All Over Albany

Paterson out?, state to withold payments, Amtrak service limited, DWI charge for snowmobiler

Update: Both NYDN and NY Post are reporting that Paterson will announce this afternoon that he's dropping out of the gubernatorial race.

The full video of Paterson's press conference. [via NYO]

Pressure is growing for David Paterson to drop out of the race for the governor. Paterson said at a press conference last night that he's still running -- but he's "listening" to "a number of elected officials around the state" and has "an open mind about this thing." A "source familiar with the discussions confirmed" says "We're taking it as a given that he has no chance in hell at getting elected to anything." [NYT] [NYO] [NYDN] [Daily Politics]

Andrew Cuomo's office announced yesterday that it is "proceeding to determine if criminal or other wrongdoing is involved" with respect to the alleged involvement of Paterson and the State Police in an alleged incident of domestic violence between Paterson aide David Johnson and a woman. Sheldon Silver called for the investigation to clear up the who, what and when of the situation. The head of the state Republican Party says Cuomo should recuse himself from the investigation. [NYS AG] [TU] [Daily Politics]

The state budget directors says the Paterson administration is planning to delay $1.4 billion in March payments to help keep the state afloat. [TU]

While the central Capital Region got mostly rain yesterday, areas to the south and west continued to get pounded with snow. The Albany County hill towns and Schohairie County got another foot. Said one snow plow contractor in the hill towns: "There is no way to keep up with it." [TU] [WTEN] [Fox23]

Albany police say 216 cars were towed during the first night of the city's snow emergency -- a relatively low total. The Albany snow emergency was canceled this morning. The "state of emergency" in Schenectady is still in effect -- though it's not exactly what it sounds like. [CapNews9] [Fox23] [APD] [WNYT]

Amtrak service from Albany-Rensselaer to NYC is limited today because of storm-related track repairs. [TU]

A state appeals court has upheld a ruling that elected officials in Rensselaer County can't hold county and town seats at the same time. Democrats had challenged the double-office holding of three Republicans in the county. [Troy Record] [TU]

The East Greenbush woman convicted in 2007 of raping a developmentally disable teen is going to jail after losing her final appeal. [Troy Record]

The Schenectady school district says it will not release the report compiled by an outside expert on suicides at Schenectady High School. [Daily Gazette $]

Albany police say a driver crashed into a patrol car on Delaware Ave Thursday morning. The APD says the officer got leg and neck injuries. They say the driver was charged with DWI. [TU] [Fox23] [CapNews9]

Local high school sports refs are bristling at having to get finger printed. [Daily Gazette $]

The Tour of Battenkill cycling race is scraping for a new corporate sponsor after GlobalFoundries decided not to renew. [Daily Gazette $]

State Police say a snowmobile driver was charged with DWI after driving the vehicle onto -- and through -- the ice on Sacandaga Lake in Saratoga County. [AP/CBS6]