All Over Albany

Cuomo vows to endorse McDonald -- but is McDonald running?, guilty verdict in Wilton road rage case, another manhole cover explosion in Albany

Update: Roy McDonald has reportedly decided to not continue his run, according to the Times Union, citing "two people familiar with this campaign."

Andrew Cuomo says that he'll endorse Roy McDonald for the 43rd Senate district seat should McDonald decide to run in the general election. In a letter to McDonald yesterday, Cuomo praised the senator for standing by his convictions on the Marriage Equality vote and offered his "full endorsement," saying, " It is now evident that you paid a political price for your convictions. You should not be left to stand alone now. [YNN] [TU] [NYT]

Democratic Candidate for the 43rd Senate Seat, Robin Andrews, says Cuomo's letter won't change her plans to run for the seat. [Capitol Confidential]

Saratoga County GOP Chairman Jasper Nolanhas called for McDonald to bow out of the race, but a poll backed by the gay rights group NY Unity PAC shows McDonald ahead with 45% of voters in a three way race for the 43rd Senate Seat. [Post Star] [Capitol Confidential ]

McDonald's camp put to rest rumors that he fired the Rensselaer County Republican Chair and rehired him on Wednesday, saying John Rustin's "employment papers ended on Sept. 26 and it was going to be extended all along."[Record]

Three more men -- all parolees -- have been arrested in connection with the shooting death of Alex Duncan, a 35-year-old father of seven, during an attempted robbery outside an Ontario Street barber shop. [APD Press Release (full release below)]

A Saratoga County jury convicted Frank Soriano of assault and weapons possession for attacking 43 year old Jeffrey Streicher in a fit of road rage in Wilton last year. [Saratogian] [WNYT]

Another manhole cover blew off in Downtown Albany overnight, leaving about 2,000 people in Arbor hill without power for a time. [TU] [YNN]

Albany police are investigating the shooting of a UAlbany student that occurred on Hudson Avenue at about 3:30 Wednesday morning. [TU]

Police have released photos of the Justin Coleman, the victim of a fatal Schenectady shooting over the weekend, as well as photos of the ar he was driving the night he was killed in the hope that the pictures will lead to information about the shooting.[TU]

A team of investigators from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is headed to Washington County to look into the disappearance of Jaliek Rainwalker. [YNN]

NYRA is ready to unveil a new $250,000 mural, comissioned two years ago, that depicts racing industry figures including Charles Hayward, who was fired last year for mismanagment. Governor Cuomo is expected to sign an order this week to temporarily take over the board of NYRA [TU] [WNYT/AP]

Demolition prep has begun at Hoosick and 15th Streets in Troy to make way for the new McDonald's.[Record]

The Salvation Army is closing it's Arbor Hill store, the last of the organizations urban locations in the Capital Region. [TU]

Angle's Gate, the Animal Hospice that has been praised by Oprah and other celebrities, is closing its doors after getting served with a lawsuit from the Attorney General's office that claims the owner has not accounted for hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations. The organization is also facing animal cruelty charges stemming from a PETA investigation. [TU][CBS6]

The State DEC has shot and killed a black bear in the Adirondacks, claiming the animal lost its fear of humans after being fed by them. [WNYT]

Common Council members Anton Konev and Ron Bailey plan to introduce an amendment to Albany's new cabaret law that would relax restrictions on late night bands, karaoke and djs [TU]

Claiming the city carries too much debt, Moody's Investors Service has downgraded Schenectady's bond rating. [WNYT]

The Niskayuna School district's anticipated 2013- 2014 budget is facing a $3.8 million gap. [Gazette]

Twenty-five members of the Army National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry Regiment returned home to Stratton Air Force base from Afghanistan last night. [WNYT]

Vale Trail in Schenectady's Stockade will be rebuilt just in time for the Stocade-a-thon in November.[Gazette]

Sports cars and scavenger hunts and celebritites were part of yesterday's Fireball Run in Schenectady, a race from Ohio to NY to help call attention to missing children.

Area retailers are starting to hire for the holidays.[WNYT]

"In America, we love our athletes, and we leave them after their playing days are over," says the professor of a University of North Carolina School of the Arts class, who has written a film about Ticky Burden, the basketball player who went from Albany to the NY Knicks, to prison, to coaching some of the nations great young players. [TU]

Apparently Saratoga Springs is not just cool -- it's super-cool. [TU]

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APD Press Release 3 parolees arrested in homicide

Albany detectives have arrested three more men in connection with the homicide of Alex Duncan earlier this month in front of 104 Ontario Street.
 
Antwan Uptegrow, 35, of Albany, who was originally being held on a New York State Parole warrant, was charged yesterday with Murder 2nd and Robbery 1st  following the investigation.
 
Uquawn Bean, 21, of Albany, was arrested by patrol officers this morning at Second and Oak Streets. He was charged with a parole violation, Murder 2nd and Robbery 1st .
 
Shaquan Oliver, 22, of Albany was taken into custody in the rear of 16 Benson Street yesterday morning. While in the area of Washington Avenue and O'Leary Boulevard, Oliver was observed by detectives to be the passenger in a vehicle.
 
The driver, 24 year old Santonieo Miller of Albany refused to pull over and led the detectives on a brief vehicle pursuit. During the course of the pursuit a loaded handgun was thrown from the vehicle. Oliver fled the vehicle on foot and was quickly taken into custody. The handgun thrown from the vehicle was recovered.
 
Both men were charged with Criminal Possession of a Weapon 2nd and Criminal Possession of a Weapon 3rd.
 
Oliver was also charged with a parole violation, Murder 2nd and Robbery 1st  for his role in the homicide
 
All three men have been arraigned in the Albany City Criminal Court and remanded to the Albany County Jail.
 
Bernard White, 23, of Albany, was arrested and charged with Murder 2nd and Robbery 1st  the night of incident.