A larceny has been reported in the area of Burger King in Batavia.

The suspect took the caller's phone and ran.

Last seen at 23 Oak St., Batavia.

Maybe running toward Burger King.

The suspect is a black male wearing a black hoodie and sweatpants.

UPDATE 11:18 a.m.: A police officer is following possible tracks on Holland Avenue.

Folks from Arc of Genesee Orleans were among the first to show up this morning with gifts for the annual Salvation Army toy drive at Ken Barrett's Chevrolet and supported by WBTA.

To donate new, unwrapped toys, head over to Ken Barrett's on West Main Street, Batavia, by 4 p.m.

This is the 23rd year WBTA has sponsored and supported the toy drive.

H.E. Turner Funeral Homes hosted its annual service of remembrance for local residents who lost a loved one during the past year last night at Grace Baptist Church in Batavia.

Rev. Bill Hockey, above, delivered the message for the service, and Pastor Jeffrey Bartz, below, read Bible passages of the Christmas Story.

Press release:

Sheriff William A. Sheron Jr. recently announced that he has promoted Investigator Joseph M. Graff to Chief Deputy – Road Patrol, taking the place of Chief Deputy Gordon L. Dibble who is retiring on Dec. 30.

Chief Graff has been in law enforcement since 1999, starting his career as a Probation Officer for Genesee County. On Feb. 28, 2004, he became a Deputy Sheriff with the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office. He was awarded the Joseph Stebelein Memorial Award and the Academic Achievement Award for Exemplary Achievement at his basic academy graduation. In 2015, Joe was promoted to Investigator. He is a current member of the Emergency Response Team; is a field training officer; and is an instructor for firearms, TASER, ASP, and OC Spray.  Chief Graff has been awarded two meritorious awards, one commendation, and was selected as Officer of the Year in 2007.    

Chief Graff is a Batavia native and a 1991 graduate of Notre Dame High School. In 1995, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics, with a minor in Management Finance, from St. John Fisher. He resides in Genesee County with his wife, Erin, and their three daughters.  

“Chief Graff is a dedicated, professional officer who is well respected within the law enforcement community,” Sheriff Sheron said. “I am honored to have him join the administrative team of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office.”

Clean Cut Barbershop in the City of Batavia is offering $5 off a haircut from Dec. 12-16 IF you donate a new, unwrapped toy or gift suitable for a child age 6 months to 16 years old.

The donations received will benefit the nonprofit Hillside Children's Center in Batavia (located at 50 City Centre).

Bring your donation to the city's newest barbershop at 466 Ellicott St.

Co-owner Joey Williams says the guys there are "always looking to spread love in the city and do positive things for kids."

The event that starts next Tuesday will add to their list of good deeds, which also includes giving away back-to-school supplies, breast cancer awareness month events, customer appreciation days and more.

"We want to make this event as big and impactful as possible," Williams says.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) announced today that the 2017 Charitable Gaming Act has been delivered to Gov. Cuomo for his approval or veto.

The bipartisan measure, ushered through the Legislature this spring, provides a host of benefits to charitable organizations and nonprofits that hold raffles and fundraisers across the state. Hawley has been fighting for this bill to become law ever since the cancellation of the Stafford Fire Department’s classic car raffle.

“Gov. Cuomo now has the unilateral power to do what is right for the tens of thousands of churches, fire departments, nonprofits and charitable organizations that raise money to support themselves or help the less fortunate throughout our state,” Hawley said.

"“I would like to thank Sen. Patrick Gallivan (R-Elma), Sen. Rob Ortt (R-North Tonawanda) and Sen. Michael Ranzenhofer (R-Amherst) for championing this bill in the Senate and Assemblyman Robin Schimminger (D-Buffalo) for introducing this legislation in the Assembly.

"Although I was a prime co-sponsor in the house, this was truly collaboration and I thank all of my legislative colleagues for their diligence. I call on the governor to sign this bill into law immediately and back the dedicated men and women who are handcuffed by these archaic statutes.”

Join Assemblyman Hawley in calling on Gov. Cuomo to sign the Charitable Gaming Act into law by calling or writing the governor’s office at:

518-474-8390

The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo

Governor of New York State

NYS State Capitol Building

Albany, NY 12224

Press release:

The first community meeting to gather public input on Batavia’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) will be held at City Hall, One Batavia City Centre, Batavia, at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 14.

Those in attendance will be provided with information on the DRI followed by a hands-on, interactive public workshop. The purpose of the workshop is to identify potential transformative redevelopment strategies that will provide long-term community and economic benefits for Downtown Batavia.

This is an opportunity for residents and businesses in the community to provide feedback and help plan the future of Downtown Batavia. The DRI Local Planning Committee would like to know what you love about Downtown Batavia, what draws you downtown today, and what amenities would bring you downtown more often.

This effort builds upon existing plans and projects, including the City’s Comprehensive Master Plan and the Batavia Opportunity Area Plan.

The workshop is the first in a series of three DRI public participation meetings that will be held over the next four months.

Future public meetings will focus on a review of the goals and strategies developed by the DRI Local Planning Committee as well as a review of potential projects. 

In October, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced that the City of Batavia will receive $10 million in funding and investments as the Finger Lakes winner of the second round of the DRI.

Braelynn Cook, 4, received a free scarf from Leanne Mullen, owner of Tahoe Pines Custom Sewing and Design, yesterday during the St. Nick’s Christmas Bazaar at the Manor House.

This was the first year the Manor House hosted the bazaar and Braelynn was there with her mother, another vendor, and Mullen thought she deserved a scarf​ for being a good girl during the event.

The bazaar was open to the community as well as Manor House residents to help with Christmas shopping.

When 25-year-old Nikki McMahon’s grandmother was reaching retirement, she decided last month to take over Parson’s Place, a Christian book and gifts store her grandmother started in Attica.

Sally Harding, McMahon’s grandmother, launched the business in 1991. It's located at 11157 Alexander Road on Route 98. McMahon started working for her grandmother during busy seasons and breaks during schooling.

“I’ve been around Parson’s Place my whole life,” McMahon said. “I wanted to see this place go on. I didn’t want to see it end with her.”

McMahon has traveled to Europe, lived in North Carolina and Florida for a period of time, but grew up in Attica, down the street from her grandmother.

After taking over the business, McMahon decided that she wanted to create more of an online presence for the store.

“I’ve been posting on Facebook more,” McMahon said. “We are also on Google now. So, when you search ‘Christian Book Stores’ Parson’s Place shows up. It’s been helping a lot.”

More things are also being added online to their website, located here, including an online store.

“I’m hoping we have a more thriving online store eventually,” McMahon said.

McMahon is trying to think outside the box with advertising and other things to get the word out about the store. An open house was held a couple weeks ago, which was popular, McMahon said.

“I’m just hoping to bring in some newer things,” McMahon said. “I’m focusing on inspirational gifts rather than books. Even though we do still have the books, the gifts are more popular right now. I want to bring the influence of the next generation into the store.”

McMahon said being a young business owner is a lot more work than she anticipated.

“Honestly, it’s great working for myself,” McMahon said. “It's rewarding and I love talking to customers that come into the store.”

Parson’s Place is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

“My grandma opened this store as a source of inspiration in ministry for Western New York,” McMahon said. “I intend to do the same for as long as I can.”

Zoe A. McClure, 48, of Bank Street, Batavia, is charged with identity theft, 2nd. McClure is accused of opening a credit card account in the name of another person and using that card to charge more than $500. McClure was arraigned in City Court and released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

William Gordon Schultz Sr., 43, no permanent address, is charged with petit larceny. Schultz is accused of shoplifting from Walmart at 3:20 a.m. Wednesday. He was jailed on $250 bail, $2,000 bond. Schultz was also arrested on a warrant for an unspecified violation of a family court act. He was jailed on $250 bail, $2,000 bond on this charge.

Samuel R. Thompson, 62, of York Street, Rochester, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th. Thompson is accused of writing on the outside of the building of Kwik Fill, 99 Jackson St., Batavia, at 3:38 p.m., Dec. 1, in permanent marker. He was jailed on $1,500 bond.

Christopher J. Campbell, 39, of Batavia, is charged with false personation. Campbell was arrested by State Police in relation to an incident reported at 5:15 p.m., Tuesday. No further details released.

Last night's snow in Oakfield gave the 76 decorated community Christmas trees in the village a nice natural flocking.

Photo submitted by Melissa Haacke.

A van crashed into a pole on West Main Street near Settler's Restaurant in Batavia. Driver is unconscious. Law enforcement is called in emergency mode. City fire and Mercy medics are responding. The address is 350 W. Main St.

UPDATE 5:15 a.m.: National Grid will be notified that the pole is damaged.

UPDATE 5:43 a.m.: One person was transported to UMMC. National Grid has a 10-15 minute ETA.

A Lackawanna resident has been identified as a suspect in a pair of "smash and grab" burglaries in Pavilion on Oct. 22.

Phillip S. Muzzy Jr. is accused of burglaries at Crosby's and Pavilion Farms.

Muzzy, who is currently an inmate in the Erie County Holding Center on unrelated charges,  was charged with two counts of third-degree burglary, second-degree criminal mischief, third-degree criminal mischief, and grand larceny, 4th.

Bail was set at $15,000 or a $20,000 bond.

The burglaries were investigated by Investigator Chad Minuto with assistance from Deputy Travis Demuth, Deputy Jenna Ferrando, Sgt. John Baiocco, the Warsaw Police Department, and the Erie County Sheriff's Office.

Brandon Seppe, who had pled guilty to a burglary reported in July, was sentenced today to one-and-a-half to three years in state prison under what is known as a "Willard" sentence, giving him a chance to complete a drug treatment program.

The 33-year-old Batavia resident was also involved in an accident in June on Veterans Memorial Drive where he was found to be driving while impaired by drugs.

Under today's sentence in County Court on the burglary guilty plea, the Department of Corrections will send Seppe to a Willard drug treatment program and if he completes it successfully, he will be released on parole.

Minor injuries are reported in a car vs. semi-truck accident at Route 77 and Route 6 in Pembroke.

Firefighters were needed to pry a door open to extricate a passenger.

A woman had a complaint of chest pain. 

Pembroke fire and Mercy EMS responded.

In The Batavian's attempt to interview Ben Hayes, president of the New York-Penn League, we reached out to Minor League Baseball.

A communications official with Minor League Baseball was able to get in touch with Hayes and we've just been informed that Hayes will not agree to an interview.

He said he would not comment further on the future of the team (he has made no comment to date), according to the Minor League Baseball spokesman. 

Hayes referred all questions to Brian Paris, president of the Genesee County Baseball Club, owners of the Muckdogs franchise.

The phone line for the NYPL office in St. Petersburg, Fla., will now accept phone messages so we left Hayes a message explaining that only he can state why the league won't work with the Rochester Red Wings as operators of the franchise and share his ideas for the future of the team in Batavia or elsewhere.

Last week, The Batavian broke the news that the NYPL had blocked the Red Wings from a contract extension to continue operating the team. The extension was needed because the original 10-year deal expired Oct. 31.

Meanwhile, the Muckdogs are on the 2018 NYPL schedule but there's no clear indication from the league how the team will operate in 2018.

We couldn't reach Paris tonight. 

Last week, Paris said he is working with Hayes regarding the future of the team and the 2018 season and said he had a good working relationship with Hayes but didn't have a definitive answer on the NYPL's plans.