All Over Albany

Investigation into fatal Metro North derailment, state tax credits for businesses up sharply, NanoCollege planning chip foundry for Utica, they were first in line

Investigators are looking into why a Metro North train derailed Sunday near the Harlem River in the Bronx, killing four people and injuring many others. Andrew Cuomo said on the Today Show this morning that early indications are that the train's speed appeared to be a factor. Amtrak service from Albany-Rensselaer to NYC was halted for a few hours Sunday, but has since been restored, though at slower speeds near the crash site. Said an Albany woman whose train had passed by the crash site Sunday, to WNYT: "There were a couple of cars really turned on their side ... There was one (that was) feet from the water. It was really bad. It was scary." [NYT] [NYT] [AP/ABC News] [Daily Gazette] [WNYT]

The Saratoga County Sheriff's Office says a pedestrian who hit and killed by a vehicle on Route 29 in Milton Saturday morning. The sheriff's office said the driver reported briefly losing sight of the road before hitting the pedestrian. The driver has been charged with failure to use designated lane. [News10] [Daily Gazette] [TU]

The cost of state tax credits for businesses have been on a sharp upswing over the last handful of few years, rising from $673 million in 2005 to an estimated $1.7 billion in 2003, according to a report prepared for the New York State Tax Reform and Fairness Commission. [TU] [Capital New York]

The county jails for Albany and Rensselaer counties generate millions in revenue each year from boarding prisoners from other counties. [TU]

Bailey Wind on her ongoing recovery -- both physical and emotional -- from the fatal Northway wreck a year ago: "Every day is definitely different. Some days are better than others. I'd say more are better than worse. But when the days are bad, they're really bad. I have a few bad days every week." And Regina Stewart, Chris Stewart's mother: "There are moments that take me off my feet... Then it's literally time to rest -- to let the sadness and anguish happen. And eventually it subsides." [TU] [Daily Gazette]

Many members of the state Moreland Commission -- which, in the course of looking into corruption in the state legislature, has pushed for greater financial disclosure by legislators -- have themselves made only limited financial disclosures. [TU]

New start date for the Joe Bruno re-trial: May 12. [TU]

A peek at the NanoCollege's plans for the site it controls in Utica include three large chip fabs that would run as a chip foundry that could do contract manufacturing for companies. [TU]

Troy police say a driver was ticketed in the city after an incident in which officials at the Watervliet Arsenal say a man had a "heated" interaction with a security officer at an arsenal gate, then sped off, dragging the officer for about 20 feet. [WNYT] [News10] [TU]

Saratoga Springs police say two men have been charged with a hate crime following an alleged incident early Sunday morning, though few details released. [Daily Gazette] [Saratogian]

East Greenbush police say three women were arrested last week after they alleged stole three 32-inch televisions, one 46-inch television, five assorted computers, two blenders, one Keurig coffee system and several kitchen utensils from the East Greenbush Walmart. [Troy Record]

Apparent trend over the last few years: an increase in mail shipments of marijuana from the West Coast to the Capital Region. [TU]

State Police say two people from Schenectady were arrested on the accusation they stole a purse from a Thanksgiving gathering they had attended at a home in Brunswick. [NYSP]

County and town leaders in Rensselaer County are upset by a state/federal report that concludes a health study of residents near the toxic Dewey Loeffel dump is not necessary. [TU]

Question in Mechanicville as a new mayor starts January 1: Will the city have enough cash to continue operating through the winter? [TU]

Concerned about the long-term viability of the wells that supply its plant in Greenfield, Stewart's is looking at a plan to build a 1.3 million water line to connect the plant with service from the Saratoga County Water Authority. [Saratogian]

The former St. Anthony's Church in Albany's Mansion neighborhood -- used for programming by the Grand Street Community Arts org -- has been closed because it requires significant repairs. [TU]

If ever you wondered who would camp outside a mall store on Thanksgiving in order to be first in line when it opened, here's your answer. [WNYT]

"He is the race secretary of the Schenectady Homing Pigeon Club, of which he is the youngest member by four decades." [TU]

A retired high school teacher who lives in Saratoga Springs has been working to build water wells in developing countries. [TU]

The grand marshal for this year's Ballston Spa holiday parade will be a five-year-old who has a rare genetic condition in which his body can't metabolize copper. [Saratogian]