Wind advisory also issued from this afternoon to Friday morning

A winter weather advisory is in effect for Orleans County today from 4 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mixed precipitation is expected with snow and sleet accumulations 1 to 2 inches, and ice accumulations around a few hundredths of an inch, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo.

That advisory includes Niagara, Orleans, Monroe, Wayne, northern Cayuga, northern Erie and Genesee counties.

A wind advisory also has been issued from 4 p.m. today until 10 a.m. on Friday. There will be westerly winds 20 to 30 miles per hour with gusts up to 50 mph expected.

That advisory includes Erie, Niagara, Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming, Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties.

Today is forecast for a high of 38.

HAMLIN – A Kendall High School student was killed this afternoon in a car accident on Roosevelt Highway.

Josh Peters, 16, was killed in a one-vehicle crash where he was eastbound, left the road and struck a utility pole, downing power lines on Route 18 near Drake Road, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

Nick Picardo, the Kendall school district superintendent, shared with “deep sadness” that Peters died in a car accident.

“I extend my heartfelt condolences to his family and to all those who knew and loved him,” Picardo said in a message on the district website.

“Please know that we are here to help our staff and families through this grief,” Picardo said. “Our Crisis Response Team has been activated to provide support. Counselors will be available all day Thursday for students and staff members.”

For those who need additional support, Picardo said the district will have counselors on hand at the junior/senior high school on Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m.

“Thank you for your support and understanding in this difficult time,” Picardo said. “We once again will pull together as one family, one school, and one community.”

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature recently approved the following voting members to the Emergency Medical Services Council, effective Jan. 1, with all terms expiring Dec. 31, 2025.

• Albion Fire Department: Fred Piano (primary) and Emma Klaver (alternate)

• Barre Fire Company: Kara Smith (primary) and Terry Bentley (alternate)

• Carlton Fire Company: David Bertsch (primary) and Brandi Fisher (alternate)

• Clarendon Fire Company: Don Mosier (primary) and Karl Beidlingmaier (alternate)

• East Shelby Fire Company: Mike Fuller (primary) and Sue Behrend (alternate)

• Kendall Fire Company: Sue Maslyn (primary) and Stephen Balka (alternate)

• Lyndonville Fire Company: Anna Schuner (primary)

• Medina Fire Department: Jacob Crooks (primary) and Steve Cooley (alternate)

• Murray Joint Fire District: Mark Porter (primary)

• Ridgeway Fire Company: Kristin McAdoo (primary) and Austin Mosher (alternate)

• Shelby Fire Company: Jenna Simmons (primary) and Donnell Bennett (alternate)

• Orleans County EMO EMS Coordinator: Scott Buffin (primary) and Justin Niederhofer (alternate)

• Orleans County Public Health: David Bell (primary) and Cora Young (alternate)

• Orleans County Sheriff’s Office: Christopher Bourke (primary) and Don Draper (alternate)

• Orleans County Sheriff Dispatch: Allen Turner (primary)

• Orleans Community Health/ Medina Memorial Hospital: Dr. Richard Elman (primary) and Kerry Miller (alternate)

The following were approved as non-voting members of the Council:

• County Legislature: Lynne Johnson and William Eick

• Public Safety Chairmen: Merle Draper and John Fitzak

• Mercy EMS: Adam Wengrzycki and Michael Gugliuzza

• University of Buffalo Medical Doctors: Rob McCartin and Mike Shaw

CANANDAIGUA – Three students from Orleans County are among the 917 full- and part-time students named to the Dean’s List at Finger Lakes Community College for fall 2024.

To be named to the Dean’s List, students must complete 5 credits with a combined 3.5 grade point for the semester with no class withdrawals or incompletes.

The Orleans students include:

• Erik Coleman of Holley
• Zachary Barrett of Kendall
• Colm Cooper of Medina

Provided photos

ALBION – These students in the Akron Interact Club filled backpacks with school supplies that will be delivered by Albion teacher Tim Archer to a school in a remote part of Honduras.

Archer is also the Albion Interact Club advisor. The two Interact clubs teamed to fill about 400 backpacks with notebooks, pens, pencils, pencil sharpeners, rulers, bookmarks, stickers, wristbands, folders, maps, T-shirts and other supplies.

The Albion Rotary Club also id donating most of the proceeds from its March 13 St. Patrick’s ham dinner towards assisting the school. Archer has a connection to the school from when he was a missionary in this jungle area of Honduras.

Archer leaves on Sunday and will be gone for three weeks.

Some kids from the Honduras La Mosquitia region are shown at left. Archer will be visiting several small villages along the 200-mile Patuca River. Archer will be traveling by canoe with pastors in that region.

Photo by Tom Rivers

The two Interact Clubs also met today in Albion for a leadership conference. The people seated at the table were the featured speakers.

From left include retired State Assemblyman Charlie Nesbitt, a helicopter pilot in the Vietnam War; Craig Lane, Orleans County DPW commissioner, Holley Rotary Club president and a 20-year Air Force veteran; Albion Village Trustee Joyce Riley, a retired nursing supervisor; Steve Giroux, owner of seven pharmacies, including Rosenkrans in Medina and a Rotarian for 41 years; Pastor Jovannie Canales of Harvest Christian Fellowship; and Tim Archer, Albion Rotary Interact Club advisor.

Press Release, Assemblyman Steve Hawley

BATAVIA – Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) will be holding his 4th Annual National Pizza Day Police Appreciation Program on Thursday, Feb. 6.

Hawley will be providing pizza to law enforcement officers across his Assembly District. This gesture complements his ongoing efforts in Albany to advocate for policies that support and equip our law enforcement officers.

Pizza will be delivered to the following 11 departments:

• City of Batavia Police
• State Police – Troop A Batavia HQ
• Albion Police Department
• State Police – Troop A Albion Barracks
• Orleans County Sheriff’s Office
• Medina Police Department
• Brockport Police Department
• LeRoy Police Department
• Corfu Village Police Department
• Genesee County Sheriff’s Office
• Holley Police Department

Hawley will personally deliver pizza to the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police – Troop A Headquarters, and Batavia Police Department.

Press Release, Orleans County Democratic Party

Run for office! Here’s what is still open/unendorsed by the Orleans County Democratic Party. It’s not too late to inbox and let us know you’re interested!

ORLEANS COUNTY

• Treasurer – 4 year term
• Legislature at Large – 2 year term (3 positions, West, Central, and East).
• Legislature District 1 – 2 year term
• Legislature District 2 – 2 year term
• Legislature District 4 – 2 year term

TOWN OF ALBION

• Supervisor – 2 year term
• Town Clerk – 2 years (to fill vacancy)
• 2 Councilpersons – 4 year terms

TOWN OF BARRE

• Supervisor – 2 year term
• 2 Councilpersons – 4 year terms

TOWN OF CARLTON

• Town Clerk – 4 year term
• Town Justice – 4 year term
• 2 Councilpersons – 4 year terms
• Superintendent of Highways – 4 year term

TOWN OF CLARENDON

• Supervisor – 2 year term
• 2 Councilpersons – 4 year terms

TOWN OF GAINES

• Supervisor – 2 year term
• Town Clerk – 4 year term
• Town Justice – 4 year term
• 2 Councilpersons – 4 year terms

TOWN OF KENDALL

• Supervisor – 2 year term
• Town Clerk – 4 year term
• Town Justice – 4 year term
• 2 Councilpersons – 4 year terms
• Superintendent of Highways – 2 year term

TOWN OF MURRAY

• Supervisor – 2 year term
• Town Clerk – 4 year term
• Town Justice – 4 year term
• 2 Councilpersons – 4 year terms
• Superintendent of Highways – 4 year term

TOWN OF RIDGEWAY

• Town Clerk – 4 year term
• Councilperson – 4 year term
• Superintendent of Highways – 4 year term

TOWN OF SHELBY

• Supervisor – 2 year term
• 2 Councilpersons – 4 year terms

TOWN OF YATES

• Supervisor – 2 year term
• Town Justice – 4 year term
• 3 councilpersons – 4 year terms for two of them and the other is 2 years to fill a vacancy.

Email chair@orleansnydemocrats.com today to find out if you should run (you should!).

MEDINA – The Medina Village Board has adopted a 2-percent occupancy for hotels, motels, short-term rentals and other lodging establishments in the village.

The Village Board held a public hearing on the new tax last week and the board adopted it with no comments offered from the public. However, the village is still working through how the tax will be implemented. A start hasn’t been established for when the lodging establishments need to begin collecting the tax.

Village officials aren’t sure how much the 2-percent tax will generate. It is on top of a 4-percent occupancy tax collected by Orleans County. That “bed tax” raised $119,003 for the county in 2023 and is used to promote tourism to bring in more visitors to the county. (Both the county and village occupancy taxes are also in addition to the 8-percent sales tax.)

The 2-percent tax in Medina gives the village some new revenue at a time when it faces rising costs for a new fire truck and an addition to the fire hall, as well as overall operations. The village has tried in recent years for a boost in the local sales tax revenue and also more money from the state in Aid and Incentives to Municipalities or AIM, but has seen little change from the county and state.

The Village Board didn’t designate how the funds will be spent, except to specify the money will be “allocated at the discretion of the Medina Village Board for any Village purpose.”

Lodging establishments are to pay the village the occupancy tax in quarterly payments.

To see the local law on the occupancy tax, click here.

Press Release, Orleans County Office for the Aging

ALBION – The Orleans County Office for the Aging will welcome the Center for Elder Law & Justice to Hoag Library on Wednesday, Feb. 19 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

This is a free event open to everyone, but targeted to those 60 years of age and older. The library is located at 134 S. Main St. in Albion.

The Center for Elder Law & Justice provides free legal services to older adults across a host of areas including health care advocacy, elder abuse, housing, consumer protection and more.  This event will go into more depth of these services and help those looking for legal advice.

“Our older residents often have unique legal problems but do not seek assistance because they do not know where to turn or fear a lawyer will be too costly and beyond their means,” said Melissa Blanar, director of Orleans County OFA. “Thankfully, the Center for Elder Law & Justice is here to help our older citizens, and OFA is hosting this event to help spread the word on how they can help.”

Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP by Feb. 14 to the Office for the Aging at (585) 589-3191.

Press Release, State Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt

ALBANY – Senior members of the New York Power Authority (NYPA) held a public forum in Albany today to discuss raising the preference power rate in a series of rate hikes over the next four years.

NYPA says the increases are necessary to keep up with increased maintenance and operations costs. The proposed rate hikes would take effect as follows:

• $17.61 for 2025
• $21.66 for 2026
• $26.72 for 2027
• $33.05 for 2028

Municipalities, school districts, businesses and nonprofits across New York State benefit from NYPA’s current preference power rate of $12.88 per megawatt hour. These additional costs will not be absorbed by affected organizations – but passed on to consumers and residents in the form of increased product costs and taxes.

“New York is one of the worst states to operate a business in, and manufacturers in Western New York have been struggling to make ends meet. Many of the operations in my district rely on low cost power so that they are able to remain viable, and the proposed tripling of these rates are unwanted and absurd. This will surely lead to even more businesses closing their doors and leaving our state,” said Senator Rob Ortt. “Instead of sweeping millions of dollars every year into New York state’s general fund, NYPA should have been reinvesting the profits generated back into the power project. Thanks to NYPA’s mismanagement, they are now turning to the community to cover the cost of these infrastructure upgrades.”

“Across Western New York, working families rely on low-cost hydropower for their day-to-day activities. These proposed rate increases by the New York Power Authority will only intensify the burden on residents and deepen the affordability crisis across the region. I am calling on NYPA to reject these increases and return to a model that puts consumers and affordability first,” said Assemblyman Steve Hawley.

A public comment period is currently open and will end on February 24th. Comments can be submitted to secretaryoffice@nypa.gov. Senator Ortt will be submitting public comments on behalf of ratepayers in his district.

A final vote is scheduled to take place during a July 2025 meeting.

HOLLEY – The Village of Holley has been awarded a $75,000 state grant for an inclusive playground that will ADA-accessible.

“Nestled beside the Erie Canal, this addition reflects the Canal’s role in enhancing quality of life and creating welcoming spaces for all,” the Canal Corp. said in announcing the funding on Monday.

Holley has the matching funds for a project that will total about $150,000, Mayor Mark Bower said.

The village has $35,000 set aside for the playground and the Town of Murray has committed $25,000 towards the project. The Holley Department of Public Works also will provide in-kind services with excavating and site work, Bower said.

Community volunteers will also be asked to help construct the playground which will allow Holley to maximize the funding towards the equipment for children.

The village will soon seek bids from playground companies for the equipment. Bower is hopeful construction will start in April.

The playground will go where there was one previously along the canal path. That playground wasn’t accessible to people with disabilities, had fallen into disrepair and was removed in 2022, Bower said.

The mayor thanked the Orleans County Health Department for helping to secure the grant for the village.

Holley also recently was awarded a grant to put in a kayak launch and new decking and stairs at its canal park.

MEDINA – Representatives from Citizens’ Climate Lobby will be in Medina on Wednesday to lead a discussion about climate change and how to influence policies that are friendly to the planet.

The discussion will begin at 6 p.m. at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library. The meeting is open to the public. For more information, contact robertdotjohnson@rochester.rr.com.

Citizens’ Climate Lobby is a national nonprofit organization with local chapters across the country. The group pushed for the energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act.

“We welcome anyone who is serious about solving climate change as a volunteer,” the organization said in a press release. “We work with members of Congress across the political spectrum to find common ground on climate change action.”

For more about Citizens’ Climate Lobby, click here.

Press Release, Assemblyman Steve Hawley

ALBANY – Every year, the New York State Conservative Party releases its conservative ratings for elected officials across the state. Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia), who has been a strong advocate for conservative policies in Albany, received a 100% rating from the party for the year.

Throughout his time in the state Assembly, Hawley has promoted initiatives to lower taxes, support law enforcement, protect our second amendment rights and cut regulations for small businesses.

Hawley, along with Sens. George Borello, Joe Griffo, Pam Helming, Mario Mattera, Rob Ortt, Steve Rhoads, Dan Stec, Jim Tedisco and Alexis Weik, as well as Assemblymembers John Lemondes, Brian Maher and Chris Tague, received perfect ratings during the 2024 Legislative Session.

“I’m proud to have received this high honor from the New York State Conservative Party for my record of supporting common-sense policies in the State Assembly,” Hawley said. “It’s an honor to be named amongst so many of my colleagues in the state government who are fighting hard each day to bring our state back to the conservative principles we were founded on. I’m grateful for the work we were able to do during last year’s session, and I look forward to the progress we can make this year to bring common sense back to Albany.”

Press Release, Congresswoman Claudia Tenney

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) and Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23) announced they sent a letter to newly confirmed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth requesting the Department of Defense consider opening the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station (NFARS) to support Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations with additional bed space for detainees and as a point of departure for deportation flights.

The letter states, “The Northeast U.S. currently has only one ICE-operated Service Processing Center, located in Batavia, NY. This facility, though critical, cannot solely handle the growing demand for detention and deportation processing. With an estimated 759,218 illegal immigrants residing in New York City alone, including 58,000 individuals who are either convicted felons or facing criminal charges, the need for additional detention capacity is clear. Local facilities are overwhelmed, and it is imperative that we have the resources necessary to address this serious public safety concern.

“The Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station’s role in supporting our national defense can be enhanced by partnering with ICE in this effort to ensure the swift and secure removal of high-priority illegal immigrants from the United States. Utilizing this federal resource would help ease the burden on local law enforcement and detention centers while advancing President Trump’s agenda of maintaining public safety through efficient and effective deportations.”

“Maximizing every available resource is crucial to carrying out President Trump’s executive orders to detain and remove illegal aliens swiftly and efficiently, particularly those who pose security risks to our country,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “I am so grateful to the ICE agents who are stepping up to protect our nation and address this pressing crisis and want to ensure they have all the resources they need to carry out these deportations. Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station can play a valuable role in hosting detention beds and serving as a point of departure for deportations, supporting ICE’s work in deporting these criminals. I urge Secretary Hegseth to authorize NFARS to assist in securing our borders and upholding our nation’s safety by allowing ICE to utilize this station in its fight against criminal illegal aliens that threaten the safety of our communities. NFARS can play a vital role in the fight to protect our borders, and I look forward to working with Secretary Hegseth and Secretary Noem to make this a reality.”

“One of my top priorities when I got home from Washington was to set up an in-person briefing with the Buffalo ICE office to hear directly from them about how their operations have ramped up under President Trump’s executive actions to deport criminal illegals,” said Congressman Langworthy. “In that meeting, I learned that the ICE Processing Center in Batavia is nearly at capacity, and with the massive illegal population accused and convicted of crimes in New York, opening the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station to support their efforts will help ensure they can continue to swiftly execute the President’s orders. As the Department of Defense is already aiding the Department of Homeland Security in its border security measures, it makes perfect sense to ask Secretary Hegseth to consider this request. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, the entire federal government is working together to make our country safer.”