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Press release:

Preparations for the Washington Avenue Sewer Project are under way and the work will start Monday, May 16th.

It is expected that Washington Avenue will be limited to "local traffic only" in the specific section between Bank Street and Summit Street. During this time, thru traffic will not be allowed, only access for residents/deliveries/emergency services.

It is expected that sidewalks will always be open and passable, but caution should be observed as it is a construction zone.

Press release:

An open house is being held from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, June 4th, to showcase the City of Batavia Community Garden.

Make your way to 12 MacArther Drive, just behind the Youth Center and see how the old wading pool has been transformed. The garden is a collaborative effort between Leadership Genesee's Class of 2011, the City Youth Bureau and Cooperative Extension's Master Gardeners.

It is a perfect option if you lack space, or just want a plot ready for planting that comes with expert support. There are plenty of beds still available at $15 for a 4 by 4 or $25 for a 4 by 8 foot plot for the 2016 growing season.

Join us on June 4 or contact the Youth Bureau at 345-6420 for more information, or visit our Facebook page for more information.

From information provided by Darien Lake Theme Park:

The fourth annual "Color Me Rad" 5K -- a nationally recognized human tie-dye spectacle and run/walk -- returns to Darien Lake Saturday, May 14, rain or shine.

A total of 2,500 color-plastered participants are expected. This year, proceeds will benefit the Erie County Council for the Prevention of Alcohol and Substance Abuse.

All participating runners/walkers receive free access to Darien Lake Theme Park the day of the race. To top it off participants will also get a free T-shirt, temporary tattoo, and a Goo Guard phone case.

The course is the same 3.1-mile fun run with twice as many color stations. That means every half a mile our volunteer Color Bomb Squads will cover people from head to toe in pink, yellow, green, blue and violet.

New this year are Gel Color Stations. Participants will be colored rad all over with a cooling sensation and full coverage of spectacular colors.

The fun begins at 9 a.m. and ends at 11:30 a.m. at the theme park, located at 9993 Alleghany Road in Darien Center.

Cost is $50 per person today, $55 on Saturday. Kids' pack -- for ages under 7 -- is $15 each.

Press release:

The Batavia Police Department is investigating an assault that occurred near the railroad tracks at the old Jackson Street Bridge at 9:04 p.m. on Thursday, May 12.

The victim was attacked by multiple individuals who may have been known to the victim. The victim was treated and released from UMMC. Above are photos of persons of interest.

Anyone with information pertinent to the investigation can contact Det. Mart at (585) 345-6372. There will be no further detail released at this time due to the ongoing investigation.

Press release:

Providing care for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease can be stressful and isolating, but support groups can provide coping tools and a welcome embrace from others in the same position.

The Alzheimer's Association Western New York chapter sponsors a number of caregiver support groups across the eight-county region it serves.

In Batavia, the chapter organizes a caregiver support group meeting starting at 7 p.m. on the third Wednesday of every month at Richmond Memorial Library, located at 19 Ross St. in the City of Batavia.

This group and others like it are designed to help participants deveklop methods and skills to solve problems. The groups encourage caregivers to maintain their own personal, physical and emotional health, as well as optimally care for the person with dementia.

Visit WHY chapter's Web site at  alz.org/WNY or call 1-800-272-3900.

Also, on summer solstice, the longest day of the year, Alzheimer's Association supporters and groups take part in a day-long fundraising effort called The Longest Day. It's June 20.

Chevaughn D. Hanson, 22, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with obstruction of governmental administration. Hanson was arrested at 7:30 p.m. on May 8 following a large altercation on Liberty Street in the city wherein Hanson allegedly pushed a Batavia Police officer, who was attempting to separate those involved. Hanson was issued an appearance ticket for City Court for May 27. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Mitchell Cowen.

Sarah L. Marcello, 24, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with disorderly conduct. She was arrested after city police responded to Liberty Street at 7:30 p.m. on May 8 for a report of several people fighting in the street. She was issued an appearance ticket for May 17 in City Court. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Christopher Lindsay, assisted by Officer Arick Perkins.

Corina M. Gallo, 25, of Edward Street, Batavia, is charged with disorderly conduct. She was arrested at 7:30 p.m. on May 8 after she allegedly was involved in a physical altercation in a public area. She was issued an appearance ticket for City Court for May 17. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Cronmiller, assisted by Officer Arick Perkins.

Jessica L. Shannon, 19, of Ellsworth Avenue, Batavia, is charged with harassment. She was arrested at 7:30 p.m. on May 8 following an altercation of Liberty Street in the city. She allegedly had unwanted physical contact with another female. She was issued an appearance ticket for City Court for May 17. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Mitchell Cowen.

Paul M. Wieclaw ll, 27, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child and third-degree assault -- recklessly causing physical injury. He was arrested at 4 a.m. on May 8 following an incident wherein he allegedly pulled a female to the ground by her hair, which resulted in a laceration to her left ring finger. He was jailed on $1,000 bail and was to appear in City Court on May 9. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Arick Perkins, assisted by Officer Stephen Cronmiller.  Also, it was determined on May 8 that Wieclaw had an arrest warrant out of City Court from January 2013 for a parking ticket for parking on a city street between the hours of 2 and 6 a.m. when it is unlawful to do so. That case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Arick Perkins, assisted by Officer James DeFreze.

Anthony Sanders, 34, of South Main Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree strangulation, endangering the welfare of a child, and obstruction of government administration, 2nd. He was arrested at 6:30 p.m. on May 7 on charges stemming from an incident at 3 a.m. on May 3 wherein he allegedly strangled a female on South Main Street. He was jailed and due back in City Court May 9. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Arick Perkins, assisted by Officer Mitchell Cowen.

Julie L. Dutton, 21, of Central Avenue, Batavia, is charged with fourth-degree grand larceny. The charge stems from an incident at 8:57 p.m. on April 21 wherein it is alleged that Dutton took about $2,700 in cash from another person on Washington Avenue without having the right to do so. She was to be in City Court on May 10 to answer the charge. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Chad Richards, assisted by Officer Mitchell Cowen.

Kyle Robert Ratulowski, 20, of Route 5, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. He was arraigned in City Court on May 11 on a petit larceny charge for allegedly stealing property at 1:30 a.m. on April 13 from a vehicle while it was parked on Veterans Administration property. He was returned to jail, where he is incarcerated on a variety of other theft charges. He is to answer this charge in Genesee County Court on May 24. The investigation was conducted by Sheriff's deputies Ryan Young and Andrew Hale and Investigator Bradley Mazur. The Genesee County Sheriff's Office was assisted by Batavia Police Officer Jason Davis.

Donovan A. Forbes, 26, of Maple Street, Rochester, is charged with operating without lights, first-degree aggravated unlicensed operator, and unlicensed operator. He was arrested at 2:28 a.m. on May 8 on Harvester Avenue in the City of Batavia. During a traffic stop for operating a vehicle without headlights, it was found that Forbes was allegedly driving on a suspended, non-driver ID, with 20 suspensions on 10 dates. He was jailed without bail and ordered to return to City Counrt on May 9. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Chad Richards, assisted by Officer Peter Flanagan.

Michael J. Witkowski, 29, of Cherry Street, Batavia, is charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief. He was arrested May 10 after allegedly punching a car window at 10 p.m. on April 30 on Cherry Street, causing it to shatter. He was issued an appearance ticket for City Court. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Felicia DeGroot, assisted by Officer Christopher Lindsay.

Andrew A. Crimes, 44, of Bank Street, Batavia, is charged with first-degree criminal contempt, with a prior conviction for criminal contempt. Crime was arrested at 6:19 a.m. on May 10 for an unspecified incident which occurred at 10:09 p.m. on May 9 on Bank Street. He was jailed without bail and was due in City Court later in the day on May 10 to answer the charge. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Matthew Wojtaszczyk, assisted by Officer Eric Foels.

Rajea S. Thomas, of Concord Street, Rochester, is charged with speeding and second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation. Thomas was arrested following a traffic stop at 5:59 p.m. on May 8 on East Main Street in Batavia. Thomas was allegedly speeding and found to be driving on a suspended NYS driver's license. Thomas was to appear in City Court on May 9. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Mitchell Cowen.

Edvin M. Hernandez, 40, of Reprise Terrace, Rockville, Md., is charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operator. He was arrested following a traffic stop at 9:01 p.m. on May 7 on East Main Street, Batavia. At that time, he was allegedly driving with suspended NYS driving privileges. He was released from custody after posting bail and to to be in City Court on May 18. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Mitchell Cowen.

Steven J. Snyder, 26, of Northview Park, Attica, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and inadequate/defective headlamp. Synder was arrested at 8:49 p.m. on May 6 on South Swan Street in the City of Batavia following a traffic stop after it was observed that the passenger side headlamp was not working. Subsequently, it is alleged that Snyder was found to be in possession of marijuana. He was issued at appearance ticket for May 17 in City Court. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Chad Richards, assisted by Officer Jamie Givens.

Patrick M. Viscuso, 52, of Vernon Avenue, Batavia, is charged with two counts of uninspected motor vehicle, and illegal parking. He turned himself in on May 9. He had three active warrants for his arrest, all from parking infractions. He was released from custody after paying his fines, which dated from September 2004, October 2004 and February 2005, respectively. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer James DeFreze, assisted by Sgt. Dan Coffey.

Nicholas D. Martino, 35, of Main Street, Alexander, was arrested at 9:57 a.m. on May 6 on a bench warrant out of City Court following his failure to appear on a traffic summons issued in November 2014 on West Main Street, Batavia. He was to appear in City Court May 9.  The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Mitchell Cowen.

Jordan M. Love, 25, of Walnut Street, Batavia, is charged with failure to appear. Love was arrested on a City Court warrant after failing to answer a traffic summons for allegedly operating a vehicle with a suspended registration on March 18. Love was released after posting bail and is to be in City Court on May 18. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Mitchell Cowen.

A stalled train is blocking the roadway at the train crossing on Seven Springs Road, Batavia, and is expected to remain there for the next hour, according to an emergency dispatcher, who informed first responders for the towns of Batavia and Stafford.

Darik R. Orbaker, 23, of 71 Wolcott St., Le Roy, (pictured right) was arrested April 20 by the Le Roy Police Department and charged with one count of aggravated family offense, a Class E felony, based on a domestic complaint. It is alleged that during the domestic disturbance, Orbaker damaged property and obstructed the breathing or blood circulation of a family member and has been previously convicted of one or more “specified offenses” against this or other family members within the previous five years. Orbaker was arraigned in the Town of Le Roy Court and put in Genesee County Jail in lieu of bail. 

Trevor S. Rarick, 21, was arrested on May 8 by Troopers and charged with: unlawful possession of marijuana; driving while intoxicated; refusal of breath screening test; failure to comply with a lawful order of a police officer; and failure to stop at a stop sign. Rarick failed to stop at a stop sign in front of the Trooper at the intersection of Clinton Street and Clinton Park in the City of Batavia. He was stopped on Wade Street and Troopers immediately detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage. Rarick consented to the field sobriety tests, which he subsequently failed. He refused to consent to a breath sample. A scale covered with marijuana residue, a smoking pipe with marijuana residue and approximately seven grams of marihuana were allegedly located inside his vehicle. Rarick was transported to SP Batavia barracks for processing and was arraigned in the Town of Batavia Court and released on his own recognizance. He is scheduled to appear in the City of Batavia Court at a later date.

Meghan L. Daniels, 28, of York, was arrested by Troopers on May 11 and charged with shoplifting and unlawful possession of marijuana. Daniels allegedly took a candy bar worth $1.45, passing all points of sale and attempted to exit the Walmart Store. Troopers detected the odor of marijuana emanating from Daniels. A baggie containing approximately 10 grams of marijuana and a marijhuana grinder containing marijuana residue was allegedly located. Daniels was transported to SP Batavia barracks for processing. She was issued an appearance ticket returnable to the Town of Batavia Court on May 19.

Jenna A. Kavanagh, 23, of Rochester, was arrested by Troopers on May 8 and charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Troopers detected a strong smell of marijuana emitting from the vehicle when Kavanagh was stopped for speeding on State Route 262. More than three grams of marijuana in multiple plastic vials was allegedly found inside a glass container. Kavanagh was issued an appearance ticket returnable to the Town of Byron Court on May 16 and a uniform traffic ticket was issued for speeding.

Josiah D. Kirby, 22, of Kenmore, was arrested by Corfu Village Police Officer Michael Petritz for unlawful possession of marijuana after a traffic stop for speeding on Route 77. Officer Petritz detected a strong odor of burnt marijuana emanating from the vehicle. Kirby was allegedly found to be in possession of four marijuana cigarettes and a blue glass smoking pipe containing marijuana residue. Kirby was issued tickets and an appearance ticket returnable to the Village of Corfu on June 6.

Julio A. Bautista, 20, was arrested by Troopers on May 11 for trespass after he was warned on two separate occasions not to return to College Village by Security. Bautista was located in the parking lot of the property and was placed under arrest. He is scheduled to appear in the Town of Batavia Court on May 23.

Press release:

The Genesee County Sheriff's Office is investigating a motor-vehicle crash that occurred at 7:27 a.m. today at the intersection of Route 33 and West Bergen Road, in the Town of Bergen.

Glen A. Enouen, 52, of Batavia, was operating a 2013 Chevrolet work truck eastbound on Route 33 and traveled over the center of the roadway at the intersection, striking another vehicle head on. That vehicle, a 2014 Chevrolet Impala, was operated by Robert J. Bartz, 66, of Rochester, and it was westbound on Route 33.

Enouen and his passenger were uninjured. Bartz was extricated from the Impala and subsequently flown by Mery Flight to Strong Memorial Hospital.

Alcohol/drugs and speed are not factors in the crash. The investigation is ongoing.

Assisting agencies include the Town of Bergen Volunteer Fire Department, Town of Byron Volunteer Fire Department, Churchville Volunteer Fire Department, Mercy EMS and Mercy Flight.

The crash was investigated by Sheriff's deputies Kyle D. Krzemien and Chrisopher A. Parker, assisted by Deputy Matt Butler, Investigator John Dehm and Sgt. James Meier.

A minor injury accident is reported at the Flying J Travel Plaza, 8484 Alleghany Road, Corfu. Pembroke and Indian Falls fire departments are responding. Law enforcement is on scene.

Sen. Michael Ranzerhofer today issued a statement about the lawsuit filed Tuesday by the NY Civil Liberties Union seeking improved rights for farmworkers. The Senator says the suit will have a devastating impact on local jobs and farms.

After the lawsuit was filed against Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state in the New York Supreme Court in Albany, the governor made it known that he backed workers' rights and the NYCLU's efforts and that he would not contest the litigation.

Among its aims is to allow farmworkers to unionize and get paid overtime. The NYCLU maintains that existing state law does not provide farmworkers with the protections that other worker groups are afforded. Cuomo noted "inconsistencies" and said workers in any sector should not be exploited.

The increase in the minimum wage approved last month in New York includes farmworkers and the wage will become $12.50 per hour by in end of 2020 in Upstate New York. Farms are expected to get a $30 million subsidy to accommodate the wage increase.

Ranzenhofer issued the following statement this afternoon:

The Genesee County Ag Society will present a Livestock Fitting, Showmanship & Judging Clinic May 20-22 at the Genesee County Fairgrounds. It is located at 5056 E. Main Street Road, Batavia.

It is intended to be a learning opportunity for young people. All youths age 8 to 19 are particulary welcome and they do NOT have to be members of 4-H or Future Farmers of America (FFA).

Friday, May 20, is Livestock Game Night. Saturday, May 21, is a Livestock Clinic. Sunday, May 22, there will be industry speakers talking about nutrition, genetics and the ag business.

Topics covered during the weekend will include: Nutrition & Care, Basic Training, Showmanship Overview & Practice, Fitting & Hoof Trimming, Livestock Species Knowledge, and Judging & Oral Reasons.

Tickets are $30 per youth, which includes a T-shirt and chicken BBQ. Accompanying adults are $15 (but if they want a T-shirt and chicken BBQ, it's $30).

Camping is available for the weekend. Cost is $25 one night, or $40 for both Friday and Saturday nights.

Early registration is recommended.

Any questions, call Heather Weber 585-297-3032.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County, 420 E. Main Street, Batavia NY 14020

Phone: (585) 343-3040 ext. 101 Fax: (585) 343-1275

http://genesee.cce.cornell.edu/

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) today blasted Downstate liberal members of the Assembly’s Higher Education Committee for voting down legislation that would have increased the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) award available to prospective college students in New York State.

Instead of expanding college affordability for citizens, the Assembly Majority has instead sided with illegal immigrants and voted to allow them taxpayer-funded college tuition they call “The Dream Act” and Hawley refers to as “The Nightmare Act."

“What kind of message are Downstate politicians sending the struggling families out there working two jobs or overtime to provide their children with a college education,” Hawley said. “Middle-class families deserve a break, and with skyrocketing college costs, we should be doing everything possible to make a college education a reality for our citizens.

"Add this bill to the long list of higher education initiatives blocked by New York City liberals to pump more resources, taxpayer money and freebies into their downstate voting bloc.”

Daniel R. Ruffner, 30, was arrested in Pavilion on May 7 by Troopers and charged with misdemeanor assault, 3rd, and criminal mischief after he allegedly caused a shoulder sprain and broke a victim’s prescription sunglasses during a physical altercation at a residence on Telephone Road. Ruffner was processed at State Police barracks in Batavia and issued an appearance ticket returnable to the Town of Pavilion Court on May 24.

Bradley Hering, 23, was arrested in Alabama on May 7 by Troopers and charged with driving while intoxicated. Hering was located a short time after a call was dispatched reporting his vehicle was off the roadway on Bloomingdale Road in the Town of Alabama. He was administered the standard field sobriety tests which he allegedly failed. Troopers reported detecting the odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from Hering. He was transported to State Police barracks in Batavia for processing which allegedly revealed a BAC of .14 percent. He was issued a uniform traffic ticket returnable to the Town of Alabama Court on May 24.

Bobby Gary Mullen, 39, of Oak Street, Warsaw, is charged with failure to pay fine/restitution/surcharge. He was arrested on a bench warrant out of Genesee County Court for allegedly failing to pay a fine stemming from an incident July 8. He was turned over to the Genesee County Sheriff's Office by Wyoming County Sheriff's Department after a traffic stop in Warsaw at 11 a.m. on May 10. He was released after his arraignment. The case was handled by Sheriff's Deputy Rachel Diehl.