UAlbany Emergency Preparedness building prepares to open
UAlbany’s College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity, gets a new home after years of planning and construction, the Albany Business Journal is reporting. The 246,000-square-foot ETEC building, with a soft opening now and a ribbon cutting later, will also house the Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences and the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center. It will serve as a research center primarily for departments that have about 1,800 students majoring in the college of emergency preparedness alone.
Cuomo digs in and his accuser comes forward
The Post-Star is running an Associated Press story that says New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is not stepping down after an New York Attorney General report says that he sexually harassed 11 women who worked for or with him. Democrats at the state, regional and national level have encouraged him to step down. State Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs said he does not think the political support is there for the governor to survive an impeachment trial, if one comes, the story says.
The Times-Union has the exclusive interview with Cuomo’s primary accuser who said the governor groped her in his office. Brittany Commisso, the 33-year-old executive assistant, spoke to the paper and CBS News (the TV story runs today). Commisso is calling on the governor to “do the right thing” and resign. The AG report had determined the governor had groped Commisso more than once at the Executive Mansion.
Two die in helicopter crash
A father and daughter in a civilian helicopter died in a crash Saturday evening, near West Valley Road in Whitehall. 56-year-old Craig E. Seeley and his daughter, 34-year-old Katie M. Seeley, were in the vehicle when it crashed. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating and should have a preliminary report in two weeks, the Post-Star is reporting.
Word of Life’s lodge on the block
The Word of Life Fellowship is selling a lodge which will become a resort in Schroon Lake, the Adirondcack Explorer is reporting. The close hotel in the hamlet is under contract. Word of Life is consolidating its holdings, the story says. Word of Life has owned the Brown Swan Club Resort since 1953. It has about 160 rooms, the story says.
Champ is the champ
The Port Henry Champ festival, which celebrates the mysterious monster of Lake Champlain and has Champ book signings, Champ-calling activities, story-telling and more, was a huge success this weekend, says the Adirondack Sun. The festival has been upgraded to include more “monster-related activities” to work with the perennial cardboard boat race and other events, the story says.