The Warners Lake Improvement Association, which stewards Warner Lake, in Berne, is taking steps to have the name adjusted by the United States Board on Geographic Names to reflect local preference for Warners Lake.

To close an expected budget gap, two Republicans on the Westerlo Town Board are recommending cutting the Democratic supervisor’s two staffers after the Democrats and one tie-breaking Republican authorized the layoff of two of the highway department’s roughly seven workers. 

Westerlo Town Clerk Kathleen Spinnato announced at the town board’s special June 11 meeting that she would be resigning on June 21. On June 18, the town board appointed Deputy Clerk Karla Weaver as acting town clerk.

BERNE — On Saturday, a wildland fire at the Cole Hill State Forest was put out by the Berne and East Berne volunteer fire departments, aided by three state forest rangers.

Frank Bryant, of Westerlo, was arrested at his home on June 20 after police say he assaulted a man with a pipe on the side of County Route 404 in Westerlo, leaving the victim with broken teeth and a facial laceration.

Susan Story, an artist based in Rensselaerville, will use grant money to paint a nearly true-to-size apple tree, a project that she says honors the significance apples hold in the Helderberg Hilltowns, and New York State in general. 

HILLTOWNS — In an unprecedented election in terms of both process and turnout, Berne-Knox-Westerlo School District voters approved all items on the ballot this year, according to a district press release, sending

On June 14, over 100 people marched in Rensselaerville to support the Black Lives Matter movement and denounce racism nearly a month after George Floyd, a black man, died after a white police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes. The turnout left co-organizer John Arrighi “blown away,” and reflects the massive support for racial justice seen in predominantly white communities following Floyd’s death.

The Westerlo Town Board voted, 3 to 2, to authorize Highway Superintendent Jody Ostrander to lay off two of seven highway workers at his discretion. The vote comes after three weeks of debate over where the town can make cuts to balance the anticipated loss of sales-tax revenue because of the coronavirus shutdown.

In Knox’s first town board meeting physically open to the public since the coronavirus settled in March, Supervisor Vasilios Lefkaditis assured residents that the town is in strong financial standing despite projected sales-tax loss, which he credits to the town’s robust cash balance.