By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 September 2025 at 12:46 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: Firefighters and law enforcement officers responded to a U-Haul that plunged into the Erie Canal, just east of the Bennetts Corners Road canal bridge. The body of a man who drowned was recovered by the dive team from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
A Monroe County man has been charged with second-degree manslaughter after his passenger in U-Haul truck drowned in the Erie Canal last night.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said Ryan S. Armstrong, 43, recklessly caused the death of his passenger.
Armstrong was driving the U-Haul box truck with Arizona license plate and attempted to evade law enforcement, topping 85 miles per hour.
Armstrong and his passenger were allegedly stealing items from the Walgreens on Main Street in Brockport and loading the items into the U-Haul. The passenger’s name hasn’t been publicly released yet.
Brockport Police Department and Monroe County Sheriff’s deputies both attempted to stop the U-Haul, but Armstrong refused to stop and recklessly attempted to evade law enforcement, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office stated in the felony complaint filed against Armstrong.
He was arraigned this morning by the Orleans County District Attorney’s Office and is being held in the Orleans County Jail without bail.
Armstrong also drove into a field to evade law enforcement. After successful deployment of spike strips in the area of Bennetts Corners Road, deflating the left rear tire, Armstrong kept driving at a high rate of speed, the felony complaint states.
He turned down an Erie Canal service road and turned sharply to the left, plunging the vehicle into the water at about 7:16 p.m. Armstrong and his passenger both escaped from the cab of the U-Haul. Armstrong was able to swim ashore across the canal while the passenger drowned.
The numerous reckless actions by Armstrong led to the passenger’s death, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office stated.
Armstrong was located and detained after deputies formed a perimeter on the north side of the canal between Bennetts Corners and Countyline roads. A drone picked up a heat signature to help law enforcement locate Armstrong, said Chief Deputy Michael Fowler of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 September 2025 at 12:19 pm
MEDINA – Two people have been sentenced to state prison for their roles in a stabbing in Medina’s Canal Basin on Nov. 1.
Edward Gibson, 43, and Deon Jackson, 25, both of Medina, were charged with first-degree assault.
Gibson used a knife to cut a woman’s throat and stab a man. But were treated at Erie County Medical Center for their injuries.
Gibson was sentenced to 12 years in state prison last week by Orleans County Court Judge Sanford Church.
Deon Jackson was the accomplice in the crime, and helped lure the two to the basin where they were attacked, the district attorney’s office said.
Jackson was sentenced to 7 years in state prison by Judge Church in court this morning.
Jackson also faces a new charge since he was being held in the county jail. He was charged with aggravated harassment of employees by an inmate. He allegedly through feces and urine at corrections officers. Jackson could face an additional 2 ½ to 5 years in state prison for that charge.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 September 2025 at 8:54 am
Photos by Tom Rivers: Mia Thom paints “2026” on the windows of a car this morning before the start of her senior year. About half of the class was treated to breakfast by parents at the Holley Firemen’s Field before they drove to school in a parade of seniors.
HOLLEY – Seniors are starting their final year at Holley Central School with much fanfare. The seniors were treated to breakfast pizza, Timbits and other snacks before the start of the school day. Then they decorated cars with “2026” messages before lining up in parade to the school parking lot.
It’s an annual tradition that goes back a decade or so. The seniors’ parents make the breakfast at the Holley Firemen’s Field. The seniors then decorate their cars and head to school for their final first day.
“It gets everyone together to start the year,” said senior Mia Thom. “It’s the beginning of the end.”
Cadence Lujan was up extra early today for the senior breakfast and the parade to school.
Chelsea Bowen drives to school with “2026” painted on her car window. She welcomed the chance to be with her friends before the start of the school day. The Holley Police Department provided an escort to start and end the parade.
Cassidy Bowen puts some window paint with a message celebrating the start of her senior year.
Many of the seniors, including Kohle Pachla (center), have their parking spaces decorated for their senior year at Holley.
The vehicles carried messages to celebrate the Class of 2026 and highlight students’ passions at Holley Central School.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 September 2025 at 9:47 pm
Photos by Tom Rivers
HOLLEY – Firefighters and law enforcement officers in rescue boats search the water just east of the Bennetts Corners Road bridge in Murray this evening.
Law enforcement detained one person who fled on foot north of the canal. Another person is presumed to be drown and first responders are attempting to recover the body.
The two fled in a U-Haul truck in the chase that went from Brockport to this spot on the canal between Bennetts Corners and the Monroe-Orleans Countyline roads.
There are rescue boats from Murray, Brockport and Kendall fire companies and the marine boat from Orleans County Sheriff’s Office searching for the drowned person. The Monroe County Dive Team and an underwater drone also have been deployed.
There were also K9 teams and drones from the Orleans and Monroe County Sheriff’s Departments that searched for the person who fled the scene.
UPDATE at 6:17 a.m.: WHAM in Rochester reports the body of the passenger was recovered last night.
The two men were allegedly stealing items from the Walgreens on Main Street in Brockport and loading the items into the U-Haul. After a high-speed chase with law enforcement, the driver of the U-Haul intentionally drove the U-Haul into the canal, and then swam across the canal, WHAM reported.
The passenger was unable to swim and struggled to stay afloat and went underwater, WHAM reported. The passenger’s body was recovered by the dive team from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
The Sheriff’s Office will be working with Orleans County District Attorney Susan Howard on determining charges in the case, WHAM reported.
Photo courtesy of Captain’s Cove Motel and Marina and Maverick Sportfishing: From left, Brett Lopresti, Amy Lopresti and Captain Chris Lopresti hold the derby-winning king salmon.
WATERPORT – Amy Lopresti of Rochester landed a 33-pound king salmon on the final day of the 2025 Fall LOC Derby, securing the lead for the $20,000 grand prize.
Lopresti caught the fish Monday while aboard the Maverick on Lake Ontario in Orleans County. She was using a Hawk’s Custom Spoon. The salmon was weighed in at Captain’s Cove in Waterport, officially tipping the scales at 33 pounds, 3 ounces.
“This is exactly the kind of world-class fishing Lake Ontario and Orleans County are known for,” said Ron Bierstine, Orleans County Sportfishing Coordinator. “To see a fish of this caliber caught on the final day of the derby adds to the excitement and shows why anglers from all over come here to fish and compete. Get ready for those same open Lake trophies in the tributaries this fall, winter and spring! ”
The LOC Derby, held each spring, summer and fall, attracts anglers from across the region competing for cash prizes and recognition for some of the lake’s biggest salmon and trout.
More leaderboard results for Orleans County salmon and trout entries for the Fall LOC can be viewed by clicking here.
ALBION – Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) is still accepting last-minute registrations for this year’s Patriot Trip to Washington, D.C.
There are currently 10 available spots with last minute registration ending on Sept. 5. The trip will run from Sept. 18-21 and is open to local veterans and their families.
Participants will get a tour of the nation’s capital and its numerous monuments and landmarks that honor those who served. This year’s trip will feature stops at several notable locations in the D.C. area, including the WWII, Korean and Vietnam War memorials and Arlington National Cemetery.
“This trip is an excellent opportunity to honor not only our local veterans but also those who served before them,” said Hawley. “As the son of a veteran and a veteran myself, I am incredibly excited to host this event for another year. We owe our veterans a deep level of gratitude for all they have sacrificed for the freedoms we enjoy in this country, so being able to take them to our nation’s capital to see these historic landmarks is truly an honor.”
Due to the many generous donations from the community, local businesses and organizations, we are expecting the cost to be $500 per person with everything included. To register, contact Hawley’s office immediately at 585-589-5780 or email hawleys@nyassembly.gov for more details.
For those who wish to donate to support this event, please make your donation out to Patriot Trip and send it to PO Box 171, Albion, NY 14411.
Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke
SHELBY – At approximately 1:04 a.m. on August 31, personnel from the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office responded to South Gravel Road in the Town of Shelby to assist the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office with a domestic incident investigation. The incident, which occurred in the Town of Alabama, involved a report of a possible gunshot.
According to initial reports, a female victim was being followed by her ex-boyfriend in a vehicle. It was alleged that the male may have displayed and possibly discharged a firearm during the incident.
While at a residence on South Gravel Road, law enforcement observed a vehicle matching the suspect’s description traveling westbound through the intersection of South Gravel Road and Blair Road. Deputies from the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office located the vehicle, conducted a felony traffic stop, and detained the male suspect without incident.
No firearm was recovered, and contrary to early reports, no vehicle pursuit took place.
The male suspect was subsequently turned over to the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, as criminal charges are being pursued in connection with the original incident.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 September 2025 at 3:13 pm
RIDGEWAY – A Batavia man was killed after he struck a utility pole around midnight on Route 104 in Ridgeway, Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke said today.
Brad Ohlson, 48, hit the pole and his vehicle caught fire, Bourke said. Deputies responded and the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames at 12623 Ridge Road.
Live power lines also fell across the roadway and around the vehicle, preventing emergency personnel from immediately reaching it, Bourke said.
National Grid crews arrived and disconnected power, allowing Ridgeway firefighters to extinguish the blaze.
Ohlson was located inside the vehicle and was pronounced deceased at the scene. He was transported to the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office for further examination.
The preliminary investigation indicates the vehicle was traveling westbound on Ridge Road at a high rate of speed when it left the roadway, striking several fixed objects before overturning and catching fire, Bourke said.
Multiple properties sustained damage, including utility poles, a mailbox, fencing and a tree.
The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by Ridgeway Fire Company, National Grid, Batavia Police Department, and the Orleans County Coroner’s Office. This incident remains under investigation.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 September 2025 at 12:17 pm
Dr. Lamb says GCC has $86 million economic impact in GLOW
Dr. Craig Lamb, president of GCC
ALBION – The president of Genesee Community College said the local college is adapting to changing needs in the community to better prepare students for the workforce and their educational journeys.
Dr. Craig Lamb said GCC has expanded beyond traditional academics to meet workforce development needs. It is offering technology training programs in industrial electric, plumbing, CNC machining, welding, HVAC-R (heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration).
GCC also has redesigned a two-year associate degree in cybersecurity, which Lamb said prepares students for high-demand careers in digital security.
“These programs are designed to connect students directly to good-paying jobs and support the economic vitality of our region,” he said during a recent presentation to the County Legislature.
Lamb said GCC strives to make college affordable. Tuition and student fees were not increased in 2025-26, he said.
GCC is also part of the SUNY Reconnect program, which opens the door for students ages 25 to 55 to return to college. Eligible students in the select degree programs will have their tuition, fees, books and supplied covered through SUNY Reconnect. Lamb said the initiative “removes financial barriers and makes college more accessible than ever.”
The GCC programs included in the program include Alcohol & Substance Abuse Studies; Computer Information Systems; Computer Support & Operations; Computerized Drafting & Design; Cybersecurity, Systems and Networking; Health Studies; Liberal Arts & Sciences: Teacher Education Transfer; Nursing; Physical Therapist Assistant; Respiratory Care; and Web Design. Click here for more information.
He noted GCC has a total economic impact of $86.4 million in the GLOW region.
“That includes student spending, workforce development and the ripple effects of ur graduates contributing to local industries,” Lamb said. “GCC is not just an educational institution – it’s an economic engine.”
GCC has a campus center in Medina which is the busiest of the campus centers in GLOW, not including the main campus in Batavia.
The college is eager to partner with the community by supporting local initiatives or developing customized training programs, Lamb told the legislators.
“We are proud to maintain a strong relationship with Orleans County, and we’re always open to new partnerships,” he said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 September 2025 at 10:53 am
Several colleges and universities have sent notices to the Orleans Hub, highlighting students on the Dean’s List for the spring semester.
SUNY Oswego recognized two Orleans County residents as high academic achievers on its President’s List and Deans’ List.
Miles W. Hartway of Medina, majoring in wellness management, made the President’s List with a GPA at 3.8 or higher.
Alex E. Stahl of Medina, majoring in operations management and information systems, made the Dean’s List with a GPA between 3.3 and 3.79.
SUNY Cortland’s Dean’s List includes students with a GPA at 3.3 or higher.
Xander Payne of Medina, majoring in Sport Management, and Nathan Sherman of Medina, majoring in Business Economics, both made the list.
The University at Albany has recognized Jacey Sills Merkl of Medina for making the Dean’s List.
Finger Lakes Community College reports Erik Coleman of Holley and Bryan Hardenbrook of Kendall made the Dean’s List.
Hartwick College in Oneonta congratulated Erin Kiefer, an English major, of Lyndonville for making the Dean’s List.
Houghton University has honored two students in Orleans County for making the Dean’s List. Clara Bolton of Albion and Lydia Scharlau of Medina both had GPAs between 3.75 – 3.99 for the semester.
SUNY New Paltz announced that Drayven Oakes of Medina and Danielle Wyant of Albion made the Dean’s List with GPAs at 3.3 or higher.
Iowa State University congratulated Zachary Fike of Medina for making the Dean’s List. Fike is majoring in Agronomy.
Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio, also congratulated Kayleigh Neale of Holley for graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Education: Early Childhood Education.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 September 2025 at 10:24 am
The average price for regular unleaded gas is up 3 cents nationally and state-wide in the past week, AAA reported, with the national average at $3.19 and the state-wide average at $3.18.
A year ago the national average was at $3.33 while it was $3.47 in the state.
AAA said flooding in the Midwest has caused a refinery issue resulting in a price increase in the past week, but prices have stabilized in the past couple of days.
“Overall, gas prices remain consistently lower than a year ago,” AAA said.
Here are the average prices today for regular unleaded in WNY counties:
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 September 2025 at 8:30 am
Group gets rare look inside chapel with striking stained-glass windows
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – A group of about 75 people walk by a statue of Joseph on Sunday evening during a tour of St. Joseph’s Cemetery on East Avenue.
This was the fifth and final cemetery tour of August. The Orleans County Historical Association organized the tours that also included Mount Albion, Robinson Cemetery in Clarendon, Millville Cemetery in Shelby and Greenwood Cemetery in Kendall.
Catherine Cooper, Orleans County historian, led the tour with Susan Starkweather Miller, the Village of Albion historian. Cooper is shown by the monument for the Cunneen family, including John Cunneen.
Cunneen, an Irish immigrant, came to the Albion community at age 12 in 1860, traveling by himself from Ireland. He made it to Albion by packet boat along the Erie Canal, joining cousins in Gaines. Cunneen would became a lawyer and served as attorney general for the state in 1903 and 1904. There is a historic marker about Cunneen at his former home on Platt Street, across from the County Jail.
Cunneen died in 1907 at age 58 of pneumonia. He was a lawyer in Buffalo at the time. The Bishop of Buffalo accompanied the body on a funeral train to Albion.
He was buried in the older St. Joseph’s Cemetery on Brown Road. When the new cemetery opened in 1920, Cunneen’s family agreed to have his grave moved to the new cemetery. The parish priest at the time encouraged people to move their relatives from old St. Joseph’s and offered them favorable terms. He secured a coup when the Cunneen family agreed to have John Cunneen’s body reinterred in a prominent place at the new cemetery.
Cunneen’s wife Elizabeth was buried at Mount Albion in 1917. Being a Presbyterian, she wasn’t allowed to be buried at the Catholic cemetery.
The tour on Sunday gave the public a rare opportunity to go inside the chapel at the cemetery. It has four stained-glass windows made by Frohe Stained Glass of Buffalo. Bill Lattin, retired cunty historian, wrote a book about the local stained-glass windows, Luminaries in the Firmanent.
“Truly these are amazing windows,” Lattin said.
They depict the birth of Jesus, the crucifixion, the resurrection and the ascension.
The chapel is 38 feet by 24 feet and is made of local Medina Sandstone. The building was big enough to fit about 50 people comfortably.
This photo shows the chapel in back and a 16-foot-high cross in front that depicts the crucifixion of Jesus. Below Jesus are Mary Magdalene, Saint John the Baptist and Mary, the Blessed Mother.
Sue Starkweather Miller speaks about Joseph A. Dibley Sr., a blacksmith who also created the world’s largest rolling pin in 1929 when a 3-ton apple pie was made, setting a new record at the time. Charles Howard, founder of a Santa School, led the pie-making effort.
The rolling pin is 4 feet long and weighs 60 pounds. Dibley’s great-granddaughter Loraine Dibley brought the rolling pin to the tour on Sunday.
Dibley’s blacksmith shop was on West Bank Street, the site of the current Gotta Dance studio.
Catherine Cooper talks about the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Francis Sullivan, who served as parish priest in Albion for just over 50 years. A native of Hartland in Niagara County, Msgr. Francis Sullivan was pastor of St. Joseph’s Church from May 19, 1897 to Dec. 13, 1946. During his time in Albion, he celebrated more than 26,000 Masses, performed 660 marriages and 2,017 baptisms.
The first Catholic cemetery in Albion was on Brown Road in Gaines. The 3-acre site was purchased by Father Castaldi in 1873 and named Holy Cross Cemetery but was referred to as St. Joseph’s Cemetery, now St. Joseph’s old cemetery.
Msgr. Sullivan felt the old cemetery was too far outside the village. He saw prominent people selecting Mt. Albion for their final resting place and he felt deceased Catholics should also be entitled to a prominent final resting place, Cooper said.
When Msgr. Sullivan arrived in Albion in 1897, he saw a completed new church structure on West Park Street, but a parish that was deeply in debt. Sullivan led the parish in clearing the debt, and then in building the lyceum, convent, rectory and a sexton’s house. In 1920, he purchased the 14 acres for the new cemetery and chapel.
He also served on the Albion Board of Education for 18 years and was on the building committee for construction of grammar school on Academy Street.
During his time in Albion, he celebrated more than 26,000 Masses, performed 660 marriages and 2,017 baptisms. He was able to persuade the local quarrymen to nearly give the sandstone for the new chapel.
David Snell shares about his father, Peter Snell, who was abandoned and left as an orphan in Buffalo. Young Peter was known as “Billy Knight” before he was adopted by an Albion family at age 4. The display shows Peter’s baptismal clothes when he was adopted by his family.
Peter would go on to serve in World War II. He survived abandonment and the Great Depression before starting a real estate business in 1957 that David continues to operate on Main Street in Albion. Peter passed away in 2000.
The tour highlighted Pasquale DiLaura, who was a key owner and proponent of Medina Sandstone after most of the quarries had closed by 1920. DiLaura kept the Medina Sandstone industry alive in Orleans County from the 1920s through the 1960s.
He was a member of the Albion branch of the Journeymen Stone Cutters Association of North America. His ribbon from the union was passed around on Sunday’s tour.
DiLaura bought the O’Brien Quarry on Howard Road in Clarendon. He kept his employees paid during the Great Depression even when there was little work to be done.
The DiLaura Stone Co. did the Medina Sandstone work on the bridges and culverts on the Lake Ontario State Parkway in the 1950s and 1960s, perhaps the last major public works project with local Medina Sandstone.
In the 1920s and ’30s, DiLaura was urged to leave the Albion area and join many of his quarrymen friends who left the area to the work in the auto factories in Detroit and Michigan.
DiLaura decided to stay put. He bought the quarry in Clarendon. DiLaura kept promoting the product and gave it about 40 more years of life.
He wrote letters to U.S. senators and the Works Progress Administration in Washington, D.C., urging them to pick a project with Medina Sandstone for the public benefit. DiLaura led the crews that built the Hamlin Beach State Park. He taught the young men in the Civilian Conservation Corps how to cut stone. Many of those structures endure about 80 years after they were built.
DiLaura was among a large group of quarrymen who came to Orleans County from Alfedena, Italy. DiLaura’s forefathers were stone cutters for 950 years, working on projects in Italy, Starkweather said.
DiLaura also was the first Italian elected to the Albion Board of Education. He served in that role for 30 years.
“He was truly a champion of this area and this community,” Starkweather said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 September 2025 at 12:14 pm
This image of Robert Brown was part of a military recognition tribute at the Buffalo Bills game last month.
ORCHARD PARK – Robert Brown, a 2003 Medina graduate, was recognized during the Buffalo Bills home preseason game on Aug. 9 against the New York Giants.
Brown was able to stand on the field and be acknowledged by the crowd at the end of the third quarter. A 90-second tribute to his military service was shown on the big screens of Highmark Stadium.
Brown now lives in Buffalo with his wife and four children. He is retiring in November after a 20-year career on active duty with the U.S. Navy.
Chief Petty Officer Brown entered the Navy in 2005. He trained in Hospital Corpsman “A” School that is fundamental for Navy medical personnel. His first assignment was at the Naval Hospital in Jacksonville, Fla.
He deployed to Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba and then completed Field Medical Training Battalion C School in North Carolina. He was deployed as a senior corpsman to Iraq in 2007.
He was then the leading chief petty officer at Balboa Hospital in San Diego. Brown is currently serving out of the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station.
Robert Brown waves to the crowd at the Buffalo Bills game on Aug. 9.
