All Over Albany

Testimony wraps up in Knowles murder trial, visa restrictions mean seasonal employee shortages, self-driving car tested on I-90

Knowles murder trial
Testimony wrapped up on Tuesday in the trial of Raekwon Stover, charged with the death of Medina Knowels wrapped up on Tuesday, with a neighbor who told the court she was awakened by screams and gunshots. [Gazette]

White Creek triple murder trial
Loretta Colegrove, the former girlfriend of murder suspect Matthew Slocum, testified at his retrial on Tuesday that she witnessed Slocum firing a shotgun at his stepbrother. [TU]

Saratoga inclusionary zoning vote delayed
Plans to vote on an inclusionary zoning proposal in Saratoga Springs have been postponed after a workshop on the proposal turned into a heated discussion between the city and developers who are concerned about costs and the vagueness of the wording. [Saratogian][Gazette][TU]

Vacant buildings
A report by Albany's Chief Auditor, prompted after the city razed more than 100 buildings last year, concludes that Albany should explore more options for stabilizing vacant properties, rather than demolishing them.[TU]

Union College buys new building
Union College has purchased a former Bank of America building in Schenectady for its security offices. [TU]

Visa restrictions result in employee shortage
Last year, Congress put a 66,000 worker cap on the national H-2B visa program, which is leaving a number of seasonal Capital Region businesses with an employee shortage. [TU]

Motorcyclist found dead
A 69-year-old Americade volunteer and motorcyclist who went missing over the weekend was found dead after his bike crashed on a road in Thurman.
[TU]

Motorcycle crashes into horse
A motorcycle crashed into a horse that wandered into a roadway in Fort Edward on Tuesday. The animal had to be euthanized and the motorcyclist and a passenger were taken to Albany Med. [TU]

Schenectady teacher and aid arrested
A former teacher and teachers aide from the same Schenectady school were arrested days apart in separate child abuse cases. [TU]

Racinos feeling pressure from casinos
New York's harness tracks and racinos are looking for a tax break, claiming financial losses caused by the state's new casinos. [TU]

Self driving cars
Audi tested its self driving car along I-90 between the Patroon Island Bridge and Exit 10 on Tuesday.[TU]

Joe Bruno: "We gotta get government off our backs"
Joe Bruno told a crowd at the New York BizLab in Schenectady that Donald Trump became president because people were tired of "big government, suffocating government, big brothers, big sisterism," and said "We gotta get government off our backs."[Gazette]

Risky swimming warning
Days after a 19-year-old man died swimming in a Chatham creek, police and fire agencies are warning people against jumping into and swimming in local rivers, creeks and other bodies of water.[Gazette]

GlobalFoundries
GlobalFoundries has announced a plan to make new 7- nanometer chips in 2018, making it one of the first companies to delve into the new design. [TU]

Amazon films show in Saratoga
Amazon is filming a new TV show The Adventures of Snow White and Rose Red [Spectrum]

Saratoga's biggest fan
Saratoga's biggest fan remembers decades of racing. [News 10]

A newspaperman from a golden age of newspapers
Paul Grondahl remembers the late Dan Lynch. [TU]

Stuff to do today

Gelato
Gio Culinary Studio has a class about making gelato and other Italian frozen desserts. "We will be using fresh natural ingredients and professional techniques that can easily be duplicated at home." Wednesday 6:15 pm -- $65

Hamilton
Author Jack Casey will give a talk at the Rennselear County Historical Society on "Hamilton's Tragic Flaw." Wednesday, 7 pm to 9 pm -- $25, $20 for RCHS members

Punk Rock Sketch and Sip
The Punk Rock Sketch and Sip returns to The Low Beat. "Learn or practice figure drawing wih live alternative models and local artist and educator Robert B. Eaton. All skill levels are welcome! Enjoy a drink from the bar while you sketch." Wednesday 6 pm -- $15 / $8 students with ID

Rockin' on the River
The Rockin' on the River series in Troy's Riverfront Park has Deerhoof lined up with Aficionado and Another Michael. Wednesday 5 pm -- free admission

Made in the Shade
The Made in the Shade series of lunchtime shows outside The Egg has Kat Wright. Wednesday at noon -- free admission

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue at The Egg
"[A] hard-edged funk band that employs hip-hop beats, rock dynamics and improvisation in a jazz tradition." 8 pm -- $39.50 and up