All Over Albany

Sheehan wants "full reimbursement" for Normanskill repair work, more Common Core exams & more opt-outs, stolen phone leads to pop-star status in China

Reimbursement for Normans Kill
Mayor Kathy Sheehan's office says Albany plans to seek "full reimbursement " for its handling of the landslide at the privately owned Normanside Country Club that blocked the Normanskill earlier this week. So far the damage is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Normanside Country Club managing partner David Hostig says the landslide that blocked the Normanskill this week was an "act of god," but Bethlehem supervisor John Clarkson says the club began grading work on the slope before receiving a permit.[TU][CBS6][TU]

More Common Core, more opt-outs
Wednesday saw another round of common core exams and another round of boycotts. The overwhelming number of students who have opted out of Common Core testing has some legislators considering changes to the education section of the state budget. [TU][Gazette][TWCN]

Dontay Ivy's family still seeking answers
Albany Police Department has still not revealed why officers originally stopped Dontay Ivy, the mentally ill man who died after being tasered by police more than three weeks ago. [TU]

Autopsy shows narcotics in one-year-old
An autopsy shows a Washington County one-year-old who died in February had narcotics in her system [Post Star]

Two Mont Pleasant fires overnight
Investigators are looking into the causes of a pair of back to back house fires within three blocks of each other in Schenectady Mont Pleasant neighborhood overnight. [TU][WNYT]

Legislature has gone digital
State legislators have gone digital, but they won't be checking Facebook from their newly installed tablets. [TU]

Skelos
Dean Skelos says has no plan to step down as Senate Republican Majority Leader as he is facing a federal investigation.[TU]

PEF Investigation
A former PEF council leader accused of using a union debit card to make thousands of questionable purchases at stores and restaurants is now under investigation by U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara. [TU]

84 defects in oil trains
A recent federal investigation reported 84 defects in oil trains, including some that pass through the Capital Region. [TU]

NYRA in the red
NYRA is $180,000 in the red for 2015 so far - and that is with the help from VLT revenues. [TU]

Rush Street moves to Schenectady
Rush Street Gaming is moving into office space at Center City in Downtown Schenectady. [Gazette]

MMA
New leadership in the state Assembly may now mean support for mixed martial arts.[Capital NY]

Making friends with Orange Bro
How a Niskayuna native and Buzzfeed writer became famous in China and made a new friend -- all due to a stolen phone. [Gazette]

Happening today

Alicia Ostriker + Joan Murray
Poets Alicia Ostriker and Joan Murray will be at UAlbany as part of the NYS Writers Institute visiting writers series. Thursday 8 pm, uptown campus, Campus Center 375 - free

Stevie Edwards
Slam poet/educator/activist for mental health awareness Stevie Edwards will be at Saint Rose as part of the Frequency North series. Thursday 7:30 pm, Events and Athletics Center, Standish Rooms - free

Container Herb/Veggie Gardening | Cornell Cooperative Extension, Schenectady County
This class will cover all the techniques necessary to and maintain your beautiful container garden, such as plant selection and planting tips; design considerations; watering and fertilizing. Hanging baskets and placement of your container for greatest impact will also be covered. After the presentation participants will create their own container garden to take home. A selection of veggies and herbs will be available to choose from. Thursday 6 pm - $20

Music

Kenny Chesney at the TU Center
Country star. 8 pm - $32 and up

Richard Thompson at Helsinki Hudson
British folk rock veteran. 8 pm - $45

Surfer Blood at Nanola
A free EQX show. With: Party Boat. 8 pm - free

Mary Chapin Carpenter at Troy Music Hall
Acoustic show. 8 pm - $27 and up

Landlady at The Low Beat
Adam Schatz from Man Man. With: Dearest Vendetta. 8 pm - $10