Items tagged with 'John Sweeney'
Weird and difficult budget process could be ahead, jury selection in Raucci trial, RPI knocking down presidents house, man robs supermarket with a note
Pundits say David Paterson's now-lame duck status could be the beginning of a very weird and difficult state budget process. That has some people -- notably Sheldon Silver -- calling for lieutenant governor Richard Ravitch to handle the budget negotiations. Meanwhile, the head of the state Democratic Party called Andrew Cuomo "all but the presumptive nominee" for governor. [AP/Post-Star] [NYDN] [TU]
John Sweeney pleaded guilty to misdemeanor DWI Friday afternoon. As part of the deal, he's up for 30 days in jail -- and he'll have to wear an alcohol monitor on his ankle after he's released. He'll also have to do 300 hours of community service. [Daily Gazette $] [Saratogian] [TU] [WNYT]
Jury selection is scheduled to start today in the trial of Steven Raucci. The pool of potential jurors for Schenectady County Court has been doubled to 675 this week. Raucci faces 26 criminal charges, including arson and terrorism. [TU] [Daily Gazette $] [Daily Gazette $] [CBS6]
Schenectady police officer Kyle Hunter pleaded guilty to misdemeanor criminal contempt -- and part of the plea deal, he's resigning from the police force. [Daily Gazette $] [TU]
Shooting in Troy, school board revises bike-to-school ban, state's high court hears same-sex marriage cases, state grants millions for Albany hotel redevelopment
Troy police say a man was shot in the head last night in South Troy (map). They say they're looking for a male suspect. The victim was in critical condition last night. [CapNews9] [Troy Record] [CBS6]
An indictment against Chad Rubin, the convicted bank robber accused of plotting to kidnap former Rensselaer County DA Patricia DeAngelis, alleges that the man planned a robbery of the same bank to finance his alleged plot. He's also accused of plotting to kill bank employees and members of the prosecutor's office. An attorney from outside the public defender's office had to be found to represent Rubin because the indictment alleges that he made threats against people in that office, too. The current Rensselaer County DA said yesterday that he thought Rubin probably wouldn't have been able to carry out the alleged plot. [Troy Record] [TU] [WNYT] [Fox23]
Matthew Whalen, the Lansingburgh High School honors student and Eagle Scout who was suspended for having a pocket knife in an emergency kit in his locked car in the school's parking lot, appeared on Fox News yesterday. The Lansingburgh school superintendent said yesterday that he thought Whalen's 20-day suspension was "appropriate and fair." The district says it has a "zero tolerance" policy on weapons. [WTEN] [FoxNews] [TU] [Troy Record]
The New York Civil Liberties called for the state Department of Health to suspend the requirement that all health care workers get flu shots. The four nurses suing the state over the issue are planning a protest at the Capitol today. The state health commissioner said yesterday that the flu shot mandate is in the interest of patients, communities and health care workers. [NYT] [Troy Record] [WTEN]
The Saratoga Springs school board has revised its ban on biking to school. The new rule allows kids to ride to school, though with a number of qualifications. That didn't go over well with the mother of the boy who's been riding to school in protest of the ban. [TU] [Saratogian] [Post-Star]
GE officially announces new plant in Schenectady, Ellis calls for review of ambulance service, feds say Central American gang members picked up, toward nanobioscience
GE has officially announced that it will be building a new battery plant at the GE Energy campus off Erie Blvd in Schenectady. The plant is expected to cost $100 million and create 350 jobs. GE is getting a package of grants and incentives worth $20 million from New York State and Schenectady Metroplex. The plant will make batteries based on technology developed at the company's research center in Niskayuna. [Daily Gazette $] [CapNews9] [TU] [Fox23]
Albany police detective George McNally pleaded guilty yesterday to drunk driving and reckless driving. McNally careened through Albany and Delmar after leaving a bar on New Scotland Ave this past January. As part of the plea deal, he'll pay a fine, do community service, and his license will be revoked -- though he'll be able to drive for work. [TU] [CapNews9]
Albany mayoral candidate Corey Ellis has called for a review of ambulance service in the city. Ellis says the review is necessary because of Mohawk Ambulance's delay in arriving at the scene of the fatal crash involving a kid on a bike and a car. Jerry Jennings accused Ellis of politicizing the tragedy. [Ellis press release not online] [TU]
The state Senate will be back in session today for what's expected to be a short, "very vanilla" session. [TU]
Dalai Lama visit cancelled, Sweeney picked up for DWI again, Tuffey's niece had bull's eye sticker, another Schenectady HS suicide, school district ordered to pay for not preventing beating, Albany Freenet expanding
A representative for the Dalai Lama tells the TU that the Buddhist spiritual leader will not be coming to Albany as planned. It seems concerns surrounding the sponsor organization's ties to NXIVM, the controversial "personal growth" training org, caused the Dalai Lama's people to reconsider. [TU]
The state Senate finished passing the budget bills Friday night. Assessments of the budget differed greatly between the two parties. Even with passage in both houses, the contents of the budget aren't entirely clear -- and it may have to be revised later this year. [TU] [Daily Politics] [NYT]
At the least for the moment, the vote totals for Jim Tedisco and Scott Murphy are exactly tied. That number is almost sure to change as five counties have yet to finish re-checking the numbers on their voting machines. Tedisco announced Friday that he was stepping down as Assembly minority leader to "focus on his transition to Congress" -- though he also said he's not declaring victory. It seems Assembly Republicans were also keen to push him out of the position. The Saratoga Springs regional office for the 20th Congressional District has temporarily re-opened with its old staff while the election is sorted out. [TU] [Daily Gazette] [NYT] [Daily Gazette] [Post-Star]
Former Congressman John Sweeney was arrested early Sunday morning for allegedly driving drunk on Route 9 in Clifton Park. This is Sweeney's second DWI arrest, which bumped the charge up to a felony. Earlier in Sweeney's career he served as Rensselaer County's STOP-DWI coordinator. [Daily Gazette] [TU] [Troy Record]
Among those who had a bull's eye sticker: the niece of police chief James Tuffey (another one of her uncles was also police chief for a time). An unidentified source tells the TU that Tuffey's niece didn't get a ticket for a 2007 crash because of the sticker. [TU]
... said KGB about Drawing: What's something that brought you joy this year?