All Over Albany

Lawsuit filed over Albany police shooting of man, the many details of Cuomo's 2019 overview, Madison Theater re-opening still in progress

Albany police shooting of Ellazar Williams
+ Attorneys for Ellazar Williams, the 19 year old shot by a Albany police detective in August, have filed a lawsuit in federal court against the city of Albany alleging excessive force -- and have released a video they say shows Williams was running away from the detective when he was shot. An attorney for Williams says the video contradicts the allegation made by police that Williams had charged toward the detective with a knife. Williams was paralyzed from the chest down by the shooting, and his attorney says the basics of day-to-day life have become enormous tasks because of the injury. [TU] [News10] [Spectrum]
+ This past Friday the Albany County DA announced that a grand jury had declined to hand up criminal charges against James Olsen, the detective who shot Williams. On Monday APD chief Eric Hawkins said the incident had been the subject of "a thorough internal investigation" as well as an investigation by the DA's office: "I have the upmost respect for the judicial process and the decision returned by the Grand Jury." [Albany County DA] [News10]

Ballston Spa double murder-suicide
+ Chris Churchill: "Why did Steven Jones do such a thing? How can a father kill a wife and child? If answers are ever offered, they will not satisfy or explain. If there is light amid this darkness, it is difficult to see." [TU]
+ It was Jones's employer that prompted the welfare check at the house by police, not the daughter's school -- and the Ballston Spa school district explained why it hadn't followed up on her absence. [TU]
+ Remembering Jennifer Jones and her work with children. [WNYT]

Cuomo 2019
+ An overview of Andrew Cuomo's overview of his agenda for 2019, including recreational marijuana legalization, a goal to make the state's electricity generation carbon-free, voting reforms, gun control measures, GENDA, and many other items. [TU] [NYT]
+ A closer look at some of the details -- or lack of details -- about those items. [Politico]
+ Marie French on the challenge -- and details not addressed -- in getting the state's electricity generation off fossil fuels. [Politico]
+ Sara Foss on Cuomo's mention of ending cash bail: "It's a call that's worth heeding, as there are thousands of people languishing in jail who have been charged with non-violent and minor crimes but are too poor to make bail. They have not been convicted of any crime, but are treated as guilty by a system that disproportionately burdens those with little money." [Daily Gazette]

Sentencing in Moreau shooting
A Moreau man was sentenced to more than 35 years in prison for shooting his neighbor in 2017. [TU]

Armed school monitors
At a forum Monday Saratoga Springs school district officials laid out the many efforts they say they're taking to make schools safe and address problems early on, and law enforcement figures continued to push for allowing armed school monitors. [Daily Gazette]

Schenectady police chief
Schenectady police chief Eric Clifford has completed a 10-week FBI training program in Virginia. [Daily Gazette]

Saratoga County government
The son of the current chair of the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors has been hired for a county HR position -- the chair says he wasn't involved in the hiring. [TU]

EMTs
Mohawk Ambulance says it hasn't reached a new contract with with its EMTs, but it will be raising their pay to $14.75 per hour for full-time EMTs. [TU]

Rensselaer landfill
The state Department of Environmental Conservation is looking to complaints about odors from the landfill off Partition Street in Rensselaer. [TU]

Quackenbush project
The developers behind the mixed-use project near Quackenbush Square in downtown Albany -- where the giant hole in the ground is right now -- have applied for tax breaks for the construction of a hotel there. [Biz Review]

Madison Theater
The owner of the not-yet-open coffee shop at the still-closed Madison Theater in Albany says the shop opening has been held up by a dispute with the city over installing a grease trap. [TU]

Farm in a box
SEFCU has donated a hydroponic garden housed in a shipping container to the Troy Boys and Girls Club. [Spectrum]

New distillery
A distillery has set up in Albany's Warehouse District. [TU]

Arthur's
Arthur's Market in the Stockade has a new owner. [Biz Review]

Lombardo's
Reminiscing about Lombardo's Restaurant in Albany, which is set to close after almost a century. [TU]

Stuff going on today

Siena
Tuesday: The Siena men's basketball team takes on the College of Charleston at the TU Center. Tuesday 7 pm -- $15 and up

Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley
Tuesday-Sunday: The is the last week for The Rep's production of Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, based on characters from Pride and Prejudice. "In this charmingly imagined sequel to Jane Austen's masterwork, the ever-dependable Mary Bennet is growing tired of her role as dutiful middle sister in the face of her siblings' romantic escapades. When the family visits for Christmas, an unexpected guest sparks Mary's hopes for independence, an intellectual match -- and possibly even love?" Tuesday-Sunday various times -- $22 and up

Bolshoi Ballet: Don Quixote
Tuesday: Proctors is showing a Bolshoi Ballet production of Don Quixote in the GE Theatre. Tuesday 2 pm and 7 pm -- $15

Brass Tacks
Tuesday: The Brass Tacks spoken word and poetry series is at The Low Beat in Albany. Tuesday 7 pm

Music: Cherish the Ladies at Troy Music Hall
"A Celtic Christmas." 7:30 pm -- $29.50 and up