pembroke

The Sheriff's Office is looking for help identifying the owner of a green pickup truck possibly involved in a minor-injury accident on Route 77 at Gabbey Road earlier today.

The truck apparently pulled into traffic from Gabbey Road onto Route 77 at about 11:29 a.m.

A passenger in a car headed southbound on Route 77 grabbed the wheel of the car and turned the car to the right in order to avoid a collision. The car went off the road and its undercarriage was damaged.

The only information on the truck is that is was full-sized and green.

The truck, which continued northbound, was not struck.

The driver of the car, a 2003 Ford SUV, Maria C. Valentin, 35, of Normal Avenue, Buffalo, suffered a minor injury, but did not require transport to a hospital.

The passenger, Wilson J. Alvarado, 38, was not injured.

The accident was investigated by Deputy Chris Parker.  

Anybody with information about the accident can contact Parker at (585) 343-5000 or cparker@co.genesee.ny.us.

A two-car accident has been reported in the area of Route 77 and Gabbey Road, Pembroke.

A child may have suffered minor injuries.

Pembroke and Indian Falls fire departments responding.

UPDATE 2:03 p.m.: A second Mercy EMS ambulance requested to the scene to transport a person with apparent minor injuries to a hospital in Erie County.

A truck fire is reported in the area of mile marker 397 in the westbound lane.

The driver reports he used up the fire extinguishers he had on hand.

The fire is under the hood.

East Pembroke firefighters are being dispatched.

Mile marker 397 is just west of Slusser Road.

Matthew Joseph Stefani, 21, of Dodgeson Road, Alexander, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Stefani is accused of pushing another person to the floor during an incident at 3:19 a.m., Saturday.

Ronald M. Schutt Jr., 25, of Washington Street, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, speeding (95 mph in a 55 mph zone), moving from lane unsafely, unlicensed operator, refusal to take breath test. Schutt was stopped at 3:36 a.m., Saturday, on Route 63, Town of Batavia, by Deputy Howard Carlson.

Christopher Aaron Saddler, 27, of Lydun Drive, Albion, was arrested on a warrant related to an aggravated unlicensed operation charge. Saddler was a passenger in a vehicle stopped for an alleged traffic violation in the Town of Oakfield. He was wanted on a warrant out of Batavia City Court and turned over to Batavia Police.

Michael Anthony Sweet, 25, of Walden Creek Drive, Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Sweet's car was stopped at 1:43 a.m., Saturday, in the area of 5267 Route 33, Batavia, by Deputy Patrick Reeves. Reeves reported that he could smell the odor of burnt marijuana coming from the car. Sweet, the report reads, "eventually produced the suspected marijuana." 

Amy Elinore Bluhm, 23, of Morrow Road, Covington, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation, 3rd. Bluhm's vehicle was stopped by Sgt. Greg Walker for allegedly traveling 70 mph in a 55 mph zone. Upon investigation, it was determined that Bluhm was allegedly driving on a suspended license and had a warrant out for her arrest. Bluhm was jailed on $500 bail.

Rebecca Ann Piechowiak, 21, undisclosed address, Darien, is charged with petit larceny. Piechowiak is accused of shoplifting from Target on at least three separate occasions. 

Michael Todd Dibble, 19, of Indian Falls Road, Pembroke, is charged with unlawful dealing with a child and unlawful possession of marijuana. Dibble is accused of hosting an underage drinking party at his home.

John E. Hehnen, 55, of Dorsch Road, Akron, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and failure to keep right. Hehnen was stopped at 12:23 a.m. Sunday on Akron Road, Town of Pembroke, by Deputy Jason Saile.

Edwin Leroy Stancliff, 31, of Alleghany Road, Pembroke, is charged with a felony count of DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater (second offense), failure to keep right, unlicensed operation, aggravated unlicensed operation. Stancliff was stopped at 1:44 a.m., Sunday, in the area of 1405 Little Falls Road, Pembroke, by Deputy James Diehl.

George Aden Vancleef, 48, of Oak Street, Akron, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, failure to dim headlights and driver's view obstructed. Vancleef was stopped at 12:36 a.m. Sunday on Akron Road, Pembroke, by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

Andrew L. Dailey, 28, of Washington Street, Spencerport, is charged with a felony count of aggravated DWI, a felony count of driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, moving from lane unsafely. Dailey was allegedly spotted in his car stopped in the middle of the intersection of Roanoke and Sweetland roads, Stafford, at 10:12 p.m. Saturday by Deputy Matt Butler.

A 17-year-old resident of Fairport is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. The youth was stopped for alleged traffic violations at 5:31 p.m. Sunday, on I-490, Bergen, by Deputy Patrick Reeves. Reeves alleges that he could smell the odor of burnt marijuana come from the car. The youth was allegedly found in possession of marijuana.

Richard Dewey Smith, 18, of Macedon, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Smith was a passenger in a car stopped for alleged traffic violations at 5:31 p.m. Sunday, on I-490, Bergen, by Deputy Patrick Reeves. Smith was allegedly found in possession of marijuana.

A 16-year-old from Ontario is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. The youth was a passenger in a car stopped for alleged traffic violations at 5:31 p.m. Sunday, on I-490, Bergen, by Deputy Patrick Reeves. Smith was allegedly found in possession of marijuana.

Anthony James Aina, 39, of Allen Road, Albion, is charged with DWI, refusal to take breath test and consumption of alcohol in a vehicle. Aina was stopped at 12:47 a.m. Monday on Oak Orchard Road, Elba, by Deputy James Diehl.

Ronald M. Odessa, 38, of Batavia, is charged with DWI and a one-way road violation. Odessa was stopped at 2:20 a.m. Saturday in the City of Batavia by State Police.

A 35-year-old Byron resident is facing 101 charges related to possessing and receiving prescription drugs in four Genesee County jurisdictions.

Sege D. Kalmbacher Sr., was taken into custody by the Local Drug Task Force and arraigned in City of Batavia, Town of Batavia, Le Roy and Pembroke. He was jailed on $50,000 bail.

Kalmbacher was identified as a suspect during an investigation into the theft and use of prescription drug forms. The case began when Le Roy Police received a complaint from a pharmacy in the village of somebody using a forged prescription.

A computer was reportedly used to create the prescriptions.

Task force investigators allege that Kalmbacher was able to successfully fill several prescriptions for narcotics at area pharmacies using the forged forms going back to December.

Kalmbacher was charged as follows:

City of Batavia: Eight counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd, for receiving narcotics on nine different occasions; eight counts of possession of a forged instrument, 2nd; eight counts of criminal possession of stolen property, 5th; eight counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument; and criminal possession of stolen property for allegedly submitting nine stolen and forged prescription forms.

Town of Batavia: Nine counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd, for allegedly receiving narcotic drugs on nine different occasions in the Town of Batavia; nine counts of possession of a forged instrument, 2nd; nine counts of criminal possession of stolen property, 5th; and nine counts criminal possession of a forged instrument and criminal possession of stolen property for allegedly submitting nine stolen and forged prescription forms.

Village of Le Roy: Three counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd, for allegedly receiving narcotic drugs on four different occasions in the Village of Le Roy; four counts of possession of a forged instrument, 2nd; four counts of criminal possession of stolen property, 5th; and four counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument and criminal possession of stolen property for allegedly submitting nine stolen and forged prescription forms.

Town of Pembroke: Four counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd, for allegedly receiving narcotic drugs on four different occasions occasions occasions in the Town of Pembroke; four counts of possession of a forged instrument, 2nd; four counts of criminal possession of stolen property, 5th; and four counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument and criminal possession of stolen property for allegedly submitting nine stolen and forged prescription forms.

In Pembroke, Kalmbacher was also charged with 27 counts of computer trespass for using a computer he did not have permission to use to create prescription drug forms.

Pembroke and Batavia came out of the quarter finals of the regional mock trial competition and are among five teams moving on to semi-finals.

Both Pembroke and Batavia's teams finished the quarter finals with a record of 2-0. Pembroke had 110 points and Batavia, 107.

The semi-finals will be held March 28 in Geneseo.

Because Avon and Byron-Bergen tied for fourth, right down to the tiebreakers, both teams will move on to the semi-finals. Typically, only four teams compete in the semi finals.

Both teams were 1-1 with 106 points.

Warsaw came in third with a record of 1-1 and 107 points.

District Attorney Lawrence Friedman, who organizes and champions the mock trials locally, said schedules have been arranged so all five teams can compete.

In round one, it will be Pembroke vs. Avon, Batavia vs. Warsaw and Byron-Bergen vs. Batavia. Round two will pit Byron-Bergen against Avon, and Warsaw against Pembroke.

The final rounds will be in Warsaw on March 30.

Photo: Maura Chmielowiec, Evan Sutherland and Patrick Flynn of the Batavia team.

Previously:

• Students compete in mock trials at Genesee County Court House
• Photos: Mock trial, Notre Dame vs. Batavia

Adding boys soccer to Pembroke High School's fall sports line-up needs more study -- that was the request of a couple of speakers at Tuesday's school board meeting and the decision of the board.

The board will appoint up to 16 people to a new committee to study the issue. The committee will include coaches, parents and students representing interests in not only soccer, but football, volleyball and cross-country.

The primary concern of those opposed to adding soccer is that it will detract from, if not lead to the elimination of, other sports.

Elizabeth Gabbey said if Pembroke was a Class A sport, she would fully support adding soccer and even be at all the games, but with declining enrollment in Pembroke, a Class C program, she fears even the football program could die if competing for athletes and support with soccer.

 "Are we willing to risk our football program or our volleyball program by adding a fourth sport?" she asked. "If we lose our football program, what will happen to football cheerleaders? This is an impact that not is just adding a team."

She added that boys who play soccer have club teams they can join, which still provide a path to college sports, but that's not an option open to football players.

One of the football coaches, and a teacher at Pembroke, spoke against the way the issue has been handled to this point, implying that soccer supporters were trying to push through the program without giving opposition voices a chance to raise concerns.

"I also wish to express the opinions of the thousands of concerned and unpretentious residents of this community who chose not to provoke others to bias the democratic decision making here at Pembroke with an intimidating show of force," Matthew Peterson said.

"I simply wish to have this statement read aloud to illustrate on record that many others disagree with both the means and the ends of adding an additional fall boys' sports program, and I choose to do so without the media hoopla and disruptions that surely accompany the throngs of people incited to be here tonight."

Peterson also took issue with the idea that soccer playing boys don't have an option at the high-school level in Pembroke.

"The most misunderstood idea centered on soccer is that students here greatly desire to play soccer and are being denied," Peterson said. "That assumption is entirely false! Soccer does exist here and students do have the opportunity to play from ages 5 to 19 in the spring season through PYA.

"The argument and the hidden agenda is to add another soccer team to compete in the fall, funded by the school district, and competing with and drawing from a dwindling student population. Let us not lose sight of the reality that soccer already exists at Pembroke."

(Read Peterson's full statement here)

Scott Birkby said he's coached both football and soccer in the district for years and knows pretty much all the boys who play either football, soccer or both, and when this issue came up, he surveyed the players to see if a boys soccer team in the fall would hurt football.

"I don't have proof," Birkby said. "I don't have the boys signatures, but I can say from my research, the net impact for the short term would be a total of only three players."

Birkby suspects volleyball might be the sport eventually phased out, which may happen anyway because of declining enrollment and the lack of nearby teams from similarly size schools. 

He said the team must often travel two and three hours for matches against larger schools.

"It's not a very successful program," he said.

Tina Curtis (dark hair in the middle of the top photo) and Rene Birkby, parents who have been leading the effort to reinstate soccer, said they were taken aback by the opposition.

Curtis said the soccer-supporting group is ready to do what it takes to ensure the program is not a financial drain on the district.

"These boys are not asking for fancy new equipment or jerseys," Curtis said. "They’re willing to donate soccer balls and wear old uniforms. They’re only desire is to play soccer and represent their school. We are willing to work with the district to raise the funds to offset this program."

Superintendent Gary Mix (inset photo) applauded the parents for thoroughly and honestly studying the issue and the students for showing leadership in bringing it forward. But he said, inevitably, somebody is going to be disappointed by whatever decision is reached.

"Any direction we go from this point forward is going to be a challenge," he said.

The district is facing a number of difficulties with declining enrollment and state budget cuts.  

Only a small minority of schools of Pembroke's size can run successful programs in all of its sports, and success is important, he said.

"It's easy for us as adults to believe that the important thing is not winning or losing, but rather students having fun," Mix said. "That's true to an extent, but a big part of the fun is experiencing success."

Robert Thigpen, 35, of Patriots Landing, Rochester, is charged with two counts of tampering with a witness, 3rd, and criminal contempt, 1st. Thigpen was picked up by Batavia Police on a bench warrant and turned over to the Sheriff's Office. Thigpen was jailed pending a court appearance today. (For previous coverage of Thigpen, click here.)

Taylor Robert Benjamin, 18, of 139 Christina Drive, North Chili, is charged with criminal possession of marijuana, 5th, a misdemeanor. Benjamin was arrested by Le Roy police following a complaint of youths gathering under the pedestrian footbridge between Church and Mill streets. As an officer approached, he reportedly observed Benjamin lighting a glass pipe and inhaling the smoke from it.

Ryan T. Daley, 28, of 57 Elizabeth Ave., Hamburg, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, refusal to take breath test and inadequate lights.  Daley was stopped at 8:05 p.m. Thursday on East Main Street by Officer Thad Mart.

A 17-year-old resident of Mechanic Street, Elba, is charged with petit larceny. The youth is accused of stealing $42.81 in merchandise from Kmart on Saturday.

Justin Zane Baker, 22, of Webber Avenue, Oakfield, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Baker allegedly pushed a woman several times during a domestic dispute at 6:25 a.m., Sunday.

A 16-year-old resident of Angling Road, East Pembroke, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and possession of alcohol while under 21 with intention to consume. The youth was arrested following a traffic stop at 7:48 p.m. Saturday on Angling Road by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

Eric Thomas Wolford, 18, is charged with DWI, aggravated DWI, possession of alcohol in a motor vehicle, endangering the welfare of a child and failure to yield right of way. Wolford was stopped 7:46 p.m., Saturday, on Angling Road, by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

Craig Edward Blake, 59, of Sliker Road, Corfu, is charged with DWI, failure to keep right, unauthorized display of amber lights, refusal to take breath test. Blake was stopped at 12:23 a.m. Sunday on Park Road by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

Douglas Westley Green, 54, of Woodlands Way, Brockport, is charged with petit larceny. An investigation by Deputy Joseph Graff into thefts over a period of time at Stan's Harley Davidson led to the identification of Green as a suspect.

Melissa M. Lesage, 31, of 31 Buffalo St., Bergen, is charged with failure to appear in court as directed. Lesage was taken into custody by Rochester Police and turned over to Batavia Police on a warrant from 2007 for failure to appear as directed on an alleged traffic violation. Bail was set at $300.

Lamar Randall, 25, of 266 E. Park St., Albion, is charged with failure to appear in court. Randall was arrested on a bench warrant. Bail was set at $350.

Justin E. Cratsley, 22, of 115 State St., Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd, and criminal contempt, 2nd. Cratsley is accused of harassing a person he is barred from contacting at the YMCA on Saturday.

Sabrina Zinni, 36, of 219 North Spruce St., Batavia, is accused of showing up for a court ordered work detail under the influence of alcohol. She was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Andrew Z. Perdock, 24, unknown address, is charged with petit larceny. Perdock is charged with petit larceny. Perdock was arrested by State Police at 12:53 p.m. Saturday and held on cash bail. No further details released.

Yolanda M. Skeet, 32, of 24 Allegheny Road, Corfu, is charged with felony DWI under Leandra's Law. Skeet was stopped for allegedly speeding on the Thruway by State Police. She allegedly had a 9-year-old child in her car and a BAC of .08 or greater. Skeet was jailed in Ontario County on $2,500 bail or $5,000 bond.

A brush fire in a field is reported at 398 Knapp Road in Indian Falls. It is not near any structures.

Pembroke Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 2:13 p.m.: It is estimated that about one acre is on fire.

UPDATE 2:24 p.m.: The fire chief says "the fire is out. Now we're putting out the burn pile."

Lorrie B. Fischer, 32, of 128 W. State St., Albion, is charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs, three counts of aggravated DWI (children in the vehicle), criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, moving from lane unsafely, and improper or unsafe turn. At 5:19 p.m., Sunday, Fischer was reportedly observed driving in an erratic manner by an off-duty Batavia police officer. Fischer was stopped by Officer Chris Davis. There were children ages 11, 12 and 14 in the car.

Robert L. Williams Jr., 20, and Shante R. Williams, 27, and Sarah L. Marcello, 18, all of Batavia, are all charged with harassment, 2nd. Officers Marc Lawrence and Chris Camp investigated an alleged incident at 4:45 p.m., Saturday, in the area of 112 State St., Batavia. Robert Williams accused Marcello of hitting him. Marcello accused Shante Williams and Robert Williams of hitting her. All three were issued appearance tickets for Batavia City Court on March 15.

Tyler Alan Cole, 18, of Alley Road, Darien, is charged with unlawful dealing with a child. Cole is accused of hosting a party where people under 21 were allowed to consume alcohol. The party was investigated at 5:06 a.m., Sunday.

Michael Roberrt Turturro, 32, of Jeffery Drive, Depew, was arrested on a family court warrant and charged with aggravated unlicensed operation and no seat belt. Turturro was stopped by Deputy Chris Parker on Alleghany Road in Alabama.

Billy Joe Budziszewski, 19, of Alleghany Road, Corfu, is charged with aggravated harassment, 2nd. Budziszewski allegedly threated another person during a phone call.

Shane I. Crosby, 34, of 62989 W. Main St., Byron, is charged with a felony count of DWI, aggravated DWI, speeding and unlicensed operation. Crosby was stopped at 3:45 a.m., Sunday, on West Main Street, Batavia, by officer Kevin DeFelice.

Thomas M. Pillo, of 8991 Alexander Road, Batavia, is charged with DWI, aggravated DWI, no tail lamps. Pillo was stopped at 11:57 p.m., Friday, by Det. Richard Schauf on School Street, Batavia.

Tiffany J. Howard, 20, of 210 S. Swan St., Batavia, is charged with criminal trespass, 2nd, and harassment, 2nd. Howard is accused of unlawfully entering an apartment on West Main Street at 8:42 p.m., Saturday, and punching a person in the face.

Timothy K. Schiffmaker, 20, of 19 Hyde Park, Batavia, is charged with criminal trespass, 2nd, and criminal mischief, 3rd. Schiffmaker is accused of breaking into a house in the city at 6:15 a.m., Saturday, damaging a door in the process. Schiffamker was confronted and held by the resident until police arrived.

Lauren E. Charache, 31, of 3 East Ave., Batavia, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation, 2nd. Charache was issued a citation for unlicensed operation following a traffic accident in the city on Sept. 3. Charache was taken into custody by Trooper Bentley outside of the city and turned over to city police. She was jailed on $500 bail.

Gary R. Sitarski, 48, of Pembroke, is charged with DWI and aggravated DWI. Sitarski was stopped by State Police at 10:07 p.m., Saturday, on Veterans Memorial Drive, Batavia.

Michelle L. Cramer, 26, of Canton, Ohio, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Cramer is accused of having physical contact with another person. The alleged incident took place in Byron on March 4. Cramer was arrested by State Police. No further details released.

Michael A. Cintron, 47, of Lackawanna, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Cintron was stopped at 11:50 a.m., Friday, by State Police on Route 77, Pembroke.

Emergency personnel responded around 2 p.m. to a call of a woman suffering some sort of heart condition at the Thruway travel plaza.

Once on scene, a Pembroke/Indian Falls chief informed dispatch that the woman was feeling a good degree of stress because her daughter is in Japan.

"She just learned her daughter is OK," the chief said.

Today, Japan was hit by an 8.9-magnitude earthquake followed by a huge tsunami.

Wires are reportedly arcing in the area of 857 Main Road, Pembroke.

That's across from Yancy's Fancy cheese factory.

The caller says the wires are arcing pretty strongly.

"The caller said the last time this happened the factory lost power," the dispatcher said.

Pembroke and Indian Falls fire departments dispatched.

UPDATE 8:26 a.m.: A chief says there's no fire, "but you can see where it was touching." National Grid has been notified.

View Larger Map

Pembroke High School has no varsity boys soccer team and a group of students at the school think that ought to change.

More than three dozen students and parents crowded into the district's board meeting Tuesday night to make sure the trustees clearly understand, there is support and desire to see boys soccer return to the school.

Tina Curtis (pictured above), the mother of one of the boys who wants to play soccer for his school, presented a feasibility study that shows soccer is a lot less expensive than football and isn't likely to sap talent from that squad.

The study was requested by the school administration after a group of boys in the school began making their wishes known.

"The boys came tonight to let the board and the district know that their interest is sincere and that they would really like to have the ability to play soccer in high school," Curtis said.

The trustees will discuss the proposal at their March 22 meeting.

Pembroke, though it has a girls soccer team, has been without a boys team for about 15 years.

That robs many boys of a chance to participate in varsity sports in the fall, Curtis said, because most of the soccer players have no interest in playing football or running cross-country.

Her study found that of the 29 boys in the school who expressed an interest in playing soccer, only four play football and only one runs cross-country.

Pembroke is the only Section V Class C school without both soccer and football.

In Genesee County, only Pembroke and Oakfield-Alabama don't have boys soccer. Alexander recently started a boys soccer team.

The study notes that with league and section permission, schools can combine teams, and both O-A and Alexander officials have expressed interest in exploring the idea of a combined team with Pembroke.

While football costs Pembroke $43,000 a year, the cost of a soccer team wouldn't be much more than $6,000. Cross-country costs $6,500 and boys volleyball, $4,000, according to the study.

"The administration agrees with us that the cost of funding soccer here Pembroke is not substantial," Curtis said. "That’s not a big barrier to bringing it back to school."

The biggest barrier, Curtis said, is the decline in school enrollment, but that's a problem similarly sized schools throughout Section V are facing. Their solution hasn't been to eliminate sports, but to combine programs -- merging JV with either modified or varsity programs, for example.

For Pembroke football, the program has declined from 71 JV and varsity participants in 2000 to 49 in 2010. In both years, that participation level represented 28 percent of the school's male population. In both years, Pembroke won 70 percent of their games.

According to the study, schools with both varsity football and soccer have better football winning records than schools with only football programs.

Schools with both programs don't really compete for students, the study found.

"Holley Central School and Alexander Central School added a football or soccer program to their existing fall sports," reads the report. "In conversations with Alexander and Holley athletic directors, it has been observed that the impact on the existing sport was negligible. In the words of James Palermo, Holley's athletic director, over the 10 years the school offered both programs, the crossover was insignificant. Soccer players and football players are two different types of kids."

Gabriel Birkby (pictured, inset) said he and a lot of his friends just want to play soccer.

"We have a lot of great guys, well-rounded men who are kind of deprived of a high school sporting experience," said Birkby. "I’m kind of hoping that the board and administration see it in favor of the students so that a soccer team is reestablished here Pembroke."

He said the boys will continue to let trustees and administrators know that they are serious about wanting to play soccer.

"I think (it will take) a lot of convincing and a lot of the boys pushing toward getting a team," he said. "If there’s no push there’s going to be no pressure on the board to try and get a team in there."

Nicholas Michael Lyons, 30, of Allegheny Road, Pembroke, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Lyons is accused with fighting with another person at 7:11 p.m., Monday, and hitting that person.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo wants to cap the annual salaries of school district superintendents and if his proposal goes through, one Genesee County superintendent could see a nearly $90,000 cut in pay.

Under the cap plan, all of the other county superintendents are earning less than what Gov. Cuomo's plan says they could earn.

Currently, the highest paid school superintendent in the county is Pembroke's Gary Mix. He earns $232,307 per year.

For a school district the size of Pembroke's, according to Cuomo, Mix's pay should be capped at $145,000.

WBTA's Geoff Redick spoke with Mix.

"I understand that the governor is politically ambitious," says Mix. "He's picked a group of people -- the 700 superintendents in New York -- that in many communities, particularly in small communities, they can often be among the more highly compensated people in the community."

Mix says he grew up the oldest of eight children. His father was a postal worker who also took many odd jobs to support his large family.

So, "I understand the feelings about other people's compensation and benefits," says Mix. "(But) education is crucial, it's important. I hope we truly value it."

On the other end of the spectrum, Elba's Jerome Piwko might want to ask for a raise. He's making only $81,120. While Elba's student population is a rather small 494, Cuomo's plan says Piwko could have his pay capped at $135,000. 

That puts Piwko's pay nearly $55,000 under Cuomo's proposed pay scale. That's the largest disparity between Cuomo's cap proposal and what a current Genesee county superintendent is earning.

For the rest of Geoff's story, click here.

LeeAnna M. Kiefer, 18, of Transit Road, East Bethany, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Kiefer is accused of being involved in an incident on Big Tree Road in Pavilion where she allegedly punched another person in the head and face.

Stephanie Marie Macchia, 33, of Munzel Road, Medina, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Macchia was involved in a traffic stop by Deputy Patrick Reeves at 11:57 p.m., Friday, on Route 77 in Pembroke, and found to allegedly be in possession of marijuana.

A fuel spill has been reported at the Flying J on Route 77 by the Thruway exit.

At the time of the call, the fuel had not been shut off.

A first responder reported "significant saturation."

Pembroke and Indian Falls fire departments are responding.

A 29-year-old Pembroke man was arrested today on a sealed grand jury indictment for allegedly selling cocaine to an undercover agent on two separate occasions.

Arraigned before Judge Robert C. Noonan this afternoon was Brandon R. Brade, of Genesee Street, Pembroke.

Brade was taken into custody at his place of employment, where he has worked for two months, he told Noonan.

"I'd kind of like to keep my job," Brade said, asking for a bail lower than the $50,000 requested by Assistant District Attorney Will Zickl.

Noonan set bail at $10,000 and gave Brade a week to hire an attorney (Brade said he could afford to hire his own) before his next court appearance.

Brade is charged with two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, 3rd, and two counts of possession of a controlled substance, 3rd.

According to a Sheriff's Office press release, Brade allegedly sold quantities of cocaine to an agent of the Local Drug Enforcement Task Force.

Zickl asked for the high bail because of Brade's prior record, which includes convictions for DWI (2005), resisting arrest (2002) and stalking (2000).

Noonan said Brade will get another shot at a lower bail after Genesee Justice files a bail evaluation report, which would require Brade's cooperation.