There is a natural gas leak reported at Le Roy Junior/Senior High School.
Le Roy fire is on scene. Stafford, Bergen and Pavilion dispatched mutual aid.
About 20 minutes ago, Le Roy fire was dispatched to the school for a pull station alarm.
UPDATE 10:41 a.m.: Town of Batavia fire requested to fill in at Le Roy's fire hall. Pavilion, which was standing by, now called to the school, located at 9300 South Street Road, Le Roy.
Buffalo News: ‘Massive’ opportunity ahead for residential solar
An ambulance has been dispatched to Bank Street and Alva Place for the male victim of a stabbing.
Police are on scene.
No further information available at this time.
UPDATE 9:55 p.m.: The stabbing victim was approached by two males at the 7-11 store parking lot on East Main Street and "asked to purchase something" but police would not specify what that was. When the victim pulled out some money, he was stabbed in the shoulder and the money was taken. The suspects fled north on Elm Street, but that is not a certainty; the victim is not from the area. The suspects are described as a light-skinned male and a dark-skinned male, both wearing hoodies, one of which was dark and one of which was gray, but the victim could not specify which person wore what color. The victim attemped to drive to the hospital, but ended up at Bank Street and Alva Place, where he found a police officer and flagged him down.
Press release:
The Batavia Business and Professional Women's Club announces its annual scholarship and Community Service Awards and is calling for applications and letters requesting consideration, respectively.
The BBPW has been giving scholarships since 1961. The number and amount of the scholarships given is dependent on the club’s annual fundraiser. Scholarships are given for high school seniors as well as a returning student from Genesee Community College and two students from Genesee Valley Educational Partnership.
Applications and all required information must be postmarked by April 9th.
Qualifications:
Mail all required information with the application to:
Batavia Business and Professional Women’s Club
Attention: Scholarship Committee
P.O. Box 1778
Batavia, NY 14021
The BBPW also offers monetary awards for Service Groups in June.
Letters requesting consideration for Service Awards must be postmarked by April 22nd.
Qualifications:
Batavia Business & Professions Womens’ Club
Service Award
P.O. Box 1778
Batavia, NY 14021
Any questions, contact Brenda Miller at bchapell1@hotmail.com
Press release:
The Genesee County Fair announced today that seven $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to current New York State high school seniors and also students enrolled in college.
The New York State Association of Agricultural Fairs (NYSAAF) and the New York State Showpeople’s Association (NYSSA) sponsor the scholarships.
The qualifying students must be active at the Genesee County Fair or The New York State Showpeople’s Association. All applicants from Genesee County must submit their applications through the Genesee County Fair or the New York State Showpleople’s Association no later than Friday, April 8.
Information is available through the Genesee County Fair at (585) 344-2424, through Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County and from local high school offices. Applications must be printed and completed from the Web at www.nysfairs.org.
For more information, contact the Genesee County Fair Office at (585) 344-2424.
Students from eight area high schools were at Genesee Community College today to show off their sales and marketing skills in a virtual trade fair sponsored by the Accelerated College Enrollment (ACE) program.
The students applied skills they learned in their classrooms to try and convince others to buy their products using virtual credit cards. Students were required to interact with potential buyers by making pitches, showing off catalogs and demonstrating their products. The transactions were recorded and receipts deposited in virtual bank accounts. Students are judged on sales skills and sales results. The top three businesses were to receive awards.
Particpating schools were Batavia, Dansville, Elba, Le Roy (two teams), Livonia, Notre Dame and there was a team from Wyoming County.
Also coming up are the annual Tech Wars, which is March 17, starting at 9:30 a.m.
Press release:
The Batavia City School District is pleased to offer the Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) Program for students and will continue to operate the program in the 2016-2017 school year, pending New York State funding.
UPK provides an opportunity for 4-year-old children, at no cost to their families, to be involved in developmentally appropriate educational classes that, following the regular school calendar, meet Monday through Friday during the school year. Since its implementation, the District has provided a half-day program, with a choice of either morning or afternoon sessions.
Children who are residents of the District and who are 4 years of age on or before Dec. 1, 2016, are eligible to apply. Applications are available at the District’s Business Office in the administrative wing of Batavia High School (260 State St.), or by calling 343-2480, ext. 1002.
They also can be downloaded and printed out from the District’s Web site (www.bataviacsd.org) by using the pull-down menu at the top of the page labeled “Parent,” or the Quick Link labeled “Parent Resources,” then clicking on the box labeled “Registering a Student” which links to the Web page with general registration information as well as, under Related Files, the UPK information packet.
Applications should be returned by June 3.
Please note that if the YMCA is selected once again to be the community-based organization to provide UPK, they offer additional “wraparound” programs consisting of Child Watch in the morning (followed by UPK from12:30-3 p.m.), then School Aged Child Care afterward. While there is no charge for UPK, there is a charge for the morning Child Watch and afternoon Child Care programs.
Requests for placement in specific location or times is not guaranteed for either the District program or for the community-based organization that is providing a UPK program.
If there are more applicants than openings, a lottery system will be used to place as many children as possible, with the rest being placed on a waiting list. Likewise, late applications will be accepted and placed on a waiting list if there are no openings.
New York Times: Don’t Post About Me on Social Media, Children Say
Press release:
Today is Small Business Day in Albany, and Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) is touting New York’s small businesses as one of the driving forces of our state’s economy and pledged his support as budget negotiations heat up this month. Hawley has been a small-business owner for more than four decades and continually advocates to keep profits local and cut taxes and regulations.
“I know firsthand what it takes to succeed in New York’s suffocating business environment,” Hawley said. “Our state is continually ranked last or close to last in terms of business friendliness and economic outlook and that is unacceptable. I know many small-business owners personally and I can attest to their heart and determination to provide a great life for their families and strengthen their communities by hiring local employees.
"As we head into budget negotiations, I plan to advocate for the hard-working men and women of the business community to make New York a better place for us all.”
Hawley, a staunch opponent of the governor’s planned $15 an hour minimum wage, offered some insight into what impact that will have on small businesses.
“A $15 minimum wage, as proposed by the governor, is the wrong approach for New York,” Hawley said. “The minimum wage is already slated to increase each year for the next several years. Only in New York State do we receive a raise and then complain that it’s not good enough. This measure will kill hundreds of thousands of jobs, according to the Empire Center, and force businesses to relocate to other states.
Le Roy’s Wolcott Street School was evacuated as a precaution this morning, due to a “strange odor” in the building, Principal Carol Messura said.
No one was in danger at any time, Messura said in an automated message to parents, and school will resume as normal on Wednesday.
“This morning we experienced a strange odor permeating through the Lapp wing and first floor of our Wolcott Street building,” Messura said in the message this evening.
“This was not a natural gas leak,” she said. “What we did find was a venting problem. At no time was anyone in danger. We were simply following protocol.”
The evacuation was ordered before the start of school, and parents were notified at 8:55 a.m. Arriving students were either “reverse-bused” home, dismissed to their parents or transported to the Junior-Senior High School.
Le Roy Fire Department and RG&E personnel investigated, and gave the all-clear about 10 a.m.
Wolcott Street School accommodates children from prekindergarten through sixth grade.
Previous coverage: Le Roy elementary school evacuated
The Alexander High School Drama Club presents "Big Fish: A Musical" this weekend.
Showtimes are 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m., Sunday.
Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for seniors and students, pre-sale, and $10 for adults and $7 for seniors and students at the door. Children 5 and under can attend for free.
Photos are from yesterday's rehearsal.
Last fall, the folks at the YMCA were looking at remodeling their aging facility on East Main Street. Time has taken its toll and what started out as a project that might need a few hundred thousand dollars soon ballooned into a $3 million estimate.
At that price, Executive Director Rob Walker said, maybe it was time for the Y to look for a partner.
YMCAs in other communities found ready partners in local hospitals, so Walker, in his job for a little over a year, called Dan Ireland, CEO of United Memorial Medical Center, also in his job for a little over a year, and asked for a meeting.
It was a meeting of the minds.
Ireland was already thinking it would make a lot of sense for the hospital to partner in the Y. The missions align and the two nonprofit organizations share property lines.
The logical conclusion, build a new building that would meet the needs of both the Y and UMMC.
The hospital owns property on three sides of the way, including the location of Cary Hall and the vacant lot (formerly the Elks Lodge) next to it. It would make a lot of sense, Walker and Ireland surmised, to build something new on that land and take the current Y building down.
A task force was formed, chaired by Mark Schoell, the retired CEO of UMMC, and including people such as City Manager Jason Molino, County Manager Jay Gsell, economic development coordinator Julie Pacatte and business leaders such as John Riter, of Merrill Lynch.
The planning process took another step forward today with a community forum, consisting of about 80 invited community leaders from throughout Genesee County, at City Church's Generation Center on Center Street.
Walker is quick to point out that the Y and UMMC are in the very early stages of the process, just pre-planning, but he and Ireland are pretty clearly enthusiastic about the idea.
"The level of cooperation and spirit of collaboration between the Y and the hospital has been fun, enjoyable and something that is going to be transformative," Walker said.
It's a great opportunity improve the level of health and well-being services for the people of Genesee County, Ireland said.
"Cary Hall is aging and needs work," Ireland said. "The Y is aged and needs work. We have a tremendous plot of land with parking and those buildings; we could really do a lot if we collectively come out with the right thing. The benefit to the hospital is new space so we can offer greater service.
This morning's forum was facilitated by Mary Ellen and Rick Peterson, both from the national YMCA office.
The 80 or so participants were assigned groups of five or six people with a facilitator who helped guide the discussion and wrote group thoughts and ideas on white sheets of paper. The groups were asked to take about 12 minutes on each of five questions, such as what challenges the community faces, how those challenges can best be met, what can be done locally to help families, and how can personal well-being issues be addressed.
All of those sheets of paper -- dozens and dozens of them -- were gathered up after the meeting and the task force will now review them and use them to produce a report by May or June on how the Y and UMMC can best meet community needs and what should go into a joint facility to meet those needs.
"We can't just take the Y in Rochester or the Y in Buffalo and take a cookie cutter and drop it in Batavia," Walker said. "All the stuff that is in this room right now, on the walls, this is what we're going to take and make spaces to meet those needs. We don't know what it's going to look like, but it's going to be pretty."
Walker said the task force will also be able to draw on needs assessments completed by other area agencies over the past few years, such as the Office for the Aging, Health Department, school district and United Way.
The applause line of the morning came from one gentleman sitting at the back of the room who pointed out the participants were all white, and mostly close in age. He suggested there needs to be some needs assessments from a group with greater diversity and representing a broader range of community members.
Both Walker and Ireland said the gentleman's comment was right on target and that there were people invited who could bring greater diversity, but they didn't show, so there will be some follow up with them.
"We recognize the need to strengthen the task force so there is an equal representation," Ireland said.
Walker was clearly energized by the morning's discussion and believes if all of these plans come together into a real project, it will transform Downtown, transform Batavia and, in fact, all of Genesee County.
"Today was pretty inspirational for me," Walker said. "The minds, the passion here for Batavia; it's a proud community. We have tremendous potential to make this projection transformational and make Batavia a destination city."
A motor-vehicle accident with injuries is reported in front of Jan's Smoke Shop, 383 Bloomingdale Road, Alabama. The occupants are conscious and alert. It is blocking traffic. Alabama Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.
UPDATE 12:46 p.m.: One patient is being transported to Mercy Hospital of Buffalo.
Le Roy's Wolcott Street School was evacuated this morning “due to an odor,” Brian Foeller, business administrator, said in an automated voice message to parents.
Students were not allowed into the building, and are being sent home.
Students who take the bus to school will be “reverse-bused” home. Those who do not have a parent to receive them will be taken to the junior-senior high school or to a sitter if one is on file, the message said.
Students who walked to school were being dismissed from the school auditorium, the message said.
Wolcott Street School houses students in grades K-6.
UPDATE 9:45 a.m.: Le Roy Fire Department and RG&E personnel are at the school to investigate a possible natural gas leak. Also, in a follow-up automated message, the district said the evacuation was completed by 9:30 a.m. and any students who have not been sent home can be picked up at the Junior-Senior High School.
Press release:
Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) today called for the full repeal of the NY SAFE Act on the heels of new public safety data showing 81 percent of violations occurred in New York City, over five times more than in the rest of the state. Hawley called for his legislation, A.2651, to be brought to the floor for a vote following the release of this new data.
“As many of us said when we were getting force-fed this atrocious piece of legislation, this is an unconstitutional measure that will have little impact on curbing gun violence,” Hawley said. “The numbers are indisputable.
"The SAFE Act is little more than political pandering to liberal advocates who wanted to punish law-abiding Upstate firearm owners for a Downstate problem. I sponsor multiple bills, including A.3350, that would repeal the SAFE Act and I will continue to fight for full repeal of this ill-conceived law.”
Furthermore, Hawley is pushing for a floor vote on his “Two New Yorks” legislation, which would allow for a ballot referendum asking voters whether they support the division of New York into two separate states.
“The Two New Yorks legislation, A.4167, has been one of the cornerstones of my platform for many years,” Hawley said. “If passed, it would provide for a non-binding referendum gauging public support for the division of New York into two separate states. Unfortunately, Downstate politicians continue to block my bill from coming to the floor because they are fearful of the results.
"We should never sacrifice transparency and the public’s role in government to accumulate power and wealth. This is the time to vote on Two New Yorks, after seeing how Upstate values are continually being stifled in exchange for New York City values, and that is dangerous.”
A caller reports 10 black males, approximately ages 20 to 30, were fighting in the area of Hutchins Place and Lewis Place in the city. No weapons were displayed. They scattered in different directions. City PD responding.
A man is out of control in a hallway inside United Memorial Medical Center and reportedly struck a nurse. City police just arrived on scene.
Bald eagles are using a nest on Oatka Trail, just outside of Le Roy.
Harassing, disturbing or injuring a bald eagle is a federal offense and carries a penalty of up to $20,000 and/or one year in jail. Remember that bald eagles should remain undisturbed, and it is important that they conserve energy during the winter months.
Bald eagle viewing tips from the NY Department of Conservation to help you to have the best possible experience:
For the safest and least intrusive bald eagle viewing, we recommend the following "Eagle Etiquette":
An unidentified friend of the dog owner is holding onto the dog who is said to have bitten two people a short time ago.
Mercy medics are told to stage in the area of State Street and Hutchins Place for a victim or victims with multiple dog bite injuries. Law enforcement is responding.
UPDATE 3:26 p.m.: A German shepherd allegedly got loose and bit two people. The wounds are described as superficicial, but one person was transported to UMMC for evaluation. The dog owner was not home at the time of the incident, said Batavia Police Sgt. Chris Camp. The incident is under investigation. A friend of the dog owner, pictured, said the canine is about 2 years old.
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