Stories from

Byron-Bergen beat Lyndonville in Boys Basketball on Wednesday 64-40.

For the Bees, Cody Carlson scored 25 points, Adam Cardenas, 15, Joe Brumsted and Noah Clare, eight each, and Cole Diquattro, 6.

Photos by Jennifer DiQuattro. 

Oakfield-Alabama beat Holley in Girls Basketball on Wednesday 58-27.

Scoring:

• Alea Groff, 12 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals
• Alexa Clark, 12 points, 14 rebounds
• Piper Hyde, 15 points
• AllieWilliams, 7 points, 11 rebounds
• Jess Sosnowki, 5 points, 7 rebounds
• Rylee Denny, 3 points
• Raine Denny, 2 points
• Allison Harkeness, 2 points

The "Musical Fireworks" will be flying Sunday at Genesee Community College when the Genesee Symphony Orchestra plays its February concert at 4 p.m.

Featured works conducted by Music Director S. Shade Zajac:

• Symphony no. 9, Shostakovich
• Overture to William Tell, Rossini
• Three-Cornered Hat, Suite no. 2, Manuel de Falla
• Russian Sailors Dance, Gliere

Tickets are $17 for adults, $12 for seniors, and students with an ID can attend for free.

Audience members who arrive at 3 p.m. can meet the orchestra.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Western Regional Off-Track Betting was informed on Monday that the office of NYS Comptroller Thomas Dinapoli is conducting a financial audit of the corporation, according to a statement issued to The Batavian on Wednesday.

Jennifer Freeman, communication director for the comptroller's office said that the audit will start in February.

"It will take several months to complete," Freeman said. "During an audit, we do not comment on specifics or what we are finding."

Michael DeGeorge told The Batavian on Wednesday that the OTB was told that the audit could include a review of the past three to five years of financial operations, including internal controls.

"The president and CEO (Byron Brown) made it clear that the new management team will fully cooperate with the comptroller's office throughout the process and that we welcome outside review," DeGeorge said.

There has been recent controversy regarding executive buyouts, other perks, and executive-level expenditures as a result of the transition from the leadership of Henry Wojtaszek to Brown.

Previously: 

• Erie County's WROTB board member walks the line on agency's spending
• OTB approves consultants’ plan for executive reorganization, approves jobs for two former Brown staffers
• OTB chair vows to keep politics out of new CEO search, defends legality of severance pay for executives
• OTB board votes to buy out contracts of top three executives
• Wojtaszek confirms he's leaving OTB by mutual agreement
• WROTB board seeks accountability when it comes to sporting, entertainment events in Buffalo, Rochester
• For additional coverage of OTB, click here.

Monday night's heavy winds snapped a utility pole in the area of 434 East Main St., Batavia, just before 9 p.m. causing a power outage in the area.

National Grid was on scene quickly to begin repairs.

Eastbound lanes of East Main Street were closed during repairs.

A high-wind warning is in place until 6 a.m. with winds of 30 to 40 mph and gusts up to 60 mph.

Currently, the largest power outage in Genesee County is centered in Elba, stretching south into the Town of Batavia, affecting 327 National Grid customers.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Genesee County Undersheriff Brad Mazur was there for Buddy Brasky's first win as Batavia's varsity basketball coach, and on Friday, he was in the Batavia High School gymnasium for Brasky's 500th win.

Mazur played on Brasky’s first squad in 1990-91, and this season, his son Brady, a senior, and his son Casey, a sophomore, who is a big part of the team's current success.

"What a great honor for Coach Brasky to win number 500," Brad Mazur said. "He's done a great job throughout all these years. His dedication to the program, the dedication to the student-athletes, the community, and I tell you what, he won 500 games in the Monroe County League. So that says a lot. The Monroe County league is a difficult League, and doing that is an incredible accomplishment."

The win didn't come easily on Friday, with Eastridge holding close through all four quarters before the Blue Devils locked down a 83-79 win.

Over two dozen former players who Buddy Brasky coached in his 35-year career were on hand to support him. 

It was tremendous, Brasky said, to see so many former players turn out for what was expected to be his 500th win.

"As a coach, you hope you're making an impact on kids that goes beyond basketball, and you never really know until the players get older, and they get on with their lives, and to have so many of them take their time to come back and just in case I won that game last night, to be there, it really meant the world to me," Brasky said.

Jeff Redband, part of the 2013 squad that vied for a state championship, said it was an honor to return to his alma mater to watch Brasky pick up his 500th coaching win.

"Tonight was very special to see all the alumni, all my old teammates, and just the camaraderie that we all had from playing for Coach Brasky, going through that experience together, and just what he taught us," Redband said. "It was great to give back to support him as much as he supported us in the past."

The Batavian reached Brasky on Saturday to talk about the big win.

"It's a big accomplishment. Obviously, I know how big of an accomplishment it is. I mean, I didn't know this, but I found out today that I'm only the sixth coach in Section V history to get 500 wins," Brasky said. "That's very gratifying to me."

Among Brasky's 500 wins are six Section V titles and four regional titles, which have sent the Blue Devils to the state's final four. But Batavia has never made it to the championship game.

The closest a Brasky-coached squad came, he said, was in 2005. The Blue Devils took the semifinal game to overtime after being down 19 points. Kevin Saunders hit a three-pointer with 16 seconds left in OT to put Batavia up by one point.

"It looked like we were going to win, and they hit a shot at the buzzer to beat us," Brasky said. "Funny how you don't forget those things."

It was pretty special, Brasky said, to have Brad Mazur at the game, who was part of that big first win, while his son, Casey, played a big role in the 500th win.

Casey Mazur was Batavia's top scorer on Friday, hitting seven three-pointers, all in the first half, for 21 points. Carter Mullen and Justin Smith each scored 20 points, and Gavin White scored 19.

Every season, every year, Brasky finds the boys playing for him are a special group of guys, and the 2024-25 team is no different. They're young, but they're willing to be coached and learn.

He called the team a "work in progress."

With two big guys who can score at forward, Smith and White, matched with guards who can shoot, Mazur and Mullen, he had to convince the team that the best strategy is for the guards to feed the big guys early in the game to open up the outside shooting later in the game.  That means Mazur and Mullen need to pass up open shots to get the ball in low.

"They have been willing to buy into the change," Brasky said. "I wasn't sure they would be willing to do it. Winning helps, for sure."

The second team, Brasky noted, is a big part of this team's success, and he thinks those players don't get enough recognition for what they contribute.

"I got two sophomores and two juniors on that second unit, and some of the games they play a little bit, and some games they don't, and they're good players," Brasky said. "On a lot of teams in this area, they'd be starters and there is no sign of unhappiness. They cheer for the first group, and when they get in, they play their tails off and try to do their best job, no matter how many minutes they're getting."

The big test for the team and how it holds together will come if some adversity hits. That will be the "true sign," Brasky said.

"When some adversity hits, an injury, someone gets in trouble in school., that's when we'll see if it's really taken hold, but so far, it's been really enjoyable," Brasky said.

However, some adversity did hit the team this season -- when their coach was diagnosed with cancer and took a break after the first two games of the season to have a kidney removed.

Brasky's surgery was on Dec. 17.  He attended the Christmas Tournament, sitting behind the bench, but wasn't able to coach a game until the Blue Devils played Newark on Jan. 4. Batavia won 67-53 and hasn't lost since. The team is currently 10-3.

"It was a different experience. It was not easy," Brasky said. "While sitting out, with the new technology, I could watch practices on the computer, and it showed me I'm not ready to retire. It was very hard to just sit at home."

After his cancer timeout, there is an extra dimension to getting his 500th win just a few weeks later, Brasky said.

"I had cancer in my kidney. They removed the kidney, so the cancer is gone, and I kind of hope that it doesn't reappear anywhere else in the body because there's no evidence that it's anywhere now," Brasky said. "After going through something like that, you know, I've been a pretty healthy guy my whole life, and it just makes you realize -- tomorrow's promised to nobody. When something you love is taken away from you for a period of time, it makes you appreciate those moments, to be honest with you. So yes, that really, really made it even more special in that way."

Perhaps the biggest reward of a career that brings 500 wins is the success in life he sees of his former players as adults, Brasky said.

"Some guys are successful, you know, lawyers, doctors, coaches, and there's also guys who are successful working in the factory and raising a family," Brasky said. "When I see guys when I go out to dinner or whatnot, and I see guys out, and they'll come over and make it a point to talk to me and thank me and let me know that I made an impact on them -- that's why you coach. Everybody thinks it's the wins and losses, and it is. Every coach wants to win, but those other things are what really make coaching special. It's the greatest job in the world."

To view or purchase photos, click here.

The many years that Frank Babcock took his family camping resulted in a hobby that will help area veterans be a little more stable in their walk through life.

"We used to camp a lot. I had a big motor home," said Frank Babcock, an 89-year-old Albion resident. "We camped, and it (Frank's hobby) was something to pass the time. You always were near or in the woods. It was something just to pass the time."

Babock passed the time by walking through the woods looking for interesting saplings, ideally, a young tree that nature (perhaps because of the placement of a rock) had grown with an L-shaped root. The L-shaped root makes for the perfect cane handle.

The prize sapling grew up with a vine wrapped around the trunk, giving it a corkscrew shape.

Babock hasn't kept track of how many years he's been making canes.  

He's often given them away while out camping, but the idea to donate 21 of them to area veterans came to him during a trip to Walmart.  He saw a man walking with a wooden cane, and he asked where he got it, the man said he was a veteran, and Assemblyman Steve Hawley gave it to him.

Babcock told his son Jimmy, and Jimmy called Hawley's office.

The canes are being distributed to the three counties that Hawley serves in the 139th Assembly District.  They are being distributed according to the population in each area Steve serves -- five to Orleans County, three to Monroe County, and seven to Genesee County.

On Friday, Babcock, with the help of his son Stephen, delivered the seven canes to William Joyce, veterans services officer for Genesee County.

"It just so happened this started just before Christmas," Hawley said. "The timing was absolutely unbelievable. Those psychological and heartfelt gifts from one veteran to another. Fellow veterans are going to use Frank's canes to get around. And that's what it's all about: fellow comrades helping one another, regardless of the branch of service, regardless of how old we are, regardless of whether we served in combat or not. We want veterans who served to have these canes."

Joyce said he was grateful for the generous donation.

"I have a couple of veterans in mind right now that as so I had these available, I was going to give them a call, because they can use one," Joyce said. "They get one issued by the VA and they're not really happy with them. I think they are going to feel more comfortable walking with one of these."

During his years in Congress, former Texas representative Ron Paul, a medical doctor by trade, gained the nickname "Dr. No" for his propensity to vote against nearly every bill that came before him.

Might the Western Regional Off-Track Betting board of directors have its own "Dr. No"?

Erie County's representative, Timothy Callan, does have a Ph.D, but, in fairness, he more often than not votes yes on board motions. When he does vote no, though, he is typically the lone dissenting voice on a board that, though made up of Republicans and Democrats from large and small jurisdictions, often hues toward unanimity. 

When Callan, deputy comptroller for Erie County, votes no, the motion before him typically deals with financial expenditures.

That was the case Thursday when Callan voted against motions authorizing the OTB to hire a temporary general counsel while the board seeks a new staff attorney and voted against authorizing expenditures for advertising on Buffalo and Rochester broadcast media. He also voted against a $10,000 pay raise for the executive office manager, an apparent correction to her employment agreement. 

Callan said he is concerned about the seeming rise in payroll for executives at OTB.  He raised concerns in October when he voted against a reorganization plan that, as he sees it, created three new jobs. He's more concerned now, he said, because of current financial trends.

Last month, The Batavian reported that OTB was on track to return less revenue for 2024 to the 17 owner-municipalities than in recent years even while revenue has increased. 

"I think that we should be much more judicious about our spending," Callan told The Batavian after Thursday's board meeting.

In July, the OTB board voted to buyout the contracts of CEO Henry Wojtaszek, CFO Jackie Leach, and VP of Operations William White.

Wojtaszek earned $299,000; Leach, $244,000; and White, $160,000 (Leach's contract was amended on Thursday to extend her employment with OTB a short time to help with the ongoing transition in her department). 

Former Buffalo mayor Byron Brown replaced Wojtaszek as CEO in October at a salary of $295,000. 

In October, the OTB board reorganized the executive staff, creating a chief of staff position and a director of communications position. Steve Casey was hired as chief of staff at a salary of $190,000 and Michael DeGeorge became the director of communications at an annual salary of $130,000.

Ryan Hasenauer, former marketing director, was promoted to the new position of VP/Business Development and Danielle Fleming was named VP/Human Resources as part of the reorganization.

What the reorganization plan didn't address was the need to replace Wojtaszek in his secondary role as the agency's general counsel, a position he held before taking on the primary role of CEO.

Callan said he learned for the first time on Wednesday that Brown intended to hire a staff attorney with an anticipated salary of $160,000 to $180,000 annually, plus benefits.

"I was under the impression and led to believe that Judge (John) Owens was hired as an external vendor -- he's not an employee of the corporation, but he has been serving as legal counsel for the Corporation since May or April of 2023," Callan said. "I've interacted with him last year, when I joined the board last January, and found him to be very reasonable and competent."

Callan said he is under the impression that the retainer fee for the firm that employs Owens is being increased by $25,000, but at the same time, OTB, Callan said, is paying out "hundreds of thousands of dollars" for outside counsel on a variety of legal issues facing the agency. 

While Callan believes executive salary expenditures are up significantly, Brown told The Batavian in a separate interview on Thursday that "it's a wash from what it was previously."

"When you look at the top executive positions, there is no material difference in the spending," Brown said. "With the legal counsel, we were outsourcing a lot of that legal work previously, and my goal is to bring more of that work in-house and create a more competitive environment and how law firms are selected when we do have to outsource legal work."

Brown said he believes it is important for the corporation to have legal counsel on staff, available on a day-to-day basis.

"There are a lot of legal matters that come before the corporation all the time, and so for the corporation to operate more efficiently, for the corporation to save money on legal expenses, having an in-house counsel that is available daily, I think, will make the operation of the corporation even more efficient," Brown said.

Callan was appointed to the board as a result of legislation pushed by Democratic Sen. Timothy Kennedy, representing Erie County, making spurious claims about corruption at the agency, to fire all of the board members serving in 2023 and giving the larger jurisdictions among the 17 owner-municipalities greater weighted voting. This g was expected to shift the controlling interest of the corporation away from Republicans and to Democrats.

Wojtaszek is a Republican and often the target of attacks by Erie and Niagara county politicians. 

In relation to Callan's assertion that executive expenses are going up in the wake of Wojtaszek from the agency, The Batavian asked Callan about the apparent "unintended consequences" of "pushing out" Wojtaszek.

Callan said he was as surprised as anybody when he learned before the July board meeting that Wojtaszek was seeking a buyout of his contract.

"That was news to me," Callan said. "I've not heard anybody say Henry was pushed out. I don't know if Henry thinks he was pushed out, but everything I was told by Henry, by our chairman, and by other colleagues here is that Henry chose to leave and wanted a buyout. I wasn't told he was pushed out. So I don't know where that sentiment would come from."

Wojtaszek told The Batavian in June that his departure was by "mutual agreement."

As for advertising spending, the board approved the expenditure of up to $1,155,000 for advertising at 14 broadcast outlets in Rochester and Buffalo.

That doesn't mean OTB will spend that amount, just that marketing staff can make ad buys up to the amounts specified for each individual outlet, ranging on an individual outlet basis from $15,000 to $250,000.

Callan said he isn't convinced the corporation has a good metrics system to ensure each outlet delivers results.

He said that during the advertising committee meeting on Wednesday, he asked colleagues to cut the authorization in half, perhaps covering only six months.

"Let's, as a board, understand the analytics behind why you're paying this TV station this amount, why this TV station in Rochester is getting this amount," Callan said.

(Disclosure: Batavia Downs has been advertising with The Batavian for about a decade but never in the amounts disclosed in the resolutions approved by the board.)

Callan said he's previously raised the question in internal meetings but has never found the answers satisfactory.  He said he wants to know if an ad can be linked to betting, to meals, to track attendance, remote betting, or hotel stays.

"How do we track and know who these people are and how they came here? In other words, how do we know that a TV ad is running in Buffalo every five minutes -- it seems like -- I live in the Buffalo area -- and every five minutes on one of the TV stations I see a Batavia Downs ad," Callan said. "How do we know the effectiveness of this? How do you track people who watch Channel 2, the NBC station in Buffalo? What's the bang for the buck that -- you know, they're advertising the most, they are getting the most money in the resolution -- that's driving people to want to come here?"

Brown said Thursday's resolutions were based on an advertising budget that was passed as part of the operational plan in December. 

"I was able to share with board members that my management team and I have already reduced some of the marketing spending, but it's critically important to market Batavia Downs Gaming and Hotel to keep people coming to the property, using the property, being aware of the property, so that we can continue our success in this very competitive industry," Brown said.

As for analytics, Brown said he agrees with Callan that measuring results is important. 

"We want to analyze our spending," Brown said. "We want to be able to track the impact of our spending and make sure that we are spending money on the market and in other areas most intelligently and efficiently."

He said, in fact, there is already tracking in place.

"I think we have to do a better job of sharing that tracking and those analytics, and we will certainly do that," Brown said. "But already in the first part of this year, we've demonstrated to the board that we have reduced the amount of money we spend on marketing while still expanding our marketing reach."

First-year Western Regional Off-Track Betting CEO Byron Brown has a four-point legislative plan he's pursuing in Albany in his attempt to grow the business and generate more revenue for the 17 municipalities that own the organization.

The top priority is reducing OTB's tax rate from 49% to 44%. That five percentage point drop would increase revenue for Batavia Downs by $4.5 million.

"We propose to use that revenue to increase disbursements to the 17 member municipalities, which would certainly make 17 governments in Western New York financially stronger," Brown said. "We would also look to provide raises to our hard-working employees, and you know that would certainly go back into the economy of Western New York, and finally, our interest would be to reduce what our employees pay for their family health insurance."

The reduction would make the OTB's tax rate more equitable with Hamburg Gaming and Vernon Downs.

"This would not affect either of those operations," Brown said. "Of course, gaming is a very competitive industry. This would make us more competitive in the industry, and these revenues would go to 17 municipalities and to the employees who work here."

Brown noted that WROTB is unique in that it has 17 member-owners and distributes revenue to 17 municipalities. No other gaming operation in the state has as many stakeholders receiving revenue from the operation.

"Suffolk OTB, for example, has one municipality to which they provide resources," Brown said. "In our case, we have 17. So this has a positive financial impact on 17 different municipalities in Western New York. This is also the fifth largest employer, with roughly 420 employees, in Genesee County, and 52% of those employees are unionized employees."

Brown is also aiming at ensuring WROTB gets a piece of the action if iGaming is approved by the state, a project favored, Brown said, by the chair of the Senate Committee on Racing, Wagering, and Gaming.

iGaming means online gambling, which includes casino games, sports betting, and online poker.

There are statutes in New York that also require, besides the tax, OTBs to pay fees to the gaming commission.  Brown is seeking a reduction in those fees.

The fourth item on his legislative agenda is to extend the boundaries for WROTB's E-Z Bet machines. Right now, they can't be placed more than 40 miles away from the track. That leaves out portions of Erie County. 

These are the sort of issues board members expected Brown to tackle when they approved his employment contract.  As a former mayor and former state legislator, he has a lifetime of political connections in Albany.

But that doesn't mean winning support for these initiatives will be easy.

Annual budget planning starts in June, and Brown started his new position in October, so that's a challenge for Brown to overcome, but he's working at it, he said.

"We're a little behind where we would like to be in terms of our legislative agenda, but we have hit the ground running," Brown said. "I've been to Albany talking to state legislators and the governor's staff and others. You know, the last trip to Albany was just another step in that process. I attended the governor's State of the State speech. We requested a number of meetings with members of the Assembly and with the Governor's staff, and all of the meetings that we requested were granted. So we feel that we're being listened to, that we're being heard, and people have been very receptive to our concerns and our needs."

After The Batavian's Jan. 7 article about the opening of the winter racing season at Batavia Downs, one reader raised questions -- well-informed questions -- about just how well the winter meets are doing for the race track and casino.

On Thursday, Don Hoover, director of live racing for Western Regional Off-Track Betting, sat down with The Batavian to address the issues raised by the reader.

First, the history of the winter meet at Batavia Downs
The meet is in its third season. Before 2023, the race track in Buffalo hosted a three-month winter meet but the storms of 2022 distributed the season, causing several race-day cancelations. Buffalo decided to compress its racing schedule into a season that starts in March.

The horsemen are accustomed to year-round racing, and for many of them, their income stream depends on it, Hoover said.

"Now we're faced with the possibility of no racing in Western New York for three months," Hoover said. "That leads to the question of whether some would have to get out of the business. Would they ship to another racetrack and maybe stay there?"

The horseman's association approached management at Batavia Downs and proposed a January and February racing schedule, promising to cover any losses incurred by the track.

The horsemen promising the track wouldn't lose money on the races is a key point, Hoover stressed.

"We have a shared agreement that benefits both Batavia Downs and the local horsemen so that they can maintain their racing without much interruption and we can provide a venue for them without incurring any significant cost," Hoover said.

The agreement covers direct costs related to each race, not other ongoing operational costs, such as the salaries of permanent staff who might work during the events.

Is keeping winter racing a good business decision?
"I have personally wrestled with that question because it's not really in monetary terms, and the angst that it just brings about naturally due to the constant question of -- are you racing? Are you not racing? Are you racing? Are you not? Is it too cold? Is it a safe track? Those items are hard to wrestle with on a daily basis," Hoover said. "If we look at it as a pure business decision -- I guess, what we would have to do now since this is our third winter -- I guess what we would have to do now is sit down and get the food and beverage revenue and see if we can see a pattern. We know that we do more business on Mondays and Thursdays when we race because otherwise, the clubhouse wouldn't be open.

"The clubhouse is open. We have food specials. People come and attend the races there and eat and drink. So we would have to try to analyze exactly what we could put in dollars and cents as to what ancillary income we get derived specifically by racing in the winter."

What Hoover calls "ancillary income" doesn't count against direct racing expenses.

Even so, it can be hard to separate additional revenue on race days when Batavia Downs has other promotions going on throughout the winter, such as hotel specials, concerts, and group events, "all the things we do here as a corporation to drive people to the property." 

He does believe, he said, that racing does get extra people to the track, though attendance is much, much smaller than the regular meet.

"It's logical that we would get extra people to the property by holding racing," Hoover said. "They are people who are harness racing fans, and they wouldn't be here except for that fact."

Is there enough attendance to justify opening the clubhouse?

"It's a work in progress where we look to see how to do that without losing money,"  Hoover said. "We have one bartender. People order drinks. We've paired down what foods are available. It used to be that they could order food and it would be brought up to them. Now we just have specials for right there. So we've tried to look at all the numbers on it and come up with a specific plan where we won't lose money by having the clubhouse open."

Our reader thinks attendance would be better on another weekday than Monday, such as going to two days, perhaps Tuesday and Thursday or Wednesday and Friday.
"Well, Mondays happen to be our biggest handle day," Hoover said.

During the regular meet, the first post time is 6 p.m., giving people who work, especially in Rochester and Buffalo, time to get off work and make it to the track.

In winter, with lower attendance, it puts more of a strain on staff expense to have a later post time.  The 3 p.m. post time in the winter also eliminates going head-to-head against racing at Monticello.

"The staff doesn't have to go home and come back," Hoover said. "The staff doesn't have to accrue extraordinary overtime. It's not dark yet. We have the track crew still here. We don't have to send them home and bring them back in, so we thought the combination of all those things regarding staffing, overtime, and the time of day was beneficial for us to make that schedule for the three o'clock on Mondays and Thursdays."

Why is Monday your biggest handle day?
There is less competition on Mondays, Hoover said. That is primarily important for off-track betting.

For the live handle, there isn't much difference between Monday and Thursday.

Is it correct that the off-track handle generates about 2% in revenue for OTB and the live-track revenue is about 20%?

Yes and no, Hoover said. When you factor in BataviaBets.com, phone bets, and OTB's own branches, the off-track handle increases to about 2.6%.

What is the typical revenue for a winter race?
Hoover said it is currently about $7,500 to $8,000.  That doesn't include anything from food and beverage or what might be spent by race attendees on the casino floor.

Later on Thursday, The Batavian spoke with CEO Byron Brown, who said winter racing is important to the operation of OTB.

"Winter racing really helps to strengthen the relationship between Batavia Downs and the horsemen," Brown said. "Also, as we work to make this a premier entertainment destination in New York State, it's just another reason for people to come to Batavia Downs."

Officials at the Genesee County Economic Development Center do anticipate that Plug Power will complete construction, at some point, of its clean hydrogen fuel plant at WNY STAMP.

"We continue to check in with them periodically," said CEO Mark Masse. "They've said the project is on pause, but it's still a very important part of their overall strategic goal of green hydrogen production, and they're still intending to construct the facility at STAMP."

The Lathan-based hydrogen company received word a week ago that the Department of Energy finalized a $1.66 billion loan guarantee with the company, which the company said would be used to complete construction on six plants, without specifically naming the $290 million project in Genesee County as one of the plants it will continue work on.

There's been some doubt about the future of the plant since HeatMap reported in  October that the WNY STAMP project was not included in the DOE loan application. The DOE has not responded to The Batavian's request to obtain a copy of the document. 

Chris Suozzi, VP for business and workforce development at the GCEDC, reportedly told a Washington, D.C.-based commercial real estate firm that Plug Power's STAMP project is on hold.

According to Heatmap, Suozzi spoke to PRP Real Estate Management. The firm recorded the phone call.

“They’re not ready to go," Suozzi reportedly said. "They’re on pause. We don’t know what’s going to happen with them at this point.”

Masse said Plug Power was in a "holding pattern" while awaiting news of the DOE loan.

"I have not followed up with them since the announcement," Masse said. "I don't think the announcement stated where the loan guarantee was going to go, but I'm sure we'll be reaching out to them at some point here soon, just to get another update from them and find out what their plans are for that funding."

The new potential barrier for Plug Power, however, may be an executive order signed by Donald Trump on his first day in office freezing disbursement of funds under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act targeted to clean energy projects.

The order explicitly targets grants, which have mostly been distributed already, but it's unclear how it affects the DOE's Loan Program Office.  

The loan closed a week ago, but it is unclear whether the funds were transferred to Plug by Monday. A public relations representative did not respond to The Batavian's request for comment on the project.

The office of Sen. Charles Schumer did not respond to The Batavian's request for a comment on the status of the project and the loan.

The stock market has not reacted favorably to news of the loan closing. Since Thursday, the price per share of Plug's stock has dropped from an open of $2.75 to a close on Wednesday of $2.05.

The company reportedly already carries $930 million in debt, and at no point in its 28-year history has it turned a profit.

Plug Power also faces a class-action lawsuit filed in May claiming that the company's stock price was artificially inflated between May 9, 2023, and January 16, 2024.

The plaintiffs claim that the company and a pair of senior officers misled investors by lying and withholding information about delays in the build-out plans of its production facilities in SEC filings.

Plug Power is currently the nation's largest producer of green hydrogen. Its Georgia plant produces 15 tons of liquid hydrogen per day. Its Tennessee plant produces 10 tons per day. It also has an operational plant in St. Gabriel, Lousiana. 

If the WNY STAMP plant ever comes online, it is expected to produce 74 tons daily. The company is also constructing additional plants in New York and Texas.

The company seeks to become the nation's first vertically integrated green hydrogen producer, providing customers with fuel, products, and support. Plug aims to provide customers fuel cells, electrolyzers (splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen), and liquid hydrogen fuel. They currently provide companies like Walmart and Amazon with hydrogen-powered forklifts.  The company sees a future in hydrogen powering long-haul trucking.

Among the highlights for the South Byron Volunteer Fire Department in 2024 was the purchase of 11 air packs with 22 cylinders using $91,000 in grant funds, according to Chief Brian Hickey.

"In turn, in good fortune, in our brotherhood, the well-maintained air packs (being replaced) were donated to New Hope Volunteer Fire Department in Kentucky," Hickey said.

The department installed officers and presented annual awards at its annual dinner at the South Byron Fire Hall on Saturday evening.

The department has 22 active members and responded to 62 calls in 2024, with no reported injuries or deaths.

The newly installed firematic officers for 2025:

• Brian Hickey, chief
• Scott Blossom, deputy chief
• Vito Muoio, assistant chief
• Chase Cone, captain
• Al Secash, 1st lieutenant
• Mathew Dougherty, 2nd lieutenant
• Haley Rimmer, engineer
• Reggie Macdonald, fire police captain
• Theresa Hammer, fire police sergeant
• Dan Rimmer, fire police corporal

Administrative officers for 2025:

• Reggie Macdonald, president
• Robert Wilson, vice president
• Alfred Klycek, treasurer
• Elizabeth Penkszyk, secretary
• Theresa Hammer, membership chair
• Roseanne Klycek, sunshine chair

Auxiliary Board for 2025

• Theresa Hammer, president
• Haley Rimmer, vice president
• Roseanne Klycek, treasurer
• Melody Stone, secretary
• Theresa Hammer, party chair
• Melody stone, sunshine chair

The first phase of a $16 million apartment complex on Alleghany Road in Pembroke is nearing completion, and reservations for one- and two-bedroom apartments are being accepted.

The anticipated move-in date for new tenants is April 1, said developer Michael Schmidt.

Schmidt owns a parcel at 8900 Alleghany Road that has been approved for four buildings. Each phase, each building, consists of eight one-bedroom units and 16 two-bedroom units for a total of 96 market-rate units at build-out, along with 168 parking spaces and garages.

"We're ready," Schmidt told The Batavian during a tour on Friday of the complex under construction. "We took our first reservation today; somebody who wanted this lower one down here, we just walked past. So we're gonna let people pick (what unit they want)."

The rentals are currently listed on Zillow.

The one-bedroom units are 680 square feet and rent for $1,295 a month. The two-bedroom units are 900 square feet and go for $1,595.

That doesn't include utilities but free wi-fi and basic television service (a QR code on each unit's router allows the tenant to purchase premium services).

When entering the one bedroom, you will be essentially walking into the kitchen, which contains a refrigerator and an island with a stove and dishwasher. The unit will also have a microwave oven.

The bathroom is 3/4 (shower only, no bathtub). 

On entering the two-bedroom, you step into the dining area. Between the kitchen and dining area is a countertop that can seat three or four people.  It will also contain a refrigerator, stove, microwave, and dishwasher.  It will have a full bath.

Both units contain a stacked clothes washer and dryer.

There is central air in all units.

Tenants will have the option to rent a storage closet in the building or a garage.

The floors will be covered with vinyl tile, with carpet in the bedrooms, over a poured gypcrete. The gypcrete provides both fire protection and soundproofing. There are also 12-inch beams between the floors, Schmidt said, providing further soundproofing.  The walls use resilient channels to baffle sounds between units.

"That's going to be really good on sound, super efficient," Schmidt said. "We've got 900 square feet in the two bedrooms and 680 square feet in the one bedroom, so that's a nice size. It's not overly big, but they're super high efficiency, so I think people will be really happy."

Tenants will be allowed to own a small dog or cat.

With cabinets and other fixtures arriving in the next few weeks, it won't be long before the units are finished, and Schmidt said he will furnish two units. For one thing, that will give him demo units for photos and virtual tours, but he also anticipates there will be future tenants who want furnished units, especially to support workers at Darien Lake and WNY STAMP.

Whether Schmidt constructs the other complexes on the parcel will depend on whether the demand he anticipates for apartments on the Route 77 corridor materializes.

The project, on an 8.2-acre lot, which had an initial cost estimate of $15 million, is supported by the Genesee County Economic Development Center with a sales tax exemption on building materials worth $739,200, a property tax abatement of $2 million, and a mortgage tax abatement of $130,000. 

The town has been great to work with, Schmidt said. Stringent but fair.

"I haven't gotten a lot of love from them, and I mean that sincerely," Schmidt said. "I like Jim (James Wolbert, code enforcement officer) but he hasn't been like wink and nod. There's been no 'Hey, we want the project so we're gonna let you slide out of stuff.' He's busted our chops on every single nit."

It isn't that way in other jurisdictions, Schmidt said. For example, even though the garage complexes have no electric and no heat, the walls between fire units must be fire-rated.

"Nobody does that," Schmidt said. "All those units will be fire-rated. There's no electric, no heat, but Jim's in charge. If you want to have a building, the inspector always wins, so what he wants, he gets. He hasn't cut us any breaks but that's okay. You can't be upset with somebody for doing their job."

Previously:

• Town planners give go-ahead to travel center and apartments proposed for Pembroke
• Shadow of Ellicott Station throws shade on apartment plan for Pembroke, developer promises no low-income housing
• Developer explains why he's seeking GCEDC assistance on 96-unit apartment complex in Pembroke
• Pembroke supervisor sees the need for 96-unit apartment complex, but zoning code should be reviewed
• Pembroke supervisor sees need to 'pump the brakes' on apartment development, modify zoning code

Plug Power, the green hydrogen manufacturing firm based in Lathan, with a plant under construction in the town of Alabama, has closed on a $1.66 billion loan guarantee with the U.S. Department of Energy.

The loan guarantee has been under negotiations for months and closes just days before President Joe Biden leaves office.

“Finalizing this loan guarantee with the Department of Energy represents a significant step in expanding our domestic manufacturing and hydrogen production capabilities, which create many high-quality jobs throughout the U.S.,” said Plug CEO Andy Marsh in a release. “In addition to reducing carbon emissions and enhancing the resilience of the U.S. energy grid, we believe the hydrogen economy aligns closely with national security interests, ensuring that the U.S. remains at the forefront of energy technology development and deployment on a global scale.”

Based on prior reporting, it's unclear if Plug intends to use a portion of the loan funds to complete its $290 million green hydrogen fuel plant under construction in WNY STAMP.

Chris Suozzi, VP for business and workforce development at the Genesee County Economic Development Center, reportedly told a Washington, D.C.-based commercial real estate firm that Plug Power's STAMP project is on hold.

However,  throughout the negotiations process, Plug Power has publicly maintained that it intends to use the fund to complete six plants, which has previously included the local plant.

In a release on Thursday, Plug stated:

The loan guarantee will help finance the construction of up to six projects to produce and liquify zero- or low-carbon hydrogen at scale throughout the United States. Plug’s Graham, Texas, green hydrogen plant, the first to benefit from this financing, will create hundreds of high-quality jobs. Powered by an adjacent wind farm, Plug’s green hydrogen production plant will utilize the company’s electrolyzer stacks manufactured at its factory in Rochester, N.Y., and its liquefaction and storage systems built at its facility in Houston.

The company already has operational plants in Georgia, Charleston, Tennessee, and Louisiana.

The loan is for $1.55 billion in principal, and Plug is expected to pay $107 million in interest.

The DOE release states:

Advancing clean hydrogen is a key component of the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government approach to building a robust clean energy economy that creates healthier communities, strengthens energy security, and delivers new economic opportunities across the nation. Today’s announcement will help unlock the full potential of this versatile fuel and support the growth of a strong, American-led industry that ensures the United States remains at the forefront of the global economy for generations to come. Plug submitted its application to LPO in November 2020. 

The release states the Plug is positioned to build out clean hydrogen facilities in several potential locations and to supply its national customer base with end-to-end clean hydrogen at scale.

This project advances President Biden’s efforts to strengthen domestic clean energy supply chains, which are essential to meeting the nation’s ambitious climate goals and enhancing our national and energy security.

The DOE expects that hydrogen from the plants will fuel cell-electric vehicles in material handling, transportation, and industry, which could result in an 84 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional hydrogen production. 

The clean hydrogen facilities will utilize Plug’s electrolyzer stacks that are manufactured at the company’s state-of-the-art gigafactory in Rochester, NY and will use modular designs to ensure a resilient hydrogen fuel delivery network. Plug is among the leading commercial-scale manufacturers of electrolyzers in the United States and currently operates the largest Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyzer system in the United States at its Georgia hydrogen plant. 

The DOE explains the process:

Electrolyzers use electricity to split water into its component parts, hydrogen and oxygen. Plug’s PEM technology allows it to operate efficiently even with variable electricity, enabling it to leverage electricity from intermittent renewables. Electrolyzers that use renewables to power their hydrogen production produce emissions-free clean hydrogen. The electrolyzer stacks can be easily configured to produce systems at 1 megawatt (MW), 5 MW, and 10 MW scales. (One MW powers the equivalent of 750 American homes based on their instantaneous demand.)

Wall Street's reaction to the news of the loan? A 7% drop in the stock price, bringing it down to $2.44 a share by the close on Friday. 

The Motley Fool stock news site suggests history is working against Plug in investor's minds. 

In its 28-year history, Plug has never turned a profit. The company has reported reported $1.4 billion in losses. It also has $930 million in debt already on its books.

Local business legend Tony Kutter passed away on Wednesday at his home in Pembroke, surrounded by his family.

He was 91.

Kutter and his brother inherited their father's business, Kutter's Cheese, in the 1950s, when they were in their twenties and turned it into a business with an international reputation.

In 1995, after the fall of the Soviet Union, Kutter traveled to Russia as part of a trade exchange program to help aspiring Russian entrepreneurs learn how to start cheesemaking businesses.

Kutter himself learned the business from his father, Leo, who learned the trade in Germany after fighting for the Kaiser in World War I and, on the advice of a boss, moved to America, settling in the then-thriving city of Buffalo but dreaming of starting his own cheese-making business.

By the time the Kutter sold the family business to Yancy's Fancy in 1998, Kutter's had worldwide retail reach.

"I've always been adamant about promoting wine and cheese," Kutter told The Batavian in 2010 when Kutter's Cheese was named Agriculture Business of the Year. "We also supply a lot of wineries with cheese for wine tasting."

As part of the exchange program, Kutter made 31 to Russia and Ukraine over 13 years.

In 2015, Kutter published a book about his experiences in Russia, "Cheese in the Time of Glasnost and Perestroika."

Anthony William Kutter was born March 4, 1933, in Cowlesville, to Leo and Flora Kottman Kutter.

He graduated from Corfu High School in 1951. He was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in Korea for two years.

For his full obituary, click here.

A new Paul McCartney tribute band, Band on the Run, from Rochester, played its debut concert on Thursday at Batavia Downs.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Latoya Denise Jackson, 39, of State Street, is charged with resisting arrest, two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th, driving with a suspended v vehicle registration, aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd, and driving without insurance. Jackson was stopped at 4:48 a.m. on Washington Avenue, Batavia, by Deputy Richard Flores. Jackson was allegedly found in possession of two different controlled substances, and she resisted arrest. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Rachelle Nicole Laney, 38, of River Road Xing, Pavilion, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th, aggravated unlicensed operation 2nd, driving too slow, and equipment violation. Laney was stopped at 11:48 p.m. on Dec. 31 on Roanoke Road, Stafford, by Deputy Andrew Mullen. She was issued appearance tickets.

Kenneth Richard Sheard, 45, of South Lake Road, Bergen, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child and harassment. Sheard is accused of striking a person under the age of 17 at 8:37 p.m. on Jan. 1 at a location on South Lake Road, Bergen. Sheard was held pending arraignment.

David Ryan Paddock, 25, of Myrtle Street, Le Roy, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, unregistered vehicle, speed not reasonable and prudent, and moving from lane unsafely. Paddock was reportedly involved in a property damage accident at 7:18 p.m. on Dec. 21 at a location on Warsaw Road, Le Roy and charged following an investigation by Deputy Stephen Smith. Paddock was issued traffic tickets.

Vincent James Auguliaro, 34, of Maple Street, Corfu, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and speeding. Auguliaro was stopped at 12:21 a.m. on Jan. 3 on West Main Street, Corfu, by Deputy Stephen Smith. Auguliaro was issued traffic tickets.

Tyler James Bull, 22, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Bull is accused of violating an order of protection by calling another person 142 times. He was arrested at the Genesee County Jail and released back into jail custody.

Nicholas Adam Pietrzykowski, 48, of East Road, Wyoming, is charged with felony DWI, leaving the scene of a property damage accident, drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle, and moving from lane unsafely. Pietrzykowski is accused of being involved in a property damage accident at 2:50 p.m. on Jan. 5 on Galloway Road and fleeing into the woods. He was taken into custody by Deputy James Stack and K-9 Rayzor. He was held pending arraignment.

Nicholas Dean Kersch, 29, of Wyoming Street, Warsaw, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, speeding, and moving from lane unsafely. Kersch was stopped at 2:21 a.m. on Jan. 5 on Lake Street, Le Roy by Deputy Zachary Hoy. Kersch was issued traffic tickets.

Hugh Michael Rohrer, 22, of Brandford Place, Buffalo, is charged with DWI, driving left of the pavement, and moving from lane unsafely. Rohrer was reportedly involved in a two-vehicle accident at 5:56 a.m. on Jan. 1 on Alleghany Road, Alabama and was charged following an investigation by Deputy Jacob Kipler.

Adrian Joseph Aughenbaugh, 27, of Columbia Avenue, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Aughenbaugh was reportedly a passenger in a vehicle stopped at 12:41 a.m. on Jan. 6 on Buffalo Road, Bergen. A search allegedly located a controlled substance. He was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released.

Jared Ryan Burns, no age provided, no residence provided, is charged with obstruction governmental administration 2nd, trespass, and disorderly conduct. Burns is accused of remaining at the Department of Social Services on East Main Street Road, Batavia, at 11:43 a.m. on Dec. 30. Burns was allegedly uncooperative and attempted to prevent deputies from removing him. He was jailed pending arraignment.

Travis David Gassman, 30, of Perry Road, Pavilion, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and moving from lane unsafely. Gassman was stopped at 6:38 p.m. on Jan. 11 on Perry Road, Pavilion, by Deputy Zachary Hoy. He was issued traffic tickets.

William Edward Farnsworth, 40, of Eagle Harbor Road, Barre, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th, aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd, speeding, and unlicensed driver. Farnsworth was arrested on Jan. 10. He was accused of possessing cocaine during a traffic stop by Deputy Zachary Hoy at 3:24 p.m. on March 30 on Buffalo Road, Bergen. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Feyza Gabriel Osmacikli, no age provided, of Main Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th.  Osmacikli is accused of possessing a narcotic during a traffic stop by Deputy Jeremiah Gechell at 10:20 p.m. on Jan. 4 on Oak Street, Batavia. Osmacikli was released on an appearance ticket.

Jose Reyes Ramirez-Perez, 29, of Malone, is charged with DWI, refusal to take a breath test, speeding, and drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle. Ramirez-Perez was stopped at 2:05 a.m. on Jan. 12 on West Main Street, Batavia, by Deputy Soren Calderon. He was issued traffic tickets.

Claudie Vern Goodenow, Jr., 42, of Prospect Street, Attica, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation with five or more suspensions, criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th, lights not to standards, and no inspection sticker. Goodenow was stopped at 2:29 a.m. on Jan. 10 on Broadway Road, Bethany, by Deputy Jacob Kipler. Goodenow was issued an appearance ticket.

Jessica Lynn Goodenow, 43, of Prospect Street, Attica, is charged with two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Goodenow was reportedly a passenger in a vehicle stopped at 2:29 a.m. on Jan. 10 on Broadway Road, Bethany. A search allegedly located controlled substances in the vehicle. Goodenow was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released.

Salvatore Michael Schwable, 27, of Oakfield, is charged with possession of a forged instrument 1st and two counts of petit larceny. Schwable is accused of using counterfeit currency to purchase merchandise from a gas station on South Main Street, Oakfield at 10:58 p.m. on Nov. 28. He was arrested Jan. 13 following an investigation by Deputy Soren Calderon. He was held pending arraignment.

Warren Thomas Cotton, 47, of Park Road, Batavia, is charged with promoting prison contraband 2nd. Cotton is accused of possessing homemade alcohol under the bunk of his bed at the Genesee County Jail at 7 a.m. on Jan. 14. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Cori L Cleland, 39, of Perry, is charged with DWAI drugs. Cleland was arrested Jan. 1 in connection with a vehicle accident reported in Septermber. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Davor E. Hodgson-Aguilar, 36, of Long Beach, was arrested on Jan. 8 on a warrant. Hodgson-Aguilar was initially charged with petit larceny in October of 2023. The warrant was issued for alleged failure to appear in court. He was arraigned in City Court and released.

Julie L. Dutton, 29, of Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Dutton was allegedly involved in a fight on Jan. 2 where she grabbed and shoved another person. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Antwoine D. Lara, 28, of Endicott, was arrested on Jan. 5 as a fugitive from justice. Lara was taken into custody when Batavia PD responded to an incident on Liberty Street. During the investigations, police determined there was a warrant for her arrest issued in Pennsylvania. She was jailed pending extradition.

Zachary R. Whitehead, 31, of Batavia, is charged with criminal impersonation and multiple traffic violations. Whitehead was stopped by Batavia PD on Oct. 8 and allegedly provided officers with another person's name. He was arrested Jan. 5 and issued an appearance ticket.

Brant G. Matthews, 30, of Greece, was arrested on Jan. 3, on a warrant. The warrant stems from a traffic stop on Jan. 18, 2024. He was allegedly found in possession of a controlled substance. He was arraigned in City Court and released.

Hunter M. Court, 25, of Alexander, is charged with DWI. Court was stopped on Dec. 24 on Court Street. He was issued traffic tickets.

Maresa A. Lodowski, 20, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Lodowski is accused of shoplifting from Dollar General on Dec. 29. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Brian F. Kent, 53, of Batavia, is charged with assault 2nd, assault 3rd, and obstruction of governmental administration 2nd. Kent was arrested on Dec. 24 in connection with an incident on Dec. 21. When officers attempted to take Kent into custody on a separate incident, he allegedly fought with two police officers, causing injuries to both of them. He was arraigned and jailed.

Nathan L Royse, 33, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon 3rd. Royse is accused of attempting to stab another person in Austin Park on April 23. He was arrested on Dec. 19. He was arraigned and released.

James E. Murray, Jr., 36, of Batavia, is charged with burglary 2nd, criminal contempt 1st, and harassment 2nd. Murray is accused of violating an order of protection on Dec. 6 during an incident on Montclair Avenue. He was arraigned in City Court and jailed. 

Samuel R. Blackshear, 23, of Batavia, is charged with burglary 2nd, criminal contempt 1st, criminal obstruction of breathing, and endangering the welfare of a child. Blackshear is accused of violating an order of protection at a location on Ellsworth Avenue on Dec. 15. He is accused of placing his hands around the neck of another person. She was reportedly unable to breathe. He was arraigned and released.

Douglas G. Goodwin, 33, of Alabama, is charged with reckless endangerment 2nd and aggravated unlicensed operation 1st.  On Dec. 13, officers were dispatched to a report of a suspicious vehicle on Ellicott Street. When officers approached the vehicle, the vehicle was placed in reverse, and it accelerated almost striking one of the officers. The driver then fled the area. Goodwin was arrested on Dec. 14. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Adam J. Howard, 39, of Rochester, is charged with petit larceny. Howard is accused of stealing a TV and Amazon Fire TV stick from a residence in Batavia. He was arraigned and released.

Cody M. Landin, 36, of Middlebury, is charged with DWI. Landin was reportedly involved in an accident on Dec. 14 on West Main Street. When police arrived on scene, he allegedly left and initially failed to stop when officers attempted to pull him over. he was arraigned and released.

Marcus Cauldwell, 32, of Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief 4th and endangering the welfare of a child. Cauldwell is accused of damaging a door in the presence of a child during a fight on Bank Street. He was arraigned and released.

William E. Tolliver, Jr., 62, of Batavia, is charged with DWI. Tolliver was stopped on Dec. 20 on East Avenue. He was issued traffic tickets and released.

Trace G. Brewer, 24, of Batavia, was arrested on Dec. 19 on two warrants. Brewer is accused of fleeing on foot from police when officers attempted to take him into custody, leading to a charge of resisting arrest and objecting to governmental administration 2nd. He was arraigned and released.

Samantha L. Tate, 32, of Batavia, was arrested on Dec. 19 on a warrant. She was initially charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs in March, 2023, and allegedly failed to appear in court. She was arraigned in City Court and released.

Robert Z. Johnson, 65, of Batavia, is charged with two counts of harassment 2nd. Johnson is accused of hitting another person on Dec. 19 during a fight on East Main Street. In a separate incident on Dec. 18, Johnson allegedly threatened another person. He was issued appearance tickets.

Charles P. Stevens, Shelby L. Fryer, Jasmine C. Mayo, and Taylor A. Browne, no ages or residences provided, are all charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. They were arrested on Dec. 17 following a traffic stop on South Main Street, Batavian, and allegedly found in possession of narcotics. They were issued appearance tickets.

David L. Weaver, 34, of Batavia, was arrested on Dec. 18 on a warrant. Weaver was charged with harassment in December 2022 and allegedly failed to appear in court. Weaver was arraigned in City Court and released.

Cassandra F. Smith, 39, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Smith was arrested on Dec. 17. She was accused of throwing an object at another person in violation of an order of protection. She was arraigned in City Court and jailed.

Ajia R. Hasenauer, 31, of Rochester, was arrested on Dec. 17 on two warrants. Hasenauer is accused of using a vehicle without permission. Hasenauer was also issued multiple traffic tickets. She was arraigned in City Court and jailed.

Janell M. Sauer, Colleen M. Hutchinson, and Brandon M. Seppe, no ages nor residences released, are charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. During a traffic stop on Dec. 17, all three were allegedly found in possession of narcotics. They were issued appearance tickets.

Victoria J. Paul, 33, of Le Roy, was arrested on Dec. 13 on a warrant. Paul was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd on Jan. 18 and allegedly failed to appear in court. She was arraigned in City Court and released.

Jade A. Fayko, 29, of Ridgeway, was arrested on Dec. 10, on a warrant. Fayko was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd in August 2023 and allegedly failed to appear in court. She was arraigned in City Court and released.

Richard D. Neal, 35, of Albion, is charged with DWI. Neal was stopped on Dec. 14 on West Main Street, Batavia. He was issued traffic tickets and released.

Tyler Robert Cook, 24, of Birchwood Drive, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, driving on a suspended registration, no inspection sticker, and inadequate lights. Cook was stopped at 12:05 a.m. on Dec. 22 on South Main Street, Batavia, by Deputy Mason Schultz. Cook was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released.

Jamielyn Polizzi, 37, of South Street Road, Le Roy, is charged with three counts of acting in a manner injurious to a child, harassment 2nd, and disorderly conduct. Polizzi was arrested on Dec. 29 after deputies arrived at a residence on South Street Road, Le Roy, to investigate a report of a disturbance. Polizzi was reportedly at the residence to pick up her daughter. Polizzi was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released.

Robert Anthony Gayhart, 21, of North Spruce Street, Batavia, is charged with unlawful dissemination of an intimate image. Gayhart was arrested on Dec. 28 following an investigation by Deputy Leah Bezon. He was held pending arraignment.

Joseph Carl Jeffords, 33, of Clinton Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th, aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd, and unlicensed operation. Jeffords was stopped at 2:22 a.m. on Dec. 31 on Bank Street Road, Batavia, by Deputy Mason Schultz. He was allegedly found in possession of narcotics.