Morning Read: Teaching crimesolving in Canton

Good morning! Lots of news today…Over the weekend, Alcoa announced it’ll commit to 900 jobs in Massena and will keep its plants open there for at least another 30 years. Exactly what’s happening with the company’s cleanup of the Grasse River is still in flux, though, and as David Sommerstein told Martha Foley this morning on the 8 O’clock Hour, Alcoa has said its commitment is contingent on a quick resolution from the EPA. Obviously, we’ll be following this story closely.

The state will audit the Olympic Regional Development Authority, after a report from the state Comptroller’s office found operational losses and a reliance on private lenders to meet expenses. Also, Adirondack Energy, which owns Mountain Mart, will pay $46,000 in fines after the EPA found various violations at seven gas stations. And, budget-wise, it’s all over but the squabblin’ in Albany.

We’ve been talking a lot about crime on The Inbox lately, so I thought I’d mention something that’s both crime-related AND not horrible this morning, from North Country Now. SUNY Canton criminal justice professor Elizabeth A. Erickson has published a rather intriguing-sounding new textbook, in which she guides readers through a mock crime scene investigation. The goal is to teach students to solve crimes based on forensic evidence.

The book’s called “Criminalistics Laboratory Manual: The Basics of Forensic Investigation,” and it’s available on Amazon. I’m sure it’s not like this, but I’m imagining a more gritty version of the board game Clue. Erickson says she was inspired by questions her students asked in her intro to forensic investigation course, and says it’s intended for students with little or no background in forensics (I assume that excludes watching CSI.)