All Over Albany

Questions about why sex offender was released, letters at issue in Bailey murder trial, teen gets "bionic" hand, Andrew lives in Sandra's house

Keith Dare, the convicted sex offender accused of the Dove Street rape, was referred to the state's Office of Mental Health for review for possible civil confinement (holding a sex offender beyond their sentence). State officials say they can't release the reasons why Dare ended up getting released. [Daily Gazette] [TU]

Richard Bailey murder trial Prosecutors called state prison officials to the stand as they prepared to introduce letters allegedly written by De Von Callicut in which he admits to the shooting. Callicut's attorney tried to raise doubts about the authorship of the letters -- and accused prison officials of tampering with evidence. [Fox23] [WNYT] [YNN] [TU]

While testifying in his defense yesterday, the man on trial for allegedly shooing a Troy pizza shop manager during a robbery last year said the idea that he would come to Troy from Queens to rob the store "doesn't even make any sense." [Troy Record]

Citing a steep reduction in the city's contingency fund, Harry Tutunjian has vetoed the budget passed by the Troy city council. Democrats on the council -- who have a 7-2 majority -- are expected to vote to override the veto. [Troy Record] [TU]

Rensselaer County exec Kathleen Jimino says the county will have to lay off 40 employees after the public employees union rejected a change in health insurance carriers. [WNYT] [YNN]

After its high school was tagged as a "persistently lowest achieving" school by the state, the head of the Schenectady school district says changes are already underway at the school. Albany High School was also on the list (again) -- the Albany schools superintendent says reforms at the school have already resulted in better attendance and grades. [AOA] [Daily Gazette] [CBS6]

Andrew Cuomo is continuing to line support for what appears to be an upcoming fight with the public employee unions -- and he's even getting support from some private sector unions. [NYT]

The Cuomo administration named a handful of top-level advisors yesterday. [NYT]

Said Richard Ravitch yesterday at the Rockefeller Institute of his soon-to-be over tenure as lieutenant governor: "I don't feel I accomplished anything very substantive." He also said: "I shared vicariously the pain that a lot of the good people in government feel when their ideas are ignored." [TU] [State of Politics]

The latest person calling for an overhaul of the state's public integrity commission -- the outgoing head of the public integrity commission. [TU]

David Paterson says other OTBs in the state are in danger of failing now that NYC OTB has closed. It's not exactly clear what the long term effects of the OTB meltdown will/could be. [Saratogian] [Post-Star]

Paul Tonko says he's opposes the extension of the Bush-era tax cuts on income above $200k (and above $250k for families), while Chris Gibson says he supports it. [Daily Gazette]

The transition process has left Scott Murphy's office in a cube farm and somewhat unreachable. [Post-Star]

The Capital Region hospital industry employs 32,000 people, according to a hospitals association report. [TU] [HANYS]

A Colonie seventh grader's idea for a display honoring the victims of 9/11 for the Capital Holiday Lights in the Park will become part of the permanent display. [TU]

A Lake George teen has been fitted with a "bionic" hand (watch the video). [Fox23]

Andrew Cuomo doesn't own the house in which he lives in Mt. Kisco -- Sandra Lee does. [TU]