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Press release:

Congressional Candidate Chris Jacobs (NY-27) was given an A rating from the Gun Owners of America New York (GOANYS) following a vote by members at its recent meeting, and an A+ Rating from the Second Amendment Show.

“We do not hand out A ratings lightly to candidates," GOANYS Communications Director Bill Robinson said. "However, Chris Jacobs’ record of fighting against the unconstitutional SAFE Act and fighting for privacy rights of pistol permit holders as County Clerk, and his voting record against red flag laws and SAFE Act expansion made this decision very easy.

"Chris has a strong record of defending the Second Amendment, and we have the fullest confidence that he will uphold this commitment to our constitutional rights in Congress. Andrew Cuomo has ravaged our rights in New York for too long and we look forward to having a Congressman who will fight back.”

The A rating from GOANYS and the A+ rating from the Second Amendment Show are the most recent shows of support Chris Jacobs has received from the Second Amendment community. He has also received the endorsement of the National Rifle Association (NRA) for his record of defending the Second Amendment.

“I am honored to have received an A rating from Gun Owners of America New York and an A+ rating from the Second Amendment Show," Jacobs said. "I have always taken the responsibility of defending the Second Amendment extremely seriously, and I am fully committed to continuing this record of defending and protecting our constitutional rights in Congress.

"I urge everyone to get out and vote on June 23rd so we can ensure Western New York has a Congressman who will respect, protect, and defend the Second Amendment."

Press release:

“Jacobs' new ad tries to portray me as some outsourcing tycoon when his previous ads tried to portray me as a socialist," McMurray said. "Chris is confused. Which am I? I guess we should just accept that Chris — as a Democrat who became a Trump-loving Republican — overnight, is always confused."

The McMurray team points out that Jacobs, despite having spent over a million dollars already on his campaign, has never talked about expanding healthcare, protecting social security, or building our infrastructure in any of his ads.

He is not interested in improving the lives of Western New Yorkers. He’s interested in lying about McMurray, calling Beth Parlato “nasty,” and trying to scare people about foreigners — first Mexicans now Asians, just like Chris Collins did.

What we should really be scared about is Jacobs' record.

“Jacobs has done nothing, despite years in office, to help working people," McMurray said. "He has been a shill going so far to hide campaign funds on the state level, paving the way for companies like Delaware North to fund these political aspirations.

"And who is Delaware North? His family's company. A company that really has outsourced thousands and thousands of jobs to Asia by cutting staff in Buffalo and hiring people in India for a fraction of the price. Look it up. Don’t be fooled."

The Town of Stafford will no longer allow residents to drop off yard waste, such as tree branches, brush, and grass clippings, at the town dump.

Highway Superintendent Steven Boldt said that with the loss of sales tax revenue, the town is looking at a very tight budget so the change will reduce costs and workload.

"Residents are encouraged to create their own compost pile," Boldt said, adding, "The town hopes to revisit the issue when financial times become better."

Press release:

As of 2 p.m.

• Genesee County received zero new positive cases of COVID-19, for a total of 206 positive cases.
  • One of the previous community positive cases have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation.
  • Zero of the total active positive cases are hospitalized.
• Orleans County received three new positive cases of COVID-19 today, for a total of 259 positive cases.
  • The positive individuals reside in Ridgeway, Murray and Gaines.
  • One of the individuals is in their 20s, one of the individuals is in their 60s and one of the individuals is in their 70s.
  • One individual was on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
  • Fifteen of the total active positive cases are hospitalized. Please note those in the hospital may be from the community or a state-regulated facility. We do not separate them out to protect their privacy.
  • We are sorry to report we have lost another Orleans County resident to COVID-19. The individual was a resident of Orchard Rehabilitation & Nursing Center. Our heartfelt condolences go to the family and friends of this individual during this very difficult time.

Le Roy's seniors were honored with a drive-thru event at the high school yesterday where they were applauded and received a cap and gown, yearbook, locker items, T-shirts, other goodies, and a BBQ lunch.

Video by Principal Tim McArdle.

Press release:

• As of 2 p.m.
  • Genesee County received four new positive cases of COVID-19, for a total of 206 positive cases.
    • The positive individuals reside in Alabama, Alexander, Batavia and Elba.
    • One of the individuals is less than 20 years old, one individual is in their 20s, and two individuals are in their 30s.
    • The new positive cases were not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
    • Oneof the previous community positive cases have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation.
    • Zero of the total active positive cases are hospitalized.
  • Orleans County received two new positive cases of COVID-19 today, for a total of 256 positive cases.
    • Two of the positive individuals reside in are residents of Orchard Rehabilitation & Nursing Center.
    • One of the individuals is in their 30s, one of the individuals is in their 80s.
    • One of the previous community positive cases have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation.
    • Thirteen of the total active positive cases are hospitalized. Please note those in the hospital may be from the community or a state-regulated facility. We do not separate them out to protect their privacy.
• We encourage everyone to remember to be polite and respect individual privacy. If you have a complaint about someone or a business, use the appropriate channels provided by the state. Using social media to air your complaints and accusing individuals/businesses of wrongdoing generally does nothing to fix the problem. Be compassionate of other people and spread kindness.

Madison Hoerbelt is a 2018 graduate of Batavia High School and a winner of a John Mikalski Scholarship from the Genesee Wyoming Music Educators Association. Hoerbelt is attending Ithaca College for Voice Performance and is a mezzo-soprano.

What is her favorite musical experience?
When I was in high school I was very lucky to attend Conference All-State as well as All-Eastern in Atlantic City, New Jersey! During my freshman year of college, I went on tour with the Dorothy Cotton Jubilee Singers to Virginia, North Carolina, and Washington, D.C. This past year as a sophomore I went to sing the National Anthem with the Ithaca College Choir at MetLife Stadium right outside of New York City! 

What is your musical goal?
My goal is to be an opera and musical theater actress in opera houses and companies around the world. Mainly in New York City, Germany, and Italy. My goal also includes going to graduate school to get my master's degree in Voice Performance and eventually a doctorate. 

What is your favorite performance venue?
My favorite venue I've ever performed in would be the Kodak Theater in the Eastman School of Music. I performed there for two concerts during my time in Conference All-State and three more times with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in their Holiday Pops Concerts throughout high school! Some of her main performance influences are Renee Fleming, Isabel Leonard, and Anita Rachvelishvili. 

Other exciting musical fun facts:
I would have been attending Songfest, a prestigious art song program, in May and June but unfortunately, it was canceled. I'm a member of Mu Phi Epsilon, which is a coed professional music fraternity, for which I have just been elected the vice president/pledge mom. I also play many instruments including clarinet, saxophone, flute, guitar, ukulele, and piano.

Nate McMurray notified supporters in Genesee County that he would be at City Hall this afternoon for a get out the vote rally. A reporter and photographer from The New York Times were there to cover it.

Hailey Kirkpatrick decided to draw a colorful message, "All Lives Matter," in the driveway of Batavia Middle School today after her uncle gave her some chalk because she wanted to spread a message of harmony.

She said, "There are a lot of races around the world that are treated badly and it’s not just black people and there are a lot of people who are still racist in this world, and I think if saying all lives matter rather than black lives matter will show that we are as one. We are all people. We’re all one species and we need to get along to make this world a better place."

Press release:

Today, Congressional candidate Nate McMurray voiced his continued concerns about ballot integrity and voter suppression after the first weekend of early voting came to a close in New York’s 27th District.

McMurray’s campaign has established a hotline with the New York Democratic Lawyers Committee to continue to address the issues on behalf of voters. 

“We are getting reports that people are not getting absentee ballots they applied for and should have received by now, and some are being told to just go vote in person," McMurray said. "The problem is many are very worried about voting in person because of the health risks.

"That’s why the Governor originally expanded voting by absentee ballot. Now here we are just days from when absentee ballots must be postmarked by, and voters receiving them last minute will be under pressure to turn them around overnight wondering if their vote will even be counted”

Further, the locations of early voting polling sites had not been made readily available in all places. In particular, the Erie County Board of Elections failed to even post a list of early voting locations until McMurray brought a lawsuit compelling the Board of Elections to take action. Still, many are showing up to their usual polling location confused because they received no notice by mail.

“I’m not saying there is deliberate malice, but the result will lead to fewer people going to the polls because of widespread confusion," McMurray said. "And of course, it’s not just the voters who are struggling. Board of Elections employees across NY27 are exhausted and have little outside help.

"It is our duty to protect access to the ballot and elections integrity during this public health crisis. Every voter should have received their ballot by now and have basic confidence in the process, and the sad truth is, they haven’t."

Voters who are experiencing any issues voting by absentee or obtaining early voting information please contact: NYS Democratic Lawyers Council Voter Protection Hotline: ​(585) 213-1710, or email:   election@votemcmurray.com​

A caller reports hearing a loud boom and can now see smoke and flames near a barn in the area of 10740 Transit Road, Bethany.

A second caller reports a chicken coop is on fire.

A responder reports seeing a lot of smoke as he approaches.

Bethany fire responding. The chief has asked for a second alarm. The location is south of Sparks Road.

UPDATE(S) (By Billie) 5:52 p.m.: Alexander, the city's FAST team, Le Roy, Town of Batavia, Pavilion and Stafford are responding as mutual aid. Town of Batavia is also having a crew stand by in quarters.

UPDATE 5:56 p.m.: The city's FAST team is cancelled per Bethany command, so is Town of Batavia Ladder #22 to the scene.

UPDATE 5:58 p.m.: Fire Police are on scene to control/direct traffic. Mutual aid is also on the road responding from Attica and Wyoming.

UPDATE 6:01 p.m.: Genesee County Sheriff's deputies are on scene.

UPDATE 6:12 p.m.: Fire is under control. Responding tankers can continue non-emergency.

As the restoration of the Union Hotel continues, work crews discovered a historic artifact: A billboard poster for the Ringling Brothers Circus and a performance one summer long ago in Batavia.

The advertisement was found paneling in the bar, said owner Tom Dix.

Dix said he doesn't know what will become of the billboard but "somehow it will be saved."

Below, Video from February 2019 about the effort to restore the Union Hotel.

Press release from AAA:

Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $2.10, which is 7 cents higher than a week ago. One year ago, the price was $2.70. The New York State average is $2.22 – 2 cents higher than last week. A year ago, the NYS average was $2.87.

AAA Western and Central New York (AAA WCNY) reports the following averages:

• Batavia -- $2.25 (no change since last week)
• Buffalo -- $2.19 (no change since last week)
• Ithaca -- $2.12 (up 1 cent since last week)
• Rochester -- $2.21 (up 1 cent since last week)
• Rome -- $2.24 (up 3 cents since last week)
• Syracuse -- $2.11 (up 1 cent since last week)
• Watertown --$2.22 (up 3 cents since last week)

The national average gas price is on the rise along with demand. According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand has continued to increase. If demand continues to trend higher, motorists will likely see pump prices continue to increase through the end of the month.

Oil prices are mixed and domestic crude prices decreased last week amid increased market concern that a second wave of COVID-19 may emerge and could lead to another reduction in crude demand. Domestic crude inventories are up and that also helped push oil prices down.

From GasBuddy:

"As gasoline demand continues on the road to recovery, the national average has advanced for another week, making it seven straight weeks of rising gas prices as the easing coronavirus situation inspires more Americans to hit the road," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy.

"Data from Pay with GasBuddy shows U.S. gasoline demand rose 2.4  percent last week to its highest level in over three months, giving renewed confidence that amidst OPEC's crude oil cutbacks, supply will remain in check. I expect the upward trend to continue across most of the country ahead of July 4, with prices perhaps rising another 10-20 cents by then.

"The one thing that could bring restraint to rising gas prices is if we see a significant second wave of COVID-19 cases, but for now, I'm optimistic that won't happen."

Area residents today turned out to the Peace Garden to draw on the sidewalk with chalk messages and pictures in support of racial equality.

Yesterday evening, we visited Le Roy to check in on three restaurants that are now serving dine-in customers as part of the Phase Three reopening.

CORRECTION: I forgot to include the lower thirds in the video identifying the speakers. They are in order of appearance, Monique Mottler, a server and front-of-house supervisor at Farmer's Creekside Inn; Sean Valdes, co-owner, D&R Depot; Racheal Olear, general operations supervisor, Smokin' Eagle BBQ & Brew. My apologies to all.

Roses have been placed in the doorway of Roxy's Music on West Main Street in memory of owner Rose Marie Caccamise, who passed away June 5.

There was no formal obituary released to the local media. Attempts to get more information about her death and the future of Roxy's Music Store have been unsuccessful.

She was 80 years old.

Roxy's Music was founded in Batavia in 1934 by her parents, renowned accordionist Roxy Caccamise and his wife Nellie. Rose took over the business in the 1960s, eventually moving it from 331 W. Main St., Batavia, to the Genesee Country Mall, and eventually to its present location at 228 W. Main St.

The legendary store was a magnet for area musicians -- and accordionists from around the world -- for decades. Hundreds of local musicians took lessons at Roxy's over the years.

Caccamise was also an accomplished athlete. She finished fourth in 1956 for the Melbourne Olympics in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.5. She was among the first inductees in 2002 in the Batavia High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

Rose Caccamise, center, with her parents in an undated photo, Nellie Caccamise and Roxy Caccamise.

A look at Batavia restaurants who, with the arrival of Phase Three of the pandemic recovery, were able to open on Friday.

Parents, students, teachers, and administration at Jackson Primary School in Batavia celebrated the end of the year and promotion day with a parade on Friday.