Trial begins in Jay Street fire, Percoco defense takes on Howe's credibility, graduation rates up in NY but down in Schenectady
Snow
Wednesday's snowstorm Brought as much as a foot of snow to areas of the Capital Region, closing schools, canceling flights and keeping tow trucks busy. [Gazette]
Federal budget deal
Chuck Schumer on the bipartisan budget deal struck on Wednesday in the Senate: "The budget deal doesn't have everything I wanted; it doesn't have everything Senator McConnell wanted; but it has what New Yorkers need."[TU]
Teen pleads guilty to murder
One of the teens charged with a the shooting death of a Mechanicville man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to second-degree murder. [Saratogian]
Trial connected to Jay Street fire
Corrected Opening arguments got underway on Wednesday in the trial of Kenneth Tyree, the former Schenectady building inspector, charged with criminally negligent homicide related to the fatal 2015 Jay Street fire. [Gazette]
"Are you an honest man?"
Wednesday in the corruption trial of former Cuomo aide Joe Percoco, the defense went after star witness Todd Howe, focusing on Howe's history of lying, and asking Howe, "Are you an honest man?" Howe's reply: "I am today."[TU][NYT][Gazette]
Graduation rates
High hchool graduation rates are up across New York, and in much of the Capital Region, but in Schenectady, they dipped below 60 percent. [TU][Gazette]
State of emergency expires on landslide
Schenectady's state of emergency on the landslide site has expired -- city officials say the order is no longer needed because of "progress made in evaluating the situation."[Gazette]
Nickol indicted
Robert Nickol, a state Senate aide to Senator William Larkin who was arrested in a domestic violence incident in September, was indicted on Tuesday by an Albany County grand jury. [TU]
Sexual harassment lawsuits
New York State has paid out about $6.4 million in sexual harassment claims since 2012. [Politico]
Albany County DA will handle prosecution of Troy cop
The Albany County DA's office will handle the prosecution of a Troy police officer charged with stealing $6,200 from the union's bank account. [TU]
Cuomo on Cuomo
CNN anchor Chris Cuomo says his brother probably wouldn't get elected president because the Democratic Party has moved too far to the left for someone like Andrew Cuomo. [Daily News]
Tappan Zee
Chris Churchill on the battle to keep the Tappan Zee the Tappan Zee. [TU]
Casino
The ups and downs of Rivers Casino as it approaches its first anniversary. [Spectrum]
Missing hydrant
Will anyone with information about a stolen Troy fire hydrant please notify police. [WNYT]
Stuff going on today
Paris Time
Today-Sunday: The Rep continues its production of Paris Time. The production runs through February 18. Tuesday-Sunday various times -- $20 and up
Emily Witt
Thursday: Emily Witt -- the author of Future Sex -- will be at UAlbany as part of the NYS Writers Institute visiting writers series. "In Future Sex, Witt explores Internet dating, Internet pornography, polyamory, and avant-garde sexual subcultures as sites of possibility. She observes these scenes from within, capturing them in all their strangeness, ridiculousness, and beauty. The result is an open-minded, honest account of the contemporary pursuit of connection and pleasure." Thursday 7:30 pm, Campus Center Room 375 -- free
Kim Purcell
Thursday: Award-winning YA author Kim Purcell will be at Northshire Saratoga to talk about her new novel, This is Not a Love Letter. Thursday 5 pm -- free
UAlbany basketball
Thursday: The UAlbany men's basketball team takes on Vermont at SEFCU Arena. 7 pm -- $15 and up
Cinema Paradiso
Thursday: The Opalka Gallery on the Sage Albany campus is showing Cinema Paradiso. Thursday 6:30 pm -- free
Adult art night
Thursday: The Albany Institute is hosting an adult art night. "Enjoy a relaxing night as you add your own color to images from the Albany Institute's collections! Each participant will receive 6 images from the museum's collection printed on cardstock and will have the opportunity to use diverse coloring media such as water soluble pencils and crayons, colored pencils, and colored pens to fill the images in." Thursday 5:30 pm -- $8
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