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An ambulance is requested to the New York State Police Barracks on West Saile Drive, Batavia, to evaluate a 15-year-old who jumped off a train.

The youth reportedly suffered minor injuries.

A two-vehicle accident -- possibly between a semi-truck and car -- is reported at 2033 Main Road in Corfu. Unknown injuries. Mercy Flight is put on standby. The location is between Cleveland and Indian Falls roads.

Pembroke and Indian Falls fire departments are responding, along with Mercy medics.

UPDATE 12:15 a.m. (By Howard): The patient, the driver of the sedan, was transported to ECMC by Mercy Flight for treatment of injuries, including a broken leg, and evaluation of possible internal injuries. The Sheriff's Office Crash Management Team is conducting an investigation into the accident. There is little that is known about it so far. The Perry's truck was westbound and the sedan was eastbound. A gouge in the roadway indicates the collision occurred in the eastbound lane. The truck driver, who was not injured, told deputies he swerved left to try and avoid the sedan. 

UPDATE 2:04 a.m.: Route 5 is open. All responding fire units back in service.

Deputies are cramming a lot of police training into one week for the first Teen Academy hosted at Byron-Bergen High School by the Sheriff's Office.

In this one week, said Deputy Matthew Butler, the 14 students enrolled are covering the same material a cadet at a standard police academy must grasp in five-and-a-half months.

"I don’t want any student to come away and say 'that was nothing, it wasn’t tough,' or 'it was too easy, I didn’t get anything out of it,' " Butler said. "That’s why we’re trying to throw a lot of stuff at them so they get the most from the experience and see what it’s really like."

Each day, at 8 a.m., starts with physical training or PT, and students take turns leading PT. Police officers all need to have leadership skills and be able to communicate effectively and PT and marching in formation are a chance to practice.

Instruction from there includes classroom lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on practice.

Deputy Chris Erion has been out with K-9 "Destro"; Sgt. Jason Saile presented a crash management demonstration; there are tours of the jail and communications; and a chance to see how the scuba team and Emergency Response Team work.

Instruction includes defensive tactics, penal law, vehicle and traffic law, and crime scene investigation and evidence recovery.

Patricia Reeves led a DWI victim impact panel.

There is homework every night and a test tomorrow followed by graduation at 1 p.m.

“We’re giving them a real taste of what it’s like to be a police officer and what you have to go through in the academy to become a police officer," Butler said.

The Teen Academy was pitched to Sheriff William Sheron by Butler, who is the school resource officer at Byron-Bergen, after he had seen something similiar in Monroe County. This is the first teen academy in Genesee County.

The training is no-nonsense. Tuesday, during traffic stop training followed by felony stop training, deputies Ryan DeLong, Andrew Mullen, and Chad Cummings were quick to stop, correct, and lecture in a tone that didn't permit embarrassment but understood that is a lot to master even in a simple traffic stop.

Proper procedures, situational awareness, emotional intelligence, and observation are all critical in a traffic stop, which is both the most routine task in law enforcement and the one daily task most fraught with risk, both to officers and civilians. A good officer never grows complacent.

DeLong, Mullen, and Cummings demanded the attention of the students, and attention to detail, from how they approached the car, to where they stood while talking with the driver, which hand they used to grab and hold paperwork, and how they safely walked back to the patrol vehicle.

With the basics understood, the students who role-played as drivers and passengers could improvise their responses to the cadets, from denying wrongdoing to revealing they were licensed handgun permit holders and were carrying a weapon. Responses were critiqued and corrected.

On two consecutive "stops," the "deputy" didn't notice the passenger holding a handgun in his lap.

Mullen emphasized, when approaching a vehicle, you've got to see everything going on inside the vehicle. The weapon could easily be viewed even before an officer would reach the driver-side door. At that point, Mullen said, you fall back and radio for backup.

DeLong, Mullen, and Cummings then simulated a felony traffic stop, with Cummings assuming the role of the criminal suspect, and then the students took their turns at practicing the procedure.

Many of the students participating do anticipate a career in law enforcement, so that's why they signed up for the academy.

"I really want to go into law enforcement," said Morgan Rhodes, a senior at Notre Dame HS. "It interests me a lot. I’ve always wanted to do it and this is really helping me figure it out."

She's interested in solving mysteries, she said, "making it right" after a crime has been committed, and ensuring people follow the law.

She thinks she will start her law enforcement career in the military but hopes to become a deputy some day.

Devyn Reigle, who has been taking Criminal Justice courses at BOCES, is also considering starting his law enforcement career in the military. The academy, he said, was a chance to get a more hands-on grasp than his college class on what being a cop is all about.

"I've learned a lot more," Reigle said. "I've learned what to be aware of, that it's a lot more serious than you think, and to keep your eyes focused on everything."

Top photo: Deputy Chad Cummings in the role of suspect during a felony stop demonstration.

Deputy Andrew Mullen with simulated pistol drawn while conducting a felony stop demonstration.

Deputy Ryan DeLong during the felony stop demonstration.

Deputy Ryan DeLong cuffing Deputy Chad Cummings.

Gianni Vallese, a Byron-Bergen student, practicing a felony stop.

Devyn Reigle taking Deputy Chad Cummings into custody.

Deputy Ryan DeLong providing instructions on procedures for a traffic stop.

Gianni Vallese conducting a traffic stop while Deputy Ryan DeLong observes.

Devyn Reigle accepting paperwork from a driver during a practice traffic stop.

Morgan Rhodes conducting a traffic stop.

The inaugural class and some of the instructors of the Sheriff's Teen Academy at Byron-Bergen High School.

After the jump, more pictures of training submitted by Deputy Deb Snyder and Deputy Chad Cummings.

A fire in a detached garage at 6943 Knowlesville Road has now apparently caused the house to catch on fire.

Alabama fire dispatched along with Oakfield, East Pembroke, Pembroke, Elba and the City of Batavia's Fast Team.

UPDATE(S) (By Billie) 9:46 a.m.: Multiple explosions are heard. Indian Falls is standing by in their quarters. The city's second platoon is called its fire hall.

UPDATE 9:51 a.m.: National Grid and a code enforcement officer are called to the scene.

UPDATE 10:03 a.m.: National Grid has about a 10-minute ETA. Command asks that Salvation Army be contacted.

UPDATE 11:02 a.m.: The man who owns the house told Alabama Fire Chief Bill Schutt that he had been in his garage trying to repair his lawnmower and had stopped briefly to go elsewhere on the property to talk to a neighbor. Both people heard a loud pop then saw flames coming from the garage. The homeowner grabbed a garden hose in an attempt to keep the fire contained. Firefighters arrived quickly and were able to take advantage of new water lines and fire hydrants installed in the hamlet just last month, Schutt said. The garage burned down and the back of the house is heavily singed. The house next door has melted siding on a rear corner due to heat exposure. The fire is out. Firefighters are overhauling now.

The great thing about the Stumblin' Inn is that owners Steve and Jim Goff give every musician who walked through the door and had the courage to ask for a spot on the stage a chance to perform.

They did it for Dylan Desmit when he was first starting his music career.

"The first time we were here, my keyboard player put my amp through the window," Desmit said. "I was mortified. I thought for sure we would never play here again but Jim just kind of laughed it off. We’ve been playing here ever since and it just felt like a second home."

Desmit lost count of how many times he played the Stumblin', whether with one of his bands for an acoustic open mic night.

So many musicians have benefited from the largess of the Goffs that many of them are coming together for one more Thursday open mic nite in Elba where they will play music and pass the hat to raise money to assist Steve and Jim, who lost not just their business but their homes in a fire July 8.

Desmit and Paul Draper (who had last-minute work commitments that kept him from participating in the photo above) organized the event for tonight, starting at 8 p.m. in front of Chap's Elba Diner, and Desmit said the outpouring of musicians wanting to help Steve and Jim has been substantial.

The Stumblin' Inn was the place in the area for local musicians to congregate and get a chance to be heard and those musicians want to repay the favor.

"I saw someone compared it to the Penny Arcade in Rochester and that’s pretty much, yeah, every local band, ever, played here," Desmit said. "There’s so many musicians, and judging by the reaction on Facebook for the benefit, there are so many people devastated by losing it."

A two-car accident is reported on Route 20 at Colby Road, Darien.

A caller reports two females out of the vehicle and lying on the ground.

Another person may be trapped in a vehicle.

There are potentially four patients.

No word yet on how serious the injuries might be.

Darien fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 5:06 p.m.: All four patients out of the vehicles. Three will be taken by Darien ambulance to ECMC for evaluation. The fourth will be evaluated by Mercy EMS and may be transported to UMMC.

A 47-year-old Batavia man with many local family members has been identified by Batavia PD as the victim of a homicide last night at 111 Liberty St.

Raymond Lee Morgan died in his room last night after police and medics were dispatched because of a reported fight.

The suspect apparently fled on foot after jumping from a small second-story window. Police have not released a description of the suspect and he is apparently not yet in custody. 

In a release, Batavia PD said Morgan was well known to local officers. He had a criminal history and was on parole.

He was released from State Prison in November after serving a year on a criminal possession of a controlled substance, 5th, charge. He also served time from 1999 to 2002 on a grand larceny conviction.

But to his friends and family members gathered across the street from 111 Liberty St. this afternoon, he was a father, son, uncle and brother.

Victor Thomas, who said he grew up with Morgan as his uncle but called him his brother by the time he was an adult, said Thomas loved the Yankees and he loved cars.

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"He was big into cars and any car he had, it was going to have a system in it," Thomas said. "He loved to hear it bang. He loved to let people know he was coming before he was there."

Thomas got a little choked up talking about Morgan. He recalled that Morgan was always there when he was a kid to help him and his family.

"He had a big heart," Thomas said. "From the time I was knee high, he made sure I went back to school with nice clothes. If my mother and father couldn't do it, he was there to get me things I needed to be just OK."

He saw Morgan as bigger than life.

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"Ray was a dude that lived his life with an open heart," Thomas said. "He had so many friends. He had so many people who wanted to be around him. I mean, he was a character. He was one of a kind. You can ask anybody that. He was one of a kind. There is nobody else walking this earth who was like that dude."

Family members in the parking lot across from the rooming house were agitated while police officers and parole officers were inside the multi-unit building trying to untangle their complaints and deal with a couple of suspected parole violators.

One of them, family members said, had spread false rumors on Facebook that Morgan was the killer and he also apparently entered the room where Morgan died after police cleared the scene and took photos of the blood-soaked scene and posted them on Facebook.  

Taken into custody today was Michael Elmore. Family members shared with The Batavian posts with Elmore's name on them where Elmore said Morgan was killer and they accused Morgan of taking and posting the bloody pictures. 

Police Chief Shawn Heubusch explained this afternoon that once investigators finish processing a crime scene, the property is turned over to its owner and the owner from that point is responsible for securing the scene.

A source family with police procedures explained further that by law, police can't remain in custody of a scene once processing is completed without a warrant.

It was unfortunate, Heubusch said, that before the landlord could secure the scene, another resident of the boarding house went in and took pictures of the pools and splatters of blood in the room and posted them on social media.

"It doesn't help our investigation at all," Heubusch said. "It compromises our investigation."

He said he understands seeing those pictures online was very upsetting to family members.

"It's a shame there is no social norm anymore where people won't publish that on social media," Heubusch said. "It's absolutely ridiculous."

Ryan Macdonald is the property owner. He said he was notified at 6 a.m. by Batavia PD that he needed to secure the crime scene. He said when he arrived there was no door into Morgan's room and the window had been removed. Both were taken by investigators as evidence.

Removing Morgan's personal effects wasn't easy, Macdonald said, but that everything that could be returned to them was returned (at the scene this afternoon there were accusations that items were missing and that Morgan's laptop was found in the room of one of the parolees arrested, but Batavia PD could not confirm that information).

"I hate to say this but everything else in that room was covered in blood," Macdonald said. "Everything that was a health hazard, we had to clean or throw out. We had to throw out the bed. I own the bed but we had to throw out the bed. The sister wanted to go into the room but we had to bleach everything and clean everything. I spoke with a hazmat company and they came out and looked at the room and saw the work we did and they said we did what we were supposed to do."

At the start of the interview, Macdonald expressed his condolences for the family. 

"It's unfortunate that someone has died," Macdonald said. "My heart goes out to all of the family. They have lost a son, a child, a father, a brother."

It's days like today that being a landlord is especially difficult, he said.

"We all make choices and I chose to be a landlord but on days like this, I hate being a landlord because no matter what I do people will be mad at me," Macdonald said. "But I believe people can change. I believe people can become better. And that's why we rent to parolees."

Michael Elmore being taken into custody for an alleged parole violation.

At 1:11 p.m. today the National Weather Service in Buffalo issued a hazardous weather outlook for portions of Western New York, including Genesee County.

This afternoon and tonight, there will be a low probability of widespread hazardous weather. Starting late Thursday, scattered thunderstorms will approach, with a few capable of producing isolated damaging wind gusts and locally heavy rainfall.

The hazardous weather outlook continues through Tuesday.

CANCELLED: The Genesee County Women's Republican Club will hold its Lucky Numbers Fundraiser on Thursday, Aug. 16, at T.F. Brown's restaurant in Downtown Batavia. It is located at 412 E. Main St.

The public is invited to this basket raffle fundraiser, which begins at 5:30 p.m.

Cost is $30 per person. There will be hors d'oeuvres. Please RSVP by Aug. 8.

Corporate sponsorships are available for $500. This includes 10 tickets, a speaker, event signage, and press materials.

Please consider donating a basket; donations accepted in advance.

To donate a basket or to inquire about a corporate sponsorship, contact:

• Trisha Werth:  twerth74@hotmail.com  or  (716) 560-0843
• Melissa Haacke:  mhaacke5@gmail.com  or   314-4501
• Michele Smith:  msmith1548@frontiernet.net  or   329-7967

An accident with at least one minor neck injury is reported at 10033 East Road, by Holland Hi-Lift, in Bethany.

Bethany fire, Stafford fire, and Mercy EMS dispatched.

A male, whose identity is not being released yet, succumbed to injuries sustained during a fight at 111 Liberty St., Batavia, at 11:15 p.m., Tuesday.

Police are looking for a person who might be a suspect in the case.

The first officers on the scene found a male in one of the rooms at the residence and EMS was summoned. The victim died at the scene.

Officers obtained a suspect description and, with the assistance of the State Police K-9, searched the area for the suspect.

The police are not releasing that information while the investigation is pending.

The identity of the victim is not being released pending notification of relatives. His body was transported to the Monroe County Medical Examiner's Office where an autopsy will be conducted on Thursday. In a statement, police said more information about the investigation will be released after the autopsy is complete.

"Through our investigation thus far it is believed that this was not a random act of violence and that the suspect and victim knew each other," police said in a statement.

Anyone with any info regarding this incident is asked to call police at (585) 345-6350, information may also be submitted via the confidential tip line at (585) 345-6370.

Press release:

If you are interested in becoming a Master Gardener Volunteer, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County will be offering Master Gardener training this fall.

Classes will be held on Wednesday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m., starting Sept. 5 and running through Nov. 14. There will also be a full day of classes on Saturday, Nov. 3. Classes will be held at the CCE office at 420 E. Main St., Batavia.

Each class will focus on a different horticulture topic throughout the training.

Some of the horticulture topics we will cover include: botany, diagnosing plant diseases, entomology, soils and fertilizers, lawn care, herbs, vegetable gardening, weed identification, woody ornamentals, pruning, tree and small fruits, perennials, annuals, integrated pest management and organic gardening.

By attending the Master Gardener training, you will become a more knowledgeable gardener.

Anyone interested in learning more about gardening may attend the course. Preregistration by Aug. 24 is required.

Class size will be limited. No walk-ins will be allowed. The fee for this horticulture training is $225 per person, which includes all class sessions and materials. The Cornell Master Gardener manual is available on line.

If you have a passion for volunteering and gardening, this training is the first step to becoming a Genesee County Master Gardener volunteer.  Graduates of the program (Genesee county residents) are then eligible to apply to become a volunteer.

(Other county residents should contact their local Master Gardener program.)

A Master Gardener volunteer should have a willingness to give back to the community and help put into practice what they learned at training.  Enthusiasm for sharing their gardening skills and knowledge is a must.

For an application or to register contact Brandie Waite at 585-343-3040, ext. 101, visit our website: genesee.cce.cornell.edu or stop by the Extension office located at 420 E. Main St. in Batavia.

A brawl involving several households is reported on Walnut Street in the city. Batavia PD are on scene at 18 Walnut St. because of the altercation. The location is near Walnut Place. A subject has a head injury.

UPDATE 7:35 p.m.: Mercy medics are responding, too.

UPDATE 7:42 p.m.: Command requests a second ambulance to the scene. Dispatchers call Alexander ambulance for an unknown injury.

UPDATE 7:51 p.m.: A patient has a hand injury but is refusing treatment, so Alexander is told to stand down.

UPDATE 7:59 p.m.: It is Le Roy's ambulance transporting a male from the scene to UMMC who has an obvious deformity to his nose and pain estimated to be a 7 out of 10 on a scale of 1 to 10.

A tractor-trailer rollover accident with injuries is reported in Pavilion at Ellicott Street Road and Starr Road. The driver has shoulder and head injuries, according to a first responder on scene. Wires and utility poles are down. Mercy Flight is called.

Pavilion Fire Department and Mercy medic #5 are responding to the scene.

UPDATE 7:14 p.m.: National Grid has been advised; no ETA.

UPDATE 7:20 p.m.: Mercy Flight #5 out of Batavia requested to the scene; no ETA yet.

UPDATE 7:23 p.m.: A heavy-wrecker tow will be called. The estimated weight of the rig is 80,000 pounds.

UPDATE 7:25 p.m.: Mercy Flight has a 10-minute ETA.

UPDATE 7:27 p.m.: The landing zone will be set up in a field on the north side of Route 63, near the incident location.

UPDATE 7:37 p.m.: "National Grid comin' at you," says a first-responder near the accident site. Also, Mercy Flight has landed.

UPDATE 7:54 p.m.: The male driver was transported to ECMC mainly as a precaution to determine any possible internal injuries. He told officers at the scene he swerved to avoid a deer, causing a rollover.

UPDATE 8:04 p.m.: This wreck will be difficult to move, according to people at the scene. The job will be handled by Parise's Automotive and Towing Service in Batavia. The semi was hauling liquid -- bottled juice.

UPDATE 9:02 p.m. (By Howard): Firefighter David Clor was the initial first responder on the scene and stayed with the patient throughout his treatment on the ground. The driver, who had crawled out the front window of his rig on his own and walked about 20 feet before collapsing, before anybody was on scene, was in a lot of pain, Clor said. Besides the possible internal injuries, he had complaints of head and back pain. "He wanted me to go with him on the Mercy Flight because we bonded a little and he didn’t want me to leave his side," Clor said. "When I told him I couldn’t fly on Mercy Flight but there was another guy named Dave who was on Mercy Flight and that he’d be taken care off, he was still determined that I go."

Statement by Norman Itjen, mayor, Village of Elba:

The Elba community lost an iconic landmark when the Stumblin’ Inn was destroyed by fire on July 8, 2018. This building sat at the corner of South Main and Mechanic Streets since 1875, known by several names, lastly as the Stumblin Inn’ owned and operated by brothers Steve (Stork) and Jim Goff for the last 39 years.

While we, the community and the Village, mourn the loss of this establishment, we can only guess the sorrow Jim and Steve are feeling as they have put much of their heart and soul into our community. A benefit for the Stumblin’ Inn is going to be held on Sunday, Sept. 30, from 12 to 7 p.m. at the Elba Fire Department’s Recreation Hall.*

Events like this often seem to bring out the best in everyone. I can’t say enough about the hard work and long day the Elba Fire Department, and other fire departments from Genesee and surrounding counties put in on this day. Their hours of training were well-evidenced through their organized and coordinated response to the fire of this magnitude in our downtown area. 

I also want to express my appreciation to the Elba community for the outpouring of support they provided the firemen by providing water and refreshments and to Chap’s, in particular, for the food and meals they so graciously donated that day.

* Also, local musicians Paul Draper and Dylan Desmit are organizing an open-air jam night at the former location of the Stumblin' Inn, 1 Main St., Elba, at 8 p.m., this Thursday (July 26). All musicians and music fans welcome. We expect to have more information tomorrow afternoon.

Press release:

Congressman Chris Collins (NY-27) applauded the Trump Administration for providing about $11 billion in aid to farmers impacted by recently imposed tariffs, with a focus on providing aid to the dairy sector in particular.

Collins represents one of the nation’s largest dairy producing districts and has been an outspoken advocate for policies that strengthen the industry.

“By imposing tariffs on nations like China, President Trump is working to level the playing field between the United States and other countries that have taken advantage of us for far too long,” Collins said. “From the start, we were assured that the administration would take appropriate action to protect industries, like our nation’s agriculture industry, that may be impacted by the tariffs.

"Today’s announcement is a win for the dairy industry as President Trump continues to put American interests first and fight for fair trade deals.”

Unjustified retaliatory tariffs have disproportionately targeted American farmers, impacting prices and raising costs. The emergency aid will come from already authorized money from three separate programs that are administered by the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency. The USDA has broad authority to stabilize the agriculture economy during financially difficult times by purchasing excess supply.

Collins added: “As we work toward better deals that reduce our trade deficit, I support implementing policies that provide hardworking farmers with temporary assistance during this adjustment period. President Trump is a strong negotiator, and I have complete confidence in his abilities to grow our nation’s agriculture exports through competitive, long-term deals.”

Here's a related press release from the New York Farm Bureau:

The following statement can be attributed to NYFB President David Fisher:

“The USDA’s $12 billion plan to support farmers caught up by the retaliatory tariffs slapped on U.S. agricultural products recognizes the dire need for some relief. Farmers are already facing the financial consequences of the trade barriers. Commodity prices are once again dropping at a time when farm income has been at its lowest point in years.

Secretary Perdue has followed up on his word to address the huge impact that this has had on farmers, which is reflected in the size of the relief program. However, in the end, what our farmers are asking for are open markets to sell the quality products they produce. We hope that the trade matter will quickly be resolved because short-term relief can only go so far when farmers need to plan for the long term.”

Press release: 

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) is pleased to announce several town hall meetings on Saturday, Aug. 4. All are welcome to attend to discuss local issues and express any questions or concerns they might have.

“I always try to stay as aware as possible about the concerns and issues important to my neighbors, and to achieve this, I’m going to be hosting several town hall meetings in the near future,” Hawley said. “I encourage everyone to attend at least one of the meetings in Alexander, Oakfield, Byron or Elba. I’m looking forward to seeing you all there.” 

TOWN HALL MEETING SCHEDULE

• Town of Alexander/Village of Alexander: 9:30 - 10:15 a.m., Village of Alexander Hall, 3350 Church St., Alexander
• Town of Oakfield/Village of Oakfield: 10:45 - 11:30 a.m., Oakfield Town Hall, 3219 Drake St., Oakfield
• Town of Byron: 11:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Byron Town Hall, 7028 Byron Holley Road, Byron
• Town of Elba/Village of Elba: 12:45 - 1:30 p.m., Elba Town Hall, 7 Maple Ave., Elba

A car vs. pedestrian accident is reported at 24 Franklin St. in the city. The location is between Davis Avenue and Pearl Street. City fire and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 2:50 p.m.: One patient is being transported to UMMC.