All Over Albany

Water flowing again on Normanskill, more adjunct instructors unionizing, criticism of Albany codes office situation

Normanskill landslide
Water is flowing again past the Normanskill blockage caused by a landslide Sunday/Monday. Crews used pumps to keep the water level down above the blockage while a new trench was dug to divert the water. [TU] [Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple Twitter x2]

Herman Robinson trial
Herman Robinson's alleged suicide note -- which mentions the repeated rape of a young woman, her pregnancy, and the death of the baby -- was allowed into evidence at his trial. Closing arguments are scheduled for Tuesday. [Daily Gazette] [News10]

Adjuncts continue to unionize
The SCCC board of trustees voted to recognize a union representing the college's adjunct instructors. And now adjuncts at Siena are working to form a union. [Daily Gazette] [TU]

Albany shootings
Albany police say they're investigating two shootings on Saturday -- one in the Mansion neighborhood (map), the other in West Hill (map). APD says it's doesn't know if the shootings are connected. [APD FB]

Cuomo in Cuba
One takeaway from the Andrew Cuomo trade delegation in Cuba: there are a lot of hurdles to cross before developing trade relationships. Also: Cuomo got to geek out over a car. [NYT] [Capital]

New speaker, old sorts of concerns
The New York Times looks into how Carl Heastie was able to hold onto, then from benefit from the sale of, a house his mother partially bought with embezzled money. [NYT]

Albany codes
The city of Albany's codes office -- where it's located, why there still isn't someone heading it up -- has become a point of contention between the Sheehan admin and members of the Common Council. [TU]

Editing the video
Chris Churchill asks if Troy officials would have allowed allegations to be edited from the video of a city council meeting if the person targeted by the allegations didn't have political connections. [TU]

NYRA board
Charles V. Wait Sr. has resigned from the New York Racing Association board of directors -- Saratoga Springs officials are concerned that the city now doesn't have a rep on the board. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

Street performers
A new version of the proposed rules for street performers in Saratoga Springs drops the licensing provision. [Saratogian]

Stuff going on today (Tuesday, April 21)

Hamlet
Capital Rep's production of Hamlet opens. This take on the classic is billed as "an elegant and stirring rendition." It runs through May 10. Tuesday-Sunday various times - $20 and up

The O'Connell-Corning Machine
Paul Grondahl will be at the Albany Public Library's Howe Library for a talk titled "The O'Connell-Corning Machine: How it Controlled the South End to Uptown for Decades." The event is a fundraiser for the South End Improvement Corporation. Tuesday 6:30 pm - $25

Ecovative
Ecovative Design's Julian Hadley will be at Skidmore for a talk about how the Green Island-based company is using mushrooms and bioengineering to create environmentally-friendly materials. Tuesday 7:30 pm, Palamountain Hall - free