All Over Albany

Capital Region school budgets approved, teen arrested in connection with arson/hate crime, Albany parking tickets on the rise again, blind veteran athlete joins NY Veterans Hall of Fame

School budgets
School districts in the Capital Region approved their budgets and capital projects on Tuesday, most by large margins. The Albany Public Library budget was also approved by 76 percent. There were changes on a number of the region's school boards. [TU][TU][APL]

Arrest in alleged hate crime
Police have arrested a 15-year-old boy in connection with a Schodack fire being investigated as a hate crime. Charges can not officially be designated as a hate crime because of the suspect's age. [TWCN][News 10]

Confession in fatal crash
A Ballston Spa man has admitted that he left the scene of the crash that claimed the life of a pedestrian in Milton back in October.[TU]

Suspended APD officer faces hit and run charges
A suspended Albany police officer will face criminal charges in connection with a hit-and-run crash earlier this month on West Lawrence and Myrtle Avenue.[Spectrum]

Schenectady robbery suspect
Schenectady police have arrested a man in connection with a string of recent robberies at drug stores and dollar stores in the city. [WNYT]

Albany parking tickets
Parking tickets are steadily increasing in Albany, but they're still way down from a high of more than 89,821 in 2010. [TU+]

Rensselaer County energy scam
Rensselaer County officials are warning residents to beware of a scammer trying to gain entry into homes by posing as a National Grid employee. [TU]

Slavery reparations
More than two dozen New York lawmakers are supporting a push for a commission to study slavery reparations and recommend remedies for racial and economic discrimination. [TU]

Equal Rights
Democratic state senators and activists are pushing for an equal rights clause to be added to the New York State constitution. [TU]

Ice cream truck driver charged with DWI
A Mr. Ding A Ling ice cream truck driver was charged with DWI on Wednesday, after Colonie police who stopped the truck and found beer and said the driver was slurring his speech and smelled of alcohol. [TU]

Blindfold law
Efforts to repeal a New York law that allows prosecutors to withhold evidence from defense attorneys until th very last minute. [TU]

Schenectady firefighters
Schenectady's City Council will consider a new contract calling for a 6-percent raise for city firefighters. [TU]

Archeological dig at Albany's oldest house
An archeological dig at the Van Ostrande-Radliffe house in Albany. [TWCN]

Merry Monk
After being seized for back taxes last week, the Saratoga and Albany locations of The Merry Monk will reopen today. [Gazette]

Schenectady officer of the year
Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarthy on Nicholas Contomposis -- Schenectady's officer of the year: "I get the most comments about him downtown in terms of the work he does where he's just nice to people." [Gazette]

Blind Veteran athlete joins hall of fame
A blind Iraq Army Vet and investment banker from Albany who surfs, climbs mountains, is now a member of the New York Veterans Hall of Fame. [TU]

Stuff going on today

Hedwig and the Angry Inch
A touring production of the Hedwig and the Angry Inch is at Proctors. It's the rock musical that was an off-Broadway production, then adapted as a film, then a Tony-winning Broadway production. Tuesday and Wednesday 7:30 pm -- $20 and up

Some People Hear Thunder
Today-Sunday: This is the last week for Some People Hear Thunder at Capital Rep. Tuesday-Sunday various times -- $20 and up

Pearl Street walkabout
Historic Albany Foundation has a walk-and-listen podcast tour about the history of Pearl Street in downtown Albany. (It requires a smartphone.) Wednesday 5:30 pm -- free

Crepes, Hands-on
Wednesday: Deanna Fox leads a hands-on class at Different Drummer's Kitchen at Stuyvesant Plaza about making crepes. "In this workshop, students will gain hands-on experience making crepes with everyday equipment you likely already have at home, then fill them with an array of accompaniments (from fruit to chocolate to savory toppings), then we'll take cooled crepes and layer it with custard cream to make a mille feuille, a unique style of cake." Wednesday 6 pm -- $69

Music
Daniel O'Donnell at The Palace
"One of Ireland's best loved artists..." 7:30 pm -- $40.50 and up