All Over Albany

Debate over big pay raise for legislators, Albany County revenue from housing immigrant detainees, trio of Albany parks to get wi-fi

Pay raise for state legislators
The details of the planned $50k raise for state legislators will be released today:
+ An overview of the raise, how it's happening, and why there's a push for it. [NYT]
+ A possible limit on outside income for legislators is already getting pushback. [Politico]
+ Local Assembly member Pat Fahy, who said she didn't seek the raise: "The good news for democracy is that I think you'll see more people interested in running." [CBS6]
+ Chris Churchill: "If we were tying lawmakers pay to performance, we'd have no choice but to cut their pay." [TU]

Albany County revenue from housing immigration detainees
A look at the millions of dollars in revenue Albany County has gotten from housing immigration detainees at the county jail and how that money that's being used. [TU]

Four-vehicle crash on Central Ave
Colonie police say five people were injured in a four-vehicle crash on Central Ave late Saturday afternoon in which a police say a car with two men had fled a traffic stop. CPD the said the fleeing car, headed west, sideswiped a eastbound CDTA bus, a westbound SUV, and the crashed head on into an eastbound car. The occupants of the eastbound car were injured and taken to the hospital. CPD says the two men in the fleeing car then ran from the scene, and one of them was picked up by police nearby. [Spectrum] [News10] [TU] [Colonie police press release]

People in police custody and medical distress
Prompted by the death of Andrew Kearse last year in Schenectady police custody, a Bronx state Assembly member has introduced legislation that would open the way for police to face criminal liability if they don't respond to people in their custody who are in medical distress. [TU]

Schoharie limo crash
Another story of a deal gone bad involving Shahed Hussain, the owner of the limo company in the Schoharie crash -- this time involving a gas station in Queensbury. [TU]

Sentencing in minority-ownership contractor scam
A former contractor who pleaded guilty to stealing $800k as part of a scheme to exploit and defraud local minority-owned businesses was sentenced to 3.5-12 years in prison. [TU]

Alain Kaloyeros
With the sentencing of Alain Kaloyeros coming up on Tuesday, Fred LeBrun is not convinced the government actually made its case against the former head of SUNY Poly. [TU]

New York State Attorney General and climate change
An overview of the case the New York State Attorney General's office is pursuing against ExxonMobil related to climate change, and a complaint that the effort is being aided by attorneys from NYU law school center that's funded by the Bloomberg Philanthropies. [TU]

"[N]o mother should have to wash the blood and gasoline off her dead child's clothing."
John Cropley reflects on the death of his nephew in a crash involving an alleged drunk driver in Omaha and the many similar cases he's reported on over the years. [Daily Gazette]

Kirsten Gillibrand
Said Kirsten Gillibrand of potentially running for president, at a NYS Writers Institute event at UAlbany Friday evening: "Maybe, I'm going to think long and hard about it over the next few weeks and months." [WNYT]

Work schedules
A look at some of the revisions to proposed state rules that would require employers to schedule employees' shifts 14 days in advance and provide notice 72 hours in advance if an employee is no longer needed on a shift. [Biz Review]

GE
A run-through of some of the ways GE's sinking business and stock price affect the Schenectady area and the many former employees there who hold its stock. [Daily Gazette]

Albany parks wi-fi
The city of Albany and the Albany Public Library are teaming up to provide free wi-fi in three parks next year. [TU]

Champ
A Rotterdam 15 year old won a world championship in jet ski racing -- she beat out a field of competitors that included adults. [TU]

Tossed salads and scrambled eggs... and beer
That time Kelsey Grammer stopped in at the Jay St. Pub in Schenectady to promote his beer. [Daily Gazette]

Stuff going on this week

Check out the list of things to do around the Capital Region during this week.