All Over Albany

Focus at Capitol shifts to property tax cap, lawsuit alleges kids were subjected to unnecessary dental work, the allure of the Ken Griffey Jr rookie card, class ring turns up 50 years later

The next fight at the state capitol: the property tax cap. [YNN]

Andrew Cuomo: pragmatic centrist or progressive turncoat or aspiring presidential candidate (or all three)? [NYT]

The five local counties -- Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Warren and Washington -- that filed suit to avoid paying $4.5 million to a Hudson River flood control district will have to pay the levy, after a state supreme court justice tossed their suit. The flood control district had never levied the counties during its almost nine decades of existence until it lost the ability to charge hydroelectric dam operators. Albany and Saratoga counties are both on the hook for more than a million dollars. Rensselaer County exec Kathy Jimino says the counties will likely appeal. [TU] [Post-Star] [Saratogian] [Troy Record]

Proposed state legislation would require the use of biometric scanning devices in an attempt to cut down on Medicaid fraud. For example, a palm scan would be required for a prescription to be filled. [State of Politics] [TU]

A lawsuit filed this week in Schenectady County accuses the local office a national dental chain of subjecting kids "to an emotional and physical nightmare" by doing unnecessary dental work on them so the office could meet quotas. [Daily Gazette] [WNYT]

At issue in Saratoga County family court: should the proceedings involving the Wilton 12-year-old who allegedly shot and killed his friend be open to the media (a group of local media outlets are arguing they should be open)? Family courts aren't like regular courts. [TU] [Daily Gazette] [YNN]

The vacancy rate for residences in the City of Albany increased during the last 10 years, according to the 2010 Census -- though officials say it's not clear why. [TU]

Schenectady's interim schools superintendent has delivered a proposed budget that includes no tax rate increase, and cuts only eight teaching positions. [TU]

The Niskayuna school district's proposed budget includes an almost four percent tax levy increase, but does not combine fourth and fifth grade classes. [TU]

The Bethlehem's school district's proposed budget includes a tax levy increase of two percent. [YNN]

State police say a retired priest led them on a car chase in Columbia County Monday. (Yes, he's wearing his Roman collar in the mugshot.) [YNN] [WTEN]

Glenville police say a former Trustco bank teller has been arrested for allegedly stealing $2,000 from a customer's account. [TU]

Time Warner Cable has been fighting the advance of Verizon's FiOS TV in the Capital Region by challenging Verizon's franchise agreements with local municipalities. [TU]

A small cap mutual fund based in Guilderland recently won an award for being the best small cap fund in the country over the last three years. [TU]

The Ken Griffey, Jr rookie card, prized memento for late 20/30somethings, and the downfall of local thieves (well, one of their downfalls). [TU]

An RPI alumnus (class of 1949) lost his class ring in the water just off a Puerto Rico beach in 1959. The ring was found in 2009 by a guy with a metal detector, and returned to the RPI alum. (Perhaps the ring wanted to be found. My precious...) [Fox23] [WNYT] [TU]