School board elections and budget votes, which are usually held the third Tuesday in May, will be held this year on June 9, according to an executive order issued today by Governor Andrew Cuomo.

The votes will be conducted by mail and all qualified voters will be sent an absentee ballot with return postage paid.

The recent spike in positive cases of COVID-19 is the result of widespread testing in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, said Albany County commissioner of Health Elizabeth Whalen. Her department is now testing some asymptomatic workers in hopes of identifying employees that may be infected but unaware.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand supports the creation of a Health Force, which she described as “an AmeriCorps for health care.” She explained, “We’d train a million workers over the next two months.” These workers would do testing and contact tracing and, once a vaccine is developed, administer the vaccine.

The Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York is, according to its director, eager to help people who need a lawyer’s advice when facing the repercussions of the shutdown meant to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced today that all schools and colleges in New York will remain closed for the rest of the academic year and will continue to provide distance learning.

“If you live with an essential worker, you have a job, too,” said Albany County Health Commissioner Elizabeth Whalen, naming: practicing good hand hygiene, wearing a mask in public, adhering to social distancing guidelines.

Here and now, in the midst of this pandemic, we have a situation where the most basic liberties — for example, to assemble — must be curtailed for the good of all.

Gary Greenberg, a Democratic candidate for the New York Senate’s 46th District, has been found ineligible for a ballot position in the state’s June 23 Democratic primary and said he’ll appeal the decision by the state’s Board of Elections.

These local students were named to the fall 2019 semester Dean's List at Colgate University, comprised of students with a grade-point average of 3.6 or higher:

— Grace DiRisio of Slingerlands;

— Erica Friedman of Delmar;

— Alexandra Richer of Slingerlands;

— Eliza Molinsek of Delmar; and