A minor injury accident is reported at Route 77 and Sumner, Darien.
Dispatchers spoke with both drivers, who declined medical assistance, but a resident in the area "reports otherwise."
Darien fire and ambulance dispatched.
A responder reports a juvenile was struck by an airbag and an evaluation is requested.
Medina, Notre Dame and Batavia softball teams played a scrimmage today at John Kennedy School. It's the first scrimmage of the year. Batavia HS student Zachary Lee submitted these photos.
Photos by Howard Owens / Story by Sloan Martin, WBTA.
New York has several State symbols: the sugar maple is the state tree and the state gem is a garnet. What it doesn’t have, though, is a state snack and the fourth-graders at Byron-Bergen Elementary School are doing something about it.
In a fun school assembly Thursday, the students marked their accomplishment of getting a bill to Albany.
With pop hits like ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” and Lorde’s “Royals” reimagined to proclaim the benefits of yogurt, along with funny skits, the auditorium was filled with B-B fourth-graders who’re amped up and extremely knowledgeable about yogurt.
“It’s very healthy for you and it has lots of good vitamins and calcium,” Sadie said.
“We’ve learned that we’ve been producing the most yogurt in New York State, especially in this area,” Grace said.
Learning about its impact on their bodies, the economy and the government, it’s been an interactive and engaging learning experience.
Superintendent Casey Kosiorek says he’s proud of the kids and their teachers for taking what they learn and putting it into action.
“It really lines up with everything Genesee County’s about with dairy farming and additions to our yogurt companies as well,” he said. “It really aligns well. It’ll be memorable for the students, especially after it becomes a law.”
“Absolutely, this is interdisciplinary,” Kosiorek said. “They’ve had to work on their writing, they’ve had to utilize their math, they’ve had to learn about social studies, they’ve had to learn about government. As you can see, they were singing and writing songs, producing films – all the skills that we look for as our young people move up to the junior-senior high school and then college and careers."
State Senator Michael Ranzenhofer says it’s government in action.
“They’re living it by writing us letters, by doing these skits today,” Ranzenhofer said. “We’re going to make this become a law.”
The bill to make yogurt the official state snack has been introduced in the Senate and once it passes both houses, it will find itself on the governor’s desk -- all because of the Byron-Bergen fourth-graders.
Mike Davis, Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Kevin Williams, Muller Quaker Dairy, and Roger Parkhurst, Alpina Foods.
More than 30 businesses were on hand at GCC today for a spring job fair, with dozens of job seekers using the opportunity to make connections with employers and hand out resumes.
Above, Rodney Casey shows off his portfolio.
ICE officer Michelle Marino talks about Homeland Security with Andrew Vicary.
Press release:
Five Genesee Community College students will be heading to Albany on April 25 to represent the Finger Lakes Region in the Social Entrepreneurship / Nonprofit category for the fifth annual New York Business Plan Competition. They will be joined by the "Imajine Soap" team of Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in this category. The competition invites students from colleges around the state to submit innovative ideas designed to address a currently unmet need in one of six categories. The GCC team's "Batavia Loop Trail and Bordering Business Development" will be competing for more than $500,000 in cash and in-kind prizes.
The SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE), University at Albany's School of Business, and Syracuse University will host the competition, which has become the premier collegiate contest, encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship throughout New York's colleges and universities.
The GCC students, who are members of the CEO and Earth Clubs on campus, envision developing an 11-mile loop trail that skirts around the edge of the City and Town of Batavia connecting a wide array of businesses and regional resources -- from ice cream shops and restaurants to Batavia's treasure trove of city and county parks. The Batavia Loop Trail (BLT) would also maximize the idyllic views of Tonawanda Creek and provide safer walking and bicycling pathways to GCC and College Village.
Their business plan was first vetted against 67 other two-page business proposals submitted into the Finger Lakes Region of the statewide competition. Wednesday night, students presented the plan to judges at the University of Rochester, where it was greeted with great enthusiasm. Should they succeed in the next round of the competition the winnings will secure seed money to help fund a feasibility study -- the first major step in their "transformative idea."
In their presentation, the students pointed out that bicycling is a growing tourist attraction and with the NYS Thruway cutting across Batavia's northern border, a huge market awaits city and county planners. BLT would also link into the new Ellicott Trail, which was recently awarded $1.5 million through NYSDOT Transportation Enhancement Fund. In addition, they have researched state and federal funding resources and the concept potentially meets many of the criteria listed for support from the Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP), Consolidated Funding Application (CFA), NYSERDA's Cleaner Greener Communities, and Transportation Alternatives Program.
Lastly, and most importantly to the students – the long-term vision poses excellent hands-on learning opportunities not only for GCC students but for the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership (GVEP/BOCES). In the near future, students hope to present a plan to GCC's Board of Trustees sharing their idea of creating a small campus Recreational Rental Center giving both students and the general public the opportunity to rent bicycles for the trail and potentially tennis rackets or soccer equipment. This new micro business gives GCC students enrolled in Travel & Tourism, Business Administration, Accounting, Sport Management, Web Design, Digital Arts and Physical Education excellent co-op, internship and work study opportunities. Equally dynamic is providing GVEP/BOCES students enrolled in Conservation, Welding and Automotive Technology programs the chance to help develop and maintain the trail.
The students' BLT plan extends out 11 years, but it is broken down into multiple phases with the most realistic, easily implemented segments of the trail opening in 2018.
"They are calling it Vision 2025 and although they realize they will be long graduated during the later phases and challenges of the project, they believe that making Batavia a bicycle-friendly community is an excellent opportunity for everyone," said Donna Rae Sutherland, GCC's staff advisor for the project. "They not only hope to pass the torch of the plan along to their peers – they also hope they will be able to use the trail with their future children a decade or two from now."
The BLT team presenters include Tara Beckens, of Clifton Springs, Danielle Cannella, Richard DelPlato, and Maryssa Peirick, all from Batavia, and Adrienne Payne, of Byron.
They will be joined by several other colleges and universities in representing the Finger Lakes Region against winners from each of the nine other New York Regional Economic Development Council zones which include: Capital Region, Central New York, North Country, Mohawk Valley, Western New York, Southern Tier, Mid-Hudson, New York City and Long Island.
Ralph Peterson, the controversial mayor of Corfu, is now the former mayor.
Peterson turned in a one-sentence letter of resignation effective Monday.
His resignation follows an eight-month-long medical leave and comes after the village board put forward a budget proposal reducing the mayor's salary to $4 per year.
For nearly two years, Peterson and board members have been locked in a tangle over his conduct in office, including controversies over setting up an office in the mayor's office, his request for passwords to employee computers and keys to locked file cabinets.
Some board members suspected Peterson of trying to run interference for his friend, former village justice Robert Alexander.
Alexander was in the midst of his own controversy after it was discovered through a comptroller's audit that his daughter, and former court clerk, Brandi Watts, was stealing court funds.
She eventually admitted to stealing more than $10,000. As part of the plea deal, charges of coercion and official misconduct were dismissed against Alexander provided that he resign from his justice position in Pembroke (he'd previously not run for reelection in Corfu).
Peterson became the target of calls for his resignation and efforts to figure out how to remove him from office. In the midst of the kerfuffle, Peterson was reportedly hospitalized and a short time later, he turned in a doctor's note putting himself on medical leave.
No word yet on how Corfu's mayor position will be replaced.
There's a public hearing on the proposed budget scheduled for April 21.
Sometime during the early morning hours March 8, a person put glue inside the door locks of Mill Street Wine and Liquors, according to Le Roy PD.
The purpose of the act is undetermined but investigators speculate it could have been to further a crime or aid in a future crime.
The locks were damaged.
Investigators are looking for the public's assistance in identifying the man in the photo above.
Anybody with information that may help the investigation are asked to contact Le Roy PD at (585) 345-6350.
Press release:
Three dozen sites throughout Western New York will host a medication drop-off day on Saturday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s the largest single day drop-off in Western New York. The Drug Enforcement Administration is leading the effort as part of a national campaign with the support of local police agencies.
The locations for Genesee County include the Le Roy Village Hall hosted by the Le Roy Police Department, the Pembroke Town DPW (intersection of State routes 5 and 77) hosted by the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department, and the Batavia City Police Department hosted by the Batavia Police Department.
A similar event held in October collected more than four tons of unwanted and unneeded medications from residential homes. Western New York leads the state in collections.
The purpose behind this event is to keep medications out of the hands of teens looking to experiment and to keep our water safe. Flushing old medications contaminate the water table and eventually our drinking water.
Press release:
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month and traffic crashes continue to be the greatest threat to the safety of the average New Yorker and the number one killer of teens in America. Cell phone use and texting are responsible for a significant proportion of traffic crashes, injuries, and deaths. These behaviors continue to become increasingly common despite their obvious danger.
State and local law enforcement are participating in stepped up traffic safety enforcement efforts including “Operation Hang Up” announced by Governor Cuomo yesterday. “Operation Hang Up” will consist of high visibility, stepped up cell phone and texting enforcement statewide April 10 – April 15.
“The State Police has always been in the forefront of trying to keep our highways safe for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians. Operation Hang Up is a campaign about protecting everyone using our roads and highways from preventable injuries and property damage caused by distracted drivers using cell phone and other electronic devices,” said Major Michael Cerretto, Troop A Commander.
The dates for this year’s spring "Operation Hang-Up Campaign" correspond with a coordinated nationwide effort to combat distracted driving through ad campaigns and enforcement. In response, Troop A will partner up with other law enforcement agencies and will make distracted driving enforcement a priority.
Operation Hang-Up will run from Thursday, April 10, through Tuesday, April 15.
It's spring. It's traditional each spring to remind car drivers in WNY that motorcyclists are going to be out on the road again.
Look for them.
But a big part of Jon DelVecchio's message to motorcycle riders is you're the one most responsible for your own safety.
Yes, drivers of four-wheeled boxes need watch the roadways better, but there are things that alert and trained motorcycle riders can do to avoid crashes, even when confronted with the most inattentive drivers.
"Riding a motorcycle takes years of practice and effort to master," said DelVecchio, who will be teaching a motorcycle safety course at Stan's Harley Davidson at 1 p.m., Saturday, April 26. "You have to do something to improve your skills every year. A lot of people say, 'I'm going to go out, hope for the best. Those damn car drivers. It's always their fault.' "
DelVecchio, a Churchville resident, is a certified Motorcycle Safety Instructor who teaches the basic licensing course at Learn to Ride in Rochester. He's also started his own motorcycle safety business, Street Skills. He writes articles, produces videos and podcasts and sells a deck of flash cards riders can use to brush up on their skills each spring.
Too often, he said, riders take the basic riding course, pass the test, get their license and they think they're ready to ride. They never take another course, read a book or even watch a training video.
He doesn't take credit for the saying, but somebody once said that the typical motorcycle rider who has been riding for 10 years really only has one year of experience. They just keep repeating the first year over and over and over.
"Your skills are never fully mastered and in the spring you're off your game, so do something different this season," DelVecchio said. "Take a class. Read a book. Do something to improve skills, not just this year, but every year."
DelVecchio started riding in 2001. He had a wife and two toddlers, plus he taught driver's ed at Rush Henrietta High School, so he already took safety seriously (he's also a business teacher at RHHS). By 2007, he was offered a chance to teach at Learn to Ride and found that teaching motorcycle safety combined his two biggest passion -- teaching and riding.
During this time, he also formed a group through MeetUp.com of riders who shared a love of bikes, but also took their skills seriously. They ride together regularly and take trips together throughout the Northeast.
He's found riders have varied attitudes toward bike safety. There are the riders who get big bikes, like to ride without helmets or only with small helmets, and combine riding with maybe a few beers along the way, then there's the younger riders who get fast bikes, ride them fast and take risks.
DelVecchio was careful to not criticize either kind of rider. "To each his own," he indicated, but he would clearly like to see all riders take to improving their motorcycle skills more seriously.
The most common kind of motorcycle accident is the car turning left in front of an oncoming motorbike.
Drivers are reminded constantly this time of year to look twice, take extra care, but even that isn't enough, DelVecchio said.
Riders need to be aware that even careful drivers are going to have a hard time seeing you and if they do, it is difficult for drivers to gauge a motorcycle's speed and distance.
A video on YouTube demonstrates how a motorcycle coming down the road looks small in the distance and continues to look small to the driver until suddenly it looks very big. A bike and rider also have a greater likelihood than a car of blending into the background.
Motorcyclists need to be acutely aware of these visual impairments for drivers and either weave in their lane of traffic when approaching an intersection with a car present (making themselves more visible) or take other defensive driving action.
The second most common type of motorcycle accident involve riders coming into curves. They might be going too fast (relative to skills and experience) or they might not be familiar with the curve, or they might hit a substance on the roadway. The less experienced or knowledgeable a rider, the less aware they are of how to handle turns.
Turning a bike involves something called a countersteering. With a four-wheel or three-wheel vehicle, if a driver wants to go right, he or she turns right. Go left, turn left. But on a two-wheel vehicle, a rider who wants to go right needs to turn the front wheel to the left slightly and then lean into the turn.
Most of the time, riders do this instinctively, but when confronted with a new circumstance, the rider might pull the wheel in the wrong direction causing the rider to be ejected.
That's one reason extra training, knowledge and experience are so important for riders, DelVecchio said.
While acknowledging that helmets are controversial in the motorcycle community, DelVecchio believes riders should wear them, even full-face helmets, which offer the most protection.
He said he often tells his students that if they could talk to a person who was killed or suffered a serious head injury in a motorcycle accident, how do you think that rider would answer a question about going back in time and wearing a helmet.
"If you could rewind the clock and crash again but with the helmet, how many people out of 100 do you think would actually say, 'no I want to crash again without the helmet.' Right? None," DelVecchio said.
The point is he said, "is how do you know when you're going to crash?"
That said, he isn't in favor of forcing anybody to wear a helmet.
"I'm conservative. I'm tired of the government trying to tell me how to do things, but in that conservative view, I think if a crusty old rider, who has 10, 20 years experience, wants to go riding without a lid and he knows the risk, to me, OK, knock yourself out," DelVecchio said. "But there are so many new riders out there (riding without a helmet)."
As for beer and biking, DelVecchio doesn't do it himself.
"I love a beer, but when I ride, I never even have one," DelVecchio said. "It could be that little edge I give up."
DelVecchio's last bit of advise for riders: Be nice. Riders who are rude just make car drivers care less about the safety of other riders.
"If somebody's a real jerk, they've got a real loud bike and they're doing a wheelie next to a car, that person is not going to necessarily be punished for that wheelie or loud bike," DelVecchio said. "It's the next person on a bike who comes to the intersection where the other driver thinks, 'they don't care about their safety and I'm going to worry about him.' They're not going to purposefully gun for him, but they're going to think he dosen't care about his safety and he's obnoxious and discount him a little more."
DelVecchio also sells flash cards for beginning car drivers on his Web site. The seminar at Stan's, located at 4425 W. Saile Drive in the Town of Batavia, is free and open to all riders.
Photo: DelVecchio on the front bike. Behind him are his friends, from left, Lennie Rugg, Paul Hendel, Matt Ostrowski and Gene Rinas. The riders meet regularly at the Leaf & Bean in Chili Center, which is owned by Bergen resident (and a motorcycle enthusiast himself) Bill Scharvogel.
A 62-year-old man living in Corfu has been arrested by State Police in Steuben County and charged with course of sexual conduct against a child in the second degree.
Jackie L. Taft, who has been living in an apartment in the 800 block of Main Road, Corfu, is accused of having sexual contact at least 10 times over the period of a year with a child less than 13 years old.
Investigators claim Taft had access to a child less than 13 years old during multiple visits with family in Steuben County.
Because of Taft's prior criminal history, investigators in Genesee, Wyoming and Steuben counties are concerned Taft may have other victims in other jurisdictions who have never come forward.
Taft was indicted in Wyoming County in 1979 and again in 1984 on counts related to alleged sex crimes against children less than 11 years old.
With the 1979 case, Taft entered a guilty plea to a felony charge and was placed on five years probation, according to the Wyoming County DA's Office. The 1984 case was disposed of in Wyoming County Family Court.
Those arrests came prior to the creation of the sex offender registry, so Taft has never been required to register as a sexual offender.
Investigator James Vaughn, of the State Police barracks in Painted Post, said Taft hasn't been all that cooperative with police and they have little information on how long he's lived in Corfu.
"There's a possibility there could be somebody else out there," Vaughn said. "We don't know where he's been that whole time."
Following arraignment in Town of Campbell Court, Taft was jailed on $50,000 cash bail or $100,000 bond.
Press release:
Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) continued his fight to restore the Second Amendment rights of his constituents in Albany by pushing for a repeal of the SAFE Act. Hawley helped force a vote on legislation he cosponsors (A.6238) in the Assembly Codes Committee, which unfortunately was unsuccessful. While vowing to continue fighting to repeal the SAFE Act, Hawley noted that his bill was defeated by Downstate, New York City interests.
“I am working hard with my colleagues who cherish the Second Amendment to see the rights enshrined by it restored. We got a vote on legislation that would repeal the SAFE Act, but it was unfortunately voted down by Downstate Assembly liberals,” Hawley said. “They voted to put honest, law-abiding people in jail for exercising their constitutional right to bear arms and protect their families. Their actions have only strengthened my resolve to stand up for the good people of Western New York who should be enjoying their full Second Amendment rights.”
As long as the Assembly is controlled by Downstate liberals, Hawley recognizes that repeal through legislative means is likely dead on arrival. However, he is hopeful that a lawsuit working its way through the court system will find the SAFE Act unconstitutional when it arrives at the Supreme Court. In the meantime, Hawley vows to continue doing his part to restore the Second Amendment through outspoken advocacy and organizing fellow Second-Amendment enthusiasts.
The following topics will be discussed in an Open Community / Town Hall Forum:
Date: Friday, April 11
Registration: 8 a.m.; Continental Breakfast 8:15-8:45
Seminar: 8:45-10 a.m.
Location: Homestead Event Center in the City Centre.
Please RSVP to Tina Wilcox via e-mail at tinawilcox@insourcehealth.com or by phone 585-750-2794
Press release:
Culinary Arts students from the Batavia Career and Technical Education Center brought home the Culinary Cup for the third consecutive year!
These students took first place in the eighth Annual Taste of Culinary Competition hosted by the American Culinary Federation of Greater Buffalo, New York. This event was held at Erie Community College’s City Campus.
Chef Nathan Koscielski's culinary team of 14 students consisted of morning and afternoon juniors and seniors. The team competed against other student teams from other colleges, high schools and BOCES.
Last year, the team brought home the Culinary Cup; two years ago, the team tied for second place; and three years ago, the team took third place.
Jarrod Wall is a first year Culinary Arts student from Notre Dame Academy.
“This was an awesome experience and it’s the third year in a row that our school has won first place. We got to work as a team and see firsthand how professional chefs work, ” Jarrod said.
Chef Koscielski described his students as talented and skilled.
“Our score was only two points away from being a perfect score and was higher than scores earned by teams that entered the professional division including restaurants and country clubs. The competition was a tremendous educational experience for our students. It was exciting for our team to compete and win for the third time,” he said.
The team served guinea hen confit with Parisienne gnocchi, roasted red and yellow pepper coulis and pignoli gremolata served with a punch made of black currant and pineapple juices, coconut milk, and fresh mint.
Decodie Tanner Adams, 22, of Lake Street, Ogdensburg, is charged with criminal mischief, 3rd, a felony, resisting arrest, harassment, 2nd, disorderly conduct, public lewdness and indecent exposure. Adams is accused of causing a disturbance and urinating on the carpet at the Red Roof Inn in Batavia at 10:28 p.m. Monday, causing property damage. Adams was reportedly intoxicated at the time and allegedly resisted arrest.
Luke William Ritzenthaler, 31, of Byron Holley Road, Byron, is charged with two counts of criminal contempt, 2nd, and harassment, 2nd. Ritzenthaler is accused of violating an order of protection twice by calling the protected person twice shortly after being served the order. Earlier, Ritzenthaler was arrested and accused of grabbing another person by the arms and pushing that person to the floor and allegedly striking the victim's head against the floor. On the criminal contempt charges, bail was set at $250.
A couple dozen people, including members of local law enforcement, attended a three-hour seminar this evening on human trafficking at the Generations Center on Center Street.
Above, FBI Special Agent Jennifer Amo talks about prostitution, providing information on how pimps recruit teenage girls and how family members might recognize if a girl has entered into prostitution.
She said pimps typically look for victims at malls, coffee shops and on social media.
Signs that a teenager might be involved in prostitution include changes in behavior, clothing; absences from school, dropping extracurricular activities; changes in lifestyle; having more money, new clothes and material possessions; changes in friends or peers; a secret boyfriend or girlfriend.
Pimps will often require those working for them to get tattoos that serve the same function as branding cattle.
It's been years and years since there's been a prostitution arrest in Batavia, said Det. Pat Corona when we spoke with him after Amo's presentation.
"In my career we haven't had any (arrests)," Corona said. "There have been very few reports or complaints or investigations. It occurs, but complaints are rare."
Still, it's important for local law enforcement officers to stay abreast of information about human trafficking and prostitution, Corona said.
Corona has worked a few human trafficking cases in the city.
The first involved employees of a Chinese restaurant many years ago. It began as a home-invasion burglary report, but when police responded, they found people at the residence who were bound and gagged. They were being held against their will and being forced to work, but Corona said it was very difficult to get them to cooperate with law enforcement because they were afraid. No arrest was made in that case.
There also a case involving door-to-door magazine sales reps. The workers were involved in burglaries and larcenies. When Corona interviewed two of the women involved, he learned they felt trapped with the sales company because they were earning very little money and had no way to get home.
The human-trafficking seminar is part of the Genesee County Crime Victim's Week.
Here are the remaining events:
In another sign it's spring (really, it is), city crews were downtown this morning installing the park benches for the season.
Crew members are Shawn Easton, Shawn McAllister and Rick Reeves.
BTW: It's might snow tonight.
In a well attended Town Hall meeting Monday night in the Village of Alexander, the budget was passed unanimously and Richard Scharlau (pictured above) was elected mayor without any opposition.
Not one cross word was spoken about anything, even the four-cent property tax increase included in the budget.
The $213,248.89 spending plan received 55 yea votes and zero nays.
The property tax rate increase to $1.83 per thousand was largely the result of higher electric rates, which shot up during the winter, said Vera Antonucci, clerk and treasurer.
All assembled gave Antonucci a round of applause at the end of the meeting for how well the village is being run.
After the budget was passed, nominations were open for the trustee position. The nominees were Emma Grant and Matt Grimes.
Each candidate made a short statement. Grant said she worked for the county for 45 years and served on the Town of Alexander Board for eight years. Grimes moved to the village a year and a half ago, he said, and has been attending village meetings since.
Plain, square pieces of paper were then handed out to the village residents in attendance, then collected and counted. Grant beat Grimes 36 to 18 votes.
When nominations for mayor were open, only Scharlau's name was tossed into the ring. He was elected by unanimous consent.
The tax collector nominees were Nancy Bartz, the incumbent, and Dawn Townsend. Bartz won 41-13.
Nominees for village constable (primary duty, catching stray dogs) were incumbent Troy Robbins and Grimes. Robbins won 37-17.
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