Troy chooses new chief
Nicholas Kaiser has been selected to succeed William Miller as police chief for the city of Troy, who died from cancer in January. Kaiser was the only one of the three final candidates who lives in Troy.
Kaiser and the other two finalists, Assistant Chief Ralph Iler and Capt. Dennis Fernet, had the highest scores on the most recent chief’s exam.
Kaiser has been with the Troy Police since 1975, when he entered as a patrol officer. He was promoted to sergeant in 1981, captain in 1985, and was named assistant chief in 1990. Recently, he has played a key role in a number of important events, including the department’s accreditation in 2000 and the organization of the homeland security team for Troy. Among his goals for the future is the opening of Troy’s north station to provide better police coverage.
Albany named test site
The United States Postal Service has chosen Albany’s postal facility on Karner Road in Colonie as one of the 14 test sites around the country for its new anthrax detection system. Starting June 30 and lasting for 30 days, the machines will test the air around mail in sorting machines for biological hazards and issue appropriate alerts.
This is the first nationwide implementation of a system the postmaster general vowed to create after the anthrax attacks through the mail system in fall 2001. The machine was beta tested in Baltimore and performed perfectly, detecting anthrax every time it was present and reporting no false positives.
While the system is currently configured to detect only anthrax, officials report that it can be adapted to search for chemicals, explosives, or other hazards that can be sent through the mail.
While declining to say how much the machines cost, officials did say that they would require the approval of the agency’s board of governors. Such approval is necessary for any spending of more than $10 million.
McLellan closes
Mary McLellan Hospital in Cambridge closed Monday morning at 7 am, the end of its overnight shift, due to financial troubles. The hospital has been being phased out of local health care lately, and at its end was down to seeing only half the number of patients in its emergency room as it did in its prime.
Workers are estimating that the closure of McLellan may add as much as an hour to an ambulance trip from an accident to a hospital. McLellan’s outpatient clinics in Cambridge, Greenwich, Hoosick Falls, and Salem will stay open to help handle emergencies, but only through May 2.
