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Le Roy

Grand Jury: Man indicted for 2013 Pembroke burglary, two others accused of DWI

By Billie Owens

David J. Mylar IV is indicted for the crime of third-degree burglary, a Class D felony. It is alleged that on Oct. 3, 2013, that Mylar knowingly entered or remained unlawfully inside a building on Main Road in the Town of Pembroke, with the intent to commit a crime.

Gregory J. Rodak is indicted for the crime of driving while intoxicated as a Class E felony. It is alleged that on Nov. 17 in the Town of Bergen that Rodak drove a 2007 Volkswagon on Townline Road while in an intoxicated condition. In count two, he is accused of DWI, per se, also a Class E felony, for allegedly having a BAC of .08 percent or more at the time.

Beverly B. Meadows is indicted for the crime of driving while intoxicated as a misdemeanor. It is alleged that on Dec. 6 in the Village of Le Roy that Meadows drove a 2003 Chevrolet on North Street while in an intoxicated condition. In count two, she is accused of DWI, per se, as a misdemeanor, for allegedly having a BAC of .08 percent or more at the time. In count three, Meadows is accused of the crime of aggravated unlicensed operation in the first degree, a Class E felony. It is alleged that at the time of the crimes alleged in counts one and two, that she knew or had reason to know that her driver's license was suspended or otherwise withdrawn by authorities.

Power outage update

By Howard B. Owens

National Grid appears to making progress on restoring power to its customers in WNY, but there are still more than 100 outages in Genesee County affecting more than 10,000 customers.

All of Le Roy and most of Stafford and Bethany are reportedly without power and there are 39 separate outages in the City of Batavia.

There are now more than 800 outages reported for National Grid in WNY, but the total number of customers affected has dropped to 68,000.

Le Roy High School has rescheduled tonight's musical, a performance of "Bye Bye Birdie." A performance has been added for 1 p.m., Saturday. Tickets purchased for tonight's show can be used for any remaining show -- 7 p.m. tomorrow, 1 p.m. Saturday and also at 7 p.m. Saturday.

RWC Bohn's on Clinton Street Road in Batavia is offering a series of discounted entrees this evening for residents without power (the restaurant was without power last night). The meals are $9.99 each and include strip steak, fish fry, broiled haddock, chicken parm, penne pasta with a bolognese sauce and fettuccine Alfredo.

UPDATE: The John Ferrara fundraiser at the American Legion in Le Roy tonight has been postponed.

Here are a couple of more pictures from readers of storm damage:

From Bob Jarnot of a tree down in Stafford.

Lilya Kotmel, a seventh-grader, sent in another picture from yesterday, this one on North Street.

Report of smoke in the residence in house on East Main Road, Le Roy

By Howard B. Owens

There's a report of smoke in the residence of 8286 E. Main Road, Le Roy.

Le Roy fire dispatched with mutual aid from Pavilion.

UPDATE 1:07 p.m.: There may be a problem with an electrical outlet. A thermal camera is requested in the house.

Car hits pole in Le Roy

By Howard B. Owens

There are unknown injuries after a car hit a utility pole in the area of 7332 Quinlan Road.

Lines are down.

Le Roy fire and Le Roy ambulance dispatched.

Le Roy students help send message that NYS Tobacco Control Programs save lives and money

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability and death in New York State; 28,200 lives are lost due to tobacco dependence every year.

New York State (NYS) Tobacco Control Programs (TCP) have been proven to reduce youth smoking and help current smokers quit, which saves lives and millions of state tax dollars. However, higher rates of smoking persist among individuals with less than a high school education (22.4 percent), income less than $25,000 a year (22.2 percent) and those with poor mental health (27.2 percent).

“We’ve made great strides in combatting the tobacco epidemic, but more work needs to be done to reduce the significantly higher smoking rates among disparate populations in our region and throughout the state,” said Shelly Wolanske, Youth Engagement Coordinator at Tobacco-Free Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties. (GLOW).

That’s the message Tobacco-Free GLOW and Reality Check youth delivered last month to state lawmakers in Albany. Participating in the legislative visits were: Xandria Jackson, Chloe Schmitter, Melissa Park, Kailie DeWald and Paula Hernandez, all students at LeRoy Junior-Senior High School. They met with Senator Michael Ranzenhofer, Assemblyman Mike Norris and Assemblyman Stephen Hawley.

Annually, the group visits the New York State Capitol to educate lawmakers about the success of established tobacco control programs and opportunities to further reduce the burden of tobacco addiction on New Yorkers. They described the valuable work being done in the GLOW region to reduce smoking rates and to keep youth from starting smoking, which begins at 13 years old, on average.

Grand Jury: Two men indicted for grand larceny in Town of Le Roy

By Billie Owens

Jonathan E. Seiger is indicted on 18 counts, 17 of which are Class E felonies and one is a Class A misdemeanor. In count one, he is accused of the crime of fourth-degree grand larceny, a Class E felony. It is alleged that between Aug. 5 and Nov. 15 in the Town of Le Roy, Seiger stole property -- U.S. currency -- with a value exceeding $1,000. In counts two through nine, the defendant is indicted for the crime of criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree for allegedly knowingly possessing stolen property with intent to benefit himself or a person other than the owner, or to impede the recovery of the property -- in this case, an ATM card -- by an owner of it. In counts 10 through 17, Seiger is accused of the crime of identity theft in the third degree. It is alleged in counts 10 through 17 that on various dates in August and in November, the defendant knowingly and with intent to defraud, Seiger assumed the identity of another person by presenting himself as that person, or by acting as that person by using personal identifying information of that person, and thereby obtained goods, money, property or services or used credit in the name of the person, causing financial loss to the person. In count 18, Seiger is accused of the misdemeanor crime of fifth-degree conspiracy for intentional conduct that constituted a felony to be performed, and he agreed with one or more people to engage in or cause the perfomance of such conduct.

Scott H. Spencer is indicted on 18 counts, 17 of which are Class E felonies and one is a Class A misdemeanor. In count one, he is accused of the crime of fourth-degree grand larceny, a Class E felony. It is alleged that between Aug. 5 and Nov. 15 in the Town of Le Roy, Spencer stole property -- U.S. currency -- with a value exceeding $1,000. In counts two through nine, the defendant is indicted for the crime of criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree for allegedly knowingly possessing stolen property with intent to benefit himself or a person other than the owner, or to impede the recovery of the property -- in this case, an ATM card -- by an owner of it. In counts 10 through 17, Spencer is accused of the crime of identity theft in the third degree. It is alleged in counts 10 through 17 that on various dates in August and in November, the defendant knowingly and with intent to defraud, Spencer assumed the identity of another person by presenting himself as that person, or by acting as that person by using personal identifying information of that person, and thereby obtained goods, money, property or services or used credit in the name of the person, causing financial loss to the person. In count 18, Spencer is accused of the misdemeanor crime of fifth-degree conspiracy for intentional conduct that constituted a felony to be performed, and he agreed with one or more people to engage in or cause the perfomance of such conduct.

Kayleigh J. Allen is indicted for the crime of driving while intoxicated, a Class E felony. It is alleged that on Nov. 26 in Town of Batavia that Allen drove a 2012 Chevrolet on Route 98 while in an intoxicated condition. In count two, she is accused of DWI, per se, as a Class E felony, for the same crime while having a BAC of .08 percent.

Le Roy and Byron-Bergen graduates will received GCEDC-endorsed certificate for training in professional skills

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

When members of the Class of 2018 graduate from Byron-Bergen and Le Roy Central school districts next June, their high school transcripts will include a certificate, endorsed by the Genesee County Economic Development Center, indicating completion of a training program in professional skills.

With support from the Genesee Gateway Local Development Corporation and the America’s Best Communities grant, a timely program is being developed in the two districts to provide graduating seniors with a repertoire of skills that employers perceive as lacking in the majority of first-time job applicants.

“We are constantly looking for strategies to develop our local workforce in preparation for emerging career opportunities,” said John Jakubowski, GCEDC Workforce Development consultant. “Honing professional skills gives our students the edge in a competitive market.”

Professional skills, sometimes referred to as “soft” skills, include effective communication, teamwork and collaboration, problem solving, critical observation, and conflict resolution. While they may be difficult to quantify, their absence is obvious and problematic for conducting business efficiently and professionally.

“Our students are developing a growth mindset as early as elementary school,” said Byron-Bergen Superintendent Mickey Edwards. “We reinforce the belief throughout all grades that intelligence and character can be developed and that human potential really is without limits.

"With this new program for seniors on their way out our doors to higher education, the service or employment, we are equipping them with a refinement of skills to position them for success in whatever route they take.”

The professional skills training will rely on the expertise of school counseling staff, the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership Business Education coordinator, and local employers as guest presenters. 

“When our students can interact with a company president or a human resources manager from our geographical area, they not only learn the importance of professional skills, they also get a feel for the wide variety of opportunities that exist close to home," said incoming Le Roy Superintendent Merritt Holly.

"With the exciting initiatives transpiring in projects like the Le Roy Food & Tech Park, we want our graduates to be ready to take advantage of any career path that presents itself. But professional skills are universally in demand and will serve our children well for a lifetime.” 

While the professional skills training program is being designed specifically for Byron-Bergen and Le Roy high school seniors, the model is highly replicable and can be adapted easily in other districts.

GCEDC receives funds to advance shovel ready Le Roy Food & Tech Park

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) continues to pursue a $1.2 million phase one shovel-ready project to build a business park on a 75-acre parcel in the Town of Le Roy. Similar efforts in the towns of Batavia, Pembroke and Bergen have yielded major corporate investment. The plan for the GCEDC is to replicate this business attraction model in Le Roy.

The GCEDC has purchased the land for the project, requested a rezoning of the property from the Town of Le Roy and has received an award through the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) process administered by the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council for $420,000 to begin site engineering and infrastructure construction.

The GCEDC estimates that at full build out, the Le Roy Food & Tech Park will have approximately 600,000 square feet for office, advanced manufacturing and distribution/warehousing space that could employ as many as 1,000 people.

“The GCEDC has a proven track record in making sites shovel ready through smart investments and market these sites to businesses locally, regionally, nationally and internationally and we are confident that this can be accomplished in Le Roy,” said Genesee County Legislator Shelley Stein (Le Roy). 

“Collaboration is critical to this type of effort and it’s good to see how our local government leaders and economic development and education professionals are working together to make this project a reality,” said Genesee County Legislator Robert J. Basuch (Elba, Byron and Bergen).

“We continue to move forward with the GCEDC to make this site shovel ready,” said Le Roy Town Supervisor Stephen R. Barbeau. “We have the real potential to create new jobs, secure new investment and grow the tax base in our community.”

“We think our strategy of building a shovel-ready site in Le Roy will enhance market opportunities for existing buildings and infrastructure in the vicinity of the park,” said Steve Hyde, president and CEO of the GCEDC. “This is similar to the development strategy deployed around the county where shovel-ready parks are located at the edge of population centers.”

The Le Roy Food & Tech Park is located on a 75-acre parcel on Route 19 and West Bergen Road in the Town of Le Roy bordering the Village of LebRoy. The GCEDC estimates that when developed it will be able to attract companies and investment to the site that will enable additional commercial infill into the Village.

To prepare the local workforce for these new jobs, the towns are partnering with Le Roy Central School and Byron-Bergen Central School through a Professional Skills Training program.  The program is being funded through a grant from America’s Best Communities award that the towns of Le Roy and Bergen won in 2015. 

Professional skills include various interpersonal skills such as how to interact with people, emotional intelligence, verbal communications skills and other skills to help people perform in the workplace. The lack of professional skills has been identified by employers as one of the biggest challenges for the next generation of workers. 

“We need to work together to not only bring new jobs to our community but also to provide the next generation of our workforce the tools to be successful once they graduate from school,” said Donald S. Cunningham, Town of Bergen supervisor.

“There are a number of exciting initiatives taking place in Bergen and Le Roy and this project has the potential to really have a positive impact on both communities,” said Anna Marie Barclay, Village of Bergen mayor.

Law and Order: Confrontation in Walmart parking lot leads to man's arrest

By Howard B. Owens

Nicholas Anthony Esposito, 31, of North Street Road, Le Roy, is charged with criminal mischief, 3rd, menacing and harassment, 2nd. Esposito was reportedly involved in an incident at 2:55 p.m. Friday in the parking lot of Walmart where he allegedly damaged the property of another person, struck the owner of that vehicle with a closed fist and placed a woman in the vehicle in fear of physical injury.

Tomy Lee Velasquez, 24, of Fisher Road, Warsaw, is charged with obstructing governmental administration, 2nd, false personation, aggravated unlicensed operation, 2nd, and rental vehicle without an ignition interlock device, and loud muffler. Velasquez was stopped Feb. 20 for an alleged traffic violation by Le Roy PD.

Cassy Drury, 23, of Myrtle Street, Le Roy, is charged with two counts of rape, 3rd. Drury, being a person over 21, allegedly had sexual intercourse with a person under 17 years old between Jan. 16 and Feb. 20. She was released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

Douglas Edward Artman, 26, of Alleghany Road, Darien, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and speeding. Artman was stopped at 7:44 p.m. Thursday on Route 77, Darien, by Deputy Eric Meyer. He was allegedly found in possession of a marijuana smoking pipe containing marijuana.

Le Roy dominates North Rose-Wolcott, 79-32

By Howard B. Owens

Le Roy easily dispatched North Rose-Wolcott in its quest for possible Section V title with a 79-32 win on its home court. 

Ryan Boyce scored 13 points, hitting two of two three-point tries. Canyon Roster added 12, Josh Laurie, 11, and T.Y. Williams and Jason Doemling each had nine. Boyce and Roster also each had seven rebounds.

Rose-Wolcott's Tyler Norris, who had been averaging more than 30 points a game recently was held to 15 points. He was 0-6 from beyond the arch.

Photos by David Boyce.

Photos: Scenic shots from Le Roy

By Howard B. Owens

Returning from an appointment in Le Roy today, I stopped to snap a few scenic shots on a beautiful afternoon.

Top, along Hebbard Road.

Along North Road.

And the two shots below, along Route 19.

Law and Order: Parolee from Lockport arrested on drug charges after traffic stop

By Howard B. Owens

Edward Jordan White, 21, of Michigan Street, Lockport, is charged with criminal use of drug paraphernalia, 2nd, unlawful possession of marijuana and aggravated unlicensed operation, 2nd. White, who is currently on parole, was stopped by Batavia police officers after being observed driving in the city. During the traffic stop he was allegedly found to have a suspended license and in possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. He was jailed on $5,000 cash or $10,000 bond. The Local Drug Task Force assisted in the investigation.

Billy Joe Johnson, 39, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with forcible touching. Johnson allegedly forcibly touched the intimate parts of another person while in a store on Veterans Memorial Drive at 9:15 p.m., Feb. 14.

Sergio Antonio Forte, 51, of Myrtle Street, Le Roy, was arrested on a warrant stemming from a charge of unauthorized of a use of a vehicle, 2nd. Forte turned himself in at the Sheriff's Office on the warrant. He was jailed without bail.

Le Roy starts sectional play with 69-35 win over Holley

By Howard B. Owens

Le Roy opened its bid for a 2017 Section V title with a convincing win over Holley, 59-35.

Canyon Roster scored 14 points for Le Roy. Josh Laurie had 13 and Ryan Boyce, 11.

Holly's Dylan Hillabush led all scorers with 17 points. 

Law and Order: 78-year-old Bloomingdale Road resident accused of forcible touching

By Billie Owens

Billy Joe Trantham, 78, of Bloomingdale Road, Alabama, is charged with forcible touching. On Feb. 18, following the investigation of a sex offense that allegedly occurred in the Town of Alabama, Trantham was arrested. He allegedly touched the intimate parts of another person without the person's consent. He was released on an appearance ticket and is to be in Alabama Town Court at 2 p.m. on March 2. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Travis DeMuth, assisted by Deputy Kevin Forsyth.

A complaint that a vehicle allegedly ran another vehicle off the road almost causing an accident, on Route 19 in Le Roy, led to a traffic stop of 32-year-old Brandon S. Beil, of 6370 Hawks Road, Pavilion by the Le Roy Police Department. The complaint was received on Saturday Feb. 18 about 7 p.m., at which time the Le Roy Police Department started looking for Beil’s vehicle and located it on Clay Street where the vehicle stop was initiated. During the stop, it was determined that Beil was allegedly intoxicated; he was uncooperative during the arrest process and allegedly struggled with the officers at the scene. Beil allegedly refused all field testing and the chemical test. Beil was charged with one count each of inadequate head lights, felony driving while intoxicated (with previous conviction within 10 Years), refusal to take the breath test, failure to keep right and resisting arrest. Beil was arraigned before the Le Roy Town Court and committed to the Genesee County Jail in lieu of $5,000 cash bail.     

On Feb. 15, the Village of Le Roy Police Department arrested 48-year-old Joseph A. Hogan, of 78 Lake St., Le Roy, charging him with one count of criminal possession of stolen property in the third degree, a Class D felony. An investigation started on Feb. 2nd, when the Le Roy Police received a call about an abandoned vehicle on Genesee Street in the Village. It was learned this vehicle, a 2005 ford F-250 pickup truck valued at more than $3,000, was reported stolen the previous Saturday from the Town of Sweden, Monroe County. During the investigation it was alleged that Hogan unlawfully possessed the stolen vehicle as he was driving it in the Village then abandoned it at the Genesee Street location. Hogan was arraigned in the Town of Le Roy Court and put in Genesee County Jail without bail pending a future court appearance.

A 16-year-old who lives on Main Road in Corfu is charged with second-degree aggravated harassment following a harassment investigation at Pembroke High School at noon on Feb. 7. The defendant was arraigned in Town of Pembroke Court and is to appear in court March 2. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Kyle Krzemien.

Sectional swimming action

By Destin Danser

Last night 15 teams from Section V, Class C gathered at Victor High School for sectional finals. Byron-Bergen-Le Roy represented Genesee County, placing 13th overall. 

Combined Team Rankings:

  1. Avon
  2. Marcus Whitman
  3. Dansville
  4. Wayland-Cohocton
  5. Bath-Haverling
  6. Addison
  7. Attica
  8. Gananda
  9. Midlakes
  10. Letchworth-Perry
  11. Cuba-Rushford
  12. North Rose-Wolcott-Red Creek
  13. Byron-Bergen-Le Roy
  14. Williamson-Sodus
  15. Warsaw

The Section V swimming sectionals wrap up tonight in Bath-Haverling with the Section D finals, where Genesee County will be represented by Pembroke and Alexander. 

Photos by Destin Danser Photography. Click Here to view more or purchase prints. 

Law and Order: Inmate accused of assault

By Howard B. Owens

Davon Shaquille St. John, 18, of Oak Street, Batavia, is charged with assault, 2nd. St. John is accused of assaulting somebody while confined at the Genesee County Jail at 8:49 p.m., Monday. He was jailed on $10,000 bail.

Wayne L. Pierce, 75, of Alexander, is charged with forcible touching. Pierce is accused of inappropriately grabbing a female employee at the Ben Go's gas station in Attica.

Bishop Williams, 23, of Genesee Street, Le Roy, is charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance, 4th, and criminal possession of a controlled substance, 4th. Williams is accused of selling Suboxone in May while in the Village of Wyoming. He was arrested by Wyoming County Drug Task Force following an investigation. He was jailed on $15,000 bail.

Odanis Betances, 21, of Morris Avenue, Bronx, is charged with petit larceny. Betances is accused of stealing $125.99 in merchandise from Kmart.

Brian James Lipinski, 33, of Richley Road, Darien, is charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument. Lipinski allegedly used a counterfeit bill to pay for food delivered to his residence.

Jarvis Davon Seymore, 33, of Michigan Street, Rochester, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, unlicensed driving, aggravated unlicensed driving, and speeding. Seymore was stopped at 1:51 p.m., Monday, on Clinton Street Road, Stafford, by Deputy Chad Cummings.

Le Roy teen charged with multiple counts of rape in the first degree

By Howard B. Owens
      Leonard Hahn

A teen from Le Roy has been charged with multiple counts of rape in the first degree following a joint investigation between Attica PD and the Genesee County Sheriff's Office.

The investigation began with a single complaint when a student revealed information about an alleged sexual encounter to a school official in Attica.

During the investigation, additional children came forward and made similar allegations. 

Leonard E. Hahn IV, was subsequently arrested by Attica PD.

Assisting in the investigation were investigators Tim Wescott and John Dehm of the Genesee County Sheriff's Office.

The victims are all under age 11.

The Justice for Children Advocacy Center in Batavia assisted in the investigation.

Hahn was jailed on $100,000 bail or $200,000 bond. He is being held in Genesee County pending further proceedings in Genesee County and Wyoming County.

Anyone with additional information is asked to contact his or her local law enforcement agency.

Lady Knights beat Warsaw on Luckey three-pointer, 37-34

By Howard B. Owens

Bryn Luckey once again came up with the winning shot, hitting a three-pointer at the close of the game to give Le Roy a 37-34 win over Warsaw.

Luckey finished with eight points, as did Libby Loftus. Lydia Borrelli and Ceci Tillson each had seven.

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