All Over Albany

Senate Dems retake seats, Felder stays with Republicans, GOP appears to hold Assembly majority, Bail set for Mack in NXIVM sex trafficking case, Exit 4 coming in 2019

Special election results

+Senate Democrats regained two vacant seats in Tuesday's special election, but the newly unified party still falls short of a majority because Simcha Felder -- a Bronx Democrat who has caucused with Republicans since his election, has decided to continue his affiliation with the GOP. [TU][NYT][NYT][TU]

+State Assembly seats up for grabs in Tuesdays special election appear to have remained in Republican hands. [TU]

NXIVM
Smallville actress Allison Mack was released by a federal judge in Brooklyn on $5 million bond in her NXIVM sex trafficking / forced labor case. [Spectrum][TU]

Fire destroys housing unit
Fire destroyed a public housing unit on First Street in Rensselaer on Tuesday, leaving thirteen people homeless. [Spectrum][TU]

Deal for Nicolla
The NYS attorney general's office is dropping charges against prominent Albany developer Joseph Nicolla in exchange for his cooperation in the bid rigging investigation surrounding Alain Kaloyeros and other contractors.[TU]

Lobbying restrictions
JCOPE members voted unanimously on Tuesday to pass sweeping regulations governing the lobbying industry in the state with the hope of bringing more transparency to the process. [TU]

Case dropped for Morse critic
A judge has tossed out harassment charges filed in December against a Cohoes man who has been a vocal critic of Mayor Shawn Morse. [TU]

Guilty of manslaughter
A Rensselaer County jury convicted Anthony Rickett of manslaughter rather than murder in the July stabbing of Leonard Ellis. [TU]

DWI in Rotterdam crash
The driver in a Tuesday morning high-speed crash in Rotterdam is facing charges of DWI. [WNYT]

Capital Region jobless rate drops
Unemployment is down from 4.8% down in the Capital Region in April from 5.2% in March but still up slightly from March of 2017. [Gazette]

Raccoon death prompts training
Video of Menands police chasing a rabid Raccoon with their car prompted authorities to hold a training on how officers should deal with rabid animal situations. [TU]

Saratoga school budget
The proposed $125 million 2018-19 Saratoga Springs school budget contains a 3.9 percent tax increase. [Gazette]

Honeywell drops retiree health care
Honeywell has announced it will eliminate health care benefits for its local retirees following a recent federal court of appeals decision that sided with the company in the matter. [TU]

Albany County legislators consider conversion therapy law
Albany County legislators are considering a law that would ban the use of conversion therapy on minors. [WNYT]

Exit 4
Construction on Exit 4 -- a connector from the Adirondack Northway to Albany International Airport, is expected to begin in 2019. [TU]

Schenectady construction
Schenectady's efforts to boost construction and help low-income city residents.

Skidmore students campaign for controversial speaker
A group of Skidmore students area battling to have a controversial Canadian academic and alt-right speaker appear at the collage. [TU]

Charge
Troy's first electric vehicle charging station was installed this week in the city's 5th Avenue parking garage. [TU]

Stuff going on today

Blithe Spirit

Blithe Spirit
Today-Sunday: Capital Repertory Theatre continues its production of Noël Coward's Blithe Spirit. "One highly spirited wife is fun - but two is fertile ground for this smash comedy hit of the London and Broadway stages from the witty pen of Noël Coward. Meet cantankerous novelist Charles Condomine, re-married to Ruth but haunted (literally) by the ghost of his late first wife, the clever and insistent Elvira who has been conjured up by a visiting 'happy medium,' one Madame Arcati." The production runs through May 6. Tuesday-Sunday various times -- $20 and up

Arts and sciences

Environmental justice in the Capital Region
Wednesday: UAlbany's School of Social Welfare is hosting a panel discussion -- "Advancing Environmental Justice in the Capital Region" -- on the downtown campus. Panelists include Albany Common Council member (and public health PhD) Dorcey Applyrs, the Radix Center's Stacy Pettigrew, Dr. Brenda Robinson, and Arlene Way from the Arbor Hill Development Corporation. Wednesday 4:15 pm, Milne 200 -- free (registration required)

Albany Patroons

Wednesday-Friday: The Albany Patroons have a three-game home stand against the Ohio Bootleggers at the Washington Ave Armory. Wednesday-Friday 7 pm -- $10 and up

Music

Wednesday: The GNA Secret Start Acoustic Jam at Proctors is sold out

Wednesday: Kamelot at Upstate Concert Hall
Metal. With: Delain, Battlebeast. 7 pm -- $28.50 ahead / $30 day of

Wednesday: Mary Gauthier at The Linda
"New studio album co-written with wounded combat veterans over the last four years via SongwritingWith:Soldiers." 8 pm -- $20

Wednesday: White Rope at Pauly's
Indie rock. With: Sugar Eater, The Wildflower. 8:30 pm -- $7

Wednesday: Rochmon Record Club: Tom Petty "An American Boy": A Selected Retrospective at Proctors
"Each Rochmon Record Club Listening Party includes over 350 images and the playing of the entire, original, album. In addition to the music itself we check out the lyrics, talk about sales and awards and take a look at the album's cover." 7:30 pm -- $10

Wednesday: Hamell on Trial at The Low Beat
Last night of April residency. 7 pm