All Over Albany

Cuomo admin seeking waiver to import marijuana, questions about parking at One Monument Square site, RPI professors developing assistance robot

The Cuomo admin is asking the feds for a waiver that would allow the state to import certain types of marijuana to be used medicinally as treatment for a seizure disorder in children. (Transporing the drug across state lines is considered illegal by the feds.) New York's request to the feds is being backed by Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand. [Buffalo News] [TU] [Buffalo News]

State investigators recovered and disbursed $16.4 million from wage theft cases during the first half of 2014, according to the state Department of Labor. [WNYT]

Based on comments from "several people familiar with the matter" and internal documents, the Times Union reports that PEF leaders "shielded a downstate council leader from potential prosecution after she allegedly used a union debit card to make at least $20,000 in questionable purchases." [TU]

UAlbany president Robert Jones says his school and Albany Law are moving toward some sort of affiliation that could include the law school becoming part of UAlbany. [Biz Review]

The anonymous donor who gave $10 million to St. Peter's Health Partners has been revealed as Heinrich Medicus, a 95-year-old retired RPI professor who credits his longevity to wine and chocolate. [TU]

Troy is getting money from the feds to pay the salary of three new police officers over three years. [Troy Record]

A Rensselaer County prosecutor says a woman facing an attempted murder charge after allegedly shooting a man in Troy has pleaded guilty to weapons possession after neither the victim nor witnesses would testify. [TU]

Troy police say they've arrested a man for an alleged rape September 22 in downtown Troy. The man has been charged with rape twice before, but in both cases the victims wouldn't testify, according to prosecutors and court documents. [News10] [TU]

Albany police say they've arrested a man for allegedly firing "several" shots in the Grand Street neighborhood the afternoon of September 15. [APD FB]

Albany police say they're investigating a reported armed armed robbery in West Hill Saturday night in which three suspects, apparently a handgun and shotgun, entered a residence and took cash. [APD FB]

Albany Common Council president Carolyn McLaughlin is the new chair of the Albany County Democratic Committee. [TU]

Colonie's town attorney says town officials believe the Troy Schenectady Road building recently shut down for alleged code violations will need to be demolished. [TU]

Will there be enough parking at One Monument Square in Troy under the redevelopment proposal currently on the table? [TU] Earlier: The latest One Monument Square plan evolves

Businesses in Mechanicville say they're being hurt by detour signs for a bridge project they say make it appear as if the city is closed to traffic -- the major detour is actually just for heavy trucks, though the county says having signs noting the separate detours for trucks and cars was "determined to be too difficult." [Saratogian] [Daily Gazette]

A concern raised by a few of the neighborhoods adjacent to the the Mohawk Harbor (and, potentially, casino) in Schenectady: traffic. [Daily Gazette]

Concerns about loose plaster on the ceiling of the Canfield Casino's ballroom ceiling has prompted emergency repairs. A "source with direct knowledge of what happened" tells the Saratogian city officials left it up caterers and vendors to explain to a wedding party this past Friday why it was being moved from the ballroom to a parlor. Officials say no plaster fell and repairs will be in place before events this weekend. [TU] [Saratogian] [Daily Gazette]

RPI professors are working to adapt industrial robot technology to be used as assistance for people with disabilities and the elderly. [TU] [News10]