Thousand gather to celebrate new saint, Spitzer back in Albany, candidate pulls out of debate accusing opponent of "deceptions"
The mayors of Albany and Troy, as well as the Albany County exec, drive unmarked police vehicles -- with sirens and lights. [TU]
The biggest environment challenge facing the state, according to DEC commissioner Joe Martens: aging sewer lines, like the one that failed in Newburgh earlier this month. [Daily Gazette]
The Boy Scout of America files released last week as part of a civil suit regarding sexual abuse in the organization includes records of about two dozen leaders in the Capital Region being banned for allegedly abusing boys between 1969 and 2004. Some of the records include many details -- others just some tracking info. One of the detailed cases involved an adult leader from Troy. [TU] [Daily Gazette] [Troy Record]
The proposed Rensselaer County budget includes a 2 percent tax increase. [Troy Record]
Thousands of people gathered in Auriesville (near Amsterdam) Sunday to celebrate of the canonization of Kateri Tekakwitha by the Roman Catholic Church. Kateri is the first Native American recognized as a saint by the church. Also canonized on Sunday: a woman who was raised in Utica. [Daily Gazette] [TU] [YNN] [NYT]
Schenectady police say two people -- a man and woman -- were shot Saturday night in the Central State neighborhood (map). SPD says both are expected to survive. [News10] [WNYT]
Albany police say a man was shot with bird shot early Sunday morning on South Pearl Street (block map). APD says his injuries don't appear life-threatening. [press release below]
Saratoga Springs police say they've made an arrest in the September 23 Broadway stabbing. [Saratogian]
Saratoga County sheriff's deputies say they've arrested three men for allegedly being involved with a string of burglaries in the county over the last month -- they allegedly stole from businesses, homes, and vehicles in Malta, Wilton, Milton, Greenfield and Saratoga Springs. [TU] [Saratogian]
State Police say a neighborhood in Stillwater was hit by a rash of thefts and vandalism overnight Friday-Saturday. [Fox23]
Eliot Spitzer was in Albany Sunday as part of a fundraiser for WAMC and shared his views on many topics -- except his future political ambitions. (It was reportedly Spitzer's first time back in Albany since 2008.) [TU] [YNN] [Daily Gazette] [Troy Record]
The top issue in the 21st Congressional race -- incumbent Bill Owens (D) and challenger Matt Doheny (R) -- according to the candidates: jobs. [Daily Gazette]
Jennifer Whalen -- the Republican candidate for the 110th Assembly seat (the district currently represented by Bob Reilly) -- says she pulled out of a scheduled debate with Democrat Phil Steck Sunday because of "repeated deceptions" and "intentional misrepresentations" by Steck's campaign -- Steck called the move "political grand standing." [WNYT]
The horse racing industry had a $4.2 billion impact on the state's economy in 2011, according to a recently released industry report. [Daily Gazette]
As part of its look into state legislator per diems, the Post highlights some of the residential properties owned by legislators in Albany. [NY Post]
East Greenbush's fire chief has resigned after allegations regarding a trip to New Jersey and misappropriated money. The department says it's conducting an investigation. [WNYT] [TU]
An audit of the Schenectady school district reports that the district counted $3.4 million in revenue that it hadn't yet collected -- and the school district board's president openly admits what the district did. [Daily Gazette]
At an anti-violence rally in Schenectady's Hamilton Hill neighborhood this past Saturday two sisters explain how things have changed from when they grew up: "Back when, you could talk about it, fight about it and be over with it," said one, and added the other: "Now they shoot first and ask questions later." [TU] [Daily Gazette]
The city of Schenectady's building inspector estimates that only 25 percent of the city's landlords have the required rental certificate -- and the city is looking to crack down. [Daily Gazette]
The city of Schenectady is planning to keep its body shop, even though its expenses are projected to exceed revenue again. [Daily Gazette]
In Saratoga Springs someone collected a hundreds of campaign yard signs placed where they shouldn't be (but weren't taken in years past) and left them at the city's transfer station. City officials say they didn't give the order to remove the signs. [Daily Gazette] [Saratogian]
As Schenectady County municipalities consolidate their dispatch services, officials are looking to increase the use of surveillance cameras. [Daily Gazette]
Occupy Albany celebrated its one-year anniversary. [WNYT]
Proctors is the state-designated tourism promotion agency for all of Schenectady County, part of the theater's transformation into a multifaceted arts and entertainment operation. [TU]
The city of Schenectady's tourism guide -- who organized events such as the Stockade ghost tour -- has been laid off because of budget cuts. [Daily Gazette]
East Greenbush police say an 85-year-old driver accidentally ran his car into a doctor's office building Friday. [WNYT]
____
APD: Shooting
Albany police are investigating the shooting of a 28 year old Brooklyn man that occurred this morning on South Pearl Street.
At approximately 2:00 a.m. officers responded to the 100 block of South Pearl Street for a report of a shooting. When officers arrived they located a victim who had been shot with bird shot ammunition.
He was treated at the scene by firefighters and transported to Albany Medical Center Hospital. His injuries appear to be non-life threatening.
The investigation is ongoing.
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Comments
You know, as a resident of Schenectady I wonder what, if anything, the employees of the City of Schenectady have been doing for decades. Certainly not their jobs. Why is there such a backlog of unpaid taxes that only NOW is being addressed. Why are there so many landlords without the proper paperwork? I mean WTF, Schenectady? Have the employees of this city just been lining their pockets for decades while doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING?! How are people supposed to live here? My mom owns a modest home - worth less now than when she bought it (but the city will never re-assess and lower the tax bill) and she already pays over $8K in taxes. And what do we get for our taxes? NOTHING. And now the city wants to raise the taxes by 8%? What happened to the tax cap? It is thoroughly disgusting that this outright robbery continues unabated. We are moving when my mom retires, but I wonder how long it will take to sell our home? Why would anyone buy a home here? There is absolutely zero incentive to move here - pay more and more and more in taxes while nothing of any consequence gets done by the people running the city. I can only imagine what Schenectady would be like if our city officials weren't completely corrupt, actually did their jobs, oh and I don't know, companies like GE actually paid taxes.
... said xina on Oct 22, 2012 at 3:03 PM | link
I love that Jennings says of his taxpayer funded unmarked police Chevy Tahoe:
"I very rarely use this for any personal business," Jennings said. "My wife and I use her car."
And in the TU article it's pictured at the race track and apparently later that day he attended a fundraiser at a golf course. From a later part of the article:
"Jennings was driven and accompanied to both events by a plainclothes Albany police officer who is assigned to the mayor for security protection. A city police officer, often on overtime, regularly drives Jennings to many of his governmental and personal functions. The mayor said he "very infrequently" has his police driver turn on the emergency lights or siren to help them get someplace quickly, such as a fire scene."
So Albany citizens pay for an unmarked police vehicle for unrestricted use and a city police officer to provide security to the mayor even when he's fundraising?
Albany taxpayers and voters who are asked for more and more of their paycheck in taxes should really read that whole article: http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Public-servants-driving-cop-cars-3968023.php#photo-3621047#
... said Valerae on Oct 22, 2012 at 3:35 PM | link