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Photos: Pine Wood Derby in Batavia

By Howard B. Owens

Cory Richenberg places a race car on the track of the annual Boy Scout Pinewood Derby at United Methodist Church in Batavia on Saturday.

McMurray releases his plan for economic growth in WNY

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

Nate McMurray, Democrat running to represent the 27th Congressional District, today released his proposal for job creation and economic growth in Western New York.

McMurray’s plan includes funding critical infrastructure development; investing in stable jobs in education and healthcare; encouraging the development of rural broadband and clean energy industries; promoting workforce training and small businesses; and raising the minimum wage.

As the vast majority of new private sector jobs in the state continue to be concentrated in New York City, McMurray’s plan outlines strategies to spur economic growth in Western New York. 

“There is an incredible wealth of talent and potential in Western New York — it’s just a matter of harnessing it,” McMurray said. “We have the opportunity, with the right resources, investment, and training, to sustainably grow our economy and make sure all working families are lifted up in the process.

"Our current president and leaders in Congress promised to get the job done on infrastructure and have failed to deliver. It’s clearer than ever that we need new leadership in Washington. 

“As your representative, I would ensure that we have the funding to repair our bridges and roads, that we’re investing in the healthcare and education sectors, and that our region is a leader in emerging industries like solar and wind where sited properly. Our district needs to have a fighter in Washington who will advocate for these policies, and win.”  

As the town supervisor of Grand Island, McMurray created jobs by attracting major business, investing in infrastructure and green technology, and filling dormant industrial space with new business. 

McMurray’s plan to expand job opportunities and spur economic growth includes: 

  • Funding and expanding infrastructure development: For years, our state government has diverted money away from critical investment in our bridges and roads, leading to crumbling infrastructure in our region. The federal government can, and should, step up to invest in transportation, infrastructure, and mass transit where we need it most. Legislation like the bipartisan BUILDS Act can help support workforce training programs for jobs in the infrastructure industry. 

  • Encouraging the development of rural broadband: Internet access is a fundamental necessity in the modern workforce — and yet, 80 percent of the 24 million American households that do not have reliable, affordable high-speed internet are in rural areas. Investing in broadband access for our communities will spur good union jobs and bring our economy into the 21st century. 

  • Investing in the education and healthcare sectors: “Eds and meds” are powerful economic drivers in our region, providing good, sustainable jobs for thousands. We must prevent further funding cuts to these sectors — which result in job cuts — and actually invest in the hospitals and public schools that support our community. We can do this by supporting the Rebuild America's Schools Act, which invests $100 billion in public school facilities to create jobs and improve schools, and the Strengthening Our Rural Health Workforce Act of 2019, a bipartisan bill that supports key rural health workforce programs. 

  • Supporting local small businesses: We should be supporting small businesses that fuel local job creation, not providing tax breaks and incentives to the wealthiest among us. We should support the creation of an Office of Emerging Markets within the Small Business Administration to expand resources and assistance to small businesses in rural areas. 

  • Investing in the burgeoning solar, wind, and other sustainable energy industries: Investing in the solar and wind industries in our region helps us create jobs while also helping to meet our nation’s clean energy goals. These pieces of infrastructure must be properly sited. We can also support legislation that provides workforce training in the clean energy industry for our veterans. 

  • Exploring new crops to grow in our region, including hemp and cannabis: New York State took steps in 2019 to regulate the production and sale of hemp products, but we still need to do more to protect and support in-state growers and fully take advantage of this economic opportunity. If New York legalizes adult use recreational marijuana, there’s huge potential for economic growth if we take steps to assist in-state farmers and properly regulate. 

Nate McMurray is a native of North Tonawanda. He ran for Congress in NY-27 in 2018 and lost by less than 1 percent of the vote. He is a family man, an Eagle Scout, and one of seven children raised by a single mother when his father died of cancer at the age of 39.

McMurray worked his way through community college, earned a bachelor’s degree at SUNY Buffalo, then earned a law degree from California’s prestigious Hastings College of Law. The U.S. government awarded him a Fulbright Scholarship to study the development of constitutional democracy in South Korea. His academic successes led to positions in private law practice, where he ably represented U.S. business interests in Asia.

McMurray was formerly the town supervisor of Grand Island, a conservative community in Western New York, where he was instrumental in bringing fiscal responsibility to local government and millions of dollars in new business investment to the town.

CCE conducts course for students in tractor safety

By Howard B. Owens

About a dozen high school students from the region took part in the classroom lecture portion of a 14-week tractor safety course sponsored by Cornell Cooperative Extension at Java Farm Supply in Batavia on Saturday.

The classes are held at multiple farm equipment sales locations in the county with a safety-driving test this spring at Empire Tractor.

The instructor Saturday was Deputy Kevin McCarthy.

Topics over the length of the course include tractor controls, preventative maintenance, operation, connecting equipment, driving practice, a written test, and a skills test. Students who pass the course will be licensed to operate farm equipment.

Pembroke one game away from repeating as Section V champions

By Howard B. Owens
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Pembroke led from start to finish in their Section V Class C1 semifinal game Wednesday night at Honeoye Falls-Lima against Red Jacket.

But that doesn't mean the win came easy.

"They were a lot faster, a lot quicker than we thought they were," said Head Coach Ron Funke. "It gave us a little trouble, especially with their press, because we tried to hurry the ball in. Once we took our time in and got the ball into the middle of the floor, we were OK. But they don't give up. They don't quit."

The final score was 53-35.

Dekari Moss scored 23 points, had seven rebounds and four steals.

"I thought Dekari dominated on both ends of the court," Funke said. "She rebounded well and she owned the middle. They were giving us a lot of gaps with their zone defense; Dakari is so quick and athletic that she took advantage of that."

Emily Peters scored 14 points, including a trio of three-pointers that helped seal Red Jacket's fate in the second half.

"When she gets on a roll, I mean, she's a very streaky shooter and she started off slow today but when she gets hot, you just keep feeding her," Funke said. "She came up big today especially toward the end of the third quarter."

Point guard Serene Calderon scored 12 points and had six assists, six rebounds, and three steals.

"She usually makes good decisions," Funke said. "We want the ball in her hands. She showed she'll get the ball to the people that we need to get the ball to. She runs the offense and she's in a great defensive player."

Casey Wurtz scored two points, had two assists, seven rebounds, and three blocked shots. Mackenna Johnson scored two points, had three assists, four rebounds, and three steals.

Next up, the Dragons will try to defend their 2019 Section V crown against Letchworth at 5 p.m., at Gates Chili.

Letchworth qualified for the finals by beating Byron-Bergen 58-55 in a game that went down to the closing seconds. 

Photos from the Byron-Bergen game below by Tammy Fuller.

McMurray calls new Jacobs ad xenophobic

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

Nate McMurray, Democratic congressional candidate in the April 28th Special Election in NY-27, gave the following statement after the release of Chris Jacobs’ first TV ad.

"Two elections in a row, Western New Yorkers have had to deal with out-of-touch millionaires named Chris who prioritize lying about me and racist fear-mongering, instead of addressing the critical issues our families face each day. 

"Think about this. His first commercial is not about expanding healthcare, creating jobs, or building our infrastructure; it's about lies and hating foreigners. While seniors and hardworking families here continue to go without healthcare and struggle to make ends meet, he's ignoring real threats and trying to scare people with race-baiting politics. 

"Clearly Jacobs and the rest of Chris Collins’ cronies learned nothing from the incredibly close election results in 2018. Everyday Americans in this district have had enough of their self-serving approach to government and divisive politics. 

"While my opponent proudly touts his support of President Trump and his budget cuts to Medicare and Social Security, I will continue to fight for access to affordable healthcare, education, and quality jobs for the families in NY27.

"If he wants to try to win with xenophobic commercials, making up nonsense about me, and having GOP SuperPAC’s follow me around with cameras to make weird attack ads, he's more out-of-touch and more a repeat of Chris Collins than we all thought," McMurray said.

First TV ad from Chris Jacobs hits McMurray on immigration

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

A new television ad released by the Jacobs Campaign today will highlight President Trump’s endorsement of Chris Jacobs for his support for securing our borders.

In his endorsement of Jacobs, the President stated, “Chris will be a great Congressman who will always fight for the people of New York. He supports our MAGA Agenda and will continue to secure our Border.”

“In a time where democrats like Bernie Sanders and Nate McMurray support open borders and sanctuary cities, I am focused on Americans’ safety," Jacobs said. "I’ve been to the southern border and have been briefed by our great Border Patrol Agents. I have seen firsthand the problems we are facing as a nation, and in Congress I plan to work with our President to continue securing the border."

Jacobs toured the Rio Grande Valley in October of 2019 and received extensive briefings from Border Patrol Agents stationed in the area. He participated in a tour of the Southern Border and toured three different detention facilities.

The Jacobs ad will air on broadcast and cable stations in the Buffalo and Rochester markets.

Batavia Notre Dame fouls in final minute heartbreaker to Filmore 55-49

By Howard B. Owens

Notre Dame fouls sent Fillmore to the line enough times in the closing seconds of the Class D1 Section V semifinal on Tuesday at Dansville that Fillmore was able to pull out a 55-49 win.

Fillmore will play Pavilion Friday for the championship at Letchworth at 8 p.m. (Pavilion coverage)

Morgan Rhodes scored 19 points for the Lady Irish. Amelia McCulley scored 12.

Hannah Roeske scored 20 points for Fillmore.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

To view or purchase prints, click here.

Pavilion wins shot at sectional title, beating Arkport Canaseraga 52-40

By Howard B. Owens

Pavilion, starting out as a seventh seed in the Class D1 Section V girls basketball tournament, will get a shot at the title Saturday against #1 seed Fillmore after beating Arkport 52-40.

While the Lady Gophers hung tight in the first half, ending the first 16 minutes of play with a one-point lead, 25-24, extra ball pressure in the second half and timely shooting helped the team run away with the game.

Karlee Zinkievich scored 16 points, Lauren Kingsley, 15, Emily Kingsley, 12, and Lindsay Lowe, nine.

For Arkport, Victoria McDaniel scored 18 points.

The championship game will be played at 8 p.m., Saturday, at Letchworth.

Photos by Steve Ognibene.

To view or purchase prints, click here.

Lancers will play for Section V title after beating Bradford 79-72

By Howard B. Owens

Of five boys basketball teams from Genesee County that played a semifinal Section V tournament game, only one remains in the hunt for a championship trophy: the Elba Lancers.

The Lancers beat Bradford in Mount Morris on Tuesday night, 79-72.

For Elba, Colton Dillon scored 19 points, Zach Marseill scored 16, Collin O'Halloran, 15, and Caleb Scouten, 12.

The Class D2 championship will be played at Blue Cross Arena (a return to the venue for Section V after two or three years of playing the championship games elsewhere) at 1 p.m., against Prattsburg.

Photos by Kristin Smith. For more photos click here.

Charges filed in Spectrum truck case

By Howard B. Owens
         Daniel Lewis

Daniel Jon Lewis, already a suspect in several crimes in January -- a period he was out of jail while awaiting sentencing on a prior conviction -- has been charged in a Jan. 25 incident involving a police chase of a Spectrum work truck.

Lewis is charged with: six counts of criminal mischief, 2nd; one count of criminal mischief, 4th; unlawful fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle; reckless driving; leaving the scene of a property damage accident; driving on a sidewalk; three counts of insufficient turn signal; and two counts of failure to stop for a stop sign.

Police say the Spectrum truck was stolen, perhaps by Lewis, from a residence outside the City of Batavia. After the truck was reported missing, a Batavia police officer spotted it on Washington Avenue. Lewis is accused of fleeing when the officer attempted a traffic stop.

Lewis allegedly drove to the end of Charles Street and then took the vehicle through multiple backyards of residences on Oak Street in an attempt to evade police. Lewis is accused of knocking down several fences, striking three parked cars, and a house. The incident reportedly caused more than $25,000 in damage.

Lewis then is alleged to have abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot.

There were no injuries reported in the incident.

Lewis was arrested Jan. 25 and charged with a Jan. 1 robbery on Bank Street and is currently being held without bail on that charge.

On Dec. 6, he entered a guilty plea on a possession of stolen property charge stemming from an incident in May where he was found sleeping in a vehicle in Pavilion that contained stolen property along with another person.

There was a misunderstanding of the new bail reform rules that were about to take effect in New York during that hearing.

It's unclear if Lewis might have won release from custody while awaiting sentencing without that misunderstanding. But the assumption that Lewis would be eligible for release on Jan. 1 under terms of bail reform did factor into Judge Charles Zambito's decision to release Lewis under supervision of Genesee Justice.

Previously:

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Board of Health expected to adopt rule requiring some food servers to take food safety course

By Howard B. Owens

The county Board of Health may soon adopt a new policy that will require establishments and events offering prepared foods to have at least one supervisor or server on hand who has completed a certified food safety course. The aim is to better protect the public from the transmission of disease during food handling.

The 60- to 90-minute course costs from $10 to $15 and will provide the person taking the course with information on the safe preparation, storage and handling of food.

"The goal, really, is to make sure Genesee County residents are as safe as they can be, so they don't have to worry when they go out and eat in restaurants or establishments that serve food," said Paul Pettit, director of the Health Department. "We want to make sure they're providing the safest meals possible. It's about protection and prevention."

The new food safety requirement will apply both to established restaurants and temporary food stands, such as you find at community events, fundraisers, carnivals and the fair.

Businesses and groups serving food will not be required to ensure every cook and server take the course, only that at least one person working during any period where food is being served to the public, or during preparation, have a certificate of completion for the course. 

While some online courses set an expiration date on the certification, the county's rules will honor any certificate proving a person has taken a course, even if it is printed with an expiration date.

The Board of Health is appointed by the Genesee County Legislature and is the policy-making body for food safety rules in the county. The board has been discussing the proposed rule at recent meetings, Pettit said, and he expects the board to approve the policy change.

Businesses and community organizations will have at least a year to comply.

The policy will apply to any food service that is required to have a Health Department permit to serve food.

The course covers such things as the temperatures necessary for properly storing food, hot or cold, how hot to cook food, especially meats, and properly handling food.

"If they don't cook the chicken until it's falling off the bone, or 165 degrees, which is the correct temperature, we may have a problem," Pettit said.

One of the biggest worries in food safety is the transmission of hepatitis A, which can happen when people serving food handle it with their bare hands (hepatitis A is transmitted from fecal matter). There have been incidents of hepatitis A outbreaks as recently as last year in Erie County. That's why even a community event where pizza is served by untrained volunteers is a concern, Pettit said.

Pettit said the same policy has been in place in Orleans County for 10 years and hasn't proven onerous for businesses nor community groups. It has also been implemented in several other Upstate counties. It's also a requirement of federal food regulations and New York is one of the last states not to adopt those standards in its own statewide regulations. That is something Pettit said is likely to change very soon.

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Local business hosts event for 61st senate candidate

By Howard B. Owens

Salon Miaou, a salon on East Main Street, Batavia, hosted a meet-and-greet Monday evening for Joan Seamans, center, a candidate in the Democratic primary for the 61st State Senate seat.

Photo and info submitted by Nicole Ilasi.

Elba pressures Hinsdale for 60-25 win in semifinal

By Howard B. Owens
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Elba's full-court press proved to be too much for Hinsdale to handle Monday night in a Class D2 Section V semifinal game at Wayland-Cohocton. The Lady Lancers won 60-25 sending them to a championship match at 6 p.m. Friday at Letchworth against Andover.

The victory was the Lady Lancers' 20th of the season against two defeats.

Brynn Walczak scored 17 points. Maddie Muehlig scored 15. Taylor Augello scored nine. Muehlig was 5-8 from beyond the arc. Leah Bezon, who scored six points, had 10 rebounds. The team combined for 16 steals.

Hinsdale was held to seven points in the first half. No Hinsdale player reached double-digits in scoring in the game.

There were no other girls' basketball games played Monday night.

In boys' basketball:

  • Notre Dame lost to Genesee Valley 59-54. 
  • Alexander lost to Perry 63-54.
  • Byron-Bergen lost to Red Jacket 83-63.
  • Oakfield-Alabama lost to York 61-58.

Tonight's girls' games:

  • Pavilion plays Arkport at 6 p.m. at Dansville.
  • Notre Dame plays Fillmore at 7:45 p.m. at Dansville.

Tomorrow, Byron-Bergen plays Letchworth at 6 p.m. and Pembroke plays Red Jacket at 7:45 p.m. Both games are at HFL.

In boys' basketball tonight, Elba plays Bradford at 7 p.m. at Mount Morris.

COVID-19 may never reach Batavia but local officials say community preparedness is critical

By Howard B. Owens

The first case of coronavirus in New York was announced yesterday but that was in New York City and so far there is no evidence of the disease reaching Western New York. That doesn't mean, however, that Genesee County residents shouldn't be aware and have a plan for dealing with a nearby outbreak, local health officials say.

Local health agencies have been keeping an eye on COVID-19* since it was first reported in Wuhan, China about two months ago, said Paul Pettit, Genesee County health director.

He said local officials have been in discussion with state officials for weeks as well as communicating with and monitor information from the Center for Disease Control.

The plan right now is to encourage people to do what they normally should due during flu season:

  • Wash your hands frequently;
  • Cough and sneeze into a tissue or your elbow;
  • Don't put your hands to your face;
  • If you have flu-like symptoms, call your doctor and follow your doctor's instructions (don't go to the ER or your doctor's office unless instructed);
  • If you're sick, isolate yourself from other people;
  • Be informed with timely and accurate information.

"The primary goal is containment and (to) suppress it as best we can," Pettit said. "If we find a case, we want to develop a case history, find how who may people have been exposed, where the person has traveled if they've been out and about and at public events. That is the best way to suppress it and ensure to lock it down."

One thing you don't need to do: Hoard masks. The only people who need to wear masks, Pettit said, are health care workers and people already infected. They will do little to help people in the general public to protect them from infection and hoarding masks will make it harder for those who truly need them to get them.

One of the reasons this new virus was able to spread quickly -- outside of the Chinese government mishandling the initial outbreak -- is that a person can be a carrier for two weeks and show no symptoms. So if a person doesn't know he or she is infected, that person is going to go about their normal daily routine.

There are two ways the disease is transmitted in the United States -- either by those people who have traveled overseas in a region where Corvid-19 is spreading or by what authorities call "community transmission" (people who became infected by coming into contact with an infected person in the local community).

The one infected person in New York City is a woman in her 30s who recently returned from Iran, where more than 1,500 cases have been reported and 66 people have died (250 people have recovered).

Obviously, Pettit said, community transmission is the larger concern but people who have traveled to regions where the disease is present should be quarantined upon their return to the United States.

So far, four people in Genesee County (and five in Orleans County) who traveled to China have been quarantined. All four were isolated at home for two weeks and monitored daily for signs of illness. None became ill, Pettit said. None of the individuals had been to Wuhan, China.

Schools, faith-based organizations, community groups, and those holding public gatherings, also need to develop plans for responding to a potential outbreak, Pettit said. The CDC website can be a resource for local organizations to develop response plans.

"We don't want people to panic but we want people to understand it's a serious issue," Pettit said.

So far in China, there have been more than 80,000 cases reported out of nearly 90,000 reported worldwide. Globally, 3,056 deaths have been reported. In the United States, there are at least 90 confirmed cases and five deaths. There have been reports of community transmission in California, Oregon and Washington. There's concern that the virus spread in Washington for weeks without detection.

That isn't a concern here at this point, Pettit said, and this week, two of New York's infection disease labs became centers for testing for coronavirus.

United Memorial Medical Center is ready if the epidemic reaches Genesee County, said CEO Dan Ireland.

He said hospital staff, including Tricia Woodward, infection preventionist, have been monitoring the situation closely since the outbreak was first reported in China and keeping the rest of the hospital staff informed.

Like Pettit, Ireland said one of the best strategies to containing the disease is good information and acting on it.

"That means we're making sure we're prepared according to CDC guidelines," Ireland said. "We conduct education with the staff here, communicate out with our community partners, and Tricia does on-the-spot discussions with staff to make sure they have the correct information. We have routine education and drills to make sure our staff is always ready to respond."

If there is a local case, Woodward said the patient would be kept in a special isolation room and any staff entering the room would wear goggles, a mask, gloves and a gown.

Like Pettit, Woodward said the best strategy to level out transmission is for people who become sick is to stay home.

Not every case of COVID-19 is serious. Like the flu, most are not. The disease is most dangerous for older people, people with compromised immune systems, and people with respiratory difficulties, which is why the best recommendation for anybody who may become sick is to first, call your doctor. Don't leave the house unless directed to do so by a qualified medical professional.

"Having people flooding into ERs or doctors' offices when they suspect they're sick creates more of an environment where it can be transmitted, so it's not a bad thing to pick up the phone and call a doctor," Ireland said. "If you have a high fever, a doctor can provide proper guidance."

In China, there have been whole cities placed on a social isolation regime. That means people must stay home. Businesses and factories have closed. Public events were canceled.

If that happens here, people will need to be prepared with enough nonperishable, shelf-stable food and water to stay isolated for up to three weeks.

"Fortunately, we're nowhere near that stage anywhere in the U.S. or in this state," Pettit said. "Obviously the goal is to use quarantines to keep from getting to that point."

But a lot of any success is keeping the disease from spreading at China-like levels will depend on the actions of individual citizens, not government agencies.

"Everybody has to be personally accountable," Pettit said. "Everybody has to do their part and take care of themselves so they can take care of others."

*(According to the CDC: COVID-19, "CO" stands for "corona," "VI" for "virus," and "D" for disease.)

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UMMC announces birth of Leap Year Baby

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

February 29 only happens once every four years, and for proud parents Chelsie Pangrazio and Daniel Laudico, and siblings Ky’Reese and Karter, it was an extra special day. Meet Kerigan Mae Laudico, born Leap Day at 8:33 a.m. This adorable little leapling and her family are all doing well!

Gas prices expected to drop in coming weeks as coronavirus weakens global demand for oil

By Howard B. Owens

Press release from AAA:

Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $2.44, down 3 cents since last week. One year ago, the price was $2.43. The New York State average is $2.59 – down 2 cents from last week. A year ago, the NYS average was $2.53.

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

  • Batavia -- $2.59 (no change since last week)
  • Buffalo -- $2.53 (down 1 cent since last week)
  • Ithaca -- $2.62 (no change since last week)
  • Rochester -- $2.56 (up 1 cent since last week)
  • Rome -- $2.61 (down 1 cent since last week)
  • Syracuse -- $2.51 (up 3 cents since last week)
  • Watertown -- $2.58 (down 3 cents since last week)

Data from the Energy Information Administration shows that total domestic gasoline supplies remain high – and the level is much higher than one year ago. That has helped to push pump prices lower across the country as crude oil remains cheap.

Oil prices plummeted at the end of February as coronavirus shut down factories in China, which is the largest importer of oil. The drop in demand pushed oil prices down though some varieties (WTI & Brent Crude) have begun to inch up this morning.

The global drop in demand is likely to continue through the end of the winter driving season. However, refinery maintenance, which is just beginning now, could impact prices in the month of March.

From GasBuddy:

"As the spread of the coronavirus induces panic on markets, oil prices have been walloped and motorists should avoid filling up as the plummet in oil prices starts showing up at their local gas station in the days ahead," said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy.

"Nearly every village, town and city in every state will see gas prices dropping -- the pace may vary, of course -- but over the next week gas prices will move lower solidly, barring any dramatic improvement in the spread of the virus.

The drop in oil is little comfort to those who've been watching the stock market fall, but gas stations have plenty of room to drop prices, in some cases nearly 25-35 cent drops over the next few weeks will happen.

My advice for motorists is delay buying gasoline and expect noticeable drops for the time being as the world obsesses over the spread of COVID-19."

GOP Chair Nick Langworthy stopped in Batavia to support local candidates

By Howard B. Owens
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Genesee County Republicans rallied for their candidates, to kick off election-season signature drives, at the Dibble Family Center in Batavia on Saturday, with a previously unannounced appearance by state GOP Chairman Nick Langworthy.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley said he had recently spoken with Langworthy and happened to mention the event and Langworthy rearranged his schedule to attend.

Genesee County GOP endorsed candidates on hand:

  • Chris Jacobs – U.S. Congress
  • Ed Rath II – NYS Senate
  • Steve Hawley – NYS Assembly
  • William Sheron – GC Sheriff
  • Scott German – GC Treasurer
  • Karen Lang -- GC Coroner
  • Adam Palumbo – GC Coroner

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Boys and girls basketball roundup

By Howard B. Owens

Oakfield-Alabama advanced to the semifinals of the Class C3 sectional tournament Friday night by beating South Seneca 84-58.

Kam Cusmano scored 23 points for the Hornets and Kaden Cusmano scored 19.

Boys' results from Saturday:

  • Le Roy lost to Wayland-Cohocton 81-78.
  • Batavia lost to Newark 63-58 in OT (game story).
  • Elba beat Destiny 83-62.

Boys' semifinal playoff schedule: 

  • Class C1, Byron-Bergen vs. Red Jacket, 6:30 p.m., tomorrow, at Newark
  • Class C2, Alexander vs. Perry, 7:45 p.m., tomorrow, at Bloomfield
  • Class C3, Oakfield-Alabama vs. York, 8:15 p.m., at Genesee Community College
  • Class D2, Elba vs. Bradford, 7 p.m., Tuesday, at Mount Morris
  • Class D1, Notre Dame vs. Genesee Valley, 8:15 p.m., tomorrow at Mount Morris

Saturday's girls' results:

  • Pavilion beat Prattsburg, 61-34
  • Notre Dame beat Hammondsport 60-47
  • Bergen beat East Rochester, 62-49
  • Pembroke beat Warsaw 47-28 (video)
  • Red Creek beat Oakfield-Alabama, 60-56

Girls' semifinal schedule:

  • In Class C1, Pembroke vs. Red Jacket, 7:45 p.m., Wednesday, at HFL
  • In Class C1, Byron-Bergen vs. Letchworth at 6 p.m., Wednesday, at HFL
  • In Class D1, Notre Dame vs. Filmore at 7:45 p.m., Tuesday, at Dansville
  • In Class D1, Pavilion vs. Arkport at 6 p.m., Tuesday, at Dansville
  • In Class D2, Elba vs. Hinsdale at 7:45 p.m., tomorrow, at Wayland-Cohocton

Photos by Kristin Smith. For more photos from the game, click here.

Photos of Le Roy game below by Tim McArdle.

Dragons defense dominates Warsaw in C1 playoff game

By Howard B. Owens
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Pembroke's 21st win on the season came in its second game of sectional play today when the Lady Dragons beat Warsaw 47-28.

The Dragons dominated on defense and were led by DeKari Moss on offense, who scored 19 points. 

Serene Calderon scored 11 and Emily Peters scored nine, all on three-point shots.

For Warsaw, Ceanne Ellsworth scored 15 points.

In Class C1, the 21-1 Dragons next play Red Jacket (17-5) at 7:45 p.m., Wednesday, March 4, at a location to be determined.

The number-two seed in the bracket, Byron-Bergen (18-4), beat East Rochester tonight and next plays Letchworth (8-14) at 6 p.m., March 4, at a location to be determined, setting up a possible cross-county class of C1 rivals.

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