All Over Albany

Shooting on Central Ave in Albany, investigation continues in Villa Valenti fire, Cuomo sitting on $33 million, ice jams continue to cause flooding concern, kittens in prison

Albany police say a man was shot around 5 pm Wednesday outside of the CVS on the 100 block of Central Avenue (map). Later that day activists gathered a few blocks away to try to find solutions for Albany's gun violence problem. [TU] [TWCN]

The Niskayuna man charged with killing his estranged wife at her Lake Luzerne apartment on Christmas Eve pleaded not guilty to a charge of second degree murder on Wednesday. Clifford R. Burns told police he "snapped" over the fear he was going to go to jail over missing two child support payments.[WNYT][TWCN][Post Star]

Andrew Cuomo reported having $33 million in his re-election coffers. According to the New York Public Interest Research Group, that exceeds the total he spent on his 2010 gubernatorial campaign ($28 million). [TU][NYT]

Stewart's Shops is facing a class action lawsuit that argues the company violated wage and hour laws, failed to compensate employees for all hours worked, routinely deprived employees of mandatory meal breaks and failed to effectively record time worked by employees.[Saratogian][TU]

The son of the 53-year old man who died from a possible heroin overdose at a south Broadway hotel in Saratoga Springs last week is asking questions about a winning voucher for about $1,000 that he says police originally told him was among his father's belongings.[Saratogian]

A suspect in a Maryland claw hammer murder was arrested in Lake George this week, after he was spotted by an off-duty state trooper. [TU]

Employees, family and friends of the owners of Villa Valenti in Wynantskill are mourning the loss of the restaurant as investigators continue to look into the cause of the blaze that gutted the building on Tuesday.[TU]

The owner of a car in Rensselaer chased a thief who stole his second vehicle to Siena College, where the car thief crashed through closed gates, hit a tree and fled on foot.[TU][Gazette]

A Clifton Park man has been arrested in connection with a string of Long Island burglaries in November and December. [WNYT]

A pair of Voorheesville High School students have been arrested in connection with spray-painted graffiti found on the walls of the high school, the library, and the car of a school employee. [TU]

A 2013 survey of New York school districts reports that about a third of superintendents expect their school districts could be financially insolvent in the next four years. [TU]

The state Assembly approved legislation this week that would move the state's primary day to June, but the legislation may not make it through the Senate.[TWCN]

The Schenectady Metroplex has agreed to purchase and demolish three buildings in the city. The land will then be donated back to the city's land bank for future development. [Gazette][TU]

Albany County legislator Christine Benedict is criticizing the town of Colonie's decision to close down the Skylane Motel as a band-aid approach to dealing with code violations and says the town needs to change laws to define what a motel is. [Record]

Among the eight candidates seeking to become Schenectady's fourth full-time city judge: The county's public defender, the Rotterdam town attorney, and the younger sister of District Attorney Robert Carney. [TU]

The SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering lost a bid this week for $70 million in Department of Energy funding for a federal manufacturing institute. [TU]

A Saratoga Springs public elementary school is getting awards for being one of the state's highest performing schools.[Saratogian]

The group Women Against War rallied in front of the Federal Building in Albany on Wednesday, calling on Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand to end their support of legislation the group argues is undermining nuclear negotiations with Iran. [WNYT]

High water levels and ice jams continue to be a concern for homes and businesses along the Mohawk River.[News 10]

Waterford is seeking public input tonight on how to plan to deal with flooding. [TU]

Sean Flynn, a New York Army National Guard major from Delmar and an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran, will lead the storied Manhattan-based "Fighting 69th".[TU]

A litter of kittens has made a home in a Fort Ann prison.[WNYT]

How the giant horse puppet in War Horse, at Proctors this week, works.[TU]