All Over Albany

Local judge guarded after death threats, gun control stalls in NYS Senate, Tyree takes stand in Jay Street fire trial, Cohoes & RPI team up on smart mural

Prominent judge receives death threats
Death threats received by State Supreme Court judge Thomas Breslin have been deemed credible and police are guarding his home while an investigation is underway. [TU]

Gun control measures stalled in Senate
The Republican controlled NYS Senate refused on Wednesday to take up gun control measures proposed by Senate Democrats. [NYT][TU]

Cuomo on gun control
Andrew Cuomo is blaming members of his own party in Congress for failing to advance tough gun control measures. [Politico]

Second suspect arrested in gun shop robbery
Colonie police have picked up a second suspect in connection with an October gun shop robbery. [TU]

Five ways to curb mass shootings
Chris Churchill looks at five things that can be done, in addition to gun control, to help stop mass shootings. [TU]

"You can't convict someone of a crime based on how they talk"
Defense attorneys in Joe Percoco's corruption trial wrapped up their case on Wednesday, by continuing to tear down the reputation of Todd Howe, the prosecution's star witness, and by mocking the mentions of ziti in the trial, saying it's just how Percoco talks, and "you can't convict someone of a crime based on how he talks. Percoco's lawyers also painted the aide as more of a foot soldier than a right hand man to Andrew Cuomo. [News 10][WNYT][TU][NYT]

Tyree takes the stand in Jay Street fire connected trial
Former Schenectady building inspector Kenneth Tyree took the stand in his own defense on Wednesday in his criminally-negligent homicide trial connected to the fatal 2015 Jay Street Fire. Before the trial a judge dismissed a defense request to play a secret recording Tyree made of a conversation with city code enforcement supervisor Domenic Viscariello, that refutes some of the things Viscariello told prosecutors about the case. [Gazette][TU]

Audit: Schenectady taking too long to inspect apartments for fire safety
A draft of a State Comptrollers audit obtained by the Times Union shows Schenectady has been violating state law by taking three years or more to inspect apartment buildings for fire and safety issues. [TU]

Cohoes fire suspect pleads not guilty
The man charged with starting The fire that devastated the city of Cohoes in November has pleaded not guilty to a charge of arson. [Spectrum]

Homeless man acquitted of police assault charge
A homeless man was acquitted of charges of assaulting Albany police officers who were trying to get him to leave a store in the city last spring. [TU]

Clifton park land sale
A controversial 37.59 acre parcel of land in Clifton Park has finally been sold to the town by the Shenendehowa School District.[Gazette]

Milton Ethics Board members resign
Two members of the Milton ethics board resigned on Wednesday, after the town board went against an ethics board recommendation and appointed a politically active person to the ethics group.[TU]

Saratoga Republicans endorse DA candidate
Saratoga County's Republican Committee has endorsed Gerard Amedio for District Attorney to run against incumbent Republican Karen Heggen. [TU]

Schumer on drug prevention oversight
Chuck Schumer said this week that a proposal to turn federal drug prevention over to the Justice Department will make drug trafficking efforts more difficult for local law enforcement. [TU]

Stefanik endorsed by Independence Party
The New York Independence party has endorsed Elise Stefanik for re-election. [Gazette]

Changes to popular dance marathon
This year they're stepping up security for the annual South High fundraising dance marathon in South Glens Falls.[Post Star]

Award for life saving pilots
A pair of state police pilots have been recognized for braving a fierce winter storm to rescue a pair of stranded hikers from an Adirondack mountaintop, with New York's first Lifesaving Award. [TU]

Smart mural
RPI and the city of Cohoes are teaming up to create a smart mural on the side of an Ontario Street building that will interact with smart phones to show more about the painting and the city. [TU]

Stuff going on today

Dark Waters
Thursday: The It Came From Schenectady series at Proctors is showing the 1994 horror film Dark Waters. Thursday 7 pm -- $9 / $6 students and seniors

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.

MAAC tournament
Thursday-Monday: The MAAC -- Siena's conference -- will be at the TU Center for its men's and women's tournaments. Thursday-Monday various times -- all-session passes $97 and up

History Cafe: Votes for Women
Thursday: The State Museum's History Cafe series will be at The Hollow for a talk about the centennial of women's suffrage in New York with chief curator of history Jennifer Lemak and senior historian Ashley Hopkins-Benton. Thursday 6 pm -- free admission

Music

Thursday: Robbie Fulks at The Linda Folk/alt-country. With: Zan Strumfeld. 8 pm -- $18

Thursday: Birds of Chicago at Caffe Lena
"Secular gospel." 7 pm -- $24