Remember Rocky, the dog whom authorities say was scalded by hot water? The owner and her boyfriend where charged with crimes, and the owner surrendered Rocky to the county for adoption.

Rocky walked this week in the Oakfield Labor Day Parade and I was surprised to learn nobody had shown any interest in adopting him. On the spot, he kind of muzzled his way into my heart, so after much thought and conversation with Billie and a couple of visits to the animal shelter, Billie and I decided we would adopt him ourselves.

He's a real sweetheart, very gentle, loves people and other dogs and doesn't care much about cats. We had him with Pachuco in Kiwanis Park today to ensure they would get along, and they hit it off and have been doing well together this afternoon.

We think we can give Rocky a good home.

Previously:

• Batavia couple jailed without bail after young pit bull scalded with water
• Dog burned by hot water in good spirits at Animal Shelter
• Owner of scalded dog surrenders ownership during court appearance

Veterans came together at the VA Center for a 9-11 remembrance ceremony.

(Photo by Howard Owens.)

A truck vs. pole accident is reported at 662 E. Main St. City firefighters and Mercy medics are responding.

By the time Genesee Community College celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2017, the campus will have opened a new Student Success Center and an events center, President Jim Sunser told a gathering in the Stuart Steiner Forum yesterday evening.

These will help GCC continue to grow and serve students better, Sunser said.

"Colleges are constantly evolving and student success is at the core of the values that we have at Genesee," Sunser said.

Construction is expected to begin in the spring thanks in part to a successful fundraising campaign chaired by local farmer and businessman Craig Yunker.

The goal of the campaign was to raise $5 million. The committee did better than that. It was comprised of people from Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties.

"We're really proud that this community is a generous community and people stepped up with a smile," Yunker said. "I'm proud to be a member of this community, and I'm proud to report to you that as of 2 o'clock this afternoon, we raised $5,214,213."

The two buildings along with a new scholarship fund is a $42 million project. More than half of that money will come from state grants. The county will also back a bond to help close the gap in funding.

A total of 475 individuals, couples and businesses from throughout the GLOW Region contributed money to the campaign, called "Building Our Future Together."

The project is the largest undertaking by the college since its founding, Yunker said. 

"Fifty years ago, GCC was just talk," Yunker said. "I remember how the talk about how it would move the region forward. It took a lot of volunteer effort. It took a lot of effort to bring it about."

A big reason the campaign was successful, Yunker said, was the support of the effort by the Call family.

"It's hard to imagine how this campaign wouldn't have gotten off to a great start without the Call family, and I just want to acknowledge Dick Call's leadership, Dick Call's vision, but the whole Call family, it was really important the leadership that the Call family has shown," Yunker said.

GCC President Jim Sunser

All primaries were Republican races. Results considered "unofficial."

City of Batavia, Ward 1:

• Viele, 110
• Doeringer, 25

City of Batavia, Ward 3:

• Richmond, 20
• Canale 41

Bergen, Town Clerk

• Truax, 57
• Smith, 213
• VanHoute, 33

Byron, Supervisor

• Heins, 114
• Yasses, 157

Byron, Highway Superintendent

• Forsyth, 173
• Leaton, 99

Byron, Town Council (vote for two)

• Cudney, 191
• Sackett, 114
• Klycek, 126

Bethany, Highway Superintendent

• Fleming, 56
• Merle, 75

Pavilion, Supervisor

• Knepshield, 117
• Howard, 130

Pavilion, Town Council, vote for two

• Carney, 36
• Clary, 109
• Davis, 177
• Rudgers, 123

Pavilion, Highway Superintendent

• Offhaus, 118
• Zarbo, 29
• Thompson, 94

A two-car accident, unknown injuries, is reported at 7354 North Bergen Road. Bergen fire and ambulance are responding.

A volunteer committee of community and business leaders who came together to solicit donations to support a campus expansion and new scholarship fund has raised $5.2 million, announced Craig Yunker. 

The goal was to raise $5 million. 

We'll have more information posted in the morning. 

Press release:

Batavia Police Recruitment Initiative – Civil Service Exam Notice

The Batavia Police Department is looking for qualified candidates to fill open police officer positions. An open competitive examination is being offered by the Genesee County Human Resources Department on Nov. 14.

Benefits include: Salary -- $41,147 to $60,462 per year (2015), Paid Time Off, Health Insurance and NYS Retirement.

Applications and fees must be turned in to the Genesee County Human Resources Department located in County Building 1, 15 Main St., Batavia, NY 14020 before Oct. 7.

Qualifications:

• Candidates must be legal residents of Genesee County or of a county contiguous to Genesee County for at least two (2) months immediately preceding the date of examination and continue their residency through the period leading to their initial appointment. Candidates may be required to indicate, at the time of consideration for appointment, that they will become a resident of the locality in accordance with conditions authorized by local law or ordinance.
• Graduation from high school or possession of an appropriate equivalency diploma recognized by the NYS Department of Education and completion of a minimum of 60 college credit hours from an accredited college or university. Exceptions: 30 college credits may be waived, if the candidate has EITHER: received an Honorable Discharge from the United States military after two years of active military service, OR successfully completed a Certified Police Officer Training Course approved by, or equivalent to a course approved by, the New York State Municipal Police Training council. A certified Peace Officer Training course does not qualify. 60 college credits may be waived, if candidate has: received an Honorable Discharge from the United States military after 4 years of active military service, OR received an Honorable Discharge from the United States military after 2 years of active military service, AND; completed 4 years of Reserve Duty in the United States military.
• At least 19 years of age on or before 11/14/15 but not over 35 years of age unless certain military provisions apply.
• Ability to pass an appropriate medical and physical agility examination as set forth by the Municipal Police Training Council.
• Valid NY State driver’s license.
• U.S. Citizen

Conviction of felony will bar appointment, and conviction of a misdemeanor or other offense may bar appointment.

For further information, interested candidates should contact the Genesee County Human Resources Department at (585) 344-2550, ext. 2221, or go to http://www.co.genesee.ny.us/departments/humanresources/departments/humanresources2/policeofficeroc67419.html

A two-car accident with minor injuries is reported at 7889 Oak Orchard Road. Town of Batavia Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 5:16 p.m.: The Town of Batavia assignment is back in service.

If your idea of a good bargain is a Mid-century Modern fixer-upper, has the State of New York got a deal for you.

The state is making a second attempt -- the first deal fell through -- to auction off its former armory at 235 State St., Batavia.

The minimum bid is $60,000.

Perhaps you need office space, space for your contracting business, or you think it could be apartments or offices or maybe even your home -- all contingent on zoning approvals, of course.

The auction is at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 30, in Buffalo.

There was an open house today and two more coming up -- from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22, and from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5.

Press release:

The summer season has come to a close but that doesn’t mean outdoor fun is at an end. In fact, Darien Lake will remain open through the end of September and is featuring an all-new fall attraction – Harvest Fest.

The park will be open for Harvest Fest the last two weekends in September including the 19th, 20th, 26th and 27th. Vacations guests will receive exclusive access to Harvest Festival on Friday, Sept. 18th and 25th.

Darien Lake will be featuring a variety of fall favorites including the following exciting new attractions all included with park admission:
·        Harvest Fest Express Hayride – a family hayride around the park starting at the general store;
·        Haymazing Adventure – a fun kids' maze and scavenger hunt;
·        Pumpkin painting;
·        Live local music including: 23 Swing Buffalo, Polish Heritage Dancers, African-American Cultural Dancers, 23 Skidoo Dixieland, and many more;
·        Food Trucks including: Sweet Melodys, Kona Ice, Brick-n-Motor, J&L Boulevard BBQ, and (716) Clubhouse;
·        Arts and crafts from local vendors.

Don’t forget – Darien Lake tickets are buy-one-get-one-free through the end of the season! For more information about participating artists and vendors, visit www.darienlake.com/harvest-fest/

HARVEST FEST -- WHEN: 10:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Sept. 19, 20, 26 & 27.

Press release:

Genesee County 4-H is now accepting new 4-H members (ages 5 to 19) and volunteers through Oct. 30. 4-H is a year-long educational program which runs from Oct. 1st until Sept. 31st.

Clubs typically meet once a month and each club focuses on different projects throughout the year. Clubs and projects range from hands-on hobby-crafts, raising and showing livestock, gardening, robotics and much more! Genesee County 4-H youth are offered a wide range of educational experiences through a dedicated group of volunteer leaders. Through these experiences, 4-H encourages strong character traits like a sense of community, hard work and confidence.

Recent findings from Tufts University's 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development indicate that young people in 4-H are three times more likely to contribute to their communities than youth not participating in 4-H. Notably, the Tufts research discovered that the structured learning, encouragement and adult mentoring that 4-Hers receive play a vital role in helping them actively contribute to their communities. In Genesee County, more than 200 youth and 60 volunteers are involved in 4‑H.

The enrollment fee for Genesee County residents is $25 per youth or $50 per family (2 or more youth in 4-H program). If you would like more information about how to join 4-H in Genesee County or becoming a 4-H volunteer, please call the 4-H Office at 585-343-3040, ext. 101, or stop by the Genesee County 4-H Office located in the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County building at 420 E. Main St. Batavia. The office is open 8am- 5pm, Monday through Friday.

The 4-H Youth Development team can be reached by e-mail at genesee4h@cornell.edu and more information is also available on our Web site: genesee.cce.cornell.edu/genesee4h

Press release:

Benjamin Lindke, 41, and his wife, Molly Lindke, 42, both of Lake Street Road in Le Roy were sentenced  in Genesee County Court today (Sept. 10) as a result of their guilty pleas on July 13 to a single count of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree, a Class E felony.

Benjamin Lindke was sentenced to five years of probation and 100 hours of community service; and Molly Lindke was sentenced to five years of probation. They will also be disqualified from the SNAP (Food Stamp) program and they were ordered to pay $6,048 in restitution to the Genesee County Department of Social Services.

In November, Benjamin Lindke and Molly Lindke were both charged with five first-degree counts of offering a false instrument for filing and one count of third-degree grand larceny. The charges were filed after it was discovered that the couple had submitted various recertification forms to the Department of Social Services and failed to report Benjamin Lindke’s income from his employment and his receipt of Unemployment Insurance Benefits.

Anyone wishing to report suspected cases of Welfare Fraud in Genesee County can contact the Genesee County Department of Social Services Fraud Investigation Unit at (585) 344-2580, ext. 6417 or 6416. All calls are confidential.

I'll be in Rochester this evening to participate in the 13WHAM news department's town hall discussion on Common Core, the national education initiative focusing on state-by-state standards to "prepare America's children for college & career."

The event will be broadcast live from The Strong National Museum of Play in Downtown Rochester and available streaming on the station's mobile app and at 13WHAM.com.

The Batavian is an official news partner of 13WHAM, and like the other partners, will be asking questions and posting on Twitter about the discussion. You can follow my tweets at @howardowens.

The event starts at 7 p.m.

Officials with O-AT-KA Milk Products and Upstate Niagara Cooperative broke ground on a new warehouse expansion this morning at the company's plant off Ellicott Street, Batavia.

Participating in the top photo are Steve Hyde, Ray Cudney, Steve Golding, Bill Schreiber, Dan Wolf, John Gould, Dave Nutting and Mike Patterson. Second photo: Upstate's Board of Directors.

"This is an important day for the growth of the dairy industry in Western New York," said Wolf, a member of the cooperative's Board of Directors. "The 360 farms that I represent depend on this business and we're not going anywhere. This is our roots and we'll be here. We will continue to grow and develop here in Western New York, and (to) create jobs and so forth that go with that is critical to us."

Press release from Finger Lakes Economic Development:

Empire State Development today announced that O-AT-KA Milk Products Cooperative, Inc., a dairy cooperative based in Batavia, will be expanding their warehouse and material handling functions at their Batavia site. O-AT-KA is majority owned by Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc., headquartered in Buffalo and also by Dairy Farmers of America, a cooperative with a strong presence in Central NY.

O-AT-KA helps to ensure there is a market for milk produced by more than 400 farms in the Western, Finger Lakes and Central NY regions. A new warehousing facility and equipment room will allow the cooperative to continue to grow its production and create 24 new full-time positions within three years, raising total employment to more than 350 positions.

“We consider this project to be a game changer,” said Michael Patterson, O-AT-KA’s chief financial officer. “This not only enables us to meet our immediate needs but positions O-AT-KA for growth into the future. Three factors driving this initiative are worker safety, food quality and operational efficiencies. These three legs of the stool will be the backbone supporting O-AT-KA’s continuing growth here in New York State.”

The economic support and assistance from local and state agencies were critical factors in undertaking this project. New York State, through Empire State Development, will provide a $400,000 capital grant to assist in bringing off-site warehousing back on site by building a 195,000-square-foot warehouse and a 35,000-square-foot equipment room to their existing facility.

The company will also purchase new material handling equipment and repurpose existing equipment. The new space will afford the company more efficiency, provide safety for workers, and allow for cost savings, thereby boosting their competitive edge in the market place.

The growth of on-site warehousing also enables the company to grow its production of shelf-stable, dairy-based beverages. O-AT-KA has a goal of increasing its export business by 10 percent over the next several years, which will result in approximately 25 percent of the total production being exported.

As the No. 1 manufacturing employer in Batavia, O-AT-KA strives to foster productive, long-term relationships with their employees. The cooperative, which produces dry, condensed and evaporated dairy products, was established in 1959 with five employees and has grown to 332.

“Agricultural and food processing has been identified as one of the top Finger Lakes REDC strategies,” said Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Howard Zemsky. “The O-AT-KA project aligns with the council’s goal to optimize business retention and expansion, and support the growth of food-processing companies in the region.”

“This commitment by New York State to O-AT-KA demonstrates Governor Cuomo’s support of economic development in Upstate New York and in particular to the agribusiness industry in Genesee County,” said Paul Battaglia, chairman of the Genesee County Economic Development Center. “We look forward to continuing working with New York State on other economic development opportunities."

"O-AT-KA has played a major role in our local economy for decades. Now, expansion plans, along with 24 new jobs, will help to secure the cooperative's presence in Batavia for years to come. I commend O-AT-KA CEO Bill Schreiber for selecting Genesee County to invest and grow," said State Senator Michael H. Ranzenhofer.

“I am pleased to see the growth and expansion of an important Western New York agricultural staple such as O-AT-KA. As a small business and farm owner for over four decades, I realize the integral part O-AT-KA plays in New York’s dairy industry and Western New York’s economy. Having grown up in Batavia, I have seen the company grow from just a few employees to over 300 people – truly epitomizing the American dream of entrepreneurship. As lawmakers we must continue to protect small businesses such as these and take measures to grow New York’s economy,” said Assemblyman Steve Hawley.

There are primary elections in Genesee County today. All of the primaries are among Republicans.

City of Batavia:

• City Council Ward 1: Paul Viele vs. Kris Doeringer
• City Council Ward 2: Richard Richmond vs. John Canale

Bergen:

• Town Clerk: Michele Smith, Vicky Truax and Connie VanHoute

Bethany:

• Highway Superintendent: Norm Fleming vs. Joel Merle

Byron:

• Town Supervisor: Gerald Heins vs. Peter Yasses
• Town Council: John Sacket, James Cudney and Alfred Klycek (two seats)
• Highway Superintendent: Brian Forsyth vs. Davi Leaton

Pavilion:

• Town Supervisor: Theron Howard vs. Gary Knepshield
• Town Council: Kevin Clary, Dean Davis, John Rudgers and Donald Carney (two seats)
• Highway Superintendent: Steven Thompson, Joel Offhaus and Ronald Zarbo

If you're unsure of your polling place, the county elections office can be reached at (585) 815-7804.

The woman accused of driving drunk, leading to a fatal collision in Bethany in February, has successfully completed a round of alcohol dependence treatment, her attorney told Judge Robert C. Noonan in County Court this morning.

Attorney Benjamin Bonarigo asked Noonan to release Hannah Dibble under supervision of Genesee Justice for a couple of days while she awaits placement in another treatment program.

Assistant District Attorney William Zickl said the people were willing to go along with that request.

Noonan was less sanguine.

"I apparently have more misgivings than the people," Noonan said. "Given the short time she was on RUS when she had a very serious violation, at least given the circumstances of the case, I was inclined to keep her in jail for a couple of days until a bed-to-bed transfer to Horizon was available."

Dibble will be allowed to stay at her parents' house until admitted to Horizon, but Noonan warned her that it was a 24/7 house arrest.

"If you are even on your front lawn and you are seen, you will go back to jail," Noonan said.

He told the attorneys, "I hope this doesn't result in a violation because it would be an indication she is not a candidate for anything other than long-term incarceration (if convicted)."

Bonarigo said the other members of the Dibble household have agreed to have no alcohol in the home while Hannah Dibble is staying at the residence.

In July, a Genesee County Grand Jury handed down an 11-count indictment on Dibble, including counts of manslaughter in the second degree, vehicular assault in the first degree, three counts of assault in the second degree, three counts of vehicular assault in the second degree, and two counts of DWI.

Her friend, Alyson D. Krzanak, 18, of Corfu, died as a result of injuries sustained in the crash. Suffering serious physical injuries in the collision Feb. 21 were James Scherer, 21, Brandon Danser, 22, and Felecia J. Fazzio, 20.

The time in rehab has given Dibble great insights, Bonarigo said. He said she and her family wanted to see her continue in-patient treatment because she's made good progress.

"She's making significant strides in treatment and we hope to see her continue in that direction," Bonarigo said.

Press release:

On Saturday, Oct. 24th, the Batavia Cemetery Association will host a candlelight guided ghost walk through the Historic Batavia Cemetery on Harvester Avenue in Batavia. The tours will feature the famous and infamous movers and shakers who shaped and influenced the City of Batavia.

The guided tour will bring guests to meet men and women of Batavia, who, for various reasons, held great power and exerted great influence in their day, were victims of tragic events, or both: Philemon Tracy, one of the few Confederate officers buried in the North; Ruth, the unknown victim of a horrendous murder; Joseph Ellicott, a man of great power and great flaws; and William Morgan, the man who disappeared and was allegedly murdered before he could reveal the secrets of the Masons, are some of the ghosts who will tell their stories on the tour.

Tours begin at 7 p.m. and run every fifteen minutes until 8:30 p.m. Admission is $10 and includes refreshments. Tickets are available at the gate the day of the event at Historic Batavia Cemetery, Harvester Avenue, Batavia. Reservations are suggested. Proceeds benefit the upkeep and restoration of the cemetery.

For more information, or to make reservations, contact 343-0248. Join us for some spooky fun!

A two-car accident with one minor injury is blocking traffic at 3565 Batavia Oakfield Townline Road, just east of Lewiston Road. Oakfield Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding. A responder on scene said "Looks like a rear-end collision."

UPDATE 9:33 a.m.: A patient is being transported to the hospital in Lockport.