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Deputy Trevor Sherwood, a Batavia High School graduate who was a star athlete in baseball and basketball, was approved by the Pavilion Board of Education on Monday night as the school district's new resource officer.

The board voted unanimously to approve a new memorandum of understanding with the Genesee County Sheriff's Office.

Superintendent Mary Kate Hoffman told the board that a committee interviewed four deputies for the position and recommended Sherwood.

Sherwood joined the Sheriff's Office on road patrol in early 2021.

The SRO position became vacant after Deputy Jeremy McClellan was reassigned to road patrol at the end of the 2022-23 academic year at the apparent request of the school district, which was a move several parents protested.

The Batavian will have a more complete story on Tuesday.

After Jim Kelly, the Buffalo Bills Hall of Famer and host of the annual tournament at Terry Hills that bears his name, the celebrity who invariably gets the most attention upon his arrival year after year is sports broadcasting legend Chris Berman. 

On Monday, after local businessman Russ Romano introduced him, Berman took extra time to talk with Griffin Della Penna, a Batavia High School graduate now working on his Master's degree in broadcasting and digital media at Syracuse University. 

Della Penna said Berman was his earliest inspiration.

"I’ll never forget watching Sportscenter for the first time with my dad when I was six years old, and Chris Berman was on the screen," Della Penna told The Batavian. "I loved his passion and how you could tell that he genuinely loved his job. Since that day, I’ve admired him, and he ignited a dream of being in his shoes someday."

It was Della Penna's first time meeting Berman, though he had hoped to meet him last year.

"For years, I’ve known that he’s been to the tournament and spent time in Western New York, but our paths never crossed," Della Penna said. "I worked the tournament last year and was bummed to know that he wasn’t going to be in attendance. To be able to meet one of my heroes today is something that I’ll never forget. While people are coming up to him telling him where to go for registration or to sign autographs, he politely told them to wait because he wanted to learn more about me and my broadcasting journey! That was the best feeling in the world when he asked me about my time at Canisius and how my program at Syracuse has been so far. He asked how much I love this profession, and he had a huge grin when I told him, 'this isn’t work to me because I’m so passionate about it.' He told me how he had that same mentality with his first job at a small market in Rhode Island and carried that into his big break at ESPN. At the end of our conversation, I told him how much it meant to me to talk to me, and he said, 'I look forward to hearing you when you make it big, Griffin.'”

In addition to a stint as "The Voice of the Muckdogs," Della Penna has held down various internships and freelance sports journalism gigs while attending Canisius. He's also received a couple of awards and scholarships while in college.

Berman, along with the other sports stars and celebrities in attendance, was at Terry Hills for the annual Jim Kelly Celebrity Golf Classic, which is a fundraiser for the Kelly for Kids Foundation. The foundation provides grants to assist disadvantaged and disabled youth in Western New York.

Smoke in the building is reported at Alex's Place, 8322 Park Road.

The building is being evacuated.

Town of  Batavia Fire responding.

UPDATE 5:01 p.m.: The fire is out. Somebody on location used a fire extinguisher. There is smoke in the building.

UPDATE 5:09 p.m.: Confirmed. The fire is out. Firefighters are ventilating. 

Last week, The Batavian published photos of the new traffic signals at Oak Orchard Road and Federal Drive and noted that the new street signs read "Federal Rd."

We asked a Department of Transportation official about the discrepancy and this morning received this statement:

“A contractor installed an incorrect sign on Federal Drive. The sign will be replaced and the new traffic signal will be activated into its 3-color operation later this week, weather permitting.”

We sent a follow-up question about the cost of replacing the signs and have not received a response.

There are 2,133 National Grid customers without power in an area that stretches from the northeast quadrant of the City of Batavia to the Town of Le Roy on the east, and from north of Clinton Street Road in Bryon to Route 63 in East Bethany.

The power outage was reported at 6:23 and is expected to be resolved by 8:30 p.m.

UPDATE 7:18 p.m.: National Grid is on scene on Clinton STree Road but has not yet located the source of the outage.

A wandering band of nomadic thespians has finally arrived home.

For the first time since the late 1960s, when the troupe abandoned the dilapidated Playhouse at Horseshoe Lake, the Batavia Players has a theater to call its own.

The Players staged its first show on Friday night at the new Main St. 56 Theater in City Centre.

Norm Argulsky, board secretary, prop manager, and house manager, said the opening of the new theater is a dream fulfilled for the entire group.

"At long last, we are finally in a theater that we really want to be in," Argulsky said as patrons filled the lobby waiting to enter the first performance of Cry Baby, The Musical, performed by members of the Summer Youth Theater. "This is it for pretty good Players. We're going to be here permanently. We have a home. We have a lovely theater. We have a great group of people working for us. They have worked very, very hard, extremely hard in order to have this come to fruition, and it finally did. I mean, we never thought it would happen. And now here we are, opening night. I feel like Broadway."

And Board President Pat Burk said the success of the opening night was a pleasant surprise.

"(Opening night) went extremely well," Burk said. "I was very surprised that we had our biggest audience in quite a few years.  We were excited that the audience had such a great reaction to the show."

Batavia Players is transforming (the project is far from complete) more than 14,000 square feet of former medical office space into a lobby, theater, dressing rooms, prop rooms, and office space at a cost of more than $1 million.

The project is made possibly largely through a portion of the Downtown Revitalization Grant awarded to the city by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2017.

Batavia Players received $701,750 from the pot of $10 million in grant money awarded to various Downtown projects.   In 2020, the group was also awarded $417,000 from the New York Street Anchor Grant Program.

To complete the project, the Players still need to raise $265,000 from private donors. So far they've raised $41,000 (to make a donation, visit bataviaplayers.org).

Argulsky couldn't be more pleased with how things have turned out so far, though he's already running out of prop and costume space, he said.

"I love the theater, the actual theater. The theater is wonderful," Argulsky said. "I'm looking at my costume room, and I'm saying I don't think I have enough room. But the theater is absolutely great. I mean, the sightlines I've sat all over. I've been able to see the different perspectives from the seats, and there's not a bad seat in the house. So I think the audience will like it. I like the fact that there are wider seats, which are not going to be touching the shoulder of somebody else. And the sightlines are great. The sound is great. So I think everybody is going to enjoy being here."

The initial reviews from the first-night patrons standing in the lobby were positive.

Carol and Dave Waples drove from Spencerport for the opening and described themselves as big supporters of Batavia Players.

They love the fact that the new theater is downtown and were impressed with the overall ambience.

"Oh my gosh, unbelievable," Carol said. "I couldn't wait to get in here. We were so so excited about this. Yeah, it's very, very, very nice. Very impressive from what we've seen."

Co-workers Vicky Muckle and Lisa Casey teamed up to attend opening night. Muckle said she was also there to support a friend, Paige Sikorsky, who was appearing in the show.

"It's a definite improvement over the last place they were at, so I'm excited to get inside," Muckle said. 

Casey praised the project for "bringing life back to this area."

They had dinner downtown before the show and said that's the value of building the theater in downtown Batavia.

"You figure the DRI money was awarded in 2017, and now it's 2023, so to see it actually happening is really cool," said Casey, who worked in the City Manager's Office when the DRI award was announced. "I'm super excited. I didn't think I was to be here for the first actual show, so Vicki bought my ticket, and I'm so excited.

Except for that brief period at Horseshoe Lake in the 1960s, Batavia Players has never had a space it could really call its own.  

The Players were founded in 1931 by Ethel McIntosh, a Latin teacher at Batavia High School, and was comprised of 25 members to start. Their first production was "Beggar on Horseback" at Batavia High School (now the Middle School).  Until the 1960s, the Players performed shows at the New Family Theater on Main Street and in school auditoriums.

After abandoning the Playhouse, the Batavia Players almost disappeared until Wanda Frank helped revive the group.  When the school district started raising rental prices, the Treadway Motor Inn offered performance space as part of a dinner theater. In that era, they also performed at the newly constructed Genesee Community College campus.  In the following decades, the Batavia Players staged shows at schools and churches until renting space at the Harvester Center a few years ago.

(History Source: History of the City of Batavia by Ruth M. McEvoy.)

CORRECTION:  After receiving comments stating that East Pembroke is not the first to pursue LOSAP, The Batavian checked with Emergency Management Coordinator Tim Yaeger, who said Pavilion Fire instituted a LOSAP program in 2022.  We regret that we weren't aware of this program, but Pavilion Fire never sent out any announcement to the local media about the program. Despite comments to the contrary, no other department in Genesee County has instituted LOSAP. 

If voters in the East Pembroke Fire District approve the proposition on Aug. 29, volunteers in that fire department would become the first in Genesee County to have a chance to earn retirement benefits in exchange for their service to the community.

The proposal is a recruitment and retention strategy, said Fire District President James Gayton, to help avoid the expense of replacing volunteers with paid, career firefighters, which he noted would be far more expensive for taxpayers than the proposed retirement benefit.

"We were always told by the previous administration that we couldn't afford (the retirement program), that we didn't want to pay for it, but now that I'm in charge, I wanted to look into it," Gayton said. "The alternative is to go to a paid career staff, and do you really want to fund that -- verse $29,000 a year -- over our entire tax base?"

It's been well publicized over the past few years that volunteer fire departments, not just in Genesee County, are struggling to maintain a sufficient volunteer base to adequately respond to emergency calls.

Gayton sees the proposal -- the only way to legally compensate volunteers in New York -- as a potential way to attract new recruits as well as ensure that current members stick around.

The program, run by an insurance company known as LOSAP, or Length of Service Awards Program, would allow qualifying volunteers to earn $20 a month in retirement benefits for each year of service, with firefighters becoming fully vested after five years of qualifying service.

To qualify, firefighters need to accrue 50 points a year for responding to calls, going to training, helping out at fundraisers, and other service for the department.

"The requirements are so obtainable that a snowbird can get the points just in the six months they're up here," Gayton said.

Many current department members have years, if not decades, of service.  The proposal will allow them to qualify for immediate vesting, which Gayton called a "buyback." The buyback can only cover the most recent five years of service but the extra expense means taxpayers will need to contribute $112,000 a year for five years. After that, premiums are an estimated $29,000 a year.

The initial retirement age will be 65, but Gayton hopes the district can eventually lower it to 55.  He would also like to see the retirement payout increased to $30 a month once the "buyback" is paid off.

Once members are vested, their beneficiaries will receive a lump sum payment of any benefits they qualified for, up to 10 years of benefits, that haven't yet been paid out.

"A lot of guys don't think about retirement until the time is on them," Gayton noted.  He hopes the program will draw the attention of younger recruits who realize it's an easy way to start accruing a little extra retirement income.

He said that while no department in Genesee County has yet adopted the program, several departments have contacted him recently, and he said that most volunteer departments in Monroe and Erie counties participate.

There is a public hearing on the proposal at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the fire hall, 8655 Barrett Drive, Batavia.  An attorney will be on hand to answer questions.

The vote will be held at the fire hall from 6 to 9 p.m. on Aug. 29.

A larger-than-typical crowd jammed into Jackson Square on Friday night to catch Fleetwood Mac tribute band Songbirds perform the legendary band's best-known songs.

The five-piece band formed in 2020 comprises musicians from Genesee County and the immediate area and has been growing in popularity throughout Western New York.

Band members are:

• Dave Cocuzzi - Drums 
• Jeffrey Fischer - Bass/Keys/Vocals
• Christian Hehr - Guitar/Vocals
• Maryssa Peirick - Keys/Vocals 
• Julia Riley - Vocals/Aux Percussion/Ukulele 

Previously: It's more than just ‘Rumours’ that Songbirds pay tribute to Fleetwood Mac

Business growth in Pembroke is keeping Clarence-based engineer Michael Metzger busy.

He had two projects on the County Planning Board agenda on Thursday night -- a new travel center at the Thruway interchange and a 144-unit apartment complex proposed for Alleghany Road.

Earlier this year, Metzger was the engineer who helped present plans for a $142 million distribution center that is currently under construction next to the Thruway.

"Some of it is, quite frankly, driven by STAMP," Metzger told The Batavian after the planning board meeting.  "The apartment project that was presented tonight, by all means. Between the STAMP facility, what's been going on there, what's anticipated to be happening there, and the construction going on now at the interchange that will result in hundreds of new people working in that area, that's what Mr. (Mike) Schmidt (the apartment complex developer) is hoping for and planning for with (the apartment) project."

STAMP is the WNY Science, Technology & Advanced Manufacturing Park under construction in the Town of Alabama. The site is a 1,250-acre industrial park. Plug Power is building a $290 million hydrogen production facility on 50 acres of the park. Last fall, Edwards Vacuum announced plans to build a $319 million manufacturing plant on the site.

The distribution center planned for the interchange is being built by Horizon Acres Associations of Spring Valley and Geis Companies, based in Ohio.

The 144-unit apartment complex is proposed for 8900 Alleghany Road, about halfway between Cohocton Road and Route 5.  Immediately to the south of the currently wooded 8.2-acre lot is a farm field and a long-abandoned gas station.  A single-family home is on the land to the north.  The property is zoned limited commercial and agricultural-residential.

The County Planning Board recommended approval of the project pending approval of an application for a water hookup, a DEC review of any possible endangered species, and consultation with the Corfu Volunteer Fire Department on the potential need for another access point to the property.

The complex will be built in phases of 24 units each, for a total of six 24-unit buildings.  There will also be some garages available to some tenants.

The property will include stormwater retention ponds, though Metzger, after learning the Town of Pembroke requires "ponds" to be fenced, is no longer going to call them ponds in his plans since they won't always contain water. 

"They will be designed in accordance with the state stormwater regulations, which means that they have a safety bench around them, a shallow area, so that if someone should inadvertently end up in it, which is highly unlikely, but if they do, they can simply walk out," Metzger said.

As for the travel center, Metzger, after the meeting, declined to say who the tenant for the new facility will be.  The developer is, again, Geis.

The travel plaza will include diesel and gasoline fuel pumps, a convenience store with a drive-thru, and a car wash.

The lot is 46.6 acres, and the majority of the land is federally protected wetlands. The travel center will sit in the center of the property, on higher ground and not wetlands.  The developed area will be 16.6 acres.

The high ground is currently farmland.

Murder Creek runs through the property.

The property is directly across Route 77 from the TA Travel Plaza, and current plans call for the four-land driveway (two lanes in each direction) to align with TA's driveway. 

In addition to the TA Travel Plaza, Flying-J and Speedway also both have locations at the 48-A interchange.

Asked about the attraction for the developer to an interchange that already has three places for travelers to stop for fuel and supplies and a bit of rest, Metzger explained that the fact there are other travel businesses already at the interchange is exactly what makes it appealing to another travel plaza business.  The more locations at an interchange, he explained, the more likely travelers are to choose that interchange as a place for a break.

"There are times when you have one type of business at an interchange, such as a restaurant or a gas station, and it gets passed by because there isn't any interest," Metzger said. "It's a human nature thing to be attracted to other activity. So when there is an interchange that already has some activity, even if it could potentially be considered competitors, it has a tendency to attract a lot more traffic."

New traffic signals have been installed at the intersection of Oak Orchard Road (Route 98) and Federal Drive in Batavia.

The installation comes in conjunction with the construction of a new Rochester Regional Health facility at that location.

The NYS Department of Transportation initially announced that the yellow flashing light for northbound and southbound traffic would switch to a three-color light at the beginning of August, but as of yesterday, it remains yellow flashing.

NOTE: In the press release from the DOT, the DOT refers to the street as "Federal Drive." All maps and addresses for properties on that street are "Federal Drive."  As the photo shows above, the signs read "Federal Rd."  We've asked the DOT to clarify.

Photos by Howard Owens.

A motor vehicle accident with injuries is reported at Richmond Avenue and North Lyon Street in the City of Batavia.

City Fire and Mercy EMS responding.

A Binghamton resident with prior felony arrests is accused of stealing two pickup trucks and a tractor in Darien three days ago.

All of the vehicles were recovered.

Larry L. Keene, 52, is charged with:

• Attempted burglary in the second degree, a Class D felony;
• Burglary in the third degree, a Class D felony;
• Grand larceny in the third degree, a Class D felony;
• Criminal mischief in the second degree, a Class D felony; and,
• Criminal possession of stolen property in the third degree, a Class D felony.

The Sheriff's Office received a report of a burglary and thefts on Tuesday, with additional reports on Wednesday. The location, or locations of the thefts, was not disclosed by the Sheriff's Office.

One of the pickup trucks, which had been hauling a trailer, was located parked roadside on Tuesday at an undisclosed location in the Town of Darien. 

On Wednesday, the other pickup truck was spotted traveling eastbound on Route 20 in the Town of Darien. The pickup truck was located by patrols, including deputies, troopers, and a Sheriff's investigator on Route 20 in Pavilion. Keene was allegedly operating the truck.  He was taken into custody without incident and transported to the jail pending arraignment.

Investigators allege that Keene entered multiple buildings on a residential property, the location was not disclosed, in the Town of Darien, and attempted to enter the residence and stole the tractor and other items from inside a barn.

Keene was later arraigned and jailed without bail because of two prior felony convictions.

Following Keene's arrest, during an ongoing search, the tractor was located at an undisclosed location in the Town of Darien.

Members of the public assisted Sheriff's investigators, along with road patrol units and troopers, in locating Keene and the property.

Keene was convicted of burglary in the third degree, a Class D felony, in Broome County in August 2019 and released on parole in June 2021. There is no other prison term listed for Keene in the state database.

A 34-year-old Batavia woman died Thursday afternoon at the scene of a head-on collision on Route 5 in Pembroke.

When patrols arrived on scene after the crash was reported at 3:38 p.m., they determined Nikki Stonebraker, who was driving a 2007 Ford Freestyle, was deceased.  Coroner Karen Lang later pronounced her dead at the scene.

The preliminary investigation, according to the Sheriff's Office, indicates that Stonebraker's vehicle was eastbound and crossed over the yellow line and struck a 2013 Dodge Caravan.

There was a driver and passenger in the Caravan, and the Sheriff's Office did not provide their identities.  They were transported to Erie County Medical Center with severe injuries.

The cause of the accident remains under investigation. 

Assisting at the scene were State Police, Emergency Management, Pembroke Fire, Indian Falls Fire, East Pembroke Fire, Corfu Fire, and Mercy EMS.

Previously: Head-on collision reported on Route 5 in Pembroke

A head-on collision is reported in the area of 1410 Main Road, Pembroke.

Extrication will be required on two vehicles.  There are four patients, one with possible serious injuries.

Pembroke and Indian Falls fire departments dispatched with mutual aid from East Pembroke.

UPDATE 3:45 p.m.: Checking the availability of Mercy Flight.  Traffic is being closed in both directions, with roadblocks at Route 5 and 77 and Boyce Road and 77.

UPDATE 3:47 p.m.: Mercy Flight is unavailable.

UPDATE 3:48 p.m.: Corfu requested to break away at least one engine and some manpower from its wires-down scene to assist with extrication. An additional ambulance requested to the scene. 

UPDATE 4:04 p.m.: The first victim is extricated.

UPDATE 4:07 p.m.: Victim two is extricated.

UPDATE 8:30 p.m.: There was a fatality in this accident.  The Sheriff's Office will release more information once family notifications are completed.

Corfu Fire is on scene on Water Street where a pole and wires came down and Waters Street is completely blocked.

It's near 24 Alleghany Road, but Route 77 remains open.

National Grid is in route.

UPDATE 3:36 p.m.: The wires over Route 77 are coming down lower so the Corfu chief is asking Darien Fire to respond and block traffic at McVean and Route 77.  Corfu is shutting down traffic at Route 33 and Route 77.

Photos by Philip Casper.

Jeremiah L. Hayes, 29, of Le Roy, is charged with obstructing governmental administration 2nd and speeding. Hayes was stopped by Batavia PD on July 26 on West Main Street, Batavia. During the traffic stop, he allegedly refused to identify himself or provide police with a driver's license. He allegedly refused to exit his vehicle. He was removed from his vehicle by patrol officers. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Francisco Antonio Quiones, 32, of Buffalo, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 5th. He was allegedly found in possession of cocaine at 12:21 p.m. on Aug. 7 following a complaint at Darien Lake Theme Park. He was held for arraignment.

Bleyke Z. Culver, 27, of Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for burglary 2nd and two counts of criminal contempt 2nd. Culver is accused of violating an order of protection on June 23.  He allegedly entered the residence of the protected party. An arrest warrant was issued on July 7. On July 24, Culver was located by Batavia PD in Austin Park. He allegedly attempted to flee but was taken into custody a short distance away. Culver was allegedly with the protected party in violation of the order protection. Culver was arraigned and remanded to the Genesee County Jail.

Zakara R. Jackson, 19, of Batavia, was arrested on two arrest warrants issued by City Court. The first warrant charges Jackson with bail jumping 2nd. It’s alleged that Jackson had been previously charged with a separate count of bail jumping 2nd. She was arraigned and released but failed to appear back in court. The second warrant charges her with bail jumping 3rd, in relation to a charge of criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. She was arraigned on that charge and released, but failed to appear back in court. Jackson was arraigned on the warrants and released under the supervision of Genesee Justice. 

Robert D. Griffin, 45, of Batavia, is charged with felony DWI, open container in a vehicle, and criminal mischief 4th. Griffin was arrested by Batavia PD following a report of a disturbance on Summit Street at Ellsworth Avenue, Batavia on July 19. An investigation indicated he drove while intoxicated. While being processed at police headquarters, Griffin allegedly damaged a wall. He was arraigned and jailed.

Heather N. Holbrook, 38, of Batavia, was arrested on a bench warrant issued by City Court. Holbrook was initially arrested on May 17 on charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd with Intent to sell, a Class B felony, and criminal possession of a controlled substance 4th, a Class C felony). She was arraigned in City Court and released on her own recognizance. Holbrook allegedly failed to appear at her next court date, and a warrant was issued on July 10. On July 18, Holbrook was located and arrested on the warrant. She was arraigned and released. 

Kimberly L. Bue, 34, of Batavia, is charged with bail jumping 3rd.  Bue was previously arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Bue was arraigned and released. She allegedly failed to appear at a scheduled court appearance. On July 20, she was arrested at the Genesee County Jail, where she was incarcerated on an unrelated matter. 

Zachary J. Sauberan, 28, of Lakewood, was arrested on a warrant issued by City Court. Sauberan was previously arrested on Jan. 14 and charged with harassment 2nd. He was issued an appearance ticket and released. He allegedly failed to appear in court, and a warrant was issued on April 5. On July 19, Sauberan was arrested. He was arraigned in City Court, where the case was resolved.

Sheri A. Jansen, 45, of Corfu, is charged with DWI. Jansen's vehicle was located and stopped after police received a complaint of an erratic driver on Clinton Street on July 22. She was issued traffic tickets and released.

Andrew D. Beedham, 37, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. He was arrested following a report of a disturbance on July 23 at an undisclosed location in the City of Batavia. He allegedly violated an order of protection. He was arraigned and released.

Michelle L. Preston, 57, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Preston is accused of using another person's debit card without permission to make several online purchases. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Tyler J. Mills, 23, of Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Mills is accused of shoving another person and throwing an item at her during a disturbance on Washington Avenue, Batavia, on July 22. He was arraigned and released.

Frank H. Williams III, 40, of Batavia, has a warrant issued in Pennsylvania related to a drug possession charge. He was located on July 20 by Batavia PD during a traffic stop on Main Street in Batavia. He was arraigned as a fugitive from justice and ordered held pending extradition.

Niyoki T. Simmons, 51, of Rochester, is charged with aggravated DWI. Shortly before 7:30 p.m. on July 17, Batavia PD was dispatched to a report of a disturbance on Park Road in a parking lot. Simmons was allegedly found operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Shannon M. Armstead, 30, of Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief 4th. Armstead was arrested after an investigation into a disturbance on July 18 where she allegedly damaged numerous items inside a residence in an undisclosed part of Batavia. Armstead was arraigned and released on her own recognizance.

Christine M. Caplis, 43, of Elba, is charged with petit larceny. Caplis is accused of stealing another person's mobile phone on July 21. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Andrew J. Draper, 44, of Batavia, was arrested on a warrant issued by City Court.  Draper was initially arrested on Aug. 24, 2022, on a charge of criminal contempt 1st, after allegedly violating an order of protection. He was issued an appearance ticket, but failed to appear in court. The warrant was issued on Sept 22, 2022. On July 29, Draper was located and arrested. He was arraigned in City Court. His release status is unknown.

George J. Budzinack, 43, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property 5th. On June 17, Budzinack was allegedly found in possession of a stolen mobile phone. He was arrested on Aug. 3 following an investigation. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Kayla M. Geissler, 31, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. She is accused of stealing merchandise from Tops in Batavia on Aug. 1. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Weldon J. Ervin, 31, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd and obstruction of governmental administration 2nd. On Aug. 1, Batavia PD responded to Richmond Avenue and North Lyon Street in Batavia to investigate a report of a suspicious vehicle. During the investigation, Ervin was identified as the front-seat passenger, and officers found that there was an order of protection in place in respect to the driver of the vehicle. When police attempted to arrest Ervin, he reportedly fled on foot. He was taken into custody a short time later at a residence on Oak Street. He was arraigned and jailed on $5,000 bail, $10,000 bond, or $20,000 partially secured bond.

Matthew P. Parker, 33, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Parker is accused of shoplifting from Tops in Batavia. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Amber L. Turner, 30, and Angela M. Samson, 42, both of Batavia, are both charged with making graffiti. Turner and Samson are accused of spray painting a sidewalk on South Main Street, Batavia. They were issued appearance tickets.

Jason T. Knickerbocker, 32, of Batavia, was arrested on a warrant issued by City Court. Knickerbocker was initially arrested on April 23, 2022, after an investigation into an incident on Feb. 7, 2022, where he was allegedly found to be operating a vehicle while impaired by drugs. A warrant was issued on April 12 after Knickerbocker allegedly failed to appear for a court appearance. He was arrested on July 29. He was arraigned and ordered to reappear in court at a later date.

Savannah T. Parsons, 19, of Groveland, was arrested on a warrant issued by City Court. Parsons was initially charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle 2nd, along with several other traffic offenses, following a traffic stop at Center Street and Main Street on March 4. The warrant was issued after Parsons allegedly failed to appear in court. She was arraigned in City Court. A plea agreement was reached, and Parsons was released.

Jarrod A. Grimmelt, 27, of Attica, was arrested on a warrant issued by City Court. Grimmelt was initially charged on July 26 and charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle 3rd following a traffic stop on Law Street, Batavia. The warrant was issued after Grimmelt allegedly failed to appear in court. He was arraigned in City Court, fined and released.

Bonjier M. Albaram, 27, of Rochester, is arrested on a warrant issued by City Court. Albaram was initially charged on Feb. 18 with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle 3rd and speeding following a traffic stop on Ellicott Street. The warrant was issued after Albaram allegedly failed to appear in court. He was arrested on July 24 and arraigned in City Court, where he was fined and released.

Crystal A. Mounts, 46, of Batavia, was arrested on a warrant issued by City Court. Mounts was initially arrested in April of 2022. She was accused of stealing a package off a porch on Ross Street. She allegedly failed to appear in court, and a warrant was issued on Sept 29. Mounts was arraigned and ordered to return to court at a later date.

Shawn Michael Blanc, 29, of Warsaw, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and parked on a highway. Blanc was stopped by Deputy Austin Herberlein on Colby Road on Aug. 2 at 12:03 a.m. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Karli P. Teitsch, 31, of Cedarvale Road, Syracuse, is charged with felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, aggravated unlicensed operation, circumventing an interlock device, and unlicensed operation. Teitsch was stopped at 12:50 a.m. on July 18 on Route 77 in Darien by Deputy Jeremy McClellan. Teitsch was released on an appearance ticket.

Thomas Michael Tacito, 63, of Park Road, Batavia, is charged with arson 5th. Tacito is accused of starting a fire at 1:02 p.m. on July 28 that burned items owned by the Relax Inn at 8212 Park Road, Batavia. He was arraigned and ordered held. 

Duane E. Andrews, 47, of Niagara Falls, is charged with criminal contempt 1st and aggravated family offense. Andrews allegedly struck another person violating an order of protection at 10:47 p.m. on Aug. 1 at a location on Park Road, Batavia. He was arraigned and ordered to reappear at a later date.

Marcus Christopher Taylor, 33, of Viking Way, Brockport, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and speeding. Taylor was stopped at 2:05 a.m. on Aug. 3 on Route 33 in the Town of Stafford by Deputy Ryan Mullen.

Katherine Frances Donohue, 29, of Mercer Avenue, Rochester, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, driving left of pavement markings, moving lane unsafely, and following too close. Donohue was stopped at 11:30 p.m. on Aug. 4 on Genesee Street in Pembroke by Jacob Kipler. She was released on appearance tickets.

Brandon Michael Poth, 29, of Regal Street, Depew, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Poth was stopped by Sgt. Mathew Clor at 11:32 p.m. on Aug. 4 outside the Darien Lake Amphitheater following a citizen complaint. Poth was released on appearance tickets.

Christopher James Parker, 34, of Batavia Elba Townline Road, Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child and harassment 2nd. Parker is accused of shoving a woman in front of their children during a disturbance reported at 11:50 a.m. on Aug. 8 at a location on Batavia Elba Townline Road. He was held pending arraignment.

Adam C. Gilley, 32, of West Seneca, is charged with driving with a BAC of .08 or higher. Gilley was stopped by State Police at 10:35 a.m. on Aug. 3 in the Town of Darien. He was issued an appearance ticket.

The following subjects were arrested by the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office during the 50 Cent concert on Aug 5 at the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center:

Terrance L. Falk, 24, of Woodsmeadow Lane, Rochester, is charged with assault 2nd after allegedly punching a female and knocking her unconscious.  Terrance was arrested and held for arraignment

Eliecer Angulo, 27, of Haddon Road, Rochester, is charged with criminal trespass 3rd after allegedly kicking over a fence to enter a restricted area of the venue.

Stephen J. Hunter, 38, of Demunn Road, Beaver Damns, is charged with harassment 2nd after allegedly pushing and fighting with Darien Lake security.

Tyrell T. Lynch, 35 of 10th Street, Niagara Falls, is charged with harassment 2nd after allegedly pushing a Darien Lake security officer.

Megan L. Kendall, 34, of Lilac Street, Buffalo, is charged with obstructing governmental administration 2nd after allegedly interfering with deputies making an arrest. 

Jayson P. Lazan, 46 of Folger Street, Buffalo, is charged with harassment 2nd after allegedly punching another concert patron.

Giovanni E. Paige-Mota, 21, of Glide Street, Rochester, is charged with obstructing governmental administration 2nd, harassment 2nd and disorderly conduct after allegedly causing a disturbance and then fighting with deputies. 

A caller reported hearing a large boom and seeing a cloud of black smoke behind S&S Limousine at 7160 West Main Road, Le Roy.

A second caller reports a pickup truck on fire in a backfield.

Le Roy Fire dispatched.

UPDATE 7:32 p.m.: A fire investigator is requested to the scene.

UPDATE 7:42 p.m.: Fire is knocked down.

A motor vehicle accident with unknown injuries is reported at Lewiston Road and Fisher Road in Oakfield.

Oakfield Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 4:17 p.m.: A chief on scene reports the southbound lane blocked by one vehicle. Two vehicles involved. One injury. "Minor" extrication needed.

UPDATE 4:19 p.m.: MInor injury.