All Over Albany

Hoosick Falls accepts PFOA payment, former priest convicted of abuse found dead in jail, gun control debate heats up in NYS legislature

PFOA payment
The Hoosick Falls Village Board voted on Tuesday to accept a $330,251 payment from Saint-Gobain and Honeywell to cover some of the costs from PFOA contamination of the village water supply. The resolution is not a settlement and won't release the companies from future reimbursement costs and damages. [WNYT][TU]

Former priest and abuser found dead in jail
A former Long Island Catholic priest who was arrested for child sexual abuse last year at a Washington County retreat, was found dead on Tuesday in a Saratoga County jail cell. The Sheriff's office says the death is believed to be a suicide. Michael Hands was slated to be sentenced on Thursday after pleading guilty in January to two felony counts of sexually abusing a child. [TU][Saratogian][Post Star]

Gun Control debate
State lawmakers may soon be taking up new gun control legislation, include measures to restrict access to guns to people convicted of misdemeanor domestic abuse.[Spectrum]

Arrest in gun store robbery
Colonie police say they've made an arrest in connection with a gun store robbery in October, but only one of the five stolen handguns has been recovered. [Spectrum]

Armed robbery
The Western Avenue Mobil station near UAlbany was robbed at gunpoint overnight. Police are searching for a suspect. [WNYT]

Berlin school threat
A student at Berlin Middle-High School was detained on Tuesday after allegedly making a shooting threat that was reported by a fellow student.[TU]

Cairo-Durham gun threat
Cairo-Durham High School was placed on lockdown on Tuesday after a ninth grader said he had a bullet and other students could be in danger. The 15-year-old was charged as a juvenile delinquent and released to his parents.[TU]

Local Colleges on students who protest guns
Union, Skidmore, the College of Saint Rose and the Sage Colleges have all stated that they will not penalize high school applicants who are disciplined for participating in peaceful anti-gun violence protests. [TU]

Glens Falls gun show canceled
A gun show slated for this weekend at the Cool Insuring Center at the same time as a high school sporting event, has been canceled. [News 10]

Cuomo invites Delta to NY
After Georgia's Lt. Governor attacked Delta for ending a program that offered discounts for NRA members, Andrew Cuomo and Kathy Hochul reached out to the Atlanta-based company to come to New York.[TU]

Tyree rejected "light sentence" in connection with Jay St. fire
"I would rather have a jury find me guilty and spend 15 years in prison than admit to something I didn't do," -- Former Schenectady Housing Inspector Kenneth Tyree to the Times Union on why he spurned a plea agreement from the District Attorney and went to trial over the 2015 Jay Street fire. [TU]

NYCLU
JCOPE has denied a waiver request from the NYCLU in an effort to keep the names of donors to the civil liberties group private. [TU]

Schenectady smart city
Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarty spoke on Tuesday to a House of Representatives energy subcommittee about the city's "smart city" technology plans. [TU]

Jury deliberating Facebook Live shooting
A Schenectady jury is deliberating the fate of a man facing weapons and domestic violence charges, who was shot by police in a standoff last year which was streamed live on Facebook. [Gazette]

Saratoga County rejects early voting measure
Saratoga County supervisors on Tuesday rejected a Cuomo administration plan that would allow for early voting and automatic DMV voter registration. [TU]

Percoco
Closing arguments in the corruption trial of Joe Percoco were about "ziti" and the testimony of Todd Howe, whom the defense called ""a walking, talking reasonable doubt."[NYT]

Mudslide hill stabilized
The Schenectady hill that was the site of a late-January landslide has been stabilized, but one of the victims of the landslide has now filed a notice of claim against the city. [Gazette]

Capital Region housing prices up
Capital Region housing prices rose by six percent in January over the same period in 2017. [Gazette]

New leases at SUNY Poly
IBM and the SUNY Research Foundation signed leases this week with the SUNY Poly Albany campus. [TU]

Residency requirements
Albany County legislators are considering a proposal to do away with the residency requirement for county employees.[TU]

Redeeming Sweeney
A look at the fall, and ongoing redemption efforts, of former congressman John Sweeney. [TU]

Kevin Meehan
Hundreds of people packed St. Mary's Church in Albany on Tuesday, to mourn APD detective Kevin Meehan, who died earlier this month, from cancer. [TU]

Stuff going on today

Best Picture Film Festival
Regal Cinemas has lined up another Best Picture Film Festival -- it will be screening all nine films nominated for the 2018 best picture Oscar leading up to the Oscars this Sunday. The Regal theaters at Colonie Center, Crossgates, Clifton Park, and Queensbury are participating. Monday-Sunday various times -- all-movie pass $35

Oscar-nominated shorts
The Spectrum is screening the Oscar-nominated short films -- both animated and live action -- this week. various times

Tosca
Wednesday: Proctors is showing the filmed version of a Royal Opera production of Tosca. Wednesday 2 pm and 6:30 pm -- $15

Schenectady Restaurant Week

Monday-Sunday: It's restaurant week in Schenectady -- 26 restaurants around the city (and just beyond) will be offering multi-course meals for $25. As with any restaurant week, reservations are a good idea.

Arts and sciences

If Beale Street Could Talk
Wednesday: UAlbany's Performing Arts Center has a production of If Beale Street Could Talk, part of the university's celebration of James Baldwin. "Adapted and directed by Elise Thoron for American Place Theatre, this Literature to Life offering is a verbatim adaptation of Baldwin's powerful novel of the same name, one which remains disturbingly poignant even 60 years after it was first published." Wednesday 7:30 pm -- $15 ahead ($10 students and seniors) / $20 day of ($15 students and seniors)

Taxes and small business
Wednesday: Albany Law has an info event about the recent federal tax overhaul and small businesses. "Tax law experts -- faculty and practitioners -- will provide a description of changes to the tax code, and how these changes will affect individuals and small companies." Wednesday 5-6:30 pm -- free

The Wrong Show

Wednesday: A new monthly talent show hosted by Ragliacci at the River Street Pub in Troy: The Wrong Show. "Contestants will each have up to 3 minutes to beat the gong with their skills in front of a rowdy live audience. Any skills welcome! Whether you can gargle an entire bottle of tequila, down a pint full of real spiders, or hop on one foot blindfolded in a pool of warm banana pudding singing "I'm a Little Teapot," we need to see it. Musicians, dancers, poets, and comedians are also always welcome. Take risks, be zany, and get yourself off!" Wednesday 8 pm

Music

Wednesday: Staatskapelle Weimar at Troy Music Hall
"The Staatskapelle Weimar, founded in 1491, is one of the oldest, most illustrious orchestras in the world." 7:30 pm -- $45 and $55