Dakota Scott Pocock, 19, of Townline Road, Bergen, is charged with five counts of sexual misconduct following an investigation in the Village of Oakfield. The defendant allegedly had sexual intercourse with the victim without consent five times between August and December. He was issued an appearance ticket for Oakfield Town Court at 5 p.m. on May 16. The investigation was conducted by Sheriff's Deputy Kevin Forsyth and Investigator Bradley Mazur.

Duty E. Caswell, 24, of Hutchins Place, Batavia, was arrested for having a vicious dog. The arrest stems from an incident on March 7 wherein his dog, according to police, attacked two people and another dog. Caswell was issued an appearance ticket and released and is scheduled to appear in Batavia City Court at 10:30 a.m. on May 13. The case was investigated by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Cronmiller.

Devon Schulman, 20, of Liberty Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree menacing and criminal possession of a weapon, 3rd. It is alleged that at 6:52 p.m. on May 5 Schulman displayed a knife to a subject at an apartment on Liberty Street and made comments that led the victim to believe Schulman intended to use the knife against the victim. Schulman was jailed without bail and was to be in City Court on May 6. The case was investigated by Batavia Police Officer Mitchell Cowen, assisted by Chad Richards.

Shawn C. Smith, 35, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with driving while intoxicated, aggravated unlicensed operation, first, and speeding. Smith was arrested at 6:24 p.m. on April 30 following a traffic stop on East Main Street, Batavia, and following arraignment was jailed without bail. He was to be in court May 2. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Christopher Lindsay, assisted by Sgt. Dan Coffey.

Shane Michael Green, 28, of Trapping Brook Road, Wellsville, is charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs and moving from lane unsafely. At 7:36 a.m. on May 6, Green was arrested on Batavia-Stafford Townline Road, Stafford, for allegedly driving while the ability to do so was impaired by drugs. The arrest was the result of a complaint for erratic operation of a motor vehicle. Green is to be in Town of Stafford Court on June 6. The case was handled by Sheriff's Deputy Kyle Krzemien, assisted by Deputy Christopher Parker.

Ryan James Sundown, 35, of Meadville Road, Tonawanda Indian Reservation, is charged with second-degree criminal contempt. He allegedly violated a complete stay away order of protection at 6 p.m. on April 25 on Council House Road. He was arraigned on the charged on May 5 in Alabama Town Court. The case was handled by Sheriff's Deputyt Kevin McCarthy, assisted by Deputy Kyle Krzemien.

A 17-year-old female who lives in Batavia was arrested at 4:06 p.m. on May 2 and charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief. She allegedly broke a window during an argument. She was issued an appearance ticket for May 17 in City Court. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Christopher Lindsay, assisted by Arick Perkins.

Jany Girwath Jock, 20, of Batavia Stafford Townline Road, Batavia, is charged with identity theft, 3rd. The defendant was arrested following the investigation into the unlawful use of a credit card at 10:30 p.m. on May 3. Jock was issued an appearance ticket returnable to Batavia City Court at a later date. The case was handled by Sheriff's Deputy Ryan DeLong.

Mary Finnegan, 68, of Lake Street, Le Roy, was arrested on May 7 and charged with one count of criminal trespass in the second degree, a Class A misdemeanor. Le Roy Village Police Department responded to a local apartment house after receiving a complaint of a subject on the property trespassing. Upon arrival Finnegan was allegedly located on the property after she had previously been advised she was no longer allowed on the property. Finnegan was taken into custody and charged accordingly. Finnegan is to appear in the Le Roy Town Court on May 19 to answer to the charge.

It's been six years since we visited the garden of Dennis Wood on West Main Street, Batavia, but the forget-me-nots seem especially impressive this year.

This video is from Christopher Weicher at Batavia High School. He said each year the same mallard duck returns to the school to lay her eggs in the courtyard, where's sheltered from predators. The problem arises after the ducklings hatch and have no way on their own to get out of the courtyard for food and water, so staff gently nudges the family toward the doors and the great outdoors.

Saturday, Amy Scott sent in these pictures of city firefighters saving ducklings from a storm drain.

The Michael Napoleone Foundation hosted its annual Derby Day Fundraiser at Terry Hills yesterday.

To purchase prints, click here.

The Johnsons, residents of Naramore Drive, Batavia, have reported to police the theft of their riding mower that looks like this one, a John Deere D100.

The mower was taken off its trailer and removed from a storage shed.

Those who have information to share should contact Batavia PD.

Promote wellness in your community, attend the Wellness Fair on May 12th at the LeRoy Village Green, RHCF, located on 10 Munson St. in LeRoy from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
This event is open & free to community!
 
Participating Vendors:

• LeRoy Village Green Residential Healthcare Facility
• The Greens of LeRoy, Senior Independent Community
• Selby Davis
• LeRoy Physical Therapy & Village Fitness
• LeRoy Athletic Club/ Kettle’s Gym
• Alzheimer's Association of Western New York
• United Memorial Medical Center
• Main Street Fitness
• University of Rochester, LeRoy Medical Associates
• Catherine Rhoads, Licensed Massage Therapist
• LeRoy Central School
• GCASA
• American Cancer Society
• Ladies First Fitness
• Durable Medical Supply
• Cheryl Cowie, Norwex
• Walgreens
• Tracy’s Teas
• LeRoy Police Department
• Genesee County Office for the Aging

These photos are from game two of yesterday's Rotary Club Baseball Tournament, between Notre Dame and Attica.

Batavia beat Oakfield-Alabama in the first game, 6-2, then Attica beat ND 5-3.

Trevor Sherwood threw a no-hitter in the nightcap to give Batavia the championship with a 12-1 win over Attica.

Yesterday was the first day of another new season of fun at Darien Lake Theme Park.

While we didn't get out to Darien for photos until the afternoon, after the clouds arrived, the morning blue skies helped encourage a great first-day attendance, park officials said.

A motor-vehicle accident with multiple minor injuries is reported at the tollbooth for the Thruway in Pembroke.

Pembroke and Indian Falls fire departments responding.

Two Mercy EMS units responding.

UPDATE 10:43 a.m.: Law enforcement required at the scene to deal with an irate male.

UPDATE 11:11 a.m.: Units back in service. A 10-year-old transported with neck and back pain.

Reader-submitted photo.

The Genesee County Business Education Alliance (BEA) is an organization whose mission is to foster a partnership between business and education, and to assist students in preparing for the world of work. Housed at the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, the BEA creates and implements programs that are designed to create a stronger workforce for businesses in Genesee County.

This Summer the BEA will host eight Career Exploration Camps for up to 220 students in grades six through nine. Registered campers will experience careers from Culinary Arts to Animal Science, to construction and medical careers. Each camp provides hands‐on training and amazing experiences for them in their selected career, and exposes them to the array of careers available right here in their own community. Parents can go to www.beaGenesee.com to learn more about the Summer Career Camps and to register.

These camps are subsidized through donations, sponsorships and volunteerism to keep them affordable for our students and their families. If your business would like to be a camp sponsor and promote our future workforce, please contact Beth Kemp at the Genesee County BEA at (585) 343‐7440 or bkemp@geneseeny.com.

A multi-vehicle accident with possible serious injuries is reported on the eastbound Thruway at mile marker 396.7. Mercy Flight #5 out of Batavia is going in the air. East Pembroke Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding. Town of Batavia Fire Department is asked to assemble a crew in their hall in case they are called to the scene.

UPDATE 11:03 a.m.: The accident is east of the Slusser Road bridge.

UPDATE 11:15 a.m.: Mercy Flight has landed.

UPDATE 11:24 a.m.: Mercy Flight is airborne, going to Strong Memorial Hospital.

UPDATE 11:55 a.m.: A state trooper at the scene said there was one victim, a male driver in his 20s who sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Indications are he fell asleep at the wheel, the trooper said.

A 21-year-old Batavia man was ordered held on $50,000 bail today during his arraignment on charges stemming from an alleged robbery in January, just eight days before he was scheduled to be sentenced on an assault conviction.

The timing of the crime and the fact he was not yet identified as the suspect means that if he's convicted on the 12-count Grand Jury indictment, he can't be sentenced as a second felony offender, nor does the robbery constitute a violation of probation since he wasn't on probation yet.

Terrence D. Johnson is facing a possible violation charge, but not because of the alleged robbery.

Johnson was indicted on one count of robbery and 11 counts of grand larceny, 4th.  

Each of the eleven grand larceny counts stems from each of the credit or debit cards carried by the victim.

The robbery occurred in the area of 2 School St., Downtown Batavia.

Beyond the usual not-guilty plea, Johnson's attorney, Public Defender Jerry Ader, said there is some question as to whether Johnson was even in the area of School Street at the time the robbery was reported.

After court, District Attorney Lawrence Friedman, in answer to a question, said there is physical evidence linking Johnson to the crime.

Before the hearing, members of Johnson's family reached out to local media and said they would like to talk about Johnson, saying, "this is not who he really is," but after the hearing, Ader said he advised them not to grant interviews.

In November, Johnson entered a guilty plea to a gang assault charge for being part of a three-person assault on a person on Holland Avenue over the summer and was sentenced in January to six months in jail and five years probation.

The timing of the conviction, the second alleged crime without him being identified as a suspect, followed by his sentencing, means the original sentence stands and he can't be sentenced as a second felony offender. If he were considered a second felony offender, then the minimum range of a possible prison term would be longer. Either way, the maximum possible sentence is 25 years.

A violation of probation charge has not been brought against Johnson yet, but he allegedly left the county and violated curfew while on probation.

Press release:

Live racing doesn’t return to Batavia Downs until Monday July 25, but the grandstand will be filled with race fans this Saturday (May 7) as the track hosts its annual Kentucky Derby bash in the Paddock Room from 11:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m.

The $10 “Kentucky Derby Meal Deal” deal includes your choice of five entrees, a $2.00 Kentucky Derby wager and $5.00 in free play on the gaming floor. Programs, live tellers and plenty of big screen TV’s will be available throughout the facility.

In Thurman Thomas’s 34 Rush Sports Bar, drink specials include $6 mint juleps served in the official Kentucky Derby commemorative glass along with $2 drafts. Both will be available from 11:30 a.m. until 7 p.m.

“The Derby party has really developed since 2005 and we are expecting in excess of 400 people to attend this year,” said Todd Haight, general manager/director of Racing at Batavia Downs. “It’s amazing how popular it has become and how much it has grown."

All the Western Regional OTB branches in Western New York will open at 10 a.m. Friday (Kentucky Oaks Day) for advance wagering on the Derby and again at 10 a.m. on Derby day.

Last year, WROTB had its second best handle ever and paid out more than it took in for the first time, dating back to 1974.

A dog is reportedly locked inside a white Kia in the parking lot in front of Aldi's on East Main Street, Batavia. The windows are shut. Law enforcement is responding.

Press release:

The Board of Directors of the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) approved a final resolution for an application for assistance from Alpina Foods, Inc., at its May 5 board meeting.

Alpina Foods, Inc., will add 3,200 square feet to its existing facility in the Town of Batavia to accommodate space for a bottle-filling machine and packaging equipment for a new drinkable yogurt product.

The facility’s expansion will result in the creation of four new jobs and the retention of 23 current full-time employees. Based on the success of the product line and other growth opportunities there is the potential for the creation of additional new jobs at Alpina.

The company was approved for a sales tax exemption of $15,405 and a property tax exemption of $62,903. The project’s planned capital investment will total an estimated $1.1 million.

“It is exciting to see Alpina adding a new yogurt product to the marketplace that is being made right here in Genesee County,” said Christopher Suozzi, vice president of Business Development at the GCEDC.

“The Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park is an important community asset and continued investment and expansion there will only help us market the site to other food processing and food manufacturing companies.”

Due to a motor-vehicle accident in Erie County, westbound Route 5 at Crittenden Road is being closed to traffic by fire police from Pembroke and Indian Falls.

UPDATE 10:31 a.m.: The road is reopened. Pembroke and Indian Falls are back in service.

Press release:

Silicon wafer manufacturer 1366 Technologies (“1366”) today announced it has received a $10 million investment from the Hanwha Investment Corp., one of Korea’s leading private equity/venture capital firms with more than $500 million under management. The funds will be used toward the construction of 1366’s first large-scale commercial factory, scheduled to be online in 2017.

“Our Direct Wafer™ technology represents one of the most significant manufacturing innovations in solar, with the potential to propel the industry forward and deliver dramatic cost advantages,” said Frank van Mierlo, CEO, 1366 Technologies. “We are thrilled that Hanwha Investment Corporation, with its deep expertise in and understanding of the manufacturing industry, has invested.

"It is a tremendous validation of our commercialization plans, and a clear signal that we’re poised to disrupt the $10 billion and growing silicon solar wafer market.”

“Hanwha Investment Corporation actively seeks out companies with groundbreaking technologies that transform industries. In just a short period of time, 1366 has moved from proof of concept to commercial-ready technology, achieving technical milestones steadily and rapidly. We believe the 1366 team is well positioned for commercial success,” said Woojae Hahn, president and CEO, Hanwha Investment Corporation.

1366’s Direct Wafer technology is a transformative manufacturing process that offers significant advantages over traditional cast-and-saw wafer production technologies. The process makes wafers in a single step, pulling them directly from molten silicon instead of today’s multi-step, energy- and capital-intensive approach, resulting in significant wafer production cost savings.

CLARIFICATION: We were asked to clarify a prior report that said the Hannah company that is purchasing solar wafers and the Hannah company making the investments in 1366 are the same company. While related, they are not the same company and operate independently.

A 28-year-old Oakfield resident, Jeffrey Johnson, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property, 3rd, in connection with the alleged theft earlier this week of a van from a residence on Ellicott Street, Batavia.

The incredible part of the story is that the owner's dog, Duke, was in the Toyota Sienna, and after the vehicle was recovered in Rochester, Duke was returned to Betty and John O'Brien.

"Our fear was something happened to the dog, because Duke is a very gentle dog," Betty Carlet Cleare, a reporter with our news partner 13WHAM. "He could have sold him, he could have beaten him, and he could have done any number of things to him. The gods were with us this week."

Duke is apparently so gentle that he did not make a sound when the van was taken.

"He didn't say a peep," Betty said, "which we're thankful of, because that's why I think he survived."