All Over Albany

Malcom Smith convicted, state settlement in Vito Lopez sexual harassment lawsuit, school district "flying blind" without state aid info, former CDTA mechanic alleges co-workers hazed him

Malcolm Smith, the former majority leader of the state Senate, was convicted on federal corruption charges Thursday. The feds say Smith, a Democrat, tried to bribe his way onto the Republican line in the NYC mayoral election. Said US Attorney Preet Bharara in a statement, of the case: "And sadly, this was just one of many pockets of corruption this Office has uncovered in New York, which has become the 'show me the money' state. It should not be asking too much to expect public officials at least to obey the law." [NYT] [Buffalo News] [US Attorney Southern District of NY]

Two former state Assembly staffers who accused former Assemblyman Vito Lopez of sexually harassing them have reached a $580k settlement -- $545k from the state, and $35k from Lopez. Said the women in a statement: "We hope our ordeal will serve as a strong reminder to New York's legislators that they are accountable for their behavior. All women should be treated with respect and dignity, not as sex objects or as problems to be handled and silenced." It's the second such settlement the state has made regarding Lopez and sexual harassment allegations -- it settled for more than $100k with two Assembly staffers in 2012. [NYT] [TU] [NY Post]

Andrew Cuomo, talking with the Syracuse Post-Standard editorial board this week, on Sheldon Silver: "This was a 20-year senior state official. If you can't trust him, who can you trust?" [Syracuse Post-Standard]

The massive Anthem data breach might also include information for members of the Empire Plan. [TU]

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Stuff to do this weekend

Awkwafina is at Proctors Saturday.

Mittens? We don't need no stinkin' mittens!

But if you have them, sure -- we'll take them.

Yep, it's going to be nippy out there this weekend. And we're expecting to see more snow before it's over. But we're hardy upstaters. When the temperature drops we don't retreat to the couch. We bundle up, open the door, and say: "Bring on the weekend!"

In that spirit, we've pulled together a list of things we thought might be worth going out for this weekend. Doing something you don't see here? Drop it in the comments and share it with the rest of us.

And whatever you're up to, stay warm and have a great weekend!

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Stephen & Harriet Myers, station agents for Albany's portion of the Underground Railroad

Abolitionist Stephen Myers and the Albany residence where some of his story played out.

Each Friday this February we'll be highlighting people and stories from the Capital Region in honor of Black History Month.

We live in a part of the country where history is part of the landscape. We pass historic markers on trips to the grocery store, and monuments on visits to the bank. Historic figures live on in the names of streets and cities and public buildings --- even if many no longer remember who they were, or what they did to earn the honor.

Take, for example, Stephen and Harriet Myers.

Chances are that you've driven past their former home on Livingston Avenue or the Albany middle school that bears their names, maybe without giving them a thought.

But this Capital Region couple has a remarkable, important story: The Myers played a key role in the history of the Underground Railroad in this area, helping hundreds -- possibly thousands -- of escaped slaves.

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Albany red light camera intersection map

There's a larger clickable map after the jump.

The Albany Police Department released the final list of intersections for the city's new red light camera system Friday. There are 20 intersections in all.

Here's the list with some crash stats, along with a clickable map, and a few quick things and thoughts.

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A quick recap of the week

Here are a few highlights from the past short week on AOA:

+ Daniel checked out the distinctive donuts at Nibble in Troy for the Best Dozen.

+ Yep, it snowed. But compared to the five snowiest days on record for Albany, it was nothing.

+ Deanna detailed the eclairs at Sovrana's in Albany -- and something called "Death in a Cup."

+ Kara asked about where to donate used furniture.

+ What was up in the Neighborhood this week: criticism, Chowderfest, beer and food, influences and inspirations, a deep-fried burger, tea and chocolate, pickled eggs, the odd duck of grief, sharing experiences, honest snowstorm forecasts, followed tracks, ironic placement, knitting, and red.

+ With is so cold and snowy, Deanna asked a bunch of people what they were cooking to keep warm.

+ Lauren checked out the new Sky Zone Trampoline Park in Menands -- and whether it would be weird for an adult, without kids, to bounce around there.

+ Cheryl asked about finding good Puerto Rican food, and we could still use some suggestions on this one.

+ We checked out a new baseball exhibit at the Albany Institute -- it includes some fun old photos and items.

+ Stephen and Harriet Myers have one of the most remarkable stories in Capital Region history.

+ And Albany released the list of intersections slated for red light cameras.

Here's the whole week all lined up.

Thanks to everyone who posted a comment or shared an idea or photo this week!