A combination of wet fields and chilly temperatures has caused today’s slate of high school softball games to be postponed.
Those postponements include the Niagara-Orleans League Roy-Hart at Medina, Newfane at Albion and Barker at Wilson games along with the CSAT at Lyndonville non league contest.
The Tonawanda at Albion non league baseball game has also been postponed.
ALBION – Zachary Natale, 32, was given the maximum 13-year sentence today by Orleans County Court Judge Sanford Church.
Natale pleaded guilty to attempted arson in the second degree during court on Jan. 28 and admitted to setting a fire on Dec. 17, 2024 at 207 Bates Rd. That fire forced a mother and her 9-year-old son to evacuate.
That mother spoke in court today, saying she now constantly fears for her safety and doubts she will ever feel peace again after being forced to flee her home of 15 years.
Natale was ordered to pay $270,000 in restitution to an insurance company and also the $1,000 deductible for the damages from the fire.
Susan Howard, the district attorney, said Natale caused a “terrifying, horrifying ordeal” for the victims where they could have been killed, and also put local firefighters in danger.
Joanne Best, the public defender, said Natale is bipolar and schizophrenic and also was using drugs at the time of the crime. He spent nearly five months at the Rochester Psychiatric Center and has been restored, Best said. He has also spent 304 days in the Orleans County Jail.
She said Natale takes full responsibility for the crime, but she asked the judge to not sentence him the full 13 years. She asked for eight years in prison and five years of post-release supervision. The sooner he gets out of prison, the sooner he can pay towards restitution, Best said.
She said Natale has a young son and received an award from the County Legislature for helping save the life of a person incarcerated in the county jail on Feb. 10, 2025 when he alerted corrections officer to an inmate who hanging in his cell. COs were able to get to the inmate in time to save his life.
“He is also a very caring and compassionate individual,” Best said about Natale.
Natale in court today apologized to the victims of the arson, and also to the responding firefighters.
“I see the damage I did,” he said. “There really is no explanation for it. I’m trying to do the best I can. My son doesn’t deserve to be without a father.”
Judge Church gave Natale the full 13 years, plus 5 years of post-release supervision as well as the restitution. The judge said Natale has a criminal history and doesn’t seem to be taken full responsibility for the danger he put people in who were in the duplex.
BARRE – An Easter Bunny jump planned for Saturday in Barre has been cancelled. The Bunny was going to descend from the sky, and gently glide down to greet children at the Barre Town Park.
The Barre Betterment Committee announced today the event won’t be happening after all.
Photos courtesy of Guin Panek
ALBION – A section of Eagle Harbor Road in Albion, north of Route 31, has been undercut from the flood on Tuesday night.
Otter Creek flooded over the road last night. The road has been closed due to the damage.
Local highway departments are out assessing the condition of local roadways, said Justin Niederhofer, the Orleans County emergency management director.
Water is backed up on the west side of Eagle Harbor Road in the town of Albion, north of Route 31 and the railroad tracks.
Photos by Tom Rivers: The water from Otter Creek is brown and moving fast this morning by the Cobblestone Museum along Route 98 in Gaines.
A flood watch continues today until 8 p.m. for Orleans and many Western New York counties. That flood watch started on Tuesday morning.
Heavy rainfall throughout Tuesday resulted in many flooded basements in Orleans County, and water pushing past the banks of creeks and streams.
“Heavy rain yesterday produced widespread 1 to 2 inch rainfall amounts, with localized amounts of over 3 inches where thunderstorms repeated over the same areas, said the National Weather Service in Buffalo. “The heavy rain has ended, but water will remain high in low-lying areas, creeks, and rivers today.”
In Western New York, the flood watch continues in Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Erie, Ontario, Orleans, Wayne and Wyoming counties.
“Most smaller creeks and low-lying areas will see improving conditions today as high water drains,” the Weather Service said. “Larger rivers and creeks will continue to run high today.”
These photos were taken at 7:35 a.m. today at the Cobblestone Museum.
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Firefighters from the Kendall Fire Department are in Albion tonight helping to pump out basements after numerous calls for help from residents, especially on the west end of the village.
This photo is at a home on West Academy Street in Albion.
There have been numerous calls for assistance with flooded basements particularly in Albion, Holley and Clarendon. Firefighters in those communities are being assisted with crews from Kendall, Carlton, Barre and East Shelby.
Albion got an inch of rain this morning, then two more inches this evening. That rainfall has overwhelmed the storm sewer system with water shooting out of storm drains.
Part of Route 98 in Albion was flooded between Allen Road and Route 31A, prompting the road to be closed to traffic. This photo was taken about 11 p.m.
The Village of Medina Fire Department assisted the Medina DPW “responding to multiple calls tonight including downed trees, flooded roads, flooded basements and the usual emergency calls. Many departments across the county are also busy,” The Medina FD posted on Facebook.
“Use caution when driving, watch for hazards and do not drive through flooded roads. For non-emergency assistance, call the fire station at 585-798-1661.”
The Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company posted on Facebook last night that Ridgeway firefighters, as well as the majority of Orleans County firefighters were currently out fighting water in basements, flooding roadways and other hazards.
“Remember to check your basements for water & ensure your sump pumps are operational,” Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company stated. “If you need assistance please understand it could take an extended time to get to you as all agencies are inundated with incidents. Please use extreme caution in your travels if you must travel. Remember to never drive through a flooded roadway!”
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Editor:
My name is Mary Lou Tuohey, and I am a parent of a child with an intellectual and developmental disability (IDD). My daughter Nicole, has been receiving services from Arc GLOW for over 35 years.
Nicole was born with Triple X Syndrome and the doctors told us at her three-week checkup that she may never walk, talk, read, write, do math or ride a bike. At 3 months of age, we enrolled her in the Arc’s Rainbow Preschool, which was her stepping stone to a full life.
Nicole is 35 years old now, and attends the day habilitation program through Arc GLOW. She does everything the doctors said she wouldn’t do, plus more. The early intervention and her current involvement with Arc GLOW has helped make her the woman she is today!
Every March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, which raises awareness about the inclusion of people with IDD in all facets of community life, as well as awareness of the barriers people with disabilities still sometimes face in connecting to the communities in which they live.
If you want to help advocate for people with IDD, the best way to do so is join Arc GLOW’s membership drive. Doing so says you are an advocate for people with IDD, want positive changes in our society for people with IDD, and want Arc GLOW to continue providing high quality supports to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families in our community.
Taking a stand only costs $1, and the money stays right in the GLOW region supporting Arc GLOW’s many programs. Additionally, your membership is an incredibly important step toward society-wide acceptance of children and adults with intellectual and other developmental disabilities.
Remember, until you have walked in the shoes of those with a disability, don’t judge them by the way they look, the way they do something or the way they might communicate their needs. They are a person, just like you. They have feelings, they deserve respect and deserve to be included.
Sincerely,
Mary Lou Tuohey
Medina
Editor:
President Trump started a war with Iran without consulting our allies or members of Congress. Oil prices shot up to over $100 per barrel, and the economy, which was already slowing down, started to tailspin out of control.
In an attempt to slow rising oil prices, Mr. Trump allowed Iran to bring about 140 million barrels of oil to the global market. What that means is that the President gave Iran about $14 billion to our enemy to kill U.S. service members; $14 billion in aid and comfort.
Furthermore, the President is easing sanctions against Russia. It is well known that Russia is assisting Iran by providing satellite targeting and drone technology to kill Americans in a war the President started. Again, aid and comfort to the enemy.
When Mr. Trump left office in 2021, he took with him classified documents and refused to turn them over, even after he was subpoenaed. Some of these documents were so sensitive that only six people in the entire U.S. government had access to them. It never made any sense to me why Mr. Trump would blatantly break the law and risk jail time. Now, newly released documents reveal a motive for Mr. Trump’s actions. The documents strongly suggest that Mr. Trump was selling out our national security to enrich himself.
On Saturday and Sunday, March 21 and 22nd, Mr. Trump threatened Iran with dire consequences if they did not open the Strait of Hormuz. Suddenly, on Monday, March 23rd, Mr. Trump announced, at 7:05 a.m., that he was delaying his threatened action for five days, claiming that they were in productive negotiations with Iran.
But 15 minutes before Mr. Trump’s announcement, at 6:50 a.m., someone or several people bought a large amount of stock market futures and sold large quantities of oil futures, making about $580 million, according to the Financial Times. This was such a sudden and isolated jump in volume that the evidence suggests that those close to Mr. Trump are trading based on our national secrets. The word for this is traitor.
William Fine
Brockport
Photo courtesy of Orleans/Niagara BOCES – The honorable John Ninfo, a retired bankruptcy judge from Rochester, spoke with students at the Orleans/Niagara BOCES in Medina.
Press Release, Orleans-Niagara BOCES
MEDINA – Judge John Ninfo, a retired bankruptcy judge from Rochester, was recently the guest speaker at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center.
Judge Ninfo started the national organization CARE (Credit Abuse Resistance Education) to educate young adults and others about the benefits of personal financial management and the consequences of credit abuse.
He and the other volunteers, which are comprised of professionals in bankruptcy, financial services, and business, volunteer their time by sharing true stories about financial distress and the impact it can have on one’s life.
He shared with the career and technical education students how a little over half of all adults are financially literate and how it has a profound effect on a person’s ability to save for the future and increases the risk of higher debt and less savings. He says that beginning financial education at an early age is critical to a young person’s long-term financial well-being.
Work-Based Learning Coordinator Susan Zola, who invited Judge Ninfo, says it was an impactful presentation.
“He talked to the students about financial security and how important it is for your peace of mind going forward as adults,” Zola said. “He gave them handouts with the top ten lessons on budgeting and told them cash is king and to avoid credit card debt. It was a very valuable lesson for them.”
Press Release, State Sen. Robert Ortt’s Office
ALBANY – Members of the Senate Republican Conference today sent a letter to Governor Kathy Hochul urging the inclusion of two pieces of legislation in the enacted budget that would provide real utility relief at a time when New Yorkers desperately need it.
The first piece of legislation, S.8461A, introduced by Senator Tom O’Mara would provide nearly $3 billion in bill credits to ratepayers using unspent funds collected from ratepayers by NYSERDA and utilities with PSC approval for green energy projects. The Fiscal Year 2025 Budget and Financial Plan for NYSERDA detailed that NYSERDA had a total net position of $2,045,624,000 at the end of 2025. There was also $770 million being held in escrow by utilities for requisition by NYSERDA at the end of 2025 per the Department of Public Service.
The second, S.8463, introduced by Senator Rob Rolison would establish a one-year utility bill tax and surcharge holiday and a two-year green energy gas tax holiday, which would provide real and meaningful relief to ratepayers that are paying residential electric rates 50% higher than the national average.
The call for the inclusion of these pieces of legislation in the final enacted budget comes on the heels of a recent report from NYSERDA warning of increases in utility costs in order to keep up with the green energy mandates laid out in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA).
“For years, the Senate GOP has consistently advocated for the repeal of the CLCPA because we see it for what it is – an unnecessary and extremely expensive burden on ratepayers,” said Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt. “Given the chance to take action and provide real relief, Albany Democrats instead doubled down on their out-of-touch climate policies, favoring radical environmentalists instead of standing up for struggling New Yorkers. These initiatives to provide relief to ratepayers must be a priority in the final budget.”
Press Release, Medina Police Department
Taylor Valovic
MEDINA – The Medina Police Department reports the arrest of an individual following an investigation into a reported incident.
On March 25, members of the Medina Police Department arrested Taylor Valovic, 30, of Medina and charged him with:
The charges stem from an investigation into an incident that was reported to law enforcement. Due to the nature of the case, no further details are being released at this time.
The defendant was processed and arraigned in Orleans County Centralized Arraignment Part and was released after posting bail.
The Medina Police Department reminds the public that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Miguel and Adryan (Cheeseboro) Ruiz are shown at the Helpee Selfee Laundromat in Albion on Sunday afternoon. They are the new owners of the business after Jim Scibetta and his late father Harry ran it for 52 years.
ALBION – There are new owners of a longtime Albion business at 131 South Main St.
For 52 years the Scibetta family owned and operated the Helpee Selfee Laundromat. Adryan (Cheeseboro) Ruiz, a 29-year-old Albion native, and her husband Miguel have purchased the laundromat.
Sunday was their first day in business after closing the site for a few days for cleaning and some repainting. They also put new seals on the drying machines to make the clothes dry faster.
Mr. and Mrs. Ruiz commended Jim Scibetta and his late father Harry for their more than half century of service to the Albion community.
“It’s been an honor working with Jim and his family,” Mrs. Ruiz said on Sunday at the laundromat. “I grew up right here in Albion, and being able to come back and invest in this community means the world to me. This is more than just a business purchase for us — it is a chance to give back to the place that shaped who I am, and to keep an important neighborhood staple alive and thriving for the next generation.”
The new owners live in Miami, Fla., but they visit Albion often and Mrs. Ruiz has family in town to help run the operation.
Mrs. Ruiz graduated from Albion in 2015. The then Adryan Cheeseboro was an honors student at Albion who was a cheerleader and track athlete. She also sang in the school chorus and select choir. She worked at Crosby’s in Albion for her first job while in high school.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in environmental policy and law from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse. She was working in Miami when she met her husband, who works in quality insurance management and as a mechanic.
Mr. Ruiz also is an entrepreneur who owned a car wash and has long had a dream of owning a coin-operated laundromat.
He often checks out the laundromats when he travels. While visiting his wife’s hometown he was impressed by the laundromat.
However, it wasn’t for sale. For three years they kept in touch with Jim Scibetta, the owner, letting him know they were interested if he ever wanted to sell.
Scibetta recently let them know he was ready and reached a deal with Mr. and Mrs. Ruiz.
“This is a true legacy business — one that so many families in Orleans County have relied on for decades — and we are honored to carry that tradition forward,” Mrs. Ruiz said.
The laundromat opens daily at 5 a.m. and closes at midnight. There were people waiting outside when it opened on Sunday at 5 a.m. after closing for the cleaning, painting and some work on the machines.
Provided photo: Miguel Ruiz, front left, shakes hands with Jim Babcock. In back from left are Steve Babcock, Adryan Ruiz, Patricia Scibetta and Jim Scibetta. Steve and Jim are Patricia’s sons. They celebrated the change in ownership with this photo taken at Hoag Library.
Sparked by a strong pitching performance, Kendall downed Oak Glen, West Virginia 5-1 Monday night in the Eagles first game at the Cal Ripken Experience at Myrtle Beach.
Nic Cole hurled a 4 hitter with 13 strikeouts for the Eagles.
Cole, Jonny Conte, CJ D’Agostino and Vinnie D’Agostino each banged out two hits to lead the offense.
Kendall moved on top to stay early by scoring solo runs in each of the first three innings.
In the first inning, CJ D’Agostino singled and came home on a single by Cole. Luca D’Agostino then had an RBI single in the second inning and an error plated the third inning tally which was set up by a single by Conte.
Kendall capped off the win with a pair of runs in the seventh on a triple by CJ D’Agostino and a single by Vinnie D’Agostino. A single by Conte set up the threat.
Kendall will next face Buckeye, Ohio at the Cal Ripken Experience on Thursday.
Press Release, Assemblyman Steve Hawley
Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) announced his opposition to the $10.6 billion debt service budget bill (A.10002-A), citing concerns over excessive borrowing and the long-term financial burden it places on New Yorkers, especially future generations.
“While this bill fulfills legally required debt payments, it is part of a much larger and troubling pattern of overspending and over-borrowing,” said Hawley. “New York is already one of the most indebted states in the nation. Continuing down this path only deepens the hole we are leaving for our children and grandchildren.”
The proposal provides funding to cover principal and interest payments on the state’s existing debt, including general obligation bonds, revenue bonds and other contractual obligations.
Hawley pointed to the state’s growing debt load, which is projected to reach $72.2 billion in Fiscal Year 2027 and nearly $99 billion within five years as a clear warning sign.
“Instead of tightening our belts and prioritizing responsible budgeting, Albany continues to rely on borrowing to fund its agenda,” Hawley said. “More than three-quarters of these debt service payments are going toward interest alone. That’s money not going to taxpayers’ needs, but to servicing a growing mountain of debt.”
Hawley also raised concerns about the state’s reliance on public authority debt, which accounts for approximately 96% of state-related debt and is often issued without direct voter approval.
“This lack of transparency and accountability is deeply concerning,” Hawley added. “New Yorkers deserve to have a say when the state takes on massive financial obligations that will impact them for decades.”
While acknowledging the necessity of meeting existing debt obligations, Hawley emphasized the need for a shift toward fiscal discipline and long-term sustainability.
“We must break this cycle of borrowing and start making responsible choices today,” Hawley concluded. “If we fail to act, it will be our children and grandchildren who are forced to pay the price.”
