The Record’s top 10 stories from 2020 – Troy Record

RENSSELAER AND ALBANY COUNTY, N.Y. This past year was filled with many unexpected twists and turns due to the Novel Coronavirus creating a global pandemic.

The Capital Region began seeing its first cases in March and from then on, the cases continued to rise and things began to rapidly change throughout the state.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo ended up putting the state on Pause and many people began working and learning from home.

Even though the year was dominated and impacted by the pandemic, many other newsworthy stories occurred in 2020.

With the year coming to an end, the editorial staff at The Record ranked its top 10 stories from 2020.

The Collar City and Capital Region community was rocked on Sept. 14 with the homicide of 11-year-old Ayshawn Davis.

Troy police were called to the scene of a shooting that occurred in the area of 2266 Old 6th Ave. Officers were dispatched to this area at around 11:40 p.m. Upon arrival, officers found Davis, a student in the Lansingburgh school district, with a gunshot wound to the head.

Troy Fire Department personnel arrived and began treating the victim and then transported him to Albany Medical Center Hospital, where he succumbed to the injury.

Officers, detectives, and evidence technicians secured the scene and began processing evidence and speaking with neighbors and others in the area. The events leading up to the shooting are as follows, the victim was standing in the area of the shooting with a group and a car sped by with gunfire coming from the vehicle.

The vehicle continued north on Old 6th Avenue and fled the area, according to city police.

The public came together to find ways to keep Ayshawns memory alive and to help his family.

The Ayshawn Davis Memorial Fund was established in September to raise funds for the Davis family.

The fund will support family expenses for the Davis family, in addition to helping to cover future college costs for their four children.

The Troy City Council unanimously passed (7-0) a resolution in October on creating a sign/designation for "Ayshawn's Place," at a location to be determined within the city of Troy.

Ayshawn's father, Terance Davis, remarked on the significance of having his son's name displayed as a reminder to city residents.

"It's very important to me that a part of Old Sixth be named after my son to remind people of the mistakes that's going on in Troy and around the world," Davis said during the virtual city council meeting in October.

"That a little kid outside playing, nothing should've happened to him. This kid was a very independent, worked very hard, was very bright. I want people to recognize there was a bright young kid that had a bright future," Davis continued.

"Just to look at his name is to remind you of the mistakes, not to make again and to make the youth better for the little kids and even for the grownups to understand that we need to keep his name alive," Davis added.

On Sept. 28 many attended a graveside service in St. Peter's Cemetery for Ayshawn. Many of the people in attendance at the funeral wore blue in honor of Ayshawn. Blue was his favorite color. The bright color was a sharp contrast to the somber, heavy mood of the day, which was matched by a gray overcast sky.

As the funeral procession traveled down 3rd Avenue, past the house of one of Ayshawn's relatives, neighbors came out and knelt in the streets. Most were wearing blue. Many raised their fists in a gesture of support. Houses nearby were adorned with posters bearing messages of support for the BLM movement.

Ayshawn's graveside service was presided over by the Reverend Charles Barber. Bible readings of including Psalm 23 and John 14 were given, followed by hymns and songs. A prayer of comfort was offered, and then family members were given an opportunity to speak.

A few days before Ayshawns funeral, Troy police announced the arrest of Jahquay E. Brown, 20, of Cohoes in connection to Ayshawns murder. Police detectives interviewed Brown and executed a search warrant of his home. According to police, a handgun was located at Browns residence and has been taken as evidence. Police believe the weapon found may have been used in the crime and are awaiting testing of the firearm.

Troy police were also aided by multiple law enforcement agencies and the New York State Police Troop G Special Investigations Unit.

Along with multiple community members, the FBI also posted a $10,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of those responsible for the homicide.

After the death of George Floyd, while in police custody in Minneapolis, many across the nation began to organize peaceful as well as violent protests in various communities.

Floyd, a Black man in handcuffs, died May 25 after Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer who is white, pressed his knee against Floyds neck for several minutes even after he said he couldnt breathe. Floyds death sparked protests in Minneapolis and beyond, and led to a nationwide reckoning on race.

In late May, a protest in the City of Albany turned into a riot. Around 6 p.m. on May 30, a group of people came to the Albany Police Departments South Station on Arch Street requesting to speak with officers. Authorities said officers came out and spoke with some people and then went back into the police station.

Once officers went back inside the station, rioters began throwing bricks at police vehicles. Police then came back outside in riot gear. Officials said people then began throwing water bottles, bricks, rocks towards police officers.

Albany Police Chief Eric Hawkins said some officers were injured with one officer taken to Albany Medical Center after being hit in the head with a brick. Hawkins was not at the scene Saturday, although he said he was in constant contact with his staff.

Police said many buildings were destroyed, including the Albany County Probation building, health department building, and board of elections building.

Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple also noted how a tractor-trailer was lit on fire in Albany and how a CDTA bus driver was stuck on a street with people surrounding her bus.

Then on June 7 a crowd of thousands gathered at Riverfront Park for a peaceful Rally for Black Lives on Sunday afternoon. The rally was co-sponsored by Justice for Dahmeek, AYA Rising Project, All Of Us, and the YWCA of the Greater Capital Region.

During the first part of the rally, libations were poured out in honor of those who had come before. Spanish and sign language interpretations were provided to make the event truly united and accessible to all.

Speakers gave brief orations on the local importance of the rally, with enthusiastic support from the crowds. Past acts of violence and brutality by Troy police were described and the names of victims were read.

When the speakers were finished, it was time to march.

The crowds took to the streets of downtown Troy, chanting "No Justice, No Peace." They made their way out of Riverfront Park, looped through the city, and returned to the park at the end for a closing program.

During part of the march, protesters kneeled in the intersection of 3rd Ave. and River St., temporarily blocking traffic. As cars came to a stop and started backing up along 3rd Ave, the protesters encouraged drivers to exit their vehicles and kneel with them.

Some complied, receiving cheers and applause when they did so.

The rally achieved its goal of being a peaceful protest, with no incidents of property damage or violence.

In 2017, Troy Mayor Patrick Madden made the difficult decision to close the citys two municipal pools after an engineering assessment discovered significant structural, mechanical, and accessibility issues.

Since then, city officials had hopes that it would reopen every summer after 2017. However, various construction delays caused that to continue to get pushed back year after year. Finally, on July 18 city officials announced that the South Troy pool would reopen to the public.

Upgrades and improvements to the facility include:

New roof and skylights on the amenities building

Interior of amenities building repainted, lighting re-wired, bathrooms re-plumbed, and changing rooms rebuilt

Replacement of pump and filtration room, including installation of new plumbing lines and wiring

Replacement of compromised sections of concrete pool walls, and installation of a new liner and gutter system

Replacement of exterior fencing around facility

Installation of new concrete decking

Addition of pool lift to increase accessibility for individuals with disabilities

Restoration of splash pad (located behind amenities building)

However, in keeping in line with state health guidelines for COVID-19, the pool capacity was limited to 50 patrons. Among those 50 patrons, the pool was accessible to only Troy residents, and children under 18 had to be accompanied by an adult.

On Thursday, July 30 the Troy Police Department began to investigate a reported domestic incident that led to the fatal shooting of a city man by an off-duty city officer on 17th Street in Troy.

According to police, Colin Davis, 25, of Troy, was accused of stabbing his estranged wife, and he was fatally shot by off-duty Troy police officer Adam Harbour, who intervened and saved her life.

A Rensselaer County grand jury cleared Harbour of any criminal wrongdoing in the fatal off-duty shooting of Colin Davis.

Harbour was praised by members of the police department as well as other elected officials for his heroic actions to save the womans life.

On April 30, Det. Sgt. Randy French, 39, succumbed to coronavirus after a long and tough fight.

Before his death, French's wife, Danielle French, made a post on Facebook saying that Randy was on a ventilator in the ICU at Albany Medical Center and the family was asking people to donate plasma. Danielle French wrote on April 13 that Randy French was matched with a donor for a plasma transfusion.

First responders from around the Capital Region came together on May 1 to take part in a vehicle procession from Albany Medical Center to Perry Komdat Funeral Chapel in Averill Park. French and his family resided in the town of Nassau in Rensselaer County.

French is survived by his wife, Danielle, their daughters Caitlyn and Juliana, his father, William, mother-in-law, Linda, sister, Chrissy, and sister-in-law Kimberly.

Former New York State Sen. Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno was a heavyweight in state and Capital Region politics.

He had the charisma and boxing gloves to prove it.

Bruno died Tuesday, Oct. 6, at his Brunswick home, accompanied by family and his longtime companion Kay Stafford. Bruno was 91.

The son of immigrants, Bruno grew up in depression-era Glens Falls and made ends meet from selling ice off a truck, all the way through his years as a Skidmore College student. Bruno also served in the United States Army in Korea.

Bruno, a Republican, was first elected in 1976 and rose to power as Senate Majority Leader from 1994 to 2008. Along with Gov. George Pataki and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Bruno was one of the three powerful "men in a room," helping forge state policy and spending.

Bruno's legacy can be found across the Capital Region, whether it was the Global Foundries plant in Malta, the modernizing of the Rensselaer Rail Station, or bringing affiliated minor-league baseball back to the Capital Region with his own named Joseph L. Bruno Stadium, Bruno's impact loomed large.

On December 9, The Tri-City ValleyCats announced that they will not be receiving a Player Development License from Major League and Minor League Baseball.

The Houston Astros have only announced that their AAA team will be the Sugar Land Skeeters. The Quad Cities Bandits will now become an affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, the Round Rock Express will renew their relationship with the Texas Rangers, and as of right now according to the Fayetteville Observer, the Fayetteville Woodpeckers received a PDL renewal as a Class-A team.

Options for the ValleyCats could potentially be the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball or the Empire Professional Baseball League. The Empire league has teams located in Saranac Lake, Plattsburgh, and Tupper Lake.

The site of the former Troy City Hall was demolished in 2011 because of structural damage blamed on severe flooding along the Hudson River in 2006. Since then, many developers have expressed interest in developing the vacant site, however, many deals have fallen through over the years.

The Troy Local Development Corporation (TLDC) and Hoboken Brownstone Company announced the agreement to terms of a Development Agreement for the Monument Square site.

The TLDC voted to approve the agreement at a meeting on May 1.

The agreement paves the way for Hoboken Brownstone (HBC) to commence a design for the redevelopment of Monument Square, the next phase in what has been an 18-month open and transparent process to re-imagine the former City Hall site

Hoboken Brownstone Company was selected as project developer for the Monument Square site in 2019 because of their experience and ability to successfully redevelop waterfront property and a strong commitment to community inclusion in their redevelopment process.

The agreement provides HBC with a 2-year development term, with an option for a 1-year extension, to design, receive approvals, and apply for funding for a project that incorporates elements of the community visioning sessions, held in 2018.

As part of the agreement, HBC will make a future payment of $600,000 toward the public portion of the project to offset costs of the redevelopment that would otherwise be borne by the city of Troy. HBC will also place $50,000 in escrow to be used by the City and the TLDC to cover their project-related expenses.

More than 1,000 new full-time jobs were created in Rensselaer County thanks to Amazon's new fulfillment center in Schodack opening in 2020.

The employees joined more than 24,000 full- and part-time employees already working across the state with $15 an hour minimum wage and comprehensive benefits beginning on day one.

The more than one million square foot, state-of-the-art facility is located on U.S. Route 9 in Castleton. Employees there will work alongside innovative technologies to pick, pack and ship larger-sized items to customers across the region, including bulk cleaning supplies and paper goods, sports equipment, pet food and supplies, electronics, and household goods, to name a few.

On top of Amazons $15 minimum wage, the company offers full-time employees industry-leading benefits, which include health, vision and dental insurance from day one, 401(k) with 50 percent company match, up to 20 weeks paid parental leave and Amazons innovative Career Choice program, which pre-pays 95% of tuition for courses in high-demand fields.

When 2020 began, many cities were swearing in new mayors with some incumbent mayors returning to office. All of these mayors did not expect what 2020 would turn into due to the pandemic, but they all still had a job to do for its residents.

In the Collar City, Mayor Patrick Madden was sworn-in for another four-year term. According to the City Charter, the mayor of Troy can only serve two terms.

The City of Rensselaer saw a new mayor get sworn-in when Rensselaer County Legislature Chairman Michael Stammel took the oath of office.

Across the river, the city of Watervliet also elected a new mayor with former Councilman Charles Patricelli taking over the office.

After a heated election in 2019, Cohoes Mayor Bill Keeler took the oath of office.

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The Record's top 10 stories from 2020 - Troy Record