Batavia beat Notre Dame Wednesday night at the area finals of the mock trials tournament and will move onto the regional finals.

Batavia took round 1 55-50 and round 2 60-53.

The Region 1 tournament is in Erie County April 17-19.

UPDATE: Pictures added from Jim Burns.

The Easter Bunny paid a visit to St. Joseph's on Wednesday so he could invite all the children of Batavia to the annual Kiwanis Club Easter Egg Hunt at Centennial Park at 9 a.m., April 4. 

Deborah E. Lamartina, 34, of Linnet Street, Rochester, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, aggravated unlicensed operation, 1st, DWAI/drugs, criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument and possession of a controlled substance not in original container. Lamartina was stopped at 3:12 a.m. March 21 on Oak Street, Batavia, by Officer Stephen Cronmiller.

Saphan Touch, 64, of Rochester, is charged with driving while ability impaired by alcohol, failure to stop at a stop sign and improper turn/no signal. Touch was stopped by State Police on Route 33, City of Batavia. Touch allegedly failed a field sobriety test. He was processed at the Batavia Barracks and administered a BAC test, which allegedly registered .07.

Danny J. Torok Sr., 47, of Spencerport, is charged with criminal possession o a weapon, assault and attempted assault. Torok allegedly used a steak knife during an argument in Oakfield with a family member and caused small cuts to the victim. He was jailed on $500 bail.

John Allen Thomas, 50, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Thomas allegedly spoke to a person he is barred by court order from contacting.

Travis L. Bartz Jr., 19, of Church Street, Alexander, was arrested on warrants for alleged false personation and endangering the welfare of a child, criminal mischief, 4th, and petit larceny. Bartz allegedly gave a false name to police officers in October. He also allegedly tried to break into a car by breaking a window.

Klarissa C. Price, 37, of 22nd Street, Niagara Falls, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear on an unauthorized use of a vehicle charge. Price was arrested by Niagara County Sheriffs and turned over to Batavia PD. She was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Shaqueta Lashaun Irvin, 23, of Highland Park, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for allegedly failing to report for weekend jail terms related to a petit larceny conviction. Irvin was located in Family Court and taken into custody and jailed on $5,000 bail.

Teshawn A. Lang-Smith, 18, of Dellinger Avenue, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to comply with a released under supervision contract. Lang-Smith turned himself in and released under supervision.

Kim Marie Mannix, 46, of Wishing Well Circle, Penfield, is charged with possession of more than 400 untaxed cigarettes. Mannix was stopped at 1:20 p.m. Tuesday on Route 77, Pembroke, by Deputy Patrick Reeves. Mannix allegedly possessed 2,360 untaxed cigarettes.

A car fire is reported at 55 Garibaldi Ave., Oakfield. 

A chief on scene reports a working car fire. 

Oakfield fire dispatched. 

4:31 a.m.: Oakfield command reports the fire is out. 

A reader sent in this photo as a "first sign of spring."

She said, "My grandmother called these snowdrops and they were planted when this house was built in 1895, by her mother. They still push up every year and chase away the snow."

Batavia PD is investigating five reported vehicle larcenies that occurred on Southside streets sometime Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning, said Det. Eric Hill.

Four of the vehicles were reportedly unsecured and one was locked, though the locked car was not damaged, Hill said.

The usual items were stolen, such as clothing, loose change, cigarettes and some credit cards.

"We would again like to remind citizens to make sure that their vehicles are secured and ensure that their key fobs are stored in such a way that they don’t accidentally unlock their vehicle," Hill said.

Press release:

The 6th annual County Health Rankings have been released by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The County Health Rankings rank the overall health of nearly every county in all 50 states. This allows each county to see how healthy their community is compared to other counties within their state based on 30 factors measured, including education, transportation, housing, violent crimes, jobs, diet and exercise.

The County Health Rankings are a snapshot of the impact that the measured factors have on the health of each county. The rankings for New York State are out of the 62 counties. There are five main categories and the factors that make up each category are measured and ranked.

• Health Outcomes (Today’s Health): which includes length of life, premature death, sickness, mental health and low birth weight;
• Health Factors (Tomorrow’s Health): including health behaviors: adult smoking, adult obesity, food environment index, physical inactivity, access to exercise opportunities, excessive drinking, alcohol-impaired driving deaths, sexually transmitted disease and teen births;
• Clinical Care: including uninsured, primary care physicians, dentists, mental health providers, preventable hospital stays, diabetic screening, and mammography screening;
• Social and Economic Factors: including high school graduation, some college, unemployment, children in poverty, inadequate social support, children in single-parent households, violent crime and injury deaths; and
• Physical Environment: including air pollution, drinking water violations, severe housing problems, driving alone to work, and long commute – driving alone.

The County Health Rankings are compiled from many different types of national data sources. The county with the lowest score (best health) gets a rank of #1 for that state and the county with the highest score (worst health) is assigned a rank corresponding to the number of total counties ranked in each state.

Results for Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties are as follows:

• Genesee County ranked 40th in overall Health Outcomes, 26th in overall Health Factors, 54th in Clinical Care, 11th in Social and Economic Factors, and 46th in Physical Environment.
• Orleans County ranked 47th in overall Health Outcomes, 59th in overall Health Factors, 62nd in Clinical Care, 50th in Social and Economic Factors, and 54th in Physical Environment.
• Wyoming County ranked 17th in overall Health Outcomes, 27th in overall Health Factors, 49th in Clinical Care, 19th in Social and Economic Factors, and 57th in Physical Environment.

Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming County health departments continue to implement their 2013-2017 Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) developed to address some of the issues noted in the County Health Rankings, as well as community residents’ concerns noted in the Community Health Assessment Survey conducted in 2013.

With the assistance of our local health systems and community organizations, Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties chose two priority areas from the New York State Department of Health Prevention Agenda to work toward improving. These priority areas are preventing chronic diseases and promoting mental health and preventing substance abuse.

“Staff from the departments are dedicated to implementing the Community Health Improvement Plan and these efforts will help to reflect improved standing in future County Health Rankings. This impact will take time to be seen as the data collection process and publishing takes time, on average three to five years,” said Paul Pettit, Public Health director for Genesee and Orleans counties. "The Health Departments continue to partner with community organizations, faith-based organizations businesses and community members to work toward decreasing obesity, diabetes, stroke, heart disease and nicotine-related illnesses, as well as developing and promoting a wide-ranging resource to help health care providers and community members have access to mental health services. 

"As you can see this is no small task that one organization can take on alone. We believe we can make an impact on the health of our communities if we work together. What are some things you can do to be healthier? How can you have an impact on the health of your neighborhood? Keep an eye out for some exciting opportunities as we move forward working together to become the healthiest region!"

To learn more about the NYS Prevention Agenda visit:

http://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/prevention_agenda/2013-2017/?utm_source=doh&utm_medium=hp-button&utm_campaign=prev_agenda

To get a detailed look at the 2015 County Health Rankings visit:

http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/

For information about health department services:• Genesee County Health Department call: 344-2580, ext. 5000, or visit the Web site at www.co.genesee.ny.us/departments/health/index.html
• Orleans County Health Department call: 589-3278 or check out the Web site at:  www.orleansny.com/publichealth

You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter. Our user name for both is OrleansCoHealth. 
• Wyoming County Health Department call: 786-8890 or visit the Web site at: www.wyomingco.net/health/main.html

Press release:

Sheriff Gary T. Maha has been informed by the Board of Directors of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund that Deputy Frank Bordonaro’s name has been approved for inclusion on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.

Frank passed away a few hours after his night shift ended on July 8, 2014, after 19 years of service with the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office. His name will be formally dedicated, along with other fallen officers during 2014, on May 13, 2015, during the 27th Annual Candlelight Vigil held during National Police Week in Washington, D.C.  

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation which designated May 15 as Peace Officers’ Memorial Day and the week in which that date falls as Police Week. The Memorial Service began in 1982 as a gathering in Senate Park of approximately 120 survivors and supporters of law enforcement. Decades later, the event, more commonly known as National Police Week, has grown to a series of events which attracts tens of thousands of survivors and law enforcement officers each year to honor those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice. National Police Week draws in between 25,000 to 40,000 attendees. The attendees come from departments throughout the United States as well as from agencies throughout the world. This provides a unique opportunity to meet others that share a common brotherhood. 

“Several officers from the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office are planning on attending this event to pay tribute to Deputy Bordonaro,” stated Sheriff Maha.

With the exception of a petit larceny charged a year ago, Suzanne Corona has pretty much been able to keep her name out of the news since 2011.

The 45-year-old Osterhout Avenue resident became an international sensation in June 2010 when he was caught in a sexually compromised situation on a picnic table in Farrall Park.

The illicit tryst for the married woman led to a rare criminal charge of adultery, which sparked news headlines in tabloids from New York to London to Australia. 

Over the next year, her exploits continued to make news, especially in Western New York, but then she faded from view.

Her arrest by the Local Drug Task Force on Tuesday has her facing her most serious criminal charges yet.

Corona is accused of selling suboxone to an agent of the task force.

She is charged with fourth-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

The charges are the fist time she faces a possible felony conviction.

Corona was jailed pending a bail review today.

Top: File photo from 2011.

A woman who once represented herself as an owner of a group of infamous smoke shops involved in the sale of bath salts and synthetic marijuana entered a guilty plea yesterday to a federal charge in connection with the drug sales.

Amber Snover, 24, faces up to four years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both after pleading guilty in U.S. District Court to using a communication facility to facilitate a controlled substance.

The chain of smoke shops was known as the 420 Emporium, and on social media, Snover claimed to be the owner of locations in Brockport, Fulton, Henrietta and Syracuse, though never claimed ownership of the Batavia location that was at 400 Ellicott St.

When bath salts were a hot issue in Batavia in 2012, The Batavian contacted Snover and she denied owning any of the stores before hanging up on a reporter.

She later called Greece police and tried to have the reporter arrested.

Public records uncovered later indicated Charles Fitzgerald owned the first four locations and Joshua Denise owned the Batavia location.

Fitzgerald and Snover were apparently living together at 21 West Hill Estates, Greece. Their home was raided on the same day, July 25, 2014, as the Batavia location as part of a nationwide DEA crackdown on synthetic drug manufacturing, sales and distribution. 

Authorities recovered more than $770,000 in cash at the Greece residence.

Snover's conviction covers a federal contention that the woman used a phone to order various synthetic controlled substance analogues for the store in Batavia.

She will be sentenced June 23.

The 420 Emporium employees arrested in the raids have entered guilty pleas to various charges and await sentencing.

Fitzgerald entered a guilty plea in January to possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and faces a possible maximum federal prison term of 30 years. He will be sentenced April 15.

With David Lee Roth back in the fold, a new live album, and an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Van Halen is about to hit the road for a tour that will include a stop in Genesee County.

The legendary rockers will play Darien Lake on Aug. 25.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd will open the show, which is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m., April 4.

For more information, visit LiveNation.com.

Press release:

The second annual Genesee County Chamber of Commerce Home show takes place this weekend March 27-29 at the Falleti Ice Arena.

Sixty-three area businesses will be displaying their products and services at the Home Show and offering home improvement tips and suggestions on a face-to-face basis to the general public that attends.

“Our first Home Show last year was a tremendous success and we have just continued to build on that success this year,” said Chamber President Tom Turnbull. “We have sold out all of the 88 booths that were available.”   

The Home Show will be open Friday, March 27 from 5 to 9 p.m., Saturday, March 28 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, March 29 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Admission to the event to $3 with children 12 and under admitted free when accompanied by an adult. Discount $1-off-admission coupons are available at the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce office, 210 E. Main St., Batavia, or at any of the participating businesses.

There will also be a drawing for a $500 gift certificate that can be used at any of the participating Home Show businesses. The drawing will take place on Sunday at 3 p.m. The winner need not be present.

Food concessions will be provided by the award-winning restaurant Alex’s Place.
A complete list of participating businesses and a map of the booth layout is available at:  www.geneseeny.com/homeshow

For more information call the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce at 585-343-7440.

Tyshon L. Taylor, 18, of Central Avenue, is charged with assault, 1st, robbery, 1st, unlawful possession of marijuana, and menacing, 2nd. Taylor allegedly pointed a handgun at another person while demanding property at a location on Central Avenue, Batavia, at 8:45 p.m., Friday. Taylor allegedly struck the individual in the head with the handgun and then punched the person. Eventually, Taylor took the property from the person. He allegedly possessed marijuana when arrested. A 16-year-old, whose name was withheld by police, was also arrested and charged with assault, 1st, and robbery, 1st.

Madalyn R. Muntz, 29 of Le Roy, is charged with grand larceny, 4th. Muntz, a former Walmart employee, is accused of stealing more than $1,500 in cash from November through February.

Nicole A. Mickey, 25, of Colonial Boulevard, Batavia, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Mickey was arrested following a complaint of a disturbance at her residence at 11:48 p.m., March 16. Mickey allegedly drove from that location to another location while intoxicated.

Erin Kathleen Hinrich, 34, of Bank Street, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for alleged possession of a hypodermic instrument. Hinrich turned herself in to Batavia PD.

Richard J. Stack, 23, of Thomas Avenue, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Stack is accused of throwing items at a woman and flipping her out of a chair during an argument. He was jailed on $750 bail.

Deborah E. Lamartina, 34, of Linnet Street, Rochester, is charged with two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, and criminal use of drug paraphernalia, 2nd. Lamartina was allegedly found in possession of heroin and cocaine while already in custody on unrelated charges. She was jailed without bail.

Press release:

The Genesee Gateway Local Development Corporation (GGLDC), the real estate arm of the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC), recently received a grant of $50,000 from National Grid that was used to build the Innovation Zone.

The Innovation Zone has been designed to be an affordable, high quality networking and incubator space and will be located in the 34-acre Upstate MedTech Park in Batavia. It is strategically located across from Genesee Community College, which was recently designated as a START UP NY site. The grant from National Grid is through the company’s CleanTech Incubation Program.

“The concept of creating a space that not only brings entrepreneurs and start-up businesses together, but also allows these individuals to collaborate, has the potential to enhance economic development opportunities in Genesee County even further,” said Dennis Elsenbeck, regional executive for National Grid in Western New York. “From the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park to STAMP, economic development officials in Genesee County have proved that the ‘build it and they will come’ approach works and I am confident it will in this instance.”

To accommodate an existing tenant of the Upstate MedTech Park, construction included the addition of 1,075 square feet of space to expand opportunities for high-tech manufacturing and a loading dock facility. The GGLDC also plans to build out 2,300 square feet of vacant space to increase marketability of the site and allow for a quicker turnaround of market demands. The total capital investment of the project is $155,000 and is expected to create 10 new jobs over the next five years and three new jobs within the first year.

“The new incubator will support the expansion of the Upstate MedTech Park, which will help us attract entrepreneurs in emerging industries such as life sciences and medical device manufacturing among others,” said Steve Hyde, president and CEO of the GCEDC. “This grant is just another example of National Grid’s tremendous support of economic development initiatives in Genesee County.”

National Grid officials and local and state government representatives will participate in a ribbon-cutting event on April 10 in the Innovation Zone to formally unveil the new facility and amenities.

The National Grid CleanTech Incubation Program supports the development of a self-sustaining entrepreneurial and innovation “ecosystem.” The program is intended to stimulate and support the growth of new businesses that, in turn, generate jobs and investment in National Grid’s Upstate New York service territory. Information about National Grid’s suite of economic programs is available at www.shovelready.com

Photos by Tom Rivers, Orleans Hub.

Batavia and Notre Dame will meet in the mock trials finals tomorrow after securing victories in the semifinals Monday evening in the Orleans County Courthouse.

Batavia went 2-0, 113 points to 110 points, against Attica. Notre Dame was 1-1, but with 109 points to 106 points against Avon.

In the top photo, Dylan Beckman serves as an attorney for the team from Batavia and questions a witness.

Amanda Conrad, a witness for Attica, responds to questioning from Becca Canale, an attorney for Batavia.

Becca Canale was one of the attorneys for Batavia. She presents her closing argument to Chad Murray, the judge for the competition.

Madhu Vihani, a lawyer for the Attica team, presents documents to the team from Batavia.

Nic Culver, of Medina, a freshman at Notre Dame, was a witness for his team.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) said today that Upstate economic development would be the best option for the state’s $610 million surplus, obtained as result of a recent bank settlement. Hawley criticized Gov. Cuomo’s proposed Upstate Revitalization Fund for pitting communities against each other and said surplus funding should be appropriated in a more equitable fashion.

“The surplus would best serve the people of this state by promoting economic revitalization in Upstate New York,” Hawley said. “The governor’s competition plan is a misguided approach that pits communities against each other and creates three winners and four losers. By splitting this money evenly among the seven regions or combining it with the governor’s plan, we could ensure that more regions see tangible economic development. The state’s financial investments in businesses and local projects over the past several years have been hugely beneficial, especially in the rural areas of my district. This surplus funding should be invested back into Upstate communities and support projects that will attract new businesses and jobs to many struggling areas of the state.”

Hawley’s comments come after a press release issued by the New York State Department of Financial Services revealed that Commerzbank has paid a $610 million fine to New York State as part of a punitive package for financial and accountability crimes.

Press release shared by Genesee County Emergency Services:

With the start of spring and warmer temperatures expected, the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) reminds New Yorkers that residential brush burning in towns with less than 20,000 residents is prohibited in the state through May 14.

"Along with the milder temperatures that come with spring, the risk for wildfires also increases," DEC Commissioner Joe Martens said. "New York prohibits residential burning during the high-risk fire season to reduce the number of wildfires and protect people, property and natural resources. Since being enacted in 2009, the ban has been very effective in reducing the number of wildfires, and we want people to be aware that they need to put safety first."

Open burning of debris is the largest single cause of spring wildfires in the state. When temperatures are warmer and grasses and leaves dry out, wildfires can start and spread easily and be further fueled by winds and the lack of green vegetation.

New York has had strict restrictions on open burning since 2009 to help prevent wildfires and reduce emissions. The regulations allow residential brush fires in towns during most of the year, but prohibit such burning in spring months -- March 16 through May 15 -- when most wildfires occur. Campfires using charcoal or untreated wood are allowed, but people should never leave such fires unattended and must extinguish them. Burning garbage or leaves is prohibited year-round.

In the five-year period since the ban was enacted, the average number of spring fires per year decreased by 43.2 percent, from 3,297 in 2009 to 1,425 to 2014.

Violators of the open burning state regulation are subject to both criminal and civil enforcement actions, with a minimum fine of $500 for a first offense. To report environmental law violations call 1-844-DEC-ECOS (1-844-332-3267) or report online on DEC's Web site.

Some towns, primarily in and around the Adirondack Park and Catskill Park, are designated "fire towns," and open burning is prohibited year-round in these municipalities unless an individual or group has a written permit from DEC. To find out whether a municipality is designated a "fire town" or to obtain a permit, contact the appropriate DEC regional office. A list of regional offices is available on DEC's Web site.

New City Court Judge:
By unanimous vote Monday night, the City Council selected local attorney Durin Rogers to become the new City Court judge.

Rogers is Deputy County Attorney, is active in the Genesee County Bar Association, and a graduate of Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and the University of Florida.

He replaces Michael Del Plato, who resigned effective the end of his six-year term.

Memorial Day Parade:
Plans are coming together for the city's Memorial Day Parade with a couple of new twists for 2015.

The committee is planning on changing the parade route so the procession comes further west on Main Street and turns north on Bank Street, with the parade ending at the War Memorial. Marching bands would enter with drum taps sounding only, which Rose Mary Christian described as a solemn, moving remembrance.  

There will also be a request for parade participants not to toss candy to children. There's concern throwing candy is more festive than respectful of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of their country.

A small platoon of volunteers could deal with the army of stray cats in Batavia, the City Council was told during a long discussion of the issue Monday night.

Three representatives of the pro bono animal program at the SUNY Buffalo Law School recommend a trap, neuter, vaccinate and return program that they say has been successful elsewhere, even in small towns in Western New York.

West Seneca provides an example, said Joseph Smith, a law student working with the pro bono program. That community instituted TNVR and it made a huge difference.

"You can have as fast as a year turnaround," Smith said. "You can get direct results and significant results within a year."

The results include fewer nuisances from cats and fewer stray cats.

Problem cats fall into two categories -- community cats, which are cats who were once domesticated, but somehow became ownerless, and feral cats, which are cats born to a homeless cat and never domesticated.

Smith, along with fellow student Nicole Komin and Vice Dean Kim Diana Connolly, outlined the program's benefits, especially when compared to alternatives.

Stray cats will always be with you, both Smith and Komin emphasized. If you try to capture them and keep them, they'll overwhelm any such system. If you try to kill them, other strays will just move into the territory.

Cats tend to go where they can get food and shelter, be it a cat lover who feeds them, scraps from a restaurant or plentiful prey. If all the cats are removed from an area of food and shelter, other cats will just take their place.

TNVR solves that problem by returning non-breeding cats to those their former haunts.

Once fixed, cats fight less, howl less and spray less, making them much less of a neighborhood nuisance.

And if you can eliminate the breeders, there are fewer feral cats and eventually fewer community cats. They never disappear from a community, but over time, their numbers are greatly reduced.

The life expectancy of a homeless cat is seven or eight years.

Assistant City Manager Gretchen DiFante invited Smith, Komin and Connolly to speak with the council because she's been tasked with coming up with a program to deal with stray and feral cats.

Council members expressed an interest in learning more and supporting a task force to study the proposal further. 

Such a program could be implemented at no cost to the city because there are volunteer and community groups that can be tapped to help set up the program and take care of the task of trapping cats and getting them neutered and vaccinated before they're returned to the location where they're trapped.

Cats who have been through the program get a notched ear so they're identifiable as neutered, and once released, they've learned about the trap and will never allow themselves to be captured that way again, Smith said.