All Over Albany

Cuomo's last stop on State of the State tour, Saratoga High School probes Instagram hate speech account, dealers ready for Rivers Casino opening

State of the state
Andrew Cuomo gave his final State of the State address on Wednesday at UAlbany. Among the items he discussed : public corruption, a plan to cap skyrocketing prescription drug costs with the use of a price control board, and upstate ride sharing. Only three members of the state Legislature attended the address, and State Senator Jim Tedisco and assemblyman Phil Steck have formally filed legislation that would require the state of the state to be giving from the Capitol in the future.
[NYT][TU][Gazette][WNYT]

$15 million for Schenectady rail station
Also part of the Cuomo's 2017 plan -- $15 million for a new Schenectady train station. Albany International Airport is still waiting to see if it will receive funding for planned improvements. [TU][WNYT]

Empire Star Public Service Award
Andrew Cuomo also announced a scholarship/ awards program for state employees. [TU]

Emergency landing
A helicopter carrying Andrew Cuomo from Albany to NYC after the State of the State address had to make an emergency landing in Newburgh when the aircraft began to fill up with fumes that smelled like smoke. [TU][TWCN]

Dealers ready for Rivers opening
200 dealers graduated from a training program that prepared them to work at Rivers Casino.[TU]

Albany chief search
Albany's interim police chief Robert Sears says he would like to keep the position.[TU]

Gun show returning to Saratoga Springs
Kathy Marchione is claiming credit for bringing a controversial gun show back to the Saratoga Springs City Center. The City Center says a May booking was canceled, making room for the show. [Gazette][TU]

Hate speech Instagram account in Saratoga
An Instagram account that makes Nazi references and goes by the name Saratoga High School 4th Reich has raised concerns in the Saratoga City School District. Thirty students who followed the account have been interviewed as part of an investigation by the district.[Gazette][TU]

DWI crash in Veterans Park
An Albany woman is facing DWI and other charges after police say she crashed her car into Veterans Park in Schenectady while talking on her cell phone. [WNYT]

Car break-ins
East Greenbush police are investigating a spate of car break ins that occurred overnight on Saturday.[WNYT]

Quackenbush Square
A plan for three buildings at Quackenbush that would include retail and residential space as well as a hotel was presented this week to Albany and will officially go before city planners next week. [TU]

Sweeney/Trump
Ex-Congressman John Sweeney has spent the last few weeks at Trump Tower, interviewing to fill ambassadorships and other high ranking jobs in the Trump administration.[TU+]

"They claim that everything at City Hall is transparent, but it's not"
Chris Churchill tells the story of one man's frustrating years-long effort to get a plumbing license in the city of Albany.[TU]

Tax Department call center at ViaPort
A NYS Tax Department Call center is moving into the ViaPort Mall in Rotterdam. [Gazette]

From Syria to Watervliet
The story of a Syrian family who traveled more than 6,000 miles to settle in Watervliet "with their hospitality and optimism intact."[TU+]