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Child Porn Charges: Capital Region Man Busted With Illicit Photos, Videos, Feds Say Child Porn Charges: Capital Region Man Busted With Illicit Photos, Videos, Feds Say
Child Porn Charges: Capital Region Man Busted With Illicit Photos, Videos, Feds Say Federal prosecutors are pursuing child pornography charges against a man from the region after he allegedly sent and received numerous illicit images of children.  Taykwun Smoaks, age 32, of Albany, was arraigned on charges that he distributed, received, and possessed child pornography in Albany federal court on Friday, April 12. According to investigators, Smoaks sent and received images and videos of child pornography over the internet between February and March 2023. The illicit images were reportedly found on both his computer and an external hard drive. If convicted, he face…

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by Michael Mashburn
Lifestyle
Double The Fun: Pair Of $500K Winning Lottery Tickets Sold At Capital Region Convenience Store Double The Fun: Pair Of $500K Winning Lottery Tickets Sold At Capital Region Convenience Store
Double The Fun: Pair Of $500K Winning Lottery Tickets Sold At Capital Region Convenience Store You could say lottery lightning struck twice at a convenience store in the region. A pair of PICK 10 tickets – worth $500,000 each – was sold in Albany, at the Mobil station located at 247 New Scotland Avenue, New York Lottery announced. The lucky tickets were purchased for the drawing held on Sunday, April 14. PICK 10 numbers are drawn from a field of one to 80. To hit the jackpot a player must match their 10 numbers to 10 of the 20 winning numbers drawn. Players can check their ticket’s status on the New York Lottery website.

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Shooting Victim Takes Self To Hospital After Early-Morning Robbery In Capital Region Shooting Victim Takes Self To Hospital After Early-Morning Robbery In Capital Region
Shooting Victim Takes Self To Hospital After Early-Morning Robbery In Capital Region Police in the region are asking for help following an early-morning shooting that sent a man to the hospital. The Albany County incident happened shortly before 4 a.m. Saturday, April 13, in Albany’s West Hill neighborhood. Police said a 41-year-old man walked into the emergency room at Albany Medical Center Hospital with a gunshot wound to the knee. The wound was not considered life-threatening. The victim told investigators that he was shot during a robbery on First Street between Henry Johnson Boulevard and Lexington Avenue. No suspects had been arrested as of Monday afternoon, April 1…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Psychologist Sexually Abused Teens At Capital Region Juvenile Lockup For Years, Police Say Psychologist Sexually Abused Teens At Capital Region Juvenile Lockup For Years, Police Say
Psychologist Sexually Abused Teens At Capital Region Juvenile Lockup For Years, Police Say A state psychologist is accused of sexually abusing numerous underage victims at a New York State juvenile detention center going back years. Maya Hayes, of Albany, was arrested Friday, April 12, following a New York State Police investigation into allegations of abuse at Columbia County’s Brookwood Secure Center, located in the town of Claverack. According to police, the 62-year-old sexually assaulted numerous victims at the facility over several years while employed as a clinician. No other details about the alleged abuse were made public.  Hayes' arrest followed a grand jury indic…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Dad Charged In 5-Year-Old Daughter's Death At Capital Region Home Dad Charged In 5-Year-Old Daughter's Death At Capital Region Home
Dad Charged In 5-Year-Old Daughter's Death At Capital Region Home A man from the region is facing charges for allegedly starving his 5-year-old daughter to death. Police were called to a home in Schenectady on Elmer Avenue near Poplar Street at around 3 a.m. Sunday, April 14, for a young girl who was unconscious and not breathing. Medics pronounced the girl dead a short time later, according to police. Investigators believe the child’s father, 33-year-old Robert Buskey, deprived her of food and water for at least four days, WRGB reports, citing court documents. Buskey was arrested on suspicion of second-degree manslaughter and three counts of end…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Police Officer, Sheriff's Deputy, Suspect Killed In Shootout On Suburban Street In Upstate NY Police Officer, Sheriff's Deputy, Suspect Killed In Shootout On Suburban Street In Upstate NY
Police Officer, Sheriff's Deputy, Suspect Killed In Shootout On Suburban Street In Upstate NY Two police officers were killed overnight in a shooting on a suburban street in upstate New York. Click here for a new, updated story: Over $250K Raised For Families Of Deputy, Cop Killed In Shootout On Quiet Suburban Street In NY The incident happened in Onondaga County in the village of Liverpool, located just north of Syracuse, shortly after 7 p.m. Sunday, April 14. According to the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office, Syracuse Police Officers encountered a suspicious vehicle at Emerson Avenue and Hamilton Street and attempted to stop it. However, the driver refused to stop and fle…

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by Joe Lombardi
Lifestyle
$19K Winning Lottery Ticket Sold At Capital Region Convenience Store $19K Winning Lottery Ticket Sold At Capital Region Convenience Store
$19K Winning Lottery Ticket Sold At Capital Region Convenience Store A five-figure lottery prize is up for grabs after someone purchased a winning ticket at a convenience store in the region. The top prize-winning TAKE 5 ticket – worth $19,311 – was bought in Albany, at the Stewart’s Shops at 285 New Scotland Avenue, New York Lottery announced. It was purchased for the midday drawing held on Tuesday, April 9. Players can check their ticket’s status on the New York Lottery website.

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by Michael Mashburn
Business
Look Who's Back: Popular Restaurant In Region Reopens Look Who's Back: Popular Restaurant In Region Reopens
Look Who's Back: Popular Restaurant In Region Reopens Big food news in the region with the reopening of a favorite restaurant that closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lorenzo's Bistro, located in Sullivan County in Jeffersonville, reopened its doors on Monday, April 1, at 5002 Route 52 in the old Sal's Pizzeria building. Fans of the former Lorenzo's are already packing the restaurant.  Many of the "old favorites," such as the Cubano sandwich and Philly cheese steak, are back on the menu, as well as a lineup of everything from bagels and breakfast sandwiches to lunch and dinner entrees, including new Tex-Mex dishes. Resident Jason Dole …

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Scammers Posing As NYSP Troopers, Agency Warns Scammers Posing As NYSP Troopers, Agency Warns
Scammers Posing As Nysp Troopers, Agency Warns New York State Police are sounding the alarm over scammers posing as troopers in order to con victims out of their money. In an alert issued Tuesday, April 9, the agency said fraudsters employ a variety of tactics to con their victims, including demanding payment for a missed court date, jury duty, or other legal matter. The phony cops have also been known to claim there is a warrant for the victim’s arrest and threaten to apprehend them unless a fine is paid. In some cases, scammers have directed the victim to buy a prepaid money transfer card and give them the card number. “They might s…

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by Michael Mashburn
Lifestyle
'Fresh, Delicious Food': New Restaurant In Capital Region Garnering Rave Reviews 'Fresh, Delicious Food': New Restaurant In Capital Region Garnering Rave Reviews
'Fresh, Delicious Food': New Restaurant In Capital Region Garnering Rave Reviews A new Mexican restaurant in the region is already delighting diners just days into business. Rensselaer County eatery Al Punto Picante – located in Rensselaer at 1204 Washington Avenue in the space formerly occupied by Cafe Twelve 04 – held its grand opening on Tuesday, April 9. The restaurant had not established a website or social media channels as of Friday, April 12, but Rensselaer Mayor Mike Stammel described Al Punto Picante as a “culinary gem that promises to tantalize your taste buds with delicious Mexican flavors.” It would appear that others agree; the restaurant has already rack…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Scammers From NY Thinking They Were Collecting $60K Land Behind Bars In Maryland: Sheriff Scammers From NY Thinking They Were Collecting $60K Land Behind Bars In Maryland: Sheriff
Scammers From NY Thinking They Were Collecting $60K Land Behind Bars In Maryland: Sheriff A couple of New Yorkers tried to pull a fast one on a woman in Maryland, but were ultimately apprehended after getting greedy and attempting to go to the well one too many times.  The Washington County Sheriff's Office was advised this week about a scam involving a pair who had been collecting large amounts of cash from a Hagerstown woman, prompting an investigation that led to the arrests of Jinghai Fang and Binbin Ge. In late March, investigators say that the woman received a notification on her tablet that one of her accounts had been hacked, so she called the supplied number and fo…

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
Grave Affair: Inaugural Cemetery Cleanup Day Seeking NY Volunteers Grave Affair: Inaugural Cemetery Cleanup Day Seeking NY Volunteers
Grave Affair: Inaugural Cemetery Cleanup Day Seeking NY Volunteers If you enjoy a quiet working environment and don’t mind rubbing elbows with a few ghosts, this could be the opportunity for you. The New York State Department of State is looking for volunteers to take part in the first annual “Caring for Your Cemetery Day,” on Saturday, April 27. Organizers said the idea is to raise awareness of the hard work and dedication that goes into caring for and preserving cemeteries, especially heading into the spring season. The department is also hoping to gin up more interest in cemeteries among younger people and recruit future volunteers or even officers and…

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by Michael Mashburn