Press release: 

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) is saddened to announce that his annual Patriot Trip in which he brings veterans to landmarks and historical sites throughout the Washington, D.C. area will be canceled this year due to concerns regarding the spread of COVID-19, especially as new variant cases in both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals continue to increase. All participants who have signed up for the trip will be fully refunded for anything paid toward it.

“Having to cancel a trip that means so much to veterans, their families, and I was an incredibly difficult decision, but ultimately the well-being of veterans and their families has to be our top priority,” said Hawley. “Amidst the spread of COVID-19, it is also very difficult to know for certain that planned destinations will be reasonably accessible. Ultimately, however, the thought of even a single veteran or one of their loved ones falling seriously ill is what caused me to have to make this difficult decision because their well-being is more important than any event.”

Paul Nichiporuk shared this photo he called "Nightwalk" that he took on Batavia Stafford Townline Road in Batavia yesterday evening.  He was on a walk with his dogs Taila and Jackson.

Aidan Anderson and Jesse Reinhart led the Blue Devil's offense in a shutout win over Bishop-Kearney in Batavia's season opener at home.

The final score, 41-0.

Anderson rushed for 130 yards on seven carries and scored two touchdowns.  He also had an interception return for a touchdown.  

Reinhart was 7-13 passing for 84 yards and two TDs.  Cole Grazioplena caught a 15-yarder and Carter McFollins grabbed a seven-yard TD pass.

Kaden Marucci and Vincent Arroyo each had four tackles.  Marucci and Anderson (who had two interceptions) each had a fumble recovery.

Also on Friday night: 

LeRoy 21, Caledonia-Mumford 6. Drew Stroller carried the ball 16 times for 93 yards and a TD. Jack Tonzt scored a TD on six carries for 17 yards. Adam Risewick caught three passes for 33 yards.  John Panepento was 5-9 passing for 45 yards.  Tyler Strollo had seven tackles.

Alexander 7, Bolivar-Richburg 0. Head Coach Tim Sawyer described the game as a battle. "Old school football."  Nick Kramer scored the only TD of the game on a 2 yard run up the middle near the beginning of the 2nd quarter.  Eric Cline nailed the PAT. Kramer had a fumble recovery and 4 tackles and Sophomore CB Tyler Marino recovered a fumble late to seal the Trojan victory.  DE Gavin Smith Crandall had 5 tackles for the Trojans.  Jr. DE Cole Dean had 2 Sacks and two tackles while Clayton Bezon had 1 sack and 5 tackles. Brayden Woods led the Trojans in rushing with 30 yards on 11 carries

Story: Notre Dame Fighting Irish blank host York/Pavilion, 15-0, behind junior quarterback Jimmy Fanara

To view and or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

Notre Dame opened its 2021 Section V varsity football season in winning fashion tonight, defeating York/Pavilion, 15-0, in a non-league game at York.

Junior quarterback Jimmy Fanara connected with senior receiver Cody Henry for a 35-yard touchdown late in the second quarter and ran in for the two-point conversion to give the Fighting Irish an 8-0 lead, and senior running back/receiver Evan Cummings scored from 3 yards out early in the fourth quarter. Junior Brandon Carrick kicked the PAT to complete the scoring.

Notre Dame controlled the ball for most of the first quarter, marching down the field on its opening possession from its own 25 to the York/Pavilion 15, but a 4th down and six pass from Fanara to Henry came up a yard short.

In the second quarter, after forcing York/Pavilion to punt, the Irish started a drive on their own 25 with 4:29 remaining.

Fanara, who completed nine of 12 passes for 107 yards, found Henry for a 22-yard gain. A couple runs by Fanara moved the ball to the York 41, and a six-yard pass to sophomore received Ryan Fitzpatrick put the ball on the Golden Knights' 35.

Then, facing a third-and-five situation, Fanara lofted the ball over the middle where Henry jumped up to catch it and sprinted the final 10 yards to the end zone.

The Irish put the game away on its opening drive of the fourth quarter, with Cummings -- who had 73 yards on 17 carries -- capping a nine-play drive by taking a pitch from Fanara on a first-and-goal play from the York/Pavilion 3-yard line.

Cummings darted toward the left sideline but seeing that he was hemmed in, stopped and reversed course to the right -- outrunning the defense into the end zone with 9:07 left in the game.

Penalties -- false starts, offsides, holding and a couple of unsportsmanlike conduct calls -- plaqued both teams throughout the contest.

Sophmore George Woodruff had 27 yards on four carries while Fanara ran the ball nine times for 38 yards. Henry caught five passes for 84 yards.

On defense, junior Bryceton Berry had a couple sacks while Henry had 10 tackles and senior Drew Edwards had nine tackles, two sacks and a fumble recovery as ND limited York/Pavilion to 60 total yards. 

Property owners in the Batavia City School District -- still trying to come to grips with hefty increases in their assessments earlier this year – can take some solace with news that the school tax rate for 2021-22 is decreasing by almost 10 percent.

Scott Rozanski, Batavia schools’ business administrator, today informed The Batavian that the tax rate for the coming school year has been set at $19.23 per thousand of assessed value – down $2.10, or 9.84 percent, from the 2020-21 rate of $21.33.

On Thursday, the Batavia CSD board of education voted to accept the tax warrant and rate determination.

Rozanski also pointed out that the tax rate in 2020-21 was about 1 percent less than the 2019-20 figure.

“That’s two years of no direct impact (on taxes) from the school,” he said.

He did, however, acknowledge the change in assessments, indicating the average increase was 10.85 percent.

“We don’t control property values, nor the equalization rate which are both used to calculate the tax rate and can fluctuate each year,” he reported.

He said the district did realize about $750,000 more of a surplus from the previous year “so we added that to the refund back to the taxpayers.”

“With all of the federal stimulus funds, we were assisted on the revenue side,” Rozanski said, noting that the district received $2.4 million for COVID relief this year. “Without that, we would have had to make more cuts or (without cutting any positions) increase the levy by about 12 percent.”

Going forward, he said it’s a bit premature to project, but doesn’t think it will be “a concern in the near future.”

The district budget for 2021-22 is $52,096,661, Rozanski said. Its fund balance currently is at the maximum 4 percent, or about $2.1 million.

Press release:

Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) joined House Republican colleagues in calling for the President to provide transparency into his July 23rd call with former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

“The President’s handling of our withdrawal from Afghanistan was devastating. His actions put Americans and our allies directly in harm’s way, weakened our global reputation, and resulted in the deaths of 13 American service members and the abandonment of hundreds of Americans still stuck in Afghanistan,” Jacobs said. “The American people deserve to know what led to this catastrophe and whether or not the President pushed President Ghani to downplay the threat the Taliban posed. The White House must release the full transcript of this call at once.”

The letter to President Biden was led by Congresswoman Tenney (NY-22) and has 27 signatories. It calls for the President to release the full, unredacted transcript of his July 23rd call with former Afghan President Ghani so Congress can determine to what degree the President may have misled the American people.
 

Several new elements have been added to the return of Oakfield’s Labor Daze three-day event this weekend. A new location for an old favorite promises to be spectacular, Oakfield Betterment Committee President Jamie Lindsley says. 

“It will be a high velocity, rapid-fire, dazzling fireworks display,” she said while setting up the venue Thursday evening. “Because of the ongoing capital improvement project at the school, the fireworks will be in the Town Park on Drake Street. It’s a more intimate setting.” (Rain date is Monday.)

Although fireworks usually cap off an event, this one on Sunday is tucked in between a jam-packed schedule that begins with the Oakfield 5K at 8:30 a.m. Saturday and ends with basket and cash raffle drawings at 8:30 p.m. Monday. 

New elements include the 5K course, which will begin and end at Triangle Park to keep it “central to this location,” Lindsley said. Participants — walkers and runners alike — can still register at 7:30 a.m. Saturday. Proceeds from the event will go to Genesee Cancer Assistance in honor of longtime Oakfield resident Ralph Esten Jr., who lost his battle with cancer at 40 in June of this year. Fee is $30, and medals will be awarded to top winners.

There will be plenty of parking Lindsley said, in municipal lots on Main and Drake streets and on side streets.
Kids shouldn’t be bored with a bustling line-up of activities for children and teenagers from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. The Kiddie Fun Daze will feature Just Clowning Around Magic Show at 12:15 p.m. and “lots of prizes for kids’ games,” Lindsley said. 

Other new components are some tasty additions to the regular festival fare of hamburgers, hotdogs and kielbasa. Sweet corn on the cob and walking tacos will also be on the menu. Never had a walking taco? Open a bag of crunchy Doritos tortilla chips and top it with ground beef, various taco seasonings, sauce, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and sour cream. Then add a fork and go. Anywhere. Hence, the walking part of the taco has become a hit at parties and other special events. A few food trucks will round out the smorgasbord of appetite quenchers. 

A parade boasting marching bands and newcomer Buffalo Ghostbusters will line up at the fire hall and begin at Seneca and Main streets. Spectators should plan to be there about 30 minutes early before road closures prevent them from getting a good spot on the parade route between Seneca and Drake streets/Route 262.

Buffalo Ghostbusters, with their signature logo of a red circle and slash mark over a ghost holding a chicken wing, features what the name implies: a fun group of aptly dressed ghostbusters with related gear and vehicles. The parade is at 10 a.m. Monday as a craft show of 35 vendors begins an eight-hour selling fest from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

Musical entertainment will fill the air all three days, with everything from country and classic rock to honky-tonk and a tribute to the Beatles. That kicks off with the Hastings Duo at 1 p.m. Saturday and Hit N’ Run to close the event from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday. 

All of this has been pulled off by a strong core of eight board members, a dozen regular committee members, and “hundreds of volunteers,” Lindsley said. A late decision to move forward with the event meant little lead time (they began about three months ago), and more chores outside of their regular day jobs.

“It typically takes 12 months to plan an event,” Lindsley said. “It’s only possible with a really incredible and talented team. Every one of our members is busy during their workday, and they put in many hours here.”

Committee Vice President Ritchie Kirkum added that a slate of generous donors also made Labor Daze feasible. The event was missed during its pandemic-related hiatus in 2020.

“We’re excited to bring it back after a year. We want to see everyone back and together at Triangle Park,” Kirkum said while helping to build food stands. “We’re really grateful for the sponsors.”

Yet another new offering this year is the big cash raffle. The grand prize is $10,000. Tickets are $25 and only 1,000 are being sold, he said. Proceeds from the cash raffle will help to offset the expenses of the event and go toward future community improvement projects and other committee goals. Kirkum and Lindsley noted the in-kind services donated by the village and town, such as assisting with necessary permits, road closures, and signage for the event. 

Given the event’s epicenter is Triangle Park, it is only fitting that a small celebration is to honor the longtime staple of this community. Triangle Park was gifted to the community in 1921. Oakfield Historical Society members will pay tribute to the park’s 100th birthday with a centennial dedication and a little local history at 11 a.m. Sunday. 

The only other item on their list now is good weather. A recent forecast shows moderate temperatures in the 70s and cloudy sunshine. 

“We’re really happy it’s not going to be in the 90s, and it will be cooler weather,” Lindsley said, acknowledging perhaps the only activity that’s truly climate dependent.  “There’s also a car cruise. We’ve had up to 80 cars in the past. We’re hoping for great weather ... I wouldn’t be surprised if we have quite a few.”

The 2021 schedule for Labor Daze at Triangle Park is below:

Saturday, September 4:

• 9 a.m.: Oakfield 5K Run or Walk
• 11 a.m.-6 p.m.: Kiddie Fun Daze
• 12:15-2:00 p.m: Balloon Artis
• 1:00-4:00 p.m: The Hastings Duo
• 4:00-7:00 p.m: The Old Hippies
• 7:00-10:00: Mr. Mustard

Sunday, September 5:

• 9:00-10:00 a.m.: Home Grown Gospel
• 10:00-6:00 p.m: Craft Show
• 10:00-11:00 a.m.: Church Services
• 11:00-1:00 p.m:  Craig Wilkins
• 1:00-4:00 p.m: Car Cruise
• 1:00-3:00 p.m:  Genesee Ted
• 3:30-6:30 p.m: Rebel's Posse
• 6:30-9:30 p.m: Ninety West

FIREWORKS!

Monday, September 6:

• 10:00 a.m.: Parade
• 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m: Craft Show
• 11:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m: Alexander Firemen's Band
• 12:00-3:00 p.m:  Blonde Over Blue
• 3:00-6:00 p.m: Skycats
• 6:00-9:00 p.m:  Hit n' Run
• Basket and cash raffles to follow

Photo: File photo by Howard Owens

Update, 11 p.m.

Alice Ann Benedict, Batavia City School District Board of Education president, explained that the "confidential search" for a permanent superintendent means that the board is not advertising for candidates.

"We have qualified candidates we will be interviewing," she said. "Candidates who have expressed interest in the position."

She said there will be an opportunity for the district and community to express the requirements they would like to see in a superintendent.

"The Board would never consider hiring a superintendent without input from all stakeholders," she added.

---------------------

Around three dozen Batavia City School District students have signed up for “virtual learning” in 2021-22, the district’s interim superintendent reported to the board of education Thursday night.

Scott Bischoping said that Genesee Valley BOCES will be providing remote learning for students in grades six through 12 while the Livonia Central School District will do the same for pupils in kindergarten through fifth grade.

Bischoping, noting that the current number of students opting for remote learning for all grade levels is 35 to 40, said “that fluctuates because our counselors are working with families, and we want to make sure we vet their decision to make sure they fully understand what is going to happen, how it’s going to happen …”

He said teachers at both locations are working to get the process set up by the start of school next week.

Genesee Valley BOCES and Livonia will provide Chromebooks to their respective students, Bischoping said, adding that the yearly cost per student will be around $8,500 for grades six through 12 and $6,000 for kindergarten through fifth grade.

Bischoping said that federal funds for COVID-19 will be used to pay for this service.

“We’re using – indirectly or directly – funds from the federal government for catching up to pay for that and it will not impact our regular budget,” he said. “It makes a lot of sense for us to use funds for those families who want their kids home because of those health reasons.”

In a brief update of the school’s reopening plan, Bischoping said most of the protocols and guidelines are the same as last school year, predicting there shouldn’t be any issues of “things are going OK.”

No one from the public spoke during a two-minute public hearing.

Bischoping said the reopening plan is on the district website, where public comments can be posted.

Batavia City School District Return to School Guidelines | Batavia City School District (bataviacsd.org)

On the wearing of face coverings, Bischoping said not much has changed other than some loosening of restrictions concerning chorus and band.

Unvaccinated teachers and staff, per a New York State Department of Health mandate, will have to submit to COVID testing on a weekly basis, he said. Those who want to opt out of testing will have to prove they have been vaccinated by contacting the school nurse.

He said that rapid tests will be on hand.

“We’re not going to ask people whether or not they have been vaccinated. We’re going to ask them to report their status to the nurse if they’d like to get out of the testing,” he explained.

Board President Alice Ann Benedict asked about the busing situation.

Business Administrator Scott Rozanski said that in light of a national shortage of bus drivers, the district is planning to combine students from John Kennedy Intermediate and Jackson Primary onto one bus and students from Batavia High School and Batavia Middle School onto one bus.

“In the past, each school had their own buses,” he said. “We have limited drivers … and that’s the best option that we can do at this point in time.”

Benedict also asked about school cleaning schedules, with Bischoping replying that cleaning will take place regularly but without “the same hyper-vigilance about contact as we did before because we realize that isn’t the transmitter or carrier of the virus that we had worries about last year.”

“Certainly, personal hygiene, student hygiene and hand washing … and us making sure that we do clean things on a regular basis, that hasn’t changed.”

In other developments, the board:

• Heard from Benedict that Kevin MacDonald, district superintendent of Genesee Valley BOCES, who is acting as the consultant in the search for a permanent superintendent, has requested to attend the next board meeting, scheduled for Sept. 16.

Benedict said the board is learning toward conducting interviews outside of Batavia, possibly at the Le Roy BOCES building. She said they will be looking to set up dates for the interviews and encouraged board members to make themselves available.

Bischoping suggested the board send information about what is being called “a confidential search” to the staff and teachers so they are informed of the process.

An email to Benedict seeking comment on the search process was not returned at the time of the posting of this story.

• Approved the appointments of Ann Worthington and Leandra DiRisio as supervisors of attendance at John Kennedy and Batavia Middle School, respectively.

Rev. Eugene DeMay, founder and now semi-retired pastor of Faith Community Chapel on Rose Road, Batavia, turns 90 tomorrow.  His family gathered at T.F. Brown's this past Sunday for a surprise birthday party.

His son-in-law, who supplied the info and photos, Craig Wilkins, said DeMay is still active in the church and continues to preach on occasion.  He will be with his congregation at 11 a.m., Sunday, when Wilkins plays a concert at Labor Daze in Oakfield.

Top photo: From left to right Sandra Jo DeMay Wilkins,  Kathy Hameister, Sheila DeMay Groh, Rena Sanderson DeMay (wife), Gene DeMay, Sharon Price, Susan DeMay Wheeler.

Press release:

The Town of Alexander Republican Committee is seeking registered republican residents of the Town of Alexander that are interested in the following positions.  Please send letter of interest by Wednesday, September 22, 2021 to:  Barbara Eddy, Chairperson, 11054 Alexander Road, Attica NY  14011. You may also contact 585-507-9930 with any questions.

Town Republican Committee, District #1 (West side of Route #98), 1 position open.

Town Republican Committee, District #2 (East side of Route #98), 1 position open.

Town Justice, fill vacancy.

Hannah Rose Roberts, 18, of Ontario Street, Fulton, and Talana Jay Savery, 22, of Emery Street, Fulton, are charged with trespass. Roberts and Savery are accused of being on property on Bethany Center Road, Bethany, at 4:49 a.m., Aug. 29, without permission.  Both were issued an appearance ticket.

Breeda Marry Kobler, 57, of Hutchins Raod, Rochester, is charged with DWI and refusal to take breath test.  Breeda was stopped at 5:56 p.m., Wednesday, on North Lake Road, Bergen, by Deputy Kenneth Quackenbush.

About 45 minutes ago, a pickup truck reportedly fled from police in the area of Cleveland Road in the Town of Batavia leading to a high-speed chase through Downtown Batavia and ending on East Main Street in the area of Blondie's.

No accident was reported though a spike strip was reportedly deployed at one point along Route 5.

UPDATE Friday, 8:40 a.m.: Press release:

On September 2, 2021, Troopers out of SP Newstead arrested Anthony T. Drake, 25 of Hornell, NY for Reckless Endangerment 1st degree (D Felony), Criminal Possession of a Weapon 4th degree, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 7th degree and multiple traffic tickets.  The passenger in the vehicle, Brittany N. Howland, 27 of Hornell, NY was arrested for Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 7th degree and Violation of Probation.

On September 2, 2021, at 6:42 P.M., Troopers out of SP Newstead attempted to make a vehicle and traffic stop on a 2011 Chevrolet Silverado at the intersection of Crittenden Road and Main Street in the town of Newstead.  The Chevrolet failed to comply once the Trooper activated emergency lights.  The pursuit was initiated and the suspect vehicle continued eastbound on State Route 5 (Main Street) into Genesee County.  During the pursuit, the suspect vehicle swerved toward a Genesee County Sheriffs Department patrol traveling westbound on State Route 5.  The pursuit was picked up by Batavia Police Department and they deployed a tire deflating device, disabled the suspect’s vehicle.  Troopers arrested Drake and Howland.  Drake was in possession of brass knuckles and crystal meth and other drugs.

Photos by Alecia Kaus/Video News Service.

Doubling the space, adding a self-serve beer wall, and providing international entertainment might just put Pizza 151 on the map for craft beer destinations, owner Eric LeVan says.

“It’s a completely different look and feel; we’re very competitive for craft beers,” LeVan said during an interview Tuesday. “I think football season is going to bring in quite a bit. The Tap Room at 151 has 14 taps of all craft beer, and we’ll have bottles of domestic beer as well.”

Not to leave the cider lovers out, the Batavia Tops Plaza restaurant will have one cider available and he is considering some craft seltzers. Though he’s not a big drinker, LeVan has sampled some product and said the cider is pretty good.

“It’s literally like drinking an apple soda.”

LeVan had a partnership when the site was Mark’s Pizzeria in 2012. He later broke out on his own and renamed the place Pizza 151 a day after the Super Bowl in 2019. The entrepreneur owns another branch in North Chili and is co-owner of Bushido Martial Arts in Batavia.

LeVan more recently opted to lease 3,000 more square feet in the adjacent former Family Video site. It has made the space “nice and open” with a more expansive dining area that went from accommodating 20 to at least 100 people, he said.

There are seven televisions, including one with an 85-inch screen, a dine-in menu with about five or six yummy appetizers coming this fall (think soft chewy Bavarian pretzels), and a wireless dartboard system. Not your grandfather’s dartboard game, this one has two cameras that show the player and the board to prevent cheating. Patrons can try their luck with a local or someone across the globe, LeVan said.

“You can see anyone from the world,“ he said, adding that he just played such a game. “He was from Belgium.”

Now for the Tap Room at 151. Set up with an IPourIt draft technology system, diners select from 14 craft beers, which will be on a changing rotational basis per season. The current summer ale will soon be replaced with an Oktoberfest brew. According to IPourIt’s website, Pizza 151 is only one of three places in New York with the same self-serve system and the only one in this region. 

Customers scan their driver’s license to ensure proof of age, get a bracelet, then scan that to make a selection. Contrary to other establishments LeVan has experienced, “nobody’s pushing you out the door,” he said. 

“You’ll have the freedom of ordering how much you want,” he said. “And you can try two ounces of beer to get the taste. (The customer) pours their own beer.”

It’s the type of business for craft beer enthusiasts, he said, versus those who just want to drink. Quality versus quantity type of set-up. That’s not to say you can’t purchase quantity.

“We can make a crowler of any beer on tap,” he said. “(Patrons) can see the whole process. We’ll have some pre-canned of our bestsellers.”

He’s working on offering some tastings to include other area breweries, such as Eli Fish, Rohrbach Brewing Company, and Three Heads Brewing. A beer wall craft beer from Eli Fish, in downtown Batavia, would be a perfect addition, he said.

Two other embellishments are just as enticing, LeVan said. Instead of buying a 20-ounce pop, he now has a Pepsi fountain machine. And all of that drinking may steer people into two nice new bathrooms near the dining area. The rooms each have a TV so that nobody has to miss the action of a game. Recycled kegs for urinals and beer tap handles at the sink are bound to be a topic of conversation.

LeVan expects to hire more people as the pizza shop/taproom gets busier. He already hired a former employee who has beer lessons and expertise under his belt to serve as taproom manager. It has all come together in a fitting environment, LeVan said.

“This is a nichey little area for pizza and beer,” he said.

Pizza 151 is 8351 Lewiston Rd. to the left of the Tops gas station. It is open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Check it out at pizza151.com or call (585) 344-2400.

Photos by Howard Owens

Press release: 

The Hundredmark Road Bridge, at the intersection of Spoil Bank Road, will be closing on Sep. 7 for a bridge replacement project. This project is expected to take three months. During this time the road will not be passable to regular traffic or emergency vehicles. A detour will be posted.

A car has reportedly hit the USDA building at 29 Liberty St., Batavia.

Minor injuries are reported but the building is damaged.

City Fire and Mercy EMS on scene.

UPDATE 10:22 a.m.: Medics evaluating one patient. Minor, cosmetic damage to the building.

Press release:

The deadline for submission of applications for “LeRoyan of the Year” Award is Saturday, September 11, 2021. Please mail to the American Legion 53 West Main or e-mail to gdiskin@rochester.rr.com Qualities to be included in the nomination include a person that exemplifies True Americanism, good citizenship and service to the community. Thank you everyone please include your name and contact information and share with your friends.

Friends, family, and admirers gathered at the Batavia VA on Wednesday to join Sydney Cole, a World War II hero and former German POW, in celebration of his 107th birthday.

Cole served in the U.S. Army Air Corps among his honors for his military service he received the Air Medal, a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star, and a POW Medal.

Cole was a forward aerial observer for the 776th Field Artillery Battalion when his aircraft was hit by enemy fire and disabled. In an attempt to bail out from the plane, his co-pilot became entangled with his headset.  Cole helped his co-pilot parachute to safety but by the time Cole could then jump from the plane himself, he was already behind enemy lines. He was fired on by German troops and sustained multiple gunshot wounds.  

When Cole landed he remembered that his dog tags indicated his religion on them. Knowing that he would be sent to a concentration camp and likely killed if the Germans found out he was Jewish he threw his tags as far into the woods as possible.  

As a prisoner, Capt. Cole commanded 150 enlisted prisoners.  Despite his ill-treated wounds and diminished body weight of only 95 pounds, Cole was instrumental in maintaining high levels of discipline and morale among the enlisted men and served as an inspiration and an example of American military conduct while in enemy custody. 

He was assigned to a POW camp run by the Hitler Youth where many of the prisoners were killed.  He was interrogated, beaten, and locked in a cellar of rotten potatoes.  He was fed soup made of grass and potatoes and wasn’t allowed to shower or shave. 

For more on Cole's story, click here.

Photos by Alecia Kaus/Video News Service

A 36-year-old Batavia woman is facing federal wire fraud charges after she was allegedly found with six state unemployment benefit cards during a traffic stop and subsequent vehicle search for drugs in Bergen on Nov. 24.

The U.S. Attorney's Office announced the arrest today of Danielle Tooley.  She faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in jail and a $1 million fine.

Tooley is accused of knowingly using the personal identifying information of other people to apply for and collect unemployment benefits connected with the federal COVID-19 relief programs.

The scheme came to the attention of law enforcement on Nov. 24 when Tooley was arrested by the New York State Police on charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance during a vehicle traffic stop in Bergen.

During the interaction with the defendant, troopers observed a crack pipe with white residue inside of Tooley’s vehicle.

After the arrest, the defendant’s vehicle was searched, and six New York State unemployment benefit cards were recovered.

The benefit cards were issued to individuals other than Tooley. The benefit cards were turned over to the Buffalo Field Office of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, for further investigation.  A subsequent examination of bank records for the benefit cards revealed several indicators of fraud and video footage from ATMs where the cards were used confirmed that the defendant had consistently withdrawn money from the cards. Tooley routinely used the personal identifying information of others in order to apply for and collect unemployment benefits in their names. In total, the scheme resulted in a loss of at least $99,141.39 to the United States.  

The defendant made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen and was released on conditions.

The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations – Labor Racketeering and Fraud, New York Region, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Jonathan Mellone; the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Todd Allen; the U.S. Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Jeffrey Burr; the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John F. Grasso; and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Barry Chase.