Stories from

First, they ran out of room at the Flying J, then the Pembroke High School lot filled up, so deputies starting sending trucks to look for parking in Batavia.

The lots have filled up at Walmart, Home Depot and Target. Batavia Downs remains pretty open. Kmart has refused to allow truck parking.

No word on whether City Centre has been considered.

UPDATE 9:22 p.m.: While it's been reported several times by deputies that Kmart is out of bounds for truckers, a picture has been posted on Facebook showing, reportedly, truckers lined up in parking spaces at Kmart.

Normally, according to Peter Metzler, at Porter Farms, ewes start to lamb in March and April, so it came as quite a surprise today when this little one was found -- an unexpected newborn in the freezing cold, shivering by its mother. Jake Hillabush is holding the lamb to help warm it up shortly after it was found. The lamb was born sometime between morning and afternoon chores. Once the little one was warmed a bit, they put mom and baby in a small pen to bed down and stay warm in a pile of straw.

Here are the closings and cancellations we have so far for Wednesday in Genesee County:

• Batavia City Schools
• Oakfield-Alabama Central Schools
• Elba Central Schools
• Pavilion Central Schools
• Le Roy Central Schools
• Pembroke Central Schools
• Alexander Central Schools
• Notre Dame
• Byron-Bergen Central Schools
• Pembroke Family Medicine until noon
• The Corfu Village Court is closed and court is cancelled.
• The Genesee County YMCA will open at 8:30 a.m., Wednesday, January 8th. No classes or programs will take place before noon.
• P.W.Minor in Batavia will be closed on Wednesday, January 8, 2014 for all employees except Customer Service; Customer Service employees should contact their supervisor for instructions.
• Sonshine Patch Child Care Center
• From UMMC: All services of United Memorial will resume today with the following exceptions due to the weather: Jerome Center Diagnostics will delay opening until 8 a.m., Elective Surgery will be delayed one hour, and Pembroke Diagnostics will be closed this morning. Patients should not drive until the travel ban has been lifted. All staff should plan to report to work as scheduled for today unless notified by their manager.
• Cornell Cooperative Extension Genesee County will delay start time today till 9 am.
• Trash pick-up by Nu Way is delayed a day.

There is hope the travel ban currently in place for Genesee County will be lifted in the morning.

E-mail closings and cancellations to howard@thebatavian.com.

Officials are looking closely at weather patterns, not just the snow forecasts, but what the wind will do over the next several hours, as they contemplate the timing of removing a travel ban in Genesee County.

Best guess, the travel ban will be lifted some time in the morning.

Throughout the night, there's only a 30-percent chance of snow in Genesee County and by 3 a.m., winds will dip below 20 mph for the first time.

That's about the time additional plow crews will hit the roadways, said Tim Yaeger, emergency management coordinator for Genesee County.

"We're trying to coordinate everything now," Yaeger said. "With different municipalities, there's different capabilities for plowing the roads and we want to make sure all is clear and safe before we lift the travel ban. By sometime after midnight or by three o'clock we'll have a better idea. I'm hopeful we'll be able to get traffic moving in the morning.

Pembroke is still in really bad shape," Yaeger added. "The southern part of the county and Pembroke are in the worst shape."

While city streets are largely cleared of snow, Yaeger noted, "it's just a sheet of ice underneath."

With temperatures at or near zero, merely salting the roadways is largely ineffective.

The winds are the real problem though, because blowing and drifting snow create whiteout conditions and make plowing some roads pretty much futile. The snow drifts back over the surface minutes after the snow plow leaves the area.

"Things are improving," Yaeger said. "The winds are dying down, the snow is subsiding. If it keeps at it, hopefully we'll be in good shape in the morning."

Cory Coles, on Lincoln Avenue, said, "The cold can't keep me indoors."

The overturned milk truck on Route 20. Photo by Jeremiah Russell.

Photo by Sarah Sauka.

Photo by Sarah Sauka.

Dave Kurch, of Darien, said the wind is keeping his driveway clear.

Main Street, Corfu, by Shane Hale.

A picture from Mark on Seven Springs Road.

Photo by Stephanie Crandall.

Photo by Teresa Calkins.

Photo by Donna Carter, Alexander.

Photo by Sally Waldron, Bethany.

Photo by Sally Waldron, Bethany.

Routes 5 and 77, Corfu, by Brian Schollard.

The backyard of Anne Marie Starowitz, Chestnut Street.

Monique, on Lewiston Road, shot this picture through her back window. She said normally she can see Walmart from here.

Photo by Cara Grosshans.

Photo by Lisa Ace.

Regarding the Girls Basketball Rotary Tournament originally schedule to start tonight, the first round games will be played Thursday night.

• Batavia vs. Alexander, 6:00
• Notre Dame vs. Finney, 7:45

The championship game will be held at 7 p.m., Saturday. The consolation game will be made up at another time.

Also, from the Village of Le Roy:

Normally scheduled garbage pick-up for Wednesday, January 8, 2014 will be RESCHEDULED to Thursday, January 9, 2014 due to weather.

Route 20 is reopened from the earlier accident. Traffic backed up for quite a distance, a deputy reports.

A deputy is giving one of the vehicle drivers a ride to Flying J.

Another deputy shared that he just learned the Batavia Downs parking lot is empty, so he's going to start sending some of the semi-truck drivers that have no place to park to that location.

"Some of them say say they need fuel. Unfortunately, I can't help them there."

UPDATE 5:22 p.m.: A deputy reports that Kmart is not permitting truckers to park in their empty lot. Approved parking lots are Walmart, Home Depot and Batavia Downs. 

Also, we didn't catch a location, but a deputy was dispatched to check on two dogs that were left outside.

A head-on collision is reported at 9450 Alexander Road, between Dodgeson and Pike, Alexander.

Alexander fire and Mercy EMS responding.

A chief on scene reports there appears to be no injuries.

Because of server issues, we won't likely be able to update this post if there are updates.

There are two accidents reported -- one on West Main at Lyons and the other in Darien on Route 20 near Harper Road.

The accident in the city is reportedly head-on, but with one minor injury.

Minor injuries also reported in Darien. The conditions there are described as zero visibility.

Alexander is asked to close Route 20 to westbound traffic.

From the fire in Pavilion, Pavilion fire is back in service.

Because of ongoing server issues, it will likely be impossible for us to update this post.

We've been struggling all morning with server issues. We just made some changes that look promising for making a difference.

About an hour ago, Pavilion fire responded to a basement fire at 10816 Cook Road, Pavilion. Le Roy fire responded mutual aid. There was a second alarm for tankers from Batavia and Stafford. The fire is now out.

We previously posted that there is a travel ban now in place for Genesee County. Details here.

The Thruway is closed in both directions through Genesee County.

There have been numerous reports of trucks and cars off roadways and minor vehicle accidents over the past two or three hours. There have been no serious injury accidents reported.

The folks at the Daily News asked that we help get the word out that there will be no newspaper delivery today due to weather conditions. Today's paper will be delivered tomorrow, with Wednesday's paper.

We will continue to monitor the scanner and provide updates for the duration of the storm, but we are also under the travel ban so I won't be able to go out to any breaking news situations.

So long as the server holds, we'll do our best to keep you updated on anything of interest we find out about.

If you have weather pictures to share, send them to howard@thebatavian.com. In focus, no camera shake, well exposed and sufficient resolution to publish (at least 460 pixels wide).

The Sheriff's Office has just announced a travel ban for Genesee County.

More details when they become available.

Official announcement:

Effective immediately, the previously issued travel advisory is being upgraded to a travel ban for all of Genesee County until further notice. A travel ban means no travel for anyone but emergency vehicles which includes police, ambulance, snow plows, etc. Blowing and drifting snow are creating impassable roads. In addition, accidents and stranded vehicles are blocking roadways and creating unsafe traveling conditions for motorists.

Sheriff Maha stated, “For the safety of the residents of Genesee County, please stay home or where you are until conditions improve.”

UPDATE: We spoke with Chief Deputy Gordon Dibble, who reiterated that the purpose of the travel ban is to get all non-essential traffic off the road. That means, of course, stay home, but it also means stay where you are. If you're at work, stay at work. The travel ban will remain in place until the weather emergency is over. The storm is supposed to lift in the morning. Dibble compared this blizzard to 1977, which came on without warning and there was no end in sight. For the blizzard of '14, we had advance warning and we seem to have a definitive end time. "We've seen it coming for days. There's no reason for people not to be prepared," Dibble said. Driving in violation of the travel ban could lead to a citation, not to mention an accident or getting stranded.

Here's an idea of what near zero-visibility looks like at Main and Ellicott. Driving conditions are tough and for the most part, there isn't a lot of traffic on area roads.

James Koenig shoveling his drive on Summit Street.

Daniel Wilson shoveling his drive on Vine Street.

Holland Land Office Museum.

The old Firehouse on West Main.

The County Court House, which is closed today.

The back of St. Jerome's.

In addition to closures we reported yesterday, we've received notice of the following closures and cancellations:

• Upstate Cardiology of WNY, Dr. Mishra's office will be closed today.
• Lamb Family Medicine is closed today.
• Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County offices will be closed today. All meetings scheduled for this evening have also been cancelled. Please stay inside, safe and warm. We will be available via e-mail for any questions/concerns.
• The Alzheimer's Association, WNY Chapter, is CLOSED today (Tues. Jan 7). Those needing help can reach a trained professional for confidential guidance at 1.800.272.3900.
• Le Roy Physical Therapy and Village Fitness in Le Roy will be CLOSED today.
• Sports Plus Physical Therapy in Batavia will also be closed today.
• From UMMC: A Travel Advisory is in effect, no unnecessary travel at this time. All non-patient care related departments are NOT to report for duty today. Specific departments are listed on the UMMC Web site at www.ummc.org. All patient care departments including Nursing, Emergency Department,  Lab, Radiology, Respiratory Therapy, Switchboard, Food Services, EKG/ECHO, Facilities Management and Environmental Services are to report as scheduled.
• Dr. Basra's office will be closed Tuesday.
• Pembroke Town Hall and Pembroke Town Court.
• Bergen Town Hall & the Byron-Bergen Public Library.
• Suzanne's School of Dance.
• The Genesee County YMCA is open as of 8:30 AM but all classes are cancelled until noon.
• Display Development is closed.
• Hot Heads Salon in Le Roy is closed.
• L&L Transmissions is closed.
• Benny's Barber Shop
• Batavia Youth Center
• Oliver's Candies is closed for the day.
• Settlers is closing at 10 a.m.
• Jagged Edges Salon
• Millennium Computers
• Cain's Taekwondo is cancelling all evening classes
• The Town of Batava Planning Board has cancelled it's meeting for tonight. The public hearing has been rescheduled for Jan. 21.
• Dunn Tire
• Batavia Animal Hospital
• Salon VIP
• Boy Scouts Batavia Service Center

UPDATE 11:53 a.m.: With travel ban in place, there's no point in updating closures further. Everything is close that isn't related to emergency services.

For more closures, visit WBTA's closure page. E-mail closures and cancellations to howard@thebatavian.com.

Also, the Wyoming County Sheriff's Office has issued a travel advisory.

UPDATE 6:59 a.m.: A one-vehicle rollover with possible entrapment is reported on Fotch Road.

Also, a deputy is out on Route 77 near the Flying J dealing with double-parked semi-trucks that are blocking travel. At least three may be disabled. He's requested the parking lot of Pembroke High School be cleared of snow so the trucks can relocate to that location.

Numerous trucks are parked in the area of Texaco Town.

UPDATE 7:13 a.m.: The driver on Fotch Road is out of the vehicle. Route 77 at Flying J is partially cleared of parked trucks and is passable again.

UPDATE 7:15 a.m.: The Thruway is closed west of Exit 50.

UPDATE 9:26 a.m.: Route 20 westbound was closed by Pavilion Fire Police at Texaco Town and eastbound was shut down by Alexander Fire Police, in an effort to get some of the big rigs on that roadway. Regarding the Thruway, exits 60 and 61 are closed and traffic is advised to stay off exits 50-55. Traffic will be diverted to eastbound. To handle the congestion of tractor-trailers and get them off the roadways, the Thruway Authority plans to bring in trucks to plow the parking lot at Darien Lake Amusement Park and direct them to park in there. Also, the Thruway Authority has put out a warning about closed exits and is using traffic alert signs to communicate this to drivers. It's advised to avoid driving anywhere unless it's absolutely necessary.

Your best best over the next day or two, according to county officials, is stay home.

Both Tim Yaeger, the county's emergency management coordinator, and Tim Hens, the county highway superintendent, made that point in conversations this evening about the anticipated weather conditions over the next 36 to 48 hours.

The Sheriff's Office has issued a travel advisory, advising residents to avoid unnecessary travel.  Some white-out conditions have already been reported in some parts of the county, according to the advisory.

The governor has declared a state of emergency for Western New York and is mobilizing additional resources to help the 11-county area.

The National Weather Service has upgraded the weather outlook to blizzard conditions with up to three feet of snow, driven by strong winds and the weather danger increased by frightfully cold temperatures.

"The best thing people can do is stay off the roads," Yaeger said. "Make sure you have supplies; be prepared to stay home for at least two days. If you do lose power, use caution, watch your generators to make sure the exhaust area is kept clear and be careful with candles. People need to understand that there will be a delayed response by fire and EMS and law enforcement. We just hope everybody is extra careful tonight and through tomorrow night."

Hens, who shares some of the responsibility for keeping the snow off of roadways in the county, also urged residents to stay home.

"It's going to be at least 24 or 36 hours, so I hope people have enough at home to stay put for a while," Hens said.

Drivers getting stuck can make it harder on plow truck drivers and impede their ability to keep the roads clear, which can be a challenge in storms of lesser strength.

County workers are ready to work full shifts over the course of the storm. For most winter weather events, there might be a break in plowing in the middle of the night, but Hens said the plan is for crews to plow all night long tonight.

Once a roadway gets lost to a snow drift, "it's hard to get it back," Hens said. "Snow drifts can get hard like concrete."

That said, if there are prolonged stretches of zero visibility, it can become too dangerous for the plow drivers to be out on the roads and crews may need to take a break.

"It's been a long time since we had a storm of this magnitude," Hens said. "I've been with the county for 15 years and we haven't had a blizzard, by definition, in those 15 years."

Yaeger said that from an emergency response standpoint, the county is ready, though at this point there is no emergency command post set up.

"We'll watch it hour-by-hour," Yaeger said.

Cuomo is also calling in extra resources for all of WNY. There will be 420 additional plow trucks brought in from the Southern Tier and Central New York and an additional 1,000 state personnel on hand to deal with the emergency. 

The Thruway Authority and Department of Transportation are preemptively closing some roadways, though none in Genesee County.

"We have experience with snow in Western New York, though this is something different," Cuomo said in a teleconference this evening. "It's snow, but it's also extraordinary arctic cold and winds that we think will make the storm extremely dangerous."

Cuomo encouraged residents to check on their neighbors, especially elderly neighbors, and ensure they have what they need to weather the storm.

"We'll get through this because we're New Yorkers," Cuomo said. "We take a tough situation and we handle it."

This post will stick to the top of the home page today and we will keep it as updated as we possibly can with weather-related incidents. Other news stories, if any, will continue to be published as normal, so scroll down. Also, scroll down for our post listing cancellations that we know about.

UPDATE 4:20 p.m.: A vehicle skidded down a steep embankment after exiting the westbound Route 490 at the Le Roy exit at Vallance Road. The female driver is said to be in and out of consciousness, possibly due to a medical issue. Le Roy fire and ambulance service are responding.

UPDATE 4:42 p.m. (by Howard): Photo of what it looked like downtown about 10 minutes ago.

UPDATE 5:38 p.m. (by Howard): A blizzard warning is effect until 6 a.m., Wednesday. Snow accumulations of 6 to 12 inches tonight, 9 to 17 inches Tuesday and 1 to 3 inches Tuesday night. Gusts up to 45 mph with visibility near zero. Wind chill below 30 degrees. Numerous roadways will be covered throughout Tuesday. Up to four inches of snowfall per hour are possible at times in the heaviest bands of lake effect snow. High winds will create drifting and blowing snow. Whiteout conditions are expected at times.

UPDATE 6:09 p.m. (by Billie): Route 98 is shut down at Lockport and Oak Orchard roads because of a motor-vehicle accident, unknown injuries, at Quaker Hill and Lockport roads. Elba fire is on scene, Mercy medics arrived non-emergency.

UPDATE 7:55 p.m.: There are three cars off the roadway in the area of Daws Corners. One is unoccupied. Civilians are on scene trying to help and a tow is in route. A trooper is on scene.

UPDATE 8 p.m.: There's a report of a car off the road on Route 77 with an unconscious driver. Darien fire dispatched.

UPDATE 8:02 p.m.: Town of Batavia is responding to a report of a truck off the Thruway. Unknown injuries.

UPDATE 8:05 p.m.: A milk truck half full of milk has overturned on Route 20 near Roanoke Road. The driver is uninjured but is unable to get out of the vehicle. Another car is reported off the road, Route 77, Darien.

UPDATE 8:13 p.m.: Route 20 being closed at Texaco Town and at Pavilion Center Road. A chief says, "it's a complete whiteout up here."

UPDATE 8:18 p.m.: A truck is off the road, partially blocking Route 20 between Smithley and Attica roads.

UPDATE 8:21 p.m.: Photo above of West Main Street, Batavia, at 7:15 p.m.. A Pembroke chief reports a lot of trucks backed up on the westbound Thruway.

UPDATE 8:27 p.m.: To keep up with the latest news on cancellations and closings, click here. We just added a closing for Wyoming County: grand jury postponed for a day.

UPDATE 8:43 p.m.: There's a wrecker coming for the milk truck. Route 20 should reopen in about five minutes. A deputy just cleared a call and asked if there were more calls. "Yeah, a lot of them. One at 20 and Harlow, 20 and 77, though a wrecker's coming for that one."

UPDATE 8:52 p.m.: The tow for the milk truck is coming from Farmington. It has another truck to pump out first. Pavilion is clearing the scene until the tow arrives and Route 20 is being reopened until the tow arrives.

UPDATE 8:56 p.m.: The tow from Farmington is now NOT coming. The Pavilion chief asks if there's a local tow. A dispatcher is checking. The truck (or its cargo) weighs 84,000 pounds.

UPDATE 8:58 p.m.: Genesee County Emergency Services has requested that all volunteer fire departments man their halls with a crew for at least one engine through the next 24 hours.

UPDATE 9:02 p.m.: A Pembroke chief advises dispatchers that truckers are lining up, parked, on the east side of Route 77 near the Flying J.

UPDATE 9:13 p.m.: A truck is off the road in the area of 471 Route 5, partially blocking.

UPDATE 9:23 p.m.: No local tow for the milk truck. When the boss gets their the driver and the boss will talk it over. They may just leave the truck for now.

UPDATE 9:28 p.m.: The on-again-off-again local tow for the milk truck may be on again in about 20 minutes.

UPDATE 9:31 p.m.: A car is in a ditch off Route 20 near Route 63. Two occupants. No injuries reported.

UPDATE 9:49 p.m.: Pavilion fire dispatched to Burley Hill for traffic control because a truck is disabled and blocking multiple lanes.

UPDATE 9:51 p.m.: A trooper trying to find the car in the ditch off Route 20 reported "it's complete whiteout conditions out here." 

UPDATE 9:52 p.m.: The driver of the car says she sees an SUV nearby in a ditch with its four-ways on. The trooper now on scene reports four cars off the road. The dispatcher reports, "she's excited to see you." The trooper replies, "and I'm excited to see them, too."

UPDATE 9:55 p.m.: The trooper reports the car isn't really in the ditch, but there's a lot of snow and no visibility, so the driver is just staying put for now. They do have a baby on board. The trooper is checking on the other cars.

UPDATE 9:59 p.m.: The trooper is giving a woman driver a ride home and picking up the two women with a child. "They're not going anywhere fast."

UPDATE 10:14 p.m.: There's much less activity now. Unless circumstances change, we're suspending updates to this post. (Time to try get some sleep and be ready for tomorrow.)

UPDATE 10:45 p.m.: There's a water main break on Ross Street. Route 63 is reopened. 

UPDATE 10:48 p.m.: They can't offload the milk. It's not leaking. The owner is considering just leaving it until the weather clears. A GCSO supervisor says that's fine if it isn't a hazard. The deputy and owner are going to discuss it some more. There are now two heavy wreckers and a service truck in route to that location from a another call.

The way David Bellavia sees it, there's no real chance of going back to Fallujah, not that he and few of his fellow Iraq War veterans haven't mentioned the idea in conversation.

The news reports of al-Qaida-linked forces capturing Fallujah and Ramadi hasn't sat well with Bellavia, nor the families of those who lost loved ones in battles to secure those cities for Iraq's government, said the Batavia resident who was awarded a Silver Star for his role in liberating Fallujah from insurgents in 2004.

"It's a black eye for our foreign policy in the Middle East," Bellavia said. "It's the same group we backed in Syria and not a damn thing was said about it. The enemy in Iraq is the very force that has tried to overthrow Assad. It shows how absolutely difficult the Middle East has become. This administration has decided Iraq is not important. All of the focus is on Afghanistan, so as far as Iraq goes, it's a closed chapter and we move on. For the veterans of that war, it's a bitter pill to swallow."

Bellavia said he talks regularly with fellow veterans and he's also heard from three families who lost loved ones in Fallujah and nobody is happy about the turn of events. It does indeed cause some to ask "what did we fight for?" -- he thinks that's really the goal of al-Qaida.

Bellavia compared the fall of Fallujah to the fall of Saigon, saying Fallujah is his generation's Normandy. He said it was sacred ground.

"Fallujah has no tactical value to the enemy at all," Bellavia said. "It's nothing but a moral victory. If you want to take over Iraq, you capture Basra and Baghdad. Taking over Fallujah is nothing but a thumb in the eye to Americans."

What's particularly galling, Bellavia said, is the seeming willingness of Fallujah residents, who once welcomed the Americans, now supporting al-Qaida.

"Before last month, we believed people (in Fallujah) appreciated the sacrafice, but you can't say that now," Bellavia said, "especially when you hear the locals are taking al-Qaida in and housing them and helping them stand against the government. What do you say to that?"

Perhaps if the administration had more aggressively pursued a status of force agreement that allowed more air cover for government forces, al-Qaida wouldn't have felt emboldened to capture the cities of the Al Anbar Province.

As it is, it didn't take much for the Islamic radicals to capture territory Americans once fought so hard to free.

"You know there's a problem when you get a report that a city fell and there are only eight people dead," Bellavia said. "That means whoever was defending the city just left. They didn't want to risk their blood to defend the city."

One thing Bellavia doesn't see happening is U.S. troops returning to Fallujah.

"I don't think anybody wants boots on the ground," Bellavia said. 

Even with the change in circumstances, al-Qaida isn't in full control of the city. Sunni tribal forces are also asserting authority while the Shiite-led government of Iraq has seemingly abandoned its posts.

Eventually, Bellavia believes, Iraq will muster sufficient security forces to retake Fallujah. But then what? The Sunnis and the radicals will just want it back, and so on, with no end in sight.

But perhaps, Bellavia said, that's the enduring lesson of Iraq, with consequences for U.S. foreign policy throughout the region.

"We can't be there forever," Bellavia said. "Were we going to have permanent bases in Iraq like Germany or Japan? That's the tough lesson. If they choose not to fight, they choose not to fight. It doesn't make it easier for those who lost loved ones, but we can't go back. We're all now 10 years from the fight. We have families. We have children. Would we want our sons and daughters to go back to Iraq and finish the job we couldn't? Absolutely not. There's no way I would want my son to go through anything like I went through. We served our country, we did it with honor and an unflinching sense of duty, but we can't save the world if we are the only ones willing to die for the cause."

Cancellations we know about:

• Due to severe weather conditions, all Genesee County grand jurors summoned for Tuesday, January 7, 2014 are directed NOT to report as scheduled. Genesee County grand jury service has been postponed to Tuesday, January 14, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. Grand jurors summoned to appear must report to the Genesee County Courts Facility, Second Floor, One West Main Street, Batavia, New York on Tuesday, January 14, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. More information is available at the Genesee County Commissioner of Jurors Office at 585-344-2550 ext. 2296 or www.nycourts.gov
• Due to the winter storm expected to strike the Western New York region beginning the evening of January 6, 2014, the US Department of State’s Buffalo Passport Agency will be closed all day January 7, 2014. We expect to reopen to the public at 10AM on Wednesday, January 8.
• American Legion Post 626 Oakfield-Alabama has cancelled its meeting.
• The Alabama Fire Department has cancelled bingo for tonight.
• 4-H activities for tonight have been cancelled.
• The Village of Corfu budget meeting scheduled for tonight is cancelled.
• The Haxon Library in Oakfield is closed. It will be closed tomorrow if school is cancelled.
• The Chamber of Commerce Office will be closed tomorrow, Tuesday.
• Batavia City Schools has cancelled it's board meeting.
• City Schools have cancelled classes tomorrow.
• The Rotary basketball tournament is postponed.
• United Memorial has closed its URGENT CARE facility in Batavia early tonight due to the weather. The emergency room at 127 North Street is open.
• Oakfield-Alabama Central Schools will be closed tomorrow, Tuesday, January 7th including all afterschool and evening activities.
• St. Joes is closed tomorrow.
• The Alabama Town Hall will be closed Tuesday, January 7, 2014.  This includes the Town Clerk and Assessor offices and Court.
• Wyoming County District Attorney Donald O'Geen requested we post the following announcement because of its importance and it might get overshadowed by other news: Due to severe weather conditions, all Wyoming County Grand Jurors summoned for Tuesday, January 7, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. are to report on Wednesday, January 8, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. Grand Jurors should report Wednesday to the Courthouse at 147 North Main Street, Warsaw, NY. If you have any questions, please contact the Wyoming County Commissioner of Jurors Office at 585‑786‑8756 or www.nycourts.gov
• Genesee County Chapter NYSARC Day Hab Programs and Workshop are closed Tuesday.
• The Genesee County YMCA, 209 East Main St. will open at 8:30 AM, Tuesday, January 7, 2014.
• From UMMC: ALL OUTPATIENT SERVICES, including URGENT CARE and OUTPATIENT SURGERY (same day surgery) will be closed, on Tuesday, January 7th due to weather. Employees of these areas should remain home unless notified by their leader to come in to work. The closure includes: Jerome Center Diagnostics; LeRoy Diagnostics; Pembroke Diagnostics, Outpatient Lab and Outpatient Medical Imaging at 127 North Street; the Wound Care Center; the Pain Center;Cardiology and Internal Medicine practice; Batavia Family Care; Tountas Family Care, LeRoy Care; Batavia Urgent Care; The Corporate Health Center; the Women's Care Centers in Medina and Batavia; the Cancer and Infusion Center; Surgical Associates Office for Drs. Froix, Zucchiatti and DiBenedetto; Cardiac Rehab; Outpatient Echo and EKG.

For a list of cancellations on WBTA's web site, click here.

If you have a cancellation, e-mail info to howard@thebatavian.com.

Deborah A. Blackmar, 50, of Le Roy, Miranda A. Ralston, 27, of York, and Aaron M. Higgins, 33, of York, are all charged with petit larceny and conspiracy, 6th. Ralston and Higgins are also charged with criminal possession of stolen property. State Police in Warsaw accuse the trio of stealing, on two separate occasions in December, merchandise from the Walmart in Warsaw. The items allegedly stolen include two flat-screen TVs, a Blue Ray disc player, a laptop computer and other items, with a total value of $1,500. Most of the items were allegedly recovered at a residence in York. The Sheriff's offices in Livingston and Genesee counties, along with Le Roy PD, assisted in the 10-day investigation, which culminated in the Dec. 28 arrest of the three suspects.

Donald E. Cameron Jr., 54, of 9200 York Road, Le Roy, is charged with DWI and refusing to take breath test. Cameron was arrested after Le Roy PD was dispatched to McDonald's to check on the welfare of a woman. By the time, officers arrived, the woman had left McDonald's, but was located in a vehicle operated by Cameron. She was fine, but upon further investigation, officers determined that Cameron had allegedly been driving drunk.

Justin Samuel Fagan, 28, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, is charged with assault, 2nd. This is an upgraded charge. Fagan was arrested and initially charged with third-degree assault on Dec. 29 following an alleged incident at the Blue Dog Saloon in Attica. The upgraded charge alleges serious physical injury to the victim.

Michael Christopher Schulz, 31, of Buffalo Street Road, Attica, was arrested on a Family Court warrant. Schulz was arrested by Attica PD on a Family Court warrant and turned over to the Genesee County Sheriff's Office. Schulz was jailed on $2,000 cash bail or $4,000 bond.

Troy Christian Shepard, 31, of Tracy Avenue, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Shepard is accused of shoplifting at Walmart.