Stories from

      Amber Holland      Jennifer Martino

Two women are in custody following an apparent confrontation inside another person's home in Alexander at 5:28 p.m., Tuesday.

Arrested were Jennifer Martino, 42, of Pearl Street, Batavia, and Amber Holland, 35, of Cambridge Square, Buffalo. They were charged with second-degree robbery, second-degree burglary, criminal mischief, 3rd, endangering the welfare of a child, and criminal mischief, 4th.

According to the Sheriff's Office, the duo forced their way into the home of an acquaintance. Once inside, investigators said, there was a physical confrontation. The duo also allegedly damaged property and stole property belonging to the resident.

Martino and Holland allegedly prevented the victim from calling 9-1-1 by taking the person's mobile phone. 

One of the occupants of the home was reportedly a 12-year-old child.

No significant injuries were reported.

Following the report, deputies located a vehicle with Holland and Martino inside and Holland driving. She was also charged with DWI, failure to submit to breath test, and unlawful possession of marijuana.

The pair were arraigned in Alexander Town Court and jailed on $10,000 bail or $20,000 bond each. Holland was also arraigned in City Court and ordered held on the DWI charge on $2,500 bail.

The investigation was conducted by Deputy Micheal Lute, Deputy Kyle Krzemien, and Investigator Joseph Graff.

Byron-Bergen's Lady Bees beat Le Roy in a girls basketball game Tuesday night at Byron-Bergen, 58-34.

The two teams were tied at the half, but the Bees outscored the Knights in the third and fourth quarter, 21-11 and 16-2.

For Byron-Bergen, Kelsey Fuller scored 16 points, Miriam Tardy, 14, Juliana Amesburg, 12, and Emily Kaczmarek, 8.

For Le Roy, Erin Cappotelli had 12 points, Bryn Luckey, 7, and Ava Horgan, 6.

More people in Genesee County now have jobs or want jobs than the same period a year ago, and this has actually meant the county's unemployment rate grew from November 2016 to November 2017, according to the latest statistics from the Department of Labor.

The November labor force is an estimated 29,600, up from 29,000 a year ago and while the number of people with jobs grew, the number did not grow as much as total labor force participation.

Labor force participation is the measure of how many people either have jobs or who report they are under-employed and looking for full-time work or are unemployed and looking for work.

The county's labor force participation rate has been at or below the previous year's number for more than a year.

While the pool of eligible workers grew, so did the total number of employed people. In all, 400 more people in the county are reported to have a job in November than the previous year. The total grew from 27,700 to 28,100.

Even with that growth, the bigger jump in total participation meant that county's unemployment rate grew from 4.5 percent to 5.1 percent year-over-year.

The GLOW-area unemployment rate rose at the same pace, hitting 5.3 percent, up from 4.7 percent a year ago. Buffalo's rate rose from 4.9 percent to 5.3 percent and Rochester, from 4.5 percent to 5.1 percent.

The state's rate was 4.5 percent.

Earlier this month, the Department of Labor reported 22,600 non-farm jobs in Genesee County, down from 22,500 a year earlier. There were 16,700 private sector jobs in Genesee County for November 2017, the same as 2016.

STORY UPDATED: 12:30 p.m.

Police are trying to locate the driver of a vehicle that struck a jogger on Richmond Avenue near the Blind School at 5:09 a.m., Friday.

Batavia PD is unable to provide a vehicle description or information on whether the vehicle was damaged. 

A Good Samaritan who stopped to assist the jogger, Rosemary Demske, did not see the vehicle that struck her. He thinks.

Glen Enouen, an employee of Scalia's Landscaping who was working that morning driving a snowplow truck, said he was heading back to his route after going to the company's shop on Bank Street Road to repair a plow controller. Heading back, he turned the corner on Richmond and found a car stopped in the middle of the road.

The driver told him a woman had just been struck by a car.

He said he and the other man helped Demske into his plow truck and Enouen proceeded to call 9-1-1.

Asked if the car driver might have been the driver who struck Demske, he said he didn't know. 

"Other than he said, 'don't bother with the phone' and he didn't stick around, I don't know," Enouen said. He said the driver disappeared as soon as he heard sirens.

"I didn't see him leave," Enouen said. "I heard the sirens, looked around and he was gone."

Enouen said he didn't take a good look at the car.

"I didn't have any reason at the time to look deeper than helping that lady out," Enouen said.

A family member said Demske and her husband, John, are avid joggers. 

"They both are very generous with their time volunteering in the community," said her sister-in-law, Michele Bettendorf. "Rosemary is a special education aide in the Batavia School District. She also volunteers at the Genesee Animal Shelter and is involved in their Pet Therapy Program. She is an active member of Resurrection Parish serving as Eucharistic Minister/RCIA Instructor."

When Demske was struck she was thrown to the other side of the street, Bettendorf said.

She suffered a broken tibia, her entire left side was bruised and she has two black eyes, Bettendorf said.

"Rosemary is very thankful that he (Enouen) was there to help her," Bettendorf said.  

Anyone with information that may assist in the investigation is asked to call Batavia PD at (585) 345-6350 and ask to speak with a supervisor any time of day or night.

In a press release, police officials said, "As a reminder to residents please keep sidewalks shoveled for pedestrians. Pedestrians please use sidewalks and if you have to be on the roadway walk facing traffic with reflective outerwear."

A Subaru Outlander is reportedly in a pond off of Feeder Road, near Klossen Road, or perhaps Meadville Road, in the Tonawanda Wildlife Management Area.

The caller apparently reports being in the area of Meadville, but dispatchers say the phone signal is closer to Feeder Road and Klossen Road.

The callers say they are unable to exit the vehicle.

State Police, Alabama fire, Wolcottsville fire, Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 10:52 a.m.: There is water in the vehicle, but it is not sinking. There are two people in the vehicle. One is disabled.

UPDATE 11 a.m.: Alabama fire on location. One vehicle partially in the water, hanging over the bank.

UPDATE 11:02 a.m.: Confirmed, two people in the vehicle. No injuries. First responders stabilizing the vehicle until more help arrives.

Earlier this month, Batavia Bootery hosted "Boots & Bourbon," a special event where guests could taste-test various bourbons and shop for shoes and boots at the store.

The store donated $15 from every pair of boots and shoes sold to the Arc of Genesee Orleans, raising $635.

Yesterday, Don Brown presented the check to Shelley Falitico, director of Development & Community Relations for Arc.

Press release:

There have been several phone calls to my office regarding the pre-payment of 2018 Town/County property taxes to be paid to the Town Tax Collector before Dec. 31, 2017.

• The new Federal Income Tax Law will only affect an estimated 10-15 percent of the population in Genesee County as far as the SALT deduction. The law allows taxpayers to deduct up to $10,000 a year in a combined New York State income tax and property taxes. So if your deduction of those taxes are less than the $10,000, it probably doesn’t make sense to pay your 2018 taxes early. For example, if your 2018 town/county, school and village taxes are $2,500 and your total New York State taxes paid will be $3,500 = $6,000. Total taxes paid are $6,000 which is less than the maximum $10,000 allowed; therefore your taxes would still be deductible on your 2018 tax return.
• It is unclear whether or not the IRS will allow a deduction of pre-payment of 2018 taxes on your 2017 tax return; please consult your tax accountant for clarification.
• The tax bills are effective for the county fiscal year of Jan. 1, 2018 – Dec. 31, 2018. Payment for these taxes should be made Jan. 1 or after.
• This law has no effect on residents of the City of Batavia since city/county tax warrant isn’t until May.

Next month, District Attorney Lawrence Friedman will begin his six and final term as Genesee County's top criminal prosecutor.

Friedman announced his intention to step down after this term in a press release today about a swearing-in ceremony Thursday afternoon for himself and his staff.

At the ceremony, Melissa Cianfrini will be sworn in as first assistant district attorney. The position didn't exist for a couple of years before the County Legislature agreed to fund the position for 2018.

Besides Friedman and Cianfrini, also taking the oath will be assistants Robert Zickl, Kevin Finnell, and Shirley Gorman.

Friedman was reelected to his sixth four-year term in November.

Administering the oath will be County Clerk Michael Cianfrini, husband of Melissa Cianfrini.

The ceremony is at 1:30 p.m. in the County Courtroom.

Photo: File photo.

Bruce Doug Seelau, 69, of Genesee Street, Corfu, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, leaving scene of property damage accident, moving from lane unsafely, and speed not reasonable and prudent. Deputy Ryan Young responded to a report of a single-vehicle accident at 2:34 a.m. Saturday on South Lake Road, Pembroke, and found a vehicle on its side. Seelau was identified as the driver. Neither Seelau nor a passenger were injured. 

Collin Ronald Wickings, 24, of Clinton Street Road, Bergen, is charged with violation of a court order. Wickings allegedly had a third party contact two people he was ordered not to contact by court order.

David Joseph Michael Welninski, 23, of Ballard Road, Fillmore, is charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs, criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument, and failure to keep right. Welninski was charged following an investigation by Deputy Ryan DeLong into a single-vehicle accident reported at 9:23 p.m. July 15 on Lake Street Road, Le Roy.

Lee Carl Zimmerman, 47, of South Lake Avenue, Bergen, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Zimmerman is accused of shoving another person during an incident reported at 12:25 a.m. Friday at a location on Lake Avenue, Bergen.

City firefighters, above, were among the firefighters, medical personnel, and police officers who received free pizza today from staff members of Batavia's Original, while they worked on Christmas Day.

This is the third year Tom Scott, one of the managers at Batavia's Original, with the support of owner Kathy Ferrara, led members of the staff in the donation of pizza to first responders on Christmas Day. Helping this year were Bailee Welker and Marc Tillery.  

Pizzas were delivered to City Fire, Batavia PD, the Sheriff's Office, UMMC, and State Police.

Photos by Marc Tillery.

Today, as we've done for the past five years, we pay tribute to the first responders who put their lives at risk every day to help keep us all safe.  Here is a slideshow of photos from throughout 2017 of first responders on the job, providing community service and in training.

A car has reportedly hit a tree near mile marker 393.7, off the eastbound lane of the Thruway.

There was airbag deployment.

Town of Batavia fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 11:30 p.m.: Occupants are out of the vehicle. Ambulance can respond non-emergency for patient evaluation.

UPDATE 11:40 p.m.: Assignment back in service.

Harpoon Brewery in collaboration with Big Ditch Brewing is releasing a new beer this month, Rivalry IPA, to celebrate the long-standing rivalry between the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots. It was released just before today's game between the two teams.

One hundred of the malts used in the beer come from Batavia-based New York Craft Malts, the malting house of Ted and Patricia Hawley on Bank Street Road.

The IPA will be available in taprooms throughout WNY and New England just days before the big game.

Photo courtesy Ted Hawley.

Tonight I took a quick trip around the City of Batavia and took a few pictures of Christmas light displays.

Merry Christmas.

Above, 209 Bank St.

261 State St.

108 Ellsworth​ Ave.

105 Ellsworth Ave.

27 Manhatten Ave.

12 Washington Ave.

211 Richmond Ave.

17 Redfield Parkway

15 Redfield Parkway

30 Roosevelt Ave.

29 Roosevelt Ave.

South Pearl Street

16 Kibbe Ave.

201 Liberty St.

Batavia residents Bill and Kay McDonald want to share their new Christmas song with the community: "Find Your Joy."

A pedestrian has reportedly been hit on the Thruway in the eastbound lane near mile marker 387.

Town of Batavia fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 1:39 p.m.: It also sounds like a vehicle accident is also being reported near mile marker 386.

UPDATE 3:11 p.m.: All we could get from a trooper at the scene was one person injured. At least two vehicles were involved. The pictures are from mile marker 386.

A car is off the road and a caller reports the driver appears to be injured in the area of mile marker 386.6 on the Thruway in the Town of Batavia.

Town of Batavia fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.