All Over Albany

Sheriff: Plot against judge was made up, Cuomo questions school walkout discipline, name change for Troy's Riverfront Park

Sheriff: Plot against judge was made up
Albany County sheriff Craig Apple says it's been determined that the reported plot against state Supreme Court justice Thomas Breslin was made up by a county jail inmate in an effort to get a deal. [TU]

School walkouts
+ Andrew Cuomo issued a public letter requesting that state Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia to look into reports that students around the state were disciplined for participating in walkout events this week to protest gun violence, including an alleged case in which a school blocked exits (an apparent reference to report about Schuylverville). [Cuomo admin] [TU]
+ In her own return public letter, Elia said NYSED will "investigate any reports where the safety of students was put in jeopardy, as we always do." [NYSED]
+ Talking with local students who face discipline for walkout events -- and the school officials who disciplined them. [Daily Gazette]

National Gride rate increase
The state Public Service Commission has approved a rate change for National Grid that will increase the average monthly bill for electricity and gas by about $16 over the next three years. [TU]

Cole crash trial
The defense and prosecution in the John Cole crash trial delivered closing arguments Thursday, and the jury is now deliberating. [Daily Gazette]

Not guitly ruling in Route 787 crash
A Cohoes City Court judge found the driver in the June 2016 Route 787 crash that killed Brittany Knight not guilty of imprudent speed this week. (Knight's death has prompted attention to the design of road there, and the state has proposed a new design.) [TU]

Albany fatal overdose
"Officials familiar with the investigation" tell the Times Union that police are looking into whether the overdose death of a woman on a North Main Ave sidewalk around midnight Wednesday has any connection to events at a East Greenbush motel. [TU]

Coeymans raccoon
The mayor of the village of Ravena says he's been getting death threats and other criticism via social media related to the rabid raccoon run over by Coeymans police -- even though he has no authority over the town police. (Because he's the mayor of the village, which is in the town but is not the town.) [TU]

Saratoga Springs Code Blue shelter
The scheduled Thursday vote by Saratoga Springs planning board vote on the plan to build a new Code Blue shelter on Walworth Street -- which has gotten persistent push back from some neighborhood residents -- was delayed to April because the public hearing notice wasn't published in time. [TU]

Cuomo / Nixon
How Cynthia Nixon's potential primary challenge has riled up Andrew Cuomo. [NYT]

Cuomo / Faso
+ Andrew Cuomo was again poking Faso publicly this week over the Republican tax overhaul, which Faso voted against. [Cuomo admin]
+ John Faso letter in response: "Although I had many disagreements with him, Mario Cuomo was at his core, a man of principle and honor. You, on the other hand, sir, are no such man." [TU]

Tip credit
There was another gathering of restaurant owners and servers in Saratoga Springs to rally opposition against the proposal by the Cuomo admin to eliminate the minimum wage tip credit. [Daily Gazette]

Port of Albany
Grain exports have been a major component of business at the Port of Albany for decades, and they're now coming to an end there. (Though there's a plan to now take grain imports.) [TU]

24 hours of confession
Saint Kateri in Schenectady is offering confession for 24 hours straight starting Friday morning. [WNYT]

Name change for Troy's Riverfront Park
The city of Troy is moving to rename Riverfront Park in honor of Bill Chamberlain, the former city official who murdered near his home in North Greenbush in 2015. [TU] Update: From a Madden admin press release: "The park and adjacent portion of Front Street will be dedicated as "William D. Chamberlain Riverfront Park" and "Chamberlain Way" in recognition of Mr. Chamberlain's life and three decade career with the City of Troy."