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TROY, N.Y.– What might look more like arts and crafts, is actually a scaled down lesson in harvesting power from the wind.

“Want me to help tape it,” asked a volunteer.

They’re building wind turbines. Learning what goes into building a good one and why a not so good one won’t work.

“Kind of uneven-ish. It didn’t really catch the wind,” said James, a student.

Second time is a charm, though, learning from what he didn’t do right– the focus.. hopefully it’ll spark interest in the sciences. That’s the goal of Black Family Technology Day at RPI.

“it’s real fun to find out new experiments and how the wind mill works,” said Demetrius Flowers, a student.

From bridge building, to water tornadoes, it’s all about getting more women and people of color interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

“It’s a lot of different aspects of technology, applied to everyday life to get students an understanding of how they can grow into becoming scientists, engineers,” said Michael Moore, admissions counselor, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Growing, by encouraging African American students to try science out– a field in which they comprise a significant minority.

“Really celebrate students and let them know that you can have fun, you can play sports you can do all those things but at the same time, there’s a lot more fun. a lot more longevity, even, in studying math science technology,” Moore said.

By doing so, they’re building a talent base with interest that, hopefully trickles down. Starting, though, back in the classroom with activities like turbine building.

“I knew if you had the blades at a certain angle, that the wind should be able to keep spinning more and more,” said Richrd McKoy, a student.

“I’m not a fan of science but this was fun. I like experimenting with things,” said Katie Lynch, a student.

So, a step in the right direction. Piquing interest by showing science is much more than one big text book.

“I wanted to be an accountant, but then I decided to be a scientist,” said Ryan Abdul Malik, a student.

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WARREN COUNTY, N.Y. — Despite Lake George being unfrozen, the 51st annual winter carnival still took place! Of course, the unseasonably warm winter has kept the water from freezing over and therefore the festival was moved inland.

For years, it has been held on the ice near Shepard Park Beach. Today marked the first of four weekends for the festival, which will have to go without a couple of events this year due to the warmth.

While the weather was windy and cold, many still bundled up and enjoyed the snow slide. The carnival has plans for several different events, taking place every weekend in February.

For more information on schedules and events, head to www.lakegeorgewintercarnival.com.

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STATEWIDE — New York is seeing a boost of consumer confidence in the new year.

A new Siena poll shows consumer confidence rose 7.5 points in January, hitting its highest mark since January of last year in the Empire state.

Nationally, confidence rose five percent. The poll also indicates that more people are planning to buy cars, homes or make major home improvements in 2012.

For a full look at the Siena Poll, click here.

“We want to apologize to the American public for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women’s lives,” a Komen statement said.

As first reported by The Associated Press on Tuesday, Komen had adopted criteria excluding Planned Parenthood from grants because it was under government investigation, notably a probe launched in Congress at the urging of anti-abortion groups.

Komen said Friday it would change the criteria so it wouldn’t apply to such investigations.

“We will continue to fund existing grants, including those of Planned Parenthood, and preserve their eligibility to apply for future grants,” the statement said.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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So you notice your cat is urinating outside the litter box, sleeping more than usual and not eating… While one explanation could be that they don’t like their box, the litter, or their food…you might want to have your vet check for bladder and kidney issues.

Signs your cat may have chronic renal failure or other urinary tract issues include increased urination, red, orange or pink urine, excessive drinking, vomiting and lethargy.

If your cat exhibits these symptoms, your vet will want to take a look. Do a complete physical exam and tests including blood work, urinalysis, x-rays, blood pressure, and take a physical history.

Chronic renal failure can be life-threatening and require hospitalization in extremely ill pets. Although there is no cure, early detection can slow the progression of the disease.

If your cat is diagnosed with chronic renal failure, your vet will treat them to help stabilize their condition in the hospital but home care may also be required. You may have to help by giving them subcutaneous fluids and providing a vet recommended diet.

As our pets grow older we need to be aware of subtle changes in behavior that may be signs they aren’t feeling well. So don’t feel like an over protective parent by bringing them to your vet, you could be seeing the first signs of something serious. Catching it early could mean you’ll have more time with your pet.

Potential signs of chronic renal failure:

-Increased thirst, excessive drinking
-Increased urination
-Lethargy (is your cat even lazier than normal?)
-Weakness
-Depression (lack of interest in play)
-Lack of coordination when walking
-Vomiting
-Bad breath
-Lack of hunger

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SERVES:
makes five pieces per wrap

INGREDIENTS:

10-inch tortilla wraps (plain or spinach)
approx. 1/3 cup hummus per wrap
approx. 1 cup fresh spinach per wrap
1 slice Muenster cheese per wrap
1/2 large roasted red pepper per wrap

5 sandwich picks per wrap

PROCEDURE:

You can make one or two wraps at a time by spreading a layer of the hummus over the bottom third of each wrap and then topping that with handful of fresh spinach a layer of Muenster cheese and then place a slice of roasted red pepper over the top of that fold the edges in and then tightly roll it up just like you would a burrito.

Make as many wraps as you like and then, working with one wrap at a time, flip it over so that the seam side is up and evenly place five sandwich picks into the wrap, then slice between each pick. and then push each pick a little bit further through, with each one as you go.

HINTS:

Using a sharp, serrated knife really helps to slice through the wraps without squishing them too much.

Unless you make your own hummus or roast your own peppers, all of this stuff is ready to go when you buy it and you can make these ahead of time and keep them wrapped in the fridge and then slice them into appetizers just before your party.

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UNITED STATES — With the eyes of America trained on the screen, it’s a day that can make an entire career.

“This is your one opportunity to be showcased, to call yourself a Super Bowl advertiser and to have 111 plus million viewers see your commercial all at once,” said Scott Hamula, advertising professor at Ithaca College.

Making the Super Bowl Sunday audience an advertiser’s dream.

“Slightly more than fifty percent say that they’re watching the Super Bowl for the commercials,” Hamula said.

And those spots don’t come cheap.

“They’re paying approximately $3.5 million for a commercial to be in the Super Bowl,” Hamula said. “You’re going to see top quality production. Things that are going to grab your attention. Things that you’re going to want to talk about.”

But this year advertisers aren’t waiting for the game to get their multi-million dollar investments in front of viewers. Some of the commercials that are bound to get attention can already be viewed online.

“The goal is to drive a lot of traffic and buzz to the commercials before they even air,” Hamula said.

This year’s commercials feature some new takes on old favorites.

“Matthew’s Day Off, which is a Ferris Bueller take off,” Hamula said.

And even a commercial about a commercial.

“The Bark Side, which is the much awaited release of the follow up to Volkswagon’s The Force spot,” Hamula said. “The little Darth Vader guy from last year.”

But why show for free a commercial that cost millions to air?

“With ten million views for your commercial on YouTube before it even airs is just amazing,” Hamula said. “And then when it does air, they’re expecting at least 111 million viewers.”

But for Super Bowl purists, holding out for game day is part of the sport.

Also new for this year, the animated Coca-Cola bears will be watching the game and reacting to plays in real time. You can see them online during the game and RSVP ahead of time at www.cokepolarbowl.com.

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COLONIE, N.Y. — Lt. Robert Winn of the Colonie Police Department said, “Anytime the elderly or the disabled are victimized, it’s disturbing to us. In this case we have both of those factors and the compounding factor that it’s their own family members involved in this.”

Margaret and Patrick Ryan, and their two sons, Kevin and Daniel, were arrested this week, after police say they found out the group used a stolen credit card to spend at least $8,000 over the last six months. That credit card belonged to Margaret’s mother and father. Both are in their 80s and both are deaf. One is also blind. The victims and the defendants told police they all live together at a house in Loudonville.

Lt. Winn said, “We felt it important to make an arrests soon as we could because they lived with the victims and we were afraid they were going to continue to be victimized.”

Many of the alleged purchases were made at this Price Chopper on Albany Shaker Road. The four Ryans are also accused of hiding the credit card statements.

Lt. Winn said, “So they were using this card as if it was their own and going about their daily lives using this for whatever they needed.”

Thursday, investigators showed up at the victims’ house for a follow up. Inside, they found Margaret and her son, Kevin. The two were then rearrested for violating an order of protection banning the defendants from having contact with the victims

At Colonie Senior Services Center, there’s a financial resource center designed to help seniors avoid getting scammed. But the executive director says it’s unfortunate the most vulnerable population gets taken advantage of.

Ed Neary, the executive director of Colonie Senior Service Centers, said, “It’s tragic and both of them with disabilities that they have to deal with and then to not be able to trust their family members.”

The four Ryans are charged with criminal possession of stolen property and petit larceny. Margaret, Patrick and Kevin each face an additional charge of conspiracy. They were arraigned and all pleaded not guilty.

Lt. Winn said, “It’s despicable. The whole circumstances of this case has disturbed a lot of the investigators working on this and they’ll continue to work hard on this.”

Police say the four could face more charges.

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The one thing you can say about this matchup between the giants and patriots, for two teams from different leagues, they sure have faced each other a lot over the last four years.

Eli Manning, Giants Quarterback said, “It does feel like we’ve played them a decent amount over the last couple of years. We know them and we know they can put up points and their defense has the ability to prevent points.”

The giants defense has been performing at a “high level” for the last 6 games. They need one more huge effort against one of the best quarterbacks in the game.

Chris Canty, Giants Defensive Lineman said, “We have to make them as one dimensional as possible. Not allow them to get first downs. And allow our pass rush to get to Tom Brady.”

Kenny Phillips, Giants Safety said, “He’s not gonna make too many mistakes. He won’t get rattled. We have to keep pressure on their receivers and give our pass rushers to get to him.”

Justin Tuck, Giants Defensive End said, “Its intertwined between our defensive backs and other players. At the end of the day somebody up front has to make a stop. No matter how much film you look at, you have to do that to stop Brady. “

One of the other key matchups in this game will be on the opposing sidelines. Bill Belichick will be going for his 4th Super Bowl title, Tom Coughlin will be battling for ring number two.

Players in 44 states around the country can play Powerball.

The amount has been growing since the jackpot was last won on December 28th.

And don’t forget, you can see the numbers drawn live on YNN. That drawing happens at 11 tonight.