All Over Albany

Heavy rain causes flash flooding, potential Palace sale debate, addressing vacant buildings in Troy, investigation into death of groundhog

Overnight downpour
Heavy rain overnight caused flash flooding in a few spots around the Capital District. The weather station at ALB recorded rainfall of more than a inch between 2 am and 4 am. [NWS Albany]

Potential Palace sale
Supporters of the proposal for the city of Albany to sell the Palace Theatre to the non-profit that runs the venue (for a small amount) showed up at Monday's Common Council meeting to offer arguments for the sale, framing it as a longterm play. Skeptics argued the sale of the theater for a small amount would short-change the city. [TU] [WNYT]

Renewable energy
The state Public Service Commission approved a plan in which the state will be aiming to get 50 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2030 -- one of the highest such goals in the nation. Environmental orgs praised the overall goal, but some took issue with a provision in the plan that includes subsidies for nuclear plants. A prominent state business org also criticized the plan, arguing it will increase costs and cut into jobs. [TU] [AP/Saratogian] [Biz Review]

State comptroller: power program overstated jobs
A state comptroller's office audit of the ReCharge NY -- in which he New York Power Authority allocates low-cost electricity to companies to help with expansion or holding onto jobs -- concludes that the program overstated the number of jobs it helped retain by almost 30,000 since 2011. NYPA called the audit's claim of miscalculation "erroneous." [NYS OSC] [TU]

GE as startup?
Docs obtained by Politico indicate that GE was looking at the Moynihan Station site in Manhattan during its search for a new corporate HQ (it eventually ended up in Boston) -- and it appears that the Startup-NY program was part of the package the state was using in attempt to seal the deal. [PoliticoNY]

Pokemon Go prohibition
The state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision is prohibiting all registered sex offenders on parole from downloading or playing games such as Pokemon Go. [NYDN]

Code enforcement and vacant buildings in Troy
+ A Troy City Court judge has hit Jack Cox with $81,000 in fines for having having a junked car on his River Street property for months. (Cox and the city have been at odds over codes issues for years.) [Troy Record]
+ Looking at a renewed city effort to address the vacant building problem in Troy. [Troy Record]

Albany parking ticket fees
The Albany Common Council approved a plan to add the cost of collections onto the total cost of late parking ticket. [TU]

Groundhog death investigation
Troy police are investigating an incident in which it's alleged that two people in a golf cart at the Frear Park Golf Course chased down a groundhog, killing the animal. The two people are alleged to be Rensselaer police officers who there as part of a Rensselaer PBA event -- Rensselaer mayor Dan Dwyer says the city is investigating. [TU] [Troy Record]

"Act like an American"
Says the father of Mohsin Naqvi, a Muslim man who died in Afghanistan serving with the US Army and is buried in Colonie, of Donald Trump's response to the speech by Khizr Khan at the Democratic convention: "I would tell Trump, 'Act like an American. Act like an educated person.'" [TU+]

The old post office
A look at the effort to save an old post office in Alplaus. [Daily Gazette]

Stuff going on today

Sunshine Fair
The Schoharie County Sunshine Fair continues at the fairgrounds in Cobleskill. The schedule includes agricultural displays, games, a demolition derby, and performances -- Sawyer Fredericks is performing on Saturday. Monday-Saturday various times -- $15 for adults, $10 for seniors (age 62 and up), free for children 2 and under (tickets includes fair admission, grandstand and grounds shows, and unlimited rides from noon to closing)

A Night with Janis Joplin
This is the last week for Capital Rep's production of A Night with Janis Joplin. (It closes August 7.) Tuesday-Sunday various times - $25 and up

National Night Out
Tuesday: It's National Night Out, an annual event focused community building and fostering police-community relationships. Communities around the Capital Region have participated in the past with public events. Albany has community events at a handful of sites around the city this year, and in Troy there's an event at the Burden Iron Works Museum.

Music: Motion City Soundtrack at Upstate Concert Hall
Farewell tour for the alt rock/pop punk band. With: A Great Big Pile of Leaves, Rozwell Kid. 7:30 pm -- $25 ahead / $28 day of