New Albany police chief appointed, the experiences of detained immigrants, developer buys First Prize site, floating islands against river pollution

Next Albany police chief
+ Kathy Sheehan has appointed Eric Hawkins to be the next Albany police chief. He's currently the police chief in Southfield, Michigan, and in a statement Sheehan said he has "a firm commitment to community policing and 21st century policing strategies." (Interesting bio bit: He has a law degree.) The appointment is subject to confirmation by the Common Council. [Sheehan admin press release]
+ Hawkins is line to become the city's second African-American police chief and first since 1995. [TU]

Detained immigrants
+ A look at the complicated situation facing a Troy woman currently held in an ICE detainment facility near Buffalo. [The Alt]
+ A New York Immigration Coalition official praising the services the 300some ICE detainees are getting at the Albany County jail: "I have never experienced the level of cooperation and concern for the well being of the immigrant detainees that I have witnessed at the Albany County jail." [TU]

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1986 Troy fire case re-trial
An expert witness for the defense in the retrial of a man for a fatal 1986 fire in Troy testified Thursday that there's not enough info to determine the cause of the fire, and said the initial investigators in the case failed to properly document the scene and evidence. [TU]

Colonie police car crash
Colonie police say an officer responding to a call with lights and sirens collided with an SUV and ended up crashing into a utility pole. CPD says officers did make it to the call in question where in they arrested a person on arson and criminal mischief charges. [News10] [TU]

Schenectady fight
Schenectady police say a large fight in front a Stewart's Wednesday involved metal rods, a screw driver, a dog and resulted in the arrests of four women. [Daily Gazette]

Delmar home invasion
Bethlehem police say two men from Troy have been arrested for an alleged armed home invasion in Delmar Wednesday. [TU]

Clifton Park psychiatrist arrested
Federal prosecutors say a Clifton Park psychiatrist was arrested for allegedly giving "Xanax, Adderall, and Suboxone to patients for no legitimate medical purpose, and to at least one patient in exchange for sex." His attorney said they deny the charges. [US DOJ] [TU]

State tax department investigation of Trump Foundation
The state Department of Taxation and Finance is investigating whether the Trump Foundation violated state tax law. [NYDN]

Tractor trailer rollover on 787
Here's video of the cleanup of the tractor trailer rollover on 787 Thursday afternoon that blocked traffic. The construction debris the truck was carrying was dumped over the side of the elevated highway into a parking lot. [TU] [NYSP]

Gun show at Schenectady Armory
The owner of the Schenectady Armory says a gun show there this fall, from the same operator as the one that had been at the Saratoga City Center for many years, is not a done deal. [Daily Gazette]

West Hill
A health advocate who works with people in the Albany neighborhood of West Hill, to WNYT: "When I speak to people that I know, the fact that there is no hope, that the people seem to have lost hope because they don't have a voice." [WNYT]

Hamilton Hill
Demolition work has started in Schenectady's West Hill neighborhood for an affordable housing project by The Community Builders. [Daily Gazette]

First Prize Center
Richbell Capital has bought the First Prize Center site for $4 million. [Biz Review] Earlier: The new plan for the First Prize Center (2016)

4 Central Ave
The developer looking to renovate 4 Central Ave in Albany into apartments has gotten sales tax and mortgage recording tax breaks for the project from the Albany IDA. (This project has been in the works for many years.) [TU]

Floating islands and pollution
A look at a project from the Radix Center aimed at cleaning sewer overflow pollution in the Hudson River. [WNYT]

Stuff to do this weekend

Check out the big list of things to do around the Capital Region this weekend.

Comments

This newest plan for the First Prize Center apparently involves an urban grocery store. Are the Co-op, Shop-Rite, Hannaford and Price Chopper, all within about a mile, not enough? I'm all for redevelopment of this site, but they'd be better off having a shuttle that runs a loop between all these stores than adding another store to the mix. Unless it's a Wegman's, of course!

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