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It was another busy news year in Genesee County, with lots of big stories, such as the ongoing saga of Ellicott Station, which even cast a shadow over a planned development for Pembroke.

That wasn't the only sign of economic growth in Pembroke, which is the site of a distribution center under construction and a planned new travel center, growth that seems largely driven by anticipated new jobs at WNY STAMP in Alabama, a GCEDC project that was mired in controversy in 2023, beset by lawsuits and environmental concerns.

In 2023, the environment didn't always play nice with Genesee County.  In June, wildfires in Canada raised concerns locally over air quality, and Bethany, along with Pavilion and Pembroke, have been suffering through water shortages.

Counties throughout upstate New York hit the panic button in the spring when rumors circulated that New York City was planning to bus asylum seekers and other immigrants to rural parts of another state, causing Genesee County to join in declaring a state of emergency and banning local facilities from housing migrants.

The return of Wings Over Batavia capped Genesee County's 2023 summer.

There were no major crimes, but a spate of random gunfire incidents caused concerns among Batavia residents. 

In the arts, Batavia Players opened 56 Main Theater and The Harve made for a more entertaining June.  

In sports, both Notre Dame (baseball) and Byron-Bergen (Boys Soccer) made runs at state championships. Pembroke won its second consecutive state championship in 8-Man Football.

Readers visited the site 1.4 million times in 2023 and viewed 9.2 million pages.

The big stories aren't always the most read stories.  Here are the 15 most viewed stories according to stats for The Batavian in 2023.

• Air quality alert issued for Sunday, by Howard Owens
• Pavilion school board hears public outcry over SRO issue and chooses to remain silent, by Howard Owens
• Puerto Rican restaurant to serve up 'a nice little change' in Batavia, by Joanne Beck
• Zeliff residence up for sale, businessman to remain locally involved, by Joanne Beck
• O'Lacy's closes, owner thanks patrons and staff with 'heavy heart,' by Joanne Beck
• A friendly merger: H.E. Turner and Gilmartin sign deal, by Joanne Beck
• Soft opening launches WNY Plate at downtown takeout, by Joanne Beck
• Lawsuit by ex-wife against David Bellavia, Orleans County, alleges false arrest as part of ugly divorce, by Howard Owens
• Hawley criticizes NYS plan to require background checks for ammo purchases, by Press Release
• Sweet Betty's reopens with new owners and ready to please,  by Joanne Beck
• Nightmare on Bank Street gives the green light to a Halloween scare, by Howard Owens
• Batavians purchase Oakfield Hotel and Bowling Lanes, plan significant upgrades throughout, by Mike Pettinella
• Person ejected from vehicle that strikes tree in Stafford, by Howard Owens
• Troopers investigating serious injury accident on Route 98 in Batavia, by Howard Owens
• Sheriff's Office looking for person of interest in hit-and-run in Batavia Downs parking lot, by Howard Owens

Many of our stories were reported first on The Batavian, and we broke some important stories, most notably the travails of Ellicott Station.  If you value great local reporting, you can help ensure it continues.  Join Early Access Pass today.  As a member of Early Access Pass, not only are you supporting your local community by supporting local news coverage, you are getting early exclusive access to our most important stories.  You also get early access to Deal of the Day.  Currently, you get a four-hour advance (look for this window of time to increase in 2024) on important stories and Deal of the Day.

We wish you a Happy New Year and thank all of our loyal readers and sponsors for your ongoing support.