Residents of 400 Towers are hosting a yard sale today on the shuffle board court in front of the building.

The same location from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday will be the site of a concert by The Ghost Riders and the public is invited.

Unless you're like me and regularly watch History Channel's American Pickers, that headline may not make a lot of since.

Mike Wolff and Frank Fritz are pickers -- antique dealers who travel around looking for unusual items left abandoned and forgotten in barns and sheds.

The TV show's opening gives the best description of what it's about:

We're looking for amazing things buried in people's garages and barns. What most people see as junk, we see as dollar signs. We'll buy anything we think we can make a buck on. Each item we pick has a history all its own and the people we meet? Well, they're a breed all their own.

We make a living telling the history of America...one piece at a time.

The show's producers contacted the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce looking for leads.

Producer Jodi Friedman wrote to the chamber:

The American Pickers are headed to NY soon so we're looking for leads throughout the state, specifically interesting characters with interesting items and lots of them! Our location scout will actually be in NY soon so this is a bit time-sensitive, but I'm wondering if you can think of any folks in Genesee (or surrounding areas) with large private collections.

She added, "please note that Mike and Frank only pick private collections so no stores, malls, flea markets, museums, auctions, businesses or anything open to the public."

Here's a link to their flier, which includes contact information for Friedman.

When I drive around Genesee County, I see a few barns that look like they might contain some "rusty gold."  If you own such a barn or know somebody who does, contact Jodi.  It could be a lot of fun to have Mike and Frank stop in Genesee County and get our little corner of America on the History Channel.

Richard Lee Maston, 30, of Colorado Avenue, Batavia, is charged with two counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument, 2nd. Maston is accused of possessing two forged business checks at two separate locations within the City of Batavia, one on July 9 and one on July 18. Deputies are  investigating whether Maston allegedly cashed more than 12 other checks at locations in the City of Batavia and one location in the Town of Batavia, all between July 8 and July 17. Maston was arraigned and released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

Michael C. Buzzell, 34, of 6 Lewis Place, Batavia, is charged with menacing, 2nd, and criminal possession of a weapon, 4th. Buzzell allegedly threatened to kill a person while holding a knife. Police were called the scene at 9:15 p.m., Thursday. Buzzell was jailed on $5,000 bail.

Tyrone N. Thigpen, 35, of 5 Pearl St., Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Thigpen is accused of violating a "stay away" order of protection.

Ronald J. Murray, 17, of 7 Wood St., Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Murray is accused of stealing a bicycle that was parked outside of a downtown restaurant. Police report later locating Murray with the bicycle a short time later.

Ian C. Blain, 23, of Ashland Avenue, Buffalo, is charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle and unlawful dealing with a child. Blain is accused of taking a vehicle from the parking lot of the Log Cabin Restaurant in Pembroke and leaving it abandoned in a field off Indian Falls Road. He's also accused of providing alcohol to a person under age 21.

Stephen P. Pahuta, 50, of Oakfield, is charged with criminal obstruction of breathing, strangulation, coercion, three counts of criminal mischief, and harassment, 2nd. Pahuta was arrested following a report of an incident at 11:40 a.m., Thursday, in Oakfield. State Police responded. No further details were released.

A semi-truck and car have struck on Route 77 near the Thruway, but the accident is believed to be with minor injuries.

There was air bag deployment.

The driver is complaining of head and knee pain.

Indian Falls and Pembroke fire, along with Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 7:48 a.m.: A chief on scene reports extrication will be required. It doesn't look like Mercy Flight will be required.

UPDATE 7:59 a.m.: The truck is transporting some sort of hazardous material. There is no sign of damage to the trailer and no external evidence of any leak.

A caller in the area of Seven Springs Country Club, 8600 Seven Springs Road, Batavia, reports hearing a loud boom in the area of the clubhouse.

Another caller reports hearing a crackling noise like the sound of fire.

Town of Batavia Fire Department was responding to investigate, but then another caller reported there is some sort of ceremony going on in the area.

Town of Batavia fire is backing down to non-emergency response.

A voice on the radio quips, "Quite the ceremony."

UPDATE 9:03 p.m.: The fire was the result of a "small combustible liquid." A responder says, "at least I didn't catch them dancing around."

Mercy medics are called to the Genesee County Fairgrounds' racetrack for a subject with a neck injury. Town of Batavia Fire Department is on scene. Not long ago, medics took a pit worker to UMMC who had abrasions on his arms and his knuckles were sliced on one hand.

UPDATE 7:35 p.m.: A 15-year-old boy is being taken to UMMC complaining of neck pain as a result of a collision on the racetrack. He is accompanied by his mother.

A 50-something male suffered an upper leg injury in a dirt bike accident at the Area 51 motocross track. Pembroke Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding. The track is located at 3323 Harloff Road. The patient is in the very back of the riding area.

A two-car accident with minor injuries is reported in the parking lot of Tops Friendly Market, 390 W. Main St. in Batavia. It is near the traffic light. City fire and Mercy EMS are responding.

UPDATE 4:57 p.m.: The city assignment is back in service.

UPDATE 5 p.m.: Mercy is transporting one patient to UMMC.

UPDATE 5:04 p.m.: The patient is a 46-year-old female complaining of pain on the left side of her neck.

This year Elba's 76^th annual Onion Festival will be held outside the Firemen’s Recreation Hall on the edge of town rather than in its usual location in the village park.

Fire Department President Bill Hynes said the decision to move the festival stemmed from the aging demographics of members of the department.

“We don’t have as many firemen as we used to, and some of them are getting older,” Hynes said. “It just got to be too much to move everything from the rec hall down to the village park.”

Festival coordinator Barbie Starowitz says that though the location will be different, many of the same traditions will remain, such as the Ladies Auxiliary’s roast beef dinner and the ever-popular bingo game “Dart-O.” Both will be held inside the rec hall.

The crowning of the 2012 Onion Queen, which would normally take place in the park gazebo, will “tentatively” be held inside the hall as well, according to Hynes.

The relocation has received mixed reviews, according to Starowitz: “There’s good and there’s bad.”

One of the less-favorable reactions was voiced by Leon Watson, a retired longtime member of the fire department who believes that these changes are “driving people away.”

“I think they’re going to lose a bundle on this,” Watson said. “There’s no place to park, and it’s a hazard with two roads coming together right there. I’d like to see them move it back to the park."

Watson, who belonged to the fire department for “about 60 years,” has been attending Onion festivals since he was a small boy and the festival was held at the Four Corners in Elba. Shortly after the birth of “Field Day” in 1937, it was moved to the village park due to a lack of space at the Four Corners, and has been there ever since.

“We get a lot of graduates who come back just for the Onion Festival,” he said. “They like it at the park. There’s space and there’s shade.”

So has the Onion Festival found a new permanent home at the rec hall, or will it return to the park in 2013? Hynes says it’s too early to tell:

“There will be a vote of the department. We’ll just see what happens.”

Somebody committed a daytime residential burglary on South Street in Le Roy on Saturday and the Le Roy PD is asking for assistance in solving the crime.

According to Le Roy PD, an unknown person or persons forced entry into the residence between 12:45 and 3 p.m. and stole jewelry.

Anyone with information to share with the police regarding the burglary can call the Le Roy PD at (585) 345-6350.

A two-car accident with minor injuries is reported at Route 237 and Cole Road. Byron Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 3:20 p.m.: One of the two women involved says she has minor shoulder pain. She's shaken up but only wants to be evaluated, not transported. Mercy is not needed. Another responder will handle the sign off. The accident is not blocking. UPDATE 3:24 p.m.: Now Bryon fire is requesting Mercy.

UPDATE 3:31 p.m.: After further review, Byron commands cancels the response by Mercy.

A grass fire is reported in the woods behind the College Village apartments. Town of Batavia Fire Department is responding. College Village is located at 8170 Batavia Stafford Townline Road.

A car on Bank Street near Main in Downtown Batavia reportedly struck a manhole cover and it flipped up and damaged the vehicle. Police are responding to take a report.

The wheels of justice can sometimes turn slowly, especially, it seems, when it comes to investigating the operations of judicial departments.

Sometime earlier this year, the state's Judicial Review Commission opened an investigation into alleged financial irregularities in the Village of Corfu Court.

The months-long process, according to documents obtained by The Batavian through a FOIL request, has village officials wondering when they might be able to file an insurance claim and get reimbursed for money they suspect was stolen from the court.

The allegations of missing funds first came to light with the release of an audit by the state comptroller's office that found at least $30,000 in alleged irregularities in the amount of fines collected, bail money received and reports filed with state agencies.

The village has attempted to file a claim for at least $10,000 with its insurance carrier, but the carrier demands further documentation before it will review the claim.

Internal emails obtain through the FOIL request reveal a degree of frustration and concern among village officials over the lengthy process to settle the matter.

The State Police, according to village officials, are unwilling to launch their own investigation until the Judicial Review Commission completes its work for fear of hampering that investigation.

According to village Attorney Mark Boylan, the commission is a deliberative body that works slowly and takes its time to check and weigh every fact.

An email within the FOIL package indicates that the commission has requested and received "a lot of paperwork."

That's probably the same kind of paperwork needed by the insurance carrier.

"The insured does need to present documentation that would prove they sustained a loss from employee dishonesty for coverage to be provided," wrote Julie Diehl, a property specialist for Glatfelter Claims Management of York, Pa., in a letter to Boylan. "This does require a high level of documentation and each transaction claimed must be shown to us."

The village must also prove that the bonded employee converted the money for personal financial gain.

"The narrative of the audit report ... does not speak to employee dishonesty rather to poor record keeping and a cash shortage due to that poor record keeping. So it is even more important to present the financial records, receipts, bank statements and cashbook entries and other documentation available to show the clerk diverted the monies to obtain personal gain."

Boylan responded and told Diehl "The Village Justice maintains all of his own books and records ... and the village does not have access to those records at this time."

Until the investigation by the commission is completed, and possibly until the State Police complete an investigation, those records probably cannot be turned over to the insurance company.

Glatfelter originally demanded it receive the records by June 6, but the village has been granted a 60-day extension and may apply for further extensions every 60 days as necessary, according to the documents.

For the period covered by the comptroller's audit, Brandi Watts, the daughter of Village of Corfu Justice Robert Alexander, was working as Alexander's clerk. 

Watts was eventually dismissed by the village board after discovering under state law Watts was too close of a relation to Alexander to be working for him and an appeal by Alexander to the state was denied.

According to the FOIL'd documents, District Attorney Lawrence Friedman plans to seek the appointment a special prosecutor (or special district attorney to handle the case).

In an interview this week, Friedman declined to discuss the specific case, but explained that whenever his office might have a conflict of interest -- in this case, working closely with an arm of the judicial branch -- Friedman can petition Judge Robert Noonan to appoint a special district attorney.

The DA is usually selected from one of the surrounding counties.

Because there have been no criminal charges filed in this case, no such request has been sent to Noonan, Friedman said.

The documents received by The Batavian indicate a good deal of ongoing conflict between Alexander and the village board. Officials are concerned the situation is disrupting the normal operations of the court, which is another reason they're eager to get the situation resolved.

"We need to ensure that justice is being served and people’s cases are being heard and the job is being performed," Boylan said.

About an hour ago, a small kitchen fire was reported at the Wendy's restaurant on Main Street in the City of Batavia. The automatic alarm system notified emergency dispatch of the incident. City firefighters responded and investigated. They then called for representatives from code enforcement and the health department to come to the scene. Wendy's is closed temporarily so their inspections can be done.

A bus and a van collided at the intersection of routes 77 and 33. One person on the bus has a minor injury. Corfu Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding. Law enforcement is on scene.

UPDATE 11:21 a.m.: Two units from Niagara Frontier Transportation Association are responding to take a report, as per protocol in this accident involving a bus.

UPDATE 11:44 a.m.: The Corfu assigment is back in service. The patient is being transported to Sisters of Charity Hospital in Buffalo.

UPDATE 11:56 a.m.: The Dodge van needs to be towed.

A two-car accident, with two youths complaining of neck pain, is reported at the intersection of routes 5 and 77. Indian Falls rescue is on scene and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 11:09 a.m.: Both patients are being taken to UMMC.

UPDATE 11:11 a.m.: The Indian Falls assignment is back in service.

UPDATE 11:15 a.m.: The medic says the patients are female friends ages 13 and 16 who were traveling in a Ford pickup truck when it was rear-ended by another pickup truck, occupied by their parents, at 5 miles an hour. The trucks were barely damaged. They live in Ontario.

The Genesee County Fair hosted its annual parade Wednesday night.

The fair continues through Saturday.

Today's events include horse driving, small fry tractor pull, stock car races, meat animal auction and The Trolls perform from 8 to 11 p.m.

For complete schedule, click here.

If you're unable to view the slide show below, click here.  To purchase prints of these photos, click here.

Oakfield Fire Department is responding to a report of smoke in the bathroom at 32 Bennett Ave., Oakfield.

UPDATE 8:27 a.m.: A burned out light fixture is reported.

UPDATE 8:35 a.m.: Oakfield back in service.

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