Ritchie Kirkum submitted this photo, which he shot (he received as a SMS message) in East Pembroke.

UPDATE: Picture submitted by Ian Cromwell

A funnel cloud, or tornado touched down in Corfu just before 5 p.m. knocking down about 15 power polls and numerous trees.

There is some building damage, but no serious damage has been reported so far.

No injuries have been reported.

The tornado was tracked by the National Weather Service heading toward Oakfield and was expected to reach there at 5:20 p.m.

The tornado has apparently not touched down elsewhere in Genesee County by 5:35 p.m. and was moving into Orleans County (if it still exists).

There has been the smell of natural gas in the village and work crews are being dispatched to shut down utilities, with an ETA of 25 to 60 minutes.

Portions of routes 33 and 77 have been shut down.

Initial Report.

UPDATE 5:44 p.m.: Tornado warning has been cancelled.

UPDATE: Audio interviews with witnesses, unedited:

• Interview one
• Interview two
• Interview three

UPDATE: Audio interview with the Corfu Fire Chief.

UPDATE: photo submission by a reader who asked to remain anonymous

Heather Wooton submitted this photo from her backyard in Holley.

UPDATE: 10:13 p.m.  Finally back from the scene, had some dinner ... my battery died out in Corfu, so I'll be doing some more updates now.

Submitted by Beverly Hensel.

A reader submitted this photo. I've seen it on the cellphones of multiple people. It may be the most widely distributed cellphone picture of the twister. TV news crews at the scene were complaining that they couldn't use it because nobody knows who took it. We here at The Batavian are quite confident it hasn't been doctored in PhotoShop. That just seems highly unlikely, so no concern about sharing it with you.

Reports of a tornado hitting Corfu are coming in -- several power lines down along Route 33, and the road is being closed from the fire hall to Route 77.

There are numerous 911 calls coming into the dispatch center.

Trees have also been knocked down.

The tornado is moving east.

UPDATE: Eastbound Route 33 is closed and southbound Route 77 is reported completely impassable.

A funnel cloud has been spotted moving toward East Pembroke. 

Route 77 at Route 20 is being closed in both directions.

There are reports of damaged homes and cars, but no injuries reported. (UPDATE: We're also hearing now houses in the village damaged, but fire crews are shutting off utilities.)

UPDATE: The National Weather Service has just issued a tornado watch:

* TORNADO WARNING FOR... GENESEE COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK... THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF BATAVIA... WEST CENTRAL MONROE COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK... SOUTHEASTERN ORLEANS COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK...
* UNTIL 545 PM EDT
* AT 503 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF OAKFIELD...OR 9 MILES WEST OF BATAVIA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR... OAKFIELD BY 520 PM EDT... BYRON BY 545 PM EDT...
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT SATURDAY EVENING FOR WESTERN NEW YORK.

UPDATE 5:20 p.m. : No reports of the tornado touching down else where; it has been spotted from the Thruway.  At a location in Corfu there is the smell of natural gas. Emergency crews report that so far they've found "everybody OK."

UPDATE: 5:30 p.m.: Smell of gas at the flower shop. Also, tree limbs spotted on train tracks in the area.

Northern Genesee County is about to get hit with a severe thunderstorm capable of producing nickel-sized hail, according to the National Weather Service office in Buffalo.

Winds could exceed 60 m.p.h.  There is a weak rotation area in the storm that could develop into a tornado, the weather service warned.

At 4:45 p.m., the storm was in the area of Alabama, 9 miles south of Medina and moving northeast at 25 m.p.h.

"If a tornado is spotted," the Weather Service statement says, "act quickly and move to a place of safety in a sturdy structure, such as a basement or small interior room.

The severe thunderstorm watch remains in effect until 9 p.m. for all of Western New York.

UPDATE: At 2:37 p.m., northbound traffic is released to travel.

UPDATE: At 2:33 p.m.,the accident was under control and crews were dispersing.

A two-vehicle accident with injuries is being handled now, 2:25 p.m. at 8019 Lewiston Road in the Town of Batavia.

Emergency workers at the scene have requested a second ambulence, which is heading there from Oakfield.

It appears to be a rear-ender. The first ambulance is headed to Strong Memorial Hospitial in Rochester.

The accident site on Lewiston Road is near Galloway Road and the Route 90 bridge. Northbound traffic is being halted and traffic is being rerouted down Galloway Road, according to the police on the scanner.

No other information is yet available.

The Walgreens in Le Roy is now open, as we learned from a glowing piece of PR published in the Batavia Daily News.

The problem of its construction, which as is downright hostile to other businesses in the village with its parking lot and fence in front of the building, is, of course, still a problem.

And it was a problem the Le Roy Planning Board recognized back in August 2007, according to an article in the Daily News archives:

Planning Board member Jerry McCullough said he would like to see a design consistent with a small-town Main Street look, including having the store closer to the sidewalk and all the parking either behind the building or to one side and the rear.

Planning Board Chairman Robert Dawley agreed. He would like Walgreens to design a store similar to the way the Village Hall sits on its parcel, with green space between the sidewalk and building and its front setback consistent with nearby properties.

"I think it would be visually more pleasing to the community," he said. The traditional downtown look would also provide better sight lines for drivers approaching the traffic light at routes 5 and 19, he said.

I remember being told a year ago that the building would fit into the village.  I wonder whatever happened to that plan?

Meanwhile, the building is already up for sale. Asking price: $5.1 million.

 My friend from Oakfield Dave Nanni and his band,Redheaded stepchild.Tim Pitcher sat in.They played in Attica on Wednsday night,at the gazebo concert series.It's nice at the Attica park.They have an outdoor pool too.

It's about 7 minutes past 10 o'clock and I'm seeing fireworks northbound on Bank Street off Main Street.

I'll try and get a few pictures with my cellphone.

UPDATE: Got some pictures. I'll post them in a little bit. Turns out the fireworks were coming from Dwyer Stadium. Sorry about the spacing on the original post. I was using my phone and rushing to get everything typed out to get some pictures before they stopped.

Click here for pictures

It took nine innings for either team to score a run and ten for Batavia (18-17) to come up with the 2-1 win over Jamestown (13-22).

In the bottom of the decisive inning, Ryan Jackson started things off by hitting a base hit off the first pitch he saw.  D’Marcus Ingram followed him with a double to put runners on second and third.  Devin Goodwin then flew out to center field for the sacrifice to get the game winning RBI.

Jamestown took the early lead in the 9th by scoring one run on two walks and a single.  Batavia answered right back in the bottom of the inning.  Xavier Scruggs reached first on a wild pitch and Beau Riportella came in to pinch run for him.  Ryde Rodriguez then singled to move Riportella to third.  During the next at-bat, a wild pitch enabled Riportella to come in to score the tying run to send it into extras.

Joe Kelly (1-1, 3.24) picked up the winning pitching the two-thirds of the 9th and the 10th innings, giving up one hit with one walk and one strikeout.  Scott Schneider had a good start, going five innings with three hits and eight strikeouts.  Eric Fornataro filled in the gap with two hits, one run and two walks.

Ingram finished the night going 3-for-5 with a double and a triple.  Rodriguez went 2-for-4.

The Bergen Fire Department is responding to a reported truck fire at the Sugar Creek store on Route 19 and Route 33.  The truck is reportedly unloaded.

The DOT today announced a $585,737 project to pave a portion of Route 262 in Elba and Bryon.

The contract is expected to be awarded to Hanson Aggregates New York of Jamesville.

The section will stretch from Route 98 to Route 237.

The announcement was contained in a press release that announced several projects across WNY. All of the projects will take about two weeks each, with most of the work being done before the end of the summer, but all projects completed before 2010.

Also from the press release:

The economic-recovery funds coming to New York State for transportation projects must follow the same process required for distributing all federal transportation funds. The funds are allocated to projects that are selected by the 13 regional Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) across the state, which are comprised of local elected officials, local transit operators and NYSDOT representatives. MPOs vote unanimously on projects for their Transportation Improvement Program, and the projects are candidates for economic-recovery funds.  These paving projects were approved by the Genesee Transportation Council to be eligible to receive ARRA funding.

Valle Jewelers, 21 Jackson St., Batavia, N.Y.: An exquisite store with quality merchandise to fit any budget. At Valle Jewelers you get exceptional customer service from a business that has been serving Batavia for three generations. We have a $25 gift certificate for $12.50.

South Main Country Gifts, 3356 S. Main St. Road, Batavia, N.Y.: Another fun place to shop. There are items for the home and gift items of great variety. The two-level store has everything from incense to garden ornaments. We have a $20 gift certificate for $10.

Alex's Place, 8322 Park Road, Batavia, N.Y.: People come from all over the region for a fine dining experience at Alex's. Alex's is best known for its ribs, of course, but Alex's seafood is also a favorite of the restaurant's diners. We have a $50 gift certificate for $25.

Delavan's Restaurant and Tavern, 107 Evans St., Batavia, N.Y.: If you're looking to try a perfect neighborhood eatery, check out Delavan's. We have a $25 gift certificate for $12.50.

Center Street Smoke House, 20 Center St., Batavia, N.Y.: Ribs, brisket, steak, prime rib -- Center Street is a meat lover's paradise. We have a $25 gift card for $12.50.

Picasso's Pizza, 419 W. Main St., Batavia, N.Y.: A great variety of pizza, subs and salads -- and try the wings, too. We have three $5 booklets of $1 gift certificates ($15 value) for $7.50. The gift certificates can be used collectively or individually.

Eclectic Creations, 625 E. Main St., Batavia, N.Y. Do you like fashionable purses? Maybe a unique watch is more your style. Eclectic Creations a variety of items that you won't find in any other local store. This is a $20 gift certificate for $8.

A $1 PayPal service fee applies on items more than $10. The fee is 50 cents on items below $10.

Rules: The gift certificate must be used by within 30 days of purchase. It is not valid with other offers and has no cash value. People who have won a certificate in the past 30 days are not eligible to win a certificate from the same business as before. Gift certificates cannot be combined with other offers without prior approval of the merchant. Gift certificates bought separately cannot be combined for a single purchase. By state law, gift certificates cannot be used for alcohol purchase.

How to Win: Purchase using the PayPal "Buy Now" button below. After the first person to hit the "buy now" button completes the purchase, PayPal will let you know that the item has been sold. The winner has up to 48 hours to make arrangements to pick up the gift certificate at The Batavian office in Downtown Batavia, or, unless other arrangements are made, the gift certificate will be mailed to the address associated with the PayPal account.

Valle Jewelers

SOLD

Alex's Place

SOLD

Center Street Smoke House

SOLD

Delavan's

SOLD

Picasso's

SOLD

South Main

SOLD

Eclectic Creations

After two public meetings and collecting feedback online, the consolidation study committee is ready to release its final report on a possible merger of the town and the city of Batavia.

The title of the report: Plan for Consolidating the City & Town of Batavia in One Government.

I guess "A Tale of Two Cities" was taken.

The report will be released Wednesday night at 7 o'clock in Batavia Town Hall.

A copy of the report will be made available to the public on the consolidation Web site on Thursday.

Following release of the report, it will be up to the governing bodies of the city and the town to decide how and when to proceed. Each body must hold a public hearing and then agree to schedule a ballot proposition asking "should there be a consolidation." 

If both jurisdictions approved of such a measure, we still wouldn't have consolidation, because each jurisdiction's voters would then have to approve a new charter.

Meanwhile, the city has its own City Charter revisions to consider and if that goes on the November ballot, city residents won't get the opportunity this election cycle to vote on consolidation.

By state law, no other ballot questions can appear when the charter revision is up for vote.

The lack of a turn signal may have been the cause of an accident in Darien on Thursday afternoon that sent two people to the hospital.

Charles V. Kopp, 51, of 2996 Countyline Road, was northbound on Countyline Road when he reportedly slowed to make a left hand turn into a private driveway. Kopp reportedly told Deputy T.G. Wescott that he did not use a turn signal.

Jeremiah W. Stanek, 20, of 9806 Allegheny Road, Corfu, was also northbound. He told Westcott that he didn't see a turn signal of Kopp's 1995 Chevy pickup.

Stanek reportedly struck Kopp's vehicle from behind causing it to travel off the west side of the roadway, where it left the pavement and struck a tree.

Stanek reportedly suffered an injury to his lower leg and was transported to UMMC.

A passenger in Stanek's 1998 Chevy pickup, 23-year-old Jeremy M. Kasprzyk, was also taken to UMMC with a possible chest injury.

The accident occurred about 4:12 p.m. yesterday.

Nicole M. Wenzel, 18, of 2 Goade Park, Batavia, is charged with harassment and endangering the welfare of a child. Wenzel allegedly slapped a young girl in the face.

A 17-year-old from Batavia has been charged with possession of stolen property. The youth was found with the property, which had been reportedly stolen from a Town of Batavia residence on Thanksgiving Day, 2008.

The report below was submitted this evening by Bruce Ross of the Indian Falls Fire Department:

There was a semi vs car MVA in front of 404 Main Rd. Pembroke at approx.  3:30 this afternoon.

The car traveling West on Rt. 5 was struck by a semi tanker that was  traveling East on 5.  The impact caused severe damage to both vehicles driver  sides.  The car spun around at least 180 degrees once coming to rest in the  ditch facing East. A City of Batavia Ambulance that was on its way to Buffalo  on a transport was first on scene.  Pembroke and Indian Falls Fire Dept. used  the jaws of life to extricate the driver of the car which took approx. 15  minutes to complete.  The driver was then flown by Mercy Flight to Strong  Hospital in Rochester with multiple face lacerations and possible internal  injuries on top of a pre existing medical issue that may have been aggravated  in the accident.

Mutual aid fire dept called to the scene was Akron to shut down East bound  traffic at 5 and Crittenden Rd, Corfu to shut down West bound traffic at Lake  and 5 and to set up a Mercy Flight landing zone behind Pembroke Fire Hall, Darien for a ambulance.

The Stuart Steiner Theater at Genesee Community College has hosted many quality college productions over the years. However, these past three weeks, a younger group of thespians called it home.

They are members of GCC's theater camp who'll be performing “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” this Friday and Saturday.

The musical comedy features the beloved Peanuts characters from the late Charles M. Schulz’s comic strip. The gang's all here -- Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Sally, Schroeder and Snoopy, of course.

Maryanne Arena, director of Fine and Performing Arts at the college, says she picked the show because of its wide appeal and because it is a full-length musical.

“I felt we were ready to do a full-scale show,” she said. 

The 22 campers, who range in age from 8-16, say the past three weeks have been fun, but challenging. 

“It’s a great experience to be onstage, and it gives the kids the idea of what it’s really like," said Margaret Gayford, who is playing Lucy. "Everyone works really hard." 

This is the 13-year-old Warsaw native’s fourth year at the camp, and she says she enjoys seeing old friends year after year.

“We’re all like a family from working together so much,” Margaret said.

Spencer Hubbard, also 13, has the role of Linus. He says the camp has made him realize his love of live theater.

“I’ve learned that I really, really want to be an actor," Spencer said. "And now instead of acting on TV, I’d much rather do Broadway.”

“You shouldn’t be afraid to come out and show the world what you can do,” added 11-year-old Alix Young, with a grin, spreading her arms theatrically.

Alix has the part of Sally.

Arena says that she hopes the children will take away from the camp an appreciation for more than just the applause at the end of the show.

“I try to teach love for the process, not just the end result,"  said the director. "I try to teach respect for what goes into making a show.”

Performances of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” are Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at  2 p.m.. The college is located at 1 College Road in Batavia. Tickets are $5. For ticket reservations contact the Box Office at (585) 343-0055 x6814 or by email to BoxOffice@genesee.edu.

UPDATE: Cedar Street was reopened at 2:05 p.m. and the gas line is no longer leaking.

UPDATE: At 1:58 p.m. the leaking gas line was shut off at the street. Cedar Street is being closed temporarily because of the emergency work.

At 1:35 p.m. a gas line was reported leaking at 109 Cedar St. in Batavia. At 1:43 p.m. emergency responders ask that traffic be rerouted because of the "significant gas leak."

Within minutes of the initial call, occupants at the Time-Warner Cable Co. facility had the gas line turned off at the building, although the rest of the line continued leaking.

Firefighters responded in roughly three minutes and asked for National Fuel Co. to come out and shut off the leaking pipe.

Construction crews reportedly hit the gas line while working there.

The wind was noted as being 11 MPH out of the southeast, with the temperature at 72 degrees.

"We're losing a hundred jobs -- and that's difficult in any day and age," said Chris Suozzi, senior vice president of business development at Genesee County Economic Development Center. "We're very discouraged.

"We offered to do what we could to change their minds. But there are not a lot of tools at our disposal. It's a leased facility (Pioneer's Mill Street Offices). The good news is that Pioneer invested $2 million in it and it's now Class A grade space.

"We're very hopeful we can back fill this space. We've reached out to our marketing partners, who give us tips about companies who might be interested in a space this size."

It's set up as "back office" space and is equipped as a call center. It has 13,500 square feet of renovated space on the ground floor and another 8,500 square feet of unfinished space on the second floor.

GCEDC sold the building to Scott Harris late last year. He's the owner of a door company called Millworks Solutions and, Suozzi said, Harris knew Pioneer was leasing the building on a year-to-year basis. Later this year, Pioneer's lease would have been up for renewal.

Even though Harris will have lots of empty space for awhile, Suozzi said it's prime space, thanks to Pioneer.

Pioneer Credit Recovery's spokesman Rick Castellano wrote us email clarifying the taxpayers' money it got.

It says "...Pioneer only received economic incentives for the commitments that we met in Batavia. No incentives were received for the project to construct a permanent site for the company’s work on the IRS Private Debt Collection Program.

"...The $350,000 loan Pioneer received was repaid. We did not receive any of the grant money for (a) new facility."

The repaid loan was used to upgrade Pioneer's Mill Street offices.

Furthermore, although Pioneer was awarded a great deal more money as part of its contract, the company never got it. That's because the plan to expand and build a new facility was not viable after the government cut the program in which private firms could collect some IRS debts.