TED Talk: Steven Pinker on violence

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Press release:

For the third year, in a row City of Batavia Firefighters IAFF Local 896 will be raising funds to provide children in the City of Batavia with brand-new 100-percent American-made winter coats.

Firefighters partnered with the national non-for-profit Operation Warm in 2013 and held the first ever successful Operation Warm coat campaign in New York State associated with the International Association of Firefighters. Since 2013 City firefighters have distributed more than 125 brand new 100-percent American-made winter coats.

For the second year in a row, Local 896 will be raffling off a N6A Sam Houston leather helmet along with four other prizes. All proceeds will benefit the 2015 Firefighters for Operation Warm campaign with a goal of 200 coats for local children. Drawing held Saturday Sept. 5.

City of Batavia Firefighters IAFF Local 896 would like to thank everyone who has supported this great cause over the last two years. For more information please contact Adam Palumbo at apalumbo@batavianewyork.com or visit www.operationwarm.org/batavia

The former owner of the Batavia Nursing Home is facing a new federal charge after being indicted on a count of bankruptcy fraud by a federal grand jury.

Marc Korn, 58 and a resident of Amherst, is accused of making false statements under oath during a bankruptcy proceeding concerning the ownership of safe deposit boxes. He is also accused of failing to disclose life insurance policies transferred to another person and concealing assets from creditors.

Korn was already under federal indictment on charges of wire fraud, bank fraud, and failure to pay employment taxes, as well as making false statements to law enforcement.

That indictment was issued in 2011, at a time when Korn was under fire for reportedly failing to pay his Batavia employees.

All told, Korn is facing as much as 30 years in prison and more than $1 million in fines or both.

He's scheduled to go to trial on the first set of charges May 20.

Otto Charles Reinhardt, 48, of Clarence Center Road, Clarence, is charged with disruption of a religious service, criminal mischief, 4th, harassment, 2nd, trespass, assault, 3rd, and criminal contempt, 2nd. Reinhardt allegedly disrupted a religious service at 2:54 p.m. Sunday at 282 Broadway Road, Darien, and punched several people. He allegedly damaged personal property. He had allegedly been previously barred from the property. At 12:03 a.m. Sunday, at another location on Broadway Road, Darien, Reinhardt allegedly violated an order of protection out of Erie County Family Court. He was also charged with trespass related to that incident. He was jailed on $2,500 bail.

Joseph Christopher Downs, 43, of Knowlesville Road, Oakfield, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and moving from lane unsafely. Downs was arrested following the report of a single-vehicle accident at 8:10 p.m. April 12 on Fox Road, Oakfield. The accident was investigated by Deputy Kevin McCarthy.

In front of a filled courtroom and his family Durin B. Rogers, Esq., was sworn in as Batavia City judge this morning.  

Genesee County Court Judge Robert C. Noonan sworn in Judge Rogers as his wife held the Bible for them.

In a brief statement afterward, Judge Rogers thanked his family, the Batavia City Council and the employees of the court system, saying “I thank all of you and look forward to seeing you soon. ... Just not in court for a speeding ticket.” 

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) today called on legislative leaders and Gov. Cuomo to bring a bill to the Assembly floor for a vote that would strip pension and retirement benefits from corrupt lawmakers. Hawley said this is an issue he and the Assembly Minority Conference have been fighting for the past several years and it is finally time to get tough on ethics reform.  

“As a taxpayer of this state, I am appalled at the amount of money our pension system has given over the past couple of decades to lawmakers and officials convicted of crimes,” Hawley said. “In my view, this has nothing to do with party or position in government; it is commonsense legislation that we need to put the people’s faith back into our government. I have been a sponsor of this legislation for years, because each day we sit idly by is another day we have failed the taxpayers of New York State. I am calling on legislative leaders and members of the Assembly Governmental Operations Committee, where this bill is currently being held, to bring this bill to the Assembly floor for a vote.”

Hawley’s comments come after it was reported by The Journal News that 14 former lawmakers and officials convicted of crimes are being paid a total of about $531,000 per year by the state’s pension system. Over the past 15 years, about $4 million has been paid out in pension benefits to ex-lawmakers and officials convicted of various crimes.

Seconds before I snapped this photo, the red-tailed hawk pictured above was perched on a tree limb. And that's usually where it's situated whenever I've set foot into its domain. From its lofty vantage point it can detect movement in the goldenrod field, the grassy meadow or the swale.

But no matter where it's perched, whether it be in the big oak tree or an adjacent cottonwood, whenever I enter his hunting ground the red-tail immediately takes wing, giving me a wide berth and soaring high overhead in ever-widening circles that take it in the opposite direction before eventually disappearing over a distant woodlot. 

But on this day it showed no sign of alarm as I approached. Instead of paying me any mind, it seemed preoccupied with a potential meal.

In the blink of an eye the hawk departed its perch and was on the ground  investigating its intended prey. It turned out to be a snake slithering beneath the remains of last year's goldenrod.

The snake is an unwilling participant, making a hard right in its attempt to elude the hawk.

Finally, the red-tail lowers its head to the ground to administer the coup de grace. 

The snake minus its head is protruding from the left side of the red-tail's razor-sharp bill...

while a smaller portion dangles from the right side.

Apparently even swallowing a dead snake is no cakewalk for a raptor. The red-tail did this several times, twice with its head tilted back and at the time it looked as though it was gargling -- I'm guessing he was giving his dinner a bit of prompting on its way "down the hatch."

From early in his career, there were people who saw something in Dan Ireland and encouraged him along his path from orderly to president of his hometown hospital.

While perhaps not a tale ripped from the pages of Horatio Alger, Ireland does stand out in an era when young people are indoctrinated to believe they must escape their smalltown roots to make something of themselves.

Ireland was born in Batavia, attended Batavia High School and started his collegiate career at Genesee Community College. While still in college, he landed a job at St. Jerome's Hospital, and outside of a brief stint with a hospital in Rochester, he has spent his entire career with St. Jerome's, Genesee Memorial or UMMC, rising from entry-level to top executive over the course of 26 years.

The climb to the pinnacle is something Dave Shaffer saw coming. He told Ireland where he was going, but Ireland didn't buy it.

Ireland said the two good friends laugh about it to this day.

"He said to me one day, 'You're going to run this hospital someday,' " Ireland said. "I said, 'No, I don't think that's ever going to happen.' He reminded me about it when I was appointed, but I never had that vision."

Ireland started out in college with the intention of going into information technology, but as a volunteer with Town of Batavia Fire Department, he was exposed to patient care. 

"Those were the days when paramedics were just coming into departments," Ireland said. "You got them in the ambulance and raced to the hospital as quickly as possible and we actually did very little out in the field for patients. As I saw more of that developing, it piqued my interest -- how do I care for patients?"

Ireland decided to become a nurse, switched majors at GCC and took a job at St. Jerome's, transferring a year later to Genesee Memorial.

"I think he's a lot like me," Shaffer said. "He's easy going. He treats people like he wants to be treated. I don't have a problem with people like that.

"I never had a doubt my prediction wouldn't come true," Shaffer added.

In those early days, Gloria Stevens also saw something in Ireland that set him apart.

She met him while working at St. Jerome's and he was working on an ambulance.

"He was always smiling, always friendly," Stevens recalled. "He always seemed to be in a good mood every time I'd see him and he just seemed like a really nice young man."

Her daughter, Amy, had also taken note of Ireland and mentioned him to her mother.

"I think she thought he was cute," Stevens said.

One evening Stevens asked Ireland if he was dating anybody.

He wasn't.

So Gloria took it upon herself to ask him on a date on behalf of her daughter, to a family wedding.

Amy and Dan have been married 22 years and have three children, Rebekah, 18, Brian, 15, and Kelly, 12.

Ireland's made a great son-in-law and father to her grandchildren, Stevens said.

"It's probably one of the best decisions I ever made," Stevens said.

Dan and Amy quickly became a team, pushing each other through their studies and making sure they got better at their jobs.

The hospital bosses noticed.

It wasn't long after Ireland became a nurse that he became a supervisor in the emergency room.

Ireland began to develop mentors who helped guide his career. Dr. Diane London was one who always made time for him, he said. She would answer any question and provide guidance on patient care.

"She was a fantastic person," Ireland said. "You could walk into ER any time and sit next to her and ask her question. That was learning clinically, that was building my knowledge -- 'What happened? What happened with this patient?' She would make time for you no matter what."

By 1997, computers were starting to work their way into patient care and suddenly Ireland's duel experience in IT and nursing opened a new opportunity for him.

The idea of using computers to help improve patient care captured Ireland's imagination and the hospital needed somebody with both a medical background and IT training.

"All of the sudden, this new idea of helping people with computers and, wow, we're going into this new era of documentation and clinical results and getting things to bedside quicker, and I sat back and realized, 'I can do the best of both worlds,' " Ireland said. " 'I can make this happen. I can teach nurses how to do it and still be a nurse and still use that clinical experience.' "

Not that bringing the nursing staff into the Digital Era was always a smooth transition.

Ireland recalled one nurse who was very upset with him.

"She was livid," he said. "She said, 'You've taken my time with patients from here to here and I'm spending all this time on the computer. It's a horrible thing.' "

About three months later, Ireland said, she was upset for a different reason. The system went off-line for maintenance.

"I got a phone call from her and she said, 'Why did you take my computer system away from me? It's been perfect,' " Ireland recalled.

He added, "It was a validation that the transition of technology really made a difference."

In 2001, Ireland took a position with the University of Rochester that he thought would advance his IT background, but within six months, Charlie Kenney, then CEO of the Batavia hospital, wanted him back.

The hospital needed somebody to do some high-level analytics, tracking population trends, and after a couple of meetings, Ireland realized this was a good job for him.

In 2003, he was promoted to director of Quality Management and created a case management program.

At this point, Karen Peters became one of his mentors.

When she passed in 2005, then CEO Mark Schoell appointed him to her former job, VP of Clinical Services.

Ireland lost two mentors, London and Peters, and gained a new one in Schoell.

"I was quite happy working for her (Peters) as director of Quality Management and suddenly she was gone," Ireland said. "She was a key part of my development. When you lose mentors, you miss them, but then you've got to find your own way."

Under Schoell, Ireland began to move up the executive ladder, taking on bigger titles and the greater responsibilities that went with them. He was VP of Support Services and then COO.  

He oversaw multiple departments and services, and supervised remodeling the Jerome Center and addition of the new surgical wing, including securing financing.

Schoell was a great mentor, Ireland said, giving him a job, even a big job, and letting him do it with minimal interference, but always there for guidence and to answer questions.

While Schoell may have been grooming an eventual successor, that wasn't necessarily Ireland's ambition.

"The ambition was doing a project and doing it successfully," Ireland said. "It was getting a project and saying 'How do I get it done? What do I need to know about that?' So that's where the ambition kicked in. I have this desire to do the right things and to get them done. Sometimes that's a lot of extra work you put in to make that happen. I think that's where the ambition was, but not for the position."

As Ireland moved into higher-profile roles, he became more interested in learning about leadership. He has his favorite books on leadership, his favorite speakers, he's attended seminars and workshops, and he's also found serving on community boards a great way to observe and learn about leaders.

The Bergen resident is on the Gillam-Grant Community Center Board and the Byron-Bergen Central School District Board of Education. He's also been through Leadership Genesee.

"Sitting on boards has helped educate myself," Ireland said. "Sitting on the school board, especially, you learn a lot about the different ways people lead. (Byron-Bergen schools Superintendent) Casey Kosiorek is a phenomenal leader. I've learned a lot just by watching him, how he interacts with his staff. I've transferred some that in how I do things."

From all appearances, Dan Ireland, the guy who rose through the ranks and was mentored by so many people in his home community, has been embraced as a leader by the UMMC staff. 

Ireland makes it a point to be accessible to as many of the hospitals more than 700 employees as possible. He often rides the shuttle from the St. Jerome's parking lot -- where employees are encouraged to park -- and frequently takes his meals in the cafeteria. He also regularly visits all of the departments of the hospital. It's impossible for him to know everybody's name, but Colleen Flynn, director of public relations for UMMC, offered during an interview in his office that to those who have worked with Ireland, his presidency seems like a natural fit. 

"I think we all saw leadership potential in him," Flynn said. "I don't think there is a single employee, manager, director in the organization who was surprised when Dan was named president. It was a natural progression."

Now that he's the leader, the mentor himself, and the guy from his own community leading one of the most important institutions in that community, Ireland takes seriously the responsibility to ensure UMMC delivers quality care.

He's also well aware that isn't the reputation UMMC necessarily enjoys locally.

Sitting in his president's office, when asked about the issue, he talked about it at length.

"We can't expect the people of Genesee County to just look at the hospital and say 'That's the hospital,' " Ireland said. "We have to work to earn the trust of every member of the community because that's what they expect. They expect us to continuously improve, so we have to continue to improve.

"There have been people who have had less than a desirable experience with the hospital. They've come here and sometimes it's been bad for people. You have to understand the human form. People don't forget easily and some people forgive and forget easier, and others don't. We will always run into people who say, 'I'll never go back to that hospital because this happened to me.' What I ask people is 'Are we different today than we were yesterday?' We have the ability to change. If we've done something wrong, and they tell us, we'll work to create change to make it better. We're in a human world, so we will not always do exactly what we want to do."

Yes, staff members have bad days, but personal bad days shouldn't translate into bad experiences for patients and their families, said Ireland, who reads every patient experience report and when he comes across a negative review, he doesn't see it as just a rant. 

"We don't see it as an angry or dissatisfied patient," Ireland said. "We see it as an opportunity for us to make a change and hopefully keep that from happening again and to make it better."

It's not just an issue of UMMC looking good or making more money. Quality customer care and a solid reputation with the local community are about providing advantageous health care.

"I don't just want to see the numbers get better," Ireland said. "When sombody sayd they don't want to go to United Memorial, that usually means they have to travel further for health care in a lot of cases and that's not good for them. That's not healthy, especially if they're ill. That's not a good experience. Either way, it's about their health. It's not necessarily about us having good scores up on the wall. It's about the fact that when patients have a good experience here, they're getting good health care and hopefully improving health."

Batavia Players just finished their third production this year directed by Anthony Giambrone. This past weekend, five performances were held at the Harvester 56 theater. Each performance had five sections of range from different types of broadway theater.  

We have a family friendly show, "Annie," that will make your heart melt when hearing the song "Tomorrow." Then we have a wild story of "Kinky Boots" where the challenge of singing modern pop music and still try to get the message across to the audience.  

"Wicked" has a reputation of being a showstopper and the cast had to live up to that. A challenge of women in "Leading Ladies" had a task of singing five different songs from five different musicals and had to find a way to make them flow together nicely.

The last section, "Hairspray," proved to be the largest section for both cast and director and it was the longest section in the show that called for the most dancing. The directing and choreographing of this show took a bit of extra time needed but was aimed to have the audience leave with smiling faces.

Batavia Players next show is "Xanadu" and runs from May 14-16th. For more upcoming events go to: http://www.bataviaplayers.org/

A person is having a seizure in the roadway at 26 Harvester Ave. in the city. A caller to dispatch reports the person was struck by a vehicle, but it is not clear whether that was before or after the seizure began. The vehicle, which was not described, left the scene. Mercy medics are responding.

A two-car head-on collision is reported at 7701 Clinton Street Road, South Byron. Several people are injured. The location is between Old State and West Bergen roads and Clinton Street Road will be closed at those junctions by Stafford Fire Police. Three ambulances are called to the scene. A responder reports "multiple ejections." Byron fire and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 5 p.m.: Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester is being notified that seven patients are en route for emergency care. Mercy Flight is grounded due to weather.

UPDATE 5:32 p.m.: The Byron assignment is back in service.

National Crime Victims’ Rights Week kicked off this morning at Genesee Community College with a ceremonial flag raising and a speech by Lt .Gov. Kathy Hochul.

All local law enforcement, the FBI and Genesee County Mental Health Association, were in attendance today to spread awareness of the rights of crime victims. Specifically their focus was on educating the community about the protection of young adults and preventing them from becoming victims. The keynote speaker was Special Agent Steve Miller of the FBI. His education speech was on social media and how it is used for cyber-bullying, sexual predators and other dangers.

Hochul began her speech this morning by asking for a moment of silence for the victims of the Oklahoma bombing 20 years ago. She went on to mention a few new initiatives by the state relative to crime victims. First she mentioned how seriously Governor Cuomo is taking sexual assault on campus at colleges. She said thinking needs to be changed to recognize sexual assault on campus as a crime and the Governor’s office has made this a top priority.

The next topic was an announcement that crime victims can now ask the state for financial assistance online. This online access is meant to make applying for aid less stressful and simpler than before. The financial assistance is meant to help with medical bills, lost wages, moving expenses and other financial needs stemming from being victimized.

In 2014 8,300 crime victims were paid more than $20 million in compensation. The funding for this financial relief and program comes form the fines levied against offenders. For more information about this financial program please visit www.ovs.ny.gov or call 1-800-247-8035

As the week continues, two more meetings are open to all to attend:

Wednesday, April 22, 6 to 8:30 p.m.

Stewards of Children Child Sexual Abuse

Prevention Training

YWCA, 301 North St., Batavia

Call Theresa at 585-344-0516, ext. 111, for information.

Friday, April 24, 5:30 p.m.

Ceremonial Walk and Reception

Old County Courthouse

Corner of routes 5 and 63.

The National Weather Service is Buffalo has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Western Genesee County until 5 p.m.

The thunderstorm is said to be capable of producing damaging winds in excess of 60 mph. The storm was located near Alden and is moving northeast at 50 mph. Oakfield is specifically mentioned in the warning.

Whether Frost Ridge Campground can continue hosting live music concerts is a matter for the Town of Le Roy Zoning Board of Appeals to decide, Judge Robert C. Noonan ruled today.

In an order issued this afternoon, Noonan said that the ZBA has sole authority to make the decision, and insofar as a prior finding by the ZBA that concerts were a prior, non-conforming use was legally flawed, it's still up to the ZBA, not the courts, to make the determination.

The failure of the ZBA to properly issue public notice of a hearing on concerts at Frost Ridge on Sept. 25, 2013, does not affect their underlying authority to make the determination, Noonan said.

In short, Noonan recommends that Frost Ridge make a proper application, but with or without the application, the ZBA must hold a properly noticed public hearing and reach a properly recorded decision.

It's only after that process has been correctly executed that a court can weigh evidence and determine whether a plaintiff has any basis to overturn the decision, according to Noonan's ruling.

The autumn of 2013 finding by the ZBA has been a key point of contention in the pair of lawsuits filed by the Town of Le Roy and the Cleere/Collins family against Frost Ridge.

Board members reportedly reached a unanimous decision favoring live music at Frost Ridge, finding the use was grandfathered in because live music and amplified music at the recreational area pre-dated the creation of a residential-agricultural zone in that part of Le Roy.

The Cleere/Collins attorney sought to get the ZBA decision voided and foreclosed, bringing the campground's concert series "Jam at the Ridge" to an end.

Noonan wrote that case law establishes that a court must stay its hand until the proper agency has applied its expertise to the salient questions of the regulatory scheme.

That hasn't happened yet in the case of Frost Ridge.

Noonan's decision leaves the future of live music up to a ZBA board that has shown prior support for live, amplified music at Frost Ridge.

Pending a final ZBA determination, Noonan's modified order -- limiting but allowing concerts at Frost Ridge -- remains in effect, unless the Cleere and Collins families deposit $225,000 into an escrow account to protect the Frost Ridge owners against damages should they eventually succeed in the legal proceedings.

Daniel Steven Platt, 34, of Lake Street, Le Roy, is charged with three E felonies: aggravated DWI -- having a BAC of .18 or more; DWI; and aggravated unlicensed operation. He was arrested April 17 following a traffic stop in the Village of Le Roy. He was allegedly operating a motorcycle while intoxicated and with a revoked license. He was also charged with these traffic violations: speed in zone, no turn signal, no helmet, no face shield, unregistered motorcycle, uninspected motorcycle, operating without insurance, improper plates and unlicensed operator. Platt was issued an appearance ticket and is to return to Le Roy Town Court on May 18. The case was investigated by Sheriff's deputy Michael Lute, assisted by deputy Joseph Graff.

Fletcher M. Royce, 27, of Dunham Road, Varysburg, was arrested April 18 on Clinton Street Road, Bergen, and charged with operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs as a first offense, criminal possession of a controlled substance (heroin), 7th, possession of a hyperdermic instrument, operation of a motor vehicle while using a mobile phone, and operation of a motor vehicle with a broken windshield. He was released from custody with an appearance ticket to return later to Bergen Town Court. The incident was handled by Sheriff's dpeuty Joseph Corona.

Cole James Farner, 31, of Clinton Street Road, Batavia, is charged is DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or higher. He was arrested after an investigation of a motor-vehicle crash that occurred March 29 at about 7:30 in the morning when Farner's vehicle struck a control panel at the main gate for the Buffalo Federal Detention Center while he was allegedly intoxicated. He was issued an appearance tickets on both charges. The case was investigated by Sheriff's deputy Christopher Parker.

Michele L. Bialy, 48, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with driving while intoxicated, aggrevated unlicensed operation, 1st, operator in violation of conditional license, and drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle on a highway. Bialy was arrested on Summit Street following an investigation after patrols were dispatched at 12:33 p.m. on April 17 to check the welfare of a female found slumped over the steering wheel of a vehicle in a parking lot. The case was investigated by Batavia police officer Matthew Wojtaszczyk, assisted by officer Eric Foels.

Ronald D. Williams, 38, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, was arrested for petit larceny following an investigation on scrap metal stolen from a business on Swan Street. He was issued an appearance ticket and is to appear in City Court Wednesday afternoon. The case was investigated by Batavia police officer Peter Flanagan, assisted by officer Kevin DeFelice.

Natalie Kathryn Moe, 20, of Ridge Road West, Brockport, is charged with unlawful possession of alcohol by a person under 21, and speeding (68 in a 55-mph zone). She was arrested on Route 33 in Bergen on April 19 and released with appearance ticket for Bergen Town Court at a later date. The case was handled by Sheriff's deputy Joseph Corona.

John Kauffman Stone, 48, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, was arrested at 11:10 p.m. on April 16 after allegedly pushing a door that struck another person. He is charged with harassment, 2nd, and obstructung governmental administration. The case was handled by Sheriff's deputy Christopher Erion, assisted by deputy Richard Schildwaster.

Kevin M. Horn Jr., 26, of Batavia, was arrested April 16 by the Village of Le Roy Police Department for allegedly driving while intoxicated. He was allegedly crossing the center line. Horn was issued tickets for driving to the left of pavement markings, no passing zone, DWI, and aggravated DWI for allegedly having a BAC in excess of .18%. Horn was released on appearance tickets, and is scheduled to appear in Le Roy Town Court on May 18.

Eric R. Swede, 26, of Le Roy, was arrested April 17 by the Village of LeRoy Police Department for criminal trespass in the second degree, disorderly conduct, and harassment in the second degree after allegedly entering another apartment unlawfully, causing an annoyance and making unreasonable noise in the apartment building. He was arraigned and jailed in lieu of $1,000 cash or $2,000 insurance bond. Swede is scheduled to reappear in Le Roy Town Court on May 21.

Michael "Mickey" Robbins, 55, currently residing in the Genesee County Jail, was arrested by the Le Roy Police Department on April 16 and charged with one count of petit larceny. It is alleged that on March 3 while on Lake Street in Le Roy, Robbins stole $420 from an acquaintance. Robbins was arraigned and returned back to the jail in lieu of $1,000 bail.

Kirk Thomas, 30, currently residing in the Genesee County Jail, was arrested by the Le Roy Police Department on April 16 and charged with one count of petit larceny. It is alleged that on Sept. 9, 2014, while inside a business on West Main Street in Le Roy, Thomas shoplifted item(s) from the business. Thomas was arraigned and returned back to the jail in lieu of $1,000 bail.

Darren Wilson Cooper, 23, of Batavia Stafford Townline Road, is charged with promoting prison contraband. He was arrested April 1 at 10 p.m. after he allegedly introduced unspecified contraband into the Genesee County Jail while being processed for another arrest. The case was handled by Sheriff's deputy Christopher Erion.

Nicholas Paul Canzoneri, 19, of Edgewood Drive, Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. He was arrested for allegedly possessing marijuana after a traffic stop on West Main Street in the city on April 19. He was issued an appearance ticket and is to answer the charge in City Court on May 13. The case was handled by Sheriff's deputy Joseph Graff.

A 17-year-old male who lives on Trumbull Parkway, Batavia, was arrested April 19 for unlawful possession of marijuana. He was arrested after a traffic stop on West Main Street in the city and issued an appearance ticket for May 13 in City Court. The case was handled by Sheriff's deputy Joseph Graff.

Kerrilyn A. McDermott, 34, of Montclair Avenue, Batavia, turned herself in on an arrest warrant for violating an order of protection on April 9. She was arraigned April 17 in City Court and released under supervision of Genesee Justice. The matter was handled by Batavia police officer Peter Flanagan.

Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul made a pair of stops in Genesee County today, including a tour of p.w. minor led by owners Andrew Young and Peter Zeliff. 

The shoe manufacturing company recently received a boost from the governor's office to help move 100 jobs from China back to Batavia.

Hochul also spoke this morning at Genesee County Criminal Justice Day at Genesee Community College.

Photos submitted by p.w. minor.

An unknown-type wire fell onto an occupied vehicle at 31 Ganson Ave. in the city. The person remains inside and city fire is responding.

UPDATE 12:28 p.m.: A firefighter on scene says it's a cable line.

A confirmed residential structure fire is reported at 6616 Snyder Road, Elba, located between Lockport and Weatherwax roads. It is a vacant house and the fire was called in from a passerby who said he saw flames inside. All available manpower from Elba fire is called to the scene, along with mutual aid from Oakfield, Byron and Bergen. Town of Batavia is asked to fill in at Elba's fire hall.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/6616+Snyder+Rd,+Oakfield,+NY+14125/@43.0922189,-78.2174804,14z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x89d3f3eeec8511f1:0x8dd3115440501a07

UPDATE 1:17 p.m.: A code enforcement officer from Elba is called to the scene.

UPDATE 2:04 p.m.: The Elba assignment is back in service. Barre also responded.

Photos by Jim Burns.

Photos from Albert Kurek. He isn't sure where the photos were taken. There's a sign that says "Wiard Plows" and a "Le Roy Plows" sign. The men are NYS Troopers and the photos are from 1921, Kurek said.