A community forum to discuss a Route 5 resurfacing project will be held at 5:30 p.m., Monday, at the Town Hall in Le Roy.

The informal discussion is hosted by the Le Roy Business Council and will include officials from the NYS Department of Transportation.

The project involves potentially reducing the number of lanes on Main Street in Le Roy from four to two.

Topics will include the project itself, how the project came to be, input from public safety officials and local businesses as well as community leaders.

The Le Roy Town Hall is located at 48 Main St.

Ellicott Avenue snow

Many residents could be found digging out their driveways and clearing their cars of snow this morning.

After five straight days of snowfall, Genesee County will be getting a break today. There are no warnings, watches or advisories and temperatures will rise to the mid-20s. There is a chance of snow, but less than a half inch.

The seven-day forecast calls for rising temperatures and possibly 45 degrees by Friday.

Greg Lee uses his snowblower to clear his rental property on Richmond Avenue.

Pat Cavanaugh shovels out her driveway on Redfield Parkway.

Pat's neighbor gives her a hand.

After many days with temperatures below freezing, icicles have formed on Arby's front windows.

The McFollins brothers tried to go sledding at Centennial Park, but the snow was not good for sledding. So a snowball fight broke out on the way home. Pictured are Javin, 8, Ayden, 10, Mason, 12, and Carter, 8, of Batavia.

Plows were out clearing and salting the roads and streets seemed to be in better shape than yesterday.

Four-year-old Violet Sobresky of Batavia tells Santa and Mrs. Claus all about her Christmas list.

The blustery, winter weather could not keep the kids away from Santa Claus at the 12th Annual Children's Gala at the Holland Land Office this afternoon.

Santa and Mrs. Claus, Civil War reenactors, games, music and crafts kept kids of all ages busy on a Saturday afternoon.

Jayden Corcoran, 9, of Batavia, shows off the gingerbread Christmas ornaments he created.

Seven-year-old Nina Bartz, of Batavia, tells Santa her mother really needs a new blender.

Aliyah Curry, 9, of Batavia, creating a gingerbread ornament.

Assistant Director Jeffrey Fischer, Chairperson Linda Johnston, Co-chair Brenda Alvut, Santa and Mrs. Claus take time out to pose for a group picture.

A two-car accident with injuries is reported on South Street Road between Dillon Road and York Road. The road is blocked.

One victim is complaining of a neck and collarbone injury. Pavilion fire is on scene and stablizing the patient. South Street Road is being closed down.

UPDATE 6:07 p.m.: Pavilion is back in service and the road is now open.

Pembroke and Indian Falls have been called to the TA Travel Center in Pembroke on Rt. 77 for the odor of natural gas.

An employee there says they called National Fuel last evening, but they did not show up.

At about 1:30 p.m. an employee called again to report an odor of gas at the TA Travel Center. National Fuel told the employee there to evacuate the building.

When the Pembroke Fire Department arrived about 2 p.m. people were still inside and no one had been evacuated.

East Pembroke was also requested to the scene and is checking out the building with a gas meter. National Fuel is now in route with a four-minute ETA.

UPDATE 2:39 p.m.: All rooftop heating/cooling units have been shut off.

UPDATE 3:20 p.m.: Pembroke Town Zoning Officer is being called. The rooftop units were turned back on.

UPDATE 3:44 p.m.:  The Town of Batavia zoning officer and the Darien zoning officer are responding to the TA to assist the Pembroke Fire Department.

UPDATE 4:18 p.m.: The incident at the TA Travel Center has been turned over the Town of Batavia Code Enforcement and National Grid will remain for one more hour for a line test.

The TA Travel Center is now closed.

Pembroke and Indian Falls are back in service as is East Pembroke.

Jamie Waff wanted us to see, for a change, some snowflakes instead of just big piles of snow. He took a picture of these flakes on the scope of his muzzleloader. Waff is chief of the Pembroke Volunteer Fire Department.

We can expect a lot more of these beautiful flakes to fall on Genesee County. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for heavy snow. It's in effect through 9 a.m., Sunday.

Up to 10 inches of snow could fall on Batavia by tomorrow morning.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning that will be in effect until tomorrow morning at 9 a.m.

Heavy snow with accumulations of one to two inches this afternoon and five to seven inches tonight.

Storm totals could reach up to six to 10 inches by tomorrow.

Winds are expected to be 15-20 mph with low visibility on the roadways.

The Corfu Fire Department has been requested to 864 Genesee St. to assist National Fuel with a gas meter that was struck. 

The homeowner apparently hit the gas meter with his vehicle about 6:30 a.m. this morning.

Corfu fire is standing by at Etzold Road.

Piper McBride, 2,of LeRoy, wondering what to tell Santa.

Supper with Santa, a St. Joseph's School event, has been bringing families and their children together for the Christmas season for over ten years.  Kids of all ages enjoyed some pizza, making cookies, creating ornaments, visiting with Santa and a little live caroling with Kay McMahon and Bill McDonald.

At the end of the night children ate their cookies and had a cup of hot chocolate.

Kay McMahon of the Old Hippies and Bill McDonald of the Ghost Riders, sing a few Christmas songs with the kids as they wait in line to talk to Santa.

Kaitlin Kratz, 6, of Batavia, frosting a cookie to go along with her cup of hot chocolate.

A one-car rollover accident has been reported near 3238 Maltby Road in Oakfield.

Both occupants are out of the vehicle.

Medics are responding non-emergency.

UPDATE 9:35 p.m.: Mercy medic is on location.

UPDATE 9:48 p.m.: Mercy medic back in service with a patient refusal.

Pavilion fire is on scene at a residence next to Hanson Aggregates on Ellicott Street Road for a chair on fire that was dumped in front of the house.

Firefighters are letting the chair burn since it is not close to any structure.

State Police have been dispatched.

UPDATE 9:42 p.m.: Pavilion is back in service.

Press release:

A winter weather advisory has been issued by the National Weather Service for all of Western New York  from 6 a.m. Saturday until 6 a.m. Sunday.

We can expect to see four to seven inches of new snow during that time.

Tomorrow will be the the fifth straight day of snow accumulation. Here are a few pictures of how people are dealing with the heavy snow.

Lake effect snow off of Lake Ontario about 11:30 a.m. today on Redfield Parkway in Batavia.

Lee Grant of Redfield Parkway uses an extra large shovel for the big snow. Grant says the snow is so deep in his backyard he has made a track with his snowblower for his two small dogs to walk on.

Kathy Owen lives just down the street from Lee Grant and says using two shovels at the same time really works best when clearing the driveway and sidewalks.

Paul Sherwood says he has been clearing the ice from the wheel wells of his cars going on  50 years. He did not seem to mind.

Steve Zocco and his son Steven, who is in fourth grade at St. Joseph's School, decide that playing in the snow bank would be a fun way to enjoy the large accumulations of snow.

And yes, there are areas of Wyoming County with close to two feet of snow.

By the end of this weekend they might have three feet.

Laurie Conrad from Bennington sent this photo of her front porch. Her son Ethan has measured about 28 inches of snow in their backyard.

An Alexander woman has been taken into custody on a warrant out of Florida where she's accused of falsely reporting that $800 was stolen from her as she left work at a gentlemen's club.

Stacey Michelle Raines, 24, of Gilhooly Road, Alexander, was arrested by deputies Wednesday.

According to an arrest affidavit issued in Duval County Court, Fla., Raines reported earlier this month that she was a victim of a strong-arm robbery at her place of employment, Wacko's Gentlemen's Club.

Raines allegedly claimed that she was leaving work early in the morning Dec. 1 when an unknown black female coworker pulled her by her hair out of her 2004 gold-colored Chevy Malibu and punched her in the back of the head.

She allegedly told a police officer that the woman said "thank you" after taking her $800.

The officer spoke with Raines after he had responded to her residence at the Pinebrook Apartments to take a missing person report after somebody apparently reported Raines missing.

In order to confirm her alleged contention that Raines was robbed, the officer went to Wacko's Gentlemen's Club and reviewed surveillance video and interviewed the manager.

According to the investigation, Raines had not clocked into work since Nov. 29. The video showed no such incident in the parking lot, and a fellow police officer who happened to respond to the same location at the same time as the alleged robbery on an unrelated call had seen nothing.

The officer then returned to the Raines residence to interview her again. The officer reported that Raines would not open the door and "spontaneously insinuated that she was under arrest, that she had 'the right to remain silent' and refused to open the door to speak with the officer."

According to the officer, the husband stood on a second-floor balcony and spoke with the officer, refusing to come outside.

During the conversation, Raines reportedly yelled at her husband, "Get back inside and ---- them" and demanded that the police leave the property.

Raines is charged in Florida with falsely reporting a crime. She is being held locally while awaiting extradition to Florida.

An Alabama man was convicted of child sexual abuse by a Genesee County jury this morning following a nearly two week trial.

Earl Francis Sprague, 42, of 1366 Church St., Alabama, was indicted by a grand jury on 28 criminal counts of sexual abuse as well as three counts of criminal contempt.

The jury returned guilty verdicts on those 31 counts. He was found not guilty of criminal solicitation, which stemmed from an allegation that he tried to hire a hit man to take out a witness against him.

Sprague still faces a possible trial on additional felonies contained in another grand jury indictment, including predatory sexual assault, two counts of first-degree burglary, first-degree sexual abuse, assault, 1st, and four counts of criminal contempt, 2nd.

Sprague was tried on charges that he repeatedly molested two children in 1997, 1999 and in 2001.

The man who might be described as Batavia's most wanted fugitive has been taken into custody this morning.

Dashawn Butler, 34, was arrested at 8:45 a.m. when police located him at 38 Walnut St., Batavia, while assisting NYS Parole with another person sought by parole officers.

His is charged with a felony stemming from an alleged shots-fired incident Sept. 27 on State Street. He's also a person of interest in a report of shots fired Oct. 8 on Jackson Street.

Butler was taken into custody without incident, Officer Eric Hill said, arraigned in City Court and jailed on $25,000 bail or $50,000 bond.

The investigation is continuing.

UPDATE: According to a press release from Batavia PD, investigators received information that Butler might be at 38 Walnut with Harvey Lockhart, 31, who was wanted by NYS Parole. Butler is accused of firing a handgun at another person at 117 State St. Police received several tips after police released information that there was a warrant out for Butler's arrest. Butler is charged with reckless endangerment, 1st, a Class D felony, and criminal possession of a weapon, a Class C felony, and second-degree menacing, a misdemeanor. "This arrest is the result of good police work, cooperation amongst police agencies and citizen input," said Chief Shawn Heubusch. "This type of criminal activity will not be tolerated in the City. Every resident deserves to live in a safe neighborhood and be able to walk the streets without fear. The witnesses and residents who assisted the officers with piecing this case together should be commended for their actions. Every bit of information was valuable during this investigation." Additional tips can be called into Batavia PD through 9-1-1 or the department's confidential tip line at (585) 345-6370.

Washington Post: Recent polls on Tea Party

Pavilion Fire Department has been requested to shut down the westbound lane of Telephone Road between Perry Road and South Street Road while a tow company works to remove a vehicle that was involved in an overnight accident.

The vehicle has an unattached fuel tank.

The eastbound lane is open.

State Police are also on scene.

UPDATE 10:38 a.m.: The road is now open and the Pavilion assignment is back in service.

Press release:

The Batavia Police Department is conducting a food drive for the holidays.

The Child Advocacy Center (C.A.C.), located in the City of Batavia, serves Genesee County and several other surrounding counties. The C.A.C. serves countless families with children that have been affected by physical or sexual abuse. Many of these families are in need of assistance, especially around this time of year.

The Batavia Police Department is asking for donations of non-perishable food items which will then be distributed among these families in need. You may drop off your donations at the Batavia Police Department during regular business hours, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.