MEDINA – The leaders of Orleans Community Health say the sentencing of a former payroll clerk, who stole about $500,000 from the organization, will help the healthcare system move on from the issue.

“There are no winners here,” said Bruce Krenning, chairman of the board for OCH, the parent organization of Medina Memorial Hospital. “It’s an unfortunate situation, but it starts to bring closure although there won’t be full closure until she pays back all of the money.”

Linda Rakonczay, 58, of Middleport was sentenced to two years in prison this morning. She was ordered to pay back $499,563 in restitution to the hospital and $93,999 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.

“Patient care was never jeopardized because of this,” Krenning said. “But certainly it hurt our bottom line. Every hospital could use every bit of money it can get.”

Some of Rakonczay’s assets have been seized to help pay the restitution and Krenning said insurance will cover a small portion of the stolen money. Krenning said, realistically, that some of the money may not be recouped.

Rakonczay worked as a payroll coordinator for Orleans Community Health. Beginning in 2001 and continuing through 2012, Rakonczay prepared and submitted reports to the organization’s bank instructing the bank to electronically transfer money from the corporate bank account to her personal bank account, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Hospital officials say she misappropriated money through the hospital’s payroll savings deduction program for employees. Rakonczay oversaw an account where employees put a portion of their paycheck to a savings account. Rakonczay directed about $3,000 extra to herself every two weeks for more than six years. She inflated the hospital’s health insurance bills to make sure the hospital’s overall bills balanced.

The scheme was discovered after Rakonczay went on disability leave in November 2012. She was terminated two months later.

If Rakonczay hadn’t gone on disability, the crime may have continued undetected. Orleans Community Health now has internal controls in place to make sure “it will never happen again,” Krenning said.

BUFFALO – A former Medina Memorial Hospital payroll clerk was sentenced to two years in state prison this morning and ordered to pay back nearly $500,000 she stole from the hospital.

Linda Rakonczay, 58, of Middleport, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and filing false tax returns in January when she appeared before Chief U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.

This morning she was given a prison sentence and ordered to pay $93,999 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service and $499,563 in restitution to Orleans Community Health, the hospital’s parent organization.

Rakonczay worked as a payroll coordinator for Orleans Community Health in Medina. Beginning in 2001 and continuing through 2012, Rakonczay prepared and submitted reports to the organization’s bank instructing the bank to electronically transfer money from the corporate bank account to her personal bank account, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

The amount transferred from the organization’s bank account to the defendant’s account totaled $499,563.00. For tax years 2007 through 2012, Rakonczay failed to report such income and failed to pay federal taxes to the Internal Revenue Service totaling nearly $94,000.

The conviction is the result of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of Federal Bureau of Investigation under the direction of Special Agent-In-Charge Brian P. Boetig and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations Division, under the direction of Toni M. Weirauch, Special Agent in Charge.

MEDINA – Changes in the village code and zoning for wineries and microbreweries will go to the Orleans County Planning Board for review.

The Village Planning Board has suggested several changes to make the village ordinance more friendly to allow the businesses.

The Village Planning Board approved the changes last month that welcomes wineries, breweries, distilleries, cideries and meaderies. The Village Board will have the final vote but not after a public hearing and the review from the County Planning Board.

No winery has presented a proposal for a project, but Code Enforcement Officer Martin Busch said there are interested parties in the projects in the downtown area.

The current village code doesn’t prohibit the projects, but doesn’t say they are an allowed use in the Downtown Historic District. Spelling out the projects in the zoning will make it easier for the projects to become a reality, Busch said.

The Village Planning Board is recommending they be allowed, although the owner of the businesses will need to secure a Special Use Permit. That will give the village more say in the operations.

The Planning Board doesn’t want to limit those businesses to the downtown. They would also be allowed in the General Business District as well as the Light Industrial and Industrial Zones.

The changes will go before the County Planning Board on May 22.

Village officials see potential in Medina for wineries and breweries because the Niagara Wine Trail has been extended from Niagara County through Orleans and to Rochester. Medina is now central located along the trail.

Company had planned to close on May 1

MEDINA – In December, officials at Worthington Industries in Medina said the plant would shut down on May 1 and put 152 people out of work.

That shutdown date has been pushed back to June 20 due to increased production, company leaders told the Medina Village Board in a letter.

It’s bittersweet news for the employees, who stay on the job for seven more weeks but face the inevitable loss of their jobs.

Worthington operates the former Bernz-O-Matic and is shifting production from Medina to a site in Wisconsin. Many of the employees have worked at the plant for decades.

Worthington bought Bernz-O-Matic in 2011. Bernz-O-Matic had operated in Medina since 1969, making torches.

Worthington makes cylinders for the torches in Wisconsin. By shifting the torch production to Wisconsin, the company says it can do everything at one site, saving in transportation costs.

Worthington planned to ramp up production in Medina, to have extra product while the company shifts production to the site in Wisconsin.

MEDINA – Community members are welcome to attend a forum about underage drinking tonight at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina.

The Orleans United Drug Free Communities Coalition will lead the meeting, which begins at 6:45 p.m. The coalition is part of the Genesee-Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse.

Medina Police Chief Jose Avila will speak during the forum, which will include participation from the coalition members.

A survey of high schoolers at four of the five school districts in Orleans County showed that 25 percent report they binge drink, said Patricia Crowley, project director for GCASA.

“We all know it’s going on more than the statistics say,” Crowley said. “These are kids who are drinking to get drunk.”

She welcomed students and their parents to attend tonight’s forum at the library, 620 West Ave.

“We want to hear from the kids about what they hear and see,” Crowley said.

The coalition also wants to talk to parents. Many are permissive in allowing children to drink alcohol and host drinking parties. The survey in 2013 of 6^th through 12^th showed that 46 percent of students in those ages drink alcohol at home with their parents’ permission.

Crowley said the coalition’s goal is to educate community members about underage drinking consequences and empower communities to use evidence-based approaches to stop underage drinking.

Tonight’s meeting will also include an appearance by “Kye,” Medina’s K-9 that is used in tracking, drug detection, building searches and criminal apprehension.

MEDINA – A newspaper with roots in the Medina community since 1903 has announced it will close next month.The Journal-Register will publish its final edition on Friday, May 30, Publisher Diane Crowe announced today on the JR’s website.

The newspaper is printed Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The paper used to have a Main Street presence until the operation was moved to Lockport at the Union-Sun & Journal about two years ago.

The move to Lockport was part of a cost-saving measure. The JR could not sustain itself economically despite the efforts to consolidate business and production operations at nearby sister publications, Crowe said on the JR website.

The Journal-Register’s circulation was about 1,500. The paper used to be printed five days a week, then four days before the three-days-a-week schedule. The Journal has four employees and they were notified today of the closing, Crowe said.

The Daily Journal started in Medina in 1903, followed by a rival, the Medina Register. The two merged in 1970 to form The Journal-Register.

The Journal is owned by Community First Holdings, Inc., which runs the Greater Niagara Newspapers group that includes The Journal-Register, Union-Sun & Journal, Tonawanda News and the Niagara Gazette. Community First also owned the Albion Advertiser, a weekly publication. That newspaper closed about a year ago.

MEDINA – Property owners won’t face a higher village tax rate this year after the Village Board approved a 2014-15 budget on Monday night that keeps the rate at $16.44 per $1,000 of assessed property.

“I would consider that good news,” Mayor Andrew Meier told residents during a budget hearing tonight.

The village’s general fund – the budget for police, streets, fire department and other services outside the water and sewer departments – totaled $4,958,514, a 5.7 percent or $269,539 increase from $4,688,975 in 2013-14.

The village is offsetting most of that increase with stronger revenues for its ambulance service through the fire department, and $70,000 more in carryover cash funds. The ambulance service returned $150,000 more in revenue than was budgeted in 2013-14.

The amount to be collected in taxes will increase by $16,160 or 0.6 percent to $2,738,602. The tax rate won’t change because the tax base grew by 0.6 percent or $996,974 to $166.5 million.

The tax base is bigger because Orchard Manor was added to the tax rolls. The nursing home on Bates Road was tax exempt when it was owned by Medina Memorial Hospital. The site was sold last year for $4.1 million.

The village’s water fund is up 2.5 percent from $1,418,202 to $1,452,970. The sewer fund increased 4.5 percent from $969,679 to $1,013,758.

Village Board members unanimously approved the budget and offered praise to the Medina department heads for their help in preventing an increase in the tax rate.

The budget takes effect June 1, the start of the village fiscal year.

Photo by Tom Rivers – The former Starlite Dry Cleaners has been vacant on Main Street in Medina since a fire damaged the building a decade ago.

MEDINA – The village is spending $3,500 to determine the environmental cleanup needed for two vacant side-by-side sites on Main Street.

The former Starlite Dry Cleaners at 331 North Main St. has been empty since a fire in the building a decade ago. Its neighbor at 333 North Main also is vacant.

The Village Board would like to see the sites be redeveloped. But first the extent of the environmental contamination needs to be determined. The village also is trying to line up funding to help with the cleanup. The state Department of Environmental Conservation pledged $50,000 to $60,000 to the cleanup in 2008, Mayor Andrew Meier said.

He believes the DEC will still honor that commitment if local dollars are committed to help with the project.

Starlite is currently in limbo. A previous owner stopped paying taxes on the site. Normally the property would then be owned by Orleans County, but the county hasn’t accepted the property due to the potential environmental liabilities.

Meier and the Village Board on Monday voted to pay $3,500 to Great Lakes Environmental. The firm will look at alternatives for the two sites, including the costs of environmental remediation, building repairs and demolition.

A previous study showed some dry-cleaning solvents were in the soil at Starlite.

Meier said he doesn’t want the two buildings to sit idle much longer. The study from the environmental consultant should help determine the future for the two buildings.

“It’s an important project in the community,” Meier said.

Photos by Sue Cook – General Grant of the Union army (left of kneeling man) poses with soldiers by the campfire. Grant is wearing his combat attire which is much simpler than his dress uniform. The photograph is sepia tone to emulate the style of photography from the period. Tintypes were common because they were sturdier than glass plates and were quick to develop. The soldiers in the photograph are from the 28th and 104th NY Volunteer Infantries, as well as the 9th NY Volunteer Cavalry Company B.

By Sue Cook, staff reporter

MEDINA – Throughout Saturday, guests at the Medina GCC campus were invited to participate in the Civil War encampment. All over the surrounding field, soldiers set up camps and even a sutler popped up selling Victorian era clothing. The campus provided space for visitors to hear about the time period and to ask questions.

Lieutenant Colonel Charles Marshall of the 21st Georgia (Scott Hoffmeier of Rochester), left, and General James P. Longstreet of the 21st Mississippi (Ken Miller of Ontario, Canada) pose for a portrait after their success in Saturday’s mock battle. When asked how they captured the win, Longstreet quoted General Robert E. Lee. “We will prevail.”

Miller said he started out enjoying all periods of history as a member of a history roundtable. He found that he greatly enjoyed learning about Victorian times and enjoyed participating in Civil War events. He feels his influence stems from his childhood.

“My grandma bought me little plastic soldiers. John Wayne probably influenced me, too,” Miller said.

Abraham Lincoln came to the encampment after appearing in the parade. Lincoln is portrayed by David Kreutz of Lancaster, who became a member of the Association of Lincoln Presenters in 1996.

Soldiers were more than happy to be approached by visitors and asked questions. Many soldiers are very well versed in the Civil War and have purchased or hand made their own uniforms. Most uniforms are correct all the way down to the woolen socks.

Vaughn Weston spent the weekend as Colonel Madison of the Louisiana Light Artillery. He poses with one of the cannons he fired on the battlefield.

Weston was very enthusiastic about participating. “I’ve been doing this since 1961 when I was 9 years old,” he said. “What got me interested was that they came out with bubblegum packs with these gory Civil War cards.”

The cards showed soldiers in uniform, but also images of the wounded and dead. He said the cards were very similar to baseball cards that most other kids preferred.

To add more realism to the event, the soldiers also are welcomed to camp out in their pup tents overnight. Despite the cold, wet weather, many stayed the night and reported that they were dry and well rested after sleeping between wool blankets.

Private Max Todd  from Geneseo, a member of the 28th Volunteer Infantry, rests in his tent and eats lunch. Among his possessions are his rifle, canteen and ammunition bag.

After being asked why there was a random pin with a looped end stuck in his cap, Todd explained that it was called a nipple pin and was used for cleaning the portion of the gun that the wing-tip firing cap rests on.

“Everything serves a purpose,” Todd said. No matter how small the item, everything the troops brought to battle was important in some way, even if it doesn’t seem obvious.

“There’s always so much to learn,” he said.

From left: Rudy Coumont, Kim Fontana and Sue Cifaldi play the fife. Ken Barlow is playing the drum. The group played songs for the crowd including Yankee Doodle and the Rogue’s March.

“Bugles supplanted the fife and drum,” lamented Barlow. “A bugle could be played on horseback with one hand.”

Barlow says that fife and drum players are becoming very rare, and even bugles are being phased out by played back digital recordings.

Encampment Coordinator Derek Maxfield, left, asks questions to Bill Kauffman, the screenplay writer of the film “Copperhead.” Kauffman lives in Elba.

In the evening, the campus screened the film “Copperhead,” directed by Ron Maxwell. The film follows the story of upstate New York farmer Abner Beech and his family during the war. Beech wanted to remain a pacifist and was harassed by his neighbors for his choice.

At the end of the Q&A with Kauffman, Liz Guthrie, an employee of a Webster high school, stood up to share her appreciation of the film.

“For high school students today, it seems to enhance their experience,” she said. “Students are using these films to learn about history.”

She applauded Maxwell’s other films for providing students with different insights of the Civil War.

Sunday’s events will include the battle at 2 p.m. Also scheduled are demonstrations and talks including field medicine, candle making, mortuary arts, music, meetings with the generals and more. The camps are also open to the public who can walk among the tents, meet the soldiers and see them in a realistic camp setting.

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – The Medina community is hosting a Civil War Encampment this weekend. This morning many of the Civil War re-enactors marched down Main Street and headed to Boxwood Cemetery for a memorial service.

Excelsior Brigade Fife and Drum from Rochester marched in the parade. The group will be in concert from noon to 1 p.m. today at GCC in Medina.

The GCC campus on Route 31A is offering many workshops and educational programs today and on Sunday. There will be mock battles on both days at 2 p.m.

To see the full schedule of events, visit https://civilwaratgcc.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/cw-medina-encampment-program-2014-final-final.pdf.

The Medina community hosted the Encampment for the first time a year ago. GCC is holding the events to commemorate the 150^th anniversary of the Civil War.

The generals ride in a carriage down Main Street during the parade. Generals Robert E. Lee, Ulysses Grant and James Longstreet are at the Encampment this weekend. There is also a re-enactor portraying Abraham Lincoln.

Re-enactors will engage in mock battle again Sunday

Photos by Sue Cook – The Confederate States of America fire on the Union soldiers. Troops only fired at the orders of their superior officers.

By Sue Cook, staff reporter

MEDINA – The Genesee Community College campus in Medina roared with canon fire and gunshots as the Civil War re-enactors took to the battlefield this afternoon. The two sides of the battle included soldiers from the Confederacy and the Union taking up arms in a fight over state rights.

Many of the soldiers were from out of the area, and were invited to participate by locals. All those participating wore period correct uniforms.

Jay Black of Batavia invited Paul Harbaugh from Erie, Pa. Harbaugh was a lieutenant for the day on the Confederate side of the battle.

“I’ve been interested in the Civil War since I was six years old,” Harbaugh said. In grade school, he recalls the teacher telling the other students that any questions they had about the Civil War should be directed to Harbaugh, their fellow classmate.

General Grant (center in front of flag) was the first Lieutenant General since George Washington. The rank of a three-star general was revived by Lincoln and Congress.

Before the battle began, General Grant, portrayed by Ed Brodbeck of Cheektowaga, said that he was uncertain of how the battle for the day would go, but was very hopeful the Union would win the day’s fight.

“I don’t know the scenario yet. One day the rebel forces will win, one day the Union forces will win.”

He said this keeps it interesting for spectators to not know what type of battle they are about to witness and not know the result ahead of time.

In the mock battle, some of the soldiers acted as if they were wounded. Many men fell to the ground screaming, while others simply dropped on the spot. This young man called out to his friend for help, but ultimately was unable to survive the battle.

The Union soldiers wore blue. The Confederates had gray uniforms near the start of the war, but when Union forces cut off their supplies from English ships, they had to use what was available to them. Many of the uniforms are brown because women making the uniforms would use dyes made from tree barks, and would end up with variations.

Those who were injured on the battlefield were brought to the medics on stretchers if they were unable to walk under their own power. Major Legrande Capers of the 21st Georgia (portrayed by Dr. Spencer Annabel) provides medical help to Private Nelson Drake.

When asked how they know if they are supposed to be injured in the battle, Drake said, “The commander says ‘We gotta take some hits.’ Also, if you’re out of powder, or caps or just tired.”

Annabel said that most people think of Civil War doctors as being more like butchers, but this perception is wrong. “By the third year of the war, 95 percent of wounded soldiers lived to go home.”

Annabel explained how the Civil War affected warfare for later generations. Casualties in the war were 90 percent the cause of minie balls, the name for bullets despite their cone shapes, while only 10 percent were caused by artillery fire. This caused warfare to move soldiers into trenches to avoid rifle fire.

Dr. Annabel’s daughter Megan also participated by dressing up as a civilian. She is pictured here with Thomas Angelo. A well-known story involves civilians watching the Battle of Manassas near Washington, D.C. Though most civilians were out of harms way, picnicking roughly 5 miles away after their seven-hour carriage ride to the site, some men moved closer to the action. They had received old news from the front lines that the Union was winning, but upon moving closer were trapped in the confusion and panic of the retreating Union troops.

The battle at the GCC campus raged on for about an hour until finally the Union soldiers were overtaken by the Confederates. The battle was won as the Confederates raced across the enemy lines. The Union flag was handed off to the last two remaining Union soldiers who were told to take it and run.

At the battle’s end, a Union soldier played Taps for the fallen and the Union soldiers fired a salute.

Despite the result of today’s battle, Sunday’s fight at 2 p.m. may be different. A whole new scenario will play out and the two sides will fight one more time. The battle will conclude the encampment for the weekend.

More than 100 re-enactors at GCC campus for programs

File photos by Tom Rivers – Re-enactors march down Main Street in Medina during a parade last April. They will be back for another parade at 10 a.m. on Saturday. The parade ends at Boxwood Cemetery.

MEDINA – The re-enactors have returned, more than 100 of them and they will put on demonstrations about the Civil War, everything from cooking to mock battling with canons and guns.

They are in town from today until Sunday. The group will march down Medina’s Main Street in parade at 10 a.m. on Saturday. The parade starts at the fire hall and will end at Boxwood Cemetery, where there will be a memorial ceremony honoring Medina’s Civil War soldiers.

GCC had a Civil War Encampment at its Lima campus in 2012 and moved it to Medina last year. The big community turn out and participation from the Medina Sandstone Society, Orleans Renaissance Group, Medina Historical Society and other groups impressed Derek Maxfield, a GCC professor and coordinator of the encampment.

“I was struck by the response in Medina,” Maxfield told Orleans County legislators in a presentation on Wednesday. “We were overwhelmed with support from the community. There is something special about Orleans County.”

Maxfield met many community members who have worked to preserve buildings and local heritage. That prompted him to push for the creation of a Heritage Heroes award. The first five honorees will be recognized at 7 p.m. at GCC in Medina today. The public is welcome to that event.

“It’s a way to say, ‘Thank you,’ to these people who have worked incredibly hard,” Maxfield said. “You don’t see that level of concern in other communities for old buildings and cemeteries.”

Re-enactors will stage mock battles at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at the GCC campus in Medina.

Here is a press release from GCC about the lineup of events over the next three days:

Several new activities, awards and events are part of this year’s program, including a visit by acclaimed Civil War filmmaker Ron Maxwell and a screening of his film “Copperhead.”

Friday has been designated as Education Day at the Encampment. Open exclusively to students from local school districts, a series of exhibits will help the students learn about life during the Civil War, including medical tools, military artifacts and a live demonstration of the cooking from that era. The students will have an opportunity to recite Abraham Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg Address to their peers.

At 7 p.m. on Friday, Encampment organizers will present the first Orleans County Heritage Heroes Awards. These awards will recognize Orleans County residents who are tireless advocates in preserving local history.

The public is invited to Breakfast with the Generals at 9 a.m. Saturday. Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee and James Longstreet, and Union General Ulysses S. Grant will meander through downtown Medina restaurants, meeting and shaking hands with the local residents as they stroll about. Abraham Lincoln is also expected to make an appearance just in time for the start of the Medina Parade which begins at 10 a.m.

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., visitors can attend a Genealogy Workshop, listen to a Fife and Drum concert, tour Union and Confederate Camps or meet Generals Lee, Longstreet, and Grant.

From 1 to 2 p.m., author Bill Kauffman of Elba will appear in the Central Tent with filmmaker Ron Maxwell. Kauffman wrote the screenplay for Maxwell’s film “Copperhead,” the third of his Civil War films, which also include “Gettysburg” and “Gods and Generals.” The film “Copperhead” will be shown inside the Medina Campus Center from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday.

Both Saturday and Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. re-enactors will engage in mock combat battle for approximately an hour.

“These battles are truly representative of those that occurred during the Civil War,” said Encampment coordinator and GCC assistant history professor Derek Maxfield. “Re-enactors go to great lengths to be authentic in their dress, their weapons as well as their actions. It’s definitely something to see.”

David Kreutz, an Abraham Lincoln presenter from Depew, shows over-sized pennies to people at the Civil War encampment in Medina last April.

Visitors can also enjoy seeing more formal attire when Donna LaValle gives a presentation on Victorian fashion Saturday afternoon. The public is welcome to don late 19th century dress and enjoy the Victorian Cotillion in the Central Tent from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday. City Fiddle, a Buffalo group, will be performing period music in costume.

“This group is particularly good and always a favorite among the re-enactors,” said Maxfield. Saturday’s events close at 10 p.m.

Confederate chaplain Sava Toufexis will lead a Civil War era religious service Sunday morning at 9 a.m. in the Central Tent. Additional talks and demonstrations are planned throughout the day including:

Tom Schobert portraying General Robert E. Lee

Adam Tabelski “Col. Edwin Franklin Brown: A Life of Service”

Prof. Garth Swanson “Pirates or Patriots: The Confederate Navy and the American Naval Tradition”

Dr. Spencer Annabel “Battlefield Medical Practices”

The Encampment closes at 4 p.m. Sunday.

“We have a really exciting schedule of activities again this year and we look forward to the same great crowds we enjoyed last year,” said Maxfield.

GCC’s Medina Campus Center is located at 11470 Maple Ridge Rd., Medina, New York 14103.

57 trees to be planted along Gwinn Street

Provided photos

Medina elementary students were a part of a tree planting and an Arbor Day celebration this morning.

Medina Mayor Andrew Meier joined students in the celebration of trees. The National Arbor Day Foundation has given Medina a “Tree City Growth Award” and has designated the community a “Tree City USA” for its commitment to planting trees every year.

The village is planting 57 trees on Gwinn Street. This photo shows some of the trees lined up and ready to be planted. The trees will go north of the driveway leading to the middle school all the way to James Street.

The village’s Tree Board added two new varieties this year: Parrotia persica ‘Vanessa’ Persian Ironwood and Acer tartaricum ‘Rugged Charm’ Tartarian Maple.

Other varieties include: Acer miyabei ʻMortonʼ State Street maple, Maclura pomifera ʻWhite Shieldʼ or ʻWichitaʼ, Zelkova serrata ʻGreen Vaseʼ Zelkova, Acer tartaricum ‘Rugged Charm’, Acer truncatum x A. platanoides ʻPacific Sunsetʼ maple, Parrotia persica Persian Ironwood, Gleditisia triancanthos ʻImperialʼ Honeylocust, Celtis occidentalis Hackberry, and Platanus x acerifolia London Plane ‘Exclamation.’

UMMC expects to move into new site in late July

Photo by Cheryl Wertman

MEDINA – The former Pizza Hut is on its last legs after a steady demolition this past month. Construction is expected to start almost immediately on the new 4,000-square-foot building that will be a women’s health center for United Memorial Medical Center.

Developer Chad LaCivita will own the new building that will be leased to UMMC. The site should be ready for UMMC to move into in late July, said Colleen Flynn, UMMC director of community relations.

UMMC provides obstetrics, gynecological care and other health services. The new building will be close to the eastern side of the property. Pizza Hut sat in the middle of the property.