All Over Albany

Troy works to repair large water main break, Teachout for Congressional run?, affordable housing crunch in Saratoga, the crow as painter

Troy water main break, and the problem of aging infrastructure
One of Troy's largest water mains burst Sunday, flooding an area near the break in Lansingburgh and prompting the city to ask residents to restrict water use. There have also beens service disruptions in some municipalities that draw water from Troy, including Mechanicville and Halfmoon. [TU] [News10] [TU]

The break highlights both a short term and long term challenge for Troy: A costly repair of the century-old main would be a strain on city finances because the city's water fund was used in recent years to balance the general city budget. And in the longterm, mayor Patrick Manning says the city has hundreds of miles of century-old water infrastructure. [TU+] [Troy Record]

Schenectady County jail death
The Schenectady County Sheriff's Office says a 53-year-old county jail inmate who had been treated at a hospital just before the entering the jail earlier this month died Sunday. The sheriff says jail medical personnel had been monitoring the inmate's treatment. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

Teachout for 19th Congressional District?
Democratic county leaders in the NY 19th Congressional District (currently rep'ed by Chris Gibson) voted over the weekend to endorse Zephyr Teachout -- even though she's yet to officially toss her hat in the ring. [TU]

Bank robbery arrest
Rotterdam police have arrested a man they say called in a threat to Mohonasen High School January 6 just before walking into a nearby bank with a note implying he had a gun and demanding money. [Daily Gazette] [TU]

Schenectady city finances
Moody's has issued a positive outlook on Schenectady's bond rating, citing "cost containment and conservative budgeting" as well as the in-development casino at Mohawk Harbor. [Moodys] [Daily Gazette]

Sa'Fyre's mother
The Daily Gazette's Steven Cook visited Jennica Duell, the mother of Sa'Fyre Terry, at the Columbia County jail -- said Duell of her daughter: "She's stronger than her mother." [Daily Gazette]

Affordable housing in Saratoga Springs
Saratoga Springs mayor Joanne Yepsen on affordable housing in the city: "We have these high end condos people keep talking about. But we need more in the middle. And it's not just the lower income any more. It's the middle class too getting out-priced right out of this city." [WNYT]

Time Warner Cable
Shortly after regulators approved Time Warner Cable's acquisition by Charter Communications, the company announced it would be raising rates -- which the company says is a coincidence. [TU]

Expanding high-speed internet access
A Duanesburg resident on the struggle residents of the town have had in getting high-speed internet service extended to them: "Today, it's almost like telling someone they don't need electricity." [Daily Gazette]

MLK
Albany Common Council president Carolyn McLaughlin at an MLK event in Schenectady over the weekend: "Dr. King wasn't just a dreamer ... He was a doer." [Daily Gazette]

New York values
Chris Churchill on the "mock outrage" of officials following Ted Cruz's "New York values" comment. [TU+]

"Crows are crazy smart"
A Shaker High School student says she taught a crow how to paint. [TU+]

Stuff going on today

Cinderella
A touring production of Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella will be at Proctors for the week. Blurbage: "This lush production features an incredible orchestra, jaw-dropping transformations and all the moments you love--the pumpkin, the glass slipper, the masked ball and more--plus some surprising new twists!" Tuesday-Sunday various times - $20 and up