An Alabama resident this morning watched his car go up in flames following a one-car accident on Lewiston Road, then he was hauled off to Town Court on a DWI charge.

Joseph Bennett Clark, 20, of Reuben Road, Alabama, reported the accident at about 6 a.m. in the area of 383 Lewiston Road.

By the time the first deputy arrived, his car was on fire. By the time the first Alabama fire chief arrived, it was fully engulfed in flames.

A deputy had a hard time getting identifying numbers off the car once the fire was out, it was so badly burned.

Clark was taken into custody by Deputy Jason Saile and charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or higher, speed not reasonable and prudent, moving from a lane unsafely and driving left of pavement markings.

Clark reportedly suffered a minor injury as a result of the accident.

(Initial Report)

The junior and senior classes at Byron-Bergen saw today a bit of what it's like at a fatal DWI accident. Their prom is this weekend and officials, like at many local high schools, want to emphasize the message: don't drink and drive.

The Bergen and Byron fire departments participated in the drill along with Coroner Karen Lang, H.E. Turner Funeral Home and Deputy Chris Parker.

The DOA accident victim was played by Sara Donovan. Andrew Magin was the seriously injured victim and the alleged drunken driver was Lucas DeValder.

HS Principal Aaron Johnson

Deputy Chief Doug Van Slyke

Wires are arcing and smoking at 1966 Lewiston Road. A tree has fallen or is leaning on some wires. A secondary line is down and completely blocking the roadway. Alabama Fire Department is on scene. Alabama Fire Police are shutting down Lewiston Road between Knowlesville and Alleghany. Oakfield Fire Police are shutting down Lewiston at Lockport Road.

UPDATE 4:29 p.m.: Alabama commands says that only tractor-trailers will not be allowed through. Personal vehicles will be handled by fire police. Oakfield has opted to shut down Lewiston at Judge Road. A tree crew from the power company is at the scene.

UPDATE 5:08 p.m.: Roads are reopened. Alabama and Oakfield are back in service.

A structure fire is reported at 109 Oak Street, Batavia. Fire and smoke are reportedly coming from an electrical power outlet. City fire is en route.

UPDATE 3:53 p.m.: City Engine 11 and Ladder 15 are there and the chief reports no smoke or fire. Investigating further.

UPDATE 4:13 p.m.: City assignment is back in service.

Batavia's Business Improvement District kicked off its promotional campaign, "More Feet Downtown," today.

Banners were hung at light poles downtown to help spread the word.

Pictured are Amy Worthington, left, Jeff Gillard, Don Burkel, Paul Marchese, Mary Valle, Beth Kemp and Lusanne Simard.

More than 600 National Grid customers in Genesee County are with out power this afternoon, including 590 in Batavia, as high winds play havoc with trees and power lines.

A tree came down on Clinton Street, which is what knocked out power around East Main and Clinton, including the intersection lights.

About 90 customers in Pembroke are also without power and there are a couple of small outages elsewhere in the county.

Power should be restored in Batavia by 4:45 p.m. and in Pembroke by 3:45 p.m.

There is a hazardous weather outlook in place because of strong winds into tonight. Winds are hitting 20 to 25 mph with gusts up to 45 mph.

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Law enforcement will be closing Clinton Street at East Main Street to traffic until wires and tree branches in the roadway by Grandview Cemetery can be safely removed.

UPDATE 2:21 p.m.: The traffic lights are out at that intersection, too.

Three primary power lines / poles are down in the roadway in the area of 1428 Main Road in Pembroke, just past Boyce Road. The wires were arcing and smoking. Cables lines are also hanging low across the roadway, and a fallen tree is laying on them. Tractor-trailers will be stopped by fire police at routes 5 and 77.

Pembroke, East Pembroke and Indian Falls fire departments are responding. National Grid and the cable company have been notified.

UPDATE 1:22 p.m.: National Grid and Time Warner reps are on scene. Once the low-hanging cables wires are disconnected, tractor-trailers will be allowed through.

UPDATE 1:29 p.m.: All traffic can proceed; roadways reopened.

UPDATE 1:33 p.m.: Pembroke and Indian Falls are back in service.

Scott Edwin Mckenzie, 26, of South Main Street, Oakfield, was reportedly driving a 2011 Troy-Bilt Lawn Mower on North Main Street, Oakfield, last night when he was stopped by a Sheriff's deputy and found to allegedly be under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

Mckenzie was charged with operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs, DWI, unlawful possession of marijuana and failure to display slow moving vehicle emblem.

Deputy Joseph Corona stopped Mckenzie at 11:16 p.m. in the area of 107 Main St., Oakfield.

Pavilion Fire Department is being requested to Route 63 to shutdown all southeast traffic into Livingston County due to a serious injury accident on Route 63 near the York Central School.

A one-car MVA is reported at Lewiston and Salt roads, Alabama, with a minor injury.

The driver has been on the phone with dispatchers. A passerby reports seeing blood on the driver.

Alabama Fire Department and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 6:01 a.m.: Call back. The car is now on fire.

UPDATE 6:03 a.m.: Deputy on scene reports the vehicle is fully involved.

UPDATE 6:20 a.m.: Sounds like the car was completely destroyed. It's been difficult for law enforcment to get identifying information, such as the license plate number, from it.

UPDATE 6:46 a.m.: Alabama is in service.

Press release:

Press release:

The Sheriff’s Office will participate in the statewide seat belt enforcement mobilization, which will run from May 20 through June 1, which is designed to further improve highway safety. The initiative will urge motorists to buckle their safety belts or face receiving a ticket. The message is simple: “Click It or Ticket." The Buckle Up New York “Click It or Ticket” enforcement and education initiative sends a clear message that seat belts and child safety seats save lives. New York State has been a leader in passenger safety restraint since enacting the very first seat belt law in the country in 1984 by utilizing efforts that combines public education with increased police enforcement of New York’s seat belt law.

Under New York State law, safety restraint use is required for: all front seat occupants regardless of age; all rear seat passengers under 16 years of age; children under age 4 who must be restrained in a federally approved child safety seat. New York’s zero-tolerance policy for seat belt violations means that violators will receive a ticket if stopped for not using a safety restraint. The fine for such violations is up to $100 if a motorist is stopped for having a person less than 16 years old unrestrained, plus 3 points on their license.

According to state law, motorists can be stopped in New York by a police officer for not wearing their seat belts; another violation is not necessary to initiate the stop. Properly secured children will be a priority for the Sheriff’s Office during this enforcement effort. If there is any question as to the proper installation of your child’s safety seat, call the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office at 585-343-5000 to set up an appointment to have your safety seat and its installation inspected by a certified technician. Please help us make the highways of Genesee County the safest they can be.

Like a bad dream that keeps recurring, New York farmers are once again fighting legislation that could put many of them out of business, or radically change the way they do business.

Assembly Democrats yesterday pushed through a farm labor bill similar to one defeated two years ago that would require overtime pay, require at least 24 consecutive hours off each week and allow for collective bargaining.

The bill passed the Assembly 82-53 and moves to the GOP-controlled Senate, where it was defeated two years ago, but the fight isn't over, said Dean Norton, president of the NY Farm Bureau.

"Anytime a law this bad for us is passed in one house with the closeness of the leadership in the Senate, we're concerned," Norton said. "We still need our farmers to contact their senators and let them know how they feel about it."

Many of the arguments being made in support of the bill are disingenuous, Norton said. Farmers already pay minimum wage or higher, provide housing and are covered by workers compensation.

"What we have now is Downstate legislators who have no experience with farms telling us how to run our farms and trying to put in protections that are already in place," Norton said.

New York is ranked 27th in farm production in the nation, but number two in labor costs. New York's labor costs are 56 percent higher than the national average.

New York farmers pay an average of $26 per acre in property taxes compared to a national average of $6 per acre.

Supporters of the bill like to compare New York to California, Norton noted, but California is the number one agriculture state in the nation and has a 10-month growing season. New York's season is five months at best.

As Assemblyman Steve Hawley said during yesterday's floor debate, "There's an old adage -- when sun shines you have to make the hay."

In New York, crops don't wait for the next eight-hour shift to ripen; Harvest time is harvest time.

But neither do workers work all year long. There's a short period of time for them to make the most money they can.

If New York institutes a 40-hour work week for farm labor, Norton said, many labors won't work fewer hours, they'll just get a second job because they know harvest time is the time to make money.

Hawley also argued that if working conditions are bad on a farm, a farmer will have a hard time finding and retaining workers. 

Below is a five-minute video produced by the Farm Bureau about the legislation.

Two years ago it was the work of North Country Democrat Darrel J. Aubertine, who used his power as chair of the agriculture committee to keep the bill from a floor vote. Aubertine was repaid by the GOP with a campaign to win his Senate seat. 

Without Aubertine, Norton still believes farmers have enough powerful friends in the Senate to defeat the bill, but it won't go down without a fight.

UPDATE: Here's Hawley's floor speech.

A two-car accident, also involving a pedestrian, is reported at 10271 Alleghany Road, between Sumner and Broadway. One person is said to have a minor head laceration. There was air bag deployment. A Sheriff's deputy on scene says one of the vehicles struck a flagman helping control traffic at a construction site. He was taken directly to the hospital by the construction company's personnel and there's no word about his condition. Darien Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 1:29 p.m.: The Corfu Fire Department is called to the scene.

This giant American flag was flown on Main Street in Batavia this morning, made possible by fire truck ladders, in honor of 20-year-old Kailee Bridges, a local Marine who died last week of cancer.

Her funeral procession -- including 4-month-old daughter, Lilly, and Marine husband, Justin -- went under the flag to Grandview Cemetery on Clinton Street Road.

Photos submitted by a reader.

Lauralee Pacer, 28, of Jackson Street, Batavia, is charged with disorderly conduct and aggravated unlicensed operation, 3rd. Pacer was stopped by Deputy Joseph Corona for alleged equipment violation and found to be wanted on a bench warrant out of Batavia City Court for alleged disorderly conduct (fighting/violent behavior), and she was allegedly driving without a license. Bail was set at $200.

Eric J. Martin, 41, of Caledonia, is charged with DWI, speeding and failure to submit to chemical test. Martin was arrested by by Le Roy PD.