Linda VanAller Hernick, a former cytotechnician and paleobotanist, has written a book on exploring the world of freshwater microorganisms in ditches and ponds surrounding her Rensselaerville home. She hopes others will be encouraged to partake in this little-known study.

BERNE — The Berne-Knox-Westerlo Secondary School is excited to announce the formation of a Future Farmers of America chapter. The FFA is an organization that provides agricultural, educational, and leadership opportunities for students and young adults across the country.

RENSSELAERVILLE — In a four-way race for town board, the two candidates running on the Republican line won. Incumbent Marion Cooke, a Conservative, was the top vote-getter and Jason Rauf, a Republican making his first run for office, came in second.

In a race that had all seats contested, unofficial results show Republican nominees won the town supervisor and town board seats by narrow margins.

WESTERLO — In this rural Helderberg Hilltown, dominated by Democrats for decades, a Republican newcomer to politics, Richard Filkins, has ousted a longtime Democratic councilman, William Bichteman. Democratic incumbent Joseph Boone was the top vote-getter.

KNOX — Although Democrats outnumber Republicans in Knox by nearly 2 to 1, the Republican-nominated candidates took all of the seats up for election.

A Knox man was arrested after it was discovered he had a room full of weapons and explosives. After a call had been made concerning his suicidal declarations, police searched for him and found him at an East Greenbush motel.

The Berne-Knox-Westerlo capital project was approved by a wide margin. The $20 million project will fund infrastructure, security, design, and technology improvements for the district’s two buildings, primarily for the elementary school.

 The homeowner said that her son put up the flag to honor history, while a letter writer decried the flag as standing for racism and an army that fought for slavery and against the United States.