All Over Albany

Sheriff's office says skydiving death was suicide, new state initiatives for flood recovery, big development project in Bethlehem close to getting go-ahead

The Saratoga County Sheriff's office has ruled the skydiving death in Northumberland a suicide. An investigator says the Duanesburg man left behind a note, and a skydiving instructor who saw the fall says the man intentionally disconnected himself from his parachute. In 2008, a Schenectady man committed suicide by jumping out of a plane without a parachute -- he landed on a house in Duanesburg. [Daily Gazette] [Saratogian] [Post-Star] [Daily Gazette 2008]

Andrew Cuomo announced a group of new initiatives aimed to help recovery efforts for Irene and Lee flooding. Among them: a temporary jobs program that will deploy people to assist with cleanup efforts. Cuomo says the statewide damage estimate from the storms is $1 billion -- and could go higher still. [Cuomo admin] [TU] [Fox23]

Cuomo's handling of the flooding situation has pushed his popularity to its highest level yet in the Q Poll. Despite 70 percent of people in a recent Siena poll saying they're concerned about future storms, more than 60 percent say they haven't done anything to prepare better for next time. [State of Politics] [TU]

Classes have finally started in the Middleburgh school district in Schoharie County. Five feet of water and mud caused more than $4 million in damage at the district's middle and high school. The Windham-Ashland-Jewett school district in Greene County still hasn't started its year, and is now aiming for next week. [Fox23] [Daily Gazette] [WNYT]

A Troy Record/Grammercy poll reports that Democrat Lou Rosamilia and Republican Carmella Mantello are essentially tied in the race for Troy mayor -- with almost a quarter of voters still undecided. [Troy Record]

Andrew Cuomo said yesterday his administration currently has "no firm plans" for expanding gambling in the state -- but it's an issue being looked at. [State of Politics]

There's a push by a group of state legislators (including Roy McDonald) and local officials for the state to take over counties' share of Medicaid funding. In many counties -- Saratoga and Rensselaer among them -- Medicaid spending makes up a majority of the county budget. And as Medicaid costs continue to grow, county leaders say they don't know how they can fit the costs under the new tax cap. [TU] [YNN] [WNYT]

An Albany common councilman has proposed requiring the city's fire and police retirees to pay for 10 percent of their healthcare coverage -- and 25 percent for their families (retirees currently pay nothing). The president of the city's firefighters' union called the proposal a "blatant attempt to hurt city employees." [WTEN] [TU]

Mae D'Agostino, a Latham attorney, was sworn in yesterday as a federal judge -- she's the first woman to sit on the federal bench in Albany. [TU]

Possibly too clever headline of the day: "Pediatric radiologist 'sees through' defense's allegations in Joseph McElheny trial." [Troy Record]

The Clearview Center and Equinox -- which organizes the huge Thanksgiving dinner for people in need -- are merging. [WNYT]

The craft store chain Michael's has settled a deceptive advertising case with the state attorney general's office -- and some local schools will be getting supplies as a result. [NYS AG] [CBS6]

The Vista mixed use development in Slingerlands -- which very possibly will include a PriceRite -- is close to getting the OK to move forward with construction (map). [TU]

Flooding has displaced many rodents and other pests -- and it appears they're finding their way into homes. [YNN]

In Rotterdam Junction librarians are trying to save rare historical documents damaged by flooding by freezing them. [Daily Gazette]