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Brian M. Raphael, 21, of 4 Noonan Drive, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and criminal possession of a weapon. Police Officer E.E. Bolles reports that he found Raphael sleeping in his car with the engine running Saturday at 3:10 a.m. at 419 E. Main St., Batavia. Upon his arrest, Raphael was allegedly found in possession of a collapsible billy club.

Michael D. Snyder, 37, of 679 E. Main St., Apt. 4a, is accused of criminal contempt and harassment. Snyder allegedly violated the terms of an order of protection by shoving his girlfriend. He was jailed without bail.

Timothy P. Tucker, 35, of 12 Ellicott St., is charged with DWI, refusal to take breath test, failure to stop for a stop sign, speed not reasonable and prudent, improper turn and leaving the scene of an injury accident. On Sunday at 1:48 a.m., Tucker allegedly ran a stop sign from northbound Union Street at Oak Street. His vehicle reportedly continued through the intersection until it hit a tree. Officer Dan Coffey reports that Tucker allegedly fled the scene on foot. His female passenger suffered minor injuries in the accident. Tucker was found a short time later at his residence, according to Officer Coffey.

James Frank Webb, 27, of 10215 Colby Road, Darien, is charged with criminal contempt and harassment. Webb is accused of violating an order of protection that barred him from contacting a particular person. He allegedly called that person on the phone.

Shaundalee M. Hill, 20, of 81 Lyncourt Park, Greece, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Hill was arrested by Deputy Tim Wescott after Hill was reportedly involved in a one-car accident Fisher Road in Oakfield at 6:46 p.m. on Friday. Hill was also charged with unlicensed operation of a vehicle and having an open container.

Adam M. Ganzhorn, 25, of Town of Batavia, is charged with obstruction of governmental administration and filing a false report of an incident. He was arrested at 4346 Batavia-Elba Townline Road by State Police and jailed on $2,000 bail. No further details available.

Christopher A. Saddler, 25, of Albion, is charged with petit larceny. Saddler was arrested in the Town of Batavia by State Police. No further details available.

A garage fire that destroyed a car, a truck, a lawn tractor and an ATV last night was sparked by a short in an electrical outlet, according to a Sheriff's Office investigation.

The fire was first reported at 12:47 a.m. at 8880 Allegheny Road in Corfu and well before the first fire units could arrive, the garage was fully engulfed in flames.

No residents of the Swiatowy home were injured, nor were any firefighter injuries reported.

The garage was unoccupied at the time.

Destroyed were a 1984 Olds Delta 88, a 2003 Ford F150 pickup truck, an ATV and a lawn tractor. A tractor parked outside of the garage was also damaged.

The home is insured.

Sgt. Brian Frieday investigated the incident.

UPDATE 10:29 p.m.: Above is a reader-submitted photo of the fire we received a little while ago.

Previously: Garage fire reported in Corfu

An electrical extension cord running through a basement window to a detached garage is the likely cause of a fire this morning at 2320 Judge Road, Alabama.

All five family members at the home escaped safely, and firefighters rescued the family's dog and cat.

Emergency Management Coordinator Tim Yaeger called the use of the extension cord "improper."

The fire caused $60,000 to $70,000 damage to the structure and contents of the home.

The extension cord ignited the window frame, and the fire climbed up the outside wall, crawling into second-floor bedroom, into the eaves and eventually into the attic. It also was just beginning to ignite a first-floor living room couch when the fire was suppressed.

It took units from Alabama and Oakfield an hour to fight the fire.

The home, owned by Jim Venzey and rented by Dave Kinney, was insured, Yaeger said.

Previously: House fire reported on Judge Road in Alabama

It's been a rough couple of months for the Hawkins family of Le Roy.

Lori Hawkins, after 32 years working for area dairy farmers hasn't been unable to find a job. On Sept. 5, her second-oldest son, Mike Burrs, died at age 31 after a lifetime battle with a congenital heart disorder.

Now her 25-year-old son, Nick A. Hawkins, is charged with robbery, accused of handing a demand note to the cashier at the Five Star Bank branch in Pavilion last Monday. He is in Genesee County jail being held on $25,000 bail.

We first met Lori Hawkins at a dairy rally at Dale Stein's farm organized by Assemblyman Steve Hawley. She showed up with a cardboard sandwich sign that read "Exp. milker 4-hire. Unemployment benefits denied. Labor dept. not much help. Can you afford to hire me? I want to work!"

So far, Hawkin's efforts to land a job haven't panned out.

Hawkins said she knows how to milk cows, care for calves, administer medication and do any of the tasks associated with being a dairy farm hand. But her experience doesn't seem to matter much these days.

"Now they're hiring Mexicans," Hawkins said. "I'm 50 years old. They look at me and I think they think I'm too old. I don't know what they are thinking."

Hawkins is the mother of four children, but she said Nick is always the one she had trouble with. School counselors advised her when he was young that Nick might be borderline ADD (Attention-deficit disordered). She said he's never been properly checked out, but wonders if he might be bipolar or have obsessive-compulsive disorder.

"When he was younger, he would always act out and then regret it later," Hawkins said.

Nick Hawkins has a criminal history that Lori said started when he was a teenager. At 14 or 15, he he was accused of stealing a bike.

She said Nick was on probation from 2002 to 2007 for stealing a four-wheeler, plus she's heard of various petty crimes.

"I'm sure he's done stuff that I don't even know about," she said.

Lori said she last saw her son one evening last week and they watched TV together.

"It (news of the bank robbery) was a shock to me," she said. "I didn't even know about it."

She said Nick has no stable work history. He learned welding at BOCES and has some dairy farm experience ("I taught him how to milk cows," she said), but he never seems to be able to hold a job.

"I don't know if he develops an attitude problem or what," she said.

The death of Mike Burrs has been hard on the entire family, Hawkins said, and there's been some dispute over what to do with Mike's belongings, which includes a snowmobile and a dirt bike. Nick didn't want his grandmother to sell those items, Lori said, and the issue upset him.

"Since his brother died five weeks ago, I've been telling him he should go to counseling," Lori said. "But he's 25 years old. He's not going to listen to what his mother tells him to do."

We saw a couple of busts this summer of people accused of growing pot, and of course the State Police flew its helicopter around looking for marijuana fields, but it turns out, increased domestic production maybe putting more hurt on Mexican drug cartels than years of "the war on drugs."

American pot growers now produce half of all the weed sold in the United States.

Contrary to traditional images of rural pot farming, small-scale production and indoor farming may have played a large role in the increased production. "While the trafficking of cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine is the main focus of U.S. law enforcement, it is marijuana that has long provided most of the revenue for Mexican drug cartels," the reporters write.

And like Starbuck adjusting its brand to meet increased local competition, the drug cartels are changing the way they do business.

Mexican cartels are improving their product and streamlining delivery to compete with increased U.S. production, they report. The National Drug Intelligence Center says cartels are increasingly growing pot on public lands in the U.S. to move closer to the market.

Of course, state treasuries aren't seeing a dime of benefit from all of this commerce.

A house fire has been reported at 2320 Judge Road, and a second alarm has been reported.

The caller reports heavy smoke, flames and glass breaking.

Alabama, a full response from Oakfield and an Elba pumper have been requested.

UPDATE: First responder reports, nobody is in the house.

UPDATE 9:54 a.m.: A crew inside reports there was a fire in a bedroom. The fire is knocked down a this time and the crew is checking for extensions.

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Belladessa's Pizzeria/Jackson St. Grill, 9 Jackson St., Batavia, NY: Here's a deal -- half off on a Family Meal Deal from Belladessa's, which is a large 1 topping pizza, 24 wings and 2-liter bottle of soda. It's a $25 value 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 $9.

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.

Center Street Smoke House, 20 Center St., Batavia, NY: Ribs, brisket, steak, prime rib -- Center Street is a meat lover's paradise. We have a $25 gift card for $12.50.

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.

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.

Great Kutz, in the Valu Plaza, 4152 W. Main St. Road, Batavia, NY: Men, enjoy a $5 haircut again with this offer exclusive to The Batavian. (gift card can be applied toward other services, but not products).

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

A detached garage at 8880 Alleghany Road is fully engulfed in flames.

Fire units from Corfu and East Pembroke have responded.

Fire police have been dispatched to shut down traffic at routes 5 and 77 as well as routes 33 and 77.

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Oakfield Fire is responding to an alarm at 40 Garibaldi Ave..

UPDATE 10:43 p.m.: Some time ago, I heard something about a smoking engine. Not sure if it was this call, but the chief just requested a full engine company response.

UPDATE 10:46 p.m.: "There's a hot spot in one of the bathrooms. We're trying to get access to the attic."

UPDATE 1:49 a.m.: Not all crews have cleared the scene, but units are being put back in service.

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Most new retail businesses never last past the first year. The owners either run out of cash, mismanage their inventory or pick a poor location. For Kamilla Kabel, though, she had more than a dream. She had a plan and did her research.

House of K celebrated its fifth anniversary on Saturday, and Kabel was all smiles.

"I feel it is an accomplishment," Kabel said. "I set out for a goal. My business plan said for five years of survival and I’ve done it, and (there's) even been a (widespread) financial crisis at the same time."

House of K features designer European fashion for women, and Kabel, a native of Denmark, said her stylish clothing appeals to women of Genesee County as well as drawing customers from Rochester and Buffalo.

"We bring in unique items you can't get any place else," Kabel said.

Kabel moved to the U.S. in 1999 to be closer to Batavian Ben Kabel, whom she met in Copenhagen while he was studying architecture there. They were married in 2000. The Kabels now have two children.

After obtaining a two-year degree in interior design from Monroe Community College and working as an assistant manager at Pier 1 Imports in Amherst, Kamilla wanted to do something that would give her more freedom to visit her parents in Denmark. She told the Daily News in 2004 that she always wanted to own her own business.

Retail was a good choice. The always-effusive Kabel says she loves people and the only bad times she has in the store is when there are no customers to talk with and help find the perfect dress for an afternoon wedding or pick just the right accessory for a designer blouse.

"The high point (of owning the store) has definitely been the customers," Kabel said. "We’ve become friends and I know their lives and they know me."

In a business environment where many naysayers might try to talk people out of starting their own stores, Kabel's advice is simple: "Go for it."

"You have to give it a try or you will always wonder," Kabel said. "You don’t know what lies ahead. You can try and prepare for everything, but you never know, so you’ve just got to go with the flow and change things along the way."

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.

Picasso's Pizza, 419 W. Main St., Batavia, NY: A great variety of pizza, subs and salads -- and try the wings, too. We have three $5 booklets of $1 gift certificates ($15 value) for $7.50. The gift certificates can be used collectively or individually.

Adam Miller Toy & Bicycles, 8 Center St., Batavia, NY: Feel like a kid in a toy store again, or treat your kids to the greatest toy store they will ever see. We have a $25 gift certificate for $12.50.

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.

Center Street Smoke House, 20 Center St., Batavia, NY: Ribs, brisket, steak, prime rib -- Center Street is a meat lover's paradise. We have a $25 gift card for $12.50.

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.

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.

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

SOLD OUT

Next Level Fitness, the new fitness center Ken Mistler has been constructing at the corner of E. Main and Jackson streets, will open Tuesday, Dec. 1, Mistler said in a message on Facebook.

Doors will open for the first time at 8 a.m. on that day.

Memberships will be $19.95 per month with a $14.95 annual fee on a one-year contract.

Child care will be available for $2 for an hour-and-a-half (there will be some restrictions).

Fitness classes will also be available at an additional cost, though Mistler said the cost will be minimal.

There will be a separate workout floor for women.

The facility is completely remodeled inside using quality material. Members will be able to enjoy locker rooms with showers, as well as steam rooms.

Blame Canada.  It's going to be cold tonight -- low 30s -- with a "hard frost" according to the National Weather Service.

UNSEASONABLY COLD CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ACROSS NEW YORK STATE TONIGHT. PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES... LIGHT WINDS... AND PLENTY OF COLD DRY AIR ASSOCIATED WITH THE HIGH WILL BRING A HARD FREEZE TO MOST OF WESTERN AND UPSTATE NEW YORK. LOW TEMPERATURES NEAR LAKE ERIE AND ONTARIO WILL NOT GET QUITE AS COLD... BUT STILL WILL DROP TO NEAR FREEZING... RESULTING IN THE FIRST FROST OF THE SEASON FOR MANY.

Farmers are advised to harvest tender crops and gardeners should bring potted plants in doors.

A young Elba/Byron-Bergen team had some lessons to learn tonight, homecoming night, according to Head Coach Michael Cintorino, so he kept his players on the field, fighting until the final second.

Cintorino didn't want the referees to let the clock run down at the change of possession with more than a minute left in the game and the 28-0 score favoring a bigger, more experienced Notre Dame squad.

"What we’re trying to do is get them that experience and really understand what a tough team like Notre Dame, what it takes to get them where they are," Cintorino said. "We want them to understand that they have a little work to do in the coming years to match a team like Notre Dame."

There was a lot of fight in the Lancer's tonight, but critical mistakes and an inability to string together enough consecutive good plays on the offensive side to sustain a drive had Elba/BB fighting uphill through all four quarters.

Trouble started on Elba's first drive when it was stopped short by an interception. On the next play, Mike Pratt had a clear 17-yard path to the end zone. A missed PAT put the score at 6-0.

On its next possession, the Lancers failed to move the ball and a high snap on a fourth-down punt turned into a two-point safety when the punter kicked the ball out of the back of the end zone. That made the score 8-0.

Pratt scored later in the first quarter on a four-yard run, and with another missed PAT, the Irish were up 14-0.

The Irish would score again in the second quarter on a 11-yard run by Mike Aina, and again in the third quarter on a three-yard rush by Pratt, making he score 28-0.

As the game wore on and the Irish showed more preference for the clock-devouring run game, Elba's defense displayed some grit in forcing more than one three-and-outs in the second half.

"(The defense was) very impressive," Cintorino "If you look at what ND has been doing this year, they’re a power running team and they throw quick passes. When they run, both Beau Richter and Mike Pratt are very hard runners. Their offensive line is big and strong and they get a great push and we were able to stand up to them."

Cintorino said he also came away from the game hopeful about his young team's offense, which features a promising junior quarterback in Eric Kowalik and an athletic junior receivers, Tess Schramm and Joe Burr.

"We have some young guys out there and they’re very close to making these big plays," Cintorino said. "We work on it the rest of this season, we work on it during the off season and we come back next a little bit more veteran and we get the job done."

Notre Dame (5-1) Head Coach Rick Mancuso said he's also seen the weekly improvement in Elba, which came into the game with a 2-3 record, and said his team didn't take the Lancers lightly.

"Week in and week out, every team is a test, and they’re very well coached," Mancuso said. "They’ve got a great group of guys in that coaching staff and they’ve got a really nice team. We’ve watched them -- this is the sixth week, we’ve got a lot of film on them, we’ve seen a ton of progress week-to-week. We didn’t come out here and expect to have an easy time, that’s for sure."

Mancuso said he was particularly proud of his offensive line in helping to establish the run game early

"Our linemen did a great job, I thought," Mancuso said. "We’re starting to come around. Those younger kids that started out the season for us, they’re not young kids any more. Everybody is pretty much seniors and four-year players now."

Notre Dame heads into sectionals with a 5-1 record, same as Holley (5-1) and Attica (5-1), who played a nail-biter of a game today, reaching the final nine seconds of game time in a 0-0 tie. Attica pulled it out on a 35-yard field goal by Zack Fleiss, ruining Holley's bid for an undefeated season and giving the three top teams a share of the Genesee Region league title.

Mancuso said he feels good about his team heading into sectional play.

"Our loss last week (to Holley) was very difficult to take," Mancuso said. "I was really interested to see how the kids would challenge themselves this week and get back in the saddle and I thought they did a nice job doing that."

Some of tonigh's stats:

For ND, Pratt had 111 yards on 19 carries.

For Elba/BB, Pete Pryzbl had 9 carries for 52 yards. Schramm, two catches for 37 yards. Joe Burr had two catches for 18 yards. Kowalik completed five passes in 21 attempts for 58 yards. On Defense, Burr had seven tackles and six assists. Brandon Shuknecht had five tackles and a fumble recovery. Tom Fowler had six tackles and three assists.

NOTE: My video camera is broken. I can't get the video out of it that I shot last night (well, I captured some, but only through the first quarter, so it's unlikely I'll be able to post video of this game. I'll have to see if I can get it repaired this week).

Not to take anything away from Cal-Mum -- a solid team that played well Friday night -- but the Le Roy Oatken Knights literally handed away its 2009 match-up its arch-rival.

The Knights, dealing with a disappointing season so far, looked like a team that could beat Cal-Mum, but as Head Coach Brian Moran said after the game -- teams that repeatedly drop the ball can't win.

"Turn overs was the whole game," Moran said. "You can't turn the ball over and win a game. You can't do it. It just can't happen."

Le Roy's fumbles robbed them of opportunities to put points on the board and set up both scores for the Red Raiders.

Moran's team drops to 1-5 on the 14-0 loss, while the Red Raiders (4-2) prepare of a playoff game next week.

"I thought our effort was there, but I thought we turned the football over too many times," Moran said.

Turn overs were also the first thought that came to mind for Raiders Head Coach Mike Monacelli.

"They're an awful rough team to try and stop," said Monacelli. "I'd like to think we are, too, but they happend to turn the ball over in some key spots."

The turnover started early for Le Roy. After the defense came up big and stopped Cal-Mum with a three-and-out on its first possession, giving the Knights the ball on about their own 40, six plays into the drive, the Knights gave the ball back to the Raiders on the Raiders 40.

The Raiders failed to capitalize on the turn over, despite marching the ball down to Le Roy’s one-yard line, where on a third down play, Brandon Monteleone came up big and stuff a Cal-Mum running play for a three-yard loss. Cal-Mum couldn’t punch it through on forth down giving back the ball to Le Roy.

Le Roy was unable to push the ball forward much on its first two downs and a muffed pitch on third down put them on their heels on the one-yard line. The subsequent punt traveled less than yards, giving Cal-Mum excellent field position.

A few plays later, Cal-Mum’s Tervor Hout busted through the line and into the end-zone. A two-point conversion gave the Raiders a 8-0 lead.

The Knights fight back on the next drive, pounding the ball from its own 20 down to the one-yard line where yet another fumble kills the drive.

Cal-Mum is unable to convert the turn over into a score however, and the half would end with the Raiders up 8-0.

The second half begins much as the first half did for Le Roy. On it’s first possession, Le Roy drives the ball down to Cal-Mum’s 40 yard line when a fumble squanders the opportunity to start the third quarter strong.

This time, Cal-Mum wouldn’t miss the opportunity to turn a Le Roy mistake into points on the board. The Raiders take the ball 60 yards to the end zone where Jon Cappotelli will race the ball in on a near-side sweep to give the Raiders a 14-0 lead (the Raiders fail on a two-point conversion try).

The only glimmer of life the Knights would show the rest of the game was an early fourth-quarter fumble recover by Monteleone.  It was a turnover to no where for the Knights, though and the game would end 14-0.

Cappotelli carried the ball for 102 yards on 24 rushes.

Offensive stats for Cal-Mum: Ben Anastasi carried the ball seven times for 29 yards, Cappotelli had 24 carries for 102 yards, and passing, Mike Anderson had two completions on seven attempts for 54 yards.

Offensive stats for Le Roy: Quentin Humphrey, carried the ball 11 times for 9 yards, Jon Casper five carries, 28 yards, Rick Henry, 11 carries for 52 yards, Mark Kelso, six carries and 20 yards. Kelso also threw the ball 7 times, connected on two for 18 yards

In other action tonight, Oakfield-Alabama beat Pembroke 17-13. Honeoye Falls-Lima beat Batavia 41-19.

Tomorrow's games have Attica at Holley at 1:30 p.m., Alexander at Barker at 1:30 p.m., and Notre Dame at Elba/Byron-Bergen at 7 p.m..

We'll be covering the night game.

Four-hundred and forty-three dollars.

That's the amount of money Nick A. Hawkins allegedly stole from Pavilion's Five Star Bank branch on Monday.

Hawkins, 25, of 24 W. Main St., Le Roy, is in custody tonight.

The money is all gone. Hawkins reportedly spent his loot before his arrest, which he allegedly took from the bank using a demand note.

The 11:30 a.m. robbery triggered a four-hour manhunt in Pavilion involving deputies from Genesee, Wyoming and Livingston counties as well as State Police and the DEC all-terrain-vehicle unit.

Hawkins is charged with robbery in the third degree. He was jailed on $25,000 bail.

No word yet on what led to his arrest.

Previously:

• Police pursue bank robbery suspect in Pavilion area
• Search continues for Pavilion bank robber
• Manhunt in Pavilion for bank robber winding down
• No hot leads in Pavilion bank robbery investigation, Sheriff says

Emergency crews on are scene of a two-car, roll over accident at Ellicott and Jackson in Batavia. No word on injuries at this time.

UPDATE: There were actually three vehicles involved in the accident. The overturned Toyota was reportedly driven by Janet Douglas, 47, of Wyoming. The other vehiclesere a 2003 Jeep driven by E.A. Geandreau, 16, of Highland Park, and a 2002 Chevy pick up driven by Charles Baxter, 64, of Akron. 

 

Volunteers for Animals had a few pets at the Farmers' Market at Batavia Downs this morning (they'll be there for another hour).

It was oh-so-tempting to take one of these puppies home, especially the black-furred guy up front in this picture. While I leaned down, he came over, jumped on my lap, licked my face and whispered in my ear, "I want to be Pachuco's brother." 

Alas, we have no room for another dog, but perhaps you do.