ALBION — An Albion man is facing numerous felony charges for a fire on Saturday that destroyed three houses.

Gary A. Tarr

Gary A. Tarr was mixing compounds to make fireworks at a garage on 221 West State St. He lit a small portion of the firework to test it. It exploded and a massive fire quickly engulfed the garage and a house he shares with his girlfriend. The fire spread to two neighboring homes, one on East Academy Street and the other on West State Street.

Tarr was charged on Thursday with 5 counts of reckless endangerment in the first degree, a D felony; three counts of fourth-degree arson, an E felony; three counts of fourth-degree criminal mischief, an A misdemeanor; and three counts of reckless endangerment to property, a B misdemeanor.

The top charges carry a maximum of 2 1/3 to 7 years in prison. Tarr has no prior criminal record.

He was issued an appearance ticket to Albion Town Court on March 2. The court dates have been pushed back due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the rising cases locally and in the region.

“I do want to state that this was an individual who foolishly got in involved in a very dangerous activity that has endangered other people in the community and could have led to far worse consequences but for the quick action of law enforcement,” District Attorney Joe Cardone stated at the news conference this morning at the Albion Village Hall.

Tarr faces five counts of reckless endangerment because five people were inside the three houses when he caused the fire at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. The three counts of arson are for the three houses that were badly damaged.

Two of the houses have been declared total losses and are expected to be torn down in the next week, Police Chief Roland Nenni said.

The other house on East Academy Street is being evaluated and is expected to be declared a total loss and removed as well, Nenni said.

Tarr was treated for injuries to his face and torso at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester. He also has an “extreme loss of hearing,” the Albion police chief said.

Tarr has made many fireworks and distributed them in the community. Those fireworks are “extremely dangerous,” Nenni said. They have a very quick burn rate from the fuse and are highly combustible. The police chief urged people who have them to call 911 and a bomb technician will be called to remove them. People who have the fireworks won’t face any charges, Nenni said.

The fireworks resemble a toilet paper roll with a fuse.

Orleans Hub with have more soon from the 10 a.m. news conference today.

Orleans County District Attorney Joe Cardone said Gary Tarr’s actions were extremely reckless and put others at risk in the community.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Volunteers, including Natalie Mrzywka, Kim Hazel and Robert Batt from the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County, carry boxes to vehicles this morning in Albion in what is the last scheduled food distribution.

The events started in April in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, trying to connect excess produce and other food to people in need.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has funded the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program nation-wide through the end of December. An announcement hasn’t been made whether the distributions will continue in January.

These two walk down Chamberlain Street on their way to the elementary school, passing a long line of vehicles. The line also went down McKinistry, East Park and Main streets.

Krista Fiegel, an employee at the Iroquois Job Corps, rips the plastic off a pallet of boxes of food. She was one of four Job Corps employees who helped this morning.

Community Action and the Office for the Aging have been coordinating the events in Albion and Holley with the Medina Area Association of Churches taking the lead in Medina.

The line of vehicles stretched over four streets including Main Street. This photo was taken at about 8 a.m.

MEDINA – The school district has faced an increase in the number of students and staff testing positive for Covid-19.

Those cases and the resulting mandatory quarantines for close contacts has the district near a shortage of staff for providing in-person instruction, Mark Kruzynski, the district superintendent, wrote in a letter to the community today.

The district reported five new confirmed cases today, with two students and one staff member in the high school, and two students in the middle school.

Medina has had 13 students and 12 teachers/staff test positive for Covid this school year, according to a state website tracking the cases in public schools. The numbers on the state website were last updated on Dec. 9.

“With the rising number of mandatory quarantining of students and staff members in our district, Medina Central School is dangerously close to not being able to have enough staff to conduct in-person learning,” Kruzynski wrote in his letter today. “If we are unable to conduct in-person learning in the future, parents will be notified by our Remind system, and by a robe-call. Please make sure your student brings their Chromebook home daily, ‘just in case.’”

Lyndonville is going to remote-only next week through the holiday break due to staff members being quarantined due to possible Covid exposure. Lyndonville plans to return to in-person classes on Jan. 4.

The new confirmed Covid-19 cases today include 53 combined for Orleans and Genesee counties, as well as 60 recoveries for people who contracted the virus.

In Orleans County, there are 30 new positive cases of Covid-19, bringing the total to 808 cases since March.

The new positive cases reside in Albion, Barre, Carlton, Clarendon, Gaines, Murray, Ridgeway, Shelby and Yates. One of the new cases is a resident of Orchard Rehabilitation & Nursing Center in Medina.

The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.

Orleans is reporting 6 of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.

The county also has had 12 of the previous positive individuals recover and be removed from the isolation list.

There are five people from the county hospitalized due to complications from Covid-19.

• Albion Central School was informed today that a staff member from the elementary school tested positive for Covid-19. The Health Department has completed contact tracing for the staff member and contacted those identified as close contacts.

• Holley Central School yesterday said an elementary school staff member and four Holley students tested positive for Covid-19.

The last day the staff member was in school was Wednesday, December 2. None of the students (three at the elementary and one at the Middle/High School) have been in school since Nov. 23 (prior to Thanksgiving), District Superintendent Brian Bartalo posted on the district website.

Since the students have not been in school for over two weeks, there will not be contract tracing for them. The Department of Health is processing the case with the staff member and the district will cooperate with the health officials.

• Medina Central School is reporting five new confirmed cases, with two students and one staff member in the high school, and two students in the middle school. The Health Department determined no school-related quarantines needed for the two cases in the middle school, while the Health Department and school district worked to determine which students and staff will need to be quarantined, according to a letter on the district website from Mark Kruzynski, the district superintendent.

In Genesee County there are 23 new confirmed cases of Covid-19, bringing Genesee’s total to 1,306 positive cases since March.

The new positive cases reside in Alexander, Batavia, Bergen, Byron, Darien, LeRoy and Pembroke. One of the new cases is a resident at the VA Medical Center in Batavia.

The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s.

Genesee also is reporting 48 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

The county has 21 residents hospitalized due to Covid.

• Rapid Testing: Orleans County will be hosting a rapid testing clinic on Dec. 16 from 1 to 4 p.m. The focus is for asymptomatic individuals and is free. This is a self-administered rapid test at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds, 12690 Rt. 31 in Knowlesville. Enter the fairgrounds from the Taylor Hill Road entrance.

To schedule a test for the Orleans County drive-through clinic, register on-line (click here). To access the Rapid Test Intake Form, click here. The filled out form should be printed and brought to the clinic. For assistance with the online registration call the Orleans County Health Department at 585-589-3278.

• 3-County Data: Click here to see an online map of confirmed cases in the three rural counties of Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming. There are currently 449 active cases in the three counties, which ties Monday for having the most during the pandemic.

Orleans has a new record high of 139 active cases, up from 122 on Wednesday, 92 on Tuesday and 89 on Monday.

Genesee, which had 269 active cases on Monday, has been able to reduce that number to 187 today.

Wyoming has a record high of active cases today at 123, up from 110 on Wednesday, which matched the previous high set on Dec. 4.

The Finger Lakes Region, which includes Orleans County, leads the regions of the state for highest percentage of positive cases.

• State-wide Data: The state reported 10,178 new cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday out of 197,406 tests, for a positivity rate of 5.15 percent.

The number of hospitalizations for a Covid-related illness was at 5,164 on Wednesday. That is up from 4,063 on Dec. 3 and 2,124 on Nov. 17.

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Maison Albion will celebrate grand opening at site transformed for weddings and special events

Photos by Tom Rivers: A Christmas tree is reflected in one of the mirrors in the bridesmaids suite at Maison Albion, which will celebrate its grand opening on Saturday.

ALBION – Kerri and Cole Glover will host its grand opening of Maison Albion with an over-the-top Victorian holiday party on Saturday with a French flair.

Maison Albion had ornaments made in the likeness of the building at 13800 County House Rd., formerly known as The Pillars.

The Glovers have been preparing to open their doors to the public since they purchased the property at 13800 West County House Road, formerly known as The Pillars. They have worked since early July to transform the property.

The public will have its first chance on Saturday to see the new look for the 1878 mansion.

“The first phase of the project is almost complete,” Mrs. Glover said. “The name of the launch is ‘Fête de Nöel,’ which translates to ‘Christmas Party,’ fitting with the over-the-top Victorian holiday party theme.”

To adhere to Covid-19 regulations, Maison Albion will only be welcoming 50 guests at a time in designated two-hour time slots, beginning at 4 p.m., 6 p.m., 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. The $25 admission charge will be donated to Community Action of Orleans & Genesee.

There will be temperature checks at the door and masks will be required to enter. The owners will be monitoring the changing Covid requirement as the situation develops in Western New York and will adhere to regulations as they may change, Mrs. Glover said.

Maison Albion is also offering virtual tickets to the event. Guests can “attend” the party online in the comfort of their home and enjoy everything the guests will via their guest guide from 6 to 8 p.m.

The bridal suite is pictured in this photo. Maison Albion owners Kerri and Cole Glover have transformed the site to give it a style from a late 19th century French estate.

Once inside, guests will be able to celebrate with hors d’oeuvres, drinks and many desserts. The house will be dazzling with holiday decorations designed by the area’s favorite local planners and florists, Mrs. Glover said. The event will include a tour led by a group of volunteer docents who will welcome and lead guests through this historic home.

The site will have nine Christmas trees decorated for the grand opening celebration. The chandelier in this photo was in the Waldorf Astoria in New York City.

Fête de Nöel will be an annual fundraising event, Mrs. Glover added. All proceeds will be donated to Community Action of Orleans & Genesee. The donation will top off the evening’s events.

Maison Albion is a historic mansion built in 1878, which the Glovers have reimagined to host weddings and events. Guests will be transported to a time of luxurious craftsmanship and lavish celebrations through its breathtaking ballroom and grounds reminiscent of a late 19th century French estate, Mrs. Glover explained.

Tickets may be purchased through their website at www.MaisonAlbion.com.

The Glovers chose a French name and theme for their new venue for several reasons. The couple met in France and they love the French influence, originally from the settlers of this area and from abroad, she said. They created a French design for the interiors in the way Victorians would have enjoyed it – influenced from Marie Antoinette’s apartments at Versailles and Chinoiserie.

“We chose ‘Maison Albion’ because we wanted a fresh start for the venue,” Mrs. Glover said. “‘Maison’ means ‘house’ or ‘home’ in French. Also, Albion was originally settled by the French. In addition, we want our venue to feel warm and welcoming to the community.”

The Glovers plan to host several events for the community annually, and they will also donate the venue 10 times a year to non-profits for their events.

Saturday’s celebration will also include a ribbon-cutting with the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce.

Press Release, Oak Orchard Health

ALBION – In collaboration with the Orleans County Public Health Department, Oak Orchard Health will be offering free Rapid Covid-19  tests at Oak Orchard’s Albion location, 301 West Ave.

This drive-through clinic will be conducted on Friday, December 18, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Asymptomatic testing is for people who don’t have symptoms but want tests completed for other purposes such as travel and work requirements.

No appointments are needed, however, you must have your form completed prior to testing. You can find the form by clicking here.

To help the process please note the following guidelines:

• Please print and complete this form (click here).
• Make sure you have a pen in your vehicle.
• Everyone in the vehicle is to have their mask on when they pull up at the testing site.
• For those who are getting tested, they may get a call quickly from an unknown number…please answer the phone. Staff cannot leave messages and can only give results to the individual tested or the guardian of minor children.
• If the results are positive, you will be notified by the New York State Department of Health.

These free tests and swabbing kits are being provided by NYSDOH.

Contributed Photos – The large new individual event scoreboard at the Albion pool which shows the time and place finish of each lane in a particular event.

The new scoreboard which shows the team scores for both the boys and girls meets.

When the upcoming Niagara-Orleans League swim season gets underway the Albion High pool will be ready with some major upgrades for the facility’s timing and scoring system.

The district recently completed work installing a new electronic timing system and new touch pads.

The new system has included the installation of two new scoreboards. One displays the team scores for both the boys and girls meets. The other larger scoreboard displaces the time and place finish for each lane for a particular event.

The improvements will also include the installation of new swim lanes.

“It really is a complete upgrading of the timing and scoring system,” said Athletic Director Adam Krenning. “It really is a very positive improvement.”

Free testing for asymptomatic people expected to continue through January

Press Release, Orleans County Health Department

KNOWLESVILLE – Orleans County will be offering residents, who are asymptomatic (no symptoms, not feeling sick, etc.) free drive-through Covid-19 self-administered rapid testing at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds, 12690 Route 31. The entrance to the clinic is the west entrance on Taylor Hill Rd off Route 31.

The free testing will be offered from 1 to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, December 16. As a reminder, for anyone who had a recent potential exposure to Covid-19, it is not recommended to be tested until at least 5 days have passed since the exposure.

To schedule a test, please register online by clicking here. Anyone needing additional help for online registration may contact the Orleans County Health Department at 585-589-3278.

“Our Genesee County clinics have had exceptional turnouts and will continue to be offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays at least through January,” stated Paul Pettit, Director for the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments. “We anticipate that the Orleans County clinics will continue on Wednesdays from 1 to 4 p.m. through January as well.”

To help the process please note the following guidelines:

• Complete your test intake form (click here).
• Print out your completed forms (each person in your vehicle should have their own form) and bring them with you to the clinic.
• Make sure you have a pen in your vehicle.
• Everyone in the vehicle is to have their mask on when they pull up at the testing site

Those who are testing could get a call fairly quickly from an unknown number…please answer the phone. Staff cannot leave messages and can only give results to the individuals tested or the guardian of minor children.

“We are working with our county partners to put these clinics on as the Health Department staff continue to do case investigations to lessen the impact of the virus,” stated Lynne Johnson, Orleans County Legislative Chair. “This helps us identify those who are potentially infected and preventing them from spreading the virus to others. This will also help lower our positivity rate. We look forward to providing this service to our residents.”

Press Release, Orleans-Niagara BOCES

Serenity Baumgart (Medina) holds a wolf pelt.

MEDINA – Animal Science teacher Paige Hungerford recently had a guest at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center. John Bateman, an instructor of Environmental Conservation at Finger Lakes Community College, gave the students some hands-on exposure to exotic species.

“My students are learning about exotic animals such as birds, reptiles, rodents, etc.,” said Mrs. Hungerford. “Mr. Bateman shared his collection of animal furs, skulls and products that were made from exotic animals. His collection comes from confiscated items by authorities, who donate them to the college for learning purposes.”

Students learned about minks whose colors change depending on the season – white in winter and brown in the summer. It helps them to hide from predators.

The students saw a python skin that was over 6 feet in length. They also examined sheds from cervids, which are mammals who possess antlers such as deer, elk and moose.

Mr. Bateman also showed them a skunk pelt, wolf pelt and coyote pelt and talked about how they were made into clothes and trophies.

Group nearing 17 years of pumping gas for senior citizens

Photos by Tom Rivers: Gary Westlund pumps gas for a local senior citizen on Wednesday at Crosby’s in Albion at the corner of routes 31 and 98.

ALBION – A dedicated group that has pumped gas every Wednesday morning the past 16 years for senior citizens has also raised about $600 this year for the PAWS animal shelter in Albion.

The Albion Betterment Committee has spearheaded the effort every Wednesday from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Crosby’s gas station on Route 31. Besides pumping the gas, the ABC pays for a 10-cent discount per gallon.

Few of the senior citizens accept the discount. Most choose to give it back for ABC to donate to PAWS. That has added up to $600 this year.

The Betterment Committee this holiday season also is directing some of those unclaimed discounts to the Salvation Army red kettle drive. That is up to $120 so far. Community Action runs the red kettle campaign in Orleans County. This year they aren’t having in-person bell ringers due to Covid-19.

Gary Kent, one of the ABC directors and a gas pumper, wanted to send some money to the red kettle campaign, which continues with countertop kettles in some stores.

Gary Westlund knocks some snow off the windshield and wipers of a vehicle driven by a senior citizen.

Kent sees the gas pumping as a way to assist senior citizens and make a weekly connection with those residents.

He praised a group of local veterans who have been dedicated to the effort, including Gary Westlund and Clarence Winkelmann. Joe Gehl, an ABC director and Korean War veteran, also has been very supportive of the effort.

Westlund, a Marine and retired materials manager at Delphi in Rochester, drives from Spencerport to Albion every Wednesday to pump gas for senior citizens. On Wednesday, he also wiped snow off their windshields.

Fay DeClerk

“He is as dependable as the sun rises,” said Kent, a retired social studies teacher at Kendall.

Sometimes the volunteers will check car fluids and walk the money inside the store so seniors don’t have to get out in the cold.

They also will open doors for other customers at Crosby’s and offer a friendly greeting.

Kent said the volunteers show no signs of slowing down from the weekly commitment. In February, they will mark 17 years of pumping gas for seniors.

“It’s a good cause,” Westlund said. He also visits family on his weekly trips to Albion.

Fay DeClerk appreciates the volunteers being so reliable and helpful on Wednesday mornings.

“They’ve pumped my gas a lot of times,” she said Wednesday morning. ‘It’s nice of them.”

District could receive up to $201,600 in first year, plus another $50K in one-time payment

BARRE – The Albion Board of Education agreed to a payment in lieu of taxes agreement with the developers of Heritage Wind, a deal that would bring up to $201,600 in the first year, plus 2 percent in annual increases.

Apex Clean Energy, the developers of the project, also offered a $50,000 one-time payment to be paid within 15 days of when construction of the project is done. The company is proposing to build 33 turbines with a 5.6 megawatt capacity of 184.8 megawatts total.

The company has offered $9,000 per megawatt annually to be shared among taxing entities in a PILOT or community host agreement.

Barre has opted out of a PILOT and instead is trying to negotiate a host community agreement. That way Barre will get a majority of the revenue from Apex. With a PILOT, the money tends to be divvied up based on the tax rates of the municipalities. With that approach, the school district would get the largest percentage with Barre getting less than the school and county.

With the PILOT agreement, Albion would receive $1,091.91 per megawatt annually or $201,600. One of the 33 turbines also is proposed to be in the Oakfield-Alabama school district, which would receive $34.09 per megawatt or $6,300 annually.

Orleans County would receive $1,125 per megawatt for $207,900 in the first year, with 2 percent annual increases to follow.

Heritage also agreed to $50,000 to the school district for a one-time “Heritage Wind Renewables Ecology, Clean Energy, and Sustainability Scholarship and Education Support Fund.” The money is to be spent at the discretion of the district. It could be used for scholarships, science fairs, student research projects, financial support for faculty in renewable energy field, a STEM lab or “however the district deems fit.” The $50,000 is to be paid within 15 days after completion of the project.

The Board of Education accepted the terms of the PILOT on Monday, with the understanding the BOE isn’t stating support or opposition for the project. That decision will be left to the town and the state, the BOE said.

“Approving these resolutions does not mean that the district is in favor or against the construction of the wind mills,” the BOE stated in its resolution. “The district has made it very clear that this is a decision to be made by the people in the Town of Barre and the State of New York. These are just procedural items necessary in order to be included in the distribution of funds if this project does move forward.”

The Albion school district had a tax levy of $8,449,094 for the 2020-21 school year. The $201,600 would represent 2.4 percent of the school taxes.

For the county, the tax levy in 2021 is $18,309,497. The $207,900 for the county represents 1.1 percent of the county taxes.

The revenue for Barre would make a much bigger difference in the town taxes. Barre’s 2021 budget calls for a tax levy of $1,108,566.

Apex has offered the local taxing jurisdictions $9,000 per megawatt annually. If the project is built as proposed at 184.8 megawatts that would be $1,663,200 in total annual revenue.

The PILOT includes first year payments of $207,900 for the county, $201,600 for the Albion school district and $6,300 for Oakfield-Alabama – $415,800 total. Subtracting that from $1,663,200 might leave $1,247,400 for Barre, which would more than wipe out the town taxes. (The terms for the Barre host community agreement haven’t been publicly disclosed.)

Heritage Wind officials will discuss the proposed project for Barre during a virtual public meeting from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Click here for more information.

LYNDONVILLE – The school district announced today that it will be going remote-only starting next week for the rest of December.

“As the number of positive Covid-19 cases continues to rise across New York State and Orleans County, it brings a number of challenges for our school district, including the ability to staff in-person learning with certified staff members,” Jason Smith, District superintendent, said in a letter to the community. “In addition, positive cases continue to grow and many staff and students are unable to attend in-person instruction given the close-contact quarantine mandate.”

Lyndonville will shift to remote-only on Dec. 14 and continue with on in-person classes until after the holidays on Jan. 4.

Batavia City School District in Genesee County also has switched to remote only due to the challenges of quarantining staff due to possible Covid exposures.

“I would like to thank you for your ongoing efforts to help minimize the spread of Covid-19 in our school and community,” Smith said in his letter. “With your assistance, we have been able to successfully keep our doors open and offer daily in-person instruction for all our students with remote instruction as an option.”

The district so far this school year has had three students and six staff members test positive for Covid.

“As you know, we have been in regular contact with the Orleans County Department of Health and are closely monitoring the rise of positive cases in our district,” Smith said. “Throughout the pandemic, we have had to make adjustments on a case-by-case basis to ensure the safety of our students and staff.”

Smith outlined these key details for the district as part of the switch to remote-only:

• The last day of in-person instruction will be Friday, Dec. 11, for students in grades Pre-K to 5.
• For students in grades 6-12, the Academic Assistance Day for Dec. 11 will go on as planned. For students who are not expected to attend the Academic Assistance, their last day will be Thursday, Dec. 10.
• Free breakfast and lunch will continue to be available for all district students. During this closure, meals may be picked up each day from 9 to 11 a.m. in the parent drop off loop at the far cafeteria door.
• On Friday, Dec. 18, food pick up will contain meals for 3 days. There will be no meals served from Dec. 21 to Jan. 1. If meal delivery is needed, call 765-3122 to make a request.
• Students without internet access at home may request a Kajeet wireless hotspot by contacting Dr. Aaron Slack via email aslack@lcsdk12.org or by phone 765-3162.
• If a student requires transportation to and from BOCES:
• Walkers will continue to come to Lyndonville school district and board the bus to Orleans/Niagara BOCES. They will board the bus for the return trip to Lyndonville, and will walk home from school.
• For students who ride the bus to Lyndonville, contact the Lynn Fetzner at 765-2701 and Lyndonville will send a bus to pick up the student and at the completion of the day at BOCES, will be transported home.

2 counties combined pass 2,000 Covid cases since March

Orleans and Genesee counties are reporting 85 more confirmed cases of Covid-19 today in the two counties. Those cases push the total past 2,000 in the two counties since March.

In Orleans, there are 37 new positive cases reported today, with the total to 778 positive cases since March.

The new positive cases reside in all 10 towns of the county – Albion, Barre, Carlton, Clarendon, Gaines, Kendall, Murray, Ridgeway, Shelby and Yates. The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s.

Of the new cases, 13 of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments said in a news briefing.

The county is reporting that 6 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

There are currently 6 positive individuals hospitalized.

• Albion Central School notified the community today that a student in the elementary school and one in the high school have tested positive for Covid-19. Contact tracing and the quarantine of students and staff members was implemented according to Health Department guidelines, the district said.

• The Medina Central School reported that a staff member at Wise Intermediate/Middle School tested positive for Covid-19. The Department of Health has determined that there is no need for any further quarantines related to any school contact, the district said.

In Genesee County, there are 46 new positive cases for a total of 1,283 since March.

The new positive cases reside in Alabama, Alexander, Batavia, Bergen, Bethany, Byron, Darien, Elba, LeRoy, Pavilion and Pembroke. The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.

Of the new cases one is a resident at the Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Batavia, two are residents at Premier Genesee Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation, and two are at the VA Medical Center. In addition, one of the previous community active cases has been identified as a resident of the Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Batavia.

Genesee is reporting 58 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

Genesee has 21 residents hospitalized due to Covid, the highest during the pandemic.

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments has a new format for announcing when there is a time when they can’t contact potential close contacts.

The above chart will replace several press releases and will be reported as needed. The Health Departments say people may have been exposed to Covid from noon to 1 p.m. on Dec. 2 at O’Lacy’s Irish Pub in Batavia.

For people at O’Lacy’s during this time, they should monitor for symptoms of Covid-19. If the symptoms develop, contact a primary care provider to seek testing immediately and self-isolate until the test results are received.

Symptoms of Covid-19 include but are not limited to fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.

• 3-County Data: Click here to see an online map of confirmed cases in the three rural counties of Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming. There are currently 445 active cases in three counties, up from 422 on Tuesday and down slightly from the 449 on Monday, which is the peak for active cases during the pandemic.

Orleans has a new record high of 122 active cases, up from 89 on Monday and 92 on Tuesday. Genesee is at 213 active cases, down from 269 on Monday and 231 on Tuesday. Wyoming has 110 active cases today, which ties its high of 110 on Dec. 4. Wyoming had 91 on Monday and 99 on Tuesday.

Photo courtesy of Albion Police Department: Albion Police Officer Christopher Glogowski is pictured with elementary school students in this photo from February 2019.

ALBION – The school district agreed to keep a school resource officer until the end of the school year on June 30, 2022.

The Board of Education voted on Monday to renew a 2-year contract with the Village of Albion, at the same $81,250 rate. The contract keeps an officer committed at the district from Sept. 1 to June 30.

Chris Glogowski, an Albion police officer, has served in the role since February 2019, after the district didn’t have an SRO for several years. The Board of Education on Monday said Glogowski has proven to be “a valuable asset to the district.”

“He also has spent a large portion of his time working with our students and building a relationship with them,” the Board of Education stated in the contract agreement. “You can often find him greeting students when they arrive in the morning, along with a send-off wave at the end of the day. When he isn’t greeting students, you can find him in the classroom reading stories to students which he continued during our closure through recorded videos.”

If Albion is unable to assign an officer to the school, the contract will be reduced by $350 per day.

The school resource officer works under direction and supervision of the Albion police chief, but the school superintendent and building principals also can have input in the officer’s duties and job performance.

The duties of the SRO include but are not limited to law enforcement, investigation, education, counseling (as appropriate), and those items identified in a specific job description, according to the contract.

The officer will work normal school hours, Monday through Friday, and some major school social and sporting events.

The $81,250 contract with Albion is less than the $95,070 that both Lyndonville and Kendall pay the county to have a deputy assigned as school resource officer. With the county contract, there is no built-in overtime. If Kendall or Lyndonville district need overtime, that is invoiced separately.

Medina’s contract for a school resource officer has the school district paying the village $70,000 for services from a Medina police officer this school year.