All Over Albany

Niskayuna school budget rejected, state judge backs ban on Armory dance parties, historic house accidentally saved

School budgets in most Capital Region districts were approved by voters on Tuesday, but the Niskayuna budget -- which included a 5.76 percent tax increase that required overriding the tax cap -- was voted down. The district's superintendent said in a statement that official expected to adjust the budget and put it back up for re-vote June 18. [Record] [YNN] [TU] [NCSC]

John Davis beat self-proclaimed fascist, and reptile owner, Jose Lopez for a seat on the Albany Public Library Board of Trustees. [APL Press release]

Andrew Cuomo has reached a casino agreement with the Mohawk Tribal Council that will give the Mohawk's casino exclusivity in an 8-county region of northern New York in exchange for $30 million in back payments to New York State plus future revenue shares from the casino. The move eliminates the prospect of locating a casino in Lake George. [TU][Post Star][Gazette]

Two of Vito Lopez's alleged harassment victims are "actively considering" suing Sheldon Silver for negligence in light of recent reports that Silver covered up earlier harassment claims through confidential settlements. [NY Post]

A 26-year-old Albany man was shot in the leg early Tuesday near the intersection of 1st and Judson Streets in the city. [TU]

A New York State judge has backed a decision by Albany's Zoning Board of Appeals to block dance parties at the Washington Avenue Armory. The original decision was made, in part, by consulting the dictionary for a definition of auditorium. [TU]

The unemployment rate in the Capital Region was 6.5 percent in April -- down from 7.2 percent during the same period last year, according to the state Department of Labor. [NYS DOL]

Two gang members were convicted on drug charges Monday after a nearly four month trial --the longest in Albany County History.[TU]

Lincoln Avenue in Troy is closed while crews attempt to repair a sink hole that opened in the center of the street. [TU]

The State has canceled plans to put a parole reporting office across the street from West Hill Elementary School in Albany.[TU]

The Troy teenager who admitted to shooting her father was arraigned for a second time yesterday after a judge dismissed her case on a technicality and freed her last week. [YNN][Record]

The Troy teenager who led police on a three hour manhunt was arraigned on 11 felony counts Tuesday , including burglary, assault and grand larceny.[Record]

Testimony began on Tuesday in the trial of a man charged with the attempted kidnapping and rape of a of a 67-year old Saratoga Springs woman one year ago. Among the evidence in the case, surveillance video of the alleged attack. [Record][Saratogian]

Saratoga's City Council has approved an ordinance requiring all guns carried downtown to be conceled in a case or bag. Mayor Scott Johnson was one of two dissenting votes on the ordinance.[YNN][Saratogian]

About 400 opponents of the NYSAFE law rallied at the NYS Capitol on Tuesday. [Capitol Confidential]

The Albany County Legislature's Audit & Finance Committee is expected to toss out five bids to overhaul a floor of county offices to clear the way for SCCC satellite campus, because the low bidder may not have met an apprenticeship requirement.[TU]

Unemployment is down in the Capital Region.[WNYT]

The Assembly Minority leader Brian Kolb has released an anti- corruption bill that would limit legislative leaders to eight year terms.[Capitol Confidential]

Bowling alley owners in New York are seeking legislation to protect them from increasingly frequent slip and fall lawsuites.[TU]

Ordinary citizens joined lobbyists at the State Capitol on Tuesday for "Lobby Day."[WNYT]

Andrew Cuomo is expected to unveil a plan to offer tax credits and other incentives to buisnessse that locate near SUNY campuses.[Newsday]

The National Weather Service believes a tornado may have touched down last night in Columbia County.[WNYT]

Schenectady County residents will have an opportunity to participate in a landmark cancer prevention study.[YNN]

The parking garage at Rensselaer Rail Station will be closed for the weekend.[WNYT]

More than three thousand items have been surrendured to theTSA at Albany Internationa l Airport since October 2012.[TU]

It took six weeks, lots of red tape and tenacious volunteers to get a Rensselaer County man home from India, where he traveled to get an experimental stem cell treatment for lyme disease.[TU]

How a Clifton Park man accidentally saved the oldest home in Lansingburgh.[Record]

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Library Press Release
New Member Elected to Albany Public Library Board of Trustees

Albany, NY -- John Davis was elected to the vacant seat on the APL Board of Trustees in the May 21 vote.

The unofficial vote tally had Davis receiving 1,952 votes and Jose Lopez, the other candidate, with 530 votes. 

Davis will be sworn in sometime in the next few days. He will serve on the library board for two years (the unexpired portion of Mimi Mounteer's board term).