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Photos by Howard Owens.

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Le Roy Jr/Sr High School is hosting its 8th annual Fine Arts Festival from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday.

There will be live music in the Atrium and in the Cafeteria, student art displays in the Atrium and Library, and food trucks.

Photo: File photo from 2018 by Howard Owens.

Chris Crocker submitted this photo of Sunday's sunset.

Brayden Smith's five RBIs and home run keyed Oakfield-Alabama's semi-final Section V playoff win over Warsaw on Saturday, helping the Hornets to a 16-8 win.

Smith had four hits and scored twice.

Bodie Hyde had three hits, an RBI and scored three times. Cooper Colantino had two hits, an RBI and scored twice. David Schnaufer was 2-2 with two walks and scored twice. 

The winning pitcher was Kyle porter. He gave up three hits, three runs and struck out 10 over 5 2/3 innings.

Notre Dame and O-A will play for the sectional crown in Class C on Tuesday.

Photos by Kristin Smith.  For more, click here.

At the start of Memorial Day Weekend, Ryan Macdonald, a resident of Clinton Street Road, Stafford, installed a giant 20x30 foot flag on the silo of the barn on the farm. 

Photos submitted by Marty Macdonald.

For the first time since it opened, veterans, family members, and area residents gathered at the WNY National Cemetery in Pembroke to pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of their country as part of Memorial Day Weekend.

Photos by Alecia Kaus/Video News Service.

A two-car motor vehicle accident with airbag deployment is reported at Main and Bank, Batavia.

Unknown injuries.  

Traffic is blocked.

City Fire and Mercy EMS responding.

A dump truck is reported on fire in the area of 4868 Batavia Elba Townline Road, Batavia.

Town of Batavia Fire dispatched along with mutual aid from Elba.

Andrew A. Searight, 35, of Batavia, and Jerrtonia A. Scarbrough, 24, of Batavia, are charged with aggravated cruelty to animals. Searight and Scarbrough are accused of abandoning an animal in a cage for an extended period of time at a residence on Bank Street.  The incident was reported at 9:18 a.m., May 10. They were both issued an appearance ticket.

Angela N. Bennett, 24, of Strathmore Circle, Rochester, and Shamya I. Brown, 22, of Verona Street, Rochester, are charged with grand larceny 4th.  Bennett and Brown are accused of stealing $1,726.28 in merchandise from Dick's Sporting Goods in Batavia at 1:10 p.m., May 23.  Deputies responded to a report of a larceny in progress and later located the suspect vehicle on River Street in the City of Batavia. Both were issued appearance tickets.  The case was handled by Investigator Erik Andre and Deputy Trevor Sherwood.

Brandon Charles Dodd, 35, of Montclair Avenue, Batavia, and Trace Garrett Brewer, 21, of Montclair Avenue, Batavia, are charged with petit larceny. Dodd and Brewer are accused of stealing air conditioner units from Walmart at 3:38 p.m., May 22. Dodd was also arrested by Batavia PD on petit larceny and conspiracy charges. He is accused of stealing several cans of Red Bull from a business on West Main Street at 10:52 p.m., May 5. Brewer is charged with conspiracy related to the same incident.

Jamian J. "Jay" Edwards, 38, of Lake Avenue, Rochester, is charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance 3rd and criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd.  Edwards is accused of selling crack cocaine to an agent of the Drug Task Force in the City of Batavia. He was taken into custody on an arrest warrant while checking in with Monroe County Probation and turned over the Sheriff's Office.

Timothy Robert Nurmi, 30, of West Main Street, Le Roy, is charged with criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation and harassment 2nd.  The alleged incident was reported at 11:15 a.m., May 24, at a location on West Main Street, Le Roy. The charges are a misdemeanor and a violation. Nurmi was arraigned in Town of Le Roy Court for the purpose of issuing an order of protection and released on his own recognizance.

Alexis Rae Kenyon, 28, of Church Street, Le Roy, is charged with aggravated harassment, 2nd. The alleged incident was reported at 12:59 p.m., May 26, at a location on Church Street, Le Roy. Kenyon was released on her own recognizance.

Anthony Wade Travis, 59, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with bail jumping 2nd. Travis is accused of failing to appear as ordered in County Court on a felony charge. Travis was issued an appearance ticket.

Thomas William McCabe, III, 44, of Scio (no street address provided), is charged with attempt grand larceny 3rd, criminal mischief, aggravated unlicensed operation, and driver's view obstructed.  McCabe is accused of trying to steal Diamond C. equipment trailer in the Town of Darien at 1:15 a.m., May 21. He was arrested by Deputy Austin Heberlein.  He was released on an appearance ticket.

Marie Rachael Brown, 44, of Bethany Center Road, Bethany, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and speeding. Brown was stopped at 2:26 a.m., May 22, on Route 237, Stafford, by Sgt. Mathew Clor. She was released on traffic tickets.

David Carl Stephens, 56, of Prole Road, Stafford, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd, obstructing governmental administration, and harassment 2nd.  Stephens is accused of violating an order of protection and of attempting to fight with deputies when they responded to a complaint at a residence at Prole Road, Stafford, at 3:48 p.m., May 23.

Terrence T. Freeman, 31, of Batavia, is charged with trespass. Freeman is accused of refusing to leave a residence on Liberty Street at 10:16 p.m., May 14. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Anthony D. Underwood, 22, of Buffalo, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd, unlawful imprisonment 2nd and criminal mischief 4th. Underwood was arrested by Batavia PD following an investigation into a disturbance reported at 6 p.m., May 16, on South Main Street, Batavia. He was arraigned in City Court and ordered held on $5,000 bail or $10,000 bond.

Zoro D. Reisman, 18, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Reisman is accused of stealing sausages from a business on Ellicott Street at 1:37 p.m., May 15. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Garrett L. Strickland, 30, of Medina, criminal contempt 2nd. Strickland was arrested on a warrant.

Crystal A. Mounts, 44, of Batavia, is charged with failure to appear. Mounts was wanted on six warrants out of City Court related to a series of crimes she is accused of committing within the calendar year. Mounts is accused of failing to appear on the charges on April 29. Mounts was arraigned in City Court and released.

A two-car motor vehicle accident is reported in the area of 140 West Main St., Batavia.

One person has a complaint of difficulty breathing because of an anxiety attack.

City Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

Brighton Securities hosted their annual Shred Day today near its office on East Main Street, in the parking lot between Batavia Bootery and Main St. Pizza.  Staff members said there were a lot of people showing up today to dispose of documents safely and securely.

Previously: Got old paperwork? Shred it and forget it on Shred Day

Article submitted by Mike Cintorino.

It has been quite the run for the Elba/Oakfield-Alabama Lancers Golf Team. 

On Thursday, at a blustery Livingston Country Club in Geneseo, the Lancers earned their 4th Section V Class C Boys Golf Championship in the last 6 seasons. 

The day started with a semi-final match against the top-seeded Gananda Blue Panthers.  The Lancers were led in that match by their stalwarts, CJ Gottler and Brayden Smith who shot 39 and 45 respectively on the par-36 front nine. 

Gananda's Carter Lathrop fired a 47, but behind solid efforts from the Lancers' Jake Walczak and Aiden Warner, they were able to defeat the Blue Panthers 194 to 234 in the first of two Class C semi-final matches. 

In the second semi-final, the Byron Bergen Bees had a nail-biter against the Geneseo Blue Devils that came down to the final pairing of the match. 

Ryan Muscarella, Brendan Pimm, and David Brumstead all fired 50's on the front nine, all lower than the top four golfers for the Blue Devils. 

The medalist of the match would come from the third pairing with a Geneseo golfer (name not submitted) who shot the low round of the match with a 48. 

However, the steady and consistent rounds of the Bees allowed them to edge out the Blue Devils 202-207.  

For the second consecutive season, the Byron Bergen Bees matched up with the Elba/Oakfield-Alabama Lancers in the Section V Class C Boys Golf Finals. 

Last year the Lancers defeated the Bees 172-199 at Caledonia Country Club.  This year, the conditions, specifically the wind blowing over 20b mph at times, proved for much tougher conditions on a difficult Livingston Country Club back nine. 

Although the conditions were different, the results were similar as the Lancers defeated the Bees by a score of 189-206. 

CJ Gottler once again medaled in the finals with a round of 41 while teammate Brayden Smith and Byron Bergen's Ryan Muscarella fired a round of 47.  The Lancer's Jake Walczak (46) and Kaden Cusmano (55) rounded out the scoring for the Lancers as they successfully defended their Class C title.  

The win was the Lancers' 4th Section V Golf Title in the last 6 seasons (2016, 2017, 2021, 2022 - there was no season in 2020). 

In 2018 the Lancers finished 2nd. 

With the win, the Lancers end the season 13-3 overall while the Bees fall to 12-3. 

This was a fantastic season for the Lancers as for the second consecutive year they swept both the team title and individual title (CJ Gottler in 2021 and Brayden Smith in 2022) in Section V Class C Boys Golf. 

This group of young men (and women) have grinded all season to live up to the legacy set for them by previous teams. 

For Elba/OA Senior, CJ Gottler, he finished his 6th year as a varsity golfer as a 3-time team and 2-time individual Section V Champion, along with back-to-back Genesee Region League Player of the Year honors.  Gottler's leadership on and off the course will be sorely missed, and his personality and ability to make not just teammates, but competitors laugh during a round of golf.  

Reader-submitted photos.

The Le Roy High School tennis team beat Avon today 4-1 to win a Class C2 Section V championship.

Photo submitted by David Russell.

It's been a long time coming and absolutely necessary, today's speakers said at a groundbreaking for the new $70 million, 184-bed Genesee County Jail off West Main Street Road, next to County Building #2.

"Believe it or not, discussions on the replacement of the current jail, the Genesee County Jail, date back over 50 years," Sheriff William Sheron said during the ceremony Thursday. "When I began my career with the Sheriff's Office in 1977, they had plans on the table to build the new jail. There are many reasons that didn't come to fruition, but with persistence by former Sheriff (Gary) Maha and myself, we finally got to today."

The current jail was built in 1902 with additions in 1985.  And while it has met its purpose for more than 120 years, the current jail is no longer adequate to meet the county's needs nor meet the health and safety standards required by the State of New York.

"The lack of housing space, overcrowding, inmate classification limitations, the inability to house females, and the inability to meet the needs of the inmates, incarcerated individuals, are just some of the daily obstacles that our correction officers and leadership face. We must remember that the county jail is a vital component in providing for the safety and security of the residents of Genesee County," Sheron said.

"We are building a modern secure facility," the sheriff said. "It will allow for the ability to expand essential programs that will assist in preparing incarcerated individuals for their re-entry into society. This facility will also allow us to improve mental health, substance abuse programs, and medical services. It will also increase our holding cell capacity to assist other police agencies here in Genesee County. Equally important is that the facility will drastically improve the working conditions for the correction officers and the jail employees that operate this facility 24 hours a day, 365 days a year."

Shelley Stein, chairwoman of the Genesee County Legislature, credited the persistence and work of a number of people in getting the new jail to the groundbreaking stage, including Maha and Sheron, along with former County Manager Jay Gsell, the volunteer transition team, along with all the other county staff involved.

"This site will address the long-planned improvements in the county's responsibility to care for its inmates, provide for good working conditions for our corrections officers and to house our female incarcerated individuals in their home counties," Stein said.

County Manager Matt Landers, whose work on the jail includes the years he was assistant to Gsell, said the Legislature has pursued a methodical and conscientious path to plan and design a responsible and efficient jail that will meet the needs of the community for the next 100 years.

In the wake of bail reform and the pause in construction caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the county took the time to complete a second study on the capacity of a new jail and what was needed in a new facility, Landers said.

"The results were the same as the first, which gave us in the county renewed confidence that we were building the right-sized jail for this community," Landers said. "The fact is one of the responsibilities of county government is to maintain a safe and functional jail. In constructing this new facility, Genesee County is fulfilling its obligations."

Photos by Howard Owens

Sheriff William Sheron

Legislator Shelley Stein

Bruce Scofield, owner of Scofield Rolloff, presented a check for $3,825 to the Le Roy Ambulance Service to assist the agency with its effort to raise money to purchase a new ambulance.

The funds were proceeds from a scrap metal drive two weeks ago. 

Accepting the check were Chief Christopher Scopano and LAS Vice President Christopher Stella.

Le Roy Ambulance has raised $18,000 so far.

A car is off the roadway and into the trees on the Thruway near mile marker 395.5 in the eastbound direction of travel.

An occupant has a complaint of head pain. Extrication is needed.

Mercy Flight is on ground standby.

East Pembroke Fire along Town of Batavia Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 1:31 p.m.: A second accident is reported at mile marker 396.4 eastbound, involving two vehicles with a rollover.  East Pembroke and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 1:32 p.m.: Pembroke and Indian Falls dispatched to the second accident.  East Pembroke's chief at the first scene reports, "we're going to be at this one for some time with extrication."

UPDATE 2:01 p.m.: Pembroke and Indian Falls clearing the scene, holding all equipment in quarters.

Genesee County's unemployment rate of 2.8 percent in April is the lowest early spring rate on record and just a tick higher than the previous low of any time of year -- higher than reported in December when it was 2.7 percent.

A year ago in April, the rate was 4.6 percent. 

The pre-pandemic low for April was 3.1 percent in 2019.

The NYS Labor Department reports 29,500 Genesee County residents are in the labor force, up from 28,900 a year ago and two hundred workers more than a month earlier.

According to the reported data, there are 800 county residents looking for work.  A year ago, there were 1,300 residents listed as unemployed.

The labor department also reports 22,300 non-farm jobs in Genesee County, up from 21,500 in April a year ago.

There are 17,100 private sector jobs compared to 16,400 a year ago.  There are now 5,100 government jobs in the county, which is 100 more than a year ago.

After an eight-week run of higher numbers of known COVID-19 case counts in Genesee County, the number of new positive tests reported dropped significantly over the past week.

There were 170 new positive tests reported for the seven days ending Tuesday. 

The previous week, there were 261 new positive tests reported.

The Hornets went into their Class C sectional quarterfinals game against Cuba-Rushford today with their hitting shoes on.

The final score in their favor was 21-1.

Oakfield-Alabama knocked out 19 hits in the lopsided victory.

Aiden Warner had four hits and scored three times. Brayden Smith knocked in five runs on three hits and scored three times.  Kyle Porter also collected three hits along wth two RBIs and two runs scored.

Notching two hits each were Bodie Hyde, Cooper Colantonio, Gaige Armbrewster, and David Schnaufer.

Porter picked up the win.  He threw for 3 1/3 innings giving up one unearned run, no hits, walking four and striking out eight.

O-A plays Warsaw next.

In other sectional baseball games:

• Norte Dame beat York 4-0 to advance in Class C.
• Alexander lost to Letchworth 6-1 in Class C.
• Batavia beat Geneva 16-2 in Class B.

Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here.