All Over Albany

Jury deliberating in the murder of Noel Alkaramla, Gillibrand says Bill Clinton should have resigned, Bow Tie suing Troy over 1MSq

Trial in the death of Noel Alkaramla
Update: The jury returned Friday and found Oquendo guilty on all counts, including second-degree murder. [TU]

The jury in now deliberating in the the trial of Johnny Oquendo -- accused of killing Noel Alkaramla in Troy, stuffing her body into a suitcase, and dumping it in the Hudson River. During closing arguments, the prosecution admitted its case was circumstantial, but pointed to testimony from neighbors about hearing a thud and seeing a suitcase at the bottom of the steps, video showing a shadowy figure heading to the river, and the testimony of Oquendo's former girlfriend that the suitcase belonged to him. The defense attacked the credibility of the former girlfriend, arguing her history of mental illness, work as a psychic medium, and possible axe to grind cast serious doubt on her testimony. [News10] [Troy Record] [TU] [Spectrum]

Republican tax plan
+ Five Republican members of New York's House delegation voted against the Republican tax plan that passed Thursday, including Elise Stefanik and John Faso. (Their objection was the removal of the deduction for state and local taxes.) [TU]
+ Andrew Cuomo said the four New York Republicans who voted for the plan are "treasonous" and tried to argued that John Faso's "no" vote wasn't enough -- that he should have resigned in protest. The state's Republican delegation pushed back on Cuomo's claims that he had been contact with them and that they told him their leadership were pushing them to vote "yes." [Politico x2]

Albany and sanctuary cities
Following the feds' warning this week that Albany's "sanctuary city" policies could endanger its federal funding, Kathy Sheehan appeared on Fox News Thursday night to spar with Tucker Carlson over the issue. [Fox News]

Kirsten Gillibrand and Bill Clinton
During a recording for a New York Times podcast Thursday, Kirsten Gillibrand said Bill Clinton should resigned over his relationship with Monica Lewinsky: "Things have changed today, and I think under those circumstances there should be a very different reaction. And I think in light of this conversation, we should have a very different conversation about President Trump, and a very different conversation about allegations against him." In 2010, Gillibrand accepted the former President's endorsement for her Senate election campaign. [NYT] [NYDN 2010]

Mechanicville murder case
+ The Saratoga County DA's office empaneled a new grand jury and handed up a superseding indictment of the two teens accused of killing David J. Feliciano in Mechanicville after the defense attorneys in the case raised concerns about the original indictment. [Saratogian]
+ Gerard Amedio, an attorney in Saratoga Springs says he's planning primary DA Karen Heggen next year, citing a "calamity of errors" in the DA's office. [Spectrum]

State Police investigator arrest
The State Police investigator recently arrested on the accusation he falsely reported fraudulent charges to his debit card said in a written statement filed with the court that he made the report in an attempt to cover up spending on a mistress he had met -- and charged -- while investigating a car chase case. In the statement, he also told State Police he had given the woman money that she used to support a crack addiction. [Daily Gazette] [TU]

Bow Tie suing Troy
Bow Tie is suing the city of Troy in its bid to get back money it spent on the 1 Monument Square project, alleging "utter lack by the City and its officials, officers and employees, of any reasonable due diligence and (they) were grossly negligent and intentionally misleading." [TU]

Microgrid project in Sheridan Hollow
A group called Sheridan Hollow Alliance for Renewable Energy is pushing for the Cuomo administration to halt the planned microgrid project that would serve the ESP and possibly other parts of downtown Albany because it uses natural gas-fired generators that would be sited in Sheridan Hollow. [TU]

Albany County employee salaries
A look at back-and-forth over raises for some Albany County employees that's playing out in the budget process. [TU]

Troy trash fee
A main point of contention in the Troy budget process: The Madden admin's proposal for a flat trash fee assessed to units that get municipal pickup. [Troy Record]

Teens and relationships
A look at the Planned Parenthood backed programs in Schenectady that are focused on teens learning about healthy, respectful relationships. Planned Parenthood's involvement with a program at Schenectady High School prompted at least one parent to object. [Daily Gazette x2]

Nipper Building
The developer planning to convert the Nipper Building to apartments and retail told the Albany IDA this week he needs an expansion on the tax breaks awarded to him so he can have more time to line up financing. [Biz Review]

Moriah Formica
Talking with Moriah Formica about her experience on The Voice. [Daily Gazette]