All Over Albany

Husband charged with wife's murder, downtown Saratoga Chopper sold, DMV clerk accused of stealing inspection stickers, common councilman gets the boot for unpaid tickets

Schenectady police have charged the husband of the woman murdered in her home over the weekend with the crime. The couple were immigrants from Guyana and police say the two had been fighting over whether to move back therer. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

Albany police say a new witness has reported seeing a third teen on a bike ride away from the scene of Richard Bailey's murder. (Two earlier witnesses reported seeing two teens on bikes.) The APD says it still doesn't have any solid leads in the case. [TU]

Local police departments say they're stepping up patrols tonight for Halloween. Apparently stores will also be watching for teens with shopping carts full of "trickster items." [TU]

A local developer has announced he's bought the Price Chopper in downtown Saratoga Springs -- and promises the site will continue to have a grocery store. Whether it will be a Price Chopper is unclear. An announcement on that part of the plan is scheduled for later today. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

The Schenectady County legislature is expected to approve a 2009 budget that includes a 8.9 percent tax increase (the originally-proposed budget included a 13 percent increase). Democrats in the legislature called the budget "lean and efficient" while Republicans said not enough cuts were made. [Daily Gazette] [TU]

The Colonie Town Board has approved the one-time deficit reduction tax, which will raise $5 million. By some estimates, Colonie's budget deficit is as much as $19 million. The average homeowner will pay an extra $127 next year. [TU]

The Schenectady City Council bounced the proposed mayor's pay raise after about two minutes of discussion. [Daily Gazette]

Troy's fire chief says it's time that RPI start contributing towards the cost of fire department coverage for its campus. [Troy Record]

Albany police say the string of car break-ins around Pine Hills continues, with a recent hot spot near Washington Park (eight break-ins in the course of one night). Police arrested six teens last week for breaking into cars. [Fox23]

A DMV clerk in Albany was arrested yesterday on charges she'd been stealing inspection stickers from work. [TU]

Schenectady police say two men were trying to run a scam in which one of them impersonated the city's fire chief. [Daily Gazette]

The number of enrolled Democrats now outnumbers enrolled Republicans in Rensselaer County. [Troy Record]

Albany Common Councilman Glen Casey had his car booted this week after he failed to pay his parking tickets on time. [TU]