Governor Announces State ‘Open for Business’ Grants & More Near Albany

State - Governor Cuomo revealed what areas were the recipients of state grants, totalling $62.7 million.  The “Open for Business” grants range from $14,000 for a training program for manufacturing to $11.5 million for improvements to the Port of Albany.  The money will used to jump start 88 projects ranging from low-income housing improvements and job training to biomedical research and rail yard improvements. 

Capital Region - PCB dredging has a new goal for next year.  For 2012, dredging of toxic PCBs from the Hudson River will be increased by more than 25-percent.  The increase is due to such successful steps taken this year to reduce the amount of PCBs floating in the water during dredging.  The director for the EPA project said next year, the goal will be to remove 450,000 cubic yards of tainted river bottom sediments from the Hudson.

Albany - A local attorney was disbarred Thursday for professional misconduct.  42-year old John J. Kelleher is accused of placing $60,000 from a client’s settlement check into his own business account for personal use.  The Appellate Division of state Supreme Court announced the disbarment Thursday stating Kelleher never responded to the allegations brought against him by the division’s Committee on Professional Standards.  Kelleher has been an attorney since 1999.