Good morning, Albany.

Multiple family-friendly Halloween events are coming this weekend, including the Scare-nectady Parade starting 5 p.m. Oct.

29 at Fairview Park, Crossgates Malloween 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Oct. 31 at Crossgates Mall, and the New York State Museum's Halloween Spooktacular 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Oct. 31 (children's costume parade at 1 p.m.).

Market 32 + Price Chopper customers donated more than 13,000 pet food bags during the chains' annual pet food drive.

Supporters and veterans' groups are seeking sponsorships + volunteers to place holiday wreaths on roughly 1,700 graves at Saratoga National Cemetery before the holidays.

UAlbany College of Integrated Health Sciences students visited the Saranac Laboratory Museum on Oct.

26 to study tuberculosis history, tour the Trudeau Sanitarium, historic cottages, and the modern Trudeau Institute in Saranac Lake, and learn public-health lessons alongside Albany Lifelong Learning Institute participants.

New York will require every public school district to offer a seat to every four-year-old who wants one by the 2028-2029 school year, but districts warn staffing shortages and average childcare wages of about $38,000 plus funding gaps may prevent meeting demand.

On Oct. 16-17 at UAlbany, students and faculty from four SUNY campuses created AI solutions to fight loneliness, and the winning team presented ECHO, a “Duolingo for social intelligence” prototype that teaches social skills and recommends campus events; organizers now seek sponsors for a larger spring challenge.

Filmmaker Sarah Teale's new documentary Where the Sweet Birds Sang investigates a cluster of about 36 Parkinson's cases around her Hebron farm, alleging paraquat exposure may be to blame + highlights ties between pesticide makers and regulators; WAMC aired an interview with Teale last week.

Shenendehowa girls volleyball lost the opening set but won the next three to beat Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, marking their second straight win over BH-BL.

Section 2 (high school) soccer playoffs continue today with elimination matches at various home fields as top seeds and challengers play to advance to next week's finals.

After a road win at Rhode Island, UAlbany running back Rahshan La Mons was named CAA Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for a career high 196 yards and three TDs, and linebacker Jamari Young was named Defensive Player of the Week after three sacks and six tackles.

The Great Danes will host Campbell at Bob Ford Field (Tom and Mary Casey Stadium) on Saturday, Oct. 31, with kickoff at 1:00 p.m.