All Over Albany

Arrests in 1994 Troy murder cold case, jewelry stolen from Cinderella project, law firm falls for email scam, do androids dream of electric golf?

Troy police say they've made two arrests in a 1994 murder case that had gone cold. Police say Troy residents Scott Chaplin and George Mott will both be charged with murder in the death of Rosemary Ellsworth Crosier. She had been found beaten to death and robbed at the home for people with disabilities which she had been working in Sycaway (map). Police say Chaplin and Crosier knew each other from working together in the mailroom at the Troy Record. A special prosecutor has been named for the case because Rensselaer County DA Richard McNally worked in the public defender's office when it represented Chaplin during a previous inquiry into the case. [TU] [WNYT] [WTEN] [Troy Record] [Fox23]

The proposed state ethics overhaul includes a provision that would allow just three of a proposed commission's 14 members to block an investigation from going forward. Good government groups call the proposed system flawed, but an improvement over the current situation. [NYT] [TU]

Follow-up from the NYT article this week about the treatment of people with disabilities in state-run facilities: Jonathan Carey's father is pushing for state legislation that would cap the number of overtime hours employees could work at state-run facilities for people with developmental disabilities. And a large advocacy org is pushing to make it easier to fire employees who participated in substantiated cases of abuse. [NYT] [TU] [Daily Gazette]

The state Assembly passed a bill that would extend the moratorium on fracking until 2012. It might not make it through the state Senate, though. [State of Politics] [TU]

Acting Schenectady mayor -- and city council president and mayoral candidate -- Gary McCarthy has stepped down from the Metroplex board. [Daily Gazette]

At least four people appear to be interested in running for Albany County sheriff. [TU]

The PCB dredging project has started up again on the Hudson -- it had been delayed because of flooding. [Saratogian] [Post-Star]

Brent Wilkes, the Saratoga Springs mayoral candidate Democrats have lined up behind, is touting his experience helping Massachusetts municipalities deal with a tax cap. [Saratogian]

A Wilton man faces up to 40 years in jail after pleading guilty to being involved in a marijuana trafficking scheme that also allegedly involved Missy "The Missile" Giove. [TU]

Coeymans police say someone stole jewelry from the Cinderella Project, the org that provides prom gowns to teens who can't afford them -- and stole two computers from a tax prep business. [TU] [WTEN]

The dispute between an 89-year-old Averill Park woman and the church that owns the land under house has led to another eviction notice. [CBS6]

An attorney with an Albany law firm fell for a modified Nigerian email scam -- and the fallout has led to a legal dispute over who should cover the stolen money. [Daily Gazette]

A new federal rule will allow school districts to look specifically for New York-grown of locally-produced food in bids for school lunch programs. [AP/CBS]

A 10-year-old golfer easily beat golf-playing machines built by Union College engineering students and the said it wasn't about winning, "but watching the other machines." Obvious conclusion: the kid's an android. [YNN]