Good morning, Albany.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region warned families against unaffiliated mentorship groups falsely using its name after calls about a mentor spotted using illegal substances in Troy and taking a child to an R-rated movie; the nonprofit stressed screening (via background checks) for 140 children awaiting a mentor.

Vox Pop visited DeFazio’s at 216 on Friday, Sept.

18 for an hour-long conversation with Rocco DeFazio, his son Matt, and daughter Elizabeth along with 60 friends. The event marked the return of WAMC streaming across devices (Alexa, Echo, website and mobile apps).

Tara Kitchen owner Aneesa Waheed (a pioneer in local Moroccan cuisine) grew her eatery from a small stall at the Schenectady Greenmarket to six branches since opening in 2008.

Now she plans a new concept in the city while balancing family needs and advocacy for minority and women business owners.

Siena U professor Dr. Matt Bellis warned that AI misalignment may cause research errors and job shifts after returning from an AI conference in Wisconsin; he emphasized careful oversight as tools (such as Anthropic’s cloud system) increasingly handle model research.

UAlbany researchers are teaming with NASA to harness AI for predicting power outages (helping utilities prepare for severe weather).

The team will showcase their work at the Renewable Energy Pathways Conference on Oct. 1 at UAlbany.

Home energy experts advise residents to check furnaces, insulation & moisture control this fall to cut bills and improve safety as free audits by Standard Heating Cooling & Insulating in Rexford identify key fixes.

Incentive programs including a $3,000 National Grid credit are available for qualifying homeowners.

New York is giving more than $130 million in LIFT grants to replace lead pipes, with Troy getting over $11 million to secure safe drinking water.

The grants, tied to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, will cover projects while the state repays required loan portions after work finishes.

A report shows 42% of schools have water outlets with lead exceeding safe levels, affecting over 1,900 buildings (including key Capital Region sites).

Advocates urge a filter-first plan that installs lead filters on every faucet and lowers the acceptable standard to 1 part per billion; their proposal awaits legislative approval.

UAlbany women’s golf team hosted Siena University on Friday afternoon at Pinehaven Country Club in Guilderland, winning a single-round shootout.

The team will travel to New Jersey next weekend for the Princeton Invitational (one more contest in their busy season).

UAlbany field hockey lost 7-2 to Rutgers on Friday at Alumni Turf as Rutgers scored early and built the lead in the third quarter.

The Great Danes will host sixth-ranked UMass on Sunday, Sept. 20.

UAlbany fell to UCF 3-0 in a sweep at Holloway Gym in West Lafayette (scores: 25-15, 25-22, 25-13) on Friday afternoon.

The Great Danes will host UMBC in their conference opener on Friday, Sept. 25 at 6:00 p.m.

The University at Albany football team hosts its annual Hometown Heroes game today at Casey Stadium against Monmouth.

Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. and players wear custom headgear to honor military personnel (and police, firefighters, and healthcare workers).