All Over Albany

Ravitch appointment becomes its own drama, people line up for Biden, man accused of intentionally running over woman with car, tomato blight, commuter buses get wi-fi

As expected, David Paterson's appointment (or attempted appointment) of Richard Ravitch to the post of lieutenant governor has set off its own complicated drama. Senate Republicans got a Nassau County judge to issue a temporary restraining order during the middle of the night. For what it's worth, Ravitch says he's already been sworn in. [NYT] [Daily Politics] [Newsday]

In a released statement, Paterson said he made the appointment because "the situation we face in the Senate is nothing less than a Constitutional crisis." Whether he can legally do what he did is unclear -- some say maybe, others say no. [CBS6] [TU]

Whatever the legality of the move, Paterson is trying to use it score points with voters. His 2010 campaign was touting the appointment last night in a robocall. (His campaign might need to work on its spelling, though.) [@pattigibbons] [@Mrs_Misanthrope] [@tomnardacci]

Funding for an anti-gun program in Albany has been held up by the state Senate mess. [TU]

People lined up for hours yesterday in an attempt to score tickets to see Joe Biden this afternoon in Clifton Park. Between 400 and 500 tickets were given out, apparently. The first person in line: a 17-year-old who had to get special permission for a ticket because he wasn't 18. By the way: the VP's appearance is being billed as "A Recovery Act Event" -- no word on whether Biden will personally be providing stimulus to the local economy. [Daily Gazette] [TU] [Saratogian] [Daily Gazette]

A state Supreme Court judge has ruled that Rensselaer County's sex offender residency law is pre-empted by state laws. A similar law in Albany has been also been in dispute for the same reason. [TU]

Schenectady County is getting $1 million from the state to create a county-wide consolidated emergency dispatch center. The new center reportedly will save $100,000 a year. East Greenbush and Watervliet also got state money to study consolidation projects. [Daily Gazette] [TU] [Troy Record]

The City of Troy has petitioned the State Liquor Authority on behalf of the planned River Street bar/lounge whose application was denied because it's too close to the Salvation Army. [TU]

The two public beaches on the south shore of Lake George are still closed after DEC tests found levels of E. coli that exceeded safety limits. The beaches were closed after a sewage spill last weekend. Three hundred tons of contaminated sand have been replaced at the beaches. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

East Greenbush police say a Rensselaer man ran over a woman three times with his car. He's been charged with attempted murder. The man allegedly backed over the woman, drove forward over her and then backed up again, when he also hit another woman. [TU] [Troy Record]

You're fired! You can't fire me, I already quit!

The downtown Schenectady building that was slated to become a new Big House night club will now house a Paul Mitchell store and cosmetology school. [Daily Gazette]

The Golub family has given $250k to St. Peter's ALS center. Lewis Golub was diagnosed with the disease -- also know as Lou Gerig's disease -- last year. [TU]

Tomato blight has shown up in Albany and Saratoga Counties. [Daily Gazette]

CDTA's NX buses -- the commuter line to and from Saratoga -- now have wi-fi. [Daily Gazette]

Saratoga Springs say someone swiped a 50-inch television from a Phila Street apartment on Saturday and then walked it toward Broadway. Apparently there was a witness, but the thief's face was blocked by the enormous TV. [Saratogian] [TU]