These local students were named to the dean’s list from their college or university for the spring 2019 semester:
— Miranda Thottam of Slingerlands, majoring in doctor of occupational therapy at University of the Sciences in Pennsylvania with a grade-point average of 3.4 or higher;

These local students were named to the spring 2019 semester dean's list at University of Vermont comprised of students with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher;
— Ainsley Broderick, of Slingerlands; and

— Eliza Jobin-Davis, of Voorheesville.

These local students have recently earned diplomas: 

GREENVILLE — Phyllis Barnes Magee, the mother of three sons and a beloved first-grade teacher for 40 years, died peacefully at the Daughters of Sarah Nursing Home on Thursday, May 28, 2020. She was 91.

She was born on June 21, 1928 in Catskill, the daughter of the late LeRoy and Syrene Brockett Barnes of the Town of Durham.

Gerald David Miller, whose adventurous spirit intertwined with an unwavering dedication to his family, died Friday, May 29, 2020, in Lady Lake, Florida. He was 56. 

Born in Niskayuna on April 10, 1964 to Gerald and Huberta Miller, Mr. Miller was, from the outset, easygoing and independent. 

Albany County Health Commissioner Elizabeth Whalen said, “Any time at a mass gathering, you’d be worried about exposure.” People in the peaceful protests on Saturday afternoon “by and large” appeared to be wearing masks and maintaining social distance, Whalen said. The crowds on Saturday night, she said, were “more concerning.”

Second Chance Opportunities Inc. has “created a virtual community” to help people in recovery from substance use disorder who have been isolated during the pandemic.

Dentists could reopen their offices statewide on Monday, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Sunday.

Dentists’ offices will be subject to state guidance on best practices for safety and social distancing.

Likening the uproar in Albany Saturday night to “being in battle,” Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy said, “I was as close as I felt to being in a war zone in downtown Albany — gunfire going, fireworks. It was pretty crazy. I said, ‘Man, I feel like I’m back in Iraq.’”

Going forward, after announcing 24 more deaths the county had been unaware of, Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy said on Saturday, “The nursing home is supposed to be reaching out to us …. This should never happen again.”

The new normal at Avanti Hair Studios in Guilderland will have stylists and customers in masks, staggered shifts, and vinyl curtains between workstations.