A delegation representing thousands of 4-H members in New York State will expand their knowledge of state government when they travel to Albany March 1 for the 80th annual 4-H Capital Days event.

Nearly 130 teen delegates and their chaperons will attend, representing 4-H members from counties across the state, as well as the boroughs of New York City.

Proudly representing the Genesee County 4-H Youth Development Program again this year will be Melissa Keller, of Corfu.

During the event, 4-H members, volunteer leaders, and staff will meet with leaders in state government, members of the court system and officials from a variety of state agencies. In addition, they plan to observe a working session of the State Legislature. Member of the Assembly Bob Oaks will discuss the legislative process with the 4-Hers.

Participants will learn about career opportunities in government as they tour state agencies, participate in discussion sessions, and visit with their legislators.  They will also have an opportunity to tour the Capital and visit the Corning Tower, New York State Museum and other significant features of the area.

The New York State Association of Cornell Cooperative Extension 4-H Educators sponsor the 4-H Capital Days program. For more information regarding local opportunities in 4-H Youth Development, call Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County at 585-343-3040, ext. 101, or e-mail genesee4h@cornell.edu

A wind chill warning has been issued by the National Weather Service and it will be in effect from midnight through 10 a.m. Friday in WNY.

Winds will be 10 to 20 mph with wind chill values as low as minus 35 degrees. The wind will make it feel like it's 25 degrees below zero or colder for several hours.

Dangerous cold and threatening wind chills will be possible by Thursday night and this could lead to frostbite and hypothermia if you are outside and not properly dressed.

"Those planning to venture outdoors should use common sense and dress warmly."

About nine or 10 cows are running loose on Peaviner Road approximately two miles east of Route 98 in Alexander. No farms are really close by says an officer who called the matter into dispatch. "I don't know how long they've been out here or where they came from." After dispatch did some checking, a resident in the area says he has some cows out that way and will go check it out. The officer is no longer on scene.

UPDATE 1:55 p.m.: It is reported that a farmer is with the cows on Old Creek Road but it's not yet known if he owns them.

UPDATE 2:26 p.m.: An officer says the farmer is securing the animals and will be taking them home, 9950 Old Creek Road.

Complaints from law enforcement and fire personnel about the new Harris radio system have gone way down over the past several months, Undersheriff Bill Sharon said, but there are still issues that need to be addressed.

To that end, the Public Service Committee is recommending the County Legislature approve a $41,000 contract with Pericle Communications Co., of Colorado Springs, Colo., to conduct a transmission interference study and make recommendations for improvements.

The aim of the study will be to identify what might exist in the county that causes interference with transmissions, either it's light bars on emergency vehicles or power plants, and recommend the best methods for eliminating those problems.

"As mentioned before, we didn't have the luxury of fully testing the system before we went live because of the time constraints we were under," Sheron said. "We've winnowed those problems down one-by-one-by-one and our complaints are minimal now. There are some lingering complaints, like our coverage area in Le Roy, and I'd say that's probably the top of the list right now."

Steve Sharpe, director of emergency communications, said among the interference issues Pericle will study are related to police and fire personnel inside of buildings.

The measure of adequate coverage is no more than a 10-decibel drop in the transmission inside of a structure, which is about what you would expect inside a two-story, wood-framed house with a shingle roof. The old system only had a bit more than 70-percent coverage by that standard. The new system is in the 90-percent range, but can be improved, Sharpe said.

Sheron noted that there were quite a few problems with the old system, but nobody ever complained because responders had learned to adjust to those issues. While the new system has room for improvement, it is an upgrade over the old system, he said, and no communications system will provide 100-percent coverage 100 percent of the time.

While some of the interference problems officers and firefighters experience might be isolated to small areas or specific circumstances, there are larger areas in Le Roy where Harris radios go dead.

Legislator Shelly Stein, who represents Le Roy, said she's been following the issue closely, joining meetings with the E-911 Board, Harris and the consultants, and advocating on behalf of her first responders.

She's confident things are moving in a positive direction.

"When the county moved us over to countywide dispatch, not all of the feet were pointed in the same direction," Stein said. "Today, everybody wants this to work. Our desire is to make this work for everybody. It's right at the focal point of every one of our discussions."

The County Legislature is set to authorize more than $588,000 in new equipment and vehicles for the Highway Department after the Public Service Committee recommended approving the planned purchase of a flatbed truck, loader and 13 pickups, SUVs and sedans.

The biggest ticket item is a Hyundai 760-9 wheel loader from George & Swede Sales and Service of Pavilion in conformance with state bid specifications.

The loader will be paid for out of the road machinery fund over five years in annual payments of $38,894. The hooklift flatbed truck bed will be purchased from Cyncon Equipment of Henrietta for $59,953, and also paid out of that fund.

The 13 vehicles purchased will come from Van Bortel Ford in Rochester at a total cost of $334,615.

They are:

• Two SUVs for the Sheriff's Office at a cost of $53,527
• A 3/4 ton 4WD pickup for facilities maintenance, $36,515
• 1/2 ton pickup for soil and water, $28,388
• Full-size Taurus police vehicle for probation, $24,799
• Four full-size Ford Fusions, $70,337
• A van for animal control, $29,737
• Two vans for facilities maintenance, $58,560
• An SUV for Emergency Management Services, $32,771

CORRECTION: The hooklift flat-bed was not authorized for purchase.

There's nothing new to report on a federal raid that took place Jan. 23 at 3618 Batavia-Oakfield Townline Road, Batavia, according to Karen Wisnowski, spokeswoman for Homeland Security in Buffalo.

We checked in with her yesterday. She responded this morning after talking with the agent in charge of the operation.

As reported previously, it looks like there were marijuana plants being removed from the residence.

The raid involved Homeland Security, ICE, the Secret Service and State Police.

The nature of the investigation is under a court-ordered seal.

Doris L. Mayl, 62, of Manhatten Avenue, Batavia, is charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance, 5th, and criminal possession of a controlled substance, 5th. Mayl allegedly sold a quantity of Soma to an agent of the Local Drug Task Force during the month of April, 2014. She was arrested Tuesday by a uniformed deputy. Following arraignment, she was jailed on $5,000 bail. (Soma is the brand name of carisoprodol, a muscle relaxant.)

Cale Daniel Rice, 38, of Sunset Terrace, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, speed not reasonable and prudent and moving from lane unsafely. Rice was charged following an investigation by Deputy Jason Saile into a motor-vehicle accident at 4:27 a.m. Saturday on Route 5, Batavia.

Joseph A. Muolo, 24, of Union Street, Batavia, was arrested at his residence on a warrant for alleged failure to appear on a parking ticket (parking on city streets between 2 and 6 a.m.). Muolo posted $100 bail and was released.

Press release:

Although the film "Unbroken" was not nominated for Best Picture for this year's Academy Awards Ceremony scheduled on Feb. 22, the story of an American soldier surviving a World War II Japanese prisoner of war camp resonated with Edward Grabowski. He teaches Introduction to Criminal Justice to students at Genesee Community College.

The Hollywood film captures the extraordinary life and survival of bombardier and world-class runner Louis Zamperini. Like "Louie," Grabowski's father survived the horrors of a Japanese POW camp, and experienced his own hellish encounters with some of the guards. They included the notorious Mutsuhiro Watanabe, the brutal guard known as "The Bird" who tortured and killed many prisoners.

When Grabowski happened to mention this coincidence to his students, they wanted to know more. And when he told them he had a photograph of his father standing behind two Japanese guards, one likely "The Bird" -- his students wanted to see it.

"They found it interesting so I brought in some of the historic materials about my father to share," Grabowski said.

The photograph taken by a French photographer shows Leo Grabowski standing in a doorway unnoticed by the two prison guards who are in the foreground holding their rifles.

"I am 99 percent sure that the guard standing is Watanabe," Grabowski stated. "My father said he would have been brutally beaten by those guards if they had known he was in the photograph."

Sergeant Leo J. Grabowski served in the Army from 1932 through 1945, and was one of the defenders of Bataan and Corregidor as part of the 31st Infantry at Fort Santiago in Manila.

Captured by the Japanese, Grabowski survived the 60-mile Bataan Death March through the Philippine jungles to Camp O'Donnell. From there he was among the thousands transferred in overloaded freight cars, and he was eventually shipped to Mitsushima, a prisoner of war camp northwest of Tokyo where prisoners provided slave labor to construct the Hiraoka Dam.

Like Zamperini in "Unbroken," Grabowski senior made it home bearing the scars of a POW, but he put together a meaningful post-war life with a career and family, including three children. His youngest son, Edward, spent 27 years teaching Criminal Justice at BOCES, and is now adjunct faculty member at GCC.

Upon request, he reflects on his father's military distinctions with quiet pride, sharing a little of that tortured past through books, photos and clippings from decades-old newspapers. In doing so, he is giving his students a sense of world history, not from the Silver Screen or a textbook, but from the connection of family and the bond of father and son.

Times-Union: Oil train explosion renews push in Albany for ban

The roof of a mobile home on North Lake Road in Pembroke is bowing due to heavy snow on top and the ceiling is creaking, according to a caller to dispatch. The location is Lot #16 inside Antone's Mobile Home Park at 8427 North Lake Road.

Pembroke and Indian Falls fire are responding along with mutual aid from Darien. Heavy equipment, including hydraulic jacks, are requested to the scene.

UPDATE 8:52 p.m.: The assignment is back in service.

A two-car accident with injuries is reported at 5434 Horseshoe Lake Road. Stafford fire is responding along with Mercy medics.

Press release:

Water valve repairs will take place Wednesday, Feb. 18th, on River Street between South Main Street and Birchwood Drive.

Water customers will be without water from approximately 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on South Main Street from River Street to the City line, to include Meadowcrest Drive, and River Street from South Main Street to Birchwood Drive.

All residents will have access to their properties during the construction. We ask that all thru traffic seek an alternate route during this time.

This valve replacement is associated with the waterline work that was completed on South Main Street over the weekend. A water valve became inoperable and requires immediate replacement.

If you should experience discolored water after the water is restored, please run your faucet until it once again becomes clear.

Thank you to all the residents and motorists in the affected area for their patience during the construction over the past few days.

Two women from Buffalo are accused of stealing enough from the Walmart in Batavia to be charged with grand larceny in the fourth degree.

Rickita Lathan, 29, and Katrina M. Jones, 46, are accused of making off with laptop computers and an undetermined amount of clothing without paying for the items during a visit to the story Friday.

They were identified as the suspects through the use of surveillance video.

Based on the evidence, State Police investigators received arrest warrants out of the Town of Batavia Court for Lathan and Jones.

Lathan was taken into custody by Cheektowaga PD and turned over to SP Batavia. She was arraigned in Town of Oakfield Court and jailed on $1,000 cash bail or $2,000 bond.

Jones was being held in the Niagara County Jail on an unrelated charge. She was transported to SP Batavia and transferred to the Genesee County Jail on $500 bail.

Besides the Class E felony charge, the duo is charged with conspiracy, 5th, a Class A misdemeanor.

A water main break is reported in the Village of Le Roy at 124 E. Main St. Le Roy fire and a public works crew are responding.

Mercy Flight WNY will host "An Irish Evening" from 5:30-9:30 p.m. on Saturday March 14 at Terry Hills Golf Course Banquet Facility, located at 5122 Clinton Street Road in Batavia. This is a fund-raising event to include an Irish-themed dinner, open and cash bar, 50/50s, Chinese and silent auctions, door prizes and entertainment.

There will be an Irish sit-down dinner, and free wine and beer at the bar from 5:30-6:30. Menu is corned beef and cabbage, soup, salad and dessert. (Alternate dinners for special diets available if requested prior to March 1st.)

Tickets for the event are $35 per person -- pre-purchase only -- and can be bought online at www.mercyflight.org or by contacting Lynn O’Donnell at 716-864-5060 or lodonnell@mercyflight.org

Event organizers are currently looking for basket or silent auction donations as well as event sponsors. If you wish to help, please contact O'Donnell for further information or for pick up of the items you wish to donate.

Mercy Flight WNY is a local, independent, not-for-profit provider of emergency air medical transport. Established in 1981, Mercy Flight WNY has flown more than 23,000 patient missions. Mercy Flight WNY serves the counties of Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania out of bases in Buffalo, Batavia and Olean ready to respond 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Mercy Flight WNY performs this lifesaving service without regard to the patient’s insurance status or ability to pay. In the last fiscal year, Mercy Flight WNY forgave over $1.5 million in care provided to uninsured or underinsured patients. Please help us to remain a "Beacon of Hope" -- when minutes matter for our community by contributing to this fund-raising event.

Smoke is reported in the basement of a duplex at 111 Ellsworth Ave. City fire is reponding. The building has been evacuated. The location is between Columbia and Manhattan avenues.

UPDATE 11:57 a.m.: "Engine 11 on location with nothing showing."

The Genesee Chorale will perform a show at 7 p.m., Feb. 20, at Northgate Free Methodist Church, south campus, built around the theme of American Bandstand.

A stage set is being built to replicate Dick Clark's old set, Pat McHanon will perform as Dick Clark, and between songs, old clips of Dick Clark interviewing some of the great artists who appeared on American Bandstand will be featured.

The musical selection will include hits by Sam Cooke, Etta James, the Everly Brothers, Dusty Springfield, Bobby Darin, Leslie Gore, the 5th Dimension, the Mamas and the Papas, Peter, Paul and Mary, Otis Redding, among others.

The Chorale is conducted by Ric Jones.

Photos are from last night's rehearsal at St. James.

Sad news for Batavia Muckdogs fans from Don Rock, head groundskeeper: He had to put down his dog, Haley, who was a familiar part of game days at Dwyer Stadium the past few years.

Rock said Haley had kidney problems.

"It was a very difficult thing for me to have to do and right now it is very rough for me, to say the least," Rock said.

We held a Flip Ad contest today. The winner is Anne Marie Starowitz, of Batavia.

Anne Marie was the eighth person to correctly identify today's secret code, which was Henry Homelius.

The prize is $25.

We have a few advertisers running Flip Ads. Telling us which ads are Flip Ads won't win you the contest (I get about one e-mail a day along those lines). To win, you must find the code hidden under an ad, which we post once a week at random times. (We forgot last week.)

A group of Sea Cadets are spending five days in Genesee County Park learning winter survival skills.

It's an annual event for the cadets, who hail from throughout Western New York.

The Sea Cadet program is sponsored by the U.S. Navy League and runs year-round.

Youths from 11 to 13 are called leaguers and actual cadets are age 13 through high school graduation. The program includes two weeks of basic training, monthly meetings at either Buffalo Navy Reserve Center or the Buffalo Navy Park, and annual training in a specialty. Cadets can choose any specialty the Navy offers, from firefighting to military law.

Choose to train as a Navy Seal and you will get to spend two weeks training with actual Navy Seals.

The winter survival course is designed to teach basic first aid, plus how to survive for at least a short time in winter conditions.

One of the tasks today was for cadets to build a quinzee, which is an igloo-like structure made from a mound of compacted snow that can be used as a temporary shelter if you became stranded outside during a winter storm.