One of the state’s new initiatives is a pilot program — including Albany — to detect the presence of COVID-19 in wastewater, which is designed to set up an early indicator system to forecast the virus spread in communities. “Believe it or not, you can find the presence of COVID-19 in wastewater,” said the governor during a conference call with the press on Friday.

Besides our empathy for indigenous people hurt by megadams, we also have concerns about the lack of scientific support that would make it clear this type of hydropower is good for the environment.

Local shops are open for business, but they continue to feel the effects of the pandemic.

The announcement that New York would reopen schools came against a backdrop in which a research team at the University of Florida isolated live virus from aerosols collected at a distance of seven to 16 feet from patients hospitalized with COVID-19, which is further than the six feet recommended in social-distancing guidelines. Although not yet vetted by peer review, the findings have raised concern about school reopenings.

The State University of New York College at Oneonta has announced graduates and students achieving honors for the spring 2020 semester.
 

These local students have recently earned diplomas:
 

— Jacob Ardman of Voorheesville, earned a bachelor of science degree in business economics;

These local students were named to the dean’s list from their college or university for the spring 2020 semester:
 

— Sean Gordon of Slingerlands, at State University of New York, Purchase College with a grade point average of 3.5 and higher; 

“While we cannot say this is a completely risk-free environment, we’re in a pretty good place,” said Albany County Health Commissioner Elizabeth Whalen of schools reopening in the county. “We’re probably in the best place possible.”

Guilderland has joined neighboring municipalities in approving the burying of a cable to bring electricity from Canada to the New York City area. Several citizens and a dissenting town board member raised environmental and human-rights concerns about the megadams producing the hydropower.

“The homeless tend to be very vulnerable to COVID and that’s because there’s a good percentage of them that are older and also have pre-existing conditions — diabetes, heart problems as well as issues with substance abuse and mental health and behavioral issues,” said Albany County Department of Social Services Commissioner Michele McClave.

The statewide school boards association as well as the state’s largest teachers’ union supported the reopening of in-person learning but with caveats.