As firefighters finished extinguishing a fire that started in a back room on the second floor of the home at 122 State St., Adrian's biggest worry was for the safety of his cat, Prince Charming.

So named because he was the lone kitten born to his mother. He's a special cat.

Adrian's mother, Carla Laird, stood at the threshold of their house and called. She had managed to get the family's two dogs and another cat out once she became aware of the fire, but Prince had jumped from her arms and hid under the couch and wasn't coming out. 

Two firefighters were dispatched to try and find Prince Charming and minutes later they emerged with him in a cat carrier.

There were hugs all around, including from Adrian's uncle, Chris (top photo).

No people were hurt, no animals were lost in the fire of still undetermined origin. Carla and Adrian were getting ready to leave the house when the fire started. Carla's daughter was not home at the time.

The house was damaged enough that the Red Cross has been called to assist the family and their pets.

For more on the fire, read our initial report.

A house fire is reported at 122 State St., upper apartment. City of Batavia Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 1:53 p.m.: "There's a possibility of a person trapped inside the apartment," says a dispatcher. "We have an open (phone) line and can hear a person still inside." Heavy smoke is showing and flames are shouting out of the rear window, says a firefighter on scene.

UPDATE 1:55 p.m.: City command reports everyone is out of the structure, then calls for a second alarm.

UPDATE 1:58 p.m.: Darien, Alexander Fast Team, and all available city fire manpower called in. Town of Batavia fire is to stage in its quarters.

UPDATE 2:02 p.m.: Command reports fire knocked down. Darien's response is cancelled. Alexander is continuing to the scene. National Grid has been notified. Mercy medics are on scene in case needed.

UPDATE 2:29 p.m.: The American Red Cross will be contacted to respond to the scene.

GCC hosted its 34th Annual Fashion Show Saturday. These photos are from the 3 p.m. show.

To purchase prints, click here

Sunrise this morning taken on the property known as Gateway II off Route 98, Batavia.

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.

A house fire is reported at 6616 Snyder Road, Elba, located between Lockport and Maltby roads. It's the same vacant structure that was on fire April 20. Snyder Road becomes Weatherwax Road south of Maltby. A Sheriff's deputy on scene confirms the blaze and says some trees next to it are also on fire. Elba fire is responding along with mutual aid from Oakfield, which is to set up a draft site on Maltby Road, and Byron and Barre. Snyder Road will be shut down to traffic.

UPDATE 5:23 a.m.: Alabama fire is asked to fill in at Oakfield's fire hall.

UPDATE 5:32 a.m.: Elba command reports the fire is knocked down.

UPDATE 7:40 a.m.: Photos added.

"The structure was pretty much gone when we got here," said Elba Chief Mike Hale. "It was just a matter of getting the fire out and making sure the crews were safe doing it."

The fire is under investigation.

"It's definitely suspicious," Hale said. "We were out here earlier this week and now we're back again, so there's definitely something suspicious there."

Because the house was vacant and already pretty much gone by the time fire departments were dispatched, Hale said he kept the response to a minimum necessary for manpower and water.  Besides Elba, responding were Byron, Oakfield and Barre.

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.

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.

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.

Press release:

Pembroke High School has made The Washington Post’s America’s Most Challenging High School List, published online this past Sunday.

Unlike Business First’s rankings, which consider a variety of factors in determining Western New York’s top schools, The Washington Post publishes a list of their top schools based on one factor, healthy Advanced Placement participation. If the number of students taking Advanced Placement tests is greater than the number of graduating seniors, the school makes the list.

Pembroke High School was able to meet the challenge by having 86 test takers last May with graduation for 67 seniors, an accomplishment that places Pembroke in the top 10 percent of all 22,000 high schools across America.

“We continue to embrace high expectations, and we do not shy away from challenging our students to the fullest,” stated Superintendent Matt Calderón. “We believe Pembroke students are fully capable to meet increased rigor in a variety of areas, and we are fortunate to have strong partnerships with parents and a community that also embraces that vision.

"When the NYS Commissioner of Education visited our District, it was our students that told him they wanted more rigorous and demanding coursework because they want to be prepared for life beyond high school; and they know the AP curriculum will give them a good taste of what their future holds in regard to college-level courses and career expectations.”

Ten years ago, Pembroke offered only two AP courses, Biology and Calculus AB, taken advantage of by 17 students. Now Pembroke offers AP English Literature, Psychology, Studio Art, U.S. History, World History, and Environmental Science. Music History and Physics were added for 2014-15 with a handful of students taking AP Computer Science through an online grant. For students who perform well on the AP exams, many colleges and universities offer college credit.

“No doubt, it is a lot of hard work but very rewarding when filling out that college application and vying for your school of choice. It can also be rewarding when entering college with 18 credits under your belt. That $546 investment translates to about $10,000 in savings at many of the colleges our students typically attend,” reported senior high school counselor and AP coordinator Toby Beahan.

According to high school Principal Keith Palmer, “If students want to challenge themselves, we try to provide the opportunities. We regularly work on developing an expectation with our students that a demanding and rigorous course load will be the best route in preparing for both college and career, especially during one’s senior year. And fortunately, we have talented teachers that are able to meet the challenge.”

Add to the mix student course-interest surveys, weighted grading for students who take on the challenge, recognition for students who score well, quality training for teachers, and you end up with healthy student participation in a quality AP program.

For more information about The Washington Post’s best high schools, visit http://apps.washingtonpost.com/local/highschoolchallenge/

Press release:

Genesee County Deputy Sheriff Joseph A. Corona has been selected by the New York State STOP-DWI Foundation and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) New York State to receive its “2014 Recognition Award."

Deputy Corona was nominated by Genesee County Sheriff Gary T. Maha for his very aggressive DWI enforcement during 2014. Deputy Corona made 43 alcohol-related arrests (38 DWI, three DWI Drugs and two DWAI) and also made 30 arrests for unlawful possession of an alcoholic beverage with intent to consume by persons under the age of 21. In May 2014, Deputy Corona was awarded an Exceptional Service Award by the Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse (GCASA) for his efforts in combating DWI. 

The award was presented to Deputy Corona during a luncheon held in Schenectady on April 23 (see attached photo). He was one of among only 23 individuals statewide to be selected for this award. Attending the luncheon were Sheriff Maha, Chief Deputy Gordon L. Dibble and Genesee County Stop DWI coordinator Matt Landers.

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.

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:

• Renowned Batavia surgeon weighs in on health care -- part 1
• Renowned Batavia surgeon weighs in on health care -- part 2
• Seminar focuses on broken health care system and failures of Obamacare

A car vs. pedestrian accident is reported at 6874 Jerico Road, Bergen. Bergen fire and Mercy medics responding. A responder on scene says a driver was backing a vehicle out of the driveway and accidentally struck a man, who is still down in the roadway. The vehicle is blocking traffic. The vehicle reportedly drove over both his legs, but the victim has no neck or back pain. The location is north of Town Line Road and south of Swamp Road.

UPDATE 2:31 p.m.: A Bergen Ambulance is en route to Strong Memorial Hospital with a Mercy medic onboard with the patient. The Bergen fire assignment is back in service.

The collapse of a proposed merger of Time Warner Cable and Comcast will have little impact on the city's efforts to negotiate new cable franchise agreements with cable providers, said City Manager Jason Molino.

The proposed merger spurred the city this summer to revive efforts to update a long-expired franchise agreement with Time Warner and form a cable advisory board to help with the process. 

In July, Molino told council members, "Time Warner is noncompliant with some franchise benefits. We haven't had negotiations since 1993. There are a number of improvements that need to be made."

This morning, Molino said the city is still negotiating with Time Warner, not with Comcast, so the fact that Comcast won't be taking over local service has no bearing on those negotiations, Molino said.

"It (the collapse of the deal) doesn't affect those negotiations and it doesn't affect the residents," Molino said.

At the same time, the city has been negotiating a franchise agreement with a new player in town, Empire Access.

Empire has already started delivery of a 100-megabit broadband service to local residents and businesses, but so far can't offer its TV package due to the lack of a franchise agreement with the city.

Asked how those negotiations were going, Molino simply replied, "We're in ongoing negotiations."

Asked now negotiations are going with Time Warner, Molino said, "We've been in negotiations the past few months. We are still trying to resolve some issues."

The old franchise agreement with Time Warner generates about $200,000 a year in revenue for the city.

Franchise agreements are non-exclusive, but are required for cable providers to deliver services to local residents.

"With both providers we're looking to capture the best franchise agreement that will provide the best service to the city and most success for residents," Molino said.

Notre Dame High School hosted its annual spring concert at the school Thursday night with jazz ensemble and concert choir performing such pieces as the "Overture of the Magic Flute," highlights from "Harry Potter," Disney movie tunes and a portion of Pachelbel's "Canon in D." Theresa Kehl is conductor of both the ensemble and the choir.

GCC students have been working hard all week to put the finishing touches on the 34th annual fashion show. When we stopped by the campus yesterday, we found three of the models rehearsing their runway presentation. Pictured are Kiatta Whipset, Halee Santiago and Brittney Malone. 

Here's a GCC press release about the fashion show:

Whether they're "Walking Among the Wildflowers," preparing for a "Battlefield," or turning desert beasts into beauties in a scene called "Transcendence," GCC fashion students are getting ready to wow crowds again this year at the 34th Annual Fashion Show, "Fata Morgana."

Advance tickets are highly recommended for the event on Saturday, April 25. Two complete shows are planned, at 3 and 7 p.m., in the William W. Stuart Forum on the GCC Batavia campus.

"Fata Morgana" is produced by GCC Fashion Merchandising and Design students under the guidance of GCC Business Professors Rick Dudkowski and Donna Ehrhart. This year's theme is inspired by the beauty of the desert and the show, like a fata morgana mirage, will feature rapidly changing views as desert colors bloom onstage.

Students have been busy rehearsing with the more than 140 models who will appear in the 12 scenes. A number of the scenes will feature original creations by Fashion Design students.

"Since we introduced the Fashion Design concentration, more and more of our students are creating their own designs for the fashion show," Ehrhart said. "Audiences love seeing these original pieces and there will be many of them in this year's show."

Fashion Merchandising students are also collaborating with both local and national vendors including Batavia's own Charles Men's Shop and denim jeans maker Buffalo David Bitton. The scenes planned for "Fata Morgana" include:

1. "Battlefield" -- Designed and Coordinated by Amber Coan;

2. "Among the Wildflowers" -- Coordinated by Taylor Bunch and Katie Strong with apparel by Lord & Taylor and Gymboree;

3. "Transcendence" -- Coordinated by Angelique Porey & Sara Elliott with apparel by Porey;

4. "Inevitable" -- Coordinated by DJ Simmons with apparel by LovelyWholesale;

5. "Bare" Coordinated -- by Jocelyn Eade & Eunice Goeun Park with apparel by Eade;

6. "Bri-Jhn" -- Coordinated by Brittany Breedlove with apparel by B.B.;

7. "Minuit Désert" -- By T. LaShaé; Coordinated by Tiffany Hill & Chiho Nakayama with apparel by T. LaShaé and jewelry by Na'kaylas Jewelry Box;

8. "Festival Haze" -- Coordinated by Ami Cornell and Kylie Dunn with apparel by Buffalo David Bitton and Lord & Taylor;

9. "Oasis" -- Coordinated and Designed by Abby Lee Wilcox with jewelry by Kana Tatsumi;

10. "Opulence" -- Coordinated and Designed by Catherine Morales;

11. "Veni Vidi Vici" -- Coordinated by Ariana Sneed with apparel by Candace Cooper;

12. "Sandar" -- Coordinated by Lekha Anderson with apparel by Charles Men's Shop and M.A. Carr Bridal;

Along with enjoying the fashions presented during the show, which is a capstone project for many GCC students, guests will have a chance to win a variety of door prizes from restaurant gift certificates to gift cards and baskets. They will also have an opportunity to meet the scene coordinators at the postshow after-party in the cafeteria.

Tourism and Hospitality Management students develop the exquisite after-party and assist with the decorating, Criminal Justice students provide security at the event, and GCC's Communications and Media arts students promote the event on WGCC.

"The way our students from various departments come together to make this annual Fashion Show a huge success always impresses me," Dudkowski said. "We're excited for people to see the students' hard work come to fruition at showtime."

Tickets for the shows are available for $5 in advance or $7 at the door and can be purchased by calling 585-345-6830 or e-mail cmyoung@genesee.edu. Advance tickets are strongly recommended and must be purchased by April 23.

You can read more about the creation of the scenes, the students and happenings in the fashion program at the GCC fashion blog http://gcccampusblog.wordpress.com/category/fashion/

D&C: Should the Bills take a swing at drafting a QB?

Four people remain hospitalized in satisfactory condition as a result of a head-on collision on Clinton Street Road, South Byron, on Monday.

Both drivers involved in the crash were cited by State Police.

Still hospitalized are: Malik Dietz, 20, of New York City, who was transported by ground ambulance with a complaint of pain in the lower leg; and Zemirah Huges, 18, of the Bronx, who had a complaint of back pain, according to Trooper Victor Morales. 

Cited, and still hospitalized, are: Gracien Ibambasi, 20, of Greece, who is charged with moving from lane unsafely and unlicensed operation; and Brittany Breedlove, 26, of Rochester, charged with aggravated unlicensed operation. 

According to the State Police investigation, Ibambasi was driving eastbound, crossed in the westbound lane, missing one vehicle then striking the car driven by Breedlove.

Also injured were: Alexis Thomas, 19, of Chili, who had facial bleeding; Macayla Brown,18, of Gates, who had minor facial bleeding; and Sade Brown, 18, who had a complaint of pain throughout her body.

All patients were taken to Strong Memorial Hospital by ground ambulance.

A suspected drug dealer from Rochester was arrested Wednesday following a traffic stop on Route 33, Stafford, which led to the alleged discovery of 27 individual bags of crack cocaine.

Ronnie D. Edmunds, 24, of Alice Drive, Rochester, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd, unlawful possession of marijuana and aggravated unlicensed operation, 2nd.

Following arraignment in Town of Stafford Court, Edmunds was jailed on $20,250 bail.

The investigation was led by the Local Drug Task Force with the assistance from the District Attorney's Office and uniformed Sheriff's deputies.