All Over Albany

Nearly two dozen potential casino sites file by Wednesday deadline, Copeland found guilty in father's murder, priest accused of inappropriate contact with a child

Nearly two dozen contenders filed the $1 million fee to later apply for one of four casino licenses in Upstate New York. Among the projects that applied: the E23 project in Albany, and a project at Howe Caves. The Genting Group -- one of the world's largest gambling companies and the operator of the slot machine parlor at Aqueduct -- has also paid the fee, apparently as it looks at the Catskill and Hudson Valley regions. [Capitol Confidential][WNYT][TU][NYT]

The East Greenbush town board took a last minute vote on a potential casino recently, prompting questions about whether residents may ever get an opportunity to weigh in on the issue.[TU]

The Albany Common Council held a 2-hour Q&A on Wednesday with the representatives of the developers for the proposed E23 project. [TU]

A jury quickly convicted 18-year-old Trinity Copeland of second-degree murder in the 2012 shooting death of her father in Troy. She faces as much as 25 years to life in prison. [TU] [Troy Record]

A priest from the Albany Roman Catholic Diocese has been charged with child endangerment for allegedly having inappropriate contact with a 15-year-old girl he met while assigned to Corpus Christi church in Round Lake. The priest is is accused of texting, calling and exchanging pictures and having physical contact with a 15-year-old parishioner over the last seven months. The Saratoga County DA says the investigation is continuing. [TU][WNYT][Saratogian][TWCN]

Bail has been denied in the second trial of Adrian Thomas. Thomas is being retried for the 2008 death of his four month-old-son in Troy after the NYS Court of Appeals reversed his conviction last month, ruling that his confession was wrongly obtained by detectives through coercion and was inadmissible.[TU][Record]

The US Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights rejected a claim by the Schenectady school district that New York's method of awarding education funding discriminates against minorities and students with disabilities. The district now plans to take its fight for what it says would be more equitable funding for urban school districts to the US Justice Department. [WNYT][TU]

A 20-year-old 29-year-old Albany woman who was recently hired as a lawyer for the Cuomo administration failed the bar exam four times and is now facing felony charges alleging she isn't, in fact, a lawyer. [TU]

An Albany man has confessed to stealing $3,400 from Citizens Bank in Delmar back in January.[WNYT]

A Schenectady man who represented himself in court was convicted on drug charges, Wednesday but acquitted on a gun possession charge. [Gazette]

Waterford was awarded $3 million on Wednesday as part of the Cuomo admin's New York Rising competition for a computer application that helps identify flood-prone areas. [TU]

The South Colonie school district's proposed budget includes a 2.64 percent school tax increase and a cut of nine teaching positions in the district. [TU]

A state effort to recruit new volunteer firefighters is slated for this weekend.[TU]

Angio Dynamics in Colonie has teamed up with Community Coalition for Haiti to donate products and equipment for a vascular surgery center.

An Andrew Cuomo/Rick Perry debate is unlikely -- despite Perry's offer. [SOP]

A Shen grad from Ballston Lake who once rapped on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" won a College Emmy for his "Late Night with Jack Carpenter" variety show. [TU]