All Over Albany

More than a thousand attend memorial for State Police trooper, another state Assemblyman accused of making sexual comments to staffers, Troy towing snowbound cars

More than a thousand people attended the wake for State Police trooper David Cunniff at his Watervliet church on Thursday. Cunniff died from injuries after he was hit by a tractor trailer on the Thruway during a traffic stop near Amsterdam -- State Police say charges are pending and have told the truck driver, a Canadian, to stay in the country. [Troy Record] [TU]

Said one attendee at the memorial service for Nancy Pitts, the homeless woman who apparently died from exposure last week in Saratoga Springs: "It makes me really sad the way Nancy died ... More than that, it makes me angry." Pitts' death has focused attention on the lack of an emergency homeless shelter in the Saratoga Springs area. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

The attorney for Damien Zervos, accused of shooting a mother of four in the back of the head in an Albany apartment in October, said his client will use the insanity defense because of "a preliminary indication" that his client has schizophrenia. [TU]

Said Saratoga County DA Jim Murphy of the 17-year-old Shen student accused of injecting a 15-year-old with heroin: "He's a deeply troubled kid ... There are issues here both criminal and social." The judge in the case said his hope is to get the teen into a rehab program. The 15-year-old has said the alleged injection was not forced. [Saratogian] [Daily Gazette] [TU]

The head of the state Board of Regents has appointed a task force to review complaints about the implementation of the Common Core standards in the state's schools. [TU]

Among the arguments made in court against the state property tax cap by NYSUT: the cap removes some local control from education. [TU]

Dennis Gabryszak -- a state Assemblyman from western New York who has publicly spoken in support of a "Healthy Workplace Bill" -- has been accused by three former staffers of creating a hostile work environment through a string of alleged sexual comments and actions. [TU]

The state comptroller's office says a review of six state agencies and authorities found "a pattern of abuse and poor oversight of employees that hold two or more public jobs." [NYS OSC]

A bill signed by Andrew Cuomo Wednesday will add full or part-time judge positions to municipalities around the Capital Region. [TU]

The property tax rate in Watervliet is going up more than 5 percent, the city's mayor says many properties will end up paying less next year because almost 80 percent of properties in the city now have lower assessments. [TU]

The city of Troy announced it will be towing snowbound cars Friday as part of cleanup from snowstorms that started almost a week ago. As is usually the case in Troy, no snow emergency was called -- the city's deputy mayor says officials will be reviewing the cleanup to be seen what could be done differently. [City of Troy] [Troy Record]

An appeals court has ordered a new trial in a Schenectady rape case after it concluded the jury deliberated with fewer than the required number. [Daily Gazette] [TU]

A judge granted youthful offender status to an 18-year-old Watervliet man who pleaded guilty to luring a food deliveryman to a location so he could be attacked and robbed. [TU]

Albany police say they arrested a man for allegedly robbing a bank on State Street downtown on Wednesday. [TU]

A man with 44 arrests in 29 years is now facing rape and sexual abuse charges in Saratoga County. [TU]

A Marine recruiter at Colonie Center is being credited with helping to catch an alleged shoplifter. [TU] [TWCN]

Odd allegedly stolen items of the week: three commercial dryers, taken from Saratoga County. [Daily Gazette]

The Capital City Rescue Mission in Albany's South End unveiled a new facility that will eventually include 44 transitional apartments. [TU]

An anonymous donor has been sending Famous Lunch mini hotdogs to military service members and veterans around the country. [TWCN]