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Albany Times Union

Deadly Stabbing: New Details Released In Man's Killing At Albany Home Deadly Stabbing: New Details Released In Man's Killing At Albany Home
Deadly Stabbing: New Details Released In Man's Killing At Albany Home New details have emerged in the case of a 44-year-old man accused of stabbing his brother-in-law to death at a home in the region. Ashley Heshmat, of Albany, pleaded not guilty to a seven-count indictment including second-degree murder in Albany County Court on Wednesday, Jan. 24, in the death of Justin Bishop. Albany Police were called at around 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 14, for a welfare check at a residence on Rose Court. Earlier Report: Man Murders 48-Year-Old Found Inside Albany Home, Police Say The caller told dispatchers that Bishop, who lived at the home with Heshmat, hadn’t…
Historic Election: Voters In Troy On Cusp Of Picking First Woman Mayor Historic Election: Voters In Troy On Cusp Of Picking First Woman Mayor
Historic Election: Voters In Troy On Cusp Of Picking First Woman Mayor It may be an off-year election, but that doesn’t mean it’s boring. History is being made this Election Day as voters in one major city in the region are set to elect their first woman mayor. In Rensselaer County, the race for Troy mayor sees Republican city council president Carmella Mantello facing off against Democrat Rensselaer County legislative board member Nina Nichols. The winner will take over the position currently held by Democrat Patrick Madden, who is coming off his second four-year term, making him ineligible to run again. Mantello has spent the last eight years on the Troy C…
‘Especially Cruel’: Man Set Woman On Fire, Burned Second In Albany Attacks, Jury Finds ‘Especially Cruel’: Man Set Woman On Fire, Burned Second In Albany Attacks, Jury Finds
‘Especially Cruel’: Man Set Woman On Fire, Burned Second In Albany Attacks, Jury Finds A man from the region is facing decades in prison for trying to kill a woman by setting her on fire and seriously burning a second victim. Houston Ketter, age 41, of Albany, was found guilty of attempted murder and related charges by an Albany County jury on Monday Oct. 23. According to the district attorney’s office, Ketter “acted in an especially cruel and wanton manner” when he set the first victim on fire near Bradford and Robin streets in Albany on Nov. 13, 2022. After dousing the 38-year-old victim in charcoal lighter fluid, he set her on fire, the Albany Times Union reports. An eyew…
New Update: Kidnapping Suspect Craig Ross Jr. Probed In Area Murders Of 2 Women, Report Says New Update: Kidnapping Suspect Craig Ross Jr. Probed In Area Murders Of 2 Women, Report Says
New Update: Kidnapping Suspect Craig Ross Jr. Probed In Area Murders Of 2 Women, Report Says The man accused of kidnapping a 9-year-old girl from a New York campground is now being investigated for any connection to the unsolved murders of two young women who disappeared near his home, according to a new report. Craig Ross Jr. will be scrutinized for any possible link to the kidnapping and murders of 18-year-old Jennifer Hammond and 19-year-old Christina White, a Saratoga County Sheriff’s official told the Albany Times Union. Hammond and White disappeared in August 2003 and June 2005, respectively, and were last seen near mobile home parks in Milton, the same town where Ross has li…
Man's Stun Gun, Fire Death Prompts $20M Lawsuit Against Area Police: Report Man's Stun Gun, Fire Death Prompts $20M Lawsuit Against Area Police: Report
Man's Stun Gun, Fire Death Prompts $20M Lawsuit Against Area Police: Report A police department in New York is facing a federal lawsuit in connection with the death of a man who was hit with a TASER device and caught fire in the department’s lobby, WRGB reports. Greene County resident Jason Jones, of Catskill, voluntarily went to the Catskill Police Department on Oct. 30, 2021, and began arguing with officers, according to police. Surveillance footage later released by the New York Attorney General’s Office shows him removing his shirt and shoes before pouring hand sanitizer all over his body, including his hair and face. Moments later, an officer is seen deploy…
Watch: Viral Video Shows Troy Turkey Trot Collision That Got Runner Disqualified Watch: Viral Video Shows Troy Turkey Trot Collision That Got Runner Disqualified
Watch: Viral Video Shows Troy Turkey Trot Collision That Got Runner Disqualified A runner has been disqualified following a collision at a turkey trot in upstate New York that has since gone viral on social media. The Thanksgiving Day incident occurred Thursday, Nov. 24, in Rensselaer County, at the Troy Turkey Trot 10K race in Troy. Video posted on Twitter shows Xavier Salvador, of Washington, DC, and Jack Huber, of Delmar, vying hard for 4th place as they approach the finish line. The pair are seen nearly shoulder to shoulder as they near the end of the race, when Salvador suddenly veers to his right, colliding with Huber, who had tried to pass on the same side. …
Police Responding To Shooting In Schenectady Find Male Victim Lying In Street (Developing) Police Responding To Shooting In Schenectady Find Male Victim Lying In Street (Developing)
Police Responding To Shooting In Schenectady Find Male Victim Lying In Street (Developing) Police are investigating after a man was found shot in the Capital Region Wednesday, Nov. 23. Schenectady Police were called at around 12:30 p.m. with reports of shots fired near Odell Street and Brandywine Avenue. When officers arrived, they found a male victim lying in the street, police said. Investigators did not immediately provide an update on the man’s condition, but the Albany Times Union reports the victim died from his injuries and was seen covered in a white sheet. Police described the scene as “very active” with no suspects having been arrested as of 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. Inv…
4 Charged In Shooting Death Of Pregnant Mother Of 2, Aspiring Nurse In Albany 4 Charged In Shooting Death Of Pregnant Mother Of 2, Aspiring Nurse In Albany
4 Charged In Shooting Death Of Pregnant Mother Of 2, Aspiring Nurse In Albany Formal charges have been filed against four defendants who are accused of gunning down a pregnant mother of two and aspiring nurse from the region. Shanita Thomas, of Albany, was shot and killed on Saturday Jan. 30, 2021 at a business near Central Avenue and Robin Street, according to the Albany County District Attorney’s Office. She was 35 years old. At the time of her killing, which also claimed the life of her unborn child, Thomas was attending a grand opening party for a friend’s business, the Albany Times Union reports.  Four other people were wounded in the shooting, police sai…
'Well-Respected' Firefighter, EMT From Colonie Dies At Age 21 'Well-Respected' Firefighter, EMT From Colonie Dies At Age 21
'Well-Respected' Firefighter, EMT From Colonie Dies At Age 21 First responders across the Capital Region are mourning the loss of a young EMT and firefighter following his sudden death. Albany County resident Ryan Gagliardi, a 1st Lieutenant with the Fuller Road Volunteer Fire Department in Colonie, died unexpectedly Monday, Sept. 26, at the age of 21, according to Malta-Stillwater EMS. “Ryan had been a valued member of MSEMS since February 2020,” the agency wrote on Facebook. “He was a well-respected EMT and a damn good friend! We will all miss him more than words can express.” It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we inform you of th…
'Heavy Heart': Popular Colonie Restaurant Closing After 26 Years In Business 'Heavy Heart': Popular Colonie Restaurant Closing After 26 Years In Business
'Heavy Heart': Popular Colonie Restaurant Closing After 26 Years In Business After nearly three decades in business, a popular Capital District restaurant is closing its doors for good. Colonie eatery TJ’s Cafe made the announcement Friday, July 15, in a Facebook post that had garnered hundreds of comments and reactions just hours later. “To our valued customers, dear friends, family, and customers who have become friends and family... it is with a heavy heart that I must announce the closing of TJ's Café after almost 26 years in business,” owner Todd Leach wrote. The 55-year-old owner and chef cited “economic forces” for the closing, saying the cost of goods, sup…
Albany TV Anchor Heather Kovar Suspended After Appearing Out Of Sorts On Air Albany TV Anchor Heather Kovar Suspended After Appearing Out Of Sorts On Air
Albany TV Anchor Heather Kovar Suspended After Appearing Out Of Sorts On Air A weekend news anchor in New York has been taken off the air after appearing disheveled and slurring her words during a live broadcast that left many viewers stunned and concerned. The now-viral performance happened during CBS 6 in Albany's  6 p.m. broadcast on Saturday, July 9. Video posted on Mediaite shows Heather Kovar appearing frazzled right from the start, struggling to get through a story about a natural gas explosion in Oklahoma. Viewers expressing concern over train wreck of local evening newscast out of Albany. Anchor Heather Kovar appeared disheveled, misspoke, and slurred …
Albany Shooting Victim Identified As Music Entrepreneur With 'Kind Heart' Albany Shooting Victim Identified As Music Entrepreneur With 'Kind Heart'
Albany Shooting Victim Identified As Music Entrepreneur With 'Kind Heart' Authorities have identified a 27-year-old Capital District woman who was fatally shot in broad daylight in Albany. Dominique Eley, of Albany, was found at around 1:30 p.m. Sunday, July 3, near North Pearl Street and Livingston Avenue, according to Albany Police. She had been shot multiple times in the torso, police said. Earlier report: Police Seek Tips After Woman Fatally Shot In Albany Medics treated Eley at the scene, but she was later pronounced dead at Albany Medical Center Hospital. So far police have made no arrests and are still working to determine what led up to the shooti…
Murder Suspect Accused Of Setting Fire To Capital District Business Murder Suspect Accused Of Setting Fire To Capital District Business
Murder Suspect Accused Of Setting Fire To Capital District Business A man already jailed on murder charges has been accused of setting fire to a Capital District business in 2017. Saratoga County Sheriff’s deputies began investigating after someone broke into Curtis Lumber on State Route 67 in the Town of Ballston after the business closed on Nov. 27, 2017. The suspect spent hours on the property sabotaging electrical and gas systems in several buildings, damaging computer systems, and tampering with the 911 system on a Verizon Wireless tower located on the property, according to police. He also set fire to a storage building that was filled with sub-floor…
'Always Smiling': Hundreds Honor Watervliet Teen Who Drowned In Hudson 'Always Smiling': Hundreds Honor Watervliet Teen Who Drowned In Hudson
'Always Smiling': Hundreds Honor Watervliet Teen Who Drowned In Hudson Matthew Billetts died doing what he loved most: fishing. The Albany-area high school student died Monday, June 13, at the age of 16 after falling into the Hudson River at Hudson Shores Park, according to Watervliet Police. Billetts, a Watervliet High School junior who had a rare form of epilepsy called sunflower syndrome, suffered a seizure and lost consciousness before falling into the water and drowning, his family told the Albany Times Union. Earlier report: Watervliet HS Student Dies After Falling Into Hudson River A dive team located the boy a short time later and tried resuscitatin…
Cops Posed As TV News Crew To End Troy Hostage Situation Cops Posed As TV News Crew To End Troy Hostage Situation
Cops Posed As TV News Crew To End Troy Hostage Situation A hostage situation at a New York gas station finally ended after police posed as a TV news crew and pretended to interview the suspect, News10 ABC in Albany reports. Troy Police were called to the Stewart’s Shops convenience store on Vandenburgh Avenue at around 11:15 p.m. Thursday, June 2, with reports of a hostage situation, police said. When officers arrived, they said they found heavy damage to the front of the building and two male employees and one male suspect inside. The suspect was standing behind a counter holding what appeared to be a knife to the throat of one employee, polic…
Groundbreaking CBS6 Reporter Ken Screven Dies Groundbreaking CBS6 Reporter Ken Screven Dies
Groundbreaking CBS6 Reporter Ken Screven Dies Longtime CBS6-WRGB reporter Ken Screven has died, the station reports. The first Black man to work as a reporter for a Capital District television station, Screven, who was 72, joined the CBS6 team in 1977. “As a Black man on TV in Albany in the early 70's, Ken was a trailblazer with a conscience. He even profiled his own family history in the deep south where his great grandfather was a slave,” the outlet said. After retiring in 2011, Screven found more success writing a popular blog for the Albany Times Union, where he “denounced racism, bias, and bigotry in their many forms,” according …
Report: Mom Accuses Cop Who Tackled Autistic Son At Clifton Park Target Of Racial Profiling Report: Mom Accuses Cop Who Tackled Autistic Son At Clifton Park Target Of Racial Profiling
Report: Mom Accuses Cop Who Tackled Autistic Son At Clifton Park Target Of Racial Profiling A New York woman claims a Saratoga County sheriff’s deputy racially profiled her Black, autistic son before tackling him at a Target store, the Albany Times Union reports. Chante Ware told the outlet her 14-year-old son was at the store in Clifton Park on Crossing Boulevard Monday, April 18, waiting for his siblings and cousins to check out, when the deputy detained him for no reason. The chaotic scene that followed was captured on video by a bystander and shared online by Saratoga Black Lives Matter. It’s since gone viral online, with many viewers outraged at how the situation was handled…