Deadline to save Thruway jobs passes, Chopper corporate layoffs, Troy lawmakers consider adult business district for waterfront, St. Patrick's demolition starts...and then stops

The deadline to save 200 jobs at the NYS Thruway Authority came and went on Wednesday with no action. [YNN]

A few hours after demolition began on the rear boiler house at St. Patrick's Church in Watervliet, a state judge ordered the work halted until an appellate court can hear arguments from preservationists. [Record]

The theft of honest services law, narrowed by the Supreme Court in 2010, is at the center of a number of charges against Malcom Smith and his alleged co-conspirators. If it sounds familiar it's because theft of honest services charges against Joe Bruno were overturned over a year ago-- after the Supreme Courts ruling. [NYT]

More calls for campaign finance reform on Wednesday in the wake of the arrest of Senator Malcolm Smith for allegedly trying to bribe his way into a Republican run for Mayor of NYC.[WNYT]

The city of Troy is considering turning a 70 acre stretch along the waterfront, just west of First street, between the Postenkill and the Menands bridge, into an "adult business zone," clearing the way for strip clubs and adult book stores to open there.[TU]

SaintRose_all-over-albany_generic_525x40.jpg

Price Chopper has laid off 34 employees at its corporate offices in Schenectady which brings the number jobs eliminated there in the last six months to 80. The company blames soaring health care and fuel costs. [Business Review] [Gazette]

Due to an error reported last weekAlbany's school district will get $3 million less in state aid than originally thought, but that's better than the $4.2 million shortfall anticipated last week. Troy is looking at a $1.3
increase
in state aid.[Capitol Confidential][TU]

Sequestration could mean a hit of nearly $20 million for the Watervliet Arsenal, which has already instituted 14 day furloughs for 900 employees. [Record]

Police have ticketed a 19-year-old Clifton Park woman who they say was talking on her cell phone when her car spun out of control, rolled over and hit a State Trooper's car that was pulled over on the shoulder of the Northway in Halfmoon on Wednesday. Two people were treated for non-life threatening injuries. [WNYT][YNN][TU]


University at Albany College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering has purchased the former Eastman Kodak building in the Rochester suburb of Greece.[TU]

An Albany landlord facing a string of charges including arranging a sham marriage for an immigrant and illegal labor trafficking has rejected a plea deal that would have landed her in jail for six months and would have ended a felony case against her daughter and opted instead to go to trial and face as much as 15 years in prison if convicted. [TU]

More than 3,200 Capital Region nurses are getting payout checks as part of a multi million dollar class action lawsuit settlment alledging that Albay Med, Ellis, Albany Memorial, St Mary's and Samaritan hospitals consipired to keep nurses' pay down. [TU]

The man charged with stalking, aggravated harassment and felony coercion for allegedly making eath threats to a Skidmore student, causing the school to go into a lockdown last month has a history of violent felonies. [Saratogian]

The Shenedehowa Lacross coach has been suspended pending investigation into allegations of physical and verbal abuse against his players. [TU]

Albany police are investigating separate convenience store robberies in the city that occurred on late Tuesday night on Pearl Street and early Wednesday morning on Henry Johnson Blvd. [APD Press Release]

A Guilderland couple are charged in a stabbing that left a man hospitalized with more than a half dozen stab wounds and a collapsed lung. [TU]

The barber who survived the shooting rampage in Mohawk last month by playing dead says the gunman was smirking when he gunned down customers in the shop.[TU]

Bethlehem's drinking water failed an EPA test.[TU]

Repulbican State Assemblyman Tony Jordan has announced he will run for Washington County District Attorney.[TU]

Fire damaged the old Victory Mill in Victory on Wednesday.[Saratogian]

Troy's city council is expected to table the proposed Residential Occupancy Permit legislation tonight, to take time to address public concerns about the proposed law.[Record]

The harassment charge against the president of the Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk school board , stemming from alleged threats against the father of the board's former vice president, has been dropped.[TU]

Maplewood Manor - Saratoga County's nursing home - has been dropped by its insurance provider after two suspicious resident deaths and an injury at the facility. [Saratogian]

Albany leaders met with the Council of Albany Neighborhood Associations on Wednesday to discuss the problem of abandoned buildings throughout the city. Officials promised to work toward having a plan in place to ith vacant buildingsby this time next year. [WNYT][YNN][News 10]

Saratoga County officials will revise the job description for the Director of the county animal shelter after they county rejected the hiring of a 22-year-old recent Siena grad when it was suggested she was chosen for the job because her father donated money to the County Republican Committee.[Gazette]

The EPA has finalaized plans for a $6.5 million cleanup of the soil and groundwater Niagara Mohawk Superfund site, near the Old Red Spring on High Rock Avenue in Saratoga. [Saratogian]

The man who saved the live of a Canadian woman and her infant son who were struck by a drunk driver on the Thruway, has been asked to be the child's godfather. [WNYT]

The opposite of fishing.[Saratogian]
________________________________________________
APD Press Release --Robberies

Albany police are investigating two separate robberies that occurred at convenience stores in the City of Albany.
 
On Tuesday April 2, 2013 at approximately 10:00 p.m., officers responded to The Pearl Street Market, located at 213 South Pearl Street, for a report of a robbery. Upon arrival, the victim stated that a black male entered the store armed with what appeared to be a handgun and demanded money. The victim told officers that the suspect displayed the weapon and then fled the store before getting any money.
 
The suspect is described as black male in his late teens or early 20's. He is approximately 5'8" tall. He was last seen wearing dark colored clothing.
 
This morning at approximately 12:00 a.m., officers responded to Boulevard Grocery, located at 139 Henry Johnson Boulevard, for a report of a robbery. When officers arrived, the victims stated that a male had entered the store armed with what appeared to be a handgun and demanded money. The clerk complied and the suspect fled the store with an undisclosed amount of cash.
 
The suspect is described as black male, approximately 5'8" tall. He was last seen wearing dark colored clothing.
 
At this time we are investigating to determine if both incidents are connected.
 
Anyone with information is asked to call the Albany Police Detective Division at (518) 462-8039.
 

Comments

Several years ago Troy had plans to make that area of the river into a public park, opening up the waterfront to the public. Now they've determined it's the best place for strip clubs? This seems extremely short sighted. That neighborhood already has a crime problem, and this is just going to further debilitate it. Plus, it's right near a large elementary school! What the hell, Troy! You were doing so well turning yourself around with awesome new businesses and events - don't be this stupid!!

Completely agree with Jessica R, and especially seems a strange juxtaposition with the lovely Habitat for Humanity homes being built right there, which to me imply a dedication to making that area a more desirable place to live long term. Now I'm not going into a whole anti-adult entertainment of any kind thing here, but an entire "zone"? I feel like I'm going to have to drive through some kind of insane red-light district every time I want to take my kid to soccer.

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