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Police Beat: Charges filed after children allegedly left in car at Walmart

By Howard B. Owens

Isaac Emmaneul Simmons, 24, of Ellsworth Avenue, Batavia, is charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Simmons is accused of leaving a 2-year-old and a 6-year-old in a car outside Walmart with the motor running while he went into the store.

Michael J. Raphael, 22, 4 Noonan Drive, Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief, 3rd. At about 1 a.m., Sunday, Batavia Police were notified that a person was in the area of Center Street attempting to fight with others. When police arrived, they were told the person had walked toward the Mancuso Bowling Center. When officers checked the area, they were advised by a witness that Raphael struck a parked car causing damage to the vehicle.

Brad Hilchey, 29, 43 Oak St., Oakfield, is charged with DWI, aggravated DWI and moving from lane unsafely. Hilchey was stopped at 1:06 a.m., Saturday, on West Main Street, Batavia, by Officer Frank Klimjack.

Ryan James Sundown, 30, Meadville Road, Basom, is charged with criminal obstruction of breathing. Sundown is accused of trying to choke a woman during an altercation at an address on Meadville Road.

Virginia Louise Miller, 46, Colony Run, Attica, is charged with assault 3rd and menacing 2nd. Miller is accused of threatening another person with a knife and of biting that person in the arm.

Robert Paul Leiser, 42, of Lockport Road, Oakfield, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st, and aggravated harassment, 2nd. Leiser was arrested following an investigation into an alleged incident at 3 a.m., April 20.

Ryan S. Richards, 21, of Medina, is charged with petit larceny. Richards is accused of shoplifting $25.05 worth of merchandise from Kmart. Richards was also cited for alleged fictitious inspection sticker, aggravated unlicensed operation, 3rd, operating without a license, switched plates and unregistered motor vehicle.

Thomas J. Torres, 48, of Albion, is charged with DWI and aggravated DWI. Torres was taken into custody in the Town of Stafford at 10:35 p.m., Saturday, by State Police.

Christopher J. Nacca, 22, of Webster, and Taylor M. Shoemaker, 18, of Williamson, are charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Nacca and Shoemaker were stopped by State Police at 4:10 p.m., Friday, on Route 5 in Pembroke.

Power outages reported in Alabama

By Howard B. Owens

National Grid is dealing with two power outages effecting more than 700 customers in the northwestern part of the county.

One outage covering most of Alabama effects 578 customers and started at 3:58 a.m. Power is expected to be restored by 6 a.m.

The second outage started at 3:51 a.m. in the area of Slusser Road and stretches northwest to the Tonawanda Indian Reservation, taking in all of Ledge Road. It effects 138 customers. Power is expected to be restored by 6 a.m.

Police Beat: Le Roy resident accused of burglary, growing marijuana

By Howard B. Owens

Name Redacted Upon Request, 19, of Lake Street, Le Roy, is charged with burglary, 2nd, criminal possession of stolen of stolen property, 5th, petit larceny, growing cannabis without a license and unlawful possession of marijuana. xxxx was arrested following the execution of a search warrant on his residence, which was the result of an investigation that began April 15 after a village resident complained a home had been entered and various items stolen. The investigation pointed to xxxx as the suspect and a search warrant was obtained. During execution of the search warrant, numerous allegedly stolen items were found as well as marijuana plants and marijuana paraphernalia. xxxxx was jailed on $15,000 bail.

Michael B. Pfaff, of Keeney Road, Le Roy, is charged with felony DWI, aggravated DWI and failing to stop at a stop sign. Pfaff was stopped Sunday by a Le Roy police officer. He was jailed on $1,500 bail.

Jonathan Cornell Robinson, 24, of Buffalo (no street address released), is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, operating on a suspended license and driver's view obstructed. Robinson was stopped at 12:39 a.m., Saturday, on Main Street, Batavia, by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

Keith Patrick Snyder, 30, of Lewiston Road, Alabama, is charged with unlawfully fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle, DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, speeding and consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle. Snyder was stopped at 2:58 a.m, Saturday, on MvVean Road, Darien, by Deputy Jason Saile. Snyder was also charged with refusal to take breath test, failure to signal and failure to yield right-of-way to an emergency vehicle.

Charles Linwood Muntz, 22, of Crosby Road, Basom, is charged with a felony count of DWI, leaving the scene of a property damage accident and parking on a public highway. Muntz was allegedly found asleep at the wheel of his vehicle while it was stopped at an intersection on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation at 3:11 a.m., Saturday, by Deputy Eric Seppala.

Jeremy John Patterson, 20, of Medina (no street address released), is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, tinted windows and plate obstructed. Patterson was stopped at 1:53 a.m., Sunday, on Alleghany Road, Basom, by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

Earl Elsworth Sands, 53, of Batavia (no street address released), is charged with harassment, 2nd. Sands was arrested following a disturbance at his residence at 10:30 p.m., Saturday. Sands is accused of striking a visitor to his residence.

Jennifer Rae Champlin, 31, of Bloomfield (no street address released), is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Champlin was stopped for an alleged traffic violation at 5:06 p.m., Sunday, on Ellicott Street, Batavia, by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

Oakfield revives Labor Daze, mixes old with new

By Brittany Baker

Joni Mitchell's line in the song "Big Yellow Taxi" was spot on: "You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone."

So it was last summer, when the 26th annual Labor Daze celebration had to be cancelled. The reason given was too few volunteers to put together the holiday festival.

The locals did host a small event last year at the Elroy D. Parkins Town Park (Little League Park) with hopes of improving next time around.

Now the Oakfield Betterment Committee has revived itself -- and fully aware that it's going to take a village -- and a town -- to get Labor Daze back on track -- the group is doing just that.

It has enlisted some new volunteers with fresh ideas.

So marks those calenders -- Labor Daze will be at the town park again on Sept. 4 and 5. The celebration has gotten a bit bigger, according to Town Clerk Melissa Haacke, co-chair of the new Oakfield Betterment Committee.

"Well, of course, we're going to still have food vendors and crafters like usual, but we have really expanded our kids activities for this year," Haacke said. "We have two bounce houses coming and a local family that will be bringing in animals for a petting zoo and we contacted Genesee and Orleans County 4-H groups to see if they want to bring in some animals, too."

Since horse and pony rides were popular last year, they'll be offered again. Kids can also play on the playground at the park so parents can worry less about children wandering into traffic.

"We liked the idea that we don't have to close any roads for this," Haacke said.

She gave credit to her Co-chair Kate Manges for taking initiative dring the planning phases, saying, "She really took the bull by the horns."

She explained that in an effort to "get back to their roots," members of the Betterment Committee tried to keep everything as local as possible to showcase the village and town.

To highlight the 60th anniversary of the Oakfield Lions Club, the group will be the Grand Marshal of the parade. Also, the new Oakfield Historical Museum on Maple Avenue will be open to encourage everyone to walk around and visit local businesses.

People can also expect a fireworks display, a car show, Chinese auction and some great raffle items. Prizes include $1,000 cash, a four-pack of season tickets to Darien Lake, a laptop computer from Millennium Computers, a Nook and many more items.

To donate to the Chinese auction or raffle prizes or for vendor information, call Town Clerk Melissa Haacke (948-5835, ext. 20) or e-mail celebration14125@yahoo.com.

Alleged meth lab in South Byron may be tied to first one found in Alabama 18 months ago

By Howard B. Owens

The arrest today of two South Byron residents for allegedly manufacturing methamphetamine has its roots in a Nov. 12, 2009 meth lab raid in Alabama, according to Sgt. Steve Mullen, head of the Local Drug Enforcement Task Force.

"If we're doing our jobs, a search warrant doesn't just end with that search warrant," Mullen said. "It opens doors into other investigations."

In the Alabama case -- the first suspected meth lab found in Genesee County -- Kenneth W. Mosholder and associates, including a woman who lived on Jackson Street, Batavia, were accused of manufacturing meth. Mosholder died while awaiting prosecution, but Mullen said the one-time Texas resident's recipe for making meth apparently spread throughout the county.

A handful of meth lab raids -- though not all of them -- since 2009 were based on threads connected to Mosholder's arrest, Mullen said.

"Once something like that grows in a community, it can take deep roots and take years to get out," Mullen said.

Many task force cases are built on other cases, Mullen said.

"Any single arrest looks like a snippet, but they're really scenes from the same movie," Mullen said.

Arrested in connection with the alleged meth lab in South Byron were Matthew J. Zon, 29, of Byron, and Tricia M. Tundo, 24, of Byron.

Zon and Tundo were apprehended during a traffic stop on Thursday night, but the couple wasn't discovered by accident, Mullen said. They were identified after months of investigation and observation while detectives built a case that would ultimately justify their apprehension.

Following the traffic stop, Zon and Tundo were allegedly found in possession of methamphetamine, meth lab material and drug paraphernalia.

Mullen said it's too soon in the investigation to say for certain whether Zon and Tundo were allegedly producing meth for sale. They have not yet been charged with any drug sales counts.

This morning, a contingent of investigators and crime lab specialists were on scene at 6319 E. Main St., South Byron, to execute a search warrant in an effort to determine whether Zon and Tundo were producing meth at their residence.

During the search, investigators carried out several items that appeared to be chemicals and implements used in the manufacture of meth. Test results on the items have not yet been released.

The search started with State Troopers in chemical-protection suits entering the house and retrieving two pet dogs, one a reportedly aggressive pit bull.

A deputy involved who helped transfer the dogs to the Animal Control vehicle said the dogs had a heavy odor of meth on them.

If Tundo and Zon were manufacturing meth in the house, the smell would permeate the entire residence, "just like burnt popcorn," said an investigator.

The odor of meth manufacturing, depending on the process used, according to sources, smells something like a mixture of burnt plastic and ammonia. 

Investigators were at the South Byron scene for hours, from before 8 a.m. until after 3 p.m. and Mullen was still at the office working on the case after 7 p.m.

And the execution of a search warrant in a drug case, said Mullen, is only a small portion of what goes into an investigation. It can take months to build a case in order to get a warrant, and the investigation doesn't stop with an arrest.

"The research and investigation really takes months," the sargeant said. "Even though we're at the end of a 12- or 13-hour day, the research began months ago."

Zon and Tundo are both charged with unlawful disposal of methamphetamine laboratory material, a felony, and criminal possession of a controlled substance as well as criminally using drug paraphernalia.

The disposal charge is based on evidence gathered during the investigation that Zon and Tundo disposed of waste material along roadways in the area.

Mullen said the production of one ounce of meth produces a significant quanity of waste chemicals. 

One law enforcement official at the scene said that was one of the parts that bugged him the most about a case like this.

He said, potentially, some Boy Scout could be out on a clean-up day and come across some contaminated materials and become gravely ill.

The traffic stop Thursday night was initiated by Deputy Brian Thompson, whose K-9 "Pharaoh" assisted in the search of the vehicle.

Tundo was reportedly driving, though she allegedly did not have a valid NYS driver's license. 

Additional charges may be pending, Mullen said, and the Drug Enforcement Agency, which was involved in the 2009 raid in Alabama, will be consulted.

Besides the Genesee County Sheriff's Office and State Police, assisting at the scene were the South Byron Fire Department, Genesee County Emergency Services, the Health Department,  Animal Control and Mercy EMS.

More pictures after the jump:

High winds blowing down trees, etc.

By Billie Owens

The high winds are causing roadway blockages in various parts of the county. Officials are working to clear them.

There's a utility pole down, blocking road, with wires still attached, at West Bergen and Dublin roads in Bergen.

A tree is blocking at 781 Lewiston Road in Alabama

A tree is blocking traffic on Marble Road in Alabama.

UPDATE 12:45 p.m.: Trees have been removed from both Lewiston and Marble roads and they are open to traffic.

UPDATE 12:49 p.m.: National Grid is being notified about the pole down in Bergen. It is sheared off at the ground and will need to be replaced.

UPDATE 12:55 p.m.: National Grid is expected to be on scene within the next half hour.

Police Beat: Tireless car struck by train, driver arrested

By Howard B. Owens

Shane Wheeler, 31, of Sackett Road, Bergen, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, leaving the scene of a property damage accident, failure to reduce speed for hazard and moving from lane unsafely. Sheriff's Deputies responded to the area of routes 33 and 19 area following a complaint of a car on the road driving only on tireless rims. Upon arrival, deputies located fresh scrape marks on the roadway and followed the marks. An accident scene was located at the intersection of Lyman and Coward roads in Byron. The scrape marks continued north on Coward and onto the CSX railroad right-of-way. While searching the right-of-way, deputies discovered the vehicle had become stuck and was struck by a passing train. Wheeler was located, uninjured, and deputies determined he was allegedly operating the vehicle while intoxicated. The incident was investigated by deputies Howard Carlson and John Weis.

Grant A. Sundown Jr., 46, of Skye Road, Basom, is charged with felony aggravated unlicensed operation, 1st, DWI and aggravated DWI. Sundown was stopped at 8:25 a.m. Thursday on Lewiston Road, Oakfield, by Deputy Bradley Mazur.

Kevin Christopher Heschke, 25, of St. Marks Street, Le Roy, is charged with felony DWI and failure to keep right. Heschke was reportedly observed by a Le Roy Police officer swerving and driving left of the pavement markings on Church Street on Thursday night. Heschke reportedly fled his vehicle and was caught in a nearby backyard. He was jailed on $1,500 bail.

Jessica Marie Poodry, 22, of Bloomingdale Road, Alabama, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, reckless driving, and failure to notify DMV of address change. Poodry is accused of leaving the scene of a personal injury accident at 1:35 a.m. Friday on Gilmore Road, Pembroke. The accident was investigated by Deputy Jason Saile.

Koro Karanja Prince , 18, of Troy Avenue, Brooklyn, is charged with criminal trespass, 2nd. Prince is accused of being in an apartment at College Village after being banned from the property.

Armekco Devanta Austin, 19, of Monica Street, Rochester, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd, and criminal trespass, 2nd. Austin is accused of being inside a room at College Village after being banned from the property.

Joshua M. Gaudioso, 22, of 3232 Fillmore Ave., Caledonia, is charged with obstructing governmental administration, 2nd, and unlawful possession of marijuana. Le Roy Police assisted Sheriff's deputies in locating Gaudioso who was wanted on a warrant. Gaudioso allegedly struggled with officers when located. Following his arrest, a bag of marijuana and a pipe were allegedly found on him.

Dog bites jogger in Alabama, gets Tased

By Billie Owens

A jogger was reportedly bitten by a loose dog in the vicinity of Knowlesville and Ham roads in Alabama.

A law enforcement officer happened upon the scene and attempts to control the dog were unsuccessful. The officer used a Taser gun to subdue the dog. Then the owner came to the scene and secured the dog.

An ambulance was called for the bite victim and an Animal Control officer is en route to kennel the dog.

No word on the kind of dog involved. The dog had been on a leash, but managed to get free of it.

UPDATE 2:03 p.m.: Mercy medics have been cancelled.

Police Beat: Oakfield man accused of choking girlfriend

By Howard B. Owens

John Terry Boyce, 22, of Maple Avenue, Oakfield, is charged with unlawful imprisonment, 2nd, criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation, endangering the welfare of a child and harassment, 2nd. Boyce is accused of choking his girlfriend during an argument at 10:50 a.m., Thursday. He allegedly refused to let her leave the bedroom while holding their 1-year-old son in his arms.

Matthew L. Nagle, 22, of 34 Parkway Drive, North Chili, is charged with petit larceny. Nagle is accused of shoplifting from a supermarket in Le Roy.

Jason H. Freeman, 29, of Alden, is charged with petit larceny. The alleged crime took place in Alabama at 3:57 p.m., March 16. Freeman was arrested at the Genesee County Jail by State Police. No further details released.

Police Beat: Rochester resident accused of stealing cartons of cigarettes from smoke shops

By Howard B. Owens

 

Frank James Davis, 31, of East Rochester, is charged with petit larceny. Davis is accused of entering the Totem Pole Smoke Shop at 10:50 a.m., March 3, loading 15 cartons of cigarettes into a basket, then walking past cashiers and then running out of the store without paying for the cigarettes. The cigarettes are valued at $502 and the basket is valued at $10.

Davis is also accused of stealing $204 worth of Winston Lights on the same date from Arrow Hawk Smoke Shop. Davis was charged with petit larceny for that alleged crime.

Jennifer L. Coombs, 27, of 103 West Main St., Le Roy, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th. Coombs is accused of slashing three tires on a car in November.

Andrew Paul Dentinger, 20, of Broadway Road, Alexander, is charged with unlawful dealing with a child. Dentinger is accused of hosting an underage drinking party. Deputies responded to an address on Broadway Road, Alexander, at 12:58 a.m., Saturday to investigate the party.

David A. Burr, 23, of Elba, is charged with criminal mischief, 3rd. Burr is accused of intentionally damaging the front door of T.F. Brown's restaurant at 1:40 a.m., Sunday. Burr was jailed without bail.

Janie B. Burgess, 57, of 7 Maureen Drive, Rochester, is charged with DWI, unsafe turn. Burgess was stopped at 10:13 p.m., Saturday, on Oak Street by Officer Chris Camp. Burgess was jailed on $500 bail.

Daniel G. Crane, 34, of 9395 Upton Road, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and inadequate lights. Crane was stopped at 12:52 a.m., Sunday, on Main Street by Officer Dan Coffey.

Mark D. Hoerbelt , 42, of 152 State St., Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and inadequate headlights. Hoerbelt was stopped at 12:43 a.m., Friday, on West Main Street by Officer Matthew Fleming.

A 16-year-old resident of Wood Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. The youth is accused of stealing an iPod in January while at Batavia High School. The youth was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Jennifer L. Stack, 25, of 12 Oak St., is accused of failing to pay a fine. Stack was convicted in May on an unnecessary noise charge. She was released on $100 bail but allegedly failed to appear at her next court appointment.

Scott C. Brown, 22, and Ashley M. Yunke, 31, of 11 1/2 Wood St., are charged with criminal nuisance. Brown and Yunke are accused of hosting a party where people under 21 were allowed to drink. They were arrested at 12:20 a.m., Sunday. They were jailed on $500 each bail.

Amanda A. Barclay, 23, of Oakfield, is charged with false report of an incident, 3rd. The alleged incident occurred at 4:27 a.m., March 18, in the City of Batavia. Barclay was arrested by State Police on Thursday. No further details were released.

Jared C. Reese, 31, of Stafford, is charged with controlled substance not in original container and criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th. Reese was stopped by State Police at 6:09 p.m., Thursday, on Route 33, Stafford. No further details were released.

Photos: Three for Thursday

By Howard B. Owens

Along Maltby Road, Elba.

Bliss Road, Oakfield.

Gorton Road, Alabama.

Zonta Club honors Oakfield-Alabama student

By Billie Owens

Zonta Club of Batavia-Genesee County has named an Oakfield-Alabama High School student as a winner of the Young Women in Public Affairs Award.

Kasey Edgerton won and will be presented with a check for $500 to
encourage her to achieve her educational and career goals. Her application
will be entered in the Zonta International District #4 award competition.

The Zonta International Young Women in Public Affairs Award competition,
established in 1990, is open to young women who are seniors in high school.
The program is designed to encourage women to pursue decision-making
positions in their communities in order to impact the policies that affect the lives of women in the community and throughout the world.

Applicants are asked to reflect on their lives, their commitment to the communities in which they live, and the issues that the nations of the world must address to
improve the lives of their people.

The Zonta International Young Women in Public Affairs program looks to the young women of today who will be the leaders of tomorrow.

Edgerton was selected for this honor because of her commitment to her school and her community. Throughout high school she has been a participant in Drama Club, Scholastic Bowl, Future Business Leaders of America, Batavia Player Youth Theater and volunteering as a Junior Counselor for HOBY.

In addition, she has been a member in Student Council, Elementary and Community School Organization (E.C.S.O.) and the Reach Out program.

She plans to continue to serve her community and aspires to study English and Japanese Studies at SUNY Albany to establish a career as an ESL teacher.

Zonta International, with headquarters in Chicago, is a worldwide service organization of executives in business and the professions working together to advance the status of women.

Photos: Evening drive in Alabama

By Howard B. Owens

Here are four pictures from an evening drive in Alabama.

Above, an old farm wagon and rundown car on Roberts Road.

Combine on Roberts Road.

I took this picture on Sour Springs Road. If my online sleuthing is correct, this reed, which I see in Genesee County a lot, is commonly called a Burma Reed (Neyraudia reynaudiana) and is non-native in North America and highly invasive.

Telephone poles as the sun sets along Maple Street Road.

Police Beat: Multiple identify theft and forgery charges filed against Erie County inmate

By Howard B. Owens

Raymond Gandolfo, 38, of Massachusetts Street, Buffalo, is charged with three counts of identity theft, three counts of forgery, criminal possession of stolen property, 4th, and grand larceny, 4th. Gandolfo is accused of using a stolen credit card between 10:13 a.m. and 10:35 a.m., Sept. 25, to purchase merchandise at three separate stores on Veterans Memorial Drive, Batavia. The total value exceeded $1,000.Gandolfo was arraigned in Town of Batavia Court and returned to the Erie County Holding Center without bail.

Francis N. Shiltz, 69, of Alleghany Road, Strykerville, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and unsafe backing. Shiltz was allegedly involved in a two-car property damage accident at 6:49 p.m., Thursday, at the Rez Smokeshop.

Arturo Vasquez-Armas, 41, of 2336 Judge Road, Oakfield, is charged with offering a false instrument for filing,1st, and criminal possession of a forged instrument, 3rd. Vasquez-Armas allegedly possessed a forged Social Security card while attempting to obtain a NYS non-driver ID at the Genesee County DMV office. Vasquez-Armas was jailed without bail.

Timothy Alan Duboy, 19, of Wethersfield Road, Warsaw, is charged with forcible touching. Duboy is accused of forcibly touching the intimate parts of another person. The alleged incident occurred at College Village on Jan. 25.

Possible cigarette thief being sought in Alabama area

By Howard B. Owens

Law enforcement units are in the area of the Tonawanda Indian Reservation searching for a black Sonoma pickup that may be driven by an alleged cigarette thief.

The driver is suspected of grabbing several cartons of cigarettes from a shop on the reservation and fleeing.

UPDATE 12:12 p.m.: A possible suspect stopped on Galloway Road.

Possible house fire on Wright Road, Alabama

By Billie Owens

A possible house fire is reported at 365 Wright Road in the Town of Alabama.

Pumpers from Alabama and Indian Falls' fire departments are called to respond.

A woman who lives there reported that she returned home to find her house full of smoke and the couch smoldering. She also said the hot-water heater appeared to be knocked over.

UPDATE 6:41 p.m.: A chief reports the house is charged with smoke, but the fire appears to be out. Pembroke Fire also dispatched.
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Photo: Sunset on Gabbey Road

By Howard B. Owens

Before all heck broke loose this evening, I was out in the western part of the county looking for a good sunset picture when I came across this scene.  Picture shot on Gabbey Road (just west of Route 77) in Pembroke/Indian Falls.

Police Beat: Criminal contempt charge filed

By Howard B. Owens

Darik Robert Michael Orbaker, 18, of Forest Edge Drive, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt. Orbaker is accused of violating an order of protection.

Frank G. Frainier, 47, of Lewiston Road, Royalton, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and improper right turn. Frainier was arrested after the Sheriff's Office received a report at 6:47 p.m., Monday, of a car off the road on Route 77, Alabama.

Two rollover accidents in Alabama

By Billie Owens

Two rollover accidents, one with minor injuries, are reported in Alabama.

One of them is at 1564 Lewiston Road, near Church Street. Alabama Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

The other is a 1790 Judge Road and the vehicle is on its side. Oakfield Fire Department is responding, although it's in Alabama's district. No injuries. Mercy medics are responding nonemergency-mode to evaluate those involved.

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