Press release from AAA:

Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $2.74, down 3 cents from last week. One year ago, the price was $2.86. The New York State average is $2.87 – down 2 cents from last week. A year ago, the NYS average was $3.01. AAA Western and Central New York (AAA WCNY) reports the following averages:

• Batavia -- $2.83 (down a penny since last week)
• Buffalo -- $2.83 (down 2 cents since last week)
• Ithaca -- $2.81 (down 2 cents since last week)
• Rochester -- $2.82 (down a penny since last week)
• Rome -- $2.84 (down a penny since last week)
• Syracuse -- $2.78 (down a penny since last week)
• Watertown -- $2.80 (down a penny since last week)

Despite summer travel, lower than usual demand has helped to push pump prices down. According to the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) latest report for the weekend ending on July 19, domestic demand hit 9.67 million barrels per day. Although it grew from the previous week’s 9.2 million level, demand is slightly lower than last year’s usage rate.

With OPEC continuing to reduce crude production, tighter domestic crude supplies could cause prices to continue to increase if demand tightens.

Unresolved tension in the Middle East could also push prices up. After Iran captured the U.K.-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, the British Royal Navy announced that it will escort U.K.-flagged vessels in the region to protect against future attacks. If tension continues to mount, crude prices will likely continue their ascent.

Alabama fire responded about 5:30 p.m. yesterday to a car fire on Route 77 and Ledge Road.

Photo submitted by Yalonda Samanka.

Gillian Romano, right, with Mary Wilson, played in the Ralph Wilson Jr. Memorial Golf Tournament this weekend, and on the 13th hole at Diamond Hawk in Cheektowaga Romano shot her first hole-in-one.

Bottom photo, Romano with Russ, Nick Rotondo, Ellen Simkulet and Will Fowler.

Photos and info submitted by Norm Itjen.

The smell of something burning is reported in the front apartment at 219 Liberty St. in the city. No flames showing. City fire is responding.

UPDATE 5:59 p.m.: A first responder on scene reports nothing showing. Building evacuated.

A motor-vehicle accident with unknown injuries at Route 77 and Sumner Road, Darien.

Darien fire and Darien's ambulance dispatched.

Airbag deployment reported.

Submitted photo and press release:

The Batavia Muckdogs will try again today to end the toughest losing streak of the 2019 season as they host the Williamsport Crosscutters at 5:05 p.m. as part of Irish Night.

On Saturday, a crowd of 2,779 packed Dwyer Stadium -- thanks to Tompkins Bank of Castile purchasing all of the general admission tickets in an effort to draw a record crowd (the bank also hosted an employee picnic) -- but the Muckdogs fell to Williamsport, 7-0.

Batavia (24-18) remains not only in first place in the New York-Penn Pinckney Division, but in the hunt for the best overall NYPL record, trailing Lowell (Red Sox) 26-14) and the Mets' farm club, Brooklyn Cyclones (24-16).

The Muckdogs, the affiliate of the Miami Marlins, still have a two-game lead over the West Virginia Black Bears, who have lost two in a row and are 21-19. Mahoning Valley (22-20) has won two in a row and State College (22-20) has won three in a row. The Muckdogs have lost four.

The first year of the Batavia minor league team in the current league, the team drew 3,000 fans on May 10, 1939. The stadium was called State Street Park and to accommodate so many fans, they watched from the outfield fence, which was a snow fence at the time, and borrowed chairs from a local funeral home.

The record-setting attendance was set on July 4^th 2008,when the Muckdogs drew 3,021 fans.

Saturday night, thanks to Tompkins Bank of Castile buying 2,000 tickets for fans who packed the park, the Muckdogs drew 2,779. This time, kids and families were in the grass on the first- and third-base lines and the picnic area was full of fans.

The Williamsport team was having the fun on the field as Kendall Simmons hit a home run and Juan Aparicio went 3-for-4 with a double and a triple.

Batavia was led by the hot-hitting J.D. Orr, who went 2-for-4. The 10th-round pick this year of the Marlins is now hitting a lead-leading .375 on the season.

Andrew Turner, Troy Johnston and Dalvy Rosario all had hits for Batavia.

Muckdogs' pitching has now put up some budding two-game stars. A total of seven pitchers have thrown 18 innings with 21 strikeouts and zero walks.

Saturday, Easton Lucas (four Ks in three innings), Dakota Bennett (two strikeouts in 5.0 innings) and Joey Steele (a scoreless ninth and he struck out the side) combined for nine strikeouts and no walks.

Muckdogs catcher Dustin Skelton, an 18th-round Marlins draft pick this year, threw out three runners trying to steal.

Sunday is a 5:05 p.m. start and it's O'Lacy's Irish Day. O'Lacy's has specials and tickets, you can visit the restaurant or follow them on Facebook. It is also free admission for MuckPups and kids can run the bases.

Before the game, next to the souvenir stand, it is Autograph Alley as eight players will sign autographs, pose for photos and selfies with fans. There will be special Irish Chips, which are fries covered with fresh corned beef, gravy and cheddar cheese. There will also be specials on Irish beers.

Tickets are available at muckdogs.com or stop by the Dwyer Stadium Ticket office between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. during the week. The number is 585-483-3647.

Photo: Fans received foam fingers entering Dwyer Stadium on Saturday, courtesy Tompkins Bank of Castile. A crowd of 2,779 came close to the near record-setting crowd of 3,000 on May 10, 1939. The record-setting attendance was set on July 4^th 2008, when the Muckdogs drew 3,021 fans.​

New York Craft Malt in Batavia hosted a malt sensory seminar on Friday where brewers could learn about a relatively new way to test and compare malts for flavor profiles.

Press release:

Troopers from SP Warsaw responded to a cornfield off Soper Road in the Town of Perry for a skydiving accident today. Further investigation revealed that Richard S. Cordaro, 68, of Bergen, flew out of Perry/Warsaw airport with three others. All four individuals jumped from the plane. The other three landed safely.

Cordaro had more than 45 years of skydiving experience. Cordaro's parachute opened normally but then became tangled. Troopers attempted life-saving measures. Cordaro was pronounced at the scene. Rochester Skydivers was the company involved in this incident.

UPDATE: The State Police issued a correction on the spelling of the victim's last name. The press release above has been corrected accordingly. 

Defense attorney Frederick Rarick told the court on Friday that he intends to call five witnesses on behalf of his client, Richard D. Hanes, the man standing trial for the July 24, 2018, murder of 47-year-old Raymond L. Morgan. 

Rarick said he plans to bring forward Danielle Case, Michael Elmore, Bonnie Cortright and Hanes’s mother and father. Though the trial will most likely last until Tuesday or Wednesday of next week, Hanes is not anticipated to testify in his defense.

Case made the initial 9-1-1 call to emergency responders after the bludgeoning of Morgan occurred around 11:15 p.m. at 111 Liberty St., Batavia. Case reportedly said “That’s Ray” when an unknown male dropped from Morgan’s second-floor window and fled the scene before he could be identified.

Elmore was the resident of the Liberty Street house who allegedly posted photos of the bloody crime scene to social media before the landlord could secure Morgan’s room. At the time, Elmore apparently posted that Morgan was the killer. 

No major developments arose during the cross-examination of Batavia PD Detective Thad Mart Friday afternoon. District Attorney Lawrence Friedman is expected to call the final witness for the People, Detective Sgt. Kevin Czora, to attest to his account of the murder investigation.

Witness testimony will begin at 9 a.m. Monday in Genesee County Court. Once the prosecution and defense rest, jurors will hear summations and legal elements of the second-degree murder charge before entering verdict deliberations. If found guilty, Hanes faces a life sentence.

A rollover accident is reported at East Main Street and Liberty Street. It is blocking traffic. One vehicle is on its roof. Unknown injuries. City fire and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 2:07 p.m.: One person was loaded on a stretcher, conscious and alert, to be transported to a hospital for evaluation. At the time of the collision, it appears a Chevy Trailblazer was on East Main Street but investigators have not yet determined whether it was attempting to turn left on Liberty Street or was proceeding south from Summit Street onto Liberty Street; a BMW 535i was headed eastbound on East Main Street. The driver of the BMW and a passenger were sign-offs (translation: they waived medical treatment).

UPDATE 2:23 p.m.: Investigators have now determined the Chevy Trailblazer was southbound on Summit Street and proceeding onto Liberty Street at the time of the collision on East Main Street.

UPDATE 4:29 p.m.: Batavia PD is asking anyone who witnessed the accident to come forward and help investigators determine the cause.

Press release: 

The Batavia Police Department is seeking assistance from the community. Saturday, July 27, at around 1:50 p.m., there was a two-car rollover accident at the intersection of East Main Street at Liberty Street. The Batavia Police Department is asking for anyone who may have witnessed the accident to please contact Sgt. Dan Coffey at (585) 345-6352 with any information.

The Batavia Police Department can be reached at 585-345-6350, the confidential tip line at 585-345- 6370.

East Bethany – Enjoy the view of a dark night sky and get to know the summer’s constellations with Night Sky Tour and Stargazing at the Genesee County Park and Forest from 9 to 11 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 9th.

Learn all about the Perseid meteor shower and other astronomical phenomenon and the folklore behind them!

Meet us at the Interpretive Nature Center for an outdoor presentation and guided tour of the night sky.

Bring a blanket or a chair for your spot in a meadow far away from city lights. This program will take place entirely outdoors.

If rain or cloudy skies threaten our view we will reschedule to Friday, Aug. 16th. Cost is $5/person, $10/family. Preregistration is required, call 585-344-1122 to reserve your spot.

For more information visit our website at http://www.co.genesee.ny.us/departments/parks/, or contact Kayla Edmunds at park.americorps@co.genesee.ny.us or (585) 344-1122.

Genesee County Park & Forest Nature Interpretive Center is located at 11095 Bethany Center Road, East Bethany.

Submitted photo and press release:

The Batavia Muckdogs dropped a tough home game to Williamsport, 5-3 Friday night.

With a loss by West Virginia, Batavia keeps a two-game lead in the New York Penn-League Pinckney Division.

Saturday night could be a record crowd, as it is Tompkins Bank of Castile Night and they bought 2,000 tickets which have been given out to fans.

"We are looking forward to seeing new and familiar faces," said Batavia Muckdogs General Manager Brendan Kelly. "In addition to fireworks, there will be events all games and it should be a great atmosphere for families."

On Friday, Batavia had the pitching, hitting and defense, but did not get the timely hits to win. The Muckdogs out-hit Williamsport and the three Batavia pitchers racked up 12 strikeouts and zero walks.

Milton Smith II is now hitting .358 on the season as he went 2-for-4 and Dalvy Rosario had two hits for Batavia (24-17).

Catcher Andres Storms belted a two-RBI triple that brought Batavia within one, 4-3 in the sixth but the Muckdogs could not bring in another run. Troy Johnston, Nic Ready and J.D. Orr all singled for Batavia.

On the mound, Edgar Martinez struck out seven in 5.2 innings of work and did not walk a batter. he gave up three earned runs and took the loss, given up just four hits.

Edison Suriel threw 1.1 scoreless innings with three strikeouts and Jonaiker Villalobos threw two innings and struck out two without a walk and gave up one hit.

On Saturday, the Muckdogs not only have fireworks after the game, but Tompkins Bank of Castile bought all the general admission seats and are giving them away to fans. There are still a few available at the box office.

Sunday is a 5:05 p.m. start and it's O'Lacy's Irish Day. O'Lacy's has specials and tickets, you can visit the restaurant or follow them on Facebook. It is also free admission for MuckPups and kids can run the bases. Before the game, next to the souvenir stand, it is Autograph Alley as eight players will sign autographs, pose for photos and selfies with fans. There will be special Irish Chips, which are fries covered with fresh corned beef, gravy and cheddar cheese. There will also be specials on Irish beers.

Tickets are available at muckdogs.com or stop by the Dwyer Stadium Ticket office between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. during the week. The number is 585-483-3647.

A multiple-vehicle accident is reported on the westbound Thruway in the area of mile marker 388.8.

That's near the Bank Street Bridge.

Town of Batavia fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE(S) (By Billie) 11 a.m.: A first responder near the scene says the accident involves a tractor-trailer that hit a Miller trailer. "Everyone appears to be out and walking around." The right lane of traffic is blocked.

UPDATE 11:06 a.m.: Scene commander says the accident involved a tractor-trailer, a truck pulling a trailer, and an SUV. They are set with medics on scene; no need for Mercy Flight.

UPDATE 12:06 p.m.: The Town of Batavia assignment is back in service.

Press release:

“I am pleased to announce that the second Teen Academy was another great success," said Genesee County Sheriff William Sheron. "This academy was made possible with the support of Genesee County STOP DWI and the Genesee County Legislators.

"The students were provided with the opportunity to experience the various roles of law enforcement in our community, and they eagerly embraced all aspects of the curriculum.

"I want to thank the students for their hard work and dedication and to all those that provided instruction throughout this weeklong program. A special thank you to the Academy Director, Deputy Matthew R. Butler, and deputies/school resource officers Chad P. Cummings, Richard S. Schildwaster, Eric J. Meyer, Patrick J. Reeves, Howard O. Wilson, and Jeremy M. McClellan along with Investigator Chad J. Minuto for their assistance and efforts in coordinating such a unique, one-of-a-kind experience for the students.

"We look forward to continuing this annual event for students throughout Genesee County for many more years to come."

The following participants are graduates of the second annual Genesee County Sheriff’s Office Teen Academy:

        Class Captains:      Paola Perez-Matos

                                             Drew Edwards

Alden Belknap                      Nicholas Burdick                    Jayden Doyle

Shawn Morabito                    Jack Falls                                Alexander Hunt

Aaron Spring                         Regan McPhee                        Gianni Vallese

Photos by Howard Owens.

Spotted in Byron.

More than 100 young soccer players turned out today for the annual clinic at the Batavia Sports Park hosted by Ricky Palermo and the Ricky Palermo Foundation.

The final day of the Crossroads House Garage Sale is tomorrow, from 9 a.m. to noon.

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Following an investigation at Six Flags Darien Lake, Cunningham was arrested at 6:40 p.m. on July 25 and arraigned in Darien Town Court. He is accused of touching the intimate parts of two individuals less than 14 years of age.

He was jailed in lieu of $2,500 cash bail and is due back in Darien Town Court at 3 p.m. on July 30. The case was investigated by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Kyle Krzemien.

Ricardo Sampel, 50, of Dellinger Avenue, Batavia, is charged with five counts of aggravated family offense -- more than one offense within five years. On July 17, the Genesee County Emergency Dispatch Center received the report of a violation of an order of protection by a third party. Following an investigation, Sampel was identified and is alleged to have committed the crime of second-degree criminal contempt. It is alleged that he knowingly violated an order of protection by contacting the protected party via phone on July 13. Due to his previous criminal history, including criminal contempt convictions, the charge against him was elevated to a Class E felony. The defendant is currently being held in GC Jail on a separate criminal contempt charge. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and jailed without bail. The investigation was assisted by jail correctional officers, including Senior Correctional Officer J.M. Smart. The investigation was conducted by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Ryan DeLong.

Jennifer Jean Greene, 46, of Tennyson Terrace, Williamsville, is charged with second-degree criminal contempt. At 4:45 p.m. on July 7, deputies responded to Six Flags Darien Lake for the report of a violation of an order of protection. Following an investigation, Greene was arrested. It is alleged that she made physical contact with a person who had a stay away order of protection against Greene. The defendant was arraigned in Darien Town Court and released on her own recognizance. She is due back in Darien Town Court on July 30. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Erik Andre.