Albany | featured news

ALBANY — A man was arrested by Albany police late Tuesday night after a brief car chase.

MILTON — The Town Board on Wednesday night tried to override its Ethics Board recommendations and appoint a woman to the committee who'd worked on a Town Board member's campaign.
But the bid to appoint Brenda Baird, who helped elect John Frolish, was foiled because a supermajority was needed to seat her on the Ethics Board. Council members Barbara Kerr and Benny Zlotnick voted against Baird's appointment.
"It doesn't pass the smell test," Zlotnick said. "People on the Ethics Board should be free of any perceived political bias — above suspicion.

TroySome students who want to learn about solar energy equipment installation will see tuition bills go down at Hudson Valley Community College.On Wednesday, school officials announced a partnership with California-based Cyprus Creek Renewables, a national solar array firm that is providing $25,000 to support HVCC's decade-old solar training program.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday issued an executive order aimed at keeping net neutrality in New York even though the Federal Communications Commission in December voided the concept which prevents internet service providers from speeding up or slowing down websites and potentially charging higher fees for various forms of content.

Hilton Albany employees voting on Wednesday gave near-unanimous approval to a new contract that kept in place benefits that hotel management had sought to eliminate. The contract with members of the New York Hotel Trades Council was approved 75-1 by midafternoon, union officials said.

Long the province of bookies and Las Vegas casinos, sports betting could become legal in New York as soon as 2019. Moreover, casino operators, horsemen and owners of video lottery racinos all want a piece of the action.

The DillyBean, a natural foods market offering healthy and homemade goods, will open Thursday.

ALBANY — The capital city is among 23 jurisdictions around the nation expected to receive yet another letter from the U.S. Department of Justice, this time demanding documentation of any guidance provided to local law enforcement regarding whether they may or may not communicate with federal immigration officials.The renewed interest is part of the ongoing debate over so-called "sanctuary cities," though the definition of the term fluctuates depending upon who is using it.

Elton John is coming to the Times Union Center as part of his multi-year farewell tour.He is scheduled to play March 1, 2019. His final tour — dubbed "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" — starts in September. Tickets go on sale at 2 p.m. Feb. 2.John is retiring from the road after his upcoming three-year global tour, capping nearly 50 years on stages around the world, the Associated Press reported. He calls it a "way to go out with a bang."