RENSSELAERVILLE — Judging by the applause, about half the crowd at last Thursday’s hearing opposed the plan for a 180-foot tower on top of Edwards Hill because it would mar the Catskill vistas while the other half favored the sheriff’s proposal because it would bring radio reception for emergency calls to parts of Rensselaerville — inc

WESTERLO — Brandy Lynn Riley, a woman who unearthed buried treasures and mined happiness from rocky ground, died on Friday, Aug. 7, 2015. She was 31.

“God gained one angel,” her family wrote in a tribute.

EAST BERNE — Michael E. Smith, who was happiest at Warners Lake, died peacefully at Memorial Hospital on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2015, after a long illness. He was 62.

He was born on Nov. 28, 1952 to Norman C. and the late Mary Geier Smith, in Albany. A graduate of Christian Brothers Academy, he attended The College of Saint Rose.

SCHOHARIE — The Depot Lane Singers, a 70-voice community chorus based in Schoharie, is looking for singers to join them for winter concerts as it begins its 37th season. Rehearsals will begin on Tuesday, Sept.

KNOX — The town of Knox and the Knox Historical Society will dedicate the new Plank Road Toll Gate 3 historic marker on Sunday, Aug. 9.  The event will begin at 2 p.m. in the Knox Town Hall on Route 156 with a brief review of all 14 historic markers in the town, and related historic documentation.