All Over Albany

Memorial for man fatally shot in West Hill, red light camera revenue projection cut, is there a way to avoid ticket scalpers?

West Hill shooting
Family and community members gathered at Livingston Park in Albany's West Hill neighborhood Thursday to remember the man fatally shot there this week, identified by Albany police as Latwan Hankins of Albany. (APD says the incident, in which two other men were also shot, is under investigation.) Common Council member Mark Robinson said the community needs to get a grip on what's caused recent violence, or the summer could be hard. Said Robinson: "We're in a struggling community ... We're in a community that lacks opportunities." [TU] [APD press release] [TWCN] [News10]

Suspicious fire in Lansingburgh
Troy fire and police officials are treating an overnight fire at a 6-unit apartment building in Lansingburgh as suspicious. A resident tells WNYT she saw two men throw something that exploded before the fire. [TWCN] [News10] [WNYT]

Shane Harding sentenced
Shane Harding, the Schodack man who pleaded guilty to kidnapping two women last September as part of a multi-day incident that snaked through multiple Capital Region counties and western Massachusetts before he was captured near Skidmore, was sentenced to 30 years in prison. One of the women who was kidnapped said the incident "changed me in ways I'm yet to figure out how to accept." Said Renssealer County judge Deborah Young: "I only wish I could give you more time." [TU] [Daily Gazette] [Troy Record] [News10]

Red light camera revenue projection cut
Kathy Sheehan tells the Times Union that her administration is now projecting to collect half of the $2 million in red light camera revenue that was originally budgeted. [TU]

Also: Phil Steck and Hugh Farley are sponsoring state legislation that would make it illegal to sell or give away (already illegal) license plate covers that can foil red light cameras. [TU]

A Haymitch for the Capital Region?
The Capital Region Economic Development Council is hiring the high-profile consulting firm McKinsey -- for a fee of roughly $2 million -- to aid its application for one of the Cuomo admin's $500 million Upstate Revitalization grants (the process that's drawn joking comparisons to The Hunger Games). Buffalo hired McKinsey to aid its "Buffalo Billion" state grant. [Biz Review] [Capital]

Clifton Park green
A company is aiming to open a medical marijuana dispensary in Clifton Park. [Biz Review]

TU Center tickets
Two Albany County legislators are pushing for the management of the TU Center to look into ways that county residents could be given priority for event tickets and don't have to go through ticket scalpers. [TU+]

Alleged murder on the Hudson
Farther afield: A woman in Orange County has been charged with murder of her fiance in a case that's like something straight out of a TV police procedural -- she initially reported the man had died while the two were kayaking on the Hudson near Bannerman's Island, calling 911 for help and telling the story in a TV interview. [NYT]

Not this way
Among the proposed ideas to keep tractor trailers from being misled by GPS, and then stuck, on their way to the Hannaford Distribution Center in Schodack: a sign that reads "Not the Hannaford Distribution Center." [TWCN]

Fact

Albany city garden crews have planted 75,000 tulips in Washington Park for this year. [TU]

125 years ago this week

Today in 1890, the 1st electric trolley hits Albany's streets, running from Quail to Broadway. Here's how they looked pic.twitter.com/jyckwJu8Mc

— Albany Archives (@AlbanyArchives) April 28, 2015

Stuff going on today (May 1)

Look for our "Stuff to do this weekend" roundup later this morning.