All Over Albany

Snow clearing continues, Rensselaer County DA's phone seized, New York pushback against proposed Trump budget, floating tiki bars

Snow clearing
Snow emergencies continue to be in effect in Albany and Troy.
+ In Troy, some residents they've been confused by the rules for the snow emergency. (Troy rarely declares snow emergencies.) And crews say they've been slowed by cars that haven't been moved. [WNYT] [Spectrum]
+ In Schenectady on Thursday, residents of Hamilton Hill were calling attention to streets that were still unplowed. Mayor Gary McCarthy said crews had been slowed by cars that were not observing parking rules. [News10] [WNYT]
+ Albany mayor Kathy Sheehan says crews have moved 25,000 cubic yards of snow to the city's snow dock in Glenmont. (By some back-of-the-envelope math, that's roughly equivalent to a football field piled almost 12 feet high.) [CBS6]

Rensselaer County DA's phone seized
On Thursday investigators from the state Attorney General's office seized a county-owned mobile used by Rensselaer County district attorney Joel Abelove as part of its ongoing investigation into the DA's handling of the grand jury review of the incident in which Troy police fatally shot Edson Thevenin. The judge who signed the search warrant for the phone was state Supreme Court Justice Richard McNally -- the former Rensselaer County DA against whom Abelove had run in a previous election -- a situation Abelove's attorney called "very disconcerting." Abelove's attorney also accused the state AG's office of pursuing the case for political reasons, "that it would polish [Eric Schneiderman's] credentials for higher office." [Troy Record] [TU] [Spectrum]

Trump budget
New York reaction to the Trump administration's proposed budget, which includes deep cuts to many programs:
+ Andrew Cuomo called the proposal "dangerous, reckless, and contemptuous of American values." [Politico NY]
+ Chuck Schumer stopped in Clifton Park to criticize proposals from the Trump administration and Congress to reduce or cut the mortgage interest and local property tax deductions. He also criticized proposed cuts to the National Institutes of Health. [Saratogian] [TU+]
+ A spokesman for Elise Stefanik: "While Congresswoman Stefanik believes there are savings to be found in every federal agency, she does not support the president's initial budget proposal, especially the proposed cuts to the State Department, the Department of Education and the (Environmental Protection Agency)." [Daily Gazette]

Guilty plea in fatal crash
The Troy woman accused of driving drunk in the crash on Route 7 in Colonie that killed Paige Ahearn last year pleaded guilty to charges that include second-degree manslaughter and DWI. She faces up to seven years in prison. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

Prison for con man
The Albany man who pleaded guilty to conning 35 people out of more than $1 million in investment scams was sentenced to 3-9 years in prison. The sentencing include some unusual comments. [TU] [TU+]

Alain Kaloyeros
The two non-profit arms connected to SUNY Poly could have to pay $1 million for the legal expenses of Alain Kaloyeros. [Politico NY]

Fatal car crash
Police say an Albany man died when his car hit a snow bank on Central Ave in Colonie Thursday, went airborne, and hit a utility pole. A CPD lieutenant called it one of the worst crashes he's seen. [WNYT] [TU] [Spectrum]

Uneasy
At a panel discussion Thursday, local college presidents said international students and Muslim students are feeling uneasy about the recent political climate in the country. [TU+]

Summer help
Businesses in Lake George say they're concerned that delays in visa programs will keep out foreign summer workers that they need. [Daily Gazette]

Tiki
A new local business is building floating, motorized tiki bars. [TU]