All Over Albany

RPI pulls art work, Albany on the hook for judgement against cop, no-show crossing guards could get raise, assemblyman gives entire salary away

RPI has suspended the exhibition of a video work in which the artist cast himself as a suicide bomber on a mission to assassinate President Bush. The artist tells the TU that the school feels like "a military camp," while the College Republicans are calling the art department "a terrorist safe haven." [TU]

A federal jury awarded $200,000 in punitive damages to the plaintiff in the civil suit against Albany cop William Bonnani. If the award stands, the City of Albany will be on the hook for the money because of its union contract with the APD. Bonnani -- despite a string of complaints about the use of excessive force -- is still on the job. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

Environmental groups are calling on the Spitzer administration to crack down on mercury emissions from a cement plant in Ravena. The plant is the single largest emitter of mercury in New York State, according to recently released data from the EPA. [Daily Gazette]

State police say there's evidence indicating that the crash that closed the Northway last week was an act of suicide. [AP/CBS6]

After reports that crossing guards in Schenectady weren't showing up in bad weather -- or were sitting in their cars as kids crossed the street, a councilwoman has proposed increasing the guards' salaries. "It's reprehensible we're only paying them $8.50 or whatever -- no wonder they're not showing up," she told the Gazette. [Daily Gazette]

The backers of a plan to open a food co-op in downtown Troy say it looks like the grocery store could open sometime this year, maybe as soon as the Spring. [TU]

For the third consecutive year, state assemblyman Bob Reilly (his district includes Albany and Saratoga counties) donated his entire after-tax assembly salary to charity. This year's total was $73,000. At a press conference introducing the recipients of the money, Reilly cracked that the people there were "the only group of people in New York who advocate salary increases for legislators." [Daily Gazette]