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UPDATE: Man accused of sexual abuse found not guilty last month by jury on all counts

By Howard B. Owens

We missed a jury trial last month and we just learned that the defendant was found not guilty. Because of the nature and seriousness of the charges, which we previously reported, we thought there should be some public notice of the outcome of the case.

Timothy J. Petrie, 42, of Pavilion, was found not guilty following a three-day jury trial on all 10 counts of first-degree sexual abuse and on one count of endangering the welfare of a child.

Sponsored Post: Meet the Buffalo Bills tonight at City Slickers

By Howard B. Owens

Tonight Sports Q TV will be at City Slickers filming their sports-center-style show! It's your chance to meet your favorite Buffalo Bills players and as many as 30 players could be there. The party starts at 9:30 p.m. and includes two djs -- DJ Macy Paradise and DJ Konda. The event is for ages 18+ to party, 21+ to drink and sponsored by Mancuso Limo and The Batavian.

Bills gear is encouraged and the restaurant will be open at 4 p.m. for dinner. Due to contractual agreements, player names can't be announced, however several rookies and starters are expected to be in attendance. 

City Slickers has also posted a flier on www.facebook.com/cityslickersbar, which can be printed out and for every flier turned in during the event, $2 will be donated to the Sheldon family in Bergen. Derek Sheldon was killed in Le Roy yesterday in a motorcycle accident.

Young man from Bergen killed in motorcycle accident in Le Roy, passenger seriously injured

By Howard B. Owens

A 19-year-old resident of Bergen died today, and his 19-year-old friend was seriously injured when the motorcycle they were on slammed into a seden at the intersection of West Bergen Road and Selden Road, Le Roy.

Derek K. Sheldon was pronounced dead at the scene.

Ashley M. Stillwell was transported by Mercy Flight to Strong Memorial Hospital where she is listed in critical condition.

Sheldon was driving his 2005 Suzuki motorcycle north on West Bergen Road when a 2011 Chevorlet Cruze apparently made a left turn onto Selden Road from West Bergen Road.

The motorcycle hit the car on the passenger side and both Sheldon and Stillwell were ejected from the motor bike.

State Police said both Sheldon and Stillwell sustained multiple injuries.

The driver of the Cruze is identified as Marilyn A. Brassie, 50, of Bergen. She was uninjured but clearly distraught following the accident.

No further details about the crash have been released, which remains under investigation. No charges have been filed pending completion of the investigation.

Sheldon's Facebook page quickly filled with messages from grieving friends this afternoon. According to the page, Sheldon worked for MY T Acres and Triple P Farms.

The NYSP Collision Reconstruction Team responded to the accident.

The Sheriff's Office, Le Roy Fire andLe Roy Ambulance assisted at the scene.

Mother seeks help in finding her missing son

By Howard B. Owens

A 15-year-old resident of Attica with close ties to Batavia is missing and his mother is seeking the public's help in locating him.

She believes her son has run away. He left home about 1 a.m.

Timothy A. Vail Jr., is required to take medication daily and his mother doesn't believe he has his medication with him.

Timothy is 5' 4", 145 pounds with very short dirty-blond hair and greenish/hazel eyes, very black eyebrows and his lower lip is pierced. He was last seen riding a white bike wearing gray shorts and red tank top and carrying a gray and black backpack.

He is known to sometimes hide in the woods near Kibbe Park and near the Rite Aid at Clinton and Main.

Lesly Vail Trebian says she can be reached (585) 708-5005 by text at (585) 409-6148.

A missing person report was filed with Attica PD.

Photo is from a year ago when he previously went missing.

Car strikes motorcycle and its two riders, one of them is unconscious and in 'rough shape'

By Billie Owens

A car struck a motorcycle with two riders on it at Selden and West Bergen roads. One of them "is in pretty rough shape," is unconscious and has serious injuries. Le Roy fire and ambulance is responding along with Mercy medics.

Mercy Flight from Batavia is called and has a seven- five minute ETA, plus they are prepping another helicopter in Buffalo in case it's needed.

UPDATE 12:13 p.m.: The driver of the vehicle is also injured. The Buffalo helicopter is also requested to the scene. It has an 18-minute ETA.

UPDATE 12:19 p.m.: The second helicopter from Buffalo is cancelled.

UPDATE 12:20 p.m.: Selden Road is being shut down.

UPDATE 12:23 p.m.: Mercy Flight has landed west of the scene in a grass field by a brown house.

UPDATE 12:29 p.m.: There is one fatality. Another patient is being prepped for transport to a hospital by Mercy Flight.

UPDATE 12:33 p.m.: An engine from Stafford is requested to stand by in Le Roy's fire hall.

UPDATE 3:37 p.m.: State Police called to inform us that family notifications have been made, but no further information will be released for at least a couple of hours.

UPDATE 4:12 p.m.: Le Roy and Stafford are back in service.

UPDATE: For people coming directly to this story from Facebook, the updated story is here.

DEC will rescue baby possums after mother killed by car on Stegman Road

By Howard B. Owens

A mother possum was hit by a car this morning on Stegman Road, Town of Batavia, and when Deputy Chris Parker found the the dead mother by the side of the road, he also found four baby possums still clinging to it.

Parker said the babies are days old, if that.

Dispatchers contacted the Department of Environmental Conservation and the DEC is sending a "rehabilitator" from Oakfield to pick up the babies.

Young ATV rider in critical condition following accident in Corfu

By Howard B. Owens

A 16-year-old Pembroke resident is in critical condition this morning at Erie County Medical Center following an ATV accident in the Village of Corfu last night.

Benjamin L. Falker was riding a 2012 Polaris Sportsman 500 on West Main Street when he attempted to enter the sidewalk south of Prospect Street. He lost control and struck a row of bushes and the four-wheeler flipped over and he was ejected. 

The ATV struck a utility pole and came to rest in an upright position. 

Benjamin, the sole occupant of the ATV, sustained a head injury and was transported to ECMC by Mercy Flight.

The investigation is continuing and charges may be pending.

Investigating the accident are Deputy Jason Saile, Sgt. William Scott of the Crash Management Team, Investigator Timothy Weis, Sgt. Brian Frieday and Officer Rich Retzlaf of the Corfu PD.

Assisting at the scene was the Corfu Fire Department and Mercy EMS.

(Initial Report)

Batavia man arrested following report of burglary in progress in State Street Road area

By Howard B. Owens

A suspected burglar was allegedly caught in the act Saturday after a man was seen entering the home of an off-duty police officer in the Town of Batavia.

When the man was ordered to surrender, he allegedly fled from troopers and headed toward a cornfield on State Street Road.

He was subsequently captured by troopers and deputies on scene without further incident. At the time of his arrest, he was allegedly carring items taken from the residence and stolen credit cards from a residence in the City of Batavia.

Charged with second-degree burglary is Aaron W. Clark, 24, of Clinton Street, Batavia.

Clark is currently on parole for robbery, 2nd. He was also charged with parole violation, criminal possession of stolen property, 4th, and obstructing governmental administration.

Investigators believe Clark approached other homes in the area and if a resident answered the door, he left or claimed to need gas for his vehicle so he could get back to Rochester.

It's possible other homes in the area were burglarized. Any person with further information that may assist in the investigation can contact State Police at (585) 344-6200.

ATV accident reported in the Village of Corfu

By Howard B. Owens

A four-wheeler has hit a utility pole in the area of 29 W. Main St., Corfu, near the corner of Prospect Street.

A person is injured. Mercy Flight requested to the scene. A landing scene will be set up at the Corfu Fire Hall.

UPDATE 11:20 p.m.: The patient is seriously injured.

UPDATE 11:24 p.m.: The landing zone is being switched to the area behind the primary school.

UPDATE 11:30 p.m.: Mercy Flight is on the ground.

UPDATE Midnight: Patient transported to ECMC.

Sponsored Post: Oakfield Fitness expands to include cross-training room

By Press Release

Oakfield Fitness and Cross-Training Center has expanded to include a fully appointed cross-training room with dumbbells, squat racks, wall balls, ropes, step-up boxes and other training devices.

There is an experienced cross-trainer providing assistance and training Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 6 to 8 a.m.

The gym is fully equipped with a weight room including dumbbells, free weights and universal machines and a cardio area with treadmills, bikes and rowing machines.

The monthly fee for the weight room and cardio area is $30. To use the cross-training room is an additional $30 a month (total, $60 a month).

There's no sign-up fee.

The gym is open to members 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

For more information and to inquire about a membership, visit OakfieldFitness.com, or call (585) 948-8000.

Photos: Foot patrol on Maple Street

By Howard B. Owens

Det. Todd Crossett, working patrol today, takes a shot with a basketball while on foot patrol this evening on Maple Street.

Batavia PD officers have been doing a few neighborhood foot patrols this summer.

With Crossett are Jzon Richardson, left, and Santiago Deluna.

Stafford's big yellow barn collapses on a mildly windy day

By Howard B. Owens

One of Genesee County's grandest of the old barns collapsed today.

A good portion of the yellow barn next to the Stafford Fire Hall on Main Road, Stafford, simply gave way about 1:45 p.m.

Stafford Fire Chief Bill Plaisted said residents heard a lot of creaking coming from the old barn -- probably built in the 1830s -- all this morning.

Firefighters used a thermal-imaging camera to ensure nobody was trapped in the structure.

Plaisted said the barn was likely headed for demolition soon anyway. The owner wanted to donate it to the department for a controlled burn for firefighting practice, but Plaisted said before that could happen, workers would have been required to remove the shingles from the roof.

"Looking at it now, that wouldn't have been safe," Plaisted said.

He also recalled a local resident telling him how years ago there was a basketball court on the second floor. From the second floor to the ceiling, it was so high, he said, that nobody could throw a ball from the floor up into the rafters. That's how big the barn was.

In April 2010, I took a photo of the barn (bottom photo in this post) that proved pretty popular. UMMC purchased a large canvas print of the photograph to hang in its new surgical wing (the print has since been moved to another part of the hospital). To view a larger online version (or to purchase a print of the picture, click here).

Photos: Indian Falls United Methodist Church Community Days

By Luke Cullinan

Today the Indian Falls United Methodist Church held its annual Community Days -- Blueberry festival. The festival featured a car/tractor show. There were complimentary hot dogs, baked goods and other items for sale by the churches members. 

At 4, the church held a kids peddle kart race for children of all ages to come out and race each other. 

At 5, the church hosted a lawnmower race that was open to everyone to come out to and race. 

The Indian Falls Fire Company also attended community days, bringing along two trucks with them. 

'Reach Out for Robbie' benefits Oakfield boy with severe medical problems, donations needed

By Billie Owens

A 10-year-old Oakfield boy with dire medical needs and his family will be the beneficiaries of a benefit next Saturday at Elroy D. Parkins Memorial Town Park. The public is encouraged to attend. The park is located at 37 Drake St. in Oakfield.

"Reach Out for Robbie" will feature entertainment, face painting, food, games, a yard sale, theme basket raffle and a raffle of others items, including gift certificates for goods and services. It runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 10.

Robbie Burdick suffers from severe scoliolis -- curvature of the spine -- as well as Larsen Syndrome. He uses a ventilator with trach and a feeding tube. His scoliosis has worsened this year, increasing the painful pressure on his chest wall.

Money raised at the event will help pay for medical equipment not covered by Medicaid, the family's travel expenses to and from the hospital, including parking fees and meals.

Themed gift basket donations would be greatly appreciated, along with items to raffle, gift certificates and gently used items for the yard sale.

For more information and/or to arrange for pick up of donations, contact:

  • Heidi -- 815-3947 -- for Financial Contributions
  • Teri -- 813-4669 -- for Raffle Items/Baskets
  • Pam -- 356-6505 -- Yard Sale Donations

To mail a donation, send to:

Robert J. Burdick

Supplemental Needs Trust

c/o Heidi Burdick

56 N. Pearl St.

Oakfield, NY 14125

Woman allegedly striking child in Walmart parking lot prompts 9-1-1 call

By Billie Owens

A caller reports possible child abuse at Walmart and Sheriff's deputies are responding. A woman was allegedly in the parking lot striking a child.

UPDATE 2:19 p.m.: They left in a gray Dodge Caravan and officers have it stopped in front of a nearby pizzeria.

UPDATE 2:35 p.m.: The van's occupants and the 7-year-old are on their way now after speaking with law enforcement. This was apparently a case of "grandparents trying to control their out-of-control grandchild," said an officer. No report was taken.

Photos: Elba Boosters build new concession stand

By Howard B. Owens

Volunteers with the Elba Boosters began construction today on a new concession stand adjacent the Lancers' football field.

Above, John McCulley and Kevin Bezon working on a portion of the back wall.

Jeff Singer

John McCulley

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