notify

Jerry Brewster likes to talk.

He could probably talk the tail feathers off a pheasant.

He's certainly talked a few people into admitting to things they would have rather have kept quiet, such as burglaries, rapes, arsons, and even murders.

Brewster said getting confessions is one of the most satisfying parts of being a criminal investigator, a job he's held since 1988 as part of a 44-year career with the Genesee County Sheriff's Office that ends this week.

"When I was actively investigating cases, I would get a lot of confessions and come Tuesday when there's a grand jury, I might be going into a grand jury four, five, six times talking about different cases that I investigated and they all had confessions," Brewster said. "I remember one day I was in there and at the end of the grand jury proceeding there is an opportunity for the grand jurors ask questions. After about the fifth time I was there one afternoon, ... the district attorney asked if there were any questions and a guy raised his hand and said, 'I don't have any questions (about the case) but I want to know, how does he get those people to talk to him?' "

How many confessions has Brewster coaxed out of reluctant suspects? He couldn't tell you.

"I just never thought about it," Brewster said. "I just don't know. I do what I do and then I move on. I never did the chalk-mark-on-the-wall kind of thing."

However many cases Brewster has cracked, it's surely not bad for a kid from Oakfield who was a math/science major with an eye on a career as a pharmacist when he got a job offer under the Comprehensive Employment Training Act program for an emergency dispatcher position.

He was 22 years old and had worked for Agway and Montgomery Ward.

"The economic situation being what it was, I was doing a balancing act in my mind," Brewster said. "You know, here's a job where the money and benefits are good or going into the unknown. I just had to go into the job at the Sheriff's Office. I didn't know if I was going to like it. It wasn't anything that I had thought about that much but it just kind of grew on me. And apparently, I must have had some skills or was somewhat adept at it so and it ended up being a good fit."

From dispatcher to deputy working in the jail, to road patrol, Brewster's early career moved on quickly.

Road patrol, that was something he liked. It wasn't long before he was promoted to sergeant. But it was also on road patrol where he discovered that he liked helping victims get answers but he also learned that the cases that took the most work -- usually felonies -- were often handed off to investigators.

Brewster was hooked both on helping victims and coaxing confessions when he helped an Oakfield resident, a person he knew, recover a stolen canoe.

"I only had a description of the canoe," Brewster said. "We didn't have serial numbers or anything like that. I happened upon a car over in Four Corners in Byron and here was a canoe that kind of looked like the one we were looking for, and I started talking to (the driver) about it and he had some answers that weren't quite adding up and eventually was I able to get a confession roadside from him."

That experience helped convince Brewster to accept a position -- even though it was a step down from sergeant -- as an investigator. Six years later, in 1994, Brewster was promoted to chief deputy in charge of investigations.

Patience, Brewster said, is the key to being a good investigator. You also need to be intelligent, educated, willing to listen.

"You have to be a good judge of character," Brewster said. "You have to be able to use the eyes in your head and your senses to try and figure out when somebody is not being truthful. Let's face it, in this position in this career that we have chosen, most people don't tell you the truth."

It's interesting, Brewster observed, that most parents teach their children to always be truthful, except when dealing with cops.

"You're in a backseat when dad gets pulled over for speeding and the first thing he says is, 'I wasn't speeding,' Brewster said. "So, it was OK to lie to the police and it kind of pervades today, which is OK. We understand. We're not angry about that. We just realize that most people, when we ask them the first time, they're not going to tell us the truth."

Early in Brewster's career as an investigator, he was called on to look into the death of a woman who was beaten to death inside her home on Route 77 in Indian Falls. After her death, her husband tried to take his own life. He didn't succeed and he was hospitalized. He was in critical condition at first and couldn't be interviewed. On Christmas Day, Brewster learned the man could finally talk so, taking time away from his family, he went to the hospital and interviewed the man for five hours.

He confessed to the murder.

"It was quite obvious that he was not being truthful because, on one hand, he would say he didn't remember and you'd ask him what was on television you could tell exactly what was on television," Brewster said. "So those sorts of things he seemed to remember OK. So we narrow this thing down. (Now it's) 'I remember everything that happened up until this moment' at which point it's a matter of working on that moment."

Much about investigating crime has changed since 1988. Back then, DNA evidence was new and uncommon. Now it's used in many cases. And of course, people didn't have cell phones that could be tracked, and certainly not phones that could easily take video. There was, in fact, very little video evidence. Now, Brewster said, it's hard to convince a jury a suspect did the crime without video evidence. Computers now also finding dots and connecting them much easier.

"Our capabilities are just tremendous," Brewster said. "In cars today, there are computers and they can tell us a lot of stuff about you and your car before an accident. We didn't have that before, or cell phones. They can tell us a lot of stuff.

"Of course, then you have the rights groups saying, 'well I don't want you to know where I go; I don't want you to know who I talk to or where I've been.' But if we need to, we get to work by valid search warrant, and we're doing a lot of search warrants these days, and we can get that information and we are using that sometimes to solve crimes or to exonerate people."

The key to solving any criminal case, Brewster said, is knowing who to look at as a person of interest. Once you determine that, you can figure out a possible motive and know what questions to ask.

"It makes my job a lot easier if I knew who to look at," Brewster said. "Sometimes I would have informants and I would tell them, 'look it, I don't want you to come forward and testify; I just want you to tell me who did it' and then I could start working and I might be able to find a witness who said they saw him there. If I don't know what to look at, it makes a lot harder. Fingerprints can do it. DNA is helping us. It's just like that guy pointing his finger back in the day. I needed to know who was most likely to have done it and then I could solve the case."

But the danger for any investigator, Brewster said, is to approach a crime with a preconceived notion. You can't put the pieces together if you don't see the whole picture. Tunnel vision can kill an investigation.

One of his roles as chief deputy, he said, was to listen to his investigators, let them paint a picture, and then tell them what they were missing.

"Maybe I have a little bit of a luxury as chief deputy because I have the investigators out there doing the digging and the interviews and they're coming back to me and telling you what's going on," Brewster said. "I'm already a little bit detached. Many times I haven't even been out to the scene so things will start clicking in my mind. I'm more of a visual person and if you describe what that scene looked like and then you start talking to me about it, even if I haven't been there, I can say, 'Yeah but what about that? Well, take a look at this. How do you explain what this guy said he saw?' And then they start questioning him. So that's one of the roles I see myself in here."

Brewster's other role, he said, is to stay on top of both changes in technology and in case law. That involves a lot of reading but he doesn't want to see a criminal case get crossed up because an appeals court has changed how evidence can be gathered and cases built.

If you're not current on case law, Brewster said, "you're fishing in the dark and you don't know what you might be doing wrong. What was OK six months ago isn't OK to do now. We need to know that because we might make that mistake."

Solving cases that don't run afoul of Constitutional protections for citizens is critical to good police work, Brewster said.

"If we can't do it legally there will always be another time," Brewster said. "If we don't have it, there will always be another time. For a police officer, time is always on our side. We just have to be patient. These guys that are screwing up will continue to screw up. If we don't get them somebody else will."

With that in mind, Brewster's advice to Joseph Graff, the next chief deputy in charge of investigations, is: read. Read a lot.

Also, be prepared for how demanding the job is. There is no downtime. When you go out with your family, your wife and kids need to be prepared to find their own way home because dad has to go to a crime scene. And the cases you get involved in can be draining emotionally.

"It's pretty hard to detach yourself emotionally from that we do," Brewster said. "That's the hardest part of the job."

That, and leaving the job at the door.

"You have a personal life, too, but when your job is chief deputy you're on the phone and you're working all the time," Brewster said. "There are things that need to be addressed around the clock, 24/7. I've been on call 24/7 since 1994 and it takes its toll on you. When I walk out that door at 4 o'clock, it's pretty hard to detach that. When you talk to the spouses and families of police officers they're all going to tell you the same thing. It's pretty hard for them to leave that at work."

What makes the job worthwhile, Brewster said, is helping people but sometimes even that isn't enough.

"I think that a lot of the things that we do, we have to put up a wall when we get there," Brewster said. "There may be all sorts of death and mayhem and all sorts of gruesomeness and we don't really see that. We're just there to do a job. But we do see how it impacts the people there and their families. We see that and it bothers us a little bit in the back of our mind and eventually, some of this does come back and, you know, it's like a profound sadness for all those people, all those things that you saw that you really couldn't help them with. Maybe you took care of the person that was responsible for causing all this death or mayhem but that doesn't really bring anyone back."

When you talk with Brewster long enough about criminal investigations, it's clear he's not all that ready to give up the work of solving crimes.

"I am going to miss it," Brewster said. "I'm going to miss getting up in the morning with a purpose in mind that I've got this interview, I've got this to do, we're going to get this general order in line for today, you know, those sorts of things. There's a feeling that I'm not useful anymore or valuable anymore but I'll get into it. I'll do fine."

Brewster, who has three adult children from his first marriage and two stepchildren from his second marriage, is 66 now and figures he'll tinker. He's got a new barn at his home in Alexander. He has a boat. He's going to renovate an old pickup for his stepson. There's a neighbor across the way who has an old car that hasn't run in years that Brewster figures he can get running again. 

"I've got a lot of projects," Brewster said. "My wife is pretty good at giving me things to do, which I appreciate. I'm not going to be sitting around. Not at all. If I get bored I'll probably go find something to do."

One thing Brewster doesn't figure to do is sit around thinking about the cases he hasn't solved. You might think the unsolved murders would eat at him but he says that's not the case.

For one thing, many of them won't go unsolved much longer, he said.

Brewster listed off the open murder cases he expects will be closed soon: Bill Fickle, Kisha Sullivan, Anne Lee, Eddie Freson, and Deborah Maniace.

In some of these cases, DNA will play a role, perhaps, even, the use of family tree websites that match DNA among family members (used last year to arrest the suspected Golden State Killer in California). There is also new witness information in some cases. Perhaps there will even be a confession.

"As I'm going out of here there are some major developments coming in some of those cases already due solely to technology," Brewster said. "As I said, it's one of the things where you have to be patient. You are going to see something happening here. I think it will be everyone but one case we've got something, some poker's in the fire. Those cases aren't just sitting in a box rusting away and nobody is looking at them or thinking about them. If you go down the hall to each one of these guys, there are different cases that they're working beside a regular caseload.

"So, yeah, stay tuned."

Those cases, in fact, the whole investigative department, is being left in good hands, Brewster said, with Graff taking over.

"I'm walking out of here with a replacement for myself as the first guy that I've seen in the 20 some years that I've been doing this who I can say, 'Yeah he can take my place,' " Brewster said. "This place is not going to miss a beat with Joe Graff."

Jerry Riley III, 41, of South Main Street, Batavia, is charged with: Driving while intoxicated; DWI with a BAC of .08 percent or more; aggravated unlicensed operator in the first degree; criminal possession of a controlled substance; and failure to keep right. Riley was arrested at 2:25 a.m. on April 6 on Pringle Avenue in Batavia. Following his arraignment in Batavia City Court, he was jailed without bail. He was due to return to city court on April 8. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Matthew Wojtaszczyk.

Ronald Terrance Jackson, 53, of Liberty Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal obstruction of breathing and second-degree harassment. Jackson was arrested at 4 p.m. April 8 on State Street. It is alleged that he pushed another person and applied pressure to their neck during a physical altercation. After his arraignment in Batavia City Court, he was jailed on $1,500 bail, cash or bond. He was due to return to court today (April 9). The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Christopher Lindsay, assisted by Officer Mitchell Cowen.

Amanda M. Webb, 30, of Maple Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree reckless endangerment. At 2:49 a.m. on April 8, Batavia polce responded to Maple Street for a domestic incident. Investigation revealed that Webb allegedly threw a knife at a male while he was walking away from the location. She was issued an appearance ticket for Batavia City Court and is due there on April 23. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Arick Perkins.

Bobby L. Mobley, 34, of Maple Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of marijuana in the fifth degree. At 2:55 a.m. on April 8, Batavia police responded to Maple Street for a domestic incident. Mobley was allegedly found to possess about 1.8 ounces of marijuana. Mobley was issued an appearance ticket for Batavia City Court and he is due there on April 16. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Arick Perkins, assisted by Officer Eric Bolles.

Paul Orrie Doctor Jr., 45. of Council House Road, Tonawanda Indian Reservation, was arrested at 5:45 p.m. on April 4 and charged with third-degree criminal tampering. It is alleged that he threw a bag of feces onto a vehicle belonging to another person, causing "a substantial inconvenience." The incident allegedly occurred on Bloomingdale Road. He was issued an appearance ticket for Alabama Town Court and is due there at 6 p.m. on April 24. The case was investigated by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy James Stack, assisted by Deputy Kyle Krzemien.

Tareq Fouad Saleh, 30, of Plymouth Avenue, Buffalo, is charged with: possessing more than 10,000 unstamped cigarettes; fourth-degree criminal tax fraud; speeding; and not wearing a seat belt -- a violation. He was arrested at 9:22 p.m. on April 3 on Alleghany Road in Pembroke following a traffic stop for speeding. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy James Stack, assisted by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

Krystal Lee Frye, 29, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with fourth-degree grand larceny -- credit card. She was arrested and will be arraigned on April 9 on the charge following an investigation into a stolen wallet. The incident allegedly occurred at 7:40 a.m. on April 1 at an apartment on Maple Street in the city. Frye was released on an appearance ticket. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Jason Ivison.

Andrea Marie Gray, 41, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with second-degree harassment. On April 4 at 3:19 p.m., Gray was arrested at the Genesee County Courts Facility for allegedly engaging in a physical altercation with a male. She was arraigned and released on her own recognizance and is due in Batavia City Court at a later date. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Ryan DeLong.

Heyward Clark Jr., 54, of Locust Street, Lockport, was arrested on April 6 on two Batavia City Court warrants after he was identified as a passenger in a vehicle during a traffic stop. He is charged with third-degree burglary -- entry with intent to commit a crime, petit larceny, and criminal mischief -- intent to damage property. The charges stem from an incident on School Street in Batavia at 10 p.m. on Oct. 27, 2016. Clark was jailed without bail and is due back in Batavia City Court at a later date. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Quider, assisted by Officer Nicole McGinnis.

Daniel S. Carpenter, 30, of Hickory Manor Drive, Rochester, is charged with: driving while intoxicated as a misdemeanor; moving from lane unsafely; and having alcohol in a motor vehicle. Carpenter was arrested at 10:27 a.m. on April 6 following a one-vehicle rollover crash on Route 19 in the Town of Le Roy. He suffered minor injuries and was released on appearance tickets for Le Roy Town Court. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Travis DeMuth, assisted by Deputy Ryan DeLong.

Walter T. Snell, 31, of Walnut Street, Batavia, is charged with failure to appear. He was arrested at 5:45 p.m. on April 5 on a bench warrant out of Batavia City Court for failing to appear in court. He was jailed in lieu of $1,000 bail and is to return to city court on April 10. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Miah Stevens, assisted by Officer Mitchell Cowen.

Dustin Wyatt Albrecht, 24, of Jay Street, Phelps, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and having no restraint system for a backseat passenger between the ages of 4 to 6. Albrecht was arrested at 4:25 p.m. on April 7 on Alleghany Road in Pembroke following a traffic checkpoint. He was released on an appearance ticket and is due in Town of Pembroke Court at a later date. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Travis DeMuth.

Howard Owens, publisher of The Batavian, received three awards in the annual Better Newspaper Contest sponsored by the New York Press Association.

Owens won first place for spot news photography and education coverage and second place for elections/politics coverage.

The five stories submitted for education coverage where:

• Adoption of 'Norms' at Alexander Board of Education retreat may have violated state's Open Meetings Law
• Five school districts in Genesee County restrict speech for board members
• Group of Alexander parents express frustration at how school district is handling discipline, student safety
• NYSSBA deputy director addresses confusion about free speech rights of school board members
• Parents in Alexander express concern school district is double dipping with new use fees

The five stories submitted for elections/politics coverage were:

• Before Larry Piegza wore a MAGA hat, he attacked Trump's alleged ties to Putin
• Collins mum on substance of insider trading charges, refuses to take questions at press conference
• Collins says he's innocent and he may have narrow path to beat insider trading case
• Langworthy vows GOP will replace Collins with candidate who supports Trump's agenda
• Profile: Nate McMurray, Democratic capitalist, bucking the trend of his party

Mark Gutman, photographer for the Batavia Daily News, was also honored with two awards, including second place for photographer of the year. He also received third place for sports feature photo.

Mallory Diefenbach, staff writer with the Batavia Daily News, won second place for health coverage. Jessica Dillon received first place for agriculture coverage. John Anderson and Zach Lyman won first place for best use of video. John Anderson placed second for best column. John Anderson, Scott DeSmit, and Matt Leader received first place for in-depth reporting. 

The Batavian was judged in Division I. The Batavia Daily News in Division II.

This week The Greens of Le Roy senior assisted living facility announced that it has been acquired by St. Ann's Community, a leading provider of senior housing and health services in Rochester with a 134-year history there.

New signage and papwerork will display its new name, St. Ann's Community at The Greens.

Day-to-day operations will continue as they have and Director Kim Pasquale will continue as the day-to-day point of contact person. The St. Ann's finance team will contact residents and their families soon and provide a new W-9 form.

A letter to stakeholders from officials says: "By bringing together The Greens of Le Roy with St. Ann's Community, we benefit from out collective histories, values and missions to provide residents with the best quality of life.

"It quickly became apparent after working together, that our organization becoming one will enhance our abiluty to serve seniors."

The announcement was made by Michael E. McRae, president and CEO of St. Ann's Community, and A. John Bartholomew, president of Bartholomew Healthcare Group.

St. Ann Community is headquartered at 1500 Portland Ave. in Rochester.

Batavia City School District Superintendent Chris Dailey is moving up the career ladder to a larger school district. He will be formally appointed as the new superintendent of the Gates Chili Central School District on Tuesday, it was announced today.

Gates Chili Board of Education President Jeff Pettenski praised Dailey's leadership skills in an announcement by that district.

Dailey will be officially appointed at the Gates Chili Board of Education meeting April 9.

“We are impressed with his record of accomplishment and commitment to the community he serves," Pettenski said in an announcement. "We are confident he is committed to teaching and inspiring excellence for all learners.”

Dailey's administrative career started with the completion of an internship and being department chairperson at Twelve Corners Middle School in Brighton. He next served as an assistant principal at Churchville-Chili Senior High School before becoming Batavia High School principal. He was quickly promoted by the Batavia Board of Education to deputy superintendent before taking over as superintendent in January 2013.

“I am excited and honored to have been chosen as the next superintendent," Dailey told Gates Chili school officials. "I look forward to working collaboratively with the Board of Education, staff, parents and community to provide a phenomenal education to our students.

"My mission is to celebrate the excellent programs, activities and services that contribute to the student success and outstanding pride that sets Gates Chili schools apart. I commit to modeling the character, integrity and fairness expected of the leader as we write the next great chapter in the tremendous story of the Gates Chili Central School District together.”

Dailey will begin in Gates Chili on July 1, pending contract negotiations.

The Gates Chili Central School District in Monroe County has about 4,000 students, more than 850 employees, and an operating budget of approximately $100 million annually ($24,503 per student).

Dana Richardson said he's going to miss helping people, miss trying to make our community a little bit of a better place to live, which he said is how he saw his job during his 27 years with the Genesee County Sheriff's Office.

But it's time to do something else with his life, Richardson said during a retirement ceremony this afternoon.

"Deputy Richardson has served the citizens of Genesee County with professionalism, dedication, and enthusiasm," said Sheriff Bill Sheron. "He's been a source of pride for the Genesee County Sheriff's Office."

Richardson started his law enforcement career as a corrections officer in the Genesee County Jail but soon transferred to road patrol and during his career, he received two Commendation awards, a Meritorious Service Award, and the Officer of the Year award from the Kiwanis Club of Batavia.

"It's been an enjoyable career," Richardson said. "It's always different, changing every day. I've enjoyed working with the citizens in this county, trying to help people. I just felt like it was time for a change, time to do something else."

He doesn't know what the something else will be yet, but he will do something because he will need to pay for health insurance, he said.

Richardson's wife, Deborah, is a daycare provider, as she was 30 years ago when the couple first met. They have three sons, Nicholas, also a police officer, Jacob, a loss prevention officer, Andrew, a pastor, and a daughter, Holly, a teller at the ESL Federal Credit Union.

Richardson said he understands that a lot of people see cops as people who just want to write tickets and arrest people but that isn't how he sees the job at all.

"Basically, police officers are social workers," Richardson said. "They're people who are there to help people find solutions to their problems. We get to talk to people about what's important to them in their struggles raising their family, their kids. I'm going to miss that interaction with people on a personal level because as police officers we want to try to help people.

"That's why we got into this. It isn't about the arrests. It isn't about the speeding ticket. That's what police are so much known for, but really it's the public interaction and trying to make our community a better place -- that's why we do what we do."

Those are the values about police work Richardson said he learned from his father, who spent 26 years with the Batavia Police Department. He said he was fortunate to work in a department that shared those values, where officers strive to maintain a professional demeanor and attitude.

"We hold ourselves to a higher standard," Richardson said. "We're supposed to be people of integrity. That includes when you're not in the public eye as well as when you are."

Three Generations in law enforcement: Dana Richardson, his father Roger, who is a retired Batavia PD officer, and Nicholas, Dana's son, who is a detective with the Albermarle County Police Department in Virginia.

District officials have trimmed more than $1.1 million in proposed spending from February's draft budget for the Batavia City School District. Combined with an additional $500,000 in state aid, it means the proposed 2019-2020 tax levy will stay below that state-mandated tax cap amount and allow local homeowners to get their annual rebate checks.

That's a pretty good deal for Batavia homeowners, who have received an average of $500,000 more in rebates each of the past five years than whatever increase in taxes the school district has initiated for the year.

Voters will be asked to approve the $50.518 million spending plan, which anticipates a tax levy of $19.5 million.

Tax rates won't be set until assessments are done but Business Administrator Scott Rozanski said the early estimate is that local property owners will see a tax-rate increase of 27 cents on each $1,000 of assessed value.

In the search to cut proposed spending, Rozanski said the district will delay $300,000 in technology spending, reduce spending on new library books to the state-aid amount of $24,000, and delay additional equipment purchases for another $19,000 in savings. Some personnel's salaries can be covered by grants.

Last year, the tax levy increased by $444,000 and local residents received rebates on school property taxes of $1.1 million. The three previous years, there was no increase in the levy and taxpayers received cumulative rebates of $424,000, $ $825,506, and $535,194.

The 2014-15 school year was the one year in which the tax levy increased more than rebates, with about a $150,000 difference.

Rebates for local residents are set based on an income formula so people with lower incomes receive bigger rebates proportionally.

Since the tax cap became law, the district has kept the tax levy below the allowable tax cap amount. For the 2019-2020 budget, it will be $331,886 below the potential levy amount.

Over the previous seven years, the district budgets, cumulatively, have been $3.8 million under what the tax levies could have been in those years.

Previously: No significant program cuts anticipated as City School District looks to trim spending by $750K

There were 16 other people who received awards at the Rochester Radio-Press Club banquet last night at the Rochester Convention Center, but in many ways it was Ricky Palermo's night.

The Major Donald Holleder Award is the biggest award of the 70th Annual Day of Champions dinner but the love and appreciation for Palermo in the room was apparent, especially after a surprise presentation speech (via video) by college basketball, NBA, and basketball broadcasting legend Bill Walton.

"I stand in awe of you Rick Palermo, as fine a man as I’ve ever known," Walton said in his own baritone, effusive style. "In the game of life, Ricky, it’s not how big you are. It’s how big you play. You and Major Holleder are the truest of giants. We love you Ricky, more than words can ever tell. You’re my hero. Thank you, Ricky, for your life, which has given me mine."

Palermo was a three-sport team captain at Byron-Bergen High School. In 1981, he suffered a spinal cord injury in an automobile accident that reduced his mobility. In 1987, Palermo and his family decided to host a golf tournament to raise funds for spinal cord research. They raised more than $11,000 that first year and so decided to do it again, and again, and again. The tournament has now raised more than $1.4 million.

Emcee John Kucko said Ricky has "touched thousands of people, including some of the biggest names in sports," just before Walton, a graduate of Helix High School in East San Diego County, appeared on the four massive TV screens in the convention center.

"You are as great a champion as I’ve ever known," Walton said. "This spectacular award is a testament to your character, to your courage and to your achievements."

The Helix Highlanders won two championships with Walton as their star. UCLA won two NCAA titles with Walton at center. Walton was also on NBA championship teams in Portland and Boston.

"Ricky, your life is a shining beacon," Walton said. "It is a beacon on the horizon of life and it gives us a reason to believe that tomorrow is worth fighting for. You led this effort, Ricky, to make all aspects of our world a better place, inspiring me to try and become a tiny fraction of the person that you are. Our decades' long friendship, Ricky, has shown me the best of the human spirit and the unlimited possiblities of life."

There were other connections with Genesee County at Wednesday dinner. The dinner chairman is Batavia-native Mike Kauffman. John Grillo, a former Pavilion coach and father of Ashley John Grillo, who is the principal of Batavia Middle School, received the Charlie Wagner Award for his lifetime contributions to local sports.

Grillo retired from Holly-Kendall after 44 years of coaching. As a wrestling coach, he guided 795 dual-meet wins, 22 Genesee Region titles, and 12 sectional titles.

Kansas City Chief's quarterback Pat Mahomes was also honored at the dinner.

John Grillo

Nancy Palermo, Ricky's sister-in-law, getting video of Ricky's acceptance speech. Ricky said of his family, "If it wasn’t for them I know it would not have been the same thing. You don’t know what it’s like to be held on a pedestal, and it’s it not just for a couple of years. It’s been 38 years and I’m still spoiled. I’m very fortunate."

Dorsie J. McGill Jr., 34, of Quaker Hill Road, Elba, is charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief, and second-degree criminal trespass. McGill was arrested at 4:14 p.m. on March 31 on North Spruce Street, Batavia, after allegedly arriving at the home of a family member and kicking the front door in and entering the residence without permission. After arraignment in Batavia City Court, he was jailed in lieu of $1,500 cash or bond. He was due back in court on April 1. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Stephen Cronmiller, assisted by Officer Matthew Wojtaszczyk.

Ryan James Wetsell, 25, address unspecified, of Batavia, is charged with second-degree harassment. At 9:30 p.m. on March 28, he allegedly grabbed another person and struck them in the face while at a hotel on Federal Drive in Batavia. He was released on an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia Town Court on April 22. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy David Moore, assisted by Deputy Kevin Forsyth.

Paula A. Cipro, 51, of Tracy Avenue, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree -- use of a stolen credit card, and petit larceny. Cipro was arrested following an investigation into the use of a stolen credit card at Northside Deli. The alleged incident occurred at 1:01 p.m. on March 21. She was released on an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on April 9 to answer the charges. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Jason Ivison.

Christine A. Wark, 34, of School Street, Le Roy, was arrested April 1 at 4:32 p.m. on a bench warrant out of Batavia City Court. She allegedly failed to appear in court on Nov. 28 on two misdemeanor traffic charges. She was arraigned and released under supervision of Genesee Justice and was due back in court today (April 3). The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Christopher Lindsay.

Shawn W. Cross, 48, of Le Roy, is identified as the man who suffered a severe head injury following an incident late Saturday afternoon in which he exited a moving vehicle on Lake Street in the Village of Le Roy. He remains in critical condition at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.

The driver, Lorie A. Litolff, 57, of Craigie Street, Le Roy, is accused of leaving the scene of a serious injury accident, a felony.

She is also charged with DWI, failure to report an accident with injuries, driving without an ignition interlock device, and failure to submit to a breath test.

Litolff was jailed on $10,000 bail.

Several witnesses were interviewed and Le Roy police believe Litolff and the victim were engaged in a verbal argument prior to the man exiting the vehicle.

When he exited, according to witnesses, he lost his balance and fell, striking the pavement, which is the cause of at least some of Cross's injuries.

For previous coverage, click here.

For initial post, click here.

Our news partner WBTA contributed to this report.

Richard White Jr., 37, of High Street, Brockport, is charged with: second-degree vehicular assault; aggravated unlicensed operation in the first degree; operating a motor vehicle with a BAC of .08 percent or more; driving while intoxicated; operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs; driving while ability impaired by alcohol and drugs conbined; and following too closely. White was arrested April 1 at 6 p.m. and arraigned in Byron Town Court. His arrest follows an investigation into a crash that occured at 7:07 p.m. on Feb. 15 at 6385 N. Bergen Road, Byron. It is alleged that White drove while his license was suspended and got in a crash while he was intoxicated. His passenger sustained a serious physical injury. Following arraignment, he was released on his own recognizance and is due back in Byron Town Court at a later date. The case was investigated by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Travis DeMuth, assisted by Deputy Michael Lute.

Ronnie J. Sumeriski, 37, of Batavia, was arrested on March 28 by Wyoming County Sheriff's Deputy Aaron Chase on Route 98 in the Town of Orangeville following a traffic stop. He is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree. Sumeriski was stopped for allegedly having a tinted license plate cover and inadequate plate lamps, making the rear license plate barely visible. After a roadside investigation, Sumeriski was allegedly found in possession of a THC vape cartridge containing concentrated cannibis. Sumeriski is also charged with inadequate plate lamps and obstructed license plate. He was released with appearance tickets and is due in Town of Sheldon Court on May 6.

Vidal Chavez, 63, of Oakfield, was arrested on March 26 by Wyoming County Sheriff's Deputy Aaron Chase on Route 20A in Sheldon following a traffic stop. Chavez was found to be operating a vehicle with a suspended registration due to insurance lapse, an unclassified misdemeanor. He was released with an appearance ticket returnable to Town of Sheldon Court on April 15.

After a meticulous investigation inside the burned-out home at 109 Evans St., Batavia, fire investigators have determined the fire that claimed the life of John Sherman, Sr., 41, has been ruled accidental.

In a press release, City Fire Chief Stefano Napolitano said investigators concluded the fire started on a stove top in the kitchen.

Joining city fire investigators in the investigation was a Batavia PD detective and two investigators from the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control.

There were eight people in the residence Saturday morning when the fire broke out and spread quickly. Smoke detectors and closed doors helped save the lives of several occupants, Napolitano said, but Sherman was unable to escape from a room on the second floor.

After Sherman was rescued by firefighters, medics initiated CPR and he was transported by Mercy EMS to UMMC, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Sherman was born Aug. 8, 1977, to Jan Beach of Batavia. He was a graduate of Alfred State and Empire State College and worked at Pizza Hut in Batavia and was recognized locally for his culinary and sculpting skills. He was a member of City Church and volunteered at the Animal Shelter. For his full obituary, click here.

Multiple pets were rescued or managed to escape the fire but one dog did die inside the residence.

In City Fire's release, Napolitano reminded residents of the importance of working smoke detectors and sleeping with bedroom doors closed.

Saturday, Napolitano said, "A room that has a door closed is a safe haven," Napolitano said. "They were alerted by a smoke detector and they were able to safely exit the house. That is why it's so critical when you have young children or yourself in a home, you need to sleep with the door closed. It stops the fire from entering. It gives you a shelter so you can shelter in place, a safe haven, or whatever you want to call it. But it gives you an opportunity to escape."

Laura J. Reed, 27, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree harassment. Reed was arrested at 10:22 p.m. on March 25 after a disturbance at 160 Bank St. She was processed and is due to be arraigned in Batavia City Court on April 2. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Mitchell Cowen, assisted by Officer Jamie Givens.

Valentin Brito III, 21, of Seven Springs Road, Batavia, is charged with trespass. It is alleged that after being issued a written trespass warning, Brito returned to College Village at 4:05 p.m. on March 31, in violation of the written warning. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Town of Batavia Court on April 8. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Andrew Mullen, assisted by Deputy Joshua Brabon.

Andrew Michael Pridmore, 34, of Mechanic Street, Elba, is charged with: driving while intoxicated; operating a motor vehicle with a BAC of .08 percent or more; and speed not reasonable and prudent. On March 30, following a complaint of a property damage accident at 2:13 a.m. on Byron Road in the Town of Byron, Pridmore was arrested. He was issued appearance tickets for Town of Byron Court and is due there on April 15. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Joshua Brabon.

Tyler Michael Powers, 21, of Frederica Street, North Tonawanda, is charged with second-degree contempt. He was arrested after an investigation into an incident in the City of Batavia. He allegedly disobeyed a court mandate. Powers was arraigned in City of Batavia Court and jailed in lieu of $500 cash or $1,000 bond. He was due to return to court on March 29. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Michael Lute.

Kevin Wayne Howard, 19, of Swan Street, Batavia, is charged with promoting prison contraband in the first degree. Howard was arrested while being processed at the GC Jail on March 21 after he was allegedly found in possession of a dangerous drug upon entering the facility. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court on March 28 then jailed in lieu of $1,000 cash or bond. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Michael Lute, assisted by Deputy  Matthew Burgett.

Joseph J. Kuzma, 39, of North Spruce Street, Batavia, is charged with criminally possessing a hypodermic instrument. During a home visit at 10:32 a.m. on March 29 by GC Probation, Kuzma was allegedly found in possession of nine hypodermic instruments. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and put in jail in lieu of $2,500 cash bail. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Frank Klimjack.

Jacob J. Sponaugle, 20, of Liberty Street, Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. At 10:40 a.m. on March 30, Sponaugle was arrested at his residence on Liberty Street in Batavia after a search by GC Probation. He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Batavia City Court on April 9 to answer the charge. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Peter Post, assisted by Officer Kevin DeFelice.

       Lorie Litolff

Lorie A. Litolff, 57, of Craigie Street, Le Roy, has been accused of leaving the scene of a serious injury accident following an incident on Lake Street, Village of Le Roy, at 5:05 p.m. Saturday where a man exited a moving vehicle and suffered a head injury.

The charge of leaving the scene of a serious injury accident is a felony.

She is also charged with DWI, failure to report an accident with injuries, driving without an ignition interlock device, and failure to submit to a breath test.

Litolff was jailed on $10,000 bail.

The name of the victim has not been released and there's no current information available on his condition.

The investigation is being led by Sgt. Emily McNamara, who reports that police have yet to determine why the victim exited the vehicle while it was moving but believe he did so voluntarily. 

Several witnesses were interviewed and police believe Litolff and the victim were engaged in a verbal argument prior to the man exiting the vehicle.

When he exited, according to McNamara, he lost his balance and fell, striking the pavement, which is the cause of at least some of the victim's injuries.

After the victim exited the vehicle, witnesses said the dark-colored, small SUV continued northbound on Lake Street.

Witness descriptions helped police identify and locate the vehicle. Litolff is accused of driving the SUV at the time of the incident, which occurred in the area of 78 Lake St.

Multiple witnesses attempted to render first aid to the victim. He was transported to an area hospital by Mercy Flight.  

Le Roy ambulance and Le Roy fire assisted at the scene.

Previously: Man reported to fall out of vehicle on Lake Street, Le Roy

A man has reportedly fallen out of a moving vehicle in the area of 78 Lake St., Le Roy, and may have suffered a head injury.

The vehicle he was believed to be in continued northbound on Route 19.

It's a maroon Jeep Liberty.

Le Roy fire and Le Roy ambulance dispatched.

Mercy Flight being put on ground standby.

UPDATE(S)(By Billie) 5:41 p.m.: Mercy Flight is at a field near the crash site preparing to transport the victim to a hospital.

UPDATE 6:03 p.m.: Mercy Flight is airborne; destination not known. The patient suffered severe head trauma and was in and out of consciousness at the time of transport.

UPDATE 6:29 p.m.: Le Roy Police Sgt. Emily McNamara said it is not known at this "very, very early stage of the investigation" how or why the victim exited a moving vehicle, or what speed the vehicle was going at the time. The speed limit on Route 19 in the village is 35 mph. The vehicle continued on without stopping. It is thought to a smaller, dark-colored SUV; the previous description of a maroon Jeep Liberty is not certain, nor is it ruled out. In fact, any witnesses of this incident are asked to call the Emergency Dispatch Center directly with information that might help the investigation at 343-5000. Although the victim's identity has been established, police are not yet releasing the name until they have contacted family members.

A deadly fire at 109 Evans St., Batavia, this morning, claimed the life of 41-year-old John Sherman Sr., said City Fire Chief Stefano Napolitano this afternoon while supervising the investigation into the cause and origin of the fire.

He said it's too soon yet to even speculate on how the fire started.

There were at least six or seven other people in the residence when the fire started, Napolitano said, and some of them owe their lives to smoke detectors and the fact that they were sleeping with the doors of their bedrooms closed.

"A room that has a door closed is a safe haven," Napolitano said. "They were alerted by a smoke detector and they were able to safely exit the house. That is why it's so critical when you have young children or yourself in a home. You need to sleep with the door closed. It stops the fire from entering. It gives you a shelter so you can shelter in place, a safe haven, or whatever you want to call it. But it gives you an opportunity to escape."

Sherman was the owner of the 1,528-square-foot house, which was built in 1890 and has an accessed value of $69,000.

Evans Street remains closed during the ongoing investigation but Napolitano said the investigation is nearing completion. 

Joining city fire investigators in the house is a Batavia PD detective and two investigators from the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control.

It's city fire policy to call in state investigators when there is a fatal fire.

Napolitano described the investigation process as meticulous.

"They're methodically going through layer by layer, removing debris, removing furniture, trying to put a puzzle together, if you will," Napolitano said. "You know when you open up that box with all the puzzle pieces and you have to find the outside edge first, and then you build. That's what they're doing. They're building a puzzle."

It's a bit like reverse engineering the fire, he said.

"We're trying to figure out, OK, from the patterns and the indicators that were left, how and where that fire started, and how it traveled, where it migrated to, what could be a cause, what could be the origin."

The chief said the results of the investigation will be released as soon as some conclusions are reached about the findings.

Previously:

• One person dead in house fire on Evans Street, Batavia
• Working house fire reported on Evans Street in the city

One person died in a house fire this morning at 109 Evans St., Batavia.

The fire was reported at about 7:15 a.m.

When firefighters arrived on scene, they found heavy smoke and flames at the rear of the house from the ground floor to the roof line.

Capt. Bob Fix described the situation as "untenable" and it wasn't possible for firefighters to enter the house until the fire was knocked back.

"We were dispatched to report of a building on fire just down the street from the fire station," Fix said. "As we pulled out of the station we could see heavy smoke in the sky so we knew we had a fire."

There were at least seven people in the residence at the time the fire was reported, including four adults who lived in the house. Residents told firefighters that one person was still in the house and provided firefighters with the person's location in the residence.

"We found heavy smoke and flames coming from the back side of the building as well as several people telling us the there was a victim inside a window," Fix said. "We attempted to make entry. Conditions were untenable at the time. We got some water on the fire there and tried to make entry again a short time later."

Once firefighters were able to make entry, they located the victim on the second floor and carried him out a window and down a ladder. He was placed on a stretcher and Mercy EMS personnel immediately began performing CPR.

While CPR was in progress, he was transferred to a nearby ambulance and transported to UMMC where he was later pronounced dead.

The victim's name has not yet been released.

"As it happened, the call came in right shift change and we had quite a bit more people available than we normally would have," Fix said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation and Chief Stefano Napolitano said it's too early in the investigation to even speculate about the cause. The origin appears to be on the first floor.

State Fire, as is standard operating procedure, assist City Fire with the fire investigation.

The house is uninhabitable and The Salvation Army was contacted to assist the four adults who lived at 109 Evans.

Three pets, two dogs and a cat, were rescued from the fire.

Assisting City of Batavia was Town of Batavia fire, Alexander fire, and Darien fire.

Also assisting at the scene was Batavia PD.

Heavy smoke and fire are reportedly coming from a residence at 109 Evans St. in the city. City Engine #11 is on scene, reporting a working structure fire at a two and a half story building. Smoke and flames showing. One person is still said to be inside.

All city platoons are called to respond. Mercy medics are on scene. Alexander's Fast Team is called for mutual aid; Town of Batavia is to report to its quarters; and Darien's rescue unit is called to the scene.

UPDATE 7:20 a.m.: An engine from Town of Batavia fire is called to the scene; one other from the town is to report to its headquarters for standby. Firefighters are working to extricate a person from the house on Evans Street.

UPDATE 7:28 a.m.: "Fire's been knocked down; looking for any hidden fire," fire command resports, and the person inside has been extricated and is being seen by medics. Utilities have been notified.

UPDATE 7:31 a.m.: "Looking for hot spots in the ceiling -- C side," reports command, "no fire below you (on the first floor)." A crew is called to the second floor to pull open the ceiling to check for extensions.

UPDATE 7:36 a.m.: Working to ventilate the structure now.

UPDATE 7:41 a.m.: Stairs to the second floor are bad. Firefighters are to enter and exit from the C side ladder. Water and electricity have been secured -- cut -- to the building.

UPDATE 7:45 a.m.: "We're hitting some fire from the Bravo-Charlie (C-D) corner." The male resident, who was pulled from the second floor, which was fully charged with smoke, is being transported to UMMC in emergency mode.

UPDATER 8:32 a.m. (by Howard): Alexander and Town of Batavia going back in service. Salvation Army requested to the scene to assist four adults. Code enforcement also requested to the scene.

     Jacqueline Saeli

The ex-boyfriend of a Pembroke woman who destroyed his Harley-Davidson motorcycle in a garage fire Jan. 6, 2018, let Judge Charles Zambito know today that he wasn't happy the 53-year-old woman is able to avoid jail time as part of her plea agreement.

"What kind of lesson will she learn with no prison time or no jail time?" asked Ben Reuben. "Local jail time would be an education for stopping her from doing something like this again."

Zambito told Jacqueline Saeli that both the probation department and Sheriff's Office investigators recommended jail time for her, but in order to send her to jail, he would have to allow her to withdraw her guilty plea and take the case to trial.

He said he wasn't inclined to send her to jail because she has paid $10,000 in restitution. She has a 30-year career caring for other people as a nurse and no prior criminal record. Saeli has successfully completed alcohol abuse treatment on her own.

All of those factors figured into his decision, Zambito said.

Saeli's attorney requested three years probation but Reuben and District Attorney Lawrence Friedman both said they thought five years probation was more appropriate. Zambito agreed that the case called for at least five years probation.

"This case isn't just about you and the victim," Zambito said. "This crime put at risk an entire neighborhood. You set a shed on fire out of anger at your boyfriend. That required volunteer firefighters and the police to show up and deal with a substantial fire. These firefighters are people who are there to serve you and your community and you put them all at risk. What if a volunteer had had a heart attack? How would you have felt if somebody had died because of what you did?"

Though Zambito couldn't send Saeli to jail, he did order to serve 200 hours of community service over the next 18 months and fined her $1,000.

Before being sentenced, Saeli had told Zambito that she was raised by her grandmother who instilled in her a sense of integrity, honesty and accountability, and that "you always do your best to help others."

She said the Jan. 6 incident was prompted by what she thought was a betrayal by two people she trusted. She said she was hurt and distraught and she admitted to drinking that night.

"I can't take back what I've done," Saeli said. "I've lived with regret and shame every day since. I can't believe I did this to somebody I loved. I wish I could take this back but I can't."

Saeli and Reuben didn't look at each other as she left the courtroom.