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Portion of Randall Road shut down temporarily due to a wire down

By Billie Owens

A wire across the roadway on Randall Road prompted law enforcment to shut down the road until it can be removed. The location is between Richmond and Buckley roads. Stafford Fire Department is responding, along with a Sheriff's Deputy for traffic control.

UPDATE 1:55 p.m.: The wire has been removed and the road is reopened. Stafford is back in service.

Large, injured turtle in roadway in Stafford

By Billie Owens

A large turtle that's injured is reportedly laying in the roadway on Main Road in Stafford. Law enforcement is responding.

UPDATE 11:01 a.m.: "The turtle's been removed from the roadway and I'll be back in service," says the officer.

Car crash with injuries at Route 5 and Lake Road, Pembroke

By Billie Owens

A motor-vehicle accident with injuries is reported at Route 5 and Lake Road in the Town of Pembroke. Pembroke and Indian Falls fire departments, Mercy medics and law enforcement is responding.

UPDATE 11:57 a.m.: A male driver complains of a chest injury and there was air bag deployment on one of the two vehicles involved. Mercy medics are told to "back it down."

UPDATE 12:20 p.m.: The Pembroke and Indian Falls assignment is back in service.

Barn fire reported on State Street Road, Batavia

By Billie Owens

A barn fire is reported at 8244 State Street Road, just north of the BOCES complex. Town of Batavia Fire Department is responding. "That would be the old Stan's Harley-Davidson."

UPDATE 7:39 p.m.: Oakfield is asked to stand by in Town of Batavia's Station #1.

UPDATE 7:43 p.m.: State Street Road is shut down just north of BOCES to accommodate a 5-inch water line across the road to fight the fire.

UPDATE 7:48 p.m.: Town of Batavia fire and Mercy medics are on scene.

UPDATE 7:58 p.m.: The electrical breakers for the barn have been shut off.

UPDATE 8 p.m.: The barn is being vented.

UPDATE 8:09 p.m.: The fire is under control and firefighters are now doing overhaul.

Irish setter said to be on a roof on Pringle Avenue in the city

By Billie Owens

A resident reports there is an Irish setter on the roof at 30 Pringle Ave. in the city. The fire department is responding.

UPDATE 6:40 p.m.: Truck #15 is responding with its ladder. The home was recently purchased and the owners are not there. The dog busted through a screen on the second floor and is just hanging out, perhaps enjoying the scenery.

UPDATE 6:54 p.m.: "Lola" the dog was put safely back in the home, coaxed by firefighters. The owner, who was out for a bike ride, subsequently returned.

UPDATE 6:56 p.m.: Truck #15 is back in quarters.

Vehicle strikes gas meter on Reynolds Road in Darien

By Billie Owens

A vehicle struck a natural gas meter in front of a residence at 1129 Reynolds Road in Darien. There are no injuries. The gas meter is leaking. The residents have evacuated and National Fuel has about a 20-minute ETA. Darien Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 4:56 p.m.: A responder on scene says "It's a pretty good hit -- a line they took off." He's told winds are northeast at 5 mph.

UPDATE 5:35 p.m.: National Fuel is on scene. Darien is back in service.

Motorcycle wreck in Stafford

By Billie Owens

A motorcycle accident is reported in the 6000 block of East Bethany - Le Roy Road. The driver is conscious and alert, but lying on the ground complaining of shoulder pain. Stafford Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 4:42 p.m.: Mercy Flight is called to the scene.

UPDATE 4:55 p.m.: Westbound traffic is shut down.

UPDATE 5:08 p.m.: Mercy Flight is airborne and headed to Strong Memorial Hospital.

UPDATE 5:11 p.m.: The road is reopened. The Stafford assignment is back in service.

One-vehicle rollover accident on Maltby Road, Elba

By Billie Owens

A one-vehicle rollover accident is reported at 4040 Maltby Road in Elba, east of Weatherwax Road. The driver is out of the vehicle. Elba fire and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 11:57 a.m.: The Elba assignment is back in service.

UPDATE 12:03 p.m.: Mercy is transporting an 18-year-old male to UMMC for evaluation.

College trustees approve new Health Sciences degree program

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Genesee Community College's Board of Trustees voted earlier this month to approve a new Health Sciences degree program.

The program, which will offer an Associate in Science (A.S.) degree, must first be approved by the State University of New York and the New York State Education Department. If approvals are received as expected, the College will launch the new degree program in fall 2014.

The program will help students prepare for careers in established and emerging health care fields, such as unit coordinators in health care institutions, members of lab staffs, geriatric specialists, health assistants and wellness educators, health interpreters, medical records administrators, and dozens of other fields, according to Rafael Alicea-Maldonado, dean of Math, Science and Career Education, who helped shape the proposal for the new program.

The program is primarily designed as a transfer program, and students earning degrees will have the opportunity to complete two years of baccalaureate study at other colleges and universities. A number of colleges and universities in Upstate New York offer bachelor's degrees in the health sciences and wellness fields, and Genesee anticipates establishing transfer agreements with at least several of these colleges.

"Thousands of jobs in health sciences fields will be created in Western and Central New York in the years ahead," Alicea-Maldonado said. "An aging population, an increased focus on health and wellness in industry and new medical technology will all spur job growth.

"Even more significantly, the new federal Affordable Care Health Care Act will extend health care coverage to tens of millions of Americans in 2014 and the demand for allied health professionals who can help consumers prevent disease and manage a more complex health care system will be intense."

Courses in the new program will include a variety of biology and chemistry courses, Gerontology, Responding to Emergencies, Statistics, Introduction to Developmental Disabilities, Developmental Psychology Across the Lifespan, General Psychology, Introductory Sociology and a variety of liberal arts courses.

Trustees were enthusiastic about the new program, citing their own observations about the need for memory care providers, eldercare specialists and other professionals in the region.

Genesee currently offers a Health Studies Certificate program, which can be completed in one year of full-time study. Graduates of the program sometimes enter another of Genesee's health care degree programs, or obtain work as patient assistants in hospitals and other health care institutions.

The new Health Sciences program will join Genesee Community College's other prestigious health care degree programs. The College offers degree programs in Nursing, Physical Therapist Assistant Studies, Respiratory Care, Polysomnographic Technology and Veterinary Technology. The College also offers degree programs in Human Services and Alcohol and Substance Abuse Studies.

Car crash at Ellicott and Court streets in the city

By Billie Owens

A two-car accident with minor injuries is reported near the intersection of Ellicott and Court streets in the city. Mercy medics and the fire department are responding. Police are on scene. The people involved are out and walking around, according to a responder.

UPDATE 3:48 p.m.: One person needed to be evaluated for possible injury, and that turned out to be a sign-off. Mercy and city fire are back in service.

Motorcyclists invited on 'Ride to Remember' veterans

By Billie Owens

This Saturday is the “Ride to Remember,” sponsored by Genesee Veterans Support Network (GVSN) and Stan’s Harley Davidson. This ride honors those who served and sacrificed in defense of our freedoms.

Ride registration opens at Stan’s from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. Guided rides begin at 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Maps and directions are provided for those who wish to ride independently. It will be a 60-mile ride with three stops.

Event Date and Time
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Convicted sex offender from East Bethany pleads guilty to child porn

By Billie Owens

Press release:

BUFFALO -- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that Jerald Kicinski, 48, of East Bethany, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leslie G. Foschio, to receipt of child pornography. The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, a fine of $250,000, or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie P. Grisanti, who handled the case, stated that between December 2010 and December 14, 2011, the defendant received child pornography on his computer at his residence in East Bethany. These images had been transmitted to the defendant in interstate commerce via the Internet. Kicinski was previously convicted of sexual abuse in the second degree in 2002 and sexual abuse in the third degree in 1990. Both of the defendant's prior convictions involved minors.

The plea was the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of James C. Spero, special agent In charge. Sentencing will occur in front of Chief Judge William M. Skretny. No sentencing date has been scheduled.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

'Corsets, crinolines, and other instruments of torture' is topic of last HLOM's last Spring lecture

By Billie Owens

Did you ever wonder who wore corsets? Why did they wear them for over 500 years? Did you know men wore corsets in some time periods? What were the benefits of wearing them? 

A review of the fashion corsetry in the 18th and 19th centuries will be presented by Gail Argetsinger at the Holland Land Office Museum, 131 W. Main St. Batavia, at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 25.

She is an associate professor and costume designer in the Department of Theatre at SUNY Brockport who designs and builds the costumes for the plays and teaches costume-related courses at Brockport.

Event Date and Time
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'Corsets, crinolines, and other instruments of torture' is topic of last HLOM's last Spring lecture

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Did you ever wonder who wore corsets? Why did they wear them for over 500 years? Did you know men wore corsets in some time periods? What were the benefits of wearing them? 

A review of the fashion corsetry in the 18th and 19th centuries will be presented by Gail Argetsinger at the Holland Land Office Museum, 131 W. Main St. Batavia, at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 25.

She is an associate professor and costume designer in the Department of Theatre at SUNY Brockport who designs and builds the costumes for the plays and teaches costume-related courses at Brockport.

A favorite class is History of Costumes, which studies many corseting techniques. Her costumes have been seen frequently onstage in the Rochester area, particularly at National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Rochester Institute of Technology and the Jewish Community Center of Rochester. She has designed several outdoor dramas throughout the country, including the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, the musical UTAH! for the Tuacahn Amphitheatre in St. George, Utah, and the Hill Cumorah Pageant in Palmyra. She lives in Greece with her husband, Jerry, and two sons.

This lively and informative presentation is the last of the Spring 2013 series of lectures brought to you by the Holland Land Office Museum. It is open to everyone – all ages will enjoy this – general admission is $5 per person or $2 for museum members. Refreshments and a question and answer session with Professor Argetsinger will follow.

For more information or to make a reservation, please call Jeff Donahue, Director, at 343-4727.

Man who allegedly threw child to the ground, then slapped him, runs out of Walmart

By Billie Owens

Law enforcement is responding to the Walmart parking lot, near the Garden Center, after receiving a call that a man with three young boys in his care threw one of the them to the ground and then slapped the child. The only description is that the man is white, wearing a bright green shirt and he ran out of the store after the incident.

UPDATE 2:44 p.m.: A person in the parking lot told an officer that the subject left with the three little boys in an unknown type vehicle.

UPDATE 2:47 p.m.: The subject is believed to have exited the parking lot at the south end driving a dark gray older-type Buick.

Construction worker unconscious on roof of the federal detention center

By Billie Owens

Mercy medics and a Town of Batavia ladder truck are called to the Federal Buffalo Detention Center at 4250 Veterans Memorial Drive to help bring down a contruction worker who has been unconscious on the roof for approximately 15 minutes.

UPDATE 2:49 p.m.: Equipment already at the facility is being used to try and bring to patient down.

Town & Country Garden Club of Le Roy's annual plant auction at Presbyterian Church

By Billie Owens

The Town & Country Garden Club of Le Roy is holding its annual PLANT AUCTION at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 12 at the Presbyterian Church on the corner of Routy 5 (Main Street) and Route 19. It is free and open to the public.

We will be auctioning perennials, bulbs, houseplants and other miscellaneous garden items. There will be free refreshments! Come out and join us for a great night of fun! Proceeds are used for civic beautification in Le Roy.

Event Date and Time
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