Stella Porter

NewsChannel 13 is working to learn more about the firing of the police officer in Troy involved in a fatal crash last year.A delivery driver lost his life in the crash on Hoosick Street in February of 2023.The Troy Mayor’s Office said the officer was let go yesterday because the Department of Motor Vehicles had […]

Food pantry drive-thru returns as food bank identifies additional need Video Player is loading. This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color Transparency Background Color Transparency Window Color Transparency Font Size Text Edge Style Font Family End of dialog window. The need for food in the Capital Region is driving the regional food bank to bring back a popular drive-thru food pantry. The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York is restarting a popup food pantry drive-thru in the parking lot of the Boys and Girls Club in Lansingburgh. It was popular when COVID sent the need for food skyrocketing, and it's back once a month on Monday mornings. “It's just a convenient, pop your trunk open, get your food and you're on your way, which is a lot less intimidating for people in terms of accessing services,” said Denise Schultz, Emerging Programs Manager with the regional food bank. “With everything that's going on in the economy, we just know that our neighbors are still struggling. Today, we saw about 275 households come through our line. The cars were backed up about five blocks today. And that was before we had even started,” she said. Each bag contained plenty of produce and protein, which can be two of the most expensive items on a grocery list. Much of the ingredients are locally sourced. The food bank covers 23 counties. It is working on identifying communities where the need is increasing— and filling gaps where food pantries can't meet the rapidly increasing need. “So we're seeing those numbers again. It's a little scary, but we know that we have the ability to help meet that need and we're hoping to do that in other communities as well,” Schultz said. Volunteers see many people who are working, but can't make ends meet. Kelly Fletcher started volunteering during the pandemic, as a way to get outside and give back. He's observing a similar level of need. “I don't know if it surprises me. It disappoints me, right? It's hard to believe this in the richest country in the world, that we still have a disconnect between where the food is and the people who need it,” he said. For more information about food options, visit regionalfoodbank.net and click on “find food.”

People with Alzheimer's at risk during periods of extreme heat and humidity Video Player is loading. This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color Transparency Background Color Transparency Window Color Transparency Font Size Text Edge Style Font Family End of dialog window. People with Alzheimer's face challenges during hot weather. They may forget to wear the appropriate clothing. The Alzheimer's Association is warning that extreme heat and severe weather are dangerous for people with Alzheimer's and dementia. As we experience yet another NewsChannel 13 Alert Day, the message from experts on Alzheimer's disease and dementia is to check on neighbors, friends and loved ones. Elizabeth Smith-Boivin is the executive director of the Alzheimer's Association Northeastern New York chapter. She said about one-fifth of people with the disease live alone — putting them at risk during extended stretches of extreme heat and humidity. For families of a loved one living with Alzheimer's, Smith-Boivin said to make sure neighbors were aware of the diagnosis. That information can help them be on the lookout if the person wanders from home, a common symptom. Neighbors and friends should stay vigilant and check on people three, four or five times a day when temperatures reach dangerous levels. The disease can affect the part of the brain that detects warmth. People living with Alzheimer's may overheat if they don't remember to turn on a fan or get help understanding how to dress. “And so they'll often get up in the morning and put on a long-sleeve shirt or a flannel shirt and long pants in 95-degree heat, and as we all know, that's not the proper type of clothing to wear in temperatures like that. So really kind of looking after folks to ensure that they're eating and drinking properly and in cool environments and in cool clothing,” Smith-Boivin said. Individualized help is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can call for more information.

Businesses in Troy say construction zone killing business as city responds Video Player is loading. This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color Transparency Background Color Transparency Window Color Transparency Font Size Text Edge Style Font Family End of dialog window. We're hearing from a business owner in Troy who says he may soon have to close his doors. A business owner in Troy who said he may soon have to close his doors told NewsChannel 13 ongoing construction on Campbell Avenue is squeezing his business. But city leaders said the construction would bring much-needed improvements to that area. Mayor Carmella Mantello told NewsChannel 13 this project would mark a huge upgrade for the area. “With all the safety measures, the drainage, the lead. A $1 million plus corridor complete overhaul, you're not talking a couple weeks. So folks knew it was going to be a bit painful. I thank the residents, I thank the businesses and we're doing everything we can to mitigate that pain,” Mantello said. This is all impacting around 11 businesses though. NewsChannel 13 visited DeMeo's Wine and Liquor. Owner Anthony DeMeo said construction has deterred customers and cut off some deliveries. During an exchange with Mantello Wednesday, he felt the mayor was not hearing his concerns. “I thought it was very unprofessional, how I was spoken to and just the general tone of things. I think it was very, very, very disrespectful,” DeMeo said. He said the business needs some type of financial assistance to make up for what they've lost. Zach Richter is following up on this story, speaking with other businesses, and will have updates on air and online.

Pittsfield will take national stage as Vice President Harris appears at fundraiser Video Player is loading. This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color Transparency Background Color Transparency Window Color Transparency Font Size Text Edge Style Font Family End of dialog window. Vice President Kamala Harris still plans to attend a fundraiser in Pittsfield this weekend. The City of Pittsfield will be on the national stage this weekend as Vice President Kamala Harris will make one of the first stops on her presidential campaign at a ticketed fundraiser there. Harris announced last weekend she would look to secure her party's nomination after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race. Locals and organizers said a visit to the blue state this close to the election was unprecedented. When Sherwood Guernsey and a group of supporters started planning a fundraiser for Saturday in Pittsfield—they never imagined it would mark a historic moment. When Harris announced her candidacy, it changed the significance of the event, he said. “First of all, we got a large increase in contributions,” Guernsey said. Eight hundred people are set to attend, with performances by James Taylor, Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax. The event is sold out, raising $1.5 million by Thursday. It marks one of the first events Harris will attend as a presidential candidate. “And you know what else is significant for us? She decided to come here and didn't go to a swing state and say, I'm sorry i can't come, I'll send a surrogate to you. That to me, and to a lot of us, was very impressive,” Guernsey said. It's also taken on a new significance after former President Donald Trump was shot at a campaign rally less than two weeks ago. The Secret Service is handling Harris' event security. “In today's environment, they have to be really careful with everything. Everything gets vetted everybody gets vetted, and it takes time,” Guernsey said. The official location has not been announced yet—but outside the Colonial Theater in downtown Pittsfield, locals said they were sure it would be held there. Artists from the Guild of Berkshire Artists were asked to take their art home from the theater's lobby ahead of the event. Artist Kinney Frelinghuysen guessed the removal was for security reasons. “I think everyone's super excited, because one of the headlines was it was up in the air whether she would come, because she's got a huge agenda now,” he said. “This is making a point of showing her concern for the small communities. Not only Massachusetts, but New England.” “I only wish they weren't all sold out, because I would love to come too,” said artist Karen Carmean.

Sen. Schumer visits UAlbany to push for large boost to weather monitoring Video Player is loading. This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color Transparency Background Color Transparency Window Color Transparency Font Size Text Edge Style Font Family End of dialog window. There's a new push to improve the weather network that tells us where life-threatening weather is headed. As Upstate New York experiences a record-setting number of tornadoes, there is a push to boost the nation's weather monitoring system. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D – New York) visited New York State's Mesonet Operations Command Center at UAlbany Monday, pushing for millions more in funding. Twenty-three tornadoes were confirmed so far in July in New York State, the most ever confirmed in one month. Ten of them happened on July 16, which Schumer said made the need for additional funding all the more urgent. “For many communities in Upstate New York, the past month has been like a scene out of the movie Twister ,” said Schumer. That's why Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is visiting the New York State Mesonet Operations Command Center at UAlbany. Thirty-three hubs like it around the U.S. gather live pictures and data from weather stations. Schumer announced he would push to increase funding by 50%, seeking to infuse the monitoring systems with an additional $30 million. “The more information you have, coming from more different places, at the same time, the better you can predict what happens,” he said. The Mesonet network sends hyper-local data to the command center and helps New York State prepare for and respond to emergencies like the tornadoes across Upstate New York. “If you can know better and quicker and more in advance where a tornado will hit, and precisely where it will hit, you can save lives,” he said. Mesonet Director Dr. June Wang showed NewsChannel 13 how real-time pictures of the Town of Edinburg on July 16 helped the state see and respond to the damage from the tornado there. More funding could help add more weather stations and, one day, drones to monitor the weather. “We are in the process of working with others whether at some of the sites, we can deploy the automatic drones, meteorology drones and target for special weather events. That's still really far away down the road,” Dr. Wang said. Schumer said he fears funding for the National Weather Service could be in jeopardy if former President Donald Trump wins the presidency. He said Project 2025 would cut its funding. Project 2025 is a policy plan written by some of Trump's former staffers, but Trump himself has said he knows nothing about the plan.

A family dedicated to serving the community and the country is reaching out for help. Last week, a U.S. Army National Guard sergeant from Gloversville took his own life at his home.

Excitement for Team USA gymnastics felt in gyms in the Capital Region When Team USA women's gymnastics reclaimed the team gold Tuesday and the men medaled for the first time in years on Monday, excitement reverberated from Paris to gyms in the Capital Region. The women and men of team USA are providing inspiration for gymnasts at World Class Gymnastics Academy in Latham. “We always gather round and have it on all the time,” said gymnast and rising high school senior Shyann Bootman. “I like how some of them have challenges, but then they take a deep breath and then they continue on like nothing happened,” said 10-year-old gymnast Adalynn Dame. Gymnasts can begin training at World Class as soon as they can walk—many with the goal of making it to a college team. “It's very inspirational for them. And then they also want to grow, do better gymnastics,” said Jennifer O'Hara, who has coached at the gym for about 15 years. O'Hara said it was all the more exciting to watch this Olympics and be a gymnast today. In the wake of scandal, changes at the top of USA Gymnastics and on down have been putting the focus on gymnasts' mental and physical health, she said. “I see it in clubs, you see it when you go to meets, you see it on TV when you watch them, you see it in college, everybody is much more supportive, everybody is trying for the goal of your best and being healthy while you do it,” she said, explaining that athletes at World Class receive support from nutritionists and medical professionals. She said when the Olympics are on, the gym tends to see a spike in people interested in starting up the sport. Gymnasts said it puts a spotlight on the toughness of the sport. “Everyone knows Simone Biles, so then more people watch, and they see kind of what we go through and all the events, and I definitely get a lot of questions during this time,” said Bootman. Thursday, Biles and Suni Lee will compete in the women's individual all-around final—the first time two reigning gold medalists will try to defend their titles in the event. Local gymnasts will be watching. “I really want Suni to win. I love Simone Biles but I want Suni to win because she's gone through so many challenges, and I think it would just be nice for her to win,” Dame said. The women's all-around final begins at 12:15 p.m. ET Thursday on NewsChannel 13.

Albany Med nurses' contract expires as hospital, nurses fail to reach agreement Video Player is loading. This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color Transparency Background Color Transparency Window Color Transparency Font Size Text Edge Style Font Family End of dialog window. Nurses at the area's only level one trauma center are now without a contract. Nurses at Albany Medical Center began working without a contract Thursday after it expired Wednesday. Both sides have agreed to bring in a mediator. They have been negotiating for several months now. Nurses, part of the New York State Nurses Association, demanded the hospital fix what the union said was a staffing crisis. Nurses who were negotiating spoke to NewsChannel 13 Thursday. They said the long wait times reported in the hospital's emergency department were tied directly to high turnover of staff, and that while the hospital was bringing in new nurses, it was not doing enough to retain veterans. “We cannot have a hospital full of new grads taking care of the entire, all of the patients that are getting transported in from other hospitals because they need a higher level of care. They deserve to have nurses to turn to, to guide them through this so that they can be that strong,” Kathryn Dupuis, a labor and delivery nurse. Albany Med CEO Dr. Dennis McKenna spoke to NewsChannel 13 about long wait times. Asked if the long wait times recorded at Albany Med were acceptable and whether they were due to staffing, he said long wait times were not acceptable, but that they are a regional problem. He said wait times have been going down and the reason for them is more complicated than just staffing. “To your specific question, is it about staffing, I'd say the answer is no. We know there's a lot of demands put on emergency departments, we know that at Albany Med, obviously as a trauma program, as a children's hospital, with comprehensive services, there's significant demand put on us for that. But there are many things that we have done and continue to do to meet those demands,” McKenna said. The mediator could take about a week or more to come in. Dr. McKenna said it was not unusual for nurses' contracts to expire and he was confident they would come to an agreement.

‘Gilded Age' filming begins in Troy with excitement from local businesses Video Player is loading. This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color Transparency Background Color Transparency Window Color Transparency Font Size Text Edge Style Font Family End of dialog window. An HBO hit series is back filming in the Capital Region. The streets of Troy took a trip back to the 1800s Monday for season three of HBO's “The Gilded Age.” This year, the television show is showing off even more parts of Troy. Local businesses like Jacob Alejandro coffee shop were already feeling the extra morning rush as filming got underway near Second and Congress Streets. “This morning, I had two customers from L.A. because their brother lives in town, and they came in just to see the production, what is happening, because they're fans of the show,” said Jacob Alejandro Co-Owner Alejandro Griffin-Diaz. The city said some spots have seen a double-digit increase in business when the HBO show is in town. It last filmed season two in Troy in 2022. “Some of the businesses stay open a little later while they're filming late at night, and they're seeing obviously that economic infusion. It's good for the economy, it puts Troy on the map and to do season three, I mean it just says so much about our city,” said Troy Mayor Carmella Mantello. The show features Troy's well-preserved buildings as it tells the story set during a period of wealth and grandeur. “They don't have to do a lot of makeshifts or makeovers with our city, because we still have that 1800s architecture,” Mayor Mantello said. Mantello is excited that this season will feature large portions of Troy's east side. “They're actually going to transform Pawling Avenue, which is on the east side of Troy, so it will be one of the first times,” she said. Filming continues through most of August. Click here for the latest street closures.