5 things to know this Thursday, January 26

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — There’s something incredibly honest about trees in winter, how they’re experts in letting things go. In the Capital Region though, they won’t have much to release after the latest winter storm tapered off Wednesday night. It was a real curveball of a storm, and it won’t be the last, Meteorologist Jill Szwed said.

Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin was found not guilty of using his campaign fund to pay off his personal debts. And the Section 2 athletic council voted unanimously Wednesday morning to place Christian Brothers Academy on probation for three years. The details, and more, complete today’s five things to know.

1. Rensselaer County Executive found not guilty

On Wednesday, Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin was found not guilty of campaign finance violations. McLaughlin was indicted on two charges in December 2021, including third-degree grand larceny and first-degree offering a false instrument for filing.

2. CBA placed on probation; football program suspended for week 0

Section 2’s athletic council voted unanimously Wednesday morning to place Christian Brothers Academy on probation for three years and suspend the football program for week zero.

3. Raniere’s motion for judge’s disqualification rejected

A motion from Keith Raniere’s lawyer to disqualify a judge before he seeks a new trial has been rejected. The defense team for the founder of the Capital Region-based sex cult NXIVM claimed Judge Nicholas Garaufis is biased and did not want him involved in a new trial.

4. New York State Department of Labor hosting gender wage gap hearings

The New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) will hold two in-person hearings regarding the gender wage gap impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and how to close it. The hearings, one being held on Thursday and the other on Tuesday, January 31, will also go over the impact the pandemic had on women in the workforce, and the NYSDOL will be looking for feedback from the public.