GUILDERLAND — Robert Noel Connolly was a man of faith with a dry wit, said his wife of 31 years, Mary Lou Bartolotta-Connolly, a former longtime Albany County legislator.

Connolly died on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017. He was 84.

He was born in Albany on Aug. 21, 1933 to Bernard J. and Moira (née Whalen) Connolly.

MEDUSA — Julia “Julie” Sikule died on Thursday, Nov. 23, 2017, Thanksgiving Day, at her daughter’s Guilderland home, surrounded by family. She was 94. A generous and kind woman, Mrs. Sikule had moved from the city to the country unaware that she would become intricately connected to her community in Medusa.

BERNE — Bill Kelsey, a man of his word with many and deep commitments, died unexpectedly on Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2017. He was 74.

“From the response to his unexpected death, it’s obvious that he touched a great number of people,” his family wrote in a tribute.

Two women who were accused of abusing their animals this summer have had their cases resolved. A Berne resident who had been arrested for eight counts of abuse pleaded to one count. A dog breeder from Westerlo, who been charged with three counts of animal abuse, had her charges adjourned in contemplation of dismissal. The lawyer who represented both women said they never intended to harm animals.

Three applications for solar arrays in varying steps of the application process were reviewed at Westerlo’s planning board meeting Tuesday night, including one community solar project and two larger commercial projects.

A decision by the Albany County Supreme court was made to count two absentee ballots in the election in Berne, leading to a win by Democratic candidate Joel Willsey by one vote.

A court hearing held on Monday will determine whether two absentee ballots will be counted in the election in Berne, possibly determining whether there will be a Democratic or Republican majority on the town board. A decision is set to be made in the next 24 hours.

On Thanksgiving eve, just after darkness fell, 74-year-old William S. Kelsey of Berne was navigating the steep “Upper Letter S” curves on the edge of the Helderberg escarpment when he hit a deer, police say.

Two companies have proposed establishing solar arrays in Westerlo; one off of Route 405 parallel to a homeowner concerned about glare, and another at the former resort Shepard Farm, on Route 32.