Stories from

A caller reports a man in his 20s is in the area of Union Square (off Union Street), Batavia, going door-to-door asking for cash to start a business.

When he is refused, he demands to know why.

The man was reportedly just in the area and was also there earlier today.

Batavia PD and a State Trooper are in the area looking for the subject.

The Batavia City Fire Department tested the oldest piece of equipment the department owns today -- a Bresnan distributor.

The device is designed to be lowered into a basement that is on fire, but too hot for firefighters to enter. 

Though, as one firefighter explained, if the fire is burning that hot, you wouldn't want firefighters standing on the floor above and making the hole necessary for the hose and nozzle.

It could also be inserted from below into an attic.

However, one firefighter said in the 25 years he's spent with the department, he's not aware of the nozzle ever being used.

The brass nozzle is somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 years old. It was manufactured by Grether Fire Equipment Co., of Dayton Ohio. As near as I can tell from Google searches, the company was in business from the turn of the early 20th Century until 1930, though maybe through at least 1974. The company made a variety of small firefighting devices, such as nozzles and lanterns.

In case it ever is needed, firefighters today wanted to see if it still works and what its water distribution pattern was like.

UPDATE 3:33 p.m.(by Billie): I searched on Google for "Bresnan distributor" and found this from a retired firefighter named Bill Bresnan who is now an artist. The inventor of the device for firefighting in hard-to-reach places was his great-grandpa. Here's what he says:

"My great grandfather, Battalion Chief John J. Bresnan was a truly dedicated man who served in the New York City Fire Department in the 1800s. He was an inventor and among his many inventions was the Bresnan distributor, the hose roller and a harness for the horses that was designed to facilitate faster response times during those days.

He was passionate about making improvements to the fire service and enhancing safety for the citizens.

Sadly, he was killed in a building collapse at a warehouse fire in Manhattan on a freezing cold night in late December of 1894, leaving behind three young children and an entire city who mourned his loss. Little did he know that generations after him would serve the department and the city he loved. My grandfather, father, uncle, brother and two cousins all proudly served in the F.D.N.Y.

It certainly was a privilege to be part of the New York City Fire Department. This is a special brotherhood. I met great men, real heroes who carried themselves in a humble way. I also met great leaders, knowledgeable and aggressive officers of all ranks. Despite all the tragedy I have seen over the years, I am grateful to have witnessed humanity at its best."

Press release:

The Town of Batavia Republican Committee has endorsed two candidates to run in November. Incumbent Town Justice and local attorney Tom Williams has been endorsed and former councilman Chad Zambito has been tapped to fill a vacant seat on the town board.

Zambito, a town resident for 12 years, also serves on the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He has served on an advisory board for Genesee Community College’s BEST Center and the GLOW Region’s Workforce Investment Board. The seat was left open after John Gerace resigned in May. Both Zambito and Gerace were first elected in 2003.

“We are fortunate to have two good candidates and are happy that there was significant interest in the open town board seat,” said Town Republican Chairman Andrew Young. “I think it shows we have a great board and support staff that many are interested in working with.”

The committee will hold its annual picnic June 22 at Kiwanis Park. Senator Mike Ranzenhofer and Assemblyman Steve Hawley are both expected to attend and longtime Republican supporter Sharon White will be honored for her service. Tickets can be purchased from any committee member.

Note: The board vacancy was created when John Gerace resigned abruptly and without explanation in April.

Jacob M. Finkney and Gabriel L. Frey were honored Wednesday by the Town of Pembroke Board with a proclamation recognizing their achievement in attaining the rank of Eagle Scout. Supervisor Ed Mileham presented the proclamations.

Photo courtesy of Town Clerk Nicole M. Begin.

A 4-year-old is reportedly in the road at Route 98 and Peaviner Road, Alexander.

Law enforcement is responding.

UPDATE 9:44 a.m.: The caller has the child safely off the road. A deputy is in route.

UPDATE 9:52 a.m.: Child has been reunited with his mother.

Doris L. Mayl, 59, of 2 Manhattan Ave., Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Mayl is accused of taking bulk trash stickers from items on South Main Street. The stickers are purchased from the city to put on large items that need trash pick up.

Andrea M. Whitbeck, 23, of 196 Henderson Drive, Penfield, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and speeding. Whitbeck was stopped at 3:20 a.m. Thursday on Church Street, Le Roy, by Le Roy PD.

A Porter Avenue resident was arrested Thursday morning, accused of being a lookout for a burglary at a new head shop on Ellicott Street, Batavia.

Police responded at 4:20 a.m. to a report of a burglary in progress at 400 Ellicott St. and arrested Edward R. Loper, 24, of 19 Porter Ave.

A second suspect, the person believed to have been inside the business, remains at large.

An alert neighbor reported suspicious activity after hearing the sound of glass breaking at the business.

Police determined entry was made by the suspects throwing large rocks through a window.

A quantity of disposable pipes were taken out of the business. The merchandise was recovered by police after the suspect discarded the items as he fled the scene.

Investigators are working on identifying and locating the second suspect.

Loper was charged with burglary in the third degree and was jailed on $15,000 bail.

Law enforcement is requested to one of the Hanson Aggregates properties in Le Roy to deal with a subject who may have been stealing.

The car the person was in is blocked from leaving and the subject has taken off running toward the golf course.

UPDATE 9:47 p.m.: There are two subjects. The person with the car is being interviewed by police and the other's on foot. The subject who ran has a Le Roy address, but the subject with the car says his friend moved recently.

UPDATE 9:48 p.m.: The subject on foot has been apprehended.

Text and photos submitted by Steve Ognibene.

Today at Jackson School, friends, family, teachers and staff had their awards assembly and also payed tribute to Shawn Clark principal of Jackson who will move next fall to Batavia High School. 

Many students spoke about Mr. Clark and his contributions over the last four years as principal. They recounted how he was a great proponent of down with bullying and how he served to instill in them all the values that they will carry into the future. 

There was a photo slide show of Mr. Clark with students. They ended with farewells, hugs, but not goodbyes, as they will see him someday at the high school. This afternoon followed with a school-wide picnic day and outdoor fun with bounce houses.

Kathy Hochul supports Obama, Obama is destroying the country, and only Mitt Romney in the White House and Chris Collins in the NY-27 seat can put things right, Collins told local reporters outside Batavia City Hall today.

“We have to defeat a representative who does not represent our core values," Collins said. "My core values are smaller government, personal accountability, local decision making, fiscal discipline, serving taxpayers and respecting future generations.

"These are not only the core values of the 27th Congressional District, they’re the core values of America. They are not President Obama’s core values. They are not Kathy Hochul’s core values."

Not once during his five-minute speech did Collins mention his GOP primary opponent, David Bellavia.

Asked about it, Collins said he is entirely focused on defeating Hochul on Nov. 6. Even if he loses the primary -- which he said he would win -- he will still be on the Conservative Party line and he said he intends to continue campaigning against Hochul right up until the general election.

"Kathy Hochul supports Obama," Collins said. "She is totally out of sync with the values of the 27th District. She won’t even admit she’s a Democrat."

According to recent reports, Hochul has a voting record that has not been in line with Obama or the Democrats.

The Buffalo News reported over the weekend that "Hochul is bucking the party line," noting that "Hochul voted with the Democratic Party line 81 percent of the time and with the Obama administration 78 percent of the time," which is less than other Democrats.

"Politico" noted that Hochul has not been the lapdog for Obama's health care policies that Democrats expected when she beat Jane Corwin -- in part because Hochul latched onto the GOP's Medicare reform plan as a wedge issue.

Still, Hochul did tell the Buffalo News she will vote for Obama, even though she won't attend the Democratic convention and, the News said, "she gives the president mixed reviews."

For Collins, however, Hochul and Obama are inexorably linked. 

The hook of Collins's remarks today was a statement by Obama that "the private sector is doing fine."

Collins said, the private sector isn't doing fine, not when there is 8.2 percent unemployment, China is cheating at trade and corporate tax rates are too high.

“We’ll keep talking about jobs and the economy, jobs and the economy," Collins said.

With Romney as president and Collins part of a GOP majority in Congress, Collins said policies would be enacted to put Americans back to work, most specifically, lowering the corporate tax rate to 25 percent.

He also said the nation's debt is too high and promised smaller government if the GOP is given a chance to lead the way.

"Small businesses have a lack of confidence in the future of our country," Collins said. "We have a president who let that happen because he needs to keep going to China to borrow money. We cannot continue to borrow $4 million a day, $1.4- $1.5 billion a year and have small business invest in our future. They don’t know where the future is going."

One point Collins and Hochul seem to agree on: Trade. 

Hochul kept her campaign promise and voted against free-trade agreements supported both by the GOP leadership and President Obama.

Collins said he would push for tarriffs on China if the nation continues its current trade policies, which include not letting its currency float on the open market, and giving Chinese businesses a 30-percent price advantage over U.S. companies.

Collins's message for China, "Float your currency, respect our IP, open your own markets -- or else. They need us more than we need them."

This afternoon, workers needed to replace the "C" on the City Hall sign.

It was a ceremony of celebration more than remembrance as the students and staff of Robert Morris School said goodbye to their decades-old institution and walked into a new future of consolidated classes at three Batavia city schools.

"They're excited and they're ready," said Robert Morris Principal Diane Bonarigo of the students who walked out of the doors of Robert Morris for the last time today. "They'r in a very good place. It's important that we close our year knowing that they will be looking forward to going to their new school next year."

The district's consolidation plan will make Jackson a pre-K through first-grade school and John Kennedy will contain classes for second, third and fourth grades. Fifth-graders will move to Batavia Middle School.

Bonarigo said students felt more comfortable with the transition after a series of open houses where they ran into friends from other schools that they met through sports and other activities and realized they will now all be in the same school.

"We will be one city school family," Bonarigo said.

Press release:

Representative Kathy Hochul (NY-26) announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Services Agency (FSA) can now file weather-related disaster reports for damage done by armyworms due to the fact that they have arrived earlier than expected and in unprecedented numbers because of the unseasonably warm weather this spring.

“I am pleased to hear the USDA Farm Services Agency will now allow farmers to file weather-related disaster reports for damage done to crops from armyworms," Hochul said. "This is an important step toward the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets declaring the armyworm infestation a disaster, allowing farmers whose crops have been devastated access to low-interest emergency loans to help in the recovery. I urge farmers that have been affected by armyworms to contact their local Farm Services Agency and report their loss immediately.”

Farmers should report their losses to their county Farm Services Administration to begin documenting the extent of the damage. If the FSA can document a countywide loss of 30 percent or greater for a single crop, they can then submit their data to NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets for a potential disaster declaration – allowing access to low-interest emergency loans.

Press release:

United Memorial Medical Center is pleased to announce that Urgent Care Services will open at the Jerome Center located at 16 Bank St., Batavia on July 2. Urgent Care will be co-located with Laboratory and Medical Imaging Services.

Urgent Care services are a cost effective and convenient way for patients to receive quality medical care when their primary care physician is unavailable and they do not want to spend time waiting in an emergency room to be treated for a non-life-threatening injury or illness. Co-payments for urgent care are typically less than emergency room co-pays.

UMMC’s Urgent Care Center in Batavia will be well equipped to treat a variety of ailments, including sprains and fractures; cuts and lacerations, animal and insect bites and stings, cold and influenza symptoms; ear infections, pneumonia, bronchitis, urinary tract infections, asthma, sore throats/strep and mono and influenza vaccines.

Urgent Care at the Jerome Center will be supported by United Memorial’s state-of-the-art medical imaging services, the most advanced in Genesee County. The Jerome Center is conveniently located in the heart of Downtown Batavia. It offers handicap accessibility, convenient parking, a gift shop and refreshment kiosk.

In July 2010, United Memorial opened Genesee County’s first Urgent Care Center at 3 Tountas Ave., Le Roy. There were more than 5,000 patient visits to the Urgent Care Center in Le Roy during 2011. This volume had no noticeable impact on the number of emergency room patients treated at United Memorial during the same time period.

Both Urgent Care centers will operate from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends.

During the rescue of Brandon C. Smart, 34, of Batavia, and Michael C. Hayes, 24, of Rochester, yesterday at Buttermilk Falls, Le Roy, a member of Genesee County Emergency Management Services, D.R. Roblee, had his camera and took several pictures. The Batavian requested copies of those pictures and Tim Yaeger, director of emergency management, agreed to share them.

If you're unable to view the slide show below, click here.

A worker from CY Farms applies pesticide to the border area of Batavia Sports Park, off Bank Street Road, Batavia. The pesticide is being used as a precaution to protect the fields from armyworms. The actual playing fields were not sprayed, but soccer teams will be kept off the fields for at least 24 hours.

Investigators have ruled out homicide as the cause of death for William Hastings, 52, who fell to his death from the seventh floor of 400 Towers on Tuesday.

In a press release, Batavia PD detectives said today that thorough examination of the apartment building's surveillance system and interviews, Hastings was alone at 2:52 p.m. when he fell out of the window.

Detectives, in cooperation with the Monroe County Medical Examiner's Office are still working to determine whether the death as an accident or suicide.

"It's just hard to know what happened," Det. Pat Corona said. "I don't know if we ever will determine if it's a suicide or an accident."

No note was found in the apartment, Corona said, but "it sure was nice that 400 Towers had the surveillance system installed so we could sit down and review those tapes and determine he was alone at the time."

Witnesses said they heard no sounds indicating a disturbance in the apartment prior to Hastings' fall.

Corona said the M.E.'s office has also not yet determined whether Hastings had any sort of medical issue prior to his fall.

Monroe County has yet to complete toxicology tests, which could take 90 days or more.

A car fire has been reported at 2878 Batavia Oakfield Townline Road, Oakfield.

The car is in front of the Arnold Farm.

Oakfield Fire Department is responding.

The first chief on scene reports heavy smoke.

UPDATE 11:33 p.m.: The fire is out. A tow truck is en route to haul the vehicle away. The road is reopened. Oakfield is back in service.

View Larger Map