All Over Albany

Albany police chief leaving the job, multi-billion dollar Nano Utica deal off, the new push for Uber and Lyft

Albany police chief leaving
Updated: Word started circulating Friday that Albany police chief Brendan Cox will be leaving the department soon -- and the city confirmed it at a press conference Monday morning. Cox will be heading to a job with the LEAD program, which aims to divert low-level offenders suffering from drug addiction or mental illness from jail. On Friday, city and community leaders praised Cox for his efforts to expand community policing and open lines of communication with the community. [TU] [TWCN] [News10]

A look at recent turnover among top officials in the administration of Albany mayor Kathy Sheehan.[TU]

Crossgates gunfire incident
The man accused of being the shooter in the Crossgates gunfire incident was sentenced to nine years in prison for violating probation on an earlier charge. The Albany County judge in the case said it was "fundamentally clear that confinement is necessary for the protection of the public" after hearing testimony from an off-duty trooper about the Crossgates incident. [Daily Gazette] [TU]

Nano Utica deal off
The Austrian company involved with the proposed multi-billion-dollar "Nano Utica" project -- which was to involve SUNY Poly building a chip fab -- has pulled out of the project. And officials are blaming the drama involving SUNY Poly and alleged bid rigging. [TU]+ [Politico NY]

Code Blue
The Cuomo admin has re-upped a requirement that homeless people be given shelter when the temperature is below 32 degrees -- a requirement advocates say will tax their resources. [TU]

Hoosick Falls
A proposed settlement between Saint-Gobain, Honeywell, and Hoosick Falls would involve the companies paying the village $850k for costs associated with addressing PFOA water contamination complications. [TU]

Hospital prices
A report set to be released today concludes that prices at hospitals in New York are not set by quality, but whether the hospitals have competition. [TU+]

Uber/Lyft
Looking at the most recent push to allow Uber and Lyft to operate upstate, this time with the explicit support of Andrew Cuomo. And a new twist to the debate: a call for fingerprinting drivers. [Politico NY] [TU+]

Colonie schools and development
Chris Churchill: The recent North Colonie schools project that failed at the polls might be a sign of growing discontent with development in the town. [TU+]

Attack on pregnant women
Two women are accused of attacking a pregnant Schenectady woman over $550. [Daily Gazette]

Charge in dog's death
An Albany woman is facing a misdemeanor animal cruelty charge after police say her dog fell off the four-story roof of her home. The owners say the dog must have gotten through a gate or dog door. APD says the owners had been warned multiple times about the danger of having the dog on the roof. [TU] [WNYT] [News10]

Forest rangers
Talking with forest rangers about the recent rescue of two hikers from Niskayuna in the snowy Adirondacks, and the many rescues they perform each year. [Daily Gazette]