All Over Albany

Dems will replace Silver as speaker, Capital Region unemployment reaches seven year low, virtual snow days just aren't the same

After ten hours of deliberations Assembly Democrats announced on Tuesday that Sheldon Silver will be out as speaker as of Monday. It's still not clear if Silver will resign or be forced out of the speaker's post, but he told reporters, "I will not hinder the succession process." Silver did say he had no plans to resign his seat in the Assembly. [TU][WNYT][TWCN]

Silver's temporary replacement will be Rochester Assemblyman Joseph Morelle. Morelle, who will be speaker until at least February 10, when a special election will be held, is a business friendly Democrat.[NYT][News10][City&State][CapNY]

Unemployment dropped to a seven year low in December with a local jobless rate of 4.5 percent. [TU]

The Capital Region only got a few inches of snow on Tuesday, but it was enough to make commutes slippery.[WNYT]

Rensselaer is going ahead with plans for a waterfront esplanade, even though the city lost its bid for a casino at DeLaet's Landing. [TU]

A Glens Falls Post Star delivery driver helped police find two Hudson Falls men who allegedly stole cigarettes, $1,390 and a Make-a-Wish foundation jar from the Kingsbury General Store. The men allegedly used the money to buy heroin. The money in the jar was meant to help a five year old who lost his feet in a lawn mower accident last year.[Post Star][TWCN][News 10][TU]

Saratoga County Sheriff's sergeant Shawn Glans will appear in court in Halfmoon next month to answer to misconduct and harassment charges stemming from a recorded altercation where he allegedly slapped a suspect during a vehicle stop. [TU]

Several people have been arrested over the last few chilly weeks, for trespassing on the ESP Concourse. [TU]

The APD is looking for the man who allegedly robbed the Subway on Henry Johnson Boulevard on Friday.[News 10]

The 86-year-old former North Greenbush Democratic political chairman accused of asking for sex from a schoolboy and his mother on a Vero Beach street has pleaded no contest to the charges and will be sentenced on March 2. [TU]

A former Shaker High School teachers aide was charged with having inappropriate conduct with a developmentally disabled student. [TU]

The Cuomo administration is reviewing a key decision on two natural gas pipelines. [CapNY]

Casino plans are moving forward in Schenectady [TU]

A pair of Troy City Council members have split with the rest of the council's decision this week on recommendations for demolition and code enforcement, suggesting instead that there are already state laws in place that should be followed instead. [Record]

The battle over the design of a proposed parking garage for the Saratoga City Center continues, and the City Center Authority has yet to release four alternative designs for the parking deck. [Saratogian][Gazette]

A proposed $50 million redevelopment of the former Kmart site in Clifton park would include over 200, luxury apartments, office space, retail and a restaurant. [TU]

Rent is too damn high candidate Jimmy McMillan is facing eviction from his rent controlled NYC apartment because the landlord (wait for it) wants to raise the rent. [WNYT]

Ualbany is getting a new, $23 million weather monitoring network that can give meteorologists the kind of info that could have helped close gaps in short-term forecasts storms like the Nor'easter this week.[Gazette]

A Wilton man, who was the son of one of the sculptors of Mount Rushmore, has published a book based on his parents letters during the project. [Gazette]

Snow days just aren't what they used to be for Tech Valley High School Students. [Gazette]

Taekwando comic book art from Greenfield. [Record]