The Gazette News Group has added a second seasoned reporter to a role exclusively covering politics as part of its Community Journalism Fund. The Schenectady-based newspaper group has five daily publications and three weeklies across the Capital Region.

Ted Remsnyder, a SUNY Stony Brook graduate, will step away from his current beat as the City of Schenectady reporter and take on the role of political reporter within the Community Journalism Fund.

He joins veteran reporter Chad Arnold within the Community Journalism Fund program. Arnold was tapped as a Healthcare reporter in late October.

He joined me in the Daily Gazette podcast studio to talk about the move.

Town of Clifton Park Supervisor Phil Barrett announced on his personal blog Monday that he would not be seeking re-election.

First elected in 1999, he has served the Town of Clifton Park and Saratoga County on the Board of Supervisors for the past 26 years.

He did not return calls for comment on Monday from the media.

On Wednesday, Phil Barrett sat down in The Daily Gazette podcast studio with long-time Capital Region reporter Stan Hudy for an exclusive interview to talk about his decision and reflect on his successes in the Town of Clifton Park.

The word cancer makes almost everyone stop in their tracks -- when spoken about a friend, a loved one, and is heart-stopping when shared from a medical professional to a patient.

Breakthroughs continue to be made every day, but the word sparks a whirlwind of emotions and fear to everyone involved.

Devin Lyons knows is all too well about it and shares her story -- of a cervical cancer diagnosis, her fears and how she took the shocking news and shared it with other women. The day she was diagnosed, her upcoming procedures, her recovery, and then the subsequent news.

The Daily Gazette wrote about her journey, mentioned on the podcast.

She is an advocate for health, her own and that of others, many of whom she has never met.

She is close to me and my wife, we cannot imagine a life without her and are thankful for her having the courage to share her story.