Albion, Barker/Lyndonville, Kendall and Holley all score girls soccer victories

By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 9 October 2025 at 9:34 pm

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Albion’s Shayla Higgins works around Medina defenders Lucia DiCureia (5) and Lillian Maynard (2) during this evening’s game at Vets Park.

Albion downed Medina 8-0 in a Niagara-Orleans League girls soccer game at Vets Park this evening.

Melanie Viza and Julia Button both had two goals for the Purple Eagles as Lena Grillo, Shayla Higgins, Alayna Flugel, McKinley Knight and Brittany Lewis each had one.

Albion is now 2-5-4 and Medina 0-10 in N-O action.

Barker/Lyndonville 2, Newfane 0
Goals by Abby Alexander and Alexa Robinson keyed Barker/Lyndonville to a 2-0 N-O win over Newfane.

Barker/Lyndonville is now 5-3-3 and Newfane 3-7 in N-O competition.

Kendall 11, Finney 0
Kendall romped to an 11-0 non league win over GC Finney as Ryleigh Denning had 4 goals, Hailey Ball and Payton Vogt 2 and Sophia Picardo, Aleah Barrett, Stella Kwiatek and Izzy D’Agostino one each.

Picardo and Addison Kludt both had a pair of assists. Picardo is now Kendall’s career leader in assists.

Kendall is now 14-1 overall.

Holley 3, Attica 0
Holley blanked Attica 3-0 in a Genesee Region League game as Kyla Burne scored all three goals and Hanna Ostrom had an assist.

Zoey Warner made three saves to earn the shutout in goal.

Holley is now 8-3-1 in G-R action.

Boys Soccer
Albion 2, Cardinal O’Hara 0
Albion downed visiting Cardinal O’Hara 2-0 in a non league game on goals by Joey Bropst and Alakai Colmenero.

Akron 1, Roy-Hart 0
Akron nipped Roy-Hart 1-0 in an N-O contest on a goal by Sawyer Ranney.

Medina’s Rhoswyn Oakes sends the ball up field as Kailee Anstey pursues for Albion.

Mustangs roll to win over Timberwolves

By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 9 October 2025 at 9:11 pm

Building up a commanding 28-0 half-time advantage, Medina went on to down host Tonawanda 49-8  in a C North Division game this evening.

Quarterback Preston Woodworth opened the scoring for Medina with an 11 yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Kolton Fletcher had a 30 yard run and a 30 yard pass reception to highlight the drive. Davi Mucoucah tacked on the first of his seven extra point kicks.

Christian Moss then had three short touchdown runs on carries of 7, 2 and 6 yards to boost the Mustangs advantage to 28-0 at the half. Woodworth had a 32 yard pass completion to Vinny Gray to highlight the first of those TD drives and a 32 yard run on the second.

The Mustangs tacked on three more touchdowns in the second half on a 68 yard kickoff return by Fletcher, and scoring runs of 1 and 45 yards by Woodworth.

Defensively the Mustangs got fumble recovers by Mathew Jacobs, Jayzon Wills and Avion Johnson and a pass interception by Gray.

The Mustangs are now 3-2 in the division and 4-2 overall while the Timberwolves are 0-6.

Nearly 500 attend Family Game Night at Dubby’s Tailgate

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 October 2025 at 8:26 pm

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Carrie O’Neill, a member of the Orleans County Youth Board, waits for a kid to select a board game after visiting many of the booths and trying the games and activities.

Free board games were offered when kids completed their passport by trying the different activities at Family Game Night.

This was the 11th annual event and the third time it was hosted by Dubby’s Tailgate in Albion. Dubby’s served up two slices of pizza for each person.

Many of the county government departments and agencies in the community had booths with activities and prizes. The event was organized by the Orleans County Youth Bureau and County Legislature.

The mascots from McDonald’s, Grimace and Hamburglar, greeted kids inside Dubby’s. There were 472 people registered, and the total attendance was likely even closer to 500. That is the most in the 11 years of Family Game Night.

Grimace and Hamburglar meet Charli Wulf, 5, of Holley. Orly the Ox, the county’s bicentennial mascot, also greeted local kids at the event.

Staff from the Probation Department offered a chance to play a cup stacking game and to win prizes. In back from left for probation include secretary Amy Albone, probation assistant Michelle Coots, and probation director Sarah Osborne. They gave away pumpkins donated by Coots’s grandson, 11-year-old Nathan Gray of Nathan’s Produce.

Kat Holland from the Personnel Department did a plate spinning demonstration as part of the Personnel Department’s booth. Katie Harvey, the personnel director, is at left.

Cara Wachob, a home base visitor and Early Head Start advocate, led the booth for Community Action and invited kids and their parents to play different games.

Medina blanks Wilson in N-O field hockey

By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 9 October 2025 at 6:37 pm

Completing a home-and-home season series sweep, Medina shutout host Wilson 4-0 this afternoon in a Niagara-Orleans League field hockey game.

Penelope Schalck scored two goals as Ava Blount and Lilah Class each had one for the Mustangs.

Medina is now 5-4 and Wilson 3-7 in N-O action.

East Shelby home on Smith Road badly damaged by fire

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 October 2025 at 5:24 pm

Photo by Tom Rivers

EAST SHELBY – A fire caused extensive damage this afternoon inside a house at 12491 Smith Rd.

Firefighters were dispatched to the scene around 3:30. No one was home at the time of the fire. A family of three lives there in a house owned by Douglas Watson.

The family’s dog perished in the blaze. The fire in under investigation and the cause is undetermined at this time.

Multiple firefighters joined east Shelby in responding to call. The fire caused extensive damage to first and second floors, and the attic.

Zack Petry, deputy chief for Shelby, is on the ladder trying to vent the house from smoke.

Firefighters set up a dump tank for an added supply of water. This is a rural area in southern Shelby near the refuge where there aren’t fire hydrants.

Medina Lions install new sign for park by canal

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 October 2025 at 9:22 am

Matt Punch recognized for service with Medina Medical Loan Closet

Photos from Medina Lions Club

MEDINA – The Medina Lions Club in late September installed a new sign for the Lions Park along the Erie Canal. This spot is just east of the lift bridge.

Chris and Julie Keller, left, installed the sign with assistance from Pete Kaiser and Jim Hancock. The Lions Club thanks Takeform for its work on the lettering and design.

The Lions Club also recently honored Matt Punch with the Robert J. Uplinger Distinguished Service Award for his dedication to our community. Punch has been a driving force for the Medina Medical Loan Closet.

Dubby’s will host free tailgate event for veterans on Nov. 8

Posted 9 October 2025 at 9:00 am

Press Release, Red Star Foundation

ALBION — Bills fans and veterans alike are in for an unforgettable afternoon at Dubby’s Tailgate in Albion as the community comes together for a Veterans Tailgate, a celebration honoring the service and sacrifice of Orleans County veterans.

On November 8 from 1 to 6 p.m., Dubby’s will be buzzing with live music, sports on the screens, free food and plenty of Buffalo spirit. The event is being hosted by the Red Star Foundation in partnership with Orleans County Veteran Services and promises to be a high-energy mix of football fandom and heartfelt gratitude.

Live music will keep the fun going all afternoon, with Travis Fitch performing an acoustic set from 1 to 3 p.m., followed by local crowd-favorite Who Dats rocking the stage from 3 to 6 p.m. to close out the celebration.

One of the biggest highlights: special guest Del Reid, the co-founder of the Bills Mafia and owner of 26 Shirts, will be in attendance. Reid, a beloved figure in the Bills community, is known not only for rallying fans but also for his tireless charity work. Bills Mafia members will no doubt want to stop by, shake his hand, and show their Buffalo pride.

To keep the tailgate vibes strong, there will be free food for veterans and a guest, including pizza, wings, baked ziti, and beverages. That offer is limited to the first 200 veterans and guests, so registering early is encouraged. For everyone else, Dubby’s will be running specials on food and drinks all day long, making it the perfect spot to cheer, eat, and celebrate together.

“This is about more than just good food and music. it’s about honoring the men and women of Orleans County who have served their country,” said Rich McAdoo from the Red Star Foundation. “And in true Bills Mafia fashion, we’re bringing the community together to make it something special.”

Whether you’re a veteran, a family member, or simply a proud Bills fan, the Veterans Day Tailgate is your chance to show up, say thank you, and enjoy an afternoon of fun, football, and fellowship.

There are spots for up to 200 people for the free event. Veterans can register in advance at www.RedStarFoundation.org/Dubbys.

Author of small-town romance novels will be featured at Medina bookstore

By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 9 October 2025 at 8:43 am

Provided photos of David Neth, writing as D. Allen, with the covers of two of his books.

MEDINA – On Saturday, Author’s Note will welcome Batavia author David Neth, who will sign copies of his two latest novels.

Writing as D. Allen, Neth will sign copies of At the Core and Home for the Holidays.

At the Core is a small-town romance set in Medina, featuring rivals-to-lovers, grumpy sunshine charm and the fight to save a family orchard.

Autumn Chapman is the fourth-generation owner of her family’s struggling apple orchard. Her uncles, who are co-owners, want to sell what’s left and walk away while they still can, but Autumn doesn’t want to let the legacy of her family’s business did with her. But, as the man who is trying to convince them to sell learns more and more about the orchard, Autumn and her family’s business, he starts to think maybe he is on the wrong side of the fight.

Home for the Holidays is a Christmas family drama set in Corfu about a mother who tricks her three adult children into coming home for Christmas without them knowing the others are coming. As they all slip into the roles of their former selves, the siblings agree to play nice to make their mother happy for the Christmas season. But as the week goes on. It becomes more and more apparent they all have their secrets, including their mother.

D. Allen is a nom de plume for David Neth, who writes heartfelt small-town romance like the Montana Beach and Small Town Christmas series. He also writes urban fantasy and superhero fiction under his own name. A school librarian with more than a decade in the book world, Neth lives in Batavia with his family.

Neth will sign copies of his books and answer questions during his visit at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Author’s Note is located at 519 Main St., Medina. For those who are unable to attend, signed books can be ordered for pickup or free shipping at authorsnote.com. For more information, contact Author’s Note at (585) 798-3642.

Frost advisory issued for Orleans tonight, Friday morning

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 October 2025 at 8:26 am

A frost advisory has been issued from 11 p.m. tonight to 9 a.m. on Friday for Orleans County. Temperatures in the lower 30s will result in frost formation, the National Weather Service in Buffalo said.

Temperatures in the lower 30s will result in frost formation.

The advisory also includes nearby counties of Niagara, Monroe, Erie, Genesee, Wyoming and Livingston.

 The frost could kill sensitive outdoor vegetation if left unprotected, the Weather Service said.

Today will be sunny with a high near 55, followed by highs of 66 on Friday, 69 on Saturday and 67 on Sunday.

Oversize load passing from Knowlesville to East Shelby on Thursday morning

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 October 2025 at 10:26 pm

EAST SHELBY – The Orleans County Emergency Management Office is advising the public of an oversize load on Thursday morning that will go from Knowlesville to East Shelby.

The load will make its journey starting at about 6:30 a.m. from Growmark FS. The load will go south on Taylor Hill Road and Townline Road, making its final destination to East Shelby Road.

“Due to size and slow speed, we encourage those in the area of transport to use caution,” the EMO stated. “And for morning commuters, alternate routes are encouraged.”

STAMP neighbor says data center would be disruptive, bring harm to peaceful community

Posted 8 October 2025 at 9:55 pm

Editor:

My name is LeeAnn Mullen, owner of Tahoe Pines Wellness Center, LLC & Tahoe Pines Custom Sewing & Designs. I’m a resident of Basom, with STAMP located in the field behind my home/business.

I’m writing to express the many environmental and health concerns with a data center. The GCEDC (Genesee County Economic Development Center) approved a data center in March 2025, then recently revoked the approvals. They claim the developer, stream data center, is going to submit a proposal for a larger data center at the STAMP site!

After 35 years of medical management and wellness, I purchased property online in 2009, specifically for Tahoe Pines Wellness Center, LLC. The aesthetic beauty of pine trees, the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge and the naturistic beauty was the attraction! It appeared to be the perfect location for an entrepreneur originally from Lake Tahoe to open a wellness center!

There’s numerous reasons why the datacenter is a horrible idea for our community and surrounding areas! By attending the Tonawanda Seneca Nation community meetings, I have learned much of the following information, along with these additional resources; frontiergroup.org, ceds.org and hivenet.com.

GCEDC intends on giving $272 million of our taxpayer dollars to a multinational company (Stream) to build a massive data center! They must not be allowed to force a dangerous monstrosity on our community! I encourage our politicians, GCEDC, Stream Data Center, their corporate owner, Apollo Global Management and community residents to take a look at the negative impact the data center is going to have on our community members and surrounding areas!

It is because of the following health and environmental impacts that I adamantly oppose this data center, not in any order of importance!

1. Noise and disruption – Data centers run massive cooling systems and backup generators 24/7 creating constant humming! They emit noise exceeding 100 dB (an average concert is 80 dB). The noise can travel up to 8 mile and will cause extreme anxiety to people & animals, domestic and wild alike!

2. Power grid strain – these facilities consume enormous amounts of electricity, sometimes as much as small cities! This can stress local power infrastructure and potentially affect reliability or cost for residents. Will residents be in a blackout when we need our electricity the most?

3. Water usage – Data centers use a significant amount of water for cooling, which will strain local water supplies. According to local newscasters, we’re officially in a “drought” in our region! Residents may need to compete with the data center for this essential resource!

4. Increased traffic – during the construction phase, traffic on local roads will increase, which are not designed for heavy commercial vehicles.

5. Property values and community character – with the development of large industrial buildings, the community will not have the feel of our Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge with wild animals roaming in our backyard. Our friends on the reservation, the Tonawanda Seneca Nation will be stripped of available wildlife and medicinal plant land that they have had in their families for years and would like to keep for years to come.

6. Limited local benefits – data centers create relatively few permanent jobs once built, so our community will fuel their costs bearing without seeing proportional economic benefits!

7. Risk of Fire – the industrial machines run so hot, the chance of fire is significantly high! The fires are rated as class D and are only extinguishable with a specific dry powder. It is unclear if we have the substance available to our local fire stations, nor trained staff to utilize the powder substance, or a place to store the powder substance?

8. Most importantly, health and environmental concerns – The massive energy consumption contributes to carbon emissions, with electromagnetic fields and other environmental impacts! Primary health risk from air pollution include harmful air pollutants such as fine, particle matter and nitrogen oxide (NOx). These pollutants take an immediate toll on human, plantand animal health, triggering asthma symptoms in humans, heart attack and even cognitive decline!

9. Particular matter concerns – The biggest Challenger tiny particles, 2.5 CM or less in diameter, which can travel deep into the respiratory tract and lungs. They’re considered a “non-threshold” pollutant, meaning there’s no safe level of exposure.

10. Diesel generator emissions – data centers rely on backup diesel generators that produce significantly higher emission rates and other power sources. A typical diesel generator can release 200 to 600 times more NOx then a natural gas power plant producing the same amount of electricity!

11. Sale of impact – in 2003, air pollution from US data centers was attributed to being responsible for an estimated $6 billion in public health damages, with projections reaching $10 to $ 20 billion annually by 2030. While the specific carcinogenic risk requires more research, the documented respiratory and cardiovascular health impacts from data center emissions are already significant concerns for nearby communities!

It is with sincere compassion that you are all encouraged to take a deeper look at the risk versus benefit of Stream Data Center that the GCEDC is trying to force upon us for monetary gain! Is it going to result in your loved one’s health being compromised from the known carcinogen risk?

Please write to your politician, sign the petition at the Tonawanda Seneca Nation office, get involved, say no to stream data center and GCEDC! Thank you for your consideration!

 Respectfully submitted,

 LeeAnn Mullen

Basom

Lady Tigers roll to G-R volleyball victory

By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 8 October 2025 at 9:21 pm

Lyndonville scored a three set 25-17, 25-10, 25-9  win over visiting Wheatland-Chili in a Genesee Region League volleyball match this evening.

Emily Dill had 13 aces and 2 kills, Elena Barry 3 aces and 2 kills, Hannah Fox 5 aces and 1 kill and Ainsley Vann 4 kills and 3 aces for the Lady Tigers.

Pembroke 25-25-25, Holley 15-13-11
Pembroke downed Holley in straight sets in a G-R volleyball match this evening as Taylor Bischoff had 6 kills and 4 aces, Onolee Easterbrook 8 kills and Sarah Scroger 6 kills and 4 aces.

Ali VanAmeron had 4 kills and 2 blocks for Holley.

Tigers and Hawks score G-R soccer wins

By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 8 October 2025 at 9:19 pm

Completing a home-and-home season series sweep, Lyndonville defeated host Pembroke 2-0 in a Genesee Region League boys soccer game this evening.

Lyndonville, which improves to 6-5 in G-R action, also scored a 4-1 home field win over Pembroke earlier in the season.

Colton Smith scored what proved to be the game winner for in the Tigers in the first half off an assist from Jesus Reyes.

Barrett Alexander later added a big insurance goal in the second half as Smith had the assist.

Holley 3, Attica 0
Holley improved to 7-4 in G-R action with a 3-0 victory over Attica.

Avante Walker scored two goals and Chase Kempa one for the Hawks as Cam Kelley and Gage Yockel add assists.

Dylan Warner earned the shutout in goal.