Stories from

A two-car accident is reported by the parking lot at Batavia Downs, 8315 Park Road. Town of Batavia Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding. Law enforcement is on scene. An 8-month-old infant is said to have a head injury and a 7-year-old has a hand injury.

A two-car accident is reported at 110 Oak St. A person is said to have back injury. City fire and Mercy medics are responding.

A one-car accident is reported on Route 77 just north of the Thruway overpass. A person is injured and bleeding. Pembroke and Indians Falls fire departments are responding along with Mercy medics.

UPDATE 2:22 p.m.: The vehicle has minor damage. There was air-bag deployment, according to a responder.

From Laurie Napoleone:

On Saturday, Sept. 19^th, the Michael Napoleone Memorial Foundation is hosting “Run for the Gold” to raise awareness and funds for pediatric cancer.

The 5K Run/Walk will be held in Le Roy starting at the Summit Street Tennis Courts beginning at 9 a.m. Registration begins at 8 a.m. The cost is $25 pre-race and $35 on the day of the race. T-shirts will be given to the first 100 runners.

New this year – a balloon launch. Buy a balloon in memory and honor of a loved one or just send a special note on one.

Gather friends and family and take a walk on a beautiful fall morning while making a difference in the lives of those affected by a pediatric cancer diagnosis. If you can’t walk, just join the foundation for a fun day in the lovely Village of Le Roy.

Register today at http://www.active.com/leroy-ny/running/distance-running-races/run-for-the-gold-2015?int or for more information go to michaelshope.org.

Hope to see you there!

Press release:

United Memorial Medical Center will host a multi-agency mass casualty incident drill on Friday, Sept. 25, at approximately 2:30 p.m. Visitors to the hospital at 127 North St., Batavia, during this time should expect to see several emergency vehicles, first responders, and increased activity.

Joanne O'Geen lives in the Village of Le Roy and is a 72-year-old dementia patient. She wandered off from her house on foot this afternoon and Le Roy PD is asking for the public to be on the lookout for her. She was last seen around 3:30-3:40.

If you spot her, call 9-1-1 immediately.

She is white and has dark, short hair. She is wearing black slacks and shoes, eyeglasses, and a white, short-sleeved shirt. She is said to be well known in the community.

UPDATE 5:58 p.m.: The woman has been located and is safe.

UPDATE: Here's a press release from Le Roy PD about the search:

A search for an elderly endangered person ended well today in the Village of Le Roy thanks to an alert neighbor, a very white shirt and a search party. The Genesee County Dispatch received a call about 4:05 p.m. advising that an elderly female with dementia had left a residence in the Presidential Acres, wearing a white shirt and was now missing in the village and was last seen on Robbins Road.

The family had been out looking for the person for about a half hour but was unable to locate her. The Le Roy Police started looking for her but were unable to locate her initially, at which time more manpower from the Le Roy Police and Genesee County Sheriff's were called in to assist along with a K-9 unit from Livingston County and a helicopter from the New York State Police. The Le Roy Fire Department was then placed on standby.

The ground search continued at which time an alert neighbor who was not sure what exactly was going on, notified the ground units of something suspicious that he saw. The neighbor stated he saw a person wearing a white shirt exit a hedgerow in a crop field east of Robbins Road and was now standing in the field between Robbins Road and Summit Street.

The ground units responded to that location and observed a person having a very white shirt standing about 150 yards out in the field. At 5:56 p.m., the missing female was located safe and unharmed and was returned to her residence.

Batavia's Original Pizzeria has a new campaign going as a way of saying "thank you" to any law enforcement officer, firefighter, emergency medical technician or member of the military.

Their Pay It Forward program works this way: buy a giant slice of pizza for $3 plus tax and they will put up a Post-It note on the window at the pizzeria, located at 500 E. Main St. in the City of Batavia.

Then when a person in uniform (as mentioned above) comes in the restaurant, they can take a Post-It note off the window and redeem it for a gargantuan slice of pizza, pre-paid by you.

The phone number, in case you want to call in an order, is 343-3303.

(Photo of Dime A Dance with driver Matt Kakaley, courtesy of Paul White.)

By Tim Bojarski, Batavia Downs Media Relations

A lightning-fast track and 80 degree temperatures greeted the New York Sire Stakes 2-year-old pacing fillies at Batavia Downs where two divisions offering a total of $109,000 in purses, along with important points needed to make the NYSS final, were up for grabs on Wednesday night (Sept. 16).

Prohibitive 2-5 favorite Dime A Dance didn't dissapoint her backers as she put on a show in her $54,500 division, winning in definitive style and resetting the world's record for a 2-year-old pacing filly over a half-mile track.

Dime A Dance (Roll With Joe-Hat Dance Hanover) took off the pace fourth and watched as No Clouds Bluechip (Kevin Cummings) and American Ivy (Mark Macdonald) duked it out for the lead in a fast :26.4 quarter. From there, the field remained stagnant until the half when Mother Of Art (John Cummings Jr.) pulled first over from third and Dime A Dance (Matt Kakaley) took cover second-over behind her.

The group picked up the pace with a :28.4 third panel but that wasn’t fast enough for the eventual winner. Dime A Dance swung three-deep at that station and circled the field to clear and pull away by three-lengths in an impressive and uncontested victory in 1:52.4.

The time was a new world's record for 2-year-old pacing fillies, besting that of Isabella Blue Chip's 1:53.1 at Delaware, Ohio in 2006. It was also a new track record for Batavia Downs, smashing the old standard of 1:54.2 set by Sassa Hanover just last year.

“She’s definitely one of the better fillies this year. She was just awesome tonight; she could have paced faster,” said driver Matt Kakaley.

It was the third win in eight starts for Dime A Dance ($2.90) and it pushed her earnings to $101,513 for owners Our Horse Cents Stable, Blue Chip Bloodstock and J&T Silva Stables. The filly is trained by Ron Burke.

In the first $54,500 division, Encore Deo hung on strong down the lane for a close victory over Art Critic.

Wishy Washy Girl (Ray Schnittker) took a quick, early lead before yielding to Encore Deo (Matt Kakaley) before the quarter that went in :28. The field remained single-file to the half before the heavily favored Upside Surprise (Mike Micallef) pulled from fifth to start her outside trek.

Upside Surprise got to third and hung and couldn’t gain anymore as the leader took the field to three quarters in 1:25.4. Positions stayed the same to the top of the stretch and Encore Deo was riding a short lead when Art Critic (Jim Morrill Jr.) swung inside the fading Wishy Washy Girl and came up the pylons. The two battled in deep stretch with Encore Deo just hanging on by a nose in 1:55.1.  

“I wanted to try her on the lead tonight. At three-quarters I thought I was going to win but it got a little close there at the end,” Kakaley said.

It was the second win in eight starts for Encore Deo ($13.40) and the winning time was a new lifetime mark for the filly. The winner’s share of the purse pushed her earnings to $56,578 for owners Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Jason Melillo and Lawrence Carr. Ron Burke mentors the filly.

There were also two divisions of the $15,000 NYSS excelsior series on Wednesday.

The first split was won by Major Millie (Art Major-Gravity) in 1:57. The filly is trained by Erv Miller and was driven to the victory by Kakaley. Major Millie ($9.10) is owned by KDM Stables Corp.

The second stanza was won by Milky Way Rae (American Ideal-Aurora Borealus) in a swift 1:55.3. She is trained by Tracy Brainard and was driven by Jim Morrill Jr. Milky Way Rae ($3.90) is owned by Fortunate One, LLC.

Racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Friday night (Sept. 18) at 6:35.

A woman driving a sedan, trying to park in a handicapped space at the mall downtown, accidently hit the gas pedal and plowed into a transformer unit that is screened off by bricks. The impact damaged the unit. As a result, there's a power outage on the block, including JCPenney. The driver appears to be uninjured but authorities on scene are having her remain inside her car until National Grid arrives to be sure there are no live power lines that could harm her.

UPDATE 12:09 p.m.: National Grid is on scene. The woman was allowed to get out of her car and she walked to the ambulance so medics could evaluate her.

A possible house fire is reported at 1 Jerome Place in the city. A caller at Tully's restaurant reports seeing smoke coming from the structure. City fire is responding. The location is between Prune and East Main streets.

UPDATE 6:23 p.m.: Somebody was grilling food in the yard. The assignment is back in service.

A motor-vehicle accident with injuries is reported at 380 Council House Road, Basom. A male is inside the vehicle, possibly unconscious. Alabama Fire Department is responding along with Mercy medics. The location is just southeast of Lone Road.

UPDATE 5:01 p.m.: Mercy Flight responded to the scene.

UPDATE 5:04 p.m.: The helicopter has arrived and is preparing to land. The victim is a 59-year-old male who was unrestrained in the vehicle at the time of the crash and is now semiconscious.

UPDATE 5:07 p.m.: Mercy Flight has landed.

UPDATE 5:54 p.m.: The driver hit a tree stump and the vehicle overturned. He was taken by helicopter to ECMC primarily as a precaution. Charges are pending. The assignment is back in service.

A two-car accident with injuries is reported at 2023 Indian Falls Road, Corfu. At least one of the vehicles hit a tree. The location is between Airville and North Pembroke roads. East Pembroke Fire Department is responding along with Mercy medics. Three ambulances are called in.

UPDATE 4:30 p.m.: A landing zone is being established for Mercy Flight.

UPDATE 5:01 p.m.: One person was transported to ECMC by Mercy Flight for precautionary reasons. Two others were transported to ECMC by ground ambulances. A fourth person is being evaluated at the scene.

UPDATE 5:11 p.m.: A spokesman at the scene said both vehicles involved are 2007 Honda Accords. One is gray and the other is black. Both drivers were male and each had one female passenger. The gray car was eastbound on Indian Falls Road and attempted to turn left into a driveway. It was struck by the westbound black Honda. The officer said the driver of the gray car will probably be cited for failure to yield the right of way.

Press release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department joins the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Council (GTSC) to commemorate National Child Passenger Safety Week (Sept. 13-19).

Safety seats, if used correctly, can dramatically reduce the risk of fatality or injury to children involved in car crashes. Therefore, even if you think you have your child in the right car seat, you should check again to be sure, as the latest data from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that approximately 59 percent of car seats are misused. Furthermore, in 2013 more than one-third of children killed in car crashes were completely unrestrained – meaning that they were not in car seats, booster seats or wearing seat belts.

Child Passenger Safety Week is a nationwide community effort sponsored by NHTSA to provide education on how to use car seats, booster seats and seat belts for children. The week concludes with National Seat Check Saturday on Sept. 19th, when certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians across the country will be available at local car seat inspection stations to offer advice and instruction to parents and caregivers about choosing the right car seat for their child, the importance of registering car seats with the manufacturer, and what to expect if the seat is subject to a safety recall.

The City of Batavia Fire Department will be hosting the National Seat Check Saturday event on Saturday, Sept. 19th from 10 a.m. to noon at the City of Batavia Fire Department (18 Evans St.). The event will be held rain or shine. Nationally Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians will be on hand to ensure the proper installation and use of child safety seats.

A caller on Washington Avenue in the city just reported that a black male attempted to enter the house via a kitchen screen door. He fled, leaving the door open, and got on a dark-colored bike and was heading toward Dellinger Avenue. He is described as black male, mid-30s, wearing dark clothes and a baseball cap. Police are responding.

A construction crew working at 20 Maple Ave. in the Village of Le Roy accidently struck a gas line, causing it to leak and it is hissing. Rochester Gas & Electric Co. is on scene for repairs. Le Roy Fire Department is there, too, and now an engine from Pavilion is also requested to the scene. The gas line affects natural gas service to several homes.

Press release:

YWCA of Genesee County is calling upon former Buffalo Bills Special Teams player Steve Tasker to help kick off this year’s annual Stiletto & Sneaker Walk. He will give opening remarks, go on the walk and be available for a meet-and-greet session afterward.

The walk is set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1 at YWCA, 301 North St. The walk is $10 and free for children up to 12.

YW Executive Director Jeanne Walton wanted to incorporate schools, especially athletics, into this year’s events as a fresh way to approach an old and ugly topic. Her main impetus was a well-publicized domestic violence incident by a National Football League player last year, and the lack of response by League officials.

It was an opportunity to turn a negative event around by fully addressing the topic of domestic violence, Walton said.

“Unfortunately, I really didn’t see that happen. So I thought on a local level we could do something in a very special way, and primarily through athletics," she said. "Steve Tasker has been a strong voice of the NFL for many years, both as a player and now as a sportscaster, and he seemed to be a great fit as spokesperson for this important topic.”

Tasker’s appearance is part of a collaboration between Genesee Community College and YWCA. GCC plans to bring more than 200 athletes to participate in this Domestic Violence Awareness Month event as part of the state’s requirements to provide related education.

“We’re excited. Last year the student athletes had a good time,” GCC Dean of Students Jennifer Newell said. “The importance of this topic goes beyond the college campus. I think we’ve got a nice partnership going.”

The college campus, and all nine school districts from Genesee County, are helping to push a YW initiative of #Thurple, a reminder to wear purple, the signature color of domestic violence awareness, on Thursdays throughout October.

The college and many area high school football and other sports teams will also be wearing purple socks during the month as a visual display in support of healthy relationships.

“Because domestic violence is not just a women’s issue, we want the support of men and women alike," Walton said.

Sometimes people living in the middle of a domestic situation don't even recognize that it's atypical from healthier surroundings, said Notre Dame High School Principal Wade Bianco.

That's one reason why he feels strongly that his school should be part of October's events.

"If you tell all the kids that this behavior is not normal, it shouldn’t be happening, then they know what to look out for. It’s good to teach them what’s right and what’s wrong,” Bianco said.

He and leaders of Alexander, Batavia, Byron-Bergen, Elba, Le Roy, Pavilion, Oakfield-Alabama and Pembroke have agreed to support the cause by wearing purple socks and clothing, hosting YW staff for a related assembly, painting pinkies purple, going on the annual Stiletto & Sneaker Walk and/or other activities as ways to raise awareness that domestic violence exists.

Purple socks will be available for purchase at the walk. Other awareness events include YW’s yearly Community Harvest Supper, a showcase of local agriculture’s finest, from 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 1 at YWCA and Kickstands Up for Domestic Violence Prevention at 1 p.m. Oct. 3 at Stan's Harley-Davidson on West Saile Drive.

The supper is $8 and the motorcycle ride is $15 for the driver and $10 for passenger, and includes a meal afterward. All proceeds will go to YWCA's Domestic Violence Crisis & Prevention Services programs.

For information or tickets, call (585) 343-5808.