PALMYRA: John died on October 15, 2018 at age 52. He was predeceased by his mother, Dianne Stalker.  John is survived by his father, John Stalker; siblings, Dyan Stalker, Chad (Stephanie) and Mike (Tracey) Stalker; niece and nephews, Collin, Angelina and Masson, many family and friends. John was an avid outdoorsman, who loved hunting, attending tractor pulls, truck shows and enjoyed attending demolition derbies with his dad. Duke will be remembered for his graceful smile and always willing to give a helping hand to family and friends. Family and friends are invited to gather for a time of visitation, Tuesday, October 23, 2018 from 4-6 PM at Murphy Funeral & Cremation Chapels, 1040 State Route 31, Macedon, NY 14502, where a memorial service will be held at 6 PM.  Memorial contributions in memory of Duke can be made to the American Diabetes Association. Please click on the guestbook at murphyfuneralservices.com, to leave a condolence, light a candle or upload a photo.   

Newark: Jeffery “Jeff” Wayne Austin, 51, entered eternal rest on Monday, October 15, 2018 at Rochester General Hospital.Jeff was born the son of Edward DeWolf and Sherry Austin on Saturday, October 22, 1966, in Newark, NY. He spent his life in the Newark area, graduating from Newark High School, class of 1984. Jeff, for several years worked as the manager of Vienna Estates Mobile Home Park.Jeff was a member of the Newark Volunteer Fire Department, Deluge Hose Co #1 and was Captain of the Newark Fire Police. He Worked on multiple stock car racing crews, the latest, CJ 1 Racing Team at Canandaigua and Out Law tracks. A maroon Chevy Suburban was Jeff’s favorite ride. He also loved to ride his 1984 red motorcycle. Jeff was a huge fan of the Cleveland Browns.Jeff will be remembered by his loving wife of 23 years, Carol M. (Kelley) Austin; daughters, Christina Austin, Rebecca Austin, and Aleisha Austin; son, JT Austin; grandson, Leward Becker; mother, Sherry Rodriguez; father, Ed (Betty) DeWolf Sr.; sisters, Sue (Rick) VanDuyne, Jennifer Rodriguez, and Linda Benge; brothers, Larry Austin, Rick (Mel) Austin, Ed (Renee) DeWolf Jr, Daniel DeWolf, and Greg DeWolf; sister-in-law, Kathy Austin; many nieces and nephews; special friend, Kristin Morris; his great companion, Ginger his dog.Jeff was predeceased by his brothers, Arthur Austin, Robert Austin, and James Austin; grandmother Laura DeRycke; grandfather Arthur Austin; step-grandfather Morris DeRycke and step-brother Steve DeRycke. Family will greet friends at the Norman L. Waterman Funeral Home, Inc., 124 W. Miller St, Newark on Friday (Oct. 19) from 3 to 7 p.m. A Funeral Service will be at the Woodlawn Community Church, 5694 Woodlane, Newark at 11 a.m. Burial will follow in East Newark Cemetery. A reception will be held at the Marbletown Volunteer Fire Department. In memory of Jeff, in lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the family to help with unexpected medical and funeral expenses (use app on left) OR Newark Volunteer Fire Department OR Fairville Volunteer Fire Department. You may write a memory or condolence to the family by visiting www.watermanfuneralhome.com

LYONS: Age 94, passed away unexpectedly Tuesday, October 16, 2018. Doris was born October 30, 1923 in Canandaigua, a daughter to the late Henry C. and Margaret L. McKee West. She was a Lyons High School graduate. She worked at Hickoks in Lyons and later retired from Xerox in Webster after 30 years of employment.  Predeceased by her first husband, Gordon H. Pullen, Sr., second husband, David Rockwell, and 3 brothers, Robert, Lawrence and Frank West.  Survived by 3 sons, Buzz (Susan) Pullen, Thomas Pullen and Joseph (Cindy) Pullen; daughter, Kathy (Bruce) Madsen; grandchildren, Heather (Jon) Meade, Michelle (Noi) Madsen, Jennifer Pullen, Michael (Jasmine) Pullen, Daniel (Jennifer) Prutzman, Paul Prutzman, Jennifer Crowley and Jessica Quick; great-grandchildren, Chase, Haley and Jake Meade, Madeline, Malia and Miley Pullen; sister, Mary Steele; and many nieces and nephews. Family and friends may call on Saturday (Oct. 20) from 1 to 2:30 pm at Weeks-Keysor Funeral Home, 5 Phelps St., Lyons, where a funeral service will follow at 2:30 pm.  Burial will be in York Settlement Cemetery. keysorfuneralhomes.com

PALMYRA: Entered into rest on October 16, 2018 at the age of 80. She is predeceased by her loving husband of 50 years Harold, parents, Ken and Frances, grandson, Jamie Scott, sister, Jackie. Survived by loving children, Cindy (Rick) Ebert, Tammy Scott, David (Judy) Scott, Dale and Terri Scott; several grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Service will be held at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Diabetes Assoc.,160 Allens Creek Rd., Rochester, NY. 14618 or Lollypop Farm, 99 Victor Rd., Fairport, NY. 14450. Condolences may be expressed at stevensfhmarion.com

NEWARK: Doris Elizabeth (Wunder) Smith, age 91 entered eternal rest on Tuesday, October 16, 2018 at her home with her daughter by her side. Doris was born the daughter of the late Fred and Mabel (Kaiser) Wunder on Thursday, August 11, 1927 in Lyons, NY. She attended Lyons High School, graduating the class of 1946. For several years she worked for the New York Telephone Co. in Lyons and Syracuse as an operator. Mrs. Smith left her position to become a homemaker and mother. She enjoyed collecting antiques and had a special ability to find the right piece to decorate her beautiful home. Mrs. Smith was very proud of her home and her family. She was an avid reader and enjoyed watching birds and squirrels and loved dogs. She and her late husband, Robert enjoyed spending time at their home in St. Augustine, Florida. Doris will be remembered by her son, Thomas (Debbie) Smith of Newark; daughter, Susan Smith DeYulio of Geneva; grandchild, Brian (Laurie) Smith; great grandchildren, Elizabeth Smith and Henry Smith; sister, Shirley Howell and Alice (Roger) Fox; sister-in-law, Janet Wunder; several, nieces and nephews. Doris was predeceased by Husband, Robert W. Smith (1/20/2012), son-in-law Thomas DeYulio in 2005 and brother Harold Wunder. In accordance with her wishes all services will be private. Burial in Sodus Center Cemetery at the convenience of the family. In memory of Mrs. Smith, in lieu of flowers please consider donations to Humane Society of Wayne County, 1475 County House Road, Lyons, NY 14489. You may write a memory or condolence to the family by visiting watermanfuneralhome.com

SODUS PT.: Age 85, died Wednesday, October 17th, 2018 at Newark-Wayne Community Hospital. Al was predeceased by his son Matthew in 1993. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Sally; son, Al (Lisa) Hendrikse of Sodus Pt.; grandchildren, Hank Hendrikse of Sodus, Melanie Hendrikse of Williamson, Lisa Hendrikse of Sodus, Matthew (Erica) Hendrikse of Ontario, Laura Rowe of Rochester; 8 great grandchildren; brother-in-law’s, Bob (Cindy) Fitzpatrick of Brighton and Jack Fitzpatrick of Buffalo; sister-in-law’s, Gail Ludwig of Sodus, Nan Wentz of Sodus; several nieces and nephews and a host of other relatives and friends. Friends and family are invited to a gathering from 12:00pm-4:00pm, Saturday, October 27th, 2018 at the Steger Haus Restaurant, 7171 N. Geneva Rd., Sodus, NY 14551. Interment will be at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his name to the Sodus Point Fire Dept., 8364 Bay St, PO Box 139, Sodus Point, NY 14555. Condolences may be expressed at hsnorton.com

SODUS: Age 93, passed away peacefully, Friday, October 19, 2018 at the Wayne County Nursing Home. She was predeceased by her husband, Lawrence; sisters, Dorothy VerSluys, Florence Umphrie, Edna Lumley; brother, Chester Bouwens. She is survived by her daughter, Sylvia Lyon of Marion; grandsons, William Loan of Plattsburgh, Larry Patterson of Lyons, Todd Speers of Sodus; great-granddaughter, Victoria Loan of Sodus; great-grandson, Charles Loan of Germany; nieces, Sally (Edward) Grosz of Sodus, Elaine (Joseph) Pasquale of Sodus, Mary Cross of Florida, Diane Dowd of Seneca Falls, Kathy (Bryan) Keysor of N. Rose. Friends and family are invited to call 11:00am-1:00pm, Saturday, October 27th, 2018 at the Norton Funeral Home, 45 W. Main St., Sodus, NY 14551. Where Memorial Service will be held promptly at 1:00pm. Interment in Baptist Rural Cemetery following. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her name to the Wayne County Nursing Home Foundation, 1529 Nye Rd., Lyons, NY 14489. Condolences may be expressed at hsnorton.com

By Cara Anna
Associated Press

JOHANNESBURG (AP) The World Health Organization has announced that Congo’s latest outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus is not yet considered a global health emergency. Some aid groups expressed alarm when the rate of new cases more than doubled this month. With the area compared to a war zone, resistance to health workers sometimes turning violent and confirmed cases found near the heavily traveled Ugandan border, the risk of regional spread is “very high.”

WHAT IS EBOLA?

Ebola is a virus that without preventive measures can spread quickly and is fatal in up to 90 percent of cases. The symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and at times internal and external bleeding. Symptoms can start to occur between two and 21 days from infection, according to WHO.

The virus is spread by close contact with the bodily fluids of people exhibiting symptoms and with objects such as sheets that have been contaminated. Health care workers are often infected, and burial practices that call for close contact with Ebola victims can spread the disease.

Dozens of people in this outbreak have received one of several experimental Ebola treatments but their effect is yet to be fully studied.

WHY IS THE REGION COMPARED TO A WAR ZONE?

Multiple rebel groups are active in Congo’s far northeast and they have killed hundreds of people in recent years. Attacks in Beni, the center of Ebola containment efforts, have led to a traumatized population that can be wary of outsiders. A “dead city” strike in Beni to protest one attack forced Ebola work to be suspended for a few days, with worrying results. Congo’s health ministry says the crucial work of finding and monitoring suspected contacts of Ebola victims is lower in Beni than elsewhere, increasing the risk of the virus spreading unnoticed.

“When we arrived at the airport we noticed that the area is heavily militarized,” says Dr. Marie Claire Kolie with ALIMA (The Alliance For International Medical Action). “Personally it scared me a little, I must say. But … we can’t just leave these people.”

Congo’s health ministry this week reported a “remarkable advance.” After a confirmed Ebola victim fled into a “red zone” considered inaccessible to health workers, long negotiations with one of the most feared armed groups, the Mai Mai, led to a vaccination team being allowed to enter.

WHY IS THERE COMMUNITY RESISTANCE?

This is the first time an Ebola outbreak has occurred in this part of Congo, and health workers must explain the importance of safe burials and other preventative measures. And yet some residents have rejected Ebola vaccinations and fled, or attacked health teams, or in one case drove off with the corpse of an Ebola victim. One confrontation left Red Cross volunteers seriously injured .

This has hurt containment efforts. On Saturday, Congo’s health minister said the majority of confirmed Ebola cases reported this month have not been on the list of known contacts and the epidemiological links “were only identified after profound investigation.”

After “numerous aggressions” against health workers, the ministry this month announced new measures in Beni. They give authorization for health teams to call on security forces during safe burials. They also threaten criminal sanctions against those who hide suspected Ebola cases or don’t send them to treatment centers.

IS THERE A NEW VACCINE?

Yes, and it has been shown to be highly effective. Congo’s health ministry on Wednesday said more than 18,000 people have been vaccinated. The vaccine must be kept very cold, at minus 60 degrees Celsius, which presents a logistical challenge in tropical Congo, which does not have reliable electricity.

By Linda A. Johnson
AP Medical Writer

TRENTON, N.J. (AP)  For Bridgett Snelten, changing her health insurance meant enduring wild blood sugar swings, bouts of vomiting and weight gain.

The Sandy, Utah mother of two young girls has diabetes and has had to change health insurance plans three years in a row. Twice, new insurers wouldn’t cover Trulicity, a once-a-week injected diabetes medicine she’d been taking that helped control her blood sugar tightly. Instead, they made her return to an inexpensive, twice-a-day injected diabetes drug she and her doctor knew didn’t work for her.

Each time, blood sugar plunges caused the shakes, vomiting and other symptoms until her doctor finally persuaded the new insurer to approve Trulicity, which retails for more than $700 per month.

“It was almost a whole year of hell just trying to get on the right medication” the last time, recalls Snelten, 43. “Who are they to say more than my doctor what’s right for me?”

More and more, patients like Snelten are being caught up in efforts to rein in the cost of health care, efforts employers and patients desperately want to succeed. But the strategies also can restrict access to the newest, most expensive drugs even for those who need them.

“We are in a sense entering a two-tiered system because there are individuals who can make it happen and just write a check” for a hefty drug copayment, says cardiologist Dr. Elizabeth Klodas in Edina, Minnesota. “Others are not able.”

Some of the insurance policy provisions have long been used, but they are becoming more common, including:

• Patients generally must pay up to 30 percent of the cost of pricey drugs, not a fixed “co-pay.” That means patients who need expensive drugs can face huge bills until they hit their plan’s out-of-pocket maximum.

• Patients and doctors must get permission in advance to use some drugs, something called prior authorization, which can take weeks or months.

• Some patients, like Snelten, have to go through what’s called “step therapy.” Patients must try cheaper medicines first before they are allowed to move on to newer, costlier drugs. Sometimes, a patient’s health deteriorates in the meantime.

Starting next year, Medicare Advantage plans, which are used by about 20 million Americans over 65, will be allowed to implement step therapy provisions.

In a survey last year by the doctors’ networking site SERMO, 64 percent of the 3,050 U.S. respondents said at least once a month an insurer rejected what they’d prescribed, even after a patient had failed step therapy.

“Anything that’s a barrier decreases the chance that the doctor will prescribe it and the patient will get it,” says former American College of Cardiology president Dr. Mary Norine Walsh, head of advanced heart failure treatment at St. Vincent Heart Center in Indianapolis.

Nearly 80 percent of family doctors and specialists surveyed by the American Medical Association last year said patients “often” or “sometimes” abandon their recommended treatment if their insurer won’t cover it. Ninety-two percent said the red tape associated with getting drugs covered harms patients’ health.

Dr. Stephen Kopecky, a cardiologist who focuses on prevention at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, said one recent appeal for approval for a type of new cholesterol drug went on so long that his patient had to have a stent implanted in a blood vessel before she finally got approval. He thinks the drug could have prevented the procedure.

Kopecky says another patient needing the same drug only won approval after giving her insurer 23 types of medical information, including receipts proving she’d taken inexpensive cholesterol-lowering statin pills for 10 years without enough improvement.

“It sometimes takes weeks, if not months, of submitting prescriptions, rewriting prescriptions, appealing, rebuttals,” he says.

The reason: Generic cholesterol drugs that work well for most people cost just pennies a day. The newer drugs, Repatha and Praluent, can retail for more than $14,000 a year.

“I understand insurers balking,” says Klodas. But even when they approve expensive drugs, copayments can be so high, “Patients say, ‘I can’t do that.”’

That can leave doctors with a tricky call.

“There are situations where we have to change treatment plans because of cost,” says Dr. Yousuf Zafar, a gastrointestinal cancer specialist at the Duke Cancer Institute in North Carolina. “I’ve had a handful of patients where cost is so overwhelming they opted for no treatment.’

The Wayne County Office of the Sheriff: Welfare Fraud Investigation Unit in conjunction with the Wayne County Department of Social Services reported the arrest on Tuesday (10/16) at 4 p.m. of Patricia A. Cox, age 40, of Fairville Maple Ridge Road in the Town of Arcadia for Grand Larceny in the 3rd Degree and Welfare Fraud in the 3rd Degree.

Patricia Cox

It is alleged that Cox was a recipient of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Benefits, Temporary Assistance (TA) Benefits, and Medicaid through the Wayne County Department of Social (DSS).  Between 04/01/2018 and 07/31/2017, Cox moved to Eugene, Oregon and failed to notify the Wayne County Department of Social Services of this change in living arrangements.

As a result Cox fraudulently received $6,137.60 worth of benefits from the Wayne County Department of Social Services.

Cox was arraigned at the Town of Lyons Court and remanded to the Wayne County Jail on $100 bail or $200 bond to return to Lyons Court.

The bad news gets only worse:

Josh Allen won’t need Tommy John surgery.

You may think, ‘That’s good, Dan.’

Nah. Not with this historically inept offense.

Sounds mean, yes. But, how often has the hand of God worked to correct this franchise’s mistakes?

The Bills had their choice: they drafted a wild stallion (Allen) over a tested thoroughbred (Josh Rosen), but were simply smitten by a tease pony.

The Bills Brass were warned. But, in an age where worlds are getting smaller and information is more accessible, a conservative coach and his hand-picked GM decided that not only are stats for losers, but so are analytics–even the ones that aided the Philadelphia Eagles to beat the highly-favored Patriots in the Super Bowl.

The numbers told you everything: guys with Allen’s college stats are barely NFL backups.

But, man, that kid can throw a hole through a brick wall…

(…except, he’s aiming for the tire hanging from the tree…)

This staff believes defenses can still win championships, that character trumps talent, and that faith will fix everything.

Allen, a “man of faith,” is backed by another, Nathan Peterman who, thanks to his coach’s I-know-what’s-best-for-our-football-team mantra driven by ego, somehow won the starting job in a vacuum of preseason games before handing the job over to the heir apparent 30 minutes into the season. This after an infamous 2017 where he nearly sunk the Bills playoff hopes with five first-half interceptions before finishing the job in Jacksonville in the team’s first meaningful January football game since the Clinton years.

And it’s McDermott’s fault Peterman is still a problem.

For one, there were no vets on the roster to steer the ship while Allen learned, or faltered, or both; just a fifth-rounder who has set an NFL record for most embarrassing performances (four) in his first six games. Heck, even Ryan Leaf started his career 2-0. Meanwhile, AJ McCarron, the man who could be starting, albeit poorly, is in Oakland as the Bills wait to cash-in that future fifth-round selection. Derek Anderson, who was available the whole time, is now thrust into action despite the fact he may not even be in football shape just to save the McDermott from the locker room mob.

Poor planning? That’s the least of it. But, there was a way out. Well, until Tuesday.

Josh Allen won’t need Tommy John surgery.

Good, right?

No.

Through six games, Football Outsiders ranks this Bills defense as the second-worst since 1986.

Whose fault is that?

The plan (or process, either way worded loosely) was for Allen to sit and learn like Pat Mahomes in KC.

(And that plan only gets discussed because Mahomes has been amazing so far, but really, they actually believed Peterman could babysit the offense like a Kindergartener watching a 3 year-old.

But, no. Much like EJ Manuel, Allen was forced into action like a premie, and now will have an injury excuse salvage his first semester as an “incomplete,” setting the Bills up for another offseason of Bills-spin, where the team, its paid media, and a few sycophants will tell us how much Allen has learned before not drafting a quarterback in April, setting everyone up for another year of this crap.

So you’re wondering: what’s this gotta do with Tommy John?

Had Allen needed the surgery, McBeane and the Pegulas wouldn’t have the luxury of waiting until 2020 for its 7th overall selection to heal. They’d have to draft another quarterback. Immediately.

And they’d be bad enough to do so.

Between Peterman and Anderson, they will be. But Allen will return. And that’ll be enough reason not to take a quarterback in 2019.

Which means another drought will be upon us because hitching your circled wagons to Allen is like marrying the stripper. Meanwhile the Giants, Dolphins and others get their QB conundrums right a year before the Bills do, again putting them into position of playing catch-up, and still needing to get it right, something the franchise hasn’t done since 1983.

But, hey. How about that defense?

Dozens of local residents, highway employees and local politicians were on hand to celebrate a project that has been decades in the making.

Palmyra Highway Superintendent Mike Boesel welcomed the community to the new heated highway facility located just off Route 21 on Kent Street in Palmyra.

Boesel says the process truly started long before his 18 years on the job.

It’s a project that was first suggest-ed back in 1992 by then Highway Superintendent Nelson Cook.

The newly completed heated facility is over 11,000 square feet which will allow the highway department to fit all of their essential machinery in a climate controlled space for the first time.

While the initial estimates for the new building were between #1.2-$2 million, the final total came in well under that thanks to the efforts of Boesel, The Highway Department and the Highway Task Force.

To cut down on the costs, Palmyra highway did all of the site work to prepare for the new building, and has continued to pitch in anywhere they can including hanging the plywood for the interior walls.

While Boesel says there are still a few bills to pay, the final total will come in around $760,000.

Palmyra was one of the first communities to combine their town and village highway departments which came with many challenges including where to store everything.

“We were ahead of our time when we combined services, but we’re the last local department to have a heated truck storage space.” said Boesel during a brief speech.

While keeping the 7 town and four village highway employees warm and comfortable is always a plus, the real benefit will be the prevention of wear and tear that the outside elements would take on the trucks and equipment.

Employees say they previously would have to come in an hour early just to start the trucks before being able to plow.

“The equipment is much more sophisticated than it used to be.” said Town Supervisor Ken Miller. Adding that during cold months, keeping salt trucks moving is essential.

Another win for the project was the number of local businesses that were awarded contracts, with several tradespeople coming from Palmyra and the surrounding area.

Boesel finished his remarks by thanking the town and village boards, his crew, the various contractors on the job and the community at large who voted on the new facility last year.

“I want to thank the residents and taxpayers and the town and village board members for their vote of trust and support.”

The Macedon Community Christmas Progam is getting ready for another year of helping local families during the holiday season. For 35 years, Macedon families in need have received assistance through this program. If you, your family, or organization is interested in donating time or items to this year’s program, there are various ways to help:

• Donate canned and other non-perishable foods to the Macedon Food Pantry, or ask for a family assignment and fill-up a food box with a nice holiday meal.

•  Buy gift certificates to local grocery stores for the purchase of perishable items like milk, eggs and meat.

• Buy gifts for children or senior citizens (we can provide ideas).

•  Donate gift cards from area stores for items like clothes, gas and toiletries.

• Tuesday December 11th, volunteers will meet downstairs at St. Patrick’s Church at 7:00 PM to organize all of the donations, and help is always welcome. There will be food to sort, gifts to wrap, and many hands make light work.

The Macedon Community Christmas Program has been successful every year, thanks to the united efforts of the Macedon Food Pantry at St. Patrick’s Church, of St. Katharine Drexel Parish; and other area churches, schools, civic organizations, businesses, scouting groups, and individuals. In 2017, 146 families totaling almost 450 individuals (including about 190 children and over 50 seniors) received holiday support.

If you would like to be a part of the Community Christmas Program, or are a family that resides in the Macedon area and is in need of assistance this holiday season, you can send an e-mail to: macedoncommunitychristmas@yahoo.com  or contact St. Katharine Drexel’s office at (315) 538-8242 and leave your name and phone number.

The jury picking process was about to begin on Friday (10/19) when the defense attorney for Hunter Peck approached the Wayne County District Attorney’s Office looking for a plea deal.

On Friday night, December 8, 2017, 911 received a call from a caller stating he had been stabbed. Police responded to an area adjacent to Perkins Park to find a 17 year Zackary Dwello, suffering from seven stab wounds. Dwello died eight hours later.

Intensive investigations by State Police  and a Wayne County Grand Jury indictment in March of this year, involving Peck, age 18, of Old Lyons Road in Newark and Vaughn Gray, age 19, of Hope Avenue in Newark  led to their arrests. Both teens had been on the streets since the killing, after State Police had narrowed in on the pair weeks after the incident.

Gray pled guilty to Manslaughter in the First Degree and was sentenced to 18 years determinate in state prison.

Sources close to the investigation indicated that Dwello allegedly met with Peck and Gray in the park to sell them a small amount of marijuana, estimated to be in the $30 range. The deal went bad when Peck and Gray attempted to rob Dwello and the stabbings occurred.

Both Peck and Gray fled the scene, leaving Dwello laying on the ground with the seven stab wounds.

Wayne County District Attorney Mike Colarco said that after long discussions with the Dwello family, they agreed to a  sentence of 23 years to life and waiving all rights to appeal, meaning Peck will have to serve a minimum of the 23 years in state prison.

Dwello was a high school senior at Sodus at the time of his death.

Official sentencing for Peck has been adjourned until December 13, 2018, at 10:00 am.

At a press conference on Tuesday (10/16), Wayne County Sheriff Barry Virts said skeletal remains uncovered in an orchard on Joy Road in the Town of Sodus are consistent with the age of a toddler who has been missing since May.

One-year-old Owen Hidalgo-Calderon was reported missing, along with his mother, 18-year-old Selena Hidalgo-Calderon, last seen May 16. She was found dead, stuffed in a bag in a wooded area near her home on Joy Road in Sodus just a few days after being declared missing. The An official cause of death for Selena Hidalgo-Calderon has still not been released.

Hidalgo-Calderon, who was from Guatemala and spoke little English, had lived in the U.S. since November 2016.

Police and hundreds of volunteers searched the 700 acre farm area for almost two weeks, looking for the little boy. Sheriff Virts said crews returned to the area, using recruits and teams in an ongoing effort to continue the search.

Virts said that deputies found scattered human remains during a ground search last Wednesday (10/10) and Thursday. It was believed the bones may have been scattered due to animal disturbance, according to Virts.

Those scattered remains led to the discovery the following day of a shallow grave,  not far from where Selena’s body was discovered. Sheriff Virts indicated the grave contained more remains.

“We never stopped looking,” Sheriff Virts said during a news conference Tuesday afternoon.

Police are uncertain of the cause of death and positive identification of the baby. The body was taken to the Monroe County Medical Examiners for examination.

Domestic violence had been an issue while  Selena was living with boyfriend Everardo Donoteo-Reyes. He was not the father of the baby. Virts said that Hidalgo-Calderon had reached out for help to a local domestic violence crisis center. She was offered safe housing, was there for a few days, and left.

Donoteo-Reyes moved from the Joy Road farm after the disappearances of the mother and baby and was found working on a farm in Livingston County three weeks later.

Police believe Selena was killed in the home she shared with Reyes at the Joy Road farm, for about three weeks. A trail camera footage set up by a hunter showed Reyes moving “in and out of the woods,” carrying a shovel, over a five-hour period on May 17. He admitted to moving Selena’s body, but not killing her.

The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office sent Donoteo-Reyes’s fingerprints to ICE, his immigration status came up as invalid in the ICE database. In addition, falsified documents belonging Donoteo-Reye were found by investigators during the search for Owen Hidalgo-Calderon.

Among the falsified documents was a counterfeit alien registration card in the name “Alberto Gutierrez” which contained a photograph of Donoteo-Reyes.

ICE has been working with Homeland Security Investigations on this case.

In June Donoteo-Reyes, who is from Mexico, was charged in federal court with illegally re-entering the United States and possessing counterfeit identification documents.

If convicted on those charges, Reyes faces a maximum of ten years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine on each count.

Police and prosecutors said they don’t know exactly how Reyes was able to enter the United States after twice being deported. He was deported once in 2016 after being arrested in Gretna, Louisiana, and again in 2017, when he was picked up in Laredo, Texas. It seems likely that he was able to use forged documents both to cross the border and to be hired to work on farms in Western New York.

Donoteo-Reyes was charged with evidence tampering in connection to  Selena’s case. He has not been charged in Selena or Owen’s deaths. Wayne County District Attorney Michael Calarco said that his office would wait for the medical examiner’s report before making a decision about further criminal charges.

In a statement released Tuesday by the Workers’ Center of Central NY and Owen’s grandmother, Estela Calderon, the family said they are “very saddened” by the news about the remains found on the farm.

“Since little Owen’s disappearance we have been holding hope that he would be found safe and return to his loving family.

“Just yesterday, October 15, family and friends gathered to celebrate the life of Selena, on what would have been her 19th birthday. It is heartbreaking to realize that her little one is also gone.

“Selena’s mother and little Owen’s grandmother, Estela Calderon wants to share the following statement:

‘Selena came to my life an October 15, 1999 to bring happiness to my life and she was taken from us leaving a whole in my heart. My heart is broken because I know my little Owen is also gone but I know they are together. Both of them are my guardian angels to give me hope and healing so I keep going for my children. I know Selena is in God’s glory because she was a great daughter, sister and friend and Owen is an innocent soul.

‘I ask for justice for my daughter and grandson. I don’t ever want anyone to experience this immeasurable pain.’”

We ask for privacy for the family as they continue to grieve their loss.

Donoteo-Reyes is currently being held on the Wayne County charges on $25,000 cash/$50,000 bond. Any chance of bail is unlikely since it would be fruitless with Federal Immigration also having a detainer on him.

On Thursday (10/18)  afternoon Reyes appeared back in County Court for a preliminary hearing.

The hearing filled up most of the afternoon with little progress due to the Spanish translation the Court heard of Reyes interview conducted with a City of Rochester Officer fluent in Spanish.

A question came up by the defense on whether Reyes had properly been advised of his Miranda Rights before the interview.

“We are probably only half way through it. Round two will be coming up. I don’t know when it will be scheduled yet,” said Wayne County District Attorney Mike Colarco.

“Some of the worse, the worse hurricanes ever reported”…”The number of tornadoes is off the chart”… Coastal flooding like we have never seen”…”Unprecedented drought” According to the CBS “60 Minutes” interview last week, President Trump may be waffling just a bit.

“I think something’s happening. Something’s changing and it’ll change back again,” he said. “I don’t think it’s a hoax. I think there’s probably a difference. But I don’t know that it’s man-made. I will say this: I don’t want to give trillions and trillions of dollars. I don’t want to lose millions and millions of jobs.”

Way back in 2012, Trump called climate change a hoax. In a famous Tweet, “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.” He later said he was joking about the Chinese connection, but in years since has continued to call global warming a hoax.

“I’m not denying climate change,” he said in the interview. “But it could very well go back. You know, we’re talking about over a … millions of years.”

No problem, as long as we have a million years to wait.

“They say that we had hurricanes that were far worse than what we just had with Michael,” said Trump, who identified “they” as “people” after being pressed by “60 Minutes” correspondent Leslie Stahl. She asked, “What about the scientists who say it’s worse than ever?” The president replied, “You’d have to show me the scientists because they have a very big political agenda.”

No, really! Trump actually joined numerous politicians, coal industrialists, a few wacko scientists, coal workers and followers with brains of mush in pushing this fallacy.

Why? Because it is much easier, more convenient, to sway mobs and voters with an agenda of voodoo rhetoric than face the truth. It is easier to label Al Gore as crazy for all his warnings about climate change and its effects that lose a buck. It is easier to sacrifice facts for job loss.

Science statistics, video of melting, shrinking ice caps, consistent rates of ocean waters rising and changes in animal and human migration seem to be easily dismissed.

Trump pushed his rhetoric and slight-of-hand science on groups willing to sacrifice tomorrow for today, right now.

After the election, he wasted no time selecting cabinet members who fell right in line with his anti-climate change philosophy.

As expected, these Cabinet picks quickly began reversing many environmental protections. Trump wasted no time in cancelling the U.S. participation in the The Paris Accords Treaty on reducing carbon emissions/climate change.

Mining coal on Federal lands, suspending review of federal coal-leasing rates, overturning a mandate requiring coal firms to clean waste from mountaintop removal operations numerous, the list of “deregulations” went on and on.

In his quest to create more jobs, Trump all but abandoned anything in the way, including the planet’s future.

Oh, by the way, just so you don’t blame the Republican house/senate majority for all shame, Democrats who voted in the affirmative were, again, Manchin, Heitkamp, Donnelly, and McCaskill. Those four, plus Tester, also voted in 2015 to force approval of the Keystone XL pipeline.

Jobs, big coal and oil interests over any future, as long as they can keep their precious political seats. Just another reason why term limits should be the gold standard.

What many do not realize is that the current (last decade) of migration across the Middle East, Africa and South America is not due to one political fanatic group persecuting the populace, but a growing impact of climate change.

Trump’s latest tirade came just days after a Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a warning that global warming would increase climate-related risks to health, livelihoods, food security, water supply, human security and economic growth. The report detailed how Earth’s weather, health and ecosystems would be in better shape if the world’s leaders could somehow limit future human-caused warming.

Bottom line, we must get out of fossil fuel dependence as soon as possible. We must stop polluting our oceans, rivers, streams. Yes, there may be some initial job loss and economic impact, but refusal to recognize what is happening to this planet – this Wayne County – is just plain careless and stupid.

Oy!

Just to show you how some politicians are attempting to squash any progress on global warming/climate change, Senator John Barrasso, Republican- Wyoming, the chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, unveiled legislation to end the $7,500 tax incentive for electric vehicles.

Barrasso’ legislation would also impose “a federal highway user fee on alternative fuel vehicles,” which would then go into the Highway Trust Fund, according to a committee summary. The fee, based on typical fuel taxes paid for similar gas-powered vehicles, would be collected with the vehicle owner’s federal tax return.

Hmm, just happens that Wyoming supplies the highest percentage of coal of any state in the nation with 41%.

This, in the face of the United Nations report on climate change, released over last weekend, outlined dire consequences for the planet in the absence of global action to drastically reduce carbon output over the next decade.

Seems everybody with a stake in their political future is willing to do, say anything to see this planet die.

LYONS: Of Ashley Street, Died Thursday, October 18, 2018 at age 71. Dick was born in Harrisburg PA., April 6, 1947, the son of Paul and Eleanor Rockwell Gainfort. He was a career man who served 26 years in the Army. He also worked for Civil Service as a surveyor and travelled all over. Survived by two sons, Guy Ambrose (Marianne Austin) and Matthew Gainfort (Molly Temple) both of Oklahoma City, OK., two grandchildren, Meghan and Devereaux Ambrose, two brothers, Lewis and Joe Gainfort. He was a friend to many in the community, especially to the Mary Hudson family.

Friends many call Monday, October 22, 4-6 p.m. at the Boeheim-Pusateri Funeral Home, 77 William Street in Lyons, where military services will be conducted at 6 p.m.

SODUS: Age 82, passed away Friday, October 19th, 2018 at DeMay Living Center in Newark. He was predeceased by his son, Nelson. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Nancy; children, William (Kathy) of Sodus, Cindy (Bruce) Hotto of Sodus, Teresa (Greg) Youngs of Sodus; brother, Carl (Ailene) of Red Creek; sister, Sharon Sanders of Sarasota, FL; several grandchildren and great grandchildren. 

Friends and family are invited to attend his Committal Service at 1:00pm Friday, October 26th, 2018 at the Sodus Rural Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his memory to the Humane Society of Wayne County, 1475 County House Rd, Lyons, NY 14489 or to the Alzheimer’s Association, Rochester & Finger Lakes Region, 435 E Henrietta Rd, Rochester, NY 14620. Condolences may be expressed at hsnorton.com

Wayne County Sheriff’s Deputies were called to 29 Carlton Street in the Village of Sodus around 2 pm Monday Afternoon (10/22/18) for a report of a shooting.

The Times has learned that two people have been killed. 

Newspartner 13WHAM News reported that a State Police helicopter has been seen flying over the scene of the shooting.

 Both 13WHAM News and a Times reporter are on the scene.

Local businesses, schools and residences have been evacuated, and the roads have been cordoned off. 

A nearby house has been taken over by police as a command center.

More updates as they become available.

 —- UPDATE

According to witnesses, as the female victim, tried to escape the shooter, she attempted  to back up, and was shot point blank. Her car rolled back into a garbage can across the street. Her son, who was in the car with her was uninjured. The male victim, was apparently killed in his own driveway at 29 Carlton St.

The names of the victims are known, but not being released until next of kin are notified.