All Over Albany

Crunch time for $15 minimum wage, SPD: man tried to use a car to break up a fight, buildings on State Street in Albany being sold

$15 minimum wage
As the state budget deadline approaches, it's also crunch time for negotiations on the proposed $15 minimum wage:
+ Sorting through the various political angles for Andrew Cuomo, the state Senate, and the Assembly. [Politico NY]
+ Business groups are pushing for the Republican majority in the state Senate to pull the issue from the budget process. [TWCN]
+ One of the ideas that's bubbled up is setting different minimums for upstate and downstate. Local state Assemblywoman Carrier Woerner, a Democrat, is floating the idea of setting the minimum wage by region. Local state Senator George Amedore, a Republican, sounds skeptical of different rates. And labor groups are outright against it. [TWCN] [Biz Review] [TWCN]
+ A Columbia County dairy farmer on why he's skeptical of a possible exemption for the agricultural sector. [Biz Review]
+ Looking at who's backing the competing research on the minimum wage issue. [TU+]

Fight crash
Schenectady police allege a man stole a car and intentionally drove it a person in an attempt to stop a fight in the Vale neighborhood Thursday afternoon. SPD says the man hit the two men in the fight, along with woman who was a bystander -- the the men suffered minor injuries, and the woman a serious head injury. SPD says the man is facing charges including assault and grand larceny. [Daily Gazette] [TU] [News10] [TWCN]

"It's just I was the wrong guy"
How a Troy High School grad ended up getting falsely accused of sexual abuse -- and later cleared -- at Buffalo State last fall. [News10]

Godwin's Law at the Court of Appeals
The Court of Appeals -- the state's highest court -- heard arguments Thursday in a case about whether a stream running through private land in the Adirondacks qualifies a "navigable highway" and is open to the public. The attorney for the property owners compared a man's decision to paddle a canoe through the area to... Hitler's invasion of Poland. [Daily Gazette] [TU]

Alleged embezzlement
Colonie police say a Wilton woman embezzled more than $870k from a Colonie medical practice at which she worked. [TU]

Albany trash fee
It's looking like the recent back-and-forth over the multi-unit trash fee in Albany will be a campaign issue during next year's city elections. [TU+]

One neighborhood, two neighborhood groups
Why Albany's Buckingham Lake neighborhood is getting a(nother) neighborhood association. [TU+]

State Street buildings being sold
A group that includes investors from China is moving to buy the buildings at 69 State (corner of State and Pearl) and 63 State (the skinny building at State and James) in downtown Albany. Among the plans for the buildings: apartments, and a parking garage on the lot adjacent to 63 State. [Biz Review] [TU] Earlier: The story of that beautiful, odd, skinny building on State Street in Albany

Ivy-covered Union Street building sold
The bid accepted by the city of Schenectady for 508 Union (map) wasn't the highest purchase price -- but the plan included the biggest overall proposed investment. [Daily Gazette]

Historic designations
Two buildings in Troy have been recommended for inclusion on the state and national Register of Historic Places. [Troy Record]

Breathing Lights
A handful of buildings in Schenectady's Eastern Ave neighborhood are being used as pilot tests for the Breathing Lights art installation. [Daily Gazette]

Peck's Arcade
Peck's Arcade in Troy was recently named to an OpenTable list of the 100 hottest restaurants in the nation. [Troy Record] [Open Table]