All Over Albany

Smith vows he'll be vindicated, GOP leaders say Amedore will run again,Thruway employees expect layoffs, reports: Loyola coach headed for Siena

Senator Malcolm Smith says he'll be "vindicated on all charges" connected with the alleged plot to bribe Republicans to support him as a Republican candidate for mayor of New York City. After he was arrested Tuesday, Smith was stripped of his legislative committee posts and IDC chairman Jeff Klein has suggested Smith consider resigning. Many of Smith's colleagues in the legislature seemed less surprised that he was arrested then by why he was arrested.[TU][NYT][Daily News]

Recent charges against Malcolm Smith have brought about more support for campaign finance reform in the state. Local legislators gathered with members of the public on Tuesday night for a previously scheduled meeting to discuss campaign finance reform.[WNYT][TU]

A "remember when" of other state legilsture corruption cases. [TU]

Ranking state Senate Republicans are saying that George Amedore is planning to make another bid for the Senate seat he narrowly lost to Cecilia Tkacyk a few months ago. [TU]

More than 200 NYS Thruway employees in the Capital Region are expected to be laid off when the new budget is adopted today in an effort expected to save $20 million.[TU][YNN]

The unemployment rate for the Albany-Schenectady-Troy metro was 7.9 percent in February -- down from 8.2 percent in February 2012 -- according to the state Department of Labor. [NYS DOL]

An appellate court rejected the appeal of former Albany priest Gary Mercure, who was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison in 2011 on charges of raping two alter boys he drove to Massachusetts on hiking and skiing trips. [TU]

Daquan Jones, the 18-year-old man cleared of assault charges last week in connection with the shooting of a teenage girl in Troy, is now facing charges that he fired a gun into a crowd last May, hitting a man in the arm. [Record]

A pedestrian who was struck by a car on Hoosick Street on Monday night, not far from where a mother and daughter were hit last week- was charged with failure to yield the right of way. Police say she was distracted talking on her cell phone when the accident occurred. [WNYT]

A part-time employee of the city of Saratoga Springs was arrested this week for allegedly dealing cocaine. [Saratogian]

A Vermont man charged with weapons possesion and menacing in connection with an argument with a cab driver at Popeye's in Troy was convicted on Tuesday after a jury watch video of the crime on a computer. [TU]

A Ballston Lake man is facing a string of charges for allegedly purchasing steroids from China and storing them at his business in Glenville. [TU][WNYT]

Investigators have ruled out foul play but continue to look into the cause of a Milton car fire in which a Ballston Spa man died.[Saratogian][WNYT]

The city of Schenectady will soon be auctioning off about 50 off the 150 commercial properties and multi-unit homes it foreclosed on last year. [TU]

Saratoga County made more than $344,000 auctioning off property seized for back taxes last year. [Gazette]

A $145 million renovation of the Patroon Island Bridge, funded through the NY Works program, is expected to begin this spring.[TU]

Richmor Aviation is planning to build a new 20,000 square foot hanger at Schenectady County Airport this year to house business jets. [WNYT][YNN]

A committee representing state agencies that serve people with developmental disabilities is working to find ways to handle a six percent cut in state aid.[Record]

Troy residents spoke out against the city's proposed residential occupancy permit program on Tuesday at a workshop on the ordinance to create the program.[Record]

A standing room-only crowd turned out on Tuesday for a public hearing on plans to privatize the Albany County nursing home, and many attendees spoke out against the plan.The Albany County Legislature is expected to vote on the plan to privatize the County Nursing home on Friday. [Record][YNN]

After 25 years, Albany County clerk Thomas Clingan has announced he will not seek re-election. Clingan is the longest tenured clerk in the county's history. [TU][YNN]

The Shenedahowa Central School District is looking to sell 35 acres of vacant land near its Clifton Park campus to buy property for a potential school in Halfmoon-- the fastest growing town in the district. [Gazette]

A Capital Region family has helped found a program to help homeless families in the area find work and permanent housing. [TU]

Chuck Schumer wants to reduce taxes on hard cider in an effort to help NY apple growers. [Saratogian]

Kirsten Gillibrand says she'll introduce a Senate bill requiring the Department of Agriculture to look into new methods to determine milk prices.[News 10]

Loyola coach Jimmy Patsos is expected to be named the next coach of the Siena Saints. [TU] [WNYT

After 18 years, Saratoga Beads is closing.[Saratogian]