Press release:

The Genesee County Office for the Aging is critically short of volunteers to take seniors to medical appointments and deliver Meals-on-Wheels.

Currently there are individuals in need of help through the Medical Transportation Program, but there are not enough volunteers to provide this service.

Courtney Iburi, specialist, Aging Services, noted that this shortage of volunteers, “may mean that one of our seniors will miss a medical appointment, putting their health at risk."

The program is free for individuals in Genesee County, 60 years of age and older, who need transportation to medical appointments outside Genesee County.

Additionally, the Meals-on-Wheels program which provides a noontime meal to homebound individuals five days a week is short-handed. Current volunteers are helping by doing two or even three routes a day to ensure delivery of the meals.

Supplemental liability insurance is provided to all volunteers and mileage reimbursement may be available.

Individuals interested in more information may contact Dorian Ely, director of the RSVP Volunteer Placement Program at the Office for the Aging at 585-343-1611.

A driver from Batavia was uninjured in an accident Thursday in Wyoming County after he apparently fell asleep.

Alex Jarvela, 25, was, however, cited by State Police. Jarvela received traffic tickets for allegedly moving from lane unsafely and driving left of pavement markings in a no-passing zone.

The accident occurred on Route 246, Town of Perry.

Jarvela was southbound when his vehicle drifted into the northbound lane and exited the highway off the east shoulder, coming to rest in a ditch.

The Perry and Perry Center fire departments assisted at the scene.

New York Times: Albany Doubling Down as Casino Boom Fades

Tonight was the second super moon of 2014. Here it is over Downtown Batavia.

I went out this afternoon to see if I could get a photo of the accident on the Thruway in East Pembroke. There was no vantage point for an accident photo, but I did come back with three pictures from Slusser Road.

A barn fire is reported at 7629 Sand Hill Road "at the curve," on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation. Alabama, Pembroke, Indian Falls and Akron fire departments are responding. One caller to dispatch so far.

UPDATE 8:34 p.m.: Indian Falls and another unit are returning to service. No status reported on the blaze.

UPDATE 8:50 p.m.: All responders back in service.

A motorcycle wreck with injuries is reported at the Batavia off-ramp of the westbound Thruway. Town of Batavia fire and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 7:55 p.m.: A responder on scene reports minor injuries.

A motorcycle accident is reported on Colby Road just south of Sumner Road. There are injuries and Mercy Flight #8 from Buffalo is called to the scene. Darien fire will be establishing a landing zone nearby.

UPDATE 7:47 p.m.: Mercy Flight has landed.

UPDATE 8:04 p.m.: Mercy Flight is airborne and headed to a hospital in Buffalo.

UPDATE 8:22 p.m.: The Darien assignment is back in service.

A motor-vehicle accident, unknown injuries, is reported at 10465 Perry Road, just south of Route 20. A pole and wires are down. Pavilion fire and Mercy medics are responding.

A one-vehicle rollover accident is reported on the westbound Thruway at mile marker 396. East Pembroke fire and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 3:30 p.m.: There are reports of entrapment.

UPDATE 3:39 p.m.: Mercy Flight #7 is called to the scene -- availability is checked.

UPDATE 3:44 p.m.: Town of Batavia Engine 24 just arrived, too.

UPDATE 3:53: Two ambulances will be needed.

UPDATE 4:21 p.m.: Three children are being transported to Women & Children's Hospital in Buffalo. The assignment is back in service.

The following people were arrested by the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office during the One Republic concert at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center on Saturday:

Christopher M. Kirsch, 19, of Gerald Drive, Hamburg, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana after allegedly being found in possession of marijuana.

Bryce R. Feiner, 18, of West 70th Street, Dunkirk, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana after allegedly being found in possession of marijuana.

Jenna R. Andolina, 18, of Tisbury Road, Hamburg, was issued a ticket for alleged possession of a fictitious Pennsylvania Identification Card.

Jim Owen and Kathy Hochul at Saturday's Batavia Muckdog's game at Dwyer Stadium. 

Owen was one of Hochul's teachers in high school. Hochul is the former congressional representative for Genesee County and a current candidate for lieutenenant governor.

Photo provided by Hochul's campaign staff.

The Ghost Riders played Jackson Square on Friday evening.

Photos by Amanda Earl.

Among the artists painting fire hydrants Downtown this weekend as part of a Vibrant Batavia project was Brian Kemp, co-owner of T-Shirts Etc. Kemp painted the hydrant in front of the Key Bank location.

Photos by Amanda Earl.

A vehicle has struck a guard rail on the eastbound Thruway, unknown injuries. It is on its side. The first caller to dispatch said it was a tractor-trailer. The second caller thought it was a pickup truck hauling a camper. Town of Batavia fire and Mercy medics are responding. The mile marker is 385.

UPDATE 2:03 p.m.: A responder says there are no injuries, but the accident is blocking two lanes of traffic, which will have to be routed through the passing lane.

To say Blackberry Smoke rocked the house Saturday night at Frost Ridge might be misconstrued.

There are no reports of windows rattling in the homes of Frost Ridge neighbors.

In fact, a deputy assigned to monitor the decibel levels at Conlon Road and Oatka Trail Road said the noise level never went much above 60 decibels, well below the threshold of 100 set by Judge Robert C. Noonan when he issued an order a few days ago allowing the concert to take place.

The fact is, at the corner of Conlon and Oatka Trail, through most of Blackberry Smoke's set, the crickets were louder than the music.

Blackberry Smoke is billed as an up-and-coming, soon-to-be-big-stars Southern rock/outlaw country band, and if fame is measured by only a few hundred die-hard, rambunctious fans, Blackberry Smoke has already hit the big time.

They did rock the house and the fans raised the roof.

The band is Charlie Starr (lead vocals, guitar), Richard Turner (bass, vocals), Brit Turner (drums), Paul Jackson (guitar, vocals), and Brandon Still (keyboards).

A five-piece combo can make a lot of noise, and inside the Frost Ridge amphitheater at stage level, the band seemed no less loud than their show in the same venue a year ago.

A sound engineer familiar with the venue predicted before the show that the hill between Frost Ridge and the homes of Cleere and Collins (the two plaintiffs in one of the lawsuits against Frost Ridge) would absorb all of the treble and mid-range of the music, while bass tones would bend some and carry over the hill.

The crickets, he said, would be louder.

That certainly seemed to be the case.

In their lawsuit against Frost Ridge, the Cleeres have claimed that they can't sit outside their home on concert nights, the noise is so loud, and that when they try to go inside and close the windows, the walls shake because of the noise.

The Town of Le Roy is pursuing a parallel suit against Frost Ridge.

Both suits allege that live music at Frost Ridge violates local zoning laws, even though the campgrounds owners, Greg and David Luetticke-Archbell, received a previous ruling from the Zoning Board of Appeals that the use is an allowable, prior nonconforming use (grandfathered in).

While the Town of Le Roy is not suing the ZBA, the town board does not agree with that ruling, or does not find it valid. The Cleeres and Collins suit names the ZBA as a co-defendant. 

Delays in the process have prevented a hearing on whether the ZBA decision was filed with the town clerk prior to April 6. That hearing will be held Aug. 21. If it's determined that ZBA decision was filed prior to April 6, it could invalidate the the lawsuits against Frost Ridge on statute of limitations grounds.

Because of the delay of the hearing and the financial toll to Frost Ridge with five previous shows cancelled by court order, Noonan lifted the restraining order for the Blackberry Smoke concert, but barred alcohol sales.

The next scheduled show is at The Ridge NY is Phil Vassar and the Morgan Twins, Aug. 23.

The slide show below also includes photos of Chris Weaver Band, one of Saturday's opening acts.

AUDIO: A recording taken during the concert last night at the corner of Conlon and Oatka Trail (mp3).

A seat front-and-center for the Blackberry Smoke set was auctioned off and $375 was raised for the Le Roy Fire Department. 

The decibel reader employed by a deputy to monitor noise levels at Conlon and Oatka Trail roads.

A caller reported her car stolen. A Le Roy officer responded to take a report and investigate. He requested a "be on the lookout for" to other units.

A few minutes later, the woman called back and apparently told dispatchers, "You know what, now that I think about it, I think I left the car at Scooter's last night."

The officer responded to Scooter's. The car is parked at Scooter's.

Must have been a wild night.

A car has hit a pole on Route 262 just east of Fisher Road. At least one person is injured. Oakfield fire responding with Mercy EMS. Mercy Flight on ground standby. 

UPDATE 4:20 a.m.: Patient is being transported to ECMC.

Press release:

The 2014 New York-Penn League All-Star roster will include four players from Batavia. They will send infielder Mason Davis, catcher Rodrigo Vigil and pitchers Michael Mader and Alex Carreras to the game to be held Tuesday, August 19th at MCU Park, home of the Brooklyn Cyclones.

Davis, a 19th-round pick in the 2014 draft, has played in 41 games for the Muckdogs this year and has been among the league leaders in hitting all season. Davis currently ranks fourth in the league in hitting, with a .329 batting average, fourth in on-base percentage at .407 and third in OPS at .891.

Rodrigo Vigil was an undrafted free agent signing in 2009 and has started 20 games behind the plate for the Muckdogs this season. He is currently batting .254 with eight runs scored, four doubles and seven RBI’s. Vigil has been solid behind the plate this year for the Muckdogs, throwing out 46 percent of the runners who have attempted to steal on him.

A supplemental 3rd-round pick out of Chipola College in the 2014 draft, Mader has started nine games for Muckdogs in his first professional season. The left-hander has compiled an ERA of just 1.80 and has racked up 20 strikeouts in 30 innings pitched. Opposing batters are hitting just .192 against Mader so far this season.

Alex Carreras is in his third year of professional baseball and was a Minor League free agent signing in 2014. The left-hander has appeared in 15 games this year and is 5-2 with an ERA of 1.85. He has also recorded 27 strikeouts in his 34 innings of work and opposing batters are hitting just .220 versus Carreras this year.

Batavia currently holds the fourth-place spot in the Pinckney Division with a record of 24-30 and sit only five games out of the Wild Card. The Muckdogs sent five players to the 2010 All-Star game, six in 2011, five in 2012, and four players in 2013.