The driver of one vehicle in a two-car crash at on Townline Road near Byron-Holley Road, Byron, has disappeared according to a chief on scene.

Byron and South Byron fire departments are responding. A chief asked to confirm that law enforcement was en route.

No report on injuries.

The recent outbreak of the potentially fatal bacteria commonly called C. diff at United Memorial Medical Center is having a ripple effect on the Genesee County Nursing Home.

Nursing Home Administrator Charles Rice told the legislature's Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday afternoon that "a lot of people are coming out of the hospital now" with C. diff.

After the meeting, Rice and the Nursing Home's Nursing Director Dawn Canale backed down from that statement. Rice and Canale said the Nursing Home has always been on alert for C. diff, but recent media reports about the C. diff outbreak at UMMC has the Nursing Home stepping up its infection control measures.

No Nursing Home residents have C. diff, Rice said, and Canale explained that any potential transfer patient from UMMC who tests positive for C. diff is not accepted as a resident at the Nursing Home.

Asked if there has been a spike recently in the number of potential transfers who test positive for C. diff, Canale said, "I don't want to say that," adding, "because two or three to me is a lot, but to you guys ..."  Canale's statement trailed off.

Canale said that every transfer from the hospital is screened and must have two negative tests for C. diff before becoming a resident at the Nursing Home.

"They always tell us (if a patient had C. diff) and we always make sure they’ve been treated and they're not contagious," Canale said.

If a person had C. diff but has recovered, the patient can be transferred, but the resident is either given a room with an other former C. diff patient or given a private room.

"We don't unnecessarily expose our fragile residents," Rice said. "Most of the time they've been treated, but we still keep a good eye on them."

Dealing with the outbreak of C. diff has been difficult, Rice said, because there is limited bed space in the Nursing Home and special precautions must be taken to separate potential C. diff carriers from other residents.

Rice also said that employees are given extra instructions on infection control and extra attention is given to disinfecting the facility.

A large power outage has hit the Byron-Bergen area and another smaller outage has hit Wyoming and covers most of Pavilion.

The Byron-Bergen outage effects about 790 National Grid customers. The affected areas include South Byron, West Bergen and Jericho Corners, but not the villages of Byron or Bergen.

Power went out at 3:57 p.m. and is expected to be restored by 6:30 p.m.

The Wyoming-centered outage, effecting 350 customers, stretches up the west side of Route 63 to Route 20.

Power went out at 4:15 p.m. and is expected to be restored at 6:30 p.m.

There's also a small outage -- less than five customers -- just west of North Bergen.

UPDATE 5:45 p.m.: A transformer fire is reported in the area of 9097 Tripp Road and power in that vicinity is out. Byron and South Byron fire departments are called to respond. National Grid notified, no ETA.

Press Release:

WILLIAMSVILLE – Matthew Harakal, communications director for Jane Corwin for Congress, made the following statement today after Kathy Hochul’s continued silence on how she would cut government spending:

“Now a full week after the President called for a massive $1.5 trillion tax increase, Kathy Hochul still remains silent on the dire financial condition our country is in. Will Kathy Hochul continue to stand with Nancy Pelosi and refuse to do anything to cut spending? Does Kathy Hochul support the President’s plan for $1.5 trillion in crippling tax hikes on Western New York families and small businesses? Or will she follow Jane Corwin’s lead and support cutting spending immediately to strengthen the economy and create jobs. Kathy Hochul has a long tax-and-spend record. As a Hamburg Town Board member she increased the tax burden by 45 percent and later as the Erie County Clerk, she increased spending in the DMV by an incredible 51 percent. When will Kathy Hochul make up her mind and get serious about cutting spending?”

Hochul’s silence comes even after the S&P issued a threat to downgrade our country’s prized AAA credit rating. S&P is one of the three main agencies that rate the ability of companies and countries to repay their debts. It recently cut its outlook for our country’s long-term credit rating from "stable" to "negative," a direct result of the failed leadership from Washington to address our fiscal crisis.

A big, fun Easter Egg Hunt begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 23 at Centennial Park in the City of Batavia.

This annual event -- for children age 10 and under -- is put on by the Batavia Kiwanis.

Centennial Park is located at Ellicott Avenue and Richmond Avenue.

Press release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC)  is offering a pilot training program in Advanced and High Tech Manufacturing that will be offered this fall.

The program will be funded through a grant secured by the GCEDC in cooperation with Genesee County.

The minimum qualification to apply is a high school diploma or its equivalent.  Current high school seniors, who will graduate in June 2011, are eligible to apply.

The 11-week training program will take place on the campuses of Genesee Community College (GCC) and the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). There is no cost to applicants selected to participate in the pilot program and transportation between the GCC and RIT campus will be provided.

Individuals selected to participate will have the opportunity to attend sessions that will train them in the basic skills needed for jobs in advanced manufacturing and nano-technology. Course work will include work readiness skills, metrics, and an introduction to lean manufacturing to name a few of the topics at GCC.

Hands-on experiences will continue at RIT in lean and advanced manufacturing and nano-tech workshops in quality control, microelectronics, photovoltaics, surface mount technology and optics among others. Successful participants will receive a non-credit Certificate in Advanced Manufacturing and Nano-Tech Concepts from GCC.

A more detailed program description and information on the application process is available on the GCEDC Web site at www.gcedc.com <http://www.gcedc.com>. To locate, go to the GCEDC home page, click on “About Genesee County” and the tab “Workforce Development." Applications are available through the Genesee County Career Center, located in the East Town Plaza, 587 E. Main St., Suite 100, Batavia.

Mighty winds have toppled a large tree and it's blocking the roadway at Wyoming Road and Route 19 in Covington, which is part of Pavilion Fire Department's district. Live wires are also down.

Pavilion Fire Department is responding.

Power is out in the vicinity.

"There are lines (down) everywhere," says a responder.

The "four corners" intersection lights aren't working. State Troopers have shut down southbound Route 19 at Route 63 in Pavilion.

Traffic on Route 19 is to be closed to traffic by Wyoming and Crossman roads. Law enforcement is helping direct traffic.

National Grid has been notified. No ETA given.

UPDATE 4:51 p.m.: National Grid is on scene.

UPDATE 5 p.m.: Southbound Route 19 is reopened to traffic.

As part of our ongoing series to find out as much as we can about what the candidates for the NY-26 special election believe about issues, we present this week's questions and answers on hot button social issues.

Below are the questions as sent to the candidates and, after the jump, the answers from each candidate in the order received.

What is your position on abortion, addressing your position on when if it should be legal at all, or only in early and/or later stages of pregnancy and the circumstances of a pregnancy (age of the mother, whether rape or incest), also as it relates to federal funding either directly or indirectly of abortion and/or agencies that may be involved in providing abortions.

What is your position on marriage? Should the federal government involve itself on issues of who can marry whom? Should the federal government provide the same benefits to heterosexual couples as well as gay couples?

Finally, should gay men and lesbians be allowed to serve openly in the U.S. military?

Ian Murphy:

What is your position on abortion, addressing your position on when if it should be legal at all, or only in early and/or later stages of pregnancy and the circumstances of a pregnancy (age of the mother, whether rape or incest), also as it relates to federal funding either directly or indirectly of abortion and/or agencies that may be involved in providing abortions.

My position is that the American people need to choose between outlawing abortion and taking proven steps toward lowering the abortion rate. Contrary to prevailing thought, they are not the same thing. According to a global study by the World Health Organization and the Guttmaker Institute, the legal status of abortion has no effect on a country's abortion rate. The same study found that where abortion is illegal it is an extremely dangerous procedure, which results in the worldwide death of roughly 67,000 women each year.

The only things that reduce a nation's abortion rate are an increase in its overall living standard and a strong commitment to reproductive/contraceptive education. For instance, Uganda is one of the poorest countries in the world, abortion is illegal, and its sex education focuses on abstinence alone. At 54 per 1,000 women of reproductive age, that country subsequently has one of the highest abortion rates in the world. The Netherlands, by contrast, has a much higher living standard, abortion is legal, and the rate is a scant 6 per 1,000 women. The United States' living standard is generally on par with the Netherlands, and yet the abortion rate is 21 per 1,000—double that of Western Europe.

Why? Well, according to the National Institute of Health, the low Dutch rate can be attributed to their firm commitment to family planning services, and sexual/contraceptive education. Like so many other issues in this country, we've been given a false choice. Abortion's been framed as “pro-choice” vs. “pro-life,” legal vs. illegal, moral vs. immoral, Republican vs. Democrat.

It's a very emotionally charged debate based on false assumptions. Regardless of your moral convictions on abortion, I think everyone can agree that as a society we want fewer of them. No one likes abortion. But the thing is, that will only happen with smart policies. It will not happen out of moral outrage. It will not happen out of anger and other extreme emotions. It will not happen by threatening women with prison. So, yes, abortion should remain safe and legal until about 15-20 weeks of gestation, which is roughly when a fetus is thought to be viable—that is to say, able to live outside of the womb. I base that number on the policies of Western Europe and an average of numbers put out by the Journal of the American Medical Association. I believe, however, that a procedure can and should be performed after 20 weeks if the mother's life is in danger or there are other legitimate, extenuating circumstances—such as a terrible genetic defect, which may or may not be the result of incest.

Though it is a tragedy in itself, whether a woman is raped has no bearing on my position. Now that we know we're engaging in an overly emotional and critically flawed debate, we should step back and reevaluate the impacts of federal funds used for family planning and abortion. The Republican-controlled Congress recently voted to cut funding for Planned Parenthood—making a bevy of misleading and factually inaccurate claims in the process. But it's quite clear that cutting federal funds to Planned Parenthood will actually raise the abortion rate in America. So, again, as difficult as it may be, the American people need to make a choice between overheated, manipulative rhetoric and a sensible policy that will result in fewer abortions. You can't have both.

What is your position on marriage? Should the federal government involve itself on issues of who can marry whom? Should the federal government provide the same benefits to heterosexual couples as well as gay couples?

People should be allowed to marry whomever they want, and receive equal benefit from the government.

There are some common sense areas where the federal government should intervene in matters of marriage: adults should not be allowed to marry children; children should not be allowed to marry children; sufferers of Stockholm syndrome should not be allowed to marry their captors; and no one should be allowed to marry Donald Trump. 

Finally, should gay men and lesbians be allowed to serve openly in the U.S. military?

Yes. I agree with our top military brass in this matter.

I'd like to add an important point: In politics, “wedge” issues like gay rights and abortion are often used to manipulate social conservatives into voting against their own economic self-interest—and, in the case of abortion, against their own social goals.

Abortion, particularly, is an issue I know the people of NY-26 care about passionately. A candidate's views on abortion tell many people all they need to know before they vote. I've talked to a few people who really like my positions, generally, but they won't vote for me because I am not “pro-life.” Well, I'm the only candidate in this race to offer a stark break from the failed, bipartisan economic policies which have made everyone broke in this country. I'm the only candidate in favor of universal health care, universal family planning and universal reproductive/contraception education. In other words, I am the only pro-life candidate in this race.

Kathy Hochul:

Q: What is your position on abortion, addressing your position on when if it should be legal at all, or only in early and/or late stages of pregnancy and the circumstances of a pregnancy (age of the mother, whether rape or incest), also as it relates to federal funding either directly or indirectly of abortion and/or agencies that may be involved in providing abortions.

A: This is obviously a difficult decision between a woman and her doctor, and I don’t think anyone should take this decision lightly. I do, however, believe abortion should be safe, legal, and rare, and think the federal government should not be involved in making medical decisions. I support the continuation of Roe v. Wade, which has been the established policy on this issue since 1973.

I support federal funding for the health services and guidance provided by Planned Parenthood, including breast, ovarian and cervical cancer screenings, infertility testing, pelvic exams, family planning and other vital services.

Q: What is your position on marriage?  Should the federal government involve itself on issues of who can marry whom?  Should the federal government provide the same benefits to heterosexual couples as well as gay couples?

Finally, should gay men and lesbians be allowed to serve openly in the U.S. military?

A: I don’t think the federal government should involve itself on issues of who can marry whom, that needs to be determined by the states. I believe everyone should be afforded equal rights under federal law. I do support the civil institution of marriage for gay couples, with absolutely no requirements placed on religious institutions.

Gay men and women, who want to fight to defend our freedom, should be allowed to serve openly in the U.S. military.

Jack Davis:

What is your position on abortion, addressing your position on when if it should be legal at all, or only in early and/or later stages of pregnancy and the circumstances of a pregnancy (age of the mother, whether rape or incest), also as it relates to federal funding either directly or indirectly of abortion and/or agencies that may be involved in providing abortions.

I oppose federal funding for abortion, directly or indirectly. I oppose terminations of later stage pregnancies, including those known as “partial birth.”

What is your position on marriage? Should the federal government involve itself on issues of who can marry whom?

Marriage is a state issue. Each state should decide its own rules for marriage.

Should the federal government provide the same benefits to heterosexual couples as well as gay couples?

The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees all citizens equal protection under the law. I oppose giving special privileges to any group.

Finally, should gay men and lesbians be allowed to serve openly in the U.S. military?

I am a former Marine and officer in the Coast Guard and the only candidate to have served in the military. The fact is, anyone who has been in uniform can tell you gay men and women have served honorably in the military, probably since the founding of our country. Having said that, any soldier, sailor, Marine or airman whose conduct, of whatever kind, is detrimental to good order and discipline and corrosive to morale should be discharged.

Jane Corwin:

What is your position on abortion, addressing your position on when if it should be legal at all, or only in early and/or later stages of pregnancy and the circumstances of a pregnancy (age of the mother, whether rape or incest), also as it relates to federal funding either directly or indirectly of abortion and/or agencies that may be involved in providing abortions.

I oppose partial birth abortion, do not support taxpayer funding of abortion, would vote to defund Planned Parenthood and am supportive of parental notification.

What is your position on marriage? Should the federal government involve itself on issues of who can marry whom? Should the federal government provide the same benefits to heterosexual couples as well as gay couples?

I believe that marriage should be defined as the union between one man and one woman. Unlike any of my opponents, I spoke out when President Obama announced his plans to refuse to enforce the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). The President of the United States swore an oath to uphold the laws of our great country and as a member of the Executive Branch he needs to enforce those laws, including the Defense of Marriage Act. It is the Supreme Court’s job to consider the constitutionality of the law and the President should not usurp the authority of the Supreme Court.

The Defense of Marriage Act was signed into law nearly 15 years ago by President Clinton – he himself a democrat like President Obama – who understood that marriage should be defined as a union between one man and one woman.

Finally, should gay men and lesbians be allowed to serve openly in the U.S. military?

It’s important to look at the military’s implementation plan for allowing gay men and women to openly serve in the military, especially since we are a nation at war. Last year, Democrats made a political decision to decline to wait for the military’s report on repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. It’s important for leaders in the military – those who would actually be the ones implementing a repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell – to testify before Congress about how they would implement a repeal of the law to ensure that military readiness during a time of war is not affected.

Travis Michael Herold, 20, of Prospect Street, Attica, is charged with felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, moving from lane unsafely and consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle. Herold was taken into custody following the investigation by Deputy Jason Saile into a motor vehicle accident at 2:18 a.m. in the area of 9406 Alexander Road, Batavia.

Jason Jonathan Reed, 34, of South Pearl Street Road, Oakfield, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Reed is accused of violating an order of protection issued in Family Court by making a phone call to the protected party.

Connie Lynn King, 40, of South Main Street, Oakfield, is charged with harassment, 2nd. King is accused of punching, kicking, biting and pulling the hair of her boyfriend during an alleged domestic dispute at 12:45 a.m., Monday.

Dennis F. Walter, 53, of Clipnock Road, Stafford, is charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon, 3rd, and one count of criminal possession of a criminal weapon, 4th. Walter was arrested on a warrant out of Bethany Town Court and jailed on $20,000 bail.

Raymond Edmond Allard, 27, of South Main Street, Oakfield, is charged with trespass and harassment, 2nd. Allard allegedly had physical contact with another person and then refused to leave the property when told to do so by the property owner.

A tractor-trailer has reportedly dragged down a live wire from a power pole at a residence at 3766 Batavia-Elba Townline Road. It is in the roadway.

Town of Batavia Fire Department is called to the scene. The location is west of Pekin Road.

UPDATE 3:45 p.m.: National Grid has been notified. No ETA given. The residence is completely without power for now.

UPDATE 3:54 p.m.: National Grid is now on scene to fix the problem.

UPDATE 3:57 p.m.: The Town of Batavia fire units are back in service.

A new system for communicating with emergency dispatch centers is in the works, and architects of the system are looking for feedback on what people with disabilities need, and how they use 9-1-1 systems.

Steve Sharpe, director of emergency communication for the Genesee County Sheriff's Office, is asking the people with disabilities in Genesee County take a short survey provided by the Federal Communications Commission on 9-1-1 services.

"This is a survey for folks with disabilities to rate their local access to 9-1-1," Sharpe said. "This will help the State of New York better prepare for what is now called Next Generation 9-1-1 or NG911. NG911 is the next step in contacting 9-1-1 centers during emergencies including using technologies such as texting, video and other means. We need our local special needs population to fill out the survey so we can better meet their needs in Genesee County."

To take the survey, click here.

Cookson Road and Old Creek Road in Alexander are closed due to high water.

Earlier today, Peaviner was reported closed.

UPDATED 2:40 p.m.

One person was pronounced dead at the scene and another person transported by Mercy Flight to Strong Memorial Hospital following a head-on collision on West Main Street Road, Town of Batavia, just before 7:30 a.m.

The two-car collision occurred about 3/4 of a mile west of Wortendyke Road and about two miles west of another fatal head-on collision two months ago.

Jonathan M. Colby, 37, of Tracy Avenue, Batavia, died as a result of injuries sustained in the accident.

The other driver was Angelo A. Merica III, 27, of Pavilion.

The Sheriff's Office release said for "unknown reasons" Colby's 2007 Dodge, heading eastbound, crossed into the westbound lane and struck Merica's 2000 Pontiac.

Driver fatigue may have been a factor in the crash. 

Deputy Chief Gordon Dibble said witnesses described Colby's vehicle drifting over the center line in a slow movement, rather than a jerk, which is conisistent with somebody falling asleep or some prolonged driver distraction.

Colby's car drifted all the way over to the eastbound lane's fog lines, Dibble said, before it struck Merica's car.

What exactly was going on in Colby's car may remain an open question.

"In the end, those are the things you never know with 100 percent certainty," Dibble said.

The cars appear to have hit squarely head-on at a significant rate of speed. The pavement was wet this morning following an overnight rainstorm.

Merica was transported to Strong and was conscious and alert during an extrication procedure, Sheriff Gary Maha said. The man's leg was pinned in the vehicle.

Colby is originally from Olean, according to his Facebook profile. He was a big Batavia Muckdogs fan who attended most home games and sat in the third-base bleachers. When he was at a game, he had a scorebook in his lap and recorded every pitch.

He studied at the University of Rochester and worked at Lowe's.

His last Facebook status update, posted four hours before the crash from a mobile phone, read, "Overnights really starting to hit me now." Previous posts referenced working a spate of overnight shifts recently.

WBTA's Geoff Redick remembers Colby from his time at Notre Dame High School. ND was phasing out its Latin courses and Colby was brought in as a temporary teacher to instruct the third-level Latin course.

Redick described Colby as "very knowledgable" and "hard working."

"He used to come into teach class on his lunch hour from his job at Skalny Basket," Redick said.

"He was a very nice guy, but goal oriented," Redick recalled. "He could be tough on us at times."

Colby leaves behind a wife and 7-year-old daughter.

East Pembroke Fire responded to the accident along with mutual aid from Town of Batavia and Oakfield fire departments. Mercy EMS sent two ambulances.

The investigation is being conducted by Sgt W.C. Scott of the Sheriff's Office Crash Management Team, Deputy Brian Thompson and Investigator Rodger Stone.

On Feb. 8, 19-year-old Delores Opuku-Boateng, a nursing student at GCC, was killed in a head-on collision on West Main Street Road near County Building #2. Investigators allege that the driver of the car she was in, Levert Kimble, 21, was driving too fast for conditions. Kimble has been charged with reckless driving.

This post will be updated with more information as it becomes available.

(Initial Report)

National Grid reported as many six power outages in Genesee County this morning affecting fewer than two dozen customers.

There was a larger outage -- more than 300 customers -- in Wyoming County with an affected area that stretches just into Pavilion and an outage effecting six customers in Attica (Genesee County). Power has been restored in this area.

Outages effecting fewer than five customers each are reported at the intersection of Lewiston Road and Main Street, Batavia, one in the Prole Road area of Stafford and another at Transit Road, Elba. Also, one on Transit Road, East Bethany.

Power was out at GCC for a time, but has been restored. The campus is reportedly closed until 11 a.m.

Peaviner Road is closed due to high water.

At about 4 a.m., Town of Batavia Fire Department responded to a report wires arcing on Alexander Road and about 30 minutes later, Stafford Fire Department was dispatched to a report of a transformer blowing in the area of Fotch Road.

Presumably, just about everybody heard, and felt, the overnight thunderstorm.

City of Batavia Fire Department has responded to a commercial fire alarm at the p.w. minor company at 1 Treadeasy Ave. A firefighter on scene reports nothing showing, no smell of fire.

The alarm company has been contacted and is working to reset the alarm.

The smell of an electrical fire is coming from an apartment at 10537 Bethany Center Road in Bethany. The building is being evacuated.

Stafford Fire and Bethany fire departments are responding.

Alexander is to stand by in its hall for possible mutual aid.

UPDATE 7:52 a.m.: Alexander fire is asked to stand down.

UPDATE 7:59 a.m.: A chief on scene reports that the basement of the building is flooded, burning out the furnace, which apparently tripped a fire alarm.

UPDATE 8:07 a.m.: Stafford fire is standing down.

A head-on collision with serious injuries is reported at 3265 W. Main St. in the Town of Batavia. A responder on scene says one person is unconscious and another person is semiconscious.

Mercy Flight is unavailable. East Pembroke and Town of Batavia fire departments are responding with all available manpower. Two Mercy ambulances are responding.

East Pembroke personnel are shutting down traffic at Route 5 and Hopkins Road. Town of Batavia's crew is shutting down traffic at Wortendyke Road and Route 5.

Oakfield is called to provide extrication equipment.

UPDATE 7:41 a.m.: Mercy Flight in Batavia became available and is launching momentarily to go to the scene.

UPDATE 7:50 a.m.: Mercy Flight is circling and preparing to land in a field of grass northeast of the crash site. Light winds out of the south, the flight crew is told.

UPDATE 7:54 a.m.: Mercy Flight is on the ground. Both patients have been extricated.

UPDATE 8:05 a.m.: A chief reports that a portion of Route 5 will be shut down for at least an hour. One patient is being taken to a hospital via Mercy Flight and the other is going in an ambulance. Hospitals have not been specified. Two flatbed tow trucks are en route.

UPDATE 8:13 a.m.: Sheriff Gary Maha confirmed that one of the crash victims has died and a coroner has been called.

UPDATE 8:28 a.m.: Mercy Flight is going to Strong Memorial Hospital. The next of kin is being notified regarding the death, then the name of the victim will be released.

UPDATE 9:07 a.m.: Route 5 has been reopened. All fire units back in service.

Statement from Tom Allocco, New York Department of Health:

United Memorial Medical Center has properly reported its cases of Clostridium difficile (C. diff) to the State Health Department. The department has been working with United Memorial on the implementation of proper infection-control measures to help reduce the spread of illness. These include proper hand hygiene (simple, but probably the most important control measure), cleaning and disinfecting portions of the facility, and the separation of those who are infected from other patients. The department’s investigation of the outbreak continues. Once the investigation is finalized, the findings will be available. 

Additionally, the state health department has a public report on "Hospital Acquired Infections" that was released in late 2010 and covers data through 2009.

According to the report, in 2009, UMMC performed 28 colon procedures and of those, two patients contracted infections. That puts UMMC's infection rate at 7.1 (a number adjusted to calculate infections per 100 procedures to enable statewide comparisons). New York's infection rate for colon procedures in 2009 was 4.8.  

UMMC's rate of 7.1 is considered within the range of state average.

Strong Memorial's rate for 2009 was 5.5, also within the state average.

In 2008, UMMC's rate was 6.4, the state average was 4.4 and Strong was 4.8

In 2008, Strong performed 327 procedures and there were 16 infections. The following year, Strong performed 317 procedures and there were 17 infections.

Erie County Medical Center performed 86 colon procedures in 2008 and 98 in 2009 with three reported infections in each year. Numbers also fell within the statistical average at Highland Hospital in Rochester, while Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo reported no infections, with about 50 procedures for each year. (For some reason, the report called W&C's zero-infection rate "statistically insignificant" and didn't give it a "blue star" on its report card).

For hip replacement surgery, UMMC's infection rate in 2008 was 3.1, and 2.5 in 2009. Both numbers fall within the range of the state average of 1.1. In 2008, UMMC performed 81 procedures with three infections and in 2009, 84 procedures with two infections. For the same procedure, Strong performed 50 operations in 2008 and 60 in 2009 with no infections.

Tyrone L. Richardson, 35, of 17 Walnut St., Batavia, is charged with criminal obstruction of breathing / blood circulation and harassment, 2nd. Richardson is accused of grabbing another person by the throat and also placing that person in a headlock and applying pressure. Richardson reportedly left the scene of the alleged incident at 8:20 a.m., Sunday, and turned himself in on Monday.

Jayson Michael Connolly, 37, of Weathersfield Road, Silver Springs, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Connolly is accused of placing a phone call to a woman he is barred by court order from contacting. Connolly was jailed on $2,500 bail. (from Sheriff's Office press release)

Jayson M. Connolly, 37, of 5405 Weathersfield Road, Silver Springs, is charged with criminal contempt ,2nd. Connolly was allegedly found in a car with a person he was barred from contacting by court order. Connolly was jailed on $1,000 bail (City Police press release)

Travis J. Weatherall, 23, of 7216 Griswold Road, Bergen, is charged with petit larceny. Weatherall was arrested by Le Roy Police. He is accused of shoplifting a package of jerky from Tops Market.