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Press release:

Nate McMurray, Democrat and Working Families Party Congressional candidate in NY-27, released the following statement in response to fundraising figures released by his opponent, Chris Collins who is currently out on bail after being indicted on charges of insider trading and lying to the FBI.

“Let me get this straight: Chris Collins sat on the board of a drug company, then conspired to make sure he didn’t lose money when a drug trial failed, then lied about it to the FBI, then decided he’d run for re-election because his lawyers thought it would keep him out of jail and now the only financial support for his campaign comes from pharmaceutical special interests? If it wasn’t so shameless, it would be unbelievable,” McMurray said.

“Who is Chris Collins beholden to? Not the voters, he won’t even meet with them. But his buddies in the pharmaceutical industry? Yes, and he’ll end up in jail because of it. Now we have evidence that he’s using his campaign as a slush fund to pay his attorneys even after he said he wouldn’t.

“Mr. Collins has said that his loyalty is to his donors, but he doesn’t seem to have many of those either. He spent more on fundraising consultants and fundraising events than he’s earned.

“Support is fading, Chris. People see that your campaign gets more desperate by the day. I’m proud that we’ve had thousands of hard-working Americans chipping in through potlucks and picnics to fight the corruption they see in Washington. They know we can do better than a member of Congress out on bail and has been kicked off of every Congressional committee.”

A third-quarter filing with the Federal Election Commission by Collins shows his campaign raised a mere $32,755.74 in the last three months.

Last week, McMurray announced that he raised more than $475,000 in the third quarter, the vast majority of it in the seven weeks following Collins’ indictment. McMurray’s impressive fundraising comes even as he will not accept corporate PAC money.

He was recently endorsed by End Citizens United, a group dedicated to getting Big Money out of politics and fixing the rigged system in Washington so it works for all Americans. McMurray’s full announcement is here.

McMurray's impressive fundraising kicked off a week of good news as a recent poll showed McMurray tied with Chris Collins. And today, McMurray’s advertisements went on the air. Momentum is building for McMurray in NY-27.

School district officials, staff and local elected leaders were on hand this morning at John Kennedy School for the official ground breaking of the City Schools' $26.7 million capital improvement project, Vision 2020.

The project includes a number of significant upgrades to all of the school facilities in the district as well as a new sports complex at Union and Richmond, the current site of Van Detta Stadium, in Batavia.

Below, Board President Pat Burk, Assemblyman Steve Hawley, and Superindentent Chris Dailey.

A two-car minor injury accident is reported at Batavia Stafford Townline Road and Assembly R. Stephen Hawley Road.

Two ambulances, non-emergency, are requested to the scene.

Town of Batavia Fire responding.

A tanker from O-AT-KA Milk Products Cooperative Inc. started leaking as it drove down Ellicott Street, west of Jackson Avenue, at about 3 p.m. and as a result, the westbound lanes of Ellicott, between Jackson and Court, have been closed since.

The cleanup work is nearly done and the roadway should reopen shortly.

The tanker was carrying production waste product, which can be used by farmers for dairy feed or spread on crop fields.

Wayland-Cohocton turned out to be a tough opponent for Le Roy to finish the season against, knocking the Knights to a 3-4 record with a 48-7 defeat.

For Le Roy, Cineque Robinson gained 86 yards on 14 carries. Jake Hill was 4-13 passing for 103 yeards and a TD. Nate Andrews made a 70-yard reception for a TD.

Bob Locke had 13 tackles and Anthony Leitten had eight.

In other Friday night football:

• Alexander finishes the regular season with a 7-0 record after beating Perry (4-3) 26-0. Terrez Smith gained 122 yards on 24 carries. Dylan Busch was 7-15 for 144 yards and three TDs. Takari Lang-Smith had three receptions for 44 yards. Jake Jasen had eight tackles and a sack. The Trojans enter sections as the #1 see in Class D.
• York/Pavilion beat Pembroke 38-13.
• Batavia Notre Dame beat Bolivar-Richburg 49-28.
• Batavia plays at Haverling today.

Photos by Ed Henry.

Nate Andrews races to the end zone with a 70-yard TD reception.

QB Jake Hill implores the Le Roy fans to be louder after tossing 70-yard TD pass to Nate Andrews.

Andrew Kettle sweeps left for a nice gain for the Knights.

Cole Rauscher smothers Way-Co RB Brandon DeGuarde.

Press release:

Nate McMurray, Democrat and Working Families Party Congressional candidate in NY-27, today responded to news that his opponent, indicted member of Congress Chris Collins won’t stand trial until 2020. Collins was indicted on charges of insider trading and lying to the FBI in August.

“Now it’s official, Chris Collins will be beholden to his defense attorneys for the next year and a half, not the voters, not the hard-working people of Western New York, but his lawyers," McMurray said.

"He won’t just be a part-time, he’ll be a no-time Congressman. This is shocking and truly embarrassing to the people of Western New York. I’m out talking to voters every day and they tell me that they deserve better. They’re right.

“House Speaker Paul Ryan has stripped Collins of all of his committee assignments in Congress. He won’t help the people of this region. He can’t help the people of this region. He never did. There couldn’t be a clearer contrast in this race. He will not let go of his congressional seat until this trial is over, or until the voters take it from him. They will.”

This morning, McMurray stood shoulder-to-shoulder with more than 100 activists and supporters from the labor community who pledged to work to get McMurray elected on Nov. 6. They praised his integrity, work ethic and commitment to the values that help the working men and women of this region.

McMurray was endorsed by New York’s Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, the last Democrat to win this district and a great champion of Western New York./p>

McMurray'’s rally with working people comes a day after he announced polling that shows a dead heat between himself and Collins. Earlier this week, McMurray’s campaign announced he raised close to a half million dollars in the third quarter with the vast majority of that money coming in the seven weeks following Collins’ indictment – and that total does not include any corporate PAC money.

Press release:

The Reform Party Candidate, Larry Piegza, announces he is willing to take Chris Collins' spot in the McMurray/Collins debate.

"Chris Collins obviously has more pressing legal issues than to explain to the voters in NY-27 how he intends to represent us," Piegza sent in a statement. "Fortunately, there are still two candidates on the ballot that are prepared to represent our district.

"Nate McMurray, I accept your #DebateNate Challenge. If the Buffalo News is still willing to host it, I am still game. Collins can come if he can get time away from preparing for his trial. I am sure that the voters would love to hear how he plans to represent our district if he is convicted and serving jail time."

A pro-Trump Republican, Piegza has been unsuccessfully pushing the local Republican offices to only endorse ethical candidates for the last 12 months. He earned the Reform Party's endorsement in June. In the past, the Reform Party has always endorsed Collins, but they broke from it this year when they learned about the fact that Collins might have broken the law.

"Kudos to the Reform Party for only supporting candidates who are more ethically sound," Piegza said. "And it really paid off. If they hadn't stepped up an endorsed me, the people in the district would have had to choose between voting for a possible criminal and a Democrat.

"I would have been curious to see how many people actually voted in November. Now, they can vote for an ethical conservative who supports all of Trump's agenda. In addition, I plan to use an online town hall so the people in the district can always tell me what their needs are. That means I will be able to do a better job of keeping in touch with everyone than Collins did."

Piegza has tried unsuccessfully to debate McMurray in the past. In the weeks following Collins' indictment, his campaign aired 30-second commercials on WBEN accepting his #DebateNate challenge. These were ignored by the McMurray campaign.

Now, it appears that McMurray is changing his mind. In a Facebook post on Oct. 10, 2018, McMurray played off of the "Fix It Larry" moniker McMurray has used for his website (FixItLarry.org) and said that McMurray should be calling for a debate.

"BANG THAT HAMMER! Democracy needs some noise." In the post, McMurray also proposes to set up an empty chair for Collins.

"This is a welcome surprise," Piegza said. "I thought that I would finally get a chance to debate Nate at the forum at SUNY Geneseo, but apparently McMurray isn't attending. I am glad to see he isn't avoiding me."

As for the empty chair, Piegza says, "Collins might feel more comfortable if we swap the chair out for a prison bench."

It's time for the annual Local Independent Online News Publishers' conference in Chicago (an organization I helped start) so this afternoon I'm catching a flight to O'Hare.

I'll return Sunday.

Billie will be holding down the fort and we have some stories in the pipeline and will continue coverage of our community, though I'll be busy and won't be around to cover events.

Press release:

Days after revealing an impressive fundraising quarter, Nate McMurray revealed results of internal polling showing that the race for New York’s 27th Congressional District is tied between McMurray, the Democratic and Working Families Party Candidate, and incumbent Chris Collins, who was indicted on charges of insider trading and lying to the FBI in August. The poll was taken from Oct. 6th – 8th, sampling 400 voters in the district.

With the race as a dead heat, McMurray’s support has come from a deep base of grassroots support as voters are demanding integrity and a member of Congress who will listen and truly represent them. McMurray has yet to air a single ad on TV, while Collins has spent heavily, launching extensive negative advertisements in the weeks before the poll.

“This proves what we’ve been seeing on the ground for months: We. Can. Win. Voters are tired of corruption and care about protecting healthcare, fighting for farms and supporting small businesses,” McMurray said. “Voters feel taken advantage of by a wealthy man who used his power to enrich himself instead of representing people like us.

"They are angry that he’s running for reelection because his defense attorneys told him to. They are sick of politics as usual that puts the desires of the powerful above the needs of working people. They know that we are better than this in Western New York, and they’re right.”

Among the findings of McMurray’s internal polling:

McMurray and Collins are tied and McMurray is in a strong position to win the election, having raised the necessary resources to communicate his message to voters in the final weeks of the campaign.

Collins and McMurray are each attracting 42 percent of the vote while Reform Party candidate Larry Piegza receives 6 percent and 10 percent of voters are undecided.

Nine in 10 voters (90 percent) report that they have heard, read, or seen information about Collins’ indictment, with a majority (57 percent) stating they have heard “a lot” about the indictment.

Earlier this week, McMurray’s campaign released his campaign’s third quarter reports, raising close to a half million dollars with the vast majority in the seven weeks following Collins’ indictment. This comes even as McMurray’s campaign will not accept corporate PAC money. Last week, he was endorsed by End Citizens United, a group dedicated to getting Big Money out of politics and fixing the rigged system in Washington so it works for all Americans./p>

Collins was arrested on charges of insider trading and lying to the FBI in August and pledged to suspend his campaign. Collins broke his pledge weeks later on the advice of his criminal defense lawyers, announcing on Sept. 17 that he intended to keep remain on the ballot. It’s no surprise that overwhelming financial support has come to McMurray since voters learned that he would be running against Collins.

In that time, McMurray has built up his campaign staff and opened seven offices to hold the massive volunteer base.

NOTE: The Batavian has suspended publication of press releases from Rep. Chris Collins until Collins agrees to an interview.

Republicans in New York have been totally ineffective in protecting the Second Amendment rights of the state's citizens, Larry Sharpe, Libertarian candidate for governor, told members of Genesee County SCOPE at the regular monthly meeting at Calvary Baptist Church in Batavia on Tuesday night.

He is the only candidate on the ballot, he said, who can and will get the SAFE Act repealed, and he laid out a plan for getting it done even though he would be the only elected Libertarian in the state.

First, Sharpe said, within 90 days of taking office he would pardon every person in the state who has been convicted of a SAFE Act felony. Next, he would encourage local law enforcement to stop enforcing the SAFE Act.

At that point, Sharpe said, he will be attacked by the media. But rather than cowering, he would use the attacks to educate the public about how bad the SAFE Act is for all New Yorkers.

"When I talk with people who support the SAFE Act, they say the SAFE Act is great and that is as far as they think about it," Sharpe said. "They say the SAFE Act has the word 'safe' in it so it must be good. 'We haven't had a school shooting since 2013, therefore the SAFE Act works.' "

He said the problem with the Republican argument against this shallow line of thinking has been, "but it's unconstitutional," which is totally unpersuasive to a supporter of the SAFE Act.

His line of argument gets their attention, he said.

"The SAFE Act has made millions of New Yorkers overnight criminals," Sharpe said. "They purchased a firearm legally and then the next day they were violent felons in the eye of the law. And they go, 'oh, really? I thought the SAFE Act just outlawed machine guns.'

"That's not what it did. No, literally, it made millions of New Yorkers violent felons overnight. It made all medical personnel part of the the state secret police. They must now literally report on people (who they might suspect of mental illness)."

Sharpe used an example of a person seriously injured who tells a doctor, "I'm in so much pain I want to die." That person, Sharpe said, gets labeled "suicidal" and now can't possess a firearm.

He also said the SAFE Act also disapportinately affects veterans, who are both more likely to own a firearm and more like to suffer from PTSD.

"When you tell people this, watch all the people who were pro SAFE Act start to say, 'oh, that's bad,' " Sharpe said.

Once he's pardoned those convicted under the SAFE Act, and once it's not routinely enforced, and once he's made the public case why the SAFE Act is an unfair law, then he can go to the Legislature and tell them, "repeal it."

He thinks that by then the political pressure will be on the Democrats in the Assembly to repeal it and he will be able to get the votes in the Senate because at least five members will have decided it's politically expedient to be on the side of the governor and will have switched their party registration to Libertarian.

He promised to have the SAFE Act repealed in 2020.

Sharpe said he will win the governor's race because he has a movement going. He compared it to Donald Trump's campaign. People didn't see Trump coming because he used Twitter to build support.

"I use Facebook and video," Sharpe said.

He said his campaign appeals not just to Republicans but also Democrats and independents.

"I am the most pro Second Amendment candidate ever and I draw Democrats all the time," Sharpe said. "You want to win the election? You want to make this a pro Second Amendment state? You've got to get Democrats. You've got to get independents. Republicans are not enough."

Three goats at Pully's Farm Market in Le Roy this afternoon stick their heads through the fence of their pasture to chew on grass on the other side, which is apparently greener and tastier.

Below, a tractor on a little bump of a hill next to the parking lot at Pully's.

Press release:

Nate McMurray, the Democratic and Working Families Party candidate for New York’s 27th Congressional District, today showed a major force of strength raising more than $475,000 in the campaign’s third quarter.  The vast majority of it was raised in the seven weeks following incumbent Member of Congress Chris Collins being indicted on charges of insider trading and lying to the FBI.

The momentum of Nate’s campaign is accelerating even as the campaign is still counting checks from September.
 
“I’m proud to show the party bosses that our grassroots campaign has the resources to go toe-to-toe with special interest dark money and Mr. Collins’ dirty attack ads. We’re only getting started,” McMurray said. “I have been crisscrossing this district since January meeting thousands of voters from across Western and Central New York.

"We’ve been fueled by potlucks and picnics and our grassroots support has been growing from day one. But this race now has, and deserves, national attention. Mr. Collins’ arrest put NY-27 in the spotlight because it’s obvious to everyone, and certainly voters here, that they deserve better than a representative out on bail.

"I understand how big this district is – I know because I’ve been everywhere talking to voters about healthcare, Social Security, and how to help small businesses and family farms succeed – and I know that it’s important we get our message everywhere. You can expect to see us on TV soon and expect to see our grassroots supporters out in their neighborhoods, spreading our message of integrity and a system that works for the working men and women of this district.”
 
Nate’s impressive fundraising comes even as he will not accept corporate PAC money. Last week, he was endorsed by End Citizens United, a group dedicated to getting Big Money out of politics and fixing the rigged system in Washington so it works for all Americans.
 
It was Aug. 10 when Mr. Collins was arrested on charges of insider trading and lying to the FBI but it was only Sept. 17 when voters of this region learned that it would be Mr. Collins running for reelection after weeks of bait-and-switch legal shenanigans.

It’s no surprise that overwhelming support has come to Nate since voters learned that he would be running against Mr. Collins.

In that time, Nate has built a professional finance operation, built up his campaign staff, and opened seven offices to hold the massive volunteer base.

Nate has also received the support of the working men and women of the district with support from:

• Amalgamated Transit Union
• American Federation of Government Employees
• American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
• Buffalo Building Trades Council
• Civil Service Employees Association
• Communication Workers of America
• International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers Local 9
• International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
• International Brotherhood of Teamsters
• International Union of Operating Engineers
• International Union of Painters and Allied Trades
• New York State Nurses Association
• New York State United Teachers
• Niagara Building Trades Council
• Service Employees International Union 1199
• United Association of Plumbers, Fitters, Welders, & Service Techs
• United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Workers of America
• United Brotherhood of Carpenters
• United Food and Commercial Workers
• United Steel Workers

NOTE: The Batavian has suspended publication of press releases from Rep. Chris Collins until Collins agrees to an interview.

Press release:

The Batavia Police Department is looking to speak with this individual as a witness in reference to an incident which occurred at Speedway in July of this year.

Anyone with information in reference to the case may contact Detective Eric Hill at 585-345-6373 or the Batavia Police Department at 585-345-6350, the confidential tip line at 585-345-6370.

The annual Downtown Batavia Wine Walk, sponsored by the Business Improvement District, was held Saturday evening.

To purchase keepsake prints of photos or digital downloads, click here.

The Byron Fire Department held its annual Sportsman Raffle on Saturday, with several items offered as prizes to those fortunate enough to buy the winning raffle tickets.

The event also included a bake sale and prize raffle offered by the Auxiliary.

An added fundraiser was a fill-the-boot campaign to raise money to assist the Payne family, who lost their home in a fire on Thursday night. Above, Chief Robert Mruczek with the donation boot.

     Amanda  Havens    Thomas Williamee

Two Le Roy residents were arrested early Friday morning after police received a complaint that two children had been given them medication to make them sleep and then left alone at a residence in the village.

Amanda E. Havens, 36, and Thomas C. Williamee, 48, both of Munson Street, Le Roy, were charged with counts of endangering the welfare of a child and criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th.

The couple is accused of leaving the two children unsupervised.

After receiving the complaint early Friday morning, Le Roy PD responded to the residence and tried to contact anybody who might be inside the residence. After their was no response and considering the nature of the complaint, police officers made forced entry into the residence.

Both children were located alone inside but otherwise unharmed.

The age of the children was not released.

After further investigation, Havens and Williamee were located at another location and taken into custody.

Havens was jailed on $3,000 bail and Williamee was jailed on $2,500 bail.