All Over Albany

Cruz found guilty, McCoy calls on Housing Authority to move residents away from railyard,lightning shatters tree at Saratoga

After about five hours of deliberations a jury convicted Pablo Cruz of murder.Cruz is facing 25 years to life for
running down an Albany bicyclist in Albany and led police on a chase through two counties while the victims body was tied to his vehicle. [TU][TWCN]

Albany county Executive Dan MCCoy, calling on The Albany Housing Authority to move hundreds of resident out of the Ezra Prentice public housing complex near the rail yard where oil trains travel: "Let's face it: it doesn't take a rocket scientist to say 'Should these people be living here?'" At the press conference McCoy announced new legislation that would impose fines of up to $250 thousand and up to a year in jail for operators who fail to notify county officials o an oil spill within 30 minutes. [TWCN][TU][WNYT]

Responding to Wednesday's New York Times expose that suggested Andrew Cuomo or his aides intervened in the Moreland Commission investigations the Cuomo administration claims the governor was misunderstood when he claimed the commission was independent. Cuomo's opponents are calling for action, from investigation to resignation.
In an interview on Charlie Rose on Wednesday, federal prosecutor Preet Bharara reiterated his pledge to pick up the investigations into political corruption, where the Moreland Commission left off.[NYT][CNY][Capitol Confidential][POH]

The body of a middle aged man was found floating in the weeds on Wednesday afternoon in a creek off Saratoga Lake. Sheriff's Deputies don't suspect foul play. [TU][TWCN

Authorities say the dead man found in a Cohoes Apartment on Monday evening,who is believed to have been involved in a fire at the Grafton Peace Pagoda following a disagreement with the management there, died of cardiac arrest due to sever burns. [Record]

Troy police arrested three city men on drug and Weapons charges early Wednesday morning. Officials say the arrests stemmed from an increased police presence in Lansingburgh after the recent suspicious fires. [Record][TU]

Albany police are looking for three men who robbed a man and stole his car on Tuesday night near Woodlawn and South Lake Avenues as he was trying to get into the vehicle. [TU]

The Troy teen who jumped from the Dunn Memorial Bridge in Albany after a high speed chase pleaded guilty to felony weapons possession and will spend up to nine years in prison. [TU]

A group of ex gang members have been working for the Schenectady School district in an effort to stop the fighting that has been such a problem over the last few years.[TU]

Colonie police have received a $50,000 grant to install license plate readers outside the Fuller road Firehouse. [TU]

Lightning struck a 100-foot high tree at the Saratoga Racecourseon Wednesday, causing it to explode and shatter.[TU]

Confusion over who is responsible for a Cohoes owned Cemetery in the town of Halfmoon has halted cleanup work on the graveyard.[TU]

78-year-old Bob Blais, who has served as mayor of Lake George for 43 years,making him the second - longest serving mayor in New York State history, says he'll run for a other term. [Post Star]

GE is planning to build facility in Malta that would create fuel cells that convert about 65 percent of energy in natural gas to electricity. [Saratogian][WNYT]

Following complaints from the public, the Lansingburgh School Board will reinstate a softball coach who has worked at Cohoes High School for 31 years, after telling him he would have to reapply for his job. [News 10]

Under a new law signed this week by Andrew Cuomo fines for pet theft will increase from $200 to $1,000. [TU]

Wednesday was Hispanic Heritage day at the track and Luis Grandison stepped in for Tom Durkin in the second race, calling the race in Spanish. [Saratogian][TU]