All Over Albany

It snowed, PEF pushing for overtime pay, assessor says STAR exemption for state Senator was a mistake, proposed road diet for Madison Ave

It snowed, at least three inches. The snow is expected to continue through the early afternoon, with another 1-2 inches possible. [NWS]

One of the provision at issue in discussions of amending the NY SAFE Act: the 7-round limit on magazines. [TU]

PEF has filed suit against the state arguing that employees who worked more than 40 hours a week during the Sandy response should get overtime (the state is arguing the threshold is 47.5 hours for employee not usually eligible for overtime). The suit is seeking overtime pay for 14,469 state employees. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

The jury in the trial of Annie George is now deliberating. Its decision in the case may rest of George's possible use of the term "the maid" in reference to Valsamma Mathai, who prosecutors say was held at the Llenroc mansion to work for little or no pay. The prosecution has introduced used recorded phone calls (translated) to argue that George knew of Mathai's immigration status -- but George said it wasn't her on the call. [News10] [TU] [Daily Gazette] [Saratogian]

The state Education Department announced it's contracted with a company to develop its own high school equivalency diploma test, which is says will cost about half of what the GED costs. The state has the lowest GED pass rate. [NYSED] [TU]

The state attorney general's office announced a settlement with Time Warner Cable over allegations the company overcharged customers in 10 towns and villages, among them: Glenville. TWC says customers will be getting credits on their bills. The AG's investigation started with an inquiry from Glenville. [NYS AG] [TU] [Daily Gazette]

Says North Greenbush's town assessor on the STAR exemption taken for state Senator Kathy Young's townhouse near HVCC (she and her husband were also taking the exemption for their home in western New York): "Had they looked at their prior tax bills, they may have seen it. ... But it doesn't appear to me they ever applied. It's an honest mistake -- they're at fault but so are we." In an email to Young, the assessor said the exemption had been extended "erroneously" from the previous property owner. [TU Thursday] [TU] [State of Politics]

Dunkin' Donuts says it will work to source environmentally sustainable palm oil -- in part because of pressure from state comptroller Tom DiNapoli, who had pushed a shareholder resolution on the issue (the state pension fund owns shares of Dunkin'). [TU] [NYS OSC] [NYT]

The attorney for the South Glens Falls mother accused of hiring strippers for her son's 16th birthday party says the woman thought she was only hiring the strippers for singing "bikini grams" -- and she tried to stop them when it went beyond that. [Post-Star] [TU]

There's been an arrest in the finger biting case at Pearl Street bar. [TU]

Albany police say officers say a man was arrested for allegedly discarding a loaded handgun during a foot chase after officers approached him to cite him for littering. [APD]

A Clifton Park woman accused of causing a fatal crash while driving drunk in Charlton in November has been indicted for second-degree manslaughter. [Saratoga County DA] [Daily Gazette]

Part of the evidence in the case against a Schenectady man accused of driving drunk on the Northway at 140 mph before a crash that caused the ejection of a passenger from the vehicle: mobile phone video of the speedometer (the man pleaded guilty). [Daily Gazette] [Saratoga County DA]

A Troy woman has been sentenced to eight years in prison on her conviction for burglarizing a Colonie home, and then setting the home on fire -- which caused the death of a dog crated inside. [Albany County DA]

Albany's anti-gun violence program -- SNUG -- is again facing a funding problem. [TU]

Popular topics at the Troy city council meeting: the reassessment, and Lynn Kopka's NY SAFE Act letter. [Troy Record] [News10]

A traffic calming study of Albany Madison Ave concludes the busy street wouldn't encounter significantly worse congestion if it was switched from four lanes to three. (The idea is that a switch to one lane in each direction with a middle turn lane will make the street safer.) [TU]

UAlbany men's basketball coach Will Brown and his wife, along with SEFCU's president, have bought 400 tickets for the Great Danes' America East tournament game against Maine on Saturday so they can give them out free to students. [YNN]
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APD: Handgun arrest

Albany police arrested a 19 year old city resident for possessing a loaded handgun on Judson Street.

On March 6, 2013 at approximately 5:50 p.m., officers observed a male throwing litter onto the sidewalk while he was walking on Judson Street. As officers approached in order to cite him for littering in a public place, he fled and led officers on a brief foot chase. During the course of the foot chase, Shaquelle Owens, 19, of Albany, discarded a loaded .357 caliber handgun before being placed into custody.

He was charged with Criminal Possession of a Weapon 2nd.

He was also cited for Littering in a Public Place under the General City Ordinances.

He was arraigned this morning in the Albany City Criminal Court and remanded to the Albany County Jail.