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🌱 Patch AM: Were your records exposed in OrthoNY’s massive Albany-area data breach?

Coming up: Dave & Buster's New Year's Eve Celebration on the Albany Patch calendar

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Coffee in hand, Albany? We've got the latest town updates for you. Keep reading to stay in the loop. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • Were your records exposed in OrthoNY’s massive Albany-area data breach?
  • How will UAlbany’s $50M RNA windfall reshape Albany’s biotech future?
  • How new DNA tools finally cracked Albany’s decades-old cold cases

Also on today's calendar: Dave & Buster's New Year's Eve Celebration and 9 more events.

Find out what's happening in Albanyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: I’m trying to think of a new cloud joke. 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Albanyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Sunday: Low clouds, with a high of 30 and low of 27 degrees.
  • Monday: Morning rain; overcast, temps: high: 46, low: 18. ⛄️ Brr!
  • Tuesday: Windy with low clouds, with a high of 22 and low of 20 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. OrthoNY fined $500K over failing to secure patient data (timesunion.com) — Albany residents who use OrthoNY should know the practice was fined $500,000 after hackers stole unencrypted personal and health data affecting more than 650,000 patients and employees. With clinics on Everett Road in Albany and across the Capital Region, the company must now strengthen security and offer a year of free credit monitoring to all patients under a settlement with the state attorney general.
   

2. UAlbany's RNA Institute receives $50M boost for disease research (cbs6albany.com) — A major $50 million state investment is expanding UAlbany’s RNA Institute in Albany, promising more labs, research, and high-skilled jobs tied to major biotech companies. Researchers are using RNA and artificial intelligence to study diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and various genetic disorders, with expansion plans running through 2030 that could further boost the Capital Region’s innovation economy.
   

3. In 2025, several cold cases were resolved in Albany. Here's how. (timesunion.com) — Several long-unsolved Albany homicides saw major breakthroughs this year, as prosecutors and police used advanced DNA tools and forensic genealogy to identify suspects and secure charges or resolutions. From the Baby Moses case in Washington Park to the 1964 Catherine Blackburn killing and the indictment in Gretchen Perham’s death, investigators say relentless work and new technology are finally delivering answers for city families.
   

4. Celebrate the New Year with a Capital Region hike (news10.com) — Albany-area residents are invited to kick off New Year’s Day with free, family-friendly “First Day Hike” events at state parks across the Capital Region, from Cohoes and New Scotland to Delmar and Hudson. Distances range from short accessible walks to more challenging treks, and most require simple call-or-email registration, so locals can choose the hike that best fits their plans and abilities.
   

5. Finger Lakes groups take climate fight to Albany (fingerlakes1.com) — Climate activists from the Finger Lakes are planning to rally in Albany on Jan. 13 during Gov. Kathy Hochul’s State of the State address, pressing her to reverse recent fossil-fuel-friendly decisions. For Albany residents, that could mean a sizable, climate-focused demonstration at the Capitol, with calls to halt new gas projects and fully enforce New York’s climate law.
   

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Update: I just added the newest video on 12/26/25 at 6pm.
    Earlier I moved the food and water bowls closer to the cat house entrance and sprinkled some catnip. He almost went inside. Anyone missing a cat?… (Nextdoor Sander Creek)
  • Another plea for this sweet girl.
    This sweet girl is still in need of a loving home. She is currently with a foster but really needs to find her forever home. Great with kids, and… (Nextdoor Wall St)
  • TradeJobsWorkforce posted a job opening for USPS Mail Clerk in Albany. Apply here.
  • P.F. Chang's China Bistro posted a job opening for Expeditor in Albany. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Albany here.

Ok Albany! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I haven’t the foggiest.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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