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Press release:

This month St. Paul Lutheran School in Batavia is celebrating 20 years of educating children in and around Batavia, from prekindergarten to fifth grade. On Sunday, Nov. 26, there will be a special Alumni Reunion & School Celebration!

The worship service will take place from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., immediately followed by the reunion outside the main church entrance at 31 Washington Ave.

There will be old photographs and DVDs to see and reminiscing with former schoolmates and teachers.

For questions, contact Mrs. Ann Werk, school principal, at 343-0488.

A working barn fire, that a caller believes to be intentionally set, is reported at 1239 Judge Road in Alabama. The location is between Crosby and Alleghany roads. Flames are visible from Bloomingdale Road. Alabama Fire Department is responding. The third platoon is called to Alabama's headquarters.

UPDATE 10:13 p.m.: According to Sheriff's Deputy Richard Schildwaster, earlier this evening Alabama Fire Department was dispatched for a working barn fire; several agencies were also dispatched, including the Genesee County Sheriff's Office and the Emergency Management Office.

"There was a report that came over dispatch (of a fire suspicious in nature) but nothing to led to that conclusion," Schildwaster said, adding that "nobody was seen leaving." He said the investigators were in the "very preliminary, very early stages of investigation." He noted that "we do believe there is loss of life (livestock) in the barn." Also, although there was initially a report of minor burns to a human, no subsequent reports of that appear valid.

UPDATE Saturday, 1:04 a.m.: Photos added.

Collin Ronald Wickings, 24, of Clinton Street Road, Bergen, is charged with sexual abuse in the first degree. Wickings is accused of sexual contact with a 6-year-old child. The alleged contact was reported Sept. 18 in Stafford.

Wickings was arraigned in Stafford Town Court and released under the supervision of Genesee Justice. Wickings was ordered to stay away from the alleged victim.

Further court proceedings are pending.

The case was investigated by Youth Officer Tim Westcott, assisted by Deputy Richard Schildwaster.

Genesee Community College honored veterans today with a ceremony in the forum.

Batavia High School Band playing the National Anthem.

Taps.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley speaking. Before and during the ceremony a slideshow displayed photos of veterans associated with GCC.

Jessica Caryl, an aviation mechanist, represented student veterans and read a poem about the flag.

UTICA -- Allison DellaPenna, of Batavia, a junior on the Utica College volleyball team, was named to the Sportswoman of the Year squad, it was announced Tuesday.

The Empire 8 Conference emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete's experience in conjunction with an institution's educational mission. One member of each team is selected for displaying these traits as well as having the characteristics that make a good sportswoman.

DellaPenna totaled 65 kills and she also finished second on the team with 41 blocks in 30 matches played this season. In three years with the Pioneers, she has recorded 92 kills and 52 blocks.

Genesee Community College held an open house for prospective students today. It's the first one since the Student Success Center and Richard C. Call Arena opened and some 200 potential students, often with their parents, attended the event.

The next one is from 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Nov. 18, to coincide with SUNY Financial Aid Day.

Top photo: Navaily Petrona, Susan Ryan, and Stephany Mercilia. Ryan is assistant director for admissions and Petrona and Mercilia, both from Curacao, were student guides for tours. 

Below, Zoe Skarzenski, along with her mother, Susan, and father, Terry, from Findley Lake, stopped by the student bookstore to check out some GCC-branded apparel.

A tour through GCC's TV studio.

Motorists and walkers were treated to a welcome sight this morning with the reopening of the new River Street bridge that crosses over the Tonawanda Creek between West Main Street and South Main Street.

"It's kind of nice to hear cars going by again and I'm especially happy for the walkers -- those are the ones I'm most happy for," said Nann Zorn, who lives on River Street, a stone's throw from the span's southwest side. "It has had to have been tough for those who walk to Tops and other stores (in the area), back and forth."

Ramsey Constructors Inc. of Lakeville rebuilt the "post-tension" bridge (a specific type of construction, focusing on reinforcement). The project started in early June, taking four and a half months to complete.

"I have no complaints whatsoever (about the workers)," Zorn said. "They have been great. And people that say it took a long time, well, if it was the State of New York doing it, it would have been three years."

The project cost about $2 million, with $1.65 million of it covered by federal aid. New York State funds covered about $300,000, with Genesee County paying a bit more than $100,000.

Zorn, who lives in the house her mother grew up in, noted that the bridge was last replaced in 1975.

"We even have home movies of the bridge that was up before that," she said. "That one went up in the 1930s or '40s, and when they replaced it, they just dropped it in the creek."

Photo by Mike Pettinella.

Sgt. Christopher Green was happy to be reunited with his girlfriend, Kaela McMartin, along with friends and family in Corfu last night, but the real surprise was the fire and police escort from the Buffalo Airport to the Corfu Fire Hall last night.

Green, originally from Elba, has been away from home for a year and just finished an eight-month deployment in Afghanistan.

A member of the National Guard, Green is part of Bravo Company 3126 out of Rochester.  He was a gunner on a CH-47 Chinook helicopter.

"We were with a bunch of great people," Green said. "Basically, we supported the ground troops in Nangarhar province, supporting ground troops, defeating the enemy, basically ISIS and Taliban that were there, just flying around having a great time."

The job, he said, is one of the best jobs he's had.

The fire and police escort was a big surprise, said Green, who has been a trooper with the State Police (currently assigned to Amity) for three years, especially the way the escort just started growing, from just two Transient police units at the airport to including State Police, Lancaster Police, Cheektowaga Police, Corfu Police, the Genesee County Sheriff's Office, along with fire departments from Corfu, East Pembroke, Darien and Pembroke by the time it reached Countyline Road.

"It was awesome," he said. "It's great to be home. I wasn't expecting anything of this magnitude."

A car has hit a tree on the 490 just west of the Route 33 overpass. 

One occupant. One injury reported. 

Bergen fire and Le Roy ambulance dispatched. 

A rollover accident with entrapment is reported in the area of 6690 Ellicott Street Road, Pavilion.

A responder warns of slick roads.

The vehicle is on its side. Minor injuries reported.

Pavilion fire and Mercy EMS responding.

Scott Hetsko, a member of the weather team at our news partner 13WHAM, provided this forecast for Genesee County:

You can expect temperatures to plummet into the lower 20s and even a few upper teens by morning. I expect some squalls to develop off the lake between midnight and 5 a.m. in your area. Expect snow to vary between a coating to 2”. The main concern will be a quick freeze, which will make for icy spots on area roads. Wind gusts overnight will range from 15-35 mph.

Photographer Eian Windham’s exhibit (pictured above with his mother) “Psychedelic Through Life” had its opening Thursday night at GO ART! It was a very well attended affair in the Rotary Room on the second floor of Seymour Place. Quite a few of Eian’s images were purchased within the first hour of the exhibit.

Eian is a 16-year-old Batavia High School student.

When asked how he got started in photography, he said “It just happened. I used to take a lot of pictures with my cell phone. My dad bought me a camera and I realized I could take better pictures with it.”

While he is still developing his style for his images, it is clear nature and family relationships are of interest and important to him. A majority of the images are from a tour of Jamaica that the family took last year.

Eian’s exhibit runs through Nov. 25^th. Go art currently has four exhibits on display. Exhibit hours are by appointment or Thursday and Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 11a.m. to  4 p.m., and every second Sunday of the month from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. GO ART! is located at 201 E. Main St., Batavia.

A minor injury accident involving a motorcyclist and pickup truck is reported on Harris Road in Le Roy.

A pickup truck attempted to make a left-hand turn into a driveway on Harris Road, west of Asbury Road, when an oncoming motorcyclist struck it head on.

Le Roy fire, Mercy medics and Sheriff's deputies are on scene. The driver of the pickup was uninjured; the motorcyclist is being evaluated.

The following is a schedule of Veterans Day ceremonies in Genesee County:

Friday, Nov. 10:

• Noon -- Genesee Community College; Located at 1 College Road, Town of Batavia

Saturday, Nov. 11:

• 9 a.m.-- Genesee County Park & Forest (Vietnam Veterans of America); Located at 11095 Bethany Center Road, East Bethany
• 10 a.m. -- Batavia VA Medical Center; Located at 222 Richmond Ave., Batavia
• 10:15 a.m. -- NYS Vets’ Home; Also located at 222 Richmond Ave., Batavia
• 11 a.m. -- Emory Upton Monument; Located at the junction of Main Street and Ellicott Street (the fork in the road) in Downtown Batavia
• 11 a.m. -- Trigon Park, Le Roy; Hosted by Le Roy American Legion, will include remarks by Ret. USN Commander Robert “Bob” Kettle
• 11:30 a.m. -- Jerome Center (UMMC); Located at 16 Bank St., Batavia

Organizations Participating

Genesee County American Legion

Veterans of Foreign Wars of Genesee County

Marine Corps League – Hansen Brothers Detachment

Disabled American Veterans – Chapter #166

Vietnam Veterans of America – Chapter #193

American Legion Botts Fioritto Post #576

Genesee Community College

"Honor, respect and guard your freedom for it comes from the BLOOD of those who gave their life for it."

Press release:

Genesee Community College is accepting applications for Finger Lakes Hired Employment Program. This initiative includes career guidance and job search support, as well as potential funding for tuition and more for eligible applicants.

Applications for this program are due by Nov. 21.

The Finger Lakes Hired Employment Program (FLH), which established the grant, is part of a four-year, federally funded initiative operated in partnership with RochesterWorks! to place long-term unemployed individuals into local high-demand jobs. The FLH program stipulates that applicants must:

• Have been out of work for six months (27 weeks) or more, or must be currently under-employed;
• Be pursuing an academic program in Advanced Manufacturing, Health Care, or Information Technology;
• Be on track to graduate the program by May 2018.

There are strict deadlines for training grant applicants. Individuals seeking assistance with non-credit courses must submit application and necessary documentation between now and Jan. 5.

Through The BEST Center, GCC currently offers several certificate programs in the industries the FLH grant targets. In the healthcare arena, the Clinical Medical Assistant Certificate Program, Patient Access & Registration Professional Certificate Program and the Phlebotomy Certificate Program are currently available. In addition, on the job training opportunities are also available for newly hired employees in the areas of IT and Advanced Manufacturing.

There are also training grants opportunities for college credit-bearing courses for returning GCC students to complete their degree by May of 2018. There are more than 15 potentially eligible academic degree programs available through GCC.

For assistance with the training grant application process contact: Andrew Gerber, liaison and case manager at (585) 343-0055, ext. 6002, or by email: algerber@genesee.edu(link sends e-mail), or Emily Cooper, education and employment specialist at 585-397-5807, or by email: ecooper@rochesterworks.org(link sends e-mail).

For online details go The Finger Lakes Hired website: http://www.fingerlakeshired.com/(link is external)

June E. Ellis, 70, of South Main Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Ellis was allegedly involved in an altercation with another person in the parking lot of Tops at 7:15 p.m., Nov. 2.

Eric J. McGill, 34, of Lewis Place, Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. McGill was allegedly involved in a disturbance on Lewis Place at 6:22 p.m., Monday. A 17-year-old was also arrested.

Katty L. Jackson, 21, of Dewey Avenue, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Jackson allegedly violated an order of protection at 7 p.m., Nov. 2.

Jessica M. Pfenninger, 35, of Creek Road, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny.  Pfenninger is accused of shoplifting from Dollar Tree on West Main Street, Batavia.

Christina A. Cotter, 25, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Cotter is accused of violating a stay away order of protection by sending text messages to the protected person.

Sean M. Haugh, 20, of Covington Road, Perry, is charged with disorderly conduct. Haugh was arrested following a report to police of a disturbance at UMMC.

An 18-year-old man indicted on a charge of attempted murder in a stabbing last month behind a group of businesses on Veterans Memorial Drive entered a not guilty plea in Genseee County Court today.

The attorney for Jeffrey L. Barr, no permanent address, Public Defender Jerry Ader, said he will be filing motions to challenge the Grand Jury indictment.

 A hearing on that motion is set for Jan. 19.

Meanwhile, Barr is held without bail. Ader made no application for a revision in Barr's bail status but told Judge Charles Zambito that his client reserved that right to address his bail status at a later date.

Barr is accused of stabbing a man from Buffalo multiple times, including in the neck and chest, at 9:30 p.m., Friday, behind the mall at 4140 Veterans Memorial Drive, the location of Jagged Edges, Pawn King, Yume Asian Bistro and Peebles. Then the victim stumbled to the parking lot of Batavia Downs where he was located by a person who called 9-1-1 and rendered aid.

Press release:

Public warning -- IRS phone scam alert

The New York State Police in the Western NY area, including Niagara County Sheriffs Dispatch are receiving IRS phone scams. Recently some of calls have a return number to a New York State Police Barracks. The New York State Police are looking into these incidents.

The IRS does NOT contact the public over the phone to discuss tax payment issues.

Other phone scams include a fictitious police officer calling you over the phone demanding money to help bail out a loved one that just got arrested.

Law enforcement agencies do NOT call family to take bail money or gift cards from a retail store to pay off a bail.

If you have an elderly member in your family, warn them of these phone scams.

If you are a victim of a phone scam, call the appropriate police agency in the area you reside or the State Police at 585-344-6200.