Mayors Amy Praught of Johnstown and Gary Antonucci of Gloversville have endorsed Heather Scribner in the four-way Republican primary to succeed Assembly Member Robert Smullen in the 118th District.

Scribner, the Fulton County treasurer since 2021, faces Charles Potter of Gloversville, Christina VanValkenburgh of Johnstown and Chanda King of Johnstown. Smullen is running for the 21st District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, being vacated by Elise Stefanik.

“Heather understands the concerns facing our cities and supports responsible economic development with a clear vision to help communities grow, strengthen neighborhoods, and keep taxes affordable,” Antonucci said. “She is a true Republican at heart, and I have seen her consistently stand up for conservative values and fight for them across New York State.”

“I have worked with Heather on tax collection efforts and found her to be knowledgeable, professional and highly capable,” Praught said. “She has also demonstrated strong leadership and serves as a positive role model for women.”

“Mayors are on the frontlines of their communities and understand the complex needs of our neighborhoods and business corridors. I’m looking forward to working with them to help our small cities thrive into the future,” said Scribner.

The district includes Hamilton County, most of Fulton and Herkimer counties, and parts of Montgomery and Oneida counties.

The primary election is June 23; the general election is Nov. 3. No candidates from other parties have announced a campaign.

Albany Medical Center and Maria College on Friday announced the formation of a new clinic that will provide transitional care to patients and hands-on learning for students, with the ultimate goal of bolstering health care access in the Capital Region.

The clinic is set to open in the coming weeks and will be staffed by Maria College nursing students, who will be overseen by professional staff. The goal is to provide care for recently discharged patients who may not have a primary care provider but require ongoing care.

Dr. Lynn Ortale, president of Maria College, called the initiative an example of “collective genius” that aligns with the mission of both institutions.

“This will be a transformative initiative for our community,” she said.

The clinic will be located on the ground floor of the James J. Barba Physicians Pavilion at Albany Med and will serve patients by appointment only during the evening hours several times a week.

Funding for the clinic was secured through various philanthropic and public investments, including $200,000 from the Renaissance Corp. and a $75,000 contribution from Albany County. The Innovation Partnership, which is a collaboration between the county and Schenectady-based MVP Health Care, contributed an additional $75,000, while private donors chipped in an additional $58,700.

Albany County Executive Dan McCoy said the clinic is a “foundation to build on.”

Dr. John Schultz, the associate medical director for Albany Med, said the clinic is intended to serve individuals discharged from the emergency room who need close follow-up, but lack a primary care physician.

In the past, those patients had “no clear bridge” to follow-up care and would often end up back in the emergency room in worse condition, Schultz said.

Now those patients will be given an appointment at the clinic where they can receive care and access to other wrap-around services through the Trinity Alliance for the Capital Region, which connects patients to resources for things like food,........

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