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Le Roy

Photos: New communications tower going up in Le Roy

By Howard B. Owens

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A new 165-foot communications tower is being installed today on Town of Le Roy property off of Asbury Road (the site at one time of an airport).

The tower is part of the county's upgraded 800 megahertz digital communications system and will help fill in some dead spots in the town and village of Le Roy. It will also help in spots in Le Roy where communication was harder inside of buildings.

Steven Sharpe, director of emergency communications for Genesee County said the tower will also help complete the phase of building interoperable capabilities with Monroe County's emergency dispatch center, which will then also create a bridge for communications with Ontario County.

"Our goal is to improve interoperable capabilities throughout the region," said Sharpe (in the bottom photo, taking a video of the shelter for communications equipment being lowered into place.

The tower is funded with a $3 million grant from the state.

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Man in U-Haul reportedly 'violently handled dog'

By Billie Owens

A caller to dispatch says a man "violently handled a dog" a short while ago before moving out of the Royal Apartments at 103 W. Main St. in Batavia Le Roy.

He and others left in a U-Haul truck, driving on Main toward Tops Market. No other details/description provided.

Law enforcement is responding.

Law and Order: Elma resident charged with felony DWI

By Howard B. Owens

Stacey Dawn Mancuso, 46, of Jamison Road, Elma, is charged with two counts of felony DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, aggravated unlicensed operation, 1st, aggravated unlicensed operation, 3rd, and no right and no left turn signal. Mancuso was stopped at 2:22 p.m. Sunday on Pratt Road, Batavia, by Deputy Richard Schildwaster. A passenger in the vehicle was reportedly 5 years old, leading to a charge under Leandra's Law. She also allegedly had a prior DWI conviction within the past 10 years. She was jailed on $10,000 bail.

Daniel John Moore, 36, of Asbury Road, Pavilion, is charged with harassment, 2nd, and criminal mischief, 4th. Moore was arrested after deputies responded to a report of a domestic incident in Pavilion at 8:10 a.m., Nov. 30. Moore allegedly had physical contact during the argument with a person who had called 9-1-1 and Moore allegedly terminated the 9-1-1 call. He reportedly left the scene before deputies arrived and was later located that night and arrested.

Dylan Michael Cobernus, 20, of Maxon Street, Brockport, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and speeding. Cobernus was stopped at 10:37 p.m. Wednesday on Route 98, Elba, by Deputy Ryan DeLong.

Devan Dashaun Hazel, 22, of Lewis Place, Batavia, is charged with trespassing. Hazel is accused of trespassing on College Village property at 5:43 a.m. Sunday.

A 17-year-old resident of Harris Road, Le Roy, is charged with criminally using drug paraphernalia, 2nd, criminal impersonation, 2nd, criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument and unlawful possession of marijuana. The youth was arrested following an investigation by Deputy Micheal Lute into an incident reported at 11:30 p.m. Dec. 5 on Route 77 in Pembroke. The youth was jailed on $2,500 bail or $5,000 bond.

Taheed Mical Moffett, 31, of Arnet Boulevard, Rochester, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal use of drug paraphernalia and unlawful possession of marijuana. Moffett was arrested after deputies were dispatched at 12:11 a.m. to the Econo Lodge on Route 77, Pembroke, to check the welfare of an individual.

Humphrey joins Whiting Law Firm

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

The Whiting Law Firm and Robert F. Humphrey, Esq., are pleased to announce that Mr. Humphrey will become “of counsel” to the Whiting Law Firm effective January 1, 2017.

Mr. Humphrey will continue to practice at 3 Main Street, LeRoy, NY - where he and his staff have been serving clients for the past 42 years - until July 1, 2017.  Thereafter, his office and practice will be located at 31 West Main Street, LeRoy, NY.

The Whiting Law Firm has its main office at the 31 West Main Street, LeRoy, NY location, where Reid Whiting and his two sons, Jake and John, will continue to provide a broad range of quality legal services.  The Whiting law Firm also maintains an office at 104 Bank Street, Batavia, NY, where conferences are held by appointment.

Mr. Humphrey is a general practitioner who has been limiting his practice to commercial and residential real estate, estate planning and administration and small business matters.  The Whiting Law Firm offers a broader range of services including the foregoing, as well as family law matters, divorces and other matrimonial issues, personal injury, and general litigation.

Wolcott Street School again wins Play to Get Fit Challenge at GCC

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

The Health and Physical Education department at Genesee Community College once again congratulates Wolcott Street School in Le Roy for winning the 2016 Play to Get Fit Challenge. Le Roy has captured the title three years in a row. This is the fifth year GCC has conducted the program.

The Genesee Play to Get Fit Program was created for third-, fourth- and fifth-graders in the GLOW (Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties) region to effectively illustrate how many minutes young people spend engaged in physical activity outside of school. Children keep track through a specially designed "Play to Get Fit" calendar log. Walking, biking, running, skating, swimming, playing a sport, playing tag, playing on a swing set and other active, creative games are all eligible for active "credit." However, video fitness games using Wii or Xbox Kinect are not eligible.

Wolcott Street School in Le Roy came out on top with a total of 177,679 minutes of physical activity outside of school. Becky Dziekan, GCC's director of Health and Physical Education, presented Michael Humphrey, Physical Education teacher, with a plaque recognizing the school's achievement. Each student participant also received a certificate.

Dziekan recognized Tommy Condidorio (Le Roy), Jake Pangrazio (York) and Daniel DeBadts (Warsaw), who were the top three students in the GLOW region and recorded the highest amounts of physical activity. In addition, the top three students at each participating school districts were also recognized for their efforts. The other winning students at the participating schools include:

• Le Roy – 1st Tommy Condidorio; 2nd Xavien Walker; 3rd Adam Woodworth

• Arcade – 1st Taylor Rosier; 2nd Kennedy Whiting; 3rd Jared Day

• Batavia – 1st Damien Marucci, 2nd Dane Dombrowski; 3rd Maggio & Bronx Buchholz

• Warsaw – 1st Daniel DeBadts; 2nd Sophie Montesano; 3rd JJ Holmes

• York – 1st Jake Pangrazio; 2nd Kyan Tiede; 3rd Christian Ralston

• Pavilion – 1st Christopher Doody; 2nd Karley Waller; 3rd Case Cummins

• Perry – 1st Jayden Pritchard; 2nd Natalie Jaques; 3rd Nina Privitera

• Byron-Bergen – 1st Brody Baubie; 2nd Anna McLaughlin; 3rd Victoria Rogoyski

• Elba – 1st Ayden Esten; 2nd Noah Calarco-Smith; 3rd Tristan Snell

"Play to Get Fit continues to encourage kids to have fun and be active," Dziekan said. "The number of kids that participated and the number of active minutes that were recorded show that we once again accomplished our mission. Congratulations to Le Roy and all of the participants."

The Health and Physical Education program at Genesee Community College offers several areas of study. Transfer degree programs or associate of science (A.S.) degrees include: Physical Education Studies and Sport Management Studies. Career degree programs applied associate of science degrees (A.A.S.) include Fitness and Recreation Management, including the Golf Management Concentration through which passionate golfers can turn the sport into a career.

Law and Order: Complaint of woman locked in bathroom for two hours leads to arrest on drug charge

By Howard B. Owens

Tesia Renee Plantiko, 24, of Harris Road, Le Roy, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, possession of a hypodermic instrument and criminal use of drug paraphernalia. Plantiko was arrested after police responded to a complaint at 9:50 a.m. Nov. 23 from a business on East Main Street, Batavia, that a woman had been in the restroom for more than two hours.

Joseph M. Marscelli Jr., 31, of Central Avenue, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant. Marsceilli allegedly failed to appear in City Court as ordered.

Francis W. Derenzo, 60, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Derenzo was allegedly involved in a domestic incident at 12:30 a.m. on Thursday.

Thomas J. Mitchell, 27, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with a violation of probation. He was jailed on $10,000 bail.

Dawn M. Newton, 56, of Crane Road, Medina, is arrested on a warrant. Newton turned herself in on the warrant, which is related to an alleged city code violation for deteriorating roof and gutters. Newton posted $350 bail and was released.

Shamir K. Aslam, 29, of Landstone Terrance, Rochester, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st, and criminal mischief, 4th. Aslam was allegedly involved in a domestic incident in violation of a court order and prevented a subject from contacting dispatchers for emergency assistance.

Richard Dean McKague, 26, of Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st, and harassment, 2nd. McKague allegedly pushed a person into a door and then kicked her. There was reportedly an order of protection in place. McKague was jailed on $500 bail or $2,000 bond.

Accident on Thruway in Le Roy reported

By Howard B. Owens

Le Roy Fire is responding to an accident on the Thruway in the westbound lane near mile marker 384.

Unknown injuries.

There is heavy front-end damage with airbag deployment. The caller didn't stop.

Local promoter bringing one of the state's first MMA events to Batavia

By Howard B. Owens

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Since Sept. 1, mixed martial arts competitions have been legal in New York, and Batavia will be at the forefront next month of hosting tournaments.

Rich Mitchell, of Le Roy, and originally from Stafford (far right in photo) is a former professional MMA fighter and for the past five years has judged fights. Now he's moving into the promotional side of the business, sponsoring his first tournament Dec. 17 at the Quality Inn & Suites in Batavia.

"I’ve been involved with this sport and it was just time (to become a promoter)," Mitchell said. "It’s a natural progression."

There was a promoter in Buffalo, but he's become a deputy commissioner for the sport in New York, so that opened up the WNY market to competition.

Mitchell is planning on promoting six events a year, three in Batavia and three in Buffalo.

At first, the events will be all amateur bouts because professional fights, especially for insurance, are a lot more expensive to stage, but moving up into the promotion of professional fights is definitely part of the plan, Mitchell said.

"It's a little way off," Mitchell said, "maybe a year or two."

The event Dec. 17 starts at 6 p.m. and will feature Morgan Cavanach and Tom Shelby. Tickets are $30 pre-sale, $35 at the door, and VIP cage-seats are $50.

For more information, visit groundforcefights.com.

Top photo: Eddie Ortiz and Pete Flanagan, both on the left, are two of the local fighters who will participate Dec. 17. Joe Loftus, second from right, was originally on the card but will have to sit out because of an injury; and Mitchell.

Bottom photo: Wrestling students and MMA participants at Main Street Fitness, Le Roy.

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Rollover accident reported on Warsaw Road, Le Roy

By Howard B. Owens

Rollover accident reported at 9536 Warsaw Road, Le Roy.

Unknown injuries.

That's at the corner of Warsaw Road and Cole Road.

Le Roy fire and Le Roy ambulance dispatched.

Law and Order: Le Roy resident accused of selling oxycodone

By Howard B. Owens
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     Robert Kingsbury

Robert C. Kingsbury, 39, of East Main Road, Le Roy, is charged with two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, 3rd, and one count of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd. Kingsbury is accused of selling a quantity of oxycodone to an agent of the Local Drug Task Force. He was arrested Thursday by members of the task force with assistance from Le Roy PD. He was arraigned and ordered held without bail.

Jonathan E. Seiger, 55, and Scott H. Spencer, 52, both of West Main Road, Stafford, are charged with one count each of grand larceny, 4th, and identity theft, 2nd. Seiger and Spencer are accused of unlawfully possessing and using a debit card of a friend. The men were also charged with 11 counts of criminal possession of stolen property, 4th, and conspiracy, 5th. Between Aug. 5 and 15, the duo allegedly used the debit card at an ATM machine, along with the friend's PIN identification, to withdraw $1,660. They were jailed on $2,500 each.     

Cassandra Marie Neal, 32, of Lapp Road, Fillmore, is charged with first-degree perjury and filing a false instrument, 1st. Neal was called upon to testify before a grand jury about an alleged domestic incident in Genesee County Park in 2015. Neal allegedly lied about the incident during her testimony. She also allegedly filed a false instrument with the Sheriff's Office. She was arraigned in City Court and released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

Gregory Joseph Rodak, 32, of Winterroth Street, Rochester, is charged with felony DWI and felony driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and driving left of pavement markings. Rodak was reportedly involved in a two-car accident at 8:11 p.m. Thursday on Townline Road, Bergen. Deputy Kevin Forsyth reports he detected the odor of alcohol and that Rodak admitted to drinking earlier. Rodak submitted to a field sobriety test. He has a prior conviction for DWI within the past 10 years, leading to the felony charges.

Car into pole accident reported on Quinlan Road, Le Roy

By Howard B. Owens

A car has reportedly hit a pole in the area of 7136 Quinlan Road, Le Roy.

Le Roy fire and ambulance dispatched.

UPDATE 11:01 p.m.: Pole is down on north side of the road with wires across the road.

Photos: Exterior refurbishing of Creekside Inn nears completion

By Howard B. Owens

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Exterior work on the refurbished Creekside Inn in Le Roy is very near completion.

The work has been extensive, including new decks on two levels, two new patios, a new bar on the first level, new drainage on Main Street and a restored entryway along with tiered landscaping at the back of the building.

Owner Bill Farmer said yesterday that work begins immediately on the interior remodeling, and that will take about three months.

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Le Roy HS's new maker space designed to spur creativity and STEM learning

By Howard B. Owens

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Le Roy High School opened its new maker space for students yesterday afternoon with some introductory information from Jennifer Bertrand, instructional technology coach, and some hands-on time with some of the materials already in the space, including Legos and Bloxel, a kit for making computer games.

Bertrand said she proposed the idea of maker spaces at the high school and elementary school in Le Roy because she saw other schools doing it and attended conferences where ideas for starting such spaces were presented.

"So I thought Le Roy really needs to get on board about having its own maker space," she said.

A committee was formed to help move the idea forward and the district received a $2,000 grant to help get the maker space up and running.

Students volunteer to participate in the extracurricular activity. They are given space, time, resources and instruction on creating a variety of projects that hit on science, technology, engineering, math (STEM), creativity, and problem-solving.

"If you have a student who is struggling academically or just doesn't like school, but, oh, man, they're so creative when it comes to engineering or when it comes to creating something, we want to tap into that and build on that because those skills are going to transfer everywhere in their life," Bertrand said.

The community can support the project through donations, especially of supplies, such as Legos and arts and crafts supplies, as well as expertise and tours. Bertrand said community members can contact the school if they're able to assist.

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Law and Order: Tracy Avenue couple accused of using stolen debit card for shopping

By Howard B. Owens

Micheal S. Lytle, 27, and Sarah P. Lytle, 33, both of Tracy Avenue, Batavia, are charged with charged with criminal possession of stolen property, 4th. The couple is accused of using a stolen debit card to make several purchases totaling $790 on Oct. 11 and then making another $74 in purchases on Oct. 12.

Jordan Deskins, 19, of County House Road, Albion, is charged with petit larceny. Deskins is accused of shoplifting from Kmart.

Ajia Rae Hasenauer, 23, of Main Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny and falsifying business records, 1st. Hasenauer is accused of taking cash from a friend to register that friend at a hotel, then not registering that friend's name and placing the cash in the till.

Alexander Edwin Dills, 26, of Ellicott Street Road, Pavilion, is charged with criminal possession of marijuana, no front plate and uninspected motor vehicle. Dills was stopped at 11:41 a.m. Wednesday on Route 77, Corfu, by Deputy Chris Parker. During the traffic stop, Dills was allegedly found to possess two smoking pipes with marijuana, a marijuana grinder, a marijuana cigar and paper containing approximately four ounces of marijuana.

Kari W. Adams II, 32, of Covington Road, Leicester, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and speeding. Adams was stopped at 5:12 a.m. Wednesday on Route 63, Pavilion, by Deputy Jeremy McClellan.

Leonard E. Aguayo, 29, of Affinity Lane, Rochester, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, aggravated unlicensed operation, 2nd, and speeding. Aguayo was stopped at 3 p.m. Tuesday on Route 33, Byron, by Deputy Kevin Forsyth. Upon investigation, Aguayo was allegedly found to have 12 failures to appear on traffic citations from seven different dates. Based on the alleged detection of the odor of marijuana, Aguayo consented to a search of his vehicle and was allegedly found in possession of marijuana. Aguayo was jailed on $500 bail.

Craig L. Fien Jr., 44, of Le Roy, is charged with petit larceny and resisting arrest. Fien is accused of stealing a microwave oven and vacuum cleaner from Target. When confronted by Target security, Fien allegedly push passed security personnel and attempted to flee the premises. Fien was apprehended by an off-duty police officer who detained him until troopers arrived. He was jailed on $300 bail.

Le Roy wins sectional title in volleyball

By Howard B. Owens

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Le Roy beat Bath-Haverling on Saturday to become Section V champions in Class C1 in volleyball.

The team next plays Cal-Mum in a Far-West Regional playoff. Game time is time is 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, in Avon.

Photos by Tim McArdle.

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Junior high students in Le Roy 'Class Up the Community'

By Howard B. Owens

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Le Roy's junior high students participated in the school district's second annual Class Up the Community day on Tuesday.

"I cannot thank our students and staff enough for the hard work and positive attitude they showed all day in our community," said Principal Tim McArdle. "The day represents an amazing learning opportunity about service and helping others, which is the backbone of our country. Now more than every we have to take any opportunity possible to pass on these values to our students!"

Students and staff worked at the following locations: Le Roy Historical Society, Machpelah Cemetery, St. Francis Cemetery, Le Roy Ambulance Base, Methodist Church, Police Station and nine private residences. After the work was done, students enjoyed their lunch outdoors at school and had time for outdoor games and to play on the Le Roy Town Rec huge inflatable. 

To end the event, students watched a video of the pictures that were taken throughout the day! 

McArdle thanked Lynda Lowe, who was the event director, and the junior high staff, bus drivers, cafeteria staff and buildings and grounds staff, "for all of their hard work and efforts to make this day a reality."

Community members donated rakes or loaned rakes for the projects.

"This is a wonderful learning experience for our students, a huge thank you to the community as well as our students and staff for making today a big success," Lowe said.

There were 197 students in the seventh and eighth grades participating, along with 24 staff members as well as bus drivers and building and grounds crew members.

Photos and information courtesy Tim McArdle.

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Tops will offer 11-percent discount to military personnel, vets and their immediate families on Veterans Day, Nov. 11

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Tops Friendly Markets, a leading full-service grocery retailer in New York, northern Pennsylvania, western Vermont, and north central Massachusetts announced today that the company will offer military personnel and their immediate families an 11-percent discount off of their grocery bill this Veterans Day.

On Friday, Nov. 11, Tops Markets will honor an 11-percent discount off of a total order to all veterans and immediate family members in the same household, who shop at any Tops location.  Customers should present proof of service that they, or an immediate family member are a U.S. Veteran, active duty, reserve or retired military personnel to automatically receive an 11-percent discount off of their total purchase that day.

In Genesee County, there are two Tops locations: 390 W. Main St. in Batavia and 128 W. Main St., Le Roy.

“The respect and gratitude we have for the people who serve and have served in the military is immeasurable, and for that we are forever grateful,” said Frank Curci, Tops chairman and chief executive officer. “We wanted to support local military personnel by giving back to our associates and customers who have courageously defended our country and made many sacrifices through their military service.”

Tops is a longtime supporter of military associates and customers. The company’s actions include support of the American Veterans Tribute Traveling Wall, Honor Flight Missions, sending care packages for troops serving domestically and overseas, VA hospital visits, and participation in veteran job fairs, parades and expos.

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