Press release from AAA:

Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $2.37, down 5 cents from last week. One year ago, the price was $2.43. The New York State average is $2.70 – down 4 cents from last week. A year ago, the NYS average was $2.63. AAA Western and Central New York (AAA WCNY) reports the following averages:

• Batavia -- $2.74 (down 7 cents since last week)
• Buffalo -- $2.77 (down 6 cents since last week)
• Ithaca -- $2.55 (down 6 cents since last week)
• Rochester -- $2.67 (down 5 cents since last week)
• Rome -- $2.69 (down 5 cents since last week)
• Syracuse -- $2.58 (down 4 cents since last week)
• Watertown -- $2.84 (down 3 cents since last week)

Press release:

With the holiday season fast approaching the Batavia Police Department would like to take a moment to remind our City's residents to lock their car doors, along with the doors and windows of their residence.

If someone should come to your residence requesting to enter to check your utilities, or to "take a moment of your time" ask to see credentials or identification. Do not let them in your house. If they appear to be overly aggressive, please contact the Batavia Police Department and we will gladly respond.

As we get closer to Christmas, it seems that even the pins have caught on to that “spirit of giving.”

Led by a pair of Mancuso Bowling Center kegler, league high scores around the Genesee Region for the week ending Dec. 16 included three 300 games, an 800 series, a 299 game, two other 11-in-a-row games and a pair of women’s 700 series.

At Mancuso’s in Batavia, Matt Balduf of South Byron notched his seventh USBC-certified 300 game and fourth USBC-certified 800 series with 247-289-300—836 in the Toyota of Batavia Thursday 5-Man League.

The 50-year-old right-hander had eight strikes in the opener, the front 11 in game two before leaving the 6-pin and all 12 in the finale.

Balduf said a couple of errant shots at the end of the first game cost him a chance at the GRUSBC-association record of 858.

“I screwed up in the 9^th and 10^th frames … I broke for seven in the ninth and seven in the 10^th,” said Balduf, a longtime employee of Mitchell Machine in Rochester. “I could have gone out for 280.”

Still, he took over the league high series with the consistent effort on lanes 19-20, which raised his average to 218.

He said he used a Roto-Grip Idol – a ball he just got from a bowling buddy, Ron Brown.

“We talked Ron into buying it but he was having trouble with it, so last Thursday I tried it in the last game and threw 268,” Balduf said. “So Ron said, ‘I can’t seem to throw it, so why don’t you take it, and he gave it to me.”

Two nights earlier, Ron Sprague Jr. of East Bethany had a “career night” with 245-300-202—747 in the Antique World Coed League – his first 300 game and his first 700 series.

“My goal for the night was 600 because I had a bad night the week before,” said Sprague, a righty and once-a-week bowler who entered the session with a 173 average.

He said he finished strong in the opening game and “the strikes just kept rolling in.” But going into the 10^th frame of the second game, nerves set in.

“My legs were shaking,” he said, noting that the last two strikes were of the Brooklyn variety. “Both of them crossed over but the pins went down. Someone was helping me there.”

Sprague, 26, an employee of Lor-Rob Dairy, bowls on the Rolling Thunder team that includes his father, Ron Sr.

Other high rollers for the week:

-- Diane Hurlburt and Michele Larson, who posted 715 and 712 series in the Monday Nite 5 League at Perry Bowling Center and the Synergistic Online Solutions League at Mancuso’s, respectively.

-- Curtis Foss of Medina, with a 300 game and 783 series in the Friday Night Mixers League at Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion.

-- Mike Johnson of Batavia, with a 299 game and 734 series in the Toyota of Batavia League (he is Balduf’s teammate).

-- Brian Weber and John Huntz, who each had 11 in a row in the Monday Night 5 League at Perry Bowling Center. Weber, coming back from an injury, had 279—692 and Huntz posted 295—688.

For a list of scores, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of this page.

A motor-vehicle accident is reported in the area of 8144 Slusser Road, Pembroke.

Unknown injuries but the caller reports hearing somebody yelling for help.

East Pembroke fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 7:02 p.m.: A deputy on scene hasn't found anything. The caller reported hearing two loud bangs and hearing somebody yelling for help and seeing a car. A chief on scene suggests the vehicle left. Now there's a suggestion to check the creek.

UPDATE 7:07 p.m.: The car is completely submerged under water. The driver is out and soaked. A chief asks for the ETA of the ambulance and says he'll need wetsuits. 

UPDATE 7:17 p.m: The patient is being transported to UMMC for evaluation. He was in the water for about two minutes. No injuries. Vitals within normal limits.

CLARIFICATION: It was the deputy on scene who suggested the car had left the scene after initially not being able to find it.

UPDATE 10:07 p.m.: Submitted photos added.

A hunter is lost in the woods in an area north of Roberts Road and west of Sour Spring Road, Alabama.

The hunter is not injured. He can walk on his own. 

Alabama fire dispatched. East Pembroke fire requested to respond with its ATV.

Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 1:26 p.m.: The hunter has been located and will be assisted in walking out.

To view 345 W. Main St., please click here for more information and photos.

Cal-Mum's Kyle Wade found his way to the basket as time expired and flipped a layup through the hoop to tie Friday's Oatkan Knights vs. Red Raiders boy's basketball game and send the game to overtime.

In overtime, Le Roy lost 59-54, even though Reece Tresco had a big night, scoring 25 points, including hitting three three-point shots in the fourth quarter and overtime.

Eric Wilson scored 11 points for Cal-Mum.

The boys game was the second half of a doubleheader that included a girls game against Cal-Mum. Click here for coverage.

In other boys basketball on Friday, Prattsburgh beat Notre Dame, 84-74.

To purchase prints (including pictures from the girls game) click here.

The Lady Knights fell to the Cal-Mum Red Raiders in the first game of a rivalry doubleheader in Le Roy on Friday night, 48-42.

The game was tied going into the final minute but Cal-Mum was able to pull ahead to secure the win.

For Cal-Mum, both Elyse Van Auken and Brianna Raniewicz scored 15 points. Baylee Miller scored 10.

For Le Roy, Jillian Curtis scored 12 points and Kiaya Condidorio scored eight.

In other girls basketball games Friday:

• Pembroke beat Byron-Bergen, 45-40;
• Pavilion beat Perry, 45-38. For Pavilion, Lindsay Lowe scored 13 points, Lauren Kingsley, 9, and Aprile Beehler, 8. For Perry, Chelsea Pascoe scored 20 points and had 10 rebounds;
• Elba beat Kendall, 69-22;
• Notre Dame beat Wheatland, 45-30.

There's no report available for Batavia's game.

Le Roy lost the boys' game nightcap. Click here for coverage.

Joe Head performed at the Holland Land Office Museum on Friday night, playing a selection of traditional and contemporary Christmas songs.

Dr. Tom Mazurkiewicz, a chiropractor with an office at 184 Washington Ave., Batavia, is conducting his annual toy drive, with new, unwrapped toys donated at his office going to the community Christmas dinner at T.F. Brown's and a Christmas party at City Church's St. Anthony's location on Tuesday.

Stop by his office tomorrow (Saturday) between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. with a toy for a child and receive a free adjustment. 

Donations will be accepted his office until Dec. 15.

Photo: Dr. Tom Mazurkiewicz and Ryan Macdonald, City Church.

Warrior House has received a $5,000 donation from the USG Foundation through the employees of the USG plant in Oakfield.

Each year, the Foundation provides funds to USG units throughout the country for employees to donate to a local charity. The employees at the Oakfield plant, through a survey by management, selected the Warrior House.

"The Warrior House is a great organization," said Plant Manager Dwayne Van Duuren. "We have a lot of veterans who work at our location so this means a lot to us. We want to be part of the community, be a good neighbor where we can."

Ed Spencer accepted the check on behalf of Warrior House.

Spencer said he got involved with helping veterans after going through his own struggles adjusting to post-military life. In 2016 Pete Zeliff provided the funds to start Warrior House, providing a farmhouse on 360 acres in Orleans County.

"Pete’s a great guy," Spencer said. "I’ll call him up and say I’ve got a vet, he’s got a problem, I need $1,000. Pete will say, OK, no problem, let’s do it. Pete is a caring guy. He gives a lot. He cares a lot. His dream is an awesome thing for this community."

Currently there are 12 disabled veterans living at Warrior House, making it a full house, so recently when a local resident found a homeless vet walking down the road, rather than turn him away from Warrior House, the organization got him a hotel room where he stay for a week, until they found a bed for him in the home of another disabled vet.

Those two veterans are now helping each other heal, Spencer said.

"There’s a lot of different things we do," Spencer said. "It’s nonstop. Whenever the phone rings, we’ll do our best to take care of the problem. It doesn’t matter who calls where, when, what, why, we’ll find an answer for it one way or another."

He said the staff at Warrior House hold in their hearts a special place for disabled vets.

“They don’t ask for a lot and they’re often surprised how much is given back to them," Spencer said.

Press release:

As of Dec. 1^st, Western New York Independent Living Inc. (WNYIL) is excited to welcome the Niagara Frontier Radio Reading Service (NFRRS) as the sixth member of their family of agencies!  

Founded 31 years ago, it's an audio news service for those who are unable to read print publications, such as the blind, dyslexic, those with certain traumatic brain injuries, or who have limited limb use that makes holding publications difficult, etc.

This 24-hour/7-days-per-week service brings community newspapers, magazines, and books into the homes and ears of its constituents all across Western New York and Southern Ontario, Canada. 

This function makes NFRRS a natural to join a collaboration of agencies that work to bring knowledge to people with disabilities who wish to stay informed, make their own decisions, and participate in their neighborhoods.

At present, a listener must have a special radio set to receive the side band audio channel that WNED-FM provides to be able to enjoy it. While they are provided at no cost, an annual donation would be appreciated.   

A cadre of dedicated volunteers reads from The Buffalo News, USA Today, Niagara Gazette, The Wall Street Journal, the Sunday edition of The New York Times, various popular magazines, best-selling fiction and nonfiction books, one hour per week of old-time radio, and, the most popular features: the Death Notices, Horoscopes and Tuesday supermarket ads! 

NFRRS is always seeking more service participants and volunteer readers, including those who can read but have other disabilities. A survey will be going out to existing participants to determine what’s working in the service and what can be improved.

A majority of the more than 100 audio information services in the United States stream their broadcasts on the Internet, and WNYIL is exploring that option to determine if that would be embraced by current and potential participants.

To get additional information on NFRRS, call Program Manager Nick Aldrich at (716) 821-5555.

The Western New York Independent Living Inc. family of agencies offer an expanding array of services to aid individuals with disabilities to take control of their own lives.

Press release:

Stop by and visit The Gift Shop, located in the Senior Center at 2 Bank St. in Downtown Batavia between the Arts Council and the YMCA.

The daily display of reasonably priced unique gifts, women's accessories including scarves, ponchos, purses, and jewelry is ever changing and now dressed up for the holiday season.  

Come and enjoy this charming shop and meet the friendly volunteers and staff. The gift shop is easily accessed and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Browse, and take home fun gifts galore for your loved ones. The bright, beautiful apparel, seasonal housewares and decorations will be perfect for you, your family and friends. 

The proceeds are devoted to providing popular wellness activities for our local older adult population giving them affordable opportunities to socialize and participate in community-related trips, local events, and activities offered throughout the year.

For more information, please call 585-343-1611 and ask for Mary.

Clients of Arc of Genesee Orleans dropped off bags full of gifts today for annual WBTA toy drive at Ken Barrett's Chevrolet and Cadillac, which benefits local children through the Salvation Army.

Among the other large donations to come in this morning was seven bags of toys from the employees of Oatka Milk Products in Batavia.

WBTA co-owner Dan Fischer said that by 11 a.m. it looked like as many toys had come in so far as had been received by the end of the day last year.

The toy drive runs until 4 p.m., so plenty of time as of this posting (at 1 p.m.) for you to run down to Adam Miller and load up on toys to donate to the Salvation Army for local children who might otherwise receive little or nothing for Christmas.

Note about the videos below: The audio quality is not great. We have hardware coming by next week that will fix this for future videos.

Cub Scout Pack 112 is looking for donations of nonperishable food items for a holiday food drive. The items will be donated to the Jackson School Elementary Backpack Program for children in need. 

If you received a hanger on your door you can leave the food outside for pick up this Saturday, Dec. 15^th. If you did not receive a door hanger and would like to donate, please send an email to dtvburns@yahoo.comwith an address for pick up this Saturday.