NYS Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs Special Prosecutor Patricia E. Gunning announced an employee of the NYS School for the Blind in Batavia was arrested Feb. 21 for harassing and endangering three children in his care.

Kenneth L. Darch, 57, of Hutchins Street, Batavia, is charged with three counts of endangering the welfare of a child in the second degree, a Class A misdemeanor, and two counts of harassment in the second degree -- with physical contact, a violation.

The charges stem from an investigation into an incident on July 28 in which the defendant allegedly struck two of the children on an outing to Blondie's Sip-n-Dip, an ice cream/yogurt stand on East Main Street in Batavia, and used abusive language against them. The defendant additionally is alleged to have taunted all three by directing their bus driver to take them to the local jail, with the threat of incarceration.

The NYS School for the Blind is operated by the State Education Department. Darch, a recreation therapist, was arraigned before Judge Robert Balbick of Batavia City Court and is scheduled to reappear in court March 7. Darch has been placed on administrative leave.

“People with special needs should never be intimidated, frightened or harassed by the very people who are responsible for caring for them,” said Special Prosecutor Gunning. “This case came to light because a conscientious employee witnessed the alleged abuse and reported it. We are grateful to those who step up and call out workers who choose to taunt and threaten children instead of doing their jobs, like this defendant is alleged to have done.”

Supervising Assistant Special Prosecutor Jennifer A. Whitman is prosecuting the case. Batavia Police Officer Marc Lawrence handled the case, with assistance from the Justice Center.

The Oakfield Historical Museum will theme their 2017 exhibits in honor of the town's 175th anniversary. As you'll learn in this short clip, the museum showcases a large variety of history including the town's Native American heritage and mining roots.

Your visit is always welcome -- call 585-948-5901 for a personal tour! Oakfield Historical Society, 7 Maple Ave., Oakfield; 585-259-4145.

Visit www.VisitGeneseeNY.com to learn more about Genesee County's unique attractions.

Le Roy opened its bid for a 2017 Section V title with a convincing win over Holley, 59-35.

Canyon Roster scored 14 points for Le Roy. Josh Laurie had 13 and Ryan Boyce, 11.

Holly's Dylan Hillabush led all scorers with 17 points. 

Press release:

The Genesee Valley Educational Partnership recently celebrated the graduation of 28 students from its School of Nursing program.

This class graduated 22 students with high honors – a 90-percent or above average.  Students took part in this 12-month, 1,200-clock hour Licensed Practical Nursing program that is certified by the New York State Education Department.

The program is designed to prepare graduates for the NCLEX-PN Examination for licensure as a Licensed Practical Nurse. It is offered at three different site locations: Batavia, Greece and Leicester. 

For more information about this program, contact the Adult Education/School of Practical Nursing at (585) 344-7788.​

The Alexander Trojans were impressive from the start in their first sectional game of the season, taking an early lead in the first quarter and maintaining it for the rest of the game.

Letchworth attempted to claw its way back into the game throughout the second half, however were unable to do so due to several blocked shots by Alexander's Erik Scharlau on defense. Leading scorers for Alexander were Dustin Schmieder (19 points), Matt Geneway (16 points), and Chris McClinic (14 points). 

Photos by Destin Danser Photography. Click here to view the complete gallery and purchase prints. 

Class B

• #7 Midlakes 60, #10 Attica 37 FINAL

Class C1

• #4 Le Roy 69, #13 Holley 35 FINAL 

Class C2

• #5 Byron-Bergen 70, #12 Canisteo-Greenwood 36 FINAL
• #6 Alexander 61, #11 Letchworth 50 FINAL

Class C3

• #5 Pavilion 69, #12 Keshequa 36 FINAL

Class D1

• #9 Lyndonville 63, #8 Honeoye 59 FINAL
• #3 Mt. Morris 62, #14 Wheatland-Chili 36 FINAL
• #11 Notre Dame 69, Jasper-Troupsburg 67 FINAL

Girls Basketball

Class A2

• #8 Batavia 67, #9 NE Douglas 46 FINAL

A Bergen resident is reportedly in guarded condition at Strong Memorial Hospital after a hunting accident yesterday in the Town of Sweden.

Robert Williams, 32, of Peachy Road, Bergen, was reportedly in a field on Lake Road, Sweden, when he was shot in the abdomen by a coyote hunter.

Brett Blackburn, 46, of Sweden, has been charged with assault, 2nd.

According to authorities, Blackburn and his son were hunting at about 6:30 p.m. Monday when they observed movement in the field. Blackburn used a light to illuminate the area of movement. He said he observed light and thought the reflection to be the eyes of a coyote. Blackburn reportedly fired his rifle and then heard someone yell. 

Blackburn assisted Williams while his son ran to a nearby residence to call 9-1-1.

When Monroe County deputies arrived at the location on foot, they observed Williams on the ground and Blackburn rendering aid. Town of Sweden fire arrived on scene along with EMS personnel and evacuated Williams to a waiting ambulance.

Blackburn, of Covell Road, was arraigned in Sweden Town Court and bail was set at $1,500 cash or $5,000 bond. He is no longer in custody.

Our news partner 13WHAM assisted with this story.

Ascension Parish in Batavia will host its annual Saint Joseph Day Table beginning at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 19.

This year the event is open to the general public and the funds raised will be used for the ministry and outreach done by Ascension Parish on behalf of the community. According to its pastor, Fr. David R. Glassmire, the parish seeks to "give back to the community for the goodness the Lord has shown to us by caring for the poor in our midst."

The traditional Italian feast will be held in the parish's Slomba Hall, 15 Sumner St. Bing’s Catering of Amherst is in charge of the food. A seven-course meal will be served family style to include: antipasti, bread, fish, greens and beans, smelt, pasta con sarde, along with a cash bar and wine available for your table. A children's menu will include mac and cheese, pizza and finger foods.

Music and Entertainment by Steve Balestreri. 

COST: $25 per adult, $12.50 per child.

Seating is limited!

HOW TO OBTAIN TICKETS: Call the Parish Office at 585-343-1796 to reserve your table; families and businesses welcome.

You may also pre-pay and buy your tickets online at: www.ascensionrcc.weshareonline.com. Please note: There is a service fee for this option!

Tickets are pre-sale only. There will be NO SALES the day of the event or AT THE DOOR! Cash or Check ONLY. Make Checks Payable to: Ascension Parish.

Press release:

The Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Center at United Memorial Medical Center has been recognized with a national award for clinical excellence.

Leaders, physicians and clinicians gathered will gather Wednesday (Feb. 22) to celebrate the Center of Distinction award, which was given to the Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Center by Healogics, the nation’s leading and largest wound care management company.

The Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Center achieved outstanding clinical outcomes for 12 consecutive months, including patient satisfaction higher than 92 percent, and a wound healing rate of at least 91 percent in less than 31 median days. Out of 630 Centers eligible for the Center of Distinction award, 334 achieved this honor in 2017.

The Wound Care Center is a member of the Healogics network of nearly 800 Centers, with access to benchmarking data and proven experience treating approximately 2.5 million chronic wounds. UMMC’s Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Center offers highly specialized wound care to patients suffering from diabetic ulcers, pressure ulcers, infections and other chronic wounds which have not healed in a reasonable amount of time.

Some of the leading-edge treatments offered at the Wound Care Center include negative pressure wound therapy, debridement, application of cellular-based tissue or skin substitutes to the wound, offloading or total contact casts and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Lisa Albanese, program director, announced the achievement.

“This is the first time the Center has earned this award in our five year history," Albanese said. "It was truly a team accomplishment that demonstrates the Center’s commitment to excellence for our patients, the community and to our hospital partners. We have an exceptional team, from the front office, nurses and technicians, to our physicians.”

Submitted photos and press release:

Picone Construction has completed Alexander Central School District’s $6.8 million capital improvement project, which addressed energy efficiency upgrades, health and safety improvements, and site work at both the elementary and middle/high schools.

Alexander Elementary School improvements involved the reconstruction and/or replacement of: flooring, exterior masonry, mechanical systems, electrical components, hazardous materials, playground equipment and associated site work, pavement, drainage, and miscellaneous other repairs.

Alexander Middle/High School work included the reconstruction and/or replacement of: roofing systems, pool area and system components, interior and exterior masonry, egress pathways, mechanical systems, electrical components, hazardous materials, running track and associated site work, pavement, drainage, and miscellaneous other repairs.

The Architect of Record is SEI Design Group.

Picone Construction Corp. has been providing Professional Construction Services to the Western New York area since 1931. The firm specializes in general contracting, construction management, design / build, and facility services.

Press release:

Tickets are still available for the 15th Annual Celebrate Agriculture Dinner which will take place at 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 18, at the Alexander Fire Hall.

This annual event is a celebration of Genesee County’s number one industry – Agriculture. The highlight of the night is a delicious meal using locally produced foods prepared by Penna’s Catering. The dinner is open to the public.

Tickets can be purchased at the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, 8276 Park Road, Batavia. Tickets are $30 each or a table of 10 can be purchased for $275. Sponsorships are also available which help support agriculture educational events in Genesee County. Only 400 tickets will be sold. Tickets will not be available at the door.

The Celebrate Ag Dinner is coordinated by the following partners: Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County, Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, Genesee County Soil & Water Conservation District and Genesee County Farm Bureau.

For ticket information contact the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce at 585-343-7440, ext. 1027, or chamber@geneseeny.com.

Submitted photos and press release:

Pembroke Fire District and Akron Fire Company joined forces Feb. 20th to train on each other's equipment.

Chief Jamie Waff, of Pembroke, and Chief Todd Pfeiffer, of Akron, stressed the importance of teamwork between neighboring departments, especially during calls where mutual aid is required, such as with structure fires and MCIs.

Both departments look forward to continued training in the future. Volunteer fire departments statewide are in urgent need of members. Please consider volunteering today!

Submitted photo and press release:

Batavia resident and International Peace Garden Foundation President Paula Savage, recently returned from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where she participated in the dedication of the 2017 International Peace Garden located at the Vallarta Botanical Garden.

Mexico was nominated for the honor because of its substantial contributions to the UN in areas such as peaceful settlement of disputes, struggle against apartheid, promotion of disarmament and halting of climate change. Puerto Vallarta is known to be a leader in Mexico for respecting diversity of cultures and human rights.

Savage said “It was a unanimous decision to select the Vallarta Botanical Garden to convey the message of world peace believing the Botanical Garden of Vallarta is a place of calm, comfort and healing of body, mind and spirit."

Inclusion and unification was the message of the day. During the dedication ceremonies on Feb. 16th several representatives from the interfaith community addressed the audience with wide praise for the mission of the International Peace Garden Foundation.

The new International Peace Garden adorns the slope that rises toward the entrance of the recently constructed Chapel of multiple doctrines. The Chapel is a replica of the well-known Franciscan mission in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. The plants, together with Mexican wildflowers, represent the Mediterranean region of the Holy Land, a geographical region that gave birth to some of the most prolific religions in the world. Bob Price, curator of the Vallarta Botanical Garden “the intention is to cultivate them harmoniously, to create a sanctuary for prayer and meditation without disturbance.”

The International Peace Garden Foundation is a charitable organization established to advance global friendship through the creation of worldwide Peace Gardens. Since 1990 these Peace Gardens span five continents. Residents and visitors to our community have enjoyed the Batavia Peace Garden since it opened in 2011 to celebrate 200 years of friendship with Canada.

The Batavia Peace Garden flies the flags of all the recipient countries and is registered as an Honorary International Peace Garden. There are nine Honorary International Peace Gardens in New York State along the Bicentennial Peace Garden Trail. More information about the Foundation can be obtained by visiting www.ipgf.org.

Press release:

 Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) announced today that he has written a letter to the Speaker of the Assembly, Carl Heastie (D-Bronx), strongly encouraging the full funding of libraries in this year’s budget. Gov. Cuomo has proposed to cut $4 million from library aid in his Executive Budget proposal. Sixty legislators from around the state, including Hawley, have signed onto the letter.

“…According to libraries in my district, New York State Education Law requires Library Aid for FY 2017-18 to be $102.6 million…the current level, a reduction of $4 million, at $91.6 million, places library aid at 2000 funding levels,” Hawley wrote “...Our constituents, who range from toddlers to the elderly, depend significantly on the services provided by our libraries. We are sure you would agree that each and every New Yorker should be afforded equal access to the Internet, ESL courses, and literacy classes offered by our libraries.”

Hawley, a strong proponent of community libraries, argues that libraries are essential to providing students and adults, especially in rural areas, with access to broadband internet and other educational resources and strengthen the communities in which they are based.

“Libraries are one of those unique public resources that can be used by everyone and offer a plethora of educational and leisure opportunities that help to enrich our society and create a stronger, more educated New York State,” Hawley said.

“Local libraries often serve as public meeting spaces for various local groups, provide classes, videos, books, high-speed Internet access and research materials for students. One of the cornerstones of our advanced society is the ability to explore through education, and we mustn’t hinder that ability.”

The Elba Central School Drama Club is presenting the musical "Hello, Dolly!" this weekend.

The show opens at 7 p.m., Friday. Additional performances are at 2 and 7 p.m., Saturday, in the school auditorium.

Tickets are $6 for students and seniors and $8 for adults. Tickets available at DailyNewsTickets.com, Roxy's Music Store, and at the door before the show.

Billy Joe Trantham, 78, of Bloomingdale Road, Alabama, is charged with forcible touching. On Feb. 18, following the investigation of a sex offense that allegedly occurred in the Town of Alabama, Trantham was arrested. He allegedly touched the intimate parts of another person without the person's consent. He was released on an appearance ticket and is to be in Alabama Town Court at 2 p.m. on March 2. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Travis DeMuth, assisted by Deputy Kevin Forsyth.

A complaint that a vehicle allegedly ran another vehicle off the road almost causing an accident, on Route 19 in Le Roy, led to a traffic stop of 32-year-old Brandon S. Beil, of 6370 Hawks Road, Pavilion by the Le Roy Police Department. The complaint was received on Saturday Feb. 18 about 7 p.m., at which time the Le Roy Police Department started looking for Beil’s vehicle and located it on Clay Street where the vehicle stop was initiated. During the stop, it was determined that Beil was allegedly intoxicated; he was uncooperative during the arrest process and allegedly struggled with the officers at the scene. Beil allegedly refused all field testing and the chemical test. Beil was charged with one count each of inadequate head lights, felony driving while intoxicated (with previous conviction within 10 Years), refusal to take the breath test, failure to keep right and resisting arrest. Beil was arraigned before the Le Roy Town Court and committed to the Genesee County Jail in lieu of $5,000 cash bail.     

Next month, nearly a year after he was arrested and accused of menacing a police officer, Bill Thomas will find out when his jury trial on the two felony charges against him begins.

Thomas withdrew his prior guilty plea to a count of criminal possession of a weapon, 3rd, today. He was also charged with menacing a police officer, a Class D violent felony.

He was arrested March 16. He will next appear in court on March 13.

In the intervening months, he's been through three attorneys, was about to start a jury trial but then entered a guilty plea on the day the trial was supposed to start, then at his first sentencing date, tried to withdraw his plea. That wasn't allowed and then again, last week, appeared for sentencing only to learn from Judge Michael Mohun that there was a procedural error by the court when his guilty plea was accepted.

Thomas was given time to confer with his attorney, his family and think over his options, which included withdrawing his plea and taking his case to a jury or sticking with his guilty plea and accepting whatever sentence Mohun might impose.

This afternoon, Mohun granted Thomas his request to withdraw his prior guilty plea.

Attorney Jamie Welch said he doesn't discuss ongoing cases and declined to say why Thomas decided to withdraw his plea.

One salient fact that came out last week at the sentencing hearing, before Mohun put a stop to it, was that even though Officer Peter Flanigan said he was threatened by Thomas while Thomas was holding a knife, there was no knife recovered on or near Thomas after he was arrested.

Four hours after the confrontation, Thomas was found to have a BAC of .22 and said he had few memories of events that early morning on State Street, but maintained he wouldn't have threatened a police officer, according to statements Welch made in court last week.

The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office filed charges Feb. 16 against Nicole K. Sullivan in relation to a one-car accident that occurred during the early morning hours of June 10.

Sullivan, 31, of Perry, is charged with: falsely reporting an incident in the third degree; unlicensed operator of a motor vehicle; aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the third degree; operation of an unregistered motor vehicle; failure to notify the Department of Motor Vehicles of change in address; no seat belt; and driving left of pavement markings.

On June 10, at approximately 2:25 a.m., an accident on Fargo Road, Stafford, was reported. When deputies arrived on the scene, they say they found a male, later identified as Zachery W. Schwartz, 20, unresponsive in the vehicle and a female, Sullivan, on the front porch at a nearby home.

At the time, Sullivan told officers that there was a third occupant, who was driving the car, and fled the scene, traveling north on Fargo Road.

Schwartz was flown via Mercy Flight 5 to Strong Memorial Hospital, Rochester, for extensive head injuries. Sullivan was taken via Mercy ambulance to Strong for head and leg injuries.

Fire personnel conducted a thorough search on foot of the surrounding areas using FLIR Technology (thermal imaging) in an attempt to locate the unknown driver involved in the crash. The New York State Police assisted by maintaining a roving perimeter of the area. Area hospitals were also notified to call the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office if they received any potential car accident patients.

Approximately three hours after the accident was reported, Sullivan admitted to police that she and Schwartz were the only occupants in the vehicle and she was the driver.

The charges stem from the allegation that Sullivan was in fact the driver of the car at the time of the collision and she gave false information concerning the details of the incident. It is further alleged that there was not an unknown driver of the car who fled the scene as originally reported by Sullivan.

Assisting at the scene of the accident included Stafford, Batavia, and Le Roy fire departments, Genesee County Emergency Management, and Mercy medics.

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