All Over Albany

Supreme Court passes on hearing Porco appeal, Albany Common Council approves borrowing for landfill, historic cemetery damaged by vandals, welding is a hot job, raccoon knocks out power

The Supreme Court of the United States has chosen not to hear Christopher Porco's appeal. Porco's attorney, Terry Kindlon, says he's planning one more appeal, in federal court. Said Kindlon: "We're not going to stop until there are absolutely no possibilities for further action. And I'm not sure that we ever reach that point." Said DA David Soares, who declared the case closed: "For Mr. Kindlon to continue to harp on the [Joan Porco's] head nod, as if that was the thing, the one fact that our entire case hinged on, is just to make light of the entire case that was put on by the people." (A key part of the case involved a head nod police say Porco's mother made indicated Porco was the attacker -- she later said she didn't recall indicating that.) [Troy Record] [TU] [YNN] [WTEN] [Fox23]

The Albany Common Council approved $9.3 million in borrowing for the Albany landfill after a deal with Jerry Jennings to set some of the money aside for future expenses. [TU]

The new court-drawn Congressional maps for New York State have put a handful of incumbents, including Chris Gibson, in what could be difficult races. [NYT]

The Saratoga man accused of threatening local school children and Barack Obama has pleaded not guilty to the local charges. [Saratogian]

The Cuomo administration has ordered a shutdown for CoBis, a "fingerprinting" system for guns, because it wasn't helping to solve crimes. [YNN]

The new lines for the Assembly district currently represented by Jack McEneny (who's not running for re-election) includes more registered voters outside the city of Albany than in it. [TU Local Politics]

A state appeals court has ordered a Hoosick Falls school district janitor re-instated after he was fired following a domestic incident. The court ruled that the janitor shouldn't have been let go just because it's a small community and "everybody" knew about the incident. [Troy Record] [TU]

From the continuing drama at the Saratoga Springs Housing Authority: members of the city council are asking for a review of spending after it surfaced that exec director Ed Spychalski sent an authority vehicle to his brother's auto garage for service. [TU]

It appears that vandals damaged more than 90 headstones at a historic cemetery in Mechanicville last week, causing more than $100k in damage. The cemetery's caretaker alleges it was local school kids retaliating for having a party area on the grounds taken apart. [Daily Gazette] [Fox23] [Saratogian]

The president of SUNY Empire State College is leaving for a job in Canada. [Saratogian]

Bob Ward -- an expert on state government, most recently at the Rockefeller Institute -- is joining the state comptroller's office. [TU]

The apparently in demand job field right now: welding. [TU]

A fender bender can cause a big slowdown on the Northway. [TU]

A group of UAlbany students is irked that there will be classes next year on Good Friday and the Monday after Easter. [Fox23]

A fire at biofuel facility in Schodack this morning prompted a smoke advisory for the Berkshire Connector. [WTEN]

The Downtown Troy BID is kicking around the idea of a Troy restaurant week in the fall. [Troy Record]

The fight against invasives in Lake George is focusing on zombie clams. [TU]

National Grid says a raccoon knocked out power for 6,000 customers in Schenectady County last night. [WNYT]

There was a moose sighting in Wynantskill (map). [Fox23]