All Over Albany

Jury selection in UAlbany bus incident trial, TSA: pilot had gun in his bag at ALB, step forward for First Prize Center redev plan, Rue has been re-homed

UAlbany bus incident trial
+ Jury selection in the trial of the two women charged in last year's Albany bus incident took most of Monday. [WNYT]
+ Before jury selection, attorneys for the women argued that the intense public attention on the case had tainted the jury pool and asked for a change of venue -- a request denied by the judge. [TU]
+ The Albany County DA's office said four charges against one of the women were dropped because a witness was not available to testify. [News10]
+ Chris Churchill: "It won't be an easy or pleasant trial." [TU+]

Lake George boat crash trial
The first day of the trial in last summer's fatal Lake George boat crash focused on jury selection, with attorneys asking potential juries about how they view accidents. Many of the potential jurors said they didn't think they could objective about the case. [Daily Gazette] [Post-Star] [TU]

Sentencing in fatal Rensselaer County crash
The man convicted of multiple charges for the 2015 drunken crash that killed his friend was sentenced to 8 1/3 to 25 years in prison -- and ordered to pay $2k for his friend's headstone. [News10] [TU]

Halfmoon standoff
Police say the estranged wife of the man taken into custody after the day-long standoff in Halfmoon had said he knew of "no other way out." And State Police say they had responded to the residence 13 times over the last four years. [Daily Gazette] [TU]

TSA: Pilot had gun in bag
The TSA says a Southwest co-pilot had a loaded handgun in his carry-on bag at ALB. The pilot was arrested by the Albany County Sheriff's Office and charged with a misdemeanor. [@TSAmedia_LisaF] [TU]

Crash into building
Albany police say the driver who crashed into a gas station at Clinton and Quail early Tuesday morning, punching a hole in the building, had been drinking a beer when he crashed. [TWCN] [News10]

Sanctuary cities
Schenectady's city council has chosen not to formally declare as a sanctuary city, instead supporting a resolution calling for federal immigration reform. [Daily Gazette] [TU]

First Prize Center
The Albany Common Council has approved the formation of the joint planning board with Colonie to oversee the proposed development of the First Prize Center. [TU]

Free tuition plan
Sara Foss on the new free SUNY tuition program: The "flaws and failures irritate me. The residency requirement? Not so much." [Daily Gazette]

Cuomo staff
Andrew Cuomo has promoted his chief of staff, Melissa DeRosa, to the position of secretary to the governor. She's the first woman to hold the title -- and, at age 34, the youngest person. [TU] [Daily News]

Rue the rooster
Rue, the rooster that's been roaming Parkwood Street in Albany, has captured and moved to a farm. [News10]

Stuff going on today

Music: Anne Akiko Meyers at EMPAC
"A superstar of the violin world, Anne Akiko Meyers presents an evening featuring repertoire works by Ravel and Beethoven as well as new pieces by Jakub Ciupinski and Morten Lauridesen." 8 pm -- $18 / $6 students

FAN-tastic women
Tuesday-Wednesday: The It Came From Schenectady Series at Proctors has two nights of films in "which we celebrate the FAN-tastic women who make horror, sci-fi and fantasy cinema." Tuesday's film is The Love Witch. Wednesday's lineup includes Raw and Born of Woman. Tuesday and Wednesday 7 pm -- $9 / $6 students

Julie Casper Roth
Tuesday: Artist Julie Casper Roth will be at The Opalka Gallery on the Sage Albany campus for a talk. "Julie Casper Roth is an award-winning filmmaker and video artist interested in underdogs, paradox and the oft-unseen. ... She is at work on a documentary about indigent burial in the United States." Tuesday 6:30 pm -- free

Nitty Gritty
Tuesday: The Nitty Gritty Poetry Slam is back at The Low Beat. Tuesday 7 pm