RENSSELAERVILLE — Last year, Tara McCormick-Hostash had an inspiration.

After directing “It’s a Wonderful Life” at the Guggenheim Theater, she looked out over the lawn of the Hilltown Commons and thought, “This beautiful green slope would be perfect to stage ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’”

Tanja Morse, 71, faces 41 charges related to animal cruelty after authorities seized 22 dogs, 15 horses, one cow, and several varieties of birds, all of which were kept without proper nourishment in “deplorable conditions,” according to Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple.

KNOX — Only 21 people voted in the Conservative primary for Knox highway superintendent but Joshua Gebe beat incumbent Matthew Schanz with 57 percent of the vote.

Rensselaerville Supervisor John Dolce has been looking into the viability of creating a new park dedicated to Jeffrey Bogue — who left the town $830,000 when he died — at the site of the town’s former landfill, a 53-acre property. 

The event will be held at Two Rock Ranch in Berne on June 21 from 3  until 7 p.m., featuring music, food, and an appearance from New York State Ag Commissioner Richard Ball. 

Members of the Knox Conservative Party can cast their ballots on Primary Day — June 24 — or during the early-voting period from June 14 through June 22. 

Charles Peck’s medal was awarded because he served on Merchant Marine ships during World War II.

Better and more affordable broadband options are needed in each of the four Hilltowns and, while some governments there have made giant steps toward getting them, the process is long and difficult, even in the best-case scenarios. 

The Rensselaerville Town Board recently cleared out all the red tape blocking the Kuhar Endowment Fund from being administered to local not-for-profits, but the delays and a lack of adequate publicity resulted in at least one organization not knowing it had to apply again. 

Berne-Knox-Westerlo’s $24.7 million budget, with a 3.3 percent tax increase, passed with 70-percent approval from voters, who also re-elected incumbents Matthew Tedeschi and Rebecca Miller to the board of education.