batavia

Wayne Fuller, the voice of Batavia sports, passed away this morning at Strong Memorial Hospital after a lengthy illness.

Fuller was 70 years old.

With a perfect baritone broadcast voice, Fuller became a local legend over the decades, serving as a public address announcer for the Batavia Muckdogs as well as Batavia High School sports. He worked for WBTA at various times since 1967.

Fuller was well known for not only his talent as an announcer but also his encyclopedic knowledge of sports and pop music and his photographic memory.

"Wayne Fuller was blessed with a marvelous voice and a considerable talent, and we were blessed with Wayne Fuller," said Bill Kauffman. "For somewhere between three and four decades, he was the voice of Batavia baseball — of the Trojans, the Clippers, the Muckdogs.

"His voice perfectly fit Dwyer Stadium; Batavia baseball sounds like Wayne Fuller. I think of Wayne as the voice of Batavia, a voice that will never stop echoing."

Batavia gave Fuller a place to excel -- plenty of local sports, but also a locally owned AM radio station that gave him an outlet for sharing the pop music of the recent past that he loved and knew as well as he did baseball history.

Dan Fischer, co-owner of WBTA, said Fuller was a perfect match for the station throughout so much of the station's history.

“Wayne was a unique on-air personality," Fischer said. "He had a perfect voice for AM radio, clear and distinctive. That voice served him well for his public address work as the stadium announcer for the Muckdogs and in the gymnasium for BHS basketball.

"Wayne could weave a story in such great detail. He knew what the weather was on the day his story was set; he could tell you what song was popular on that day. He had a passion for trains and memorized schedules and could describe railroad stations along most any route.

"He was a great friend and a wonderful and talented employee who will be missed by his colleagues and fans alike.”

Fuller was dedicated to the youth of the community and loved being the voice of so many Batavia sports. Both Buddy Brasky, head coach of Batavia HS basketball, and Michael Bromley, the school's athletic director, said he will be missed.

"Wayne was a very important part of Batavia Athletics for many years," Brasky said. "As the PA announcer for the varsity boys' basketball games, he added a sense of professionalism to the games. His enthusiasm, the way he played the music, the way he introduced the players in the starting lineups, always added to the atmosphere at the games."

Fuller was a 1965 graduate of Batavia HS. He was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 2013. Bromley also noted the press box at Dwyer Stadium is named after Fuller.

"More than that, Wayne was a friend to everyone," Bromley said. "He was a friend to many of our coaches, many of our athletes. He's going to be deeply missed. We tried to replace him for the season but there's still a big absence without him on the sidelines for basketball."

The impact Fuller had on the region goes beyond sports and broadcasting, however. He was also passionate about his longtime job with Empire Trailways.

Fuller was fascinated by bus schedules and fairs and he was instrumental in pushing bus companies across the Northeast in adopting computerized ticketing, according to his former boss Jack Barker.

"He was promoted to traffic manager in 1974 for Empire Trailways and he held that position for many years, taking care of bus schedules and fares," Barker said. "His contribution to the bus industry was exemplary. He was a friend of mine for probably over well over 50 years and he will definitely be missed."

Ironically, Fuller's broadcast career almost got derailed before it started. He had been hanging around WBTA as a teenager and the station manager one night blamed him for an announcer's on-air mistake. He thought that was the end of his connection with the station.

"I got thrown out of the station by the then-program manager," Fuller told Lucine Kauffman last year during an interview for her WBTA show, Genesee Life. "His name was Bob Folkler. He thought that I had broken up the announcer one night on the radio and it was somebody else. But I got thrown out. So I thought I was done hanging around BTA.

"This was in '67. About a week later, he called me up and said, 'Wayne, could you work tonight?' So here I went into this with no training because I was already pretty well trained because I'd been hanging around so much. I knew exactly what to do. So I just sat down did it."

Jaylinn M. Oneil, 27, of Walnut Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, criminal use of drug paraphernalia, 2nd, criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument, and endangering the welfare of a child. Oneil was arrested by members of the Local Drug Task Force following a search of his residence as the result of an investigation initiated by the Department of Social Services. Following arraignment, Oneil was released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

Timothy James Hodgins, 32, of Lewiston Road, Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and inadequate headlamps. Hodgins was stopped at 7:48 p.m. Thursday on Lewiston Road, Batavia, by Deputy Kyle Krzemien.

Andrew Charles McGiveron, 29, of Walkers Corners Road, Byron, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. McGiveron was stopped at 7:52 p.m. Feb. 2 on Clinton Street Road, Stafford, by Investigator Christopher Parker. McGiveron was allegedly found in possession of a glass pipe and a small quantity of marijuana during a traffic stop.

Paul Donald Fields Jr., 48, of Pearl Street Road, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .8 or greater, aggravated unlicensed operation, 1st, criminal possession of a controlled substance, and moving from lane unsafely. Fields was charged following an investigation by Deputy Travis DeMuth into a motor-vehicle accident reported at 10:46 p.m. Wednesday on Indian Falls Road, Pembroke.

Abrain D. Wright, 33, of Rochester, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Wright was stopped by State Police at 11:07 p.m. Thursday on Route 33 in Bergen.

Photo and info submitted by Tobacco Free GLOW.

Press release:

Tobacco use is the number one preventable cause of death and illness in New York State. Tobacco control representatives from Tobacco-Free GLOW Julie Calvert, Brittany Bozzer, Ben Streeter and Krysta Hansen, recently met with Assemblyman Steve Hawley at the Capitol in Albany to discuss the important tobacco control work being done in the GLOW region to save lives. 

Ben Streeter and Krysta Hansen are students at Notre Dame High School.

Genesee County has an oversupply of owner-occupied housing for the extremely low-income people and not enough for market-rate renters, according to a housing study released yesterday.

There's also a shortage -- to the point of being essentially nonexistent -- of single-family, owner-occupied housing for households with incomes of $100,000 to $150,000.

Ed Flynn, a consultant with LaBella Associates, and 24-year resident of Batavia, presented the findings of the county-commissioned housing needs assessment to a gathering of local officials and residents last night at the Old Courthouse.

Other problems facing the county are a slowly declining population and an aging population.

"The demographics and the economics are changing," Flynn said. "The community must recognize that the type of community that Batavia or Genesee County was 10 years ago has completely changed. The type of households have completely changed and we have to recognize and acknowledge that economic development does matter. So in order to avoid the current projections where there is continual population decline you really need to create jobs."

The flip side to shortages in housing is there is demand. 

There is demand for middle-income, owner-occupied, single-family housing. There is demand for smaller-unit, smaller-lot, single-family housing in the city. There is demand for market-rate rental properties.

And what people say they want in their housing of the future is housing that is ADA-accessible, with sidewalks and trails and access to alternate forms of transportation and connected to amenities and services.

"Based on the survey, we got a lot of feedback," Flynn said. "People said, 'we want more than just a house. We want a community.' 

"So let's look at some small lots, areas of compact development patterns where you can walk and where there are landscaping and smaller houses. Let's look at some downtown areas or some compact development where you can do some of these high-end houses or a mixed-income housing in the downtown areas or some strategic areas in other villages and towns."

As evidence of the demand for market-rate rentals, Flynn pointed to the new apartments that have been added to the downtown housing stock over the past few years. In each case, these apartments were snapped up immediately at rates of $1,000 to $1,500 a month.

Flynn said it will be interesting to see if that trend continues with the four new apartments in the former Newberry's building go on the market, but based on the survey data, it appears the demand for that kind of housing is still present in the City of Batavia.

According to the data gathered for the report, there are 2,070 households in the county with upper-level incomes and only 889 rental units suitable to that market.

There may be additional opportunities to rehabilitate other existing structures and housing units that meet market demands but with more than 80 percent of the housing in the county more than 50 years old, there is growing demand for new housing.

The problem in attracting new housing development, however, is the low cost of current housing.

The median single-family housing price has dropped from $115,192 in 2000 to $107,000 in 2015. Rental rates have risen only slightly, from $715 in 2000 to $724 in 2015.

The average cost of an existing housing unit is $83 per square foot. The average cost of new construction is $175 per square foot. That means an existing 1,650-square-foot house might sell for $136,950 but it would cost $288,750 (excluding developer profit and permitting fees) to build a new 1,650-square-foot house.

Without government-backed incentives, Flynn said, it will be difficult to attract developers to Genesee County to build new housing.

Those trends holding housing prices down also means owners are less likely to upgrade and improve their existing properties, whether owner-occupied or rental.

"If you have a house and you know the value is not going to change, you are probably not going to do as many updates," Flynn said.

Among the recommendations in the report is creating a countywide program to provide incentives for owners of single-family homes to rehabilitate and upgrade those units.

Over the next 20 years, there will be a demand for 4,804 additional housing units in Genesee County, according to the report.

There will be a need for 2,858 single-family units, with 1,699 on standard lots and 1,159 on small lots.  

Nearly 80 percent of the 4,804 new units will need to be rental properties, with 1,138 of those being part of multi-family complexes.

While most people, the survey found, want to live in single-family homes -- 78 percent -- there increasing interest in multi-family or small units, such as patio homes, townhouses, senior living apartments, duplexes, and apartments (89 percent).

Forty-two of the respondents said they want to move into smaller living units and 33 percent said they want lower cost housing in the future.

There is also a strong need for housing the meets the needs of people with disabilities, with 13.4 percent of the population having some sort of disability. With an aging population, that number will grow. Nearly 20 percent of the people in poverty are disabled.

For the poor, housing is often substandard or too expensive for their income levels. More than 6,800 households in the county are living with housing with problems. Examples include plumbing problems or substandard kitchen facilities. More than 20 percent of renters are paying more than one third of their income in rent and more than 20 percent are paying more than 50 percent of their income in rent.

For owner-occupied homes, there is an oversupply of extreme/very low-income units, with only 885 households qualifying at that income level and 3,355 such units in the county. 

Meanwhile, there are 15,050 households who could afford market-rate and higher owner-occupied properties but only 8,871 such units exist.

There is also demand in the low-income range -- between extremely low income and middle income -- for suitable housing.

For renters at the very low-income spectrum, there are 1,600 such households and only 565 such units available. 

Meanwhile, there is an oversupply of low-income and middle-income rental units.

"We need to consider economic development," Flynn said. "And I'm not just saying that because I like the folks at the EDC (county Economic Development Center) or other economic professionals, because if you create jobs and you create wealth you're going to create demand for housing."

Click here (PDF) for the written report.

Jaomi Delgado is indicted for the crime of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a Class B felony. It is alleged that on Dec. 20 in the City of Batavia that the defendant knowingly and unlawfully possessed a narcotic drug, cocaine, with intent to sell it. In count two, he is accused of same crime for allegedly knowingly and unlawfully possessing one or more preparations, compounds or mixtures or substances containing a narcotic drug, cocaine, and these were of an aggregate weight of one-half ounce or more. In count three, Delgado is accused of the crime of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree, also a Class B felony, for allegedly selling cocaine in the City of Batavia on Dec. 20.

Samuel R. Baudanza is accused of the crime of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a Class B felony. It is alleged that on Aug. 22 in the Town of Pavilion that he knowingly and unlawfully possessed a narcotic drug -- cocaine -- with intent to sell it.

Isaac C. King is indicted for the crime of assault in the second degree, a Class D violent felony. It is alleged that on July 31, having been charged or convicted of a crime and while confined in a correctional facility -- the Genesee County Jail at 14 W. Main St., Batavia -- that he intentionally caused physical injury to another person. In count two, the District Attorney accused King of fourth-degree grand larceny and alleged that on that date he stole property from a person at the jail.

Check out these budget pleasers. Please click here to view our listing on 29 Cherry Street in Batavia.
Please click here to view our listing on 14 Harvester Avenue in Batavia.

Submitted photos and press release:

At the Batavia City School District Board of Education meeting on Feb. 6, several students and staff members were presented with achievement awards for their exemplary work and contributions.

Nathaniel Barber is an Outstanding Student!

In recognition of his demonstrated kindness, compassion, and respectfulness to all staff and fellow students, kindergartener Nathaniel Barber was presented with an Outstanding Student Award by Board of Education president Patrick Burk.

He was nominated by Kelly Heizmann, Lucille DiSanto, and Shannon Reiss who wrote, “At six years old, Nathaniel is a model of the core beliefs we hope to instill in our students at Batavia City Schools. Nathaniel comes to school every day with a smile on his face and ready to learn. No matter how challenging the task, Nathaniel approaches everything with a positive attitude and puts forth his best effort.

"During his busy days, there are times Nathaniel has to leave a task incomplete to attend one of his therapy sessions; when he returns to class, he is not only ready but wants to finish the work he left behind. This is just one example of his strong work ethic. Nathaniel takes newly learned skills from a therapy session and independently applies them to all areas of his school day.

"For example, it is not uncommon for him to independently use or correct his pencil grip in speech therapy to the correct way that he was shown in occupational therapy. Anyone who knows Nathaniel would tell you that he is respectful, compassionate, and kind to all. This is shown in his respect to our school and others by following directions and classroom rules.

"Often times Nathaniel will rub the shoulder or put his arm around a peer who may be struggling or having a difficult day. You can count on him to try to encourage or cheer up others. His kindness is seen by all who know him. His positive attitude, eagerness to learn, and happy state of mind are infectious to all of us who are lucky enough to know and work with him.”

Savahanna Vanderveer is an Outstanding Student!

In recognition of her kindness, compassion, and respectfulness to all staff and fellow students of the Batavia City School District, Savahanna Vanderveer was presented with an Outstanding Student Award by Board of Education president Patrick. She was nominated by Mary Kanaley and Eileen Peterson, who wrote, “Kindness and perseverance are just two character traits that come to mind when thinking about Savahanna. She brings a smile to everyone's face and a positive attitude to the class with her friendly, bubbly personality. She is always looking for more ways to help friends and teachers. Savahanna works hard in all areas and tries her best in everything she does. Mrs. Kanaley and Mrs. Peterson are so proud to nominate Savahanna for this award for all she has done to be a wonderful friend and student this year!”

Jeremy Mettler is an Outstanding Staff Member!

In recognition of his valuable contribution to the staff and students of the Batavia City School District, BHS Social Studies teacher Jeremy Mettler was presented with an Outstanding Staff Award by Board of Education president Patrick Burk.

He was nominated by Dr. Corey, who wrote, “Mr. Mettler is very passionate about at-risk students. He organized a poverty simulator exercise for Middle School and High School teachers so that they would learn more about how it feels to live life in poverty.

"The event was well-received by all and brings a new level of awareness about the needs of many of our students. He will help facilitate future events for teacher aides and all teachers.”

Jessica Levins is an Outstanding Staff Member!

In recognition of her valuable contribution to the community, staff, and students, Jessica Levins was presented with an Outstanding Staff Award by Board of Education president Patrick Burk.

She was nominated by Kelly Garner, who wrote, “Miss Levins works in the Counseling Center as a counseling assistant and also spends one day a week interning as she works toward her bachelor's in social work and eventually a master's in school counseling.

"In November, she was asked to help with the annual holiday donations at the High School. In addition to calling every family to procure wish lists, Miss Levins created all of the stars for our BHS Giving Tree, organized every donation that came in, and kept in constant communication with the families we helped this holiday season.

"She spent much of her own personal time to accomplish these tasks, made her own generous gift donations to the cause, and also helped deliver the gifts to families.
Miss Levins truly went above and beyond to make a difference for our families who were most in-need this holiday season.

"Because of her outstanding and selfless work, we were able to provide clothing, shoes, toys, and wrapping paper for 37 students from 13 different families this holiday season. From her outstanding connections with our students, to her work as a freshman class advisor, and now this incredible gift to our community -- Jess genuinely takes care of BCSD each and every day.

Jessica Levins and Kelly Garner are Outstanding Staff Members!

For going above and beyond to provide support to those in need, and for their compassion and leadership while serving others, Counseling Center assistant and intern Jessica Levins and BHS counselor Kelly Garner were presented with Outstanding Staff Awards by Board of Education president Patrick Burk.

They were nominated by Mark Warren, who wrote, “Kelly Garner and Jessica Levins stepped up to organize a Giving Tree for the High School staff to purchase gifts for District students in need. Their efforts allowed families in the District to help provide clothes and "wish" items to their children during the holiday season. The faculty and staff did an excellent job supporting the program, but without Mrs. Garner and Miss Levin’s compassion and leadership, it would not have been as successful.”

Ann Marie Wood is an Outstanding Staff Member!

In recognition of her valuable contribution to the staff, students, and community, Ann Marie Wood was presented with an Outstanding Staff Award by Board of Education president Patrick Burk.

She was nominated by Andrea Smith, who wrote, “Mrs. Wood serves as a substitute in many positions throughout the District. She willingly takes on the job with a smile and handles any position with dedication and enthusiasm, regardless of the challenges she may face.

"She comes to the Middle School to sub in the offices, as an aide, and even as a teacher. Mrs Wood recently served as a substitute for my Spanish classes at BMS and I could not have asked for a better person.

"Ann Marie is dedicated to the students and staff of BCSD and to the Batavia community. We are blessed to have her as part of our staff!”

Press release:

As part of our continued community partnership, the Batavia Police Department offers the following services to landlords in an effort to help them choose the best possible tenants and evaluate police responses to their properties.

These services were developed in direct response to feedback the department received from landlords and directly address the concerns they had. Below are the listed services and information on both programs.

Property Owner FOIL (Freedom Of Information Law) Request – This service will tell landlords how many times the Batavia Police Department has responded to a property within the time frame requested. After the initial request, we will provide a monthly contact summary every month on the second Tuesday of the month. Landlords can have the information emailed to them at no cost. For a hard copy, a charge of $.25 per page will be assessed. Copies of actual reports will not be provided.

Tenant Background Check – This service will show landlords the times a potential tenant has been arrested. This information will only show arrests and not how many times the potential tenant has had police contact. The information provided will include arrests from the Batavia Police Department ONLY and will cover the previous five years. The potential tenant will have to submit the background check form, in person, as we must verify their identity. Cost for this service is $10 which will need to be collected from the potential tenant at the time the form is turned in. The background form cannot be turned in by the landlord.

Copies of the above request forms can be found under the “Police Department” section on the City of Batavia’s website located at http://www.batavianewyork.com/Files. Forms can also be provided via email, U.S. Mail or by stopping at Batavia Police Headquarters located at 10 W. Main St., Batavia, NY 14020. Results can be sent via email, U.S. Mail or in person.

Press release:

Crosby’s is celebrating the grand reopening of two convenience stores in Batavia and Elba this week.

Grand reopening festivities will take place at 9 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 8, at the store in Elba, located at 64 S. Main St., and will be attended by: Keith Palmer, Elba Central School District superintendent; Assemblyman Stephen Hawley; Jay Grasso, a field representative from Sen. Michael Ranzenhofer’s office; and Patrick McKinney, a representative from Congressman Chris Collins’ office.

At 9 a.m. Friday, Feb. 9, the Batavia location at 5267 Clinton Street Road will celebrate its grand reopening with Mickey Edwards, Byron-Bergen Central School District superintendent; Assemblyman Hawley; and Congressman Chris Collins.

In addition to the festivities at each location, Crosby’s will donate $500 each to the Byron-Bergen Central School District and the Elba Central School District.

Both of these locations were existing structures acquired by Crosby’s in early 2017 that underwent remodels that included major cosmetic upgrades and a variety of customer-friendly amenities including fuel, a sub shop and multiple hot and cold beverage options.

“Updating these two stores allows us to better serve our customers with an expanded offering,” said Doug Galli, vice president and general manager of Reid Stores. “Crosby’s thrives in communities like these because we become an active participant within the community – beyond simply offering products and service.”

At each location, customers can get a cup of Crosby’s signature 100-percent Arabica bean premium roast coffee for only 99 cents for a regular size. The Elba location will also feature f’real milkshakes; smoothies; and Crosby’s Arctic Express, which offers frozen carbonated beverages (Arctic Chill and Arctic Freeze) or frozen fountain sodas in more than 12,000 flavor combinations.

Each location also features an extensive take-out menu that includes fresh-baked pizza, made with Crosby’s own 100-percent whole-milk mozzarella, served whole or by-the-slice; fresh, made-to-order hot and cold subs prepared in an in-house Sub Shoppe; and fresh-baked cookies prepared on site. The Elba location will also have fried foods, including chicken wings, mozzarella sticks, pizza logs and more.

The stores will also offer a newly expanded selection of cold beverages, dairy and frozen foods, fresh fruit, competitively priced grocery items, tobacco products and other amenities including an ATM, prepaid wireless phone cards, gift cards, propane exchange and a variety of New York State Lottery games. Both locations will accept SNAP benefits.

The Batavia location recently upgraded the fuel facility and now offers Mobil fuel. The Elba location offers Mobil gas and diesel fuel. Both locations are also on the Plenti rewards program. See the store for further details.

Crosby’s, a division of the Reid Group, is headquartered in Lockport, NY. The company operates 87 Crosby’s convenience stores throughout Northwestern Pennsylvania and Upstate New York.

The Reid Group, founded in 1922, is a full-service independent motor fuel marketer providing a comprehensive range of products and services for retail motor fuel outlets and convenience stores. The Lockport-based company serves retail and commercial customers.

For more information, visit www.CrosbysStores.com.

      Ismael Laffosse

Ismael L. Laffosse, 31, Fisk Road, Akron, is charged with second-degree attempted assault, second-degree menacing, third-degree criminal mischief, and criminal possession of a weapon, 4th. Laffosse is accused of striking another person with a baseball bat and damaging that person's personal property. The incident was reported at 6:54 p.m., Jan. 29, at a location on Apollo Drive, Batavia. The victim suffered serious injuries but has been released from the hospital.

Armando L. Carrion-Rojas, 23, of McCall Road, Greece, is charged with criminal mischief. Carrion-Rojas is accused of breaking the driver's side mirror of his girlfriend's car at 1:50 p.m. Monday at a location in Le Roy, and of damaging a residence door after his girlfriend locked him outside the residence. He was jailed on $500 bail or $4,000 bond.

Derek James Wert, 36, of Tracy Avenue, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Wert allegedly contacted by electronic means a person he was ordered by a judge not to contact. Wert was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Ronald F. Ratulowski, 44, of Eleanor Place, Batavia, is charged with third-degree assault. Ratulowski was arrested on a warrant. The original incident was reported at 11 p.m. Sept. 10 at a location on Eleanor Place. No further details released.

Bonnie L. Cortright, 30, West Main Street, Batavia, was arrested on two City Court warrants. The reason for the warrants was not released. She was released on her own recognizance.

Kevin Andrew Rivera, 23, of Batavia Stafford Townline Road, Batavia, is charged with third-degree criminal mischief. Rivera allegedly broke the window of a College Village dorm room at 10:56 p.m. Monday.

Nicholas Gerald Schafer, 19, of Broadway Road, Darien, is charged with DWI, driving while impaired by drugs, driving while ability impaired by the combined influence of drugs and alcohol, and parking violation on a highway. Deputy Kyle Krzemien was dispatched at 4:17 p.m. June 30 to Batavia Elba Townline Road, Elba, to investigate a complaint of a subject passed out in a vehicle. Following an investigation, Schafer was charged.

Jeremiah D. Williams, 26, of Batavia, was arrested by State Police following a revocation of parole. He was ordered held in jail.

An 18-year-old resident of Batavia is charged with petit larceny. The defendant was arrested on Goade Park. The incident was reported at 6:17 p.m. Monday in Kendall. The arrest was made by State Police at 6:10 a.m. Tuesday. No further details released.

Katrina P. Giummo, 29, of Corfu, is charged with petit larceny. Giummo is accused of a theft reported in Corfu at 1:18 p.m. Monday. She was arrested by State Police. No further details released.

Yesterday afternoon, consultants and an investigator from the Department of Environmental Conservation were at the former Santy Tire property, an anticipated part of the Ellicott Station project, digging test pits to further define the severity and scope of environmental contamination on the property.

There is a pending application for the property for a brownfield tax credit -- one has already been granted for the Della Penna property -- for the parcel. The DEC asked for more evidence of environmental contamination.

A car has reportedly gone of the roadway and into the woods in the area of mile marker 393.0 in the eastbound lane of the Thruway. 

Unknown injuries. 

The location is in the area of Kelsey Road. 

Town of Batavia Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched. 

UPDATE 9:07 a.m.: No injuries. No damage to vehicle. Town assignment back in service. 

A larceny of a canine just occurred on Griswold Road. The caller told a dispatcher that a gray vehicle pulled into the driveway and took the dog through a door and drove off.

The driver headed down Clinton Street Road and turned northbound onto Batavia Stafford Town Line Road.

The caller followed the suspect's vehicle and state troopers caught up with it on Bank Street south of West Saile Drive, where they now have it stopped.

UPDATE 1:44 p.m.: We are working to clarify some additional information. The dog's owner says the dog was outside when it was taken.

Press release:

The Fashion Program students at Genesee Community College are proud to announce the 37th Annual Fashion Show to take place at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 28, and everyone is invited to save this date now!

The theme this year is "Ascendant" which carries two separate but equally important definitions. First, "Ascendant" speaks to the rising power GCC has in communicating fashion. This show is the culmination of student learning and it truly delivers the message that fashion is not only thoughtful, but impactful.

Secondly, the term ascendant represents the very first moment of a new day when the sun's path crests the eastern horizon. It typically describes a person's rising sign -- the exact moment of one's birth, dictating by calendar, the astrological sign under which a person is born. Astrological signs have been used to describe character traits of those born under each sign; just one way in which groups of people differ from one another.

The "Ascendant" theme moves beyond recognizing these differences and to use fashion to make statements about moving to appreciate those differences as potential contributions to creative teamwork.

"Ascendant" promises to be a bigger production than ever! It will take place on the 24,000-square-foot indoor field house in the brand new Richard C. Call Arena, which will be transformed into a dreamlike area by the Fashion Program students. With plenty of space and accommodations for 2,000 guests, the students will be putting on one huge production.

The only show will be on Saturday, April 28, 2018 at 7 p.m. so make sure to get your seats today!

Tickets to attend the show are available in advance for $5 per person until 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 25. After that, tickets will be available at the door for $8 per person. To purchase tickets in advance, email fashionshow@genesee.edu today.

Interested in an opportunity to show your support for the Fashion Show? GCC's fashion program students are currently soliciting and accepting production sponsors. Business donation opportunities of $10 and personal donation opportunities of $5 are still available.

Sponsors will be included in the Fashion Show Program as well as on the Fashion Show website. Contact Debbie Mancuso at (585) 345-6830 or via email at fashionshow@genesee.edu to schedule a donation pick up or to make special arrangements for your donation. Checks should be made payable to GCCA and can be mailed to: Genesee Community College, Fashion Show, One College Road, Batavia NY 14020-9704.

To get an inside look at the 37th Annual Fashion Show, Ascendant, follow @trendygcc_ on Instagram and @trendygcc on Twitter. Students will be sharing details about the show and more!

The Fashion Program at GCC has always been a flagship program for the college. The knowledge and experience of the program faculty and the dedication to their students has produced quality and professional workplace candidates and well-prepared transfer students since the program's inception 40 years ago.

Recently, GCC resigned its articulation agreement with LIM for students in the Fashion Business: Merchandising A.A.S. program. Students who complete the track and degree can seamlessly transfer to LIM to complete their B.B.A. in Fashion Merchandising, Visual Merchandising, Marketing or Management.

In addition, GCC is very excited to announce a new articulation agreement with Cazenovia College. This agreement provides a seamless transfer opportunity for GCC's Fashion Business: Merchandising A.A.S. students to Cazenovia's Fashion Merchandising B.P.S. and for GCC's Fashion Business: Fashion Design A.A.S. students to Cazenovia's Fashion Design B.F.A. degree program.

Anyone interested in taking advantage of these transfer opportunities through GCC is encouraged to contact GCC's Student Success Center at (585) 345-6805 or via email at SSC@genesee.edu.

Take a stroll down Memory Lane with a fun winter concert by the Genesee Chorale on Sunday, March 4 at St. Joseph's Catholic School.

The performance begins at 4 p.m. The school is located at 2 Summit St. in the City of Batavia.

The nonprofit ensemble of 75 members from Genesee, Orleans, Wyoming, Livingston and Erie counties will perform: "In My Life," "Blackbird," "Blowin' in the Wind," "As TIme Goes By," "Someone to Watch Over Me," and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody."

These and other choral renditions of favorites have been prepared under the direction of Ric Jones. Soloists and small groups will round out the program, which draws from pop, rock, Broadway, film, and even a television series.

Tickets are available through the box office online here for $8 or they may be purchased at the door for $10.