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Tonawanda Indian Reservation

Two-car collision on Bloomingdale Road

By Billie Owens

A two-car accident is reported at 385 Bloomingdale Road in front of Jan's Smoke Shop.

There is a minor neck injury reported. The location is between Shanks and Martin roads on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation.

Alabama fire and Mercy BLS are responding.

Woman struck by hit-and-run driver on Council House Road

By Howard B. Owens

A 46-year-old woman was taken by Mercy Flight this morning to ECMC after being struck by a hit-and-run driver on Council House Road, Tonawanda Indian Reservation.

Sherri L. Abrams, a Skye Road resident, was walking eastbound when she was struck by an eastbound car driven by a person who fled the scene at 5:26 a.m.

No vehicle description was released.

The accident was investigated by Deputy Kevin McCarthy.

Truck reportedly on fire on Tonawanda reservation

By Howard B. Owens

A truck fire has been reported in the area of 271 Council House Road, Basom.

Alabama Fire is responding.

UPDATE 5 p.m.: An Akron firefighter on scene reports the truck is fully involved. He also says the correct address is 7003 Council House Road. An Alabama chief arriving on scene confirms the address.

UPDATE 5:02 p.m.: Alabama chief says units can respond non-emergency. The truck isn't near a building.

UPDATE 5:11 p.m.: All Alabama units are clear.


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Motorcycle accident with injuries reported on Council House Road

By Howard B. Owens

A motorcycle accident with injuries is reported at the intersection of Council House Road and Meadville Road.

Alabama Fire and Mercy EMS being dispatched.

UPDATE 4:38 p.m.: Apparently there's been only one call about the accident. It doesn't appear any other vehicles are involved. The rider is reportedly still on the ground.

UPDATE 4:40 p.m.: Victim is conscious and breathing, but some heavy bleeding. Mercy Flight requested to the scene.

UPDATE 4:54 p.m.: Mercy Flight on its way, about a seven minute ETA.

UPDATE 5:04 p.m.: Mercy Flight is at the scene.

UPDATE: Several minutes ago, Mercy Flight left the scene and all Alabama units are back in service.

Person flees scene of rollover accident on Reservation

By Howard B. Owens

There is a rollover accident on Council House Road on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation.

There was initially a report of a serious injury and Mercy Flight was being dispatched.

There is also a report that a person has fled from the scene.

Alabama Fire and Mercy EMS are responding.

UPDATE: A first responder says there is nobody in the vehicle.

Police Beat: Two more arrests stemming from alleged multi-person fight on Reservation

By Howard B. Owens

Elizabeth R. George, 19, of 587 Council House Road, Tonawanda Indian Reservation, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Mickey Aaron Jacobs, 18, of Poodry Road, Basom, is charged with menacing, 2nd. George and Jacobs were arrested as a result of an ongoing investigation into an alleged incident on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation at 4:14 a.m., July 21. Previously arrested were Cara L. Skye and Stormy Skye. George allegedly punched another person in the face a couple of times. Jacobs allegedly brandished a rifle, which reportedly caused fear in one witness, who was told to "back off" during the argument.

Timothy J. Becker, 45, of 653 Ellicott St., Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Becker is accused of pushing another person during a domestic incident. The person who was pushed fell down a flight of stairs. Becker was jailed on $1,500 bail.

Michael A. Shelter, 20, of 1050 Lewiston Road, Alabama, is charged with DWI, failure to stop at a stop sign and inadequate exhaust on vehicle. Shelter was stopped at 3:51 a.m., Saturday, on Washington Avenue by Officer Dan Coffey.

Jameson A. Crocker, 23, of 117 Walnut St., Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and unsafe lane change. Crocker was stopped at 2:36 a.m., Sunday, on West Main Street in the city by Officer Mark Lawrence.

Sean P. Flynn, 24, address not provided, is charged with DWI and moving from lane unsafely. Flynn was stopped at 11:29 p.m., Friday, on Route 33, Pembroke, by Deputy Brad Mazur.

Douglas Scott Sprague, 43, of South Pearl Street, Oakfield, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Sprague is accused of punching another person in the back of the head.

Sean N. Lindquist, 48, of Judge Road, Alabama, is charged with DWI and failure to keep right. Lindquist was stopped at 9:24 p.m., Friday, on Ledge Road in Alabama by Deputy Jason Diehl. Further charges possible pending lab results.

Ryan Micael Flatley, 23, of Union Road, Cheektowaga, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and making a U-turn at grade. Flatley was found stuck off the road at 12:19 a.m., Saturday, on Tinkham Road in Darien by Sgt. Brian Frieday. Flatley apparently tried to make a U-turn and became stuck.

Name Redacted Upon Request, 18, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, was arrested on a bench warrant stemming from charges of reckless endangerment and harassment, 2nd. xxxx was reportedly spotted in the parking lot of Department of Social Services by a probation officer who knew of the warrant for a failure to pay a fine in Town of Le Roy Court. xxxxxx was detained until Sheriff's deputies arrived. He was jailed on $500 bail.

Melissa Courtney Kent, 18, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Kent is accused of stealing several items from a car parked near a party on Route 19, Town of Le Roy, over Memorial Day weekend.

Police Beat: Tussle on Council House Road leads to two arrests, so far

By Howard B. Owens

Cara L. Skye, 22, of South Loop, Steamburg, and Stormy Skye, 18, of Skye Road, Basom, are accused of being involved in an altercation at 4:14 a.m., Wednesday, in the area of Council House Road and Meadville Road, Town of Alabama. Cara Skye is accused of punching a woman and taking away her mobile phone while she was attempting to call 9-1-1. Cara Skye's brother, Stormy Skye, allegedly took the phone and smashed it on the roadway. Cara Skye is charged with robbery, 3rd. Stormy Skye is charged with criminal mischief, 4th. The investigation is continuing and additional arrests are anticipated. The investigation is being handled by Deputy Kevin McCarthy, Inv. Roger Stone, Inv. Kris A. Kautz, Inv. Timothy Weis and Juvenile Officer Christopher Erion.

Michael C. Hill Jr., 18, of 25 Bacon St., Le Roy, is charged with one count of criminal possession of a weapon, 4th. Sgt. Timothy Hayes and Det. John Condidorio investigated a report of a disturbance in Mill Street Park. It was alleged that Hill was at the park discussing an issue with another person. The talk became heated and Hill allegedly pulled out a four-inch hunting knife. Somehow, Hill was disarmed. The police were called. The knife was located in Oatka Creek.

Michael J. Hilton, 19, no permanent address, was picked up by Le Roy Police on a bench warrant for alleged failure to comply with terms of his release. Hilton previously pled guilty to burglary, 3rd. Hilton was jailed pending an appearance in Genesee County Court.

James M. Alvut, 46, of Batavia, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Alvut was stopped by State Police at 5:15 p.m., Tuesday, on Bank Street Road, Batavia.

A 16-year-old Elba resident is charged with disorderly conduct and obstructing traffic. The youth was arrested by State Police for an alleged incident in Elba at 9:07 p.m., Saturday. No further details were released.

Church fire on reservation under investigation

By Howard B. Owens

(Update II at 2:19 p.m.)

A late night fire at a Presbyterian Church on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation may have been deliberately set, according to Tim Yaeger, emergency management coordinator for Genesee County.

The fire is under investigation by the Genesee County Sheriff's Office, the Alabama Fire Department and Yaeger's office.

Chief Deputy Jerome Brewster said the fire was spotted by a person driving by the church who saw an orange glow through the windows. He turned around, confirmed the fire and called dispatch at 11:05 p.m..

"It's on the further recesses of the reservation," Brewster said. "I'm surprised somebody was out driving by that church that late. Not a lot of people drive through there at 11 o'clock at night. It's very remote."

Quick action by three Alabama Fire chiefs who arrived on scene at the same time kept the fire from causing more serious damage.

Chief Bill Schutt said he and assistant chiefs Andy Merkel and Gary Patnode realized shortly after arriving on scene at 6978 Meadville Road that the biggest fire was confined to a piano, so they used extinguishers to put it out. They dealt with some additional flames using water in an ice cooler that had been left in the church. A fire hose was needed only to deal with some minor extension into a wall.

"Minimal water was used," Schutt said.

Brewster said whoever set the fire, set several small fires inside the building. No accelerant was used and because it was extinguished quickly, there was no structural damage.

The most serious damage was to the piano.

There are no suspects yet, though several church members and the original caller were interviewed. Because it's a church fire, and therefore a potential hate crime, ATF and the FBI were notified, per protocol.

Brewster described the church congregation as small and they meet only once a month with an out-of-town pastor conducting services. The church did meet yesterday.

"Our crew along with Indian Falls, who responded, too, did a good job," Schutt said. "It could have been much worse."

NOTE: I went to the scene to get a picture of the church, which is now boarded up, and when I spoke to a Tribal Council member, he said I couldn't publish the picture without council approval, and the earliest approval could be granted would be tomorrow. So, no picture.

Injury accident reported on Tonawanda Reservation

By Howard B. Owens

A one-vehicle accident has been reported at Griffin and Bloomingdale roads, on the Tonawanda Reservation.

There is an injury.

Alabama Fire is responding along with Mercy EMS.

Man accused of stealing car from Tonawanda arrested by Lancaster Police

By Howard B. Owens

An Oneida County man who allegedly stole a car from a residence on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation is in the Genesee County jail today following his arrest by the Lancaster Police Department.

Jeffery M. Wisinski, 38, of 7484 Lake St., Vienna, was stopped by Lancaster Police for alleged traffic violations. By that time, the car he was allegedly driving had already been reported stolen.

Before turning Wisinski over to the Genesee County Sheriff's Office, Lancaster charged him with criminal possession of stolen property, resisting arrest, unlawful use of a vehicle, obstruction of governmental administration as well as numerous traffic violations.

Wisinski reportedly tried to flee from police, who gave a brief chase, in the 2007 Dodge Charger that was reportedly stolen.

The case started on Sept. 11, 2:10 a.m., when Sheriff's deputy responded to a report of a suspicious person at the Rez Smokeshop. Upon arriving, deputies found a neighboring garage had been burglarized and the car was missing.

Yesterday, Wisinski was turned over to the Sheriff's Office and he was taken to Town of Alabama Court, where he was arraigned on charges of burglary in the third degree and grand larceny in the third degree. He was jailed on $500 bail.

The investigation was conducted by Deputy Kevin McCarthy, Investigator Timothy Weis, with assistance from deputies Parker and Diehl, as well as State Police.

Single-vehicle accident on Tonawanda Reservation claims life of Basom man

By Howard B. Owens

A Basom man was killed this afternoon in a single-vehicle accident on Judge Road on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation in the Town of Alabama.

Alan M. Jones, 53, of 6835 Meadville Road, Basom, lost control of his vehicle for an unknown reason, driving off the left shoulder of the highway, striking an earth embankment. The vehicle became airborne, rolling and coming to rest on its roof. Jones was ejected from the vehicle.

He was pronounced dead at the scene by Coroner Jack Taylor.

It has yet to be determined if alcohol or speed played any part in the accident.

Jones was driving a 1988 Ford F150 pick up. The accident was reported via 9-1-1 at 4:10 p.m.

The accident is being investigated Deputy Minuto, Sgt. Walker, Deputy Seppala, Investigator Stone and members of the Genesee County Sheriff's Crash Management Team.

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