These are the times when individual states can make a difference in protecting their residents from the dismantling of our rights. So can individual municipalities and individual school districts.

“We are going to have to rein in our overall expenses to address these spending challenges in light of net-zero state aid and less then a $2 million tax cap compared with our health-insurance increases,” Andrew Van Alstyne, assistant superintendent for business, told the board.

Superintendent Marie Wiles told the school board on Feb. 11, “This is the first project that will need to take place over many years to transform our facilities into the future-ready environments that they need to be. So this is the start of the conversation, not a one and done.”

GUILDERLAND — A Guilderland school bus was rear-ended by an F-550 work truck on Thursday morning on the Berne-Altamont Road.

There were about 10 middle school students on the bus when the bus driver stopped to pick up a student, according to Guilderland Superintendent Marie Wiles.

Guilderland Supervisor Peter Barber, in his 10th year as supervisor, spoke for about three-quarters of an hour at the town hall to a crowd made up primarily of town employees, whose work he praised along with the work of the town board.

“Don’t wait until, you know, the heavy equipment rolls into your neighborhood and then wonder what’s going on. Figure it out and get here,” said Guilderland resident Karen White, encouraging other residents to speak out on the proposed updates for the town’s comprehensive plan.

ALBANY COUNTY — The eastern part of Albany County is under a winter storm watch from Saturday evening, Feb. 8, through Sunday morning, Feb.

Today, Governor Kathy Hochul made an announcement at the campus to an appreciative audience, proposing that up to $40 million in state funds be spent to set up workforce training centers in three regions in New York: the Capital Region, the Finger Lakes, and the Mohawk Valley. 

“When those executive orders came in, when that news came in,” said Assemblywoman Gabriella Romero, “our office was flooded and we were getting tearful constituents coming to us and, for me, as a new member, that was very scary. I wasn’t expecting that.”

BETHLEHEM — A Troy couple was arrested on Wednesday after a Jan. 30 burglary at a Glenmont home.

Lisa and Carlos Campbell were each charged with second-degree burglary, and third-degree criminal mischief, both felonies, and with petit larceny, a misdemeanor.