All Over Albany

Reviewing Capital Region crime numbers, protest over firing of Walmart employee, struggle over direction of Honest Weight

Crime
A look at 2014 crime numbers from around the Capital Region. [TU+]

Canned at Walmart
Protestors rallied outside the East Greenbush Walmart Friday calling for the company to restore the job of the man fired after he redemeed $2 in cans he found while collecting carts. Walmart has changed its story again about why Thomas Smith was fired -- it's now saying "he did not disclose certain serious criminal convictions during the application process." But Smith tells the Times Union he disclosed his conviction for a 2002 bank robbery on his application. [Troy Record] [WNYT] [TU]

Casinos
The current snag in the roll out of new casinos around the state, including in Schenectady: the State Gaming Commission has yet to license the new casino operators. [NYDN]

Security at Planned Parenthood
Following the attack at a Colorado Planned Parenthood site, the Cuomo admin announced this past weekend that State Police will be increasing patrols near clinics in the state and working with the org on security measures. [Cuomo admin]

SafeHaven
Following the story of the newborn found dead in a dumpster in Columbia County, some background on the Baby Safe Haven program. [WNYT] [News10]

Chase through Rensselaer and Albany counties
State Police say they pursued a Massachusetts driver through Sand Lake, North Greenbush, Troy, Colonie, and finally Guilderland early Saturday morning. NYSP says the pursuit ended when the man hit a State Police car where the Northway ends at Route 20. [NYSP]

Files open and closed
Why have allegedly incriminating statements made by the men charged in the Jacquelyn Porreca case been sealed, when that hasn't been the case in other high-profile local murder cases? [TU+]

Stockade solar
The chair of Schenectady's Historic District Commission, on opposing an application to put solar panels on a home in the Stockade: "If you want solar panels on your home to save energy, you don't belong in a historic district." [Daily Gazette]

Honest Weight
Chris Churchill on the current struggle within the Honest Weight Food Co-op over the status of the member worker program and the direction of the co-op. [TU+]

Cultural Brokers
A profile of Schenectady High School's Cultural Brokers team, which aims to help resolve student disputes and head off new conflicts. [Daily Gazette]

SUNY Poly CMOST
A look at SUNY Poly's plans to move the CMOST to the Fuller Road campus and expand the kids science museum. [TU]

Museum of Political Corruption
Where things are at with Bruce Roter's bid to open a Museum of Political Corruption in Albany. [AP/Daily Gazette]

Remembering founder of Brodway Restaurant, Blue Ribbon
Jimmy Menagias -- a founder of the Broadway Restaurant & Lunch and the Blue Ribbon Diner in Schenectady -- died last week at age 89. [Daily Gazette]

Stuff going on today

Goodfellas at The Palace
The Palace's movie series is screening Goodfellas. Monday 7 pm - $5