Dutch academic says an ‘unlikely story about a mad heretic’ has been repeated for 400 years – and poses an alternative murder and rape on the Batavia: new theory on Australia’s most horrific shipwreckDutch academic says an ‘unlikely story about a mad heretic’ has been repeated for 400 years – and poses an alternative wrecked off the Western Australian coast in 1629 Survivors of the wreck found themselves marooned on a reef and chain of islands about 60km out to sea in the “harsh and unforgiving end of the earth” “More than 100 people died in the grounding but the carnage didn’t end there,” is how the Australian National Maritime Museum describes it “What befell the survivors was sheer horror – anarchy in a reign of terror where people were picked off one-by-one “Only about a third of the 340 passengers and crew would live.” It’s one of Australia’s most horrifying incidents Researchers are still studying the mass graves found on the islands While no one doubts the terror that unfolded a Dutch academic has posed a different theory: that rather than a dastardly plot ordinary men were driven to terrible acts by starvation The cultural psychologist Jaco Koehler says there’s an alternative scenario that provides “a better explanation for what happened”. His theory – The Batavia Disaster: A new scenario to explain the massacre after the shipwreck – has been published in the May edition of the International Journal of Maritime History Koehler writes that bias in the reports from the time and the use of torture akin to waterboarding cast doubt on the theory that one man plotted a mutiny and oversaw a massacre Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads “It is remarkable that an unlikely story about a mad heretic plotting a massacre has been repeated uncritically for almost 400 years,” Koehler says. The Batavia, with experienced commander Francisco Pelsaert in charge, more than 300 people on board and cargo containing silver coins, left Holland for the East Indies (Indonesia) in 1629. Read morePelsaert was at odds with the ship’s captain Adrian Jacobsz from the start Jacobsz was friendly with under-merchant Jeronimus Cornelisz the third most important person on the ship the Batavia was wrecked on the Houtman Abrolhos Islands off the west coast of Australia Pelseart rose from his sickbed to shout at Jacobsz: “Skipper Some of those who didn’t drown stayed on the ship until it broke up completely Others made their way to the surrounding islands waterless island that came to be known as Batavia’s Graveyard Pelseart and other senior officers left the survivors behind to search for water and ended up sailing to Jakarta (then Batavia) to find help More than three months passed before the commander returned He started ordering the murder of the remaining survivors in the hopes of taking the coins and treasures in Batavia’s cargo hold He tricked some into believing water could be found on another island sent some on useless errands where his allies would push them overboard and sent resistance soldiers off without weapons and sent smoke signals to alert the others – but they were ignored and eventually overpowered Cornelisz when he went after them he took the mutineers prisoner and heard confessions about the murders carried out under the orders of Cornelisz He heard that Jacobsz and Cornelisz had always planned to kill any opposition and that they intended to “throw the dead overboard and then go pirating with the ship” Pelsaert sent Cornelisz and the condemned mutineers to the gallows Free weekly newsletterEach week our editors select five of the most interesting entertaining and thoughtful reads published by Guardian Australia and our international colleagues Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Saturday morning He writes that Pelsaert was “both judge and prosecutor” in a case where he had abandoned survivors Pelsaert’s story was “partly based on confessions obtained through waterboarding” and the accuracy of information extracted under torture should be questioned An illustration from the 1647 Dutch book Ongeluckige voyagie van’t schip Batavia (Unlucky voyage of the ship Batavia) Illustration: WikiMediaCommonsKoehler’s alternative scenario describes “extreme violence driven by famine” There were too many people and not enough food Eventually people were willing to kill to survive confirmation bias – “the tendency to favour evidence that supports existing beliefs while paying little attention to evidence that is inconsistent with those beliefs” – may have played a role in the enduring belief in Pelsaert’s story researchers are still studying the artefacts and gravesites They have welcomed this new theory on the Batavia massacre although they did not necessarily agree with the alternative explanation from the University of Western Australia’s School of Social Sciences and the Oceans Institute professor of maritime archaeology at Flinders University are among those working on site alongside the WA Museum The project is funded by the Australian Research Council Silver coins recovered from the wreck site of the Batavia off the coast of Western Australia. Photograph: Guy de la Bedoyere/WikipediaPaterson says the team is still studying up to 22 individuals buried in mass graves, and they still only partially understand what happened. “We ended up finding a series of mass burials … which doubled down on the idea that what we now know as Beacon Island was really Batavia’s Graveyard … it’s akin to a church burial ground,” he says. “We need to understand what social processes were occurring so that people were murdered, controlled and contained to that island. “We have the archaeological and the historical narrative and we will always need to hone our theories regarding how this event occurred.” Van Duivenvoorde says Koehler’s theory was a “fascinating” approach that she would share with her students. She said “of course” there was bias in the records – but she does not agree with his conclusions. Read more“I’ve worked on those islands, as have a lot of other archaeologists and forensic specialists … there are some resources available that are accessible, especially on the bigger islands, the flora that’s edible, fresh water sources, and so on,” she says. “It was obviously a desperate situation … [but] if survival was the primary goal of the killings, why didn’t they move to West and East Wallabi island? “It’s interesting, it has a lot of interesting new things in it, but I’m not convinced.” Corioli Souter, the head of maritime heritage at WA Museum, says the survivors would have suffered some deprivations, but the question is why the survivors did not follow the smoke signals to find those resources if famine was the rationale for the mutiny. “Surely, moving the survivors to an area with resources would be the next step,” she says. Koehler suggests that people accept the narrative that Cornelisz was behind the massacres because “we prefer the notion of an individual corrupted by evil”. “It saves us from a much more disturbing thought: that mass murder does not arise from [the] monstrosity of a single individual, but from moral decay set in motion by the collapse of authority and the disintegration of social structures,” he says. Armstrong Williams takes on the news of the week and asks the questions you want answered. Don’t miss our weekly town hall. Fire at Batavia engraving businesses closes portion of Route 5 causes shelter-in-placeby Natalie Calzetoni (WHAM) — A two-mile stretch of Route 5 in Batavia closed Friday afternoon due to a fire that forced people to evacuate Firefighters battled a fire at Hodgins Engraving on West Main Street Road Smoke could be seen pouring from the building The Genesee County Sheriff's Office said there were roughly 30 people in the building at the time the fire broke out People were reportedly evacuated to the park across the street All county and town buildings were ordered to hold a shelter-in-place 20 fire departments were called to the scene Neighbor Lorem Vincent walked to catch a glimpse of the scene he said he'd never seen a response of that size "Everybody's got everybody's back," Vincent said Lee Winters owns Genesee Feeds just up the road and said he heard a few booms and he told me what's going on across the street," Winters recalled and you could just see the smoke billowing across the street." "Magnesium doesn't mix well with water so we had several explosions at the beginning of this call There is none at this point," explained Batavia Fire Chief Chris Strathearn "The elemental hazards are being monitored by the Town of Batavia Water (Authority and) the City of Batavia Water (Authority) so it's basically turn down your heating and AC system just stay inside — it's the safest place to be out of the smoke," said Genesee County Fire Coordinator Timothy Yaeger "Don't get in your car — just stay in your house until the smoke dissipates." The Department of Environmental Conservation said spill response experts responded to the scene working with Genesee County's HAZMAT team to contend with several drums of material The agency said the owners of the building had estimated that the building contained large quantities of solid magnesium and three 55-gallon drums of a ferric chloride and copper mixture Sewers from inside the building were plugged so as not to contaminate the City of Batavia's publicly owned treatment plant and water was diverted to an on-site retention pond Expand(file photo) Batavia High School will host the Mid-Valley Special Education Cooperative starting this July in its 'ABLE' classroom To continue providing special needs education to the district’s students, the Batavia School District 101 board approved a deal to house the Mid-Valley Special Education Cooperative Mid-Valley was formed in 1963 to serve special needs students from participating school districts The organization currently has partnerships with Batavia 101 The new agreement rents the Batavia High School ABLE classroom to Mid-Valley for the period of July 1 The district is charging a rental credit rate of $6,000 for the classroom over that period we are able to offer a continuum of services that meets the needs of our students with more significant needs,” according to district documents Mid-Valley provides full services every school day Their services are not provided after regular school hours or during the summer period Mid-Valley will employ all necessary certified staff The team employed by the organization are all trained to fully provide the special education and related services the district’s special needs students require You can learn more about the district’s partnership with Mid-Valley, and about the services Mid-Valley provides by visiting bps101.net/mid-valley-cooperative/. Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network Batavia High School’s Bulldog Stadium is getting an upgrade that includes a video scoreboard that will not only enhance events for spectators but further open doors for students studying media production and broadcasting The digital scoreboard was made possible by a $250,000 pledge by the Batavia Athletic Boosters that was accepted by the Batavia School District 101 board The booster nonprofit organization supports athletics at the high school and Rotolo Middle School “The new scoreboard is a visible symbol of what we can accomplish together when we rally around our kids,” Mike Morman president of the Batavia Athletic Boosters The current scoreboard is more than 25 years old and has experienced malfunctions and outages in recent years The new digital scoreboard offers modern technological features that can be utilized by the school’s Bulldog Sports Media team that has 45 active student members with the rest of the boosters’ pledge going to installation costs To ensure completion before the start of the fall sports season the district will perform infrastructure upgrades this summer so it can be ready to install the scoreboard when it arrives in 14-16 weeks The digital scoreboard will be capable of displaying real-time game statistics and showing instant replays and highlights It also will generate more money for the district through digital sponsorships and advertising The Bulldog Sports Media Team partners with the high school video production class Experiences the students participate in include leading and managing live broadcasts working hands-on with media professionals and creating primary digital content for the video board The experience is designed to prepare the students for future careers in communications – Multiple fire departments are responding to an ongoing structure fire at Hodgins Engraving in Batavia Fire crew say things have gotten better as far as the intensity of the fire — but firefighters were still working to put out the blaze at 6 p.m. the chief of the Town of Batavia Fire Department says they responded to the call at 11:18 a.m there was heavy smoke coming out of the back corner Strathearn says it was updated to a possible magnesium fire and working structure fire the known chemicals in the fire include magnesium Strathearn said there were many explosions due to magnesium not mixing well with water Engines are being used to take water from the creek Strathearn says 20 different fire departments were called some coming from as far as 45 minutes away to assist Many businesses are in a shelter in place or have evacuated due to concerns of the smoke traveling west Officials are estimating another six hours to put out the fire A News10NBC photojournalist is at the scene where tons of smoke can be seen coming from the building Fire crews can be seen working to take out the fire as well Deputies from the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office said Route 5 (West Main Street Road) between Kelsey Road and Lewiston Road will be closed and that all motorists should find alternate routes to avoid the area This story will be updated as we learn more Any person with disabilities who needs help accessing the content of the FCC Public file should contact Richard Reingold at rreingold@whec.com or 585-546-1701 Thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight Fire crews work to extinguish a fire Friday at Hodgins Engraving in Batavia Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist  Would you like to receive our daily news? Sign up today Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account (WKBW) — Officials say the Genesee County Haz-Mat Team has contained dangerous chemicals following a major industrial fire in Batavia on Friday crews ordered a shelter-in-place for residents Firefighters say chemicals used by the company created some explosions The haz-mat crew contained seven 55-gallon drums of chemicals Sewers from inside the building were plugged to prevent water contamination and water used to put out the fire was diverted to an on-site retention pond Investigators are still working on a cause and damage estimate I’m in Batavia, working to learn more about a building fire. The public is asked to avoid the vicinity of the Batavia Town Plaza and surrounding businesses. @13WHAM pic.twitter.com/6z3JFphVHm — Natalie Calzetoni (@natcalztv) May 2, 2025 We want to hear what’s going on in your community Share your voice and hear from your neighbors Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to cloudy skies after midnight Van Detta Stadium played host to the annual Batavia Track and Field Invitational this past weekend Through chilly temperatures and relentless rain the Batavia track and field team put on a show at its host invitational this past Saturday Email notifications are only sent once a day were arrested and charged with Criminal Mischief 3rd degree and Conspiracy 5th degree It’s alleged that Wilson and McWethy-Thornley damaged a window on a house on State Street as well as a vehicle Wilson was arraigned in Batavia City Court and remanded to the Genesee County Jail McWethy-Thornley was arraigned and released ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ were arrested and charged with Endangering the Welfare of a Child Armstrong and Thomas were charged following an altercation on Denio Street where Armstrong allegedly kicked a 13-year-old girl Thomas is additionally charged with Harassment 2nd degree Both were issued appearance tickets and are due in court on 5/6/2025 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Del Gandio was arrested following a traffic stop on East Main Street He was issued several traffic tickets and is due in court on 5/13/2025 Briggs was arrested on two bench warrants and two arrest warrants He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and remanded to the Genesee County Jail McLaulin allegedly failed to appear in court after being issued a misdemeanor traffic ticket in December of 2023 McLaulin turned himself in and was arraigned in Batavia City Court and released ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Biaselli was initially charged with Petit Larceny after allegedly stealing merchandise from Dollar General on 2/28/2025 The warrant was issued after he failed to appear in court He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and released ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Fryer was initially charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 7th degree following a traffic stop on 12/17/2024 Fryer was arraigned in Batavia City Court and released Sourced via CRIMEWATCH®: https://crimewatch.net/us/ny/genesee/batavia-pd/138661/post/press-releases-542025 and site URL in my browser for next time I post a comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Heavy smoke can be seen as part of a working industrial fire at Hodgins Engraving Friday There have been two explosions in the building and everyone has been evacuated as of noon.  A hazmat team was called in and a residence next to the business Town of Batavia Fire and City of Batavia Fire departments responded to the scene Alexander and Stafford fire companies are also responding to the scene Bennington and Albion responded a short time later Genesee County Jail is being used as shelter in place mode for now Route 5 is being closed in both directions and a five-inch line was run across the road from the creek since Route 5 was shut down. Animals from Genesee County Animal Shelter are being moved to the fairgrounds Perry Pet in Batavia Alabama and Pavilion fire companies are on scene and a ladder truck from Clarence has been requested Genesee County Sheriff's Office and State Police are all on scene This login for commenting on stories or submitting stories and is not associated with Early Access Pass or Deal of the Day Copyright © 2008-2022 The Batavian. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service RochesterFirst According to the Town of Batavia Fire Department Chief Chris Strathearn fire crews responded to the scene shortly after 11 a.m on Friday for reports of a fire in the back room of Hodgins Engraving on Route 5 causing 20 other fire districts to respond https://www.rochesterfirst.com/fire-department/active-fire-shuts-down-vicinity-of-batavia-town-plaza/ Rochester police are searching for the vehicle and driver involved in a crash on Ames Street early Tuesday morning The Wegmans family is interviewed about their success and cult-like following Scottsville Fire and Monroe County Sheriff’s deputies responded to North Road in Scottsville after a vehicle struck a home Monday evening One Rochester man is seeking answers from the city after discovering all of the sentimental items at his grandmother's gravesite were cleaned up without notice Greece schools will soon be using body and bag scanners similar to those in airports for students entering school Monroe County leaders announced an investment worth more than $700,000 Monday is aimed to boost access to home health care for African American families while striving to promote equity and address long-standing disparities for many who call Rochester home Many homeowners across the Greater Rochester region have seen increases in the cost of their home insurance The Court of Appeals has overturned the conviction of a Rochester mother accused of being responsible for her 3-year-old son’s death in 2022 One person is injured after a car crashed into a tree on Saint Paul Street Monday evening Protesters came with signs and bullhorns to the Buffalo Detention Facility on Friday evening in a hastily organized demonstration to raise their voices against Immigration and Customs Enforcement an organization coordinator for the United Farm Workers after 14 migrant workers the union claims to represent were picked up en masse early Friday morning by agents of ICE All 14 were on a bus owned by Lynn-Ette & Sons Farms in Kent "They were on their way to work," said Szpunt These are workers we've been organizing with for at least a year An entire family was picked up in this raid and other workers have been here for decades We're here to support them and let them know they're not alone in this process." She said the union doesn't inquire about the legal status of migrants they organize with but given the longevity of several of the workers though she couldn't say with certainty that they all were documented Szpunt said the UFW is in the process of securing legal counsel for the farm workers The protesters chanted a revolving set of messages many of them demanding an end to deportation and for the protection of workers but a few of them were laced with profanity such as "eff ICE" and "eff Fasicist America."  When asked about the tone of some of the chants but she wasn't there to censor what the people who participated wanted to chant.  "Our message is that we believe these workers have been here for decades They deserve to a process if they're going to be facing these kinds of immigration proceedings That hasn't been the case under the Trump administration People with green cards have been picked up a stream of cars exited the detention facility A passenger in one car held a mobile phone in one hand apparently shooting video as the car drove past while simultaneously extending the middle finger on his other hand Expand(File photo) The Batavia 101 board is seeking to eliminate half-days to make it easier for parents to arrange after-school child care students arrive on the first day of school at Louise White Elementary in Batavia To lighten the load on parents, Batavia School District 101 is renewing a request to the state to eliminate half-day improvement days. The district previously went through the process five years ago with the Illinois State Board of Education. The change was deemed necessary after several parents voiced their frustrations that half-days made it difficult to arrange after-school child care. Teachers also argued that a full-day format for improvement days is more productive than the half-day structure. “We do this because it’s easier for our parents, and half-days are really difficult for child care and we have lot’s of kids unattended at home,” Brad Newkirk, chief academic officer, said during a board meeting. “We also want to make sure we’re providing the best learning environment. This waiver allows us to do it in a full-day increment.” After holding a public hearing at the April 22 board meeting, the board unanimously approved the measure. The board has now sent their waiver request to the state. The district argues the productivity of teacher time is increased during a full in-service day rather than breaking learning activities into afternoon sessions. “It is more convenient for parents to arrange day care for full days rather than numerous early dismissals,” district documents state. The in-service days are also designed to provide training programs in conjunction with the School Improvement plans for teachers and staff. Feedback from district employees have found that full-day increments have been more beneficial for their learning and productivity. Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight The Batavia Muckdogs are excited to announce their next five signings of the 2025 season 2024 Returners RHP – Garret Beaver and C/OF -Cooper Romich LHP – Jake Szlis & RHP -Cole Taylor join the Dogs this summer at Dwyer Stadium.  Garrett Beaver returns to the Muckdogs for his third season bringing veteran leadership and a dominant presence on the mound The 6’3 right-handed pitcher from Waynesboro PA is currently a junior at Salisbury University and ranking 10 th in both strikeouts and wins.  Cooper Romich returns for his second season with the Muckdogs after a strong summer showing in 2024 posting a solid .276 batting average and driving in 34 runs Jaden Sherwood is a 6’0 right-handed pitcher from Monroe Community College Sherwood comes home for his first season with the Muckdogs this summer Sherwood has struck out 15 batters in 14 innings this season with the Monroe Tribunes Jake Szlis is a 6’5 left-handed pitcher from Alfred State University Szlis was dominant for the North Tonawanda High School Lumberjacks pitching to a minuscule 1.04 ERA over 67.1 innings Cole Taylor is a 5’11 freshman right-handed pitcher from Spring Hill A student at Columbia State Community College He recorded his first career collegiate hit and RBI on February 25 Opening Day is Saturday, May 31 at 6:30 p.m. vs the Elmira Pioneers with free post-game fireworks. If you know someone who has an interest in sponsoring the Muckdogs, season ticket information, hosting a group event, or picnic, please contact General Manager Marc Witt (mwitt.canusa@gmail.com). The Muckdogs full schedule is available online at www.canusamuckdogs.com.  Expand(File photo) Bulldog Stadium is getting a new scoreboard this year thanks to a $250,000 donation by the Batavia Athletic Boosters Batavia High School’s Bulldog Stadium is getting an upgrade with a video scoreboard that will not only enhance events for spectators, but further open doors for students studying media production and broadcasting. The digital scoreboard was made possible by a $250,000 pledge by the Batavia Athletic Boosters that was approved by the Batavia School District 101 board. The booster nonprofit organization supports athletics at the high school and Rotolo Middle School. “The new scoreboard is a visible symbol of what we can accomplish together when we rally around our kids,” Mike Morman, president of the Batavia Athletic Boosters, said in a release by the district. The current scoreboard is more than 25 years old and has experienced malfunctions and outages in recent years. The new digital scoreboard offers modern technological features that can be utilized by the school’s Bulldog Sports Media team that has 45 active student members. The new scoreboard, by Fair-Play, costs $171,325, with the rest of the boosters’ pledge going to installation costs. To ensure completion before the start of the fall sports season, the district will do the infrastructure upgrades this summer so it can be ready to install the scoreboard when it arrives in 14-16 weeks. The digital scoreboard will be capable of displaying real-time game statistics, and showing instant replays and highlights. It will also generate more money for the district through digital sponsorships and advertising opportunities. The Bulldog Sports Media Team partners with the high school video production class. Experiences the students participate in include leading and managing live broadcasts, working hands-on with media professionals, and creating primary digital content for the video board. The immersive experience is designed to prepare the students for future careers in communications, sports marketing, broadcasting, and video production. A fire that was updated to possible magnesium on fire at Hodgins Engraving Friday morning caused the evacuation of people and animals and calls for a hazmat team law enforcement and several fire companies to the scene What began as an automatic alarm at 11:18 a.m was then updated to the possible chemical fire there was heavy smoke blowing out the back corner which we will call the Charlie Delta corner and we had to pull back because of the heat and smoke we've upgraded to multiple departments here At this point we're drafting out of the creek across the street,” Strathearn said later Friday we have 20 departments that have been called 15 that are on scene in conjunction with New York State Police Office of Emergency Management for Genesee County We're operating at a building approximately 200 by 400 at this point.” nitric acid and ferric chloride were known to be involved with the challenge that “magnesium doesn’t mix well with water.” “So we’ve had several explosions at the beginning of this call which there’s none at this point,” he said “The environmental hazards are being monitored by town of Batavia water DEC and Office of the Emergency Management.” They were working to mitigate water run-off and watching wind direction as it could be a hazard as well “because it’s blowing smoke to the west,” he said Several businesses in the area were being monitored with some having been evacuated or told to shelter in place which is not enough water to support what we're doing at this point in time So there's four engines at this point at the creek flowing water to the aerials and the hand lines that we're using,” Strathearn said Trying to get everything coordinated at that point and then having a plan B and a Plan C after that that was mitigated by the crews in the back Genesee County Animal Shelter was evacuated with the animals going to Perry Pet in Batavia Genesee County Jail and the adjacent government buildings were being monitored by Emergency Management as the HVAC systems were shut down immediately Michael Lute  gave an update on the jail and said “everything is set to move if need be “Emergency Management has consulted with Superintendent (Diana) Prinzi and the air quality and wind direction is sufficient and they’re confident it’s going to be knocked down in the next couple of hours and it’s not posing grave risk to anyone in any of the county buildings By late afternoon Strathearn estimated that it would be at least another six hours of fighting the fire and keeping Route 5 closed during that time (from Lewiston to Kelsey roads) Some of the building’s firewalls were holding back fire growth and at least a third of the building had been “consumed” by the fire He believed it may have begun in some type of maintenance area but an investigation has not yet been conducted “So this is something that's going to be ongoing because … it's tough to estimate this as far as how to gain access to the fire and get water on the fire I think it's at least about another six hours that we think that we're going to be combating the fire and obviously disruption but West Main Street is closed and is going to have to stay closed for that time frame the firefighter safety is the most paramount I think it had a pretty good growth pattern to it They did make an initial attempt to get in and combat the fire Just because of the size of the fire and the type of chemicals that were inside There had been no civilian or firefighter injuries reported at that time And weather helped the situation due to the wind direction blowing the smoke away from the public The wind was at “such a speed” that it was moving all the smoke away though it was not helping the firefighting effort “because it’s feeding oxygen to the fire.” “But we're able to at least get this smoke on its way and away from here and away from the public, and that's our biggest concern, just West Main at this point. So there is some information out to avoid the area of downwind from the smoke There's smoke all the way out to the New York State Thruway but you just don't want to be in this smoke shouldn't be driving through it,” he said and that's with any fire not just this one Because I would still say that there's a small amount of chemicals those chemicals have been consumed by the fire But now it's just a commercial building fire with hazard to the components or the combustion byproducts.” Emergency Management Services Director Tim Yaeger said that the business has had “some small magnesium fires” in the past and has done a really good job safety wise which the town of Batavia Fire Department’s handled so we really have to get more information to find out what actually started the fire and that's going to be ongoing over the next couple days,” he said “So that's basically shut down your heating or air conditioning system bring your animals indoors and just stay inside Don't go out and get in your car and breathe it You stay in your house for the next few hours until this smoke can dissipate.” Expand(File photo) The Batavia VFW Post 1197 is hosting a Memorial Day ceremony on May 26 veterans in Batavia salute the flag as it is raised at the Flag Day Monument opening ceremony at Patriot's Park Batavia Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1197 will host a Memorial Day ceremony to honor the sacrifices of the nation’s fallen on Monday The program features performances by the Batavia Community Band, a wreath-laying ceremony, a tribute to POW/MIA soldiers, the playing of taps, and a rifle salute. Community members are invited to come together in remembrance and appreciation of the veterans who served. “We are dedicated to supporting our veterans and their families,“ Steve Hunter, post commander, said in a news release. “These events are a testament to our commitment to serving those who have sacrificed so much for our freedom. We encourage all veterans and their families to attend and make the most of these opportunities.” For more information on the event, you can call 630-640-6014 or email submariner609@yahoo.com. Batavia High School hosted its annual track and field invitation at Van Detta Stadium on Saturday and 28 schools from throughout the region participated The Blue Devils won the meet in both Boys and Girls divisions For full results, click here BATAVIA –Solid starting pitching and the long ball is a proven formula for baseball success. Batavia demonstrated that again Friday while downing Geneva 6-1 in DuKane Conference play at Batavia. Justin Enger tossed a complete game 6-hitter while Luke Stevenson and Liam Darre went deep for the Bulldogs (7-14, 4-6). Enger worked out of trouble early, allowing two baserunners in each of the first two innings but escaping unscathed. In the third, the Vikings loaded the bases with no outs on a double by Nelson Wendell, a bunt single by Miles Dibble and a walk to Noah Hallahan. Nick Price’s sacrifice fly brought in a run but Enger got the final two outs with no further damage. Meanwhile, Vikings starter Mason Bruesch came out on fire, retiring the first six hitters with 4 strikeouts. Nolan Zimberoff beat out an infield hit to open the third but was erased when Bruesch fielded Stevenson’s soft liner and doubled off Zimberoff. But the Bulldogs tied the game on 2 walks and Darre’s RBI single. Bruesch got two quick outs in the fourth. But Brennon Zeng was hit with a pitch and Zimberoff singled again. Stevenson turned on an inside pitch and drove it inside the left-field foul pole. Enger settled down after the third, permitting just three baserunners the rest of the way. Bruesch’s day was finished after he walked Brandon Oke leading off the fifth. Darre greeted the new pitcher with a blast over the “Battlin’ Bulldogs” sign in right field. Enger said the long balls energized the whole team. “They’re huge,” he said. “You’re going hype in the dugout. Those are always big, not only for the game, but for everybody to get hyped in the dugout.” Enger struck out three and trusted his fielders to make the plays. And they came through, playing errorless ball for the first time this year. Wendell and Dibble finished with two hits apiece for Geneva (17-6, 7-3). The teams play again Saturday morning at 10. The homer was Darre’s third of the week, after he delivered two in one inning on Tuesday. “I didn’t think any balls were going out today,” said Batavia coach Alex Beckmann. “When [Darre] puts the barrel to it, good things happen.” “[Enger] kept the pitch count down, got a couple of first-pitch outs,” said Beckmann. “It was a good day for him to throw with a contact pitcher with the wind blowing in. He hit spots, he kept them off-balance and did a great job.” – A massive chemical fire at Hodgins Engraving Company on West Main Street Road led to the shutdown of nearby businesses including some restaurants at the Plaza on West Main Street Road and several explosions occurred at the start Fifteen fire departments fought the blaze for several hours and businesses less than half a mile away were forced to close “We have an AAU basketball tournament in Brockport this weekend and we came over here to get some Long John Silvers and I guess it closed because there was a fire up the street,” Claire Tyler said Fire officials said they contacted Genesee County administration which chose to evacuate County Building 2 and the animal shelter The jail remained under a shelter-in-place order and officials continued to monitor air quality who drove from Lyons with her kids for the tournament “It’s crazy,” Jackson said “It sucks but I’m glad everybody is safe.” Businesses at the plaza on West Main Street Road have since reopened *AI assisted with the formatting of this story Click here to see how WHEC News10NBC uses AI* The Genesee County Master Gardeners will be hosting their annual Spring Garden Gala on Saturday The annual event will be held on the grounds of the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County This annual plant sale features a variety of perennials many of which are from the gardens of Master Gardeners There will also be a selection of house plants Visit the Basket Auction for a variety of themed baskets Winners will be notified on Monday after the Gala Gently used garden books will also be for sale We’ll have an assortment of gently used or maybe never used gardening items such as containers This will be set up in the parking lot area near the garden shed Bring in a soil sample from your garden or lawn for a free pH test (A half-cup sample of your garden soil in a clean plastic container is plenty.) Master Gardeners will also be available to answer your gardening questions Don’t miss your chance to pick up some great plants at great prices Proceeds from the sale benefit the educational outreach of the Genesee County Master Gardener Program For more information contact Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County, 585-343-3040, ext. 101, or stop by the Extension office at 420 East Main Street in Batavia. Visit our website at: http://genesee.cce.cornell.edu/events for more information. Like us on our Facebook page for Gala and Master Gardener program updates: https://www.facebook.com/CCEofGenesee.  along with committee chair Vicki Wolak and her team of Susan Boyle awarded 13 scholarships to Genesee County students from various high schools.  Each student was presented with an award certificate and received a thousand-dollar scholarship was presented the Jill Spence Memorial Scholarship Fund award Brenda Bennion and Diane Fioentino presented service awards to the following non-profit organizations in Genesee County Joy Hume received the 2024 Woman of the Year award.  To view or purchase photos, click here The 25th Annual Batavia Rotary Club High School Baseball Tournament will take place Saturday May 3rd at Dwyer Stadium with a rain date of Sunday Oakfield-Alabama and Notre Dame will play in the first game at 11 am followed by LeRoy vs Batavia at 1:00 pm The Consolation Game will be at 4 pm with the Championship Game at 7pm An All-Day Admission Pass is $5 for an adult and $3 for a student or senior Cash or Venmo will be accepted for payment All proceeds from the tournament will help benefit Batavia Rotary Club charities Youth ages 12 and under will get in free if they wear their baseball or softball uniforms to any of the games and attend with a parent/adult family member Any Challenger Sports athletes and Unified Sports athletes will get in free if they wear their uniform or t-shirt and come with a parent/adult family member or adult caregiver We look forward to seeing the community come out to cheer on our local athletes Route 5 between Kelsey Road and Lewiston Road (Route 63) is reopen to public travel and the surrounding area is considered safe an investigation into the fire remains ongoing and crews will continue work at the site in the days ahead Operations at the Genesee County Jail and Animal Shelter have returned to normal and County Building Two will reopen to the public on Monday The Genesee County Office of Emergency Management sincerely thanks the community for their cooperation and patience and extends deep appreciation to the fire departments and law enforcement agencies involved in the response ExpandThe Batavia VFS Post 1197 is hosting a veterans benefits fair post member and Air Force veteran Cliff Bartelt's designated cap Bartelt is active in the Batavia VFW Post 1197 and served in the Vietnam War A veterans benefits fair is being hosted by the Batavia VFW Post 1197 from 10 a.m The event is designed to provide veterans and families the vital information and resources they require “The fair is a one-stop-shop for all veterans benefits,” Steve Hunter “Attendees will have the opportunity to speak directly with experts gather information and ask questions about various programs and services available.” The free event features more than 50 vendors including representatives from the Veterans Administration and Nicor and various veteran non-profit organizations The event will also feature several veteran-owned businesses For more information, you can call (630) 640-6014 or email submariner609@yahoo.com. The Social Security office in Batavia will remain open Thursday and Friday The completion of renovations has been postponed at the location BATAVIA — If you were dreading the city Social Security office’s temporary closure this week The office was slated to be closed Thursday and Friday while officials put the finishing touches on renovations to the location on 571 East Main St The work has now been postponed so the office will remain open as normal BATAVIA – A group from Orleans County joined other demonstrators in Batavia on Thursday evening at a May Day event protesting policies of the Trump Administration that they say threaten working class people and vulnerable members of the community More than 50 attended the rally in the rain with threats of thunder and lightning Jim Renfrew attended the demonstration outside City Hall in downtown Batavia The event was among about 1,000 around the country where people voiced their concerns about immigration crackdowns without due process aggressive tariffs that could cause economic turmoil a “Billionaire Agenda” from the Trump Administration that favors the wealthy over the working class and efforts to consolidate power in the executive branch A proud member of LION Publishers – supporting local Rebecca Oshlag received a leading 209 votes to earn one of three seats on the Richmond Memorial Library Board of Trustees Marcia Bohn was elected to a three-year term as a Richmond Memorial Library Board of Trustee member Richmond Memorial Library Board of Trustee President Leslie Moma was re-elected to the board on Thursday night BATAVIA — Residents in the City School District approved a proposition Thursday authorizing the district to collect a tax levy of $1.4 million to benefit the Richmond Memorial Library budget Voters also elected three members to the library’s board of trustees including incumbents Leslie Moma and Rebecca Oshlag Batavia topped Spencerport on Friday night Senior quarterback Jaimin Macdonald had a big night with 95 yards and two touchdowns on 8 of 16 passing.  Macdonald connected with senior wide receiver Alyssa Turner for touchdowns of 16 and 17 yards in the second half.  Macdonald also rushed for 36 yards and a score on six carries.  Turner finished the night with five receptions for 64 yards.   Senior running back Kylee Brennan led the team in rushing with 44 yards and a TD on five carries while sophomore receiver Leilah Manuel chipped in 4 catches for 31 yards The Batavia defense kept the pressure on all night forcing three turnovers and keeping Spencerport off the scoreboard until the game's final two minutes.  Alyssa Turner returned an interception deep into Spencerport territory to set up Batavia's first TD.  Kylee Brennan led the team with 10 flag pulls (2 for loss) and an interception off a tipped ball by Jaimin Macdonald.  Macdonald registered eight flag pulls (2 for loss) and an interception of her own.  Leilah Manuel secured five flag pulls and senior Nicole Doeringer added 4.   Batavia moves to 4-3 with the win and will face Gates-Chili on the road on Monday UPDATE: Dickes was located safe and unharmed — The Batavia Police Department is asking for the public's assistance in locating Sandra Dickes Dickes is believed to be driving a white Ford Edge with New York state license plate KHG-1680 She was last seen wearing a light blue jacket Authorities ask anyone who locates the vehicle or Dickes to call 911 immediately The Batavia Police Department can also be reached at (585) 345-6350 Click here for more information Tops Friendly Markets has promoted Stanley Alexander to the position of Grocery General Manager He previously held the title of Grocery Supervisor Stanley will be responsible for all grocery department functions He joined Tops in 2020 as a Grocery Supervisor Stanley resides in Batavia with his wife Katie and their five children Press release/provided photo The 25th Annual Batavia Rotary Club High School Baseball Tournament will take place Saturday Oakfield-Alabama and Notre Dame will play in the first game at 11 am followed by LeRoy vs Batavia at 1:00 … Continue reading Flash flood warning until 12:45 Tuesday morning for portions of Genesee, Livingston and Wyoming counties RadarStabbing victim recovering after incident outside Batavia McDonald'sby WHAM — A victim of a stabbing outside a McDonald's in Batavia is recovering at a Rochester hospital according to the Batavia Police Department Officers responded to a disturbance on Sunday in the parking lot of McDonald's on East Main Street He was determined to have sustained non-life-threatening injuries from being stabbed He was treated at the scene and then transported to a Rochester hospital for further evaluation The Batavia Police Department has identified all parties involved and says there is no ongoing risk to the community Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Batavia Police Department's Detective Bureau at 585-345-6350, the confidential tip line at 585-345-6370, or submit a tip through its website a popular TV show that's right here on News 8 WROC held casting calls over in Batavia a popular TV show that's right here on News 8 WROC held casting calls over in Batavia Ohio — The mayor of Batavia hired a public relations firm to win over unhappy residents boost development and stop efforts to dissolve the village where nearly 2,000 residents live in Clermont County Scott Runck signed a contract with O’Keeffe Public Relations on March 10 at a monthly cost of $5,800 for up to 35 hours of work including social media strategy and pitching positive stories That works out to an annual cost of $69,600 in a community where the per capita income is $28,000 administrator of the adjacent Batavia Township Swartz said she would rather spend that money on a new township pickleball court or playground equipment hiring a new employee or buying a snowplow But she doesn’t dispute the slew of controversies in the village over the past year “I definitely think they have a PR issue in the village but I don’t know that hiring a PR firm is going to solve their problems,” Swartz said “I don’t think they’ve listened to what the community has wanted.” Many village and township residents forcefully oppose building a new subdivision near the Clermont County airport. They packed village meetings even lining up around the block when one meeting had reached capacity last fall They fear that the hundreds of new residents living in tax-abated homes will stress fire departments and schools and could lead to the airport closure. In September, critics began circulating a petition to dissolve the village. Then two residents filed a lawsuit against the mayor and village council on Feb accusing them of not providing enough public notice in advance of meetings about the new subdivision Village officials met with Dan O’Keeffe from O’Keeffe PR in early February. A week later, he sent a proposal to Runck village administrator Ken Geis and assistant administrator Chip Stewart summarizing their concerns and proposing what a good public relations strategy could do to help WATCH: What has the PR firm helped the village do since it was hired “The Village’s efforts to develop the area and work with the township continue to be met with aggressive and hostile tactics by the township,” such as disorderly meetings people driving through town displaying signs “vehemently against the village’s efforts,” and “combative rhetoric” on a community Facebook page They must sway village and township residents by November 2026 when voters will decide whether to dissolve the village “We believe the central issue complicating the situation for the village is that you have let a very vocal minority within the township monopolize the airwaves and become the de facto voice of the village You must reclaim your voice so you can control your narrative and more effectively and consistently tell your side of the story,” O’Keeffe wrote Swartz took issue with blaming the township for the village’s problems She said township trustees spoke at meetings against the developments but have never been hostile school board members and an assistant fire chief have also spoken out at meetings We’re not encouraging that type of behavior but they have a right to speak at a public meeting and voice their concerns,” adding that some of those same residents also speak out at township meetings Days later, O’Keeffe wrote a press release stating that the money the village received for selling K-9 Drees would be donated to the Matt Haverkamp Foundation. “In your opinion, do you think this could help the negativity we are seeing — I know social is what it is … thinking news,” the mayor wrote in a March 16 email to Dan O’Keeffe but I believe it can add closure to the subject and issue which can help the village move on from this issue We want to begin drowning out or at least meeting the negativity with consistently positive news about the village,” O’Keeffe responded on March 17 O'Keeffe staff also crafted a statement to a local television station producer who had questions about the Haverkamp Foundation donation wrote a press release about the new village police chief “I honestly feel like Batavia village having a public relations firm is probably a really good idea for them,” said Randy Dorsey a high school teacher who has lived in Batavia for 11 years He said the small village lacks the staff to craft press releases or respond to the media and only got its first Facebook page a year ago It relied on putting meeting notices on a bulletin board in the village office entryway until a few years ago “We’re having some growing pains,” Dorsey said we’ve had a lot of negative stories … I don’t think they’re being concise and informing the public about what’s going on Dorsey applied for an open Batavia Village Council seat earlier this year but was not selected He said he’s considering running for council in November as a voice for the schools The mayor did not respond to a request for an interview for this story But he provided this statement: “The Village of Batavia has a bold vision of growth for a prosperous future for our residents and businesses To ensure that we are communicating those plans professionally and effectively we have hired a professional communications agency to support our efforts Their expertise will help us engage our community and share our progress in a way that reflects our commitment to smart I received no response when I asked whether O’Keeffe Public Relations wrote that statement the Ohio Auditor’s Office released its 2022 and 2023 audit on the Village of Batavia on Tuesday It reported material weaknesses and noncompliance citations and made recommendations on how to correct them Emails between Batavia's mayor, PR firm by webeditors on Scribd Village of Batavia Proposal by webeditors on Scribd Let the I-Team investigateSend us your story tips today to iteam@wcpo.comOr call 513-852-4999 Batavia is among hundreds of municipalities in Illinois considering the creation of a local grocery tax in response to the state’s decision last spring to eliminate the current one after 2025 Illinois will eliminate a state-wide 1% sales tax at grocery stores on Jan but Batavia shoppers aren’t likely to see a change at the checkout line as the city is planning to impose an identical tax immediately succeeding the elimination Batavia Committee of the Whole members were in favor of continuing the grocery tax and recommended approval of an ordinance to implement it at their April 29 meeting. Batavia City Administrator Laura Newman said the elimination of the tax would mean an annual reduction of about $1.2 million in revenue. “Not implementing this would mean that we need to either cut expenses or find an alternate revenue source,” Newman said. She added that the only viable source would likely be from property taxes. Spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Revenue Maura Kownacki said, as of April 30, 163 municipalities have passed their own grocery tax ordinances thus far, including Algonquin, Sugar Grove, South Elgin, North Aurora and Elburn in Kane County. The ordinance must receive City Council approval by Oct. 1 to ensure it is implemented on Jan. 1, 2026. Newman told committee members that the locally-implemented tax would be identical to the current tax, as the language in the ordinance mirrors the state statute exactly. The ordinance is expected to go before City Council for possible final approval at their May 5 meeting. ExpandBatavia's Leah Zimberoff (center) celebrates her goal during a Tri-Cities Soccer Night game against Geneva on Tuesday ST. CHARLES — The end of the first half Tuesday couldn’t have gone better for Batavia After entering the final minutes of the half down a goal to Geneva, the Bulldogs found two goals in the final minute of play. They added two more goals in the second half to secure a 4-2 victory over Geneva in the first game of Tri-Cities Night at St. Charles East. “I don’t think we came out very well, and the girls would agree with that, but we did a nice job of responding,” Bulldogs coach Mark Gianfrancesco said. “There were some goofy goals, but that’s the game of soccer. You cross the ball in the middle and you never know what’s going to happen.” Sophomore Leah Zimberoff scored the go-ahead goal for the Bulldogs (6-5-1, 3-1 DuKane) just 30 seconds after Geneva tied the game at 2-2. The sophomore took a pass from senior Natalie Warner just outside the box before sinking it into the bottom far corner of the goal. “I just turned the defender and I shot it and it went in,” Zimberoff. “I saw the open space and took the opportunity.” “After that, our energy was really up and we were like ‘Yeah, we’ve got this.’ ” It was the second time Zimberoff contributed on a go-ahead goal. The sophomore also had a cross that led to an own goal to give Batavia a 2-1 lead into halftime. Emma Wecker scored the Bulldogs’ first goal with one minute remaining in the first half. The junior took a shot from 25 yards out, which bounced off the crossbar before bouncing off the goalie and into the net to tie the game at 1-1. “We knew that time was running out, so we knew we had to be there to take the shot and have the confidence, we’d be good,” Wecker said. “I saw nobody was pressuring me, so I turned around and shot it as hard as I could.” Warner added an insurance goal in the 70th minute, adding a cushion to Batavia’s lead. Geneva celebrates a goal by teammate Olivia Pohlman (center) during a Tri-Cities Soccer Night game against Batavia on Tuesday, April 29, 2025 at St. Charles East. (Sandy Bressner) Sophomore Olivia Pohlman got the first goal of the game in the 23rd minute for Geneva (4-7-3, 1-2). Senior Riley Pryor also found the back of the net in the 49th minute that tied the game at 2-2. “I feel like for long stretches, we dominated the run of play, but in the end it comes down to us being young and losing focus,” Vikings coach Megan Owens said. “We did what we needed to do in the field, and then we gave up two goals in the final minutes. That’s just something that comes with inexperience and being a younger team, and it’s something that we just need to work at.” Owens said that despite being on the wrong side of the scoreboard, it was a great game experience-wise for the team, which only returned two starters from last season. “Any Tri-Cities rivalry game is great,” Owens said. “We’re fortunate to be in an area where all four high schools are always competitive every year. I just wish that the scoreboard was a little different this time, but it’ll help us prepare for the postseason.” Salvatore’s employee Chloe Mansfield cutting pizza today after the ribbon cutting Salvatore’s operators Kevin and Kari Consaul pose for a photo after the ribbon-cutting ceremony Salvatore’s operators Kari and Kevin Consaul and their children gather for a photo with Genesee County Chamber of Commerce President Brian Cousins who gave them a Certificate of Congratulations today after the ribbon cutting Here’s a look inside the new Salvatore’s in Batavia Salvatore's operators Kari and Kevin Consaul pose with family at today's ribbon cutitng Here's a look inside the new Salvatore's in Batavia BATAVIA — Several months of work to get Salvatore’s Old Fashioned Pizzeria in Batavia ready paid off this week Owner/operator Kevin Consaul explained the choice of Batavia as a Salvatore’s location Salvatores Pizza ribbon cutting at their newest location ExpandTroy Mullins (Sandy Bressner – sbressner@sha) The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives picked up a Batavia man Tuesday on felony weapons charges, the result of an ongoing investigation, according to court records and the ATF. Troy D. Mullins, 58, of the 100 block of North Washington Avenue, Batavia, was picked up on two counts of gunrunning and six counts of unlawful sale or delivery of a firearm. Illinois law defines gunrunning is the illegal transfer of three or more guns. Mullins is alleged to have made these gun sales between Aug. 7 and Oct. 29, 2024, according to the charging documents. During that time, Mullins is alleged to have sold a IWI Desert Eagle, .44 caliber pistol; a Heritage Manufacturing Rough Rider, .22 caliber; and a Smith & Wesson, .40 caliber pistol to buyers who did not have a Firearm Owner’s Identification card or a valid concealed carry license, documents show, and before withholding the sale for 72 hours, according to the charging documents. The most serious charge Mullins faces are the two gunrunning charges, Class 1 felonies punishable by four to 15 years in prison, fines up to $25,000, or up to 48 months of probation, if convicted. The other six charges are Class 4 felonies, punishable by one to three years in prison, fines up to $25,000, or up to 18 months of probation. Mullins is currently being held in the Kane County jail. Mullins’ attorney did not immediately return a voicemail message seeking comment. Billed as “the most exciting two minutes in sports,” the Kentucky Derby will generate hours of enthusiasm this weekend for patrons at Batavia Downs Gaming “There’s something in the air on Derby Day It’s like our Super Bowl,” said Ryan Hasenauer vice president of Business Development for Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. harness horse racing track and hotel on Park Road vice president of Business Development at Batavia Downs Gaming holds the T-shirt and mint julep glass that await guests who have purchased tickets for the Kentucky Derby Gala this Saturday Post time for the 151st edition of thoroughbred racing’s crown jewel eventat Churchill Downs in Louisville depending on last-minute wagering and how horses are behaving getting to their post positions Activities at Batavia Downs Gaming (are there are several) actually get underway on Friday with advance wagering on the Derby at all OTB branches and EZ-Bet locations and at the ITW (Intertrack Wagering) site at Batavia Downs Those who opt to place at least a $100 bet at Bataviabets.com will receive a $25 voucher for wagers at a later time Many of the ladies at the gala will be dressed in style similar to those in this photo from a past gala the Downs kicks things off with a chicken barbecue dinner promotion starting at 11:30 a.m. followed by the “main event” – the annual Kentucky Derby Gala from 4:30 to 7 p.m first served” chicken barbecue will be set up inside of Park Place on the first floor He said that promotion sold out (600 dinners) last year by 5 p.m “It costs $35 but you get back $25 in free play and also receive a $5 bet on the Derby,” he said everyone receives a free program for the Derby.” Big screen televisions will be showing the Derby as well as the Churchill Downs races leading up to the Run for the Roses noting that the 275 people who have paid $175 each will receive a free $20 wager on the Derby “This year’s T-shirt has a comic book theme because the first Saturday in May is also Free Comic Book Day,” he said while displaying a shirt and glass “Everyone gets dressed up for the event and we’ll run two contests — one for best dressed and one for the best hat,” he said “The two winners will receive a free stay at the hotel free play and free food on their next visit to Batavia Downs.” three other gathering places at Batavia Downs — The Gatsby 34 Rush and the bar inside Park Place – will be selling the mint julep glasses for $5 “Order a mint julep for $5 and keep the glass,” Hasenauer said Coors Light representatives will be at 34 Rush from noon to 2 p.m and WGR 550AM radio will be broadcasting live from 2-5 p.m While the day is one of anticipation and thrills for horse racing fans it is a highly profitable one for the business Hasenauer said the Derby will generate about $1 million in handle just on that race itself from all WROTB sources “The reason why the Derby is so exciting is that it’s a 20-horse field,” Hasenauer offered but maybe pick five to get all the horses they like trifecta and superfecta may pay into the thousands.” Hasenauer in his colorful (to say the least) Derby outfit Hasenauer said he will be there throughout the day wearing his yellow suit highlighted with red roses Chief of Staff Steven Casey and Communications Director Mike DeGeorge to be on site as well Kentucky; TV: NBC; Streaming: Peacock; YouTube TV; Fubo; 1 ¼ mile race — 2025 Kentucky Derby post positions was arrested and charged with Burglary 2nd degree and Criminal Contempt 2nd degree Fanizza allegedly illegally entered a residence in violation of an order of protection He was arraigned in CAP Court and is due in Batavia City Court at a later date was arrested and charged with Burglary 2nd degree Walker was arrested after allegedly violating an order of protection inside a residence on Hutchins Street was arrested and charged with Sex Offender Failure to Register Preedom is accused of failing to register his address as a level 2 sex offender He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and remanded to the Genesee County Jail without bail _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ was arrested and charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 7th degree Patterson was allegedly found in possession of narcotics during an incident on State Street on 4/15/2024 Patterson was issued an appearance ticket and is due in court on 5/6/2025 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Tanner allegedly struck another person during an altercation on State Street He was issued an appearance ticket and is due in court on 4/29/2025 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ was arrested and charged with Petit Larceny and Obstructing Governmental Administration 2nd degree Parnell allegedly stole merchandise from Speedway Parnell was arrested earlier in the day on Otis Street after he allegedly refused to leave a residence and punched another person He was charged with Criminal Trespass 2nd degree and Harassment 2nd degree ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Seeler was allegedly found in possession of narcotics during a traffic stop on Pearl Street on 1/17/2025 She was arraigned in CAP Court and released was arrested for Unlawful Imprisonment 2nd degree and Harassment 2nd degree Klotzbach allegedly headbutted another person and prevented them from leaving the residence during an altercation on Elmwood Avenue Klotzbach was arraigned in Batavia City Court and released was arrested for Filing a False Written Statement It’s alleged that Vidal signed a written statement alleging that another person threatened him with a firearm Vidal was issued an appearance ticket and is due in court on 4/22/2025 Sourced via CRIMEWATCH®: https://crimewatch.net/us/ny/genesee/batavia-pd/138661/post/press-releases-4272025 Batavia is among hundreds of municipalities in Illinois considering whether to create a local grocery tax in response to the state’s decision to eliminate the current one after 2025 Illinois will eliminate a statewide 1% sales tax at grocery stores on Jan Batavia shoppers aren’t likely to see a change at the checkout line because the city plans to impose an identical tax Batavia Committee of the Whole members have recommended that the city approve an ordinance continuing the grocery tax City Administrator Laura Newman said eliminating the tax would mean an annual reduction of about $1.2 million in revenue “Not implementing this would mean that we need to either cut expenses or find an alternate revenue source,” Newman said She added that the only viable source would likely come from property taxes Newman said according to statistics from the Illinois Department of Revenue 225 municipalities have already approved ordinances implementing a grocery tax The ordinance must receive city council approval by Oct Newman told committee members that the locally implemented tax would be identical to the current tax as the language in the ordinance mirrors the state statute exactly The ordinance is expected to go before the city council for possible final approval at its May 5 meeting were there for Monday’s check presentation to Roswell Park Special Events Fundraising Coordinator Sierra Etkin Teresa Potrzebowski and Sue Underwood of Genesee Cancer Assistance accept a ceremonial check from Will Fulton hold a ceremonial check for Bella’s Bumbas Batavia hopefuls put in the effort earlier this month to try to raise money for local charities and on Monday that effort paid off for Roswell Park Cancer Institute Genesee Cancer Assistance and Bella’s Bumbas Roswell Park received $2,730 thanks to senior Gavynn Trippany earning the title of Mr Batavia on April 4 Batavia Adviser Lisa Robinson also presented $1,365.25 to Cancer Assistance thanks to Will Fulton’s second-place finish Bella’s Bumbas has also received $1,365.25 after Kahler Evans Organizers have announced this week that nearly 100,000 workers and families are expected to rally in nearly 1,300 events in more than 1,000 cities nationally according to a Mobilize on May Day press release "States like Iowa have nearly 90 actions statewide "The protests are a direct response to the 'Billionaire Agenda' and are a demand for a country that invests in working families — not billionaire profits." have authorized one day strikes to challenge cuts and participate in the national day of action On the 100th day of the Trump Administration families nationwide are already facing cuts to Social Security and education — while billionaires reap massive tax breaks and record profits May Day 2025 will unite working people across race A commitment to nonviolent action is a core principle of all May Day events All hosts and participants are expected to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who may disagree A full list of May Day events nationwide is available at https://www.mobilize.us/mayday/. News 4 Buffalo Part of Route 5 closed due to fire at Batavia business Woman killed in crash on Twin Cities Memorial Highway Local film industry happy with proposed foreign film tariff Buffalo-Niagara Honor Flight Mission 19 was the 'time of a lifetime' Veterans and organizers from Buffalo-Niagara Honor Flight discuss Mission 19 parking ramp authority in proposed NYS budget A look inside Upstate Steel’s production of steel for new Bills stadium NF man found incompetent to stand trial for fatal assault Buffalo Police mourns officer’s death due to flu North Park Theatre provides moviegoers with new 4K laser projection Ryan calls on Scanlon to stop alleged plans to ‘sell off’ city’s cultural assets