VOORHEESVILLE — Gert Smith was “like a mother,” say many people who worked for her at the iconic Smith’s Tavern in Voorheesville. She cared for her employees like family and many emulated her strong work ethic.

An independent-living complex for people aged 55 and older is proposed for Johnston Road, near Westmere Elementary School.

The New York State Department of Transportation has taken steps to protect pedestrians at the intersection of State Route 146 and School Road.

GUILDERLAND — Last June, Shamel Greene was stopped on I- 87 in Guilderland by police who found illegal drugs in his car. Greene, 35, of Utica, was sentenced on Friday to eight years in state prison.

A program of five minutes a day a few times a week at school and five minutes at home each night works better than traditional longer therapy sessions, say two Guilderland school district speech-language pathologists.

ALTAMONT — Natalie S. Michaels “was a fun-loving person, whose smile would light up a room,” said her wife, Eileen Margaret.

“When I first saw her, that’s what I saw — just that smiling face,” Ms. Margaret said.

Natalie S. Michaels died at her Altamont home under hospice care on Dec. 30, 2017. She was 71.

The developer of an apartment complex would donate 23 acres to the town for use as open space.