Stories from

Alexander pulling out a close victory Wednesday over Oakfield-Alabama, 51-48.

For the Trojans, Hailie Kramer scored 19 points and Allison Mileham scored 11.

For the Hornets, Danica Porter scored 15 points, Brooke Reding, 12, and Kelsy Schlagenhauf, 10.

In other girls basketball:

• Elba beat Pembroke 62-35. Brynn Walczak scored 27 points for Elba and had 10 rebounds. Leah Bezon scored 10 points. For Pembroke, Serene Calderõn scored 10 points. (Game pictures included below.)
• Byron-Bergen beat Kendall 39-35
• Notre Dame beat Lyndonville 53-33

In boys basketball:

• Le Roy beat Haverling 54-51
• Pavilion beat Keshequa 42-34

O-A v. Alexander photos by Kristin Smith (click here for more). Elba vs. Pembroke photos by Debra Reilly.

A car stuck a utility pole in the area of 3624 Batavia Oakfield Townline Road at 6:30 a.m.

There are no injuries.

A second car also reportedly hit the pole after it was down.

There are wires across the roadway so the Batavia Oakfield Townline Road is closed to through traffic until National Grid can respond and shut off power to the line.

Town of Batavia fire and Mercy EMS on scene.

Timothy M. Tundo, 57, of Linden Road, Bethany, was arrested Tuesday after an execution of a search warrant by the Local Drug Task Force that allegedly uncovered machine guns, LSD, and money.

The Sheriff's Office reports that besides the LSD, in an amount that suggests it was being sold, they also found marijuana.  

Weapons recovered include an AR-15 style pistol, declared a "ghost gun" (unmarked and unregistered), two fully automatic machine guns, and five assault-style weapons. They also recovered 10 high-capacity magazines, an ammo belt, and brass knuckles.

Tundo is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 5th, two counts of criminal possession of a weapon, 2nd, 12 counts of criminal possession of a weapon, 3rd, criminal possession of an assault weapon, 3rd, criminal possession of a weapon, 4th, and criminal possession of marijuana, 2nd.

The suspect is being held in the Genesee County Jail in lieu of bail (unspecified).

The task force was assisted by uniformed deputies, State Police VGNET, State Police SORT, State Police CCERT, and the District Attorney's Office.

A semi-truck has reportedly overturned at 5140 W. Ag Park Drive, Batavia.

Unknown injuries.

Town of Batavia fire is responding.

 Interview with City Fire Chief Stefano Napolitano

On Senior Night, Le Roy beat Letchworth 61-30.

Jillian Curtis scored 22 points, grabbed 18 rebounds and knocked back five shots. Bryn Luckey scored 25 points and snatched four steals. Zharia Newton scored eight points and had seven rebounds. Jen Pullyblank scored 10 points.

Also in girls basketball, Pavilion beat Cal-Mum 50 to 18.

Photos by Tim McArdle.

The Hornets beat the Bees 74-56 in Oakfield on Tuesday night behind 17 points for Travis Wiedrich.

Kaden Cusmano added 15 points, Peyton Yasses, 11, Gaige Armbrewster, 10, and Kyle Porter, 8.

For Byron-Bergen, Jerrod Amesbury scored 16 points, Gianni Ferrara 15, and Braedyn Chambry, 11.

Also in boys basketball on Tuesday:

• Batavia beat Odyssey 74-25
• Notre Dame beat Pembroke 76-65
• Attica beat Elba 54-40

Photos by Kristin Smith. For the varsity game, click here. For JV game, click here.

Genesee County Police Reform and Reinvention Committee

A Batavia resident accused of attempted murder could be the first defendant to face an in-person trial in Genesee County since the start of the pandemic a year ago.

Jacob Sponaugle, 22, being held in the Genesee County Jail, made a virtual appearance today while the attorneys in the case informed Judge Charles Zambito they had no oral arguments to make in motions they've filed in the case.

Zambito will read their motion papers -- standard pretrial motions -- and issue a ruling in a few weeks.

He scheduled an in-person appearance for Sponaugle at 9:30 a.m., April 12. The judge noted that it is likely -- since Sponaugle is being held in custody -- that of all the pending potential trial cases, his could be the first in County Court since the coronavirus outbreak.

April 12 will be the plea cut-off date for Sponaugle, though District Attorney Lawrence Friedman said after today's hearing that he has yet to make a plea offer in the case. He didn't indicate whether he would or not.

Sponaugle is accused of shooting a person entering the lobby of the Days Inn in Batavia in July.

He is also charged with: assault, 1st; criminal use of a firearm; aggravated criminal possession of a weapon, 2nd; criminal possession of a weapon, 2nd; and criminal sale of a firearm, 3rd.

Video below, coverage of the July 22 incident.

A Batavia man is going to serve at least a year in prison for a violation of probation but his fate on rape charges remains pending.

While held in the Genesee County Jail, Justin T. Gladney, 30, appeared virtually in County Court today on his violation of probation conviction.

His appearance on his rape charges was continued until March 23, when all parties are expected to appear in person.

Nearly a year ago, Gladney admitted to a violation of probation and according to District Attorney Lawrence Friedman, he's subsequently been arrested on other charges. Those arrests, Friedman argued, meant Gladney had violated his sentencing cap offered to him for his guilty plea.

Instead of one to three years, Friedman said, he should get one and a third to four years.

Gladney was arrested locally in June 2020 and later in Monroe County.

His attorney, Marty Anderson, argued that Gladney is facing allegations from those arrests and hasn't been convicted. He asked for a one-year local sentence on the felony violation of probation conviction.

Gladney blamed his prior bad behavior on drug use and said he has been through treatment and is a changed man.

Judge Charles Zambito agreed with Friedman and sentenced Gladney to one and a third to four years in state prison.

Gladney is facing a criminal indictment on counts of first-degree rape, a Class B violent felony, third-degree rape, a Class D felony, and possession of a sexual performance by a child, a Class E felony.

A Class B violent felony carries a possible sentence of five to 25 years.

He is accused of a violent rape in early June on Lehigh Avenue, Batavia, of sexual intercourse while being older than 18 with a child 15 or less. 

Gladney remains in custody locally while his rape charges are pending.

Maddie Muehlig needed 17 points to reach 1,000 on her career going into Monday's Lady Lancers' game against Attica.

She scored 21, with her milestone point coming on a three-pointer in the third quarter.

Elba beat Attica 65-43.

Muehlig (#2 in photos) was 6-10 on three-point shots.

Leah Bezon, who joined the 1,000-point club in Elba's previous game, had 15 points.

Next in line for 1,000 points is Brynn Walczak. She scored 17 points.

Also in girls basketball on Monday:

• Batavia beat Odyssey 63-32
• Oakfield-Alabama beat Byron-Bergen 50-42
• Notre Dame beat Pembroke 62-59

In boys basketball, Le Roy beat Letchworth 66-35.

Photos by Debra Reilly.

A gas line has reportedly broken and is leaking gas at 111 Lake St., Le Roy.

Le Roy fire dispatched.

UPDATE 1:05 p.m.: Ice fell on the line.

UPDATE 1:30 p.m.: Le Roy cleared the scene and the residents are awaiting a repair crew from RG&E.

Deputies are continuing an investigation into an accident at about 8 p.m., Friday at Harlow Road in Darien involving an unoccupied snowmobile and a CSX train. 

Chief Deputy Brian Frieday said there is no new information available since Friday's incident but that deputies are tracking down some leads on the operator.

According to information related to deputies Friday night, the snowmobile was registered out of Rochester but the registration was expired. 

There were apparently tracks in the snow of somebody who walked away from the snowmobile before it was hit.

Reader-submitted photos.

Oakfield-Alabama beat Wheatfield-Chili on Sunday in girls basketball 36-32.

Scoring: Caitlin Ryan, nine points, Kelsey Schlagenhauf, eight, along with 13 rebounds, Danica Porter, seven, and Brooke Reding, six.

In other girls basketball:

• Alexander beat Holley 52-27
• Batavia beat Olympia 66-46
• Byron-Bergen beat Lyndonville 49-42
• Elba beat Notre Dame 52-38 (click here for coverage)
• Pavilion beat Mt. Morris 61-36
• Pembroke beat Attica 48-38

Photos by Kristin Smith.

For more photos, click here.

In boys basketball: 

• Pavilion lost to York, 74-48
• Batavia beat Olympia 69-56
• Le Roy beat Dansville 50-38
• Pembroke beat Attica 53-52

Brynn Walczak notched another double-double and Leah Bezon scored her 1,000th career point Saturday afternoon as the Lady Lancers beat archrival Notre Dame 52-38.

Walczak scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.

Bezon's 1,000th point came on a free throw in the third quarter. She scored nine points.

Taylor Augello scored 12 points. Maddie Muehlig scored five and grabbed eight rebounds.

For the Lady Irish, Emma Sisson, Maylee Green, and Amelia McCulley each scored eight points and Lindsey Weidman scored seven. McCulley had 14 rebounds.

Photos by Debra Reilly.

Donna Riexinger shared this photo of cardinals at her feeders yesterday morning.

The Batavian Sessions with Justin Williams

Kaden Cusmano, Gaige Armbrewster, and Travis Wiedrich led Oakfield-Alabama to a 55-43 victory over Wheatland-Chili at home on Friday night.

They scored 17, 16 and 15 points, respectively.  

In the only other local boys basketball game on Friday, Elba beat Notre Dame 61-50.

In girls basketball, Dansville beat Le Roy 65-34, and Pavilion beat York 54-46.

Photos by Kristin Smith. For varsity game photos, click here. For JV photos, click here.

Photo submitted by Jason Smith.

A CSX train has reportedly hit a snowmobile on or near Harlow Road in Darien.

The caller, a CSX employee, believes the snowmobile was unoccupied.

Darien fire responding.

UPDATE 8:21 p.m.: There are apparently fresh footprints in the snow showing somebody left the scene. The tracks indicated the snowmobile was westbound.

UPDATE 8:22 p.m.: The vehicle was last registered in Rochester but the registration is expired and the last attempt at registration was denied. Train staff confirms it was unoccupied and a person was seen on foot.

UPDATE 8:24 p.m.: EMS is canceled.