Strong thunderstorm sweeps through area, unemployment rate highest in more than two decades, Cheerio Paterson is a biter, his name really is Harry Potter

The severe thunderstorm that swept through the area yesterday evening dropped hail and more than half an inch of rain very quickly. More than 40,000 National Grid customers lost power -- many of them in Saratoga County. The power at Crossgates was also knocked out for a few hours. There was flash flooding in Schenectady County (photos). Some of the hail in Albany County was 1.75 inches in diameter. [TU] [Daily Gazette] [Saratogian] [WNYT] [CapNews9] [kmg] [@tcrpmg]

The Capital Region's unemployment rate hit 7.4 percent in June, according to the state Department of Labor -- that's up from 4.8 percent during the same period a year ago. An analyst with the labor department that could be the highest local rate since 1977. The two job categories that took the biggest hits were government and construction. [NYS DoL] [TU] [Daily Gazette]

Shawn Morris dropped out of the Albany mayoral race yesterday. She said in a press released that she didn't think it was possible to beat Jerry Jennings in a three-way race (the other person being Corey Ellis). Morris told the TU no deal had been made between her and the Ellis campaign. [AOA] [TU]

The bill that would allow the City of Albany to create a residential parking permit system near the state capitol was set aside in the state Senate after not enough Democrats were present to push it through. The bill has already passed in the Assembly. [TU]

The state Senate did pass a bill that bans texting while driving (the bill has already passed the Assembly). [AP/Daily Gazette]

Neil Breslin placed #8 on the state Senate pork billboard with $3 million. [Daily Politics]

David Paterson's dog -- Cheerio -- reportedly bit a carpenter at the Governor's Mansion yesterday. Cheerio, who weighs 6 pounds, apparently has rep for being a tough guy. [NYP]

The local commercial property market isn't doing so well. [TU]

Elliot Masie wants Saratoga Springs to be a center for "re-skilling." [Saratogian]

There's a guy in Scotia named Harry Potter. Yes, he gets calls. No, it's not fun. [Daily Gazette]

The local chapter of the League of Awesome just lost one of its most badass members. [TU]

Comments

Damn... if I had a time machine, I'd use it to change history so local youngsters in need of some life lessons would compete to be Virginia Sweet's BFF!

I saw that tag line "Cheerio Paterson is a biter" and I had no idea what it meant. Like, I knew what each of those words meant individually, but not in that order. So then I thought you guys just strung a few random words together as a joke to mess with your readers. See, because it's Friday and everyone is in a jolly mood. But no, turns out that sentence totally makes sense when you read the corresponding article. How about that. I don't think I can handle much more of this roller coaster.

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