The Genesee County Sheriff's Office is currently investigating an apparent homicide. The victim has been identified as Michael G. Poole, age 59, of the Olcott, NY area. The victim waslocated during the afternoon of March 19, 2024 in the Town of Alabama, New York during the investigation into a missing person out of Niagara County.

The preliminary investigation indicates that this appears to be an isolated incident and that there is no threat to the public. Anyone who may have information related to this incident is asked to contact the Genesee County Sheriff's Office at 585-343-5000. This investigation is ongoing, and no further details have been released at this time.

Aaron J. Fix, 50, of Batavia, is charged with assault 2nd, resisting arrest, criminal mischief 4th, and obstructing governmental administration 2nd. Fix is accused of interfering with the arrest of another person during a traffic stop on East Main Street, Batavia. When a deputy and Batavia patrol officer

NOTE: This week, The Batavian is highlighting the annual Chamber of Commerce Award winners with a story daily through Friday. The awards dinner is Saturday evening at Batavia Downs. This is the final story in the series.

Bonnie Woodward has owned the Alabama Hotel for a relatively short time

These are photos taken on Judge Road in Alabama on late Wednesday afternoon.

Photos by Howard Owens.

The Town of Alabama Republican Committee is seeking interested candidates to fill an open position for Town of Alabama Justice. The Town of Alabama Republican Committee will recommend to the Town of Alabama Board for the open position.

Please send a letter of intent to Town of Alabama Republican Chairman, Earl LaGrou. 7420 Macomber Rd. Oakfield or via email, earl@lwemail.com. If you have any questions please call Earl LaGrou at 716-912-8195. All letters need to be in no later than January 31.

The two views of Isaac D. Abrams, 23, expressed by attorneys in Genesee County Court on Thursday, couldn't be more different.

For Assistant District Attorney Robert Zickl, Abrams is a young man given many breaks in his run of criminal activity since he was a teen who has gone from making threats to actual violence. He belongs in prison.

To Michael Dwan, a Buffalo-based attorney hired by the Abrams family, the young Tonawanda Indian Reservation resident is an entrepreneur, a leader with a promise of potential to make a positive impact on his community who has made unfortunate decisions in his desire to help the people he cares about. Another prison could destroy any hope of a productive future for Abrams.

The Town Board, in a 4-1 vote this evening, decided it wants to join an Orleans County lawsuit that seeks to stop construction of a sewer main along Route 63 from the STAMP manufacturing site in Alabama to the Oak Orchard Creek in Shelby.

Orleans County on Sept. 11, filed suit in State Supreme Court to stop a sewer line from coming into the Town of Shelby and depositing up to 6 million gallons of what Orleans says is “contaminated” water into the Oak Orchard Creek.

The county alleges that the Genesee County Economic Development Center formed a “sham corporation” in STAMP Sewer Works to make the 9.5-mile-long sewer main happen.

Orleans officials worry the sewer discharge could impair the water quality of the creek, cause flooding and hurt economic development opportunities at the Medina Business Park.

Scott Wengewicz, Shelby town supervisor, said he agrees with the concerns voiced by the county in opposing STAMP.

Shelby will spell out its reasons for objecting to the project when it files a notice to intervene with State Supreme Court Justice Sanford Church. The judge has set a court date for Oct. 23 at the County Courthouse in Albion for the initial hearing in the Orleans lawsuit. He also has issued the preliminary injunction to not allow any sewer main construction in Orleans County until the arguments are presented in court.

Kathy Bennett, the Shelby attorney, said the town has “a right to have at seat at the table” in court and any other discussions about the project.

“We are clearly an interested party,” she said after this evening’s Town Board meeting.

Ed Zelazny, a town councilman, cast the lone vote against seeking to join the lawsuit. Zelazny said the Town Board previously voted in support of the STAMP Sewer Works. That was in a 5-0 vote on Oct. 13, 2020, when Shelby provided its consent to the forming of STAMP Sewer Works.

Zelazny said the Town Board should have demanded money to ease town taxes as part of the vote, and the board members then should have stated their concerns about the impact on the Oak Orchard.

Zelazny said he doesn’t want to see the town commit to spending taxpayer dollars on another lawsuit.

Bennett, the town attorney, said the vote from the Town Board about three years ago was only for the formation of STAMP Sewer Works and didn’t give Shelby’s blessing to discharge wastewater from STAMP into the Oak Orchard.

STAMP would send up to 6 million gallons a day at full capacity. The first two tenants at STAMP – Plug Power and Edwards Vacuum – would have a daily discharge of 50,000 gallons of treated wastewater, GCEDC said.

Story courtesy Orleans Hub

UPDATE 11:15 a.m.: A chief on scene reports nothing showing.

UPDATE 11:17 a.m.: Responders, which now includes an engine from Oakfield, can respond non-emergency.