All Over Albany

Full environmental review for proposed Port of Albany oil heating facility, jury finds against two Troy police officers in civil rights lawsuit, passing on former convention center land

Oil trains
The state Department of Environmental Conversation announced Thursday that it's rescinding its earlier to decision to no require a full environmental review of Global Companies' plan to build a facility for heating crude oil at the Port of Albany. (Speculation is that the facility would allow the transfer of tar sands oil from Canada at the port.) DEC cited the nearby Ezra Prentice Homes, and the potential adverse impacts on the people living there, as a reason for the switch. Albany Common Council member Dorcey Applyrs to the Times Union, about the change and the addition of an air pollution sensor near the port: "This is what the community has been asking for. We want to know what is in the air that we are breathing." [NYS DEC] [Capital] [TU]

Troy police civil rights case
The jury in a civil rights lawsuit in US District Court Utica found that two Troy police officers violated a man's civil rights by using excessive force during an incident at a hospital in 2011. Troy's corporation counsel said the city disagrees with the verdict on use of excessive force and "we stand by our officers." [TU] [Troy Record]

Guilty plea in Malta death
Charles Wilkerson -- the 69-year-old Malta man accused of strangling his wife of more than 40 years to death a year ago in their home -- pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter Thursday. The plea deal includes an expected sentence of 15 years in prison. [WNYT] [TU] [Daily Gazette]

Kenneth White case
The biological mother of the two young sisters who had been living with Kenneth White admitted in Albany County Family Court Thursday that she had neglected the girls. That admission keeps open the possibility should could still get custody of the sisters -- but it also could lead to having her parental rights revoked if she doesn't show improvement during court-ordered assessments. [Daily Gazette] [TU] [TWCN]

Albany fatal shooting
Albany police say they're investigating what prompted the fatal shooting of 60-year-old Herbert Goodnight in West Hill Wednesday, and are asking anyone who might have seen or heard anything to talk with police. Lorraine Goodnight, Goodnight's estranged wife, to the Times Union: "He was a good person. He didn't deserve to die like that." [WNYT] [TU]

Kokopellis shooting
Recently filed court documents shed some light on how Troy police got the tip that it was Kokopellis owner Joseph Glick who was allegedly responsible for the shooting at the club during a private party. [TU]

Troy mayoral race
Republican Carmella Mantello has decided not to run for mayor, but instead will run for an at-large City Council seat. [TU] [Troy Record]

Rensselaer, Green Island, Watervliet
The mayors of those municipalities weren't exactly optimistic about their cities/village's future during a panel discussion Thursday. [Troy Record]

Price Chopper overtime suit
A class action suit over how Price Chopper classified employees for overtime pay will soon invite some team leaders from across all the supermarket chain's stores. [TU]

Former convention center land
Four development firms that expressed interest in downtown Albany land that had originally been set aside for a convention center say they're going to pass on entering bids with the state. [Biz Review]

Crowded field

My goodness. @CDPHP #WorkforceChallenge pic.twitter.com/bIhFTKALZH

— Albany Archives (@AlbanyArchives) May 21, 2015

Here are the results from the CDPHP Workforce Team Challenge in Albany Thursday evening.

Memorial Day

It's the start of a three day weekend for many people because Memorial Day is Monday. It's a federal holiday dedicated to remembering people who died while serving in the country's military. (It's also early this year -- May 25 -- because it's the last Monday in May and the last day of the month is a Sunday.)

Stuff going on today

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