All Over Albany

Boy accidentally shoots himself after finding gun, Schumer pushes for rail tanker upgrades, summer camp at night

Albany police say a 9-year-old accidentally shot himself in the hand Saturday in the Sheridan Hollow neighborhood (block map). The boy tells YNN he thought the gun was a toy, and told News10 he found it in a flower pot. In ensuing commotion, the boy's family says the gun wasn't picked up. And this morning an APD spokesman says police do not have the gun in possession, and an investigation is ongoing. Another question in the situation: whether the gun is a "community gun." [APD] [YNN] [News10] [WNYT] [TU]

Chuck Schumer was in Albany Monday to push for the feds to require freight railroads to phase out the use an older tanker car model that's said to be flawed for shipments of oil and ethanol. Schumer said his concern for the issue was prompted by the recent crash and explosion in Quebec, and the increased use of rail transportation for oil. The Port of Albany has become an active node in the network that transports crude oil from fields in North Dakota, and much of the oil transported through the port arrives in one of the older model tanker cars. (The TU's Chris Churchill has been focused on this issue recently -- see his report from this past weekend.) [YNN] [Daily Gazette] [TU] [WNYT]

The city of Albany and Albany Med are set to announce "an important project" late this morning in Park South -- expected to be plans for the residential and retail portion of the redevelopment of that neighborhood. [TU]

There was a large upswing in the number of building permits issued in the Capital District in 2012 compared to 2011. [Troy Record]

A consultant favored by the Albany County legislature projected that he'd be able to get the county nursing home's budget to break even in 18 months -- though it sounds like county exec Dan McCoy, who's pushing privatization of the facility, is skeptical. [TU]

A jury ruled Friday that the firing of a former SUNY Cobleskill dean was not retaliation for statements he made alleging the school was accepting students it knew were not ready for college just so it could get the tuition money. [Daily Gazette]

The city of Schenectady and the budget analyst who was fired last fall -- after publicly asserting the city was missing out on its proper share of sales tax revenue -- ended up in a dispute over unemployment benefits. [Marv Cermak]

At Monday's Schenectady city council meeting there was some strong criticism from the public of the council's decision to give $500k to a private developer for demolition of a building the developer owns. [Daily Gazette]

The Rensselaer County legislature approved the move of the offices for 220 county employees from a building on Sixth Ave in Troy to the Flanigan Square building (map. [Troy Record]

Money raised so far by the Republican challenging Paula Mahan for Colonie supervisor: almost $800. (Mahan has $40k on hand.) [TU] [NYS BOE]

The trial of a prominent harness track trainer and driver facing allegations of sexual misconduct involving two teens started in Saratoga County Court Monday. The man opted for a bench trial instead of a jury. [Saratogian] [Daily Gazette]

Among the acts a man is accused of in Saratoga Springs Sunday: beating another man over the head with crutches, then trying to run the man down in a vehicle, crashing into a building (map. [Saratogian]

Troy police say a woman was pistol whipped in Lansingburgh early Sunday after she confronted two men who were walking back and forth in front of her home. TPD says it arrested one of the men. [WNYT] [Troy Record]

Among the items allegedly found in the car of a Loudonville man police say led them on a chase from Green Island to Albany: more than 3,200 hits of LSD. [Troy Record]

Idea surfaced at a public meeting for the proposed large mixed-use development at Route 9W and Wemple Road in Glenmont (map): a requirement for commercial space after a set amount of residential space is developed. [TU]

Stewart's is installing a $1.4 million solar panel system on its manufacturing and distribution center in Greenfield with the help of a competitive grant from NYSERDA, the amount of which is confidential. The panels are projected to save the company about $40k per year in electricity costs. [TU] [Saratogian]

The historic Cherry Hill mansion in Albany got $55k in pledges on Monday -- but still has to raise about $90k by the end of the month to stay open. [TU]

Three sisters in Glenville -- all 8 years old and younger -- got the ball rolling an effort that raised $14k in school supplies and toys for kids affected by the Moore, Oklahoma tornado. [Daily Gazette]

In Columbia County there's a camp for kids who have skin conditions that force them to stay out of sunlight -- the kids go outside to play at night. [TU]