Dylan Brew, of Schoen Productions, shared these photos he took of some feather-covered visitors he had today.

He identified them (though I'm not sure I'm posting them in the right order) as: Carolina wren, white-throated sparrow, tufted titmouse, red-bellied woodpecker.

Batavia's Dominick Mogavero and Le Roy's Mike McMullen have both been named to the All-Greater Rochester Football Team for 2014.

McMullen was listed on the team as a quarterback and utility player. Mogavero, who played running back and linebacker for the Blue Devils, was named as a linebacker.

Greg Mruczek and Anthony Gallo, from Batavia, were named to the second team.

Honorable mentions went to:

This is the third year we've created a slide show of photos from 2014 of our firefighters as a way to honor those who serve our community in an often difficult, sometimes dangerous job, and many times an emotionally draining one, too. We thank them for their service to our community.

There are not as many opportunities to get photos of police officers on the job, but we also want to extend a thank you to the members of our local law enforcement community for all they do to protect and serve.

To find out how to become a volunteer firefighter, visit ReadyGenesee.com.

On a dreary Tuesday afternoon, a reporter and an off-duty deputy, both a little jaded and cynical after years on the job, run into each other in the Target parking lot and pause to visit.

The conversation soon turns to an old, gray school bus with a spray-painted sign hanging from one side. "Tire Needed," it reads.

"Scam," one tells the other.

"Certainly," the other replies.

"You see it all the time," one says. "They'll go from town-to-town with their story and try and take advantage of people."

"They're after all of those Christmas shoppers," says the other.

On Christmas even morn, Tig and Jesus have moved their bus to the Walmart parking lot and begin to worry they won't be leaving. 

Over the previous 24 hours, three people had stopped and said they had bus tires to spare. None returned.

One person stopped and gave them $10, which would prompt Tig to later remark, "If we're running a scam, we're not very good at it."

Jesus told Tig, "We're stuck."

Tig said, "no, it's Christmas Eve. We'll have a Christmas Eve miracle."

The deputy, working an afternoon shift on the day before Christmas, happened by the Walmart parking lot and saw the bus, with its sign and decided to stop and roust the occupants.

"What's the scam?" he asks.

"No scam," Tig tells him. He shows him the tire. They chat and the deputy peppers the men with questions.

"Wait here," he tells them, and he returns to his patrol vehicle and gets on his phone.

In a bit, he comes back and tells them help is on the way. He called a local repair shop, Parmenter Tire, and it turned out Parmenter had an extra, used bus tire and a staff member available to make the change.

Jim McDonald from Parmenter showed up an hour later and made the swap.

The tire is worth at least $300. The off-hour service call would typically be at least $300. Tig and Jesus (pronounced (hay-zeus) were asked to pay nothing.

"See," said Tig, "I told you there would be a miracle."

Long migratory flights have been put on hold in recent days. Here a drake and hen mallard take advantage of the open water on "celery brook" to do some dabbling.

Downstream from the River Street bridge, a pair of Canada geese appear to be feeling their oats.

Framed by phragmite plumes, these Canadas enjoy the open water of the "sandwash." 

The placid surface of a local pond creates a mirror image of this lone cormorant.

Even domesticated critters are taking advantage of the warm weather -- apparently in this case the grass is greener on the other side!

What are the chances strains of Silent Night will permeate this little valley in Middlebury tonight?

Wishing you and yours a joyous Christmas!!!! 

A caller reports seeing a while male with a white beard walking on Fisher Road, Oakfield, carrying a sack.

A female appeared to be walking behind him, and then ducked behind a residence.

A deputy is dispatched to check it out.

Jeffrey L. Deats, the Batavia resident charged with the death of 6-month-old Chandler Zuchs, is showing no brain activity, according to a letter from District Attorney Lawrence Friedman asking that Deats be released from custody on his own recognizance.

The letter was filed with City Court this morning.

Friedman states that Bill Zipfel, superintendent of the Genesee County Jail, informed him that a doctor at ECMC contacted the jail following a CAT scan on Deats and found there is no brain activity in the patient.

Deats is not expected to survive.

"Zipfel also told me that guarding the defendant 24/7 is creating a terrible burden on his staff and he requested that they be relieved of their duty and the defendant be released on his own recognizance," Friedman wrote.

A felony hearing scheduled for this morning in City Court was cancelled.

Deats was arrested Wednesday following an investigation into the death the previous weekend of Baby Chandler.

Over the weekend, Deats was found hanging in his cell by bedsheets. CPR was performed and he was taken to UMMC and later transfered to ECMC.

For previous coverage of the case, click here.

Batavia's dominance of the Lion's Club Tournament at GCC came to a shocking end Tuesday night as the Blue Devils dropped an opening-round match to University Prep 59-55.

Head Coach Buddy Brasky was pretty blunt after the game. "We didn't execute our principles," he said.

U-Prep showed up with a team more skilled and more disciplined than seen in the tournament last year.

The team from the all-boys charter school in Rochester will face Notre Dame in Monday's final after the Fighting Irish crushed Albion, 74-60.

The Blue Devils win streak in the tournament goes back at least 10 years and has traditionally been the team to beat since its first tournament win 1989. The tournament was founded in 1982.

Batavia jumped to a quick lead to open the game and stayed just a step of ahead of the Griffins throughout much of the first half, only slipping until the final minute before the intermission to a point off the lead, 26-25.

The defensive game plan of Batavia is to hold teams to 13 or fewer points per quarter, and in the third, the Blue Devils did that, but only managed 12 points themselves.

In the final eight minutes, however, U-Prep scored 20 and Batavia's 18 wasn't enough of an answer.

"We didn't execute our principles, really, on either side of the ball as the game went on," Brasky said. "It was pretty disappointing. We had some good practices leading up to the game, but we didn't execute our fundamental principles."

Jeff Redband drained four threes and led the Blue Devils in scoring with 24 points. Jerrett Laskett and Greg Mruczek, who hit a trio of treys, including two in the closing minutes, each had 11.

For U-Prep, Jeenathan Williams scored 19 and Isaiah Brinkley and Cameron Myles had 12 apiece.

If the problem for Batavia (now 2-2) was a problem of execution, the opposite was true for Notre Dame in the nightcap.

Head Coach Mike Rapone said after the game that he's finally starting to see his team gel.

"You could see it a little bit in the second half at Attica," Rapone said. "I could see we were headed in the right direction. The first game we were OK. Oakfield, we were not good at all. With Attica I thought they are finally starting to understand.

"People don't understand it's all about understanding not only your role, but when to be in a spot and knowing that Josh is going to be here or Casey is going to be here and you've got to get there. It takes a while to get that belief. Tonight, I thought we had it."

Josh Johnson led the Irish with 27 points, all but five of those points coming in the first half when Johnson was clearly the dominant presence on the floor.

"He was getting to right spots and we were getting him the ball," Rapone said. "That's the whole combination right there. People have got to get to the spots and then we've got to find them."

Tyler Prospero came off the bench early in the game and scored 15 points, including hitting three shots from beyond the arc.

"He gave us a lift," Rapone said. "He's a good perimeter shooter.

"That's one of our strengths," he added, "our depth, our ability to run people into the game who can help us."

Looking ahead to Monday's final, Rapone knows U-Prep will present a tough challenge.

"We can't play at that frenetic pace," Rapone said. "If we play like that, it's going to be over early.  We're going to have to control the tempo, get some good shots and we've got to rebound a heck of a lot better than we did tonight."

The consolation game between Batavia and Albion is at 6:30 with the championship game to follow.

To purchase prints, click here.

Press release:

Since the NYS Department of Health Commissioner declared influenza (flu) prevalent in NYS on Dec. 11th, the number of confirmed cases in Genesee and Orleans counties is rising quickly. It is important for your health to know how to prevent from contracting the flu, as well as what precautions you should take if symptoms begin. Getting vaccinated against the flu is the best method of protection.

While some strains of the virus spreading this season are different from what is in the vaccine, getting a flu shot/nasal spray can still provide protection. It might also lessen the risk of severe outcomes, such as hospitalization and death.

Most people who get sick with the flu have mild illness and do not need medical care or antiviral drugs. If you get sick with flu symptoms, in most cases, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people except to get medical care. Symptoms of the flu include fever or feverish chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches and fatigue. Some people may experience vomiting and diarrhea, although this is more common in children than adults.

“It is important to contact your primary care physician if you are concerned about your or your child’s flu symptoms,” said Paul Pettit, director, Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments. “Emergency Departments should be utilized for emergencies, and typically flu can be treated at home.”

If you have symptoms of flu and are very sick or worried about your illness, the health departments urge you to contact your health care provider (doctor, physician’s assistant, etc.) before you head to a hospital emergency room.

If you experience flu symptoms and are at high risk of flu complications or you are concerned about your illness, call your health care provider for advice. If you do not have a primary care provider and feel you need to seek a medical evaluation, you can seek care at an urgent care center.
Certain people are at greater risk of serious flu-related complications (including young children, elderly people, pregnant women and people with certain long-term medical conditions). If you are in a high risk group and develop flu symptoms, it is best for you to contact your doctor. Remind them about your high risk status for flu.

To care for yourself or another with the flu, stay at home and rest. Avoid close contact with well people in your house so you will not make them sick. Remember to drink plenty of water and other clear liquids to prevent fluid loss (dehydration). Treat fever and cough with medicines available over the counter. Follow the label instructions and be careful about mixing over the counter medications. If you are pregnant, talk with your provider before taking any medications.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the health departments recommend that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other things you have to do and no one else can do for you. Stay away from others as much as possible to keep from making them sick. If you must leave home, for example to get medical care, wear a facemask if you have one, or cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or into your arm. Wash your hands often to keep from spreading flu to others.

Both the Genesee and Orleans County health departments offer flu vaccine to individuals who qualify. For more information regarding flu vaccine qualification, clinic schedules, or additional services please contact your local department.

Genesee County Health Department at: 344-2580, ext. 5000, or visit their Web site at www.co.genesee.ny.us/ departments/health/index.html Visit Facebook at Genesee County Health Department and Twitter @GeneseeCoHealthDept.

New Batavia Volleyball League starting up. Seeking Intermediate Co-ed teams for the winter session starting Thursday nights January 22nd thru March 26th. Team sign-up packets available at T-Shirts Etc. 111 Main St. Batavia. Get your team in!! Contact Beth or Brian Kemp for more info: 345-1993.

The county's unemployment rate dropped eight-tenths of a precent since last year, even while the county's overall job numbers also dipped, according to the state Department of Labor.

For November, the local unemployment rate was 5.3 percent, down from 6.1 percent in November of last year. The number of reported unemployed dropped from 1,900 to 1,600.

Year over year for November, the total number of non-farm jobs in Genesee County went from 28,900 to 28,300.

The statewide unemployment rate fell a full percentage point from 6.8 percent to 5.8 percent.

In the rest of the GLOW region, Orleans County had one of the biggest unemployment rate drops in the state, with the rate falling from 8.3 to 6.8 percent. Wyoming County's rate fell from seven percent to 6.1 percent. Livingston County dropped from 6.3 to 5.6 percent.

It looks like we won't have a white Christmas, but we will have a windy one.

The National Weather Service has a high wind warning in place from 8 p.m., Wednesday until 4 p.m., Thursday.

Winds from the southwest of 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 65 mph are anticipated.

Impacts could include downed trees and power lines and scattered power outages. 

High profile vehicles will find travel difficult. 

Holiday decorations could be damaged if not tied down. 

No word from Santa on his travel plans.

Andrea M. Gray, 36, of Maple Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd, criminal mischief, 4th, criminal tampering, 3rd, coercion, 1st, and obstruction of governmental administration. During an incident first reported at 2:12 a.m. Saturday at a residence on Maple Street, Gray allegedly tore the shirt of a roommate during a fight. She then allegedly attempted to interfere with the arrest of a person accused of violating a court order by having contact with her. She allegedly attempted to coerce police officers to release the suspect by threatening to harm herself if he was not released. Gray was jailed without bail. Gray was also charged with petit larceny for allegedly taking the mobile phone of a roommate Friday and not returning it.

Russell R. Miles Jr., 46, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st. Miles was arrested following an investigation into a disturbance reported at 2:12 a.m. Saturday on Maple Street, Batavia. Miles has a previous criminal contempt conviction within the past five years. He was ordered held without bail.

Jeremiah J. Cieszynski, 27, of Warsaw, and Sally M. Sims, 24, of Warsaw, are charged with petit larceny. Cieszynski and Sims are accused of stealing clothing and sneakers valued at $125 from Kmart.

Bashard L. Joiner, 21, of Rochester, is charged with two counts of criminal trespass, 3rd. Joiner received a suspension letter from GCC on Oct. 9 and told he was not permitted on campus property. During November, Joiner was allegedly spotted several times at College Village by safety officers and video surveillance. On Dec. 10, Joiner was located in the cafeteria on campus and placed under arrest by State Police. He was jailed on $300 bail or $600 bond.

Jeannette Kathleen Moore, 44, of West Avenue, Batavia, is charged with grand larceny. Moore is accused of stealing from Kmart while employed at the store.

Katie R. Wishman, 29, of Osterhout Avenue, Batavia, is charged with assault, 2nd, criminal possession of a weapon, 3rd, endangering the welfare of a child, criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument and criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th. Wishman allegedly hit another family member in the face with a mug causing an injury. This act was allegedly committed in the presence of a 3-year-old child. During the investigation, police allegedly found heroin and needles. Wishman was jailed on $10,000 bail.

Kelly A. Hasenauer, 50, of Webster Street, Batavia, is charged with falsifying business records. Hasenauer allegedly signed a fake name to a business record at UMMC's ER in an attempt to defraud.

Linda L. Snyder, 32, of Central Avenue, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Snyder allegedly threatened to fight another person at 5 p.m. on Dec. 9 at the Richmond Memorial Library.

Debra Elizabeth Webster, 46, of Route 20A, Warsaw, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or higher, unlawful possession of marijuana, speeding and failure to signal. Webster was stopped at 12:23 a.m.  Friday on Noonan Drive, Batavia, by Deputy Joseph Corona.

William James Johnson, 41, of Alleghany Road, Corfu, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, leaving the scene of a property damage accident, speeding and failure to keep right. Johnson was allegedly involved in an accident at 9:22 p.m. Saturday on Route 5, Pembroke, which was investigated by Deputy Joseph Corona.

Matthew Alan Hoye, 23, of Woodcrest Drive, Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Hoye was arrested following a check of a roadside vehicle at 12:26 a.m., Saturday.

Peter James Curts, 25, of Main Street, Caledonia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and failure to stop at a stop sign. Curts was stopped at 11 p.m. Thursday on Parmalee Road, Le Roy, by Deputy Joseph Corona.

Brett W. Short, 28, of Le Roy, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Short was charged by State Police following a traffic stop Friday morning in Batavia.

Arthur Robinson, 60, of Raleigh, NC, is charged with DWI in a commercial vehicle and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Robinson was stopped at 10 a.m. Sunday by State Police on Clinton Street Road, Stafford.

Sheriff Gary Maha released the following statement:

Chemung County Sheriff Chris Moss, president of the New York State Sheriffs’ Association, today released the following statement regarding the murder of two NYPD Officers.

“The New York State Sheriffs Association, and all the Sheriffs of New York State, mourn the tragic loss of two New York City Police Officers, Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu, who were assassinated Saturday afternoon for no reason other than the fact that they were police officers. These senseless killings follow closely on the heels of senseless anti-police comments by some politicians and so-called community leaders, and the connection between the two events is inescapable. When our leaders, with their careless words, show disrespect for our police officers it is inevitable that some unsavory segments of society will see that as their cue to take violent action against the dedicated men and women who only seek to serve and protect. The blood of Officer Ramos and Officer Liu should weigh heavily on the consciences of those who, through their demagoguery and irresponsible statements, have recently fueled an anti-police sentiment in our cities, our State and Nation.”

“The Sheriffs of New York call upon Mayor DiBlasio, Attorney General Schneiderman, Governor Cuomo, and President Obama to consider very carefully the words they use in discussing the serious criminal justice issues of our day, and to be aware that what they say can have serious consequences. Words can kill.”

“The Sheriffs of New York call upon all community leaders to consider what kind of a community they will have if there are no police there to protect and serve them, their friends and neighbors. Decry those leaders who would inflame a situation to promote themselves and their personal agendas. Work to bring your community and your police officers closer together, not further apart.”

“The Sheriffs of New York call upon the media to be more cautious in their coverage of serious events when that coverage has the potential of inciting violence. Facts may not be as interesting as fiction, but it is irresponsible to continually repeat wrong or misleading assertions by those with an agenda, contrary to known or easily discoverable facts. Complex legal issues, such as the theory and operation of the Grand Jury, are not easily digested for reporting to the masses, but an attempt should be made. The daily good work of our police officers deserves to be reported as much as the rare misdeed.”

“The Sheriffs of New York call upon all our citizens to give their support to our police officers under siege. As you are putting presents under your tree, some police officer will be putting on his bulletproof vest to go out into the night, to make sure you and your family remains safe. As you are enjoying the company of family and guests, the family of some on-duty police officer will be wondering, 'Could this be the day that he does not come home to us?' When you see a police officer this week, thank him or her for all they do for us, and wish the officer a Merry Christmas!”

The New York State Sheriffs Association, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation, formed in 1934, for the purpose of assisting sheriffs in the efficient and effective delivery of services to the public. It comprises all of the elected and appointed sheriffs of New York State. The Sheriffs Association is committed to providing education and training to advance the professionalism of all aspects of the office of sheriff. Visit www.nysheriffs.org.

Following a search of a residence on Summit Street yesterday, a 29-year-old Batavia resident was arrested and accused of dealing drugs.

The residence at 136 Summit St., Batavia, was searched pursuant to a warrant related to an investigation by Albion PD into a series of thefts in that community.

Arrested by the Local Drug Enforcement Task Force was Philip R. Ayala. He was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd, criminal possession of a controlled substance, 4th, and unlawful possession of marijuana.

Criminal possession, 3rd, is charged when prosecutors believe the suspect possessed narcotics with the intent to sell the drugs.

Authorities say they recovered a quantity of crack cocaine and marijuana.

The search also yielded several items that were allegedly stolen from the Albion area.

Ayala was jailed on no bail.

The investigation is continuing and additional charges are pending.

In a statement yesterday, Albion Police Chief Roland D. Nenni III said additional arrests were expected.

Batavia PD and the Emergency Response Team assisted in the search.

These two vehicles were involved in an overnight accident on Prospect Avenue, Batavia, according to the reader who provided the pictures. The white Honda Civic was parked and the red Mercedes struck the car head-on. The driver fled. At the time the photos were sent to us early this morning, the driver was still at large. We've been unable so far this morning to obtain additional information.

UPDATE: Police say officers have yet to make contact with the driver; however, police believe they know who the driver was and charges are pending.

Press release:

Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) president and CEO Steve Hyde provided the GCEDC board of directors a report on the agency’s annual performance in 2014 at its December board meeting.  The report included a review of year-to-date capital/business investments, pledged job creation estimates, advancement of the shovel ready phase of STAMP and initiatives with local governments, among others.

Hyde reported to the board that the GCEDC exceeded its capital and business investment goal of $32 million with a total of $58.07 million invested on various projects throughout the year, including the expansion of Yancey Fancy’s in Pembroke and Liberty Pumps in Bergen.  The agency did not achieve its pledged job creation goal of 200 with the pledged creation of approximately 141 jobs from new projects in 2014.

At the same time Hyde noted, the agency was able to put together an incentive package to retain approximately 98 manufacturing jobs at U.S. Gypsum in Oakfield.  In addition, agency staff helped the new owners of P.W. Minor navigate through the state funding process which helped keep the company open retaining approximately 50 manufacturing jobs in Batavia.

"It was another good year for the agency in terms of creating new jobs as well as retaining jobs at US Gypsum and PW Minor," said Wally T. Hinchey, Chairman of the GCEDC.  “The Genesee County economy continues to be one of the strongest in the region and 2015 should be no different as STAMP continues to move forward."

Significant strides were made to bring STAMP further along in making the site shovel ready for future development, including survey work, engineering and design work for water and sewer infrastructure. Of note was the dedication of $33 million in the New York State 2014-2015 budget for STAMP.  The GCEDC staff continues its close collaboration with New York State and NY Loves Nano to market and promote the STAMP site nationally and internationally to high tech manufacturers.

Another performance goal for 2014 was to enhance initiatives and outreach with local government entities throughout Genesee County.  The GCEDC worked closely with the Town of Batavia to secure potential funding opportunities to extend existing infrastructure at the Agri-business Park.

Lastly, GCEDC conducted outreach meetings with various localities as well as collaboration with the City of Batavia, Batavia Development Corp. and the Batavia Business Improvement District to implement the re-development of the Batavia Opportunity Area (BOA).

“The performance goals set by the GCEDC are certainly challenging, but if there was not a collective belief that we have the right formula for economic success, then we would not create such aggressive targets,” said Hyde.  “We look forward to generating even more economic development success in 2015.”

Press release:

As part of a 4-H club community service project, the 4-H Rustic Riders horse club members chose to donate much needed items to the Genesee County Animal Shelter instead of exchanging gifts at their holiday club meeting on Tuesday December 16th at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County.  Community service is a key component of our 4-H Youth Development Program, and provides a great opportunity for young people to give back to Genesee County.

The Rustic Riders horse club along with the Mystic Riders horse club also participated in holiday bell ringing for the Salvation Army on Saturday, December 13th at Tractor Supply in Batavia.

Genesee County 4-H is a program of Cornell Cooperative Extension that is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities.  For more information about the 4-H Youth Development Program visit: http://genesee.cce.cornell.edu/4-h-youth-development.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) will not be holding his Genesee County mobile office hours until Friday, Jan. 9.

“Unfortunately, my mobile office hours for the next two weeks land during the Christmas and New Year holidays,” Hawley said. “I enjoy the time I spend listening to the concerns of residents in my district, but I encourage everyone to spend some quality time relaxing with family this holiday season. I plan to resume office hours at their regularly scheduled time and day the following week.”