A Niagara County man with an attempted bank robbery conviction is wanted on a warrant for an alleged parole violation and a police source confirmed this morning that local authorities have been asked to look for him as well since he could be in, or pass through, Genesee County.

Joel Zsebehazy, 33, 5’10” 165 lbs, has blond hair and brown eyes.

Authorities say he has a violent history and could be armed. If seen, call 9-1-1. If you have information on his whereabouts, you can call (585) 343-5000 or the Batavia PD confidential tip line at (585) 345-6370.

WIVB reported that authorities want to question Zsebehazy about a recent bank robbery, but we couldn't confirm that with local law enforcement.

After he was convicted on a drug dealing charge in 2015, the Buffalo News reported that Zsebehazy was an Afghan War vet looking at his last chance for rehabilitation after previous difficulties at drug treatment facilities. The Buffalo News reported that Zsebehazy suffers from PTSD.

Press release:

The City of Batavia Republican Committee on Thursday endorsed former City Councilman Robert Bialkowski to fill the City Councilperson-at-Large vacancy created by the recent resignation of Brooks Hawley when he moved into the Town of Batavia.

“We had three excellent candidates,” Chairman David Saleh said. “After they each presented their positions and qualifications to the Committee and after a lively debate, and several ballots, Bob was selected based on his experience and prior service.

The Committee is excited to recommend Bob to City Council and wishes to thank all three candidates for their willingness to serve the residents of our community.”

The other two candidates were former City Councilman William Cox and Notre Dame High School Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Michael Rapone.

Bialkowski is the owner of Great Lakes Aviation, is a retired Army helicopter pilot and continues to serve as a Coast Guard auxiliary pilot.

He has also served for many years on the City Republican Committee.

The next City Council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday at City Centre Council Chambers.

A car has hit a guard rail on the Thruway in the area of mile marker 388.2 in the westbound lane.

Unknown injuries.

About 30 minutes ago, there was a motor-vehicle accident with apparently minor, if any, injuries in the area of 392.3 in the westbound lane.

Town of Batavia fire and Mercy EMS dispatched to both calls.

UPDATE 7:38 a.m.: No injuries on the accident at mile marker 388.2. Ambulance response is canceled. There is a fuel leak.

Two people arrested in December following an accident and pursuit through the woods off Keeney Road in Le Roy are now being accused of attempting to rob a nearby gas station that same night.

Giancarolo A. Miranda, 18, of Clipnock Road, Stafford, and Haleigh I. Ogden, 19, of East Avenue, Batavia, were charged today with attempted robbery, 2nd.

The arrest stems for a series of incidents the night of Dec. 12 that started the Kwik Fill in Le Roy when the pair allegedly showed up there about 10 p.m. with the intention to steal property. 

Ogden allegedly displayed a handgun.

The sole employee of the gas station had already locked the front door and there was apparently nothing stolen.

Miranda and Ogden then left the station and were involved in a motor-vehicle accident on Keeney Road.

They fled into the woods and after a search that involved deputies, Le Roy PD, troopers, a helicopter, and a K-9, the duo was located and taken into custody.

Once located, they were identified as suspects in a burglary a few days earlier. They were found in possession of a pit bull allegedly stolen from the animal shelter.

They were charged with burglary, 3rd.

They remain in custody with bail set at $15,000 each.

Christopher Charles Say, 26, of Goddard Street, Webster, Mass., is charged with: criminal mischief, 4th; criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation; endangering the welfare of a child; harassment, 2nd; and criminal contempt. Say was arrested by the Orleans County Sheriff's Office on a warrant out of Genesee County Court. He is also wanted on City of Batavia warrants. 

Dennis Allan Norris, 53, of Overbook Road, Rochester, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, speeding and drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle. Norris was stopped at 9:55 a.m. Dec. 23 on South Lake Road, Bergen, by Deputy Rachel Diehl.

Joseph Mark Dickinson, 26, of East Avenue, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08, speeding and driver's view obstructed. Dickinson was stopped at 5:32 p.m. Wednesday on Pearl Street Road, Batavia, by Deputy Jenna Ferrando.

Notre Dame’s Lady Irish met Attica at Genesee Community College for the second game of the Batavia Rotary Club Girls Basketball Tournament. Coming into the game, Notre Dame was the favorite, but very quickly the game was in doubt for them as Attica came off the bench and started strong. By the end of the first quarter, Notre Dame had scored just two points on free throws and Attica led by 13 to 2. 

The second quarter was not that much better, even though Notre Dame tripled the amount of points they scored in the first quarter. Half time began with a score of Notre Dame 6 Attica 17.

Notre Dame's Head Coach Tom McCulley had a short meeting with his team in the locker room and they returned to the court to get ready for the second half. Whatever he said must have been effective because Notre Dame quickly took control of the game at both ends of the court. They were able to score consistently and shut out Attica’s offense. At the end of three quarters, Notre Dame led 23 to 17. 

Callie McCully (pictured above) led the scoring in the third for Notre Dame and continued the trend into the fourth quarter, ending the night with 15 points. Attica threatened to come back with a few nice plays but was not able to sustain a rally. Final score: Notre Dame 33 Attica 25.

Notre Dame moves on in the tournament to face Cal-Mum Friday. More pictures of the game are here.

For coverage of the Batavia -- Cal-Mum game, click here.

Ryann Stefaniak scored 26 points and Taylor Stefaniak added 15, but it wasn't enough to overcome an experienced an athletic Cal-Mum team in the opening round of the annual Rotary Tournament at GCC.

Cal-Mum moved to 8-1 with the 59-53 win.

Batavia drops to 2-8.

The Lady Devils rallied in the 4th quarter, closing a double-digit deficit and at one point pulling within three points of the Red Raiders. In that quarter, Ryann hit three three-pointers along with a pair of two-point goals and two free throws.

Taylor also hit a pair of threes in the 4th quarter. Melissa Mountain scored six and Bri Janes 6, including adding a three in that 24-point fourth quarter.

For Cal-Mum, Gillian Flint scored 19 points and Isabella Slocum had 13.

For coverage of the Notre Dame - Attica game, click here.

A fully involved house fire is reported in the Town of Batavia at 4719 East Road. Firefighters from the city and Town of Batavia are responding.

UPDATE 9:54 p.m.: No one was home when the fire broke out. It's unknown at this time whether any pets were inside the residence. The structure is fully ablaze.

UPDATE 10:36 p.m.: When the first firefighters arrived on scene there were flames out of the front left side of the structure from the second story, according to Town of Batavia Fire Department Deputy Chief Chad Higgins. They scaled a ladder and knocked them down before deploying hand lines. "Heavy wind conditions helped fuel the fire," Higgins said. "...Definately it's a battle. It's never easy with these winds." Yet they were able to contain the blaze to the front portion of the structure. Higgins said bystanders told firefighters they had contacted the homeowner, who was not there. No pets were on the premises. It's possible that an unattended wood stove caused the fire, but the incident is under investigation. Le Roy and Alexander fire crews also were on scene and Oakfield and Stafford crews stood by in quarters.

The near completion of a revised Comprehensive Plan, the imminent placement of a state-of-the-art solar wafer manufacturing plant at the WNY Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park in the Town of Alabama, and a steady stream of proposed housing and building projects have Supervisor Gregory Post believing that 2017 will be a banner year for the Town of Batavia.

“While you notice that little has changed from last year in terms of protocols, policies and procedures, I think next year will be more exciting … you’ll see some significant changes,” Post said Wednesday night after the Batavia Town Board organizational and special meeting at Town Hall on West Main Street.

Post said that he expects 2017 to be a “very big and very exciting year” for the municipality and he bases his expectations on several factors, including:

-- The progress the town has made on its revised Comprehensive Plan, which is expected to be finalized by the spring;

-- Action by the Genesee County Economic Development Center to bring1366 Technologies, a Massachusetts solar wafer manufacturing firm, into the STAMP site;

-- Developments such as the Southwest Water District project and the termination of several PILOTS (payments in lieu of taxes) that will increase the town’s revenue in the form of taxes paid by companies doing business in the town.

“I think we’re at a breakpoint … we’re relatively stable and ready to hit that next bump (in economic activity),” he said.

Post said the plan that the board has put into place is designed to keep the tax rate at the current level for the next few years -- $2.64 per $1,000 of assessed valuation for 2017 – as long as revenues go up as expected. He did admit, however, that the negotiations between Genesee County and the City of Batavia on their sales tax allocation agreement as it pertains to water usage could negatively affect the town.

“We’re basing things on the current agreement,” Post said. “(Changes) could have a dramatic impact upon the town’s revenue.”

As far as the Comprehensive Plan is concerned, Post said the town is in prime position for growth “because we’ve been working the hardest for the longest period of time on the plan and its overlays.”

The town’s Comprehensive Plan governs decisions on zoning, capital improvements and budgeting, addressing key issues such as land use, natural resources, agriculture and farmland, parks and recreation, housing, economic development, transportation and government services. It last was updated about seven years ago.

Post also indicated that the board is considering a proposal by David Ficarella of Lovers Lane Road to build a three-story, 110-unit senior apartment complex off Route 33 near Donahue Road, west of the city.

Ficarella, working with Calamar Enterprises of Wheatfield, asked the town to provide breaks in property assessment over a 10-year period in return for the opportunity to generate more than $1 million in county and school tax revenue while also getting a sewer system that it could tap into in the future.

“There is always a way as long as there is an equitable benefit,” Post said in response to a question whether the town would entertain such a request. “We’re in the initial stages; we haven’t said no to anything.”

The project also would involve the extension of Edgewood Drive to Pearl Street and beyond, something that Post said town officials would be talking about in the near future.

In addition to this project, Post said the town is fielding dozens of building and zoning requests from business owners and residents. 

In action during the special meeting, the board:

-- Renewed an agreement with Arcadis of New York Inc., of Fairport to provide annual operation and maintenance engineering services at the Town of Batavia Landfill Superfund Site near Galloway and Kelsey roads at a cost of $17,022, slightly more than the $16,982 that was agreed to for 2016.

Seventy-five percent of the cost will be paid by the City of Batavia and the other 25 percent will be covered by the Town. The work involves project coordination and reporting along with groundwater sampling and monitoring.

-- Contracted with WorkFit Medical, of Rochester, to provide drug- and alcohol-testing services for employees at a cost of $100 per employee plus other service fees, such as physicals, immunizations and blood work per a predetermined schedule.

-- Contracted with Royal Employer Services, a program of Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, for counseling services at a cost of $320 for 2017.

-- Authorized Joseph Neth, assistant engineer, to participate in the 2017 Leadership Genesee program at a cost of $2,100.

During its organizational meeting, the board:

-- Made the following appointments -- Linda Eick, Wayne Townsend and Marcy Crandall to the Town Board of Ethics; Louis Paganello to the Planning Board for a six-year term; Andrew Young to the Zoning Board of Appeals for a four-year term, and Donna Morrill as an alternate member of the ZBA for a two-year term.

-- Approved salaries of elected officials as follows – Supervisor, $30,000; Deputy Supervisor, $15,000; Council members, $10,000; Town Clerk/Tax Collector, $66,229; Highway Superintendent, $18,035; Town Justice (2), $25,235.

The Gerace family is returning to their locally owned roots in real estate in Genesee County.

Two years ago, Joe and Lois Gerace sold Bob Harris Realty to Realty USA, a Buffalo-based company, but in July, the CEO of Realty USA sold his company to Pennsylvania-based Howard Hanna Company and when John and Robert Gerace got word that new owners wanted to consolidate offices, that just didn't make sense to them.

"It doesn't make sense to say you're local and then have a business card with Lancaster or Depew on it," John said. "Are you local or aren't you? I think it was confusing."

The new company will be Gerace Realty. The new website is geracerealty.com. Like Bob Harris, and RealtyUSA, the new logo is red, white and black.

Lois, who has 40 years experience in real estate, will be part of the new company along with John and Robert. Much of the staff will be the same as it was for years when the company was Bob Harris.

The new signs, on the same converted house on Ellicott Avenue that was home to Bob Harris Realty when Joe and Lois bought the company in 1986, went up yesterday while the transition is still underway.

John Gerace said managers at Realty USA were supportive of their decision to go back to being a locally owned office and the relationship with staff there remains good and Gerace Realty will be able to tap into the larger company's network of bankers and attorneys as needed.

Howard Hanna also acquired Nothnagle, and both John and Robert see an advantage being outside of Rochester and Buffalo as a smaller, locally focused company.

"You're dealing with experienced agents," Robert said. "This is something we do full time. You're not dealing with somebody who is part time. This is what we do." 

John thinks more and more people value that local connection. He compared it to smaller hardware store surviving in the face of competition from Home Depot and Lowe's.

"There's great service when you walk in," John said. "They know you by name. I think people want that back."

A 26-year-old St. Johnsville woman cried and begged for a chance to avoid prison for her part in a strong-armed robbery attempt at a smoke shop in May in Basom, but the judge hearing her case told her she hadn't earned a chance to be released on probation.

"In light of the violent nature of the crime and the apparent lack of any effort on your part to address your addictions and mental health issues until the day you were to be sentenced, it is alarming," said Interim County Court Judge Emilio Colaiacovo.

Misty Dawn Souza was sent to prison for three and a half years.  

Her attorney, Fred Rarick, tried to argue for probation, given her history of mental issues, but District Attorney Lawrence Friedman said that nature of the crime and her criminal history warranted the maximum sentence available under the plea agreement.

"The reasons for a probationary sentence you have presented have been an unconvincing explanation for why the court should show (mercy)," Colaiacovo said.

Souza said she was a drug-addicted baby at birth, that she had been diagnosed with mental health issues at age 11, but instead of giving her the medicine prescribed by a doctor, her mother introduced her to marijuana. A short time later, she said, her father introduced her to crack cocaine.

Dressed in a dress of wide black-and-white horizontal stripes, Souza cried through most of her statement to the court.

"I believe I need help with my mental health issues," Souza said. "I don't want to go to prison. I'm scared. I know what I did was wrong. If I could take it all back, I would."

Souza and Jeremy J. Reynolds, 34, of Johnstown, entered the Smoke Rings Smoke Shop the night of May 20 carrying what looked like guns. Things quickly got out of hand and it was a dangerous and scary situation, Friedman said.

"They pointed what appeared to be real guns at the clerk behind the counter and the clerk obviously became fearful for his life," Friedman said.

Rarick said his client was a person who could be easily mislead and that's exactly what Reynolds did. He also said that Reynolds had slipped Souza a gummy bear laced with acid (LSD), which she didn't know, prior to the robbery.

It wasn't long after the robbery attempt began that Souza fled into the dark woods near the smoke shop where she wandered haphazardly for some time. When she was picked up later, she said, according to Rarick, that she had a bear on her back.

Souza said she has a 10-year-old daughter who is a straight-A student and wants to be a police officer someday.

Colaiacovo told Souza that there will be plenty of opportunities in prison for Souza to get the mental health care and drug treatment she needs, if she takes advantage of those programs.

"It's never too late to become a good example to your child," Colaiacovo said. "I hope avail yourself of the opportunities you will have in prison and start heading in the right direction in life."

Ronald Francis Ratulowski Jr., 43, of Eleanor Place, Batavia, is charged with second-degree harassment. He was arrested at 12:49 a.m. on Dec. 28 on Eleanor Place following a domestic dispute. He was issued an appearance ticket for Jan. 17 in City Court. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Peter Flanagan, assisted by Officer Eric Bolles.

Melanie M. Matesz, 51, of Dellinger Avenue, Batavia, is charged with second-degree harassment. She was arrested at 8:50 p.m. on Dec. 26 on Dellinger Avenue following an investigation into an incident wherein she allegedly struck another person. She was issued at appearance ticket for Jan. 3 in City Court. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Cronmiller, assisted by Officer Chad Richards.

Richard C. Clark, 46, of Main Street, Corfu, is charged with second-degree harassment. Clark was arrested at 9 p.m. on Dec. 29 on Tracy Avenue in Batavia following a domestic dispute wherein he allegedly grabbed and pushed another person. He was arrainged then released on his own recognizance. He is due in City Court today (Jan. 4). The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Christopher Lindsay, assisted by Officer Chad Richards.

Robert R. Gerety, 43, of Elm Street, Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, resisting arrest and criminal mischief. At 12:58 a.m. on Dec. 28, Gerety was arrested after a domestic incident in which the defendant is alleged to have damaged property at the residence, possessed marijuana, and resisted arrest. He was put in Genesee County Jail and in due in City Court at a later date. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Darryle Streeter, assisted by Officer Peter Flanagan.

Jessica Lynn Polk, 40, of Bank Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal tampering. Polk was arrested at 10:10 a.m. on Dec. 23 after she allegedly tampered with property belonging to another person. She was released with appearance ticket for Jan. 3 in City Court. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Mitchell Cowen, assisted by Officer Chad Richards.

A 16-year-old who lives on State Street in Batavia is charged with criminal contempt in the second degree. The youth was picked up on an active warrant out of City Court for this alleged offense, a violation of a Family Court order, which occurred at 8 a.m. on Oct. 20 on State Street. The defendant was issued an appearance ticket for Jan. 10 in City Court. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Chad Richards.

Robert M. Schryver, 53, of North Spruce Street, Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. At 9:45 a.m. on Dec. 29, Shryver was allegedly found to possess a quantity of marijuana and was arrested. He is due in City Court on Jan. 10 to answer the charges. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Nicole Salamone, assisted by Frank Klimjack.

Kyle James Whitcombe, 19, of Westchester Drive, Cheektowaga, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and driving left of pavement markings. Following a one-car accident at 6:26 a.m. on Jan. 3 on Route 77 in the Town of Pembroke, Whitcomb was allegedly found in possession of marjiuana. He was issued an appearance ticket for Jan. 24 in Town of Pembroke Court. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Eric Meyer, assisted by Deputy Ryan Young.

The Le Roy Police Department rearrested Matthew McCracken on Dec. 29, adding two additional charges: attempted arson in the second degree, a Class C violent felony, and endangering the welfare of a child, a Class A misdemeanor.

It is now alleged that McCracken attempted to damage the building at 10/12 Clay St. in Le Roy by the use of fire, specifically a torch-type item while knowing or having cause to believe persons were inside the building at the time, specifically the neighbors and a young child that McCracken was babysitting.

McCracken’s actions did in fact cause blackened burn marks on the neighbors door and door frame. The endangering the welfare of a child charge alleges that McCracken endangered the physical or moral welfare of the same child during the incident due to the attempted arson, second degree, but furthermore, it alleges he was impaired by alcoholic beverage during the incident to the point he passed out or fell asleep, therefore was unable to care for the child.

McCracken was rearraigned before the Le Roy Town Court and further put in Genesee County Jail in lieu of $25,000 cash bail or $50,000 bond.

See post about previous arrest here.

Press release: 

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) announced today that he has been reappointed Assistant Minority Leader of the Assembly and will sit on the Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, Insurance, Ways and Means and Rules committees.

“After a relaxing holiday season, I am excited to get back to work on behalf of the citizens in my district and continue to make strides rebuilding our infrastructure, securing crucial education funding, protecting our vets and fighting Albany corruption,” Hawley said. “I am overjoyed to have the great opportunity to serve on such important committees in the Assembly, and look forward to offering my expertise as a small-business owner when it comes to insurance and agriculture issues.”

This is the first term that Hawley will serve on the Rules Committee, which is the final stop for many bills before they reach the floor for a vote. It is also the group that controls many important operations of the House.

“The Assembly Rules Committee is one of the most important governing bodies in Albany, and I couldn’t be more honored to serve as one of its members,” Hawley said. “This committee is usually the final stop for legislation before it either comes to the floor for a vote or dies in committee. This is an excellent opportunity to safeguard upstate against radical and misguided legislation supported by downstate special interests, and I plan to do just that.”

Press release:

Saturday, Jan. 28^th will be all about basketball at Notre Dame High School.

All four basketball teams will play against Le Roy, starting with the JV Girls team at noon, followed by the JV Boys team at 1:30 p.m. Varsity teams tip off at 5 p.m. with the girls' game followed by a ceremony around 6:30 p.m. honoring Coach Mike Rapone, Section V Basketball Hall of Famer and winningest coach in Section V Boys’ Basketball history. Then Coach Rapone and the Boys Varsity team take the court at 7 p.m.

A tour of the renovated school is scheduled for 4 p.m. and there will be a gathering after the Boys Varsity game in the cafeteria to congratulate Mike.

Coach Rapone was inducted into the Section V Basketball Hall of Fame in November, 2016. He has led Notre Dame Basketball to an incredible 30 Genesee Region League Basketball Championships, capturing nine Section V titles, six Far West Regional Championships and two New York State Championships. He has been honored as Section V Coach of the Year three times and Genesee Region Coach of the Year four times.

The way Laura Kauppi sees it, every child, regardless of income, should have a chance to learn piano.

The Corfu native who teaches piano to a lot of higher income kids in Amherst, decided recently that she wants to give back to her local community and has partnered with Roxy's Music to offer piano lessons to low-income children.

"Every child should be able to learn piano," she said.

She's calling the program, "Every Child Music School."

For qualifying students, classes are three times a month for 20 minutes at $3 per lesson. To qualify, parents need to show a benefits card, such as a WIC card, at the first lesson.  The lessons are available to children 18 months and older.

She's looking for donations of touch-sensitive keyboard (press hard for a louder note, soft for a softer note) to help ensure students have an instrument to practice on.

Kauppi studies piano performance at Geneseo while pursuing an undergraduate degree in another field, but put herself through college teaching piano.

"When I started teaching, I realized I absolutely loved teaching piano and I wanted to keep doing it, so I’ve been teaching for 12 years now," Kauppi said.

To donate or register, call Kauppi at 585-861-0153.

Notre Dame's Hannah Bowen, Gillian Flint, Cal-Mum, Emily Weber, Attica, and Melissa Mountain, Batavia, are all ready for the annual Rotary Basketball Tournament, which tips off tonight at Genesee Community College at 6 p.m.

Notre Dame's Head Coach Tom McCulley, pictured below, said the annual tournament is a great showcase for girls' basketball.

"It's a great atmosphere," he said.

Marty Hein, Batavia's head coach, said he and his players always look forward to the tournament. 

"It’s just nice to do it right here at GCC," Hein said. "Big gym, big floor, big crowd. It’s just a good time."

Batavia enters the tournament at 2-7, Notre Dame is 4-2, Attica is 4-4 and Cal-Mum is 7-1.

A motor-vehicle accident, unknown injuries, is reported in the westbound lane of the Thruway near mile marker 386.1.

Town of Batavia fire and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 6:28 p.m.: Patient has possible knee injury.