A head-on, two-car accident with multiple injuries is reported at 352 Main Road in the Town of Pembroke, near the Erie County line. Corfu, Pembroke and Darien fire departments are responding and Mercy Flight will be also.

UPDATE 2:39 p.m.: Traffic is backing up and Route 77 is reduced to a single lane in some places. The landing zone will be a lot at Jim & Bob's Service Co. Route 5 is being shut down. Akron Fire Department is requested to shut down 5 at Crittenden Road. In addition to Mercy Flight, an ambulance is needed at the scene. Responders are working to extricate victims.

UPDATE 2:43 p.m.: Corfu fire is going to shut down Lake Road at 5 to westbound traffic.

UPDATE 2:28: Fire police will also shut down Route 5 at Route 77. Mercy Flight has landed and the ambulance is on scene.

UPDATE 2:57 p.m.: It appears they are going to keep 5 at 77 open at least for the time being.

UPDATE 3:14 p.m.: Mercy Flight is airborne but no destination reported yet.

UPDATE 3:21 p.m.: Genesee County Coroner Kristine Flanagan has arrived on scene.

UPDATE 4:48 p.m.: The roadways are reopened. Responders are back in service.

Photos and information submitted by Michaele White.

Kennedy White, a 17-year-old student at Byron-Bergen, took third place at the NYS Skills USA competition for welding held in Syracuse last week. She received a bronze medal and a $2,000 scholarship to Lincoln to further her welding skills. She is a second-year student in welding at BOCES under instructor Don Shuknecht.

Joshua Joseph Gerber, 19, of Milliner Street, Rochester, is charged with driving while impaired by drugs, unlawful possession of marijuana and failure to yield right of way at stop sign. Gerber was charged following a two-car injury accident at 12:32 p.m., Sunday, at the intersection of Randall Road and Keeney Road, Le Roy. (Initial Report)

Nefetiria L. Turner, 30, of 3 Pringle Ave., Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Laqueasha M. Taylor, 19, of 3 Pringle Ave., Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Turner and Taylor were allegedly involved in a fight near the intersection of Pringle Avenue and Central Avenue at 6 p.m., Friday.

Bob Dylan headlines a line up that includes Wilco and My Morning Jacket on July 18 at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center.

Show time is 5:30 p.m.

Tickets range from $30 to $79.50.

A pedestrian has been struck by a car at Main and Oak streets, Batavia.

State Police are on scene. City fire and Mercy EMS being dispatched.

UPDATE 8:22 a.m. (by Billie): A medic at the scene says the pedestrian will be transported to the hangar and taken to a hospital via Mercy Flight.

UPDATE 8:39 p.m.: The pedestrian is a female who suffered a compound leg fracture and will be flown to Strong Memorial Hospital. She was reportedly part of a crew here to sell a special kids' edition of the Buffalo News. Reportedly there are three witnesses, two who were interviewed at the scene, and a school bus driver.

UPDATE 9:18 a.m.: The woman was crossing the street and another vehicle blocked her view of an oncoming car, and blocked that driver from seeing her, according to Officer Eric Hill. The accident is under investigation and no decision has been made about who, if either party, will get a citation. The woman appears to have suffered no other injury than the broken leg, but she will be evaluated at Strong. It doesn't appear that she was actively selling papers at the time of the accident. If she was part of the crew, she was apparently crossing the street to join a crew of people on the Oliver's corner. 

New York Times: With the Words ‘I’m Gay,’ an N.B.A. Center Breaks a Barrier

It's a bird. It's a plane. No, .... it's a piece of a farmer's crop cover.

Remember the story Saturday about a balloon "or something like" falling from the sky near Pratt Road.

One resident described it as "a giant roll of toilet paper" flying through the air.

East Pembroke's fire chief, Don Newton, called today and clued us in on what really happened.

On Friday, a local farmer put down a 250x50-foot cloth crop cover over freshly planted seeds. It was weighted down with soil.

But a strong enough gust of wind hit East Pembroke on Saturday to rip up a portion of the cover and send it flying through the air. It traveled a good long distance before getting snagged in the trees.

Everybody who responded thought it was a weather balloon and spent a good deal of time looking for the weather device that would have been attached to it. The Buffalo weather station wanted it back.

But, we now know, there was no such device attached.

Newton said the farmer was afraid he'd be in a bit of trouble for the mishap, but Newton reassured him -- you're a farmer, this is an agricultural community, things happen.

Wouldn't it be great to eat a juicy, sweet, fresh locally grown strawberry right about now?

You may think that's impossible, but thanks to Pudgie Riner, owner of Triple P Farms in Oakfield, starting Wednesday, you will be able to buy locally grown fresh strawberries at Harrington's Produce Stand at 5282 Clinton Street Road, Batavia.

Always an innovator looking for new ideas, Riner found a picture online of a farmer in Denmark growing strawberries from hanging baskets in a hothouse and he realized he could do locally and get strawberries out to market weeks ahead of other local farmers.

"The concern is, if we say we've got fresh strawberries from New York, nobody going to believe us," Riner said. "These really are grown right here. They're not from Florida.They're not from California. They're grown right here in New York and the same varieties that are grown locally and people are used to eating from the ground, but these are grown in a basket."

The 5,000 plants are two years old and should produce 5,000 quarts of strawberries, Riner said.

Peak harvest will be within 10 days, which is a little earlier than Riner wanted, but he'll learn from this year's growing cycle and push it back a bit next year.

He partnered with Andy Harrington (left, above) to bring the strawberries to market because the Harrington family has such a good reputation for locally grown produce.

"I decided that knowing his business, he is the right guy to sell them," Riner said. "I could sell them in my own place, Pudgie's, but I don't have the reputation of being in the produce business, so that would be one more hurdle."

Harrington's on Clinton Street opens Wednesday. The family's Oakfield location, 7550 Lewiston Road, opens in June.

It was an easy decision to take on Pudgie's berries, Harrington said. It gives him more stock early in the spring and, "they're fresh and they taste great."

Previously: Pudgie puts the local into 'locally grown' produce and garden plants

Amy Burdick and her son, Mikah, were living in a subsidized, substandard apartment in the City of Batavia until Habitat entered their lives and worked with them so they could experience what it feels like to own a home of their own for the very first time. 

Burdick is Habitat for Humanity of Genesee County’s 10th homeowner. Burdick showed volunteers a cell phone photo she had taken of her current front door (having an inch gap where light and heat were escaping) as she stood next to her brand new energy-efficient home with a big smile. 

Habitat of Genesee did a complete rehab at 104 North St. in a total of 10 months. 

“Being a part of Habitat for Humanity as a homeowner is a life-changing experience,” Burdick said.

She highly recommends it to other families who are trying to make ends meet. 

Before Burdick received a flier about homeownership with Habitat, she hadn’t considered buying a house in the near future. But she decided to call about the opportunity, and before she knew it, she was selected as a partner family.

“I remember how excited my mom, sister and I were.” Burdick said. “We were peeking through the windows before construction had even started.” 

Burdick’s family was thrilled to know they could provide lunches to the volunteers. Along with other volunteers, Burdick’s family was very dedicated in making sure the volunteer work crew was properly feed.

One RIT student said one of the best parts of volunteering with Habitat are the delicious home-cooked meals.

The demo for this house was started during the National Women’s Build Day sponsored by Lowe’s on May 12, 2012. Women’s Build Day brings together women from all walks of life to address the housing crisis facing millions of families worldwide. Women and children are often hardest hit by this epidemic.

Because Habitat is a program that is structured to be a “hand up” and not a “hand out,” Habitat homeowners are required to put in sweat equity hours. Burdick put in a total of 350 hours on top of working two full-time jobs. 

Her favorite part of partnering with Habitat?

“The wonderful people,” she said with a warm smile. “I didn’t know there were people out there still like that, who are so caring, kind and promising."

The house was built by volunteers who met two days a week, six hours a day. There were more than 150 volunteers who gave their time to help make this house a home.

Burdick is still in amazement she said because; “People who do not know me are doing all of this for a total stranger.” She commented about volunteer PJ Riner who spent countless hours in between the work days volunteering his time and how grateful she is for him and those who spent so many hours on this house.

Burdick said she will always be connected to Habitat because "they are a group of people with big hearts who want to improve the community and we always had a good time.”

Genesee Habitat will begin rehabbing their next home on 11 Harvester Ave. in Batavia. The demo on this house will kick off with the 2013 Women’s Build Day. Work will take place on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Volunteers are needed and all skill levels are welcome. Visit www.geneseehabitat.com to sign up and learn more.  

Tasia Boland is operations manager for Habitat for Humanity in Batavia.

A 17-year-old Le Roy resident is facing a felony drug-dealing charge after allegedly giving a high school student marijuana.

The student was later hospitalized when found "highly impaired" on the grounds of the high school April 15.

Charged with a Class D felony of Criminal Sale of Marijuana is Austin J. Nicometo of 45 North Street, Le Roy.

Under NYS law, giving another person drugs, even if no money changes hands, is considered a sale.

Nicometo is suspected of supplying the other youth with marijuana at a location in the village after school let out that day, and then the teen returned to the school for after-school activities.

Following arraignment, Nicometo was released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

A 5-year-old child was playing ball in the playground at the end of Stanley Place at 5:15 p.m., Sunday, and got too close to a dog and was bit, according to Le Roy PD.

In the confusion following the incident, the child's mother left and took the 5-year-old to the doctor but did not obtain the name of the dog's owner.

The owner reportedly said the dog was up-to-date with all of its shots, but police would still like to identify the animal and ensure that is the case.

The dog is described as a German shepherd mix and weighs approximately 80 pounds. It is tan with a black snout, with the body of a German shepherd but the head of a chow chow. The people with the dog were a blond woman with braces and in her mid-20s, a 4-year-old boy along with a woman about 5'6" and in her 30s. They were in the park with a red metal wagon.

From the press release:

We are seeking assistance with identification as it is vital to determine proof of rabies immunization with the animal. Without this, it may be necessary to subject the bitten child to a series of injections relative to potential rabies contact. If you know who this is, or recognize yourself, please call either Tom Sacco at the Genesee County Health Department at 344-2550, ext. 5496, or the on-duty Le Roy Police officer at 345-6350 so that we may obtain the necessary information relative to rabies vaccination of the dog.

Press release:

The Le Roy Police Department in conjunction with the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency wish to thank all the citizens that participated in the National Drug Drop Off Program which occurred Saturday 4/27/13 at the Le Roy Police Department and all those who dropped off medications throughout the past six months.

The Le Roy Police Department delivered 186 pounds of excess medications and 31 pounds of needles to the Federal DEA for incineration.

This program keeps these medications and needles out of the hands of our children, out of our landfills and out of our water system.

Again the Le Roy Police Department reminds citizens both in and around the Village of Le Roy that the Le Roy Police Department does accept excess medications at the Police Department any day; please ask to speak with the Officer on Duty. Needles are only accepted on the two specific dates each year set for the drug drop off and future dates will be publicized.

For those citizens who reside inside the Village limits and who are disabled or unable to deliver the medications to the Police Department, we will make arrangements to have an officer drive to your residence and retrieve the medications.

One thing is certain, Benjamin W. Muntz is going to prison. For how long is an unanswered question after Judge Robert C. Noonan decided he needs to know whether the District Attorney's Office will indict Muntz on any new charges.

The DA is considering whether to charge Muntz with bail jumping.

More than a year ago, Muntz failed to appear for his sentencing on Class D felony convictions of burglary, 3rd, and grand larceny, 3rd.

The 24-year-old Oakfield resident is suspected of fleeing the state to avoid getting sentenced and while he was away he amassed a longer criminal record.

In October, he was arrested in Fayetteville, Ark., and charged with burglary, theft of property, breaking or entering and fraudulent use of a credit/debit card.

Muntz received a prison sentence in Arkansas and was released last week and turned over to the Sheriff's Office.

During his time away, Muntz was suspected of plotting with another man in Fayetteville to rob a farm in Genesee County. He is also reportedly wanted in Georgia for alleged crimes there.

With his failure to appear for sentencing March 27, 2012, Muntz appears to have blown a deal to receive concurrent sentences on the two felony convictions.

Assistant District Attorney Melissa Cianfrini said that even before he left the state, Muntz was suspected of violating the terms of his release under supervision by drinking and using drugs.

Muntz is married with two children.

"When you look at his pre-sentence investigation and read his mother's letter, you see that his offenses are fueled by abuse of drugs and his own greed," Cianfrini said. "He has repeatedly shown that he would rather go down the path of criminal activity rather than being responsible for his own family. He was only given a release under supervision because his wife was pregnant."

Defense Attorney Thomas Burns raised the issue of Muntz facing a possible charge of bail jumping, which could lead to a mandatory concurrent sentence with his other charges.

That possibility prohibited Burns, he said, from him discussing in court the circumstances of Muntz fleeing the state.

Noonan asked Cianfrini if the people intend to file such a charge, and Cianfrini said the matter is still under investigation and hasn't been decided.

The law would allow Noonan to consider "mitigating circumstances" and not impose consecutive sentences.

"It's hard to imagine under what set of facts exist that might be mitigating circumstances, but I don't want to prejudge the case," Noonan said. "He's going to state prison. It's just costing us money to house him here. I have an inkling I'll impose a sentence on one felony count today while we make a decision about what to do."

Noonan sentenced Muntz to three and a half to seven years in state prison on the burglary, 3rd, conviction and warned Muntz that he may yet face concurrent sentences on both the grand larceny conviction and the possible bail jumping charge, if convicted.

Muntz will appear in County Court again at 1:30 p.m., June 4, to learn the rest of his fate.

"You certainly don't know what it means to be a father," Noonan said. "The conduct you have engaged in over and over again, and the irresponsible behavior that is so evident not only in your PSI, but in your departure from the state, when you were told what would happen to you if you did, is astonishing. If you loved your children, you wouldn't have engaged in criminal conduct in the first place, but you certainly wouldn't have engaged in the conduct that sent you out of state."

If Maurice G. Leach wants to get out of the Genesee County Jail anytime soon, he'll need to come up with $15,000 cash bail or $150,000 bond, Judge Robert C. Noonan ruled today.

Leach is facing a felony DWI charge, but his criminal background along with prior probation and parole violations had Noonan siding with District Attorney's Office rather than Leach's defense attorney, who asked for $5,000 bail.

Noonan said he would have set the bail higher if the DA's office had requested it.

"The prosecutor is nicer to you than I would be," Noonan said.

Leach was arrested last week for allegedly driving drunk on Route 33 in Stafford.

In January, the 36-year-old Leach, a resident of State Street, was allegedly involved in an altercation with police after officers arrived to investigate a report of a woman being hit.

He's also facing petit larceny charges in Rochester.

Leach's attorney requested the bail hearing before Noonan today because with Leach's prior felony, Town of Batavia Court was unable to set any amount of bail.

Press release:

City of Batavia Water crews will be making a repair to a water main, Tuesday, on Washington Avenue near Porter Avenue. This will result in Washington Avenue being closed between Porter and Jefferson beginning at approximately 8:30 a.m. until the work is completed.

This work may result in water service being interrupted along Washington Avenue between State Street and Dellinger Avenue. It may also result in temporarily discolored water in the immediate area; residents should avoid doing laundry or other activities which may be impacted by discolored water. Crews will make every attempt to keep disruptions to a minimum.

UPDATE Tuesday, 11 a.m.: Repair work has been completed. Washington Avenue will reopen by Noon.

A male was in the roadway at Jackson and Main streets after being struck by a vehicle. He's now up and walking. Mercy medics and city fire are on scene. The driver fled eastbound in a dark blue or tan Ford Explorer, and he is said to be white with dark hair and wearing sweatshirt. Police are looking for the vehicle now.

UPDATE 2:07 p.m.: Police are out with a vehicle matching that description at T.F. Brown's.

UPDATE 2:08 p.m.: Police are clear of that vehicle, and still looking for the Explorer. Now the driver is said to have "darker skin" and curly hair.

UPDATE 2:11 p.m.: Fire and medics are back in service.

Residents of 400 Towers celebrated the opening of a new library today. The old library was in a smaller room. Now in a bigger room, there's more space for residents with walkers and wheelchairs to move around, plus more titles can be added. The library carries fiction and nonfiction, DVDs and VHS tapes.

Pictured are Thomas Baines, executive director of 400 Towers, Cathy Plaisted, SAGE coordinator for the Richmond Memorial Library, and Pat King, 400 Towers librarian.

The titles in the library's permanent collection are all donated. Plaisted brings a cart of new titles over from Richmond every couple of weeks to supplement the permanent collection. She praised King for keeping the 400 Towers library well organized, better than libraries available to seniors in many other locations.

Mark Smith sees a business opportunity in Batavia: To provide local residents with a garbage service that includes totes.

Smith is owner of Nu Way, an Arcade-based company that already has residential and commercial clients in Genesee County.

When Smith learned none of the companies that will start offering trash service in the City of Batavia will offer totes, Smith thought, "I can do that."

Starting June 1, when the Genesee ARC contract expires, the local trash market becomes open to competition.

The tote is optional. Nu Way will also offer bag pick-up.

The price for bag service is $22 month for five 30-gallon bags a week. The tote price is the $22 basic fee plus $4.50 a month. The service includes one bulk item per week.

Totes are 90 gallons, but a smaller tote can be requested.

Totes are also available for recyclables.

To contact Nu Way, call (585) 492-5880.

A female found a ferret in her flower shop at 118 Drake St. in Oakfield and called the Emergency Dispatch Center asking for someone to come and catch it. She was told they have no equipment with which to fetch the ferret, but an animal control officer is responding.

UPDATE 11:43 a.m.: The officer on scene says "The ferret was reunited with his family -- a nearby neighbor."

For those who tune in regularly to the hit cable television show "Duck Dynasty," Phil Robertson is easily recognizable as the patriarch of a bearded clan of Louisiana woodsmen, including his sons, Jase, Willie, Jep and zany Uncle Si. 

Robertson paid a visit to Western New York last Saturday night for an event sponsored by the Bow Bending Believers, a group of Christian archers based in Medina with a number of Genesee County residents among its ranks. Bow Bending Believers is a branch of the Christian Bowhunters of America. As a large turnout was expected, Ridgeway Baptist Church provided the use of its sanctuary for the evening and upwards of 800 people came to hear Phil Robertson's message.     

During the meet-and-greet segment of the evening (that's Josh Harloff, of Oakfield, with Phil Robertson) two large screens on either side of the stage displayed videos of the Duck Dynasty clan doing what they do best -- hunting ducks amid the flooded timber of Louisiana's bayou. The video repeatedly depicted Phil, Jase, Willie and Si Robertson hunkered down and scanning the sky, then working the duck calls which made Duck Commander a hot commodity. Not surprisingly, large numbers of mallards, pintails and wood ducks began rapidly winging into range. Suffice to say, it was easy to see why the Robertson family often dines on duck gumbo.   

A powerful and dynamic speaker, Phil Robertson shared his testimony, including playing football at Louisiana Tech where he was the starting quarterback in the mid-'60s. During one game, after having thrown a long touchdown pass, he thought to himself, "Yeah, this is fun, but I'd rather be hunting ducks." He quit shortly thereafter and his understudy, a fellow named Terry Bradshaw, took over. In his autobiography, "It's Only a Game," Bradshaw said "The quarterback playing ahead of me, Phil Robertson, loved hunting more than he loved football. He'd come to practice directly from the woods, squirrel tails hanging out of his pockets, duck feathers on his clothes. Clearly he was a fine shot so no one complained too much."

Alan Robertson, on the right in photo above, is Phil's oldest son and the only clean-shaven of his siblings. He's an ordained minister in West Monroe, La., and before introducing his father on this evening, he told the audience how his parents bumped into Bradshaw at the Los Angeles airport. The two former teammates hadn't seen each other for 44 years but that didn't stop Bradshaw from giving his former mentor a big bear hug. Bradshaw then went on to tell his old pal of all the injuries he had sustained during his playing career, to which Phil replied, "I do believe I made the right career decision." His family owned company, Duck Commander game calls, recently celebrated its 40th anniversary.         

Once out of football and pursuing the outdoor activities he loved, life wasn't without its rough patches for Phil Robertson and his young wife. He and Kay married in 1966 and for a few years he went on living as though he were a bachelor. "Miss Kay," as she is known to millions of viewers, laid down the law one day in those early years of their marriage and it was around that time Phil made what he says was the best decision of his life when he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.

On this evening, after being greeted with an enthusiastic standing ovation, one of the first things he did after stepping to the podium was take his worn and well-used Bible from his camo rucksack. And for over an hour the 800 men, woman and children were enrapt as the Duck Dynasty patriarch shared a message of faith, family and the United States of America. His theme for much of the evening was adversity -- whether on a national or individual level -- is often the result of disobedience. He spoke of the dangers and consequences resulting from neglecting God's word and putting the Ten Commandments on a shelf. His statements were not based on conjecture but rather a strong foundation of faith. 

After listening to Phil Robertson, I felt as though I had just heard a combination of John the Baptist and Thomas Jefferson. Obviously, he's quick to share his faith, love of family and country -- in that order. And it came as no surprise that those in attendance gave Phil Robertson another standing ovation as he concluded his talk.