Democrat and Chronicle: East Rochester turning duplexes back into single-family homes

A car is reportedly in a ditch at Brown and Wilkinson roads, unknown injuries, and a power line was taken down as a result. Emergency responders are told to proceed with caution. East Pembroke Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 8:29 p.m.: The caller states the vehicle has one occupant. The high-tension wires are across the roadway and it is "completely blocked." A train close to or crossing Wilkinson Road is stopped. The driver has head injuries and Mercy Flight and a landing zone set-up are requested. But Mercy Flight says there's no Batavia bird available; checking on Buffalo now.

UPDATE 8:36 p.m.: The driver has serious injuries. A brother is on scene. National Grid is notified.

UPDATE 8:43 p.m.: A Mercy Flight helicopter is expected to arrive from Canandaigua in about five minutes.

UPDATE 8:46 p.m.: The helicopter is expected any second now. It will land north of Brown Road, on the east side of that road. Fire police are on scene also.

UPDATE 8:49 p.m.: National Grid is on scene.

UPDATE 9:04 p.m.: The patient is described as a 52 41-year-old male who was thrown from the vehicle and has symptons consistent with a serious head injury.

UPDATE 9:28 p.m.: Mercy Flight is airborne and headed to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.

A fence is reportedly on fire at 21 North St. City firefighters are responding.

UPDATE 2:50 p.m.: The fire is out.

Four more burglaries, two at churches, were reported Sunday morning and a suspect was taken into custody, Batavia PD reports.

John A. Cabrera Jr., 22, of Batavia, was allegedly caught in the act of burglarizing St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Batavia.

It's unknown how it came to Batavia PD's attention that an alleged burglary was in progress at St. Paul's.

Right now, Cabrera is a suspect only in the alleged St. Paul's burglary.

A burglary was also reported this morning at Ascension West (formerly St. Anthony's Church) on Liberty Street (photo).

The 10:30 mass was canceled after the burglary was discovered.

There was also burglaries reported at the Genesee County Nursing Home and Parkside Manor Apartments.

Detectives say DNA evidence was collected at least one scene in the overnight burglaries.

Three church burglaries were reported July 8 in the city. DNA evidence was collected at least one of those locations.

A person was injured while playing on the ice at Falleti Ice Arena. He's down on the ice, unconscious. City fire is on scene and Mercy medics are responding. The arena is at 22 Evans St.

UPDATE 12:14 p.m.: City police also responded and they are back in service along with the firefighters. Mercy is transporting a male to UMMC.

More than 1,000 people -- when organizers considered 700 fans a good turn out -- showed up at the tractor pull at the Genesee County Fairgrounds on Saturday evening.

Competitors brought their machines -- small, medium and mighty -- to compete in various classes of competition, from stock, street-legal trucks and modified law tractors up to souped-up full-sized tractors.

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

A 19-year-old Caledonia resident is being charged with three crimes after allegedly throwing an 8-month-old child down onto a chair and obstructing the baby's breathing.

Cody Allen Phillips is charged with reckless endangerment, 2nd, criminal obstruction of breathing and endangering the welfare of a child.

All three charges are misdemeanors.

The alleged incident, possibly in connection with a domestic argument, was reported at 9:30 a.m., Saturday, at a location on Route 20, Alexander.

Phillips was arraigned and jailed on $1,500 bail.

Le Roy residents should be on the alert for a daytime burglar who is looking for undetectable entry and taking easy-to-carry valuables, according to Le Roy Police.

The village has been hit by three burglaries in the past eight days

The burglar is forcing entry at a spot that is concealed from view, or finding quick/fast entry points.

He is stealing items that can be grabbed quickly, easily carried and easily sold.

Burglaries were reported July 14 on South Street, Friday on Wolcott Street, and yesterday on Exchange Street.

Police encourage residents to ensure all valuables are stored in a safe and secure location.

Anybody spotting suspicious activity is encouraged to call 9-1-1.

Five people are reportedly out of the vehicle and walking around after a rollover accident on the off ramp of the Thruway in Batavia.

Unknown extent of injuries, if any.

Batavia Fire Department responding.

UPDATE: Batavia's assignment held to Engine 24, non-emergency.

UPDATE 10:12 a.m.: Engine 24 back in quarters. Mercy EMS transporting five minors to UMMC, all with very minimal injuries.

Updated 9:25 a.m.

Two men reportedly got into a fight early this morning at 509 Ellicott St., Batavia, over a job one of them lost, leading to one of them stabbing the other in the stomach.

The victim sustained a non-life-threatening injury and was taken by Mercy EMS to Strong Memorial Hospital.

The suspect, James Smith Jr., 55, of 19 Porter Ave., Batavia, was taken into custody and is being held without bail. He is charged with assault, 2nd, and criminal possession of a weapon, 3rd.

The stabbing was reported at about 12:15 a.m.

The weapon allegedly used is described as a folding pocketknife.

Free-lance journalist Alecia Kaus contributed to this report and provided the photo.

A caller reported the smell of natural gas in the area of Dewey Avenue.

Another person reported the smell on South Main.

Batavia fIre's Ladder 12 and Engine 12 are in the area trying to detect the smell but negative results so far.

UPDATE 11:17 p.m. Smell located at South Main and River.

UPDATE 11:22 p.m.: Engine 12 back in service.

A deputy just received a walk-up complaint of a person with a shotgun walking around and yelling in the area of Overlook Drive.

The deputy, who was already with a trooper, is responding, and another deputy is responding, too.

UPDATE 10:52 p.m.: One deputy is clear of the scene and says the other deputy will update dispatchers.

UPDATE 10:53 p.m.: The first deputy has spoken with a complainant about the alleged man with a shotgun. It may not be a shotgun. It may be a play gun. Another deputy has located a kid who was on a bike with a Nerf gun.

UPDATE 11:01 p.m.: Law enforcement is clear the "gun complaint."

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A fight is reported on Jackson Street in the City of Batavia, and one person is reportedly wielding a stick. Police are responding. A vehicle believed to be associated with the fight has been stopped Pringle and Central avenues.

One person suffered an arm injury in a dirt-bike accident at 10063 Fargo Road, which is between Bell and Sumner roads. Darien fire and ambulance are responding.

UPDATE 8:14 p.m.: It's determined that the patient has a broken arm.

UPDATE 8:21 p.m.: The patient is being transported to UMMC.

The Ghost Riders played Jackson Square on Friday night -- both bands.

The Ghost Riders country band shared the venue with the Ghost Riders Drum and Bugle Corps, which is also based in Batavia.

If it's ever possible to say Jackson Square is SRO, then last night was one of those nights. The square was nearly wall-to-wall music fans.

Big crowd at the Genesee County Fair on Friday. It was demolition derby night and the stands were packed, but throughout the park were scores of people enjoying rides, visiting animals or getting a tasty snack.

Today is the tractor pull. Farm stock starts at 1 p.m. (Fair Schedule). The WNY Pro Farm Puller starts at 6:30 p.m. Savage Cabbage takes the stage at 9 p.m.

If you can't view the slide show below, click here. To purchase prints of these photos (along with prints from the parade the other day) click here.

An unknown person or persons broke into a home on Wolcott Street in the Village of Le Roy sometime on Friday between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., according to Le Roy PD.

Whomever made the unforced entry stole jewelery.

Anyone with information that might help Le Roy PD solve the crime are asked to call (585) 345-6350.

Press Release:

A bigger signature race, a new first race post time and Sunday afternoon racing in August are just some of the changes in store when racing returns for the 66th season on Monday (July 23) at Batavia Downs Casino. The pacers and trotters will meet at America’s oldest lighted harness track for 72 exciting race dates.

The Robert J. Kane Memorial Invitational Pace, the track's signature event, will now offer a $50,000 purse. This year’s Kane Memorial is slated for October 6. Last year, Aracache Hanover with Trevor Henry in the bike, lowered the Downs all-age record when he paced to victory in 1:51.1. Aracache Hanover is locally owned by William Switala and James Martin.

Racing fans will need to arrive 15 minutes earlier with first race post for all evening racing programs now slated for 6:25 p.m. Racing gates open at 5 p.m. with the exception of August 11 and September 15, when racing gates open for Old Fashioned night at 4:30 p.m.

A total of six matinees will be offered, including all four Sundays in August. The other two afternoon race cards are Labor Day and Columbus Day. Post time for all matinees remains at 1:15 p.m. with racing gates opening at 12 p.m.

Racing will be conducted on a Monday-Wednesday-Friday-Saturday night basis for the first two weeks of the annual Summer-Fall meet with Sundays replacing Mondays in August. Twelve races will be carded nightly except on Saturdays when the Genesee County racetrack will host 13-race programs.

A complete racing calendar is available for download at www.batavia-downs.com.

Changes were made to the wagering menu, with the major change being the minimum on trifecta wagering has been lowered to 50 cents. However a $1 wager is required. One dollar daily double wagering is also being offered.

Superfecta wagering is now offered on all races with the exception of races one and seven. The Pick-4 has been moved to the third race and the late-late double moves to the last two races nightly. The popular Pick-6, which paid $10,000 to one lucky ticket holder last season, begins on race seven.

North America’s leading dash winning harness racing driver in 2011, Dan Noble, will make his Batavia Downs debut on opening night. Noble led all drivers last year with 773 wins. He currently sits fourth this year with 320 wins.

Shawn Gray, currently the leading driver at Buffalo Raceway, will also be racing at Batavia Downs for the first time. The Maine native shipped to Buffalo in January and has notched 185 wins so far this season there.

Jim Morrill Jr., who recently won the $445,594 Yonkers Trot with Archangel, makes a special appearance on Monday night. Morrill established records for most wins and earnings in a single season at the Downs in 2006.

Again this season all racing programs will contain $2 free play coupons that can be redeemed at Players Club. The cost to purchase a program remains at $2, however on opening night and on July 28, the first New York Sire Stakes event of the season, racing programs will be free.

Player’s Club members dining in the track's historic clubhouse will receive $5 in Casino free play with the purchase of a buffet. On Sunday afternoon, the cost of the lunch buffet minus the free play coupon is just $3.95.

The entire racing season will be broadcast via live streaming video at www.batavia-downs.com. Race replays are available at the same web address.

The 2012 season features a variety of promotions, including two old fashioned nights, the biggest free handicapping contest ever and the annual family fun day at the races featuring the hilarious wiener dog races.

In an effort to better match patient care training with patient needs, UMMC recently eliminated eight licensed nurse practitioner positions in one department, but most of the people in those positions still have jobs, said Colleen Flynn, spokeswoman for UMMC.

Four part-time LPNs -- employees working no more than 20 hours a week -- were offered positions elsewhere in the hospital, Flynn said. Two accepted, one decided to go back to school and Flynn hasn't heard yet what the fourth LPN decided to do.

The four per diem positions -- LPNs who filled in for vacations or to shore up other staffing shortfalls -- in the medical surgical floor unit were eliminated but these nurses were given the opportunity to train for new per diem positions with the hospital.

Three were retirees who elected to stay retired, Flynn said, and the fourth will continue to work on a per diem basis for UMMC.

"We separated the positions to better match up skill sets for staffing reasons," Flynn said. "In most cases, hospitals no longer utilize LPNs in acute-care settings, but we still need them in other places. The scope of the practice and licensure determines what they can do for a patient."

In modern health care, patients are not as routinely hospitalized as in the past, so when patients arrive at UMMC now, Flynn said, their needs are much more acute.

"To be a hospitalized patient these days, you have to be very sick," Flynn said. "Because the acuity of patients there are more demands for patient care, so that’s why we decided just to use registered nurses (in that department)."

With moderate drought conditions in Genesee County, state and local officials are warning residents of unsafe fire conditions.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued a statewide residential open-fire ban last week, and today, Tim Yaeger, Genesee County Emergency Services, urged residents to use caution with any type of fire.

While a small cooking or camping fire is permitted, larger fires, such as a bonfire are out of the question, Yaeger said.

All fires should be no closer than 50 feet to a structure and some sort of extinguishing agent should be within 50 feet of the fire.

"That's the New York Fire code anyway, but we don't want to wind up with the possibility of a fire spreading," Yaeger said.

This time of year, the kind of open burns associated with rural areas and agriculture aren't too common, but people still might be tempted to start fires for recreational purposes and in those cases, extreme caution is in order.

On average, Batavia received about 3.5 inches of rain in July. So far this month, not even a half inch has fallen and precipitation totals for the year are off by more than six inches from average.

The lack of precipitation creates another problem for firefighters -- less available water to fight fires in areas without municipal water.

Typically, when there are no hydrants to connect to, firefighters draw water from nearby creeks and retention ponds.

Yaeger said what he's seen of retention ponds and other standing water sources is that water levels remain adequate but are getting low.

Drawing water from brooks and streams right now might be more difficult for firefighters.

"Brooks and streams are pretty much out of service right now," Yaeger said. "Luckily, in this county, with the additional municipal water services has eased the burden from what it was 10 or 15 years ago."

If there is a fire with current water supply conditions in an area without municipal water, Yaeger said, it will mean scene commanders will need to request additional tankers from mutual-aid departments in order to maintain an adequate water supply to fight any type of fire.

All residential brush burning is banned in the state through Oct. 10.

In issuing the ban, Cuomo said, "These conditions should not be taken lightly. The potential for disastrous wildfires is present in all areas of the state and we must do whatever we can to prevent fires from occurring.

"The state will continue to closely monitor the wildfire danger and we will deploy whatever resources are necessary to protect New Yorkers should a critical situation occur."