All Over Albany

Two Troy politicos up on forgery charges, UAlbany students skip class over state cuts, it's "so long" for Channel 10's McLoughlin, fake ID's are a no-no

Councilman Michael LoPorto and Rensselaer County Democratic Elections Commissioner Edward McDonough were indicted Friday morning on charges they forged absentee ballots in the city Working Families Party 2009 primary. The indictments were handed down from a county grand jury, and were the result of an investigation launched in October 2009, alleging that Democrats were forging voters' signatures and casting fraudulent primary ballots. [TU] [Record]

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has picked the head of the state Business Council to lead the
Empire State Development Corp. The governor described his choice of Kenneth Adams as a step toward changing the state's business climate. The appointment requires approval by the state Senate. [TU] [Post Star] [YNN] A Marist poll shows Cuomo with a 71 percent approval rating. [WRGB]

UAlbany students staged a walkout Thursday to protest funding and program cuts at the university, including the elimination of five humanities programs. The students are planning a Capitol march next week. Gov. Cuomo's budget plan, to be released Feb. 1, is expected to contain further cuts. [TU] [YNN] [WRGB]

Albany released its first assessment of the city's greenhouse gas emissions Thursday, and it doesn't compare favorably to cities of similar size. [TU]

Veteran WTEN reporter John McLoughlin has announced he's leaving the station he has worked for since 1972. His last day on the air will be Feb. 10. [TU] [Gazette]

Schenectady resident Richard Angehr had racked up more than $35,000 on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" by the time Thursday's episode ended. Despite his success, Angehr said he was a "nervous wreck inside" during his appearance. How will it end? You can find out at 11 a.m. today on WNYT Channel 13. [TU] [Gazette] [WNYT]

The 31 cities, towns and villages in Saratoga County will have more to spend this year, as the county announced it collected $6.3 million more in sales tax during the past 11 months than it had at this time in 2010. [Saratogian]

The owner of a Fulton County barn where 200 animals died in a Sunday fire blamed the blaze on a propane heater she'd set up to protect the animals from the frigid temperatures. Neighbors with wells are concerned about plans to bury the animals on the property. [FOX] [TU]

A Gloversville police officer is being credited with saving the life of a man suffering from hypothermia last Saturday. Police say the man was intoxicated and fell into a creek. [WRGB] [WTEN]

Two polls are showing that a majority of New Yorkers now support legalizing same-sex marriage. [TU]

Finding your way home in bad weather may get easier, according to the New York State Thruway Authority, who on Thursday introduced a new striping technology that's designed to be more easily seen and last longer. [TU]

Two college students are facing felony charges after police uncovered a scheme to sell fake driver's licences. Police say the Colonie teens ordered the counterfeit ID's from China to sell to minors. [TU] [Gazette]