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Trailer filled with smoke on Overlook Drive, Batavia

By Billie Owens

A trailer is reportedly filled with smoke on Overlook Drive, Batavia. One person is still inside the structure. Town of Batavia fire is responding.

UPDATE 6:30 a.m.: We didn't hear any more transmissions on this incident, so we spoke with a dispatcher. The incident was smoke from cooking and the fire department has cleared the scene.

Don't miss out on your chance to win a Harley from Town of Batavia Fire

By Howard B. Owens

You know, it could be you rolling down Route 98 on a bright, blue and breezy summer day on your way to the twists and turns of the Southern Tier aboard a Harley-Davidson Fat Boy.

It could be you atop that iron mount filled with the same pride the men and women have who volunteer for their local fire departments.

It could be you at the Town of Batavia Fire Hall on Lewiston Road sometime between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., tomorrow, buying a ticket for a chance to win that Harley, and signing up to be a volunteer, or at least having a hot dog...maybe get a free smoke detector, a coloring book or fire helmet for the kids and just hang out with the men and women who help keep our county safe. They'll cook you a hot dog. Or a hamburger.

Imagine, that.

Only a limited number of tickets are sold for the Harley Raffle, so you better tool on down to the Fire Hall tomorrow and plunk down some cash, or it might be somebody else riding that Harley.

Somebody's going to win it. It might as well be you.

Teen admits to violent robbery, but says no weapon was used

By Howard B. Owens
Tyshon Taylor

A teenager accused of participating in a violent robbery in March on Central Avenue is facing a possible three years in prison after entering a guilty plea in County Court this afternoon to a charge stemming from that attack.

Tyshon L. Taylor was originally charged with assault in the first degree, but the plea deal reduced the charge to attempted assault, 2nd.

In the initial report, Taylor was accused of hitting a person with a gun, but when Judge Robert C. Noonan questioned Taylor as part of the factual admission portion of his hearing, Noonan asked about the use of a knife. Taylor said no weapon was used at all.

After a conference among the attorneys at Noonan's bench, District Attorney Lawrence Friedman amended the count Taylor would admit to. Instead of second-degree assault, the charge was changed to attempted assault, 2nd. That kept it as a Class D violent felony and preserved the three-year potential prison term.

Taylor then admitted to participating in the forcible theft of property from a person while working in concert with another suspect.

His co-defendant is Preston Daigler, who is scheduled to appear in County Court on Monday on a possible plea deal.

Taylor was soft spoken and respectful throughout the hearing, often answering Noonan's questions with, "yes, sir."

Sentencing is scheduled for 11 a.m., July 6.  

Taylor remains in custody without bail.

Batavia's Jeff Redband named First Team All State by sportswriters

By Howard B. Owens

Blue Devil Jeff Redband has been named to the All-State First Team by the New York State Sportswriters Association.

With 27 points per game, Redband had the second highest PPG average of all the Class A ranked players.

Redband recently signed a letter of intent to attend Daemen College in Buffalo on a basketball scholarship.

Notre Dame's Josh Johnson was named to the fourth team in Class D.

Bank Street woman accused of selling cocaine

By Howard B. Owens
Shannon Dick

A 33-year-old Bank Street resident has been accused of selling drugs following an undercover investigation by the Local Drug Task Force and the execution of a search warrant at her residence.

Shannon H. Dick is charged with three counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, 3rd, three counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd, criminal sale of a controlled substance, 5th, and criminal possession of criminal possession of controlled substance, 5th.

As a result of the search warrant, she was also charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, and unlawful possession of marijuana.

Prior to her arrest, the Grand Jury of Genesee County, indicted Dick on the first set of charges.

She allegedly sold cocaine to an agent of the task force while in the City of Batavia.

Dick was jailed pending arraignment in Genesee County Court.

The warrant allegedly uncovered crack cocaine and marijuana. She was issued an appearance ticket on those charges. 

Batavia PD and the District Attorney's Office assisted in the arrest and investigation of the suspect.

Dr. Victor Desa dies at age 72

By Howard B. Owens

Dr. Victor Desa, a renowned surgeon who contributed his expertise and his time to the local community, has died at the age of 72.

Desa died in Rochester this morning, reports WBTA.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

Among Dr. Desa's service to the community was time spent on the boards of United Memorial Medical Center and HomeCare & Hospice.

He was also always open to sharing with local residents his knowledge of the healthcare system, making frequent public appearances to speak on the topic.

Previously:

'Girls on the Run' program at Batavia Middle School aims to have positive impact on community

By Howard B. Owens

Girls on the Run, a group of students at Batavia Middle School, are holding a shoe drive as one of their charitable projects in the community. 

Teacher Sarah Gahagan, along with a friend, introduced Girls on the Run to the middle school and is looking to spread the word about the program. They're looking for a community project that the girls can take on.

"This is solely based on what the girls want to do in order for them to feel a sense of ownership and empowerment as they work toward their goal," Gahagan said.

The 12-week program culminates in a 5K in Buffalo.

"The girls set running goals every week in order to gear up for the final event," Gahagan said. "Each girl will cross the finish line with one of their coaches, a parent or a running buddy that they have asked to run with them from the school."

Gahagan described the program as a physical-activity-based youth-development program designed to inspire girls in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades to be joyful, healthy and confident.

In the photo, starting with the front row on the left: Sarah Gahagan, Breeann Wilcox, Juliana Branche, Tiffany Brown, Courtney Lougheed, Aliza Green, Riley Macdonough, Destiny Griffin, Andrea Merchant, Meghan Houseknect, Madison Dedman and Lindsey Mathis.

Three-car collision on Park Road, Batavia

By Billie Owens

A three-car collision is reported at 8820 Park Road, in front of the Hershey's Ice Cream shop. Injuries are believed to be minor. One vehicle caught fire. It was doused but the vehicle is still smoking. In addition to Batavia fire, two Mercy rigs are responding.

UPDATE 3:36 p.m.: Howard, who is at the scene, was told that a minivan with two child passengers was making a left turn and hit an eastbound vehicle, causing both vehicles to careen into a car stopped at a stop sign. One of the children in the minivan suffered a bump on the head but was not transported for treatment. No one else was injured.

Photos: Batavia hit with a bit of spring snow and cold

By Howard B. Owens

Austin Park is a long way from Florida, especially when just two weeks ago, when Cheri Pitcher was there, it was 90 degrees.

"I was surprised how cold it was this morning," Pitcher said while braving the cold and dusting of snow to take her dog for a walk.

It was 28 degrees this morning.

Escapee from the hospital?

By Billie Owens

"We have a white male walking briskly down Summit (Street) wearing a hospital gown," says a dispatcher. Batavia police are responding.

It is 33 degrees and frosty outside.

UPDATE 8:04 p.m.: "They (police) are in service in the parking lot of Dan's Tire with the patient released," reports a dispatcher.

Law and Order: Le Roy man accused of selling pills to task force agent

By Howard B. Owens

Jason P. Andrews, 38, of Lake Street Road, Le Roy, is charged with two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, 5th, and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 5th. Andrews is accused of selling an unspecified controlled substance in the form of pills to an agent of the Local Drug Task Force. Andrews was arrested at his residence, arraigned and released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

Jonathon Grant Browne, 22, of Leighton Avenue, Rochester, is charged with possession of untaxed cigarettes, unlawful possession of marijuana, aggravated unlicensed operation, 2nd, speeding and driving a vehicle without stop lights. Browne was stopped at 4:08 p.m. Tuesday on Main Street, Oakfield, by Deputy Joseph Corona.

A 17-year-old youth, residence not specified, is charged with criminal mischief, 3rd. The youth was arrested in Alexander by State Police. No further details released.

Jenna L. Josephite, 26, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, and Dillon M. Brito, 23, of Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Josephite and Brito were arrested and charged by State Police at 3:30 p.m. Sunday on Route 5, Town of Batavia. No further details released.

Grand Jury Report:

Veronica Garcia is indicted on a count of felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .18 or higher, two counts of driving drunk with a child less than 15 years of age in the vehicle and endangering the welfare of a child. Garcia is accused of driving drunk Dec. 19 on Route 98, Alexander, with two children in the vehicle. She allegedly has a prior DWI conviction from February, 2011, in the City of Batavia.

William F. Brown media scholarship announced

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

The legacy of the late William F. Brown Jr., noted Batavia author, broadcaster and journalist, will live on through a scholarship established by The Jerome Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that distributes funds to benefit United Memorial Medical Center and other health-related purposes.

The William F. Brown Jr. Memorial Scholarship, an annual $1,000 grant, will be awarded to a deserving high school senior residing in and graduating from a school in Genesee County whose intention is to pursue at least a four-year degree in the fields of Journalism, Communications, or Public Relations (in print, radio, television or digital media).

Brown, who died on Nov. 29, 2014 at the age of 91, was the former owner and president of WBTA Radio, a longtime correspondent for The Buffalo News and a frequent contributor to The Batavia Daily News.

An expert on Genesee County history, he wrote numerous books and articles on notable people and events, including the unsolved Linden murders, Batavia Downs, Redfield Parkway and the Mancuso family.

He also was president of the board of directors of the former St. Jerome Hospital and a charter member and trustee emeritus of The Jerome Foundation.

“Bill Brown contributed greatly to the quality of life in Genesee County through his writing, and as a member of numerous community and civic organizations,” said Justin Calarco-Smith, board president of The Jerome Foundation. “He enriched our lives and we hope to be able to continue that spirit of giving with this scholarship that honors his memory.”

A committee of directors from the foundation will judge the scholarship applicants based upon academic merit, creative accomplishment, community service and leadership.

Applications are available at guidance offices at the nine Genesee County high schools or by contacting Martha Spinnegan, administrative assistant for The Jerome Foundation, at gspinneg@rochester.rr.com.

The completed application must be mailed to The Jerome Foundation, P.O. Box 249, Batavia, NY, 14020, and postmarked by May 8 to be considered.

Firefighters helmet raffle will help buy warm coats for local children

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

For the third year, in a row City of Batavia Firefighters IAFF Local 896 will be raising funds to provide children in the City of Batavia with brand-new 100-percent American-made winter coats.

Firefighters partnered with the national non-for-profit Operation Warm in 2013 and held the first ever successful Operation Warm coat campaign in New York State associated with the International Association of Firefighters. Since 2013 City firefighters have distributed more than 125 brand new 100-percent American-made winter coats.

For the second year in a row, Local 896 will be raffling off a N6A Sam Houston leather helmet along with four other prizes. All proceeds will benefit the 2015 Firefighters for Operation Warm campaign with a goal of 200 coats for local children. Drawing held Saturday Sept. 5.

City of Batavia Firefighters IAFF Local 896 would like to thank everyone who has supported this great cause over the last two years. For more information please contact Adam Palumbo at apalumbo@batavianewyork.com or visit www.operationwarm.org/batavia

Former nursing home owner faces new federal charge

By Howard B. Owens

The former owner of the Batavia Nursing Home is facing a new federal charge after being indicted on a count of bankruptcy fraud by a federal grand jury.

Marc Korn, 58 and a resident of Amherst, is accused of making false statements under oath during a bankruptcy proceeding concerning the ownership of safe deposit boxes. He is also accused of failing to disclose life insurance policies transferred to another person and concealing assets from creditors.

Korn was already under federal indictment on charges of wire fraud, bank fraud, and failure to pay employment taxes, as well as making false statements to law enforcement.

That indictment was issued in 2011, at a time when Korn was under fire for reportedly failing to pay his Batavia employees.

All told, Korn is facing as much as 30 years in prison and more than $1 million in fines or both.

He's scheduled to go to trial on the first set of charges May 20.

Durin Rogers takes oath as new City Court judge

By James Burns

In front of a filled courtroom and his family Durin B. Rogers, Esq., was sworn in as Batavia City judge this morning.  

Genesee County Court Judge Robert C. Noonan sworn in Judge Rogers as his wife held the Bible for them.

In a brief statement afterward, Judge Rogers thanked his family, the Batavia City Council and the employees of the court system, saying “I thank all of you and look forward to seeing you soon. ... Just not in court for a speeding ticket.” 

Dan Ireland, the local kid who stayed home, rose to the top, with the help of local mentors

By Howard B. Owens
Dan Ireland riding the shuttle from St. Jerome's to UMMC on a recent morning.
Jeremy Cosimeno and Dan Ireland share a cup of coffee and a laugh in the UMMC cafeteria before starting a recent workday.

From early in his career, there were people who saw something in Dan Ireland and encouraged him along his path from orderly to president of his hometown hospital.

While perhaps not a tale ripped from the pages of Horatio Alger, Ireland does stand out in an era when young people are indoctrinated to believe they must escape their smalltown roots to make something of themselves.

Ireland was born in Batavia, attended Batavia High School and started his collegiate career at Genesee Community College. While still in college, he landed a job at St. Jerome's Hospital, and outside of a brief stint with a hospital in Rochester, he has spent his entire career with St. Jerome's, Genesee Memorial or UMMC, rising from entry-level to top executive over the course of 26 years.

The climb to the pinnacle is something Dave Shaffer saw coming. He told Ireland where he was going, but Ireland didn't buy it.

Ireland said the two good friends laugh about it to this day.

"He said to me one day, 'You're going to run this hospital someday,' " Ireland said. "I said, 'No, I don't think that's ever going to happen.' He reminded me about it when I was appointed, but I never had that vision."

Ireland started out in college with the intention of going into information technology, but as a volunteer with Town of Batavia Fire Department, he was exposed to patient care. 

"Those were the days when paramedics were just coming into departments," Ireland said. "You got them in the ambulance and raced to the hospital as quickly as possible and we actually did very little out in the field for patients. As I saw more of that developing, it piqued my interest -- how do I care for patients?"

Ireland decided to become a nurse, switched majors at GCC and took a job at St. Jerome's, transferring a year later to Genesee Memorial.

Back when Batavia had a skating rink, Skate 98, Dan Ireland was a champion rollerskate performer.

"I think he's a lot like me," Shaffer said. "He's easy going. He treats people like he wants to be treated. I don't have a problem with people like that.

"I never had a doubt my prediction wouldn't come true," Shaffer added.

In those early days, Gloria Stevens also saw something in Ireland that set him apart.

She met him while working at St. Jerome's and he was working on an ambulance.

"He was always smiling, always friendly," Stevens recalled. "He always seemed to be in a good mood every time I'd see him and he just seemed like a really nice young man."

Her daughter, Amy, had also taken note of Ireland and mentioned him to her mother.

"I think she thought he was cute," Stevens said.

One evening Stevens asked Ireland if he was dating anybody.

He wasn't.

So Gloria took it upon herself to ask him on a date on behalf of her daughter, to a family wedding.

Amy and Dan have been married 22 years and have three children, Rebekah, 18, Brian, 15, and Kelly, 12.

Ireland's made a great son-in-law and father to her grandchildren, Stevens said.

"It's probably one of the best decisions I ever made," Stevens said.

Dan and Amy quickly became a team, pushing each other through their studies and making sure they got better at their jobs.

The hospital bosses noticed.

It wasn't long after Ireland became a nurse that he became a supervisor in the emergency room.

Ireland began to develop mentors who helped guide his career. Dr. Diane London was one who always made time for him, he said. She would answer any question and provide guidance on patient care.

"She was a fantastic person," Ireland said. "You could walk into ER any time and sit next to her and ask her question. That was learning clinically, that was building my knowledge -- 'What happened? What happened with this patient?' She would make time for you no matter what."

By 1997, computers were starting to work their way into patient care and suddenly Ireland's duel experience in IT and nursing opened a new opportunity for him.

The idea of using computers to help improve patient care captured Ireland's imagination and the hospital needed somebody with both a medical background and IT training.

"All of the sudden, this new idea of helping people with computers and, wow, we're going into this new era of documentation and clinical results and getting things to bedside quicker, and I sat back and realized, 'I can do the best of both worlds,' " Ireland said. " 'I can make this happen. I can teach nurses how to do it and still be a nurse and still use that clinical experience.' "

Not that bringing the nursing staff into the Digital Era was always a smooth transition.

Ireland recalled one nurse who was very upset with him.

"She was livid," he said. "She said, 'You've taken my time with patients from here to here and I'm spending all this time on the computer. It's a horrible thing.' "

About three months later, Ireland said, she was upset for a different reason. The system went off-line for maintenance.

"I got a phone call from her and she said, 'Why did you take my computer system away from me? It's been perfect,' " Ireland recalled.

He added, "It was a validation that the transition of technology really made a difference."

In 2001, Ireland took a position with the University of Rochester that he thought would advance his IT background, but within six months, Charlie Kenney, then CEO of the Batavia hospital, wanted him back.

The hospital needed somebody to do some high-level analytics, tracking population trends, and after a couple of meetings, Ireland realized this was a good job for him.

In 2003, he was promoted to director of Quality Management and created a case management program.

At this point, Karen Peters became one of his mentors.

When she passed in 2005, then CEO Mark Schoell appointed him to her former job, VP of Clinical Services.

Ireland lost two mentors, London and Peters, and gained a new one in Schoell.

"I was quite happy working for her (Peters) as director of Quality Management and suddenly she was gone," Ireland said. "She was a key part of my development. When you lose mentors, you miss them, but then you've got to find your own way."

Under Schoell, Ireland began to move up the executive ladder, taking on bigger titles and the greater responsibilities that went with them. He was VP of Support Services and then COO.  

He oversaw multiple departments and services, and supervised remodeling the Jerome Center and addition of the new surgical wing, including securing financing.

Schoell was a great mentor, Ireland said, giving him a job, even a big job, and letting him do it with minimal interference, but always there for guidence and to answer questions.

While Schoell may have been grooming an eventual successor, that wasn't necessarily Ireland's ambition.

"The ambition was doing a project and doing it successfully," Ireland said. "It was getting a project and saying 'How do I get it done? What do I need to know about that?' So that's where the ambition kicked in. I have this desire to do the right things and to get them done. Sometimes that's a lot of extra work you put in to make that happen. I think that's where the ambition was, but not for the position."

As Ireland moved into higher-profile roles, he became more interested in learning about leadership. He has his favorite books on leadership, his favorite speakers, he's attended seminars and workshops, and he's also found serving on community boards a great way to observe and learn about leaders.

The Bergen resident is on the Gillam-Grant Community Center Board and the Byron-Bergen Central School District Board of Education. He's also been through Leadership Genesee.

"Sitting on boards has helped educate myself," Ireland said. "Sitting on the school board, especially, you learn a lot about the different ways people lead. (Byron-Bergen schools Superintendent) Casey Kosiorek is a phenomenal leader. I've learned a lot just by watching him, how he interacts with his staff. I've transferred some that in how I do things."

From all appearances, Dan Ireland, the guy who rose through the ranks and was mentored by so many people in his home community, has been embraced as a leader by the UMMC staff. 

Ireland makes it a point to be accessible to as many of the hospitals more than 700 employees as possible. He often rides the shuttle from the St. Jerome's parking lot -- where employees are encouraged to park -- and frequently takes his meals in the cafeteria. He also regularly visits all of the departments of the hospital. It's impossible for him to know everybody's name, but Colleen Flynn, director of public relations for UMMC, offered during an interview in his office that to those who have worked with Ireland, his presidency seems like a natural fit. 

"I think we all saw leadership potential in him," Flynn said. "I don't think there is a single employee, manager, director in the organization who was surprised when Dan was named president. It was a natural progression."

Now that he's the leader, the mentor himself, and the guy from his own community leading one of the most important institutions in that community, Ireland takes seriously the responsibility to ensure UMMC delivers quality care.

He's also well aware that isn't the reputation UMMC necessarily enjoys locally.

Sitting in his president's office, when asked about the issue, he talked about it at length.

"We can't expect the people of Genesee County to just look at the hospital and say 'That's the hospital,' " Ireland said. "We have to work to earn the trust of every member of the community because that's what they expect. They expect us to continuously improve, so we have to continue to improve.

"There have been people who have had less than a desirable experience with the hospital. They've come here and sometimes it's been bad for people. You have to understand the human form. People don't forget easily and some people forgive and forget easier, and others don't. We will always run into people who say, 'I'll never go back to that hospital because this happened to me.' What I ask people is 'Are we different today than we were yesterday?' We have the ability to change. If we've done something wrong, and they tell us, we'll work to create change to make it better. We're in a human world, so we will not always do exactly what we want to do."

Yes, staff members have bad days, but personal bad days shouldn't translate into bad experiences for patients and their families, said Ireland, who reads every patient experience report and when he comes across a negative review, he doesn't see it as just a rant. 

"We don't see it as an angry or dissatisfied patient," Ireland said. "We see it as an opportunity for us to make a change and hopefully keep that from happening again and to make it better."

It's not just an issue of UMMC looking good or making more money. Quality customer care and a solid reputation with the local community are about providing advantageous health care.

"I don't just want to see the numbers get better," Ireland said. "When sombody sayd they don't want to go to United Memorial, that usually means they have to travel further for health care in a lot of cases and that's not good for them. That's not healthy, especially if they're ill. That's not a good experience. Either way, it's about their health. It's not necessarily about us having good scores up on the wall. It's about the fact that when patients have a good experience here, they're getting good health care and hopefully improving health."

The Ireland Family (photo submitted by Dan Ireland). Dan Ireland might be one of the only hospital presidents in the nation who rises early in the morning to feed the family's goats (22 of them, along with three sheep and a half dozen chickens and rabbits). The family farm started four or five years ago when his son said he wanted a horse. "I said, 'Horses are a lot of responsibility' and I said, 'Tell you what, I'll get you a goat. If you raise that goat all by yourself for a year, I'll get you a horse.' " The Irelands still don't have a horse, but their livestock has become a hobby for the whole family and led to involvement in 4-H.

Car-pedestrian accident reported on Harvester Avenue in the city

By Billie Owens

A person is having a seizure in the roadway at 26 Harvester Ave. in the city. A caller to dispatch reports the person was struck by a vehicle, but it is not clear whether that was before or after the seizure began. The vehicle, which was not described, left the scene. Mercy medics are responding.

Law and Order: Motorcyclist charged with three felonies after traffic stop in Village of Le Roy

By Billie Owens

Daniel Steven Platt, 34, of Lake Street, Le Roy, is charged with three E felonies: aggravated DWI -- having a BAC of .18 or more; DWI; and aggravated unlicensed operation. He was arrested April 17 following a traffic stop in the Village of Le Roy. He was allegedly operating a motorcycle while intoxicated and with a revoked license. He was also charged with these traffic violations: speed in zone, no turn signal, no helmet, no face shield, unregistered motorcycle, uninspected motorcycle, operating without insurance, improper plates and unlicensed operator. Platt was issued an appearance ticket and is to return to Le Roy Town Court on May 18. The case was investigated by Sheriff's deputy Michael Lute, assisted by deputy Joseph Graff.

Fletcher M. Royce, 27, of Dunham Road, Varysburg, was arrested April 18 on Clinton Street Road, Bergen, and charged with operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs as a first offense, criminal possession of a controlled substance (heroin), 7th, possession of a hyperdermic instrument, operation of a motor vehicle while using a mobile phone, and operation of a motor vehicle with a broken windshield. He was released from custody with an appearance ticket to return later to Bergen Town Court. The incident was handled by Sheriff's dpeuty Joseph Corona.

Cole James Farner, 31, of Clinton Street Road, Batavia, is charged is DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or higher. He was arrested after an investigation of a motor-vehicle crash that occurred March 29 at about 7:30 in the morning when Farner's vehicle struck a control panel at the main gate for the Buffalo Federal Detention Center while he was allegedly intoxicated. He was issued an appearance tickets on both charges. The case was investigated by Sheriff's deputy Christopher Parker.

Michele L. Bialy, 48, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with driving while intoxicated, aggrevated unlicensed operation, 1st, operator in violation of conditional license, and drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle on a highway. Bialy was arrested on Summit Street following an investigation after patrols were dispatched at 12:33 p.m. on April 17 to check the welfare of a female found slumped over the steering wheel of a vehicle in a parking lot. The case was investigated by Batavia police officer Matthew Wojtaszczyk, assisted by officer Eric Foels.

Ronald D. Williams, 38, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, was arrested for petit larceny following an investigation on scrap metal stolen from a business on Swan Street. He was issued an appearance ticket and is to appear in City Court Wednesday afternoon. The case was investigated by Batavia police officer Peter Flanagan, assisted by officer Kevin DeFelice.

Natalie Kathryn Moe, 20, of Ridge Road West, Brockport, is charged with unlawful possession of alcohol by a person under 21, and speeding (68 in a 55-mph zone). She was arrested on Route 33 in Bergen on April 19 and released with appearance ticket for Bergen Town Court at a later date. The case was handled by Sheriff's deputy Joseph Corona.

John Kauffman Stone, 48, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, was arrested at 11:10 p.m. on April 16 after allegedly pushing a door that struck another person. He is charged with harassment, 2nd, and obstructung governmental administration. The case was handled by Sheriff's deputy Christopher Erion, assisted by deputy Richard Schildwaster.

Kevin M. Horn Jr., 26, of Batavia, was arrested April 16 by the Village of Le Roy Police Department for allegedly driving while intoxicated. He was allegedly crossing the center line. Horn was issued tickets for driving to the left of pavement markings, no passing zone, DWI, and aggravated DWI for allegedly having a BAC in excess of .18%. Horn was released on appearance tickets, and is scheduled to appear in Le Roy Town Court on May 18.

Eric R. Swede, 26, of Le Roy, was arrested April 17 by the Village of LeRoy Police Department for criminal trespass in the second degree, disorderly conduct, and harassment in the second degree after allegedly entering another apartment unlawfully, causing an annoyance and making unreasonable noise in the apartment building. He was arraigned and jailed in lieu of $1,000 cash or $2,000 insurance bond. Swede is scheduled to reappear in Le Roy Town Court on May 21.

Michael "Mickey" Robbins, 55, currently residing in the Genesee County Jail, was arrested by the Le Roy Police Department on April 16 and charged with one count of petit larceny. It is alleged that on March 3 while on Lake Street in Le Roy, Robbins stole $420 from an acquaintance. Robbins was arraigned and returned back to the jail in lieu of $1,000 bail.

Kirk Thomas, 30, currently residing in the Genesee County Jail, was arrested by the Le Roy Police Department on April 16 and charged with one count of petit larceny. It is alleged that on Sept. 9, 2014, while inside a business on West Main Street in Le Roy, Thomas shoplifted item(s) from the business. Thomas was arraigned and returned back to the jail in lieu of $1,000 bail.

Darren Wilson Cooper, 23, of Batavia Stafford Townline Road, is charged with promoting prison contraband. He was arrested April 1 at 10 p.m. after he allegedly introduced unspecified contraband into the Genesee County Jail while being processed for another arrest. The case was handled by Sheriff's deputy Christopher Erion.

Nicholas Paul Canzoneri, 19, of Edgewood Drive, Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. He was arrested for allegedly possessing marijuana after a traffic stop on West Main Street in the city on April 19. He was issued an appearance ticket and is to answer the charge in City Court on May 13. The case was handled by Sheriff's deputy Joseph Graff.

A 17-year-old male who lives on Trumbull Parkway, Batavia, was arrested April 19 for unlawful possession of marijuana. He was arrested after a traffic stop on West Main Street in the city and issued an appearance ticket for May 13 in City Court. The case was handled by Sheriff's deputy Joseph Graff.

Kerrilyn A. McDermott, 34, of Montclair Avenue, Batavia, turned herself in on an arrest warrant for violating an order of protection on April 9. She was arraigned April 17 in City Court and released under supervision of Genesee Justice. The matter was handled by Batavia police officer Peter Flanagan.

Kathy Hochul tours p.w. minor in wake of financial assistance to move jobs back from China

By Howard B. Owens

Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul made a pair of stops in Genesee County today, including a tour of p.w. minor led by owners Andrew Young and Peter Zeliff. 

The shoe manufacturing company recently received a boost from the governor's office to help move 100 jobs from China back to Batavia.

Hochul also spoke this morning at Genesee County Criminal Justice Day at Genesee Community College.

Photos submitted by p.w. minor.

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