Stories from

• Section V single season, rushing yards, 3,012;
• Section V single season, touchdowns, 49;
• Section V single season, points scored, 310;
• Section V career record, rushing yards, 6,023;
• Section V career touchdowns, 111;
• Section V career points, 720;
• State playoff record for yards rushing, 474;
• State playoff record for touchdowns, 8 (twice);
• State playoff record for points scored, 50.

So it's no surprise that Leach has been named Football Player of the Year for All-Greater Rochester by the Democrat & Chronicle.

Brennan Briggs, who coached his fourth team in the past five years to a Section V championship. This season was the first time a Briggs-coached team reached the state championship game. 

Also making first team: Joshua Barber and Ethan Biscaro. Taiyo Iburi-Bethel was named to the second team. Alex Rood, Joe Martinucci and Andrew Francis all received honorable mention.

Chris McClinic, Alexander, also made second team. Honorable mentions went to Terrez Smith, Ty Woods, Dylan Busch, Jake Jasen, Ethan Heineman and Hayden Walton.

Honorable mention for Notre Dame: Gabe MacDonald, Keith Szczepanski, Mason Randall, Tim Klotzbach, Tyler Totten.

Honorable mention for Pembroke: Theodore Pintabona, Colby Cerasani, Trent Smith, Trevor Vaughn.

Honorable mention in eight-man football for Oakfield-Alabama/Elba: Colton Dillon, Gage Dieterle, Ty Mott, Kyle Magliocco, Peyton Yasses, Seth Sepalla.

First team in other fall sports:

• Lukas Milligan, Pavilion, boys volleyball
• Maiya Reinhart, Batavia, girls swimming

A 22-year-old Batavia man who was the subject of a manhunt at the end of November after he allegedly drove off with a teenage Bergen girl in a blue SUV, which prompted an Amber Alert, is back in Genesee County and may face federal charges.

Sheriff William Sheron said today that because Jose Guillermo Torres-Acevedo is suspected of taking the girl across state lines, the Sheriff's Office is working with the FBI to determine if Torres-Acevedo should be charged by federal authorities.

Locally, he's been charged with grand larceny, 3rd, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle for allegedly stealing the Dodge Journey he is accused of using to transport the girl from her Bergen home.

He is being held in the Genesee County Jail without bail.

In November, Torres-Acevedo was arrested following an investigation by State Police and charged with endangering the welfare of a child. A judge issued a complete stay away order requiring Torres Acevedo to have no contact with the girl.

The morning of Nov. 29, Torres-Acevedo allegedly drove to the girl's home and picked her up. The Sheriff's Office was soon notified that the girl was missing and an Amber Alert was issued that afternoon.

The girl, authorities said, went with Torres-Acevedo willingly.

The girl and Torres-Acevedo were reportedly located that night at a Walmart in Mansfield, Pa., when authorities were able to ping the girl's mobile phone.

Torres-Acevedo was taken into custody and the girl was returned to her family in Bergen. Torres-Acevedo waived extradition and a deputy picked him up in Pennsylvania on Friday.

The suspect is scheduled to appear in Bergen Town Court next month to face charges stemming from his initial arrest by State Police.

For the third straight year some members of the Batavia's Original staff, led by manager Tom Scott, and with the help of Bailee Welker, delivered pizzas on Christmas Day to those emergency responders who worked on the holiday, helping to keep the community safe while the rest of us enjoy the day with our families.

"We’ve been doing this because we felt it was the least we could do for the people serving and working throughout our community while not being able to spend their holidays at home with family," Scott said.

Photos by Marc Tillery.

A family in Pavilion had a very Griswold-Christmas this year, outfitting the family wagon with an uprooted Christmas tree, decorating with a greased-up sled, tangled lights on an old camper -- all staples of the 1989 classic comedy, "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," starring Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold.

“We watch the movie every year,” Jesse Coots told 13WHAM. “We love it.”

What started as a good laugh about imitating the movie became a reality for the Coots family.

“We got joking about how the movie goes, and how they uproot the Christmas tree and all that jazz,” he said. “We like to laugh around here, so I was sitting around one day, just screwing around and looking for station wagons, and we found this one, and it’s got 33,000 original miles.

“I kind of surprised the wife and the kids and made a deal in the middle of the night, and this guy brought it out,” he continued. “Bought it, and we uprooted a Christmas tree with a couple of friends of mine and tied her up, strapped it up, Chevy Chase-style.”

The Coots family had intended for theirs to be an inside joke – but they couldn’t contain their neighbors’ glee.

“Really, it was just going to be between us, then a couple people posted videos of us driving through town, and the community kind of laughed,” said Coots.

And that humor, says Coots, is what the display is all about.

“Every night, there’s cars pulling up, and I like it because they’re here to laugh, and that’s what we like to do, is laugh,” he said. “It’s good for your heart.

“I have gotten so many nice phone calls and emails and text messages about how it’s brightened people’s spirits and made them laugh,” he said, “and a lot of people have told me they get on Facebook every day to see what kind of nonsense we’re up to with this.”

Will it be a Christmas tradition? Coots isn’t sure – but he says, if it is, his kids will be on board.

“I build custom cars for a living,” he said. “You’d think, all the great cars I have, they would love some of the hot rods. They love this stock station wagon more than anything. They don’t want it to go!”

Story and photos courtesy our news partner, 13WHAM

This is our annual look back at photos from the year of our first responders. We thank our first responders for all they do to make our community better and safer.

Merry Christmas to all.

It looks like we're having a White Christmas after all.

Stephen Hall blowing snow on Ross Street.  

Jonathan Hoca and Quintin, 5, building a snowman on Ross Street.

Jennifer Desautels submitted this photo of Teigan Desautels, 5, with a snowman.

Earlier, several callers reported a dangerous condition in the area of Brickhouse Corners -- a woman in a motorized scooter was driving on Route 5 along the shoulder, causing cars to swerve around her.

A police officer responded and shortly after locating her reported that a Good Samaritan stopped, loaded up her scooter in his vehicle and gave her a ride to her friend's in Batavia, which is where she was trying to get to.

CORRECTION: This wasn't the call at Brickhouse Corners. The woman in an electric wheelchair that was picked up was on Route 63 between Oakfield and Batavia.

Two shoplifting suspects are running from Walmart.

They are described as white males. One is in a brown jacket the other in a green jacket.

A deputy is dispatched and Batavia PD asked to assist.

UPDATE 11:27 a.m.: Two males are stopped in the Auto Zone parking lot.

Press release from AAA: 

Merry Christmas!

Motorists are getting the gift of cheaper gas at area pumps – prices are down across the entire region. A full report is attached. Here is a look at prices:

• Batavia -- $2.71 (down 3 cents since last week)
• Buffalo -- $2.73 (down 4 cents since last week)
• Ithaca -- $2.51 (down 4 cents since last week)
• Rochester -- $2.63 (down 4 cents since last week)
• Rome -- $2.64 (down 5 cents since last week)
• Syracuse -- $2.55 (down 3 cents since last week)
• Watertown -- $2.76 (down 8 cents since last week)

We wish everyone safe travels and happy holidays!

A three-car accident is reported at West Main Street and South Lyon Street, Batavia.

Minor injuries reported.

Traffic is blocked. 

City fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 11:15 a.m.: One minor leg injury, reported. Also, city fire responding reports a property damage accident at Main and Court.

A truck is on its side in a ditch in the area of 9806 Creek Road, Bethany.

Minor injuries reported.

Bethany fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 11:17 a.m.: Confirmed minor injuries. Responding units can proceed with caution, non-emergency.

A motor-vehicle accident with no injuries is reported at 9481 Alexander Road, Alexander.

Alexander fire and ambulance dispatched.

An Alexander chief on scene requests fire police for traffic control.

The roads are slick and units should proceed non-emergency and with caution.

UPDATE 10:52 a.m.: Shortly after a chief mentions "we need to get people to slow down," he reports, "we've got another one in a ditch." The roads are slippery.

UPDATE 10:54 a.m.: A DOT salt truck is in route.

UPDATE 11:04 a.m.: One member of fire police warns the other to "be carefull -- these people are not listening or following directions."

A personal injury accident is reported in the area of 6994 Tripp Road, Byron.

One patient was reportedly in route to Strong for a medical issue at the time of the accident.

Byron and South Byron fire departments dispatched along with Mercy EMS; however, once fire chiefs were on scene, an ambulance was told to respond non-emergency.

The roadway is blocked and traffic is being shut down.

UPDATE 9:39 a.m.: A patient is being transported to Strong by Mercy EMS.

Last night, T.F. Brown's hosted a happy hour and ugly sweater contest in support of the annual Christmas Day Community Dinner.

The dinner has been going for close to three decades and offers a free meal and toys from Santa for children and is open to all members of the Genesee County community.

For more information, click here.

Gregory Hallock, executive director of GO ART! holds up the winning ornaments from an ornament-decorating contest for GO ART! members. Tammy Hathaway, the left ornament, won in the adult category and Anna Browne won in the children's category.

GO ART! opened its winter members' art show, Heat Wave, on Thursday night.

Best of Show, "Firebird," by David Burke.

A sculpture, "Forest Floor," by Emily Crawford.

This morning, members of the Batavia Police Department presented a check for $1,930 to Genesee Cancer Assistance, funds raised as a result of their ability and willingness to grow facial hair during "Movember."

Officers paid $50 for a goatee, $25 for a mustache and $100 for a full beard.

Chief Shawn Heubusch gave members of the department permission to continue the facial hair fundraising in December, with money raised going to a local family with medical needs. Donations to that cause are being accepted at the police station until Jan. 11.

Officers will need to become clean shaven again Jan. 1, unless their efforts to lobby Heubusch for an extension is successful.

Photo: Sgt. Matt Lutey, Det. Sgt. Kevin Czora, Sue Underwood and Teresa Potzebowski, both with Genesee Cancer Assistance, Officer Frank Klimjack, and parking enforcement and animal control officer James Sheflin.

A man was taken into custody Monday night after a report of a fight and a stabbing at 337 Ellicott St., Batavia, has been charged with attempted murder.

Rashawn L. Gosier, 40, Shady Lane, Batavia, was also charged with assault in the first degree.

The arrest of Gosier comes after police were able to interview the victim, who was treated and released from a hospital in the region.

Police said the victim was "stabbed by a stabbing instrument." Public Information Officer Marc Lawrence confirmed investigators do not know at this time what type of sharp instrument was involved. The weapon has not been recovered.

After the report of the stabbing at 11:45 p.m. Monday, a man reportedly wearing a blue jacket was seen by an officer running from the scene.

Though the man ran from the scene, police believe he circled back and tried to hide in the basement of the house on Ellicott Street.

Some 15 or 20 minutes later, a man matching the description of the suspect, and later identified as Gosier, was taken into custody after crawling out of the basement window.

According to Lawrence, Gosier and the victim knew each other through a mutual acquaintance.

On his Facebook page, Gosier says he's originally from New Jersey. He was arrested earlier this year on a charge of petit larceny for allegedly stealing merchandise from Tops. He doesn't appear to have a prior felony record.

Lawrence said no further information is being released at this time because this is an ongoing investigation.

People with information that may assist in the investigation are asked to call Det. Matt Wojtaszczyk at (585) 345-6350 or the confidential tip line at (585) 345-6370.

Previously:

• Possible stabbing reported at Swan and Ellicott streets
• Arrest made in incident Monday night on Ellicott Street

A member of the Pavilion Fire Department who is assigned to fire police was driving near his residence on Pavilion Center Road this morning when he spotted a fire in a neighbor's garage at 10240 Pavilion Center Raod.

He immediately called in the fire but there were already huge plumes of black smoke pouring from the structure.

By the time the first fire units arrived, the garage was fully involved.

Chief Dewey Murdock said that despite it being a weekday on a holiday week, fire companies in Pavilion and mutual aid companies from Genesee, Livingston and Wyoming counties, were able to assemble crews quickly and arrive on scene shortly after the fire was reported.

That wasn't enough, however, to save the two-story garage built in the 1970s from total destruction.

The homeowner, Wayne Palmer, used the garage to restore old cars and a couple of cars were pulled out of the garage at some point.

No firefighters were injured fighting the blaze.

Multiple tankers were needed to provide water for the fire but there was never a water flow issue, Murdock said, because of sufficient crew members for the tankers, plenty of tankers on scene, and the proximity of Oatka Creek.

Murdock said the cause of the fire is under investigation but it may have started with a fuel oil burner.