All Over Albany

Cuomo picks Rochester mayor as running mate, GloFo fighting tax assessment, residents worried about UAlbany dorm expansion, remembering Jay Gallagher

Andrew Cuomo is expected to announce today that he's picked Rochester mayor Robert Duffy to run alongside him for lieutenant governor. Duffy was re-elected to a second term as mayor last fall; he was previously Rochester's police chief. He's being described as "squeaky clean" and "well-suited to the number-two position." While in Troy yesterday to pick up the Independence Party nomination, Andrew Cuomo said of his then-unnamed pick: "I'm looking for someone who is prepared to be governor." [NYT] [City of Rochester] [State of Politics] [TU CapCon] [Troy Record]

David Paterson and the legislature say they're talking about possible ways to free up money for to open the closed state parks. Assembly minority leader Brian Kolb said the parks issue is "about posturing more than anything else." [TU] [WNYT]

A early retirement measure that would allow state and local government employees to retire at age 55 with 25 years on the job is moving through the legislature. [TU]

There are calls for the state Office of Children & Family Services commissioner to resign after a tape surfaced that reportedly shows sex acts at "a social" for inmates at a prison for teens in Columbia County. A whistleblower alleges the party was just one of many problems at the facility. [TU] [NY Post] [Times Herald-Record]

GlobalFoundries is reportedly looking to get the $160 million assessment for the Luther Forest chip fab reduced to $55 million. [Daily Gazette $]

Sematech -- the chip research consortium -- is reportedly moving one of its institutes to Albany from Austin, along with possibly 60 jobs. [Austin American-Statesman via TU]

A Guilderland woman has alleged that her parole officer raped her earlier this year. [TU]

AMRI announced it's cutting 80 jobs and closing one its labs in Rensselaer. Fifty of those jobs are local. [AMRI] [TU]

UAlbany is aiming to start construction on two new dorms for the uptown campus this summer. Residents of nearby streets have opposed the project -- and now are worried about the proposed dorms' impact on the local sewer system.[TU] [Eagle Hill Neighborhood blog]

An AARP study has identified eight dangerous intersections for pedestrians and cyclists in the city of Albany. [TU]

Colonie's planning board has rejected Verizon's application to build a cell tower inside a new church bell tower in Loudonville. [TU]

NORAD will be conducting fighter jet training over parts of the greater Capital Region today. [TU]

Saratoga Springs police say the man who allegedly robbed the Saratoga National Bank on West Avenue this week turned himself in. He also, apparently, is "not a nag." [Post-Star][Saratogian]

The Mohonasen school district says the middle school teacher arrested in Albany for allegedly possessing cocaine and crack has put on administrative leave. [Daily Gazette $]

Some Capital Region school districts will be off this Friday because they didn't use all their snow days. [Daily Gazette $]

Longtime capitol reporter Jay Gallagher has passed away. He was 63. Colleagues and politicans hailed him a great reporter. One colleague called the last few months she spent working alongside him "a gift." [Jay Gallagher] [TU] [Capitol Pressroom]