Press release:

Genesee County STOP-DWI Coordinator Matt Landers announced that the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department, City of Batavia Police Department and the Village of Le Roy Police Department will participate in a special enforcement effort to crackdown on impaired driving during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Landers says while we spend Thanksgiving with friends and family giving praise and thanks for our good fortune and blessings, law enforcement officers across New York State will take to the roads in an effort to stop impaired driving, prevent injuries and save lives. The statewide STOP-DWI Crackdown efforts start on Nov. 26 and end on Nov. 30.

New York State Police, county sheriffs and municipal law enforcement agencies across the state will be out in force. Research shows that high-visibility enforcement can reduce drunk-driving fatalities by as much as 20 percent. Sobriety checkpoints play a key part in raising awareness about the problem.

Sheriff Gary T. Maha says, “Driving is the most dangerous thing you routinely do and holidays put additional vehicles on our highways increasing the risk. Remember to put aside your phone and all other distractions and concentrate on driving; a task that demands your full attention.”

The STOP-DWI Thanksgiving Weekend Crackdown is one of many statewide enforcement initiatives promoted by the New York State STOP-DWI Association with additional funding from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and implemented by the STOP-DWI Foundation. Throughout the remainder of the year the statewide STOP-DWI Crackdown Campaign will also target the national Holiday Season in December.

While STOP-DWI efforts across New York have led to significant reductions in the numbers of alcohol- and drug-related fatalities, still too many lives are being lost because of crashes caused by drunk or impaired drivers. It is significant to note that in 2012, 416 motorists died in traffic crashes during the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend, the highest toll of deaths for any holiday weekend period. According to NHTSA data, 60 percent of the passenger vehicle occupants killed were not wearing their seat belts and 42 percent were killed in crashes that involved a drunk driver who had a blood-alcohol content of .08 BAC or higher.

Highly visible, highly publicized efforts like the STOP-DWI Crackdown Campaign aim to further reduce the incidence of drunk and impaired driving. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving Weekend!

The suspect of an armed robbery that just occurred at a pharmacy in Oakfield is reportedly hiding inside a residence at Forest Ave.

The suspect is a female dressed in a blue sweatshirt with a scarf around her face. She allegedly drew a weapon inside the business at 40 Main St. and demanded money. She was seen running into the Forest Avenue residence and is believed to be armed with a knife and a gun.

The Sheriff's K9 unit is called to the scene and law enforcement is there and is setting up a perimeter.

UPDATE 1:44 p.m.: Deputies are speaking with a person of interest in the case.

A two-car accident is reported at 148 Bank St. by Washington Avenue. The drive of one vehicle is complaining of back pain. City fire and Mercy medics are responding.

Press release from the Sheriff's Office:

Some news agencies are still reporting travel bans/advisories in Genesee County. At this time there are NO travel bans or advisories in Genesee County.

The previous bans in the Town of Pembroke, Village of Corfu and the towns of Darien, Alexander, Bethany, Pavilion and Le Roy have all been lifted as per the previous releases from the Sheriff.

New York Times: Comeback by Bill Cosby Unravels as Rape Claims Re-emerge

A resident on Herkimer Road is reporting a crack in the ceiling of the house and is concerned about the roof collapsing.

Darien fire dispatched. One engine from Corfu is requested to the scene.

The Darien code enforcement officer is also in route, via tractor.

UPDATE 7:55 a.m.: There is no collapse. Darien fire going back in service. Code enforcement to continue to the scene.

UPDATE 8 a.m.: A resident Reynolds Road, Darien, is reporting a possible collapse of the roof over the porch.

UPDATE 8:09 a.m.: There is a report of a possible partial barn collapse in the area of Walkers Road and Simonds Road. There may be cattle inside. This is coming to dispatchers third hand and hasn't been confirmed.

UPDATE 8:12 a.m.: All available manpower to Corfu fire hall. One engine to fill in at Darien Fire Hall.

UPDATE 11:57 p.m.: The resident of a home at 10218 Colby Road in Darien Center reports the roof is possibly collapsing or in danger of doing so because of heavy snow piled on it. Darien fire is responding.

What we've received so far:

• Darien Town Court
• State offices in Genesee County
• Pembroke Central School District
• Oakfield-Alabama Central Schools
• Batavia City Schools
• Alexander Central School
• GCC, Batavia campus
• Byron-Bergen Central Schools
• Elba Central School District
• Notre Dame and St. Joe's
• Grandma’s Luv’n Care Daycare
• Genesee Christian Academy
• Le Roy Central Schools
• Pavilion Central Schools
• Alexander Central Schools
• Pembroke Family Medicene, all three locations, will open at noon today
• Love Bugs Preschool
• Batavia Pediatrics will open at noon
• Continental School of Beauty
• Women's Care Center is opening at 1 p.m.
• The Cello Fury concert at GCC will be rescheduled
• Optique
• Genesee Association of Municipalities meeting in Oakfield is cancelled
• Genesee County courts are OPEN today. Jurors should report.
• City of Batavia Yard Waste Station, closed through the weekend
• Batavia Assembly of God Church
• Choir practice at First Presbyterian, Batavia
• Zoning Board of Appeals
• Tonight's EMS class is cancelled, but the Mutual Aid Advisory board will meet as scheduled at the Fire Training Center.

E-mail closures and cancellations to howard@thebatavian.com. Ideally before 8 a.m.

E-mail weather pictures to howard@thebatavian.com

Snow safety advice from the National Weather Service:

Moving all this snow can be dangerous. Here are some precautions.

Do not overexert yourself...shoveling or even walking in the heavy snow is extremely taxing. Take plenty of breaks to avoid overexerting yourself.

Overstressed roofs can collapse. Snow removal off structures is a dangerous activity that should only be done by qualified individuals following safety protocols to minimize risks. If at any time there is a concern that snow loads may cause a collapse...evacuate the building. Signs of overstressed roofs may include sagging tiles or boards. Popping, cracking or creaking sounds also signal significant danger.

Travel safety -- many roads are still in extremely poor condition or are impassible. Heed local, regional and other emergency travel bans. Take the time now and place a winter safety kit in your car. Items include but are not limited to: a fully charged cell phone, blankets, flashlight, knife, non-perishable food, clothing, and a shovel.

Clear snow from high efficiency furnace pipes, snow covering furnace pipes can lead to carbon monoxide build up in your home. Ensure carbon monoxide detectors have fresh batteries and are working properly.

Generator safety -- if you are relying on a generator for power make sure the generator is located away from the house and not in an enclosed space. Running a generator indoors can lead to a build of harmful gases in your home.

Space heater safety -- space heaters should also be properly ventilated and used only if they are operating properly.

From the National Weather Service:

Two photos above from Danyell Selapack.

Jimmy Sheflin says Brix loves the snow.

Corfu

Trucks at Tops last night. Submitted by Greg Rada.

Submitted by Nate Fix. His dad's place (Bernie Fix) in Corfu.

In the interest of justice, John Robinson, the 51-year-old Bergen resident arrested on a menacing charge after pointing a shotgun at a possible intruder into his home, is a free man.

Town of Bergen Justice Donald R. Kunego issued his ruling today on a motion by defense attorney Brian DeCarolis that the charge against his client be dismissed.

In a four-page ruling that Kunego read from the bench, the judge did just that, saying that a man has a right to defend his castle.

"People expect to be able to protect 'their castle' from attack," Kunego said. "Mr. Robinson's castle was under attack by Mr. Crooks. People confronted with the same circumstances presented to Mr. Robinson on the day in question would unquestionably engage in similar behavior with the expectation that they were properly and lawfully defending themselves."

According to Kunego, Brockport resident Michael Crooks went to Robinson's home Jan. 13, 2013, to confront Robinson, whom he had never met in person before, over some sort of relationship between Robinson and Mrs. Crooks that Mr. Crooks didn't like.

In Kunego's recital of the facts of the case, Crooks banged on Robinson's door, yelled and threatened him and kicked at the door hard enough to damage it. When Robinson didn't open the door, he went to another portion of the house presumably to gain entry.

"Due to Mr. Crooks' relentless and persistent actions, aggressive demeanor and verbal threats, Mr. Robinson felted threatened in his own home," Kunego said. "He feared that Mr. Crooks was not going to leave until at the very least he had entered his home and physically confronted him and at worse he would physically harm him."

Kunego said he believed Robinson's response was entirely lawful and justified.

After the ruling, Robinson said he was relieved, but he also expected to prevail.

"I wasn't really that nervous because I thought I did everything right," Robinson said. "I called 9-1-1. I put the dogs away. I avoided contact with him and all I did was stay in the house and tried not to have the conflict. When I talked to the state troopers, when they were there, they said I did the right thing."

The day of the confrontation, Crooks heard later that a trooper wanted to talk with him. He went to the Batavia barracks, where he was arrested by Trooper Eric Daigler. He was charged with criminal mischief, 4th, for damaging the door of Robinson's home on Lake Road in Bergen.

The door was pretty heavily damaged, Robinson said today, as well as the screen, from Crooks kicking and hitting it.

Crooks, who had no prior criminal record, eventually received an ACD (adjudication in contemplation of dismissal). As soon as his six months of good behavior was up, he started lobbying for the arrest of Robinson. First he went to the State Police, but local troopers wouldn't even consider it, so he went to the Sheriff's Office.

There he found a sympathetic ear with a sergeant who turned the case over to Deputy Matthew Butler.

"When Officer Butler showed up 15 months later and told me I was under arrest, I couldn't believe it," Robinson said. "I was like, you've got to be kidding me, right? He told me right then and there that he didn't want to arrest me, but he had to. I don't know what he meant by that. I don't know if he was forced by his upper commanders, but that's what he told me. He said, 'John, I don't want to do it, but I've got to.' "

Robinson's arrest didn't sit well with the troopers familiar with the case, which was part of Daigler's testimony in a hearing on the motion to dismiss Oct. 1.

"I was dumbfounded," Daigler said. "First and foremost, it's common practice not to take on other agency's cases. We refer to it as 'cop shopping.' It happens. Usually, we are pretty good at stopping people who are just trying to get the right answer. They are looking for the answer they want. That's usually the Sheriff's Office policy."

The State Police response to Robinson's arrest is one element of the case that helped Kunego arrive at his decision to dismiss the charge.

"It cannot be overlooked that after a full and complete investigation of this incident by the New York State Police and after consultation with the Genesee County District Attorney's Office, a decision was made that there was insufficient evidence to even charge Mr. Robinson," Kunego said, referring to the initial investigation and consideration of charging Robinson in 2013.

"Significantly, the New York State Police still believe that Mr. Robinson should not have been charged and are not supportive of his prosecution."

Factors in Kunego's decisions, which are part of the findings in an "interest of justice" dismissal, are:

• Menacing, 2nd, a Class A misdemeanor. The maximum sentence is one year in jail. Given Robinson's lack of criminal record, his steady employment and longtime residence in the same home, he would not have received any jail time even if convicted. The dismissal might have been harder for Robinson to obtain if any of those facts weren't true.
• There was no real harm to anyone from Robinson wielding a shotgun inside his own home. More significantly, Kunego said, only Robinson contacted police in relation to the incident. Crooks didn't contact police until after he inquired with a family member and learned that Daigler was looking for him.
• If the case did go to trial, Kunego said, it would be unlikely, given the facts of the case, that Robinson would be convicted by a jury, especially in New York, where a person who is protecting life and home is legally protected in taking action to advance that protection.
• While nobody in the Sheriff's Office can be accused of misconduct in the case, Kunego said, the fact that his arrest came 15 months after the arrest cannot be ignored.
• Sending Robinson to jail would not advance the cause of justice, Kunego said, nor would it make the community safer given the unique circumstances of the case and the lack of any prior arrests or criminal complaints against Robinson.
• Dismissal, Kunego ruled, would advance public confidence in the criminal justice system, while further prosecution of Robinson would erode public confidence, since any reasonable person, according to Kunego, would do exactly what Robinson did Jan. 13, 2013, in the same circumstances.

"I'm glad he went this way, but I can't believe it took this long," Robinson said.

Here are some shots of how things looked in Darien this morning after the town received several feet of snow over the previous 24 hours.

Crews and trucks were brought in from Wyoming and Livingston counties to assist the town, county and state drivers and equipment.

And residents were finding any way they could just to clear a path from their front door to the street, such as the Klug family on Sumner Road (top photo). They are, from back, Frank, Jessica, Dawn and Val.

Frank said he just wanted to clear a walking path in case of an emergency. He wasn't even worrying about getting the driveway clear for the four cars buried in the snow.

On Route 20, Austin Heberlein, standing, was lending a hand to his father Mark and brother Zach (neither are pictured) as they tried to extricate his mother's car out of a snow bank.

A state DOT snow blower on Route 20 in Alexander. There were even bigger snow blower trucks brought in, but we didn't get to see one of those in action (in the slide show is a picture of one, however).

The view northbound on Harlow Road.

Close to two hours after the top photo was taken, this plow was finally reaching the south end of Harlow Road.

Digging out on Fargo Road.

It wasn't all work in Darien this morning. Micheal and Tucker Pfenninger had great fun playing on the giant mound of snow Dad made in the process of clearing the driveway of their Fargo Road home.

A Livingston County snow blower on Bell Road.

Residents blowing snow at a home at Sumner Road and Route 77.

A resident tries to build a path from his home to the street on Sumner Road. When I came back nearly an hour later, he hadn't made much more progress.

Taken on Route 98, Alexander. There additional scenic shots in the slide show.

To purchase prints, click here.

Here's some video from today from The Batavian's news partner, 13WHAM

Oops, I can't embed video and embed a slide show in the same post. Click here to view the 13WHAM video.

A convoy of 30 DOT plow trucks pulled into Genesee County today, coming down Route 19 to Route 5 in Le Roy and then stopping at the DOT facility on West Main Street Road, Stafford.

The stop is a staging area before heading further west into Erie County.

While the roads have been cleared in Darien, there's still a lot of work to be done in Erie County, and more snow is expected tonight.

UPDATE: A total of 199 trucks are staging in Stafford, coming from all over the state, mostly locations to the east. Drivers are being housed in local hotels while awaiting assignments, primarily in Erie County.

I spent all morning in Darien and will have pictures to post later, but there's something else I need to go cover now.

The woman who died in an accident on Meadville Road yesterday has been identified as Nituna L. Stafford, 40, of Basom.

She was pronounced dead at the scene by County Coroner Barry Miller.

The other person in the vehicle was Eli M. Smoke, 26, of Alabama. Smoke was injured and treated at ECMC for leg and chest pain.

State police say the vehicle they were in failed to stop at the end of Meadville Road and struck and continued through concrete barriers before stopping.

Stafford was the driver.

The investigation is ongoing, but is not considered a weather-related event.

Weather report from Mark McLean, weatherman for 13WHAM, The Batavian's news partner:

Ultimate Doppler HD shows that the intense lake snow band from Lake Erie is weakening and drifting to the north shore of the lake. This is away from the areas that got buried yesterday. Also note on the wider view that another storm system is headed our way now. This storm will deliver a general light snow in WNY late this afternoon and this evening.

Check out the snow accumulation on the futurecast. Snow amounts will be generally light with this afternoon’s storm system. A coating-2” will be possible by late evening in WNY. Much heavier snow will develop overnight southwest of Rochester once more as lake snow from Lake Erie cranks up again. Several feet of snow will be possible in sustained lake snow areas in Genesee and Wyoming counties tonight and Thursday with a solid 3-6” possible in northern Livingston County as well.

Currently it’s frigid in WNY. Many areas have temperatures in the upper teens or low 20s with single digit wind chills and that noticeable wind out of the south. Local spotters show temperatures in the low 20s at this point. The neighborhood forecast shows the light snow moving in late this afternoon, but the temperature won’t fall. We’ll see the readings stay in the mid-20s throughout the night. On the wider view, the futurecast finally shows this intense lake snow band breaking up early Friday morning southwest of Rochester. Closer to Rochester some lake snow from Lake Ontario will be possible Friday, but this snow will be much less intense than the snow observed in Buffalo yesterday.

The forecast for today shows increasing clouds at 3 p.m. with a temperature near 24 in Rochester. By 7 tonight we expect some snow showers. The temperature will be in the mid-20s. At 10pm the general light snow will taper, most areas will see a coating -2” of snow. Tonight’s low will be in the mid-20s with snow showers and flurries near Rochester. Areas south of the Thruway may find up to 12” of snow by sunrise, especially in Genesee and Wyoming counties.

The 7-day forecast does show some slow improvement by the weekend. Any lake effect snow Friday will taper heading into Saturday. Friday’s high will be near 30 with Saturday’s high near 40. A few rain showers will move in for Sunday and Monday, but the temperature will be dramatically warmer. Sunday’s high will be near 50 with Monday reaching 57. All signs point to another substantially colder air mass moving in for mid-late of next week.

In a weather alert this morning, the National Weather Service called the storm "epic," hence, the question.

These are the closing and cancellations we've been notified about so far:

• Leadership Genesee, We the People session
• Alexander Central 
• Batavia City Schools
• Notre Dame and St. Joe's
• Pembroke Central Schools
• Pavilion Central Schools
• Byron-Bergen Central Schools
• DAV Transportation pickups From the Batavia VAMC
• Oakfield-Alabama Central Schools
• Le Roy Family Medical Care
• Pembroke Diagnostics at 860 Main St. Road, Corfu
• Le Roy Diagnostics at 8745 Lake St. Road, Le Roy
• Tountas Family Care Center at 3 Tountas Ave., Le Roy
• Dr. Marlin Salmon's office will be closed today at Batavia Pediatric office location, which is Dr. Brad Ecker's office
• Lucky Ducky Daycare
• Genesee ARC
• Elba Central School District
• GCC, Batavia campus
• Le Roy Central School District
• All courts in the county, including County Court and City Court
• Pembroke Family Medicine, all three locations, Pembroke, Batavia, Alexander
• Le Roy Federal Credit Union
• Le Roy Curves
• Grandma’s Luv’n Care Daycare
• Chamber of Commerce
• Classic Optical
• The City of Batavia Yard Waste Station
• Mental Health Association
• FoodLink Mobile Food Pantry, ​Batavia Assembly of God
• The Cello Fury performance, scheduled for tomorrow evening at GCC, has been postponed until a later date, to be announced soon. Tickets previously purchased will be honored at that performance.
• Dr. Basra's office
• Corfu Village Court
• The Law Offices of Bonarigo & McCutcheon
• The Genesee County Animal Shelter will be closed for adoption hours between 1 and 3 p.m. and between 7 and 9 p.m. today.
• CORRECTION to court closings. The announced closure does not effect town and village courts. Unless otherwise noted, town and village courts are open.
• Genesee Co. 4-H ACES Club Meeting and 4-H Fur and Feather Club Meeting
• Genesee Co. Master Gardener Training Orientation
• The following meetings for tomorrow night, Nov. 20th: Genesee Co. 4-H Swine Club Meeting and 4-H Beef Club Meeting
• United Pentecostal Church, Wednesday evening service.

Send closing and cancellations to howard@thebatavian.com.

REMINDER: E-mail snow pictures to howard@thebatavian.com.

UPDATE 6:40 a.m., Wednesday: People are writing to ask if the travel bans are still in effect. We've received no notification from the Sheriff's Office nor the County otherwise, so, yes. There are bans in effect for Pembroke, Darien, Alexander, Bethany, Pavilion and Le Roy. There are travel advisories in place for the rest of the county. The state of emergency has not been lifted at this time.

UPDATE 8:42 a.m.: Over the scanner, no official letter yet, the travel ban has been lifted for all parts of the county under the ban except Darien. Darien remains under a limited travel ban (secondary roads). No word on the travel advisory of state of emergency (which is just a matter of being eligible for state and federal aid). (Right after posting this, we received the letter.)

UPDATE 2:26 p.m.: The travel ban in Darien has been lifted. There are currently no travel bans in Genesee County.

County officials have declared a state of emergency.

That will primarily make Genesee County eligible for state and federal assistance, and that may be needed, according to Highway Superintendent Tim Hens.

"Depending on how things go tonight in Darien and Alexander, we may need to call in the National Guard," Hens said.

The guard could bring in heavy equipment to help move snow.

Darien, Alexander and Corfu has been hit by as much as five or six feet of snow, Hens said.

With people venturing out despite the travel bans, it's been difficult to plow roads. There have been extra plow trucks in those parts of the county provided by the county, state and towns and it's still not enough.

"The amount of snow is just phenomenal," Hens said. "You're talking five, six inches an hour. There are cars and trucks stranded, intersections plugged up. It's literally impossible for the plows to get around. There are roads in Darien that haven't seen a plow yet. That's no exaggeration. I wouldn't doubt it a bit. They're simply not able to keep up."

Members of the county's plow team have been on duty since 8 p.m. last night and most haven't had more than a two-hour break since then.

It's one of the largest storms Hens has ever seen.

The City of Batavia is approaching the 24-inch mark for 24 hours, which is considered a top 10, 10-year storm. 

The southwest parts of the county are well beyond that for storm totals.

Hens said there is the potential for 70 inches of snow in Darien.

And there's more snow coming tonight, light snow tomorrow and heavy snow predicted for Thursday.

The county may also bring in large snow blower trucks from Livingston and Wyoming counties.

"Those will be a sight to see," Hens said.

The emergency order was signed by County Legislature Chairman Ray Cianfrini. 

"It's a public safety matter," Cianfrini said. "We don't want people on the road who shouldn't be out there."

There are travel bans in effect for Darien, Pembroke, Alexander, Bethany and Pavilion, and a travel advisory in effect for the rest of the county.

The bans and state of emergency will remain in effect until further notice.

A lake effect snow warning is in place until Friday.

UPDATE 5:07 p.m.: The Red Cross has announced the opening of a shelter in Alexander, at the Alexander Fireman’s Recreation Hall, 10708 Alexander Road.

UPDATE 5:09 p.m.: There's now a travel ban in Le Roy.