Astorino running for governor, church raffles gun in effort to gain parishioners, please don't feed the vultures
Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, a Republican, has announced he's running for governor. Astorino made the announcement on Wednesday in a six-minute video in which he charges that Cuomo is the manager of New York's decline. [WNYT][Capitol Confidential]
Troy City Council Public Safety Committee chair Robert Doherty says that under an ordinance created by the committee, city police officers who try to stop people from filming or photographing them would face a fine and jail time. [TU]
What the unanimous vote by the Saratoga Springs City Council opposing expansion of casino gambling in the city actually means for the expansion of casino gambling in the city depends on where you stand. Opponents of a full casino say they are confident the vote shows there is not support for gambling expansion in Saratoga. Casino advocates say they supported the council's vote because it could help reserve judgement on the casino until more details are revealed in a final bid. [Saratogian][TU][NYT]
A Schenectady man is charged with raping a girl over the course of six years, from the time she was 11 years old, fathering a child with her, and then killing the baby. [Gazette]
The Times Union reports that the new suspect in the Schenectady house fire that killed a father and three children has told them he was in the vicinity of the home on the night of the fire. [TU]
A man jumped off a moving passenger train in Schenectady's Mont Pleasant neighborhood Wednesday, but was not injured. Police believe a hallucination may have caused the man to jump, and say that the train engineer slowed down when he noticed the man hanging off the back of the train, which may be how he was not injured. [WNYT][TU][Gazette]
In an effort to attract people to a Sunday service later this month, Grace Baptist Church in Troy will be raffling off a gun.[WNYT]
Police in Colonie arrested a pair of 19-year-olds on sex trafficking and drug charges for allegedly forcing a woman into prostitution at a Super 8 Motel and feeding her heroin for her drug habit. [TU][WNYT]
The Rensselaer man that escaped a rape charge on a technicality last year has taken a plea bargain in an unrelated Thanksgiving day burglary that will mean a five year jail sentence and $10,000 in restitution. [TU]
A Clifton Park woman who works for a Delmar security systems firm was charged with stealing $70,000 from the firm by allegedly depositing money into her personal accounts through phony payroll records.[TU]
A Delmar nurse is facing felony forgery charges for allegedly stealing prescriptions and forging doctors signatures.[WNYT]
An East Greenbush man is facing charges for allegedly pointing a semiautomatic pistol at a teenager. [WNYT]
A 21-year-old Shaker High School graduate who now attends Rice University in Texas is missing from a spring break trip to Panama City, Florida. [TU]
The state Assembly voted for a two-year delay in implementing Common Core standards for teacher evaluations and student assessment. [TWCN]
A new bill signed by every freshman member of the Assembly would strip public officials of their pensions if they are convicted of felony corruption. [TU]
Upstate theaters are seeking a 30 percent tax credit for production costs involved in bringing touring theater companies to the upstate area. [Gazette]
The Saratoga Race Course will get $1.9 million in upgrades, including 750 new high-def televisions, large video walls, an enhanced sound system, and 125 picnic tables. [TU]
A brother and sister from Albany's Ten Broeck Triangle neighborhood are opening a gourmet donut shop on Pearl Street.[TU]
A Guilderland woman's neighbors say she's a very nice person but they're tired of the dead raw meat and vulture poop. [TU]
... said KGB about Drawing: What's something that brought you joy this year?