All Over Albany

Allegations of excessive force in RPI student arrest, collapsed row house owner says he'll rebuild, state's first all-girls charter high school opens in Albany

Witnesses to the arrest of an RPI student Saturday night in Troy allege that police used excessive force in subduing the man, who's accused of pushing an officer. What's said to be video of the incident is on YouTube, but it's blurry. The student who shot the video says he was arrested after he was seen recording the incident (the TPD says he was arrested for allegedly not leaving the scene and for allegedly having an open container). TPD chief John Tedesco said the officers acted appropriately: "They acted in self-defense and just because you have a badge on does not mean you are a punching bag." [Troy Record] [YouTube] [TU] [YNN]

David Paterson signed the Albany residential parking permits bill yesterday. The city's Common Council now has to take up the process of establishing a system. Common councilman Richard Conti says he'd like to see a system in place "before this year is out." Earlier: Details on what the bill allows [YNN] [TU] [WTEN]

Paul Tonko is one of the eight New York Congressional reps who are receiving public pensions in addition to their congressional salaries. Tonko says he filed for his state pension after resigning from NYSERDA to run for Congress because I didn't know if I would have another job." The spokesperson for a budget watchdog group says the arrangement doesn't violate any rules. [NYDN] [TU] [Daily Gazette]

Troy police say early results from the autopsy of the man who died in police custody this past weekend indicate the man had swallowed what appeared to be a bag of cocaine. They say they're waiting on toxicology results. They say they think the man swallowed the bag to keep them from finding it during a traffic stop. [TU] [YNN] [Troy Record]

A 17-year-old has been indicted for allegedly shooting two brothers -- one of them 11 years old -- near Jerry Burrell Park in Schenectady in June. [TU] [YNN]

Carl Paladino on Barack Obama's faith: "I think he worships himself. He's a very condescending person." And on Sheldon Silver: "We are going to take him down." [State of Politics] [State of Politics]

Federal Secretary of Education Arne Duncan made the rounds yesterday in at the Capitol in Albany and at NYSUT headquarters in Colonie. The visit was follow-up to New York's selection for almost $700 million in federal "Race to the Top" education funding. [YNN] [Daily Gazette] [TU]

A lawsuit filed by the widow of the man killed by his landlord in 2009 in Porter Corners argues that the landlord's wife -- who allegedly had an affair with the woman's husband -- should have known that an affair would have prompted the landlord to the kill the man. [Daily Gazette]

The owner of the now-demolished row house at 600 Madison Ave in Albany says he intends to rebuild on the site. Reportedly prompted by a photo in the Times Union, an anonymous donor has given $500 in cash to one of the building's residents, a UAlbany student -- via CBS6. [TU] [CBS6]

East Greenbush police say a Troy woman was arrested Saturday night for allegedly driving with a BAC more than three times the legal limit -- with a teen and a child in the car. [Troy Record] [TU]

The Albany Leadership Charter High School for Girls opened Monday on Hackett Boulevard in Albany. It's the first all-girls charter high school in the state. [Daily Gazette] [AP/Troy Record]

The federal government is granting money for the Revolutionary War "Sword Surrender" site in Schuylerville. [Post-Star]

Says the guy who drives the ambulance behind the horses at The Track: "Our jockeys are moving about 45 miles an hour on a 1300 pound animal. They generally do not fall with grace." [WTEN]

The price of the veal chop at Siro's is $56 this year -- up from $48 last year. [Marv Cermak]