Photo from Medina Fire Department: Fire destroyed a house at 206 Prospect Ave. in Medina this morning.

Press Release, Medina Fire Department

MEDINA – As many of you can imagine, we had a very difficult morning on Prospect Avenue. We are incredibly grateful that no residents or firefighters were injured. Sadly, some family pets were lost in the fire, and our thoughts are with the families affected during this difficult time.

We were dispatched at 4:22 a.m. and arrived on scene at 4:24 a.m. to find a significant volume of fire, with the possibility of occupants trapped inside. The crew of Engine 11 immediately began search operations until it was confirmed that everyone had safely escaped the original fire building.

A second alarm was struck at 4:26 a.m. as crews worked to protect the neighboring home at 206 Prospect Avenue, located approximately 20 feet north of the original structure. Once all occupants of that residence were accounted for, a third alarm was requested at 4:36 a.m. as additional manpower and equipment were needed after the fire breached the exterior of 206 Prospect Avenue. Multiple crews worked simultaneously to search for occupants while extinguishing fire throughout both floors and the attic space of that home.

Eight of Orleans County’s eleven fire departments responded to the scene, along with two departments from Niagara County. Fire departments from Niagara, Monroe, and Genesee counties also staffed stations throughout Orleans County to ensure emergency coverage remained available while crews battled the fire.

We cannot thank our brothers and sisters from every department enough for their hard work, professionalism, and support today, whether they were operating on scene or covering our stations. We also appreciate the assistance provided by Orleans County Emergency Management and the Orleans County Highway Department.

To the many residents who stopped by with encouraging words, cold drinks, and support throughout the morning—thank you. Your kindness means more than you know. We wish we could thank everyone individually, but we know we’d unintentionally leave someone out.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Orleans County Fire Investigation Unit, with assistance from the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control.

The photo accompanying this post was provided by a nearby resident and was taken just after they called 911 to report the fire.

Again, thanks to all that assisted us today.

Steve Cooley

Chief of Department

Photos by Ginny Kropf: A house at 206 Prospect Ave. was reduced to rubble after a fire this morning.

MEDINA – Three people are homeless in a fire early this morning, which completely destroyed an apartment house at 206 Prospect Ave. and displaced at least five people in the house next door.

Medina Fire Department received the call at 4:20 a.m. and arrived at the scene at 4:24 a.m., said Medina Fire Chief Steve Cooley.

“The house was fully engulfed and three people were outside when we arrived,” Cooley said. “When the ambulance arrived, they said fire was coming from every window.”

A dog and cat were also lost in the fire.

Considerable damage was done to all three stories of the house next door and some damage to a house across the street.

The houses in that location are 20 feet apart, and Cooley said had they not responded as quickly as they did, an entire block of homes could have been destroyed. The fire was extinguished in an hour.

He said indications are the fire started on the front porch.  Cooley said they received assistance from every department in Orleans County and addition help from Niagara County.

Cooley praised all the responders, saying they did a great job of getting the fire extinguished.

Fire Chief Steve Cooley said the fire could have wiped out a block of houses if firefighters hadn’t responded so quickly.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: (Left) Donning his ventriloquist hat, Mike Randall banters with his puppet Timmy during a performance Thursday at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library. (Right) Dudley the Duck and ventriloquist Mike Randall entertain with their antics during Thursday’s appearance at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library.

MEDINA – Children and their families who attended Lee-Whedon Memorial Library’s summer reading series program on Thursday got to see local television personality Mike Randall perform his magic/puppet show. Seventy children were signed up for the program, which was the first in the new section of the library.

Sawyer Green of Medina was one of the parents who came with her son Glenn, niece Norah Bennett, and nephew Zeke Bennett, 6, to see Randall perform.

“We come to the library all the time, and my oldest son and I saw Mike in Dickens and loved it,” Sawyer said. “Some of the kids have seen Mike at school and they are happy to be seeing him again.”

Mike Randall greets his young audience prior to a puppet/magic show he performed Thursday morning at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library. Sawyer Green of Medina brought her niece and nephew, Norah, 4, and Zeke Bennett, 6, and her son Glenn Green, 4, to see Randall.

Randall, who recently moved to Medina with his wife Kathy, presents a fast-paced program featuring puppets, magic, comedy, ventriloquism and audience participation.

A man of many hats , Randall has become one of Western New York’s most popular entertainers, having performed at many local events, including the Cattaraugus County Fair, M&T Plaza, Eastern Hills Mall Children’s Theater Series, the Toy Festival in East Aurora, Lewiston’s Wildlife Festival at the New York Power Authority, Cuba Garlic Festival, as well as schools and libraries throughout the area.

Mike Randall chose these four children to help with his dinosaur/archeology-themed show at Lee-Whedon. The children hold posters depicting things than archeologists might dig up, such as jewelry, pottery, bones and tools.

Randall’s first experience with magic was when he was 6 and saw a man who sounded like Harry Potter entertaining in the street with a deck of cards. He has loved puppets from the time he was a child, watching Howdy Doody and Paul Winchell. At the age of 7 he spent three months in the hospital, recovering from an automobile accident. The one thing which kept him from going stir crazy was a set of Disney hand puppets his grandmother had given him. He has loved puppets ever since.

In 1978 and ’79 he was hired as one of the 20 Marvelous Magical Burger-Kings, performing shows across WNY, northern Pennsylvania and southern Ontario, Canada.

Although he has received rave reviews for his fun-filled entertaining shows, Randall is best-known for his weather-forecasting and award-winning feature reporting for 40 years at WKBW-TV. He has interviewed celebrities such as John Candy, Steve Allen, Red Skelton, Gregory Peck, Willie Nelson and Robert Goulet. He was inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2017 and retired from WKBW in August 2023.

A native of Western New York, Randall is also a professional actor and playwright. His plays have won awards and been produced at theaters locally and nationwide. He has performed a variety of roles in theaters in Western New York and around the country. He continues to perform his critically acclaimed, one-man portrayal of Mark Twain Live! In 2017 he conceived, wrote, directed and starred in the holiday solo show, Charles Dickens Presents: A Christmas Carol, again receiving praise from area critics and theatergoers. His presentation of Dickens at the Medina Theater shortly after moving here, sold out.

The summer reading program with a theme “Unearth a Story” will continue at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library on Thursdays through Aug. 11.

Randall continues to do shows at such venues as libraries, schools and churches. His next public shows are July 30 at the Lancaster Library, Aug. 7 at Hoag Library in Albion and the Niagara County Fair on Aug. 6 and 8. In addition, he will read the Declaration of Independence Sept. 6 for the Medina Tourism’s  bicentennial celebration at State Street Park in Medina.

Caleb was picked from the audience to help Mike Randall with a trick.

(Left) Eleanor Davis of Medina is greeted by a dinosaur (who is actually her daughter) as she arrives at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library on Thursday morning to see Mike Randall do a dinosaur-themed puppet show. (Right) Magician/ventriloquist Mike Randall picked Autumn, 6, to help him with a magic trick during his appearance at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library.

MEDINA – The Medina Village Board last week approved a bond resolution for the village to borrow up to $1.7 million for sewer system improvements.

The upgrades include replacing sewer system pump stations and upgrading the SCADA systems throughout the village.

The village is seeking grants to help with the costs, so the final money needed to borrow may be less than $1.7 million.

 Medina initially authorized a bond for a maximum $1,250,000 in Oct. 11, 2021. But the project has been modified and the anticipated costs are higher, prompting the Village Board to seek a higher serial bond.

MEDINA – The Medina Rotary Club is interested in developing a new baseball field at Pine Street Park in the village.

Carl Tuohey, a member of the Rotary Club, last week presented the proposal to the Village Board. He said the club has built up some funds and wants to put some of that money to a baseball diamond.

Tuohey said he expects Job Corps students could be part of helping to create the field.

Village Board members want Tuohey to work on planning the project with Jason Watts, the superintendent of the Department of Public Works.

Pine Street Park has become a more active site since new playground and splash pad were added in 2019. Donors contributed $150,000 to those upgrades.

File photo: Jonathan McManus takes the oath of office as a Medina police officer on Sept. 26, 2022. He has been appointed as sergeant in charge.

MEDINA – The Medina Police Department has a new leader while the village looks to appoint a police chief.

Sgt. Jonathan McManus was appointed sergeant in charge during a special Village Board meeting on July 16. McManus joined the Medina PD as a police officer on Sept. 26, 2022.

He will get an additional $400 a week stipend while leading the department until a police chief is appointed. McManus’s appointment as sergeant in charge was effective July 20.

The Village Board on July 13 accepted the resignation of Police Chief Christian Navas and Sgt. Jacob Reeves. They are both going to the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office.

Navas had his last day in Medina on July 19 while Reeves’s last day was July 20.

Both left Medina to join the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office for significant boosts in pay, said Mark Prawel, a Medina village trustee and retired Medina police officer.