All Over Albany

Schenectady police officer released from hospital, state AG taking up civilian death investigation, larger project proposed for former Record building

Schenectady police officer injured
Schenectady police say officer Mark Weekes has been released from the hospital as he recovers from a skull fracture sustained during an incident on duty early Saturday morning on State Street. SPD officials say Weekes had been working without a partner, and backup had been dispatched from the other side of the city. A relative of James Hilton, the Glens Falls man accused of assaulting Weekes, tells the Times Union that Hilton is an Iraq War veteran suffering from PTSD, and an amateur MMA fighter. During a court appearance Monday Hilton told the judge he fears for his safety in jail. [TWCN] [Daily Gazette] [TU x2]

Inmate death at Schenectady County Jail
The Schenectady County Sheriff's Office says an inmate died at the county jail Sunday night, and it's opened an investigation into the death. WNYT reports the inmate's fiancee said he had been suffering from cancer and sickle cell anemia. [Daily Gazette] [TU] [WNYT]

Hamilton Hill
Schenectady police say they've increased patrols in Hamilton Hill in response to the string of recent shootings there, but police chief Brian Kilcullen told the city council Monday that the department needs more officers and is "operating with far fewer bodies than we ever had." [Daily Gazette]

Alleged spa prostitution case tossed
Three years after a raid on an Albany spa at which law enforcement officials alleged prostitution was happening, the case has been tossed by a judge citing a lack of evidence. One of the twists in the case was that the spa owner is married to a former Times Union editor, who had alleged the raid was retaliation for a series of investigative articles looking into the operations of a county sheriff drug unit. [TU]

Hamilton Hill
Schenectady police say they've increased patrols in Hamilton Hill in response to the string of recent shootings there, but police chief Brian Kilcullen told the city council Monday that the department needs more officers and is "operating with far fewer bodies than we ever had." [Daily Gazette]

Pedestrian hit in Troy
Troy police say a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle in Lansingburgh Monday night. [WNYT]

$130k to leave
The ongoing breakup between the Albany Parking Authority and its former executive director could end up with the authority paying him a year's salary -- $130k. [TU+]

New Albany High School
Albany school district officials have finally released the projected average property tax hit for the almost $200 million proposed new/renovated high school. [TU+]

Former convention center land
Empire State Development has gone silent on what's up with the submitted proposals for the large section of of land on the southern edge of downtown Albany that had been gathered for a convention center. [Biz Review]

Albany red light cameras
Albany police say the red light cameras at Everett and Watervliet Ave Ext will be activated Wednesday. [APD FB]

Larger conversion proposed for Record building
The developers proposing a mixed-use conversion of the former Record building in downtown Troy is now floating a much larger plan that would involve construction of a new addition and a total of about 100 residential units. The developers are seeking a deal from the county IDA that would include $9.5 million in tax breaks over 20 years. [Biz Review] [Troy Record] [TU]

Jim Mahar
Jim Mahar, the former owner of Mahar's in Albany, has died. [TU Table Hopping]

Stuff going on today

National Night Out
Tuesday is National Night Out, "an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, better places to live." There will be events in multiple Capital Region municipalities, including Albany, Schenectady, and Troy.

Pajama Game
The Park Playhouse in Albany opens its August production, The Pajama Game. It runs through August 22. Tuesday-Sunday 7:30 pm - lawn seating is free / reserved seats are $16 and $18