All Over Albany

Skepticism over Port of Albany oil facility plans, Colonie fight over motel demolition headed to judge, principal defends his side job as a sports agent

Representatives of Global Partners fielded questions about the company's plan for an oil heating facility at the Port of Albany from a skeptical crowd of South End residents Thursday night. Global has yet to comment on whether it will be transporting tar sands oil through the facility. Also: How a vote in North Dakota could end up making oil trains that pass through the Capital Region a bit safer. [TU] [News10] [TU]

A new topic that surfaced during a Troy City Council discussion about the city's budget problems: layoffs and furloughs. [TU]

State Police were investigating a report of shots fired on the ramp from Route 7 to I-787 northbound Thursday: "The incident occurred just prior to 1 pm and involved two dark colored vehicles of unknown make and model, wherein a passenger of one of the vehicles was observed by witnesses to fire multiple shots from a handgun in the direction of the other vehicle." A NYSP spokesman says witnesses reported the cars were on the side of the road at the time. [NYSP] [Troy Record]

SUNY chancellor Nancy Zimpher has declined the pay raise for her that had been floated by the system's board of trustees. [TU]

Former Saratoga County sheriff sergeant Shawn Glans, who's facing an official misconduct charge for the incident caught on video in a Halfmoon parking lot, has resigned from this part-time position with the South Glens Falls PD. [Daily Gazette]

The owner of the Skylane and Blu-Bell motels in Colonie, currently closed by the town for code violations, has rejected the town's settlement offer and the buildings' fates are now in the hands of a judge. Town officials appear determined to keep the owner from reopening motels at the sites. [TU] [TWCN] [WNYT]

Trying to piece together the backstory on the man whose body was found near Freemans Bridge Road -- the last record of him is more than two years old. [Daily Gazette]

One of Albany County exec Dan McCoy's main supporting experts on the Port of Albany oil trains issue is also one of the people raising concerns about locating the Hoffman's Playland rides near the same tracks and a propane facility in North Albany. [TU]

The New York City Department of Corrections Commissioner at a state Assembly hearing on mental health and the prison system: "We've become the de facto mental health hospital in the state." [TU]

Niskayuna High School principal John Rickert defended his balancing of the principal's position and a second job as a sports agent at a public meeting Thursday evening. Rickert said he has a business partner who handles the day-to-day operations of the agency. [Daily Gazette] [TU]

A handful of local school district superintendents expressed skepticism and reservations about the money headed their districts' way for IT from the Smart Schools Bond Act. [Daily Gazette]

The valuation of the GlobalFoundries chip fab in Malta for property tax purposes is set to start depreciating by $50 million a year in 2017, according to the Ballston Spa school district superintendent. [Saratogian]

A snag in the process for the new parking garage across from the Saratoga City Center: concerns about an elevated walkway over Maple Ave. [Daily Gazette]

New York college students who graduated in 2013 had an average student loan debt of more than $26k, according to data gathered by a think tank. [TU]

A Glenville WWII veteran who earned three Purple Hearts says it took three years and the help of Chuck Schumer to get the military to clear up a name error that resulted in him being tagged AWOL. [News10]