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Pembroke defeated Finney on  Saturday in eight-man football 22-12.

Cayden Pfalzer was 5-8 passing for 63 yards. He also rushed for 65 yards on 11 carries and scored a TD.  Tyson Totten ran for 109 yards and a TD on 17 carries.  He also caught a 4-yard pass for a TD. Caleb Felski rushed 10 times for 58 yards, completed a 9-yard pass, and had a 90-yard kick return for a TD.

On defense, Chase Guzdek, 16 tackle, Cayden Pfalzer, seven tackles, Giovanni Smart had a sack.

Photos by Elizabeth Gabbey

Oakfield-Alabama/Elba notched a  convincing win over Avon on Friday, 24-7.

Bodie Hyde was 7-10 passing for 91 yards and a  TD.  Gaige Armbrewster ran 21 times for 74 yards and a TD.  Noah Currier  made three receptions for 52 yards and a TD. He also had an 80-yard kickoff return for a TD. K. Max  DeMare struck a 25-yard field goal.

On defense, Connor Scott had 12 tackles, Kameron Cusmano, nine, Kaden Cusmano,  eight, and CJ Gottler, eight.

"This was a huge win for our team," said Head Coach Tyler Winter. "We knew beating Avon was going to take a full 4 quarter battle.  They're a very strong team and we needed to play mistake-free football to get the win tonight.  Hats off to them.  This could be just the first meeting between the two of us.  Also want to shout out Defensive Coordinator Corey Winter and Special Teams Coordinator Andrew Boyce for the game plans they put together for tonight.  Those two sides of the ball came up big for us.  If we are going to be a good football program, these are the games we need to persevere in and get the job done on the scoreboard.  We are proud of our boys for doing exactly that."

Photos by Kristin  Smith. For more,  click here.

The Blue Devils suffered their first defeat of the season at the hands of #1 ranked Honeoye Falls Lima, 27 to 26.

Batavia is now 5-1 and HFL is 6-0. Both are in Class B in Section V and could meet again in the post-season.

Jesse Reinhart was 14-10 passing for 123 yards and a TD.  He also ran for 68 yards on eight carries.

Aidan Anderson gained 162 yards on 12 carries and scored twice. 

Javin McFollins had three receptions for 91 yards and a TD.  Carter McFollins gained 31 yards on five catches.

Kaden Marucci had 13 tackles and an interception. Vincent Arroyo had eight tackles, Matt McWethhy, seven, and Javin McFollins, seven along with a fumble recovery.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

To view or purchase photos, click here.

The Stumblin' Inn is gone but not forgotten, and neither are Steve "Stork" Goff and  Jim Goff, who both passed away this year.  The brothers are commemorated with this Halloween Display at the former location of the Stumblin' Inn in Elba.

Photo by Steve Ognibene

To help celebrate its 100th Anniversary, the Stafford Country Club invited members of the Batavia Society of Artists to paint pictures of the club grounds, and tonight those paintings were sold to members. Twenty percent of the proceeds go to the club's scholarship fund with the remainder of the sale price going to the individual artist.

Top photo: Teresa Tamfer, one of the BSA's organizers of the event, with one of the paintings by a BSA member

It's Fire Prevention Week at Jackson Primary with students learning about fire safety, including fire drills, kitchen safety, fire alarms, and stop, drop  and roll.

Captain Greg Ireland, Batavia Fire, has made instructional videos for the children.

Today, the fire department visited the school. Other activities include a coloring contest, a get "spotted" making good choices contest (the winners get a  ride in the fire truck), and a list of fire safety rules to discuss at home.

William Anthony Nicholas, 28, of Telegraph Road, Medina, is charged with promoting prison contraband. Nicholas allegedly possessed contraband while being held in the Genesee County Jail. The type of contraband was not identified in the press release. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Michael Patrick Caito, 30, of South Drive, Rochester, is charged with DWI.  Caito was reportedly involved in a multi-vehicle accident at 7:04 p.m., Oct. 4, on  Route 33 in Bergen. He was charged with several other, unspecified,  traffic violations.  His vehicle allegedly crossed over the double center line and struck two vehicles. He then reportedly left the scene and continued eastbound and was located a distance away from where his vehicle had become disabled. He was issued an appearance ticket.

There were no injuries reported after a Mercy Flight helicopter a hard landing in heavy fog at the Genesee County Airport on Wednesday night.

The Bell 429 was returning from Strong Memorial Hospital, according to the Sheriff's Office.

The helicopter sustained damage to the underside of the fuselage after it landed on the north side of the airport, just north of the flightline, between State Street Road and Bank Street Road.

The crew members were transported to an area hospital for evaluation as a precaution.

The FAA  will investigate the incident along with Sgt. Andrew Hale, Deputy Kyle Krzemien and Deputy Morgan Ewert.

Town of Batavia Fire and Mercy EMS responded to the scene.

Information and photos via Alecia Kaus/Video  News Service.

Oakfield-Alabama's girls' soccer team beat Wheatland-Chili on a foggy night in Oakfield 3-1.

Photos by Kristin Smith.  For more, click here.

Carrie Anne Clay, 27, of Albion, is charged with burglary 2nd, assault 2nd, criminal mischief 4th. Clay was arrested on a warrant stemming from an incident reported in Byron at 7:28  a.m., Sept. 25, by Deputy Kevin Forsyth and Deputy Rachel Diehl.  It is alleged that Clay attacked another person with a hammer. She was reportedly thrown out of the residence and broke back in and attempted to attack the same person again. The victim sustained minor injuries and declined EMS assistance. Clay was arraigned in Stafford Town Court and held on $5,000 cash bail.

Tamaneeka T. Perez-Smith, 42, of Britton Road, Rochester, is charged with felony driving while impaired by drugs, felony  DWI, resisting arrest, driving without an interlock device, leaving the scene of a property damage accident,  failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, failure to move over for an emergency vehicle, insufficient turn signal, failure to stop at a stop sign, moved from lane unsafely, unlicensed operator. Perez-Smith was allegedly driving erratically on Park Road in the Town of Batavia and fled from a patrol attempting a traffic stop. She was taken into custody by Deputy Nicholas Chamon and issued an appearance ticket.

Mary Grace Vaughan, 25, of Charlesgate Circle, East Amherst, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and moving from lane unsafely.  Vaughan was arrested by Deputy Zachary Hoy after a report at 12:58 a.m., Oct. 2,  that a vehicle had struck a  guard rail on Main Road in Pembroke.

Colleen Beth Gill, 51, of Spring Road, Alexander, is charged with felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, driving without an interlock device, aggravated unlicensed operation 2nd, driving to left of pavement markings. Gill was stopped at 6 p.m., Monday, on Main  Street, Alexander, by Deputy Jeremy McClellan.

Daniel W. Knauss, 52, Pavilion, is charged with assault 2nd, obstruction governmental administration 2nd, resisting arrest, and criminal contempt 2nd. Knauss was arrested by State Police in connection with an incident reported at 3:06 p.m., Sept. 29, in the Town of Pavilion. Knauss was ordered held in jail. No further information about the case was released.

Photos by Phillip Casper.

Press release from AAA: 

Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $3.20, up one cent from last week. One year ago, the price was $2.19. The New York State average is $3.28 – no change from last week. A year ago, the NYS average was $2.26. AAA Western and Central New York (AAA WCNY) reports the following averages:

• Batavia - $3.26 (down one cent since last week)
• Buffalo - $3.23 (no change since last week)
• Ithaca - $3.28 (no change since last week)
• Rochester - $3.27 (down one cent since last week)
• Rome - $3.30 (no change since last week)
• Syracuse - $3.23 (no change since last week)
• Watertown - $3.27 (up one cent since last week)

After holding steady for more than a week, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline rose by a penny as oil prices continue to increase. The latest data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows that gasoline demand increased. Locally, drivers are finding mostly stable pump prices this week. However, high crude prices (above $75 per barrel) will help keep pump prices elevated.

We are now using a comment system from a company called Disqus for commenting on stories on The Batavian.

Disqus will allow you to use your favorite social media platform as a sign-in tool, or you can create an account with Disqus.  You will no longer need to have a Facebook account to comment.

Since we are no longer using the Facebook comment plug-in, comments will no longer appear on the home page.  On the bottom of stories is a comment link with a count of how many comments so far on the story.  To comment, you will need to click that link (or the headline).  

Disqus doesn't support multiple comment modules on a single page.

Disqus, we hope, will help us better block and control spam.  The prevalence of spam was the great shortcoming of the Facebook system. Disqus will still give us the tools we need to remove inappropriate comments, any spam that does get through, and enforce the comment rules of The Batavian.  

The rules remain the same:

• You must post using a real name (no business names, no alias).
• No personal attacks.  No name-calling.
• No profanity.
• No comments ridiculing, mocking, or insulting other people because of who they are.
• No misinformation/false information.

We expect community conversations to be productive and respectful.  If you want to spout invective and "alternate facts," that's why Facebook exists (though we also police comments on The Batavian's Facebook page).

The Pembroke Dragons won their homecoming game in soccer on Saturday night, 3-2 over Akron in double overtime. Jonathan Suro scored the winning goal.

Photo and info submitted by Mary Friedmann

Oakfield-Alabama/Elba was dominant once again, beating Cal-Mum/Byron-Bergen 50-15.

For the Aggies, Gaige Armbrewster rushed for 144 yards on 11 carries. He scored one touchdown. Noah Currier had five carries for 67 yards and two TDs. Connor Scott rushed for 33 yards on two carries, added 67 through the air on three receptions, and scored a TD.  Bodie Hyde was 505 passing for 89  yards and a TD.  He also connected on a TD pass. 

On defense, Hyde had eight tackles. Kaden Cusmano had 10 tackles. CJ Gottler also had 10 tackles and two sacks. Kameron  Cusmano,  eight tackles and two interceptions.  Ethan Cramer, eight tackles, and TJ Andrews, nine tackles.

"As cliché as it is to say a big win was a total team effort, that line couldn't be more true for tonight's performance," said Head Coach Tyler Winter. "We executed at a high level and a lot of guys got to eat tonight.  I'm proud of our boys.  This is the type of win our group needed to continue building momentum for a big match-up next Friday."

Photos by Kristin Smith. For more,  click here.

On Homecoming night, Pembroke prevailed over Canisteo-Greenwood 30-14.

Tyson Totten rushed 23 times for 194 yards and two touchdowns. Caleb Felski, six carries, 32 yards  and one rushing TD and one TD reception.

Cayden Pfalzer was 5-10 passing for 41 yards a TD.

Chase Guzdek had three catches for 80 yards and Dakota von Kramer had a six-yard TD reception.

On defense, Pfalzer, four tackles, an interception, and a fumble recovery. Guzdek, four tackles. Jacob Dulski and Alex Lamb each had an interception.

Photos by Elizabeth Gabbey.

It was Homecoming in Alexander on Friday night under the lights on the gridiron and the Trojans put on quite a show for the hometown crowd, beating Clyde-Savannah 58-0.

The Trojans are now 4-1 on the season. 

QB Nick Kramer was 6-7 passing for 47 yards and two TDs.  Jake Laney had two catches for 25 yards.  On defense, Kramer had six tackles and a sack. Benny Merrill (who also had a TD reception in the game) had four tackles, an interception, and a fumble recovery.

Photos by Phillip Casper.

Nathan Perkins, WR (11) of the Clyde-Savannah Eagles being taken down by Benny Merrill, DB (6), Ricky Townley, DB (5)

Brayden Woods, RB (2) on the run attempting to break past Christopher Reed, DE (63)

Benny Merrill, WR (6) after a reception leaving behind Nathan Perkins, DB (11)

Nick Kramer, QB (3) scrambling while searching for an open receiver

Eric Cline, K (9) sending through one of many extra points

The Sheriff's Office is looking for the public's help in identifying two people suspected of stealing more than $1,000 in Buffalo Bills merchandise from Dick's Sporting Goods in Batavia.

The theft occurred on Sept. 12.

The suspects reportedly left in a light blue Honda Odyssey with no visible license plates. 

Information, including anonymous tips, can be phoned into the Sheriff's Office at (585) 343-5000 or by contacting Investigator Ryan DeLong at (585) 345-3000 ext. 3572

Press release:

After 35 years of service, Communications Coordinator Russell L. Lang is working his last shift Friday, October 1, at the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office. 

Russ began his career on August 9, 1986, as a Dispatcher, and on June 17, 1989, he was appointed Communications Coordinator and has held this position ever since.  During his communications career, Lang earned several awards that include two Distinguished Service, three Meritorious Service for continuous excellence, and six Commendations.   

“911 emergency communications and public safety systems have changed dramatically over the past 35 years.  Russ has always been a very reliable, dedicated employee, always willing to learn new systems and provide the best service possible to the first responders of Genesee County.  He will truly be missed, and we all wish him the very best in his retirement,” stated Sheriff Sheron.

Lang said he and his wife expect to move to Myrtle Beach, N.C., on Nov. 1.  In the spring he will become the box office manager for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, a Single-A team affiliated with the Chicago Cubs.

Photos by Howard Owens

Frank Riccobono, Asst. Director of Emergency Communications, Undersheriff Bradley Mazer, Legislator Gary Maha, Russ Lang, Sherriff William Sheron, and Steven C. Sharpe
Director of Emergency Communications.

I should have posted these photos earlier today but got sidetracked or something.  I took the top photo on the drive home from Rochester yesterday on Route 33.  The bottom photo is from Indian Falls by Joanne Meiser.