All Over Albany

Death following Troy arson fire, Normanskill fix could cost millions, Albany aquarium idea apparently still floating, words as colors

Death in Troy arson case
The 82-year-old woman who was pulled, unconscious, from the Lansingburgh arson fire earlier this month has died, Troy police say. The fire was the 14th suspicious fire in Lansingburgh since last July. [WNYT] [TU]

Troy police civil rights suit
John Larkins, whose lawsuit over an encounter with Troy police at a hospital in 2011 resulted in a jury finding last week that two officers had violated his civil rights by using excessive force, to the Times Union: "I don't want a buyout ... That's not justice. I want their badges to be taken away. The police are supposed to protect our civil rights, not trample over them. Chief Tedesco should also be prosecuted. Systematic injustice has been perpetuated by his officers." [TU]

Also: The Troy City Council's public safety committee recently reviewed the TPD's discipline policies, and the chair's report concluded the department's discipline processes are "routinely managed in an effective manner." [Troy Record]

Normanskill landslide
A state Department of Transportation memo provides a range of options for restoration work on the section of the Normanskill that was blocked by a landslide in April, with a rough estimate of price ranging from $1.4 million to $7.8 million. [TU]

New York State Medicaid
One of the auditors who was fired as part of a situation that included allegations the state interfered with efforts to accurately uncover and report rates of eligibility mistakes and fraud in New York's $22 billion Medicaid program tells the Times Union she thinks the program is "a sham." [TU]

Susan Bruno
The complaint filed by the state attorney general's office over the alleged no-show job that Susan Bruno, daughter of Joe, had at the SUNY Research Foundation has been settled. [TU]

Shelby Countermine case
The investigation into the disappearance and death of Schenectady resident Shelby Countermine, whose body was found earlier this month in Coeymans, extended to Albany Friday where investigators searched a home in the New Scotland neighborhood. [Daily Gazette] [News10]

New Albany High School building
Chris Churchill has been trying to get the Albany school district to say how much the proposed new high school would increase taxes on its own -- with no luck so far. [TU+]

School taxes
The school districts with the lowest average annual tax levy increase between 1992 and 2012, according to a Daily Gazette analysis: Schenectady and Johnstown, at 4 percent annually. (The three highest were in Saratoga County.) [Daily Gazette]

Rensselaer
A look at the city of Rensselaer and its struggles to get new development to take root there. [TU]

Albany aquarium
Omni Development's David Swawite says he's still working on a plan to possible bring an aquarium to downtown Albany. [Biz Review]

Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable, which serves a large of portion of the Capital Region, is now lined up to be bought by Charter Communications. (TWC had previously been slated to be bought by Comcast, but the deal ended after it looked like federal regulators wouldn't OK it.) [NYT]

Veteran's wheel chair
A Troy veteran is getting a new wheelchair donated after his chair was stolen -- and damaged -- during a Memorial Day picnic. [News10 x2]

Spelling bee
The Capital Region's rep at the Scripps National Spelling Bee sees words as colors. [TU+]

Fact

The year so far is the driest on record for the state since 1941. And Albany's precipitation total since March 1 is just 3.66 inches -- almost 6 inches less than a typical year. [Daily Gazette] [NWS Albany]

Stuff going on today (May 26)

Pippin
A touring production of Pippin opens at Proctors today for a run through Sunday.

Warehouse District
The Rezone Albany project will be starting a week-long intensive look at the future of the Warehouse District (as mentioned) with a hands-on design workshop for the public. Tuesday 6-8 pm at 981 Broadway