All Over Albany

Miller pleads guilty to DWAI, 13-year-old tased during fight, another Albany post office to close, construction starts again on Fuller Road

Albany police detective James Miller -- the department's spokesman -- pleaded guilty to driving while ability impaired by alcohol Friday afternoon. DWAI is a violation -- Miller will have to pay fines, attend a victim's impact panel, and drinking and driving program. The APD says Miller is still on unpaid suspension and an investigation into the case is ongoing. [Troy Record] [Daily Gazette] [TU]

Rotterdam police say they tased a 13-year-old during a fight at the Rollarama Friday night. A police department lieutenant says the boy was out of control: "They say he came out of the door swinging. He was just swinging punches at everybody. He was screaming off the top of his lungs." [Fox23] [WNYT]

"Insiders" say Andrew Cuomo's aides are pushing for the admin to next focus on getting a property tax cap in order to avoid backlash from "Cuomo hikes" -- increases in local taxes because of state budget cuts. But The next item on Cuomo's legislative agenda reportedly is ethics reform. By the way: Cuomo is apparently looking to former governor Al Smith for inspiration. [NY Post] [NYDN] [TU]

A Times Union story reports: "State email records suggest a top Health Department official used the agency's influence in her mother's bid to obtain a kidney transplant at Albany Medical Center Hospital." The Department of Health says it did not happen -- and AMC says it manages its transplant list "according to the highest ethical and medical standards." [TU]

Brian Stratton's last day as mayor of Schenectady was yesterday. City council president Gary McCarthy now takes over as interim mayor (officially a part-time job). The first item on the city council's agenda for tonight: selling the city-owned SUV that Stratton drove. [Daily Gazette] [Fox23] [TU]

Albany's library board is asking for a 25 percent library tax increase to fund more operating hours and higher-than-expected operating costs of the system's recent expansion. [TU]

The US Postal Service says it will close the Pine Hills station post office in Albany on April 30. [TU]

Bethlehem school district teachers have agreed to a pay freeze in order to reduce the number of layoffs. [TU]

Shen's schools superintendent says the district "will look into" the video of a fight at Shen High School that was posted on YouTube last week. In the video, an adult pushes one of girls in the fight to the ground. [TU] [YouTube]

One of reasons cited for the population growth in Green Island and Cohoes -- river views. [TU]

Police in Pennsylvania allege an Albany man set fire to a 186-year-old church there. [AP/Fox23]

Fire officials credited a neighbor for pulling a woman from a burning building Saturday morning and performing CPR on her. [Saratogian] [Post-Star]

Construction begins today on the northern end of Fuller Road in Albany -- and will last until November. [Troy Record]

A shop owner in Schenectady's Upper Union Street neighborhood is upset about a plan to take part of her property via eminent domain so that parking can be reconfigured. [Daily Gazette]

Food shows have apparently prompted a surge of applications to culinary programs in the region. [Daily Gazette]

The interview process for jobs at the Great Escape involves playing with blocks. [Daily Gazette]