Town of Batavia fire is responding to a reported motor vehicle accident in the eastbound lane of the Thruway in the area of mile marker 393.
A car is reportedly on its roof.
Unknown injuries.
Mercy EMS also dispatched.
Joey Burdick scored 18 points to help propel Oakfield-Alabama over the Bees at Byron-Bergen on Thursday night, 60-54.
The Hornets are now 12-4 and Byron-Bergen falls to 10-6.
Travis Wiedrich scored 15 points for O-A and Kam Cusmano scored 13.
For B-B, Nick Baubie scored 16 points, Alex Brumsted scored 12, and Kevin Smith scored 11.
Also in boys basketball on Thursday:
Click here for more information on this listing.
Press release:
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas — Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (NYSE:SIX), the world’s largest regional theme park company and the largest operator of waterparks in North America, today announced that each of its 26 parks will earn the Certified Autism Center™ (CAC) designation from the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES).
This initiative will mark the first-ever family of parks to earn the designation at all locations, including the one in Darien Center in Genesee County.
“We are proud to partner with IBCCES to ensure that guests on the autism spectrum have the best possible experience when visiting our parks,” said Six Flags Vice President of Safety Jason Freeman.
“The certification process will equip our team members with the tools and training needed to better serve guests with special needs. We want them to know Six Flags stands ready to welcome them with open arms.”
Many individuals and families with children on the autism spectrum or with sensory sensitivities find it challenging when visiting new places or planning family trips. The potential for sensory overload combined with a lack of understanding and awareness at parks and other recreational venues can often be overwhelming.
The CAC designation from IBCCES, the only credentialing board providing these services for the amusement and attractions industry, requires that at least 80 percent of "guest-facing staff" at each park complete a training and certification program through IBCCES as well as complete onsite audits and make a commitment to ongoing training.
The staff training focuses on understanding the autism spectrum and strategies for communication, guest experience, and safety, while the onsite audit will give each park techniques and guidance on additional updates.
As a Certified Autism Center, Six Flags parks will provide:
“IBCCES is extremely excited to work with a family of parks with this level of commitment,” said Myron Pincomb, IBCCES Board chairman. “So many families just need more communication and understanding from parks and other attractions, so they can make those memories together that we all cherish.
"In some cases, small changes can make a huge impact, and our certification program ensures each park is committed to long-term growth and understanding, not just a one-time training.”
"As a person on the spectrum, it is exciting to see more parks taking the extra steps to accommodate all guests," said Dr. Stephen Shore. "The commitment Six Flags is making to a true certification process is impressive and means so much to millions of individuals and families. Creating family memories and recreation are essential for both individuals with ASD and their families as a whole."
For almost 20 years, IBCCES has been the industry leader in cognitive disorder training and certification for healthcare, education and corporate professionals around the globe. IBCCES recognized that many families with children who have special needs have limited travel options. In response to this need, IBCCES created training and certification programs specifically for the attractions and travel industry. While many destinations tout “autism-friendly” options, this phrase means something different to everyone and does not necessarily indicate a true understanding or commitment to serving these guests.
Six Flags will also be the first network of parks to implement IBCCES’ Accessibility Card. The cards may be used during all Six Flag park visits. For more information on the Accessibility Card registration visit www.accessibilitycard.org.
About Six Flags Entertainment Corporation
It is the world’s largest regional theme park company and the largest operator of waterparks in North America, with $1.5 billion in revenue and 26 parks across the United States, Mexico and Canada. For 59 years, Six Flags has entertained millions of families with world-class coasters, themed rides, thrilling water parks and unique attractions. For more information, visit www.sixflags.com.
Press release:
The Forum Players, Genesee Community College's theater arts students, and members of the local theater community are excited to open the 2020 spring season with "Doubt: A Parable," written by John Patrick Shanley, which won both a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award in 2005.
This performance is a brilliant and powerful drama which tells the story of Sister Aloysius, a Bronx school principal who takes matters into her own hands when she suspects the young Father Flynn of improper relations with a male student.
Shanley not only wrote the play, but he also wrote the screenplay and directed it as a film starring Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
GCC's talented Forum Players bring this parable to life with four live performances, directed by Maryanne Arena and Jaime Arena, which are intended for mature audiences (age 16 and up). Performances are in the Stuart Steiner Theatre, 1 College Road, Batavia.
The cast includes:
The crew includes:
Tickets for these shows are available online here. The cost is $8 for adults, and $5 for seniors (55+) and students (16+) and GCC faculty/ staff. GCC students with ID are $3, and GCC alumni with ID will receive a $2 discount on an adult ticket.
To reserve seats, you may also contact the GCC box office at boxoffice@genesee.edu or (585) 345-6814.
A water main break occurred on Lockport Road in Elba and the road is closed to all traffic for repairs between Route 98 and Snyder Road, according to an announcement by the Genesee County Emergency Dispatch Center.
Submitted photo and press release:
Fanny Venegas is a junior at Elba Central School who designed the cover of the Rochester Automobile Dealers Association’s (RADA) Rochester Auto Show Program and her design was selected as the winner.
Fanny is also a first-year student in the Graphic Arts Program at the Batavia Career and Technical Education Center.
She was recently recognized by Juan Canto, director of Training, Compliance, Recruitment and Placement for the RADA, and she was presented with a monetary award.
The RADA show will be held March 5-8 at the Floreano Convention Center in Rochester. The event draws tens of thousands of attendees and features current and future new vehicles in the market.
“Each year, the RADA invites students to design the program cover because it provides an excellent learning opportunity allowing them to display their knowledge and skills that they learn in the Graphic Design classroom,” Canto said.
“The student whose cover design is chosen, gets to have their bio and picture included in the Auto Show book which thousands of people look at. This prestigious selection can be included in the students’ resume as they look to attend college or, find gainful employment.”
“Fanny is a student who consistently goes above and beyond in all that she does," said Gretchen Rosales, principal of Elba Junior/Senior High School. "Not only does she participate in the Graphic Arts program at the Batavia CTE Center, but she takes AP courses back at the Elba campus.
"She is a three-sport athlete, participating in cross country and indoor/outdoor track. Fanny strives to always give more than 100 percent and she exemplifies what it means to be an Elba Lancer.”
Doug Russo is Fanny’s Graphic Arts instructor. He described how Fanny’s skill set has grown immensely since she first began in September.
“Fanny has gained a vast amount of experience in the graphic arts field," Russo said. "She is proficient in Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop, which are highly sought out skills in the graphics industry. She is detail orientated, gets along well with others and has great leadership skills.”
Fanny was surprised when she was informed that she is the winner for RADA's cover design competition.
“I was shocked because so many of my classmates entered this contest," Fanny said. "I’m so happy."
Fanny’s mom, Sandra Salcido, was present as Canto gave Fanny the award check.
“I am so proud,” Salcido said with a big smile.
Fanny plans to pursue her education and become a photographer/videographer.
Photo, from left: Gretchen Rosales, principal of Elba Junior/Senior High School; Sandra Salcido, Fanny’s mother; the artist herself -- Fanny Venegas; Juan Canto, director of Training, Compliance, Recruitment and Placement for the RADA; Doug Russo, Batavia CTE Center Graphic Arts instructor; and Maggie Poray, Batavia CTE Center Student Services coordinator.
Councilwoman Rose Mary Christian hosted a Ward 6 public meeting at City Hall on Tuesday evening.
Citizens spoke out on topics ranging from: a registered sex offender living next to a park where children play to the status of the GCASA-owned building on South Swan; the recent robbery by Pizza Hut; sidewalks; and the proposal for a new skate park in the city.
City Council President Eugene Jankowski, Assistant Police Chief Chris Camp, Police Chief Shawn Heubusch, and Probation Officer Michele Tucci, were on hand to discuss issues with residents.
A winter weather advisory is in effect from 7 o'clock tonight until 1 p.m. Thursday, with a winter storm watch in effect from Thursday evening through late Friday night.
The advisory calls for mixed precipitation with snow accumulation of two to four inches and ice accumulation of a few hundredths of an inch.
For the winter storm watch, heavy snow is possible with as much as six inches falling on parts of Genesee County.
Travel could be difficult and perhaps hazardous at times.
Graphic: Accuweather.
So far, the Chinese pandemic that has millions of people quarantined has not thus far been reported in New York State. But the pesky flu season drags on, and health officials report the influenza season continues now into its ninth week.
For the week ending Jan. 25 alone, there were 60 new cases of flu reported in Genesee County. Of those, 42 were Type A, and 18 were Type B.
The "Weekly Influenza Surveillance Report" from the New York State Department of Health, which covers influenza activity across the state and by county, is published every Thursday during flu season and can be found here for state data and, here for county-by-county statistics.
In regard to another communicable illness, one that is causing global alarm -- "the 2019 Novel (New) CoronaVirus (2019-nCoV)" -- there are no confirmed cases in New York State, according to Nola Goodrich-Kresse, a county public health educator.
More than 50 million people in China in more than a dozen cities are locked down in an effort to contain the virus.
"The Health Departments are monitoring the situation and will be notified if any travelers from China are returning to our area," she writes in an email. "We are encouraging people to take the same prevention steps as recommended for the seasonal flu as we are still in the midst of the flu season."
Those preventative steps are:
The NYS Department of Health has opened a 2019 Novel (New) CoronaVirus Hotline) for questions or concerns about travel and symptoms at 1-888-364-3065 or you can visit their website here.
Press release:
"Mitt Romney joining the Democrats in voting to convict Donald Trump in this partisan witch hunt is unconscionable," said Chris Jacobs, Congressional candidate (NY-27) and state Senator.
"Democrats announced their intention to impeach President Trump on the day he was inaugurated, and they haven’t stopped their predetermined march toward impeachment since.
"This entire process has been a disgrace to the rule of law in America, but it ends today, despite Senator Romney’s best efforts to undermine President Trump and the will of the American people."
Press release:
At 4:56 a.m. today, Feb. 5, the City of Batavia Fire Department was dispatched to a reported residential fire at located at 216 North St. First arriving fire units were on-scene at 5 a.m.
Upon arrival, firefighters found a fire involving the front porch of the home extending to the exterior siding. Responding crews made an aggressive attack and were able to confine and contain the fire to the exterior of the home and the situation was called under control by command at 5:07 am.
While the fire was contained to the exterior of the residence, two vehicles located in the driveway along the home received significant damage due to the intensity of the fire.
At this time the City of Batavia’s Fire Investigation team is investigating the fire to determine the origin and cause. Presently, the fire does not appear to be incendiary in nature.
Once a determination has been made, we will be providing an additional media release with further information.
City fire was assisted at the scene by the City of Batavia Police with additional support provided by the Genesee County Emergency Dispatch.
Press release:
“Tonight President Trump emerged victorious from a partisan impeachment scheme, and declared to all Americans that the State of the Union is ‘stronger than ever before!’ " said Chris Jacobs, Congressional candidate (NY-27) and state Senator.
"For the past three years, we have seen a President resolute in putting America first and dead set against the socialist onslaught from the left. The results have record economic growth, new jobs, trade deals, opportunities for working Americans, and a return of the rule of lawmaking all Americans safer.
"President Trump set out to bring Americans together and has worked to build an America that works for all Americans, and tonight’s address reflected nothing less than his dedication to our great nation. I look forward to helping our President secure re-election this fall to keep the State of our Union prosperous for four more years.”
Press release:
The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) Board of Directors will consider accepting an application for assistance from Mega Properties at the GCEDC’s Feb. 6 board meeting.
Mega Properties is investing approximately $3 million to build a 60,000-square-foot distribution warehouse in the Town of Batavia at the Gateway II Corporate Park.
The project is the first phase of development on a 22.2-acre site purchased by Mega Properties in 2019. The site could accommodate approximately 120,000 square feet of additional facilities.
Mega Properties has long-standing ties to Batavia, having launched in Batavia’s Harvester Business Incubation Center more than 30 years ago. The business is currently based at the Gateway I Corporate Park in the Town of Batavia.
Mega Properties is seeking approximately $558,497 in assistance, including a property tax exemption of $400,497, a sales tax exemption of $128,000, and a mortgage tax exemption of $30,000.
Since the project is requesting more than $100,000 in incentives, public hearings will be scheduled for comment and feedback to the requests.
The Gateway II Corporate Park is located less than a mile from Interstate 90 Exit 48 in the Town of Batavia and is home to Ashley Furniture HomeStore’s regional distribution facility.
The Gateway II Corporate Park is also the site of Gallina Development’s manufacturing/distribution flex building -- the Gateway GS campus, which has immediate availability for lease tenants seeking 4,500- to 27,000-square-feet of space.
Press release:
The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) Board of Directors will consider accepting applications for assistance from two Batavia Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) strategic projects at the GCEDC’s Feb. 6 board meeting.
Together, the Ellicott Station and Ellicott Place projects are proposing 65 new apartments that support Genesee County’s EDGE economic development strategy for housing to support the growth of Genesee County’s businesses and communities.
Ellicott Station is a $22.5 million mixed-use brownfield redevelopment project by Savarino Companies that includes adaptive reuse and new construction on Ellicott Street in the City of Batavia. This blighted property is a key gateway entrance to Downtown Batavia, and the project would create 20 additional jobs to Downtown Batavia’s business community.
Considerable brownfield remediation, site improvements, and construction are proposed, including a five-story apartment building with 55 new modern workforce housing units, along with a brewery, restaurant/beer garden, and preparation for additional development at the 3.31-acre site.
Ellicott Station is requesting approximately $3.6 million in economic incentives, with a $2,105,792 property tax exemption, a $790,512 sales tax exemption, and a $180,792 mortgage tax exemption. Revenues from the project will also contribute to the Batavia Pathway to Prosperity brownfield redevelopment fund.
Ellicott Place is a $3.1 million redevelopment of 45-47 Ellicott St. by V.J. Gautieri Constructors that includes the creation of and access to residential and commercial spaces in Downtown Batavia.
The project will construct 10 second-floor apartments at the existing facility, along with the development of first-floor storefronts and building-wide façade improvements. The redevelopment of Ellicott Place is estimated to create nine additional jobs to Downtown Batavia’s business community.
Ellicott Place is requesting approximately $130,000 in economic incentives, with a $110,400 sales tax exemption and a $20,000 mortgage tax exemption.
Ellicott Station and Ellicott Place were among eight transformational investments announced by Gov. Andrew Cuomo as enabling the Batavia DRI’s strategy to drive new, mixed-use development, improved access to local healthcare, and transform public spaces for community use.
Since both the projects are requesting more than $100,000 in incentives, public hearings will be scheduled for comment and feedback to the requests.
Press release:
On Thursday, Nate McMurray, Democratic candidate for the 27th Congressional District, called on opponent Chris Jacobs to join him in participating in debates in each of the eight counties in the district prior to the Special Election in April.
“While Chris is stooping to name-calling and divisive rhetoric, I’m proposing debates in every county across the district to give voters the information they deserve to make an informed decision on Election Day," McMurray said.
"Chris is running around shouting the word ‘socialist’ every chance he gets; which is funny considering I’ve been working for his family and making them money for years as VP of Business Development."
“Chris can keep name-calling if he wants, but I’m ready to bring the issues that matter most to Western New York families to the forefront. With Washington a mess, we should be talking about jobs, about taxes, about the fact that everyone needs to understand that party lines don’t matter in the voting booth when you’re struggling to put food on the table or you can’t afford to buy insulin.”
The proposed dates for the debates are:
- Feb. 17th: Wood Library, 134 Main St., Canandaigua, 7:30-8:30 p.m. (tentative)
- Feb. 24th: Geneseo Riviera Theater, 4 Center St. Geneseo, 7:30-8:30 p.m. (tentative)
- March 2nd: Location TBD
- March 9th: Location TBD
- March 16th: Location TBD
- March 23rd: Location TBD
- March 30th: Location TBD
- April 6th: Location TBD
Press release from the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services:
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A physician from Batavia, Matthew Landfried, is returning home from Washington, D.C., after providing medical support during the 2020 State of the Union Address by President Donald J. Trump on Feb. 4.
Landfried is a surgeon who serves as a member of the National Disaster Medical System’s (NDMS) Disaster Medical Assistance Team. During events such as the State of the Union, NDMS personnel along with U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps officers stand ready to provide advanced life support and basic medical care to everyone attending the event.
NDMS is a federally administered program that can support communities with medical care, veterinarian care, and mortuary assistance during disasters or public health emergencies.
NDMS is among the resources made available by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR). They also work behind the scenes at some of our nation’s biggest events, often at the request of the Congressional Office of the Attending Physician, the U.S. Capitol Police, or the U.S. Secret Service.
“Typically at events like this we see people who have minor cuts or sprains or other non-life-threatening injuries or illnesses,” explains Dr. Helga Scharf-Bell, NDMS acting director. “However, we also can provide initial life-saving care for more serious injuries or illnesses and stabilize patients for transportation by DC Fire/EMS to a local hospital.”
NDMS comprises approximately 5,000 physicians, nurses, veterinary staff, paramedics, fatality management professionals, and experienced command and control staff, organized into several different response teams, including, but not limited to: Disaster Medical Assistance Teams, Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Teams, National Veterinary Response Teams, and Trauma Critical Care Teams. Providing medical care during emergencies and special events, such as the State of the Union Address, can overwhelm local and state resources. ASPR looks to the expertise within NDMS from across the country to assist in the response.
During the State of the Union Address, the Vice President, First Lady, Cabinet Secretaries, both Houses of Congress, Supreme Court Justices, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and other senior level government officials come together in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol. The State of the Union Address gives the President the opportunity to report on the condition of our nation and outline his legislative agenda and priorities to Congress and the American people.
As part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, ASPR’s mission is to save lives and protect Americans from 21st century health security threats. ASPR leads the nation’s medical and public health preparedness for, response to, and recovery from disasters and public health emergencies. During special security events like the State of the Union Address, ASPR stands ready to serve in case of an emergency. For more information about federal medical response and NDMS, visit www.phe.gov.
File photo of Dr. Matthew Landfried taken Nov. 30, 2018 at Terry Hills in Batavia when he received the Jerome Foundation's Health and Humanitarian Award. (A month prior to that, in October 2018, he was honored by Batavia's Paolo Busti Cultural Foundation during National Italian-American Heritage Month.)
Information from Blue Pearl Yoga:
Blue Pearl Yoga in Downtown Batavia is very excited to have Sonam Targee of Ancient Universal Medicine of Rochester join us again for a Healing Sound Bath on Saturday, Feb. 15.
A Healing Sound Bath is a relaxation technique and meditative experience. Participants “bathe” in the sound waves produced by chimes, gongs, drums, singing bowls, voice and more. It is a healing meditation through the use of sound and vibration.
"It is like a purifying shower of love through sound," according to proponents.
Targee brings more than 30 years of expertise in sacred music and sound healing. His expertise in sacred music, sound healing and the spiritual arts gives him a diverse palate of healing modalities from which to choose and to impart.
Targee performs regularly as a musician and leads groups in Kirtan (sacred chanting).
“Music can open your heart and create a profound sense of inner peace, a place where healing can occur,” Targee says.
The Healing Sound Bath will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. Feb. 15 at the yoga studio, located on the third floor of the historic Masonic Temple building located at 200 E. Main St.
Presale tickets are $35. If any remain, tickets will be $40 at the door.
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