The New York State Legislature voted earlier this month to approve, along party lines, the Democrats’ version of the Independent Redistricting Committee’s plan.

Spyridon Galis has received $440,000 from the National Science Foundation as part of a collaborative cross-institutional research team led by the University of Rochester’s Institute of Optics, which is focused on processing quantum information as carried by photons, or particles of light.

Some counties in New York State are designated as “high” by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “We will allow them the flexibility to determine what’s best for their county,” said Governor Kathy Hochul in terms of masking in schools. Albany County is “medium,” meaning no masks are required.

These local students were named to the dean’s list or received a similar honor from their college or university for the fall 2021 semester:

— Kiera Wissing of Slingerlands, on president’s list majoring in nursing at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia with a grade point average of 3.9 or higher;

State University of New York College at Oneonta has announced students achieving honors for the fall 2021 semester.

These local students were named to the provost's list with a grade-point average of 4.0:

— Natalia Gibbons of Delmar, majoring in sport management;

These local students were named to the fall 2021 dean’s list at University of New Hampshire, with a grade-point average of 3.30 or higher:
 

— Kaitlin Davitt of Delmar, with highest honors;

— Katherine O'Keeffe of Delmar, with highest honors;

— Erich Fischer of Delmar, with highest honors;

The announcement follows changes in federal guidance on mask-wearing, announced on Friday, which Hochul said “surprised a lot of people.” Mask requirements remain in effect “for the time being,” Hochul said, in state-regulated health-care settings, state-regulated adult-care facilities and nursing homes, in correctional facilities, in homeless shelters, and in domestic violence shelters.

I live in Guilderland. Every day since the coronavirus hit town, Guilderland’s supervisor, Peter Barber, has sent out an advisory message in an email to residents.

Another Albany County resident, a man in his nineties, died of COVID-19 on Thursday, according to a Friday morning release from Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy. This brings Albany County’s COVID-19 death toll to 528.

Following are descriptions of the eight non-fatal hunting incidents recorded by the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation in 2021.

Small-game hunting: