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An interesting situation arose tonight that's just kind of worth noting for the record: Mercy EMS ran out of ambulances.

When a girl fell from a scooter on Summit Street at about 10:45 p.m., just a block from UMMC, a dispatcher asked Batavia City Fire who should respond. The city asked for Oakfield.

Seconds later, a Mercy EMS ambulance noted they were in service (meaning free to take a call). The dispatcher asked city fire if Mercy EMS should respond. City fire responded that it was only a "BLS call" (basic life support).

Dispatch informed the Mercy EMS unit that Oakfield was responding. The unit, with a siren blaring in the background, informed dispatch it was only three minutes out. The dispatcher responded that the agency with jurisdiction had already requested Oakfield.

Oakfield's ambulance was on scene within minutes and had the patient quickly transported to UMMC.

I can't think of another time in which I've personally heard a volunteer ambulance service responding to a call in the city since Mercy took over ambulance service.

At National Night Out in Austin Park this evening, Batavia City Fire Department was on hand with Ladder 15. My joke, pointing to the top, "What's the price of the ride?"

That evolved into permission to get an actual ride high over Batavia aboard the platform of Ladder 15.

Thank you to city fire for letting me get a view of Batavia from such a great vantage point.

Firefighter Bob Fix drove the rig up and back down, and I know he was laughing under his breath when he said, "You know you can let go of the railing. You're wearing a harness."

The wind and any movement causing the bucket to sway wasn't frightful so much as it was disconcerting. I politely declined his offer to not keep one hand on the railing to steady myself.

More pictures after the jump (and more pictures from National Night Out T/K):

A Batavia woman is accused of making her 13-year-old daughter and an 11-year-old friend ride in the trunk of her car going to and coming from a bonfire at a friend's house on Old Creek Road this past Friday.

Julie C. Stevens, 57, of 18 Harvester Ave., is charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

She appeared in Batavia City Court this morning and Judge Michael Delplato required her to take her daughter to the girl's father's house in Perry before imposing an order of protection barring her from contact with the girl while the case is pending.

She was also given time to arrange for representation through the Public Defender's Office.

Stevens is scheduled to appear in city court on Wednesday and enter a plea and receive the order of protection.

In a statement to police, Steven said she had six children riding in her car after they had spent some time playing at the spray park. She said the back seat of her car folds down and there were children sitting on the folded down seats and her daughter and another child in the trunk.

She said they spent two hours at the bonfire.

A mother from Varysburg filed a complaint with city police after one of her children -- who had been left at Steven's house to be babysat -- told her a couple of days later what allegedly happened.

The city court file contains statements from the mother and two of her children, including the 11-year-old boy who was allegedly told to ride in the trunk.

The make and model of Steven's car were not listed in the court file and the information is not available through city police.

The case was investigated by Officer James DeFreze and Officer Jason Davis.

An aggravated harassment charged filed against the sister of convicted murderer Scott F. Doll is on the verge of being dismissed.

Dawn Doll, 53, a Sunday school teacher, need only avoid trouble with the law and initiate no contact with a Sheriff's deputy who felt threatened by a card and letter she sent to him on Father's Day.

In six months, if Doll abides by the terms of agreement, the misdemeanor charge will be dismissed.

Several factors figured in the decision by the District Attorney's Office to dismiss the charges, including Dawn Doll's character, the likelihood she will not engage in any future criminal behavior and some possible difficulties in getting a conviction.

"You can certainly make the argument that this is a letter written by a person who was very upset and somebody who is just venting," said Assistant District Attorney Robert Zickl. "You can certainly anticipate a defense attorney making that argument and see her gaining some sympathy."

Zickl said that under the circumstances it was still appropriate to bring the charge against Doll.

"This disposition doesn't signify any dissatisfaction in our office that the charge should not have been made," Zickl said.

A lifelong Batavia resident admitted in Genesee County Court this morning that on July 17, 2009 in the parking lot at the corner of North and Bank streets, he sold a quantity of cocaine to an undercover agent.

Dyllon E. Soccio, 20, of 134 Tracy Ave., pled guilty to a single count of criminal sale of a controlled substance, 4th.

Last month Soccio pled guilty to criminal possession of marijuana.

Both felonies carry a maximum sentence of two and a half years in prison. As part of a plea deal, Soccio is eligible to serve the sentences concurrently.

He will be sentenced on Sept. 21.

Dressed nicely in faded light-colored pants and a white shirt, Soccio said little in court today except to answer Judge Robert Noonan's questions.

Soccio was charged in the 2009 sale on July 20, the same day he admitted to possessing marijuana.

The marijuana was found in his residence when it was raided June 23 by the Local Drug Enforcement Task Force. During that raid, agents also found several grams of hallucinagenic mushrooms. Charges related to the mushrooms were waived in exchange for the plea on the marijuana possession charge.

A smell of natural gas has been reported inside of Tops Market in Le Roy.

Le Roy Fire is being dispatched.

A customer reported the odor.

Here are the most viewed posts for July:

• Photo Essay: An alleged DWI arrest
• The 25 highest paid public employees in Genesee County
• Motorcycle hits deer on West Main Street, Batavia, two injured
• Five suspected meth dealers busted in early morning raids
• Multiple raids this morning on suspected meth distribution ring
• Today's Poll: Should Batavia have a public pool?
• Bike-riding fundraiser arrested on sexual abuse charges
• Today's Poll: Should the U.S. continue the war in Afghanistan?
• Dispute over ducks, other complaints, has Oak Street man headed to court
• Multiple sexual abuse charges filed against Batavia man

Here are the audience stats for July:

Unique visitors: 48,130
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Page views: 354,273

Today, I came upon this barn -- though I'd seen it before -- on Old Creek Road, Batavia. Today seemed like the right day to take a shot of getting it on film (so to speak).

While Pavilion's water tower is being repainted, the town's bulk water filling station will be closed, according to Town Supervisor Gary Knepshield.

It will be closed until November.

A town employee told me residents use the station for supplemental water, such as filing their pool, extra water for livestock and extra water when wells start to produce less water during the summer.

Knepshield said town residents can go to 2712 Short St., York, for water until the station re-opens (map below).

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Alice Buckel places lettering on a sign on the property of the former Beehive Diner, 4974 Ellicott Street Road, Batavia, to let the world know it will soon be the Fedora Diner.

The Beehive closed years ago and the building near the corner of Ellicott and Shepard was most recently a location for the St. Nick's Club Ladies Auxiliary.

Buckel has crews inside painting, cleaning and installing restaurant equipment. The outside is also being repainted. She expects it will be six to eight weeks before the Fedora Diner opens.

The name was suggested by her son, who will play piano in the diner once a week. The interior theme will suggest the 1940s era.

"I wanted to do something on my own," Buckel said.

She has previously run her own cake-decorating business from her home.

The diner will be open for breakfast and lunch, closing at 2 p.m.

Among the specialities planned, Buckel said, are mini-donuts and special pancakes.

Just about any driver who has been charged with DWI in the past eight months, but hasn't been sentenced yet, should plan on a future of blowing into a tube to start his car.

On Aug. 15, a provision of Leandra's Law goes into effect that will require drivers convicted of DWI to have installed an "interlock" device, which is a piece of equipment that can measure the blood alcohol content of a driver and prevent the car from starting if the BAC is over certain limit.

County officials say, no matter how imperfectly the law was drafted, they're ready for the new regime.

"The way the law was written, it does cause some chaos," said Ed Minardo, director of Genesee Justice. "We'll try to do as we always do in the county and implement it in a way that does not impact the business flow. We'll manage it."

The Probation Department will oversee many of the drivers who will be required to have the devices installed on all personal vehicles, but not all people convicted of DWI are put on probation. Some people are given a "conditional release," which means they get a degree of supervision by Genesee Justice.

Julie Smith, head of probation, said six manufacturers of interlock devices were approved by New York, but the Probation Department was able to set its own criteria for approved devices.

For Genesee County Probation, devices must have a camera to confirm who is blowing into the tube and issue real-time reports to the probation department.

Only two manufacturers currently offer such a device, Consumer Safety Technology, the manufacturer of Intoxalock, and Interceptor Ignition Interlocks.

The Intoxalock is represented in Genesee County by Bill's Auto on Evans Street, Batavia. Interceptor does not yet have a known installer in Genesee County.

Another manufacturer, Smart Start, recently contracted with The Detail Shop, 3875 W. Main St. Road, Batavia, to install its device.

While the Smart Start device lacks real-time reporting, it does have an infrared camera.

Assistant County Manager Frank Ciaccia, who is in charge of the DWI fund (money collected from DWI fines used for anti-drinking-and-driving measures), visited The Detail Shop on Thursday to get a demonstration of the Smart Start Machine.

He said he wanted to fully understand its capabilities and to see whether it will meet county needs.

The Detail Shop owner James Gayton said adding the Smart Start installation to his business's offerings just made sense. The Detail Shop already offers custom installation of sound systems, GPS systems and other similar in-car electronics. He's hopeful his company will soon be added to the approved list for Genesee Justice and possibly County Probation.

Pictured are Ciaccia, front, Gayton to his left, then Nelson Baker and Michael Surujballi, both with Smart Start.

An electricity line is reportedly down in the area of 68 Chandler Ave., Batavia.

It is down across the roadway and blocking.

City police on scene, and city fire is responding.

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A gas line break caused by construction work has led to East Bethany-Le Roy Townline Road being shut down.

Le Roy Fire responded and now reports the road will be shut down for at least another hour.

National Fuel is on scene and is now checking area residences for leaks or pilot light problems.

A Corfu woman is being held in Genesee County Jail without bail after allegedly firing a .22 caliber rifle several times at her husband Sunday night, striking him once in the knee.

Patricia A. Hardesty, 52, of 3483 County Line Road, Corfu, is charged with one count of assault, 1st, and one count of criminal use of a firearm, 1st.

Her husband, Robert Hardesty, was transported to ECMC where he is listed in stable condition.

UPDATE: The State Police have released more information regarding this incident. Hardesty and her husband reportedly argued all weekend. After the last argument, Hardesty allegedly grabbed a gun from inside the house and went out to the patio where her husband was cooking on the grill and fired several shots at him.

(Initial Report)

A Batavia man allegedly led Avon and Livingston County law enforcement on a high-speed chase into Genesee County, where he initially evaded detection, according to the Genesee County Sheriff's Office.

A vehicle reportedly being driven by Randy S. Rumble, 27, of State Street, Batavia, was spotted in the Tops gas station in Le Roy and a Sheriff's patrol followed it out of the station and identified it as the same vehicle chased into the county.

Rumble was eventually taken into custody on Morganville Road when his car ran out of gas.

He's been charged with Genesee County with felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, felony unlicensed operation, unlawful fleeing law enforcement, failure to yield to emergency vehicle, two counts of failure to stop for a stop sign, unlicensed operation and consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle.

Rumble was arraigned in Town of Stafford Court and jailed on $5,000 bail. Charges are pending in Town of Le Roy, Village of Avon and Livingston County.

At about 7:20 p.m., Avon police notified Genesee County dispatch of a pursuit on westbound Route 20. The pursuit entered Genesee County on Route 20 and continued north on Route 63.

At that point, the Avon patrol broke off the pursuit and lost sight of the vehicle.

A short time later, a citizen called dispatch and reported seeing a car matching the suspect vehicle driving north on Roanoke Road.

It was soon after that that a Sheriff's patrol spotted the suspect car at Tops.

Rumble allegedly drove from Tops north on Keeney Road. After confirming it was the suspect vehicle, the deputy attempted a traffic stop. The car continued on Keeney, onto Randall Road, across Route 237 onto Morganville Road, where it ran out of gas.

Rumble allegedly fled on foot. He was reportedly found a short time later lying in a hedgerow.

Involved in the pursuit and investigation were Sgt. Thomas Sanfratello, Sgt. Greg Walker, Deputy Patrick Reeves, Deputy James Diehl, Le Roy Officer Emily Clark, Trooper Holly Hansel, Avon PD and Livingston County K-9.

JodyLynn Wetmore, 35, of North Spruce Street, Batavia, is charged with DWI and with a felony count of driving  with a BAC of .08 or greater with a child passenger (in violation of Leandra's Law). Wetmore was reportedly observed at the East Pembroke Mud Races in an intoxicated condition. She was reportedly told by a Sheriff's deputy not to drive. Some time later, she was allegedly observed driving out of the parking lot. Wetmore was stopped at 10:14 p.m., Saturday, by Deputy John P. Weis. Wetmore allegedly had an 8-year-old passenger in the car.

Dean Wilkins, 46, of Route 20, Pavilion, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st, and harassment, 2nd. Wilkins is accused of slapping his roommate, who had an order of protection in place.

James Michael Palladino, 33, of Waterman Street, Lockport, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and no or inadequate headlight. Palladino was stopped at 11:06 p.m., Saturda, on Route 77 in Pembroke by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

Nicholas Anthony March, 23, of Phillips Road, Oswego, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. March was stopped for an alleged traffic violation at 1:48 a.m., Sunday, by Deputy Patrick Reeves, who reportedly found a quantity of marijuana in March's car during a search.

Jane Amanda Lachut, 23, of Phinney Road, Hannibal, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Lachut was allegedly found in possession of marijuana during a traffic stop on Route 77, Pembroke, at 1:38 a.m., Sunday, by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

Roberto R. Ayala, 25, of 5 Valleyview Drive, Batavia, is charged with assault, 2nd. Ayala is accused of striking another person with parts of a broken chair during a domestic incident 8:10 p.m., Thursday.

Philip J. Ritter, 56, of Stonehall Road, Rochester, is charged with public lewdness. Ritter is accused of urinating in public at around noon, Sunday, in the area of the town park, Town of Pembroke. He was jailed on $500 bail.

Anne C. Levy, 21, of 21 Prospect Ave., Ithaca, is charged with DWI and speeding. Levy was stopped at 11:51 p.m., Friday, on Pearl Street by Officer Dan Coffey.

Martin F. Jones, 39, of 10 South Main St., Batavia, is charged with exposure. Jones was observed by Officer Thad Mart allegedly urinating in public in Austin Park.

Chrystal Marie Bush, 21, of Oak Orchard Road, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Bush is accused of shoplifting at Walmart.

Jonathan Paul Bouter, 26, of Oak Orchard Road, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Bouter is accused of shoplifting from Walmart.

Vincenzo M. Delucia, 34, of Rochester, is charged with DWI, a right-of-way violation and refusal to take a breath test. Delucia was stopped by State Police at 11:38 p.m., Saturday, in Darien.

Melessia A. Winkler, 23, of Amherst, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Winkler was stopped by State Police at 11:10 p.m., Friday, in Darien.

David R. Meier, 51, of Alexander, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, operating without insurance, no license, aggravated unlicensed operation and suspended registration. Meier was stopped by State Police at 7:08 p.m., Thursday, on Alexander Road, Alexander.

A two-vehicle accident has been reported in the area of 8 North Main St., Elba.

It is believed to be a minor-injury accident. There is air bag deployment.

Elba Fire and EMS are being dispatched.

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Five people were injured in a three-car pile up on Route 19 near Parmelee Road in Le Roy at 7:42 p.m., Sunday.

The accident was reportedly caused when the driver of a car, southbound on Route 19, failed to realize another car was stopped waiting to make a left-hand turn onto Parmelee. That car hit the car waiting to turn, pushing it into oncoming traffic, where it was hit by a pickup truck.

Cited for speeding was Quinton V. Holmes, 19, of 1141 Dale Road, Dale. Holmes was injured in the crash and transported to Strong Memorial Hospital.

Three passengers in Holmes' car were injured and taken to Strong: Jeffery A. Price, 16, Hannah V. Holmes, 16, Caleb C. Holmes, 6.

Also injured were Thomas M. Rowe, 36, of 9 Rock Island Road, North Chili. He was the driver of the pickup truck.

The other driver, Ann L. Fisher, 53, of 9604 Asbury Road, Le Roy, was not injured.

Another passenger in Holmes' vehicle, Tonisha M. Price, was also reported uninjured.

The accident was investigated by Sgt. Greg Walker.

(Initial Report)

Four teenage girls were taken to area hospitals following a single-car rollover accident off of Buckley Road in Stafford at 3:45 p.m., Sunday.

Taken by Mercy Flight to Strong Memorial Hospital was Chelsea M. Mutter, 17. Also injured were driver Jessi M. Heale, 19, (also transported to Strong), Alexis R. Kenyan, 16, and Alison M. Budd, 17. Kenyan and Budd were taken to UMMC.

Mutter is listed in guarded condition at Strong. Strong lists all patients in ICU as "guarded."

Healey was reportedly driving her 1998 Chevy sedan down a stone lane in the area of 8740 Buckley Road when the car went onto the south shoulder for some reason. Healey reportedly overcorrected and lost control of the car. It overturned and landed on all four wheels.

No citations were issued.

The accident was investigated by Deputy Chad Minuto.

(Initial Report)