All Over Albany

Pedestrian killed in hit and run, police say BB guns hard to distinguish from regular guns, trying to find 51 percent of a bridge, don't hold a grudge

There's still no agreement on redistricting for the state's Congressional districts. Candidates have to start circulating nominating petitions in March -- but until the lines are settled, they can't be sure about the shape of the districts. [TU] [NYDN]

Albany police say a pedestrian was killed in a hit-and-run on Henry Johnson Blvd Saturday evening (map). A witness says the driver's car hit the man, then "busted a U turn and turned down Clinton and kept going." The father of the 19-year-old from Bethlehem who was allegedly behind the wheel says his son told them man appeared from behind a parked car and there wasn't enough time to stop. Given the set up of the street, neighbors said they figured a pedestrian would be hit there "sooner or later." [YNN] [Fox23] [TU] [WTEN]

The employment contract for Saratoga Springs Housing Authority director Ed Spychalski includes a rolling extension and what could be a $600,000 buyout clause. [TU]

Prompted by a recent local court decision in another part of the state, Albany Common Council supporters of a city ban on hydrofracking now appear to have a veto-proof number of votes. A spokesman for Jerry Jennings, who vetoed an earlier resolution banning fracking in the city, says the mayor's stance hasn't changed. [YNN] [TU] [WNYT]

The state Inspector General's office is expected to soon release what apparently is a very critical report of former state wildlife pathologist Ward Stone. [TU]

Hundreds of hard-to-care-for nursing home patients are sent out of state because of the way New York negotiates (or doesn't negotiate) Medicaid reimbursements. [TU]

The electrical transmission line project proposed to stretch from Canada to New York City along the Hudson River is like a giant extension cord plugging the city directly into Canada's power grid -- which is one of the reasons it's meeting opposition. [TU]

Many people bounced from their homes by Irene flooding still aren't back home. [Daily Gazette]

Halfmoon supervisor Mindy Wormuth sold two properties whose value could have been enhanced by a nearby development project that she helped move through the zoning process. [TU]

The contract for new Schenectady schools superintendent Laurence Spring includes a generous buyout clause similar to the one controversial former superintendent Eric Ely had. [TU]

The busted water main that flooded front street in Troy and briefly shut down the Congress Street bridge was a 20-inch pipe with a 6-8 foot split in it. [Troy Record]

Albany police chief Steven Krokoff says some BB and pellet guns look so much like regular guns that officers often have trouble telling the difference in critical situations. Earlier this month, officers shot a man in uptown Albany after police say the man pointed a black pellet gun at the officers. [TU] [AOA]

Glenville's supervisor is pushing for a moratorium on building new multi-family housing in the town. [Daily Gazette]

Schodack police say two people found syringes in their mailboxes recently, perhaps as part of prank. [Fox23]

Artist Frankie Flores has pleaded guilty to evading taxes for 2.5 years. [Saratogian]

The Schenectady Erie Boulevard saga of adult store Another World has finally come to an end. [WNYT]

The town of Bethlehem is looking at plans to make the stretch of Delaware Ave leading up to the Four Corners in Delmar a denser, more walkable area (map). [TU]

The National Historic Register status of the washed-away-by-Irene-flooding Blenheim Covered Bridge can be preserved if at least 51 percent of the bridge can be recovered. [TU]

GE scientists at the company's global research center in Niskayuna are working on a flu test that would rapidly test and type the virus. [Daily Gazette]

Laura LaFrate -- the Scotia native who's on the upcoming season of American's Next Top Model -- eventually wants to become a large animal veterinarian. [Daily Gazette]

Advice from a Troy woman who turns 100 years old this February 29: "Always love and forgive and don't hold a grudge." [Troy Record]