To quote Charles Bukowski, "it was such a delving day" on Thursday, Jan. 2 when Bella the cat went in for surgery at the Perry Veterinary Clinic on (3699) West Main Street Road in Batavia.

Later that same day, owner Elizabeth went to retrieve her post-op pet and take her home. But instead, at the first opportunity, the calico-striped-white-bibbed feline made a mad dash for the marsh adjacent to the facility.

Let's face it, Bella doesn't like surgery or hospitals and she may have been a little foggy from the aftereffects of anesthesia, which may have made the nearby swamp, fen, slough -- call it what you will -- seem like an opportune escape route.

"I try and drive out to search every three hours and was hoping I would have found her by now but unfortunately that's not the case," laments Elizabeth, adding a frown to her emailed missive :(

Bella "is not aggressive at all and will allow being picked up and held if someone spots her."

Elizabeth says she can be contacted "at anytime day or night through phone call or text at (585) 967-7991."

It's very breezy out, cold, with a chance of snow showers to come, weather conditions that cause Elizabeth to fret all the more.

So, if you spot Bella at anytime -- even 3:41 in the morning -- reach out to Elizabeth. Keep your eyes peeled.

Statement from David Bertola, spokesman for National Grid in WNY, about yesterday's power outage:

A faulty piece of equipment that caused a Le Roy area substation to fail yesterday at around 9:08 a.m.
As a result, around 5,500 customers lost power. Around 5,000 of those customers had power restored by 2 p.m.

The remaining were restored by around midnight.

Press release from AAA:

Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $2.58, no change since last week. One year ago, the price was $2.24. The New York State average is $2.72 – up 2 cents from last week. A year ago, the NYS average was $2.59. AAA Western and Central New York (AAA WCNY) reports the following averages:

• Batavia -- $2.66 (no change since last week)
• Buffalo -- $2.65 (no change since last week)
• Ithaca -- $2.70 (up 4 cents since last week)
• Rochester -- $2.69 (down 1 cent since last week)
• Rome -- $2.69 (up 4 cents since last week)
• Syracuse -- $2.64 (up 4 cents since last week)
• Watertown -- $2.71 (up 3 cents since last week)

Gas prices were expected to be lower at the start of the new year, but with oil prices on the rise, motorists are still awaiting a drop at the pump.

Oil prices continue to rise and that directly impacts pump prices. Analysts are keeping a close eye on escalating tensions in the Middle East. The death of the Iranian leader in a U.S. airstrike could eventually lead to higher gas prices.

However, the U.S. has increased domestic production in recent years, so the country is in a better position than in the past.

From GasBuddy:

"To start the first week of a new decade, the national average has seen little change, but with the U.S. targeting and Iranian general in an attack last week, there is a distinct possibility that escalations in tensions may have an affect on gas prices moving forward," said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy.

"For now, there's been no physical disruption or retribution from Iran, but it has been promised. Oil markets have risen on the rising risk of Iran retaliating, but until it happens, don't expect gas prices to see much of a jump.

"For now, I could see a small 5-10 cent per gallon increase over the next couple of weeks, but the real potential for fireworks at the pump will be contingent on retaliation, and whether that retaliation targets oil infrastructure like Iran struck last year. For now we're in limbo, but typically gas prices decline slightly in January and February thanks to seasonally weak gasoline demand."

Photos and information submitted by Coach Matt Holman.

SWAIN -- The Batavia Ski Team and Southern Tier Race League began their race season Saturday at Swain Resort with a double race.

Two runs of Giant Slalom in the morning, followed by a single run of slalom in the afternoon.

It was an above-average temperature day for ski racing, spring-like conditions and morning mist turned to sleet and back to rain that making the top layer of snow soft and lumpy like mashed potatoes and also exposed the hard-packed ice base in spots of Wheels Run at Swain.

The Batavia Alpine Ski Team had a successful day, senior Aubrey Towner had the best finish of her career and led the way in fourth place in the giant slalom, and sixth in slalom. Junior Lily Whiting came in ninth in giant slalom and 13th in the slolam. Junior Zack Wagner finished in 11th in giant slalom and 12th in the slalom on the boys' side.

Modified skiers Lily Wagner (11th/13th), Ethan Bradley (12th/12th), Ben Stone (16th/18th), Elijah Abdella (18th/15th), Brody Swinehart (23rd/20th) and Abby Bestine (24th/23rd) all had strong first races.

The ski team will next compete at Swain on Wednesday, in a two-run Giant Slalom race at 5:30 p.m.

Team photo: Aubrey Towner, Lily Wagner, Lily Whiting, Elijah Abdella, Abby Bestine, Zack Wagner, Ben Stone, Ethan Bradley, and Brody Swinehart.

Zack Wagner

Aubrey Towner

Five bowlers cracked the 700 mark last Monday night in the Mancuso Real Estate/Smokin' Eagle BBQ doubles league at Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia.

Jason Quilliam led the way with 266-227-258--751, while Jim Dommer posted a 290 game and 723 series, James Townsend a 269 game and 721 series, Andrew Fowler a 279 game and 702 series and Mike DeVay Jr. a 245 game and 701 series.

In the Sunday Rolloffs League at Medina Lanes, Amy Allis registered a 711 set on games of 210, 233 and 268, and went on to win the Division 2 rolloffs competition.

For a list of high scores in Genesee Region leagues through Sunday, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of this page.

Leah R.H. Kelly, 35, of Jackson Street, Batavia, is charged with: menacing with a weapon; criminal possession of a weapon; and endangering the welfare of a child. Kelly was arrested following an investigation into a domestic incident which occurred at 1:26 p.m. on Dec. 12 on Jackson Street. The defendant is accused of using a knife unlawfully against another person or persons. Kelly was issued a computer-generated appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on Jan. 14. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Peter Flanagan.

Michael Abdellah Jamil, 35, of Hart Street, Batavia, is charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief. Jamil was arrested after allegedly damaging property at Williams Park on Pearl Street in Batavia at 1:45 p.m. on Sept. 30. He was issued an appearance ticket for Jan. 14 in Batavia City Court. The case was handled by Batavia Police Sgt. Christopher Camp.

Cheyne A. Hoerner, 35, of Chapel Street, Lockport, is charged with driving while intoxicated with a BAC of .08 percent or more, and DWI. At 12:04 a.m. on Dec. 29 on Clinton Street Road (Route 33) in Stafford, Hoerner was arrested on the charges following a dangerous condition complaint. It was reported that a rim on motor vehicle was creating sparks while the vehicle was being driven. Hoerner was released on appearance tickets and is due in Stafford Town Court on Jan. 14. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Nicholas Chamoun.

Thomas William McCabe, 42, of East Avenue, Attica, is charged with petit larceny. At 8:27 p.m. on  Jan. 1, deputies responded to Kohl's Department Store on Veterans Memorial Drive following a larceny complaint. Following an investigation, McCabe was arrested. He allegedly stole clothing from the store. He was issued an appearance ticket for Town of Batavia Court and is due there on Jan. 16. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Erik Andre, assisted by Deputy Joshua Brabon.

The New York State Troopers Batavia Barracks are holding a "Holiday Heroes Blood Drive" this morning through 3 o'clock in the afternoon at the Troop A Barracks, 4525 W. Saile Drive.

All presenting donors will receive a free T-shirt!

You can schedule an appointment at:   ConnectLifeGiveBlood.org (enter code 001983)

Or call the ConnectLife line at (716) 529-4270.

Walk-ins are welcome! A photo ID is required to donate.

A statement from Assemblyman Steve Hawley:

"After discussions with family, friends and colleagues, I have decided not to explore a potential run to become the next Assembly Minority Leader. I sincerely appreciate all of the support and consideration I've received over the last few days.

For our conference and constituents, it is important that Assembly Republicans begin the new year and new legislative session as a unified force. Even in the midst of change, our resolve and commitment must remain strong as we develop solutions for our constituents and fight back a liberal agenda that threatens our great state.

I proudly support my friend Assemblyman Will Barclay as our next Assembly Minority Leader, and I look forward to working alongside him as we move New York State in the right direction."

A car and tractor-trailer accident is reported in the eastbound lane of the Thruway around mile marker 385.6.

Unknown injuries if any.

Town of Batavia fire and Mercy EMS responding.

A power outage has hit a major portion of the east side of Genesee County with more than 5,000 National Grid customers without power.

National Grid reports it is assessing the situation. There is no estimated time for power restoration at this time.

The power outage affects Le Roy, much of Stafford, Bethany, Byron, and South Byron and into Bergen.

UPDATE 11:10 a.m.: Crews have been assigned. Estimated time of restoration, 5:15 p.m.

UPDATE 3:26 p.m.: We're not sure when power was restored but according to National Grid, power has been restored to all but fewer than five customers.

At about 1:30 p.m. today a Stafford resident thought he saw a dog fall through the ice at Horseshoe Lake and after the dog didn't reemerge from the water, he called emergency dispatch.

Stafford fire along with the water rescue team from City of Batavia fire responded but the prospects appeared grim. The dog was nowhere to be seen, there was no motion in the area where the dog reportedly went in, and 15 minutes may have already passed.

Still, the water rescue team went about its task of inflating its boats and slipping into cold water gear.

Then a call came over the radio, "tell them not to go into the water yet."

A second later, a deputy received a phone call, "It's not a dog?" he said to the person who called him.

It turns out, another resident has been aware of what was going on all along but wasn't aware emergency crews had been dispatched. Mike Mullen, a retired City firefighter, had seen the animal out on the frozen lake and spied it through his binoculars. His wife grabbed her camera and a long lens and took pictures. It was an otter eating a fish.

Every once in a while, the otter would dive back in the water with its giant catch of the day and then come back up on the ice to surface to feast some more.

"Without binoculars, it would look like a dog struggling," Mullen said.

When his wife had to leave the house a short time later, she spotted the police and fire response and Mullen came out with the camera, with its LCD screen on the back to show the pictures, and let everybody know, "it's just an otter."

(Initial Post) (Mobile App users, click here to view the video)

The Batavia Blue Devils fought through a couple of lead changes against local rival Notre Dame on Friday night in the championship game of the 31st Annual Rotary Tournament but prevailed in the end, 53-46.

Mackenzie Reigle scored 22 points on the night and was named the tournament's MVP.

Reigle's scoring included a pair of three-pointers while Bryn Wormley added 13 points, hitting four three-pointers in the second and third quarters. Emma Krolczyk scored nine points.

For Notre Dame, Morgan Rhodes scored 20 points, hitting a pair of threes along the way. Amelia McCulley, who fouled out with about 1:30 left in the game, scored 15. Lindsay Weidman scored six points.

In the consolation game, Pembroke beat Le Roy 59-49. It's the most points the 7-1 team has scored on the season. It is also the most points the Lady Dragons have allowed. Serene Calderon scored 17 points as did Nicole Von Kramer. Von Kramer hit five three-point shots. Mackenna Johnson scored 11 points. Jillian Curtis scored 12 points for Le Roy. Bryn Luckey added 11 and Kailyn Tresco scored nine.

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Jackson Briggs, son of Batavia Blue Devils football Coach Brennan Briggs, made his first snowman today, finishing it this morning in advance of the Buffalo Bills' playoff game today in Houston.

Photo submitted by Brennan Briggs.

There's a report of a dog falling through the ice in the area of 5420 Horseshoe Lake Road, Stafford.

Stafford fire is responding.

UPDATE 1:36 p.m.: The city's Water Rescue team is called to provide mutual aid.

UPDATE 1:46 p.m.: A source on scene says the dog has been in the water for about 15 minutes. It was last seen about 100 yards from the shoreline in the icy pond. It is no longer visible. The owner is not known.

UPDATE 1:57 p.m.: Rescuers made contact with another witness who reported the animal that went in the water was not a canine. The witness, Mike Mullen, retired City of Batavia fireman, subsequently told The Batavian that it was a river otter, and the witness said he watched it for a while. The otter had captured a fish that was as large as the otter itself. The otter proceeded to eat the fish, sometimes diving in the water with the fish, coming back out, and gnawing on it some more. "If you didn't have binoculars, it might look like a dog struggling in the water," Mullen said. 

UPDATE: Photo by Mike Mullen. We have a video interview with Mullen we'll post later.

Press release:

For the last several years, Western New York Independent Living Inc. (WNYIL) and dozens of other community organizations have been celebrating the signing of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA).

The logo that we've been using has changed very little, but as this July 26^th will be its 30th anniversary, and there are other ADA celebrations and Disability Pride events across the country, we wanted something special and unique to Western New York to promote our annual Disability Pride Parade and Festival.

Creativity in service of the disability community will be rewarded, too!

For this year, the Disability Pride Planning Committee is seeking submissions of original designs for a 30-year logo, to promote the event before it comes to Canalside in Buffalo – and is even willing to pay.

The creator of the winning logo will receive a $100 prize – but it must be received by March 1 so it can be judged and then used in publicity leading up to the big event.

The logo contest entries should be emailed to: Daniel Colpoys, chief community engagement officer at WNYIL, at dcolpoys@wnyil.org. Any questions can be directed to Colpoys at 716-836-0822, ext. 166.

All designs will be considered, but those that capture the theme of Disability Pride and the ADA, will be given special consideration.

The Western New York Independent Living Inc. family of agencies offer an expanding array of services to aid individuals with disabilities to take control of their own lives.

In Batavia, WNYIL operates as Independent Living of the Genesee Region, with an office 319 W. Main St. Phone is (585) 815-8501, ext. 400 (Voice / TTD). Weekday office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The agency serves people with disabilities in Genesee, Wyoming and Orleans counties.

From Jan. 3, 2020 edition of Speedway Digest:

Genesee Speedway in Batavia and DIRTcar Racing have entered into a new partnership for the 2020 season.

The Sportsman Modified division at Genesee Speedway will now be DIRTcar sanctioned, which includes upgraded support from Hoosier Racing Tire, VP Racing Fuels, and an increased public relations presence across the board.

The DIRTcar Sportsman Modified division is one of the most successful formulas in racing today. The Sportsman's reputation is built on the parity of race equipment, safety, and general affordability.

"Genesee Speedway is home to many talented Sportsman teams from the region that will benefit from the DIRTcar sanction, noted promoter Jim Johnson. "We can't thank DIRTcar enough for giving us the opportunity to come on board this season and look forward to working with all the officials."

Top stars such as Oswego Chevy Performance 75 sportsman champion Kyle Inman, Jim Harbison, Cameron Tuttle, Dave Conant, Zach George, and others call the Genesee County Fairgrounds' oval home. It is located at 5056 E. Main Street Road (Route 5) in the Town of Batavia.

All DIRTcar Sportsman Modified drivers are automatically featured in the Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship. Racer's top 16 finishes in weekly and Series racing produce points for the year-long championship.

Drivers, teams and sponsors will also enjoy increased exposure through DIRTcar's social media channels and weekly newsletter, which reaches nearly 40,000 people.

A DIRTcar Sportsman Western Region Series is also close to being finalized -- joining Ransomville, Merrittville, Humberstone, Freedom and Brighton speedways -- in hosting events for the region that boast of $1,500 point fund to the top five. Home track and Region Bonus points are totaled. Then drivers can strive to be the overall DIRTcar Sportsman Champion by attending the year-end Fall Championship Challenge events.

The sanction further strengthens the relationship between Genesee and DIRTcar Racing as this year Genesee Speedway welcomes the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series to Batavia. The Outlaws will race for $10,000 on Friday, June 19. It's going to be a huge year for Genesee.

Genesee Speedway is a .375-mile oval built in 1983. Bookmark their website for race reports and points standings.

A trial date has been set for accused murderer Quinten Edmonds, who is accused of stabbing a Batavia man to death on Ross Street after the man tried to help protect a woman whom he apparently believed was being attacked by Edmonds.

The trial could begin May 20 if there is no plea agreement prior to the plea cutoff date of Feb. 19.

No plea offer was discussed in court and District Attorney Lawrence Friedman said outside of court that there is no plea offer on the table. He indicated, however, that he would listen to anything the defense might propose.

Edmonds is charged with second-degree murder, a Class A-1 felony. He is accused of killing Good Samaritan Michael R. Paladino outside Paladino's Ross Street home at 12:44 a.m., June 1.

Fred Rarick, appointed attorney, represented Edmonds, who once before refused to show up for court. During today's proceedings in front of Judge Charles Zambito in County Court, Rarick said that his client had requested a change of attorney, that Edmonds wanted to hire his own attorney, and wanted to address the court.

Then after Zambito said OK, Edmonds apparently told Rarick he didn't wish to speak. Rarick and Edmonds and a short, quiet exchange and then Rarick told Zambito that Edmonds didn't want to speak and there was no further discussion of a change of attorneys.

On Dec. 13, Edmonds appeared in court for a hearing on the admissibility of evidence at his trial, specifically the identification in a walk-by of Edmonds as the suspect by witnesses shortly after the stabbing. Zambito ruled against the motion in a written statement delivered to the attorneys prior to today's hearing.

It takes a lot of work to cover the news of Genesee County but we would like to do more of it and do it better. That's where you come in: We need your financial support of The Batavian so we can keep doing what we've been doing for more than a decade.

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