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Le Roy looked like a team with barely a weakness during the first half of Friday's 41-14 victory over Letchworth.

The Indians were held to minus two yards of total offense during the half and ran only 19 plays without notching a single first down.

The Oatkan Knights (3-0) had six possession in the half and scored five offensive TDs with a total offense of 248 yards.

The one glitch was a Mike McMullen interception when the Knights seemed to be marching toward another inevitable touchdown. It was McMullen's first interception of the season.

"I thought we played well," Head Coach Brian Moran said. "I though we did a lot of things well tonight. I thought our first team played extremely well. They got off the ball well. We just did a lot good things."

McMullen tossed three touchdown passes and had a total of 118 yards through the air on the night. He was 10-16 passing. Ryan McQuillen caught all three of the TD passes.

Peter Privitera gained 145 yards on 18 carries, scoring twice.

"Peter ran very well today," Moran said. "As you know, he came off the ankle surgery and tonight he showed the Peter of old. He started to get that speed back, and acceleration."

Tom Kelso carried the ball seven times for 42 yards and one TD. Nick Egeling ran for 45 yards on six carries. Kelso also caught three passes for 42 yards.

Jake Henry had six tackles and a sack. Chandler Winling, five tackles, and with four tackles each were Brandon Van Grol, McQuillen and Egeling. Anthony Paladino had two tackles and a sack.

Letchworth came into the game with a 1-1 record, with a 30-26 win over Warsaw and a 33-0 loss to Cal-Mum.

The Indians' only real offense came late in the game with two scoring drives against mainly second-team players. The Indians were also running more stunts and option plays, opening up the offense a bit.

Moran said this week the focus during team practice will be the play of the second team.

"You've got to pay a little more attention in practice and understand what we're trying to do and play a little better," Moran said. "Our expectation is that everybody improves on our team."

Next up for Le Roy, Warsaw, which is off to an 0-3 start on the season. Game time is 7:30 at Le Roy.

For our coverage of the Batavia game, click here.

Also, last night, Pembroke (1-2) lost to Attica (3-0), 41-7. Attica's Matt Perry gained 288 yards on 17 carries, scoring six times. Perry is now the school career leader in TDs with 50 and total yards at 2,866.

Oakfield-Alabama (1-2) beat Finney (0-3) 61-0. Alan Chapp was 12-14 for 252 yards and two touchdowns, adding 72 yards on the ground. Chase Manzella gained 63 yards and scored three times. Chris Nanni added 31 yards on the ground and two TDs.

Today, two undefeated teams, Alexander and Notre Dame, clash at Notre Dame. Game time, 1:30. Elba/Byron-Bergen is at Holley.

To purchase prints of photos, click here.

Toni White

A woman who previously testified in a burglary trial and who joined her spouse in the first same-sex marriage in Genesee County in 2011 was accused today of selling crack cocaine to an undercover agent.

Toni M. White, 32, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, was arrested on a sealed indictment alleging she sold a quantity of crack cocaine to an agent of the Local Drug Enforcement Task Force.

She is charged with three counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, 3rd, and criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd, both Class B felonies.

White was jailed on $5,000 bail.

In 2010, White testified in the burglary trial of Reginald M. Wilson discussing the day Wilson drove her around in what turned out to be a stolen vehicle.

In September, 2011, White appeared in court with the woman she married the day before, Katrina Drake, when Judge Robert C. Noonan threatened to send Drake to jail on a violation of probation charge.

In the past few years, White has been arrested on charges of disorderly conduct (twice), petit larceny and trespass.

UPDATE 6:40 p.m.: The bail review of Toni M. White was conducted on Sept. 20 and she was released under supervision of Genesee Justice, with a curfew requiring her to be at her residence from 7 p.m. until 7 a.m. every day.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley is in the midst of his annual Patriot Trip to Washington, D.C., with a group of residents from his district. He sent us these pictures.

Above, Jack Toth at the World War II Memorial.

Below, a group shot and a shot of some of the travels with Hawley and Rep. Chris Collins.

There's heavy equipment moving a lot of earth around just west of the Partridge Farm on Ellicott Street Road, Town of Batavia.

Crews are building a new roadway, which will provide secondary access to the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park. The secondary road is needed to accommodate anticipated growth and expansion of the park.

Area residents are invited to walk through a labyrinth on the property of Tricia Zdep, 6600 Log City Road, Elba, on Sunday as part of a harvest celebration for the Fall Equinox sponsored by Blue Pearl Yoga.

Labyrinths -- a complex series of winding paths that require walkers to follow a serpentine trail -- have been an important spiritual part of many cultures for thousands of years, said Patricia Hawley.

"Walking through one is a powerful meditative and contemplative act," she said.

The word "equinox" is derived from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night) and signifies a time when night and day are about equal length.

The term can also be used in a broader sense, meaning that the universe is in perfect balance, said Karen Reisdorf, owner of Blue Pearl Yoga

"At this time we concentrate on balancing our spirits, harvesting our dreams, and giving thanks for the beauty and bounties of Mother Earth," Reisdorf said.

The walk is at 1 p.m. and participants are asked to bring a gift from nature (leaf, flower, feather, stone, etc.) and any vegetables or flowers that have been harvested from your garden or from a farmers market. The event includes:

• Blessing of the harvest, offerings of gratitude;
• Yoga practice, planting new intentions;
• Ending meditation;
• Sharing of the harvest.

Leading the event with Reisdorf is Joni Yaskulski.

The labyrinth was made by Zdep and her husband at least five years ago (see it on Google Maps).

Pre-registration is required. Cost is $15. For more information contact Blue Pearl Yoga at 585-230-5430 or email bluepearl.yoga@yahoo.com.

For the first 74 minutes of play Thursday in Pavilion, two teams on the pitch with 3-0 records kept the score knotted at 0-0 and it was starting to seem like a tie was a predictable outcome.

Then Geneseo's Elliott Cannon scooted a ball past senior goalie Collin Sheflin. Another goal two minutes later by Mo Carlon, with only four minutes on the clock, seemed to seal the fate of the Golden Gophers.

"Genesee has been building a great program for years," said Pavilion Head Coach Matt Roth. "They seem to graduate players with another junior right behind who is good. We're working on doing the same thing here, but it takes time. We worked hard tonight. The better team, probably, ended up winning, but they didn't out work us."

Coming into the game, Pavilion had given up only one goal in its first three games. That was in a 2-1 win over Mount Morris. Pavilion has beat Pembroke 6-0 and Avon 3-0.

"Jake Defisher, Heyden Ewell and Stephen Pike work hard on defense," Roth said. "We've only given up three goals and two of them were tonight, so when you have that kind of defense, you're going to be in most games."

Riley Vallance has been working hard, too, Roth said. He's played every position this season and on defense against Pavilion he played a big role in keeping the game close.

Dakota Kegler, a midfielder, has also been working hard this season, he said.

Pavilion is now 3-1-1 on the season and Roth is expecting a good run for the team come time for sectional play.

"Our goal is to build, to be playing our best soccer in October," Roth said. "Right now, we're not where we want to be, but if we get there in mid-October when sectionals come, we're going to be a dangerous team in sectional play."

Pavilion's next game is at home, tomorrow, 1 p.m., against York.

Pavilion's goalie grabbing a shot in the first period.

To purchase prints of photos, click here.

It looks like Batavia is going to get a taco stand on Ellicott Street across from the Pok-A-Dot near Liberty Street. This sign appeared in the window recently. The new owners were not around when I stopped by this morning.

UPDATE: One of the new owners is Derek Geib, co-owner of Bourbon & Burger Co.. Mike Hyland, a partner at B&B, is also partner with Casa Del Taco, along with Dick Long. They're shooting for an Oct. 1 opening.

Genesee County added 200 jobs in August, according to a jobs report released yesterday in which the NYS Department of Labor touted a record number of jobs in the state.

According to the report, there are now 7.6 million jobs in New York, up 22,700 from July to August.

At the same time, the number of employment-eligible workers grew by 24,000, increasing the state's unemployment rate from 7.5 to 7.6 percent.

The number of jobs in Genesee County went up to 23,600, which is 200 over the July figure and the August 2013 number.

The County's unemployment rate has not yet been released.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley is in the midst of leading his annual Patriot Trip to Washington, D.C., but he just sent over this statement regarding the unfunded mandate by the NYS Corrections Commission requiring Genesee County to spend another $1 million on jail guards:

I was apprised by Genesee County officials of yet another $1 million unfunded mandate from Albany about a week ago. We are working closely with county officials to remedy this. When will Albany ever get it?

Devon Bell

A 26-year-old Rochester resident is being held on $50,000 bail after being accused of dealing crack cocaine in Batavia.

Davon Tamer Michael Bell, of Gillette Street, Rochester, is charged with two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, 3rd, and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd.

Bell allegedly sold crack cocaine to undercover agents working with the Local Drug Enforcement Task Force.

The investigation into Bell's alleged activities began nine months ago. He was taken into custody Sept. 10 by Rochester PD.

Bell was indicted in a sealed indictment by the Genesee County Grand Jury.

Tracy Lynn Damato, 47, of Horsehoe Lake Road, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Damato is accused of stealing $19.99 in merchandise from Kmart.

Jordon Elizabeth Prescott, 19, of Ellicott Street Road, Bethany, is charged with criminal trespass, 3rd, and criminal contempt, 2nd. Prescott is accused of being at College Village after being barred from the property. She is accused of violating an order of protection by coming into contact with the security guard that was on duty at College Village.

Travis S. Bartz, 37, of Alexander, is charged with a violation of probation and criminal contempt, 2nd. Bartz was allegedly located at a residence on Route 98, Town of Attica, Wyoming County, by State Police in violation of probation conditions and a current stay-away order of protection.

Kimberley A. Smith, 36, of Alexander, is charged with felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .08 or higher and failure to stop at stop sign. Smith was arrested at 6:27 p.m. Wednesday on Brookville Road, Alexander, by State Police. Following her arrest, she was released to a third party.

Lamar Iteef Randall, 28, of Spruce Avenue, Rochester, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 5th. Randall was arrested on a warrant out of Stafford Town Court upon his release from Monroe County Jail where he was being held on an unrelated charged. He was jailed on $5,000 bail.

Do high school athletic programs hinder academics?

The Atlantic: The Case Against High-School Sports

A bank survalliance photo released to the media following the alleged Oct. 24 bank robbery. There is no mug shot available of Frank L. Schiavi.

A 28-year-old Batavia man is sitting in the Monroe County Jail awaiting further court proceedings on a pair of third degree robbery charges.

Frank L. Schiavi was originally arraigned in Monroe County Court on the two-count indictment against him July 3. He was picked up by U.S. Marshals last week with the assistance of Batavia PD and the Sheriff's Office for allegedly missing a court date.

He is now being held on $5,000 bail or $10,000 bond.

Schiavi is accused of twice robbing a First Niagara Bank location at 532 Chili Ave., Rochester, on Oct. 24 and again on Feb. 6.

Sgt. Elena Correia, public information officer for RPD, said Schiavi allegedly put a mask over his face just prior to entering the bank and once inside he robbed the bank.

In both cases, the suspect fled and RPD conducted an extensive search of the area and no arrest was made.

Although bank employees were able to see the suspect's face in both robberies and the public was alerted to the suspect information through media releases, RPD investigators were unable to develop any concrete leads.

That led investigators to believe the suspect was not from Monroe County.

On the same day as the second robbery, Batavia PD received a report from a concerned citizen about a suspicious person in the area.

Batavia PD and the FBI followed up on the information and obtained a photograph of the suspicious person.

The photo was used to help identify Schiavi as the robbery suspect.

There was apparently no public announcement of Schiavi's arrest at the time. The Batavian learned about the case from a Batavia resident who also claimed knowledge of related law enforcement activity.

The source said there was a subject arrested Monday at an address on Jackson Street. While neighbors said they saw members law enforcement at that address Monday and one neighbor said he saw a man in handcuffs, a check with the Sheriff's Office, Batavia PD and the FBI turned up no record of law enforcement activity at that address on that day. The U.S. Marshal's Office did not return our phone calls, but the U.S. Attorney's Office for WNY also found no records of federal law enforcement activity at that address.

The source also claimed federal law enforcement was looking for a subject who has left the state. While coworkers of a person this subject is believed to be traveling with said that people they believed to be federal agents came looking for the the peson, no agency contacted by The Batavian has any knowledge, they say, of who the person is, and they say he is not the subject of an investigation and they are not actively trying to find him.

It's unknown at this time how much money may have been taken from the banks. 

A car has hit a tree at Judge and Feeder roads, Alabama.

There are reportedly minor injuries.

Alabama fire and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 9:34 p.m.: Alabama is back in service.

Boys and girls in grades 9-12 looking to advance their hoop dreams are invited to a basketball mini-camp starting Oct. 7 at Batavia High School.

The camp is hosted by Batavia Boys Varsity Basketball Coach Buddy Brasky and sponsored by the Batavia Boys Basketball Booster Club.

The camp will focus on improving offensive skills and it will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. every Monday and Thursday in October.

The cost is $125 and Brasky said the camp is designed for experienced and serious players only.

For more information, contact Brasky at (585) 356=4050 or e-mail him at mbrasky@bataviacsd.org

Torrey Farms is being honored Oct. 1 with the 2013 Grower Achievement Award by United Fresh, a growers' association.

One of county's largest farms, the Torreys are being recognized for grower operations that strive to grow and market high-quality produce while contributing to the good of the industry.

Maureen Torrey has become a strong advocate in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere for public policies that protect farmers and promote agriculture.

She has testified before the House Committee on Agriculture regarding the farm bill and immigration policy.

Last year, for example, Torrey Farms lost 92 of 100 employees working in the packing shed following an I-9 audit. 

"The employees we lost averaged about 18 years of experience," Torrey told United Fresh. "Now we have to build it up from scratch."

The award will be given at the United Fresh annual Washington Public Policy Conference.

At the conference, produce industry leaders from across the supply chain meet with congressional lawmakers and their staff, as well as officials from the Food and Drug Administration to discuss policy issues that affect the agriculture industry.

(via OrleansHub)

A reader sent me a note this morning to draw my attention to the handiwork of a beaver on the Tonawanda Creek near the Lyons Street bridge. This afternoon, I found the beaver's felled tree, perhaps the beginning of a new dam project, and also this blue heron hunting for lunch.

While there are few people walking into the Genesee County Clerk's Office to handle their DMV business, County Clerk Don Read told legislators yesterday, booming auto sales at area dealerships are more than making up for the lost revenue.

Still, Read would like to see more residents -- especially county employees -- realize that when they register their vehicles by mail directly with Albany, the county gets far less of that revenue than if the registration is handled locally.

"There's a major state initiative to move toward the Internet and kiosks," Read said. "That takes revenue away from the county office. They're doing it primarily because they want more of the revenue, and secondarily because they have an interest in reducing the cost at the motor vehicle offices in New York City, the surrounding counties and Long Island and Albany and Onondaga counties."

While local dealers have been selling more cars, so have dealers throughout the region. One large dealer with multiple locations does all of his business with the Genesee County DMV office because he gets better service.

Last Monday, that dealer brought in 295 new vehicle registrations. The following Wednesday, 40, and then on Friday, 130.

That dealer alone will probably account for $100,000 in revenue for the county, Read said.

Even so, Read would like a memo to go out -- perhaps even the proper forms included with paychecks -- to county employees reminding them to register their vehicles locally.

According to read, the county is currently only getting about 10 percent of its own employees' vehicle registration business. If there was a way to capture 100 percent of the business from the county's 230 employees (at an average, Read speculates, of three cars per household), Read said, it would mean another $100,000 in revenue annually.

"The best we can do is try to encourage them and hope they realize they're taking money out of their own pockets when they don't do it," Read said.

While the vehicle registration drop boxes on Court Street in Batavia and in Le Roy continue to help generate vehicle registration business for the county, the drop box installed last year in Bergen isn't doing much. It hardly pays to send an employee out three times a week to check on it, Read said.

Read would like to do more marketing to encourage people to register their vehicles locally, but in these days of tight budgets there aren't funds available to buy advertising.

In other Clerk's Office news: Michael Cianfrini, Oakfield town supervisor and son of Legislator Ray Cianfrini, will become the new deputy clerk. Cianfrini brings the added bonus, Read said, of being a licensed attorney. While Read had some hesitation about whether to appoint the son of a sitting legislator, he decided "the office shouldn't suffer because his dad is on the Legislature."  Read described him as clearly the most qualified candidate among a very competitive group of candidates.

Michael Cianfrini has been working in Ray Cianfrini's law office in Oakfield.

"The county's gain is my loss," Ray said.

"I'm really looking forward to him joining the office," Read said.

A start date for Cianfrini in his new post has not be set yet.

We requested a statement from Sen. Michael Ranzenhofer about the unelected NYS Corrections Commission requiring Genesee County to add $1 million annually to the county budget to fund 10 more jail guards.

Here's Sen. Ranzenhofer's statement:

I have recently had an opportunity to speak with Genesee County Officials about the Commission’s report concerning the county jail. Our office will be happy to work with the Sheriff’s Office and members of the Genesee County Legislature in the event they believe we can be of assistance to them.