All Over Albany

Wiltshire enters Troy mayoral race, Kenneth White's aunt in family court over abuse allegations, homeless services approved for New Scotland Ave church

Troy City Council President Rodney Wiltshire officially announced his bid for Mayor on Wednesday. At his announcement, Wilshire promised to create jobs, capitalize on he waterfront and make the streets safer. A Lansingburgh native and pharmaceutical sales rep says he also plans to throw his hat into the Troy mayoral race. [Record][WNYT][TWCN]

Carl Heastie says raising the minimum wage "absolutely has to be on the table" in budget negotiations as far as the assembly is concerned. [TU]

State Senate Republicans say they are close to an ethics agreement with Democrats. [CNY]

The aunt of Kenneth White, the five-year-old boy police say was killed in December by his cousin, Tiffany, was in court on Wednesday, attempting to clear herself of abuse charges. Lawyers for Albany County are arguing that Brenda VanAlstyne knew her daughter Tiffany was not in a proper state of mental health when she let her care for 5-year-old Kenneth White. Brenda VanAlstyne is trying to gain custody of Kenneth White's two sisters. [Gazette][TWCN][WNYT]

Demolition crews managed to retrieve a safe for a jewelry store owner whose business was housed in one of the buildings in the Jay Street fire. [News 10]

Schenectady will receive over $56,000 in grant funding for the creation of an urban bike infrastructure master plan. [News 10]

Albany's Board of Zoning Appeals voted 7-0 in favor of a plan to bring outreach services for homeless families to the Bethany Reformed Church on New Scotland Avenue.[TU]

Two NYS Thruway Authority internal investigators were let go in the last week, following an investigation by the Inspector General's office that prompted two leaders in the authority to resign in December. [TU]

Rensselaer's former public works commissioner pleaded guilty to grand larceny charges and admitted stealing thousands of dollars in scrap metal proceeds.[TU]

An investigation into a massage parlor in Glenville resulted in charges of prostitution and unlicensed massage. [Gazette]

A Schenectady mother and son allegedly solicited a 14-year old to burn down their rental property so they could collect the insurance money. [Gazette]

A Schenectady man is charged with passing counterfeit $100 dollar bills at an Ocean State Job Lots in Clifton park[TU]

A 13-year-old Schenectady boy was hospitalized after being attacked by one of more dogs on Avenue B in the city on Wednesday. [Gazette]

New York State population has dropped to 4th, but there's an increase in the number of Capital Region residents. [TU]

Saratoga is the healthiest county in the Capital Region according to a new report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin. [WNYT]

A Brookings study reports the commute to work is shrinking for many Albany residents. [TU]

Police identified the victim who was hit by a train in Mechanicville early Wednesday morning and say foul play is not suspected. [Record]

For the fifth year in a row the NYS Senate voted this week to legalize professional mixed martial arts fighting.[Record]

About 100 people --opponents and supporters of a proposed high-ropes course on Johnson Road in Glenville --turned out last night for a hearing on the issue[Gazette]

A GoFundMe campaign has raised $5,000 to help an Albany teenager with cerebral palsy whose wheelchair was stolen from outside her home this week. [WNYT]