an e-mail, but Brownell once threw a perfect game, striking out 18 batters, in an Oakfield-Alabama Little League game.

That was 10 years ago. MLB.com has a story up today about the event, about Brownell's subsequent fame and her upcoming graduation from Buffalo State University. 

A grass fire is reported at 3562 E. Lockport Road, Oakfield.

That's the East Oakfield Cemetery.

Oakfield fire dispatched.

On Coe Street, Oakfield, somebody discarded this forelorn Teddy Bear.

The Teddy Bear became a popular toy in the early 20th Century after Teddy Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear on a bear hunt. After days of hunting, in Missouri, Roosevelt's guides found a bear that was weakened by lack of food and captured it, tied it to a tree and waited for Roosevelt to catch up. Roosevelt wouldn't personally kill a bear in that condition. An illustrator on the trip drew a picture of the scene, and early Teddy Bears looked a lot like the artist's depiction of the bear. The rest of the story: The guides killed the bear and the hunters feasted on bear that evening, but the illustration helped cement Roosevelt's image as a humane conservationist.