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Lifestyle
Top-Prize Winning Take 5 Ticket Sold At Store In Capital Region Top-Prize Winning Take 5 Ticket Sold At Store In Capital Region
Top-Prize Winning Take 5 Ticket Sold At Store In Capital Region A winning lottery ticket worth nearly $20,000 was sold at a convenience store in the region. The top-prize winning Take 5 ticket worth $19,839 for the Saturday, Feb. 18 evening drawing was purchased at a Stewart’s Shops in Rensselaer, located at 536 North Greenbush Road, New York Lottery announced. Players can check their numbers on the New York Lottery website. Take 5 numbers are drawn from a field of one through 39. The drawing is held twice daily at 2:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Winners have one year from the drawing date to claim their prize money.

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Man From Region Admits Traveling To Meet 12-Year-Old For Sex Man From Region Admits Traveling To Meet 12-Year-Old For Sex
Man From Region Admits Traveling To Meet 12-Year-Old For Sex Undercover agents busted a man from the region who admitted he tried to meet a 12-year-old for sex. Michael Robbins, age 27, of Schenectady, pleaded guilty to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor in federal court in Albany on Monday, Feb. 13. According to the US Attorney’s Office in the Northern District, Robbins admitted that between February and March 2021, he exchanged sexually explicit messages online with who he believed was a 12-year-old girl. In reality, he was messaging an undercover federal agent. Robbins told investigators he met the presumed minor in an online chat grou…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Support Swells For Police Veteran From Region Battling Cancer: 'Long Road To Recovery' Support Swells For Police Veteran From Region Battling Cancer: 'Long Road To Recovery'
Support Swells For Police Veteran From Region Battling Cancer: 'Long Road To Recovery' Community members are rallying around a veteran police officer from the region facing a battle with cancer. Rensselaer City Police Officer Joe Terry was diagnosed with stage 3 throat cancer in October 2022, according to a GoFundMe campaign created to help his family with medical expenses. The diagnosis came more than five years after Terry underwent a successful kidney transplant. “Cancer affects so many and, unfortunately, another first responder in our City has been diagnosed,” reads a Facebook post from the City of Rensselaer. “The City of Rensselaer Police Officers Union is hoping that…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
COVID-19: Subvariant XBB Rapidly Spreading Statewide, Prompting NY Health Department Warning COVID-19: Subvariant XBB Rapidly Spreading Statewide, Prompting NY Health Department Warning
Covid-19: Subvariant XBB Rapidly Spreading Statewide, Prompting NY Health Department Warning As the new COVID-19 variant named XBB.1.5 rapidly spreads through New York, officials are urging people to receive their booster shots to protect themselves.  Earlier Report - COVID-19: Subvariant XBB Accounts For 70% Of Tristate NY Cases, Sparking Concerns Of New Wave The variant, which spreads more quickly than other currently circulating strains of the virus, is already making up more than 50 percent of cases in the state, making it the predominant strain, according to the New York Department of Health.  Although it is not yet clear if the XBB.1.5 variant is more se…

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by Ben Crnic
Weather
First Widespread Snow Of Season Arriving In Capital Region First Widespread Snow Of Season Arriving In Capital Region
First Widespread Snow Of Season Arriving In Capital Region The region's first blast of winter arrives Tuesday night, according to forecasters. A Winter Weather Advisory was in effect for much of the area, including Albany, Schenectady, Rensselaer, and Saratoga counties, from 10 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16. One to three inches of snow is expected for most locations, while higher elevations could see three to six inches of accumulation, according to the National Weather Service in Albany. The storm will move across the region from the southwest to the northeast, with actual snow totals varying widely due to marginal tempera…

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by Michael Mashburn
Politics
'Incredibly Grateful': Republican Marc Molinaro Prevails In NY's 19th District Race 'Incredibly Grateful': Republican Marc Molinaro Prevails In NY's 19th District Race
'Incredibly Grateful': Republican Marc Molinaro Prevails In NY's 19th District Race In another win for Republicans, Marc Molinaro has prevailed over Democrat Josh Riley in New York’s 19th Congressional District, NBC News projects.  Molinaro, the Dutchess County executive, was leading Riley 51.1 to 48.9 percent with 99 percent of the vote counted as of Wednesday evening, Nov. 9. Earlier Report: Republican Marc Molinaro On Track To Win In NY’s 19th District (Developing) The 19th District includes the counties of Columbia, Delaware, Greene, Otsego, Schoharie, Sullivan, and Ulster, as well as portions of Broome, Dutchess, Montgomery, and Rensselaer counties. President Bide…

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by Michael Mashburn
Neighbors
'You're On Live Television': Today Show Surprises NY Man On National Good Neighbor Day 'You're On Live Television': Today Show Surprises NY Man On National Good Neighbor Day
'You're On Live Television': Today Show Surprises NY Man On National Good Neighbor Day An upstate New York man got the surprise of a lifetime when he answered a knock at the door and found himself on live, national television. Rensselaer County resident Ernie Mann, age 75, opened the door to his City of Rensselaer home Wednesday morning, Sept. 28, and was shocked to find a camera crew from the Today show accompanied by two dozen cheering neighbors. Moments before the big surprise, Today correspondent Donna Farizan explained to viewers that Mann’s longtime friend, Amy Mooney, had nominated him for National Good Neighbor Day. Farizan then proceeded to knock on Mann’s front do…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Oh, Deer: Hudson Valley Case Of Deadly Virus Is NY's First Of 2022 Oh, Deer: Hudson Valley Case Of Deadly Virus Is NY's First Of 2022
Oh, Deer: Hudson Valley Case Of Deadly Virus Is NY's First Of 2022 The first 2022 case of an often-fatal disease of deer has been confirmed in New York. A white-tailed deer in Dutchess County, in the hamlet of Dover Plains, died after contracting Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD), the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has just announced. The disease is not spread directly from deer to deer and humans cannot be infected by deer or bites from midges, small bugs often called "no-see-ums," who spread the virrus. The EHD virus was first confirmed in New York in 2007 with relatively small outbreaks in Albany, Rensselaer, and Niagar…

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by Joe Lombardi
Weather
Severe Thunderstorm Watch Issued For Capital District Severe Thunderstorm Watch Issued For Capital District
Severe Thunderstorm Watch Issued For Capital District Severe weather could be an issue around the region Thursday, July 28. The National Weather Service in Albany issued a severe thunderstorm watch that included much of the region, including Albany, Schenectady, Rensselaer, Dutchess, Ulster, and Sullivan counties. Forecasters said an approaching cold front will bring showers and thunderstorms to the region, mainly after 4 p.m. Some storms could be severe with damaging winds and heavy rain possible, leading to concerns over flash flooding. Power outages are also a possibility. Current outages and estimated restoration times can be found on t…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
COVID-19: Capital District Man Sentenced For $144K Pandemic Relief Fraud COVID-19: Capital District Man Sentenced For $144K Pandemic Relief Fraud
Covid-19: Capital District Man Sentenced For $144K Pandemic Relief Fraud A Capital District man who admitted to taking advantage of COVID-19 relief programs is heading to federal prison. Rensselaer County resident Hector Sanchez, age 30, of Rensselaer, was sentenced to 70 months - or just under six years - behind bars Monday, July 25, in federal court in Albany. It followed his prior guilty plea in March 2022 to charges of defrauding pandemic-related unemployment insurance and small business loan programs. Federal prosecutors said Sanchez raked in more than $131,000 by submitting false unemployment insurance claims to the New York State Department of Labor usin…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Power Outages Hit Capital District For Third Day This Week Power Outages Hit Capital District For Third Day This Week
Power Outages Hit Capital District For Third Day This Week For the third time this week, some homes and businesses in the Capital District have found themselves without electricity. In Rensselaer County, reports of power outages began popping up on social media at around 1 p.m. Wednesday, July 20. Around 4,000 customers lost power in the North Greenbush and Rensselaer areas due to an equipment failure, according to National Grid spokesperson Patrick Stella. Service was being restored as of 2:20 p.m. Stella said the piece of equipment that failed is not the same one that failed Tuesday, July 19, at the Greenbush substation. Due to intermitte…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
COVID-19: CDC Now Recommends Wearing Masks Indoors In These 16 NY Counties COVID-19: CDC Now Recommends Wearing Masks Indoors In These 16 NY Counties
Covid-19: CDC Now Recommends Wearing Masks Indoors In These 16 NY Counties Mask mandates in New York are being eased by federal health officials following the surge of new infections in early spring. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guidance on mask-wearing to concentrate on COVID-19 hospitalizations, hospital capacity, and newly reported infections, leaving most of the state being encouraged to return to wearing facial coverings indoors. With the state's seven-day average COVID-19 positivity rate at 6.73 percent as of Thursday, June 2, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul, and hospitalizations on the decline, many counties in New York ar…

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by Zak Failla