Suspect pleads not guilty in alleged Troy abduction attempt, officer fires in Albany arrest, UAlbany student who made attack claim brings dismissal to court
Attempted abduction
Police have arrested a Troy man in connection with two separate incidents in the city on Wednesday morning -- the attempted abduction of one teen and inappropriate touching of another teen. 25-year-old Joseph Badger pleaded not guilty on Thursday morning to multiple charges in connection with the incidents, including attempted robbery, endangering the welfare of a child, and unlawful imprisonment. [TU][WNYT]
Ex-Siena player charged with rape
A former Siena basketball player is facing rape charges in connection with an alleged incident in July. His attorney, Lee Kindlon says 23-year-old Evan Hymes is innocent and that the incident stems from a relationship that ended badly. [TU][TWCN]
Gun fired in arrest
An Albany police officer's gun was fired, but none was hit, during an arrest Wednesday on Green Street in the city. [TU]
Email requests
The Times Union reports that Cuomo Administration is claiming it does not have the technology to fulfill emails between Executive Chamber officials and four individuals who are connected to Preet Bharara's probe of the Cuomo administration's upstate development deals. The TU says similar requests were quickly fulfilled last year. [TU]
UAlbany student takes dismissal to State Supreme Court
One of the UAlbany students dismissed from the school after her claims of a racially motivated attack on a CDTA bus were determined to be false, is taking her dismissal to the State Supreme Court, claiming the school prevented her from mounting a proper defense. [Gazette]
Affordable housing
The Cuomo administration has released $2 billion to build over 100,000 affordable housing units across the state over the next five years, but the effort needs legislative approval. [WNYT]
Police/Community relations
A forum on Wednesday night focused on improving relations between they community and the city's police. [WNYT]
Daniel Satre
Two years later, and questions still remain about the death of Daniel Satre, the Ballston Spa man who died after being repeated tasered by police investigating a disorderly conduct call. [TU]
Low voter turnout
Voter turnout was characteristically low in Tuesday's primary election. Considering open primaries as an antidote for low voter turnout like that experienced in Tuesday's election. Could open primaries help? [Gazette] [TU]
Head of Troy Dems won't run again
After 8 years in office, Troy's Democratic Chairman Jack McCann says he won't seek reelection. [TU]
Epi pen bill
The NYS Assembly is working on a bill to help drop the cost of EpiPens for some users, by allowing pharmacists to determine whether a patient can use a generic version of the pens. [TWCN]
New York losing taxpayers
A new report shows New York State lost 126,000 tax filers to other states in 2014.[TU]
SUNY schools won't ask about felony convictions
SUNY schools will remove the questions "have you ever been convicted of a felony" from applications [NYT]
Rattlesnake
The DEC reports a rattlesnake was removed from Turtle Island on Lake George.[Gazette]
Startup gets $2M
A Schenectady startup that allows people a second chance at winning with losing lottery tickets has received nearly $2 million in funding from local investors.[TWCN] [Gazette]
Uncommon Grounds Clifton Park
The popular coffee and bagel shop Uncommon Grounds is slated to open a Clifton Park location in March. [Gazette]
Happening today
Troy Restaurant and Craft Beer Week
Today-Sunday: It's Troy Restaurant and Craft Beer Week. Restaurants around downtown Troy will be offering specials and there will be beer-focused events at many places.
Joyce Carol Oates
Author Joyce Carol Oates will be at UAlbany for the first event in the "Creative Life" series. She'll be talking on stage with WAMC's Joe Donahue and a Q&A with the audience will follow. Thursday 7:30 pm, Performing Arts Center, UAlbany uptown campus -- free
Strange and marvelous books
Mark Dimunation -- chief of the Rare Book and Special Collections Division at the Library of Congress -- will be at Skidmore for a talk titled "Strange and Marvelous Books: Leonard Baskin and the Gehenna Press." It's this year's Fox-Adler Lecture. Thursday 5:15 pm, Palamountain Hall -- free
Albany's Rapp Road Community
Mary DeWitt, Sara DeWitt, and Stephanie Woodard -- third and fourth-generation residents of Albany's Rapp Road Community -- will be at the Albany Institute for a talk about the historic residential area on the city's western edge that's been home to generations of African-American families after they moved to Albany during the Great Migration. Thursday 6 pm -- free
Outdoor movie
The
Music
The Howling Hex at The Low Beat
Rock. With: Eternal Crimes. 7:30 pm -- $12
... said KGB about Drawing: What's something that brought you joy this year?