Items tagged with 'Luther Forest chip fab'

GlobalFoundries expanding Luther Forest fab

global foundries logo smallGlobalFoundries announced today that it's expanding the size of the in-construction chip fab in Luther Forest. It says it will be increasing its potential cleanroom capacity by about 40 percent (the company says it will have roughly six soccer fields-worth of cleanroom space).

GloFo says it's also increasing capacity at its fab in Dresden, Germany.

Doug Grose, GlobalFoundries's CEO, told Bloomberg this morning that the expansion will allow the company to reduce the marginal cost of producing chips and help it compete on price. Apparently there's a chip industry boom right now and GloFo ispreparing to take on industry leader Taiwan Semiconductor. [Bloomberg] [PC World]

Attorney says hit-and-run suspect feared for his life, possible development in decades-old arson case, GloFo looking for more state money, warm spring tough on maple syrup producers

The attorney for Travis Carroll, the man who allegedly drove the car involved in the fatal hit-and-run on Henry Street in Saratoga, says his client was fleeing the situation because he feared for his life after a fight. Carroll's attorney says his client had been beaten with a belt buckle and threatened with a knife. Saratoga Springs police and Carroll's attorney differ on the amount of time that separated the fight and the car collision. Police alleged that Carroll removed the damaged windshield from his car shortly after the collision in attempt to hide the evidence. Carroll's been charged with two felonies -- leaving the scene of an accident and tampering with evidence. [Post-Star] [Fox23] [Saratogian] [TU] [WNYT] [YNN]

Local investigators are reportedly in Washington State to pursue leads in a suspected case of arson that killed seven children and a father in Cohoes in 1978. The lone survivor of that fire -- the mother and wife of the victims -- now lives there and says she was questioned by investigators. The woman, Virgina Utigard (formerly Virginia Gratto), told a Spokane television station KXLY that she was pressured into a signing a confession. Utigard reportedly told KXLY that her relationship with her first husband had been abusive. [TU] [Daily Gazette archive] [Troy Record] [KXLY] [WTEN]

Steven Raucci trial Day 18 A state police forensic scientist testified that DNA found one of the unexploded bombs matched DNA collected from Steven Raucci. And FBI employees testified that devices allegedly used by Raucci were much more powerful than firecrackers. [TU] [Daily Gazette $]

David Paterson reportedly was involved with drafting a statement the he hoped would be issued by the woman who accused his former aide of domestic abuse. The woman reportedly refused to go along with the statement, which indicated the incident was non-violent. [NYT] [NYDN]

GlobalFoundries is reportedly asking New York State for $300 million more in incentives so it can add extra capacity to the Luther Forest chip fab. [TU]

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Paterson now snagged in Yankees ticket flap, new Troy city hall won't be cheap, Proctors expanding, cookies for Oscar

The state Commission on Public Integrity announced yesterday that it's asked prosecutors to look into whether David Paterson should be charged for giving false testimony during an ethics inquiry about Yankees World Series Tickets. The commission says it found:

"... there is reasonable cause to believe that Governor Paterson solicited, received and accepted an unlawful gift; and falsely testified under oath that he had always intended to pay for the tickets for his son and his son's friend when, in fact, the Governor's intention was to receive and accept the tickets without paying for them until a press inquiry caused him to submit a backdated check as payment for the tickets."

When asked yesterday whether he lied during the ethics investigation, Paterson said: "No." Paterson's story about how he ended up with the tickets has changed multiple times. In response to one of the Paterson administration's versions, the president of the Yankees told the NY Post the governor was "a liar." The Paterson aide who reportedly approached the Yankees: David Johnson. [NYS COPI] [TU] [NYT] [NY Post] [NYDN]

Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Lazio was in Scotia yesterday and told a gathering of Republicans that "the people of New York deserve better than what they've been getting." He also criticized Andrew Cuomo for "ducking and bobbing and weaving - avoiding taking positions." [CapNews9] [Daily Gazette $] [Fox23]

"Several hundred" people showed up for yesterday's state parks rally outside the Capitol. Jack McEneny said he's been getting more mail about the parks closures than all proposed budget cuts combined. [TU] [Troy Record]

The 12 jurors for the Steven Raucci case have been selected. Potential jurors were screened for their thoughts on firecrackers and the use of informants. As part of jury selection, potential witness lists surfaced -- and many current and former top officials for the Schenectady school district are on the lists. [TU] [Daily Gazette $] [WNYT] [Daily Gazette $]

Consultants for the City of Troy report that building a new city hall could cost somewhere between $21 million and $25.5 million. Here's a live blog transcript from last night's meeting. [TU] [City of Troy]

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Paterson attacks rumors, police say listening system reported gunshots first, county sending out prescription discount cards

In an interview with the AP, David Paterson defended himself against the still-unknown accusations that may or may not be included a New York Times article that may or may not be published. The frenzy of anticipation has led outlets to print all sorts of rumors. Rick Lazio called out the NYT yesterday in a letter, writing that if it doesn't have a story, it has "a moral obligation to stop the drama and the psychological warfare" on the governor. Neither NYT officials or reporters are commenting. And now some are saying Paterson might even come out ahead in all this. [AP/Post-Star] [NY Post] [Daily Politics] [Fox23] [NYO]

The bid to override David Paterson's veto of the ethics reform bill failed yesterday in the state Senate. Twenty-five Republicans and one Democratic voted to sustain the veto. Hugh Farley and Roy McDonald both voted to override. [TU] [NYT] [Daily Politics]

Troy police say a man was shot in North Central Friday night -- and they first heard about the shooting via the city's ShotSpotter system. The TPD says the system alerted officials 10 minutes before the first call related to the incident. [TU] [Troy Record] [WTEN]

A 19-year-old from Troy has been arrested for allegedly shooting an 18-year-old last week in north Albany. [TU]

During his State of the City address, Schenectady mayor Brian Stratton said last night that the city is freezing hiring and cutting other expenditures in an attempt to cover an upcoming $12.8 million budget gap. The city council also voted yesterday to move toward freeing itself from being responsible for taxes not paid to the school district. [WTEN] [Daily Gazette $] [CBS6] [Daily Gazette $]

The construction company that's building the GlobalFoundries chip fab at Luther Forest is moving its headquarters to the Watervliet Arsenal. Also: ATIC, the investment company funded by the government of Abu Dhabi, now owns 66 percent of GloFo. [TU] [Post-Star]

Two Ballston Spa teens were charged with felonies over the weekend for sending explicit text message pics. [WNYT]

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Mayor says Albany faces "financial tsunami," ESP man caver gets a year in jail, Skidmore moves into new Zankel Center

During his state of the city speech last night, Jerry Jennings said Albany is facing the possibility of a "a financial tsunami" in 2011. The mayor said the city will be bringing in outside financial consultants to help develop a plan. He also continued his call for "appropriate equitable state aid" to the city. [WTEN] [TU] [CapNews9]

The janitor who pleaded guilty in the ESP Man Cave case was sentenced to a year in jail and scolded for bringing "contempt and ridicule" on state workers. [CapNews9] [TU]

Parts of the Cannon Building on Monument Square in Troy have re-opened after the building inspectors shut it down for code violations. Harry Tutunjian tweeted yesterday that the building is still without water. [TU] [@TroyMayor]

The new president of the Schenectady city council is calling for voters to dump the city's school board members in the spring elections. [TU]

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Opening statements in Bruno trial, Aretha Franklin coming to RPI, investigation into Paterson World Series tickets, cops say man was wearing a Breathalyzer costume, naked sprint around the Nott

A jury was selected for Joe Bruno's federal trial yesterday. Each side also delivered its opening statement. The prosecution said Bruno used his influence at the capitol to rake in more than $3 million from clients. Bruno's defense said he's "a hardworking, honest public servant" and the feds had made a mistake. As he entered the courthouse yesterday, Bruno told reporter he had been "looking forward to this day." [CapNews9] [NYT] [Troy Record] [TU] [NYSNYS via Daily Politics]

GlobalFoundries has announced that Hector Ruiz is stepping down as chairman of the board. The WSJ reported in October that the feds had identified Ruiz as the AMD executive who leaked news of the impending formation of GlobalFoundries to a hedge fund last year. The new chairman will be Alan Ross, who had been the CEO of another semi-conductor company. GloFo says Ruiz's exit will have no effect on plans for the Luther Forest chip fab. [NYT] [San Jose Mercury News] [TU] [Saratogian]

The Albany County Department of Health reported its first death associated with the H1N1 flu. The ACDoH says the teen had a "longstanding underlying medical condition." The county health commissioner said the news was not cause for alarm and "the vast majority of individuals" will recover. [TU] [WTEN] [Troy Record] [CapNews9]

The Albany County Department of Health says the death of a county resident has been associated with the contaminated ground beef that was recently recalled. The beef was produced by a company in western New York and distributed throughout the East Coast. Locally, the beef had been available at Price Chopper, which has been contacting people to notify them of the recall. [Fox23] [NYT] [TU] [@ChrisRooney]

Aretha Franklin and Joshua Bell will performing at EMPAC in December as part of a celebration of Shirley Ann Jackson's 10 years at RPI (or, as @supraphonic @timesunion called it yesterday; Shirleystock). The performances will not be open to the general public. (Earlier on AOA: RPI's Jackson tops compensation chart) [RPInsider] [TU] [AP/CBS6]

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State budget widens and Paterson warns of pain, Raucci to get pension even if convicted, Gillibrand pushes repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell, goat kidnapped

New York State comptroller Tom DiNapoli now says the state's budget gap could be as big as $4.1 billion. David Paterson has said that he will release a slate of proposed budget cuts that would involve "pain." LG Richard Ravitch, who's helping Paterson with budget issues, says the plan will be "asking every agency in the government to cut back significantly." As bad as things might be this year, apparently the real problem is next year when the federal stimulus money ends. As one anonymous legislator told Liz Benjamin: "Then we're in deep sh*t." [TU] [NYT] [CapNews9] [Daily Politics]

Adrian Thomas, the Troy man charged with causing the death of his infant son, took the stand in his own defense yesterday -- and testified that he had lied during his videotaped interrogation by police. Thomas said he admitted to police that he slammed the child down so he "could go to the hospital and see my son and my wife." [Troy Record] [TU]

The Troy man shot in the head earlier this week has died. It's the third homicide of the year in Troy. The TPD says it's following leads. [Troy Record] [Fox23] [CapNews9]

Albany police have arrested two men -- one already in prison, the other 18 years old -- for a 2007 murder on Second Street. [TU]

The Lansingburgh High School student suspended for having a pocketknife in his car says he's been contacted by West Point and told the incident won't have any effect on his application to the service academy. [WTEN]

Steven Raucci, the now-retired Schenectady school district employee accused of arson, intimidation and harassment related to his former job, will receive a pension of $79,067 -- even if he's convicted. [TU]

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Finger pointed at "chief finger pointer," Luther Forest reportedly beat out Brazil and China, Schumer and Gillibrand hedge on Paterson, microloans in Watervliet

chester arthur birthday

A ceremony commemorating the 180th birthday of President Chester A. Arthur yesterday at his grave in the Albany Rural Cemetery. (Photo: Matt Ryan)

Democrats in Rensselaer County have hit back at allegations of absentee ballot fraud by accusing Republicans of similar electoral wrongdoing. The Dems are focusing their attention of Republican Bob Mirch, who they're calling -- we kid you not -- the "chief finger pointer." [TU] [Troy Record]

Brian Stratton's proposed Schenectady budget includes an almost 6 percent tax increase. Stratton says the city is facing "challenging times," which include big increases in pension and healthcare costs. [TU] [Fox23]

Albany police say a 16-year-old girl reported being temporarily abducted on Second Street yesterday. It's the second reported abduction attempt in the city in a week. [CBS6] [Fox23]

GlobalFoundries chairman Hector Ruiz told the National Press Club that Luther Forest beat out sites in Brazil, China and Russia for the new chip fab. [TU]

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Reaction to APD shame sign, man found dead near the Egg, Paterson and Ravitch reportedly at odds, Other Guys shoot wraps, local woman on Jeopardy tonight

A spokesman for the APD says the light-up sign on Central Ave that's set to display the names of people arrested for soliciting prostitute is no different from mug shots appearing in the local news. The spokesman says city attorneys don't foresee any legal issues with the sign. Defense attorneys aren't so sure about that. [CBS6] [WNYT] [Fox23] [TU]

A state Supreme Court judge has thrown out 39 of the allegedly fraudulent Troy absentee ballots. [TU]

A man was found dead Saturday morning at the foot of the ESP wall below the Egg near Lancaster Street. Police say they're investigating, though it appears the man fell. [Troy Record] [Fox23] [WNYT]

GlobalFoundries' "Fab 1" in Dresden, Germany -- which was built by AMD in 1998 -- is now at the center of a cluster that employs 35,000 people. [Saratogian]

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Jennings wins Democratic mayoral primary, Joe Bruno takes a turn on the swings, plane headed for Saratoga crashes, dogs found shot

Jerry Jennings topped Corey Ellis in the Albany mayoral Democratic primary with 7,615 to 5,971 (that's 56 percent to 44 percent). At his victory party, Jennings told the crowd he "wasn't going to walk away from this city in a very challenging time." Ellis told supporters that he would "continue to fight for this city" and that "this fight is just beginning." Ellis also said problems at polling sites held down his vote total. [CBS6] [TU] [CapNews9]

In other Albany primary results: Carolyn McLaughlin beat Lenny Ricciuti for Common Council president, Kathy Sheehan won big over incumbent Betty Barnette for treasurer and Leif Engstrom holds a 225 vote lead over Darius Shahinfar for city auditor. [CapNews9] [TU]

The whole list of primary results: Albany County | Rensselaer County | Saratoga County | Schenectady County

As the jury selection process started for his federal trial, Joe Bruno took a turn on the swings at a new playground in Troy that was built with Bruno Bacon. [TU] [CapNews9]

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Rumors of Obama visit to the area, Paterson says layoffs on the table, more complaints about student behavior, a big garage sale mistake

It's primary day. Polls are open from noon to 9 pm. If you're not sure where to vote, you can look it up at the State Board of Elections site.

Rumors are swirling that President Obama will make an appearance the site of the GlobalFoundries chip fab project in Malta. A source tells the TU that the Obama Administration is "considering" it. WNYT reports that the Secret Service has been doing advance work. A source tells CBS6 that the White House has been interested in the chip fab and how community colleges are involved in training workers. A spokesman for GloFo told the Post-Star that he didn't know "anything definite." [TU] [WNYT] [CBS6] [Post-Star]

Troy Police say they're still trying to piece together the details of the incident that led to a man getting shot in the head. Neighbors say the man had told the group of teenagers in the street to quiet down before the shooting. One neighbor says the shooting "could have been prevented" because residents called police before it happened. Six teens have been arrested for fighting outside the house. [Troy Record] [TU] [WTEN] [WNYT]

The man police say was the shooter in the Second Street murder last month in Albany says he heard shots at the party and ran away. [TU]

David Paterson said yesterday that "everything is on the table" -- including state worker layoffs and furloughs -- in the discussion about how to close the $2.1 billion midyear budget gap. He's called a leaders meeting to work on the cuts. [PolitickerNY] [Daily Politics]

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Police say shooting wasn't random, residential parking permits probably won't pass, Erin Brockovich coming to talk about mercury, quarters to depict Battles of Saratoga

Albany police say the shooting death of a man on North Pearl Street this week does not appear to be random. Albany County DA David Soares told residents of the apartment complex where the man was shot that the APD has its "best and the brightest working on this." A resident of the apartment complex said the APD used to have more of a presence in the neighborhood -- and she'd like to see it return. [Fox23] [TU] [Fox23]

In response to this latest shooting -- the fourth in a month -- mayoral candidate Corey Ellis said: "The City of Albany is under seige and we are in crisis." An APD spokesman asserted that the city is safe, though he said "when you have violent crimes that occur of this magnitude it gives you the perception that the streets aren't." [CBS6] [WTEN]

It appears that now-retired former APD chief James Tuffey has landed in a soft spot: BBL Construction -- the city's dominant construction company, whose owner is friends with both Tuffey and Jerry Jennings. [TU]

The state Senate is back in session today and is expected to take up ethics reform. Though it originally was scheduled to be on the slate, it now appears that a residential parking permit law for Albany will not come up. [CapNews9] [PolitickerNY] [TU]

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Shooting in uptown Albany, Paterson lashes out at media, concerns about pollution at Cohoes factory, GloFo tapping local firms

Albany police say man was shot outside his apartment on Manning Blvd in uptown Albany last night (map). The man reportedly was sitting in car when he took multiple shots in his upper body. A neighbor drove him to the hospital. The APD says it hasn't identified a motive. [TU] [Troy Record] [Fox23] [CapNews9]

The Albany cop car involved in last week's crash that killed a man in a civilian car on Madison Ave did not have an installed video camera. In fact, none of the APD's cars have cameras even though chief James Tuffey said more than a year ago that the squad's fleet would be getting them. [TU]

The median price for single family homes in the Capital Region was down 10 percent in July compared to the same month last year (median prices are down 5 percent for the year). The number of closed sales was about the same, though. That has real estate agents speculating that the market has reached its bottom. [GCAR] [TU]

David Paterson said on Friday that media has treated his administration unfairly because of his ethnicity. Later in the day Paterson said he hadn't accused the media of being racist, but rather said "certain media outlets have engaged in coverage that exploits racial stereotypes." In his original comments, Paterson the press would next go after Barack Obama for the same reason -- and apparently that assertion didn't go over well with the White House. [Daily Politics] [Daily Politics] [NY Post]

A Democratic state senator from Staten Island says David Paterson's impaired vision is making it hard for him to be an effective governor. [SI Advance]

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Opening day at The Track, child dies after being hit by police vehicle, bill would allow supermarket wine sales, Schenectady could turn down money for cops, tanker spills milk on I-90

It's opening day at The Track. Racing starts at 1 pm.

The state Department of Labor says it will be continuing to scrutinize whether trainers are paying overtime and minimum wage to backstretch workers. An investigation the agency conducted last year found that adequate records were not being kept and many workers were not getting full compensation. [Fox23] [Saratogian] [Post-Star]

Many businesses in Saratoga are pulling for a strong track season -- the city's finance commissioner said the season is "like our Christmas." Hotels in Saratoga are apparently almost completely booked up for this weekend. [Daily Gazette] [TU]

A child died in Troy yesterday after being hit by unmarked police vehicle. Police say the vehicle was not responding to an emergency. There are reports the child might have entered the street between two parked cars. The city says it's conducting an investigation. [Troy Record] [Fox23] [CapNews9] [TU]

A bill has been proposed in Albany County would require chain restaurants to post calories counts on menus. One of the supporters of the bill is Panera -- the chain says its local restaurants already have plans to post calorie counts. [Albany County] [TU] [Fox23]

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Raucci report won't be released, cool summer may be setting up cold winter, Tedisco hints at run for different office, alleged cold cut heist leads to pepper spraying

The Schenectady school district's internal investigation into Steven Raucci -- the former district employee who's been accused arson and intimidation -- will not be made public. The district says its lawyer "strongly advised" it to not release the report. [Daily Gazette] [TU]

The package of state incentives for the Luther Forest chip fab project is actually closer to $1.37 billion -- and could be more if GlobalFoundries expands at the site. [TU]

A guy who was forcibly sedated at the direction of Albany County law enforcement so they could search his body for drugs in 2006 has settled his lawsuit for $125k. The search included a camera being put up his rectum. [TU] [AP/CBS6]

There's some historical data that indicates we could be in for a cold, snowy winter. [TU]

The Capital Region's tick population -- and the incidence of Lyme disease -- appear to be on the rise. [Daily Gazette]

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State Senate gets back to work, Biden in Clifton Park, Salvation Army says it didn't blow the whistle, chip fab has 20 year lifespan, good year for apples

The state Senate, with Pedro Espada caucusing with the Democrats, had a real session last night -- 135 bills were passed. The session was not without drama. Republicans held things up for about two hours because they said Democrats weren't supporting agreed-upon reforms -- Dean Skelos called Democrats "a bunch of phonies." The session got back on track shortly before midnight when both sides announced they had agreed to "a framework" for reform. [Biz Review] [TU] [AP/Daily Gazette] [Daily Politics]

The session also included Espada's installation as majority leader, though it wasn't by a vote because apparently some of the Democrats refused to directly vote for him. [Daily Politics]

David Paterson's appointment of Richard Ravitch to lieutenant governor is basically on hold until the courts review it. The first hearing is today. [TU]

Joe Biden touted the Obama Administration's stimulus program yesterday during his speech to about 600 people in Clifton Park. The VP announced that New York was getting another $275 million for unemployment insurance. And he said 6,800 jobs would be coming to the state. Among Biden's comments: he would never take the job of Mayor of Albany because it's too hard. (video from the event) [Post-Star] [Troy Record] [TU] [Daily Gazette] [Post-Star]

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State Senate break reportedly near, Biden coming to area, layoffs at the TU, mouthwash defense surfaces, liquor license denied because of Salvation Army

It's now been a month since the state Senate upheaval started. The two sides are reportedly nearing some sort of resolution. The Democrats known as "The Three Amigos" (that includes Pedro Espada, who's sided with the Republicans) are threatening to do something (it's not clear what) if there isn't a deal by Thursday. Two of the Amigos plus another senator walked out of the Dems' session yesterday -- and apparently other rank-and-file members are feeling "frisky." [Daily Politics] [PolitickerNY] [TU] [AP/Troy Record]

It does seem like something is up -- David Paterson has requested statewide TV time for 5 pm this evening. That's prompted speculation that he might try to dislodge the situation by appointing a lieutenant governor (which would, in turn, probably set off legal throwdown). [Daily Politics] [TU]

If it's any consolation, the senators' pay has been stopped. [NYDN]

Joe Biden will be in Clifton Park tomorrow to tout the federal stimulus effort. He'll be speaking at Shenendehowa High School. This will be the first Vice Presidential visit to the area since 2000. [TU] [WTEN] [Daily Gazette]

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That was a lot of rain, state Senate will meet on 4th, RPI disputes fire department accusations, Rudy Giuliani wants to motivate you, ALB says show up earlier

Yesterday's severe thunderstorms dropped more than three inches of rain in some places (the official NWS tally of 2.76 inches was a local record for July 1). Latham and Cohoes seemed to get the worst of it. There were reports of flooding all over the area. [TU] [NWS] [Fox23] [Twitter]

The state Senate held another of its "extraordinary" in-and-out sessions yesterday. The big issue of the day seemed to be the question of whether the Assembly would accept the bills "passed" by the Senate in Tuesday's V8-fueled session. It looks like the senators will be spending the Fourth of July at the Capitol -- David Paterson has ordered them into session every day through Monday. [TU] [Daily Politics]

Both Senate factions are expected to turn in per diem requests for the last two weeks today -- though whether they'll be paid is apparently up in the air. [NYDN]

Guilderland's supervisor says the town will be pulling its garbage business from the Albany landfill because of concerns about the facility's expansion into the Pine Bush. [TU]

RPI says that its public safety office called the Troy Fire Department just 32 seconds after the first report of a fire at one its chem labs this week -- not 12 minutes as the department has alleged. The TFD says RPI's delay created a more dangerous situation for firefighters. [Troy Record]

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State Senate paralyzed by drama, plane plucked from Mohawk, Albany sewers maxed out, moose on the loose

As had been rumored, Hiram Monserrate switched back to the Democratic caucus yesterday and now the state Senate is split 31-31. Result: no one knows what the hell is going on. The two parties discussed a power-sharing arrangement, but couldn't come up with a deal. They're now looking to the courts to settle things> -- and it sounds like the judiciary would really rather not do that. [NYT] [NYDN] [NYT]

The situation puts the state in a "constitutional crisis" as there's no clear way for the Senate to function. Also muddled: the line of succession to the governorship. [Buffalo News]

The Republicans + Democrat Pedro Espada showed up in the Senate chamber yesterday, but couldn't do anything official because they were one short of a quorum. Democrats are now threatening to sue Espada because, they say, he violated a court-issued injunction against acting as Senate pro tem. [Daily Politics] [CapNews9]

John Sampson, the new leader of the Senate Democrats, is being credited with bringing Monserrate back into the caucus. [TU]

A crew pulled the small private plane that crashed into the Mohawk near Glenville out of the river yesterday. The victims were also identified -- one was a former Bollywood actor turned real estate developer. Officials aren't sure what caused the crash. [Daily Gazette] [TU]

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Senate drama grinds on, land deal closed for chip fab, Tuffey back on the job, man tasered in burning house, winery planned near Saratoga

The state Senate stayed locked -- literally -- yesterday as the Republican led coalition tried to solidify its backing and Democrats tried to regain the upper hand (it looks like they'll be challenging the takeover in court). Pedro Espada, the possibly-new Senate president pro tem, said the chamber would open today -- and he proudly displayed the key to the locked room (though he wouldn't say how he obtained it). David Paterson scolded the Senate yesterday, urging its members to "to act like adults." [TU] [TU] [AP/Daily Gazette] [NYDN]

The senator-of-the-moment is Hiram Monserrate, the other Democratic switcher. It seems he might be playing both sides in a bid to get the best deal. Said one unidentified legislator: "Hiram is driving the train. God help us all." Monserrate seemed to indicate yesterday that he's sticking with the Republican-led coaltion. One apparent undercurrent to this drama is increasing friction between Latino and African American legislators (both Espada and Monserrate are Latino). [NYT] [Newsday] [Buffalo News] [Daily Politics] [NYT]

Part of yesterday's proceedings outside the Senate chamber: a clown -- who was apparently hired by the New York Post. [PolitickerNY]

GlobalFoundries closed on the land for the Luther Forest chip fab yesterday. GloFo bought 223 acres for $7.8 million. Land clearing is scheduled to start next week and construction in late July. The signed deal had Saratoga County officials celebrating what one person described as a "10,000-piece jigsaw puzzle". Others were a bit more in-your-face. Said the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce president: "To everyone who said it wouldn't happen: 'See you, suckers!'" [Daily Gazette] [Biz Review] [TU] [Post-Star] [Saratogian]

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Conflicting stories about Troy girl's death, GloFo commits, trans-fat bakery exemption falls, Troy library auctioning art for cash, big pile of money at Albany NanoTech

Here's a digest of all the drama in the state Senate yesterday.

The Troy man arrested this past weekend for the death of his girlfriend's three-year-old daughter says the girl hit her head in the bath while he was watching a show about cheetahs on TV. But a coroner's report says the child died from internal injuries consistent with being hit in the abdomen. [Troy Record] [TU]

Global Foundries sent its Luther Forest chip fab commitment letter to state officials today -- that unlocks $650 million in state incentives. Crews are scheduled to start clearing the site for the fab on Monday. [Daily Gazette] [TU]

Police say a person was shot in the arm in north Troy last night -- the injury apparently wasn't life-threatening. [CBS6]

FBI director Robert Mueller yesterday defended his agency's use of mosque informants to investigate potential terrorists. Such an informant was used in the case against the two Albany men arrested -- and convicted -- for their role in a fictional plot to kill a Pakistani official. [AP] [TPM]

The proposed Albany County trans-fat ban exemption for bakeries failed in a vote of the county legislature last night. [TU]

Jerry Jennings apparently held a telephone town meeting last night. Among the topics discussed: litter. (If anyone has audio of this, we'd love to hear it.) [@Mrs_Misanthrope]

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Deal to avoid state worker layoffs reportedly coming together, police say men posed as cops, questions about Alive at Five alcohol testing, McCafe coming soon

"People briefed on details" tell the TU that the state worker unions and the Paterson administration are working on a deal that would avoid the planned layoffs -- by offering $20k buyouts to employees near retirement and adding a new tier to the state pension system. [TU]

A bill that would legalize mixed martial arts fighting in New York State made it of Assembly committee yesterday, despite the opposition of local Assemblymen Bob Reilly and Jack McEneny. "Violence begets violence," said Reilly. A vote in the full Assembly is expected this session. [TU] [Fox23] [CapNews9]

The "project labor agreement" that will guarantee union wages on the Luther Forest chip fab construction was officially announced yesterday. The agreement includes a no-strike pledge from local unions. GlobalFoundries has said it was waiting for such an agreement to be in place before starting construction. The project could include as many as 1,900 construction jobs. [Daily Gazette] [Biz Review] [Post-Star]

Troy police say two men posed as cops and used a starter's pistol to briefly kidnap two teenagers yesterday. The incident might have had something do with the men having their supply of free coffee at a Dunkin Donuts cut off. One of alleged kidnappers once posed as a cop back in the 90s -- for altruistic reasons. [Troy Record] [Fox23] [CBS6] [TU]

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Chip fab construction could start soon, bottle bill postponed, new principal for Albany High, fee going up for flying out of ALB

GlobalFoundries and labor unions have reportedly worked out a deal that includes the payment of union wages at the construction site of the Luther Forest chip fab -- whether workers are union or not. GloFo has been waiting to close on the land for the fab until it had such a deal in place. The agreement is apparently not officially a done deal -- though both the company and the unions say they're "very close." If the agreement does comes together, the initial stages of construction at the site could begin in a few weeks. [TU] [Daily Gazette] [Post-Star] [Biz Review]

The emergency preparedness drill involving that low-flying helicopter started yesterday in Albany County. The drill's scenario includes the "detonation" of two radioactive "dirty bombs" in downtown Albany. About 600 people from local, state and federal governments are involved in the training. [TU] [Troy Record] [Daily Gazette] [Fox23]

A federal judge has postponed the start of New York's "better bottle bill" (which adds bottled water to list of beverages that require a 5 cent deposit) until next April. The judge also tossed the bill's New York State-specific bar code provision. [AP/TU] [NYT]

It sounds ethics reform for the state legislature is going to stall because Sheldon Silver is not on board. [NYT]

The two largest state worker unions say they're in "discussions" with the Paterson administration about the planned layoffs. [CBS6]

(there's more)

Friday's asks state police to look into snake head, parking official's wife's car got ghost tickets, landfill fined for stinkiness, Skidmore students accused of beat down, rooster finds new home, Tulip Queen crowned

TGI Friday's says the an independent lab has concluded that the snake head found in a side order of broccoli at its restaurant in Clifton Park was added after the veggies were cooked. The company says it's asked the State Police to open a criminal investigation. [TU] [AP/Daily Gazette]

GlobalFoundries says it won't buy the land for the Luther Forest chip fab until it can work out an agreement with construction unions -- and David Paterson's office is participating in the negotiations. Even with all the recent hype, the project still has some doubters. [TU] [Biz Review] [TU]

The vehicle registered to the wife of Albany's Parking Violations Bureau director received 70 ghost tickets, according to documents obtained by the TU. Albany treasurer Betty Barnette has said that her office, which includes the parking violations bureau, had no knowledge of the ghost ticket program. [TU]

A federal appeals court has upheld the $265,000 in damages awarded to a man who says an Albany cop violated his civil rights during an arrest in 2002. The cop -- who's had numerous complaints filed against him -- is still on the job. [TU]

Advocates for same-sex marriage have put together a coordinated campaign to lobby potential swing votes in the state Senate. Many senators have yet to say publicly how they'll vote on the issue. [NYT]

The state Senate and its slim Democratic majority have been quite the drama lately as small groups of senators have tried to get theirs by holding out on various bills. And now this: Kevin Parker, a senator from Brooklyn, has been charged with a felony for allegedly wailing on a New York Post photographer -- Parker is, perhaps fittingly, also the sponsor of legislation that would legalize ultimate fighting in the state. [NYT] [NYT] [NYP] [NYP]

Chuck Schumer has asked the Federal Trade Commissioner to look into those "your car warranty is about to expire" scam telemarketing calls. Apparently Schumer had had enough after he got a fourth call on his mobile last week. [AP/TU] [NYT]

(there's more)

Soares says crime will increase, man accused of killing son, woman says no one would call for help, Center Square parking garage sold, dead fish are stinky

Albany County DA David Soares says the number of crimes will rise as the economic downturn continues. There's been a rash of shootings, assaults and robberies lately in the City of Albany. [Daily Gazette] [TU]

A Coeymans man has been charged with the murder of his teenage son. Police say the man shot his son late Sunday night. The man's attorney says his client came home and found his son already dead. [TU] [Fox23]

Officials from AMD and GlobalFoundries say they're not too worried about Intel's threat to cancel a key technology sharing agreement. A spokesman for GloFo says the news "changes nothing." [TU] [Post-Star]

The design for the expansion of the Saratoga City Center was unveiled yesterday -- it changes the look of the building considerably. The expansion will increase the convention center's square footage by more than 40 percent. The project is expected to start in late Spring and take 14 months to complete. [Post-Star] [Saratogian] [Daily Gazette]

(there's more)

One Schenectady suicide reportedly prompted chain of attempts, Morris officially in the pool for Albany mayor, parents sue bars for $12 million, UAlbany student robbed at gunpoint

The suicide of a 17-year-old in Schenectady last fall appears to have started a chain reaction of five other suicide attempts -- two of which led to deaths. All five of the teens who subsequently attempted suicide apparently used the same method as the first teen. [Daily Gazette]

The heads of both the Albany Police Officers Union and the union's parent organization say they will not testify under oath about the ghost ticket scandal at tonight's meeting of the Albany Common Council. That may lead the council to take the unusual step of issuing a subpoena to the APOU's president. [TU]

Albany Common Council President Shawn Morris officially announced on Sunday that she's running for mayor. Morris says she wants to "open up City Hall to the people who own it." Morris has served on the council for 15 years. [Fox23] [TU] [CapNews9]

Rumors have apparently been circulating that Schenectady officials are talking about dissolving the city's troubled police force. After a Schenectady police sergeant reportedly left work during a shift to go to the dentist this past week, mayor Brian Stratton says he personally told two shifts of SPD officers that it was time to get their act together. [TU]

(there's more)

Debate today for special Congressional race, man charged with Troy murder, bankruptcy filings up, Luther Forest spinoff company a done deal

The latest from the very special election to fill Kirsten Gillibrand's former House seat: Jim Tedisco and Scott Murphy will debate today at the Saratoga Springs Public Library at 1:30 pm. Yesterday, Rudy Giuliani campaigned with Jim Tedisco in Dutchess County. And Scott Murphy was endorsed by the AFL-CIO. [CapNews9] [Fox23] [Saratogian]

Albany Common Councilman Corey Ellis officially announced that he's running for mayor yesterday. Here's his web site.

Joe Bruno was taken to the hospital yesterday after he was involved in a car wreck on Rt. 7 in Colonie. A spokesman for Bruno says an oncoming car jumped the median and hit Bruno's car. The spokesman says Bruno is sore and slightly bruised, but otherwise OK. [TU] [Troy Record]

A Schenectady cop was arraigned yesterday in Colonie on charges of DWI and leaving the scene of an accident. The Schenectady police chief says the officer has been suspended 30 days without pay. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

(there's more)

Planning for stimulus funds, River Rats bus flips on Mass Turnpike, restaurants cutting prices, no Whitney Gala this year

Dr Strangelove war room

Sadly, the state's war room doesn't look like this. Remember: you can't fight in the war room.

The Paterson Administration has set up a "war room" to coordinate the state's administration of the roughly $25 billion in federal stimulus money headed this way. [TU]

Buried among the list of new taxes and fees in the Paterson budget proposal: a $10 fee for filing your state tax return on paper. More than 40 percent of state tax returns in New York State were filed on paper last year. [TU]

The Capital District Transportation Committee has put together a list of local infrastructure projects that should qualify for stimulus funding -- a group that totals about $87 million. Among the projects on the list: the reconstruction of Delaware Ave in Albany and the replacement of the Bridge Street bridge in Cohoes. [TU]

Three people from the Albany River Rats were seriously injured this morning after the team bus rolled over on the Mass Turnpike. The team was returning from a game in Lowell. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

From the very special election to fill Kirsten Gillibrand's old House seat... Republicans are criticizing Scott Murphy for not voting in eight primary and general elections between 2000 and 2003. And Jim Tedisco participated in a "tele town hall meeting" yesterday -- basically, the campaign robo-called 30,000 people and told them if they held on, Tedisco would speak and answer questions live. The campaign says it had as many as 6,000 people on the line at one point. [Daily Gazette] [Daily Gazette] [CapNews9]

Top Schenectady city officials are demanding to know how the cop accused of serially spending hours in an apartment when he was supposed to be on patrol could have gotten away with it. This latest scandal is just the latest in a long list of Schenectady Police Department screw-ups. [Daily Gazette] [TU]

(there's more)

State facing even bigger budget gap, politicians fight over printer, food bank demand up, garbage workers told to take it easy,

A budget analysis from the state Assembly projects that the state's budget gap for the next fiscal year is actually a billion dollars bigger than originally thought. Sheldon Silver says the growing gap increases the need for higher taxes on high-earning households. David Paterson says he's still resistant to the idea. [Biz Review] [NYDN] [TU]

Jonathan Lippman was confirmed yesterday as the new chief judge of the New York Court of Appeals, the state's highest court. Lippman says getting state judges a pay raise will be among his first priorities. Also: he apparently looks a little like Bernie Madoff to some people. [TU] [CapNews9]

A city attorney has told the Albany Common Council that its subpoena powers probably do not allow it to question the head of the police officers' union about the ghost ticket scandal. Councilman Corey Ellis has been pushing for the council to directly investigate the matter. [TU]

The woman police say hit a pedestrian along Western Ave near St. Rose and then drove off was charged yesterday with leaving the scene of an accident. The family of Stanley Brown, the man hit and killed in the accident, says he loved to walk. [Troy Record] [TU]

(there's more)

AMD vote delayed, drop wasn't

amd stock chart

The news didn't go over well.

AMD announced yesterday that it had to postpone the shareholder vote on the proposed spin-off that will own the planned Luther Forest chip fab (it couldn't round up enough votes to form a quorum). The company says 97 percent of the votes cast were in favor of the spin-off. So, it looks like the deal should be approved if the company can get enough people to actually vote in next week's re-take.

As the chart above indicates, the delay didn't go over very well with investors. AMD's stock dropped about 12 percent after the announcement yesterday morning. It rebounded a bit and finished the day down about 10 percent.

chart: Google Finance

Stimulus stimulates budget talk, chip fab deal hits snag, guilty verdict tossed over racial remark, candy maker expects subdued Valentine's Day

Both Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand voted for the federal stimulus bill yesterday -- they say New York State could be getting about $20 billion from the bill. That has state leaders thinking about the impact on the state budget. David Paterson says the state still needs to make significant budget cuts. He also said he wouldn't support the proposed tax on high-income households -- unless the Legislature could come up with $11 billion in budget cuts. [Daily Gazette] [TU] [NYDN]

The AMD shareholder vote on the spin-off that would own the Luther Forest chip fab was delayed yesterday after the company couldn't get enough votes together for an official decision. The vote was rescheduled for next week -- both company and local officials seemed confident the deal would still go through. AMD's stock dropped 12 percent on news of the delayed vote. [Daily Gazette] [TU] [Saratogian]

The FBI and State Police raided tenant offices at the Port of Albany yesterday. The raid is part of an ongoing investigation into extortion and bid-rigging among businesses there. [Daily Gazette] [TU]

Joe Bruno's federal trial has been scheduled for November of this year. His attorney says they'll be trying to get charges dismissed before then. One complication for the trial: finding jurors with an open mind about Bruno's guilt or innocence. [TU]

(there's more)

Arrest in 40-year-old murder case, AMD hopes for June start on fab construction, subpoena debated for "ghost tickets" scandal, buzzer sounds early on Patroons' season

State police have arrested a man for an alleged murder from 40 years ago. Investigators say Nelson Costello murdered David Bacon over a woman. Costello, who most recently has been living in Arizona, was a part-time cop in the Town of Waterford in 1969. Bacon's disappearance had been deemed a missing persons case four decades ago. Officials haven't said what led them to treat the case as a murder, but they say they will probably release details later this week. [Daily Gazette] [TU] [Troy Record]

The state's political leaders are lining up to push for a high-speed rail line connecting cities along the old Erie Canal. [TU]

Former Schenectady police chief Greg Kaczmarek was sentenced to two years in prison yesterday for his involvement with a drug ring. Kaczmarek's wife, Lisa, was also sentenced yesterday -- she got six months. That sentence has drawn criticism for being too light, but Judge Karen Drago told Lisa Kaczmarek, "your culpability with respect to getting illegal drugs on the street was far less than your co-defendants." The busting of the organization has led to convictions for 24 people. [TU] [Daily Gazette] [TU]

AMD says it wants to start clearing the land for the Luther Forest chip fab in March and start construction in June. But first its board has to approve the spin-off of the company that will actually own the fab. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

(there's more)

Top Paterson aide didn't pay taxes, Barnes believes he was targeted, chip fab company to get new name, Little League bleachers stolen

David Paterson's top advisor, chief of staff Charle O'Byrne, admitted this weekend to not paying his federal or state taxes from 2001-2005 after the TU reported there were warrants out for his back taxes. O'Byrne says he neglected to pay because he was clinically depressed. O'Byrne was $200,000 behind his taxes. The Gov has said O'Byrne did disclose the problem, though it's unclear to what to extent. The conventional wisdom seems to be that O'Byrne won't lose his job over this. [AP] [TU] [TU] [NYT] [Newsday]

Albany County DA David Soares says he'll meet with Steve Barnes to talk about the attack on the food writer and his friend Friday night. According to the TU, Barnes believes he was specifically targeted. [TU]

Rensselaer County's proposed 2009 budget does not include a tax increase. County executive Kathleen Jimino says the county's expanding tax base made an increase unnecessary. [TU]

As many as 7,500 absentee ballots in Albany County did not correctly list David Soares as a candidate on the Independence Line in the district attorney race. The board of elections says it was a simple oversight and new ballots will be ready this week. [TU]

(there's more)

Local unemployment rate hits 13-year high, candidates debate energy issues, pharmacy college changes its name, yet another new hotel

The Capital Region unemployment rate was 5.2 percent in September -- that's up from 3.8 percent a year ago. It's the highest unemployment rate for the area in 13 years. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

Jim Buhrmaster and Paul Tonko, the two candidates for the 21st Congressional District (McNulty's seat), talked a lot about energy during their debate last night. Both have experience on the topic -- Buhrmaster's family owns a heating oil company and Tonko was head of NYSERDA. Buhrmaster said new drilling for oil should one of the first priorities in a national energy plan and Tonko said it should be one of the last. [TU]

Still to come in the race between Kirsten Gillibrand and Sandy Treadwell for the 20th Congressional District: a lot of TV ads. [Daily Gazette]

A former deli worker at the Sam's Club in Latham is suing Walmart (Sam's parent company) for $1 million. The man says he was fired because he's a Catholic who wanted Sundays off to go to church. He says Walmart told him he was being fired for misconduct. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

(there's more)

Investigation into Obama-Osama mixup, enrollment surges for local community colleges, fire wood in high demand, opossum knocks out power in Troy

The Rensselaer County legislature has decided to investigate how absentee ballots in the county ended up listing Barack Obama as Barack Osama. [TU]

Albany County's proposed 2009 budget includes a 4 percent property tax increase, the first in four years. [TU]

Malta, Malta, Malta:
+ The transfer of AMD's state incentive package to its spinoff depends on a vote by the Empire State Development Corp. And that spin-off company will be organized in the Cayman Islands -- though it will pay US taxes on operations in this country. [TU]
+ AMD doesn't think its technology sharing agreement with Intel will pose any problem. At all.
+ The new chip fab won't be turning chips until 2012. [Daily Gazette]
+ Malta has a couple of "new urbanist" developments in the works for its downtown -- but some, including the town supervisor, worry the developments will be too dense. [TU]

Both HVCC and SCCC are reporting surges in enrollment, probably because of the weakening economy. Hot program of study at HVCC: overhead electric line worker. [TU]

(there's more)

More chip fab talk, Skelos says Paterson acting like Spitzer, UAlbany parts with search firm that couldn't find, Van Dyck gets a new owner

Local real estate agents and developers say the Luther Forest chip fab project will probably have some effect on home values -- but not a huge one. [Daily Gazette]

The chip fab's first product: gloating. [TU]

State Senate majority leader Dean Skelos says state worker layoffs should not be part of the budget cut discussion. He also says David Paterson is starting to act like Eliot Spitzer. [TU] [CapNews9]

The state DEC has decided to review Albany's landfill expansion proposal now that the city is considering more stringent recycling requirements and charging residents by the bag for garbage. At its current size, the Rapp Road landfill will be full by the end of next year. [TU]

Local boards of election are trying to keep up with a surge in voter registrations, which appear to be leaning Democratic. [Daily Gazette]

(there's more)

Lots of chip fab details, Paterson looks for "hand back," Saratoga Springs looks at cutting city jobs, Albany High scheduling mishap blamed on training

Even with the state facing a seemingly ever widening budget gap, David Paterson says the state will follow through on its pledge of $1.2 billion in incentives for the Luther Forest chip fab project. [TU]

The chip fab project isn't officially a done deal, yet. One of the remaining hurdles: the federal Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States has to sign off on the deal because the AMD spin-off building the plant is being funded by the government of Abu Dhabi. [TU]

The fab is expected to directly generate about 1,500 jobs. The Malta town supervisor says he's heard that 60 percent of the jobs will pay between $40k-$70k -- and the rest will probably be worth more than $100k a year. [Daily Gazette]

David Paterson says he'll be meeting with state worker unions to discuss how "we can work together" to address the state's budget gap for next year, which now projected at $8 billion. The Gov wouldn't say whether layoffs were on the table. [AP/TU]

More budget gap talk: Paterson says the federal government should send some of the taxes New Yorkers pay back to the state to help cover the deficit. Paterson says the state should get the "hand back" after years of sending more to Washington than it's gotten back. [Newsday]

(there's more)

Luther Forest chip fab a go, Conners and Soares squabble over audit, parking prices going up at airport, Sam the Bugler returned home

AMD says it is going ahead with the chip fab plant at Luther Forest. The chip company is spinning off a new company focused on manufacturing (with $6 billion from Abu Dhabi), and that company (called Foundry) will actually be building and operating the plant. The Luther Forest chip fab is not a completely done deal, though. AMD says a few things still need to happen for it to be official, including having New York State transfer its $1.2 billion in incentives to the new company. It looks like that will happen -- there's a press conference with David Paterson and the AMD people this afternoon. [NYT] [WSJ] [TU]

An audit released yesterday by Albany County comptroller Mike Conners concludes that about $6,000 is missing from a safe in DA David Soares' office and criticized the DA's office for spending seized money on things like parking and community anti-crime initiatives. (Though there appears to be a shifting standard for what's considered an allowed use of seized money.) Soares says the audit is politically motivated (he's up for re-election next month). Conners says he hoped to conclude the audit earlier this year, but received "little help" from Soares. [TU] [TU] [Troy Record]

The state legislators who represent Schenectady told the city council last night that it shouldn't look for more state aid this year because there just isn't any money. But getting rid of unfunded mandates might be an option. One idea: get the state to allow Schenectady to open a night court so it doesn't have to build more court space. [Daily Gazette]

(there's more)

The Scoop

For a decade All Over Albany was a place for interested and interesting people in New York's Capital Region. It was kind of like having a smart, savvy friend who could help you find out what's up. AOA stopped publishing at the end of 2018.

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