All Over Albany

Rupeka on the run, NYCLU: Ivy stop violated Fourth Amendment, budget creeps closer, Silver disbarred, winning lotto ticket sold in Latham

Rupeka
Adam Rupeka, the police critic charged with sexually abusing a 15-year-old-girl, may have fled the country for Canada with his girlfriend, who is also charged in the alleged incident. Rupeka's girlfriend, Jennifer Ogburn, did not show up for a Tuesday court appearance. Early Wednesday morning Rupeka posted a video on his Facebook page claiming they are in Canada. In previous videos, Rupeka claims he is on the run for his life, and that police are after him because he has exposed them in the past. [TWCN][WNYT][TU][Gazette][Record]

NYCLU: Ivy stop violated Fourth Amendment
Nearly a year after the death of Dontay Ivy, the NYCLU is charging the police stop that led to his death violated his Fourth Amendment rights protecting against an illegal search. [TU]

State budget
With two days left to the start of the new fiscal year, debate continues over the proposed $15 minimum wage hike. Cuomo says he still working toward the $15 minimum wage.
Capital New York reports it has learned the budget could include an income tax cut for those making less than $300,000 a year. [TU][TU][CNY]

Silver disbarred
Sheldon Silver has been disbarred , just two days shy of the 47th anniversary of his admission to the bar. Silver is due to be sentenced on April 13, on corruption charges for taking millions of dollars in kickbacks. [NYT][TU][WNYT]

Skelos
Meanwhile Dean and Adam Skelos are now slated to be sentenced on corruption charges on April 28. [News 10]

Ethics reform
The NY Times urges Albany not to let Ethics Reform slip away. [NYT]

On time or rushed?
A TU editorial seeking a change in the budget process to ensure informed voting. [TU+]

UAlbany students
Lawyers for three University at Albany students charged with falsely claiming they were victims of a race-based attack were in a closed door conference with an Albany City Court judge on Tuesday, but details of the meeting have not been released. [TU]

Schenectady cop pleads not guilty
The Schenectady police officer who allegedly fled a traffic stop pleaded not guilty to one misdemeanor count of unlawful fleeing a police officer. [TWCN][Gazette]

Infant critical, father charged
An infant girl remains in critical condition at Albany Med, from injuries allegedly caused when her father threw her against a couch. [TWCN]

Naked, drunk man damages trooper barracks
A naked, intoxicated Cohoes man who was arrested outside the garage of Schaghticoke home for allegedly harassing a man and woman inside, allegedly kicked a large hole in a wall at the Brunswick trooper barracks where he was taken following his arrest. [TU][WNYT]

Schneiderman takes aim at fossil fuel industry
Eric Schneiderman joined top lawmakers around the state in a coalition to hold the fossil fuel industry responsible for misleading the public and investors about the connection between fossil fuel use, greenhouse gasses and climate change. [TU]

Gillibrand will meet Garland
Kirstin Gillibrand will meet with President Obama's supreme court nominee Merrick Garland. [WNYT]

Saratoga school budget
Saratoga Springs residents will vote on a $116.8 million proposed school budget in May. [Saratogian]

40 years in the Troy PD
Troy police chief John Tedesco celebrates 40 years on the force. [Record]

Solar
The navy is using solar systems on its more than 200 apartments and townhouses in Saratoga Springs.[TU]

Moving the barn
How did the barn cross the road? [TU]

Winning Lotto ticket
New York Lottery officials say a winning Take 5 lotto ticket worth more than $30,000 was sold at the Market Bistro in Latham. [TWCN\

Little Manhattan
A Clifton Park man has completed a scale model of manhattan[Gazette]

Happening today

The Lion King
Wednesday-Sunday: A touring production of The Lion King continues its month-long run at Proctors. It is, of course, the hugely-popular musical based on the Disney movie. Tuesday-Sunday various times -- $20 and up

The Blue-Sky Boys
Wednesday-Sunday: This is the last week for Capital Rep's production of The Blue-Sky Boys, about "the maverick engineers who stopped at nothing to get a man to the moon and back," continues this week. Tuesday-Sunday various times -- $20 and up

The Down Hill Strugglers at The Linda
String band. With: The Four O'Clock Flowers, Meredith Axelrod. 8 pm -- $18