All Over Albany

Shooting in Albany, Jennings and Ellis debate, rolling billboard targets police chief, snakeheads!

Police say a 19-year-old man was shot and killed last night in Albany's Delaware Ave neighborhood, just a few blocks from the Spectrum (map). There weren't a lot of details -- the APD was canvassing the neighborhood for info. The police say they're not even sure the man was shot at the location he was found. The shooting pushes Albany's murder count to six this year. Update: Police now say the shooting appears to have been an accident. [TU] [CapNews9] [CBS6] [WNYT]

Jerry Jennings and Corey Ellis debated last night in front of an overflow crowd at the Albany Public Library's main branch. Jennings said his top priority is the city's children and economic development -- Ellis said transparency and public safety. The exchanges were mostly calm. One exception: Jennings got a little stirred up when Ellis said he had been ignoring the city's gang problem. There was only one mention, by Ellis, of retiring police chief James Tuffey. The candidates answered a wide range of questions that had been written on notecards by the audience before the debate -- a format that didn't allow follow-up questions. [CapNews9] [Fox23] [TU] [AOA was also there]

For a quick read through of the debate, here's the stream of live tweets from AOA and the TU. Also, CBS6 has posted video, helpfully broken down by issue.

At last night's Schenectady school board meeting, the board president briefly addressed the now infamous graduation kegger, saying it demonstrated "a lack of parental boundaries." James Casino, the board member shown taking a Jager shot from an ice luge in one photo, was not at the meeting. [TU] [Daily Gazette $]

The father of a Bethlehem police officer has created a rolling billboard that criticizes the town's police chief for allegedly using a racial slur. The man's son has accused the chief of using the word during a phone conversation. The billboard includes a cartoon image of the chief and a Confederate flag background. [TU] [WTEN] [WNYT]

Albany County exec Mike Breslin has signed the law that requires chain restaurants to post calorie counts on menus. The law takes effect six months after it's filed with the state. [CapNews9] [TU]

MoveOn is leaning on Scott Murphy to support the "public option" for health care. The org staged demonstrations outside Murphy's district offices yesterday in Saratoga, as well as Colonie and Hudson. Murphy was not in attendance. [TU] [Saratogian] [Post-Star]

A Schoharie County man has been arrested for allegedly stealing the identities of dead people in order to pay for hotel rooms in Albany and Colonie. Police say the man was using the rooms for, uh, "noncriminal personal meetings." [CBS6] [TU]

Troy is having a gun buyback on Saturday. People turning in guns -- no questions asked -- will get a $150 mall gift card. [Troy Record] [Fox23]

The Coast Guard is stopping and inspecting small craft traveling up and down the Hudson -- even wood rafts. [TU]

The owner of a not-yet-open River Street bar in Troy says he's hopeful the State Liquor Authority will reverse its decision to deny them a license (because of a nearby Salvation Army) after the SLA told him it's looking into the matter. [Troy Record]

DEC is trying to snuff out a snakehead infestation before it spreads up the Hudson Valley. [TU]

HVCC is using Twitter to update students about parking conditions on the its often packed campus. [TU]