“I wanted to show kids that cutting a tree down is not all bad,” said Justin Perry. “You can get something out of a forest without destroying the forest.”

Like Fahy’s Senate bill, the Assembly bill, backed by Gabriella Romero and John McDonald, also calls for the creation of a master plan for the full redevelopment of the Harriman campus.

The board’s motion for approval said allowing all eight lots to front on Gari Lane would “reduce disturbance to the property” and that the subdivision would “be consistent with the existing neighborhood.”

Hochul concluded her remarks on Tuesday by saying, “A narrative that Albany is a crime-ridden city is false. False,” she repeated but went on, “We have to get to a place where this city feels stable, safe and secure.”

ALBANY COUNTY— A 17-year-old girl was shot in the hand in a Crossgates Mall parking lot on April 10, 2022.

On Feb. 24, two years and 10 months later, she filed suit against Crossgates Mall in Albany County Supreme Court.

A year ago, the CDC updated its guidelines — the first revision in COVID-19 guidelines since 2021 — to target respiratory viruses more broadly and be easier for the public to follow. The “core strategy” outlined by the CDC is to “stay home and away from others (including people you live with who are not sick) if you have respiratory virus symptoms that aren’t better explained by another cause.”

“The current restrictions undermine the civil rights of wheelchair users,” said Erica Molina, noting low-income and rural residents are disproportionately affected. She said just two vendors are approved under Medicaid statewide, calling it a “vendor monopoly.” She said, “Vendors profit at the expense of our clients’ health and safety.”

BETHLEHEM — An Albany man was charged on Feb. 18 after, police say, he “threatened a victim by displaying a firearm if the victim did not pay … $100.”

The encounter took place at the Glenmont Walmart, at 311 Route 9W, on Jan. 29, according to a release from Bethlehem Police who worked with Albany Police to make the arrest.

These are the times when individual states can make a difference in protecting their residents from the dismantling of our rights. So can individual municipalities and individual school districts.

“We are going to have to rein in our overall expenses to address these spending challenges in light of net-zero state aid and less then a $2 million tax cap compared with our health-insurance increases,” Andrew Van Alstyne, assistant superintendent for business, told the board.