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Despite dealing with a public health crisis that has affected all of its programs and services, the Genesee County Department of Social Services has rolled with the changes to “continue to serve the residents of Genesee County efficiently and effectively,” the agency’s commissioner said today.

David Rumsey, presenting his departmental review at the Genesee County Legislature’s Human Services Committee at the Old County Courthouse, reported that the diligence of his 107.5 employees (including a part-timer) has “come to the forefront in 2020 during the COVID-19.”

“With their ability to adapt to a new style of remote working, virtual training and a different feel for how to conduct business, they persevered and continue to serve the residents of Genesee County efficiently and effectively,” Rumsey said.

His 30-minute talk was based on a seven-page report that touched upon programming issues relating to: family visitations; child residential placements; and youth and adult protective services; budget issues relating to personnel; Medicaid costs; family assistance and foster care; and staffing developments.

Rumsey said the agency was at 50-percent staffing through June 1 (it’s back to 100 percent now) and that made it difficult to deliver services.

“All programs and services, in part, have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said, adding that waivers were granted – and are still in place – for all program areas from conducting face-to-face interviews.

Child Protective Services Drop with Schools Closed

 With schools closed, child protective services decreased substantially, he said, as DSS was unable to get reports from school administrators. “We are seeing an uptick in CPS calls now,” he said.

He noted that the coronavirus hampered the agency’s ability to reunite families and perform court-ordered visitations until August, when DSS staff began supervising these visitations while adhering to all Center for Disease Control and Health Department COVID-19 guidelines.

Regarding foster care, Rumsey said the county had 69 young people in various foster care placements settings in August: 36 in regular foster homes; five in cluster homes; 17 in therapeutic foster care; and 11 in residential care. Additionally, two are at state training schools (detention) and one is at the New York State School for the Blind.

“The most prevalent reasons (for foster care) are still substance abuse and/or mental health issues of the caretakers or children” or the extreme acting out by the child(ren) that compromises the safety of the family members or community,” Rumsey explained, adding that costs to house foster children are substantial.

He said that placement in a “voluntary agency therapeutic foster home can typically average about $45,000 annually for board/admin, while placement in our own county foster homes, ranges up to $11,000 annually for board.

“We currently have 17 youth in placement with Hillside or Glove House therapeutic foster homes,” he reported.

The High Cost of Residential Placements

Rumsey said costs for residential placements for “our very high need and hard-to-place youth” affect expenditures and budget appropriations the most, with board and tuition expenses at residential treatment centers ranging from $145,000 to $230,000 annually for each of the 11 current placements.

He said that savings should be realized in 2021, however, as the state’s Family First Initiative is requiring Departments of Social Services to “reduce the number of residential placements by 30 percent and place those youth with families instead.”

The commissioner said that getting a foster child into an adoption setting takes time, thus keeping costs high. He said that of the 69 youth in foster care, 14 are freed for adoption.

DSS also intervenes when it comes to law enforcement and protective services for youth and adults, Rumsey said.

In 2019, New York State’s Raise The Age law stipulated that a youth can be prosecuted as an adult in criminal cases as long as he or she is at least 18 years old.

While the original concern was that more teens would be placed in both residential foster care and secured detention, this has not materialized, Rumsey said. He added that any increase in RTA spending or electronic monitoring should have no cost effect on the DSS budget as the state continues to promise 100-percent reimbursement on any RTA-identified youth.

Adult Protective Services Stretch Staff

Rumsey reported that Genesee County DSS has 161 cases in the Adult Preventive and Protective Services category, and that has caused additional strain on the staff.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, one worker was furloughed, which left four workers and one supervisor to oversee all the protective service for adult cases and handle preventive services (representative payee), utility referrals and guardianships,” he said.

On the subject of state-mandated Medicaid, Rumsey said New York has failed to live up to its promise to take over the administration of the program and sees “no light at the end of the tunnel.”

And, based on the requirement for a five-year look-back period for chronic care (nursing home), cases continue to take a great deal of time for eligibility determination, he said.

Rumsey said the department’s budget “remains on track despite the COVID-19 pandemic,” although a 20-percent cut of state aid looms.

“Personnel expenses are as budgeted, and we continue to experience a moderate turnover rate,” he said. “In 2020, we added two assistant county attorneys and one housing coordinator to our staff and hired a director of Fiscal Operations and Child Support (Jennifer Groff), five caseworkers, three social welfare examiners, two youth workers, an intake supervisor, intake clerk, and one part-time chauffeur. At the same time, we had one retirement, 10 resignations and two terminations.”

He said that only two of five vacant positions will be filled.

Medicaid Costs Fixed Through 2020

The county’s weekly Medicaid shares have been reduced to $153,807 per week, and will remain at the level through the first few months of 2021.

“This is the County’s local share of the entire Medicaid program, no matter how many additional people are enrolled or how many benefits are provided,” he explained.

Rumsey said the agency is providing temporary assistance for needy families at an average of 99 households per month involving around 203 individuals, with many of those being “child only” cases.

In closing, Rumsey defended and praised his employees.

“The work done at DSS does matter to our community. The job they do is not easy, and can be trying at times, and the role of this agency is often misunderstood,” he said. “Even with the additional stress the COVID-19 pandemic has placed on the staff and their families they continue to work hard and are dedicated in the services they provide. I commend them all for the job they do every day.”

County Legislature Chair Rochelle Stein echoed his sentiments.

“It has been six months and we are just really starting to get into our COVID experience of what we’re going to be living in for probably the next year to year and a half,” she said. “Thank you for your leadership. Thank you for the genuine and sincere care that your staff has demonstrated to our community. It is … appreciated by all of us here at the county because it is tremendous the pressure and the stress that is on every single person in the community and your staff.”

Commitee Passes Several Resolutions

In other developments, the committee approved several resolutions (to be forwarded to the full legislature) submitted by Mental Health Services Director Lynda Battaglia and Public Health Director Paul Pettit.

On the mental health side:

• A contract with Jessica Kurzdorfer of Scottsville to provide additional psychiatric nurse practitioner hours at a rate of $95 per hour from Oct. 19 through Dec. 31. The pact calls for a maximum of 300 hours in that time period.

• A contract with Spectrum Health & Human Services in Orchard Park for crisis after-hours services from Nov. 1 through Dec. 31 at a cost not to exceed $12,534. Battaglia said the number of cases has increased considerably since April.

• A renewal of a contract with Consilium Staffing of Irving, Texas, for psychiatry services at the same cost as what already has been budgeted for 2020 and 2021.

On the health department side:

• An agreement with FairBridge Inn & Suites on Federal Drive, Batavia, to provide temporary lodging for both COVID-19 isolation and quarantine of individuals who are unable to stay in their homes and have a home in which to sequester themselves. The contract, to run through Aug. 26, 2021, calls for a rate of $40 per night if the stay is at least seven days or a rate of $50 per night if the stay is less than seven days. Costs are covered by the county.

• Acceptance of a $23,130 from the state Department of Health to support the county’s Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Program. The grant period is Oct. 1, 2020 through March 31, 2021.

• Contracting with Melissa Caputi of Batavia, an occupational therapist, to provide addition special education itinerant teacher services, classroom services and evaluator services in the Preschool Supportive Health Services Program retroactively for the period of Aug. 15, 2020 through June 30, 2021. The pay rate is established by New York State, with 59.5 percent of the service costs qualifying for state reimbursement, less any Medicaid payment on Medicaid-eligible children.

Press release:

Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) is announcing he is now accepting nominations for his Congressional Veteran of the Month program.

To nominate a veteran who is a current resident of the 27th Congressional District to be recognized, constituents can visit https://jacobs.house.gov/veteran-month-nominations to download the nomination form.

Once completed, nomination forms can be submitted to Rep. Jacobs’ office three different ways:

Email the form to:   NY27Veteran@mail.house.gov
Fax to (716) 631-7610
Or mail to the Clarence District office at 8203 Main St., Suite 2, Williamsville, NY 14221

“As a State Senator, my Veteran of the Month program was one of the most incredible and truly humbling programs I had the honor of conducting," Jacobs said.

"I am eager to launch this program from my Congressional Office and honor the truly incredible veterans of NY27 for their selfless service to our country and their communities."

The engine of an airplane that went down in a swampy and wooded area off of Boyce Road in Corfu was recovered today after being dug out from under more than 10 feet of mud, Sheriff William Sheron said this afternoon.

"One of the biggest problems we've had," Sheron said, "is water going back into the hole. It's a very high water table right there."

The search for pieces of the airplane, which disintegrated on impact, Sheron said, is complete and the parts are being shipped to Nashville for further investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.

The search for human remains continues. Mud has been removed from the crash site, Sheron said, and crews will sift through it in an attempt to recover more remains of the deceased. That process will go through at least all of tomorrow and perhaps into Wednesday.

Attorneys Steve Barnes and Elizabeth Barnes died in the crash at about noon Friday when the 2009 SOCATA TBM-850 fell from the sky as it passed over Genesee County.

The cause of the crash remains undetermined. A few minutes before the plane veered off course and started a rapid descent, the pilot, Steve Barnes, told an air traffic controller "everything is fine."

The plane does not have what is commonly referred to as a "black box" but some flight data is recorded on the plane. Sheron said the recording disk is about the size of a SIM* card (like you have in your mobile phone) and it has not been located.

More personal items of the victims were recovered today. Sheron said the ID of one victim has been recovered and other items have been recovered that were personal to the individuals.

"My team is doing a very, very thorough job on collecting human remains," said Coroner Jeff McIntyre. 

Today, he said, the team dug as far as the mini-excavator would go, McIntyre said. By that point, no other items related to the crash were being found so, he said, he's confident they've dug down as far as needed to recover any human remains.

The human remains are being sent to the Monroe County Medical Examiner's Office for examination and DNA confirmation of the victim's identities.

*The acronym stands for subscriber identity module, or subscriber identification module.

Previously:

• Small airplane out of Buffalo crashes in swampy area off Boyce Road in Corfu
• Investigation continues into cause of plane crash in Corfu
• Coroner's Office begins process of recovering remains from crash site
• Jacobs, Higgins call on NTSB to send investigators to crash site in Corfu
• Video: Press conference near site of Friday's plane crash in Corfu

Press release:

As of 2 p.m. 

• Genesee County received nine new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • The new positive cases reside in Alabama, Elba, Le Roy and Oakfield.
  • Three of the individuals are between 0-20, two individuals are in their 20s, one individual is in their 40s, and three individuals are in their 50s.
  • Seven individuals were not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
  • Four of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been released from isolation.
  • Eight new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states. 
  • One of the positive individuals is hospitalized.
  • One of the new positive cases is a student at Elba High School. This case was identified in the press release Friday evening. If you were not notified you are not considered a close contact.

• Orleans County received zero new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • Five of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been released from isolation.
  • Eleven new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.

Montell L. Cunningham, 27, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree strangulation, second-degree burglary and second-degree harassment. Cunningham was arrested at 7:22 p.m. on Sept. 29 after an investigation into a domestic incident that occurred on Sept. 13 on Tracy Avenue in Batavia. After arraignment in Batavia City Court, the defendant was put in jail on $2,000 cash bail, $4,000 bond, or $8,000 partially secured bond. A stay away order of protection was issued for the victim. Cunningham is due back in city court on Oct. 29. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer John Gombos, assisted by Officer Christopher Lindsay.

Joshua K. Williams, 29, of McKinley Avenue, Batavia, is charged with: endangering the welfare of a child; criminal obstruction of breathing; and third-degree assault -- all Class A misdemeanors. He was arrested Sept. 23 on a warrant out of Batavia City Court. It was issued after an investigation into a domestic incident on McKinley Avenue on Oct. 7 of last year. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court with bail set by Judge Durin Rogers of one buck. Williams is due back in court on Oct. 28. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Christopher Lindsay.

Joshua K. McKinley, 29, of McKinley Avenue, Batavia, was arrested at 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 23 on a bench warrant out of Batavia City Court. It was issued after McKinley allegedly failed to participate in a court-ordered program. He was arraigned in city court and put in jail with bail set by Judge Durin Rogers of one buck. He is due back in court on Oct. 28.

Danielle E. Cummings, 42, of Batavia Oakfield Townline Road, Batavia, is charged with: aggravated unlicensed operation in the second degree; unlicensed operator; following too closely; and leaving the scene of a property damage accident. Cummings was arrested at 3:25 p.m. on Aug. 4 on Park Road in Batavia. The arrest was made after an investigation into a hit and run motor-vehicle accident on Park Road. She is due in Batavia City Court on Dec. 30. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Sean Wilson, assisted by Samuel Freeman.

Robert Scott Douglas, 40, no address provided, is charged with third-degree grand larceny. He is currently incarcerated at the Wyoming Correctional Facility. He was arraigned via Skype in Genesee County Court and ordered held on $100 bail. The warrant for his arrest stemmed from a grand larceny investigation by Batavia Police Officer Christopher Lindsay in February that resulted in a Grand Jury indictment. The case was handled by Batavia Police Sgt. Dan Coffey.

Rae Charlene Cook, 31, of Liberty Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree criminal contempt. Cook was arrested at 5:20 p.m. on Sept. 30 when Batavia Police allegedly found her in violation of an order of protection while she was being taken into custody on a previous case. She was arraigned in Batavia City Court and is due back there on Oct. 14. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Mitchell Cowen, assisted by Officer John Gombos.

Rae Charlene Cook, 31, of Liberty Street, Batavia, is charged with first-degree criminal contempt. At 5:22 p.m. on Sept. 30, Cook was arrested after an investigation into a domestic incident that occurred on Liberty Street at 4:43 p.m. Sept. 28. It is alleged that Cook violated an order of protection by having physical contact with the protected party. She was arraigned in Batavia City Court and released under supervision of Genesee Justice. Cook is due back in court on Oct. 14. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer John Gombos, assisted by Officer Christopher Lindsay.

Urban J. Lawson, 55, of West Main Street, is charged with second-degree harassment -- physical contact. At 9:26 a.m. on Sept. 26, Lawson was arrested because of an incident that occurred Sept. 22 on West Main Street in which he allegedly subjected a person to unwanted physical contact. He is due in Batavia City Court on Jan. 5. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Miah Stevens.

Lynn A. Perry, 53, of Halfmoon, no address provided, was arrested at 12:10 a.m. on Oct. 2 by troopers out of SP Batavia for driving while intoxicated and other vehicle and traffic infractions. Troopers were dispatched to a collision State Route 63 in the Town of Pavilion. Further investigation revealed a 2013 Audi was parked on the shoulder of State Route 63 and was struck by a 2019 Chevy operated by Perry. During the investigation, an odor of alcoholic beverage was allegedly present on Perry. Perry was placed under arrest after failing multiple SFSTs and transported to SP Batavia for processing. According to SP Batavia's report, Perry recorded a .11 BAC. She was issued traffic tickets returnable to the Town of Pavilion court for later this month.

Matthew J. Reed, 36, no permanent address, was arrested at 1 p.m. Oct. 20 on a bench warrant out of Batavia City Court for allegedly failing to appear for a prior court date. He is due to return to court Oct. 20. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Adam Tucker.

Press release:

The City of Batavia Fire Department is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) — the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for more than 90 years — to promote this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen!”

The campaign works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe.

According to NFPA, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the United States. Almost half (44 percent) of reported home fires started in the kitchen. Two-thirds (66 percent) of home cooking fires start with the ignition of food or other cooking materials.

“We know cooking fires can be prevented,” said Lorraine Carli, NFPA’s vice-president of outreach and advocacy. “Staying in the kitchen, using a timer, and avoiding distractions such as electronics or TV are steps everyone can take to keep families safe in their homes.”

The City of Batavia Fire Department encourages all residents to embrace the 2020 Fire Prevention Week theme.

“The most important step you should take before making a meal is to “Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen!” said Stefano Napolitano, the city's fire chief. “A cooking fire can grow quickly. I have seen many homes damaged and people injured by fires that could easily have been prevented.”

The City of Batavia Fire Department wants to share safety tips to keep you from having a cooking fire.

Always keep an oven mitt and pan lid nearby when you’re cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slidethe lid over the pan to smother the flame. Turn off the burner, and leave the pan covered until it is completely cool.

• Never leave cooking food unattended. Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling or broiling.
• If you have to leave, even for a short time, turn off the stove. If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly, remain in the home whilefood is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you’re cooking.
• You have to be alert when cooking. You won’t be alert if you are sleepy, have taken medicine or drugs, or consumed alcohol that makes you drowsy.
• Have a “kid-free zone” of at least 3 feet around the stove and areas where hot food or drink isprepared or carried.
• The City of Batavia Fire Department is hosting a series of events in support of this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen!”, including virtual events at schools via and socially distant visits.
• For more general information about Fire Prevention Week and cooking fire prevention, visit: www.fpw.org

Press release from AAA:

Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $2.19, the same as one week ago. One year ago, the price was $2.66. The New York State average is $2.26 – no change since last week. A year ago, the NYS average was $2.72.

AAA Western and Central New York (AAA WCNY) reports the following averages:

• Batavia -- $2.21 (no change since last week)
• Buffalo -- $2.23 (no change since last week)
• Ithaca -- $2.19 (down 1 cent since last week)
• Rochester -- $2.24 (down 1 cent since last week)
• Rome -- $2.31 (down 1 cent since last week)
• Syracuse -- $2.19 (no change since last week)
• Watertown -- $2.30 (down 2 cents since last week)

The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline remains at $2.19, which is the same price as a week ago, 3 cents less than a month ago, but still significantly cheaper than last year (-47 cents).

In the latest report from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand saw a slight uptick while domestic stocks also increased. Gas prices are expected to remain reasonable for the fall foliage travel season. Once the holiday season arrives, winter blend fuel will debut again, which is typically cheaper to produce, so gas prices are not expected to dramatically increase in the near future.

From GasBuddy:

"It's been a fairly quiet week for gas prices yet again, but with oil tanking last week, there's a possibility motorists may see a renewed downward direction in average prices in the days or weeks ahead," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy. "However, according to Pay with GasBuddy data, gasoline demand inexplicably rose last week to the highest level since August, breaking with conventional wisdom that fall demand is typically weak.

"While we have no direct reasoning for the rebound, five of seven days last week saw much above the prior week's gasoline demand, in fact, Friday saw the highest gasoline demand since Labor Day. If demand continues to somehow defy such conventional trends, we may see an end to the possibility of future declines."

This afternoon, Sheriff William Sheron and Coroner Jeff McIntyre held a press conference in Corfu, near the site of Friday's plane crash that claimed the life of attorney Steve Barnes and his niece, Elizabeth Barnes, also an attorney.

Sheron said human remains have been recovered but the search continues. 

McIntyre said the remains will be sent to Monroe County Medical Examiner's Office for positive identification.

Sheron said authorities are certain at this point that Barnes and his niece were on the plane and that they were the only two people aboard the plane.

The plane's impact created a 10-foot deep crater in a swampy area that is prone to fill with water and mud, making recovery difficult.

The recovery at the crash site could take another 48 hours.

The FAA is handling many of the duties that might otherwise be handled by the NTSB investigators and both Sheron and McIntyre are confident the investigation will be handled appropriately.  The NTSB investigators are not traveling because of COVID-19 concerns. The wreckage will be transported to Nashville where NTSB investigators will examine it.

Press release:

Congressmembers Brian Higgins (NY-26) and Chris Jacobs (NY-27) are calling on the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to send investigators to the scene of fatal airplane crash in Genesee County.  The Western New York leaders made the request in a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator and NTSB Chairman. 

Higgins and Jacobs write in part, “the agency must develop and execute an appropriate plan to adequately and safely examine the crash site as soon as possible. Neglecting to do so leaves crucial information about what caused this tragic crash unknown.”

A small aircraft departing Manchester, New Hampshire, crashed on Friday, Oct. 2 in the vicinity of Corfu, New York, never reaching its Buffalo, New York destination. The crash tragically killed both on board; Steve Barnes ,the pilot and a Western New York attorney, as well as his passenger and niece Elizabeth Barnes, an attorney with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

According to the NTSB’s website: “At the core of NTSB investigations is the ‘Go Team.’ The purpose of the Safety Board ‘Go Team’ is simple and effective: Begin the investigation of a major accident at the accident scene, as quickly as possible, assembling the broad spectrum of technical expertise that is needed to solve complex transportation safety problems.”

The NTSB has indicated they don’t plan to send a “Go Team” of investigators to the Western New York crash site due to COVID-19, and will instead only provide a remote review of the accident. 

Unfortunately, Western New York has been hit hard by several fatal aviation accidents including most recently the crash of a helicopter flown by Buffalo developer Mark Croce in January 2020 and the crash of Flight 3407 in February 2009 killing all on board and one on the ground. NTSB investigators were sent to the scene of both accidents. The NTSB Flight 3407 report led to sweeping changes to improve airline safety. 

Higgins and Jacobs stressed the value of on-site investigators writing, “No community knows the importance of an NTSB investigation more than Western New York. These investigations prevent future losses of life, result in safer skies, and bring closure to those who have lost loved ones. We strongly urge the NTSB to proceed expeditiously with a full investigation including the deployment of on-site investigators.”

Previously:

• Small airplane out of Buffalo crashes in swampy area off Boyce Road in Corfu
• Investigation continues into cause of plane crash in Corfu
• Coroner's Office begins process of recovering remains from crash site

A one-vehicle accident is reported in the area of 1007 Francis Road, Bethany.

A utility pole was struck and wires are down.

A female occupant attempted to exit the vehicle and the caller advised the woman to say in the vehicle because of the possibility of live electrical wires. It's unknown if there are other occupants in the vehicle.

Bethany fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

Francis Road is being closed to through traffic.

UPDATE 10:37 a.m.: A chief on scene reports a pole in the road, live wires down, and asks National Grid to expedite its response. No ETA.

The Genesee County Coroner's Office has begun the process of recovering human remains from Friday's airplane crash site near Route 33 and Boyce Road in Corfu, according to Coroner Jeff McIntyre.

McIntyre said it will be a long process.

"I am unsure as to how long this will take, as the plane buried itself fairly deep in mud," McIntyre said. "My office arrived on the scene yesterday at 2 p.m. along with an aircraft recovery and salvage company contracted by the NTSB. We still have not found remains." 

There are three coroners from Genesee County at the crash site along with the chief coroner from Orleans County, a forensic anthropologist from Wyoming County, along with volunteers from East Pembroke and Corfu fire departments, and staff from the Genesee County Emergency Management Office and the Genesee County Sheriff's Office.

"My thoughts and prayers go to the Barnes family during this tragic time," McIntyre said.

Previously:

• Small airplane out of Buffalo crashes in swampy area off Boyce Road in Corfu
• Investigation continues into cause of plane crash in Corfu

When Mary Doktor heard the sound of an airplane clearly in distress passing over her house on Boyce Road yesterday just before noon, she looked up and saw a small plane passing overhead.

She knew it was too low to the ground and the engine was sputtering, making a strange "winding" sound.

"I knew it was going down and I thought, 'Thank God, he's not hitting my house,' " Doktor said. "That's what I thought. It was scary ... .  Poor guy."

The plane, she said, was still relevantly level with the ground and the nose was not pointed down, she said.

She ran into her house to call 9-1-1 and then heard a boom.

"I ran back out and jumped in my car," she said. "I was scared at that point that somebody else's house was hit. I never even called 9-1-1."

The crash site was about a mile into the woods from Boyce Road. It wasn't possible for Doktor to get to the crash site but she could smell fuel in the air. There was no fireball, just a small plume of smoke rising in the air.

Steve Barnes,  of Cellino and Barnes, and his niece Elizabeth Barnes apparently died in the crash, though the Sheriff's Office has not yet officially released the names of the victims.

Barnes was flying a 2009 SOCATA 700N, commonly referred to by aviators as a TBM-850, with the tail number N965DM, from Manchester, N.H., to Buffalo. Barnes had been in radio contact with Boston Center but apparently lost radio contact with air controllers there and a short time later made contact with air traffic control in Buffalo.

Once contact was established, a controller informed him to maintain 8,000 feet and asked him if everything is fine. "Yes, sir," Barnes responded. "Everything is fine."

A couple of minutes later, radar shows his plan veering north. The air traffic controller says, "965 Delta Mike, stop your descent, level your wings, maintain your altitude." 

Twice more the controller tells Barnes to stop his descent. There is no response.

"965 Delta Mike, how do you hear?" The controller asks.

Within seconds, the plane disappears from radar.

"Radar contact loss," the controller says.

This afternoon, Sheriff William Sheron there was a change in plans for investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board to visit the crash site. The FAA is conducting the on-site investigation. The debris will be shipped to Nashville where it will be examined by the NTSB and the manufacturer.

TOP Photo: Genesee County Emergency Management vehicles parked this morning on land off of Route 33 near the crash site in Corfu.

Genesee County ABATE sponsored a "Save the Headlights" fun run today, originating at Stan's Harley-Davidson in Batavia in support of breast cancer treatment and research. Funds raised from the event are being donated to Genesee Cancer Assistance.

A motor-vehicle accident is reported on Route 77 in front of the Flying-J.

Unknown injuries.

There is reportedly a post-accident verbal altercation in progress.

Pembroke and Indian Falls fire departments dispatched along with Mercy EMS.

A two-car accident with injuries is reported at 3542 W. Main Street Road, Batavia. East Pembroke Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding along with law enforcement. The location is between Kelsey Road and County Building #2.

UPDATE 2:24 p.m.: All lanes of traffic are blocked, according to a first responder on scene.

UPDATE 2:26 p.m.: "It looks like a car rear-ended a truck," says a first responder. "The lady in the truck is hyperventilating; no injuries in the car."

UPDATE 3:01 p.m.: The roadway is clear. The East Pembroke assignment is back in service.

Press release:

John (last name withheld) is a 50-year-old long distance truck driver who has been out of work for some time due to a 20-year addiction to alcohol.

He’s also someone who has found renewed hope and strength toward living the remainder of his days in sobriety through his participation in recovery programs offered by Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse.

Originally from Corning and most recently a resident of Saratoga Springs, John has found himself in the Batavia area and, as a result, things are looking up for him for the first time in decades.

“I have had a problem with alcohol for my whole life,” he said while taking part in a special game day and potluck dinner recently at The Recovery Station, GCASA’s social gathering place on Clinton Street Road.

John said he was taking too much time off work “because all I really wanted to do was sit around and drink all day.”

He was able to gather the wherewithal to get into a 28-day program and was referred to a local residential facility to continue the recovery process.

He Hasn't Had a Drink in Six Months

“They referred me for a little bit of aftercare, and I’m glad that I did it,” he said. “It was the best thing that I did in my life because I haven’t had a drink in six months. That’s the longest that I’ve been without a drink in probably for 20 years.”

John said that the counselors at the residence, which houses several people in recovery, helped him tremendously.

“I’m the type of person that likes to isolate a lot and everybody over there is really open and they make me feel very comfortable. I feel that I can talk to them about any mood that I am in or anything that I am feeling throughout the day,” he explained.

He then mentioned the importance of The Recovery Station in his efforts to remain sober.

“This place has been a godsend,” he said. “You can come here and work out as they’ve invested in exercise equipment and they have many different activities throughout the week if you look at the calendar.”

John said the certified peer recovery advocates at The Recovery Station are “good listeners who have helped me considerably.”

Social Gathering Place Fills a Gap

“From what I hear because I’m not from here, this area needed a place like this, and I think that everything that GCASA is doing for this city as far as recovery goes is wonderful,” he said. “Really, I can’t give this place enough accolades.”

The Recovery Station is meeting the need for him to treat “mind, body and spirit,” John said.

“I had the mental support and counseling support, but I always wanted to have a place to come and play games and work out. It has made a huge difference thus far,” he said.

John’s downward spiral with alcohol started when he was 13 years old and hanging out with some older boys.

“It was peer pressure from the bigger kids. They said that if I would carry their beer to the campsite – we used to go camping in the woods – then they would let me drink with them,” he recalled. “That’s what got me started but what kept me drinking was that I always had a self-esteem problem. I got picked on a lot when I was a kid as I had buckteeth and was kind of skinny.”

He said that when he “found alcohol, it took that all away.”

“It takes the inhibitions away. It makes you fit in. You don’t really care what other people say about you. It just makes you feel like you’re on top of the world. That’s what kept me drunk my whole life,” he shared.

Alcohol Catches Up to You over Time

In time, the effect of alcoholism reared its ugly head.

“As you get older, your body starts to wear down and it can’t process (the alcohol) anymore and it starts to affect your health,” he said. “For me, when I start to drink in excess, it makes me very unmotivated. I’ve never been really fired from a job, but I always have quit because I didn’t want to go to work or I didn’t show up to work.”

John said he realized that he was traveling down the wrong road.

“At my last job, I knew that drinking and driving don’t mix but also I didn’t have any desire or energy to go to work because the alcohol takes all of your energy away and makes you not care about anything,” he said.

Divorced with a son, John said alcoholism didn’t cause the marital split, but admits it didn’t make things easier. Still, he is grateful for having a relationship with his son and says his self-esteem and health are improving since he stopped drinking.

However, he is aware that the battle to overcome the disease is far from over.

Support is a Key to Sobriety

“It’s a struggle if I don’t have support around me,” he said. “My whole life, and I don’t know if it’s a man thing or an ego thing, but I’ve always had a hard time accepting help from other people. I’ve always wanted to do everything on my own.”

John said he’s made a conscious effort to accept help from others and to get involved in social activities.

“That’s what has kept me from wanting to drink again,” he said.

He also spoke about how alcohol triggered the depression that has buffeted him.

“Depression is a side effect of alcoholism, for sure. A lot of people use alcohol to stop their depression, which helps for a little while,” he offered. “But then, as you get into the disease and you start to rely on it, it compounds the depression and makes it worse than it was before. It absolutely turns on you. Then the depression doubles and triples.”

John said he’s working through some issues and seeking to develop a support system and a sponsor – with the goal of being in a position to help others.

“I’m making good progress at that. I just don’t have a complete plan in place to be able to help somebody else right now but I can see that coming in the near future,” he said. “I’ve been doing a really good job about taking advice. People say the only way you can keep your sobriety is by giving it back to others and helping others. I do see that as being my long term solution to keeping my sobriety.”

Disclosure: Story by Mike Pettinella, GCASA publicist.

Now that a police collaboration advisory group is ready to address policies and procedures of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department, County Legislature Chair Rochelle Stein says she is confident of a successful response to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Order No. 203 on police reform.

Stein, speaking by telephone this afternoon, said the level of participation and the fact that the sheriff’s agency is an accredited law enforcement bureau in New York State put the county in excellent position to draft a plan and submit to director of the Division of the Budget by April 1.

“I am extremely pleased with the number of people that have indicated their interest in serving and their commitment to making sure that our process is full and robust,” Stein said. “I think that the fact that the State of New York has already reviewed and approved our policies and procedures in the sheriff’s department, gaining that accreditation puts us well ahead … in the process.

“New York State has already seen our policies and procedures, and have already said that they are all within good policing process. I am really grateful for that process – the accreditation that happened previously and the reaccreditation that just finished up in September.”

Last week, Sheriff William Sheron Jr. announced that his department completed the reaccreditation audit in compliance with a mandate that stipulates that an accredited law enforcement agency be reassessed every five years and must show that it has followed the 133 standards during that time period.

The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office received its initial accreditation in year 2000.

Stein and County Manager Matt Landers today released the list of members of their Genesee County Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative:

• Community members – Julie Carasone, Perez Dinkins, Leandro Mateos, Barb Starowitz, Tyrone Woods.
• Genesee Community College student – TBA. (Stein said a person has been identified but not yet confirmed).
• Nonprofit Community Groups -- Lynda Battaglia, Genesee County Community Mental Health Services; John Bennett, Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse; Millie Tomidy-Pepper, YWCA of Genesee County.
• Faith-Based Leader -- John Keller, Northgate Free Methodist Church.
• Educational Group -- Rachel Siebert, Genesee Valley Educational Partnership.
• Local Elected Official – Gregory Post, Town of Batavia supervisor.
• Genesee County Public Defender – Jerry Ader.
• Genesee County District Attorney – Lawrence Friedman.
• Genesee County Sheriff’s Department – Sheriff William Sheron, Undersheriff Bradley Mazur, Youth Officer Howard Carlson.
• Genesee County Manager – Matt Landers.
• Genesee County Legislature – Rochelle Stein.

Former Legislature Chair Robert Bausch will serve as the moderator.

Landers said he anticipates a resident of the Tonawanda Indian Reservation to join the group, which will include several persons of color.

Stein said all committee members are invited to attend a presentation by Sheron at a full meeting of the legislature at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 28 at the Old County Courthouse. She said a “meet-and-greet” – likely via Zoom videoconferencing – will take place prior to Oct. 28 but the date and time have yet to be determined.

Stakeholder groups such as these are being formed by municipal law enforcement agencies throughout the state following Cuomo’s Executive Order issued on June 12. The governor’s mandate requires the chief executive to consult with local community stakeholders and develop a reform plan to address policing procedures. The City of Batavia and Le Roy police departments previously announced their groups, developments that have been reported on The Batavian.

Landers said that group members will convene to “openly discuss public safety needs in Genesee County, and policies will be developed that allow for police to protect the public while meeting our local needs.”

Other community members will be invited to join the panel as the process evolves, he said, and all meetings of the committee will be open to the public.

“We look forward to open and respectful dialogue among members,” Stein said, “and see this as an opportunity to collaborate and better understand others’ points of view resulting in updated and new policies that offer fair justice for all.”

This year as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, city firefighters are wearing pink ribbon pins on their lapels.

"It's a small way to show them that they are the real heroes," Chief Stephano Napolitano said. "Everyone calls firefighters the heroes but breast cancer survivors, those people who are fighting breast cancer, and those who lost the fight, they are the real heroes."

Napolitano's late mother survived breast cancer so this is a cause, he said, that is near and dear to his heart.

Submitted photos.