By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 27 December 2025 at 6:00 pm
Albion had a trio of top three place finishers at the Teike/Bernabi wrestling tournament held today at Spencerport.
Jaxson Lynch (150) finished second while Justin Mengs (110) and Stryker Sanders (118) both placed third.
The Purple Eagles also had Jackson Snook (285) place ninth and Drake Schomske (126) 10th.
Lynch pinned Carter White of Spencerport in 5:24 in the semifinals but was then pinned himself in the title bout in 3:00 by Owen Courtney of Brockport.
Mengs scored a 20-4 technical fall win over Lawson Chrapa of Lancaster to earn third place honors.
Sanders likewise notched a 16-0 technical fall win over Soe Htoo of St. Joe’s in his match for third place.
Press Release, Independent Living of the Genesee Region
BATAVIA – Independent Living of the Genesee Region, in partnership with Batavia First Presbyterian Church, will offer a free Fair Housing presentation – “Know Your Rights” – on Wednesday, January 21, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
The workshop will be held in person at First Presbyterian Church, 300 East Main St., Batavia, with a Zoom option available for virtual attendees.
Designed for tenants, landlords, and housing professionals, the presentation will cover key fair-housing topics including emotional support animals, housing discrimination, and tenant rights, helping participants better understand protections under fair-housing law.
Advance registration is required and can be completed online. Click here for more information.
For more information or to request accessibility accommodations, contact Rebecca Batt, Program Specialist, at (585) 815-8501, Ext. 417.
About Independent Living of the Genesee Region
Independent Living of the Genesee Region is part of the WNY Independent Living Inc. Family of Agencies—a peer-directed organization dedicated to breaking down barriers, promoting civil rights, and enhancing the quality of life for people with disabilities. WNYIL achieves this through relentless advocacy, strong partnerships, impactful programs, responsible practices, and the incorporation of individual life experiences. For more information, visit: www.wnyil.org.
Contributed Story Posted 27 December 2025 at 9:29 am
The Roy-Hart/Barker/Medina Club Hockey Team traveled to Leisure Rink in West Seneca on Friday to face Bishop Timon and scored a 2-0 victory.
After a scoreless first period, a strong defensive effort turned away power play opportunites by the home team before Cameron Bryer (Wilson) scored what proved to be the game winner unassisted.
About a minute later, Max Pilon (Medina) scored an insurance goal with Ryan Felicetti (Wilson) getting the assist.
Noah Orens (Newfane) recorded the shutout in goal.
Now 2-4-1, RBM returns to action at home Sunday (after four straight away contests) to face Lancaster which brings a 2-3-2 record to Lockport for the 10:10 a.m. contest.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 December 2025 at 9:20 am
A flood watch has been issued for Orleans County from Sunday afternoon through Monday afternoon due to excessive rainfall with 1 to 1.5 inches expected.
The flood watch also includes Niagara, Erie, Genesee, Wyoming, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany counties.
The National Weather Service said excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.
The forecast the next days calls for mostly cloudy today with a high near 27 and overnight low of 20.
Sunday is forecast for a high near 43 and overnight low of 32, followed by high near 49 on Monday and overnight low of 18.
Tuesday will have a chance of snow showers and high near 27.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 December 2025 at 6:06 pm
Orleans County has seen a significant spike in the number of flu cases, and statewide the number of the cases is the most since 2004 when the state started doing a weekly tracker of the cases.
The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reports there were 217 flu cases in the two rural counties in the week ending Dec. 20.
In Orleans, there are 196 cases per 100,000 people, according to the Health Department online flu tracker. The county’s population totals 40,343, according to the 2020 census. A week earlier, Orleans had 60.5 confirmed cases per 100,000 people.
The 196 cases in the most recent week is the third highest for Orleans County this year, topped by 196.8 for the week ending March 22, and 236.6 in the week ending March 15.
Genesee County just had the most confirmed flu cases in a week this year with 239.9 per 100,000 people for the week ending Dec. 20. (Genesee’s population was 58,388 in the 2020 census.)
That 239.9 is up from 60.4 in the week ending Dec. 13. The previous high was 233.7 for week ending Feb. 15.
State-wide there were 71,123 flu cases last week. That is up 38 percent from the previous week. The state Department of Health reports there have now been 189,312 cases of flu so far this season.
The DOH said hospitalizations from the flu rose 63 percent in the week from 2,251 to 3,666 statewide.
State health officials said flu typically peaks in January so the cases may continue to rise.
The Department of Health encourages people to get the flu shot, and take antivirals if it’s been less than 48 hours since symptoms began.
People are also urged to wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
People are advised to stay home when sick, and avoid close contact with people who are ill.
Governor Kathy Hochul negotiated a chapter amendment and signed legislation that will require social media platforms to display labels warning of the dangerous impact certain features can have on young users’ mental health.
Legislation S4505/A5346, under the chapter amendment, requires social media platforms that offer addictive feeds, auto play or infinite scroll to post warning labels on their platforms. This legislation builds on the Governor’s ongoing efforts to address the youth mental health crisis statewide.
“Keeping New Yorkers safe has been my top priority since taking office, and that includes protecting our kids from the potential harms of social media features that encourage excessive use,” Governor Hochul said. “New Yorkers deserve transparency. With the amount of information that can be shared online, it is essential that we prioritize mental health and take the steps necessary to ensure that people are aware of any potential risks.”
Recent studies show that adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of anxiety and depression. About half of adolescents claim that social media makes them feel worse about their bodies, and teenagers with the highest levels of social media use are nearly twice as likely to rate their overall mental health as poor or very poor.
Consumer warning labels are already found on a variety of different products, such as tobacco, where they communicate the health risk of cancer; plastic packaging, where they communicate the risk of suffocation for small children; certain high-sugar and sodium food products, where they communicate the risk of diabetes, obesity, tooth decay, heart disease, or stroke; alcohol, where they communicate the risk of birth defects during pregnancy as well as the dangers of driving while drunk; and video games and other types of media, where they communicate the risk of flashing lights for users with photosensitive epilepsy.
To combat the mental health risks of using harmful features of social media platforms that prolong use, this legislation will require social media companies to display warning labels on their platforms when a young user initially uses the predatory feature and periodically thereafter, based on continued use. Users will not be able to bypass or click through the warnings.
Assemblymember Nily Rozic said, “New York families deserve honesty about how social media platforms impact mental health. By requiring warning labels based on the latest medical research, this law puts public health first and finally gives us the tools we need to make informed decisions. I’m proud to sponsor this legislation alongside Senator Gounardes as part of our broader effort to create a safer digital environment for kids.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 December 2025 at 12:50 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: Downtown Albion is shown on Nov. 25, decorated for the holidays. The village will see a slight decrease in the local sales tax share in 2026.
ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature has set the sales tax amounts for the 10 towns and four villages for 2026, and the four villages will see a slight decrease.
Overall, the towns and villages collectively remain at $1,366,671, the same amount they have received since 2001.
Every year the Legislature does a sales tax apportionment. In the years after a census update, the county uses a formula in determining the village share by dividing the village taxable value by the town taxable value.
If a town’s taxable value increases at a higher percentage rate than the village within its borders, then some of that sales tax from the village shifts to the town.
Charts: Orleans Hub with data from Orleans County Legislature.
Next year, $887 collectively from the four villages will go to the towns. That drops the village overall amount to $386,534 while the 10 towns get $980,137.
Many of the town and village officials have asked the County Legislature to increase the sales tax sharing, but the Legislature has declined, saying the county faces its own rising costs.
Sean Pogue, the Barre town supervisor, made the latest plea to the county to increase the sales tax shared with towns and villages. Pogue, speaking during last month’s meeting of the Orleans County Association of Municipalities, asked the legislators to unfreeze the cap to the towns and villages, so those municipalities could see an increase in the sales tax.
The sales tax has risen significantly in recent years. This year, in the first three quarters, the sales tax for the county was up 9.7 percent or about $1.6 million.
The county is on pace to take in about $25 million total this year in sales tax.
Here are the amounts of local sales tax in recent years in Orleans County, according to the state comptroller’s office:
A year ago, volunteers identified 12,000 birds in annual count
Photos courtesy of Celeste Morien: A fox sparrow is shown in this photo. Volunteers will be out for the annual Oak Orchard Christmas Bird Count on Monday. Last year, 41 counters found 70 species and just over 12,000 individual birds.
By Celeste Morien, count compiler for Oak Orchard Swamp Christmas Bird Count
BASOM – It’s nearly time for the Oak Orchard Christmas Bird Count! The count began in December 1968. The National Audubon Society has been sponsoring Christmas Bird Counts since their inception.
This map shows the area where volunteers will be out counting birds on Dec. 29.
Count compilers Celeste Morien and Brandon Connare would like the public to be alert for participants with spotting scopes and binoculars in on Dec. 29. We will be searching for birds inside the map circle from dawn to dusk.
Filling bird feeders now and keeping them stocked ahead of the count helps fulfill the count objective of counting all wild birds seen and heard within the circle.
The Oak Orchard count circle is centered on Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge at the Orleans and Genesee County line on Route 63. Count volunteers follow routes staying inside the designated 15-mile diameter circle. The day’s total is not just a species tally; individual birds are counted, giving an indication of the total number of birds per species in the circle that day.
If you are at home on count day within the circle, you may report the birds that visit your feeders. To do so, please contact celeste.morien@gmail.com.
According to the Audubon website, “Prior to the turn of the 20th century, hunters engaged in a holiday tradition known as the Christmas ‘Side Hunt.’ They would choose sides and go afield with their guns—whoever brought in the biggest pile of feathered (and furred) quarry won.”
Conservation was in its beginning stages in that era, and many observers and scientists were becoming concerned about declining bird populations. Beginning on Christmas Day 1900, ornithologist Frank M. Chapman, an early officer in the then-nascent Audubon Society, proposed a new holiday tradition—a “Christmas Bird Census” that would count birds during the holidays rather than hunt them.
So began the Christmas Bird Count. Thanks to the inspiration of Chapman and the enthusiasm of 27 dedicated birders, 25 Christmas Bird Counts were held that day. The locations ranged from Toronto, Ontario to Pacific Grove, California.
From December 14 through January 5 each year tens of thousands of volunteers throughout North America, Latin America, the Caribbean and Pacific Islands brave snow, wind, or rain, and take part in the effort. Audubon and other organizations use data collected in this long-running wildlife census to assess the health of bird populations, and to help guide conservation action.
A blue jay is shown in this photo. Last year there were 283 identified during the annual bird count.
The data collected by citizen scientists allows researchers, conservation biologists, wildlife agencies and other interested individuals to study the long-term health and status of bird populations across North America. When combined with other surveys such as the Breeding Bird Survey, we are provided with a picture of how the continent’s bird populations have changed over the past 125 years.
The long term perspective is vital for conservationists. It informs strategies to protect birds and their habitat, and helps identify environmental issues with implications for people as well.
Please consider donating to the Christmas Count here since the Audubon Society no longer collects fees from each participant. www.audubon.org/GiveCBC
By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 26 December 2025 at 8:59 am
Photos by Cheryl Wertman – All State soccer honorees, from left, Sophia Picardo and Brooke Rodas from Kendall and Kyla Burne from Holley.
Wilson’s All State honorees Lilly Gurski, left, and Addison Elia.
A trio of Orleans County players have earned spots on the Class C All State girls soccer squad.
Kendall junior midfielder Sophia Picardo has been named to the second team. She scored 16 goals and had 23 assists this season.
Kendall senior goalie Brooke Rodas and Holley sophomore defender Kyla Burne have both been selected to the fourth team.
Rodas made 94 saves this season and had a 0.33 goals against average.
Burne had 5 goals and 4 assists.
Niagara-Orleans League champion Wilson is represented on the All State Class C squad by the sophomore duo of forward Addison Elia, who was named to the second team, and midfielder Lilly Gurski who was selected to the fourth team.
Elia scored 38 goals and had 9 assists on the season while Gurski had 11 goals and 26 assists.
In addition, Byron-Bergen, which advanced to the state semifinals has placed a trio of senior players on the All State Class C squad.
Mia Gray, who was named Class C Player of the Year, and Grace DiQuatro were both named to the first team and Elizabeth Starowitz to the second team.
Gray had 44 goals and 26 assists, DiQuatro 31 goals and 26 assists and Starowitz 15 goals and 21 assists.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 December 2025 at 7:59 pm
HARTLAND – Firefighters from departments in Orleans County were among those responding to fire at Hartland on Wednesday night, Christmas Eve.
The Niagara County Communications Center received a report of a possible fire at 3484 Stone Rd. in Hartland at 9:12 p.m. The first arriving units confirmed a fully involved garage fire that was spreading into the residence, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office reported.
There were no people home at the time of the fire, but several animals are believed to have perished. The home is believed to be a total loss, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The Niagara County Fire Investigation Unit is investigating the cause of the fire.
Responding departments included Middleport, Barker, Gasport, Hartland, Shelby and Medina.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 December 2025 at 10:14 am
County nearly shut out from $463 million in funding from Regional Economic Development Council
Photo by Tom Rivers: Several anglers fish near the dam in Lyndonville on Oct. 28, 2021. Many Chinook salmon were jumping up in Johnson Creek. The area draws many visiting fishermen during the fall tributary season.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced $463 million in funding around the state on Dec. 23 in grants approved through the Regional Economic Development Councils plus the new Advancing Collaboration for High-impact Initiatives for Economic Visions & Expansion competition — or ACHIEVE Competition.
Orleans County is in the Finger Lakes REDC and was approved for an $86,250 grant to develop Local Waterfront Revitalization Programs for the towns of Kendall, Carlton, Yates and Village of Lyndonville. Those municipalities will work with the Genesee/Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council to complete draft Local Waterfront Revitalization Programs for each municipality.
“The LWRPs will revitalize waterfronts along Lake Ontario, Oak Orchard Creek, Johnson Creek, Marsh Creek and Bald Eagle Creek,” according to the announcement from the state. “Issues to be addressed include revitalization, erosion, transportation and water quality.”
The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council, which serves both Genesee and Orleans, was approved for a $75,000 grant to market cultural festivals in the two counties. The grant will go towards “a strategic, multi-platform marketing campaign and tourism app integration, aimed at increasing regional visitation and economic impact.”
Close to Orleans County, Brightly Farms LLC in Hamlin was approved for $316,860 towards a new cold storage for the short-term preservation of crops from October through March.
“This building retrofit will be designed to be carbon neutral, with no usage of fossil fuels via all-electric equipment,” according to the grant announcement. “There will be a 154 kilowatt (kW) rooftop solar photovoltaic system to offset the building’s energy usage. An improved building envelope and energy control for lighting and climate will allow Brightly Farm to maximize energy efficiency and eliminate wasted energy.”
The Village of Barker in eastern Niagara County was approved for $1.5 million to replace the existing undersized and deteriorating storm sewer infrastructure.
Becker Farms in Gasport, Niagara County, was approved for $100,000 to launch a strategic tourism marketing campaign to promote its eco-lodging, agritourism experiences, and year-round events driving visitation, job creation, and regional economic growth in rural Niagara County. The project highlights sustainable agriculture, experiential travel, and community revitalization in Western New York, according to the grant announcement.
Foodlink in Rochester, which serves Orleans and nine other counties, was approved for a $440,000 grant. Foodlink will undertake renovations to include a cafeteria/auditorium with event seating to host community and partner engagement events including trainings and Benefits Navigation work helping individuals enroll and maintain their SNAP and WIC benefits to increase access to healthy food. The project will increase capacity and better position Foodlink to respond more effectively to rising food insecurity in the region, according to the grant award.
Another grant that may be of interest in Orleans County, the Village of Red Creek with population of about 500 in Wayne County, was approved for a $50,000 grant to complete a “Comprehensive Economic Development Plan” to help revitalize and strengthen the village’s downtown core.
Governor Kathy Hochul announced the $463 million in funding on Tuesday. Long Island, the Mohawk Valley, New York City and the Southern Tier were chosen as winners of the inaugural $150 million Advancing Collaboration for High-impact Initiatives for Economic Visions & Expansion competition — or ACHIEVE Competition.
Additionally, nearly 400 projects across the state have been awarded over $300 million in funding through the various state agency programs within the annual Regional Council initiative and Consolidated Funding Application, which Hochul said have been redesigned to help catalyze economic growth, jump-start housing growth, and advance regionally designed strategic plans, while addressing state priorities.
For many Division I college basketball players, the recruiting process comes naturally. Prospective student-athletes begin to withdraw from competing in other sports as programs show interest and coaches battle to position themselves as front runners for commits.
For St. Bonaventure men’s basketball senior Broek Ostrom, this was not the case.
A native of Holley, N.Y., the four-year Bonnie followed an unusual path to D-I hoops, unconventionally finding himself wearing the Brown and White for the first time as a freshman walk-on during the 2022-23 season.
Brock Ostrom
“I didn’t market myself very much for basketball, so I had no offers from junior colleges, D-III schools, or anything like that,” Ostrom said. “Coming from a small school, it’s hard to get attention anyway unless you play AAU or you’re in the local circuit.”
Though Ostrom was Holley High School’s clear-cut best player, a 10-10 regular season record in his senior year combined with a graduating class size of roughly 60 kept his name out of recruiting contention.
Despite a lack of collegiate attention, Ostrom racked up numbers at the high school level.
Playing in Section 5, Class C1 he averaged 27 points and eight rebounds per game in his senior year, reaching 575 total points in one year. He also posted a 51-point single-game performance to set the school record. Since this success did not stimulate recruitment in the basketball world, Ostrom decided to move on and continue his involvement in other athletics and activities.
A pitcher on the baseball diamond, he struck out 55 batters in 41 innings during his senior season. He also compiled a .565 batting average, going 26-for-46 with 20 runs scored and 20 RBIs. “In baseball, we weren’t very good, but I still had a great time because I loved pitching and fielding,” Ostrom said.
He played football for the first time as a junior, giving him insight into learning a new sport. “I played safety, wide receiver, and punter. I had a great time doing it. It was definitely a different feel and look at practices, so it gave me a better view of how football works,” Ostrom said.
Ostrom first planned on playing soccer when he came to St. Bonaventure.
Soccer was arguably Ostrom’s top sport behind basketball as he played varsity for three years as a goalkeeper. He was ranked in Section 5 with some of the most saves in the league, also helping lead Holley to the sectional finals.
When he started his Bonaventure career, he first planned on attempting to make Bonnies soccer his priority.
“I was planning on coming to Bonaventure to try out for the men’s soccer team originally,” he said. “When I got to school and moved in, I realized I had missed those tryouts. So I just planned on being a regular student, and I joined club baseball and club lacrosse as other activities to do outside of school. Then I saw that basketball tryouts were open, and I would’ve kicked myself if I didn’t end up trying. So, I tried out and ended up making the team, and I’ve been here ever since.”
Though the gameday role for a walk-on may look different from that of a player on scholarship, Ostrom still puts in the same amount of work behind the scenes. Participating in lifts and practice and traveling to games are universal responsibilities for all players on the team, and though he may not run as many plays in practice, Ostrom still uses that time to soak up everything going on around him.
“The most difficult part is realizing that you’re not going to play in the majority of games, and when you do, it’s only for a couple of minutes,” Ostrom said. “But I’ve learned to look past that and enjoy practices much more as my game time. The most rewarding part is learning under Coach Schmidt because I’m trying to be a coach, and learning under such a high-level coach has impacted my game knowledge in many ways.”
Ostrom sees the opportunity to learn under the Bonnies coaching staff as a key reason why he has stayed with the team for four years.
“I’m always thinking for the future. I know I’m not going to get consistent minutes here, but I’m just thinking about trying to be the best version of myself that I can be on and off the court,” he said. “Sometimes I’ll forget that, and that’s when I go through lows, but when I realize that everything I’m doing right now is going to pay off in the future, that’s what keeps me going.”
With intentions of moving into the college basketball coaching world post-graduation, Ostrom sees his time with the Bonnies as a precursor to a fulfilling career.
“I’m trying to go into college basketball coaching,” he said. “In that sense, I’m just trying to better my understanding of the game and how the inner operations work. That’s my main focal point.”
Despite a myriad of other athletic and academic hobbies and an unlikely route to Division I hoops, Ostrom said he has found his home on the Bonnies men’s basketball team.
“I feel like this is the most rewarding thing I could’ve done. I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Editor’s Note: This article written by Athletics Communications Graduate Assistant Owen Albright and photos are being reprinted courtesy of St. Bonaventure University basketball.
Brock Ostrom in action for St. Bona against Bloomsburg.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 December 2025 at 7:22 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: The Francis family on Platt Street in Albion for many years has put out many Christmas decorations for the holiday season.
If you’re dreaming of a white Christmas, you’re going to be disappointed on Thursday.
You won’t see much snow on the ground in Orleans County. Most of what we had from about a week ago has melted.
The high for Christmas will be 37 degrees. That is quite the contrast from three years ago when a blizzard Orleans County on Dec. 23, 2022. That storm claimed the lives of about 50 people in Western New York.
On Friday, we could get some snow, possibly 2 to 4 inches with a high near 27.
The highs then include 32 on Saturday and 41 on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.
By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 24 December 2025 at 10:32 am
Contributed Photos – Albion graduates Cami London, left, and Willow Gaines are now competing collegiately at SUNY Oswego.
Two Albion High graduates are now competing collegiately at SUNY Oswego, one on the ice and one in the pool.
Cami London is a freshman member of the Oswego women’s hockey team and Willow Gaines is a freshman members of the Lady Lakers swim team.
London prepped for her collegiate hockey career by playing for several years with the national level Amherst Lady Knights.
She was also a multi year starter in soccer, basketball and softball at Albion High earning All-League honors in all three.
Gaines is competing in the 50 Freestyle, 100 Free, 200 Free Relay and 200 Medley Relay for Oswego.
During her scholastic days at Albion Gaines competed in swimming and track.
During her senior year Gaines placed first in the 100 Breaststroke, tied for first in the 50 Free at the Niagara-Orleans All-League meet and also helped Albion win the 200 Free Relay.
