By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 January 2026 at 11:04 am
Finger Lakes Community College, Jacksonville State University, SUNY Canton and Southern New Hampshire University note academic achievers from Orleans
Four colleges have recently notified the Orleans Hub of students from Orleans County who made either the Dean’s List or President’s List for the fall semester.
• At Finger Lakes Community College in Canandaigua, there are 973 students on the Dean’s List, maintaining at least a 3.5 grade point average for the semester.
Those students include Rachael Howard of Albion, Bryan Hardenbrook of Kendall, and Addison Paul and Julian Woodworth of Medina.
• Seagan Christine Majchrzak of Medina has been named to Dean’s List at Jacksonville State University in Alabama.
To be named to the Dean’s List, students must earn a 3.5-3.99 GPA for the semester while completing at least 12 GPA hours of course credit.
• Two students from Orleans County were named to the President’s List at SUNY Canton with GPAs of 3.75 or higher.
Lakshia Johnson of Albion and Lorelei Sanders are both Legal Studies majors.
• Two from Orleans also were named to the President’s List at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, NH.
Andrea Sanchez Vargas of Holley and Nordia Campbell of Albion both had GPAs of 3.70 or higher.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 January 2026 at 10:11 am
Apex will focus on site work in 2026 before 28 turbines constructed next year
BARRE – The first phase of construction is expected to start next week for a high-profile project that has been 10 years in the making.
Apex Clean Energy will start clearing about 30 acres of trees next week in Barre. Apex has hired Ironwood Heavy Highway in Rochester for the job of clearing trees. Ironwood is expected to start cutting down trees on Jan. 19. The job should take a few weeks with work limited to between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., said Carmen O’Keefe, the director of development, and Brian O’Shea, director of public of public engagement for Apex Clean Energy.
Apex is owner and developer of the Heritage Wind project in Barre, which will have the capacity to produce 126 megawatts of electricity.
The tree clearing is limited to no later than March 31 due to the presence of federally listed bats.
There will be a full mobilization of about 200 construction workers in the community in May or June to work on installing access roads, turbine foundations and other site work, including construction of turn radiuses for the delivering of the turbine components.
The Heritage Wind project will have 28 turbines, and the turbines will be constructed in 2027 with the project expected to be operational in late 2027, O’Shea said. The turbines will be more than 600 feet high.
The project also includes 10.5 miles of access roads, one permanent meteorological tower, 25.2 miles of collection lines, a temporary construction laydown yard of approximately 13.9 acres, a temporary concrete batch plant (if needed), parking for construction workers, an operations and maintenance facility with two buildings totaling about 4,000 square feet, and one aircraft detection lighting system tower.
For maps and more details of the project, click here.
Once the project is operational, Apex will pay $9,000 per megawatt to local municipalities or $1,134,000 in the first year, with a 2 percent increase after that over 25 years.
Barre gets 75 percent of the money as part of a Host Community Agreement. The $6,750 per megawatt totals $850,000.
The remaining 25 percent or $2,250 per megawatt is evenly split by the school district and county. That is $140,175 each.
In addition, Heritage Wind will be paying $4.575 million administrative fees to the Orleans Economic Development Agency for administering the PILOT with the school district and county.
The project also will save the average Barre household $150 annually in energy bills through the first ten years of the project’s operations through NYSERDA’s Host Community Benefit Program, O’Shea said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 January 2026 at 9:01 am
State-wide the number of new cases dropped 43 percent
The number of new confirmed cases has decreased in New York State during the week ending Jan. 3, but the cases went up in Orleans County during that week, especially among those 60 and older.
State-wide, there were 28,554 laboratory-confirmed cases in the week ending Jan. 3, which is down 43 percent from 49,850 cases the previous week. This season there have been 269,433 laboratory-confirmed cases, according to the state Department of Health.
Flu hospitalizations is at 4,228 in the week ending Jan. 3, down 7 percent from 4,546 in previous week. So far this flu season 17,833 people have been hospitalized in New York State.
In Orleans County, the rate of cases is at 353.8 per 100,000 people, according to the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments. That is up from 181.7 per 100,000 from the previous week, and 76.5 the week ending Dec. 20.
The rate for people ages 0-19 is at 226.1 in the week ending Jan. 3, which is down from 440.4 the previous week and 571.3 the week ending Dec. 20.
Overall, the rate of new confirmed cases in Orleans County is at 204.1 per 100,000 people. (The county’s population is the 2020 census was 40,343.) That 204.1 rate is up from the 196.5 in both the previous two weeks.
While the cases was up slightly in Orleans County, Genesee had a rate of new confirmed cases at 146.7 for the week ending Jan. 3. That was down significantly from the rate of 252 new cases the previous week and 239.9 from the week ending Dec. 20.
While the new cases were down statewide, in Genesee and Orleans counties the new cases increased from 217 for the week ending Dec. 20 to 224 in the week ending Dec. 27, according to the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments.
In Genesee and Orleans counties the new confirmed cases was 166 for the week ending Jan. 3. That is down from 224 the previous week and 217 for the week ending Dec. 20, according to the local health departments.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 January 2026 at 7:38 pm
Powerful winds have again taking down more trees in Orleans County today, about 10 days after the county endured strong winds that took out electricity.
National Grid is reporting 747 of its customers in Orleans County are without electricity at about 7:30 p.m. Most of those outages were in Barre and Clarendon, as well as the Brockville hamlet of Murray. The electricity is expected to be restored by 11 p.m. today.
Genesee County has 1,826 National Grid customers without power, National Grid reported.
Local assemblyman seeks to split NYS into three autonomous regions
Press Release, Assemblyman Steve Hawley
Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) is announcing his re-election bid for State Assembly in the 139th District, which includes Orleans, Genesee and part of western Monroe County.
First elected in 2006, Hawley has an extensive record of delivering results for Western New York. As part of his platform, Hawley is reaffirming his long-standing support for granting Western New York greater autonomy from Albany’s downstate-driven agenda.
He has backed legislation to divide New York into three autonomous regions known as the New Amsterdam Region, the New York Region and the Montauk Region. Each region would have its own governor and legislature to better address local needs.
Hawley has also supported legislation to allow voters to weigh in directly through a statewide referendum asking, “Do you support the division of New York into two separate states?” Hawley is grateful for the continued support of Western New Yorkers and looks forward to continuing the fight for common-sense policies in Albany this November.
“At a time when the cost of living is at an all-time high and public safety is at an all-time low, Albany is in desperate need of common-sense voices,” said Hawley. “For too long, Western New York has been ignored by a downstate-driven agenda that does not reflect our values or priorities. That is why I have supported legislation to give our region real autonomy and allow voters to decide our future for themselves. With socialism gaining ground in this state and radical policies coming out of New York City, we need to act now to protect our freedoms and ensure Western New York has a real voice in its own governance.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 January 2026 at 9:03 am
The National Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a high wind warning for Orleans County today from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. There will be southwest winds from 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 60 mph expected. The strongest gusts will likely be between 3 and 7 p.m., the Weather Service said.
The high temperatures are forecast to reach 58 degrees today with showers. The overnight low will be 31.
The Weather Service said the high temps then include 41 with some rain on Saturday, 34 with some snow showers on Sunday, 34 on Monday and 40 on Tuesday.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 9 January 2026 at 8:54 am
Provided photo: The Transitional Care Unit team at Medina Memorial Hospital is celebrating a substantial increase in admissions during the past year.
MEDINA – With a nationwide health care crisis, Medina Memorial Hospital has seen the impacts first-hand right here in Medina, according to Scott Robinson, director of marketing.
As the aging population continues to grow, there are an increasing number of challenges for the community, according to Robinson.
Among them is providing needed care and more services in the immediate area. One of those is the ability for members of the community to have access to rehab close to home. During the last year, the Transitional Care Unit at Medina Memorial hospital has seen admissions increase from 244 in 2024 to 308 in 2025, an increase of 26 percent, while referrals for subacute rehab have increased by 37 percent.
“I think it goes to show the reputation our TCU team has achieved with other hospitals and within the community,” Robinson said.
The hospital’s TCU program supports patients referred from other hospitals, as well as those admitted through Medina hospital’s Emergency Department for acute care or observation, who require subacute rehabilitation. Once a patient is medically stable for subacute rehab, they can be converted to the TCU services.
“We have been able to create relationships with more specialty groups, such as infectious disease and orthopedic physicians, which results in higher referral volumes,” Robinson said.
Robinson added they have a robust team at Orleans Community Health that is working to make sure the care being provided is top notch. The team includes care management, physical therapy, infection control, PCUII (Progressive Care Unit 2nd floor), housekeeping, dietary, finance and others.
“Medina Memorial Hospital continues to build a reputation – it’s the place to go for subacute rehab and the place to go to get better,” said Randi Ingersoll, director of Care Management at Orleans Community Health. “It has been a privilege to provide TCU services to more than 300 community members in 2025, and we are eager to see continued growth here at OCH.”
“The entire team deserves a great deal of credit, as Randi shared,” Robinson said. “She highlights the strong support being provided across teams. Although growth of this nature can challenge operations, departments remain closely aligned to keep things running seamlessly. It speaks volumes about the dedication of everyone involved in providing exceptional care.”
The team celebrated the gains on Wednesday and are coordinating to determine ways they can continue to improve the patient experience for those receiving care at Medina Memorial Hospital’s TCU.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 January 2026 at 8:31 pm
26 class members will learn about different sectors of county throughout 2026
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Leadership Orleans Class of 2026 kicked off its year of exploration in Orleans County with an opening day retreat today at Fairhaven Inn.
Pictured, front row, from left: Patti Doyle, Ashley Sutherland, Meghan Bevins, Jenai Walker, Krista Dhow and Will Gregoire.
Second row: Pam Wadhams, Ciara Silversmith, Hana Robinson, Rachel Frasier, Darelyn Songer and Brandon Smith.
Third row: Brett Sobieraski, Geen Henry, Lisa Elschker, Susan Thaine and Dr. Taweepon Farrar.
Back row: Sara Flansburg, Jake Weller, Terry Kingdollar, Tim Smith, Gabriella Bottorff, Timothy Dunham, Craig Lane and Chris Hughes. (Missing from photo: Valerie Wells and Amy Crandall.)
Skip Helfrich, executive director of Leadership Orleans since the program started in 2018, discusses different leadership styles during the opening retreat today.
Some of those styles in the “DISC” profile include dominant controller, cautious analytical, influencing promoter, and steadfast supporter.
The “dominant controller” tend to be very determined and decisive, and “results oriented,” Helfrich said, and are often CEOs, entrepreneurs and people who excel at sales.
The “cautious analytical” are very thorough and organized and are often engineers and accountants.
The “influencing promoter” bring lots of ideas and energy and are often politicians, artists and debaters, Helfrich said.
A “steadfast supporter” is a team player and collaborator, often people who excel in human resources, service jobs and as union reps.
Each of the class members did a DISC profile to see where they landed. Helfrich discussed how the different types of people can often clash, and often help each other when they appreciate their different skill sets and styles.
Fairhaven Inn hosted the opening retreat which continues on Friday. This is the ninth class of Leadership Orleans. In the first eight years, 203 people graduated from the program.
The new class of 26 members will spend a year learning about the county and themselves.
The class represents several sectors in the community, including agriculture, education, human services, government, business, a church and volunteerism.
The program aims to build the “citizen capital” of the community, helping develop leaders who are educated on the many facets of the community.
The class will meet monthly, building leadership skills and gaining knowledge, experiences and meeting people from many different sectors in the community. The class will spend different days focused on agriculture, non-profit organizations, government services, small and larger businesses, law enforcement, tourism, arts and culture, community health and economic development.
The group typically visits about 40 sites around the county and hears from about 50 presenters.
The program receives a stipend from the county, and there are many sponsors of programs throughout the years. The class members also pay tuition to be in Leadership Orleans.
This year’s class members include:
Meghan Bevins, assistant director of Orleans County Office for the Aging in Albion
Gabriella Bottorff, food safety coordinator for Lake Ontario Fruit in Albion
Amy Crandall, assistant vice president Generations Bank in Medina
Patti Doyle, art engagement director for GO Art! in Batavia
Krista Duhow, learning coordinator at Medina Central School
Timothy Dunham, executive director of human resources at Orleans/Niagara BOCES
Lisa Elschker, human resource generalist at Community Action of Orleans and Genesee
Dr. Taweepon Farrar, district superintendent for Niagara/Orleans BOCES
Sara Flansburg, owner of Blissett’s Specialty Shop in Medina
Rachel Frasier, executive assistant for Western New Energy in Medina
Will Gregoire, mechanical engineer for Udderways in Albion
Geen Henry, assistant director of prevention for UConnectCare in Albion
Chris Hughes, director of district wellness at Medina Central School
Terry Kingdollar, family support specialist at Arc GLOW in Albion
Craig Lane, commissioner of public works for Orleans County
Hana Robinson, founder of World Life Adventures in Albion
Ciarra Silversmith, clinic manager at Orleans Community Health in Albion
Brandon Smith, loan officer at Farm Credit East in Batavia
Tim Smith, senior principal engineer at Baxter Medical in Medina
Brett Sobieraski, investigator for District Attorney’s Office in Albion
Darelyn Songer, secretary to Orleans County chief administrative officer
Ashley Sutherland, branch manager for M&T Bank in Lyndonville
Susan Thaine, pastor for First Presbyterian Church of Albion
Pam Wadhams, director of Headstart for Community Action of Orleans & Genesee
Janei Walker, HR manager at Baxter Healthcare in Medina
Jake Weller, network engineer for Info Advantage in Rochester
Press Release, Genesee & Orleans County Health Departments
January is Radon Action Month and GO Health (Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments) is encouraging families to test their homes for radon.
Radon Facts:
• Radon is a colorless, odorless gas that can enter homes through cracks in floors, basement walls, foundations, and other openings. It can build up to dangerous levels, especially in winter when homes are closed up.
• Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, and it is the leading cause in people who have never smoked. Exposure to radon is linked to an estimated 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year nationwide.
• In New York State, about 14% of homes have high radon levels that meet or exceed the level where action is recommended by health experts. Genesee County has been identified as an area with a higher average indoor radon level, meaning many homes could have unsafe radon levels.
• Testing and mitigation are effective in reducing radon exposure and protecting the health of your family.
“Testing your home for radon is a quick, easy step that can help protect your family’s health,” stated Darren Brodie, Environmental Health Director for GO Health. “If high radon levels are found, they can be fixed.”
Genesee County residents can get a free radon test kit by calling 585-344-2580 x5555.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 January 2026 at 1:22 pm
Petitions signed by at least 100 registered voters are due by Feb. 10
MEDINA – The Village of Medina has three positions up in the next election, March 18.
The election will be at the Senior Citizen Center, 615 West Avenue, from noon to 9 p.m.
The positions up for election include the mayor (currently Marguerite Sherman), and two village trustees (currently held by Deborah Padoleski and Mark Prawel).
The petitions to run for one of the positions can be obtained at the Village Clerk’s Office at 119 Park Ave. or online at the New York State Elections website, Petition Information (click here) or you can see a Village Independent Nominating Petition by clicking here.
Candidates need their petitions to be signed by at least 100 registered voters in the village. The first day a registered voter can sign an independent nominating petition was December 30.
The first day to file the independent nominating petition is February 3. Petitions must be filed no later than 5 p.m. on Feb. 10 at the Village Clerk’s Office.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 January 2026 at 9:43 am
ALBION – It’s almost time for Democrats and Republicans in the Village of Albion to hold their caucuses to pick their candidates for the March 18 election.
The election is usually the third Tuesday in March, which would be March 17 this year. However, that is St. Patrick’s Day so the election has been moved back a day.
This year there will be four-year terms on the ballot for mayor (currently Angel Javier Jr.) and trustees (currently Tim McMurray and Joyce Riley).
Polls will be open on March 18 from noon to 9 p.m. at the Village Office, 35-37 East Bank St.
None of the parties have officially notified Village Clerk Tracy VanSkiver of their caucus, which must be held between Jan. 20 and Jan. 27, according to the New York Conference of Mayors (NYCOM).
The Democratic Party has informed the Orleans Hub the Democrats will have their caucus at 7 p.m. on Jan. 27 at the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church, 10 East Park St.
Those in attendance will pick the candidates under the Democratic Party line.
Republicans haven’t set their caucus.
Candidates also can run as independents and need to submit petitions signed by at least 100 registered voters in the village. Those petitions are due to the village clerk by Feb. 10.
Albion is the only village in Orleans County that has candidates run under the major party lines. Lyndonville, Medina and Holley don’t have the party lines in their elections. In those villages, all of the candidates run as independents.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 January 2026 at 8:21 pm
Johnson has led the seven-member Legislature the past 8 years
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Lynne Johnson presides over today’s Orleans County Legislature meeting after she was elected by the seven-member Legislature to serve another term as chairman. Lisa Stenshorn, clerk to the Legislature, is at right.
Johnson has led the body the past eight years, serving four two-year terms.
The current term will only be for one year, after the state changed the legislators’ terms from two to one year so the legislators will be up for election on even years instead of odd years. That one-year term will only be for 2026, and then legislators will be back to two-year election cycles.
Orleans County legislators take the oath of office this afternoon in the Legislature’s chambers at the County Office Building. County Court Judge Sanford Church administered the oath to from left: Legislature Clerk Lisa Stenshorn, Legislator Bill Eick, Legislator Don Allport, Legislator Ed Morgan, Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson (with daughter Clancy next to her), Legislator Fred Miller (with wife Betty Sue Miller in back), Legislator John Fitzak and Legislator Skip Draper.
Lynne Johnson of the town of Yates had unanimous support among the legislators to continue as chairman. She has been on the Legislature for 18 years.
Legislator Ed Morgan praised her for keeping all the legislators informed and welcoming their input.
“She keeps us all involved,” said Morgan, a Murray resident. “She listens. She doesn’t make decisions on her own.”
Legislator Don Allport commended both Johnson and Bill Eick, the Legislature vice chairman, for their time and effort in leading the county government.
Bill Eick signs the oath of office book. Legislator Don Allport is at left and County Clerk Nadine Hanlon is at right.
Eick of Shelby was re-elected to serve as vice chairman of the Legislature. Eick just completed 20 years on the Legislature, and previously was a Shelby town councilman.
He is a retired dairy farmer who also worked at Western New York Energy. Johnson praised his experience, and the contributions from all seven legislators.
“We argue and share our opinions, and then we all walk out the door as friends,” Johnson said. “Everyone has their own voice.”
Johnson said she spends three to five days a week in the office, but there are also many other phone calls and emails. She said it is an honor to represent the county at ceremonies, events and funerals for veterans.
This year the county expects to break ground on a new facility for the Emergency Management Office and Johnson said a countywide study of fire/EMS services should help guide how those services are provided in the future.
During today’s organizational meeting, the Legislature also:
Reappointed Lisa Stenshorn as clerk to the Legislature.
Reappointed Kathy Bogan as county attorney.
Set the salaries for legislators at $13,886 for the year, with the vice chairman at $15,750 and the chairman at $20,829.
Designated The Daily News of Batavia as the official newspaper for legal notices.
Designated Don Allport the majority leader of the Republicans and Fred Miller the minority leader for Democrats. Miller is the lone Democrat on the Legislature.
Kim DeFrank takes the oath for a new term as county treasurer. She has been in the role the last eight years. Her husband, Glenn, holds the Bible.
Judge Church also administered the oath of office to Jesse Cudzilo, a new councilman for the Town of Ridgeway.
Bill Jurinich, a new Yates councilman, takes the oath while his fiancé, Patti Bower, holds the Bible.
