Mustangs avenge earlier loss to Lady Rams

By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 27 January 2026 at 8:38 pm

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Medina’s Alexa Demmer puts up a shot as Courtney Aquilina (20) and Kylie McOmber (21) defend for Roy-Hart. The action took place during the Mustangs home court win over the Lady Rams this evening.

Avenging an early season 33 point (65-32) road loss, Medina bested visiting Roy-Hart 57-44 in a Niagara-Orleans League girls basketball game this evening.

Caliyah St. Louis scored a game high 22 points, Alexa Demmer 17, Samantha Heschke 16 and Tatianna Maxon 2 to lead the way for Medina.

Courtney Aquilina scored 19, Millie Owens 11, Adella Dukes 8, Kylie McOmber 4 and Brooke Corser 2 to pace Roy-Hart.

Medina led 12-9 at the end of the first period as St. Louis tallied 8 in the early going.

The Mustangs maintained leads of 29-17 at the half and 40-29 at the end of the third period.

Heschke hit two threes and St. Louis had 6 points in the second period. Heschke then had a two and a three and St. Louis a pair of baskets in the third period. Demmer tallied 9 in the final stanza to help cap off the win.

Medina is now 3-4 and Roy-Hart 4-3 in N-O action.

Roy-Hart’s Courtney Aquilina goes up for a rebound against the Medina duo of Samantha Heschke (5) and Madison Zeiner (52).

Medina’s Caliyah St. Louis puts up a shot as Kylie McOmber (21) and Peyton May (23) defend for Roy-Hart.

Orleans County OFA accepting nominations for seniors who are active volunteers

Posted 27 January 2026 at 1:00 pm

Honoree to be recognized on ‘Older New Yorker’s Day’ in May

Press Release, Orleans County Office for the Aging

ALBION – The Orleans County Office of the Aging (OFA) is currently accepting nominations to honor an older resident who has made outstanding contributions to our community through their volunteer work.

The honoree will be part the statewide Older New Yorker’s Day of Recognition which will be held this May.

“The Orleans County OFA is thankful that we have so many older adults who are committed to service and to helping others,” said Melissa Blanar, director of Orleans County OFA. “This statewide program is a chance to celebrate their talents and achievements and say thank you for their efforts. I hope we receive several nominations.”

Blanar said the Office for the Aging Advisory Council will select the awardee, who will be also be recognized locally in addition to the state event. Nominees must be older adults residing in Orleans County who have achieved something extraordinary or performed exceptional service to the community since the age of 60.

To nominate someone for this award, there is a short application form that can be found by clicking here.

Nomination forms should then be sent to: Melissa Blanar, Director, Orleans County Office for the Aging, 14016 Route 31 W., Albion, NY 14411, or emailed to Melissa.Blanar@orleanscountyny.gov.

Nominations are due by Feb. 15. Please call OFA at 585-589-3191 if you have any questions.

On snow day, kids in Kendall shovel out many fire hydrants

Posted 27 January 2026 at 11:53 am

Photos courtesy of Kendall Fire Department: More than 40 kids took the challenge on Monday to shovel snow away from fire hydrants in the Kendall community or to help shovel a neighbor’s driveway.

Press Release, Kendall Fire Department

KENDALL – During Monday’s snow day with kids getting the day off from school, the Kendall Fire Department set out to create a simple and fun way to keep kids engaged while also helping the community.

What began as a small idea quickly turned into an inspiring display of community pride, service and teamwork.

The department announced a contest inviting children to shovel out a fire hydrant or a neighbor’s driveway for a chance to win a ride to school on a Kendall fire truck. While firefighters anticipated just a handful of participants, the response far exceeded expectations, with over 40 submissions from children across the Kendall community.

“Helping others is at the core of what we do,” Capt. James Fox shared. “But watching these young kids brave the cold, take initiative, and help ensure fire hydrants were accessible was truly special. Clearing hydrants means that if a home or a neighbor’s house were to catch fire, firefighters can access water quickly when every second matters. That level of awareness and selflessness at such a young age was one of our proudest moments.”

To thank everyone who participated, the Kendall Fire Department will be hosting a pizza party on Feb. 3 at 6 p.m. at the firehouse for all contest participants. During the event, the department will also draw the name of the winner who will receive a memorable ride to school on a Kendall fire truck. The drawing will also be done live on Facebook.

The department would also like to recognize Partyka Farms for their generous donation of ice cream for each child who participated in the contest, helping make the experience even more rewarding.

“In a time when there can be so much division, the Kendall community once again showed what makes our town special,” Fox added. “This event was a powerful reminder that we are one school, one community, and one family.”

The Kendall Fire Department thanks all the children, parents, and neighbors who helped turn a snow day into an unforgettable demonstration of community spirit.

Trump administration twists facts in labeling Alex Pretti a ‘domestic terrorist’

Posted 27 January 2026 at 11:08 am

Editor:

Once again, someone is killed by immigration officers in Minnesota. Once again, the official account of what happened is not supported by video evidence.

According to the government, Alex Jeffrey Pretti “approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun,” and Border Patrol tried to disarm him. Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security, has issued a statement claiming that Mr. Pretti intended to “kill law enforcement” and calling him a “domestic terrorist.”

Video of the incident shows a completely different story. In the video, Mr. Pretti is directing traffic in an area with agents around. Then he tries to help another protester who federal agents pushed to the ground. Mr. Pretti is then surrounded by six or seven heavily armed agents in full military gear and body armor; he puts his hands up, showing a phone in one hand and the other hand is empty.

The federal agents spray Mr. Pretti in the face with pepper then they pull him to the ground. An agent appears to take a legal firearm out of the back of Mr. Pretti’s waistband. It is important to note that Mr. Pretti had a legal permit to carry that firearm.

Then shots are fired and Mr. Pretti stops moving. So, it appears that Mr. Pretti is disarmed, on the ground with at least six agents in full combat gear on top of him when he is killed. It appears to be an execution.

It appears, at the very least, that federal agents violated Mr. Pretti’s First Amendment rights to protest, his Second Amendment rights to legally carry a firearm, and his Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches and seizures.

The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Associated Press and other organizations have analyzed the video and concluded that it contradicts what the Trump administration is telling us. Is the administration lying to us? Mr. Trump and his Republican enablers have demonstrated a willingness to lie when it is in their interest.

Normally, the FBI investigates these types of shootings. But once again neither the FBI nor local law enforcement officials will be allowed to investigate the incident. The Department of Homeland Security, which has already passed judgment that Mr. Pretti was a terrorist and the killing was justified, will investigate. Why won’t they allow independent investigations? What are they afraid of? What are they hiding?

Once again there is no accountability and no transparency from this administration or the Republican enablers. Finally, I want to remind everyone that Representatives Claudia Tenney and Nick Langworthy are silently acquiescing to this administration’s violation of our Constitutional rights and the lack of accountability.

William Fine

Brockport

State comptroller: All 5 school districts in Orleans not in fiscal stress

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 January 2026 at 9:34 am

Albion and Lyndonville have perfect “0” scores with no indicators of fiscal stress

The state comptroller’s office report has put out a report of the nearly 700 school districts in the state, assessing their fiscal stress.

In Orleans County, the five districts Orleans – Albion, Holley, Kendall, Lyndonville and Medina – all have no designation for fiscal stress.

The comptroller has a ranking system where points are assigned to financial indicators showing fiscal stress. The more points for a district, the more signs of fiscal stress.

The comptroller rates the districts by four levels: no designation (fiscal stress points from 0-24.9), susceptible (25 to 44.9 points), moderate (45 to 64.9) and significant (65 to 100).

Statewide there are two districts rated in “significant stress” with Mount Vernon in Westchester County at 85.0 points and Harrisville in Lewis County at 73.3.

Four others are in moderate stress: West Canada Valley in Herkimer County, Fulton in Oswego County, South Country in Suffolk County and Marathon in Cortland County.

There are 25 others, including Newfane in Niagara County, that are considered to be “susceptible.”

• Albion had a perfect score of 0, showing no signs of fiscal stress. Albion had $35,023,445 in gross expenditures in 2025, and a total fund balance of $52,566,362 with no operating deficits, according to the comptroller’s report.

• Holley is in “no designation” but its fiscal stress score has risen from 13.3 in 2023 to 20.0 in both 2024 and 2025.

Holley scored some fiscal stress points for cash ratio (cash and investments as percentage of current liabilities) and cash as a percentage of monthly gross expenditures.

Holley had $26,692,070 in gross expenditures for 2025 and a total fund balance of $12,385,393.

• Kendall in 2025 had gross expenditures of $21,077,261 and total fund balance of $15,068,835.

The district’s fiscal stress points have dropped from 13.3 in 2023 to 10.0 in 2024 to 6.7 in 2025. Kendall had 6.7 points in 2025 for “operating deficits.”

• Lyndonville also had a perfect score of 0 points. The district had $15,877,658 in expenditures and total fund balance of $11,275,775 in 2025.

• Medina had 0 fiscal stress points in 2023 and 2024, but has 10 for 2025 with 3.33 for cash as a percentage of monthly gross expenditure and 6.67 for operating deficits.

Medina totaled $44,922,233 in expenditures and $6,863,209 in total fund balance for 2025.

Click here to see the full comptroller’s report on fiscal stress for school districts.

Flu cases have dropped significantly locally and state-wide

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 January 2026 at 6:51 pm

The flu was rampant locally and statewide about a month ago but the confirmed cases have dropped significantly.

State-wide there were 71,123 flu cases during the week ending Dec. 20, the most since the state started doing a weekly tracker of the cases in 2004.

Since then the cases dropped to 49,153 the week ending Dec. 27; 28,554 for the week of Jan. 3; 22,558 the week of Jan. 10; and 12,049 for the week ending Jan. 17.

Locally the cases also have been declining. Orleans County reported an average of 71.4 cases per 100,000 people the week ending Jan. 17. That is down from 126.0 the week of Jan. 10; 204.1 the week of Jan. 3; and 196.5 in the weeks ending Dec. 27 and Dec. 20. (The county’s population is the 2020 census was 40,343.)

Travel advisory will be lifted at 6 p.m.; Sheriff urges continued caution

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 January 2026 at 4:47 pm

Photo by Tom Rivers: Main Street in Albion was covered in snow on Sunday afternoon, creating difficult driving conditions.

ALBION – A travel advisory for Orleans County will be lifted at 6 p.m. today, Sheriff Chris Bourke said. The advisory went into effect at 10 a.m. on Sunday.

“We continue to experience snow, creating winter driving conditions across Orleans County and Western NY so please use caution,” the sheriff said.

The area faces continued bitter cold conditions in the coming days. Tonight the temperature will drop to 5 degrees with wind chill values as low as 15 below zero.

Today’s open house about data center at STAMP will be rescheduled

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 January 2026 at 1:52 pm

Orleans County Legislature, Tonawanda Nation want DEC to be lead agency for environmental reviews

ALABAMA – An open house at the Alabama Fire Hall for the proposed data center at STAMP has been cancelled for today and will be rescheduled.

The meeting was focused on a proposal from STREAM US Data Centers. That company is planning a sprawling complex at the Western New York Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing (STAMP), a manufacturing park being developed by the Genesee County Economic Development Center.

STREAM’s plan for “Project Double Reed” envisions three structures more than 100 feet tall, occupying more than 2.2 million square feet and using more than 500 megawatts of electricity per year.

Orleans Legislature says GCEDC would be biased in assessing environmental impacts

The Orleans County Legislature on Jan. 16 sent a letter to Amanda Lefton, commissioner of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, asking the DEC to be lead agency for reviewing the environmental impacts of the proposed project.

The Genesee County Economic Development Center wants to be the lead agency and conduct the SEQRA (State Environmental Quality Review Act).

“Under GCEDC’s stewardship, STAMP has been nothing more than a series of unfulfilled promises, questionable allocation of resources and a series of environmental pollution events so significant that this Agency and the Federal government revoked its permits,” Lynne Johnson, Legislature chairwoman, wrote to the DEC commissioner.

Johnson said the GCEDC “biased position” will compromise its objectivity in a SEQRA review where the lead agency needs to compile data and facts and evaluate them.

“The only way GCEDC can justify the fact that it has spent almost $500 million of taxpayer dollars is to jump start a project – any project – regardless of its environmental impact,” Johnson states in her letter.

While there is limited information currently available about the data center, Johnson said the project “will likely have significant inter-county and regional impacts, including on air quality, energy usage, water usage, and waste water disposal that are ill-suited for a single county IDA to oversee as part of the SEQRA review.”

Tonawanda Seneca Nation calls project: ‘terrible threat to our people, our Territory, and future generations’

Chief Roger Hill of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation has also asked the DEC to be the lead agency in the environmental impact review. In a letter Dec. 15, 2025, to Commissioner Lefton he said the proposal for the data center, doubling its size from an earlier submission by Stream U.S. Data Centers “threatens far greater harms to the Nation and the surrounding environment than the earlier, discredited application.”

Hill said the latest proposal will be much closer to the Nation’s Big Woods.

“As we review the details of this terrible threat to our people, our Territory, and future generations, the Nation reiterates the call we made to you when we met in November: DEC must take lead agency status for SEQR review of this hulking data center facility,” Hill wrote. “GCEDC cannot be entrusted with this vital role.”

Medina High grad playing Division 1 college baseball at High Point University

By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 26 January 2026 at 11:18 am

Contributed Photo – Aidan Paul

Coming off two very successful years on the diamond at SUNY Niagara, Medina High graduate Aidan Paul is now set to begin his first year playing Division 1 college baseball at High Point University in North Carolina.

Paul will be a junior pitcher on the High Point squad.

Last year Paul helped hurl SUNY Niagara to the Region III championship and a fourth place finish at the national tournament as the Thunderwolves finished with a school record total of 52 wins.

Paul went 7-1 on the mound with 62 strikeouts and a 1.21 earned run average.

He earned first team All Region 3 honors and was a second team All Western New York Conference selection.

During his scholastic days at Medina he was a two time first time Niagara-Orleans All League honoree.

High Point, which competes in the Big South Conference, is scheduled to open the season at home on February 13 against St. Joseph’s.

The High Point schedule is highlighted by a series of games at the University of Florida in early March.

Medina’s Village Board meeting rescheduled for Thursday at H.S. auditorium

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 January 2026 at 10:31 am

MEDINA – The Medina Village Board has rescheduled this evening’s board meeting to Thursday at 6 p.m. The meeting will be at the Medina High School auditorium due to a big crowd expected.

The Village Board is trying to determine its next steps with accepting a new ladder truck and finding a place to house it. The current Medina fire hall is too small to accommodate the truck. Some of the board members would prefer to sell the new truck and not put an addition on the fire hall, saying the truck and addition are too costly for village taxpayers.

Mayor Marguerite Sherman wants to move forward with the ladder truck and addition, saying they are critical to the Medina Fire Department to provide fire protection services to the community.

Other items on Thursday’s agenda include:

Discussion/resolution on locations for Medina Triennial art projects
Discussion/resolution to accept the donation of tables to be placed by the Sydney Gross Memorial
Discussion/resolution on Medina Community Garden location
Resolution to approve Hospice banner request at Rotary Park
Resolution to approve MAP’s request for Wine About Winter
Resolution to appoint of election inspectors for March 18 election
Resolution to accept Wreaths Across America donations and a resolution to accept Hometown Hero donations
Resolution on furnace replacement at the Department of Public Works
Resolution to purchase an Allison 4000 RDS Series Dump Truck utilizing CHIPS funding
Resolution authorizing the Mayor to sign an annual agreement between the Village of Medina and Matthew Brooks, Esq.

Winter storm warning continues until 7 p.m. today

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 January 2026 at 8:46 am

Orleans facing week of bitterly cold temperatures

Photo by Tom Rivers: The Orleans County Courthouse and County Clerks’ Building in Albion are shown at about 7 p.m. on Jan. 25, 2026 after a big snowfall throughout the day.

A winter storm warning remains in effect until 7 p.m. today for Orleans County. Another 1 to 2 inches of snow are expected to fall today in the county.

“Plan on snow-covered and slippery road conditions,” stated the National Weather Service in Buffalo. “The hazardous conditions will impact the Monday morning and evening commutes.”

It will remain bitterly cold the next few days. Today’s high is forecast for 18 degrees with an overnight low of 5 degrees and a wind chill as low as minus 10.

Tuesday is forecast for a high of 17 and overnight low of 7, followed by a high of 15 on Wednesday with an overnight low of 6 degrees.

The highs are then 11 on Thursday, 14 on Friday and 17 on Saturday.

Cancellations for Jan. 26, 2026

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 January 2026 at 8:04 pm

UPDATED at 10:09 a.m. on Jan. 26: Due to the rough winter weather, the following will be closed on Monday, Jan. 26:

Albion Central School – “The district will be closed and all after school activities are cancelled.”
Lyndonville Central School – “The building will be closed and all district activities are cancelled.”
Kendall Central School – All after school activities and events are also cancelled.
Holley Central School – “Due to pending inclement weather conditions, there will be no school on Monday, Jan. 26,” the district stated. “All school-related activities are also canceled. Information regarding rescheduled midterm exams will be communicated once finalized.”
Medina Central School – “All after-school activities and events are also cancelled.”
The Orleans County Christian School in Shelby is closed on Monday.

The Shelby Town Hall will be closed today and reopen tomorrow morning at 8:30 a.m. “This was done to keep the plows on the roads and not diverting them to clear the parking lot and sidewalks,” said Town Supervisor Jim Heminway.

Carlton Town Court is closed today. New court dates will be sent via mail.

UConnectCare’s Batavia and Albion Clinics, and The Recovery Station will be closed on Monday. Residential employees are expected to report to work for their scheduled shift.

Due to weather conditions RTS Orleans will be running Albion, Medina, Brockport and Batavia routes only on Monday. Delays are expected. When in doubt, call the office at 585-589-0707.

Cobblestone Country Federal Credit Union in Albion will be closed on Monday due to the weather.

SUNY Brockport has cancelled all campus activities for Sunday and Monday, including in-person classes on Monday. Online classes will still meet as scheduled.

Ridgeway Town Court has cancelled court for Monday, January 26th. New court date notices will be mailed.

Yates Town Hall is closed on Monday.

The Lyndonville Village Hall will be closed on Monday.

Albion Village Office will be closed.

Gaines Town Hall is closed.

Medina Village Board meeting cancelled for Jan. 26

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 January 2026 at 7:44 pm

MEDINA – A Medina Village Board meeting scheduled for Monday has been cancelled and may be rescheduled for later in the week, said Mayor Marguerite Sherman.

The meeting was moved to the Medina High School auditorium due to a large crowd expected as the board tries to determines its next steps with accepting a new ladder truck and finding a place to house it. The current Medina fire hall is too small to accommodate the truck.

The board has discussed a one-bay addition to the fire hall but hasn’t reached a consensus.

YMCA will delay opening on Monday due to weather conditions

Posted 25 January 2026 at 6:20 pm

Press Release, GLOW YMCA

The GLOW YMCA has announced a delayed opening for all branch locations on Monday due to weather conditions, including the site in Medina on Pearl Street.

All GLOW YMCA branches will open at 9 a.m. This delayed opening is intended to ensure the safety of members, staff and the community.

The GLOW YMCA will continue to monitor conditions and will provide updates if additional changes are necessary. Members are encouraged to check the GLOW YMCA website and social media channels for the most current information.

We appreciate the community’s understanding and cooperation as we prioritize safety.

About the GLOW YMCA

The GLOW YMCA is a leading nonprofit organization serving Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming counties, committed to strengthening community through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility.

Medina FD is critical resource to strained local EMS system

Posted 25 January 2026 at 2:09 pm

Editor:

As conversations continue about potential cutbacks to the Village of Medina Fire Department—even hints at dissolving it from the ever loud minority—I urge our community to consider the real costs of such decisions.

Our county’s health data show that Orleans County consistently ranks near the bottom among New York’s 62 counties for key health measures. In the 2023 County Health Rankings, Orleans ranked 55th for overall health outcomes and 57th for health factors, reflecting challenges in length and quality of life as well as risk behaviors and clinical care access.

Our residents face higher rates of adult smoking and obesity than many parts of the state, and access to necessary medical care remains difficult. These health vulnerabilities underscore how critical timely, skilled emergency response is to our community.

Yet the local EMS system is already under strain. Response times across ambulance providers in the county have increased from 2018 to 2021, and dropped calls—that is, emergency service requests where no unit was available—have risen significantly. The Medina Fire Department, with its 14 paid firefighters cross‑trained for EMS and fire response, serves the western end of Orleans and is the only career department in the county.

In emergencies, a few minutes can mean the difference between life and death. With major trauma hospitals at least an hour away, local response capability matters. Reducing staffing or resources at Medina FD not only weakens fire response, it directly jeopardizes EMS coverage when our neighbors are at their most vulnerable. Rather than cutting crucial services, we should be strengthening support for emergency responders who already contend with rising demand and a fragmented system.

Maintaining a fully staffed fire and EMS department is not optional—it’s essential for a county that already faces significant health disparities.

Sincerely,

Hannah Lee, MPH

Lyndonville

Lee is a firefighter’s wife and a public health professional.