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Batavia PD is requesting the public's assistance in identifying a man accused of stealing money from the Plaza Spirits Liquor Store, 563 E. Main St., Batavia, at about 5 p.m., Sept. 21.

The suspect is described as a black male, 50 to 60 years old, 5'10" or 5'11" and 250 to 300 lbs.

Police believe the man created a distraction and then while the store clerk wasn't looking, removed cash from the register. He then left in the red SUV shown in the picture below.

The suspect may be involved in similar larcenies outside of Genesee County. 

Anybody with information that may assist in the investigation are asked to call Det. Eric Hill at (585) 345-6373.

Press release:

Congressman Chris Collins (NY-27) today released the following statement after President Obama issued executive actions which circumvent the Constitution and deny Western New Yorkers their Second Amendment rights.

“A new year and the same dictatorial actions from President Obama,” Congressman Collins said. “President Obama has made it clear that he will not let legal documents like the Constitution stand in his way. Only this president would circumvent the Constitution to punish tens of thousands of law-abiding gun owners across Western New York and millions more throughout the country.

"The president needs to be reminded that it is Congress’s job to write laws. His proposed executive actions will significantly increase burdensome government regulations and infringe on the Second Amendment rights Americans have fought to protect. I have strongly signaled my opposition to these measures and have signed onto legislation to stop these actions in their tracks.”

Newly appointed City Council Member Adam Tabliski said a vote Monday night to change council leadership was something no other council member warned him was coming, and even Eugene Jankowski, who replaced Brooks Hawley as council president on a 5-4 vote, said he wasn't sure he would even be nominated for the position until it happened.

Jankowski said he doesn't believe the unexpected move signals a power shift toward a new council coalition with its own agenda.

Four of the five votes for Jankowski -- Jankowski, with new council members Paul Viele and Al McGinnis, and incumbent Kathy Briggs -- came from members observers have said want to replace Jason Molino as city manager.

Rose Mary Christian also supported Jankowski for council president.

After the meeting, Jankowski, Viele and McGinnis all denied they were part of any such movement and said they support Molino continuing as the city's top administrator.

"I can only speak for myself and I don't feel that way," Jankowski said. "I don't see that as an issue. I plan to carry on with the regular weekly meetings just like Councilman Hawley did and disseminate that information to council like it was done in the past and keep things public."

Ask if he anticipated a movement to change city managers, Viele said he didn't see that happening.

McGinnis said, "Not from me, there won't be." 

Viele said his priorities are the mall issue, the deer issue and what to do with the police department.

McGinnis put the police issue at the top of his agenda, followed by the mall.

"I'm pro having a police department," McGinnis said. "I want to have a police department."

As one of the task force members who recommended the Swan Street location for the new police headquarters, he said he still favors constructing a new facility on that vacant lot.

Tabelski, selected by the City GOP to replace John Deleo, who was elected to the County Legislature, was confirmed as the new appointed by the City Council in a unanimous vote at the start of Monday's meeting. 

There are a number of big issues facing the city, Tabelski noted.  The council must dive right into a new budget; there's the law enforcement issue, the mall, the comprehensive plan and brownfield redevelopment.

"I'm eager to be part of the discussion," Tabelski said.

Given the sudden change in leadership, and despite the denials from other council members, Tabelski acknowledged some concern that there might be an effort among some on the council to change city managers.

"I have a concern that that might be a direction some would want to go in. That's not my direction," said Tabelski, whose experience includes a term as mayor in Medina. "I have a lot of confidence in the current manager and the very professional team he has assembled."

It would take five votes to replace the city manager.

Tabelski, like other council members, said he does believe that the 5-4 vote does not signal a potential inability for council members to work together. Jankowski said the council has a history of not always agreeing on their votes, but continuing to work together in a congenial manner.

"This is not a split on the council," Jankowski said. "There are new people on the council and they want to take it in a different direction and I think we're all going to work together, so I don't think it's a problem either way."

The City Council: Brooks Hawley, front row, left, Eugene Jankowski, Paul Viele; Kathy Briggs, back left, Patti Pacino, Al McGinnis, John Canale, Adam Tabelski and Rose Mary Christian.

Dale Breitwieser, who served with the Darien Volunteer Fire Department for 42 years and is a past chief, has passed away.

There will be calling hours Thursday and Friday at the Darien Center Fire Hall, 5 to 9 p.m., and a funeral service at 10 a.m. Saturday at the fire hall.

Press release:

Tompkins Financial Corporation has announced the acquisition of Shepard, Maxwell & Hale Insurance by Tompkins Insurance Agencies, Inc., an affiliate of the financial corporation. The acquisition was effective Jan. 1.

“We are happy to continue to grow our business in Batavia and serve our neighbors through this expansion,” said David S. Boyce, president and CEO of Tompkins Insurance. 

The change is a win-win for customers, Boyce said.

“In addition to continuing to receive personal attention from local insurance professionals who place a high value on customer service, customers will have 'one-stop shopping' access to the comprehensive array of financial solutions offered by our affiliation with Tompkins Bank of Castile and Tompkins Financial Advisors,” Boyce said.

According to Boyce, Daniel G. Hale and Stephen S. Maxwell, will remain with the agency. Most current employees will be retained in the merger and will continue to service accounts. The Batavia location of Shepard, Maxwell & Hale will close and move operations to the Tompkins Financial Center at 90 Main St. on or about Feb. 1. The Hamlin office will continue to operate at its current location for the time being.

Effective Feb. 1, clients of Shepard, Maxell & Hale may receive service at any of the 28 locations throughout New York and Pennsylvania, including the 16 locations in Western New York. 

Tompkins Insurance serves 30,000 personal insurance customers and 7,600 commercial insurance customers, making it the third largest commercial insurance firm in the Rochester area and the 82nd largest agency in the country. The acquisition will add the approximately 4,000 Shepard, Maxwell and Hale accounts to its customer base. 

Established in 1957, Shepard, Maxwell & Hale has a long history of serving western New York through its two offices in Batavia and Hamlin. The merger with Tompkins Insurance makes sense for customers, according to Hale.

“Along with continuing to receive top-notch service, our customers will see additional benefits like access to 24/7 claims service 365 days a year, and more price and product options offered through Tompkins’ relationship with 50+ leading insurance companies,“ Hale said. 

Tompkins Insurance Agencies, Inc., operates 16 offices in Western New York, six offices in Central New York and six offices in Southeast Pennsylvania. A part of Tompkins Financial Corporation, (trading as TMP on the NYSE - MKT), the agency is affiliated with Tompkins Bank of Castile, Tompkins Trust Company, Tompkins VIST Bank and Tompkins Financial Advisors. It is an independent insurance agency offering personal and business insurance and employee benefits services through more than 50 different companies. Further information is available at www.tompkinsins.com. 

Edward Jordan White, 20, of Michigan Street, Lockport, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, unlawful possession of marijuana and aggravated unlicensed operation, 2nd. White was stopped by members of the Local Drug Task Force on Dec. 30 for allegedly driving on a suspended driver's license. White was allegedly found in possession of a quantity of marijuana and cocaine. White was also allegedly in violation of probation.

William Guadalupe Potter, 62, of North Pearl Street, Oakfield, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Potter allegedly pushed a woman into a wall causing her to fall over.

Brian Eric Dagger, 30, of Batavia Street, Holley, is charged with petit larceny. Dagger allegedly stole a bottle of Robitussin tablets from Kmart. He was jailed on $2,500 bail.

Seth Ryan Doster, 24, of Alleghany Road, Darien, is charged with petit larceny. Doster allegedly stole $102.20 in merchandise from Walmart. Also charged, Sarah Dianne Lazarus, 24, of Alleghany Road, Darien.

Kim Marie Spencer, 56, of Chick Road, Darien, is charged with DWI. Spencer was arrested by Deputy Michael Lute in connection into an investigation into an incident reported at 6:49 p.m. Thursday on Chick Road, Darien. The investigation is continuing and additional charges are pending.

Jeffrey Lynn Shultz, 21, of Walkers Corner Road, Byron, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Shultz allegedly engaged in an unsupervised visit in violation of a court order.

Kenneth Fred McGiveron, 25, of Route 78, South Wales, is charged with no stop lights, open container, DWAI drugs and alcohol combined and DWAI drugs. McGiveron was stopped at 12:58 p.m. Saturday on Route 77, Pembroke, by Deputy Lonnie Nati.

Leonard Alfred Johnson, 23, of Hutchins Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd, and criminal use of drug paraphernalia, 2nd. Johnson was a passenger in a car stopped by Officer Chad Richards at 5:23 p.m. in the parking lot of Horizon Health Services, 31 Ellicott St., Batavia. Johnson allegedly fled on foot following the traffic stop, but returned on his own a short time later. Police allegedly found a bag containing a dozen smaller bags of cocaine, which Johnson indicated belonged to him. Johnson was jailed without bail.

Coretta M. Pitts, 47, of Williams Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree harassment. Pitts allegedly scratched the face of another person during an argument reported at 4:50 a.m., Saturday. Pitts was jailed on $400 bail.

Jason A. Armstrong Sr., 43, of Main Road, East Pembroke, is charged with first-degree criminal sexual act and criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation. Armstrong allegedly choked and had unwanted sexual contact with another person during an alleged domestic incident reported at 10 p.m. Nov. 6 on South Main Street, Batavia. Armstrong was jailed without bail. Armstrong was also charged with strangulation, 2nd, and assault, 2nd, for an alleged incident reported at 6 a.m. Dec. 22 at a location on South Main Street, Batavia.

Robert W. Blankenberg, 31, of Union Street, Le Roy, was arrested on a warrant. Blankenberg was stopped for an alleged traffic violation and arrested on the warrant.

Robert D. Kendall, 55, of Jamaica Lane, Cheektowaga, is charged with leaving the scene of a property damage accident, moving from lane unsafely, driving a motor vehicle on sidewalk, driving through safety zone and unlawful possession of marijuana. Kendall was charged after an investigation into an accident reported at 12:03 p.m. Dec. 29 on Oak Street, Batavia. Kendall was located by police in the parking lot of a business on West Main Street following a tip from a witness.

Michael J. Henry, 48, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with disorderly conduct. Henry is accused of continuously using obscene language outside his home on State Street while police officers were there investigating a complaint.

Michael J. Antonucci, 33, of Alexander Road, Attica, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Antonucci allegedly violated a complete stay away order by sending a text to the protected party.

Jason W. Wolf, 39, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation, 2nd, and driving without interlock device. Wolf was stopped at 5:04 p.m. Dec. 29 on Brooklyn Avenue, Batavia, by Officer Mitchell Cowen.

Kenneth J. Wolter, 45, of Watson Street, Batavia, is charged with unreasonable noise. Wolter was allegedly playing music an unreasonable level at 10:37 p.m. Dec. 30 and he refused repeated requests to turn it down.

Robert Ernest Saari, 34, of Meiser Road, Corfu, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear. Saari allegedly failed to appear in City Court on a traffic violation. Saari posted cash bail and was released.

Melvin J. Swanson, 60, of Main Road, Pembroke, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, failure to obey traffic control device and open container. Swanson was stopped at 1:58 a.m. Friday on South Main Street, Batavia, by Officer Mitchell Cowen.

Press release:

United Memorial Medical Center is pleased to congratulate Gregory and Odilia Rebeca Coffta on the birth of their daughter, Emilia Noemi, the first baby to be born in Genesee County in 2016. Emilia was born at 8:03 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 1. She weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces and was 19 ¾ inches in length. Emilia is the couple’s first child. She was delivered by certified midwife, Kim Danser, CNM, of the Women’s Care Center at United Memorial.

Emilia’s parents recently purchased a new family home in the City of Batavia where they are residing. Mr. Coffta is a teacher of English as a New Language (ESL) in the Williamsville Central School District. Mrs. Coffta is the statewide data coordinator for Migrant Education.

Emilia is the first grandchild for Jim and Christine Coffta. of Oakfield, and the first granddaughter for Hector and Lety Recinos, of Guatemala City, Guatemala.

The happy parents stated that their birth experience at United Memorial was, “Just fantastic. We want to thank the nurses Bonnie, Natalie, Janet, -- really everyone. We received so much support throughout everything, especially with breastfeeding.”

“As a new mother, it’s nice to know we can trust our care providers,” continued Mrs. Coffta.

As the New Year’s baby, Emilia and her parents received a $200 gift card from United Memorial.

A one-car accident is reported in the area of 2224 Lewiston Road, Alabama.

A person reportedly suffered a back injury.

Alabama Fire and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 11:03 a.m.: Alabama is back in service.

A 29-year-old parolee in Le Roy was hospitalized early Saturday morning after being stabbed, according to Le Roy PD.

No arrest has been made in the case and it's currently under investigation.

The stabbing was reported at 1:19 a.m. on Lake Street in the Village.

Investigators are trying to determine the circumstances of the stabbing.

The parolee suffered a stab wound to his or her abdomen.

No further information is available at this time.

Most viewed posts for 2015:

• 'I just got lucky': Byron man bags 500-pound black bear, by Ray Coniglio
• Person reportedly shot at residence in Town of Le Roy
• DEVELOPING: Feds raid residence on Batavia-Oakfield Townline Road
• Skunk loitering at front door of business on Liberty Street
• Driver in fatal accident in Bethany charged with manslaughter
• A father loses his best friend
• Batavia prom queen gives her crown to a special classmate, by Traci Turner​
• Victim of accident in Bethany succumbs to injuries
• Liberty Street resident accused of murdering infant

The bear story also became the most viewed story in the history of The Batavian.

We served up 9.4 million page views in 2015 across 5.86 million user sessions (site visits). 

News and feature photos from 2015. To purchase prints, click here.

Sports photos from 2015. To purchase prints, click here.

Arts and Entertainment photos from 2015. To purchase prints, click here.

Photo from last night's fireworks show in Le Roy submitted by Dylan Brew.

A two-car accident with injuries is reported at Oak Orchard Road and North Byron Road, Elba.

Elba fire, Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 4:03 p.m.: Extrication is required.

UPDATE 4:25 p.m.: A second ambulance is requested to the scene.

An 11-year-old child apparently suffered a broken leg in a snowmobile accident in the area of Smithley Road, Darien.

Darien fire and ambulance responding. Alexander fire requested mutual aid with its Gator.

UPDATE 2:44 p.m.: A landing zone has been established for Mercy Flight.

UPDATE 3:10 p.m.: Mercy Flight in route to Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo.

The new year kicked off with something that looked a bit like winter this morning as Batavia got hit by a mild lake effect snowstorm.

Multiple callers in the area of Cook Road and Creek Road, Alexander, have called dispatch to complain of a man in a maroon minivan going door-to-door selling vacuum cleaners.

He's reportedly pushy.

On New Year's Eve.

A deputy is dispatched to investigate.

A team coached by Buddy Brasky plays defense, but lockdown all you want, you've still got to score to win games.

The Blue Devils didn't do that very effectively Wednesday night in the Lions Tournament finale at Genesee Community College against University Prep.

The final score, 57-45 in U-Prep's favor.

"They're scoring 80 points a game and we held them in the 50s and we score 40 something," Brasky said. "You're not going to beat good teams scoring 40 something points."

There's no doubt, U-Prep is a good team. The Griffins' feature a 6'4" post player in Jeenathan Williams and an athletic guard in Isaiah Brinkley, and even with schemes designed to limit their scoring opportunities, Williams notched 23 points and Brinkley had 18.

Williams scored 14 points in the second half.

"We tried to lock him up," Brasky said. "Then Brinkley hit a couple of threes against the zone. That was another part of the game plan: Always know where he is, and close out hard on him, and make him put the ball on the ground. But you can't always find him."

For most of the first half, the game looked like it might be all Batavia.

The half ended with the Blue Devils up 12-4. Brasky thought the margin should have been bigger.

"We got that seven-nothing lead and then we missed three little easy chippies inside," Brasky said. "It could have been 15-4 or 18 to 4, so I thought that was a key part of the game right away."

The Griffins' rang up a surprising number of offensive fouls in the first quarter, which kept putting the ball back in Batavia's hands.

"That's one thing we take pride in," Brasky said. "We do take a lot of charges. But specifically for this game, yes, they look to put their head down and attack the paint. We really emphasize stepping in and taking charge and we did. We were hoping that would make them more tentative. I think it did that in the first quarter."

Brasky said he would need to review the game tape to see what changed either in the defense or U-Prep's offensive scheme to see why things turned around so dramatically in the second quarter when the Griffins' outscored Batavia 22-10.

Batavia's offense came primarily from Malachi Chenault, 13, Ryan Hogan, 10, Tee Sean Ayala, eight.

U-Prep's game plan seem to be to deny in the paint and let the Blue Devils fire away from beyond the arc. Batavia has gunners who can hit from that distance, but too few balls dropped in the bucket.

"I think the real story of the game is, we couldn't shoot," Brasky said. "Let's call a spade a spade. I mean, they packed the zone. They know Malachi and Jake are our two biggest weapons and they packed it in and didn't give us many looks. They gave us any shot we wanted on the perimeter and we couldn't hit many of them."

Batavia actually had five three-pointers compared to only two for U-Prep, but it wasn't enough.

In the paint, Chenault once again showed how much his grown since last season as a low post player, good footwork, fighting for position and attacking the glass. Several of his points came on offensive putbacks.

"He's a senior now," Brasky said. "That's number one. He's a three-year starter, and (Jeff) Redband's not here anymore and we need a go-to guy, so, yes, he's stepping up like a senior should. We talked about that in the off-season. He really worked hard on his game and he's really producing for us."

Batavia is now 7-1 and U-Prep is 7-3. Both are Class A2 teams, so a sectional meeting come postseason isn't out of the question. Brasky likes his team's chances against the Giffins if they work out the kinks with their shooting.

"We can play with them," Brasky said. "If we make some improvements, I think we can compete with them and I think we can beat them."

All-Tournament Team honors went to Tyler Prospero, Notre Dame, Tommy Mattison, Albion, Chenault, Batavia, Ayala, Batavia, and Brinkley, U-Prep. Williams, U-Prep, was named most valuable player.

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Here's a portion of a press release from Empire State Development about a series of grants recently approved.

Empire State Development today announced that its Board of Directors recently approved $101.1 million in economic development resources for 23 projects that are spurring growth and opportunity in every region of the state. The funding supports projects that are creating 634 new jobs and retaining 1,531 existing New York State jobs – many of which have already been created or retained. The approved assistance is leveraging more than $822 million in private investment and other public funding to support local businesses and projects that are strengthening local economies today, while building a strong foundation for future economic growth and job creation.

“The funding approved by the Board is supporting regionally significant projects that are fostering growth and creating new opportunities statewide,” said Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Howard Zemsky. “Whether it’s by aiding business expansion and retention, supporting local revitalization projects, or bolstering regional tourism, the funding approved today will boost economic activity from New York City to the Finger Lakes.”

...

Finger Lakes Region 
Western New York Science, Technology and Advanced Manufacturing (Finger Lakes Region - Genesee County) – $5,000,000
The Genesee County Industrial Development Agency, doing business as Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC), will use a grant of up to $5,000,000 for the cost of land acquisition,  engineering, and soft costs related to infrastructure development for 1366 Technologies, Inc., the first tenant of the Western New York Science, Technology and Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP) in Alabama, NY. 1366 Technologies is a solar energy company with an innovative approach to manufacturing the silicon wafers that are the building block of solar cells. The company chose the STAMP site out of 300 possible locations due to the site’s positive momentum and commitment to growing manufacturing interests. This project will be completed in August 2016 and aligns with the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council’s plan in that it supports advanced technology and manufacturing and is identified as key to the region in the Industrial Development and Infrastructure category. 

Press release:

The Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) is looking for a few good architects (We really need those!), historic district residents (And these!), historians, or volunteers who have significant interest in the commitment to historic preservation. 

If this sounds like you, and you are a City resident, submit your application today! 

The HPC works toward the protection, enhancement, and perpetuation of landmarks and historic districts in the City of Batavia. For about an hour a month you can help preserve our historic community.

Volunteer today to see the difference you can make! Applications are available at the City Clerk’s office or online at www.batavianewyork.com in the documents section. Get your application in before the end of January.

Some of the activity at our bird feeder this afternoon.