All Over Albany

Body identified as missing Saint Rose student, Ballston boils over proposed Walmart, judge contest decided by .5 percent of the vote

Officials say the body recovered near the Hudson River in Coeymans this week was that of missing Saint Rose student Connor Trapatsos. Coeymans police say injuries indicate the 17 year old had fallen from a railroad bridge. Police say they're not sure why Trapatsos was on the bridge, but they don't suspect foul play. He had been missing since October 15. Hundreds of people gathered at Saint Rose Thursday night for a prayer service honoring the student. [Troy Record] [TU] [TWCN] [News10] [TWCN]

About 600 people packed a Ballston planning board meeting about the proposed Walmart store on Route 50 just south of Ballston Spa. The crowd included both opponents and supporters of the proposed store. It's the company's second attempt to build a store in the town in a decade. [Daily Gazette] [TU] [News10]

Albany High School officials say four white students have been suspended for online harassment aimed at the school's senior class president, who is African-American -- the parents of one of the suspended students says their son didn't do anything wrong. [TU]

Thirteen deaths have now been attributed to massive lake effect snow that hit parts of the Buffalo area. Roofs are caving in under the weight of as much as 7-feet of snow. A section of the Thruway is still closed. And Chuck Schumer is calling for federal aid. Resources from other parts of the state -- including trucks from Albany County and the city of Albany -- have been dispatched to the Buffalo area to aid snow removal. [Buffalo News x2] [AP/News10] [TWCN] [WNYT]

The Capital Region jobs number for October -- which includes both full and part-time jobs -- hit its highest mark since at least 1990. [NYS DOL] [TU]

A state Authorities Budget Office report concludes state Environmental Facilities Corp violated state open meetings law by closing two meetings related to pulling half a billion dollars from a clean water fund for the Tappan Zee bridge replacement. [TU]

The winner of the Schenectady City Court Judge race is Democrat Matthew Sypniewski. The margin over Republican Ken Litz was 223 votes (with 136 affidavit and contested still untallied) out of roughly 42,000 cast. [Daily Gazette] [TU]

"Multiple people with knowledge of what the sides are asking for" tell the Times Union that one of the ideas on the table for settling the federal voting rights trial regarding majority minority districts in Albany County is to move next year's county legislature election to 2016. [TU]

Saratoga Springs mayor Joanne Yepsen says three members of the Saratoga Springs Housing Authority board appointed by her predecessor weren't actually on the board because they didn't they properly file oaths of office. Yepsen said the three can apply to be reinstated, but "this is an opportunity to review." The issue was flagged by a law firm doing consulting for the city, and the same issue could arise on other city boards. [TU] [Saratogian] [Daily Gazette]

Colonie is continuing its campaign to crack down on motels along Central Ave with a proposed law that would limit stays to no more than 14 days if a motel doesn't have a dining facility or in-room kitchenettes. [TU]

Schenectady schools superintendent Larry Spring is continuing to push for the feds to take up the district's complaint that the state's schools funding formula is discriminatory -- despite both the federal departments of justice and education bouncing the complaint back and forth. [Daily Gazette]

Albany police were investigating reports of shots fired in the North Lake/Robin Street/Western Ave/Washington Ave area. [WNYT]

Schenectady police say they arrested a 17 year old accused of stealing a purse from an elderly nun who had just visited people in the hospital. [Daily Gazette]

A state advisory board issued recommendations for state Medicaid coverage for a new hepatitis C drug that costs $94,500 for a 12-week treatment. [TU]

An observatory is the planning stages in Berne. [WNYT]