All Over Albany

Hevesi expected to plead guilty, Paladino to make some sort of announcement, officer talks man off ledge, state employee accused of using state credit card at casino

Former state comptroller Allan Hevesi is expected to plead guilty today to a felony charge connected to the "pay-to-pay" state pension scandal. He could get as much as four years in prison. Hevesi had previously pleaded guilty to a charge related to having state employees chauffeur his wife. [NYT] [Daily Politics] [State of Politics]

Carl Paladino is scheduled to deliver some sort of message this evening around 5 pm on TV across the state. There's no word on what the message is going to be about. (It's not to announce he's dropping out, apparently.) [NYT City Room] [Daily Politics] [State of Politics]

NYT reports that a significant portion of the money spent by Paladino's campaign has gone to companies connected to... Paladino. [NYT]

The Business Council of New York State has endorsed Andrew Cuomo -- which is unusual in that it's usually a Republican-leaning group, and it doesn't usually endorse gubernatorial candidates. [TU]

Both Cuomo and Chuck Schumer appear to have no interest in debating their electoral opponents -- to the chagrin of the challengers and good government groups. [AP/Post-Star]

Public safety officials in Saratoga Springs are criticizing the plan to merge the city's emergency dispatch with that of the county. And the head of the Saratoga Springs police union says his members are "adamantly opposed" to the plan. Officials say city dispatchers are currently responsible for more than just responding to calls -- and county dispatchers wouldn't cover those duties. [Saratogian] [TU] [YNN]

The Paterson administration is trying to get the Seneca nation to pay $214 million it says the nation owes in casino revenues (the Senecas see it differently). [TU]

Albany police say an officer trained in crisis negotiation talked a suicidal man off a ledge atop the parking garage at the Crowne Plaza early Wednesday morning. [TU] [Troy Record]

Troy police say two gunmen robbed a home in Lansingburgh Wednesday night and then fired shots after one of the victims chased after the suspects (map). [Fox23] [TU]

A federal appeals court has upheld a 2007 verdict that ruled a Rensselaer man had been the victim of false arrest and malicious prosecution after an altercation with plain clothes Rensselaer police officer in 2000. The verdict awarded the man $170k in damages. [Troy Record] [TU]

The state comptroller's office alleges that an Albany woman -- who is a secretary for the state Department of Health -- used state-issued credit cards for a trip to Turing Stone and shopping. [NYS OSC]

Saratoga Springs police say they've made their fourth crack-related arrest since mid-September. [Saratogian]

Shen schools superintendent Oliver Robinson describes the end of federal stimulus money for districts as "the funding cliff." [Saratogian]

Rotterdam's proposed town budget includes an 11.6 percent tax increase. [TU]

Guilderland's proposed town budget includes no increase in the general town tax. [TU]

Colonie proposed town budget is smaller than last year, but taxes are still projected to go up. [TU]

Halfmoon proposed town budget again includes no town tax. [Daily Gazette]

The Albany school district has been withholding a scheduled increase in funding to charter schools. [TU]

The Luther Forest tech campus is turning into an outdoor recreation spot. [Post-Star]