All Over Albany

Damage estimates for last year's tropical storms well over $1 billion, revised plan for St. Patrick's site in Watervliet, large pot bust in Schoharie County, DC water chief irked by Saratoga water

New York State damage estimates from tropical storms Irene and Lee have now reached $1.5 billion. A state report on the response storms figures the state has $574 million on aid to affected areas. The Cuomo administration has pledged another $500,000 for recovery efforts in Prattsville. [YNN] [TU] [News10]

Many streams and trails in the Adirondacks still carry significant damage from Irene flooding. [Daily Gazette]

The developer hoping to build a new Price Chopper at the site of St. Patrick's in Watervliet has released an updated plan it says it hopes will address some of the concerns about the project. The new plan includes architectural changes, more green space and sound barriers, and additional shops. Many speakers at the public presentation of the plan continued call for the preservation of the church building. The Albany Roman Catholic Diocese says it can't afford to restore the church. [Fox23] [YNN] [Troy Record] [TU]

The back-and-forth between David Soares and Lee Kindlon has gotten even more pointed -- Thursday's topic: ax murderers. [TU]

TCI -- the company whose electrical equipment recycling site in Columbia County burned recently in a huge fire -- has reached an agreement with DEC on the cleanup. [TU]

A proposed new Saratoga County sewer plant at the site of the county's never-used landfill in Northumberland would cost $60 million and involve 13 miles of pipes. [Saratogian] [Daily Gazette]

The proposed Albany County pawn shop reporting law has been reformulated. [TU]

The saga of the Winans-Crippen House continues: a Saratoga Springs city court judge has ordered historic (and rundown) house to be opened for inspection architect and engineer and from the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation. [Saratogian]

The sometimes hard-to-follow ways of property taxes: for some residents of the Niskayuna school district, the tax rate is increasing two percent -- for others, almost 10 percent. [Daily Gazette]

Matt Doheny, the Republican challenging incumbent Democrat Bill Owens for the Congressional seat that will cover northern Saratoga County, says he's "not a big fan" of all the public subsidies that have gone toward the GlobalFoundries chip fab. [TU]

The city of Troy is close to settling a lawsuit from the family of the RPI student found dead in his apartment in 2008. [Troy Record]

The manager of the Troy Waterfront Farmers' Market has been appointed as Troy's economic development coordinator. [Troy Record]

The long, divisive contract battle between the Desmond and its union could be near an end. [TU]

A group of Capital Region medical practices has been chosen for a Medicare pilot program that will offer financial incentives to practices providing more coordinated -- and, the hope is, better and cheaper -- health care. [Daily Gazette]

Law enforcement officials say they busted a pot operation in Schoharie County that allegedly included 100 plants and 100 pounds of packaged marijuana. [WNYT]

The owners of Wheatfields are opening a restaurant at Ellsworth Commons in Malta. [Daily Gazette]

The head of DC's water and sewer authority is irked that Saratoga Water will be served at the presidential inaugural, instead of the district's tap water. Chuck Schumer's office says people requesting still water will be able to get tap water at the soiree. [AP/Saratogian] [TU]

Albany Law's new dean grew up in poor section of apartheid South Africa and is the only one of her siblings "who finished high school, never mind go to college or law school." [TU]