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Faced with increasing pressure from New York's corrections commission, officials in Genesee County are exploring the requirements and necessity of building a new jail.

Among the first steps -- meet with a consultant who has studied the local criminal justice system and the current jail and hear what he learned and what he has to recommend.

Saturday morning, members of the Legislature, senior county offiicals, and Sheriff's Office staff met to hear what that consultant, Rod Miller, president of CRS Incorporated, had to say.

The bottom line: Genesee County needs a new jail. It may need to be built to meet a projected jail population of 184 by 2042. Such a jail could cost more than $52 million.

The design of the jail must also deal with reality -- the reality of state regulations and the needs of a jail population that is ever in flux.

Miller is recommending a jail design that can accommodate a growing inmate population, but one flexible enough to accommodate an average daily population that is ever changing based on age, mental stability, special needs, and gender -- these days that means not just male and female groups. The new jail also needs to accommodate transgender individuals.

Getting the public to accept a new jail, Miller acknowledges, will be difficult, but he doesn't think the state is going to give Genesee County much leeway.

The commission, he said, takes very seriously its goal to ensure a safe and operationally efficient jail system. 

New York has standards, he said. Half the states don't have standards for local jails and among those that do, New York is one of the few with strict and well-defined standards. 

"To me, that's a good thing," Miller said. "You've got somebody backing you on what you need to do."

To the advantage of local officials, Miller said, the county already has the system in place to support a modern jail.

"You have a very proactive criminal justice and social services system that works well together," Miller said. "It's really very impressive."

The biggest expense of a new jail over 30 years isn't the construction, Miller said. It's staffing. That will take up 60 percent of the county's expense over the first 30 years of a new jail's lifespan.

"New York is very intensive on staffing requirements," Miller said.

The current, aging jail, however, hasn't evolved, Miller said, to meet the demands modern society puts on it, or how the local criminal justice system to keep short-term stays at the jail to a minimum.  

The county's criminal justice system does a good job of diverting people from jail, toward release under supervision, or treatment for mental health problems or substance abuse. Therefore, generally, the people who are in the jail stay longer than three days -- more than half of all incarcerations -- and these are people who need to be there, Miller said.

But when it was designed in the 1980s, the architects didn't anticipate a facility that would mostly house people staying there for months at a time.  That's common with older jails, Miller said. 

"A lot of inmates will tell you," Miller said, "that if you're going to do a long time, jail time is the worse time."

Looking at jail population trends, the number of local average daily incarcerations is going to grow from less than 100 now to more than 180 by 2042, Miller said.

The growing inmate population locally isn't driven by more cops on the beat -- there aren't -- nor an increase in the crime rate -- it's gone down -- or any other identifiable socio-economic trend Miller said, except that more and more women are getting into serious legal trouble.

Most of Miller's projection anticipates a sizable increase in female inmate population in the coming decades. Whether that trend will continue, Miller acknowledged, just isn't something he or anybody else can predict. He said all he and the commission can do is look at the trends to come up with projections. He said intuitively, they know that much growth isn't likely, but if they back off that projection, how do they arrive at a realistic lower number? The data isn't available to support any other projection.

One thing that is known: jails need to deal more often these days with transgender individuals.

That's a sticky issue for corrections officials because you can't simply just place somebody with a male or female population based on physical appearance, what's on their birth certificate or driver's license, or their self-identification of gender. Placing an inmate with the general population based on any of those decision points is potentially dangerous.

"It's a dilemma," Miller acknowledged. "It's a practical and legal consideration. One of your obligations is protecting inmates from harm so there needs to be separation. You probably need a small housing unit for just one or two inmates at a time. You have to have that flexibility."

Jail Superintendent William Zipfel told the story of a recent inmate who identified as female. She even had a birth certificate and driver's license that said she was female.

"If you saw her sitting at a table or walking into a room, you would not identify her as anything but female," Zipfel said.

She hadn't yet gone through a sex-change operation, however, and the Genesee County Jail can't house female inmates.

"There was not another facility that was going to take her as a female and we can't put her in a male facility," Zipfel said. 

Fortunately, a judge was willing to release her to the supervision of Genesee Justice, Zipfel said.

As good as the local criminal justice system is, Miller said, there is one gap local officials should consider addressing. Currently, the county doesn't have a good way to deal with people who don't have mental health or substance abuse problems but are otherwise in life circumstances where they would benefit from supervision while their cases are pending or while serving time for a conviction.

Miller recommended -- and said he's seen it work very well in other jurisdictions -- inclusion at a new jail location a facility that houses inmates during non-work hours but allows them to hold down a job. In fact, to live in the facility, inmates would be required to hold down a job and they would help cover the cost of their room and board.

The addition of a facility to house people in this subcategory of not-hardened-criminal, nor the mental health case, nor substance abuse case, especially during pre-trial periods, would be welcome by local judges and magistrates, Miller said. It's always a struggle, he said, for magistrates to decide what to do with this class of offender, whether to put them in jail or release them into the community.

The option would also assist the community by helping to prevent defendants from losing jobs, which can just make their problems worse, and therefore they become more of a burden on the community.

Jail for a defendant, Miller noted, is always the more expensive option.

The jail also isn't equipped to deal with the recently arrested who might be released in less than a day after being taken into custody.  

With local courts increasingly not opening for arrests at night, more defendants are being held for extended hours until the court is open for their initial arraignment.

Batavia PD, Le Roy PD, and Corfu PD do not have appropriate holding cells for such inmates. Batavia PD might look at adding holding cells in its plan for a new police headquarters, Miller said, but that is going to add to the expense of the facility and require extra staffing to monitor detainees.  

Once a police station has such holding cells, Miller said, the department's legal liability for the safety of the inmates increases tremendously.

It makes more sense, Miller said, to build the new jail with a plan to house and hold people for short-term stays and ensure those people are segregated from the regular jail population unless they are accused of serious crimes and are likely to be bound over anyway.

"The county can be the most cost-efficient and effective alternative to providing the service to the city, towns, and villages instead of letting them fend for themselves," Miller said.

Zipfel said one issue the local jail has with the state commission is how to handle new inmates.

When an inmate is processed they are classified in order to determine where in the jail they will be held. The state requires that they are tested for drugs and have a criminal history completed while they are being held for 72 hours before being classified. During that 72 hours, they should be under constant observation, the state says, and not mixed with another classification of inmate.  

The Genesee County Jail completes drug testing and a criminal background check immediately upon admission and then classifies them.

The difference in procedures is a source of friction between the local jail and the state commission, Zipfel said.

Any inmate who arrives at the jail under influence of drugs or alcohol must remain under constant watch, which the current jail makes difficult for corrections officers to do safely. 

Zipfel also discussed part of the admission procedure for female inmates: They are also given a pregnancy test. All of them. Jail officials are not allowed, by state regulation, from placing handcuffs on a female inmate who is pregnant or has been pregnant within the previous six weeks.

Miller acknowledged, based on his experience of going through the process in other jurisdictions, that some members of the public are going to try and find every reason not to build a new jail. He recommended officials develop a plan to educate the public on both the necessity and requirement the county is facing to build a new jail.

Which brought the legislators in the room to the discussion of whether it's realistic to discuss a regional facility shared with Orleans County. Setting aside the appearance that Orleans County seems to be heading in its own direction, officials discussed the logistic difficulty of a shared facility.

If it were in Orleans County, say, Barre, Genesee County would face the burden and expense and lost patrol time of driving inmates to and from Barre. There would also be issues to address about how the jail would be staffed, who would be responsible for it legally, or how that burden would be shared, and it isn't at all clear a shared facility would save either jurisdiction any money.

"If you have to build a jail that is twice the size with twice the staffing, how does that save money?" Legislator Marianne Clattenburg said.

There are states with examples of successful regional jails, Miller said, but in those states, the state government picked up half the cost of the jail.

That isn't likely to happen in New York.

"Unless the state picks up at least 50 percent of the cost, it's just not feasible," Legislator Gary Maha said.

Escape the wintery winds to a place where the temperature is always 85 degrees, the water is always warm and hot dogs are always on the menu. At Palm Island Indoor Waterpark, summer never ends! Located within the Batavia Quality Inn and Suites, kids and kids-at-heart are sure to have a splashing good time.

Within the park’s 10,000 square feet are water features for all ages. Smaller kids love the Monsoon Lagoon, which includes a beach entry, children’s pools and a play area with a slide, rope-pull shower and five-way tipping buckets. Older kids (and adults!) will have a blast in Paradise Plunge and the Crazy Cobra. These two fully enclosed waterslides loop around the outside of the building before splashing back inside. And everyone finds fun in Paradise Bay with a basketball hoop play area, and huge hot tub.

There’s plenty to do out of the water, too. Two full arcades (one in the waterpark and one in the hotel) are sure to bring hours of fun for all ages. With new games like Buck Hunter and Doodle Jump, and classics like air hockey and Candy Crane, parents and kids alike will have a blast.

Stay for an afternoon, the night or a weekend. Packages start at just $145/night for your hotel, breakfast, admission to the park, arcade tokens and free play at Batavia Downs! You don’t have to go far to have a great time – a night at the Batavia Quality Inn and a day at the waterpark will definitely be a staycation to remember. Also available is special pricing for groups of eight or more. 

Have a special event, like a birthday coming up? Palm Island is the perfect destination to celebrate. Guests can choose from a pizza or hot dog party, and special pricing applies for a Monday or Friday event. Each party comes with ice cream and 20 arcade tokens, too!

Check out the Palm Island website for photos, hours and ongoing packages and their Facebook for deals, and updates. Palm Island Indoor Waterpark is located at 8250 Park Road in Batavia. 

Visit www.VisitGeneseeNY.com to learn more about Genesee County's unique attractions and local offerings. 

For only the third time in program history, the Pembroke Dragons will play for a Section V boys basketball championship on Friday after beating Avon 65-50 in a semifinal game played last night in Warsaw.

"It’s a big deal for the program," said Head Coach Matt Shay. "Basketball hasn’t always something that the school has had a lot of success in, so it’s really exciting to see this group buy in and work and get that success."

On Friday, the Dragons fell behind in the second quarter but then went on a 14-0 run to close out the half and go into the locker room with a 10-point lead.

While Avon pulled close a couple of times in the second-half, Pembroke remained in control of the game.

"The lapses that I really didn't like were in the middle of the third and beginning of the fourth quarter whey they (Avon) started to make a run," Shay said. "They were making good cuts and we were caught sleeping, staring at the ball."

Shay said he was proud of Reid Miano's performance, who struggled to score in the first half but kept his head in the game and finished with 16 points on the night.

"We have so much depth and talent that we can survive if he doesn't have a great night," Shay said. "Some teams, their star guy starts off slow, they’re in trouble, but I really talked with him about just keep playing. You can be our best player and still not score. I’m so proud of him because at the end of this game, he didn’t do much in the first half, but in the second half, he really came alive."

Lucas Kohorst scored 20 points, Zach VonKramer and Ethan Stone each scored 10.

The Dragons, with a record of 23-0 is the #2 seed in the Class C1 bracket. On Friday, they play the #1 seed, Northstar Christian (22-1) for the championship at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester.

Batavia’s slo-pitch softball “renaissance man” was back in front of City Council on Monday night, this time with a group of players and fans from his league at Kibbe Park as well as representatives of the Batavia Girls Softball League at Lions Park. Both organizations are seeking funds to improve their respective fields.

“I’ve finally rounded up a bunch of players,” Michael Jamil said during the public comments of the meeting. “We have a wide demographic – age 18 to 60s … and it seems like everything is heading in the right direction. In time, (working) hand in hand, we will have a solution.”

Just two weeks ago, Jamil addressed Council as part of his continuing quest to have the City provide a sand/clay mix to keep the Kibbe Park diamond from flooding after it rains and to fix the lights.

Two league members spoke of their time in the New Batavia Softball League – Aaron Osterman of Wyoming, who says he comes back to Batavia after working a full day here three times a week “just to play softball,” and Andrew Ernst of Batavia, who said he used to play softball in Pavilion and Brockport before joining the Batavia league and having an “awesome experience the past three seasons with these guys.”

Osterman said he has observed Jamil working many hours on the field to get it in good enough shape for games to be played there, and running an extension cord from the park pavilion to power a scoreboard that Jamil paid for out of his own pocket.

Ernst pointed out the field’s problems, stating that the “infield sometimes can be terrifying (with all of its ruts and holes).”

“I’ve witnessed Mike Jamil working from dusk to game time to make the field playable, barely playable,” he said. “I believe the City is looking into upgrades to the field. Anything will be put to use and will be appreciated.”

Both men said the league, which has around 33 teams, attracts many fans and provides an economic boost to the City.

Before those three had their time at the microphone, Stan Kaus of Batavia, coach of the Batavia Stingers 12-and-under girls’ softball team, spoke on behalf of the Batavia Girls Softball League at Lions Park on Edward Street.

Kaus, who has been affiliated with the league for 23 years, said about 75 girls participate in the summer recreational program that has “no tryouts, no cuts and where no one is turned away if they can’t pay.”

He thanked the City for cutting the grass and picking up the trash, but said additional help is needed with the backstop, outfield fence (there is none), smoothing the outfield and improving the infield.

“We need clay topping on the field; regular dirt doesn’t work, it turns to mud,” he said. “The clay acts like a shield. The water will pond, but eventually dry.”

Following their pleas, City Council President Eugene Jankowski said that the board, at Interim Manager Matt Worth’s urging, has agreed “to find the money (in this year’s budget) to buy dirt and get the fields as best as we can.”

He then mentioned a city parks’ “master plan” that is being prioritized for consideration in the 2019 budget.

“Thank you to Michael for bringing this to our attention and it has steamrolled into helping girls’ softball as well,” Jankowski said.

While there is no money in this year’s budget for fences, he said, it will be discussed – looking at the pros and cons of having outfield fences.

A motor-vehicle accident with injuries is reported on the eastbound Thruway at mile marker 387.2. One car crashed into a guardrail with at least one person unconscious.

"We spoke with the driver. We think it's a one-vehicle accident; however, he's unsure if he hit any other vehicles."

Town of Batavia Fire Department is responding along with Mercy medics.

UPDATE 7:57 p.m.: Medics are on scene. They advise the vehicle is off the roadway; Town of Batavia fire can go back in service if they choose. No word on injuries.

UPDATE 8:12 a.m.: All units are back in service.

Extensive experience in the recruitment for city manager positions, including a successful search for the Oneonta (N.Y.) city manager in 2016, gave The Novak Consulting Group of Cincinnati, Ohio, the edge in the City of Batavia’s quest to find someone to replace former City Manager Jason Molino.

“You know really, honestly, with references and what was contained with all proposals – they were pretty even, even with the pricing that they were going to charge it was pretty close, so it really came down to their New York State experience,” said City Human Resource Specialist Dawn Fairbanks following tonight’s City Council meeting at the City Centre’s Council Board Room.

In a Special Business Meeting that took place after the regularly scheduled Conference Meeting, Council members voted 9-0 to enter into a contract with Novak to conduct an executive search that, according to officials, could last as long as five months.

Fairbanks said that she will immediately let the other two vendors know that they were not selected and attorneys will prepare the contract for City Council President Eugene Jankowski to sign.

“Tomorrow I will be making contact with all the proposals, with the vendors that submitted proposals and let them know the outcome,” Fairbanks said. “Legal will finish up reviewing the contract so that Council President Jankowski can sign it and then we’ll get the ball rolling.”

Fairbanks was part of the City’s search committee along with Jankowski and Council members Adam Tabelski and Robert Bialkowski.

Tabelski said they received seven proposals and whittled it down to three companies. After reference checks and telephone interviews, Novak was selected.

“One firm rose to the top and that was Novak Consulting Group out of Ohio,” Tabelski said. “They have the most experience and while most (firms) had relatively the same fee, Novak was in the low range.”

Jankowski said Novak’s recruitment team will be interviewing all Council members plus some staff and private citizens. The search – which is estimated to cost the city upwards of $26,200 – will consist of advertising, marketing, identifying and screening potential candidates and interviewing by both Novak and City Council.

Both Jankowski and Fairbanks mentioned Novak’s guarantees that the person who is hired will stay in Batavia for at least two years and that they will not try to recruit that person for a job somewhere else.

Jankowski, partially in response to a question from city resident John Roach, said salary that has not been paid to a city manager or assistant city manager (since both positions are vacant) could be used to offset the cost of the executive search.

In other action, Council moved several agenda resolutions to be voted upon to its next Business Meeting, which is scheduled for March 12:

-- The 2018-19 budget of $26.9 million which calls for a tax levy of $5.25 million and a 2-percent salary increase for 10 supervisors and department heads, effective April 1.

-- Increases in water rates and meter fees (3.5 percent) and capital improvement fees (10 percent).

-- Establishing user fees for City Centre Mall merchants as a result of the litigation settlement that gives the City maintenance responsibilities of the concourse. They also will vote on whether to hire a full-time building maintenance worker (at $14-$18 per hour) and four part-time custodians to work in the mall.

-- Renewal of an agreement with Genesee County to pay 20 percent of the Genesee County Youth Bureau director's time providing administrative services for the City Youth Bureau, and revising the Youth Bureau bylaws.

-- Securing Bond Anticipation Notes for $3.3 million as up-front funds to complete street and sidewalk improvement projects, and another $750,000 to finance an upgrade in the municipality’s software system. The street and sidewalk funds will be reimbursed to the city as they are federal projects.

-- Accepting a bid from The Tree Doctor, based in Clarence, for annual tree trimming and removal. Depending upon the size of the tree, costs range from $200 to $3,290 per tree, with trimming costs set at $310 per tree.

Council also approved six events:

-- Care-A-Van Ministries cookouts, Thursdays, June 7 through Aug. 30, 5-8 p.m., Austin Park.

-- Tonawanda Valley Federal Credit Union 5K/10K Walk/Run, May 6, 9-11 a.m., starting at the credit union property on Jefferson Avenue.

-- Kiwanis Club Easter Egg Hunt, March 31, 9 a.m., Centennial Park.

-- GLOW Corporate Cup 5K, Aug. 2, 6 p.m., Centennial Park.

-- Batavia Concert Band series, June 27 through Aug. 8, 7 p.m., Centennial Park.

-- Living Waters Apostolic Ministries outreach, July 22, noon-3 p.m., Austin Park.

Photo credit: Jim Burns.

NOTE: This was originally posted at 1:15 p.m. We've updated the time stamp to move it back up to the top of the home page. The suspect is in custody.

Minutes ago about a dozen State Police cars swarmed onto the Thruway at the Batavia exit after a vehicle stopped there briefly following a high-speed chase that began in Canandaigua for unknown reasons. Now the pursuit has begun anew.

The suspect vehicle is traversing the median of the Thruway, going eastbound and westbound intermittently.

Troopers were told to be on the lookout for the vehicle driven by a possibly suicidal male.

Spike strips were set up at the Batavia exit, but it is unclear if they were deployed.

There are currently three police cars parked near the Batavia Thruway exit 48; the male subject's latest location is near the Le Roy exit.

UPDATE 1:23 p.m.: The suspect vehicle is stopped at the Le Roy exit Stafford overpass.

UPDATE 1:44 p.m.: The vehicle is stopped on I-90 eastbound about one mile from the Route 237 overpass. A trooper is blocking westbound I-90; and eastbound a number of emergency vehicles are on scene and a helicopter is hovering overhead.

UPDATE 1:48 p.m.: The subject is alert in the vehicle but not responding to officers' commands. The Thruway is closed westbound at the Le Roy exit and eastbound at the Batavia exit.

UPDATE 3:13 p.m.: Now the eastbound Thruway is closed at the Pembroke exit. The continuing standoff has resulted in heavy traffic congestion on Route 98 (Oak Street) in Batavia. The subject is reportedly armed.

UPDATE 5:49 p.m.: Jim Burns, reporting for us with a position that has a good view of the scene, says the subject is in custody. We have no information yet on when the Thruway might reopen.

UPDATE 6:26 p.m.: The Thruway has been reopened in both directions.

There is an oil spill on the Thruway in the eastbound lane in the area of mile marker 404 because of a truck accident.

It's unclear if a truck was carrying oil or if the oil comes from the engine. 

Two trucks may have been involved and there is heavy damage. There's no word yet on how large of an oil spill.

Pembroke fire and Indian Falls fire dispatched.

UPDATE 5 p.m.: There is oil leaking from "the last two tractor-trailers involved," a chief reports.

UPDATE 5:03 p.m.: The spill is 50 to 60 feet from a waterway. Department of Environmental Conservation being notified.

UPDATE 6:02 p.m.: Reader-submitted photos added. Apparently, only one truck involved. It was carrying 44,000 pounds of flour for a pizza shop.

The Fine Arts program at Genesee Community College is proud to welcome the entire community to the Roz Steiner Art Gallery at the Batavia Campus to experience this year's student exhibit, "Master Peace," on display from March 1 - April 6.

The "Master Peace" exhibit will begin with artist receptions from 12:30 to 2 p.m. and again from 5 - 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 1; the public is invited to meet the artists and explore the exhibit's debut.

Entitled "Master Peace," this exhibition showcases artwork recently produced by students enrolled in Fine Arts courses at Genesee Community College. Each piece is crafted for a specific class project reflecting a range of the course's learning objectives challenging students to use their fundamental learning and refined technical skills to create pieces that communicate and express their concepts and messages.

The exhibit includes artwork produced in GCC's Two and Three-Dimensional Design, Drawing I & II, Painting I & II, and Ceramics I & II courses.

"The student exhibits are a time for students to celebrate their achievements and show off their accomplishments," says Art Gallery Coordinator Mary Jo Whitman. "This year's exhibit features a range of diverse and exceptional artwork. I am looking forward to the exhibit's opening and for our community to have the opportunity to view the artwork created by our talented students at GCC."

Roz Steiner Art Gallery hours are Monday-Friday 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information on all upcoming events at the Roz Steiner Art Gallery visit www.genesee/edu/gallery.

Madalyn R. Muntz, 32, of Evans Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, criminally using drug paraphernalia, 2nd, criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument, and unlawful possession of marijuana. While conducting an investigation on Liberty Street, members of the Local Drug Task Force located Muntz. She was taken into custody on a City Court warrant and at the time of her arrest allegedly found in possession of cocaine, a needle, drug paraphernalia, and a device for smoking marijuana. She was also arrested by Batavia PD on the warrant alleged failure to meet requirements of sentencing on a prior conviction. Muntz was released after posting bail.

Jonathan Edward Stanton, 35, of Vine Street, Batavia, is charged petit larceny, criminal use of drug paraphernalia, 2nd, criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument, and unlawful possession of marijuana. Police received a report of a suspicious male at the Rite Aid on West Main Street, Batavia. Upon investigation, Deputy Ryan DeLong and Deputy Brad Mazur determined Stanton allegedly stole $119.97 in merchandise from the store and was in possession of drug paraphernalia, a needle and marijuana.

Daniel E. Gubnitsky, 23, of Sheron Road, Greece, and Jennifer A. Schreiber, 18, of Batavia Stafford Townline Road, Batavia, are charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Gubnitsky and Schreiber were charged after police were called to investigate a suspicious vehicle parked at the VFW Hall at 25 Edwards St., Batavia, at 9:22 a.m. Thursday. 

Joseph M. Tornabene, 26, of Dellinger Avenue, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Tornabene allegedly struck another person in the face during an argument reported at 2:30 p.m. Friday at a location on Dellinger Avenue, Batavia. Tornabene left the scene. The victim signed a complaint and Tornabene later turned himself in at Batavia PD headquarters. 

Cale Daniel Rice, 41, of Drake Street Road, Elba, is charged with felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, speeding and failure to notify DMV of a change of address. Rice was stopped at 1:06 a.m. Saturday on Route 98 in Elba by Deputy Eric Meyer.

Shamique D. Hubbard, 28, of Hamlet, North Carolina, is charged with DWI, driving while impaired by drugs, and unlawful possession of marijuana. Hubbard was stopped at 10:51 p.m. Sunday in the Town of Batavia by State Police.

Matthew J. Gaudio, 29, of Rochester, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and aggravated unlicensed operation. Gaudio was stopped by State Police in Darien at 10:14 a.m. Thursday. Following arraignment, Gaudio was ordered held on bail.

Ervin Finkley, 50, of Rochester, is charged with grand larceny, 4th, criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, and fleeing from an officer in a motor vehicle. Desiree Ghee, 31, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property. Norman C. Ghee, 53, of Rochester, is charged with grand larceny, 4th. The trio was arrested by State Police in connection with an incident reported at 1:27 p.m. Thursday in the City of Batavia. All three were ordered held on bail. No further details released.

There will be a primary, and I plan on being your next Congressman. The people of this district deserve the freedom to choose their candidate.

You deserve the freedom of a primary, and you deserve a rural candidate who lives in the district. I’ve shown you, my neighbors, that I have a plan to beat Chris Collins come November, and it starts with you.

Throughout this campaign, I’ve promised you honesty and accountability, and that’s why I am staying in the race. I’ve committed to you not to divide us on partisan politics, but to unite on the values that make us all Americans.

I encourage you to listen to all candidates, to learn about who we are and what we stand for, and choose the candidate that you want to be your next Congressman.

You’ll learn that I believe in family, in accountability, and in you. Imagine a Congressman who does not hide in Washington or does not believe that this is the next step in a political career. I’m running because we can do better.

I came back to Western New York to take care of my family and my family’s business. I’ve taken what I learned from business school and experiences throughout my career in business to invest in new technology and grow my family’s small business. Our small businesses can do better. They deserve the chance to grow and to thrive.

Imagine a Congressman who does not worry about your political party, how much money you make, or what you look like. A Congressman who only cares about ensuring every single person in Western New York is doing better than they were before, and a Congressman who ensures our children can do better than we ever believed.

I’m looking forward to meeting you on the campaign trail and learning how to make Western New York a better place. Remember, this is about your values, your voice, and your vote.

A vehicle reportedly struck a tree and rolled over in the area of 1677 Main Road, East Pembroke.

There is heavy damage to the vehicle, according to a first responder, but the occupant is reported out and walking around.

East Pembroke fire and Mercy EMS responding.

Bowlers in the Sunday Roll-Offs League at Medina Lanes were in the groove this morning as nine members posted 600 series, led by Scott Allis, with a sparkling 824 set.

For the second time in four weeks, Allis, a 37-year-oid right-hander from Medina, hit the 800 mark. This time it was punctuated by a closing 300 game.

Ken Evans of Medina also had a 300 game in the league, and finished with a 736 series -- 11 pins less than Batavia's Gregg Wolff.

For all the rest of the scores and for highlights of other league bowling action around the Genesee Region, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of this page.

Local leaders in law enforcement, fire services, mental health and other crisis intervention professionals met at the Fire Training Center on Friday to help map out what services and resources the county has available to people with mental health issues.

The goal is to find ways to get people in the midst of a mental health crisis help before it becomes a law enforcement issue, and when a mental health issue does involve police officers, those officers have the training and resources to deal with it effectively.

Don Kamin, director of the Institute for Police, Mental Health & Community Collaboration in Rochester, along with Martin Giuliano, led the discussion.

Kamin's program is four years old and was created and funded by the State Senate. Both Monroe County and Erie County already have such programs in place, and it's now Genesee County's turn for organizing the program and providing training. 

In a couple of months, Kamin and his team and his team will return to start training a group of officers in local law enforcement who will be part of a Crisis Intervention Team. They will undergo 40 hours of training, on top of the 15 they've already received in their law enforcement academy, in dealing with subjects suffering from mental health issues.

"Number one, we want to train them on how to recognize mental illness and other disorders and then how to de-escalate that," Kamin said. "Also, just as important, give them more knowledge of the local system."

There are a number of mental resources available in Genesee County that could assist officers in the field but knowledge about those resources isn't evenly distributed through local law enforcement. One of the program's goals is to map out all of those resources and provide officers with the information.

"It's a good opportunity for us to take a step back and see what other communities are doing so that when we bring the report back to the Genesee County we can say 'hey, over here in Monroe County, over in Westchester, or over in Albany County, they're looking at these practices. Have you considered moving in that direction?' " Giuliano said. "We can try to integrate the best practices throughout New York State and get them spread to all the different communities."

New York's program is part of a national trend toward providing police officers with additional mental issue crisis intervention training -- this year the state's law enforcement academies will require 20 hours of training -- and creating crisis intervention teams.

"The goal here is to divert people from the criminal justice system when at all possible and get them the support they need," Kamin said. "This isn't a get out of jail free card. If folks, regardless of the level of mental illness, commit a serious crime they're going to be arrested; they're going to 14 West Street, but many times they don't need to be sent there and we want to intervene."

A caller reports that he wasn't in an accident, but his car is on fire and it's in a cornfield off of Lake Street Road and Selden Road, Le Roy.

Le Roy fire dispatched. A chief request the first engine out be the brush truck.

UPDATE 7:07 p.m.: Because of the distance off the road, more brush trucks requested to the scene. It is a working fire. Pavilion, Bergen and Stafford all requested to the scene.

It's the vision of Rev. Henry Moore and the team at the Hope Center of Le Roy that the new ministry 42 Main St. will provide the community with a place of hope and help.

"We just want to show God's love through all of us and everything that we're doing," Moore said. "That's a lot of what we're based on, the fact of God's love and things will take shape from there."

The Hope Center, which is still just barely furnished, offers several programs for the community already.

There is L.I.F.T., which stands for Ladies in Faith Together. It's a program for single moms, where single moms can meet and support each other, share a meal, and grow in faith together.

The King's Table provides support for caregivers of children with special needs. 

"A couple of ladies who have special needs children took it upon themselves to start the program," Moore said. "Since then they've begun to bring families in and it gives them an opportunity to just meet together."

Fresh Start Literacy is a program for children to get extra help with reading.

"We really feel like this is going to be a powerful one because so many families have children who struggle to read," Moore said. "It's tough in a school atmosphere to get one-on-one help. We're willing to offer that."

Moms United in Prayer is a chance for women to pray together on a regular basis for children and schools.

Annually, the center offers Go Pro Spa Day and the Prom Dress Give Away.

Planned programs include Celebrate Recovery, a disaster relief program, children and teens programs and a New Life Clothing Center.

Much of Moore's ministry is based on the work, including the Prom Dress Give Away, he was doing with the Living Waters Church.

The Hope Center is now a separate nonprofit, and Moore is seeking donation and community support. The Hope Center has also started a building fund with the hope of eventually owning its own building.

"What we really want to do is get the community involved get all the churches to come together," Moore said. "I mean, no one person has a vision to make everything happen. One of the things we found was that someone has a vision and they don't know how to make it happen. We want to help that."

The rest of the leadership team includes Donna Friedman, Pat Bedford and Amy Bolton.

The motto of the Hope Center is that "hope is more than a wish. It is a confident expectation."

Moore said it's his goal to see the new ministry provide that kind of confident expectation to the Le Roy community.

The #3 seed in Class A2, the Batavia Blue Devils, was up Saturday in a Section V playoff game played in Batavia, by the #6 seed, Honeoye Falls-Lima, 48-41.

While Batavia jumped out to a 17-7 first quarter lead, behind the hot hand of Tee Sean Ayala, who scored 13 of his 20 points in the first eight minutes, HFL seemed to have figured out how to slow Ayala down. HFL held Ayala to seven points the rest of the way.

Worse, the Blue Devils didn't score at all in the second quarter and were held to 10 points in the fourth quarter -- a quarter in which HFL seemed to find it impossible to miss a shot, scoring 17 points.

Naz Pratt scored nine points for the Blue Devils and Antwan Odom scored six.

Top scorer for HFL was Garret Ruff with 13.

A one-car accident is reported in the area of 246 Main Road, Pembroke. 

The vehicle is in a ditch and is smoking.

Unknown injuries.

Pembroke fire and Indian Falls fire along with Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 12:22 p.m.: Subjects are out of the vehicle. The vehicle is no longer smoking.

The City of Batavia's search committee that has been formed to fill the vacant city manager position is recommending that The Novak Consulting Group conduct the professional search at an approximate cost of $26,200.

The commitee, consisting of Council members Eugene Jankowski, Adam Tabelski and Robert Bialkowski along with HR Specialist Dawn Fairbanks, will be asking Council to consider the Cincinnati, Ohio, firm during Monday night's Conference Meeting at the City Centre's Council Board Room with the goal of the board casting a positive vote at a Special Business Meeting immediately afterward.

According to a memo from Fairbanks dated Feb. 21, the search commitee received seven responses from executive search services for the recruitment of a manager to replace Jason Molino, who resigned effective Jan. 29.

Fairbanks wrote that the committee narrowed the field down to three finalists, and each of those companies were interviewed via a conference call.

"After careful review, the Search Committee recommends The Novak Consulting Group for the search services ...," Fairbanks wrote.

The proposed contract calls for the City to pay $23,500 for Novak to "complete the city manager recruitment," with additional costs as follows: $1,000-$1,500 for advertising, $175-$300 per top finalist for background checks, and travel costs for finalists to attend interviews in the City.

The Novak Consulting Group was founded in 2009 by Julia D. Novak, whose resume lists 30 years of experience working with and for local governments. A consultant, trainer and facilitator, Novak's local government career includes positions in Fort Collins, Colo.; Lexington, Mass.; Rockville, Md,; and Rye, N.Y. (where she was the city manager).

She is a noted author and speaker on a variety of public administration management topics. Her staff includes consultants with decades of collective experience.

Details of the executive search contract's work plan for the City of Batavia, as provided by Novak, are as follows:

-- Develop candidate profile. Tasks include speaking with each member of City Council to learn individual expectations of each elected offical, in addition to discovering the shared goals for a new city manager -- utilizing focus groups and/or online surveys. From those meetings, etc., Novak promises to develop a tailored marketing and recruitment plan that includes New York, the region and the nation, preparing a position profile that is unique to Batavia. Also, the firm says it will develop first-year organizational goals for the successful candidate so he or she knows what will be expected.

-- Conduct active recruitment and screening. Tasks include conducting an advertising campaign -- using social media, phone and email contacts -- to identify and solicit potential candidates. After that is completed, the firm will market the position and identify qualified candidates for assessment, utilizing networks such as the International City/County Management Association, New York State City County Managers Association and other state and regional organizations pertinent to the recruiting process. The recruitment plan includes seeking candidates who are minorities, women and those who have worked in similar communities.

-- Support interviews and selection. Tasks include facilitating a customized, multistep interview process, which could consist of writing and role play exercises and/or a community reception. Novak will help arrange travel logistics for each candidate, and review candidates' strengths and backgrounds. The firm also is able to assist in salary negotiations.

The contract would be good for two years, with the guarantee that if the new hire leaves the position within two years time, Novak would conduct a new search for no professional fee. The City would then be responsible for billed direct expenses only.

Novak has assigned Catherine Tuck Parrish, who has conducted more than 100 searches for city manager/administrator jobs, and Jenn Reichelt, who has 16 years of experience in local government management, as the executive search practice leader and associate, respectively.

Other items on the Conference Meeting agenda include:

-- Public hearings for the budget ordinance; water rates, meter fees and capital improvement fees; establishing a user fee for the City Centre Mall, and amending the Business Improvement District Plan.

-- Creation of a full-time building maintenance worker and four part-time custodians as part of the City's Public Works Department to cover the operation and maintenance of the Mall concourse as a result of the City's agreement with the mall merchants association.

-- A resolution for an inter-municipal agreement with Genesee County for the City to pay 20 percent of the Genesee County Youth Bureau director's time spent providing administrative services for the City Youth Bureau.