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A semi-truck and car have struck on Route 77 near the Thruway, but the accident is believed to be with minor injuries.

There was air bag deployment.

The driver is complaining of head and knee pain.

Indian Falls and Pembroke fire, along with Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 7:48 a.m.: A chief on scene reports extrication will be required. It doesn't look like Mercy Flight will be required.

UPDATE 7:59 a.m.: The truck is transporting some sort of hazardous material. There is no sign of damage to the trailer and no external evidence of any leak.

A caller in the area of Seven Springs Country Club, 8600 Seven Springs Road, Batavia, reports hearing a loud boom in the area of the clubhouse.

Another caller reports hearing a crackling noise like the sound of fire.

Town of Batavia Fire Department was responding to investigate, but then another caller reported there is some sort of ceremony going on in the area.

Town of Batavia fire is backing down to non-emergency response.

A voice on the radio quips, "Quite the ceremony."

UPDATE 9:03 p.m.: The fire was the result of a "small combustible liquid." A responder says, "at least I didn't catch them dancing around."

Somebody committed a daytime residential burglary on South Street in Le Roy on Saturday and the Le Roy PD is asking for assistance in solving the crime.

According to Le Roy PD, an unknown person or persons forced entry into the residence between 12:45 and 3 p.m. and stole jewelry.

Anyone with information to share with the police regarding the burglary can call the Le Roy PD at (585) 345-6350.

The wheels of justice can sometimes turn slowly, especially, it seems, when it comes to investigating the operations of judicial departments.

Sometime earlier this year, the state's Judicial Review Commission opened an investigation into alleged financial irregularities in the Village of Corfu Court.

The months-long process, according to documents obtained by The Batavian through a FOIL request, has village officials wondering when they might be able to file an insurance claim and get reimbursed for money they suspect was stolen from the court.

The allegations of missing funds first came to light with the release of an audit by the state comptroller's office that found at least $30,000 in alleged irregularities in the amount of fines collected, bail money received and reports filed with state agencies.

The village has attempted to file a claim for at least $10,000 with its insurance carrier, but the carrier demands further documentation before it will review the claim.

Internal emails obtain through the FOIL request reveal a degree of frustration and concern among village officials over the lengthy process to settle the matter.

The State Police, according to village officials, are unwilling to launch their own investigation until the Judicial Review Commission completes its work for fear of hampering that investigation.

According to village Attorney Mark Boylan, the commission is a deliberative body that works slowly and takes its time to check and weigh every fact.

An email within the FOIL package indicates that the commission has requested and received "a lot of paperwork."

That's probably the same kind of paperwork needed by the insurance carrier.

"The insured does need to present documentation that would prove they sustained a loss from employee dishonesty for coverage to be provided," wrote Julie Diehl, a property specialist for Glatfelter Claims Management of York, Pa., in a letter to Boylan. "This does require a high level of documentation and each transaction claimed must be shown to us."

The village must also prove that the bonded employee converted the money for personal financial gain.

"The narrative of the audit report ... does not speak to employee dishonesty rather to poor record keeping and a cash shortage due to that poor record keeping. So it is even more important to present the financial records, receipts, bank statements and cashbook entries and other documentation available to show the clerk diverted the monies to obtain personal gain."

Boylan responded and told Diehl "The Village Justice maintains all of his own books and records ... and the village does not have access to those records at this time."

Until the investigation by the commission is completed, and possibly until the State Police complete an investigation, those records probably cannot be turned over to the insurance company.

Glatfelter originally demanded it receive the records by June 6, but the village has been granted a 60-day extension and may apply for further extensions every 60 days as necessary, according to the documents.

For the period covered by the comptroller's audit, Brandi Watts, the daughter of Village of Corfu Justice Robert Alexander, was working as Alexander's clerk. 

Watts was eventually dismissed by the village board after discovering under state law Watts was too close of a relation to Alexander to be working for him and an appeal by Alexander to the state was denied.

According to the FOIL'd documents, District Attorney Lawrence Friedman plans to seek the appointment a special prosecutor (or special district attorney to handle the case).

In an interview this week, Friedman declined to discuss the specific case, but explained that whenever his office might have a conflict of interest -- in this case, working closely with an arm of the judicial branch -- Friedman can petition Judge Robert Noonan to appoint a special district attorney.

The DA is usually selected from one of the surrounding counties.

Because there have been no criminal charges filed in this case, no such request has been sent to Noonan, Friedman said.

The documents received by The Batavian indicate a good deal of ongoing conflict between Alexander and the village board. Officials are concerned the situation is disrupting the normal operations of the court, which is another reason they're eager to get the situation resolved.

"We need to ensure that justice is being served and people’s cases are being heard and the job is being performed," Boylan said.

The Genesee County Fair hosted its annual parade Wednesday night.

The fair continues through Saturday.

Today's events include horse driving, small fry tractor pull, stock car races, meat animal auction and The Trolls perform from 8 to 11 p.m.

For complete schedule, click here.

If you're unable to view the slide show below, click here.  To purchase prints of these photos, click here.

Oakfield Fire Department is responding to a report of smoke in the bathroom at 32 Bennett Ave., Oakfield.

UPDATE 8:27 a.m.: A burned out light fixture is reported.

UPDATE 8:35 a.m.: Oakfield back in service.

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A one-vehicle rollover accident on Route 77 right in front of the Darien Lake Theme Park has been reported. Darien Fire Department is responding.

Minor injuries are reported.

UPDATE 7:17 a.m.: Vehicle is upside down at the bottom of a ditch that's 6 feet deep.

UPDATE 7:39 a.m.: Darien back in service.

His uncles told him, "Bernie, when you get to Hawaii, you need to look up Sailor Jerry and get a tattoo."

So Bernie Thompson, originally from Brattleboro, Vt., but a 30-year resident of Batavia, found Sailor Jerry and after a little effort, got his first tattoo.

Some 45 years later, the panther on his right arm is a little faded, but as far as Mark Fanara sees it, "it's the same arm Sailor Jerry worked on."

And that's pretty cool.

"The first time I worked on his arm, I was almost a little intimidated," said Fanara, who owns High Voltage Tattoo on Main Street, Batavia.

As far as Fanara knows, Thompson is the only person he's ever met, let alone given a tattoo to, who has the work of the legendary artist on his body.

Born Norman Collins in California in 1911 (he died in 1973), Sailor Jerry eventually settled in Hawaii where he skippered a schooner, played saxophone and gave young sailors tattoos. Eventually his fame spread the world over and he is considered the most transformative tattoo artist of the 20th Century.

"He's an American tattoo legend," Fanara said.

Thompson joined the Navy out of high school and because a friend of the family was a local recruiter, he was able to get himself sent to San Diego for basic training.

He was at the Navel Training Base in October, November and December of 1967.

He figured if he was going into the Navy in the winter, training in San Diego was preferable to the Great Lakes.

"And wouldn't you know it," he said. "It snowed while I was there. (It did in fact snow in San Diego in 1967). I was 6 years old. I barely remember it, but I do know it happened."

Thompson had two uncles in the Navy. One was a captain and the other had a few tattoos completed by Sailor Jerry, including a mural on his back which Thompson said he always admired.

As soon as he hit port in Hawaii in 1968, Thompson went to Sailor Jerry's shop.

Collins immediately asked for Thompson's permission slip.

"Permission slip?"

It turns out, and Thompson didn't know it, that a seaman in 1968 needed written permission from his commander to get a tattoo.

Two days later, Thompson was back in Sailor Jerry's shop with his permission slip.

After looking through Sailor Jerry flash, Thompson settled on a panther, but he said Collins drew in some variations to make the tattoo unique. There is no other panther tattoo by Sailor Jerry that has the quite the same design or color.

It was Thompson's first tattoo.

Sailor Jerry told him, Thompson said, "If this is going to be your first, I can tell you it won’t be your last. I can guarantee you that.'"

Today, Thompson has 17 tattoos and Fanara is the seventh tattoo artist to ink him.

One of the most memorable was the 90-year-old Chinese man who gave Thompson a tattoo with bamboo in a parlor over an opium den in Hong Kong.

Getting a tattoo with bamboo was his uncle's suggestion.

"I could have killed him when I got home on leave," Thompson said. "It was one of the most painful ordeals I’ve ever been through."

Today, the 63-year-old Thompson was in High Voltage to have Fanara cover over one of his youthful tats, a pinup girl on his right forearm (see photo supplied by Fanara below).

In the coming months, Fanara will cover over one of his other tattoos and then complete a mural on his back started by a tattoo artist who has left Batavia.

Thompson said he discovered Fanara after stopping into his old shop on Ellicott Street some years ago.

The Red Sox had just won the 2004 World Series, but Thompson had been in an induced coma at Strong Memorial Hospital for the entire playoff and world series run. He wanted a tattoo to commemorate the victory, though.

Fanara, Bernie said, reminds him the most of Sailor Jerry because of his artistic touch and his professionalism.

"I came in and I was talking to Mark," Thompson recalled. "I said, 'I’m not sure my doctor wants me to get one yet because of the blood situation.' He said, 'That’s good.' This is where he reminded me of Sailor Jerry. He said, 'I wouldn’t tattoo you anyhow unless you had a slip,' and it dawned on me, slip, Navy, needed it.  So I came back six, seven months later, we put (on) the Red Sox tattoo."

Previously: Tattoos gain acceptance as body art, statements of individuality

The turn out may have been but a few people at 400 Ellicott Street this morning, but the community support for the anti-bath-salt protest at 420 Emporium was much bigger.

Cars streamed by honking horns or people waved and gave a thumbs up or shouted out support.

One mother who was there said she came out because she believes bath salts have ruined her two adult sons' lives.

She said she's too embarrassed by the turn of events to give her name, but she said one of her sons made $55,000 a year and the other $40,000. They've both lost their jobs and have become exceptionally paranoid, living with sheets over their windows and convinced just about every one around them is an undercover cop.

"We took them for a ride and they said, 'there’s one,' 'there’s one,' " She said. "An old lady went by in a van and they said, 'there’s one.' I said, 'that’s an old lady. She can’t possibly be,' and they said ‘that’s what they do, they’re undercover.’"

Neither of her sons, she said, had ever gotten into any sort of trouble before they started using bath salts, which she said they bought at 420 Emporium.

Bath salts, she said, need to be completely wiped out in America.

"I’m hear because people have to see what’s going on with these kids. It’s killing them. It’s ruining their lives.  They’re losing everything they have."

Joan Liggetto (top inset photo), a licensed clinical social worker and counselor said she came out because she's just seeing too many of her clients getting messed up on bath salts.

"The more I see, the more I'm impacted," she said. "I see it just taking over youths. It's easy to get and easy to escape. I think it just makes them crazy."

She said she's seeing the same paranoia and manic behavior described by others.

"They’re normal and rational at times, but when you’re on bath salts, you’re not normal, you’re not rational," Liggetto said. "They’re staying up for three, four days; they’re on the streets at night. It’s a really, really bad epidemic the way I see it."

Councilwoman Rose Mary Christian (second inset photo) showed up as well to lend her support and she vowed again to do everything she can to get 420 Emporium shut down.

Bath salts, she said are too easy to buy.

"All you have to do is go up the counter, act crazy like somebody who is on it, and they'll sell it to you," said Christian, who pulled exactly that sort of acting job, she said, on Saturday night, and could have bought a package if she hadn't dropped the act and identified herself.

"It has to stop," Christian said.

The protest is scheduled to conclude at 1 p.m.

UPDATE: The protest pretty much dissipated by 12:30. Nicole Lang said they will put together another protest some time in the near future. Lang also said that after I left, two customers went in and one came out bragging about buying bath salts (though he didn't show a package) and the other, when he pulled away on his motorcycle, had left an empty package of alleged bath salts.

Earl Edward Vattes, 38, of Jefferson Street, Wellsville, is charged with unlawful fleeing a police officer, 3rd. Vattes was taken into custody on an arrest warrant stemming from an alleged pursuit of a motorcyclist by local law enforcement Aug. 4. Vattes is accused of failure to stop for a police officer who attempted to initiate a traffic stop for an alleged traffic violation in the City of Batavia. The motorcycle operator was pursued into the Town of Bathany where Vattes is alleged to have dumped the bike and fled into a cornfield on foot. A search of the area was unsuccessful in locating the suspect and the Sheriff's Office believes Vattes has been identified as the operator of the motorcycle.

Nichole M. McKerrow, 27, of 227 Ross St., Batavia, is charged with DWI, two counts of aggravated DWI (Leandra's Law, for allegedly driving drunk with children in the car), aggravated unlicensed operation, 2nd, and refusal to take breath test. McKerrow is accused of being involved in a minor motor-vehicle accident. When Sgt. John Peck and Officer Kevin DeFelice arrived on scene, McKerrow was allegedly found passed out in the car. Two children, ages 3 and 5, were also allegedly in the vehicle. McKerrow was jailed on $2,500 bail.

Garth P. Hubbard, 21, of Kibbe Wilcos Road, Pitcher, is charged with public lewdness. Hubbard is accused of urinating in public at Darien Lake Theme Park.

Bernadine Doris Peet, 40, of Town Pump Circle, Rochester, is charged with DWI and speeding. Peet was allegedly caught on radar driving 56 mph in a 35 mph zone in the Village of Corfu at 10:51 p.m., Monday, by Deputy Patrick Reeves.  Peet was jailed on $2,000 bail.

Jason Michael Wagner, 33, of Alden Road, Carnegie, Pa., is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and failure obey police officer. Wagner allegedly attempted to drive around Sheriff's patrols that were directing traffic at the intersection of Route 77 and Sumner Road, Darien, at 11:29 p.m., Tuesday. Wagner was released on $200 pre-arranged bail.

One person required transportation to a local hospital following a rear-end accident on Route 77 at Route 5, Pembroke, at 10:12 a.m., Tuesday.

The driver whose car rear-ended another said he looked down to check his GPS and didn't have time to stop after looking up and seeing a car stopped in front of him.

No citations were issued.

Michael J. Roeland, 19, of Newark, was southbound on Route 77 when he struck the southbound car driven by Tamibeth P. Campbell, 21, of Watertown.

Roeland had three passengers in his vehicle and Campbell had four passengers.

Harley M. English, 17, a passenger in Campbell's car was taken to UMMC with a complaint of neck pain.

The accident was investigated by Deputy Tim Wescott.

(Initial Report)

The following arrested were made by the Sheriff's Office during the Vans Warped Tour at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center on Tuesday.

Jeffrey P. Rolison, 18, of Chapel Street, Mt. Morris, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana for allegedly possessing a quantity of marijuana.

Jason M. Fobare, 17, of Hardwood Lane, Cicero, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana for allegedly possessing a quantity of marijuana.

Andrew G. Trask, 21, of Taurus Avenue, Derby, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana for allegedly possessing a quantity of marijuana.

Andrew C. McClure, 20, of Patriot Court, Derby, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana for allegedly possessing a quantity of marijuana.

Taylor L. Cucinelli, 18, of Manitou Road, Spencerport, is charged criminal use of drug paraphernalia, 2nd, criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, and unlawful possession of marijuana for allegedly possessing a quantity of hydrocodone, marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Eric J. Saurini, 17, of Maida Drive, Spencerport, is charged criminal use of drug paraphernalia, 2nd, criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, and unlawful possession of marijuana for allegedly possessing a quantity of hydrocodone and marijuana.

Mitchell, A. Schroeder, 16, of Timber Ridge Drive, Spencerport, is charged criminal use of drug paraphernalia, 2nd, criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, unlawful possession of marijuana and possession of alcohol with intent to consume under age 21, for allegedly possessing a quantity of hydrocodone, marijuana, alcohol and drug paraphernalia.

The Sherfiff's Office issued the following 58 people citations for allegedly possession and/or consumption of alcohol under age 21.

Cameron R. Miller, 20, of 74^th Street, Niagara Falls
Cassandra R. Hefner, 17, of Peppermint Road, Lancaster
Jennifer M. Merkling, 17, of Lou-Ann Drive, Depew
Marissa A. Merkling, 16, of Lou-Ann, Depew
Kathryn M. Solecki, 18, of Walden Terrace, Buffalo
Ellen R. Pieroni, 17, of Wheaton Drive, Cheektowaga
(Name redacted upon request), 19, of McNaughton Avenue, Buffalo
Salvatore Ferrugia Jr., 20, of Wood Street, Lynbrook
Daniel C. Dapice, 18, of William Street, Hornell
Jacob E. Mazzatti, 17, of Crosby Street, Hornell
Justin R. Kelleher, 18, of Collier Street, Hornell
Rebecca K. Lovering, 17, of Scottsville Road, Scottsville
Brianna G. Boehmer, 17, of Chester Avenue, Rochester
Samantha P. Cyganik, 17, of Gallup Road, Spencerport
Kathryn M. Springsteen, 17, of Bissell Road, Bergen
Julia G. Colt, 19, of Boynton Street, West Seneca  
Daniel Gabamonte, 20, of Zoerb Avenue, Cheektowaga
Michael P. Musilli, 20, of South Creek Drive, Cheektowaga
Matthew J. Anderson, 20, of Versailles Plank Road, Versailles
Catherine A. Dickerson, 20, of Raspberry Patch Drive, Rochester 
Benjamin X. Luong, 20, of Burritt Road, Hilton
Joseph A. Ciuto, 20, of Country Meadow Way, Hilton
Jamie L. Talbot, 20, Wheelock Street, Canajoharie
Vianna M. Lawrence, 20, of Holland Avenue, Albany
Brandon J. Fox, 20, of Mead Run Road, Youngsville, Pennsylvania
Colin M. Josephson, 19, of McGraw Drive, Youngsville, Pennsylvania
Brooke E. VanHouton, 19, of Stilson Hill Road, Pittsford, Pennsylvania
Alexander J. Dunn, 19, of College Street, Youngsville, Pennsylvania
Leslie A. Bailey, 20, of East Main Street, Youngsville, Pennsylvania
Rebekah C. Warda, 19, of Emerson Drive, Amherst
Benjamin B. Warda, 16, of Emerson Drive, Amherst
Steven A. Delvecchio, 18, of Hurstbourne Road, Rochester
John T. Gasser, 19, of Pemberton Road, Rochester
Michael D. Petote, 18, of Pinoak Lane, Rochester
Kiara A. Wiltsie, 20, of Cavan Cove, Oswego
Danielle E. Pauldine, 20, of 5th Avenue, Oswego
Christopher J. Wilson, 19, of Strathcona Drive, Catherines, Ontario, Canada
Kyle E. Potter, 19, of Rochelle Drive, Street, Catherines, Ontario, Canada
Rosario S. Tocco, 19, of Mile Creek Road, Niagara On The Lake, Ontario, Canada 
Jennifer E. Vinson, 18, of Collier Road, Thorold, Ontario, Canada
Clarissa M. Metz, 19, of Bunting Road, Catherines, Ontario, Canada
Molly E. Gibson, 17, of Tonawanda Creek Road, Clarence
Robin C. Graziano, 16, of Calvin Drive, Buffalo
(Name redacted upon request), 17, of Hunters Lane, Williamsville
Robert P. Burke, 20, of Jamestown Street, Angola
Erin E. Redfield, 20, of Brescia Path, Clay
Parker M. ?, 20, of Lisbon Avenue, Buffalo
Matthew S. Fancher, 17, of Locomotive Lane, Cicero
Joshua A. Fancher, 19, of Locomotive Lane, Cicero
Kevin W. Lefurgy, 19, of West Leigh Road, Cicero
Morgan P. Cutter, 20, of James Street, Dryden
Kayla E. Ackerman, 18, of W. 10th Street, Elmira Heights
Brittany M. Button, 20, of Jefferson Street, Dansville
Daniel J. Alexander, 19, of Reeds Corners Road, Elmira Heights
Emily M. Brill,18, of Robin Wood, Elmira Heights
Kevin Oneal, 19, of East Avenue, Olean
Edward M. Seigler, 18, of Vicksburg Avenue, Tonawanda
James A. Coppola, 18, of Curtis Parkway, Tonawanda

A power line is reported arcing in the trees on Ham Road between Gorton and Knowlesville roads, and there are reportedly power outages in the area.

Alabama Fire is responding.

UPDATE 7:19 a.m.: National Grid requested to the scene. Two tree limbs have fallen on the line.

UPDATE 7:31 a.m.: National Grid reports 38 customers without power. Full restoration expected by 9:15 a.m.

U.S. Attorney for Western New York Bill Hochul was in Batavia tonight to throw out the first pitch at the Muckdogs game.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,I,C-Batavia) is fighting to keep dangerous synthetic drugs like bath salts out of local stores and off our streets. A recent wave of crime and menace has broken out in Batavia and across the Western New York region as more people have begun abusing the chemical compound marketed as a bathing product.

Hawley voted in favor of a law banning the compound most commonly found in the substance, and a federal ban was recently instituted barring the sale and possession of the drug. Manufacturers, however, have traditionally skirted attempts to outlaw the product by tweaking the chemical composition, which has produced grave risks to health and public safety.

As a result, Assemblyman Hawley is signing on to several pieces of legislation that will strengthen New York’s ability to eliminate all forms of this dangerous substance and end the terror plaguing local communities.

“Local stores are selling products that are tearing families apart and threatening the safety of our communities,” Hawley said. “The effects that bath salts and other synthetic drugs have had on our community are all too real, with many of us knowing friends, family members and neighbors who have either succumbed to the products or been hurt by someone who has.

"We must join together in awareness and vigilance of the threats that these drugs pose and do all we can to get these products out of local stores in order to protect the upstanding members of our local community.”

Hawley is also supporting multiple bills banning the sale and distribution of synthetic cannabinoids, another harmful substance that is allowed to be sold in stores due to loopholes in state law.

These marijuana-like products are marketed as incense or potpourri and are legally sold in a variety of outlets. Dangerous side effects include hallucinations, vomiting, agitation, increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure and other complications.

Hawley voted in favor of an Assembly bill banning synthetic cannabinoids and is supporting further legislation to have a ban adopted into state law.

Note: There is a picket against bath salts in Batavia scheduled for tomorrow from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 400 Ellicott St.

Nicole Lang said today she had no idea what bath salts did to people when her son was still running The Laughing Buddha on Ellicott Street, Batavia.

Her son, 28-year-old Jason Lang, allegedly sold bath salts at that location and last week Nicole Lang went to the new head shop (named 420 Emporium) on Ellicott Street and demanded that the store stop selling bath salts to her son.

The confrontation led to Nicole being issued an appearance ticket for alleged trespass, and the news reports of that event led to several people in the community to ask why Nicole Lang wasn't confronting Jason when he was allegedly selling the synthetic cocaine/methamphetamine.

"I never seen how bad the drug was," Nicole said. "I guess you really don't understand it until you see a person who is on it.

"He shouldn’t have sold it," she added. "And now this is his punishment because his life is just about shot."

Within the past several weeks, Jason Lang has been arrested for allegedly calling the landlord of 420 Emporium and impersonating a State Police "detective"; he's been charged with falsely reporting an incident for allegedly calling emergency dispatchers and reporting shots fired at a local hotel; and, he's reportedly made several other calls to emergency dispatchers reporting things that turned out to be unfounded (but no charges were filed related to those calls).

Today, Jason Lang was supposed to appear before Justice Tom Williams in Town of Batavia Court on the false impersonation charge, but Lang's attorney Edward Martin told WIlliams that because the date of the case had been moved, his client didn't know about today's scheduled appearance.

Williams accepted the explanation and agreed to postpone Lang's appearance until Aug. 21.

About two hours before Jason's scheduled appearance, Lang called The Batavian's Howard Owens to talk about his situation.

During the 20-minute phone call, Lang acknowledged that he had a court appearance scheduled for 1 p.m. in the Town of Batavia and said that he would be there.

When we attempted to ask Martin about this apparent discrepancy, as Martin rushed to his car, he said, "What do you want me to tell you? What my client said to me?" He then jumped in his car, slammed the door and refused to take the business card of another reporter.

As soon as Martin drove off, Jason Lang called Owens again and wanted to confirm that his attorney had been able to reschedule his court appearance.

Lang said he wanted to meet with Owens.

Within three minutes, he was in the court parking lot talking with Owens and WHAM 13's Sean Carroll.

The reason Lang didn't appear in court today, he said, is "because my attorney knew I had more important things to do."

He then asked that we not disclose the nature of his other business today.

During the morning phone call, Lang was talking very fast about a wide range of conspiracies that tie in the federal government, state police, specific local police officers, the Chinese government and "every important person in Genesee County."

He believes he knows too much about what's really going on in Genesee County related to bath salts and that his life is in danger.

He said the State Police have been monitoring his every move, including placing cameras in VCRs and other electronic devices because they're making a documentary about bath salts.

He said it is either an FBI agent or State Police internal affairs investigator who first got him hooked on bath salts.

He said he has porno films that have "bogus" FBI warnings at the beginning saying the films were made in California, but that the actors in the films are all "the most important people in Genesee County."

Nicole Lang said when her son is on bath salts, he talks fast and rambles on about conspiracies.

"We don't really know what he's talking about. He says, 'please don't think I'm crazy. I'm going to solve this puzzle.'  He says, 'Bath salts made me brilliant. I’ve learned everything about everybody.' "

A year ago, Lang seemed to be doing pretty well for himself and Nicole said she was proud that her son was making a good living running his own businesses.

His twin brother, she said, decided to get an education and is now in a doctorate program, but she said Jay wanted to prove he could make something of himself just through hard work rather than getting an advanced education.

But when Lang decided to open a store that was part head shop and part tattoo parlor, that's when things started to go wrong.

"When he told us he was opening we told him, 'no, you don’t need that you’re doing good,' " Nicole Lang said. "The Laughing Buddha is the most evil thing that ever happened because that’s where everything started, at The Laughing Buddha, and that’s where everything went downhill."

All that Lang once had, she said, has been replaced by a pile of bills and bankruptcy for Lang seems inevitable.

Asked if Jason is a threat to the community, Nicole said he could be, but said she believes he would never intentionally hurt anybody. He's a bigger threat to himself, she said.

The day Nicole went to the 420 Emporium, she said she had spent the afternoon with him in a cemetery where he prayed for God to take his life.

"He said, 'just come to shoot me now because I’m not going to commit suicide, because I want to go to heaven and see my children some day.'

"One of these days, one of these days he is going to be dead," Lang's mother added. "Or he's going to wind up in prison for the rest of his life because he’s under the influence, and really, it’s not even him. He’s a good person. Right now he’s so messed up, it’s not Jason."

The protest planned for tomorrow, though, isn't just about Jason.

"I’m not just trying to save him," his mother said. "There are so many people. There are his kids and there are other kids. This is just such a horrible drug right now. This is a awful drug."

Her son, at least today, agrees.

He supports making bath salts illegal he said and doesn't believe others should use it.

"I apologize to the community," Jason said. "I think bath salts in general can screw up a lot of people's lives. People don’t trust you anymore, you lose friends, you lose finances, just like any other drug. What I can assure you though is that through this whole thing, I've kept my sanity."

Later in the same conversation, he said, "They (bath salts) are dangerous. They’re dangerous. It’s something you don’t want to mess with, just like other drugs. One thing I’ve learned about bath salts is they kind of get a grip on you more than any other drugs."

"I would like to make a public apology," he added, "to the police, to anybody I’ve caused grief to, any thing that has gone on that’s been a negative side to it; however, I did learn a lot of really interesting things from it. If there’s somebody out there who could help me in that sense, that would be awesome."

Three accidents, one with a minor injury, is tying up traffic at Brick House Corners (Route 77 and Route 5, Pembroke).

Indian Falls Fire Department is on scene.

One person is complaining of neck pain.

Mercy EMS is dispatched.

Five cars are involved.

UPDATE 10:34 a.m.: Traffic is backing up onto the Thruway. There is a concert at Darien Lake today -- the Vans Warped Tour, featuring 70 bands.

UPDATE 10:43 a.m.: One patient being transported to UMMC as a precaution. Patient complained of neck pain initially, but was up and walking around upon the arrival on scene of Mercy EMS.

UPDATE 10:48 a.m.: There may have been a vehicle involved that fled the scene. A deputy reports "there is evidence at the scene that the vehicle that was involved was a red Chrysler, unknown if it's a van or SUV." He requests other patrols and the State Police be alerted to the vehicle's description.

Daniel Clarence Merrell, 45, of Rose Road, Batavia, is charged with grand larceny, 3rd. Merrell is accused of stealing scrap metal form his employer in June. Merrell was jailed on $10,000 bail.

Daniel W. Brown, 26, of Oneida, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .13 and speeding. Brown was stopped by State Police on Monday, on Route 77 in Darien as part of an enforcement detail in the area. During the detail, troopers issued 16 tickets to motorists for various alleged violations.

Danielle M. Stevens, 35, of Elba, is charged with possession of a forged instrument. Stevens was arrested by State Police on Friday for an alleged incident reported July 10. No further details were released.

Brittany B. Simmons, 19, of Rochester, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Simmons was cited in Bergen on Friday by State Police.