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Press release:

State Senator Michael H. Ranzenhofer has announced $100,000 in state funding to offset a part of the total cost of a new fire truck for the South Byron Volunteer Fire Company.

“The South Byron Volunteer Fire Company plays a vital role in our community, and I am committed to securing the necessary resources so that our volunteer firefighters are able to get the job done,” Ranzenhofer said. “Today’s announced state investment will help to preserve the life-saving services our firefighters provide to residents.”

The new fire truck will replace a 20-year-old 1996 Front Line Engine. The average lifespan of a fire engine is 20 years.

“As a small fire company, we have a small budget with limited resources. Without this state funding, we would have been unable to cover the total cost of a new fire truck. We are so grateful that Senator Ranzenhofer is helping us to reach our goal,” said South Byron Volunteer Fire Company President Dean L. Bates. 

Village of Oakfield Mayor Jason Armbrewster wanted to open the discussion about the future of village government at last night's village board meeting, but with two board members who didn't attend the meeting and one vacant seat on the board, he didn't have the necessary quorum to open the meeting.

Only one community member even showed up for the meeting.

Absent trustees were Dave Boyle and John Igor.

Armbrewster said that Igor contacted him in advance of the meeting and said he had a family matter that would prevent him from making the meeting, but Armbrewster said he didn't hear from Boyle at all.  

The mayor even went to Boyle's house shortly after the meeting's scheduled start time of 5 p.m. to see if he was home.

After he got back, he received a text from a third party who said Boyle was on vacation.

The lack of a quorum, which also delays the ability of the village to pay all of its bills, will spur Armbrewster to appoint somebody to fill the vacant board seat, which he had planned to leave open until the next election.

Armbrewster would liked to have rescheduled the meeting to Thursday night, but it wouldn't be possible to meet print newspaper deadlines for a public notice (a problem that wouldn't be an issue if the State Legislature would bring state law into the 21st century regarding public notices and allow online publication).

The trustees will try to meet again at 5 p.m., Monday.

Armbrewster was clearly frustrated because he thinks the trustees should start the discussion on possible dissolution of village government, not because he's dead set on pursuing that course, but because he thinks facts should be gathered and discussions held to see if dissolution is really in the best interest of village residents.

"There is talk in other communities about doing this and if I get asked that question, then I don't have an answer, because we don't have the data," Armbrewster said.

UPDATE: The meeting time for Monday's meeting has been changed to 7:30 p.m. Armbrewster said the time change is intended to encourage greater attendance and participation. "I encourage every resident to show up to give their input because I work for them," he said.

A National Grid worker has called dispatch to report he's been locked in the basement of a home on Liberty Street by a resident apparently upset that he went down there to shut off the power.

Batavia PD responding.

The trustees of the Village of Oakfield will discuss the future of village government at this evening's meeting at the Village Hall.

Among the options, dissolving the village.

Mayor Jason Armbrewster said any talk of dissolution is in the very earliest stages, but it thought it important to get the discussion going.

"Dissolution could have benefits for the residents of the village," Brewster said. "Or it might not, but we have to get the whole process going to find out."

It will be up to the village board this evening -- the meeting is at 5 p.m. -- to decide whether to table the idea or decide to look into hiring a consultant and find out how much that would cost.

Armbrewster approached the town board about the idea, which meant the first hint that anybody was thinking about dissolution appeared in the town board minutes.

That cause a bit of a stir in the village and Armbrewster thinks there's been a bit of an overreaction to the idea since there is no actual proposal for dissolution at this point, just talk, just the start of the idea of starting the process.

"It's not like, boom, we're going to dissolve," Armbrewster said.

Press release:

The eight Democratic county chairs of New York's 27th Congressional District unite to denounce Donald Trump's demonstrated sexist and vulgar attitudes toward women and Rep. Chris Collins' continued support of Trump's candidacy in the face of blatant proof that Trump's attitudes are demeaning and derogatory toward 51 percent of this country and this district.

While Republican leaders and elected officials throughout the nation are abandoning Trump in droves, Chris Collins has asserted, "There is no change in my support of Mr. Trump as our nominee."

To be clear, Mr. Trump bragged about repeatedly committing sexual assault without consequence because he was a "star." That Collins did not join his colleagues who have concluded that Trump is unfit and unqualified to be president casts grave doubt on Collins' judgment and ability to represent all of the voters, especially the women, of the 27th District.

We hope that the many people offended by Mr. Collins' lack of spine in standing up to his party's nominee will join us in supporting Diana Kastenbaum for Congress.

Jeremy Zellner
Erie County Democratic Chair

Nick Forster
Niagara County Democratic Chair

Jeanne Crane
Orleans County Democratic Chair

Michael Plitt
Genesee County Democratic Chair

Cynthia Appleton
Wyoming County Democratic Chair

Judith Hunter
Livingston County Democratic Chair

Jamie Romeo
Monroe County Democratic Chair

John Hurley
Ontario County Democratic Chair

A fire is reported in a lighting unit in the ceiling of Walmart on Veterans Memorial Drive, Batavia.

The unit is near the deli section of the store.

Town of Batavia fire dispatched.

UPDATE 10:03 p.m.: It's an issue with a light ballast. Town of Batavia fire back in service.

A 26-year-old Le Roy resident was arrested today after allegedly failing to obey a police officer's orders when he was spotted in the area of the Le Roy Sewage Treatment Plant on Red Mill Road.

Zachary R. Reed, of Britt Road, Le Roy, is charged with one count of obstructing governmental administration.

Police responded to the plant at 2:28 p.m. to investigate a report of a man with a long gun at the facility.

A person with a gun was spotted going into the nearby woods and the police officer reportedly ordered him to come out of the woods with his hands up. According to Le Roy PD, the person did not comply with the order.

Other law enforcement agencies were summoned for backup, a K-9 patrol responded, and a perimeter was set up.

During the search, police officers obtained Reed's mobile number and called him. He agreed to come out of the woods, meeting officers on North Street, but he didn't have his gun with him.

After a search, the gun, a .22-caliber rifle, was located in an area of tall weeds.

Assisting Le Roy PD were the Sheriff's Office and State Police.

Reed was issued an appearance ticket.

(initial report)

A car has reportedly hit a building, the KFC, at 4216 W. Main Street Road, Batavia.

There are no injuries reported and only minor damage, but there is a report of fluids leaking.

Town of Batavia fire responding.

A subject was spotted with a long gun near Red Mill Road, Le Roy, and the police were called.

The subject reportedly did not obey police commands and moved further into the woods.

Multiple law enforcement units, including a K-9 patrol, have been dispatched.

UPDATE 4:15 p.m.: Local law enforcement has a person in custody.

Police received a report of a tall male pushing a shopping cart in the area of Ellicott Street and Liberty Street. He was reportedly pushing the cart in and out of traffic, creating a hazard, and touching himself.

A new report has come in that he's now on Central Avenue and handing items from his cart to small children.

Police are responding.

Batavia beat Edison Tech, 41, 15. It was another big game for Ray Leach, who rushed for three TDs on 171 yards. Codie Dioguardi also came up big, carrying the ball for 163 yards and a TD. Anthony Ray led the defense with seven tackles and a sack. Also adding seven tackles each were Chandler Baker and Sam Marble.

Le Roy beat Wayland-Cohocton 34-7 (game photos by David Boyce (more)). Josh Laurie was 5-9 passing for 82 yards and three TDs. Reece Tresco also got time under center and was 4-4 passing for 73 yards and a TD. Nate Flint scored twice on three receptions for 62 yards. He also carried the ball 12 times for 58 yards. Dom Filio had 94 yards on 14 carries. Laurie also carried the ball eight times for 66 yards and a TD. Ryan Boyce scored twice on four receptions for 59 yards. 

Pembroke fell to C.G. Finney, 35-13 (game photos by Rick D. Franclemont). The Dragons made a game of it in the first half, going into the locker room trailing 14-7, but were dominated in the second half as Finney rang up 21 unanswered points.

Alexander moved to 6-0 with a win over Wilson, 50-26. QB P.J. Brennan completed 13 of 16 passes for 231 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Next up for the Trojans, C.J. Finney, also Class D and also undefeated.

Cal-Mum/Byron-Bergen beat Wellsville, 42-14.

Attica beat Oakfield-Alabama/Elba 61-0. 

Geneseo 36 over York/Pavilion 12.

In a game decided by a field goal in overtime, Holley beat Notre Dame 3-0.

Press release:

I write this letter to you, your readers and your viewers because I am sickened by the comments that have been made by Donald Trump regarding women. They have also been reinforced by his surrogates who continue to defend him and his misogynistic old boys’ club. Even my opponent, Rep. Chris Collins (R), stands by his man.

There is a particular type of ugliness when women are made fun of, degraded and dismissed. However, we shouldn’t be surprised because we’ve seen it before throughout Donald Trump’s campaign. What is most disturbing though is the merry band of men and women who support him and echo his words. Some may not say it out loud, but their very support of him speaks volumes.

He crossed the line years ago when he accused President Obama of not being a U.S. citizen. He crossed the line when he called Mexican immigrants rapists and murderers. He crossed the line when he mocked a disabled reporter. He crossed the line when he said John McCain was not a hero and that POWs were not heroes because they allowed themselves to be captured. He crossed the line when he disparaged a Gold Star family. And yet, his defenders tried to tell us how we misinterpreted or misread his statements. We waited patiently for the press and media to question him, call him out on his bigotry and prejudices, but the lies kept coming and his surrogates kept getting their sound bites.

Now the attack is on all women -- our daughters, our mothers, our grandmothers. Finally people are getting angry and saying they have crossed the line for the last time. But have they? Mr. Collins has not. In spite of the now growing list of Republicans saying they cannot support a President who says such things, Mr. Collins has said “there is no change in my support of Mr. Trump as our nominee."

This latest degradation of women should offend everyone, even Chris Collins, and it is amongst a long list of abusive behavior. I am a Mom who has a daughter. My instinct is to immediately try and shield her from these horrible comments, just as my Mother would have done for me and my grandmother before her. I ask myself, “who brought this man up? Who raises these people to hate women so?"

Mr. Trump and Mr. Collins, women are 51 percent of the population and we vote. We are married to men who respect their wives, their mothers, their daughters and they vote. We have sons and daughters whom we have brought up to be fair, open, non-prejudiced, wonderful human beings who want a better world without bullies, bigots and misogynists and they vote, too.

The time has come for all the voters in NY-27 to take a long, hard and unbiased look at the candidates and when you cast your vote I hope you take into consideration the kind of country you want to leave to your children. It has to be about issues, but it must also be about a person’s character as well. We should all keep in mind the words of Billy Graham, “when wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost.”

Three people were assaulted in two separate incidents overnight in the Byron and Bergen areas, and both attacks may have been perpetrated by the same suspects, and those suspects may have been identified. 

The first attack was reported at 1:42 a.m. in the parking lot of Playmates in Byron. 

The victim was reportedly Elliot P. Arnold, 29. Investigators say he was jumped by two males and was left bleeding and semiconscious. He was transported to Strong with facial cuts and other injuries.

The second incident was reported at 1:52 a.m. at the 7-Eleven in Bergen. 

That incident is believed to have involved the same two suspects.

Attacked were Natalie M. Mazurzak, 18, and Zachary M. Bower, 20, who were punched several times by the suspects.

No information provided on a possible motive or if robbery was involved.

The investigation is ongoing and being handled by Deputy Howard Carlson, Deputy Ryan Young, Sgt. John Baiocco and the State Police.

A hunter has reportedly fallen and broken a leg on the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge in Alabama.

The hunter is located in the woods about 300 yards east of the parking lot on Casey Road.

A caller is waiting in the parking lot for responders to guide them to the hunter's location.

Alabama fire and Mercy EMS responding.

There is a report of smoke in the building at the Rolling Hills Asylum, on Bethany Center Road, Bethany.

Bethany fire and Alexander fire dispatched.

The building is evacuated.

UPDATE: We've heard nothing further on this.

Ret. Army Gen. Kenneth Chrosniak receives gifts from members of the Alexander Girls Volleyball Team prior to last night's game, which was a fundraiser to benefit cystic fibrosis research. Chrosniak's son, Christian, lost his battle against the disease last November. He is a cousin of Haley Fletcher, a member of the volleyball team. Chrosniak made the trip from Pennsylvania to attend the game played in his son's honor. 

The event included a basket chance auction as well as drawing for a Hall of Fame football signed by Jim Kelly, a Matt Anderson signed jersey, a signed jersey from Sammy Watkins and a hockey stick signed by Marcus Foligno.

In the volleyball game against Pembroke, after dropping the first set 25-22, Alexander won the next three, 25-12, 25-20 and 25-17.

Bill Buckenmeyer clocked in with the best time in the YWCA's annual Stiletto & Sneaker Walk to help raise awareness and raise funds to combat domestic abuse. 

Participants in the event included student-athletes from area high schools and Genesee Community College, all wearing purple as a sign of support for the victims of domestic abuse. 

Press release:

The Board of Directors of the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) approved an application for Growing the Agricultural Industry Now! (GAIN!) revolving loan fund for a project in Pavilion. The Board also approved a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) extension for Empire Pipeline in the town of Oakfield at its Oct. 6 meeting.

The GCEDC board approved a GAIN! loan in the amount of $65,000 to Cottonwood Farms for the acquisition of milking equipment that would combine wind and solar power in one turbine in order to increase efficiency and electric energy output. The new equipment for the farm’s robotic dairy system is expected to reduce annual electricity costs by approximately $7,000 to $8,000. Cottonwood Farms LLC operates a 300-cow organic dairy farm in Pavilion.

Empire Pipeline owns and operates a compressor station and pipeline in the town of Oakfield. The GCEDC Board accepted the application and will set a public hearing for Empire Pipeline’s request to extend their PILOT agreement for 15 years.

“The GAIN revolving loan program has the opportunity to provide significant benefits to the agricultural sector in Genesee County,” said GCEDC Board Chairman Paul Battaglia. “While the program was just launched in May, the GCEDC has made a tremendous effort to get the money out to the farms, and working in our local economy.”

Through funding provided by Empire State Development, the GAIN program provides loans to qualifying businesses in Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates counties, all of which are in the top 10 agricultural counties in New York State.