News

NY sets up underage drinking hotline at prom time

Thursday, May 24th, 2012, 9:36am

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New York state has a hotline this prom and high school graduation season to help keep young drivers off the road if they've been drinking.

State officials set up 1-866-UNDER21 to report underage drinking, thinking it could help stop young people from driving under the influence of alcohol. Calls go to the state police, who forward them to local agencies. The anonymity of callers is protected.

State officials say drivers under 21 represent about five percent of licensed drivers, but are involved in more than 12 percent of fatal crashes.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday the hotline is a joint effort involving the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee, the state Office of Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Services and state police.

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Mobile CPR van to visit Capital Region

Submitted by WNYT Staff

Thursday, May 24th, 2012, 9:31am

The American Heart Association will bring a mobile CPR van to the Capital Region on the dates below. People will be able to learn CPR when the van visits the area on June 9, 11 and 12.

Mobile CPR van dates:

Troy Waterfront Farmers Market, Troy, June 9, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Empire State Plaza, Albany, June 11, 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Harriman Campus, Albany, June 12, 10:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Call the AHA at 518.869.4049 to reserve a time.

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Albany Co. Dems endorse none-of-the-above for 109th A.D.

Submitted by WNYT Staff

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012, 11:37pm

ALBANY - A bit of controversy Wednesday night as the Albany County Democratic Party selected their slate of state assembly and state senate candidates. Their decision in the newly formed 109th Assembly District appears to have created a free-for-all to fill the seat being vacated by the retiring Jack McEneny.

It had been expected that long-time Albany County Legislator Frank Commisso would get the party blessing, but Commisso unexpectedly withdrew at the last minute, setting the stage Wednesday night for the democrats to select: none-of-the-above.

The abrupt exit by Commisso from the state assembly race created what Albany County Democratic Chairman Matt Clyne calls an "unfortunate case of chaos."

"I think this changes the landscape for the thinking of other people," Clyne said.

Former Albany School Board President Patricia Lahy says she's in it to win it and she really would have loved to get the party endorsement.

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Local areas to celebrate Memorial Day with variety of events

Submitted by WNYT Staff

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012, 1:55pm

Capital Region residents will be able to participate in a variety of Memorial Day events this weekend.

Some of the events include, a Memorial Day Parade in Lake George, a Memorial Day Surprise in Pittsfield, and a Student Recital and Hollander Convocation Prize Competition in Schenectady.

Click here for more events in your area.

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CDTA announces reroutes for Memorial Day

Submitted by Emma Levine, WNYT Web Producer

Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012, 2:22pm

CDTA announces reroutes for Memorial Day

The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) announced that on Monday, May 28 (Memorial Day) buses will operate on a Sunday/Holiday schedule.

Regular weekday service will resume on Tuesday, May 29 and service will be temporarily rerouted to accommodate various Capital Region Memorial Day parades.

The parade schedules and reroutes are as follows:

Wednesday, May 23:

5:00-9:00pm: Scotia parade. Routes affected: #50 Route 50, #353 Scotia/Mt. Pleasant

Thursday, May 24:

6:00pm: Cohoes parade. Routes affected: #29 Albany Cohoes via Route 8, #82 Troy-Cohoes-Green Island

Thursday, May 24:

6:30pm: Rotterdam. Routes affected: #353 Scotia/Mt. Pleasant

Saturday, May 26:

9:00am: Ballston Spa: Routes affected: #50 Route 50

Sunday, May 27:

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Anti-Casino gambling protest held.

Submitted by WNYT Staff

Monday, May 21st, 2012, 5:24pm

An anti-gambling group is calling on the state legislature to block a proposed constitutional amendment to legalize commercial casino gambling.

The group gathered in Albany this morning.

Members argued that casinos prey on societies most vulnerable and encourage gambling addiction.

They also accuse the industry of being corrupt.

They also specifically mentioned the problem with slot machines that NewsChannel 13 uncovered last week.

It involved the total changing suddenly on two machines at the Saratoga Casino and Raceway.

The machines in question have since been shut down across the state so the problem can be fixed.

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2-week seatbelt crackdown starting in NY

Submitted by WNYT Staff

Monday, May 21st, 2012, 2:50pm

NEW YORK (AP) - New York drivers and their passengers better make sure they're buckled up.

State police will be running a two-week crackdown on seatbelts starting Monday and running through June 3.

The state police will join about 400 local law enforcement units across New York to enforce the seatbelt law.

The law says all people in a vehicle's front seats have to wear seatbelts. So do all children under 16 years old, no matter what seat they're in. All children under 8 years old must be in an appropriate child restraint system.

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