CLARKSVILLE — Blair Joseph Sala “went to be with God” on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024, his family wrote in a tribute. He was 47.
He was born on Jan. 17, 1976 in Albany to Joseph and Diane Sala of Clarksville.

NEW SCOTLAND — Jacob Timothy Albright was a seeker.

A gifted artist, an animal lover, and a musician, he loved to read and learn new things.

He died on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024 — “entering heaven to be with his grandmothers,” his parents wrote in a tribute. He was 39.

ALBANY COUNTY — Friends of Five Rivers has received $27,638 from the state to increase marketing and outreach throughout the greater Capital Region.

The award is “to ultimately drive up community engagement, membership, and volunteerism,” according to a Jan. 5 release from the governor’s office.

Geoffrey Stein, Clarksville

Vicky Plotsky, Albany County Legislator 38th Legislative District

NEW SCOTLAND — Local news out of New Scotland this year took on a decidedly national tone, with two major stories garnering media attention from outlets across the country.

Much as in 2017, the town is getting its regulatory ducks in a row because it’s “been approached by a couple of possible projects,” New Scotland Supervisor Douglas LaGrange said during the town board’s November meeting.

The increase, the first since 2009, raises minimum New Scotland senior household eligibility requirements from $29,000 to $50,000, and from $37,400 to $58,400.

“The most interesting section at John Boyd Thacher State Park are the layers in the cliff face that date to the Silurian and Devonian periods,” the National Park Service says, which are collectively referred to as the Middle Paleozoic Era, from 444 to 359 million years ago, a time in the Earth’s history characterized by high sea levels with expansion of marine invertebrates, reef communities, and fish. “This era also marks the emergence of plants and insects on land, and near the end of the Devonian Period, the appearance of four-legged animals.”

The latest changes, approximately $150,000 in total, were approved by the town board during its Dec. 13 meeting. But New Scotland taxpayers won’t be on the hook for overages, according to Councilman William Hennessy.