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TROY - The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute professor who invented the technology behind the iPhone's Siri voice recognition capability received a large royalty payment two years when the school settled a legal dispute with Apple.

Saratoga County Judge James Murphy III scolded teen murder defendant Joseph Broscko in court on Thursday morning telling him he "needs to control his behavior."The 17-year-old from Clifton Park, who appeared on a routine matter in his upcoming trial for the murder of 19-year-old David Feliciano, was allegedly found with tobacco on Jan. 18 in Saratoga County jail. In addition to his two second-degree murder charges in the Mechanicville shooting, he faces another charge of promoting prison contraband.

Columbia High School in the East Greenbush Central School District, Maple Hill High School in the Schodack Central School District and Shaker High School in the North Colonie Central School District were among 155 schools statewide identified as Reward Schools by the state Education Department on Thursday.

Gasoline prices have climbed in recent weeks and are now 30 cents a gallon more than a year ago, according to GasBuddy.com and the AAA Fuel Gauge Report.And with refineries closing for seasonal maintenance and a switch to more expensive summer blend gasoline this spring, price could get within striking distance of $3, said Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst with GasBuddy.com.

PITTSTOWN — The driver of a pickup truck who smashed through a stop sign and a ditch on Route 7 was drunk, had pot and no valid driver's license, State Police said Thursday.Devon M. Bovee, 26, of Corinth was arrested after troopers got a call about an erratic driver. The truck passed through the ditch and came to a stop on a side street and was extensively damaged —including having two wheels without tires, troopers said.

SCHENECTADY - General Electric Co.'s stock has been performing so poorly that its shares may be taken off the Dow Jones Industrial Average stock index, according to multiple news analysis reports.

A Fultonville man is facing multiple felonies after an investigation in to the misuse of unemployment benefits.

The Capital District Transportation Authority is seeking a 10 percent increase in its annual state operating assistance over each of the next three years. It currently receives $36.8 million. The local transit authority and other upstate and suburban systems said they seek a stable, predictable funding stream over a multi-year period to help them better plan to meet growing demand.

AMSTERDAM — A Schenectady woman became upset and threw her baby at a state trooper, police said.On Tuesday, Diamond T. Wallace, 23, was arguing with her mother in a car on Route 5 in the town of Amsterdam and jumped out of the car as State Police arrived.

A 75-year-old Thurman man is recovering in Albany Medical Center after he was found floating in Number Nine Brook just before 9 p.m. on Wednesday.