All Over Albany

Guilty verdict in Schenectady murder, UAlbany purchasing nine acres in Guilderland, Lippmann relaxes courtroom camera laws, dreaming of a warm Christmas

UAlbany purchases bordering property
UAlbany has purchased about nine acres of property bordering its campus in Guilderland for approximately $600 thousand. [TU]

Saratoga woman charged in fatal hit and run
A Saratoga Springs woman is facing felony counts of reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident, in connection with a fatal accident that killed a pedestrian in the Spa City earlier this month. [TU]

Guilty verdict in Schenectady murder
After two days of deliberations, a Schenectady County jury found Jamel Johnson guilty of second -degree murder in the death of a Schenectady man who allegedly beat Johnson several weeks earlier.Johnson, a member of the Bloods gang from Brooklyn, faces 25 years to life in prison[Gazette][TU]

Cameras in the courtroom
In one of his last acts as New York's Chief Judge, Jonathan Lippmann announced new rules giving judges greater discretion to allow cameras in the courtroom. [TU]

Moving underaged prisoners
Andrew Cuomo has signed an executive order to move 16 and 17-year-olds out of adult prisons and into juvenile facilities.[WNYT]

Solitary in New York
Advocates for change in New Yorks laws surrounding solitary confinement say last week's announcement about overhauling how solitary is used is an admirable first step, but that there is a long way to go. [TU]

Skelos trial unveils contributions to Bruno defense
Records released in he Skelos trial show real estate company Glenwood Management contributed $200 thousand to Joe Bruno's defense fund. [TU]

Vigil for homelessness
Advocates for the homeless held a vigil at the Capitol on Tuesday night, to call attention to the need for more supportive housing and assistance for the homeless population. [TU]

Sheridan Hollow shelter
Albany's new Sheridan Hollow Drop-In Center shelter is full. [WNYT]

Hug fired
Rensselaer County D.A. Joel Abelove has fired Shane Hug, a major case prosecutor for the county. [TU]

Binghamton shooting remembered
Chris Churchill remembers the mass shooting that so many forget. [TU]

Schoharie County Jail suit dropped
Opponents of the proposed site for the Schoharie County jail, who live near the Seebold farm site have dropped a lawsuit seeking to negate the county's purchase of the land. [Gazette]

Auriesville shrine
The Society of Jesus is in talks with the Roman Catholic Diocese to potentially hand over ownership of the 130-year-old Our Lady of Martyrs Shrine in Auriesville to the diocese.[Gazette]

Hope for those battling heroin addiction
Paul Grondahl shares the story of a pair of recovering addicts at HVCC, working to "bring heroin out of the shadows" to help others suffering from addiction. [TU]

Sa'fyre
Among the Christmas greetings pouring in to 8-year old Sa'fyre Terry - a personal letter from First Lady Michelle Obama [TWCN]

Jackson to receive National Medal of Science
President Obama will honor RPI president Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson with the National Medial of Science - the highest scientific achievement given out by the U. S. government. [Gazette]

Beloved Capital Region accordion player dies
Child prodigy, band leader and famed Capital Region accordionist Tommy Ippolito died this week at 82. [TU]

White Christmases
Snowfall data from the National Weather Service of Albany shows the region has experienced 26 White Christmas in the last 60 years - but that 70 percent of them occurred before 1985. [TU]

Meanwhile, the Nation Weather Service says we should look for temperatures in the 50s on Christmas day and a high near 70 degrees on Christmas eve. [NWS]

Happening today:

Irving Berlin's White Christmas
A touring production of the stage musical Irving Berlin's White Christmas will be at Proctors. It's an adaptation of the classic film. Two Schenectady natives also star: Kerry Conte and Rachel Rhodes-Devey. Tuesday-Thursday/Saturday-Sunday various times - $20 and up

A Christmas Story
This is the last week for Capital Rep's production of A Christmas Story, The Musicial. It's an adaptation of the famous film. (Many of these last few shows are sold out or will be soon.) Tuesday-Thursday/Saturday-Sunday various times - $20 and up

UAlbany hoops
Wednesday: The UAlbany men's basketball team faces Niagara at SEFCU Arena. Wednesday 7 pm - $12 and up