Don Newton Sr. was honored Saturday for his 55 years of service with the East Pembroke Volunteer Fire Department. Photo by Howard Owens.
In his 28 years as a member of the East Pembroke Volunteer Fire Department, Chief Don Newton Jr. has observed that typically, the call volume for the department is between 300 and 350 per year.
Before 2024, the highest call volume was 358.
Then, 2024. The department responded to 462 calls.
Of those calls, 354 were for medical assistance, or EMS calls. There were 17 fire calls. The remaining calls, 13 hazardous condition, 25 service, 33 good intent, and 20 false alarms.
"I'd like to thank my district, my fire district; without them, these numbers wouldn't be possible," Newton said. "And my members for making these numbers possible, and the community members, our local businesses, anybody who helped us throughout the year to continue doing what we do."
In addition to annual awards, the 2025 officers and directors took oaths to office, administered by Tim Yaeger, Genesee County emergency management coordinator.
Firematic Officers:
Donald Newton Jr., chief
Charles Chatley, deputy chief
Andre Martin, assistant chief
Travis Dobrowski, EMS chief
James Gayton, firematic captain
Jennifer Groff, EMS captain
Ken Marble, exterior firematic captain
Kyle Rupp, firematic lieutenant
Richard Groff, fire police captain
Administrative Officers:
Ken Marble, president
Patrick Galloway, vice president
Andrew Gayton, secretary
Don Newton Sr., treasurer
Joe Gibson, Sgt. at arms, and parade marshall
Andrew Gayton, assistant parade master
Pastor Bloom, chaplain
Board of Directors: Andrew Martin, Charles Chatley, Dale Lewter, Kyle Rupp, and Jennifer Groff.
Fire District Commissioners: James Gayton, Patrick Reeves, Kristi Humphrey, Kevin Gill, MaryAnne Chatley, Richard Groff.
Andrew Gayton and Kyle Rupp were honored as firefighters of the year. Photo by Howard Owens.
Assemblyman Steve Hawley congratulates the department on its 90th anniversary. Photo by Howard Owens.
In recent coverage of the criminal proceedings related to the death of Michael Poole, The Batavian misstated the status of the case against Kathryn A. Henry.
On Aug. 22, Henry entered guilty pleas to charges of hindering prosecution, a Class D felony, and concealment of a human corpse, a Class E felony. She is no longer facing a murder charge as previously reported. The Batavian was unaware of this Aug. 22 appearance and was informed of the error this week.
Henry is scheduled for sentencing in County Court on Aug. 18.
A semi-truck, with a NYS-licensed escort, carrying a large load and traveling north on Ellicott Street, struck the CSX overpass on the south side of Batavia late Thursday afternoon.
It's unclear if the impact caused the load to shift or just broke the plywood container around the item being hauled on the trailer.
At the time The Batavian was on scene, a crew was attempting to remove the box. The plan was to check the cargo and then if the truck could be safely backed up, and with Chapin's permission, park the trailer in Chapin's parking lot while the crew assessed the best way to proceed.
According to an officer on scene, the lead driver attempted to warn the truck driver to stop, but there was possibly an issue with the radios.
Batavia PD was on scene to take a report and direct traffic. Ellicott Street by the overpass is reduced to one lane while the accident is cleared.
The view of smoke and fire in Los Angeles on Tuesday from a dorm room at UCLA, taken by Aidan Walsh, son of former Batavia resident Danielle Lovell.
Danielle Lovell, Aidan Walsh, and Scot Walsh, Submitted photo
When the Sunset Fire started to bear down on her Hollywood neighborhood on Wednesday evening, and the order to evacuate came, Danielle Lovell reminded herself to breathe.
She'd been through this before. In 2005, she and her family evacuated their home as Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans.
"I think the biggest takeaway (from Katrina) was -- and even last night -- just reminding myself to breathe and to stay calm," Lovell told The Batavian on Thursday. "You do not want to panic because you are in such a hurry, but breathe and stay calm. Getting out is the most important thing. Everything else is replaceable, and it'll be okay. As long as you're alive, it'll be okay."
Lovell grew up in Batavia and is a 1995 graduate of Batavia High School.
She and her partner, Scot Walsh, from Rochester, and their son Aidan moved to Los Angeles 16 years ago after a sojourn back in Western New York following Katrina.
Aidan was four months old when Lovell and Walsh had to leave New Orleans. They lived in the Garden District of the French Quarter.
When they heard news reports of Katrina heading toward the Crescent City, they got ready to leave but the evacuation order came a bit late, she said.
"We were trapped on the highway for a bit, but we were able to get out to just outside the city, which was at least safer than the fishbowl of New Orleans," Lovell said. "Within two or three days, we realized New Orleans was devastated. We couldn't go back. Then we drove the rest of the way, stopping in Tennessee and then to New York. We were in New York for about eight months or so and then got the offer to move out here to L.A."
Lovell is a special education teacher, Walsh is an operations manager at a nightclub, and Aidan attends UCLA.
Over the past 72 hours, at least five major fires have erupted in the Los Angeles area, claiming at least five lives and destroying hundreds of homes. The worst is perhaps the Palisades Fire, wrecking havoc and horror along the Pacific Coast Highway in the area of Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and Santa Monica. The Eaton Fire started in the San Gabriel Mountains and has forced evacuations in La Canada Flintridge, Arcadia, Altadena, Pasadena, and Monrovia. The Hurst Fire struck Slymar in the San Fernando Valley, and the Lidia Fire broke out in the rural mountains north of Downtown LA.
The Sunset Fire, which forced Lovell and Walsh to evacuate their home, started in the Hollywood Hills and required evacuations in Hollywood, West Hollywood, Studio City, and Beverly Hills. So far, 43 acres have been burned.
Lovell said she's grateful for the local news outlets because that is how she first learned of the Sunset Fire.
"Thank God for you guys because that's what alerted me to this new fire," Lovell said. "Before anything happened, I walked out my door, saw the fire, and started knocking on my neighbors’ doors. I live in a little community, and then I just knocked on the doors. I didn't know what was going on, but I knew what to prepare for, because, unfortunately, I'd already done it before."
Her pets are Luna, a white Chihuahua, and Lux, a black cat. They're both safe, though Lux was a challenge to find in the house during the commotion of evacuation.
"They're just both really mad at me right now," Lovell said.
Her home is still standing and the evacuation order has been lifted. She plans to return to her home today to check on it and repack and reorganize.
"Our fire started and spread so quickly that we didn't have time, you didn't have time to think you just literally got your pets, your medicine, and you threw it in the car," she said. "I got my laptop, and I left."
She isn't sticking around when she goes back today. She's worried about flare-ups, the potential for new fires, and the air quality.
"It's like a snow day of soot here," she said.
She wants to check on her house and her neighbors because of the potential for looting. Nearly all of her losses following Katrina were from looters, she said. Reports indicate that in the LA area so far at least 20 looters have been arrested."
"They should be arrested. That's not okay," she said. "That makes me very, very angry. I get very protective of my people, and that makes me very, very angry that people would even consider doing that, taking advantage of such a horrible situation. It's sickening, honestly."
Lovell is staying with friends, Scot is with friends, and so is Aidan. UCLA hasn't been evacuated but classes were canceled.
Priorities are important in the face of imminent disaster, Lovell said.
"When you leave, when you evacuate, you grab your pets, you grab medicines for those pets, medicines for yourself; if you can find your important documents, cool," Lovell said. "If you can't, they're replaceable. Everything is replaceable. Your lives are not. Your health can be damaged forever. Just get out."
She also advises, "Keep an eye on the news."
That's what her sisters did for her while she was evacuating. They are in New Mexico, Rochester, and San Diego. They used Facetime to pass along information to Lovell.
"I'm driving to evacuate, and I don't know what's going on in my neighborhood at that point because I can't be watching anything," Lovell said. "They were on Facetime with me, keeping me updated on the status of the fire."
Lovell's friends and family have been an amazing source of support, she said.
"I want to thank everybody for their love and support," Lovell said. "I think something to realize is that I'm here, but my family's affected back East. They're worried about me. I have family all over the country; they're all worried. This is an isolated area where it's happening, but these disasters are so wide-reaching. It's so important to just stay connected, and I want them to know I'm safe. Scot is safe. Aidan is safe."
A 39-year-old Lockport man confirmed in County Court on Tuesday that he wants to be tried on a murder charge rather than take a plea offer.
Edward Dunn initially turned down a plea offer in December. It would have capped his prison term to 15 years to life. His appearance on Tuesday before Judge Melissa Lightcap Cianfrini was his last chance to accept the plea offer. If convicted of murder at trial, he faces a potential term of 25 years to life on that count alone. With additional charges under New York law, he could be potentially sentenced to 50 years to life.
Dunn is accused of killing Michael Poole, of Olcott, and then hiding his body in the trunk of a car that was abandoned in the town of Alabama in March.
Also charged in the murder is Kathryn A. Henry, 33, from Lockport, who was arrested on April 19 and charged with murder in the second degree. She was accused at the time of conspiring with Dunn to kill Poole and hide his body.Correction: Henry entered guilty pleas on Aug. 22 to charges of hindering prosecution, a Class D felony, and concealment of a human corpse, a Class E felony. She is no longer facing a murder charge as previously reported.
Norman S. DuBois, 45, of Lockport, is charged with hindering prosecution in the first degree, tampering with physical evidence, concealment of a human corpse and conspiracy.
Dunn's trial is scheduled to start with jury selection on March 2.
Besides the Class A-1 felony of murder, he is also charged with assault in the second degree, a Class B felony; concealment of a human corpse, a Class E felony; and tampering with physical evidence, a Class E felony.
Andrea Kuehn and her painting "Stop and Smell the Flowers," the People's Choice winner. Photo by Howard Owens.
A winter chill on Tuesday didn't stop the Batavia Society of Artists in its third attempt to hold the opening reception for its annual winter show at Richmond Memorial Library.
Snow storms forced the society to cancel its previously scheduled reception, the first one scheduled a month ago.
Andrea Kuehn, who entered three paintings, won the People's Choice Award, the only award handed out at this show, for her painting, "Stop and Smell the Flowers."
Sydney Reily, Elba, Sophia Falleti, Notre Dame, Jaimin Macdonald, Batavia, and Hazel Nickerson (the returning MVP from 2024), Cal-Mum. Photo by Howard Owens
One of the real values of the Rotary Basketball Tournament, said Notre Dame Coach Vinny Falleti, is that it focuses attention of female athletes.
"In my opinion, girls' sports in this area don't get as much of a run as boys', and I think that they should," Falleti said on Tuesday during Rotary's luncheon at the ARC Center on Woodrow Road. "There's a lot of great women athletes out there and girls who are really good representatives of what you want to be as you get older. And I think that's a big part of this tournament. It's really shining a light on a lot of young ladies who really do it the right way. And that goes for every school that's involved."
Tip-off for the first game is tonight (Tuesday) at 6:30 p.m. with Notre Dame against defending champs Cal-Mum.
The second first-round game is at 7:45, Batavia vs. Elba.
Elba is making its first tournament appearance in 30 years.
The championship game is at 7:45 p.m. on Thursday. The consolation game on Thursday starts at 6:30 p.m.
Sub-freezing temps, a slight breeze, and a dusting of snow seemed to somehow add to the live racing ambience at Batavia Downs as the track opened on Monday for its third consecutive winter racing season.
Winter racing has its disadvantages and advantages, Don Hoover, director of live racing at Batavia Downs, told The Batavian prior to Monday's first post time at 3 p.m.
The obvious disadvantage is adverse weather.
"It has its own challenges because from time to time, you're on edge, whether you're going to have to cancel the races or not, depending on weather, and that's something that you need to do in a timely manner to avert having many of the people ship in and be caught in bad weather," Hoover said.
On the plus side, racing fans around the country have few other options if they want to play the ponies remotely.
"We have lost much less competition in the simulcast area," Hoover said. "Today, for example, only three or four tracks are racing nationwide, and that will afford us, hopefully, a very, very substantial handle. Last year, we went over half a million dollars three times, which was unheard of in the era since OTB has owned the racetrack."
While the winter racing crowd is small at the track — and cozy in the warm clubhouse with food and beverages available — winter racing, Hoover said, has helped lift the profile of Batavia Downs for race fans across the country.
Hoover said there is also an advantage to winter racing for the horsemen.
"Because it's a Western New York circuit where typically they race in Buffalo and Batavia, but with Buffalo being much closer to the lake than we are, Buffalo opted not to race in January and February a couple of years back," Hoover said. "In an agreement with the horsemen, we were able to pick up those dates. It keeps them where there's one month off out of 12. It keeps them from shipping to continue to ply their trade."
This year marks the 85th year since harness racing started at Batavia Downs, but since some seasons were missed over the decades, Hoover estimates its actually the 79th year of live racing at the track.
"As everyone's well aware, there have been many, many changes in the landscape of racing over the last 50 years," Hoover said. "We don't get as many on-track customers as we used to because of the availability of wagering from the comfort of your home, your phone, and even your car. There's also been a proliferation of casino gambling in the state, so the picture is different. But the good thing about it is that we still have racing purses that are such that people can make a good living."
There is still clearly an interest in live racing, which the total handle live racing generates proves, Hoover said.
"The one thing that we would like to see happen, and we hope it can happen, is to raise the on-track handle and the on-track attendance here at Batavia Downs," Hoover said. "They (the Western Regional OTB board) put money into racing. They renovated the clubhouse recently. Many tracks in the state don't even have an open clubhouse. So we try to draw people here, and that's one of our goals."
UPDATE: Don Hoover reports that the opening day of the 15-day winter meet was a success. He states, "As compared to last year’s opening day we showed an increase in both live and total handle. The live handle was $7,330 yesterday as compared to $6,803 last year ( a 7.7% increase), and the total handle was $465,558 as compared to $390,922 ( a 19% increase) and was the 4th highest handle since WROTB acquired Batavia Downs."
Notre Dame improved to 5-2 Saturday afternoon in Girls Basketball with a 63-22 win over Wheatland Chili at home.
Every Irish player contributed for a balanced win.
Leading ND were the Falleti sisters, Sofia and Gianna, with 12 points each. Also contributing were Lucia Fiorentin with 11 points, Emma Fitch, 7, Riley Yunker, 7, Shirley Thompson, 6, Clairissa Milliman, 4, and Penny Jo Thompson, 4.
“Back-to-back games are very difficult, and I was happy that the girls could come out and have everyone contribute both on offense and defense,” said Coach Vinny Falleti.
Flanked by colleagues from Genesee County's criminal justice system, Jail Superintendent William Zipfel strolled out of the new Genesee County Jail in a ceremonial "walk-out" on Friday to end his 42-year career.
Zipfel spent the past decade as jail superintendent, which included helping the county build a new jail over the past couple of years, moving it out of an aging and dilapidated facility on West Main Street.
But for Zipfel, that is not the capstone of his career. As a corrections officer, he's valued the opportunity to help people.
"The occasions when you've actually been able to help somebody, that's difficult to find in the corrections setting, but occasionally it happens, and that's meaningful when it happens," Zipfel said.
What he values most over his long career are his colleagues.
"The people in the department, the camaraderie and the people who made it worthwhile, especially the sheriff," Zipfel said. "I have nothing but the highest regard for the sheriff."
During his career, Zipfel has been a firearms instructor, defensive tactics instructor, aerosol chemical agents instructor and suicide prevention instructor.
His passion, though, is skydiving, and skydiving figures prominently in his retirement plans.
"My wife will be ticked, but I probably will go renew my skydive ratings and get my instructional ratings back that I've had and do some more skydiving," Zipfel said.
Photo by Howard Owens.
Jail Superintendent Wiliam Zipfel and Sheriff William Sheron. Photo by Howard Owens.
Officials sworn in on Friday, Sheriff Joseph Graff, Undersheriff Brad Mazur, County Treasurer Kevin Andrews, Coroner Drew Klotzbach, Coroner Karen Lang, and Republican Election Commissioner Scott German. Photo by Howard Owens.
Photos from Friday's swearing-in ceremony at the Old County Courthouse for Genesee County officials.
Photo by Howard Owens.
Photo by Howard Owens.
Photo by Howard Owens.
Photo by Howard Owens.
Photo by Howard Owens.
Photo by Howard Owens.
Melissa L. Gaebler, deputy election commissioner Photo by Howard Owens.
Retired Sheriff Gary Maha, Sheriff Joseph Graff, outgoing Sheriff William Sheron Photo by Howard Owens.
Outgoing Sheriff William Sheron, Sheriff Joseph Graff, Undersheriff Brad Mazur, Chief Deputy Brian Frieday. Photo by Howard Owens.
Douglas Grant Goodwin, 33, of Maple Road, Alabama, is charged with criminal contempt 1st. Goodwin, currently in custody at the Genesee County Jail, made a phone call to a specific person at 11:44 a.m. on Dec. 15 in violation of an order of protection. Goodwin is also charged with promoting prison contraband 2nd. Goodwin is accused of possessing two mobile phones while being incarcerated.
Philip Roy Chin, 37, of Conrad Drive, Greece, is charged with criminal mischief 3rd. Chin is accused of intentionally damaging a door by kicking it multiple times at 4:45 p.m. on Dec. 15 at a location on West Main Street, Batavia.
Roy Joseph Knauss, 34, of East Main Road, Le Roy, is charged with harassment 2nd. Knauss is accused of spitting on and kicking another person during a fight at 2:55 p.m. on Dec. 15 at a location on East Main Road, Le Roy. He was issued an appearance ticket.
Linda Maria Doucette, 59, of Lake Road South, Brockport, is charged with DWI. Doucette was stopped at 7:33 p.m. on Dec. 17 following a traffic complaint on Peachey Road, Beren. Doucette was released on a ticket.
Daniel Lawrence Kensy, 41, of Schlemmer Road, Lancaster, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and failure to keep right. Kensy was stopped at 12:05 a.m. on Dec. 18 on Pearl Street Road, Batavia, by Sgt. Mathew Clor. Kensy issued tickets and released.
For decades -- there is no record we know of for when the games started -- local basketball aficiandos have met every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in the gym at the YMCA to play hoops.
It is almost certainly the longest-running, ongoing pick-up basketball game in Batavia.
Joe Perzia, the longest-tenured regular player, has been hitting the court at the Y since the early 1990s.
Mike Roth, in his 70s, is the oldest active member, but on any given morning, there can be players in their young 20s trying to block out or drive on guys twice or even three times their age, and the matchups aren't always as uneven as they might sound.
The games are always spirited and intense but always friendly.
Players start showing up on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 6 a.m., with games usually starting by 6:30 a.m. In that time, they might fit in as many as three games before players start heading off to work.
On Monday, the current group of regulars played their last games at the old Y. On Jan. 2 (which is actually a Tuesday, in a slight break with tradition), they will play their first games at the new Healthy Living Center.
To commemorate the last games in the old gym, in the manner of a celebration after a big championship win, the players cut down the nets in the old gym.
Tia E. Schmieder, 33, of Batavia, is charged with burglary 1st, attempted assault 1st, criminal possession of weapon 3rd, criminal mischief 4th, and menacing 2nd. Schmieder allegedly forced her way into a person's residence on State Street and slashed that person with a knife. She was arraigned and released.
Tyquan D. Bethel, 34, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 1st, unlawful imprisonment 2nd, criminal mischief 4th, and harassment 2nd. Bethel was arrested on Nov. 20 following a report of a disturbance on Pearl Street, Batavia. He allegedly violated an order of protection by holding a person down and refusing to let the person leave. He is also accused of preventing the person to call 9-1-1 by taking away the person's phone. He was arraigned in City Court and jailed.
Quincy G. Styles, 26, of Batavia, is charged with robbery 3rd. Styles allegedly stole money from another person at the scene of a motor vehicle accident on Nov. 21 by threatening to punch the driver if he didn't give him money. Styles was arraigned in City Court and released.
Joshua Michel
Joshua D. Michel, 34, of Batavia, is charged with tampering with physical evidence, tampering with public records 2nd, falsely reporting an incident 3rd, and endangering the welfare of a disabled person. Michel was charged after an investigation into three separate incidents at the Developmental Disabilities Services Office on New York Place in Batavia, where he was employed.
John P. Wittkopp, 41, of Batavia, is charged with assault 2nd. Wittkopp is accused of fighting with another person on Nov. 7 on Spencer Court and causing serious injury. He was arraigned in City Court and held.
Thomas J. Mitchell, 35, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny and grand larceny. Mitchell is accused of stealing tools from a vehicle on Oct. 9. He was arrested on Nov. 8, arraigned in City Court and released.
Nicholas C. Kingdollar, 29, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Kingdollar is accused of sending a letter to a person he was ordered not to contact while incarcerated at the Genesee County Jail. He was arrested on Nov. 24.
Sean M. Conway, no age or residence provided, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Conway was arrested on Nov. 22 on a warrant related to an incident reported on April 26 when he was allegedly found in possession of narcotics. He was arraigned and released.
Doreen M. Boop, 61, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Boop was arrested on Nov. 22 on a warrant related to an incident reported on April 26 when she was allegedly found in possession of narcotics. She was arraigned and released.
Meaghan A. Conti, 37, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Conti was arrested on Nov. 18. Conti was allegedly found in possession of narcotics during a welfare check on East Main Street, Batavia. She was issued an appearance check.
Warren T. Cotton, 47, of Batavia, is charged with two counts of criminal contempt 2nd. Cotton is accused of violating a stay-away order of protection. Cotton was arrested on Nov. 5 and on Nov. 18. He was arraigned in City Court and jailed.
Brandon M. Seppe, 40, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd and trespass 2nd. Seppe is accused of entering a residence on Ellicott Street in violation of protection. He was issued an appearance ticket.
William T. Hughes, 68, of Batavia, is charged with forcible touching. He was arrested on Nov. 11 in connection to an incident on East Main Street reported on Nov. 9. He was issued an appearance ticket.
Jose A. Rivera, 38, of Bergen, is charged with harassment 2nd. Rivera was charged following a report of a fight on Sept. 26 at The Harvester on Harvester Avenue on Sept. 26. He was released on an appearance ticket.
Alicia M. Lyons, 45, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Lyons allegedly contact a person on Nov. 10 in violation of a stay-away order of protection. She was issued an appearance ticket.
Scott J. Hinze, 38, of Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief 3rd, criminal contempt 2nd, criminal tampering 3rd, and petit larceny. Hinze was arrested on a warrant following an incident in July where he allegedly damaged and tampered with property belonging to another person in violation of an order of protection. He was arraigned and released.
Curtis McCall, 37, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. McCall is accused of stealing property from Family Dollar in Batavia. He was issued an appearance ticket.
Myrin D. Lumpkin, 46, of Batavia, was arrested on Nov. 27 on a warrant. Lumpkin allegedly failed to appear in court on a disorderly conduct charge stemming from a fight on West Main Street, Batavia, in August. He was arraigned in City Court and released.
Zachary R Eichenberger, 40, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Eichenberger is accused of shoplifting from Aldi. He was issued an appearance ticket.
Lyndsay T. Young, 41, of Alexander, was arrested on a warrant on Nov. 26 charging her with criminal possession of a controlled substance. Her arrest stemmed from an investigation into an incident on July 26, where she was allegedly found in possession of crack cocaine. She was arraigned and released.
Francis A. Coombs, 57, of Batavia, was arrested on Dec. 3 on a warrant. Coombs allegedly failed to appear in court on a criminal mischief 4th charge from August. He was arraigned in City Court and jailed.
Joseph C Jeffords, 33, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th and criminal use of drug paraphernalia 2nd. Jeffords was charged following a traffic stop on Nov. 26 on Kingsbury Avenue, Batavia, by a Batavia patrol officer.He was allegedly found in possession of drug paraphernalia and crack cocaine. He was issued an appearance ticket.
Sarah A. Malone, 42, of Batavia, was arrested on a warrant on Nov. 26 on charges of aggravated unlicensed operation 2nd and driving without an interlock device. The warrant stems from an incident on Aug. 30 in Batavia. Malone allegedly drove a vehicle on a suspended license and without an ignition interlock. She was arraigned and released.
Amanda S. Dombrowski, 41, of Batavia, was arrested on Nov. 26 on a warrant. She was charged with bail jumping after allegedly not appearing on prior charges. She was arrested on May 2, 2020, and charged with menacing 3rd and endangering the welfare of a child. She was arraigned in City Court and jailed.
Thomas E. Lowe, 65, of Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief 4th. Lowe is accused of damaging the interior of a store on East Main Street, Batavia, on Nov. 25. He was issued an appearance ticket.
Nicholas M. Ricigliano, 40, of Batavia, was arrested on Nov. 30 on a warrant. Ricigliano is accused of failure to appear in court on a petit larceny charge from Aug. 21. He was arraigned and released.
Marissa B. Torres, 34, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Torres allegedly violated an order of protection on Nov. 12. She was arraigned and released.
Dontre R. Woods, 34, of Batavia, was arrested on Nov. 12 on a warrant. Woods allegedly failed to appear in court in August. Woods was arraigned and released.
Russell S. Neureuther, 26, of Byron, is charged with aggravated DWI. Neureuther was stopped on Nov. 2 by a Batavia patrol officer on Elm Street. He was issued traffic tickets and released.
Hillary D. Russell, 31, of Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Russell is accused of throwing an item at another person on Nov. 7 during a fight on Hutchins Street, Batavia. Russell was arraigned in City Court and released.
Ian J. Stothers, 22, of Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief 2nd, reckless endangerment of property, and necessary noise. Stothers and two other people are accused of damaging a parking lot belonging to the city of Batavia on Nov. 9. Strothers was arraigned and released.
Angel R. Del Valle Castillo, 18, of Batavia, is charged with possession of a forged instrument 2nd and possession of a forged instrument 3rd. Castillo was charged following a traffic stop on Nov. 3. He is accused of driving a vehicle with a fictitious license plate and providing officers with a forged insurance card. He was arraigned and released.
Megan J. Courtney, 28, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property 5th and petit larceny. Courtney is accused of allegedly stealing merchandise from Dollar General on Dec. 1. Police officers were initially unable to determine her identification, but she returned to the store the next day attempting to return the stolen items. Courtney was issued an appearance ticket.
Kody A Wenzel, 32, of Batavia, was arrested on a warrant on Dec. 8 and charged with criminal possession of controlled substance 7th. Wenzel was allegedly found in possession of methamphetamine on Aug. 4, 2023. Wenzel was arraigned and released.
Robin F. Schmitt, 40, of Oakfield, is charged with petit larceny. Schmitt is accused of stealing merchandise from Dollar General on Dec. 3. He was issued an appearance ticket.
Lisa M. Fox, 53, of Albion, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th, tampering with physical evidence, criminal use of drug paraphernalia 2nd, obstructing governmental administration 2nd, and traffic violations. Fox was stopped on Dec. 5 on Richmond avenue and allegedly found in possession of crack cocaine. She was issued an appearance ticket.
Dana L. Manes, 60, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny and conspiracy 6th. Manes is accused of stealing merchandise from Tops on Dec. 10. Manes was issued an appearance ticket.
A residence at 8087 Parmelee Road in Le Roy was destroyed in an early morning fire, according to the Le Roy Fire Department.
Crews responded to the log cabin structure at 2:35 a.m. The first crews on scene reported heavy fire from the instruction.
The homeowner escaped the fire after being alerted by a smoke alarm inside the residence.
Le Roy reports that there was limited access to the structure, so the scene commander requested UTVs and 4X4 trucks from mutual aid departments.
The UTVs and 4x4s were used to shuttle manpower and equipment to the scene.
Bergen Fire reported that "Crews faced steep challenges, including heavy fire and an icy, inaccessible driveway that required the use of four-wheel-drive vehicles and UTVs to reach the scene. With temperatures hovering around 5 degrees, the extreme cold pushed our firefighters and equipment to their limits. Gear froze stiff, and maintaining the functionality of hoses, tools, and vehicles demanded extraordinary effort."
Bergen said all firefighters returned home safely.
"This incident highlights the incredible resilience and dedication of our firefighters in Bergen and the surrounding towns," Bergen said in a statement.
Responding departments included Bergen Fire, Pavilion Fire, Stafford Fire, Cit yof Batavia, Caledonia Fire, Town of Batavia Fire, Scottsville Fire, Mumford Fire, and Brockport Fire. Scene supported included the Le Roy Highway Department, Le Roy PD, Sheriff's Office, Le Roy Ambulance, Le Roy Fire Auxiliary, and emergency dispatchers.
Two city of Batavia PD police officers sustained minor injuries in an assault late Saturday morning at a location on Trumbull Parkway during what the police describe as a "mental health incident."
The name of the suspect was not released. Police say the suspect is being evaluated at Strong Memorial Hospital. Charges are likely upon the suspect's release from the hospital, police said.
Further details about the incident be released later, police said, saying the investigation is ongoing.
The two officers were treated at UMMC and released.
The police department was assisted at the scene by City Fire, Mercy EMS, the city of Batavia Code Enforcement Office and the city of Batavia Public Works Department.
"We appreciate the community's cooperation and understanding in this matter," police said.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call 585-345-6350.
Ten goats died in a barn fire on Thursday night at 3602 Rose Road, Batavia.
Homeowners Shey and Gina Doane said they also had antiques stored in the barn along with some belongings of Shey's late father.
The fire was reported at 9:13 p.m.
Deputy Fire Coordinator Dan Coffey said the homeowner spotted smoke when he returned home and that the barn was fully involved a few minutes later when the first firefighters arrived on the scene. The barn was a total loss.
Shey said he had returned from taking his son's girlfriend home when he found the fire.
The cause and origin of the fire is under investigation, Coffey said.
Town of Batavia Fire responded with mutual aid from East Pembroke and Alexander. Oakfield and Stafford provided fill-ins for the responding departments.
There may have been one minor firefighter injury, a slip-and-fall, Coffey said, but he was not treated at the scene.
Crews cleared the scene at 1 a.m.
The Doanes said the goats were rescues rejected by their mothers, so they were raised inside the barn and bottle fed. Gina said the goats were like her kids.
Photos by Kara Richenberg. Kara Richenberg contributed to the story.
