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.

A proposed JROTC program at Berne-Knox-Westerlo Secondary School would depend on the feedback of the parents and students, as 10 percent of students must participate for federal funding.

A Berne GOP candidate has filed suit against the Albany County Board of Elections and his opponents in order to prevent two absentee ballots from being opened due to a former ruling specific to the county. These ballots could change the majority on the town board town board.