All Over Albany

Gun control, Sandy relief and min. wage highlighted in SOS, appellate court orders 99 discarded votes counted in the 46th Senate race, sale of Lincoln letter helps Albany neighborhoods

In Wednesday's State of the State address, Andrew Cuomo focused on gun-control, Sandy relief, raising the minimum wage, women's initiatives, and extended school days/hours. Cuomo called for New York to remain the "progressive capital of the nation." Some of the items in the speech fueled speculation about Cuomo's aspirations for a 2016 run for the White House. [AOA] [NYT] [TU]

On Wednesday, Sheldon Silver said Cuomo and legislative leaderswere 95% of the way to an agreement on gun control. [NYT]

The governor's proposal to raise the minimum wage is clearly dividing parties in the legislature. [News 10]

In a recorded response to Cuomo's speech, state Republican conference leader Dean Skelos emphasized recent cooperation between parties, but revealed differences of opinion on gun control and campaign finance reform. [Capitol Confidential]

Reaction to the State of the State from local leaders. [Saratogian]

Absent from the speech was any discussion of hydrofracking, but about 1,000 anti-fracking advocates protested outside of the the Empire State Plaza on Wednesday as lawmakers made their way to the State of the State address. [WNYT]

The state Senate convened yesterday under new rules which allowing it run as coalition of Republicans and Independent Democrats -- Skelos and Jeff Klein will alternate leadership of the chamber daily. [Capitol Confidential]

A state appeals court has ordered 99 previously discarded ballots in the race for the 46th state Senate race between George Amedore and Cecilia Tkaczyk to be counted. Amedore currently leads Cecilia Tkaczyk by 37 votes and has already taken the oath of office, but this decision could change the results of the race. [TU] [WNYT] [Record]

Hundreds of people showed up at Hudson Falls High School yesterday to see if their stolen belongings were among the $30,000-worth of jewelery, cash and other items confiscated when police arrested John Suddard of Ft. Edward in connection with a string of burglaries throughout the East Coast. Police say they're planning at least one more display of the stolen property.[TU] [News 10]

Colonie supervisor Paula Mahan gave her State of the Town address yesterday, saying things in the town are improving , with 2,500 new jobs created there the last two years.[WNYT]

People voiced their opposition to a plan to sell Saratoga County run Maplewood Manor nursing home, yesterday, one week before the board of supervisors scheduled vote to sell the facility to a local development corporation . [YNN] [Saratogian]

The board of directors of the Saratoga City Center say they won't cancel the gun show planned for this weekend, but have agreed to review future bookings at the center. More than 100 people in three different groups are planning protests outside the city center during the arms fair. [TU] [Saratogian]

The $2 billion manufacturing and R&D expansion planned for GlobalFoundries Fab 8 campus in Malta is expected to add 1,000 new high tech jobs in the region. [TU]

Troy police are looking into separate events -- a shooting and an armed robbery -- that occurred in the city on Tuesday night. [Record]

An alleged serial killer, who may be connected to the murder of a Washington County woman 25 years ago, has been arrested in Los Angeles. [TU]

A South Glens Falls man is headed to prison after scheming with a friend to stage a crime in which he shot the friend and shared his disability payments. [Gazette]

State Street resident at Albany BZA hearing about shows at the Washington Ave Armory, on upcoming show touting ""bone-crushing sound": "My house, like many in the neighborhood, is 126 years old and should not be exposed to bone-crushing anything." [TU]

The first, and so far the only, contractor awarded permission to renovate one of the foreclosed Schenectady homes in a new program has dropped out after revelations that he spent time in prison for embezzling from his Colorado auto parts business in 1999. [Gazette]

Was it slander, or is a suit filed by a developer against Halfmoon man who criticized his projects in Watervliet a strategic lawsuit to prevent public participation in government? [TU]

A social studies teacher at Glens Falls High School has been arrested and suspended from his job for allegedly hitting a 17-year-old student on the buttocks and asking her to "do a dance move" for him. [News 10]

Wind gusts of up to 50 mph blew through the Capital Region overnight causing some power outages. [TU]

A Brunswick man was found not guilty of driving an ATV while intoxicated. Among the questions in the case, whether the vehicle was being operated on private property or a public roadway. [Record]

A problem with vendors is holding up the delivery of new registrations and window stickers from the New York State DMV. People expecting registrations and stickers are getting letters informing them that their registraitions are in full effect. [WNYT]

A letter penned by Abraham Lincoln and owned by an Albany resident was auctioned by Southeby's and much of the proceeds will benefit the city's South End and Mansion neighborhoods. [Gazette]

Wednesday was day one of a four-day sale at The Adelphi in Saratoga. Items from $10 lamps to $300 armoires went up for sale at the old hotel , as the new owner prepares for renovations.[Saratogian] [TU]

RPI archetecture students are working to make miSci -- the former Schenectady Museum -- easier to spot. [Gazette]