All Over Albany

Cold weather keeps shelters busy, reaction to Cuomo's 2013 budget plan, Tkacyzk to be sworn in today, sisters who were sisters die a day apart

It's really cold. The City of Albany has put an emergency Code Blue outreach program into effect. One man broke car windows in hopes of being arrested so he could get out of the cold. [YNN] [APD press release] [YNN]

Andrew Cuomo presented his budget yesterday. Here are a few of the highlights.

Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos said he's "encouraged by the plan", which he says " restrains spending, eliminates a manageable deficit without new taxes or fees, and invests in job-creation initiatives." [Capitol Confidential]

Senate IDC Conference Leader Jeff Klein says his conference will continue to push for mandate relief. [Capitol Confidential]

Assemblyman Jim Tedisco called a proposal for three upstate casinos listed in the budget a "death knell" for the historic Saratoga racetrack and casino, unless one of the casinos is located in the Spa City. [Saratogian]

Cohoes Mayor John McDonald says he's happy to see some relief for local governments which will be paying less into pensions under the new plan, but Senator Kathy Marchione criticized She criticized Cuomo's alternative pension plan suggesting that it isn't a real solution." [Record]

Cuomo officials will introduce an Open Budget website where New Yorkers can get specific information on the new budget plan. [NYT] [AOA] [State of Politics]

Cecilia Tkacyzk, newly elected Senator in New York's 46th District, will be sworn in today.[YNN]

State Police expect to add 330 new troopers in 2013. [WSJ]

To keep from going to court, a Loudenville rabbi will pay a $6,000 settlement to the family of one of the two boys he admitted to having inappropriate physical contact with. [TU]

A volunteer firefighter was arrested for allegedly stealing equipmment from the Shaker Road Loundonville fire department and pawining it at a shop on Central Avenue. [Colonie P.D. Press Release]

A 16-year-old from Albany who was convicted of breaking into homes through doggie doors will spend four years in prison. [Gazette]

Police in Troy found a man, clad only in a black tank top on a Lansingburgh street after hewho ran from his home as it was being robbed.[Record]

Hundreds of New Yorkers have already taken advantage of the days old hotline for questions about the state's new gun laws. [News 10]

Officialls in Colonie apparently made an error when they said they'd cut overtime costs in half. Overtime in the town has actually dropped by about $300,000. [TU]

A three car accident at Brevator Street and Washington Avenue on Monday has claimed the life of an 89-year-old woman.[TU]

A logging truck toppled over on Route 32 in Albany, losing its cargo and taking out a power line and a transformer.[TU]

Investigators are looking into the cause of a gas leak that forced the evacuation of the WAMC studios and other buildings on the 300 block of Central Avenue. [WNYT]

Police are searching for a woman who robbed the Albany Tikka Kabab store on Madison Avenue at knife-point. [APD press release]

It could soon cost more to park at the Albany Rensselear rail station.[Gazette]

Niskayuna's school district will opt out of the federal school lunch program
saying lunch prices were up, the number of kids buying lunch decreased and a lot of the food ended up in the trash.[WNYT]

An investigation into recent horse deaths at Aqueduct
has led NYRA to create an independent verinary service to be led by an equine medical director. [Gazette]

A pair of sisters who were also nuns who lived together most of their lives, died within a day of each other. [TU]
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APD Press Release - Code Blue in Albany

Due to extreme weather conditions in the immediate forecast, the City of Albany has activated  a Code Blue.
 
Code Blue is a collaborative outreach, transportation, and shelter protocol implemented to engage, transport, and shelter homeless persons who might otherwise remain without shelter during periods of extreme winter weather.
 
Members of the Albany Police Department will be actively looking for people in need of shelter during this time. The public is urged to contact authorities at (518) 438-4000 in the event they observe persons outside who may need shelter.
 
Those in need of shelter may go to one of the following shelters:
 
-          The Capital City Rescue Mission - 259 South Pearl Street
-          The Homeless Sheridan Hollow Drop-in Center - 26 south Swan Street.
 
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Colonie Police Department Press Release -Volunteer Firefighter arrested

On 01-21-13 the Colonie Police Department arrested a volunteer firefighter from the Shaker Road-Loudonville Fire Department, 550 Albany Shaker Road, after an investigation into stolen Department equipment and gear. The stolen items were sold by the defendant at the X Change Cash and Trade, 1121 Central Avenue. The crime was discovered by a member of another local fire department that heard about the items in the store on 01-16-13 from the X Change Cash and Trade employees. The thefts had been occurring for a little over a month and consisted of $3644.92 worth of the following items: 7 helmets, 1 fire jacket, 1 fire trousers, 1 pair of gloves, 1 air mask face piece, 1 harness and rescue system. Most of the items were already sold by X Change Cash and Trade. The defendant was arraigned in Colonie Justice Court and sent to the Albany County Correctional Facility in lieu of $10,000.00 bail. His next court appearance is 01-23-13 at 6:00pm in Colonie Justice Court.
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APD Press Release -- Tikka Kabab robbery

Albany police are investigating a knife-point robbery that occurred last night at a restaurant on Madison Avenue.
 
On January 21, 2013 at approximately 7:00 p.m., officers responded to Mr. Tikka Kabab, located at 450 Madison Avenue for a report of a robbery. When officers arrived, the victim stated that a female entered the restaurant armed with a knife and demanded money. The victim states he complied and that the suspect fled with an undisclosed amount of cash.
 
The suspect is described as a white female, 5'5", 160 lbs, last seen wearing a grey jacket and a mask over her face.
 
The investigation is still ongoing.
 
Anyone with information is asked to call the Albany Police Detectives Division at (518) 462-8039.