Prosecutor resigns after paperwork error in Rensselaer County alleged rape case, new plan eyed for Albany convention center site, that's old news
Rensselaer County DA Richard McNally says the ADA responsible for the paperwork mishap that allowed a man accused of raping two teens to walk without a trial has resigned. McNally told the Record last week that the paperwork error was caused by the ADA's heavy workload and noted his previous requests for funding for two more ADAs had been denied. [TU] [Troy Record]
The Albany County DA's office says Leonard Spence pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in the shooting death of Darzee Reid at Central and King avenues in Albany last April (map). He faces up to 21 years in prison. Reid's death was the first homicide of 2013 in the city. [Albany County DA]
The Troy-Waterford Bridge has re-opened after emergency repairs. The bridge, which carries Route 4 over the Hudson, was closed ahead of rush hour Friday after an inspection found a crack in a beam. [TU] [Troy Record]
The Albany Convention Center Authority is planning to an issue a request for proposals for a mixed-use development on the land on the south side of downtown Albany originally gathered for the convention center project, which now appears to be headed for a scaled-down version closer to the ESP. [TU]
NYSUT and PEF aren't happy about about a team of analysts in the state education department that are funded by private donations and are, depending on who's doing the describing, either advising or directing the department's education reform efforts. [TU]
State legislators and their private employers are trying to get the courts to block an effort by the Moreland Commission to subpoena legislators' private sector work records, including client lists for law firms. [TU]
The Democrats in the Rensselaer County legislator -- the chamber's minority party -- are protesting the raises for the county exec and county clerk that are in the proposed budget. [TU]
Two Albany Common Council members have apparently stopped showing up at council meetings after losing their primary election in September. [TU]
The outgoing town of Hoosick supervisor is facing charges for allegedly falsifying documents in a real estate transaction (according to "officials with knowledge of the case"). [News10] [TU]
Chris Churchill on the decision of a Menands justice to not convict Albany police officer Brian Lutz of DWI in spite of a string of compelling facts: "Those facts make it easy to see Proskin's ruling as a victory for Albany County's club of legal insiders at the expense of Menands Police and everyone who wants safer roads and fewer drunk drivers." [TU]
The earliest Joe Bruno's re-trial could start: April 2014. [TU]
Albany County ends up picking up the tab for autopsies at Albany Med -- even if people are flown in from other counties. [TU]
A traffic stop in August in Rotterdam has prompted allegations of violated civil rights and a Rotterdam police officer to lose his job, people familiar with the investigation tell the Times Union. [TU]
A 7-hour standoff in Niskayuna, apparently prompted by a domestic dispute, ended without a confrontation between the subject and police Saturday morning. [Daily Gazette] [WNYT]
Albany police say they're investigating what appears to be an increase in recent armed robberies. [WNYT]
State Police say a Schoharie man was arrested for allegedly pulling his three of his daughter's permanent teeth with a pair of pliers. [NYSP]
Troy police say a car reported stolen after it was left to run to warm up crashed into another vehicle near Washington Park Sunday (map). [News10]
Schenectady police say an officer's taser -- still in the holster -- was ripped from the officer's uniform during a struggle Thursday night in the Bellevue neighborhood. [Daily Gazette]
A section of New Scotland Ave in uptown Albany was closed Sunday morning because of a one-car crash in the early morning (map). [YNN]
The Albany County Sheriff's Office has gotten a military surplus mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle, which was originally built to deal with roadside bombs in Iraq. [AP/TU]
Claim: The US Navy's nuclear reactor training facility in West Milton has an $855 million annual economic impact on the area. [Daily Gazette]
The Niskayuna school district is considering allowing families from outside the district to pay tuition to send their children to Niskayuna public schools as a way to increase revenue. [Daily Gazette]
An oak wilt disease has popped up in the same Glenville neighborhood where it was detected four years ago. [Daily Gazette]
That's old news. [TU]
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It's great to hear that the convention center land is going to be opened up for more sensical development, but frustrating to hear that that development will likely end up as yet another Big Project. I'd love to see the land parceled up and auctioned off individually to allow for actual mixed use, instead of another big ugly complex (a la what's planned for park south). What would be even better is if before the auction we instituted a land-value tax on the parcels as part of some sort of special economic zone, to encourage rapid development. An LVT is what's necessary to combat the rampant speculation and clamoring for tax breaks that seems to paralyze all development in Albany. Since this land is government owned now it'd be the perfect opportunity to try an LVT on a small scale without changing the rules on existing landowners.
... said Mike D on Nov 25, 2013 at 11:27 AM | link