All Over Albany

Push for new Hoosick Falls water supply, "no secret spells" for Troy budget problems, railroad overpass as can opener

Hoosick Falls water
As fear and uncertainty wear on people in the Hoosick Falls, state Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin is pushing for a new water source for the village: "I don't think a permanent filtration system is going to satisfy the people of Hoosick Falls." [Politico NY] [WNYT]

Also: Charting the long history of manufacturing using PFOA in the village. [News10]

The state of Troy
Troy mayor Patrick Madden on fixing the city's financial problems in his state of the city speech Thursday: "There are no secret spells, incantations or silver bullets. We did not get here overnight, nor can it be fixed overnight. It will take some time to reclaim our fiscal health, but we cannot put this off any longer. The time to start this work is now." (Madden says the current year budget is balanced, but city council president Carmella Mantello says it's not.) He also floated the idea of a tax on hotel stays. [Troy Record] [News10] [TU]

Schenectady police discipline
A state appeals court has ruled against the city of Schenectady in its bid to have the city public safety commissioner oversee police disciplinary cases. Public safety commissioner Wayne Bennett says the city now has to decide whether it will appeal the case to the state's highest court. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

Outdated
The state's chief information officer testified before the legislature Thursday that state government has a "severe technology debt" because of outdated tech and lack of training. [TU]

Raise for judges, or more money for civil legal services
Topic at a state budget hearing Thursday: Whether increased state courts funding should go to giving judges a raise, or whether it should go toward expanding civil legal services for people who can't afford them. [TU]

Primaries
New York State is the only state in the nation that splits primaries for federal, state, and local offices... because politics. [TU+]

Judicial politics
A glimpse at the political maneuvering involved in the local race for a state Supreme Court judgeship. [TU+]

E-TEC
The new complex for UAlbany's new College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity is slated to be built on the southwest corner of the Harriman State Office Campus (the part of the Harriman campus is right next to UAlbany). [TU+]

Watervliet schools fiscal stress
How the Watervliet school district has moved itself down the state's fiscal stress rankings: cuts, cuts, and cuts. [TU+]

Maple syrup
A Vermont farmer on the maple sap starting to flow in the Northeast because of the warm winter: "It's too damn early for this." [AP/TU]

As You Are
Amy Biancolli checks in with Miles Joris-Peyrafitte now that he's back from Sundance -- he's already working on his next film. [TU+]

Peeled open
A truck driver tried to maneuver his tractor trailer under a train overpass at Glenridge and Hetcheltown roads in Glenville Thursday morning -- and it didn't go well. [Daily Gazette]