Stories from

Wayne P. Fielding, 23, of East Bird Road, Byron, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th. Fielding is accused of throwing his mobile phone at the windshield of his girlfriend's car, causing the windshield to break. Fielding was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Cassandra L. Brunea, 37, of Alexander Road, Alexander, is charged with offering a false instrument for filing. Brunea is accused of signing a statement against a suspect in another case. Some of the information in the statement was allegedly falsified.

Kimberly Melissa Volk, 21, address not released, is charged with petit larceny. Volk is accused of stealing cash on several different occasions while working food stands at Darien Lake.

Donald A. Carney, 50, of Pavilion, is charged with unlawful dealing with a child, 1st. Carney was arrested by State Police at 11:05 p.m., Saturday. No further details were released.

Albert C. Osborne, 24, of Cheektowaga, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Osborne was stopped at 11:20 p.m., Friday, by State Police, on Route 77, Darien.

Carl R. Caughill, 20, of Niagara Falls, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 and failure to keep right. Caughill was stopped by State Police at 10:30 p.m., Friday, on Route 77, Darien.

A motorcycle has hit a deer in the area of 4003 W. Main St. Road, Batavia.

Two people are reported unconscious.

Mercy EMS and Town of Batavia Fire responding. Mercy Flight is on stand by.

UPDATE 3:00 p.m.: Two Mercy Flight helicopters requested to the scene.

UPDATE 4:37 p.m.: No official word yet on the investigation. Two people were transported by Mercy Flight, and at least one of those helicopters went to Strong Memorial Hospital. An officer said it didn't look like either rider was wearing a state-approved safety helmet (though they were wearing helmets). The injured deer was put down after the accident. More information when it becomes available.

UPDATE: The driver and passenger have been identified: Driver, David L. Patrick, 63, of 21 Birchwood Acres, Perry. Passenger, Nancy L. Patrick, 58. The driver was taken to ECMC and the passenger to Strong. The accident investigation revealed that the deer entered road from the southern shoulder and ran into Nancy, causing David to lose control of the bike.

UPDATE: Both people were taken to Strong. Both are listed in guarded condition. At Strong, "guarded" means the patient is in the intensive care unit.

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The initial call was for a "couch on fire" at 5006 Ridge Road, Elba, but a chief on scene reports that actually, it's a riding mower outside the residence that is on fire.

Elba Fire is responding.

Workers began cutting up Bank Street today as part of a project to replace sewer and water lines and repave the street.

Nearly a year ago. Gov. David Paterson announced the city would receive $411,000 of stimulus funds for the project.

The contract was awarded to Conestoga Rovers & Associates for plans and administration of the project. B. Beardsley Management & Enterprises is the contractor.

I spotted the possibility of this hay field with its crop cut and rolled a few days ago, but wanted to go out on a clear morning for a picture. I did that this morning. The location is on Clinton Street Road near Griswold.

At least one person was injured in this single-car rollover accident on Ford Road (Route 262) in Elba.

The accident occurred around 7:30 a.m.

The driver, from Buffalo, reportedly told investigators that he was checking his GPS at the time of the accident.

No further details available at this time. This post will be updated when we receive the accident report from the Sheriff's Office.

UPDATE: The driver has been identified as Steven J. Scott, 19, of Ford Road, Elba. He was taken by ground ambulance to Strong Memorial Hospital. He was cited for alleged unsafe moving from lane of travel.

Elizabeth R. George, 19, of 587 Council House Road, Tonawanda Indian Reservation, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Mickey Aaron Jacobs, 18, of Poodry Road, Basom, is charged with menacing, 2nd. George and Jacobs were arrested as a result of an ongoing investigation into an alleged incident on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation at 4:14 a.m., July 21. Previously arrested were Cara L. Skye and Stormy Skye. George allegedly punched another person in the face a couple of times. Jacobs allegedly brandished a rifle, which reportedly caused fear in one witness, who was told to "back off" during the argument.

Timothy J. Becker, 45, of 653 Ellicott St., Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Becker is accused of pushing another person during a domestic incident. The person who was pushed fell down a flight of stairs. Becker was jailed on $1,500 bail.

Michael A. Shelter, 20, of 1050 Lewiston Road, Alabama, is charged with DWI, failure to stop at a stop sign and inadequate exhaust on vehicle. Shelter was stopped at 3:51 a.m., Saturday, on Washington Avenue by Officer Dan Coffey.

Jameson A. Crocker, 23, of 117 Walnut St., Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and unsafe lane change. Crocker was stopped at 2:36 a.m., Sunday, on West Main Street in the city by Officer Mark Lawrence.

Sean P. Flynn, 24, address not provided, is charged with DWI and moving from lane unsafely. Flynn was stopped at 11:29 p.m., Friday, on Route 33, Pembroke, by Deputy Brad Mazur.

Douglas Scott Sprague, 43, of South Pearl Street, Oakfield, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Sprague is accused of punching another person in the back of the head.

Sean N. Lindquist, 48, of Judge Road, Alabama, is charged with DWI and failure to keep right. Lindquist was stopped at 9:24 p.m., Friday, on Ledge Road in Alabama by Deputy Jason Diehl. Further charges possible pending lab results.

Ryan Micael Flatley, 23, of Union Road, Cheektowaga, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and making a U-turn at grade. Flatley was found stuck off the road at 12:19 a.m., Saturday, on Tinkham Road in Darien by Sgt. Brian Frieday. Flatley apparently tried to make a U-turn and became stuck.

Name Redacted Upon Request, 18, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, was arrested on a bench warrant stemming from charges of reckless endangerment and harassment, 2nd. xxxx was reportedly spotted in the parking lot of Department of Social Services by a probation officer who knew of the warrant for a failure to pay a fine in Town of Le Roy Court. xxxxxx was detained until Sheriff's deputies arrived. He was jailed on $500 bail.

Melissa Courtney Kent, 18, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Kent is accused of stealing several items from a car parked near a party on Route 19, Town of Le Roy, over Memorial Day weekend.

Clor's Meat Market, 4169 W. Main St. Road, Batavia, NY: For the best, most flavorful, juiciest chicken or hamburger in town, hands down, stop by Clor's. Oh, and the steaks are great, too. And the sausage. Clor's also serves lunch and dinners from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. We have a $20 gift card for $10.

Herbly Wonderful, 3701 Pearl St., Batavia, NY: Unique specialties for your home and garden, from floral arrangements, to heirloom vegetables, herbs, teas and spices. We have a $25 gift certificate for $12.50.

The Enchanted Florist, 202 E. Main St., Batavia, NY: Give yourself the gift of flowers, or give to a friend. We have a $20 gift certificate for $9.50.

Present Tense Books and Gifts, 101 Washington Ave., Batavia, NY: Whether your taste runs to local authors, the finest in fiction or nonfiction or you're looking for a unique and special gift, this charming store in a cozy Victorian house on the edge of downtown is a great place to stop and shop. We have a $25 gift certificate for $12.50.

The Mane Attraction, 99 E. Main St., Batavia, NY: The Mane Attraction is a spa and salon offering pedicures, manicures, hair styling and massage. We have a $20 gift certificate for $10.

Pudgie's Lawn and Garden Center, 3646 W. Main St. Road, Batavia, NY: Get started on your spring gardening projects. We have a $25 gift certificate for $12.50.

South Main Country Gifts, 3356 Main St. Road, Batavia, NY: Handcrafted items, gifts with a regional flair, candles, teas and spices -- South Main has a wide selection to please most any interest. We have a $20 gift certificate for $10. A great Valentine's gift!

Blue Pearl Yoga, 200 E. Main St., Batavia, NY: Exercise your soul as well as your body in a friendly and relaxing atmosphere. We have a gift certificate for seven weeks of yoga, a $70 value, for $35. Next session starts Aug. 2.

Carlson's Studio, 39 Jackson St., Batavia, NY: Weddings, new babies, family portraits, pet portraits and group events -- preserve those memories with professional photographs. We have a $100 gift card for $50 (+$2 PayPal Service fee).

Center Street Smoke House, 20 Center St., Batavia, NY: Authentic Southern BBQ, from ribs to brisket with all the fixin's. We have a $20 gift card for $10.

Matty's Pizzeria, 4152 W. Main St., Batavia, NY: Matty's is another Batavia favorite for pizza and wings. We have a $20 gift certificate for $10.

T.F. Brown's, at 214 E. Main St., Batavia, NY: T.F. Brown's is a great place for a good meal, good friends and to catch up on what's going on in the sports world. "If it happens in sports, it happens at Brown's." We have a $20 gift card for $10.

Margarita's Mexican Restaurant, 15 Jackson St., Batavia, NY: When you're looking for an authentic Mexican meal, Margarita's is the place to go. The food and atmosphere are perfect and the service is always outstanding. We have a $20 gift certificate for $10.

Settler's Restaurant, 353 W. Main St., Batavia, NY: Settler's has a 25-year history of serving great, affordable breakfasts,lunches and dinners to Batavians. We have a $20 gift certificate for $10.

Alex's Place, 8322 Park Road, Batavia, NY: People come from all over the region for a fine dining experience at Alex's. It's best known for its ribs, of course, but Alex's seafood is also a favorite of the restaurant's diners. We have a $25 gift certificate for $12.50.

NOTE: If you've never bought Deal of the Day before, or are otherwise unfamiliar with the rules and process, click here.

SOLD OUT

So far too few people have joined the “voluntary subscription” program. I’ve thought a lot about what it will take to get the program to really take off, and what it boils down to is — a lot more work. For the most part, feedback about the program has been positive, but that hasn’t translated to people taking the time to join in the kind of numbers we need to make it profitable. I could get out and actually sell it, or I could try to hire somebody to try and sell it, but either approach means a good deal more work with maybe a coin-flip chance of being successful.

With that in mind, I think my time can be better spent for the sake of The Batavian, our readers and our advertisers, if I don’t work that hard on the membership program and instead worry about producing content for the site and taking care of the needs of our advertisers.

I’m suspending the membership program. Perhaps in a year or two, the time might be better to give it a try again.

If you mailed in a check, I can either mail it back to you or let me tear it up (I’ve not deposited any of the checks yet). If I don’t hear from you, I’ll just tear up the check.

If you paid by PayPal, I’ll refund your money.

BTW: Top Line Shirt Company will still provide free T-shirts to the people who did join. They just need to bring in the voucher we sent to them last week.

After giving a lot of time to this program over the past couple of months, it's not a joy to suspend it, but I also feel a good deal of relief that there will be less of a distraction keeping me away from writing stories, taking pictures and working with advertisers.

Felons can't vote, but they do, it appears, have a tremendous influence on New York State politics.

It turns out, where they live (like in a prison in Upstate New York) has some influence on how legislative districts are proportioned.

Some Downstate interests don't like the fact that NYC criminals housed in Upstate facilities get counted as Upstate residents.

There's a proposal in the State Legislature to change how prisoners are counted for legislative districting purposes.

Newsweek wrote about the issue recently.

Its prospects are good in the Democratic-controlled Assembly, but it may not get through the nearly evenly split State Senate, where seven districts, including those of two Democrats, would need to be redrawn due to insufficient population if they lost their prisoners in redistricting. The state senators from those districts contend that their constituents are absorbing a public need, not just government dollars, because the prisoners exact a toll on the surrounding areas. “Upstate communities accepted prisons for the economic benefit,” says Sen. Joe Griffo, “but there’s also other impacts, both positive and negative. The fire department, police department, and hospitals all have to respond to the prison and the inmates.”

...

Although the New York proposal, like the new law in Maryland, would affect only legislative redistricting, not state funding for social services, Griffo argues that political power always translates into government funding, so prison-heavy districts upstate have a real financial stake in preserving their claim on prisoners in redistricting. A spokesperson for Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries, who sponsored the redistricting bill, characterizes that thinking as “the upstate prison-industrial complex,” protecting its own interests.

In what may be the Town of Batavia's biggest party every year, the Volunteer Fire Department held its Harley Raffle at the Lewiston Road Fire Hall/Rec Hall last night. Hundreds of people were there enjoying live music from Seventh Heaven, food and a beer tent.

No word yet on who won the Harley.

UPDATE: Here's the winners:

1st $500.00 Ticket # 833 - Billy Ouweleen
2nd $500 winner Ticket # 1251 - Dave Winzig
3rd $500.00 ticket # 1358 - Scott Adams
4th $500.00 winner ticket # 976 Daniel Stiles
Grand Prize (Fatboy) goes to ticket # 2308 Linda Camp from Adams, N.Y.

A record 934 people attended the event.

Saturday night at the County Fair was demolition derby night.  I was there for two races and took some pictures. It was a big, muddy mess, but a lot of fun.

More pictures after the jump:

The driver here is being disqualified for getting out of his car before the race was officially declared over. The disqualification cost him second place. Two pictures below, he protests the decision.

After taking pictures at the demolition derby, I spotted this guy doing a little juggling as I left in the food vendor area.

I'll post derby pictures, and Town of Batavia Fire Department raffle/party pictures on Sunday.

I've been contacted by members of the Town of Batavia Fire Department wanting me to remind you that no matter the weather -- sun, rain or even tornado -- the Harley Raffle event at the Fire Hall will go on as planned.

Last year, there was a tornado in Corfu just hours before the event, followed by an absolute torrential downpour during the festivities.

More extreme weather is going to hit the party this year -- and they tell me that won't keep the Town of Batavia Fire Department from partying on.

A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued by the National Weather Service and the storm is expected to hit Batavia.

The watch is in effect until 10 p.m

The Town of Batavia event begins promptly at 7 p.m.

No word, however, on how the weather will effect the Genesee County Fair's hugely popular Demolition Derby, scheduled for 7 p.m.

The following arrests and citations were reported in conjunction with the Goo Goo Dolls concert Friday night at Darien Lake Theme Park.

Robert M. Pekarski, 22, of Getzville, is charged with assault, 3rd. Pekarski allegedly punched another concertgoer in the mouth, causing a cut.

Officials were unable to determine the identity and age of one reportedly highly intoxicated person. He was charged with disorderly conduct and jailed on $350 bail.

The following people were cited for allegedly possessing alcohol under 21 years of age.

Alex J. Greco, 19, of Whitestone Lane, Lancaster
Matthew M. Deboth, 18, of Mapleview Road, Cheektowaga
A 17-year-old, of Old Farm Circle, Williamsville
Michelle L. Hecht, 19, of Red Oak Drive, Williamsville
Laura E. Lenk, 18, of Robin Hill Drive, Williamsville
A 17-year-old, of Sand Stone Court, Clarence
A 17-year-old, of Richmond Avenue, Buffalo
A 17-year-old, of Wrench Trail, Williamsville
Luke S. Klee, 18, of Cherry Tree Lane, Orchard Park
A 17-year-old, of Lakeridge South, Orchard Park
Kevin M. Prise II, of Henning Drive, Orchard Park
Matthew P. McLaughlin, 18, of  Poplar Avenue, Orchard Park
Justin M. Moracci, 18, of 71 E. Abbott Grove, Orchard Park
Douglas H. Henning, 19, of  S. Lincoln Avenue, Orchard Park

One person was taken to a hospital following an overnight accident on Route 77 near Reynolds Road in Darien.

One of the drivers, Bennett L. Goldstein, 19, of 257 Pennsylvania St., Buffalo, was cited for allegedly following too close, which Deputy Kevin McCarthy says is what caused the accident.

Transported to UMMC was Clayton B. Hoyt, 18, a passenger in Goldstein's 2003 Dodge SUV.

Also reportedly injured, but not transported, was Courtney A. Anthony, 21, of 216 Hampton Road, Syracuse. Anthony was the driver of the second vehicle.

The accident was reported shortly after midnight.

A 20-year-old Akron man is accused of raping a 14-year-old girl in a Village of Corfu parking lot.

The alleged incident occurred in June 2009.

Randy A. Reiss Jr., of 23 Danita Drive, Akron, is accused of serving the girl several wine coolers and then having forcible sexual intercourse with her in a parked car on West Main Street, Corfu.

Reiss is charged with rape, 1st, rape, 2nd and unlawfully dealing with a child, 1st.

The defendant was arraigned in Corfu and is scheduled to appear in the Corfu Village Court again at 6 p.m. on Aug. 3.

The year-long investigation was conducted by Investigator Timothy Weis, Deputy Loni Nati and Deputy Patrick Reeves.