All Over Albany

Two die in Schenectady fire, sentencing in crash that killed three, another under-1 percent tax cap, stolen phone story to become a film

Two die in Schenectady fire
Schenectady's fire chief says two people died in a house fire in Mont Pleasant Tuesday morning. Five others got out of the house, and and two of them were sent to the hospital with minor injuries. [Daily Gazette] [TU]

Sentencing in crash that killed three people
Joseph Duffy of Amsterdam -- who pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated vehicular homicide after prosecutors said he was driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol when he slammed into an oncoming car in Duanesburg last September, killing three people in the other vehicle -- was sentenced to 6-18 years in prison. Because of sentencing rules, Duffy will be serving the sentences for each count concurrently -- a fact that didn't sit well with the family of the three people killed. [WNYT] [Daily Gazette]

Fatal wreck of stolen minivan
Police say driver who died in a minivan crash on Central Ave in Colonie over the weekend was a 17 year old from Schenectady, and the two people injured were both 15. Also: The van had been stolen from a Schenectady church pastor. Schenectady County sheriff Dominick Dagostino tells the Daily Gazette that a deputy had attempted to stop the van, then followed at a distance, and it appears the deputy did so "well within our protocol and policies." [News10] [WNYT] [Daily Gazette]

Esperance plane crash
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and State Police are reviewing the plane crash that killed three people and seriously injured another in Schoharie County Sunday. Major League Baseball says two of the people killed were an MLB executive and her husband. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

Tax cap
The state comptroller's office projects that next year's municipal tax cap will 0.68 percent, down slightly from this year. [TU]

Hoosick Falls
Contrasting the actions of state Senator Kathy Marchione and state Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin on the question of whether there should be hearings about the contamination of the Hoosick Falls water supply. [TU+]

NY-19
Chris Gibson formally endorsed Republican (and Kinderhook neighbor) John Faso in the race to succeed him in the NY-19 Congressional District. Gibson on Faso and his Democratic opponent, Zephyr Teachout: "I have a favorable view of her, but I have a very favorable view of John." [WNYT] [TU]

Troy city budget
Troy is moving to hire a consultant to help with its strapped budget situation. [TU]

Protest over canceled Albany basketball tournament
Members of the public showed up at Monday's Common Council meeting to protest a decision to cancel the annual Joyce E. King basketball tournament -- Albany police said tournament organizers hadn't taken sufficient steps to address safety at the event. [TU]

Nassau quarry
The town of Nassau has won another legal round in the fight to keep a gravel quarry from opening. The fight has stretched more than a decade and doesn't appear to be over. [Troy Record] [TU]

Aquatic center in Malta
The plan to build a big indoor aquatic center in Malta is close to getting a necessary zoning change. [Daily Gazette]

Outrage over VanAlstyne GoFundMe
Brenda VanAlstyne -- whose daugther Tiffany pleaded guilty to killing her five-year-old cousin, Kenneth White, in Knox in December 2014 -- recently posted a GoFundMe campaign seeking to raise money for her family in order to address the effects of mental illness on her family. The reaction from the Kenneth's Army group was swift and angry. [TWCN] [News10]

Addiction recovery center for planned for Albany
An org called the Capital District Recovery Center says it's looking for a facility in the city of Albany. [TU]

Restaurant planned for Colonie Center
The now-former Sears Auto Center site at the Colonie Center is set to become a location of the chain BJ's Brewhouse. [Biz Review]

Brother Orange
The story how Niskayuna native Matt Stopera -- an early employee at Buzzfeed -- came to become a celebrity in China because of a stolen mobile phone is set to become a film. [TU]

Stuff going on today

Saratoga County Fair
County fair season starts with the Saratoga County Fair at the fairgrounds in Ballston Spa. This is the 175th year for the fair. Admission is $12 / season ticket is $40 / shorter than 52 inches is free / active military free with ID card / unlimited ride wristband is $20

A Night with Janis Joplin
Capital Rep continues its production of A Night with Janis Joplin. Blurbage: "A Night with Janis Joplin is a musical journey celebrating Janis and her biggest musical influences - trailblazers like Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Odetta, Nina Simone and Bessie Smith - who inspired one of Rock 'n' Roll's greatest legends." Tuesday-Sunday various times - $25 and up

Williamstown Theatre Festival
The Williamstown Theatre Festival's season continues with The Chinese Room on the Nikos Stage (it runs through July 23). And the new comedy Romance Novels for Dummies starts on the main stage Wednesday (it runs through July 31). various times -- $40 and up

Park Playhouse
The Park Playhouse in Albany's Washington Park continues its production of Chicago. (It runs through July 30). Tuesday-Saturday 8 pm -- free on the lawn / reserve tickets $16 and up

Front Parlor
The Front Parlor storytelling series will be at The Olde English in Albany. This month's theme is "Growing Up." Tuesday 7:30 pm -- free admission

Nitty Gritty
The Nitty Gritty Poetry Slam is back at the Low Beat. 7 pm