All Over Albany

Hoosick Falls filtration system now working, prosecutors point toward suspect in Hulett Street fire, remembering an extraordinary life

Hoosick Falls
Andrew Cuomo was in Hoosick Falls Sunday for the announcement that the system installed on the village water supply to filter out PFOA is now working. Officials say water from the tap should still not be consumed, though, because the filtered water needs time to flush the contaminated water. [NYT] [TU]

Hulett Street fire
In a document recently filed in federal court, federal prosecutors allege there's "significant evidence" of Edward Leon being involved with the Hulett Street arson in Schenectady that killed four people in 2013. Leon is soon facing sentencing for perjury for related to the investigation of case -- he hasn't been charged with involvement with the fire. [TU]

Schenectady casino
The city of Schenectady is in line to get $3.5 million this year related to the Rivers Casino project, even though the casino isn't set to open until next year. [Daily Gazette]

Also: A look inside the classes of SCCC's Casino and Gaming Management program. [Daily Gazette]

Death in Milton fire
Police say a 76-year-old woman died in a house fire in Milton Sunday evening. [TWCN]

Wayne Best Jr. murder case
The alleged shooter in the Wayne Best Jr. murder case in Schenectady was arraigned Friday on charges that include first-degree murder. Best's mother -- who was recently injured a house fire officials have been treating as suspicious -- was in court for the arraignment. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

Schenectady arson conviction
A Schenectady County Court jury found the owner of the Charlie's West Indian Bakery and Restaurant in Schenectady guilty of setting fire to the building -- with an apartment tenant upstairs at the time -- in February of 2015. [Daily Gazette]

South End shooting sentencing
The Albany man convicted of fatally shooting a man outside the Port Tavern in the South End in 2014 February was sentenced to 22 years to life. Said DA David Soares after the sentencing: "This is one of those homicides that took place out loud in front of witnesses who saw everything and yet, when asked to provide cooperation and testify, saw nothing ... this is the worst group of witnesses we've ever seen walk into an Albany County courthouse. Just a mean, uncooperative, mean-spirited people who witnessed everything and said nothing." [Albany County DA] [TU]

Brian Scavo
Former Albany County legislator Brian Scavo was sentenced to six months in the county jail for his conviction for trying to pass bad checks. Scavo continued to maintain his innocence. And his attorney referred to him as "wacky." [Albany County DA] [WNYT] [TU]

Boy killed by boulder
State Police say a 12 year old was killed by a falling boulder at Roaring Brook Falls in the Adirondacks. [Daily Gazette]

The Donald, The Andrew, and The Mario
Digging into Donald Trump's connections to Andrew and Mario Cuomo during the 1980s. [TU+]

Legalizing pot
If Vermont and Massachusetts legalize recreational marijuana use, what effect will that have on New York State? [TU+]

$15 minimum wage
Farmers are expressing concern about the effect of the proposed minimum wage increase to $15 an hour. [AP/Troy Record]

No more scribbles
Later this month New York State will start requiring doctors to write out all prescriptions electronically. [NYT]

@
Ray Tomlinson -- the inventor of email, who recently passed away -- was from Broadalbin (and an RPI grad). His grades at Broadalbin High School were so good the school declared a day in his honor -- while he was still enrolled there. [Daily Gazette]

Rudy Ciccotti
Rudy A. Ciccotti -- the namesake of the Ciccotti Center in Colonie -- passed away last week at age 87.

"If there was a category for a Muslim saint, I would have nominated Shamim,"
Worth reading: This obit of Dr. Syed Haqqie, a local kidney specialist and retired Army colonel -- it sounds like he had an extraordinary life. [TU]