Sheriff: Body of Berne 5 year old found, kidnapping story was false; state committee recommends opening police records, CDTA adding accordion busses
The body of 5-year-old Kenneth White was found by a K-9 unit near the home where he had been staying in East Berne, according to Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple. The sheriff says White was initially reported missing by a caretaker who said the boy had been taken by two masked men -- a report that Apple says was false. Apple says he expects a suspect to be charged in the case today. Update: Authorities say 19-yr-old Tiffany VanAlstyne -- White's cousin, and the person who had reported the kidnapping -- has been arrested and will face a murder charge. [WGY] [WNYT] [TWCN] [News10] [TU]
In a letter to the chancellor of the state Board of Regents and the state education commissioner, the Cuomo admin indicated (through a series of questions) it will be pushing for a slate of reforms, notably to the teacher evaluation system. NYSUT called the letter "clueless." [Cuomo admin] [TU] [NYSUT]
The Cuomo admin has released draft rules for the medical marijuana program. Medical marijuana advocates say the rules are too restrictive. [Cuomo admin] [Capital]
The man wanted for a shooting in Schenectady's Hamilton Hill neighborhood in October was arrested during a raid in Amsterdam, police say. [Daily Gazette]
David Greenfield of Troy was < href="http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Second-sentence-imposed-in-2010-Troy-stabbing-5966340.php">sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the attempted second-degree murder of his girlfriend in 2010 -- for the second time. (His first conviction had been sent to a retrial because of a juror issue.) [TU]
A former Saratoga County sheriff's deputy was sentenced to five years in prison for taking $5k to drive a drug dealer (an FBI informant) and what was thought to be cocaine from Albany to Warren County on two occasions, while armed. [TU]
Albany police say they're investigating a shooting from Wednesday -- the location is unclear. APD says it was notified by Albany Med that a patient with a gunshot wound had arrived, but the location of the shooting was still unknown after interviewing the patient. [APD FB]
The state Committee on Open Government has recommended repeal of a state law that's been used to shield public records that could in some way be related to personnel records for police officers. [TU]
Dashboard cam video from an Albany police cruiser near the scene of an interaction between APD and Common Councilman Mark Robinson this past July doesn't shed much light on what happened, in large part because the video doesn't include audio. (Robinson said police told him to leave the scene in front of a building he owns and threatened to "mace him.") [TU]
Andrew Cuomo in Schenectady Thursday as part of his casino victors tour: "What you have started doing today is writing the chapter of what we will be and what the new Schenectady will be." [Daily Gazette]
A few details of the deal between the Upstate Theater Coalition for a Fairgame (headed up by Proctors Philip Morris) and the casino projects selected this week. [TU]
PEF says it now appears the state is trying reclassify as many as 2,500 of its members as management/confidential. [TU]
CDTA is moving ahead with the plan to add two articulated busses -- you know, the extra large "accordion" busses. [Daily Gazette]
The Central Avenue bridge in Mechanicville -- which carried routes 4 and 32 -- has re-opened after a replacement project that started in June. The closed bridge had been, in the mayor's words, "a real pain in the neck." [Saratogian] [Daily Gazette]
King Brothers Dairy in Saratoga County is opening a dairy bottling plant on its farm. [Saratogian]
... said KGB about Drawing: What's something that brought you joy this year?