All Over Albany

GE unveiling Schenectady battery factory, naked woman falls from light pole, firefighter alleges he's being pushed out because of PTSD, cherry crop took huge hit this year

GE is unveiling its new battery plant in Schenectady today -- CEO Jeff Immelt will be in town for it. The company says it's investing $70 million more in the factory -- bringing the total to $170 million -- to double production capacity and will eventually employ 450 people there. [TU] [GE]

The Albany County legislature has passed legislation that requires secondhand goods dealers to be licensed and file with police a photo and written description of items bought. The legislation is intended to make it harder to move stolen items. [TU] [Troy Record]

The Schenectady city council is considering a law that would make it illegal take items that have been set out for garbage at the curb. [Daily Gazette]

Among the usual drug confiscations and mishaps from Phish weekend at SPAC: a naked woman, apparently drunk or high, climbed to the top of a 25-foot light pole in the parking lot and fell. [Saratogian] [TU]

St. Peter's Health Partners announced that its longtime CEO, Steven Boyle, is retiring in October. The health care group become the region's largest following its recent merger with Northeast Health and Seton Health. [St. Peter's]

Saratoga County DA Jim Murphy says his office will be pursuing a felony vehicular manslaughter charge against the driver who allegedly hit and killed 14-year-old Kari Liedel in Milton this past weekend. The DA says his office is waiting on lab results for the driver. [Saratogian] [TU]

A Troy firefighter -- and Iraq veteran -- alleges the department is trying to fire him because he's been on leave with PTSD. [TU]

The total special prosecutor bill for the Troy ballot fraud case is now more than $314k -- and the Rensselaer County is fighting against paying about $131k of that. [TU]

"Sources" tell the Record that the former Rensselaer County corrections officer at the middle of a situation allegedly involving all sorts of misdeeds -- some of which involving a union that reps corrections officers -- has been offered a plea deal for a felony charge of tax evasion related to the The Red Front in Troy. [Troy Record]

Problem faced by prosecutors in an Albany rape case: the alleged victim has passed away (unrelated to the crime), so her statements to police and the grand jury can't be used at trial. [TU]

State Police say they're looking for the driver who allegedly hit a pedestrian walking near an intersection with Route 9 in Malta Saturday night, stopped to talk with the victim, and then left (map). [Saratogian]

Said the owner of the Bill's Car Hop in Moreau about why he recommended that the guy who pleaded guilty to trashing his restaurant not get jail time: "Jail doesn't always help people with drug or alcohol programs ... I think he will do better in getting some help if he stays out of jail and works." [Saratogian]

The former northern Saratoga County school bus driver who duct taped a student's mouth has been sentenced to probation and community service. [TU]

A former Troy High School student was shot and killed in Newark, New Jersey Sunday night. [Troy Record]

James Nichols Sr. -- a Malta town justice for 30 years -- is stepping down. [Saratogian]

The USDA is projecting that the weird spring cut cherry production in New York State by more than half this season. [AP/Troy Record]

The Howard Johnson in Lake George -- where Rachael Ray worked -- is not opening this year, for the first time since 1953. [Marv Cermak]