Archive » April 2021 » News

Voorheesville School Board to send $27M budget to voters for approval

by Sean Mulkerrin

On May 18, voters in the Voorheesville Central School District will be asked to approve a $26.95 million budget for the 2021-22 school year, an increase of approximately 3.58 percent over this year’s spending plan.

Bethlehem fire takes one life

BETHLEHEM — On Friday, a house fire took the life of a Bethlehem resident.

An autopsy was completed on Monday morning and the deceased occupant was identified as Michael F. Jeram, age 65. The cause of the fire was ruled not suspicious, according to a release from the Bethlehem Police.

With 2 more COVID deaths, county’s toll rises to 371

by Melissa Hale-Spencer

This weekend, Albany Medical Center announced that, starting on Monday, visitors — with restrictions — will be allowed at the hospital. The expansion from one to two visitors at a time aligns with updated guidelines from the state’s health department.

VCSD enrollment: ‘Slow, gradual' growth expected over next five years

by Sean Mulkerrin

Enrollment in the Voorheesville Central School District is projected to increase to 1,300 by 2025-26, a nearly 100-student increase from its current count, 1,204.

Legislature mulls $15-per-hour minimum for county workers

by Noah Zweifel

The legislation would raise the minimum wage for county employees to $15 an hour, though it wouldn’t override the union contracts that control the wages of certain employees. 

State offers free tax help

The state’s Department of Taxation and Finance encourages eligible taxpayers to register for a free virtual tax-filing assistance session.

County pushes for more vaccine venues

by Melissa Hale-Spencer

Albany County officials call on residents Friday to "step up" for vaccines, and also called on the state to allow personal doctors to dispense vaccines.

Cuomo: Restaurants can stay open till midnight

by Melissa Hale-Spencer

The original curfew for restaurants and bars, adopted last year to stem the spread of the coronavirus, was 10 p.m.; that was pushed back to 11 p.m. in February.

Local Dems fight for Working Families Party endorsement amid GOP lawsuits

by Noah Zweifel

A county-level lawsuit alleging that the Working Families Party didn’t submit original documents when authorizing their candidates for local office names candidates from Berne, Bethlehem, Guilderland, Coeymans, Colonie, and the city of Albany.

Former deputy clerk alleges she was fired over Dem affiliation

by Noah Zweifel

Former Berne Deputy Town Clerk Jean Guarino says her boss, Town Clerk Anita Clayton, suspected her of leaking information about thePublic Employee Safety and Health Bureau report regarding the death of highway worker Peter Becker. The PESH report is a public document.

Berne election will be hotly contested

by Noah Zweifel

BERNE — After decades of dominance in Berne, the Democrats lost the town board majority in the 2019 elections, but have a full slate to take on the GOP this fall.

A lawsuit over a small-party line has revealed Berne political candidates who had not yet officially announced their campaigns. 

‘Holding up a mirror’: FMS reflects on itself for continual improvement

by Melissa Hale-Spencer

For Farnsworth Middle School, its principal said, “One of the pillars is social equity … Something that’s always on our minds as educators here is make sure we are inclusive.”

Week LVII: The push is on to vaccinate youth and schools must assess risk with the 3-foot rule

by Melissa Hale-Spencer

The state launched a program to vaccinate college students, at both private and state schools, and also announced graduation ceremonies can be held in-person this year as long as regulations on capacity and admittance are followed.

State starts pop-up clinics for farm workers

by Melissa Hale-Spencer

“This new effort to bring the vaccine directly to farmers and food production workers at their places of employment is an important step forward to reaching a population that lives in more remote parts of the state,” said the governor.

New vaccine site at Lord & Taylor to do 3 times the shots as UAlbany tents

by Melissa Hale-Spencer

So far, the UAlbany site has administered more than 150,000 shots since opening in January, with a capacity of approximately 2,000 shots per day. The new location at Crossgates has the ability to administer up to three times the number of doses since it is larger.

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