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Police Beat: Tire slashing suspect from February arrested

By Howard B. Owens

Glenn R. Price, 57, of 128 W. Main St., Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th. Price is accused of slashing tires in the parking lot of Walmart, 4133 Veterans Memorial Drive, Batavia, at 12:04 a.m., Feb. 21. The case was investigated by Deputy Chris Parker and Investigator Kristopher Kautz.

Mark Laney, 31, of Clinton Street Road, Bergen, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Laney is accused of violating an order of protection out of Family Court. He was jailed on $1,500 bail.

Christopher Patrick Ball, 28, of Ellicott Street Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st. Ball is accused of harassing his ex-girlfriend during a phone conversation, in violation of an order of protection. Ball was jailed on $2,500 bail.

A 16-year-old resident of West Bergen Road, Le Roy, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. The youth is accused of violating an order of protection out of Family Court. The youth was jailed on $750 bail.

School bus and car accident reported on State Street

By Howard B. Owens

An ambulance has been requested to the scene of a school bus vs. car accident at State Street and West Saile Drive to evaluate a student for an apparent minor injury.

Initially, no ambulance was dispatched because it was thought there were no injuries, but there may be one very minor injury.

Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE: Town of Batavia fire also dispatched.  One person -- apparently older than the students on the bus -- was taken to UMMC for evaluation. State Police are handling the investigation.

Truck driver pronounced dead at scene of accident on Route 19, Bergen

By Howard B. Owens

A 76-year-old milk hauler from Perry died this morning when his rig went straight through a curve on Route 19 in Bergen and overturned when it hit the muddy shoulder.

The cab of the truck landed on its roof and was crushed in the accident, according to Sgt. Kurt Schmitt, New York State Police, Troop A.

Pronounced dead at the scene was Gerald M. Olin. He was driving for Kuszulyk, a milk delivery company.

The accident occurred just before 9 a.m. in the area of 7218 South Lake Road, between Route 33 and Maple Avenue/Bovee Road.

Schmitt said no cause of the accident is immediately apparent and it remains under investigation.  

"We've had our truck inspectors out to look at the truck and nothing obvious (was found)," Schmitt said. "Of course, the truck was upside down, but there was nothing obvious. Once we get the truck upright, they will be back to take a further look."

Bill Ehrmentraut lives very near the accident location and said the crash was loud enough to rattle his house.

"It was a hard crash," Ehrmentraut said. "I knew it wasn't just a car accident. It sounded like thunder, but you could feel the weight."

Ehrmentraut said he took a look at the truck's wheel marks through the mud and where the truck wound up and said it looked like the truck just went straight through the bend in the road with no attempt to turn or slow.

It's not known right now, Schmitt said, if Olin suffered some kind of medical condition that may have contributed to the accident.

Route 19 south of Route 33 remains closed at 1:30 p.m.

Olin was carrying a nearly full load of milk and a second tanker was brought in to off-load the cargo.

A tow service was able to then begin trying to right the truck.

 

Possible house fire at 3643 Dodgeson Road, Alexander

By Billie Owens

A possible structure fire is reported at 3643 Dodgeson Road in Alexander. The caller reported turning on the furnace and the basement started filling with smoke.

Alexander and Town of Batavia fire departments are responding. The location is between Alexander and Wortendyke roads.

UPDATE 9:43 a.m.: A firefighter on scene reports nothing is showing.

UPDATE 9:45 a.m.: Residents say the house is now full of smoke.

UPDATE 9:49 a.m.: A firefighter says the furnace temperature gauge "reads nothing, so I don't know what we've got."

UPDATE 9:51 a.m.: A firefighter says "we're gonna hit 'em with an exhaust fan, that way we can suck some of this (smoke) out." It is advised that another responding unit come to the scene in non-emergency mode.

UPDATE 10:01 a.m.: A fire chief says "if you've got interior (firefighters) send them." A crew is going to check out upstairs.

UPDATE 10:25 a.m.: The situation was deemed a possible furnace malfunction and all units are back in service.

Truck rollover with entrapment reported in Bergen

By Howard B. Owens

A truck has rolled over and a person may be trapped in a vehicle in the area of 7218 South Lake Road, Bergen.

Bergen Fire Department is responding.

Mercy Flight is available if needed.

UPDATE 9:01 a.m.: National Grid being notified for a utility pole that was struck. Monroe County Water Authority being notified for a fire hydrant struck. No need for Mercy Flight at this time. Diesel fuel is leaking.

UPDATE 9:09 a.m.: Unsure what the tanker was hauling, but it was carrying a full load. Churchville fire requested to fill in at Bergen's hall.

UPDATE 10:35 a.m.: State Police have confirmed this is a fatal accident. The truck was hauling milk.


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Photos: 'Osama Got Obama'd' celebration at the Post Office

By Howard B. Owens

About 30 people showed up -- and hundreds more drove by and honked their horns -- at a "Osama Got Obama'd" celebration outside the Post Office on Main Street, Batavia, organized by Victor Thomas and his friend.

The four young men had placed a handmade red, white and blue "Osama Got Obama'd" sign in front of the Upton Monument, which county officials removed early this morning. The sign removal prompted the spur-of-the-moment decision to organize the celebration this afternoon.

Richmond Memorial Library budget vote and trustee election is tomorrow

By Daniel Crofts

The Richmond Memorial Library, at 19 Ross St. in Batavia, will hold its budget vote and Board of Trustees election tomorrow from noon until 9 p.m.

All residents of the Batavia City School District are eligible to vote. Voting will take place in the library's Gallery Room.

The results of the election will be posted tomorrow. Call the library at 343-9550 for more information.

Sign makers thought message was 'traditional and patriotic'

By Howard B. Owens

As Victor Thomas, 26, and three of his buddies watched the news of Osama bin Laden's death last night and saw the celebrations in Washington, D.C., and New York, they wanted to be part of something in Batavia.

So they jumped in a car and drove downtown.

"The City of Batavia was dead," Thomas said. "Not one person was out. Nobody was honking horns or celebrating."

So, Thomas, along with his cousin Christopher Thomas, 26, Ordy Edwards, 26, and Jason Armison, 24, decided to drive to the only place open to buy sign materials -- Walmart -- and get a board and some paint and fix up a sign.

They made a red, white and blue sign and painted on it, "Osama Got Obama'd."

He said they then mused for about 20 minutes on where to place the sign. They thought about putting it in front of the courthouse to represent justice, but then they did a little research on Emery Upson and discovered one of his specialities as a general was tactics in invading enemy territory. That made the Upson Monument, they thought, the perfect place to commemorate Osama's sudden demise in a protected compound in Pakistan.

Now they're a little upset that county workers took the sign down -- Christopher Thomas happened to be driving by at the time and retrieved the sign -- and are planning a rally at 4 p.m. in front of the Post Office.

Victor said anybody wanting to show support for freedom of speech or the United States should attend.

Thomas has seen the comments on The Batavian and is surprised that some have taken the sign as a partisan political statement.

"There was no thought about politics," Thomas said. "They both have O's, Osama and Obama. We didn't take it in a political way. He's our president and every soldier fighting is marching to his orders. They (some readers) took it as political and we just were trying to be traditional or patriotic."

He said he was worried the sign would be taken down, but was hoping it would stay up today so people could drive by and honk their horns, "just to give some kind of recognition to what happened on 9/11 and what our troops are doing."

Photo courtesy WBTA.

Transformer arcing on Pearl Street Road

By Billie Owens

A transformer is said to be arcing repeatedly at 3305 Pearl St. Road. No fire is reported. East Pembroke Fire Department is dispatched.

UPDATE 1:50 p.m.: A firefighter on scene reports nothing is showing. National Grid is notified. The caller told dispatch the transformer had arced three or four times today and it was "pretty loud and bright."

Police Beat: Five teens accused of stealing scrap metal in Alexander

By Howard B. Owens

Timothy V. Meyers, 18, of Walker Road, Darien, along with a 16-year-old from Dodgeson Road, Alexander, a 16-year-old from Centerline Road, Verysburg, and a 16-year-old from Genesee Street, Attica, are charged with petit larceny and criminal trespass. The youths, along with a 14-year-old, were stopped shortly after midnight, Sunday, allegedly removing scrap metal from the Alexander Town Transfer Station. The suspects reportedly fled the scene and were located a short time later with the help of K-9 "Pharoah" and State Troopers.

Brittany Alexis Adams, 20, of Bloomingdale Road, Basom, is charged with petit larceny. Adams is accused of shoplifting $39.84 worth of merchandise from Walmart.

Lynda B. Siplin, 57, of 65 Lakeview Park, Rochester, and Gwendolyn L. Watson, 53, of 91 Reynolds St., Rochester, are each charged with two counts of petit larceny. Siplin and Watson are accused of shoplifting more than $400 worth of merchandise from Aldi's and Dollar General. Siplin and Watson were jailed on $1,000 bail.

A 17-year-old from South Lake Road, Pavilion, is charged with petit larceny. The youth is accused of shoplifting from Walmart.

Pole transformer on fire on Creamery Road

By Howard B. Owens

A transformer is reportedly on fire along Creamery Road.

Bergen Fire Department is dispatched.

UPDATE 11:08 a.m.: Pole #8198 has three transformers on it. The transformers were on fire but now the fire is out. National Grid being notified.

More than 300 lbs. of drugs dropped off at Batavia PD on Saturday

By Howard B. Owens

National Drug Take-Back Day was a success in Batavia, according to Det. Pat Corona.

Corona said Batavia PD collected 320 lbs. of unwanted prescription drugs and hypodermic instruments.

Police detectives will soon travel to Buffalo to deliver the boxes of collected items for proper disposal.

"We were very pleased with the turnout for the detail," Corona said. "We are happy to have been able to offer this service."

Another collection day is anticipated in October.

'Osama Got Obama'd' sign removed from in front of Upton Monument

By Howard B. Owens

Some time over night somebody placed a red, white and blue handmade sign in front of the Upton Monument that read "Osama Got Obama'd."

By 9 a.m., the sign was gone.

County Manager Jay Gsell told Dan Fischer at WBTA that county workers removed the sign because the Upton Monument was not the appropriate location to place it.

Photo courtesy WBTA.

Osama bin Laden is Dead

By Howard B. Owens

Osama bin Laden, responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, is dead.

In an operation inside of Pakistan, U.S. forces killed bin Laden during a firefight at a mansion. U.S forces are in possession of the body, The New York Times reports.

Buy Photos

By Howard B. Owens

All of the photos from this weekend are now available for purchase of prints.  Click here.

The photos include the clean up at Genesee County Park, the tree planting in Austin Park, the track meet at Van Detta Stadium and Saturday at the Carnival.

Again, prints can be purchased by clicking here.

Also, the first weekend in April was also a busy weekend and I never let anybody know the pictures were available for purchase.

That weekend included Eco-Fest, GCC women's softball and men's baseball, the Chamber of Commerce Awards Dinner, the fundraiser for Brooklyn Sputore, the Le Roy Fire Department dinner, the Easter Bunny at Oliver's, and I also included the Easter egg hunt at Centennial Park.

To purchase prints of those pictures, click here.

Remember, we offer prices on prints well below the suggested retail price.

Photos: Downtown Carnival

By Howard B. Owens

The annual Downtown Carnival is taking place on Jackson Street this weekend. It continues this afternoon.

More pictures after the jump:

 

Photos: Track meet at Van Detta Stadium

By Howard B. Owens

Student athletes from high schools throughout Western New York converged on Van Detta Stadium late Saturday afternoon for a regional track meet.

Here are a few pictures from the competition.

More pictures after the jump:

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