Press release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department is joining nearly 6,000 fire departments nationwide in promoting the annual "Change Your Clocks, Change Your Batteries" campaign on Sunday, March 13.

Fire Prevention Officer Lt. Jeff Whitcombe encourages all residents to adopt the simple, life-saving habit of changing smoke alarm and CO detector batteries when they change their clocks back from daylight savings time to standard time.

“It’s an easy, inexpensive and proven way to protect your family and your home,” Lt. Whitcombe said.

Since 1987, the International Association of Fire Chiefs has joined forces with Energizer batteries to spread the message that non-working smoke alarms are responsible for needless death and injuries. Now 25 years later, thanks to the Change Your Clocks, Change Your Batteries campaign, home fire deaths continue to decline.

Recent surveys conducted for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Consumer Products Safety Commission found that 96 percent of all home have at least one smoke alarm, but only 75 percent have at least one working smoke alarm. Almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. Smoke alarm failures usually result from missing or dead batteries or disconnected wires.

The peak time for home fire fatalities is between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. when most families are sleeping. A working smoke alarm can provide the critical extra seconds needed to get people out safely.

According to the NFPA, the maximum life cycle of a smoke alarm is 10 years from the date of manufacture, not the date of installation. Beginning in 2002, all smoke detectors must have a manufacture date marked on the outside of the smoke alarm. If your smoke alarm does not have a manufacture date, then it is older than 10 years and must be replaced. The City of Batavia Fire Department recommends purchasing smoke alarms with 10-year lithium batteries. All smoke alarms should be tested monthly.

Families should also practice "Exit Drills in the Home" (E.D.I.T.H.) and have a meeting place outside the home to quickly account for all the occupants during an emergency. The meeting place should be something that is not mobile like a tree or mailbox by the street.

A carbon monoxide detector or CO detector is a device that detects the presence of the carbon monoxide (CO) gas in order to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. CO is a colorless and odorless compound produced by incomplete combustion. It is often referred to as the “silent killer” because it is virtually undetectable without using detection technology. Elevated levels of CO can be dangerous to humans depending on the amount present and length of exposure. Smaller concentrations can be harmful over longer periods of time while increasing concentrations require diminishing exposure times to be harmful.

CO detectors are designed to measure CO levels over time and sound an alarm before dangerous levels of CO accumulate in an environment, giving people adequate warning to safely ventilate the area or evacuate. All CO detectors should also be tested monthly. Remember, if your CO detector alarms, you should evacuate the structure and dial 9-1-1. The fire department will respond and investigate the cause of the alarm.

The City of Batavia Fire Department has a free smoke alarm and battery installation program.

According to Lt. Whitcombe, “We have installed hundreds of smoke alarms and batteries over the past 20 years and will continue to do so until everyone who needs them has them.”

For information about the free smoke alarm and battery installation program, City of Batavia residents should contact the City of Batavia Fire Department at (585) 345-6375.

Live Music Friday, March 25th, Red Creek 9:30pm - 1:30am! Stop in and try our lunch specials starting at $5.99 on Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. -- 3 p.m. or our famous breakfast specials on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 8 a.m. -- 1 p.m. Join the Mooney’s Mobile VIP Club now and get $5 off your purchase of $25 or more. Text MBG3 to 51660. Plus stay tuned for more inside offers and updates. Mooney’s Sports Bar & Grill, 65 Lake St., LeRoy, NY. 585-768-4949. Click here to visit our Facebook page.

The attorney for a Batavia man accused of rape is troubled by the wide range of potential dates for the alleged attack and would like District Attorney Lawrence Friedman to try and get the woman making the accusation to try and come closer to an exact date.

Establishing a more accurate date would enable attorney Clark Zimmermann to determine if his client has alibis for the time of the alleged rape.

Jason A. Armstrong Sr., is accused of anally raping a woman at a residence on South Main Street, Batavia, sometime between Nov. 6 and 10.

Zimmermann said it was good that the indictment was able to specify the alleged attack happened between 8 and 9 p.m. on whichever day it occurred, but Nov. 6 to Nov. 10 is rather wide range to accept without more effort to narrow it down.

"I would think an adult as the complainant is, would be able to further specify or narrow the time frame," Zimmermann told Judge Michael F. Pietruszka. "Right now we have five possible days between 8 and 9 that this event could have occurred."

Friedman said he is certainly willing to cooperate in working with the alleged victim in narrowing the time frame down, but given the fact that the complaint wasn't made until the end of December, the amount of time that had passed before she was interviewed, made it difficult for her to recall the exact date.

"While I would like to provide a precise date or more precise date, I'm simply unable to do that at this time," Friedman said.

Zimmermann said he would expect the woman would have some ability to use work records or other life records to help her recall and narrow the time frame. He said the woman was working some jobs off the books in November and perhaps knowing when and where she worked would help. He indicated he uncovered some of that information through is own investigations and offered to provide that information to Friedman.

Friedman said he would accept the information and attempt to use it to help the woman come up with a more precise time frame.

Armstrong was indicted by a grand jury on counts of criminal sexual act in the first degree and assault in the second degree for allegedly causing physical injury.

He's also indicted on a count of third-degree assault for allegedly causing physical injury to another person on or about Dec. 5 while at the same address, on South Main Street, as the alleged rape.

Zimmermann said he was still gathering evidence that might assist Armstrong in establishing alibis in both cases, including recorded phone messages left by one of the alleged victims.

Friedman objected that he had not yet received the evidence, despite filing a motion to receive it, and Zimmermann said that given the fact no trial date has been established yet, he still had time to gather the details and provide them in a timely manner.

"I certainly don't intend to sandbag him and I hope he doesn't do the same to me," Zimmermann said. "I think I've provided ample notice and if he disagrees, that's why we have you, Judge."

The case was set for another appearance on March 25, giving both sides more time to prepare their cases. At that time, if no plea deal is reached, Pietruszka will establish a plea cutoff date before setting a trial date.

There is a natural gas leak reported at Le Roy Junior/Senior High School.

Le Roy fire is on scene. Stafford, Bergen and Pavilion dispatched mutual aid.

About 20 minutes ago, Le Roy fire was dispatched to the school for a pull station alarm.

UPDATE 10:41 a.m.: Town of Batavia fire requested to fill in at Le Roy's fire hall. Pavilion, which was standing by, now called to the school, located at 9300 South Street Road, Le Roy.

Buffalo News: ‘Massive’ opportunity ahead for residential solar

An ambulance has been dispatched to Bank Street and Alva Place for the male victim of a stabbing.

Police are on scene. 

No further information available at this time.

UPDATE 9:55 p.m.: The stabbing victim was approached by two males at the 7-11 store parking lot on East Main Street and "asked to purchase something" but police would not specify what that was. When the victim pulled out some money, he was stabbed in the shoulder and the money was taken. The suspects fled north on Elm Street, but that is not a certainty; the victim is not from the area. The suspects are described as a light-skinned male and a dark-skinned male, both wearing hoodies, one of which was dark and one of which was gray, but the victim could not specify which person wore what color. The victim attemped to drive to the hospital, but ended up at Bank Street and Alva Place, where he found a police officer and flagged him down.

Open House this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.! Don't miss this lovely country home nestled on 4.66 acres in the Town of Pembroke. Ample counter-space and cabinetry await in the spacious kitchen. Convenient first floor laundry is just one of the highlights featured on this property. A large open family room, formal dining area, first floor bedroom, office, and half bath round out the first floor. Upstairs you'll find two more bedrooms and a full bath. The outdoor space boasts of two outbuildings, both complete with poured concrete floors and electric service. Two acres of underground electric pet fence make this a great property for animal lovers. The acreage includes trails and wooded land. MLS# R294048. Call Chuck Flynn at Nothnagle today at 716-860-2222.

Press release:

The Batavia Business and Professional Women's Club announces its annual scholarship and Community Service Awards and is calling for applications and letters requesting consideration, respectively.

The BBPW has been giving scholarships since 1961. The number and amount of the scholarships given is dependent on the club’s annual fundraiser.  Scholarships are given for high school seniors as well as a returning student from Genesee Community College and two students from Genesee Valley Educational Partnership.

Applications and all required information must be postmarked by April 9th.

Qualifications:

• Genesee County High School Senior (male or female);
• Maintained an 85-percent average;
• Complete one-page application (https://bataviabpw.wordpress.com/scholarship/bbpw-scholarship-application-2016/ or seek out the school guidance counselor as they have been provided with the information as well);
• Attach a letter of recommendation from a school staff member;
• Submit a personal essay discussing their achievements and future goals;
• Submit an essay from a parent.

Mail all required information with the application to:

Batavia Business and Professional Women’s Club

Attention: Scholarship Committee

P.O. Box 1778

Batavia, NY 14021

The BBPW also offers monetary awards for Service Groups in June.

Letters requesting consideration for Service Awards must be postmarked by April 22nd.

Qualifications:

• Please share with your local service groups that they need to send a short letter requesting to be considered for our Service Award on service group letterhead to:

Batavia Business & Professions Womens’ Club

Service Award

P.O. Box 1778

Batavia, NY 14021 

Any questions, contact Brenda Miller at bchapell1@hotmail.com

Press release:

The Genesee County Fair announced today that seven $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to current New York State high school seniors and also students enrolled in college.

The New York State Association of Agricultural Fairs (NYSAAF) and the New York State Showpeople’s Association (NYSSA) sponsor the scholarships.

The qualifying students must be active at the Genesee County Fair or The New York State Showpeople’s Association. All applicants from Genesee County must submit their applications through the Genesee County Fair or the New York State Showpleople’s Association no later than Friday, April 8.

Information is available through the Genesee County Fair at (585) 344-2424, through Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County and from local high school offices. Applications must be printed and completed from the Web at www.nysfairs.org.

For more information, contact the Genesee County Fair Office at (585) 344-2424.

Students from eight area high schools were at Genesee Community College today to show off their sales and marketing skills in a virtual trade fair sponsored by the Accelerated College Enrollment (ACE) program.

The students applied skills they learned in their classrooms to try and convince others to buy their products using virtual credit cards. Students were required to interact with potential buyers by making pitches, showing off catalogs and demonstrating their products. The transactions were recorded and receipts deposited in virtual bank accounts. Students are judged on sales skills and sales results. The top three businesses were to receive awards.

Particpating schools were Batavia, Dansville, Elba, Le Roy (two teams), Livonia, Notre Dame and there was a team from Wyoming County.

Also coming up are the annual Tech Wars, which is March 17, starting at 9:30 a.m.

Press release:

The Batavia City School District is pleased to offer the Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) Program for students and will continue to operate the program in the 2016-2017 school year, pending New York State funding.

UPK provides an opportunity for 4-year-old children, at no cost to their families, to be involved in developmentally appropriate educational classes that, following the regular school calendar, meet Monday through Friday during the school year. Since its implementation, the District has provided a half-day program, with a choice of either morning or afternoon sessions.

Children who are residents of the District and who are 4 years of age on or before Dec. 1, 2016, are eligible to apply. Applications are available at the District’s Business Office in the administrative wing of Batavia High School (260 State St.), or by calling 343-2480, ext. 1002.

They also can be downloaded and printed out from the District’s Web site (www.bataviacsd.org) by using the pull-down menu at the top of the page labeled “Parent,” or the Quick Link labeled “Parent Resources,” then clicking on the box labeled “Registering a Student” which links to the Web page with general registration information as well as, under Related Files, the UPK information packet.

Applications should be returned by June 3.

Please note that if the YMCA is selected once again to be the community-based organization to provide UPK, they offer additional “wraparound” programs consisting of Child Watch in the morning (followed by UPK from12:30-3 p.m.), then School Aged Child Care afterward. While there is no charge for UPK, there is a charge for the morning Child Watch and afternoon Child Care programs.

Requests for placement in specific location or times is not guaranteed for either the District program or for the community-based organization that is providing a UPK program.

If there are more applicants than openings, a lottery system will be used to place as many children as possible, with the rest being placed on a waiting list. Likewise, late applications will be accepted and placed on a waiting list if there are no openings.

Jason E. Hammond, 34, of Ross Street, Batavia, is charged with felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, speed not reasonable and moving from lane unsafely. Hammond was arrested following a single-vehicle accident at 2:24 a.m. Sunday on Liberty Street, Batavia. Hammond's vehicle hit a utility pole and flipped over. The accident was investigated by Officer Felicia DeGroot. Hammond was ordered held without bail. (Previous coverage).

Victoria M. Fleck, 22, of Wood Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree harassment and criminal obstruction of breathing. Fleck was arrested following a reported domestic incident at 11:45 p.m., Sunday. Fleck was held on $750 bail.

Timothy J. Becker, 51, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree harassment. Becker was allegedly involved in a domestic incident at 11:30 p.m., Saturday.

Matthew Joseph Engert, 24, of Geddes Street, Holley, is charged with aggravated harassment. 2nd. Engert was arrested on a warrant stemming from a criminal complaint reported at 11:22 p.m., Nov. 2. No further details released. Engert was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Donald Robert Rock, 58, of Judge Road, Oakfield, is charged with felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, failure to keep right and driving left of pavement markings. Rock was stopped at 11:29 p.m. Friday on Kelsey Road, Batavia, by Deputy Ryan DeLong.

Jason William Penny, 31, of Maple Lane, Susquehanna, Pa., is charged with petit larceny. Penny is accused of shoplifting at Target.

New York Times: Don’t Post About Me on Social Media, Children Say

Press release:

Today is Small Business Day in Albany, and Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) is touting New York’s small businesses as one of the driving forces of our state’s economy and pledged his support as budget negotiations heat up this month. Hawley has been a small-business owner for more than four decades and continually advocates to keep profits local and cut taxes and regulations.

“I know firsthand what it takes to succeed in New York’s suffocating business environment,” Hawley said. “Our state is continually ranked last or close to last in terms of business friendliness and economic outlook and that is unacceptable. I know many small-business owners personally and I can attest to their heart and determination to provide a great life for their families and strengthen their communities by hiring local employees.

"As we head into budget negotiations, I plan to advocate for the hard-working men and women of the business community to make New York a better place for us all.”

Hawley, a staunch opponent of the governor’s planned $15 an hour minimum wage, offered some insight into what impact that will have on small businesses.

“A $15 minimum wage, as proposed by the governor, is the wrong approach for New York,” Hawley said. “The minimum wage is already slated to increase each year for the next several years. Only in New York State do we receive a raise and then complain that it’s not good enough. This measure will kill hundreds of thousands of jobs, according to the Empire Center, and force businesses to relocate to other states.

Le Roy’s Wolcott Street School was evacuated as a precaution this morning, due to a “strange odor” in the building, Principal Carol Messura said.

No one was in danger at any time, Messura said in an automated message to parents, and school will resume as normal on Wednesday.

“This morning we experienced a strange odor permeating through the Lapp wing and first floor of our Wolcott Street building,” Messura said in the message this evening.

“This was not a natural gas leak,” she said. “What we did find was a venting problem. At no time was anyone in danger. We were simply following protocol.”

The evacuation was ordered before the start of school, and parents were notified at 8:55 a.m. Arriving students were either “reverse-bused” home, dismissed to their parents or transported to the Junior-Senior High School.

Le Roy Fire Department and RG&E personnel investigated, and gave the all-clear about 10 a.m.

Wolcott Street School accommodates children from prekindergarten through sixth grade.

Previous coverage: Le Roy elementary school evacuated

The Alexander High School Drama Club presents "Big Fish: A Musical" this weekend.

Showtimes are 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m., Sunday.

Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for seniors and students, pre-sale, and $10 for adults and $7 for seniors and students at the door. Children 5 and under can attend for free.

Photos are from yesterday's rehearsal.

Last fall, the folks at the YMCA were looking at remodeling their aging facility on East Main Street. Time has taken its toll and what started out as a project that might need a few hundred thousand dollars soon ballooned into a $3 million estimate.

At that price, Executive Director Rob Walker said, maybe it was time for the Y to look for a partner. 

YMCAs in other communities found ready partners in local hospitals, so Walker, in his job for a little over a year, called Dan Ireland, CEO of United Memorial Medical Center, also in his job for a little over a year, and asked for a meeting.

It was a meeting of the minds.

Ireland was already thinking it would make a lot of sense for the hospital to partner in the Y. The missions align and the two nonprofit organizations share property lines.

The logical conclusion, build a new building that would meet the needs of both the Y and UMMC.  

The hospital owns property on three sides of the way, including the location of Cary Hall and the vacant lot (formerly the Elks Lodge) next to it. It would make a lot of sense, Walker and Ireland surmised, to build something new on that land and take the current Y building down.

A task force was formed, chaired by Mark Schoell, the retired CEO of UMMC, and including people such as City Manager Jason Molino, County Manager Jay Gsell, economic development coordinator Julie Pacatte and business leaders such as John Riter, of Merrill Lynch.

The planning process took another step forward today with a community forum, consisting of about 80 invited community leaders from throughout Genesee County, at City Church's Generation Center on Center Street.

Walker is quick to point out that the Y and UMMC are in the very early stages of the process, just pre-planning, but he and Ireland are pretty clearly enthusiastic about the idea.

"The level of cooperation and spirit of collaboration between the Y and the hospital has been fun, enjoyable and something that is going to be transformative," Walker said.

It's a great opportunity improve the level of health and well-being services for the people of Genesee County, Ireland said.

"Cary Hall is aging and needs work," Ireland said. "The Y is aged and needs work. We have a tremendous plot of land with parking and those buildings; we could really do a lot if we collectively come out with the right thing. The benefit to the hospital is new space so we can offer greater service.

This morning's forum was facilitated by Mary Ellen and Rick Peterson, both from the national YMCA office.  

The 80 or so participants were assigned groups of five or six people with a facilitator who helped guide the discussion and wrote group thoughts and ideas on white sheets of paper. The groups were asked to take about 12 minutes on each of five questions, such as what challenges the community faces, how those challenges can best be met, what can be done locally to help families, and how can personal well-being issues be addressed.

All of those sheets of paper -- dozens and dozens of them -- were gathered up after the meeting and the task force will now review them and use them to produce a report by May or June on how the Y and UMMC can best meet community needs and what should go into a joint facility to meet those needs.

"We can't just take the Y in Rochester or the Y in Buffalo and take a cookie cutter and drop it in Batavia," Walker said. "All the stuff that is in this room right now, on the walls, this is what we're going to take and make spaces to meet those needs. We don't know what it's going to look like, but it's going to be pretty."

Walker said the task force will also be able to draw on needs assessments completed by other area agencies over the past few years, such as the Office for the Aging, Health Department, school district and United Way.

The applause line of the morning came from one gentleman sitting at the back of the room who pointed out the participants were all white, and mostly close in age. He suggested there needs to be some needs assessments from a group with greater diversity and representing a broader range of community members.

Both Walker and Ireland said the gentleman's comment was right on target and that there were people invited who could bring greater diversity, but they didn't show, so there will be some follow up with them.  

"We recognize the need to strengthen the task force so there is an equal representation," Ireland said.

Walker was clearly energized by the morning's discussion and believes if all of these plans come together into a real project, it will transform Downtown, transform Batavia and, in fact, all of Genesee County.

"Today was pretty inspirational for me," Walker said. "The minds, the passion here for Batavia; it's a proud community. We have tremendous potential to make this projection transformational and make Batavia a destination city."

Saturday, the Genesee County Chamber of Comemrce held its annual awards banquet at the Clarion Hotel in Batavia.

Pictured are award recipients, back row: Jay Gsell, Tracy Miller, Pete Zeliff, Matt Ryan, Jeff Post, John Post and Rob Walker; front row: Pamela McCarthy, Loretta Miller, Susie Boyce, Meg Ryan and Shelley Falitico.

Photo courtesy the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce.
Photo by Mark Gutman/Daily News.

For coverage of the award winners:

• Chamber Awards: Post Dairy Farms honored for excellence, advocacy
• Chamber Awards: Susie Boyce -- 'fair-minded, dependable and tireless'
• Chamber Awards: Barry Miller had outsized impact on community
• Chamber Awards: the New p.w. minor steps forward one shoe at a time
• Chamber Awards: Guthrie Heli Arc is growing its customer base, and now sells Primo grills, too
• Chamber Awards: Even after 23 years, Jay Gsell's passion for his government job remains strong
• Chamber Awards: Whether dancing or shooting hoops, Challenger Program helps disabled children do more

A motor-vehicle accident with injuries is reported in front of Jan's Smoke Shop, 383 Bloomingdale Road, Alabama. The occupants are conscious and alert. It is blocking traffic. Alabama Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 12:46 p.m.: One patient is being transported to Mercy Hospital of Buffalo.

Contractors for National Grid are busy this week along Oak Street removing trees that have become increasingly misshapen over the years by trimming meant to keep utility lines clear of obstructions. The trees will be replaced by species that aren't expected to interfer with the utility lines.