Story of the Day: Recent Episodes
NCPR - North Country Public Radio
Get your daily dose of what's happening in New York's North Country, the Adirondacks, Vermont, Canada, and beyond. Host David Sommerstein presents the best stories from North Country Public Radio's award-winning newsroom. You'll hear the most interesting voices on the most important issues in the region. There's even a micro-newscast to keep you up to date. When you miss "going local" in your podcast feed, Story of the Day has you covered. 010329
(Nov 15, 2024) Even though it's "Forever Wild", the Adirondack Park keeps evolving. The APA allowed a garnet mine in North Creek to continue operating for decades. But a popular Boy Scout camp that's been in operation for more than 50 years is closing.
(Nov 14, 2024) A new pilot program is exploring a different approach to the region’s housing crisis. Three Adirondack nonprofits have teamed up to help homeowners turn existing short-term rentals, like Airbnb and VRBO, into more traditional long-term rentals. Also: Adirondack green groups react to Lee Zeldin's nomination to head the Environmental Protection Agency.
(Nov 13, 2024) The Adirondacks' population decline is in part tied to its whiteness. People of color often haven't felt welcome to visit or eventually move here. We look at efforts by the Adirondack Diversity Initiative to change that. Also: The Plattsburgh city council voted against launching an investigation into the police department and mayor’s office.
(Nov 12, 2024) Republican Elise Stefanik's nomination to serve as UN Ambassador could trigger a cascade of political maneuvering in a special congressional election. We look at Stefanik's trajectory and how Republicans and Democrats may field a new candidate. Also: Two Adirondack second homeowners have bought the Big Tupper Ski area. It was auctioned off to the highest bidder last week.
(Nov 11, 2024) We have reaction to the news that North Country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik has accepted President-elect Donald Trump's nomination to become US Ambassador to the United Nations. Also: A new novel released this year reveals the often-forgotten stories of the nurses who served in the Vietnam War. On Veterans Day, how that novel made a deep impact on one St. Lawrence County veteran who was a nurse in Vietnam.
(Nov 8, 2024) SUNY Potsdam graduated 17 men recently who are in state prison in Ogdensburg. Research shows people behind bars who pursue education arefar less likely to reoffend. Inside the graduation ceremony as the incarcerated men prepare to walk across the stage.
(Nov 7, 2024) The Great Meadow state prison in Washington County officially closed yesterday after months of community uproar. Local business owners are worried about how it'll impact the economy in the area east of Lake George. Also: The Plattsburgh city council is set to vote tonight on whether to launch an investigation into claims of wrongdoing by city police and the mayor's office.
(Nov 6, 2024) North Country residents brought a lot of worries and anxiety for our political system to the polls along with their votes, regardless of who they supported for president. We talk with people around the region about what motivated them on a dramatic Election Day. Also: North Country Congressman Elise Stefanik cruised to a sixth term, but she celebrated in Louisiana with House leaders, not in the North Country.
(Nov 5, 2024) It's Election Day! We talk with election commissioners about how they keep the vote secure and why you should be nice to poll workers when you vote. Also: A program in Syracuse is training veterans and their spouses to run for public office and hopefully bring their service-to-country mission to a divisive political system.
(Nov 4, 2024) There are seven state legislature races on North Country voters' ballots this week, but none of them are contested. We ask party leaders why they struggle to find candidates and what it means for democracy. Also: A handful of Congressional races further downstate in New York could have national implications for control of the House of Representatives.
(Nov 1, 2024) Every Halloween, students in Lake Placid parade down Main Street in their costumes. We listen to the squeals of delight and hear about some seriously creative and spooky costumes. Also: Voters in the Adirondacks are divided over the Equal Rights Amendment, which is the only proposition on the ballot this election cycle.
(Oct 31, 2024) On Election Day, North Country voters will cast ballots for more than just the president. We take a look at very local races - like town justice, county judge, and town boards - and the more immediate impact they can have on residents' daily lives. Also: Congresswoman Elise Stefanik kicked off the last week of campaigning with a speech to thousands of Trump supporters at Madison Square Garden, while her Democratic opponent Paula Collins debated herself in Glens Falls.
(Oct 30, 2024) New Yorkers will vote on a ballot measure on Election Day that proponents say will “enshrine abortion” in the state’s constitution. But not all legal experts agree it will have that effect. Also: Nonpartisan volunteers are holding events to inform voters for election day, but not many people are showing up.
(Oct 29, 2024) Federal subsidies ensure a daily flight from Ogdensburg to Washington DC no matter what, even if almost no one is on the plane. Why the new Breeze Airways flights are mostly empty. Also: More than 14,000 North Country residents cast a ballot in the first weekend of early voting, which runs through this Sunday.
(Oct 28, 2024) Flu season is almost here. Public health officials are encouraging people to get two shots at once while they're in the pharmacy or the doctor's office: one for the flu and one for COVID. Also: A recap of the only debate between U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and her Republican challenger Mike Sapraicone.
(Oct 25, 2024) This summer, an unlikely pair competed at the Lake Placid Horse Shows. A woman from Keene and Maya, a 14-year rescue horse, took fifth place as huge underdogs. Also: New Yorkers have until tomorrow to register to vote in the upcoming election. North Country volunteers recently held an event in Plattsburgh to get people signed up.
(Oct 24, 2024) The North Country's Congresswoman Elise Stefanik has taken on an increasingly national role as one of the Republican Party's top leaders and a loyal supporter of former President Donald Trump. Her backers in the North Country say she's remained plugged into local matters, too.
(Oct 23, 2024) This week and next, a lot of New York's colleges - including the entire SUNY system - are waiving application fees. It's part of an effort to make college more accessible and to boost enrollment. Also: The 2nd annual Crow Ride, where people dress up like crows and bike around Plattsburgh, returns tomorrow night.
(Oct 22, 2024) The apple harvest is a huge economic driver in the Champlain Valley. We'll meet some of the Jamaicans who pick most of the apples. Some of them have been working here on seasonal visas for decades. Also: A new Siena College poll finds Vice President Kamala Harris expanding her big lead over former President Donald Trump in New York State.
(Oct 21, 2024) Researchers at Cornell University are generating weekly price reports for the produce sold at farmers markets. They're hoping it will encourage farmers to charge what their goods are worth. Also: Last week New York celebrated a solar energy milestone a year ahead of schedule.
(Oct 18, 2024) An extremely rare copy of the predecessor of the Declaration of Independence is up for auction this weekend in Potsdam. The Articles of Association were the work of the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia in 1774. Also: A candlelight vigil to honor survivors of intimate partner violence and remember lives lost will take place in Plattsburgh this weekend.
(Oct 17, 2024) Twelve larger-than-life ‘Westport chairs’ were placed around the village in the Champlain Valley this summer, decorated by local artists. It's an art project as well as a public safety tactic. Also: A new program in Plattsburgh seeks to give people a safe place to recover from mental illness.
(Oct 16, 2024) Hurricane Helene left unimaginable devastation across the southeast, dropping 30 inches rain and washing away whole communities. A conversation with a New York Forest Ranger who was with a rescue crew there when the storm hit. Also: The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe is partnering with Cornell University to set up a "resiliency hub" to manage natural disasters and other kinds of crises.
(Oct 15, 2024) Short-term rentals have exploded in the North Country in recent years, and communities are grappling with how to regulate them. One big issue is how to tax them, or not. Also: The state is spending $1.5 million to fund Farm-To-School programs around the state.
(Oct 14, 2024) About seven bears have to be killed every year in the Adirondacks due to interactions with humans. A look into the data and the policies that have tried to keep bears in the woods and away from people. Also: More students are now eligible for up to $1,000 for college from the state Tuition Assistance Program.
(Oct 11, 2024) It can feel isolating being gay, lesbian, bi, trans, or questioning in a rural place, where there are fewer resources and places for like-minded people to gather. That's why the Adirondack North Country Pride Festival in Plattsburgh makes a difference. Also: The candidates to be Plattsburgh's next mayor faced off in a debate this week.
(Oct 10, 2024) Third parties are all but forgotten in this year's presidential election. But that doesn't mean they're not campaigning. A Socialist candidate for president came to Potsdam recently to recruit college students to the cause. Also: A preview of a hometown concert for world-class jazz vibraphonist Tim Collins in Plattsburgh on Sunday.
(Oct 9, 2024) Inspiration for poetry comes from everywhere. For Franklin County poet Jim Bourey, it comes from the old iron mines in Lyon Mountain. Also: The former Big Tupper ski area is up for foreclosure auction.
(Oct 8, 2024) Many white New Yorkers see the Adirondacks as a treasured place to recreate and enjoy the outdoors. But many people of color say they don't have the same connection to the park. An event in Blue Mountain Lake hopes to make the Adirondacks more welcoming for all. Also: A visit to the clocktower of Westport's library, where a mechanical clock has been ticking away for well over a century.
(Oct 7, 2024) Democrat Paula Collins faces steep odds against Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik in the race for New York's 21st Congressional District. She hopes she can attract voters disillusioned with former President Donald Trump and by extension, Stefanik. Also: The American Association of University Women is holding a non-partisan voter registration drive in Watertown tomorrow night.
(Oct 4, 2024) It's peak fall colors this weekend in the Adirondacks. NCPR reporters Emily Russell and Catherine Wheeler send us an audio postcard from a perfect hike up Floodwood Mountain north of Tupper Lake. Also: You have until October 26th to register to vote. Everything you need to get ready for Election Day.
(Oct 3, 2024) Musicians make art, but their work is also a job. A pianist talks about her musical process, and how it helps her connect with both body and mind, the latest in our North Country at Work series. Also: SUNY is working to get more students to vote during this year's elections.
(Oct 2, 2024) At last weekend's Mountain Biking World Cup in Lake Placid, the female athletes had a bigger profile than ever. We hear from fans and riders about the growing role of women in the sport. Also: Sen. Chuck Schumer is calling for increased coordination between local and federal agencies to deal with the mosquito-borne disease, Eastern Equine Encephalitis.
(Sep 30, 2024) We dive into how North Country residents are adapting to climate change. Also: Thousands of people were in Lake Placid over the weekend for the World Cup mountain biking races.
(Sep 27, 2024) A BOCES Culinary Arts Instructor in Gouverneur is the winner of a state award for her decades of work teaching North Country students how to cook. Also: ORDA has authorized improvements at several of the Olympic venues in the Adirondacks.
(Sep 26, 2024) Canada has put in place new rules to keep invasive species out of Seaway ships' ballast water. But US shippers say they're ineffective and are designed to force more cargo to Canadian ships. Also: Senator Gillibrand and Congresswoman Stefanik are proposing a rare bipartisan bill to focus more attention on people crossing the northern border illegally.
(Sep 25, 2024) A new nature preserve outside Saranac Lake is trying to find the balance between "Forever Wild" and the Adirondacks' growing movement for accessible outdoor recreation. We visit the Glenview Preserve with its iconic view. Also: People who speak indigenous languages want them included in the state's second language push.
(Sep 24, 2024) There are many initiatives to contain or remove invasive species from our land and waters. A Saranac Lake firm is offering free herbicide treatments on residents' land to fight the invasive Japanese knotweed plant. Also: New York state has approved a large-scale solar project on Rich Road in Canton.
(Sep 23, 2024) More and more students are going to trade school. In our North Country at Work series, what working life looks like post-graduation for one former BOCES student. Also: A grassroots movement to save a local sandstone from landfills could help with future historic preservation efforts.
(Sep 20, 2024) A tornado tore through a rural neighborhood between Warrensburg and Chestertown in July, one of the 32 record breaking twisters to touch down in New York this summer. Amy Feiereisel visited the site of the worst damage, where residents are still cleaning up two months later. Also: Former President Trump says he wants to remove a cap on tax deductions, but he's the one who put it there in the first place.
(Sep 19, 2024) Fire departments across the North Country are struggling to find the next generation of first responders for their communities. We meet a fire chief in Lowville who's dedicated his professional and personal life to being ready for emergencies. Also: We remember the North Country's go-to earthquake expert, Dr. Frank Revetta, who died Sunday.
(Sep 18, 2024) This summer, there's been increased attention to making the Adirondacks more accessible to people with disabilities. Earlier this month, Paul Smith's College hosted the first-ever festival that spotlights finding ways to allow all people to enjoy the woods. Also: New York State has experienced a record number of climate disasters so far this year.
(Sep 17, 2024) Public health officials are concerned about Eastern Equine Encephalitis, which killed one man in New Hampshire. Biologists are trying to find where it lives in mosquitos to protect humans. Also: A new initiative is trying to ramp up people getting trained for health care jobs in the North Country.
(Sep 16, 2024) The Adirondacks is losing a valued local journalist. A conversation with the Adirondack Daily-Enterprise's Elizabeth Izzo about the importance of covering local communities and building trust with the public. Also: An audio postcard from a rescheduled day 3 of the 90-Miler canoe race, after last week's leg was canceled due to cold and high winds.
(Sep 13, 2024) The DEC has bought two motorized devices to help people with disabilities enjoy the historic splendor of Great Camp Santanoni in Newcomb. We ride along with a disability advocate who says the court-ordered adaptations aren't enough to provide access for everyone. Also: The APA is weighing changes to the Adirondack Master Plan.
(Sep 12, 2024) The city of Plattsburgh has a new plan for its Greyhound and Trailways bus stop, after the companies caused traffic and other issues when they changed their stop suddenly. Cara Chapman reports on the new stop at the city's former farmers market location, and why it may not be the last change. Also: The scene from Saratoga Springs' 9-11 remembrance ceremony.
(Sep 11, 2024) The Adirondacks' master plan calls for research into how much human activity can damage delicate lakes and ponds. But that scientific work has never been done. There's growing pressure on the DEC to finally conduct "carrying capacity" studies for the Adirondacks' water bodies. Also: North Country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik clashed with former Governor Andrew Cuomo in a hearing yesterday over nursing homes during the COVID pandemic.
(Sep 10, 2024) Big factories near Plattsburgh are poised for more growth, but they're held back by a shortage of welders. A new program is training homegrown, North Country welders for free at Clinton Community College. Also: St. Lawrence County's environmental advisory group wants to recruit more members.
(Sep 9, 2024) Forest Rangers sometimes make double their salary in overtime, due to the demanding work schedule. But the state hasn't been willing to increase staffing levels for the people who conduct rescues through the Adirondacks. Also: The retirement of the city of Plattsburgh’s police chief later this month will reopen a leadership gap in the department.
(Sep 6, 2024) A hike up Goodnow Mountain in Newcomb for the annual lighting of the fire towers. Also: NCPR's David Sommerstein and Amy Feiereisel give us a preview of the Adirondack Canoe Classic, known as the 90-miler, from the starting line in Old Forge.
(Sep 5, 2024) Officials in Plattsburgh say the infrastructure left behind by the former Air Force Base there is failing. They want the federal government to do something about it. Also: Green groups that have been fighting the use of an herbicide in Lake George for years say they're ready to move on.
(Sep 4, 2024) For many people, retirement doesn’t necessarily mean being done with work. We meet a woman who's found a new career as an outdoor educator in Boonville. Also: Two people were charged in the murder of a 31 year-old in downtown Plattsburgh early Tuesday morning.
(Sep 3, 2024) Young educators from Akwasasne Mohawk territory are using dance to teach Adirondackers about indigenous history and culture. We sit in on a social dance with the Native North American Teaching College. Also: A former aide of Governor Kathy Hochul was arrested for allegedly conspiring with the Chinese government.
(Aug 30, 2024) Wooden boats are an essential part of the Thousand Islands' nautical heritage. We meet a man who is keeping that passion alive as an antique boat craftsman. Also: Democrat Paula Collins stopped in Plattsburgh this week in her longshot campaign to defeat Congresswoman Elise Stefanik in November.
(Aug 29, 2024) Cell phone bans in schools are a huge topic across the country right now. Some North Country districts are already 'cell phone-free campuses' and many more may follow suit. Also: Part of an island on Lower Saranac Lake burned Tuesday night after campers let a campfire get out of control.
(Aug 28, 2024) A mosquito-borne illness has killed several horses in St. Lawrence County and other places around Upstate New York. What you should know about eastern equine encephalitis, which is rare in humans but can be deadly. Also: High-profile Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin was in the Adirondacks last weekend for a Democratic fundraiser.
(Aug 27, 2024) A new mural in Plattsburgh aims to raise awareness about mental health and help reduce the stigma surrounding suicide. Also: The state officially opened the second leg of the Adirondack Rain Trail trail yesterday.
(Aug 26, 2024) Warren County is facing a budget shortfall, and it's considering raising the sales tax. A heated debate over what's the best way to close a budget gap in Glens Falls and the surrounding area. Also: We meet Tupper Lake's resident Santa Claus, who also has become a mascot for the community's Riverpigs baseball team.
(Aug 23, 2024) Believe it or not, cheating on your spouse is a crime in New York State, according to a 1907 law. A growing movement says you shouldn't have to serve jail time for adultery. They're trying to repeal the law. Also: Lowville's kindergarten and first graders will have to start school somewhere else because flooding has damaged their classrooms.
(Aug 22, 2024) The DEC recently had to euthanize a bear and her two cubs in Old Forge after interactions with people. A conversation about when and why environmental officers have to put down bears and what the public can do to keep bears in the wilderness where they belong. Also: Clinton County has a plan for a Clinton Community College building when the college moves to SUNY Plattsburgh next year.
(Aug 21, 2024) We remember the life of Adirondacker, criminal justice advocate, and civil rights icon Alice Green. She died unexpectedly Tuesday. Green was working on a project to bring Black Adirondack voices to the discussion of reparations in New York. Also: Last week, the Thousand Islands Land Trust acquired 1,000 acres of land in Jefferson County that includes tributaries to the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario.
(Aug 20, 2024) Lowville was hit hard by another round of flooding yesterday. We talk with a highway superintendent about sizing up the latest damage and reckoning with the increase in severe weather as climate change kicks in. Also: Gov. Kathy Hochul used a primetime speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last night to harshly attack a fellow New Yorker, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
(Aug 19, 2024) Franklin County is proposing a 500 mile network of trails for ATVs, but also for hikers and skiers. The question is how well can those users share the trails, and will landowners be willing to sign on? Also: Lowville has declared a state of emergency after heavy rains flooded the village for the second time this summer.
(Aug 16, 2024) All of the professional anglers at the Bassmasters Elite tournament on the St. Lawrence River this weekend are male. A workshop Saturday is trying to make space for women in the popular sport. Also: A nonprofit is using a mobile food pantry to address the needs of people who live in remote parts of the Adirondacks.
(Aug 15, 2024) The sisters of St. Margaret's convent have served the Adirondacks for over a century. They established a tuberculosis sanitorium in Gabriels, Mercy Hospital in Tupper Lake, and two nursing homes. The story of one sister who came here in the 1960s. Also: A climate change diary from a windsurfer on Lake Champlain who's noticing the water and wind shift.
(Aug 14, 2024) A new institute is helping students of color from New York City find their place in the Adirondacks and it’s history, civic life, and wilderness, and helping them feel like they belong. Also: A Cornell University student was sentenced to 21 months in prison for making threatening, anti-Semitic threats on campus.
(Aug 13, 2024) If you eat fresh caught fish, New York has advice on how to do so safely. We'll learn more about the most up-to-date fish advisories for the North Country. Also: Gov. Kathy Hochul visited Canton's fire department to thank first responders for their repairs and rescue efforts in the aftermath of last Friday's flooding.
(Aug 12, 2024) Composting is considered a crucial way to reduce landfill waste and help reverse climate change. But North Country towns have struggled to scale up composting programs. We meet a man near Saranac Lake who's trying to make it a business. Also: Franklin and St. Lawrence counties are cleaning up and fixing roads after Friday's heavy rain and flooding.
(Aug 9, 2024) During World War II, a former president of the Phillipines got tuberculosis and spent a lot of time recovering in Saranac Lake. The bond between the two places continues to this day, with a festival in memory of President Manuel Quezon. Also: We're following the heavy rains that could bring flooding tonight to big swaths of the North Country.
(Aug 8, 2024) Longtime NCPR reporter Brian Mann is covering the Summer Olympics in Paris. He gives us a behind-the-scenes look at covering the Games in one of the world's finest and most international cities. Also: The remnants of Tropical Storm Debby could dump up to five inches of rain across the North Country.
(Aug 7, 2024) The Six Nations Iroquois Cultural Center is tucked deep in the Adirondacks. It takes visitors deep into the indigenous history of our region. But it's a small space, packed with artifacts and exhibits, and it's looking to expand its museum to help build for the future. Also: A conversation with a professional angler as the Major League Fishing's bass pro tour is on the St. Lawrence River in Massena.
(Aug 6, 2024) Murals and other public art have become increasingly popular in the North Country, making downtowns look and feel better. In Glens Falls, a new annual event is turning mural making into a community exercise. Also: A new Siena College poll finds Vice President Kamala Harris has a 14 point lead in New York over former President Donald Trump, more than double the lead President Joe Biden had.
(Aug 5, 2024) St. Regis Falls' school is facing a crisis. Two-thirds of its teachers aren't coming back this fall. The school insists it's going to open with all of its classes in September. An investigative report looking into what happened and what's next for the St. Regis Falls central school district.
(Aug 2, 2024) The descendant of one of John Brown's raiders is coming to the John Brown Farm in lake Placid this weekend to serve a feast. A conversation with Chef Lewis Sheridan Hughes about his relation ship to the John Brown story and how he became a culinary activist. Also: U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand wants to create a mental health hotline for police, 9-1-1 operators, and other first responders.
(Jul 31, 2024) There are more voters in the North Country, but they're increasingly leaving the major parties and becoming independents. A look at voter trends in the region ahead of the elections. Also: A state pot of money to help people cool their homes is already empty with summer only half over.
(Jul 30, 2024) One in five Americans is a regular caregiver for a loved one. It can be isolating and overwhelming experience. In St. Lawrence County, a group gets together once a month for support and to help the helpers. Also: Residents in the town of Brasher are complaining about odors and water pollution coming from North Country Dairy, a milk processing plant.
(Jul 29, 2024) Scott Kotronis, a helicopter pilot in the Adirondacks, has flown thousands of lifesaving missions over his 30-year career. Our Adirondack reporter Emily Russell has a profile as he prepares to retire. Also: Local lawmakers and builders toured the former state prison in Watertown as the state seeks to redevelop it.
(Jul 26, 2024) Among the more than 10,000 athletes competing in the Paris Olympics, one basketball player hails from the North Country; the Haudenosaunee Nationals Lacrosse Team wants to compete at the 2028 Olympics under its own flag; and the new head of USA Luge is celebrating the upcoming return of the Winter Olympics to the U.S. in 2034.
(Jul 25, 2024) The city of Watertown is one of the few places in the county that has a nonpartisan political system. But does removing parties from the ballot make for better politics? We look into it. Also: North Country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is leading an attack against Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, saying she's responsible for problems on the southern border.
(Jul 24, 2024) Meet North Country Public Radio's newest voice, David Escobar. He'll split his time between the station and the Adirondack Explorer as he covers diversity, equity and inclusion in the Adirondacks. Also: North Country Forest Rangers were busy with rescues last week.
(Jul 19, 2024) Three of the five tornados that tore through upstate New York on Tuesday were reported in the southern Adirondacks. A National Weather Service investigator on how he confirmed the tornados and what damage he saw deep in the Adirondack backcountry. Also: Clinton County is at odds with Greyhound over the company's decision to change its bus stop.
(Jul 18, 2024) Some places in the Adirondacks were named with racial slurs because Black settlers lived nearby. A group of residents is trying to restore history by renaming those places with the settlers' real names. Also: New York will close Great Meadow prison in Washington County.
(Jul 17, 2024) What's it like to work in real estate when so many local families are struggling to find housing? We hear from a realtor in Indian Lake. Also: Great Camp Santanoni in Newcomb will have all-terrain wheelchairs and scooters available for visitors with mobility issues to use this summer.
(Jul 16, 2024) Border Patrol officials in the North Country say they're seeing record numbers of illegal crossings at the northern border. It's changing life for people who live in border towns like Mooers in Clinton County. Also: A powerful thunderstorm downed trees and caused flash flooding in Jefferson County this afternoon, including in Sackets Harbor and Watertown.
(Jul 15, 2024) Climate change is making the North Country warmer, and also wetter. That's leading to an unfamiliar problem for museum curators: mold in the archives. Also: North Country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik praised the selection of J.D. Vance to be Donald Trump's vice-presidential pick.
(Jul 12, 2024) What role does social media play in the lives of children today, and how controlled should it be? We asked, you responded. Amy Feiereisel comes in to talk about new legislation and how North Country families deal with social media. Also: The DEC is urging hikers to stay away from many High Peaks trails because the heavy rains have made water crossings impassable.
(Jul 11, 2024) The flood waters have receded in Lowville and Lewis County, leaving local officials to figure out how to repair the damage to roads, homes, and the public school. The heavy rains also damaged dozens of roads in Essex County. An update on the damage from yesterday's storm.
(Jul 10, 2024) State officials say the North Country could be the hardest hit region by the heavy rains today and tonight. New York's Homeland Security commissioner says climate change means these powerful weather events are becoming more common and we need to be prepared. We have the latest on the storm.
(Jul 9, 2024) Paddling races are a core part of summer Adirondack culture. The five-mile Willard Hanmer race was created in 1963, named after a well-known guideboat builder from Saranac Lake, and it's having a resurgence. Also: Canton's sustainability committee is documenting residents' home clean energy upgrades to unlock grants.
(Jul 8, 2024) Over the last twenty years, ticks and the diseases they carry, like Lyme disease, have spread rapidly in New York and across the Northeast. Scientists say human-caused climate change is one reason why, but it’s not the only thing driving their growth. Also: A statue of Harriet Tubman is on display at John Brown's Farm outside Lake Placid to honor the woman who helped dozens of Black people escape slavery.
(Jul 3, 2024) Lake George has been making headlines in the fierce debate over using an herbicide chemical to kill off Eurasian water milfoil in the lake. But other Adirondack lakes have been using the chemical with little controversy. Chateaugay Lake became the latest last Friday. Also: State regulators are getting closer to approving a large-scale solar project near the village of Canton.
(Jul 2, 2024) Climate change is altering the North Country's seasons year by year. Some people are documenting it with their own weather diaries. A conversation with a St. Lawrence County farmer who's tracking how the ecosystem around them is changing. Also: A healthcare network in Jefferson County is taking over a doctor’s office in Lewis County.
(Jul 1, 2024) The newest installation at the Wild Center in Tupper Lake features a long clothesline with about 150 pieces of clothing on it. It's a reminder of all the unseen labor that goes into producing our food. We pay a visit. Also: The ADK Land Trust will use a $3 million grant to build accessible trails in Saranac Lake and Lake Placid.
(Jun 28, 2024) Someone has to take care of all the artifacts and objects in a museum's collection. We speak with the conservator at the Adirondack Experience: The Museum on Blue Mountain Lake. Also: New York is making a new grant for available for co-locating solar panels amidst working farmland.
(Jun 27, 2024) Ash baskets are at the heart of Akwesasne Mohawk tradition and culture. But an invasive beetle may eventually kill all ash trees. How Mohawks are preparing now to keep the basket-making tradition going into the future. Also: The DEC is hosting a public, virtual meeting tonight on visitor use management in the Adirondack High Peaks.
(Jun 26, 2024) More than 200 people came to a public meeting yesterday in Clayton to show their opposition to a new border patrol facility on the St. Lawrence River. Many people said US Customs and Border Protection isn't being transparent or listening to local concerns. Also: Plattsburgh is abandoning its appeal to save a major downtown project because the developer wants to pursue a new one.
(Jun 25, 2024) All schools in New York have to start buying only electric buses in just four years. Pushback is coming from some legislators and school officials, but also from voters who can turn down their school's budget vote. Also: It's primary day across New York, but there are few competitive races around the North Country.
(Jun 24, 2024) Over the weekend, 30 North Country veterans of Vietnam, Desert Storm, and the Cold War flew together to Washington DC to visit the memorials to the wars they and their comrades served in. How North Country Honor Flight brings veterans to DC who might otherwise not get the chance. Also: An outdoor winter attraction in Lake George that used synthetic ice to protect against a warmer winter still couldn't make it work and won't return next year.
(Jun 21, 2024) The controversy over a small, largely undeveloped bay in the Thousand Islands comes to a head next week. U.S. Customs and Border Protection wants to build a new facility there. Local residents, politicians, and environmentalists want to stop them. Also: The Adirondack Park Agency approved the use of a chemical herbicide to kill an invasive plant in Lake George against objections from green groups.
(Jun 20, 2024) When we talk about the effects of climate change, we rarely hear about how it will affect older adults. A conversation with an expert about how to protect seniors who will be among the most vulnerable as the Earth warms. Also: Three carriers are competing to provide subsidized air service at the Plattsburgh airport.
(Jun 19, 2024) On Juneteenth, a conversation with the organizer of Juneteenth events in Watertown. Bianca Ellis hopes the holiday motivates people to learn more about Black history and excellence, and encourages people of African descent to tell their own stories. Also: Adirondack forest rangers rescued lost and injured hikers, helped stranded kayakers and found two deceased people in the woods last week.
(Jun 18, 2024) This week's heatwave is part of a trend of warmer, more extreme weather events in the Adirondack North Country. A climatologist from SUNY ESF on how the region's summer are changing and how we'll have to adapt. Also: State and local officials have set up cooling stations across the state and the North Country to help people who don't have air conditioning.
(Jun 17, 2024) Look out on Lake Champlain this summer and you'll see a set of large barges at work. They're laying 97-miles of electric transmission cables for the Champlain Hudson Power Express to New York City. How they do it, and criticisms of the project. Also: The popular Longway's diner near Watertown suffered major damage in a fire over the weekend.
(Jun 14, 2024) Researchers at Clarkson University are studying a rare, prehistoric fish that lives in the North Country's rivers. A search for the mooneye fish on a boat using electric current to bring up what's below the surface. Also: A celebration of life for a beloved Adirondack Forest Ranger and LGBTQ+ advocate who died in April will take place next week.
(Jun 13, 2024) June is Pride Month and there are celebrations from Malone to Lowville to Potsdam. Organizers say they're especially important in rural places like the North Country, where queer people may not feel like they have spaces to connect with each other and create community. Also: Wilmington passed a new law regulating short-term rentals like Airbnb and VRBO.
(Jun 12, 2024) Suicide used to be the thing no one wanted to talk about. An upcoming mural in downtown Plattsburgh aims to help prevent and break the stigma around suicide in the North Country. Also: Officials are throwing their support behind one airline to take over air service at the Ogdensburg airport.
(Jun 11, 2024) Ticks have become an expected, if unwelcome, part of North Country summers over the last twenty years. That means tick-borne diseases are more prevalent, too. A conversation with an expert about how to identify a tick bite and how to prevent them. Also: Rep. Elise Stefanik is on a shortlist of eight politicians being vetted to be Donald Trump's vice president.
(Jun 10, 2024) A woman relies on the money she makes waiting tables at a restaurant on a Lewis County snowmobile trail. But with warmer winters and less snow, the snowmobilers aren't coming and she's having a hard time. The latest story in our climate change series. Also: Some key items, like climate change and aid in dying, didn't get finished in the legislative session that ended over the weekend.
(Jun 7, 2024) The state legislature is scrambling to finish up its session for the year. Tension between Gov. Hochul and some state senate leaders over congestion pricing in New York City is making things harder. Also: Canadian border agents may go on strike this weekend.
(Jun 6, 2024) Sixteen townhouses went up for sale in Lake Placid recently, specifically for people who work in the Adirondack village. How the Fawn Valley development came together as a non-profit. Also: Gov. Hochul is proposing to turn three former adirondack prisons into private property.
(Jun 5, 2024) The North Country is in the midst of a housing crisis. At a recent housing symposium, officials talked about how unleashing small-scale projects will be key to addressing it. Also: A new weather tower in Lake Placid is now part of a statewide network that monitors climate data.
(Jun 4, 2024) The first big summer music festival in the region kicks off tomorrow night in Burlington, Vermont. A conversation with the guest curator of the Discover Jazz Festival, who's focused the lineup on young musicians who are pushing the boundaries of jazz. Also: A musical tribute to NCPR's morning host, Todd Moe, who's retiring on Friday.
(Jun 3, 2024) The last scheduled week of the legislative session started today in Albany. While some bills could still get passed into law, there's still a lot of disconnect on some big ones, including combatting climate change and regulating kids’ social media feeds. Also: In an updated statement about Donald Trump's guilty verdict last week, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik amplified her unfounded claims of corruption.
(May 31, 2024) The Adirondacks have become a major tourist destination over the last couple of decades. That's due in part to Jim McKenna, longtime CEO of the Adirondacks' Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism, or ROOST. McKenna retires today after 40 years. Also: A Boston woman who remade her life in Indian Lake, thanks to remote work options.
(May 30, 2024) Members of local hunting clubs have been raising concerns about a bill in Albany that proposed new rules for shooting ranges. They say it would hurt an increasingly popular sport among North Country youth, trap shooting. Also: State police are looking for leads after a woman was found dead in the trunk of an Enterprise rental car in Plattsburgh.
(May 29, 2024) It's not easy for school cafeterias to get fresh fruits and vegetables on students' plates, especially if they want that food to come from local farms. A new initiative in Clinton County will create a central hub that makes meals and sends them out to many schools. Also: Speaking of hubs, Cornell has a new central database of where people don't have high-speed internet access.
(May 28, 2024) A key bridge in the city of Kingston, Ontario has been closed for two months now. It's creating a hassle for commuters, and it's blocked St. Lawrence River tour boats from leaving the harbor. Also: A report on what might get done in the state legislature's last week of this year's session in Albany.
(May 24, 2024) Four veterans and one Gold Star widow from Jefferson County are sharing their stories about military life through original country music at a concert in Clayton, with some help from Nashville country musicians. Also: Eight Akwesasne Mohawks were arrested on Barnhart lsland near Massena for protesting the Mohawk land claim settlement talks.
(May 23, 2024) Gardening can be an affordable way to get fresh vegetables on the dinner table. But starting a garden can be daunting. A class in Potsdam this spring is teaching low-income people how to grow their own food in their own backyards. Also: A new Siena College poll finds that most New Yorkers want more regulation on social media for children.
(May 22, 2024) The Adirondack guideboat has become an icon of the North Country. But there are fewer and fewer craftspeople who still make them. We meet one of them in Blue Mountain Lake. Also: North Country motorsports fans have lost a legend in racing. "Barefoot" Bob McCreedie was a fan favorite during his 35-year career competing in LaFargeville, Brockville and Evans Mills.
(May 21, 2024) The number of students in the North Country's schools has been declining for decades. But the career and technical programs are exploding, with BOCES centers having to build expansions for a new generation of technical training. Also: Rep. Elise Stefanik was in the headlines over the weekend for two very different reasons.
(May 20, 2024) Libraries are always struggling for funding. Massena's library has been dealing with cuts by the town board. Tomorrow voters will decide whether to shift funding to the broader area school district. Also: Last week Governor Kathy Hochul was in Rome, for Pope Francis’s three-day climate change summit, where she spoke about New York's future energy and environment policy.
(May 17, 2024) A family business in Keene is navigating the tricky terrain of passing the torch from mother to daughter. And we join Emily Russell on a trail run to Clements Pond in the northeast Adirondacks. Also: An explosion at a great camp in Raquette Lake left a man and a boy with serious burns.
(May 16, 2024) New York State invested almost $20 million in Frontier Town as a gateway to the Adirondacks. But the place is underutilized, and new development is on pause due to legal issues over land titles. Also: St. Lawrence County public transit riders can now use a free mobile app to track buses in real time.
(May 15, 2024) A North Country school district is proposing to build a 16-acre solar array on its property. It would produce enough energy to power, heat, and cool the district's campus, and save half a million dollars a year. Also: The legislature is considering a bill that would close loopholes in the state’s sexual assault laws that helped lead to a reversal of the rape conviction of former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.
(May 14, 2024) The new temporary leader of the DEC is making the rounds around New York. Interim commissioner Sean Mahar says his priorities include land conservation in the Adirondacks and the state's climate agenda. Also: Gov. Hochul unveiled the design for a memorial to the ten Black people killed in a Tops supermarket in Buffalo two years ago.
(May 13, 2024) Senior citizens are among those experiencing what the U.S. Surgeon General calls a public health crisis in social isolation. A volunteer group in the Adirondacks is working to keep elders socially engaged one meet-up at a time. Also: The St. Lawrence Seaway officially opened its new visitors center overlooking one of the locks in Massena in a special ceremony today.
(May 10, 2024) All the flowers and hanging baskets people will be buying this Mother's Day weekend took months to grow and nurture. Inside a flower and plant wholesale farm in St. Lawrence County. Also: A lawsuit by former Governor Andrew Cuomo could effectively gut New York's ethics enforcement agency.
(May 9, 2024) From little league to adult softball to professional games, the North Country has baseball and softball games all spring and summer long. A new exhibit at the Chapman Museum celebrates the history and culture of America's pastime in Glens Falls.
(May 8, 2024) This year, NCPR's news team is reporting on climate change in the North Country and how we're adapting to those changes. To launch the series, Amy Feiereisel reports the results of our climate change survey, where we asked our audience about the changes they're seeing in springtime.
(May 8, 2024) This year, NCPR's news team is reporting on climate change in the North Country and how we're adapting to those changes. To launch the series, Amy Feiereisel reports the results of our climate change survey, where we asked our audience about the changes they're seeing in springtime.
(May 7, 2024) In Watertown, hundreds of people in the city don't have a stable place to live, and there's no permanent homeless shelter. A group of advocates recently held a week-long demonstration to raise awareness about homelessness in the city. Also: Gov. Hochul is apologizing for an off-the-cuff remark she made, saying that in the Bronx "some Black kids don't know what a computer is."
(May 7, 2024) In Watertown, hundreds of people in the city don't have a stable place to live, and there's no permanent homeless shelter. A group of advocates recently held a week-long demonstration to raise awareness about homelessness in the city. Also: Gov. Hochul is apologizing for an off-the-cuff remark she made, saying that in the Bronx "some Black kids don't know what a computer is."
(May 6, 2024) A controversial large solar project in Canton is raising questions about local decision-making power versus the need to find more sources of carbon-free energy. A public comment session about the Rich Road solar project is Tuesday night. Also: Environmental advocates say New York needs to cut plastic packaging in half to help save the planet.
(May 3, 2024) We remember the legacy of forest ranger and trans activist Robbi Mecus, who died in a climbing accident in Alaska last week. People who knew her best say she was an irreplaceable leader in the Adirondack community. Also: A court ruling this week paves the way for the use of an herbicide to fight an invasive species in Lake George.
(May 2, 2024) If you've raised kids in Plattsburgh, or are a kid yourself, you probably know "Mr. Ben." A profile of the children's librarian who's introduced the love of reading to loads of kids in the city. Also: Election officials are struggling to hire enough people to work the polls this year.
(May 1, 2024) Tahawus was a mining town built deep in the Adirondack wilderness. In the 1960s, everything in the town was either moved or buried. How it came to be, and why it disappeared. Also: Today is the first day of turkey hunting season, and the first day for catching several species of fish.
(Apr 30, 2024) It's migration season for birds, and New York is taking official action to help them fly safely. The Lights Out program is dimming the lights on all state buildings, and encouraging the public to get involved, too. Also: Over the weekend, former students from the Ivy Ridge boarding school in Ogdensburg called for something to be done about allegations of physical and mental abuse in the "troubled teen" industry.
(Apr 29, 2024) We remember Adirondack Forest Ranger and LGBTQ community leader Robbi Mecus. Mecus died in an ice-climbing accident in Alaska last Thursday. She had become one of the forest rangers' most influential and respected members.
(Apr 26, 2024) The Netflix documentary "The Program" exposed alleged physical, mental, and sexual abuse students were subjected to at a former boarding school near Ogdensburg. We talk with the filmmaker, who is also a former student, about what happened at Ivy Ridge. And we talk with people in Ogdensburg about grappling with Ivy Ridge's legacy.
(Apr 25, 2024) For the last two months, a nonprofit SPCA near Plattsburgh has been caring for almost 50 dogs seized in an alleged animal cruelty case. The organization's leaders say they've been stretched thin, but things are turning a corner as they ready the dogs for adoption. Also: Environmental groups say they'll push the New York State Assembly to approve a key climate change bill before the session ends in June.
(Apr 24, 2024) The new state budget includes the first-ever paid pre-natal leave policy in the country. Who that could help in the North Country, and whether it's enough to help pregnant people get the health care they need. Also: Efforts are underway to highlight the history of Harriet Tubman and other Upstate New Yorkers who fought against slavery with a new Underground Railroad Corridor.
(Apr 23, 2024) North Country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is leading the push to get the president of Columbia University to resign amid pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus. Also: A post-Earth Day walk with a poet on the shores of Lake Champlain in Crown Point.
(Apr 22, 2024) Akwesasne's Indian Time newspaper has been a groundbreaking indigenous media source for 40 years. But the paper is facing financial troubles and had to suspend publication for a month. Also: Some of the details in New York's new $237 billion budget.
(Apr 19, 2024) The Adirondack signs, brown with yellow writing, have become iconic symbols of the Adirondack Park. Have you ever wondered who makes them? They all come from one workshop in Northville. Also: The federal government is investing $6 billion in Micron's semiconductor chip factories north of Syracuse.
(Apr 18, 2024) People in North Creek in the southern Adirondacks are worried the only local nursing home is about to close. Elderwood's administrator says the future hinges on a $2.5 million state grant. Also: A new visitor center on the St. Lawrence Seaway will give people a great new view of the locks in Massena.
(Apr 17, 2024) Thousands of people flooded into the Adirondacks to witness the total solar eclipse last week. In Saranac Lake, some businesses saw big bumps in sales, while others came away a little disappointed. Also: An independent candidate is joining the crowded field to be Plattsburgh's next mayor.
(Apr 16, 2024) Glens Falls was the first community in the North Country to win the state's 10 million dollar revitalization grant. Eight long years later, the city can finally see the finish line for all its projects and improvements. Also: The hospital in Plattsburgh went into lockdown for a few hours yesterday, two months after police prevented a potential mass shooting there.
(Apr 15, 2024) A burial and funeral for a loved one can cost a family thousands of dollars. The government helps pay for the poorest people, but eligibility is low, leaving families to scramble for money when someone dies. Also: The state budget is two weeks late, and lawmakers are starting to point fingers.
(Apr 12, 2024) A nursing home in North Creek in the southern Adirondacks is teetering on the brink of closure. The problem is the way nursing homes get reimbursed by Medicaid. Also: A spring hike to a mighty waterfall, also in the southern Adirondacks.
(Apr 11, 2024) The worst predictions about eclipse gridlock and bare grocery shelves didn't come true Monday. But there was bumper-to-bumper traffic heading to the Northway. One pizzeria in Warrensburg started delivering to hungry motorists. Also: A deal to incentivize new affordable housing in New York is holding up the state budget.
(Apr 10, 2024) Colleges and universities are a pillar of the North Country's economy. Many are under severe financial stress right now. College communities like Canton, Potsdam, and Plattsburgh are worried about the future. Also: What to do with those eclipse sunglasses now that we won't see another in the North Country for decades.
(Apr 9, 2024) Many people had to work during the eclipse yesterday. At a hardware store in Canton, employees got creative and slipped up to the roof to get a perfect view. Also: A woman from Louisville in St. Lawrence County is trying to bring the community's historic town hall back to life.
(Apr 8, 2024) The eclipse! People from Canton to Tupper Lake to Keene on what totality meant for them on this extraordinary day in the North Country.
(Apr 5, 2024) Hermon-Dekalb Central School has been planning for months to make the total solar eclipse extra special for its students. They’ve been teaching astronomy lessons, doing science experiments and planning lots of fun activities for eclipse day on Monday, April 8. Also: North Country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik raised over $7 million in the first quarter of 2024. That’s the most money she’s ever raised in a single quarter. Stefanik was in the national spotlight in December when she questioned university presidents about on-campus antisemitism amid student protests against Israel's ongoing war in Gaza.
(Apr 4, 2024) A new report says emergency services are struggling across New York, and that they need more help from the state. We’ll hear from ambulance services in Jefferson and Warren counties. Also: Watertown’s city council has approved some short-term funding to keep Zoo New York open, but local leaders still aren’t sure about its long-term future.
(Apr 3, 2024) New York has decided to lock down its 44 state prisons for the solar eclipse on Monday, April 8. While others watch the moon block out the sun, inmates and some prison staff will be kept inside. Some may never have another chance to see a total solar eclipse; the next one in New York won’t be for another 55 years. A small group of inmates, including one from Lake Placid, is suing the state. They say watching the eclipse is part of their constitutional right to religious freedom.
(Apr 2, 2024) New York has an ambitious set of climate goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. One state mandate says every public school bus must be electric by 2035. That rule's gotten a lot of pushback from Republican lawmakers and some school districts. Today, reporter Amy Feiereisel takes us to the first place in the North Country to get electric buses on the road — Alexandria Bay Central School District.
(Apr 1, 2024) People seeking specialized medical care in the North Country often struggle to find doctors. Starting today, a visa waiver program that aims to increase the pool of foreign doctors in the region is opening up to specialty physicians. Also: A disagreement over increasing criminal penalties for retail theft is one of many issues delaying the state budget.
(Mar 29, 2024) We're all noticing much earlier signs of spring this year. But research at Paul Smiths College shows it's not an anomaly. Climate change is bringing spring many days earlier to the North Country. Also: State legislative leaders say the budget will be late again this year.
(Mar 28, 2024) As the North Country's population has declined and gotten older over decades, fewer people are volunteering to staff local fire departments. Who's going to put out the fires if there's no one at the fire hall? Also: The legislature passed several bills to combat climate change this session. They're now on Gov. Hochul's desk to sign into law.
(Mar 27, 2024) Many kids, often from immigrant families, use an Anglicized name at school and their given name at home. A writer speaking at St. Lawrence University Thursday talks about how her name shaped her identity. Also: Clinton County has $3 million in state funding to expand its busy industrial park.
(Mar 26, 2024) The Adirondacks are beautiful, but they can also be dangerous when people aren't prepared. Forest rangers rescued a lost hiker last weekend during a snowstorm who was suffering from severe frostbite. They say he's lucky to be alive. Also: State officials and emergency responders are ramping up for thousands of visitors for the total eclipse on April 8th.
(Mar 25, 2024) Lake George has long-awaited plans for new worker housing for the busy summer season. But unfounded concerns that the apartments would be used for asylum seekers threatens to derail the project. Also: State officials are warning people to stay out of the Adirondack backcountry on the day of the total eclipse.
(Mar 22, 2024) Two huge issues confronting American education and how they're playing out in the North Country. The government's fumble on financial aid that has hopeful college students in a state of limbo, and a teacher and school staffing shortage that has no end in sight.
(Mar 21, 2024) Clarkson University's women's hockey team is off to the NCAA Frozen Four for a semi-final match against Ohio State. Before they left, they high-fived some of their biggest fans: kids at Potsdam's elementary and middle schools. Also: A former Republican Plattsburgh mayor has entered the crowded field to win back his old job.
(Mar 20, 2024) There are more than 8,000 people in prison in the North Country. Visiting a loved one behind bars can be complicated and expensive. We hear from one mother. Also: Potsdam had a farewell rally today for Clarkson's women's hockey team, which is going to the national Frozen Four tournament this weekend.
(Mar 19, 2024) Journalist Ted Conover wanted to know what it was like to work in a prison. So he became a correction officer. A conversation about what he learned about life on the inside, part of our series this week on prisons in the North Country.
(Mar 18, 2024) Corrections officers in state prisons were once coveted jobs in the North Country with great benefits. But today almost 2,000 of those jobs are going unfilled. Why people aren't lining up to be COs anymore. Also: St. Lawrence County's district attorney is investigating dozens of claims of abuse at the Ivy Ridge boarding school in Ogdensburg in the wake of a Netflix expose on the school.
(Mar 15, 2024) Critics are attacking Representative Elise Stefanik for taking credit for federal funding in her district that she originally voted against in Congress. A conversation with a political scientist about the mechanics and ethics of bringing home the bacon from Washington. Also: The statewide burn ban takes effect tomorrow. State officials are warning the mild winter created ripe conditions for wildfires.
(Mar 14, 2024) Clinton County Sheriff David Favro is defending his handling of multiple sexual harassment and assault allegations by female former officers at the county jail. A petition has hundreds of signatures for Favro to step down. Also: State police have arrested the former director of a public housing complex in Jefferson County.
(Mar 13, 2024) It can be heartbreaking when a pet goes missing. A man from Malone is using a high-tech drone to search for missing dogs (and finding them!) Also: The St. Lawrence County district attorney is launching an investigation into abuse allegations from a Netflix documentary about a former boarding school in Ogdensburg.
(Mar 12, 2024) Thanks to Sunday's snowfall, there's still some skiing to be had in the Adirondacks. Great Camp Santanoni's winter weekend takes you deep into the mountains to a piece of Adirondack history. We have an audio postcard. Also: Assemblyman Scott Gray is calling for an investigation into a former boarding school in Ogdensburg that's the subject of a new Netflix series.
(Mar 11, 2024) The war between Israel and Hamas has generated concern and outrage among people here in the North Country. Every Monday night, folks gather in Saranac Lake to write letters to politicians calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Also: Advocates for New York's seniors say Gov. Hochul's proposed budget for the Office for the Aging should be doubled.
(Mar 8, 2024) The April 8th Solar Eclipse is a month away today, and that means that towns and villages across the North Country are revving up their preparations for the event. Indian Lake in the central Adirondacks is working on how to make smalltown infrastructure accommodate big crowds. Also: Clarkson University is shedding its graduate education programs as it continues its reorganization.
(Mar 7, 2024) When heavy rains flooded much of Vermont and parts of the Adirondacks last summer, biologists were concerned about sewer and stormwater contaminating Lake Champlain. They've been monitoring what's been happening in the lake since and are presenting their findings. Also: The state legislature is poised to restore cuts to school aid that Gov. Hochul says are important to right-size the system.
(Mar 6, 2024) Forest rangers had to respond to two simultaneous rescues on remote mountains in the Great Range of the Adirondacks. The rangers who answered the call tell the story of what they were up against and how they got the hikers out safely. Also: Southern Adirondacks Assemblyman Robert Smullen announced his young son died two weeks after being hit by a car.
(Mar 5, 2024) Volunteer snowmobile clubs that groom the trails are at the heart of the Tug Hill Plateau's massive sledding industry. A ride with a trail groomer dealing with unpredictable weather and melting snow due to climate change. Also: Doctors and athletic trainers are trying to get student-athletes and their parents to take concussions more seriously.
(Mar 4, 2024) Snowmobiling is an $80 million a year industry on the Tug Hill Plateau in Lewis County. But it's been missing the key ingredient this winter: snow. How snowmobilers and businesses see the future of winters with less reliable conditions. Also: A Syracuse woman launched into space last night, the second Black woman to be part of a long-term mission at the International Space Station.
(Mar 1, 2024) Can you actually learn history from war re-enactors? Reporter Lucy Grindon went to the Battle of Ogdensburg re-enactment to figure out what the War of 1812 was really about. Also: A Washington County man was sentenced to the maximum of 25 years to life for killing a young woman who accidentally drove up his driveway.
(Feb 29, 2024) The decision of Plattsburgh's mayor not to run for re-election is setting off a Democratic primary in the city, and debate about how the party endorses its candidates. Also: Thousands of people remain without power in the North Country after last night's wind storm. And, a special Leap Day birthday celebration!
(Feb 28, 2024) As the North Country prepares for the awe of the total solar eclipse on April 8th, we have the story of a retired science teacher in Clinton County who took a road trip to an eclipse in 1970. And he recorded the whole thing. Also: The Clinton County Sheriff's Office seized nearly 50 dogs from an animal shelter north of Plattsburgh.
(Feb 27, 2024) Anne Hampton was a free Black woman from Hudson Falls in the 1800s when her husband was kidnapped and enslaved. He's the subject of the Oscar-winning film 'Twelve Years a Slave.' A historian tells her story, part of our Black History Month coverage. Also: Democrats voted yesterday to reject a bipartisan commission's new Congressional maps and will instead draw their own.
(Feb 26, 2024) It takes very specific weather conditions for a lake to freeze up just right for skating. The last week has been perfect on the cliff-lined Cascade Lakes near Lake Placid, and hundreds of skaters have been out for wild skating. Also: Gov. Hochul says she'd be supportive if President Biden cracked down on the southern border.
(Feb 23, 2024) All this week, we're highlighting stories about Black history in the North Country for Black history month. Today, the story of how the Adirondack Experience in Blue Mountain Lake partnered with a Black artist last summer to bear witness to the site where a Black man was killed nearly a century ago. Also: Democrats have some options regarding how to deal with reshaped Congressional districts that could shift the balance of power in Congress.
(Feb 22, 2024) A public library in the town of Lake Luzerne is set to reopen next week, after almost half a year of being closed. The local community erupted with controversy last spring after the library invited a drag queen to come read books to kids. Last September, the librarian resigned. Now, five months later, the library has finally hired a new manager. Also: We hear from the DeKalb town historian about Black History in St. Lawrence County.
(Feb 21, 2024) February is Black History month, and this week, NCPR is re-airing stories from the past year that focus on Black heritage and life in the North Country. Today, we hear from the author and prison reform activist Alice Green, who grew up in a small mining community on Lake Champlain in the 1950s and '60s. When Green was a kid, her family was one of only two Black families in their town. She speaks about how her childhood in the Adirondacks has shaped her life's work.
(Feb 20, 2024) In the 1920s and '30s, the Ku Klux Klan terrorized people in St. Lawrence County. The white supremacist group drove out most of the area’s Black population over the span of a decade. Also: Clarkson University recently started a nine-month paramedic training program. Officials say they hope to double the number of paramedics in St. Lawrence County in the next year.
(Feb 19, 2024) This week, NCPR is delving into Black history in the North Country. In the Adirondacks, the legacy of Black land ownership stretches back to the 1840s.
(Feb 16, 2024) Tens of thousands of people have passed through the North Country's border with Canada over the last decade, traveling both north and south. An exhibition on display at SUNY Plattsburgh focuses on the humans behind that mass migration. Also: Voters in Elizabethtown and Westport said no to a proposed $66 million school for a merged district.
(Feb 15, 2024) A controversy is erupting in Saranac Lake over one of the participants in its famous Winter Carnival parade. A monster truck with a Confederate flag on it is raising questions about free speech and hate symbols. Also: More details are emerging about how police and a family member stopped a potential shooting at Plattsburgh's hospital.
(Feb 14, 2024) The Adirondack Loj at Heart Lake is fertile ground for love stories. On this Valentine's Day, a romance that blossomed on a work crew near the shores of Heart Lake. Also: New York state has reached an agreement with The Nature Conservancy to permanently protect more than 14,000 acres in the Adirondacks, including Follensby Pond.
(Feb 13, 2024) When two school districts merge, residents face a vexing question of which school stays and which goes, or do they build a whole new one? A school district in the Champlain Valley will vote on Thursday on a proposed $66 million new building. Also: A tragic love story that coined the name of one of the Adirondacks' most famous lakes. How Heart Lake got its name.
(Feb 12, 2024) In recent years, fewer people across the North Country have been signing up to host foster kids. That means foster kids are moving further and more often, switching schools, and risk losing touch with biological parents. Also: At a hearing last week in Albany, Assemblyman Scott Gray asked SUNY's chancellor for assurances that SUNY Potsdam will survive its deep cuts.
(Feb 9, 2024) The announcement that Plattsburgh’s mayor won’t seek another term has set off a race for the city’s top job in November. Democrats have already coalesced around Wendell Hughes. Also: The old Kraft plant in Canton is going to be empty after a manufacturer pulled out suddenly at the end of last year.
(Feb 8, 2024) With Valentine's Day around the corner, we asked NCPR's Texting Club for love stories! First up, a couple grew up down the street in Potsdam but it took a Halloween bash to bring them together. Also: An annual survey on the North County’s quality of life finds people are struggling with housing, child care, and inflation.
(Feb 7, 2024) The North Country has a severe shortage of tens of thousands of workers. A new initiative called Next Move New York aims to turn Fort Drum near Watertown into a workforce pipeline for the entire region. Also: The federal prison in Ray Brook in the Adirondacks is currently on lockdown.
(Feb 6, 2024) A recent Cornell University study throws the future of cold water fish species like brook trout into question. It found that 95% of Adirondack lakes have an oxygen problem that threatens the fish. Also: Congresswoman Elise Stefanik and Governor Kathy Hochul are sparring over congressional efforts to find a bipartisan agreement on border issues.
(Feb 5, 2024) Educators and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are fuming over the way Governor Kathy Hochul is funding schools in her new budget plan. Dozens of North Country districts would lose funding for the first time in years if the legislature doesn’t make changes. Also: A trial date has been set for next year for the man accused of a racist shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo in 2022.
(Feb 2, 2024) An upcoming exhibit at the Strand Center in Plattsburgh showcases the work of seven Black artists, many of them from the North Country. A conversation with one of the youngest artists in the group, Winosha Steele. Also: Plattsburgh's mayor announced this morning he won't seek re-election, setting up an election for the fourth mayor of the city in four terms.
(Feb 1, 2024) Some people can’t wait to retire. But others find their thing, something they never want to stop. We meet a duck decoy craftsman in Cranberry Lake. Also: A Canton mom is lobbying in Washington, DC to force tech companies to better protect teenagers from predation and addiction on social media.
(Jan 31, 2024) Local neighborhood centers aim to alleviate poverty and food insecurity throughout St. Lawrence County. We visit the center in Ogdensburg to learn more about how they work and what they provide. Also: Gov. Hochul has nominated a veteran Capital Region state trooper to be the new superintendent of the State Police.
(Jan 30, 2024) The Adirondack Park is one of the last ‘dark sky’ strongholds left in the eastern United States. Lake Placid is trying to make sure it stays that way with smarter lighting around the village. Also: The Adirondack Rail Trail is getting $13 million to finish the final phase of construction from Saranac lake to Tupper Lake.
(Jan 29, 2024) People have downloaded NCPR's podcast about far-right extremism in the North Country about 75,000 times so far. A conversation with hosts Emily Russell and Zach Hirsch about what they found and questions they still have. Also: The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe has reached a settlement with Monsanto over toxic chemicals that were dumped near Akwesasne in the 1970s.
(Jan 26, 2024) The percentage of babies born at home in St. Lawrence County is almost ten times the state's average home birth rate. And just one midwife delivers most of those babies. Also: Officials are warning people to stay off thin and unstable ice because of the mild winter we've been having.
(Jan 25, 2024) As part of our podcast on far-right extremism, If All Else Fails, we talk to New York's top security official, Jackie Bray. She explains why law enforcement and military involvement in the far-right is a threat, and why the far-left is not nearly as much of a security concern.
(Jan 24, 2024) Lowville was the big winner in the Downtown Revitalization grant competition this year, but Canton and Alexandria Bay are also getting millions of dollars. Gov. Kathy Hochul made that announcement in Lake Placid yesterday. She also laid out what's in the budget for the Adirondack Park. Also: St. Lawrence County has created a new map to guide potential solar power developers to land that's not best used for farming.
(Jan 23, 2024) A new state law bans hunting competitions for certain animals, like rabbit, squirrel, and coyotes. But those have been popular, family-friendly events in the North Country for years. We visit one of the last annual rabbit and squirrel hunts in St. Lawrence County. Also: A new commemorative coin for Underground Railroad legend Harriet Tubman could raise a lot of money for her historic home in central New York.
(Jan 22, 2024) North Country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik was campaigning for Donald Trump in New Hampshire over the weekend, perhaps an audition for a vice-presidential pick. What local GOP leaders think of Stefanik's close ties to Trump's presidency bid. Also: New York is sponsoring a special challenge patch in honor of the 100th anniversary of the state park system.
(Jan 19, 2024) Domestic anti-terrorism officials are very worried about far-right, anti-government extremist groups like militias, the Proud Boys, and the Oath Keepers. But there are a lot more unaffiliated people out there just scrolling on their phones - slowly getting radicalized. Episode 4 in our podcast, If All Else Fails.
(Jan 18, 2024) A sheriff in Fulton County was invited to join a far-right group. He was recruited by someone he knew but says he didn't realize how extreme the group is and now he's rethinking. Episode three of our podcast, If All Else Fails.
(Jan 17, 2024) In episode two of If All Else Fails, we meet Lewis County Sheriff Mike Carpinelli, who has ties to two far-right extremist groups. Homeland security officials are very concerned about law enforcement ties to the far-right.
(Jan 16, 2024) Episode one of our new podcast, If All Else Fails. Emily Russell and Zach Hirsch dive into the ecosystem of far-right extremism in Upstate New York and how concerned domestic anti-terrorism officials are about it.
(Jan 12, 2024) This week in Orlando, 51 contestants have been competing in the Miss America pageant. One of them has North Country roots. We meet Miss Vermont. Also: A preview of Gov. Hochul's budget plan that needs to close a multi-billion dollar deficit.
(Jan 11, 2024) Even though the student population has been declining for years, schools in the North Country have been reluctant to merge. Two small school districts in the Southern Adirondacks may buck that trend and are looking into becoming one. Also: Thousands of people remain without power in Jefferson County, where there's a state of emergency to help people get heat and water.
(Jan 10, 2024) North Country Republican state lawmakers say Gov. Kathy Hochul’s agenda for 2024 still spends too much money as New York faces a budget deficit. Also: Clinton Community College is going to move into SUNY Plattsburgh, leaving its own buildings empty.
(Jan 9, 2024) Marvel has a new superhero, and she’s Mohawk. People from Akwesasne went to the premiere of the animated feature, Kahhori, in Montreal to celebrate. Also: Governor Kathy Hochul laid out an agenda focused on crime, housing, mental health, and the economy in her State of the State today.
(Jan 8, 2024) Members of NCPR's Texting Club and people who respond to our topical surveys help shape the news and information you hear on our regional news shows. Today, a look at how our audience contributed to stories about the Ice Storm of 1998, libraries, murals, and health care last year. Also: Sen. Schumer says help is here for seniors paying high prices for prescription drugs.
(Jan 5, 2024) Local officials and regular people are proposing different ways to deal with the North Country's affordable housing crisis. One option taking shape in Lake Placid is a residential coop. Also: Governor Hochul is getting blowback from lawmakers about some bills she vetoed at the end of 2023.
(Jan 4, 2024) Communities throughout the North Country have been grappling with what to do about short-term rentals. The City of Plattsburgh decided to create a registry that sets standards and requires property inspections. Also: NCPR is launching a new podcast this month about far-right extremism in the North Country, called "If All Else Fails". We'll get a preview.
(Jan 3, 2024) We meet a boatbuilder in the southern foothills of the Adirondacks who combines classic style with high-tech materials to make ultra-light canoes. Also: According to a new report, New York State needs about 240,000 more homes for everyone who lives here, especially in rural areas.
(Jan 2, 2024) No one likes to have their name pronounced incorrectly. However, it's very common for Mohawk people. A SUNY Canton student is creating a pronunciation guide for Mohawk names to create awareness and make the campus more welcoming for students from Akwesasne. Also: The North Country is getting $8 million in state grants to help lower-income families repair, replace, and buy their first homes.
(Dec 29, 2023) Ticonderoga's main street has been filling back up over the last few years. As we listen back to our favorite stories from 2023, we meet the women working on Ticonderoga's renaissance. Also: Tomorrow is the Christmas Bird Count in Saranac Lake, part of a nationwide effort to document bird diversity in North America.
(Dec 28, 2023) For most of the month of December, a film crew was shooting a Hallmark-style Christmas movie in and around Lake Placid. We go behind the scenes at the Interlocken Hotel in downtown Lake Placid. Also: Lake George is the latest winner of the state's $10 million downtown revitalization grants.
(Dec 27, 2023) Teacher shortages continue to plague school districts across the US. Rural schools have it the worst, with small pools of applicants and tough competition with bigger cities. That’s putting a logistical and financial strain on North Country schools. Also: One of our favorite stories of the year, when people gathered in Plattsburgh on bikes, rollerblades and scooters to become a murder of crows.
(Dec 26, 2023) We’re listening back to our favorite stories of 2023. Emily Russell brings us a profile of a Mohawk beader who lives in the Adirondacks and rediscovered her culture through making jewelry. Also: the Plattsburgh city council confirmed the appointment of a new police chief last week
(Dec 22, 2023) It's natural to miss a loved one who's died during this holiday season. We talk with a psychologist who specializes in nostalgia about how to manage grief during the holidays and how to new traditions while honoring those who have passed. Also: The Children's Home of Jefferson County has been helping low-income families for 150 years. It's in the middle of its annual holiday fundraising campaign.
(Dec 21, 2023) The holiday season is full of joy and family. It can also be dark and cold, and a time to grieve loved ones and manage loneliness. We asked NCPR's Texting Club to tell us what you're thinking about at this time of year, and we report back. Also: St. Lawrence University in Canton is leaving positions unfilled and reducing its retirement obligations to employees to manage an $11 million dollar deficit.
(Dec 20, 2023) At colleges across the region, 'tis the season to get stressed out from final exams. St. Lawrence University is trying to help ease the tension with dog and cat petting sessions. Also: A public library in the Southern Adirondacks is getting closer to reopening after a controversy over drag queen story hour. Three new trustees were sworn in last night.
(Dec 19, 2023) Most Americans want to spend their old age at home. But there's nowhere near enough in-home care aides to take care of all the seniors who need it. A special report on the future of home health care and what happens when it's not available for those who need it.
(Dec 18, 2023) Experts agree home health care is the best way to help older adults live longer and healthier. In the first of a two-part series, what home health care looks like when it works the way it's supposed to. Also: Essex, Franklin, and Warren counties have declared states of emergency as heavy rains have flooded roads and property.
(Dec 15, 2023) Last year, more than 100,000 Americans died from an overdose. A conversation with a volunteer who runs recovery groups in Malone about the challenges of dealing with addictions in a rural area. Also: St. Lawrence County's public bus system is having its highest ridership ever this year.
(Dec 14, 2023) Plattsburgh has been hit with bad economic news lately, with Nova Bus and SterX closing. Good news came recently with Beta's all-electric airplanes expanding its footprint at the Plattsburgh airport. Also: Clinton County's sheriff spoke at a congressional hearing last week on how increased immigration is impacting emergency management services.
(Dec 13, 2023) Last summer, a Canadian environmentalist hiked 350 miles from the Adirondacks to Algonquin Park in the footsteps of a famous moose who did the same. The story behind Alice the Moose, and why she matters for wildlife protection. Also: SUNY's chancellor is one of the highest paid education officials in the country.
(Dec 12, 2023) Just a few years ago, Old Forge, in the southwestern Adirondacks, was a total child care desert. But that all changed when a child care center opened in a really convenient location - the local school. Also: School districts in the North Country are feeling the pinch of inflation in their annual budgets, and it's also taking a big chunk out of their capital improvement plans.
(Dec 11, 2023) A library near Glens Falls has been closed for over two months because of the fallout from a public controversy over a drag queen story hour that never even happened. The story of how the community became so divided and why the library had to close. Also: A court ruling says that New York state can continue to enforce laws banning firearms in certain sensitive locations, but it cut out some situations in the law as unconstitutional.
(Dec 8, 2023) There's a big shortage of physicians in the North Country. One new solution is to expand the pool of eligible doctors from other countries by offering more visas. Also: St. Lawrence County's first state-licensed cannabis dispensary opened in Potsdam yesterday.
(Dec 7, 2023) Literacy is key to communication and daily life. In Plattsburgh, we visit a volunteer-based not-for-profit that is helping people learn English as a second language to improve their lives and prospects in the US. Also: Olympic medalist and hometown hero Chris Mazdzer is retiring from his career in luge after one last World Cup in Lake Placid.
(Dec 6, 2023) Making musical instruments takes hours of precise and delicate work. The story of a guitar maker in Saranac Lake who pours patience, love, and hours of work into his guitars, which are on view in Old Forge. Also: A Lake Placid researcher is working to gather data about health care options for the North Country's LGBTQ+ residents.
(Sep 13, 2023) New York is ramping up its efforts to get out the word about the new COVID-19 vaccine. Gov. Hochul gave her first COVID briefing in awhile today. Also: A new poll finds a majority of New Yorkers say migrants currently living in the state should be granted work authorization regardless of their current immigration status.
(Sep 12, 2023) Outdoor adventurer J.R. Harris says the stories of African American explorers were either omitted or exaggerated in history. He's giving a talk at St. Lawrence University tonight night to set the record straight. Also: The federal prison in Ray Brook has been on lockdown, and families of inmates say they're not getting any information.
(Sep 11, 2023) When a bank of batteries at a solar farm caught fire in Jefferson County, it raised concerns about a technology designed to make renewable energy more reliable. What solar battery storage really is, how safe it is, and how it fits into the fight to reverse climate change. Also: A state Supreme Court judge has ruled New York's ethics commission is unconstitutional.
(Sep 8, 2023) Dirt track racing is a hugely popular sport on both sides of the border across the Northeast. Lucy Grindon reports from the Mohawk International Raceway, where she finds whole families racing, pit crewing, and sponsoring the cars. Also: Gov. Hochul is trying to get Charter-Spectrum to pay back customers for losing ESPN and other channels.
(Sep 7, 2023) This summer's wildfire smoke and strong thunderstorms have dampened tourism in places like Lake George. How climate change is affecting our summer economy just as much as our winter one. Also: SUNY is announcing a one million dollar program to fight food insecurity on campus.
(Sep 6, 2023) School starts this week, but districts are struggling with another lingering effect of the COVID pandemic: chronic absenteeism. How educators are trying to keep students from missing too much school. Also: The agency that oversees water flows on the St. Lawrence River plans to keep water higher this fall to help boaters in the Massena area.
(Sep 5, 2023) North Country seniors can now get the new vaccine against RSV, a respiratory disease. A conversation about the shot and how it interacts with other vaccines, like COVID and the flu. Also: The Board of Elections is warning of people going door-to-door impersonating election officials.
(Sep 1, 2023) The Elder Grove near Paul Smiths is a stand of eastern white pines that are hundreds of years old. We take a trip to experience the awe and the biology of how they've survived so long. Also: Two Watertown residents who helped steal former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s laptop during the January 6th Capitol riot face possible prison time.
(Aug 31, 2023) The village of Canton launched a pilot program to keep food waste out of the landfill and available for composting. But the dumpster's full of bees and bugs and garbage, and creating more problems than it's solving. Also: Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand toured Lake Placid's upgraded Olympic museum.
(Aug 30, 2023) New York State has taken a huge gamble by investing a billion dollars in the Olympic venues in and around Lake Placid. A conversation with the new CEO of the Olympic Regional Development Authority, who's in charge of making those investments pay off. Also: Tomorrow is the deadline for concealed carry permit holders to recertify following last year's changes to the state's gun laws.
(Aug 29, 2023) Even after the Roxham Road unofficial border crossing in Clinton County closed earlier this year, people seeking asylum in Canada kept coming. A local not-for-profit has been overwhelmed helping migrants stranded in and around Plattsburgh find food, shelter, and a new plan. Also: Meals on Wheels is contending with a severe shortage of drivers to help get food out to seniors who need it.
(Aug 28, 2023) A video of a violent incident at a demolition derby in Westport is raising concerns regarding police use of force. The Essex County Sheriff defends a deputy's decision to pull a driver out of his car and drag him to the ground. Also: An independent audit finds possible fraud in workers comp claims by corrections officers.
(Aug 25, 2023) Earlier this summer, the largest known eastern white pine was recorded in the southern Adirondacks. The tree, nicknamed “Bigfoot”, is about as tall as the Statue of Liberty. The story of the tree hunter who found it. Also: New York's first "Cannabis showcase" is running just down the road from the New York State Fair.
(Aug 24, 2023) Farmers markets help farmers sell their produce to the public, but they also create a hub of activity in North Country small towns. A relatively new farmers market in the town of Peru has become a bustling community center. Also: Gov. Hochul gave a statewide address about the migrant crisis Thursday.
(Aug 23, 2023) A court ruling has essentially halted the rollout of new cannabis dispensaries across New York. We explain why and what's next for the state's troubled legal marijuana program. Also: The Great New York State Fair opened today with a new director who's from Jefferson County.
(Aug 22, 2023) A special investigative report on a state child care grant that's making life harder for providers, not easier. New York's child care desert grant program has opened more daycares, but providers say it's riddled with red tape, unreasonable expectations, and no one to turn to for help. Also: New York's Attorney General is investigating the company in charge of helping 100,000 migrants in New York City.
(Aug 21, 2023) Plattsburgh was one of the early cities to get a $10 million downtown revitalization grant. But the city's plan has been tied up in the courts. Late Friday, a judge ruled against the biggest part of that plan, a major housing project in a parking lot downtown. Also: Advocates for honey bees are urging Governor Kathy Hochul to sign a bill that would ban a pesticide linked to beehive die-offs.
(Aug 18, 2023) The powerful storms causing flooding across the North Country are also leading to more runoff into Lake Champlain. And that means a greater potential for dangerous algal blooms. Also: A museum in Rochester is returning indigenous remains in its collection to the Oneida Nation.
(Aug 17, 2023) New York is seeing a small uptick in hospitalizations due to COVID. The state health commissioner says COVID has become a normal part of health care, and vaccines and medicines are available to keep people healthy. Also: Elections monitors in St. Lawrence County from June’s primary are still trying to get paid.
(Aug 16, 2023) A man from Long Island is saving street dogs from all over the world and bringing them to a new shelter in Canton. The problem is the dog shelter violates local code, and the neighbors are getting fed up with the noise. Also: A high-ranking forest ranger died by suicide last week, the second such death among forest rangers this year.
(Aug 15, 2023) State environmental officials are touring New York asking for input on how to spend more than four billion dollars on climate change mitigation and the environment. More than 120 people showed up at the listening session in Saranac Lake. Also: SUNY Potsdam is facing a $9 million deficit.
(Aug 14, 2023) This spring and summer have been especially busy in the Adirondacks. Nearly three times more people climbed Cascade Mountain this May than last May. We hear from Liam Ebner, the summit steward coordinator with the Adirondack Mountain Club.
(Aug 11, 2023) There’s something quintessentially summery about a long line outside an ice cream shop and a crowd of people chatting and enjoying a cold treat. A stop at Nadine's in Ogdensburg, one of the spots on NCPR's North Country Ice Cream Map. Also: A battery fire at a solar farm in Jefferson County is raising concerns about the green energy technology.
(Aug 10, 2023) Last fall, voters statewide passed the Environmental Bond Act. It allowed New York to borrow more than $4 billion to spend on climate mitigation and the environment. Now the state is asking New Yorkers how it should spend that money. A conversation with New York's environment commissioner. Also: Details on the tornado that touched down in Lewis County Monday night.
(Aug 9, 2023) Across the North Country, there's a troubling sign for democracy. More local public offices have no one to run for them. Also: Senator Charles Schumer was in Plattsburgh yesterday to promote a bill aimed at tackling the fentanyl crisis, and the CPB will explore other sites besides Blind Bay for a new customs station.
(Aug 8, 2023) Perhaps the most iconic view of the High Peaks is from Route 73 outside Lake Placid. The meadow in the foreground, and the view, have now been preserved in perpetuity thanks to a $2.3 million purchase by the Adirondack Land Trust. Also: New cannabis stores are on hold again after veterans sued, saying the state was prioritizing those with previous marijuana convictions over them for new licenses.
(Aug 7, 2023) More than 330 people responded to our survey about health care issues in the North Country. It was the first step in a news series we'll be doing this fall. Community engagement reporter Amy Feiereisel breaks down what you said about health care in our region.
(Aug 4, 2023) We take a trip to an iconic, and very pink, 50s-era diner in Malone. A tour inside Bokie's Diner, from one of its former high school employees. Also: Lake Placid is losing its ER starting later this month.
(Aug 3, 2023) As many people in the North Country struggling through a housing crunch, some groups are asking what would the best-case scenario be? They're using art to help people imagine what their dream house might look like. Also: Senator Charles Schumer visited St. Lawrence County to warn of problems for dairy farmers if Congress doesn't pass a new Farm Bill this fall.
(Aug 2, 2023) A bill that would require private health insurance and Medicaid to pay for biomarker testing for cancer patients will soon be sent to Governor Kathy Hochul’s desk. A profile of the ten-year-old cancer survivor who's become the bill's biggest advocate. Also: Pharmaceutical company SterRx plans to close its Plattsburgh facilities, affecting more than 150 jobs.
(Aug 1, 2023) Home prices and rents have risen dramatically across the North Country over the last five years. That’s led to a widespread housing crunch. But it’s also led to a bunch of new, small, affordable housing projects across the region. Also: The Diocese of Syracuse has reached a landmark $100 million dollar settlement with hundreds of sexual abuse survivors.
(Jul 31, 2023) We may wish that summer will never end, but the new school year isn't so far away. Now's the time to get children their vaccines. A conversation with a public health specialist on why it's important for everyone. Also: State highway 28N between Long Lake and Newcomb is finally back open after the heavy rains washed it out three weeks ago.
(Jul 28, 2023) Because there are so few child care centers and daycares in the North Country, more families have been turning to an alternative called "legally exempt" child care. A friend, family member, or neighbor can be approved to watch your children, in your home, and the state will pay for it. Also: An Adirondack hiking guidebook for kids that has great trail tips for people of any age.
(Jul 27, 2023) A profile of Champlain Area Trails, a network that's providing public access to more and more natural gems in the Champlain Valley through hiking trails, many across private property. Also: The City of Burlington has a temporary fix to a broken sewer pipe that dumped untreated sewage into the Winooski River for two weeks after the heavy rains and floods.
(Jul 26, 2023) A leaked police report reveals details about a violent altercation between Saranac Lake's mayor and village manager. The incident comes as the village government has been dealing with a tense atmosphere and multiple resignations. Also: We take a summer cliff-jump swim in Copperas Pond in the High Peaks.
(Jul 25, 2023) Community centers in small North Country towns can become hubs for community. In the little hamlet of Whallonsburg in the Champlain Valley, an old garage has become a gathering spot for artists, craftspeople, and the public. Also: Green groups say this summer of smoke and floods is the time to put pressure on Albany to pass more climate change measures for New York.
(Jul 24, 2023) Thousands of people from all over the world crossed into Canada to seek asylum by way of the unofficial border crossing known as Roxham Road in Clinton County. A special report about one couple from Venezuela who risked it all to cross and what happened to them on the other side.
(Jul 21, 2023) One of the most beloved and storied racehorses of the last fifty years died over the weekend. He was owned by a group of friends from Sackets Harbor. Also: updates on flood recovery efforts across the Adirondacks.
(Jul 20, 2023) Experts say to expect more wildfire smoke and poor air quality days this summer. We hear from a veterinarian on how to protect your pets and animals. Also: you might soon see cannabis for sale at farmer’s markets, fairs, and festivals.
(Jul 19, 2023) Last week’s flooding devastated roads, homes, and communities in the Adirondacks. We hear from the owners of an historic resort in Blue Mountain Lake that have a lot of clean-up and rebuilding ahead of them. Also: New York county fairs are pitching their tents and opening their doors, and safety inspectors are checking the rides.
(Jul 18, 2023) NYS is pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into the 1980 Winter Olympics facilities in Lake Placid. Will it pay off? Also: the Paul Smith’s College merger has fallen through, and the Diocese of Ogdensburg has declared bankruptcy.
(Jul 17, 2023) The largest environmental nonprofit in the Adirondacks, the Adirondack Council, has a new leader. He talks about conservation goals, diversifying the park, and a holistic approach to governing the Adirondack wilderness. Also: Warren and Saratoga are the latest counties to launch a start-up program for in-home child care providers.
(Jul 14, 2023) The central Adirondacks are cleaning up from Monday's heavy rain and severe flooding that damaged homes, roads, and bridges. A visit to Long Lake, where people are trying to figure out what they can rebuild and what may be lost forever. Also: The DEC is urging hikers to avoid trails at high elevations and by rivers and streams due to high water in the backcountry.
(Jul 13, 2023) More students are enrolling in BOCES technical programs to learn a trade, like automotive technology, culinary arts, and welding. A visit to a graduation where students and their families say they're seeking alternatives to traditional four-year colleges, and there’s money to be made in the trades. Also: An appeals court is ordering New York to redo its congressional district maps again.
(Jul 12, 2023) A new training to get commercial drivers licenses has become a major obstacle for people seeking to enter the profession at a time when plow and truck drivers are in short supply. Massena's public works department is solving the problem by offering the training for free. Also: An update on flood damage in Long Lake.
(Jul 11, 2023) Vermont was hit hardest by the heavy rains and flooding Sunday and Monday. We hear from residents there, as well as in the central Adirondacks, where there was also significant damage. And we get tips on what to do if you come across high water.
(Jul 10, 2023) St. Lawrence County's only city doesn't have a single major child care center. The Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority, better known for bridges and factories, is working on building a center that would serve hundreds of families. Also: Heavy rains that caused severe flooding in the Hudson Valley are also causing damage in Clinton County and other parts of the North Country.
(Jul 7, 2023) The Adirondacks are a prime location to study climate change because the region straddles ecological zones of the boreal north and places much further south. Adirondack ecologist Steve Langdon says peatlands are a special bellwether for climate change inside the Blue Line. Also: New York is putting the brakes on a proposal to sell legal marijuana at farmers markets.
(Jul 6, 2023) The announcement last month that Nova Bus is pulling out of Plattsburgh blindsided local leaders and the 350 people who work at the plant. Now the workers and the community are pivoting to what's next in Plattsburgh's economic future. Also: New York has raised the maximum age to enter training to become a state trooper from 29 to 34.
(Jul 5, 2023) The Northern Forest Canoe trail is hundreds of miles long, starting right here in the Adirondacks. Our Adirondack reporter Emily Russell heads out on a paddle in the popular Raquette River stretch near Tupper Lake. Also: A new dog shelter outside Canton has gotten more than a dozen noise complaints from neighbors.
(Jul 3, 2023) The state of Vermont is starting a truth and reconciliation process to take a hard look at its history of eugenics. Official policies resulted in the institutionalization of thousands of people in the early 1900s. Also: New York officials are preparing for smoky conditions and air quality alerts to be the "new normal" this summer.
(Jun 30, 2023) One benefit of small-town life is that people step in to help each other out. In Saranac Lake, that’s kind of become a tradition when local businesses move from one location to another. Also: An Akwesasne hockey player was drafted into the NHL by the Anaheim Ducks.
(Jun 29, 2023) The wildfire smoke is back in the North Country, with an air quality advisory for all of New York State Thursday. A Clarkson University air quality expert on what's happening and how you can protect your health. Also: Two hiker shuttles in the Adirondacks may not be running this summer.
(Jun 28, 2023) Most North Country families now qualify for state help to afford child care, but few people know that. Why New York is raising the income threshold for child care assistance to $99,000 for a family of four, and what that means for the child care industry. Also: Results from a handful of primary elections Tuesday, including for sheriff in St. Lawrence and Lewis counties.
(Jun 27, 2023) With rhubarb season winding down, we take a walk through a prolific rhubarb patch at a roadside stand in St. Lawrence County. Amy Feiereisel sends an audio postcard. Also: Adirondack forest rangers returned this week from helping to fight fires way up north in Quebec, the same ones that are bringing unhealthy smoke to the North Country.
(Jun 26, 2023) There's a new varsity sport for high school girls to play. Flag football has gotten support from NFL teams like the New York Giants and the Buffalo Bills and will have its first state championship next year. We profile a team in Clinton and Essex counties. Also: Gov. Hochul signed into law a measure that protects medication abortion providers who help people in states where the practice is outlawed.
(Jun 23, 2023) The Adirondack Center for Writing has been celebrating Pride month through June. This weekend transmasculine poet-in-residence Elliot Pecora gives a workshop and we have a preview. Also: The Ottawa Jazz Festival kicks off today with hundreds of musicians taking the stage over the next week.
(Jun 22, 2023) Classes about agriculture have become increasingly scarce in North Country schools. A program at Salmon River in northern Franklin county gives students a chance to grow vegetables for their school cafeteria. Also: New York is cracking down on illegal cannabis shops as it seeks to establish its own network of legal recreational marijuana stores.
(Jun 21, 2023) The Olympic Regional Development Authority has exploded into a state-funded giant pouring money into winter sports venues in Lake Placid. NPRs Brian Mann joins us for a conversation about ORDA’s “billion dollar bet”.
(Jun 20, 2023) New York's Office for the Aging is conducting a statewide listening tour as it develops a four-year strategic plan for the state's seniors. In Gouverneur, access to daily food and help dealing with technology were top on people's minds. Also: Gov. Kathy Hochul attended the grand opening of a new hotel in Schroon Lake.
(Jun 19, 2023) A special Juneteenth episode, with voices from Saturday's celebration in Potsdam, a Burlington organizer reflects on Juneteenth's meaning, and a deep dive into Black settlers' history in the Adirondacks.
(Jun 16, 2023) 4-H offers academic support and enrichment through hands-on, fun learning at dozens of school districts around the region. We visit the 4-H after-school program at LaFargeville in Jefferson County and talk to lots of cute kids about what they love about 4-H. Also: Gov. Kathy Hochul launched a youth mental health summit amidst what she called a crisis among teens.
(Jun 15, 2023) The Adirondack Park Agency's headquarters has been in the same aging building in Ray Brook since the APA was born in the 1950s. A plan is emerging to bring the APA out of the shadows to downtown Saranac Lake. Also: We get words of wisdom from Frank White, a Canton resident who turned 105 years old this week.
(Jun 14, 2023) Summertime means lots of opportunities to explore the North Country's history and culture by boat. Fort Ticonderoga offers sunset cruises of Lake Champlain that take you back to the war before America's independence. Also: The state education department says students can choose the name and gender they want to use at school without having to inform their parents.
(Jun 13, 2023) Frank White remembers the tiny hamlet of Pyrites, outside Canton, back when it was a bustling paper mill town before and during the Great Depression. White turns 105 year old today. Also: Two former officers are suing the Clinton County Sheriff's office for harassment when the two women were on the job.
(Jun 12, 2023) Rural high schoolers are less likely to pursue higher education. In Ellenburg Depot, a college and career readiness program uses unique tools, like a peer mentoring program, to build confidence in students. Also: Lawyers argued in court whether to change New York's political district lines, again.
(Jun 9, 2023) Communities across the North Country are celebrating LGBTQ culture and equality with events during Pride Month. The organizer in Glens Falls says a welcoming community is crucial to the region's future. Also: It looks like Albany won't get much done on housing issues that were deemed critical at the beginning of the year.
(Jun 8, 2023) Despite the hazy and unhealthy air conditions caused by the Canadian wildfires, hikers are still going into the Adirondack High Peaks. Hear more about those hikers from Wade Bastian, of the Adirondack Mountain Club. He spoke with NCPR's Emily Russell at the Adirondack Loj in North Elba.
(Jun 7, 2023) A conversation with Clarkson University professor Suresh Dhaniyala about the haze in the air from wildfires burning in Quebec. The North Country usually has exceptionally good air quality, but Dhaniyala says the amount of particulate matter in the region's air right now is as bad as it is in some of the most polluted cities in the world.
(Jun 6, 2023) Local government officials and some local veterans held a groundbreaking event recently to celebrate Plattsburgh's soon-to-come Battlefield Memorial Gateway park. The park's construction has been delayed by the pandemic.
(Jun 5, 2023) In late March, two families drowned in the St. Lawrence River. They’d come from India and Romania, and were trying to cross into the United States. Their bodies were found in Akwesasne Mohawk territory, and a Mohawk man who’s believed to have been transporting them by boat is still missing. David Sommerstein spoke with the editor of Akwesasne’s Indian Time newspaper about how the drownings affected the Akwesasne Community.
(Jun 2, 2023) A bill to expunge criminal records of people who have served their jail time may be the only measure that has a chance to pass in the final days of New York's legislative session. What else is getting attention and what's getting left behind. Also: Plattsburgh is partnering with the YMCA to fund youth sports programs.
(Jun 1, 2023) There is a strong youth movement worldwide to address climate change. Two Adirondack high school students recently attended a youth climate summit in Ontario and met with the famous conservationist Jane Goodall. Also: A part of the debt ceiling bill that passed the House is a measure that would force older food stamp recipients to find work to keep their benefits.
(May 31, 2023) There are dozens of dams in the Adirondacks that are considered high hazard, meaning they pose a serious risk if they fail. What if they do fail, and what their owners and the state are doing to repair them. Also: As much as half of New York's grape crop may have been lost to the frost and freeze in mid-May.
(May 30, 2023) A conversation with new St. Lawrence Seaway Administrator Adam Tindall-Schlicht about invasive species, the prospect of year-round navigation, and being the youngest and first openly gay person to hold the position. Also: Jefferson County is hiring a new point person to help the area's homeless population.
(May 26, 2023) Tomorrow, a Ukrainian boy who survived the start of the war will graduate from a boarding school in the Adirondacks. Yehor's journey from bombed buildings to the North Country School in Lake Placid. Also: Akwesasne recognized Missing and Murdered Indigenous People's Awareness Month in May with marches and a round dance.
(May 25, 2023) Lead is very dangerous when ingested even in small amounts, yet there are still lead pipes in some water systems. Warren County has developed a website that teaches residents how to check for lead pipes in their homes and report their results. Also: The government is offering incentives for people who get food benefits to shop at farmers markets.
(May 24, 2023) Residents of Wolfe Island, where Lake Ontario empties in the St. Lawrence River, have been waiting a lot lately. The government-run ferry they rely on to get between home and mainland Canada has been plagued by mechanical and labor problems and is often delayed. Also: The St. Lawrence Seaway's new administrator was in Massena to unveil a new tugboat.
(May 23, 2023) You might think mud season is over, but it's not in the High Peaks. There's still three feet of rotten snow, and rangers are having to rescue hikers. How you can hike safely over Memorial Day weekend. Also: Gov. Hochul is trying to make it easier for some 80,000 new migrants to New York to be able to work jobs in agriculture.
(May 22, 2023) A huge problem for the local food movement is getting locally-grown produce from tons of small farms scattered across the region into the kitchens of consumers. A new $500,000 USDA grant centered in Tupper Lake aims to create a new distribution system. Also: Gov. Hochul is considering housing newly-arrived migrants on some SUNY campuses, but details are still fuzzy.
(May 19, 2023) May and June are the most common times for ticks to be active in the North Country. A tick expert on what to look out for and how to enjoy the outdoors while avoiding getting ticks on your body. Also: A grand jury has indicted the Washington County man accused of shooting and killing a 20 year-old woman when she and friends drove up the wrong driveway.
(May 18, 2023) When a loved one dies, the logistics can be as overwhelming as the emotions. A new book on the 40th anniversary of Hospice of the St. Lawrence Valley tries to lay out a clean plan for those painful end-of-life decisions. Also: The longtime director of the Adirondacks' Olympic venues is stepping down.
(May 17, 2023) A new report by the surgeon general lays out the severe health and societal dangers of isolation and loneliness. A conversation with the director of the state office for the aging about ways older adults can stay engaged with family, friends, and their communities. Also: The hospitals in Potsdam, Massena, and Gouverneur are the last major healthcare facilities to drop their mask mandates.
(May 16, 2023) New York City is running out places to house asylum seekers, but neighboring counties aren't stepping up to help. And no, the end of Title 42 didn't cause a surge of migrants at the northern border here in the North County. Also: Lake Ontario is cresting, making flooding highly unlikely this year.
(May 12, 2023) The Adirondack Park Agency had a busy day Thursday, approving an herbicide to kill off an invasive weed in Lake Luzerne and settling a long debate over how many miles of roads should be in the Park. Also: Local county health departments are pivoting to what's next after the national COVID-19 emergency is officially over while continuing to remind people that COVID is still a health risk.
(May 11, 2023) Higher elevation trails in the Adirondacks are still off-limits due to mud and erosion concerns. But all the sun is firming up trails to lower peaks. Emily Russell and a childhood friend head up Bald Mountain for a view of Lake George. Also: A dozen arts organizations across the North Country got state funding for capital projects to keep their arts programming strong.
(May 10, 2023) Beginning this year, New York will start to withhold federal dollars it usually sends down to counties to pay for Medicaid. Counties worry that could mean higher taxes and cuts to services. Also: The state is monitoring water levels on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River that are creeping closer to flood stage.
(May 9, 2023) Rebecca Bammert got bullied a lot as a kid in Warrensburg. Today she's a social worker there and is writing a comic book series about living life despite the bullies. The story of 'Lonely Girl'. Also: More than 2,700 people have signed a petition to try to save SUNY Potsdam's theater and dance program.
(May 8, 2023) Albany made more reforms to New York's bail reform laws as a part of the state budget deal. A conversation with an Albany Times-Union reporter who's been digging into the changes. Also: Tuesday night's a chance to give your comments on a new master plan to manage a surge in hiker traffic in the Adirondacks.
(May 5, 2023) The new book by Adirondack children's book author Maxwell Eaton III is the first in a series about a young girl honing her wilderness skills in the Adirondack Park. Also: SUNY Plattsburgh is holding a "self-care summit" this weekend that's open to the public, aiming to help people learn how to take care of themselves.
(May 4, 2023) Local reaction to the newly passed state budget. Adirondack environmentalists say it's great for conservation and climate change measures. Republican lawmakers say it's bad for bail reform and the state's overall financial picture.
(May 3, 2023) Ogdensburg in St. Lawrence County is turning 155 years old. A few recent transplants talk about what they love about the city. Also: Albany passed a $229 billion dollar budget late last night, including changes to bail reform laws, the minimum wage, and new requirements to shift people to clean energy.
(May 2, 2023) Clinton County is one of 15 counties nationwide that will be part of this year’s snapshot of health and nutrition in the United States. The results from residents will help drive public health policy across the country. Also: SUNY Potsdam is cutting its theater and dance department by half, even though the college is recognized across SUNY as a hub for performing arts education.
(May 1, 2023) A new housing study found that there's a shortage of more than 20,000 housing units for workers in the Adirondacks. A conversation with a regional planning group trying to get to the bottom of the housing crisis and find answers. Also: A beloved ice cream stand in Chateaugay burned down late last week.
(Apr 28, 2023) Getting local fruits and vegetables into school cafeterias is good for kids and for farmers' businesses. But the obstacles are many. Two schools in St. Lawrence County meet with a farmer to try to overcome them. Also: The details of a framework for a budget deal between Gov. Hochul and legislative leaders announced last night.
(Apr 27, 2023) A handful of hospitals in rural areas like the North Country get special status, and funding, for providing basic services far from other, larger hospitals. Malone's Alice Hyde Medical Center is seeking that "critical access" designation to better serve the community. Also: The spotted lanternfly hasn't been reported yet in the North Country, but officials encourage folks to be on the look out.
(Apr 26, 2023) Just to the north of us, Montreal is world-famous for its diverse music scene. A unique battle of the bands for pan-African musicians is plumbing the deep creativity and expertise of immigrant communities across the city. Also: Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo is suing the state ethics panel that's investigating him for wrongdoing.
(Apr 25, 2023) A tiny town in the Adirondacks is investing in a clean energy future. The Whallonsburg Grange Hall in Essex County celebrated the installation of solar panels on its historic building over the weekend. Also: Nurses at the hospitals in Potsdam, Canton, Gouverneur, and Massena are picketing for better staffing levels as they negotiate a new contract with St. Lawrence Health.
(Apr 24, 2023) The Glens Falls Post-Star won a Pulitzer Prize in 2009. Today, it's been hit hard by layoffs. Its former editor Ken Tingley says the demise of local journalism threatens American democracy. Also: An update on talks in Albany as the state budget approaches a month after the deadline without a deal.
(Apr 21, 2023) It's the 53rd Earth Day tomorrow, a day to roll up our sleeves and do something tangible for the environment. Volunteers will clean up along the Ausable River, which has been subject to ongoing restoration for several years now. Also: A bipartisan independent commission has finally redrawn state Assembly district maps.
(Apr 20, 2023) State leaders say they're at the "beginning of the end" of budget talks. But bail reform, an ambitious affordable housing push, and higher wages for home care workers are holding things up. Also: Democrats are pushing for low-income families' monthly food assistance checks to be higher, while Republicans want to tighten who can get them.
(Apr 19, 2023) Now that migrants can't seek asylum in Canada by going to Roxham Road in Clinton County, people from Turkey, Afghanistan, Congo, and many other places are stranded at a convenience store in Plattsburgh, trying to figure out what's next for their lives. Cara Chapman spoke with them. Also: A man from Connecticut fell 40 feet while rock climbing near Keene and suffered significant injuries.
(Apr 18, 2023) A planned drag queen story hour at the Lake Luzerne library has brought the culture wars over LGBTQ expression to the Adirondacks. The state Board of Regents voted unanimously to ban the use of indigenous-themed school mascots.
(Apr 17, 2023) The weekend's sun and heat gave a lot of people the bug to go out hiking. But because it's still mud season the DEC says not to hike above 2500 feet. Emily Russell sends an audio postcard from a perfect spring hike just above Warrensburg, Also: The village of Massena is needing to do serious repairs to its veterans memorial park along the Grasse River.
(Apr 14, 2023) The library in Old Forge is a very busy place in a very small town. The secrets to how the director keeps it the hub of the community. Also: The Adirondack Park Agency is taking public comment on shortening the public comment period at its meetings.
(Apr 13, 2023) Libraries are some of our most democratic institutions, where you can read books, do research or take the kids to story hour, all usually free. Our NCPR Texting Club shared stories about their favorite libraries and librarians, and today we report back. Also: Construction in and around the city of Plattsburgh is changing some things up this summer.
(Apr 12, 2023) The social options in the North Country's small towns are limited. In Gouverneur, Bingo nights every Wednesday are something to do and raise money for local causes. Also: With the warm, dry weather the state is reminding residents that fire danger is elevated and the statewide burn ban is still on until mid-May.
(Apr 11, 2023) The Adirondack Land Trust wants to open a big tract of land with mountain views near Saranac Lake to the public. But neighbors of the property aren't thrilled about an increase in traffic nearby. Also: As the state budget impasse drags on, the legislature is passing extenders to keep the government funded.
(Apr 10, 2023) A mysterious good news story is unfolding in Lake Champlain. Lake trout are reproducing on their own in numbers not seen in decades. A conversation with a DEC biologist about what's behind the rebound. Also: An assistant professor at St. Lawrence University is suing another professor for sexual assault, and also suing the university, claiming it mishandled its investigation into the incident.
(Apr 7, 2023) If you've ever read the Adirondack Explorer, or many other publications about the Adirondacks, you've probably seen Nancy Bernstein's distinctive maps. A profile of a woman with many distinctions across years of illustrating the geography of the Adirondack Park. Also: Akwesasne Mohawk police now believe a missing man is connected to events that led to eight people found dead in the St. Lawrence River.
(Apr 6, 2023) A national green group is suing a Jefferson Country dairy farm, claiming its manure is polluting the St. Lawrence River. But the state DEC says the farm is in compliance with environmental regulations. Also: Six months after New York's chief judge stepped down, Gov. Hochul is still trying to find her successor.
(Apr 5, 2023) Schools across the North Country are on edge after a false shooting report and a bomb hoax in less than a week, on top of the recent school shooting in Nashville. North Country lawmakers on the record about school safety. Also: The prospect of additional bail reforms is holding up the state budget.
(Apr 4, 2023) A bill in the state legislature would grant student journalists similar press freedoms as their adult colleagues. Students went to Albany to press for limiting censorship in school newspapers. Also: Gov. Hochul says 50 schools around the state, including more than a dozen in St. Lawrence, Warren, and Washington counties, were disrupted by a bomb scare hoax today.
(Apr 3, 2023) The majority of the North Country voted for Donald Trump in 2020. Ahead of his arraignment tomorrow in New York City, Emily Russell spoke with Trump supporters and critics in the Adirondacks. Also: Gov. Hochul says last week's shooting hoaxes that shut down many schools may have been called in from another country.
(Mar 31, 2023) The state budget, which is due April 1st, will be late this year. Gov. Hochul made that clear in an interview with public radio's Karen Dewitt Thursday. Hochul and the legislature are still far apart on ongoing bail reform, SUNY tuition, and how much to spend and how much to save in New York's budget. Also: A large-scale school shooting hoax put several North Country schools on lockdown yesterday.
(Mar 30, 2023) The last 50 or so schools in New York that still have native-themes mascots finally have to change. Unlike some who have dealt with community strife, Glens Falls city school district is choosing a new mascot smoothly. Also: A new report finds veterans' health care is severely understaffed to handle mental health issues.
(Mar 29, 2023) Paul Smiths College is one of just a handful in the country that teach students how to work with draught horses. A late-winter sleigh ride. Also: A Watertown woman faces up to 20 years in prison for helping to steal former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's laptop during the January 6th Capitol riot.
(Mar 28, 2023) Canton, Potsdam, and Saranac Lake are joining dozens of other towns across New York looking into a new way to buy electricity. An explanation of Community Choice Aggregation and how it could boost renewable energies and maybe save money on electric bills. Also: Refugee advocates are worried about what happens next now that the unofficial border crossing at Roxham Road is closed.
(Mar 27, 2023) Old Forge has a serious need for affordable housing. Yet the community just said no to a 50+ unit affordable housing complex. How income, race, and who's welcome in Old Forge fit into the decision. Also: Sister Carolyn Madden, a key figure in the Adirondack educational arts community, has died.
(Mar 24, 2023) Enrollment at New York’s community colleges has declined by more than 30% over the last decade, creating a financial pinch with costs going up. Clinton Community College's faculty in Plattsburgh wants a raise, but the college isn't finding the money. Also: The US and Canada have reached an agreement that could close the Roxham Road unofficial border crossing in Clinton County.
(Mar 23, 2023) The community of Ticonderoga is having a moment. The longtime paper mill town got a $10 million state downtown revitalization grant, and now a group of women entrepreneurs is breathing new life into the village's main street. Also: The St. Lawrence Seaway opened this week for its 65th season of international shipping along the St. Lawrence River and Great Lakes.
(Mar 22, 2023) This winter has been weird, with big temperature swings. It's put apple trees at risk of early bud break and worried farmers. A Cornell expert says it's not time to panic, yet. Also: The St. Lawrence Seaway has a new administrator, and he's familiar with the lock operations in Massena.
(Mar 21, 2023) With an uptick in the number of people trying to cross the border from Canada, Republicans have made northern border security a major talking point. But their numbers are misleading. Also: The Adirondack Park Agency is working through a thorny debate over how many roads should be in the Park.
(Mar 20, 2023) The Assembly wants to spend $6 billion more on the state budget than Gov. Kathy Hochul does. A debate over priorities and the roadmap for where New York is headed as the budget deadline approaches on April 1st. Also: Sen. Chuck Schumer was in Watertown to warn of the dangers of the drug, xylazine.
(Mar 17, 2023) In preparation for its first-ever Pride festival, Potsdam is bringing together LGBTQ people for a "speed-friending" networking event this Sunday. Also: The Adirondack Park Agency debated the rules over building or changing boathouses on Adirondack lakes.
(Mar 16, 2023) Hispanic farmworkers live in the shadows on many North Country dairy farms because they fear getting deported. A new book uses the anonymity of comics to allow the immigrants to tell their stories. Also: A bill in the Senate would make $25 million available to help families of people who are dealing with addiction.
(Mar 15, 2023) For years, people seeking asylum in Canada have been crossing the border at a tiny road in Clinton County. A new surge in migrants is straining resources in Quebec, and leading to calls for the unofficial Roxham Road border crossing to close. Also: children in New York are performing below the nationwide average in a key standard test.
(Mar 14, 2023) Child care is a problem in pretty much every North Country community. A children’s museum in Ticonderoga, the paper mill town in Essex County, has unexpectedly been filling a niche for part-time child care. Also: Canton's boys basketball team is headed to Glens Falls Friday for the Class C state championships.
(Mar 13, 2023) The New York Republican party voted to return its former chairman, Ed Cox, to the top position. Also: Marriage for people under the age of 18 is illegal in New York. Across Lake Champlain, Vermont is considering passing a law that would do the same, arguing child marriages aren't healthy for the child.
(Mar 10, 2023) The Adirondacks don't always feel welcoming for people of color. The Adirondack Diversity Initiative was created to change that. We talk with its new director. Also: The City of Plattsburgh is looking into allegations of misconduct by leaders in its police department.
(Mar 9, 2023) The state is offering people property tax breaks to be volunteer firefighters or EMTs. But it's not reimbursing towns and villages for that lost tax revenue. Also: local food pantries are seeing an increase in need, as people who get assistance paying for food are getting about $100 less starting this month.
(Mar 8, 2023) A judge slowed down plans to use an herbicide to kill an invasive weed in Lake George. A look at the history of Eurasian watermilfoil in the lake and the threat it poses to the village’s huge tourism industry. Also: Police in St. Lawrence County charged a Lake Placid man with murder and may soon charge him for a second death from last month.
(Mar 7, 2023) Rep. Elise Stefanik was a featured speaker at the marquee conference for conservative politics over the weekend. In addition to bashing the Biden administration, she repeated debunked false claims about federal investigators. Also: Sen. Chuck Schumer supports a bipartisan bill to enhance rail safety after the derailments in Ohio.
(Mar 6, 2023) The emerald ash borer poses an existential threat to Akwesasne Mohawks' centuries-old tradition of basket making. A Mohawk biologist on how they're using science to try to outsmart the invasive beetle and save the ash trees. Also: The Adirondack Park Agency has been on the losing side of two recent court cases.
(Mar 3, 2023) BETA Technologies in Burlington is in a race to make the first commercial all-electric airplane. The company is training students in Plattsburgh to take jobs painting its high-tech fleet. Also: Housing advocates are rallying for more tenant protections from evictions across New York.
(Mar 2, 2023) The leader of the largest environmental advocacy group in the Adirondacks announced this week he’s stepping down. A conversation with Willie Janeway, who's directed the Adirondack Council for more than a decade. Also: People who use food stamps are losing almost $100 from their monthly food allotment.
(Mar 1, 2023) The number of volunteers at rural fire departments has been dwindling for years. A new state law allows towns to give volunteer firefighters a property tax break to entice them to stay at the firehouse. Also: Lawmakers heard testimony today about Gov. Hochul's proposal to peg the minimum wage to inflation.
(Feb 28, 2023) A debate is brewing over potential new housing in Old Forge. The community is desperate for new home construction, but some local people are pushing back, saying 'not in my backyard'. Also: SUNY Chancellor John King defended Gov. Hochul's plan to raise tuition at SUNY schools.
(Feb 27, 2023) New York's state budget is due in about a month. Governor Kathy Hochul has proposed making this year's budget 2.4% larger than last year's, with big increases in education and healthcare spending.
(Feb 24, 2023) This past weekend was the second annual Queer Ice Fest, a free LGBTQ ice climbing event in the Adirondacks. NCPR reporter Lucy Grindon talked to organizers and new climbers at the event, and brings us a story from Keene Valley.
(Feb 23, 2023) Governor Kathy Hochul is proposing to spend $31.5 billion on education for the upcoming school year. We hear from local superintendents about how that could affect students in the North Country.
(Feb 22, 2023) Congress has gotten rid of the U.S. military's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. But when vaccines were required, about 8,400 troops were discharged for refusing to comply. Should those people still face consequences?
(Feb 21, 2023) A recent art exhibition on Long Island confronted the history of mistreatment and forced assimilation of native children from the Shinnecock Tribal Nation who were sent upstate to residential schools.
(Feb 20, 2023) Now that the State Senate has voted to reject Governor Kathy Hochul's first choice for new chief judge, capital correspondent Karen DeWitt reports on what will come next in Hochul's quest to appoint someone.
(Feb 17, 2023) Flea markets are great places for people to find goods at affordable prices, and for local vendors to make some cash. Two vendors saved the flea market in Canton from closing its doors. Also: Advocates for plastic waste reduction and an expanded bottle bill rallied in Albany on Wednesday.
(Feb 16, 2023) SUNY's new chancellor has a huge challenge ahead: to increase enrollment by a third, even as many colleges face daunting deficits. Dr. John King visited SUNY Canton yesterday and talked about his strategy. Also: This week's warm weather set new record highs across the North Country.
(Feb 15, 2023) One surprise from the World Cup for ski jumping over the weekend was the crowds of fans for Poland. A look into why so many Polish-Americans packed the bleachers and cheered and drank vodka at Lake Placid's iconic ski jumps. Also: The State Senate officially rejected Gov. Hochul's choice for chief judge today 39-20 after a weeks-long standoff.
(Feb 14, 2023) There's a flood of money to help people become daycare providers to help ease the child care shortage. But so far, not enough people are coming forward. Franklin County is offering incentives, including money and technical support. Also: Republicans have filed a lawsuit to try to force the state Senate to vote on Gov. Hochul's nominee for chief judge, Hector LaSalle.
(Feb 13, 2023) Local officials are hammering out new rules for short-term rentals in Saranac Lake. At times, the debate has been really controversial, including a call to the cops at a recent meeting. Also: Ottawa is fretting over whether its world-famous skating canal will open at all this year due to warm temperatures.
(Feb 10, 2023) There were about 200 small earthquakes between Buffalo and Quebec just last year. A look at the geology under the North Country reveals why we have so many mostly small quakes. Also: Longtime state wildlife pathologist Ward Stone died on Wednesday.
(Feb 9, 2023) There’s a statewide shortage of early intervention providers: therapists who work with young kids who have developmental disabilities. That means those kids and their families have to wait longer to get help at a crucial stage in their development. Also: A bill proposed in New York shifts the responsibility of reducing plastic and paper waste on to the companies that create those materials.
(Feb 8, 2023) Video gaming has become a collegiate sport that can also set students up for a career in the industry. A profile of the esports team at Clinton Community College in Plattsburgh. Also: Republican Congresswoman Claudia Tenney says President Joe Biden didn't offer enough for working families struggling with inflation in his State of the Union, but she did praise his attention to the fentanyl epidemic.
(Feb 7, 2023) Across the North Country, small towns have been losing their general stores for decades. A story on how one opened and is thriving in the teensy Clinton County town of Black Brook. Also: Former congressman Lee Zeldin gave his first news conference since narrowly losing the race for governor last November.
(Feb 6, 2023) New York is locked in by law to an ambitious plan to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. That means seismic changes to the number one source of greenhouse gases: the homes we live in and the buildings where we work. A conversation with the government leaders in charge of this shift. Also: The mother of Treyanna Summerville, who was found dead inside her home in Gouverneur almost three years ago, was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
(Feb 3, 2023) Governor Kathy Hochul is getting blowback from the left and the right after she laid out her spending plan in her budget address this week. Also: First Lady Jill Biden's visit to Fort Drum this week centered attention on the problems military families have in getting childcare for their children.
(Feb 2, 2023) A new exhibit at the Courthouse Gallery in Lake George reflects on our consumer culture of excess by imagining the royal feasts of the Dutch Golden Age after the food's rotten and spoiled. Also: Saranac Lake's Winter Carnival starts tomorrow and builders of the famous ice palace are in a sprint to the finish after warm weather delayed construction.
(Feb 1, 2023) Dozens of North Country residents have shared their memories, stories, and photos from the 1998 Ice Storm with NCPR. As the 25th anniversary of the devastating storm comes to a close, we share more of your stories of how thousands of strangers and neighbors came together to survive. Also: Gov. Kathy Hochul is proposing a record-breaking $227 billion dollar state budget focused on housing, mental health care, and reducing violent crime.
(Jan 31, 2023) The battle over bail reform continues in Albany. A legislative hearing on crime data revealed gaps in the state's methods of collecting information that make it harder to determine whether the recent laws are working as intended. Also: First Lady Jill Biden spoke with families from Fort Drum's 10th Mountain Division about their challenges getting jobs because they move so often.
(Jan 30, 2023) A tribute to the people who do the things that bring us joy and delight in everyday life. David Sommerstein remembers the man who groomed cross-country ski trails on the golf course in Canton. He died last spring. Also: First Lady Dr. Jill Biden visited Fort Drum today.
(Jan 27, 2023) An open mic event in Upper Jay has become an annual tradition to help build community through the darkest month of winter, and it's back for the first time since before the pandemic. The story behind January Jams at the Upper Jay Arts Center. Also: First Lady Jill Biden is coming to Fort Drum on Monday to meet with military families there.
(Jan 26, 2023) The death of a Haitian man at a popular illegal border crossing in northern Clinton County is drawing attention to problems in Canada's asylum system. The process has become overwhelmed after thousands of migrants fled north from the U.S. during the Trump Administration. Also: A man who falsely claimed to have a bomb at the Stewart's in Tupper Lake last night has been charged with making a terroristic threat.
(Jan 25, 2023) The kids who lived through the 1998 Ice Storm are in their 30s and 40s now. For the 25th anniversary of the storm, what it was like to see a huge natural disaster through the eyes of children, and how they feel about it all today. Also: The state legislature passed an Equal Rights Amendment for the state constitution, which still needs to be passed in a referendum.
(Jan 24, 2023) For many Lake Placid businesses, the World University Games was somewhat of an economic bust. But local leaders say the massive state investment in the area's Olympic facilities will pay off for years. Also: Ticonderoga is the latest winner of $10 million for downtown revitalization.
(Jan 23, 2023) The money the state pays nursing homes for elder care hasn't gone up much in years, even as the price of everything else has. A coalition of nursing homes says that's forcing them to reduce the number of people they can take care of, or even shut down altogether. Also: The World University Games concluded last night in Lake Placid with Canada crushing the US in the men's hockey final.
(Jan 20, 2023) The World University Games wrap up this weekend. A look at the competitions still to come, and an audio postcard from one of the most anticipated matchups, the USA vs Canada women's hockey game. Also: Remembering the 1998 Ice Storm as a blues song.
(Jan 19, 2023) One of the most exciting, and best-attended, events of the World University Games has been the curling competition in Saranac Lake. We have an audio postcard from the stands. Also: The federal prison in Ray Brook has been on lockdown for ten days, but officials aren't saying why yet.
(Jan 18, 2023) The story of Akwesasne Mohawk beader Jocelyn Jock. She makes intricate earrings and other artwork from porcupine quills, but it wasn’t until she left home that she found a passion for this part of her culture. Also: The state Senate Judiciary committee has rejected New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s pick for the state’s next chief judge, setting up a potential court battle.
(Jan 17, 2023) The state comptroller's office recently found the North Country's workforce declined by more than 10% over a decade. A local workforce expert says it's affecting all kinds of businesses in the region. Also: a conversation with the last meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Burlington who was working during the Ice Storm of 1998.
(Jan 16, 2023) On today’s Story of the Day, we hear from people in the North Country about what Martin Luther King Jr. Day means to them. And, a story about a group of college students who were so deep in the woods during the 1998 ice storm that they had no idea there was a huge natural disaster unfolding just north of them.
(Jan 13, 2023) The World University Games kicked off last night in Lake Placid with an Opening Ceremony full of pageantry and world-class athletes. Our Adirondack reporter Emily Russell takes us there. Also: The story of a regular guy who became an impromptu plumber during the Ice Storm of 1998.
(Jan 12, 2023) After a couple years of planning, the World University Games are finally here. With thousands of athletes and fans coming to the North Country, we hit the streets of Lake Placid to hear what business people are hoping for. Also: SUNY's new chancellor John King says the state needs to invest more in its colleges and universities to raise the system's reputation nationwide.
(Jan 11, 2023) Gov. Kathy Hochul put revamping New York's mental health care system at the top of her agenda in her State of the State speech. A mental health care expert in Clinton County about what a one billion dollar investment could do for people's mental health care needs. Also: Congressman George Santos' own Republican party on Long Island is calling on him to resign after disclosures that he fabricated much of his resume
(Jan 10, 2023) It barely feels like winter in the North Country. Emily Russell visits Old Forge to see how the effects of climate change, with warmer winters and less snow, is hitting the snowmobile capital of the East. Also: Gov. Kathy Hochul is prioritizing affordable housing, crime, and reform of the state's mental health system in her State of the State address.
(Jan 9, 2023) Our coverage of the 25th anniversary of the 1998 ice Storm continues. We meet the insurance adjuster who drove around helping people file claims and witnessed the devastation firsthand. Also: Adirondack-based author Russell Banks died over the weekend.
(Jan 6, 2023) 25 year ago today, freezing rain started to fall in the North Country, creating an Ice Storm that lasted for weeks and paralyzed the region. Memories from those who lived through a natural disaster that's become part of the North Country's identity.
(Jan 5, 2023) The cemetery in Keene is dedicating a new section to what's called "green burial". It's an alternative to embalming or cremation that's becoming more popular. Also: The legislative session kicks off in Albany, with affordable housing and reducing crime at the top of the agenda.
(Jan 4, 2023) A new year, a new time to set out into the woods and explore the Adirondacks. Emily Russell kicks off 2023 with an audio postcard from an icy-slushy hike up St. Regis Mountain. Also: The guy who helmed a much-maligned defunct state ethics board is set to lead its replacement.
(Jan 3, 2023) A Plattsburgh institution is going into 2023 with new owners and a mission to balance preserving its history with new ideas for growth. A profile of the Koffee Kat, the "working man's coffee shop" in Plattsburgh. Also: Kathy Hochul was sworn-in as Governor Sunday, becoming the first woman elected to New York's top job.
(Dec 30, 2022) In 2022, NPR’s Brian Mann reported from the war in Ukraine, the Olympics in Beijing, and the front lines of the opioid crisis in what he calls "a transformative year". A special conversation with NCPR's longtime Adirondack reporter.
(Dec 29, 2022) Rotary and other service-oriented clubs are struggling to recruit new and younger members. A Rotarian in Potsdam is on a quest to keep the civic tradition alive. Also: The 16-cent per gallon gas tax holiday is going to expire at the end of the year.
(Dec 28, 2022) The lake effect snows have finally worn themselves out. We check in with the Thousands Islands, which were hard hit from the weekend storm. Also, David Sommerstein sends a postcard from Buffalo, which was much harder hit and the city is still paralyzed by a travel ban.
(Dec 27, 2022) New York State has been operating short-handed on snow removal, even before this weekend's powerful storm. The state is trying hard to fill more than 500 vacant jobs for snowplow drivers and supervisors. Also: The western part of the North Country is digging out from the weekend's storm that hit Watertown and the Thousand Islands especially hard.
(Dec 23, 2022) For the holiday weekend, a story of family, community, and tenacity. How Monarch butterflies brought together a mother and daughter, and the whole town of Indian Lake. Also: Democrats in Albany gave lawmakers a $32,000 raise in a special session yesterday.
(Dec 22, 2022) There were two intense, full-day rescues in the Adirondacks last week. Injured hikers had to be carried miles out of the mountains in the cold and dark. A forest ranger on how to be prepared and safe in the winter mountains. Also: Gov. Hochul nominates Judge Hector LaSalle to be New York's chief judge. If confirmed, he would be the first Latino chief judge in state history.
(Dec 21, 2022) The worker shortage at daycares is a double whammy. Not only are child care places reducing their spaces because they don't have enough workers, but that also means parents are staying home from work because there's nowhere to take the kids. Also: A new state law requires employers to post salary ranges in all job postings to promote pay transparency.
(Dec 20, 2022) Gov. Hochul is putting affordable housing at the top of her agenda for 2023. She says she wants to build 800,000 new units statewide over the next decade. More about her plan, and a worker in Lake Placid who may get pushed out of town by soaring housing prices. Also: New York passed a new roadmap to meet its ambitious climate and green energy goals.
(Dec 19, 2022) The common respiratory virus RSV is hitting infants and senior citizens particularly hard this year. A doctor at Alice Hyde Medical Center in Malone explains why, and how it relates to the flu and COVID-19. Also: Military service members will soon see a pay raise.
(Dec 16, 2022) While soccer may not be America's pastime (yet), it sure is around the rest of the world. International students on the North Country's college campuses are bringing the passion to this weekend's World Cup final. Also: Gov. Kathy Hochul vows not to raise taxes even as New York faces a grim financial picture.
(Dec 15, 2022) As home prices have risen, the number of first-time homeowners has dropped sharply. A class in Watertown tries to equip potential first-time home buyers with the skills they need to navigate a seller's market. Also: Sales tax collections were up 5% in the North Country last month.
(Dec 14, 2022) State lawmakers are considering holding a special session to give themselves a pay raise. Many Democrats are in favor of the idea, while some Republicans say any special session should address the state’s controversial bail reform laws, too. Also: More than 4,000 people rely on the North Country's colleges and universities for work, at a time when higher education is struggling.
(Dec 13, 2022) Generations of New York high schoolers have had to reckon with Regents exams to get a diploma. The state is reconsidering that process, examining how it leaves disadvantaged and ESL students even further behind. Also: A new state law guarantees breastfeeding parents a private space to pump at work.
(Dec 12, 2022) In the 1970s, the North Country was a hotspot for the back-to-the-land movement, when hippies fled the city for cheap land in the country. The story behind A Woman's Place, an all-female commune in the southern Adirondacks. Also: The North Country is starting to see a spike in the number of cases of RSV, the respiratory virus.
(Dec 9, 2022) The price of North Country homes is up 30 to 50%, compared to before the coronavirus pandemic. So who exactly is buying all these homes? We look at the people behind the data. Also: A new AARP report finds transportation is a major issue for older adults in rural places like the North Country.
(Dec 8, 2022) The North Country's housing market is seeing things most area real estate brokers barely recognize, things like bidding wars, ever-higher prices, and a true seller’s market. The market is hot, and it's disrupting home ownership, work, and many other facets of North Country life. Also: Rep. Stefanik crossed the aisle to vote in favor of the Respect for Marriage Act.
(Dec 7, 2022) In the Adirondacks, state forest rangers are the first responders and law enforcement in the woods, but they're understaffed and overworked. Last week, New York started to address that with the largest forest ranger graduating class ever. Also: Clarkson University is offering a free entrepreneurship class, but the deadline to apply is Saturday.
(Dec 6, 2022) In January, the American Red Cross declared its first-ever blood crisis, as the number of donors was down by 10% since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. A visit to a blood donation clinic in Plattsburgh. Also: A class in Watertown is trying to make it easier for first-time home buyers to seal the deal.
(Dec 5, 2022) Addiction prevention is often directed at younger people, but older adults are increasingly susceptible as they manage legitimate drug prescriptions. New York is rolling out prevention programs geared toward senior citizens. Also: Former state education commissioner and U.S. education secretary John King will become SUNY's new chancellor.
(Dec 2, 2022) What if the mythical Loch Ness-style sea monster in Lake Champlain, Champy, were real? Two filmmakers from Columbia University set out to build that world in a new short film shot on location in the Champlain Valley. Also: New York's redistricting commission finished its job of redrawing state Assembly lines, with much less drama than its previous work.
(Dec 1, 2022) Governor Kathy Hochul has a chance to make her mark on New York's judicial system with her choice for chief judge. Victim advocates are pushing her to nominate someone who'll look out for the state's most vulnerable. Also: Tupper Lake is directing $5 million in state funding to new housing.
(Nov 30, 2022) The Bill Gates Diner was a converted railcar in Bolton Landing and a hub for town news and gossip for more than three decades. The diner is being hauled back to the town on Lake George to become part of the local museum's permanent collection. Also: Gov. Kathy Hochul visited Whitehall today to break ground on a massive electric transmission project to bring clean hydropower to New York City through a cable under Lake Champlain.
(Nov 29, 2022) Paul Smith's College is a major economic driver and center for research in the northern Adirondacks. But student enrollment is down and the college has struggled to keep its top leadership as it pursues a way forward. Also: The newly designed Olympic Museum is reopening in Lake Placid.
(Nov 28, 2022) Second-homeowners and corporate buyers have left tourist areas like the Adirondacks desperate for homes for year-round residents. Old Forge is experimenting with a legal workaround, a home's deed requiring a local to live there. Also: The white gunman who killed ten Black people at a Buffalo supermarket has pleaded guilty.
(Nov 23, 2022) There's mounting concern about a class of chemicals that are in everyday things and can leach into groundwater when they're thrown away. A Clarkson University researcher has invented a contraption that removes the toxins from wastewater before they can harm the environment and people. Also: New York has issued its first 36 licenses to sell recreational marijuana.
(Nov 22, 2022) Five years ago, a guy who loved to tinker with automated instruments (think player pianos) told NCPR listeners if they had one, don't throw it out. Today Wayne Lincoln has been pretty busy bringing these antiques back to life. Also: Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law two more anti-hate crime bills.
(Nov 21, 2022) Most of the North Country's tiny downtowns experienced their heydays decades ago. But people who still live in them are trying to rebuild what they can. A visit to the main drag in Brasher Falls. Also: President Biden issues an emergency declaration for 11 counties hit hard by the lake effect snow, including Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence.
(Nov 18, 2022) Jefferson County is planning its first public bus system. While gathering public input, senior citizens marveled that they could use the bus not just for medical appointments, but for whatever they want. Also: New York State is forcing all school districts to retire Native-themed mascots and nicknames by the end of the year.
(Nov 17, 2022) A new article in Adirondack Life Magazine revisits the complicated history of the Mohawk occupation of a former summer camp near Old Forge in the 1970s. The standoff at Moss Lake crystallized tensions between New York State and the indigenous tribes it displaced. Also: The western parts of the North Country are bracing for up to three feet of lake effect snow.
(Nov 16, 2022) Solving the housing crunch takes many forms. In downtown Tupper Lake, a regional not-for-profit is renovating two buildings into nine rental units. They hope to help attract and retain young, middle-income residents. Also: Rep. Elise Stefanik was elected conference chair of her GOP House caucus yesterday.
(Nov 15, 2022) The North Country is getting ready to welcome thousands of athletes from around the world for the World University Games in January. Major events are planned well beyond the winter sports mecca of Lake Placid, to Plattsburgh, Potsdam, and Canton. Also: The head of the state Democratic party is facing calls to step down in the wake of the election's 'red wave' in New York.
(Nov 14, 2022) A profile of Niio Perkins, a Mohawk artist who makes ornate traditional beadwork and translates it into modern things, like scarves and yoga pants. She's one of the indigenous artists highlighted in a new exhibit of contemporary works from the six tribes of the Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois, confederacy. Also: Rep. Elise Stefanik endorses Donald Trump for president in 2024 even before he announces his candidacy.
(Nov 11, 2022) Republicans may not have ridden a 'red wave' across the country. But they did clean up in North Country politics. Republican dominance and Democrats' future after this year's election results. Also: SUNY schools in the North Country face multi-million dollar deficits.
(Nov 10, 2022) The coronavirus pandemic, especially the early lockdown year, casts a long shadow on children's development. Kindergarten teachers are finding whole classrooms of kids who have lost critical years in a world of distancing, masks, and often, social isolation. Also: Republicans added to their already big majority in the St. Lawrence County legislature.
(Nov 9, 2022) North Country voters had a lot to say yesterday, not just about the political races, but about the state of democracy in our country and our communities. NCPR's reporters spoke to voters from Watertown to Tupper Lake to Glens Falls. Also: Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik won her fifth term in commanding fashion.
(Nov 8, 2022) A wrap-up of the races North Country voters will be deciding on Election Day. Also: Teachers, doctors, and child care providers are required to report suspicions of child sex abuse to the proper authorities. A growing movement wants clergy to be included in that list of mandated reporters.
(Nov 7, 2022) In what appears to be a very tight race, Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul and Republican challenger Lee Zeldin have been campaigning at full throttle in the last days of the race for New York's highest office. Also: A break from elections, with a profile of a family who decided to make one of the North Country's smallest and most remote towns home.
(Nov 4, 2022) After more than a decade of sometimes fierce debate, state officials broke ground on a recreational trail on the old railroad bed between Tupper Lake and Lake Placid. Also: The heavy political hitters are coming out for the final days of the race to be New York's governor.
(Nov 3, 2022) Public health leaders are dealing with multiple transmissible diseases: COVID-19, monkeypox, the flu, and even concerns about polio. New York's top public health officials toured the North Country to give straight facts on all those illnesses. Also: Democratic Attorney General Tish James faces a challenge from Republican Michael Henry.
(Nov 2, 2022) New Yorkers will be asked this election whether to allow the state to borrow $4.2 billion for environmental projects, from flood mitigation and conserving land to responding to climate change. A close look at the environmental bond act on the flip side of your ballot.
(Nov 1, 2022) Energy costs are forecast to spike this winter. That means more people will need financial help staying warm. More people along the income ladder qualify for the federal HEAP program than you might think. Today is the first day to apply. Also: Democratic Assemblyman Bill Jones faces his first challenge for his seat, from Republican Stephen Chilton.
(Nov 1, 2022) Energy costs are forecast to spike this winter. That means more people will need financial help staying warm. More people along the income ladder qualify for the federal HEAP program than you might think. Today is the first day to apply. Also: Democratic Assemblyman Bill Jones faces his first challenge for his seat, from Republican Stephen Chilton.
(Oct 31, 2022) With just over a week before Election Day, the state of the race in the North Country's matchup for Congress between Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik and Democratic challenger Matt Castelli. Also: Watertown and the Thousand Islands are in a different congressional district now, so we sample a debate between Republican Claudia Tenney and Democrat Steven Holden.
(Oct 31, 2022) With just over a week before Election Day, the state of the race in the North Country's matchup for Congress between Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik and Democratic challenger Matt Castelli. Also: Watertown and the Thousand Islands are in a different congressional district now, so we sample a debate between Republican Claudia Tenney and Democrat Steven Holden.
(Oct 28, 2022) Early voting, which starts Saturday in New York, offers people another way, and a different day, to vote. But election officials are divided over whether it really boosts voter turnout overall and is worth the money and hassle for boards of election. Also: For the first time in at least two decades, the two North Country candidates for Congress won't face off in a debate.
(Oct 28, 2022) Early voting, which starts Saturday in New York, offers people another way, and a different day, to vote. But election officials are divided over whether it really boosts voter turnout overall and is worth the money and hassle for boards of election. Also: For the first time in at least two decades, the two North Country candidates for Congress won't face off in a debate.
(Oct 27, 2022) Increased crime in New York has become a defining issue in the race for governor. Republican Lee Zeldin has made it a central plank of his campaign, and now Democrat Kathy Hochul is trying to reclaim ground. Also: A COVID-19 resurgence is underway in the North Country. Public health officials are reminding everyone to get the new booster.
(Oct 27, 2022) Increased crime in New York has become a defining issue in the race for governor. Republican Lee Zeldin has made it a central plank of his campaign, and now Democrat Kathy Hochul is trying to reclaim ground. Also: A COVID-19 resurgence is underway in the North Country. Public health officials are reminding everyone to get the new booster.
(Oct 26, 2022) The two candidates for governor sparred over crime, abortion, and Donald Trump in their only debate of the campaign last night. Also: A preview of the State Senate race between incumbent Dan Stec and his Democratic challenger, Jean Lapper.
(Oct 26, 2022) The two candidates for governor sparred over crime, abortion, and Donald Trump in their only debate of the campaign last night. Also: A preview of the State Senate race between incumbent Dan Stec and his Democratic challenger, Jean Lapper.
(Oct 25, 2022) Heating costs are forecast to rise sharply this winter. Thousands in the North Country rely on federal help to get fuel, but a lot of people who are eligible for heating benefits don't even realize it. Also: Elise Stefanik and Matt Castelli both stumped in Saranac Lake recently with the election for Congress two weeks away.
(Oct 25, 2022) Heating costs are forecast to rise sharply this winter. Thousands in the North Country rely on federal help to get fuel, but a lot of people who are eligible for heating benefits don't even realize it. Also: Elise Stefanik and Matt Castelli both stumped in Saranac Lake recently with the election for Congress two weeks away.
(Oct 24, 2022) A new documentary that debuted over the weekend at the Lake Placid film festival asks a crucial question: how does the North Country's lack of racial diversity shape our communities and who lives here? Also: Abortion rights have become a topline issue in the campaign for governor as polls show a tighter race.
(Oct 24, 2022) A new documentary that debuted over the weekend at the Lake Placid film festival asks a crucial question: how does the North Country's lack of racial diversity shape our communities and who lives here? Also: Abortion rights have become a topline issue in the campaign for governor as polls show a tighter race.
(Oct 21, 2022) Fiddler Gretchen Koehler of Potsdam interviewed and observed North Country folk artists as they worked. Then she wrote songs about them, which she'll perform alongside the artists Saturday in Heuvelton. Also: Rep. Elise Stefanik posed and smiled in front of a sign that directs a derogatory word at President Joe Biden.
(Oct 21, 2022) Fiddler Gretchen Koehler of Potsdam interviewed and observed North Country folk artists as they worked. Then she wrote songs about them, which she'll perform alongside the artists Saturday in Heuvelton. Also: Rep. Elise Stefanik posed and smiled in front of a sign that directs a derogatory word at President Joe Biden.
(Oct 20, 2022) Nicky Hylton-Patterson spent three years convening difficult, frank conversations about race and social justice as director of the Adirondack Diversity Initiative. After stepping down, she reflects on police reform, diversity in the woods, and living in the Adirondacks while Black. Also: State Senate candidates Dan Stec and Jean Lapper debate.
(Oct 20, 2022) Nicky Hylton-Patterson spent three years convening difficult, frank conversations about race and social justice as director of the Adirondack Diversity Initiative. After stepping down, she reflects on police reform, diversity in the woods, and living in the Adirondacks while Black. Also: State Senate candidates Dan Stec and Jean Lapper debate.
(Oct 19, 2022) The Adirondack landscape didn't always look like it does now. We take a hike through what looks like pristine forest, but was actually a bustling maple syrup operation in the late 1800s. Also: Elise Stefanik and Matt Castelli are out campaigning in force with the congressional election less than three weeks away.
(Oct 19, 2022) The Adirondack landscape didn't always look like it does now. We take a hike through what looks like pristine forest, but was actually a bustling maple syrup operation in the late 1800s. Also: Elise Stefanik and Matt Castelli are out campaigning in force with the congressional election less than three weeks away.
(Oct 18, 2022) Upstate New Yorkers live on the land of the Iroquois Confederacy. Many don't know "Iroquois" is considered a derogatory term. That's why the Nationals professional lacrosse team is changing its name to Haudenosaunee. Also: Two polls out today show Gov. Kathy Hochul's lead against Lee Zeldin is shrinking.
(Oct 18, 2022) Upstate New Yorkers live on the land of the Iroquois Confederacy. Many don't know "Iroquois" is considered a derogatory term. That's why the Nationals professional lacrosse team is changing its name to Haudenosaunee. Also: Two polls out today show Gov. Kathy Hochul's lead against Lee Zeldin is shrinking.
(Oct 17, 2022) The housing crisis in the Adirondacks is affecting the region's most essential workers. Teachers, nurses, and others in health care are finding it near impossible to afford a place to live without leaving the area. Also: The war of TV ads between Kathy Hochul and Lee Zeldin is at a deafening level as election day approaches.
(Oct 17, 2022) The housing crisis in the Adirondacks is affecting the region's most essential workers. Teachers, nurses, and others in health care are finding it near impossible to afford a place to live without leaving the area. Also: The war of TV ads between Kathy Hochul and Lee Zeldin is at a deafening level as election day approaches.
(Oct 14, 2022) A hypercompetitive housing market is hardest on the poorest and most vulnerable. A housing program for people in need isn't working right because landlords can rent to more affluent tenants, leaving some people living in campgrounds, trailers, even in their cars.
(Oct 14, 2022) A hypercompetitive housing market is hardest on the poorest and most vulnerable. A housing program for people in need isn't working right because landlords can rent to more affluent tenants, leaving some people living in campgrounds, trailers, even in their cars.
(Oct 13, 2022) It's less than a month to Election Day, and the governor's race is boiling down to the two candidates' priority issues: abortion rights and crime. Also: St. Lawrence County's district attorney is assembling the final pieces for two high-profile murder cases that could go to trial next year.
(Oct 13, 2022) It's less than a month to Election Day, and the governor's race is boiling down to the two candidates' priority issues: abortion rights and crime. Also: St. Lawrence County's district attorney is assembling the final pieces for two high-profile murder cases that could go to trial next year.
(Oct 12, 2022) A top state official did something unusual. DEC chief Basil Seggos took a leave of absence and volunteered with a humanitarian aid group in Ukraine. Also: A Vermont-based land trust is preserving almost 1500 acres of land along the wild Grasse River in St. Lawrence County.
(Oct 12, 2022) A top state official did something unusual. DEC chief Basil Seggos took a leave of absence and volunteered with a humanitarian aid group in Ukraine. Also: A Vermont-based land trust is preserving almost 1500 acres of land along the wild Grasse River in St. Lawrence County.
(Oct 11, 2022) The bottom line of the housing crisis is there aren’t enough homes and apartments that people can afford. Why building new affordable housing is so hard. Also: The nation's largest higher education union is kicking off a campaign to get more funding for SUNY.
(Oct 11, 2022) The bottom line of the housing crisis is there aren’t enough homes and apartments that people can afford. Why building new affordable housing is so hard. Also: The nation's largest higher education union is kicking off a campaign to get more funding for SUNY.
(Oct 10, 2022) A new documentary takes us kayaking along all 120 miles of Lake Champlain. The film 'No Other Lake' examines the water’s history, ecology, culture, and current environmental struggles. Also: Two people were shot outside Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin's home in Long Island Sunday.
(Oct 10, 2022) A new documentary takes us kayaking along all 120 miles of Lake Champlain. The film 'No Other Lake' examines the water’s history, ecology, culture, and current environmental struggles. Also: Two people were shot outside Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin's home in Long Island Sunday.
(Oct 7, 2022) The North Country is dealing with a housing crisis, yet there are loads of vacant and abandoned homes across the region. Saranac Lake is trying to figure out ways to fix them up so North Country families can move in. Also: An apartment complex in Saranac Lake got a tax deal to help move the project ahead.
(Oct 7, 2022) The North Country is dealing with a housing crisis, yet there are loads of vacant and abandoned homes across the region. Saranac Lake is trying to figure out ways to fix them up so North Country families can move in. Also: An apartment complex in Saranac Lake got a tax deal to help move the project ahead.
(Oct 6, 2022) Sometimes housing that's affordable isn't enough. Supportive housing combines a good price with services for people who struggle with addiction or mental health issues, to help them stay in their homes. Also: The massive Micron microchip project in Syracuse could have economic ripples across Upstate New York.
(Oct 6, 2022) Sometimes housing that's affordable isn't enough. Supportive housing combines a good price with services for people who struggle with addiction or mental health issues, to help them stay in their homes. Also: The massive Micron microchip project in Syracuse could have economic ripples across Upstate New York.
(Oct 5, 2022) Our housing series continues with a look at substandard and sometimes dangerous worker housing on dairy farms. Because the mostly Latino people who live in them are in the country illegally, there’s no oversight to make sure they’re safe and liveable. Also: Sen. Gillibrand is calling for reform of the way farmers are paid for their milk.
(Oct 5, 2022) Our housing series continues with a look at substandard and sometimes dangerous worker housing on dairy farms. Because the mostly Latino people who live in them are in the country illegally, there’s no oversight to make sure they’re safe and liveable. Also: Sen. Gillibrand is calling for reform of the way farmers are paid for their milk.
(Oct 4, 2022) Affordable housing is often framed as an issue in cities. But rural places like the North Country often lag behind with persistent housing disparities through the decades. A conversation with a national expert on rural housing issues as NCPR's housing series continues. Also: An Akwesasne Mohawk man has been named the first Native American to serve as a New York State state appellate court judge.
(Oct 4, 2022) Affordable housing is often framed as an issue in cities. But rural places like the North Country often lag behind with persistent housing disparities through the decades. A conversation with a national expert on rural housing issues as NCPR's housing series continues. Also: An Akwesasne Mohawk man has been named the first Native American to serve as a New York State state appellate court judge.
(Oct 3, 2022) A family in Saranac Lake had to leave their home because the owner decided to put it on Airbnb. They learned they were priced out of the market and ended up renovating an old hunting camp. The first story in an NCPR news series on the struggle for affordable housing in the North Country. Also: The candidates for the congressional race in NY-21 are raking in millions of dollars in campaign cash.
(Oct 3, 2022) A family in Saranac Lake had to leave their home because the owner decided to put it on Airbnb. They learned they were priced out of the market and ended up renovating an old hunting camp. The first story in an NCPR news series on the struggle for affordable housing in the North Country. Also: The candidates for the congressional race in NY-21 are raking in millions of dollars in campaign cash.
(Sep 30, 2022) As Rep. Elise Stefanik's national profile has risen, many local leaders say she's remained focused on delivering federal funding to local projects. But NCPR found she also has misrepresented her role in some projects and trumpeted funding she voted against in Congress. As Stefanik seeks re-election, a special report on her attention to constituent services.
(Sep 29, 2022) The legacy of residential schools hit hard in Akwesasne, where children were taken from their families. Some never saw those families again. The perspective from Akwesasne as Canada holds a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Also: You can now seek an absentee ballot to vote in November's election.
(Sep 28, 2022) A Paul Smiths College professor has spent a 30-year career documenting climate change in the Adirondacks. His new paper is a culmination of that work, examining how a warming world threatens the very culture of our region. Also: A new poll finds Kathy Hochul with a comfortable 17-point lead over Republican Lee Zeldin for Governor.
(Sep 27, 2022) The pandemic has triggered a reconsideration of the whole concept of the workplace. A new co-working site in Plattsburgh is trying to find the middle ground between working at home and going to work every day. Also: SUNY Potsdam has been warned about its accreditation being "in jeopardy".
(Sep 26, 2022) The push across North America to bring to light the dark truth of residential schools came to Akwesasne over the weekend. Mohawks marched across the bridge to Canada to call on the Anglican Church to release records about Mohawk children who died at the Mohawk Institute boarding school. Also: Canada will drop all COVID-19 restrictions at its borders starting Saturday.
(Sep 23, 2022) The child care crisis exposed during the depths of the coronavirus pandemic was a reality check, and led to an infusion of funding. That's starting to pay off with a new child care center in the works at SUNY Canton. Also: Akwesasne Mohawks march this weekend for more information about the children who died at a residential school in Ontario.
(Sep 22, 2022) COs say the federal prison in Ray Brook is dangerously understaffed. They're calling for more hiring and more pay, and for federal officials, including Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, to pay them more attention. Also: The not-for-profit that helps seniors get to doctor's appointments is drastically short on volunteer drivers.
(Sep 21, 2022) The Winter Olympics are three years away, but USA Luge is out searching for the next generation of sliders. One luge Olympian hosted a street-sledding clinic for kids in his hometown of Massena to find young speed-loving talent. Also: New York's Attorney General is suing Donald Trump and his family for allegedly inflating his businesses' value by billions of dollars.
(Sep 20, 2022) The magnificent fall colors may be a bit muted in the North Country this year because of drought conditions. As for the effect of climate change on leaf peeping, it's still anybody's guess what could happen. Also: The city of Plattsburgh is trying to solve its discolored water problem.
(Sep 19, 2022) New research suggests wild brook trout in the Adirondacks have more genetic diversity than previously thought, but the species is still susceptible to threats like climate change. Also: Gov. Hochul is sending Spanish-speaking police officers to Puerto Rico to help with the devastation caused by Hurricane Fiona.
(Sep 16, 2022) The pow wow is a symbol of indigenous resilience, beauty, and strength, and they're lots of fun, too! A trip to the Akwesasne International Pow Wow, back after a pandemic hiatus. Also: Rep. Elise Stefanik co-sponsored a bill to ban abortions nationwide after 15 weeks.
(Sep 15, 2022) Monarch butterflies continue their southern migration this month. A great place to watch new butterflies emerge and take flight in the Adirondacks is the Butterfly House at the Paul Smith's College VIC. Also: A debate over whether to demolish the Crete Civic Center in Plattsburgh.
(Sep 14, 2022) For years, volunteer fire departments in the North Country haven't been allowed to bill for ambulance service. That's left them holding the bill, and has caused many to discontinue their ambulances. A new state law changes that. Also: Congresswoman Elise Stefanik says she plans to seek another term as the GOP's Conference Chair in the House if she wins re-election.
(Sep 13, 2022) An ice jam last spring punctured a hole in a cap of toxic sludge in the Grasse River. Akwesasne Mohawks say they told the federal government that would happen, and the only real solution is to dredge the river and truck the toxic chemicals away. Also: Railbike tours on an old rail line in North Creek.
(Sep 12, 2022) Lake George has considered dissolving its village government since the 1970s. But tomorrow is the first time the village's 667 voters will actually get to decide. A recap of the debate leading up to Tuesday's vote. Also: An audio postcard from the kitchen on food, family, and expressing love.
(Sep 9, 2022) The Battle of Plattsburgh Commemoration is this weekend but historical reenactors don't know if it's legal for them to carry historical firearms under the state's new concealed carry laws. Also, Fort Drum has a new commander.
(Sep 8, 2022) The Christian Fellowship Center, a church based in St. Lawrence County, is under fire for accusations of child sex abuse by some of its members, and allegations that church leaders knew about the abuse and didn't report it. Also: Elise Stefanik and Matt Castelli are already at odds over holding debates for the 21st Congressional district race.
(Sep 7, 2022) The third school year since the COVID-19 pandemic began is underway. Teachers and parents have their fingers crossed for a "normal" year, but they say kids have a lot of catching up to do, academically and socially. Also: North Country lawmakers are criticizing a farm labor board recommendation to require farmers to pay overtime after 40 hours a week.
(Sep 6, 2022) The post-Labor Day sprint to the election in November is on. Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik and Democratic challenger Matt Castelli have already laid out their strategies for the North Country's seat in Congress. Also: The worker shortage is hitting the county jail in Canton.
(Sep 2, 2022) Pickleball is taking America by storm. In Potsdam, a pickleball tournament raised money for breast cancer patients and built community at the same time. Also: we celebrate the last heat of summer with a swim in a remote Adirondack pond.
(Sep 1, 2022) Schools are scrambling for staff before the first day next week. The shortage is definitely good for teachers, who have more options and more power these days. Also: A federal judge is allowing New York's concealed carry restrictions to take effect today, but he warns they may be unconstitutional in the end.
(Aug 31, 2022) Today is International Overdose Awareness Day. We talk with a Watertown woman who lost two children to the dangerous drug fentanyl. Experts say its increasing availability in the North Country is driving a spike in overdoses. Also: Gov. Hochul and Sen. Gillibrand launched a new campaign to get out the word about subsidies for child care.
(Aug 30, 2022) School boards across New York are feeling the strain of the pandemic and increased political polarization. That means the highest rate of turnover in years, which could be a good thing. Also: Sen. Chuck Schumer was in Canton to promote a microchip manufacturing bill that could create new jobs in the North Country.
(Aug 29, 2022) Susie Smith has chronicled life along the St. Lawrence River as a journalist and editor for decades. The story behind Thousand Islands Life magazine. Also: Pioneering Adirondack conservationist Timothy Barnett has died at 82.
(Aug 26, 2022) A group of Black families came to the Adirondacks in the early 1800s seeking land and the right to vote. Archaeologists today are seeking to learn more about the life of the families at Timbuctoo. Also: The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe got a $850,000 grant to enhance its cultural tours of Akwesasne.
(Aug 24, 2022) Like other tourist towns in the North Country, Lake George is wrestling with an increase in short-term rentals. They're disrupting the hotel and motel market and straining the fabric of year-round neighborhoods. Also: Democrat Matt Castelli cruised to an easy primary victory to take on Congresswoman Elise Stefanik in November.
(Aug 23, 2022) School starts in two weeks. Yet most districts are scrambling to hire teachers and staff, giving job seekers a leg up and retirees are in demand. Also: It's primary day for Democrats in the 21st Congressional district.
(Aug 22, 2022) Schools in the North Country are working on being more inclusive and welcoming for all students. But misinformation from right-wing politicians like Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is fueling fears of a hidden agenda. Also: Gov. Hochul says COVID-19 rules will be eased in schools this year, with no masking or social distancing.
(Aug 19, 2022) North Country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik has spread the conspiracy theory that the FBI search of Donald Trump's home was driven by the Biden Administration. She's spread other misleading or false concepts, too. We untangle a thicket of untruths. Also: A second woman accuses the Clinton County sheriff's department of gender-based harassment.
(Aug 18, 2022) Radio can bring together people in very different places. A woman in the Bronx sustains her relationship with her son, who's serving time in Dannemora's prison, because they both listen to North Country Public Radio. Also: A new report documents how the coronavirus pandemic hit the child care sector particularly hard.
(Aug 17, 2022) School starts soon and some North Country teachers are planning to help students to build their self-confidence. Also, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik echoed false claims about the FBI search of Donald Trump's home during a visit to Plattsburgh.
(Aug 16, 2022) This year, lots of outdoor summer festivals and events are back after being canceled for two years because of the coronavirus pandemic. Today we'll visit the Glengarry Highland Games in Ontario. Also, a remembrance of Thousand Islands sculptor Will Salisbury who died last week.
(Aug 15, 2022) The story of a Plattsburgh woman who has helped thousands of people in Nicaragua and other countries around the world. Sister Debbie Blow is retiring from Mission of Hope after two decades. Also: The state reports new red flag gun control laws are working.
(Aug 12, 2022) Gov. Kathy Hochul enjoys a comfortable lead over her Republican challenger Lee Zeldin about three months before Election Day. But in this political climate, anything can happen. Also: NCPR won a national Edward R. Murrow award, one of the top prizes in broadcast journalism.
(Aug 11, 2022) Summer in the North Country means county fair season. And competitions abound. Livestock, games of chance, cornhole tournaments. A trip to the Franklin County fair in Malone. Also: Early voting for the Democratic primary for Congress starts Saturday.
(Aug 10, 2022) SUNY Potsdam faces a $3 million deficit, declining enrollment, and vacancies among its top leadership positions. The school is considering cuts to majors that are at the heart of a liberal arts education. Also: some local Republicans react to the FBI's search of Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home.
(Aug 9, 2022) Republicans, including gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin, are in a full-court press to overturn a plan to phase in a 40-hour workweek on New York's farms. Also: Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand touts victories on funding for climate change and health care for veterans suffering from the effects of toxic burn pits.
(Aug 8, 2022) Two years after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed a crisis in child care in the North Country, the results of funding and hard work are starting to bear fruit. In Keene, construction is underway on a new child care center, which will create 30 new child care spots. Also: Kids won't need masks, but schools are prepping for a fall surge in COVID-19 cases when school resumes.
(Aug 5, 2022) Our listeners, readers, and texters helped us find the best places for ice cream and other cooling sweet treats in the North Country. The debut of the North Country Ice Cream Map! Also: Plattsburgh is still taking comments on its strategic plan to guide the city's development for the next two decades.
(Aug 4, 2022) Thousands of athletes, families, and fans will converge on Lake Placid this coming January for the World University Games. It's a huge opportunity to showcase the North Country region, and a headache to find housing and lodging for everyone. Also: The state is confronting dual outbreaks in COVID-19 and monkeypox, while planning how to deal with disease outbreaks in the future.
(Aug 3, 2022) The monarch butterfly was declared endangered this summer by a global conservation group. Butterfly experts at the Paul Smiths College VIC say there are simple things you can do in your backyard to help monarchs return to health. Also: Sen. Gillibrand calls on the Biden Administration to use the Defense Production Act to make more monkeypox vaccines.
(Aug 2, 2022) Matt Putorti, a lawyer from Whitehall, grew up in the 21st congressional district, the only candidate to do so. Ahead of the Democratic primary on August 23rd, a profile of Putorti, who says he's fighting for his home. Also: The APA is taking public comment on the new Adirondack Rail Trail and its potential effect on wetlands.
(Aug 1, 2022) The Democratic primary for the North Country's largest Congressional district, NY-21, is coming up on August 23rd. A profile of former CIA officer Matt Castelli, running against Whitehall lawyer Matt Putorti. Also: Republicans take heat from veterans groups for voting against burn pit legislation.
(Jul 29, 2022) Canada and many Indigenous survivors say Pope Francis' apologies for the Catholic church's racist and abusive residential schools isn't enough. Doug George of Akwesasne is a survivor of residential schools who's building a group seeking justice and accountability.
(Jul 28, 2022) The power of poetry. We meet Akwesasne poet and artist Alex Jacobs, who says poetry offers healing - for the poet and for readers. Also: Republican candidate for governor Lee Zeldin explains why his attacker should be held on bail.
(Jul 27, 2022) A new program in Potsdam is part of a national movement to use running to help young girls build self-confidence as well as fitness. We head to the finish line of the "Girls on the Run" 5K. Also: A familiar face in Massena is retiring. Scott Irish has pumped gas downtown for years, bringing smiles and friendship to hundreds of clients.
(Jul 26, 2022) New York's top judge, Janet DiFiore, is resigning as she faces an ethics probe. That gives Gov. Hochul a chance to pick a new chief judge and reshape New York's court system. Also: With coronavirus rates rising across the North Country, health officials are reminding parents to get their children of all ages vaccinated.
(Jul 25, 2022) A conversation with the newest board member of the Adirondack Park Agency. Benita Law-Diao is also the first Black member of the APA board and says diversifying the Park is key to its future. Also: Gov. Hochul announced an end to sales tax on baby diapers and a $70 million investment in child care.
(Jul 22, 2022) Malone is building new affordable housing at a time when housing is reaching crisis proportions. And a clinic for people facing homelessness is built in. Also: we take a cruise on the exact spot where the French and English empires were locked in battle for control of North America.
(Jul 21, 2022) The artist who made those Day of the Dead Mexican skeletons so iconic has a new exhibit in Glens Falls. A profile of Jose Posada's work on display at the Hyde Collection. Also: North Country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik broke with fellow Republicans to vote for a bill that protects same-sex marriage.
(Jul 20, 2022) Gas prices are still eating big chunks of money out of people's budgets. We asked North Country residents in the NCPR texting club how they're making up the gap. Lucy Grindon talks with two women using creativity and thrift to fill up their tanks. Also: Fort Drum boosters are trying to help attract a new division to Fort Drum.
(Jul 19, 2022) Even after the pandemic "get outside" bubble, managing crowds at popular Adirondack trailheads is a headache. Some of the main decision makers are getting together for a public panel Wednesday. Also: Gov. Hochul is launching a series of conversations about the future of agriculture across New York State.
(Jul 18, 2022) We take a break from a rainy day in the North Country with a summery hike along the St. Lawrence River on Wellesley Island. Also: The city of Plattsburgh is sorting out contracts with its major first responder unions, with the firefighters still to come.
(Jul 15, 2022) The Adirondack Park Agency welcomed the first Black member of its board Thursday. It also heard updates on renewable energy goals and efforts to manage the increase in hiker traffic in the Adirondacks. Also: A program to train the next generation of child care providers is starting up at SUNY Canton.
(Jul 13, 2022) The area around Lake Placid, Keene, and Au Sable Forks is the heart of tourism in the Adirondacks. But one company shaped that landscape for nearly two centuries. The story of the J&J Rogers Company. Also: State officials have released police body camera footage of the deadly shooting in Saranac Lake last month.
(Jul 12, 2022) Hiking challenges like the 46ers have helped make the Adirondacks more popular than ever. In the case of Saranac Lake's 6er challenge, it's also caused headaches for neighbors at one of the trailheads. Also: Nick Hillary is appealing his civil rights case against the Potsdam police department after he lost last month.
(Jul 11, 2022) Gov. Hochul says the new gun restrictions on public parks don't apply to the Adirondack Park. But local politicians say the law needs to be clearer to prevent Adirondack gun owners from being considered felons. Also: The chief justice of New York's highest court, Janet DiFiore, is stepping down at the end of August.
(Jul 8, 2022) In the late 1960s, a group of women in Canton started meeting in their homes to do something about the stereotypical gender roles and bias against women they saw around them. The story of the group, North Country Women. Also: A report backs criticisms of St. Lawrence County's social services department.
(Jul 7, 2022) It's the 200th birthday of America's most influential designer of parks and green spaces. Frederick Law Olmsted's vision can be seen in New York City, Buffalo, and right here in Saranac Lake. Also: Former Clarkson University President Tony Collins has some advice for the North Country's economic developers.
(Jul 6, 2022) The Vermont Donor Milk Bank is also helping families in the North Country as the baby formula shortage drags on. Also, three new state laws are intended to create clean energy jobs and a new greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal.
(Jul 5, 2022) The governor called the legislature back for a special session last week to address recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings about gun rights and abortion access. Also, the NY DEC says no to a crypto mining operation.
(Jul 1, 2022) Canada Day, July 1st, is usually celebrated with festivities like fireworks and barbeques. But Canada is lately using the day to also reflect on its racist and colonial past, especially regarding indigenous communities. Also: Flights to Philadelphia take off from Plattsburgh and Ogdensburg.
(Jun 30, 2022) The Supreme Court decision overturning Roe V Wade has further ratcheted up the emotional debate over abortion rights. The scene outside one Planned Parenthood office. Also: Clarkson University's influential president retires today.
(Jun 29, 2022) Gov. Kathy Hochul won her primary bid last night and will face Republican Congressman Lee Zeldin in the general election. Also, workers at Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center in Ogdensburg are protesting recent layoffs.
(Jun 28, 2022) The baby formula shortage is leaving families stressed and anxious. A group of mothers in the North Country is connecting on Facebook to find food for their babies and to boost each others' mental health. Also: Hundreds of people rallied for abortion rights across the North Country Monday.
(Jun 27, 2022) A new state map finally gives more precise data about who lacks access to high-speed internet in their homes. An Assembly race in St. Lawrence and Jefferson Counties could be decided in tomorrow's Republican primary. And your voices reckoning with Friday's Supreme Court decision overturning a woman's right to an abortion.
(Jun 24, 2022) Depending on which side of the abortion debate you stand on, today was either a dizzying victory or a gutting defeat. We have North Country reaction to the Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe V Wade.
(Jun 23, 2022) The U.S. Supreme Court struck down New York's concealed carry gun restrictions. Gov. Hochul called the ruling "deeply disturbing" and vows to bring back the legislature to respond. Also: How some North Country residents are coping with soaring gas prices.
(Jun 22, 2022) The college track isn't for everyone. A building trades program in Malone is giving high school students a feeling of success in school, and the skills they need to get a good job right away. Also: New York Democrats' will vote on their choice for lieutenant governor in primaries next week.
(Jun 21, 2022) A special report on Congresswoman Elise Stefanik's strained ties to a pro-democracy group after she has repeated fake conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. Also: The founder of a well-known apple orchard in the Champlain Valley has died.
(Jun 20, 2022) People across the North Country celebrated Juneteenth over the weekend and into today. In Potsdam, people reflected on what the holiday commemorating the freedom of Black people from slavery means to them today. Also: Gov. Hochul signed a bill today that strengthens voting protections for historically disenfranchised communities.
(Jun 17, 2022) To celebrate Juneteenth, a special conversation among four African-American women with ties to the North Country about what the holiday means to them and what freedom means today.
(Jun 16, 2022) Lake Champlain is one of the world's great sources of fresh water, but it faces threats from farm and yard run-off and other forms of pollution. A new plan with buy-in from New York, Vermont, and Quebec aims to protect the water for generations. Also: Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is leading Republicans' "counterprogramming" to the January 6th hearings, but she's not getting her facts straight.
(Jun 15, 2022) An English as a second language classroom at Fort Drum has become a haven for newcomers moving to the area and learning to plug into the Watertown-Jefferson County community. Also: Congresswoman Elise Stefanik has echoed lies about Dominion voting systems in the 2020 election, false claims Donald Trump's former Attorney General called "disturbing" in the January 6th hearings this week.
(Jun 14, 2022) The Adirondacks have new tools and rules to combat the introduction of invasive species into the delicate Adirondack ecosystem. Meanwhile, a Lake George group is fighting a plan to use a herbicide to kill Eurasian watermilfoil. Also: Republican candidates for Governor clash in their first debate.
(Jun 13, 2022) High school students in Canton and Potsdam led a march over the weekend to protest slow action on gun control. The “March for Our Lives” national protest comes after mass shootings in Texas and Buffalo. Also: LGBTQ students in Massena brought rainbow flags to school for Pride Month. Other students brought in Confederate flags. The school banned both. We ask the superintendent why.
(Jun 10, 2022) There may be a verdict in Nick Hillary's civil rights case against the Potsdam police by this afternoon, so here's a special look at what happened at the trial this week in Albany. Natasha Haverty was NCPR's reporter on the scene and talked about the case with SOTD host David Sommerstein.
(Jun 9, 2022) Gov. Hochul signed into law a measure that raises the age to buy semi-automatic weapons to 21. All of the North Country delegation, including one Democrat, voted against it. Also: A cryptocurrency mining ban could affect businesses in Massena, but Hochul hasn't decided to sign it yet.
(Jun 8, 2022) With the primary less than three weeks away on June 28th, the three Democrats running for Governor, including incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul, met for their first debate Tuesday night. Also: Rep. Elise Stefanik held a million-dollar fundraiser with former President Donald Trump in New York City this week.
(Jun 7, 2022) Thousands of bikers descended on Lake George starting today for Americade. The massive bike rally isn't quite as massive as it used to be, and is evolving to attract a new generation. Also: Nick Hillary's civil trial against the Potsdam police department is underway in Albany.
(Jun 6, 2022) Tourism season is gearing up across the North Country, but many places are struggling to find enough workers and affordable housing for them to live in. Amy Feireisel reports from the Thousand Islands. Also: New York and Vermont signed onto a new plan to clean up Lake Champlain.
(Jun 3, 2022) It took less than three weeks after the Buffalo shooting for the state legislature to further tighten New York's gun control laws. Also: One of the Adirondacks' top forest rangers died by suicide this week, highlighting the mental health challenges rangers face.
(Jun 2, 2022) The story of how one Plattsburgh man's love for the movies turned into a movie festival that memorializes his life. "The World According to David Carr" film festival is this weekend. Also: Rep. Elise Stefanik says she opposes any new gun control legislation.
(Jun 1, 2022) Will the Winter Games ever return to Lake Placid? It's a longshot, but one North Country lawmaker is backing a state commission to push for a return of the Olympics to the Adirondacks. Also: State leaders agreed on a package of bills to further tighten New York's tough gun control measures.
(May 31, 2022) Congresswoman Elise Stefanik says New York is trying to force an obscure legal concept called "critical race theory" on the state's schools. State education leaders say that's "patently false", and teacher trainers agree. A special report on what's behind Stefanik's accusations.
(May 27, 2022) Memorial Day weekend is a time for BBQs, beaches, and soaking up the beginning of summer. But there's a movement to return the holiday's original meaning, remembering fallen troops, to the heart of the weekend. Also: State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli says inflation will continue to hurt North Country families, but a gas tax holiday will help a little.
(May 26, 2022) The Adirondacks are set aside in New York's constitution for "the free use of all the people". Yet the history of outdoor wilderness policy has mostly spoken to white people. A new project reckons with how to make the Park more accessible to all. Also: A librarian in Ogdensburg rekindles our love of libraries.
(May 25, 2022) With affordable housing an issue across the North Country, Lake Placid is wrestling with how to manage short-term rentals like Airbnb and VRBO. Some residents say it's an important economic opportunity for them. But others say it's pricing locals out of the tourist village. Also: Gov. Hochul wants to raise the age required to purchase certain kinds of guns to 21, in the wake of the Texas and Buffalo shootings.
(May 24, 2022) Social media can be a dangerous place for teens. After three children have died in connection with social media in about a year in St. Lawrence County, a school and its parents are talking about how to help teens recognize the warning signs. Also: A new national ad blames Congresswoman Elise Stefanik for bringing a racist conspiracy theory into the mainstream.
(May 23, 2022) Governor Kathy Hochul's positions on gun control are evolving quickly. She once had an "A" rating from the NRA. Now with a mass shooting in her hometown and an upcoming election, she's pushing to tighten New York's already strict gun control laws. Also: A Lake Placid teenager is driving an effort to eliminate single-use water bottles in Lake Placid.
(May 20, 2022) Nurses at Plattsburgh's hospital agreed on a contract after months of tension over staffing levels, health benefits, and the hospital's planned restructuring. Also: An audio postcard from a canoe camping excursion on Lower Saranac Lake.
(May 19, 2022) 80% of a child’s brain develops in the first 1000 days of life. A new report finds child care and access to vaccinations can be some of the biggest obstacles to improving early childhood health in the Adirondacks. Also: The DA in the Buffalo shooter's hometown says police couldn't have done anything to intervene before last weekend's violence.
(May 18, 2022) Businesses gearing up for the summer tourism season are hoping the worker shortage doesn't slow them down. The story of one popular diner in Lewis County that couldn't survive not having enough employees. Also: New York's health commissioner is warning people to take precautions as COVID-19 rates continue to spike.
(May 17, 2022) North Country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is taking heat for echoing "replacement theory" in her political ads. That's the racist baseless conspiracy theory that the Buffalo gunman wrote about before he targeted a Black neighborhood for a mass shooting. Also: New congressional districts are out, and they still put half of Jefferson County in a district that stretches to western New York.
(May 16, 2022) Former NCPR reporter Brian Mann is back in the North Country after a month reporting for NPR in Ukraine. He talks with David Sommerstein about being assigned to cover a war zone and the role of journalism in the conflict. Also: The latest from Buffalo, where police are prosecuting the grocery store shooting as a hate crime against the Black community.
(May 13, 2022) When we say popular Adirondack hiking trails are "overcrowded", what kind of message does that send to people the region is trying to attract? Diversifying the Adirondacks while managing busy trailheads. Also: St. Lawrence County boosts broadband and child care with its share of pandemic relief funds.
(May 12, 2022) In Harrisville, a man found a huge wooden cross in an attic. The local museum declined to find out more. Hannah Finley reports on how we construct histories in our communities, and what we choose to leave out. Also: How to prevent getting tick-borne diseases.
(May 11, 2022) NCPR's Plattsburgh bureau reporter tells the stories across the huge and diverse region of the Champlain Valley. This week, a new reporter started working with NCPR. We meet Cara Chapman, who has extensive reporting experience in Plattsburgh and the Champlain Valley region. Also: The DEC is warning of a high wildfire risk after days of sunny, dry conditions.
(May 10, 2022) Thousands of North Country residents get their garbage picked up by Casella Waste Systems. The story of how Casella went from a small family business in Vermont to a dominant national leader in the trash disposal industry. Also: Gov. Hochul pledges millions of dollars to help New York abortion clinics serve out-of-state patients.
(May 9, 2022) The summer tourism season is about to get underway across the North Country. In Plattsburgh and the Champlain Valley, business owners are delighted by the return of Canadian visitors now that the border's easier to cross. Also: The Adirondack Wildlife Refuge is reopening in a scaled-back form.
(May 6, 2022) The leaked draft of a Supreme Court decision that could overturn Roe v. Wade is drawing mixed reactions from North Country residents, and action in Albany to protect a woman's right to an abortion. We take stock after an historic week.
(May 5, 2022) The Antique Boat Museum in Clayton is a main tourist stop in the Thousand Islands. Across the river in Ganonoque, there's another museum that celebrates the boating culture of the Canadian side of the St. Lawrence. Also: Fort Drum generates almost $2 billion for the North Country's economy and accounts for some 26,000 jobs.
(May 4, 2022) The owners of Blue Pepper Farm in Jay journeyed from corporate America in a big city to raising sheep to make yogurt from their milk in one of the most beautiful parts of the Adirondacks. Also: Democrats are taking the legal battle over redistricting to a federal court.
(May 3, 2022) The North Country and Upstate New York have some of the highest new coronavirus case rates in the country. We look at how the spike is playing out at the hospital in Glens Falls. Also: Gov. Hochul picks Congressman Antonio Delgado as her new lieutenant governor and most likely running mate in the 2022 elections.
(May 2, 2022) New York City has long been the 'Big Apple' of many gambling developers' eye. Now that casinos in the nation's biggest market are about to become reality, the debate has turned to exactly what and where. Also: NovaBus in Plattsburgh gets a big contract to build new buses for New York City.
(Apr 29, 2022) It's the perfect spring window for getting outside. It's warmer, but the black flies aren't quite out yet. An audio postcard from Thousand Islands National Park in Ontario. Also: Gov. Hochul is getting blowback for trying to remove her disgraced running mate from the ballot.
(Apr 28, 2022) Gov. Hochul and the legislature recently made minor tweaks to New York's bail reform laws. State Senator Joe Griffo wants to start over and gives judges more discretion. Also: We report back some of the initial results of our local news survey. You can take the Local News Matters survey at ncpr.org/survey.
(Apr 27, 2022) New York's highest court has struck down the new legislative districts drawn by Democrats in Albany. In a 4-3 decision, the judges ruled the new maps were partisan and unconstitutional and ordered a re-do before elections later this year. Also: how to protect your backyard chicken flock from the avian flu being spread by mostly migratory birds.
(Apr 26, 2022) Construction of a massive powerline from hydropower dams in Quebec to New York City is getting underway. A look at the North Country consequences of the Champlain Hudson Power Express. Also: Gov. Hochul made a budget, and campaign, speech in Plattsburgh today.
(Apr 25, 2022) We're between Earth Day and Arbor Day. Some of the SUNY Adirondack faculty and students thought this is just the right time to plant 500 trees on their Queensbury campus. Also: the man accused of killing a SUNY Potsdam student has pleaded not guilty.
(Apr 22, 2022) Lower- and middle-income families have long struggled to find adequate childcare. And childcare workers have perpetually received low wages. The new state budget is trying to address both problems. Some worry the changes won't be permanent.
(Apr 21, 2022) A small group of Mohawk people recently tapped some maple trees on an island in the St. Lawrence River near Massena. It's their way of reclaiming the land symbolically. It follows a recent court ruling in favor of the Akwesasne Mohawks in a land claim over the acquisition of other lands in the 1800s.
(Apr 20, 2022) The recent federal court ruling could reshape parts of northern St. Lawrence and Franklin counties. Also, two St. Lawrence county parents are filing a state complaint accusing the school district of ignoring racist harassment of their children for years.
(Apr 19, 2022) For many seniors living alone, their regular Meals on Wheels delivery has been a rare time to interact with people during the isolation of the coronavirus pandemic. Also: Some North Country counties are back to "high" COVID-19 transmission rates, and health officials are urging people to return to masking indoors.
(Apr 18, 2022) Affordable housing is reaching crisis levels in much of the North Country. Essex County is trying to launch a project to rehab old houses and make them affordable for low- and middle-income residents. Also: Four farms in Washington County are among the 52 licensed to grow marijuana for recreational use.
(Apr 15, 2022) After a vigorous debate, the Adirondack Park Agency approved a plan to use herbicide to kill an invasive plant in Lake George. Also: The Wild Center in Tupper Lake is up for a major national award for museums.
(Apr 14, 2022) Opponents of a proposed border check-in station in the Thousand Islands are going on the offense. They're buying the land the federal government wanted to use for the facility and putting it into an environmental land trust. Also: The arrest and resignation of New York's lieutenant governor on corruption and bribery charges is reverberating across Albany. A new bill would make it easier to remove a candidate from the ballot if they're charged with a crime.
(Apr 13, 2022) An invasive plant called Eurasian watermilfoil has been a problem in Lake George for decades. The latest plan to get rid of the weed involves pouring an herbicide into the lake. But critics say that's bad for water quality. Also: Three marijuana dispensaries are now legally open for business in Akwesasne.
(Apr 12, 2022) With the largest budget in New York State history, North Country lawmakers in both parties had plenty to celebrate. The end of a tax on new broadband fiber, EMS call reimbursement for fire departments, and a new climate center in the Adirondacks top the list. Also: New York's lieutenant governor is arrested on campaign finance violations.
(Apr 11, 2022) The Pentagon says moving military servicemembers and their families every few years is necessary for overall military readiness. But what if that's not really true? Also: Gov. Hochul is standing by her lieutenant governor even after it was disclosed he was subpoenaed over ethical issues.
(Apr 8, 2022) Gov. Hochul and state lawmakers are finalizing a state budget with changes to bail reform, a state gas tax holiday, and big money for child care. Also: Our intern Hannah Finley grabs her ice axe and microspikes for a solo ascent up still wintry Giant Mountain.
(Apr 7, 2022) A new show at St. Lawrence University in Canton features the work of nine Black women printmakers, a group very underrepresented in the genre. Also: the details of the state budget are coming into focus, including a suspension of the state gas tax this summer.
(Apr 6, 2022) The coronavirus pandemic exposed what experts already knew: that child care was in a crisis in the North Country. But two counties, Jefferson and Lewis, managed to actually build child care capacity this last year. The secret to their success. Also: Government reform groups are doubtful a truly independent ethics panel will make it out of the budget talks this year.
(Apr 5, 2022) A laundromat and gift shop on Tupper Lake's Main Street also makes perhaps the best old-fashioned fried donuts in the North Country. We visit the Washboard Donut Shoppe. Also: Mohawk tribal members will vote on renaming the tribe as the "Akwesasne Mohawk Tribe", from "St. Regis Mohawk Tribe".
(Apr 4, 2022) Lake George is "in the Adirondack Park but not always of it," says Lake George Mirror owner and editor Tony Hall. The historic and cultural distinctness of a corner of the Adirondacks. Also: A ruling tossing Democrats' drawn district maps because of gerrymandering is on hold, for now.
(Apr 1, 2022) For the first time in two years, fully vaccinated visitors to Canada no longer have to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test to enter the country. We run through the details of what you need to know before you arrive at the border. Also: A climate career program in the Adirondacks is tucked into the proposed state budget.
(Mar 31, 2022) Thousands more New Yorkers who are innocent until proven guilty are awaiting their trial at home instead of in jail, a result of bail reform. But funding for pre-trial services to help them stay out of more trouble hasn't kept up. Also: Lawyers made closing arguments today in the lawsuit over New York's new congressional district maps.
(Mar 30, 2022) Bail reform has become a political lightning rod in New York. But there's little conclusive data that it's causing higher crime rates. And it's keeping thousands of people out of jail who are still presumed innocent. Also: Malone's hospital closes its birthing center.
(Mar 29, 2022) Government groups are again calling for ethics reform in Albany. Gov. Hochul promised it, but can she and legislative leaders deliver? Also: Friday is the day it will finally get easier for vaccinated U.S. citizens to enter Canada. And a Thousand Islands personality is in critical condition in a Mexican hospital.
(Mar 25, 2022) Model United Nations acquires a different level of meaning when the real United Nations is coping with a devastating war. North Country high school students reckon with the war in Ukraine. Also: Lake Placid is hosting bigtime international competitions in biathlon and ski jumping this weekend.
(Mar 24, 2022) The U.S. will welcome up to 100,000 people fleeing the war in Ukraine. One city just south of the North Country has developed expertise welcoming refugees from around the world. Also: A Hamilton County judge has been disciplined for improper political activities.
(Mar 23, 2022) A St. Lawrence County woman of Ukrainian heritage found people were approaching her asking, how can I help? She's been collecting a list of reputable Ukrainian charities. Also: A hiker who died trying to climb Mt. Colden may have been trapped under an avalanche.
(Mar 22, 2022) Tensions are rising in Albany over proposed changes to New York's bail reform laws from two years ago. Gov. Hochul wants to roll some of them back, while criminal justice groups say they have little to do with rising crime rates. Also: Watertown considers re-routing trucks out of Public Square to make it more people-friendly.
(Mar 21, 2022) The floods of refugees from Ukraine are triggering memories for North Country residents who fled violent situations in the past. An Adirondack woman recalls her escape from Poland in World War 2, and connects with Ukrainians today. Also: Gov. Hochul says almost half of new COVID-19 cases in New Yok are the new sub-variant of omicron, but she doesn't foresee another major surge.
(Mar 18, 2022) Take a subzero trip up Whiteface Mountain. A group of hearty skiers made a nighttime approach of the toll road under a brilliant, but frigid, full moon. Also: Green groups and some residents are concerned with US border officials' plans to build a new customs station in the Thousand Islands.
(Mar 17, 2022) The basics of democracy have become a political firestorm around the country. But in Warren County, Democrats and Republicans are working together to help young people register to vote. Also: The deadline for artists to apply for state grants to help recover from the pandemic is next Friday.
(Mar 16, 2022) Road salt can poison fish and wildlife, but it can also leech into people's wells, corroding pipes and showerheads and making water undrinkable. Also: Police have arrested a man in connection with a shooting in Plattsburgh Tuesday.
(Mar 15, 2022) Across the North Country, people are showing solidarity with Ukraine and its people through flags, banners, and vigils, like one over the weekend in Canton. Also: Saranac Lake will elect a new mayor for the first time in a dozen years. We look at the candidates.
(Mar 14, 2022) A special report on how Congresswoman Elise Stefanik stoked rage against school mask mandates. Stefanik spread misinformation to drive parents to protest at schools. Local school officials say they had no control over the mask rules, and say Stefanik "weaponized" the parent-school relationship for politics.
(Mar 11, 2022) Cell phone coverage is a major public safety issue in the Adirondacks, where roads are isolated. But it's also an environmental issue, to preserve the appearance of wilderness. The Adirondack Park Agency tackles the best way to erect a new cell phone tower. Also: It may take a few more months before a grand jury hears evidence against a man arrested for murdering a SUNY Potsdam student.
(Mar 10, 2022) It's been almost a year since the North Country's police departments submitted reform plans. We check in on progress made in Canton and St. Lawrence County. Also: Traffic between the North Country and Canada remains well below pre-pandemic levels, but cross-border trade has rebounded and is even expected to increase.
(Mar 9, 2022) An organist who's playing a virtual concert in Elizabethtown this weekend says his instrument is unique because it never takes a breath. Some liken it to the voice of God. Also: SUNY has begun its search for a new chancellor of the SUNY system.
(Mar 8, 2022) From Watertown to Plattsburgh to Canton, to Keene, North Country communities are choosing ways to show solidarity with Ukrainians under siege from Russian troops. A Ukrainian working with USA Luge in Lake Placid led an effort to pay tribute to his homeland. Also: at least eight people were injured in a fire at a high rise in Ogdensburg.
(Mar 7, 2022) Fresh off a multimillion dollar renovation, Lake Placid's speedskating oval held an international competition once again over the weekend. Also: A St. Lawrence University student took silver in a cross-country ski race in the Winter Paralympic Games in Beijing, China.
(Mar 4, 2022) Call it the 'Great Unmasking'. For the first time in almost two years, children and teachers across the North Country went to school maskless. It was a complicated, emotional milestone in the coronavirus pandemic. Also: We remember a Watertown-area doctor who delivered thousands of babies over more than three decades.
(Mar 3, 2022) Most of us are watching the violence unfolding in Ukraine as outsiders. A conversation with a St. Lawrence County woman who grew up in Ukraine and still has family there, as Russian bombs pummel their city. Also: students and teachers reflect on the first school day without masks in almost two years.
(Mar 2, 2022) The disability community was frustrated with the Andrew Cuomo administration. After Governor Kathy Hochul named a new chief disabilities officer, we ask an expert on disabilities issues about what it will take to make progress for people with disabilities. Also: An Adirondack flower farm is raising money for medical supplies for Ukraine, and sending flowers to local long-term care homes in the process.
(Mar 1, 2022) Just a couple of weeks after Saranac Lake wrapped up its winter carnival, the village conjured up another parade and a mini-ice palace for a boy through the Make A Wish Foundation. Also: New York Republicans today officially nominated Long Island Congressman Lee Zeldin to run for governor.
(Feb 28, 2022) It's been 20 years since a Republican won a statewide office in New York. The GOP launches a campaign to change that with its political convention this week. Karen Dewitt has a preview. Also: Adirondack residents reflect on the war in Ukraine, and the school mask mandate ends on Wednesday.
(Feb 25, 2022) Homes scattered across the North Country were the last stops before freedom in Canada for people escaping slavery. But even the northern-most stops on the Underground Railroad were dangerous for "passengers" and "conductors" alike. Also: Democrat Bridie Farrell drops out of the North Country race for Congress.
(Feb 24, 2022) Commercial maple syrup producers need to be ready for the very first sap run of early spring. All winter, workers head deep into the sugar bush to maintain the lines and tap new trees. Also: the Cambridge school district is suing over the state's ruling that it has to drop its native-themed mascot.
(Feb 23, 2022) A new TAUNY exhibit shares stories, images, and Hornbeck boats. Also, a trip on a frozen North Country pond.
(Feb 22, 2022) The pandemic isn't the only reason there are too few EMTs in the North Country. Also: College students talk about the pandemic and their mental health.
(Feb 21, 2022) Beth Howell was a cellist and a senior at SUNY Potsdam. On Friday she was killed. The campus community is just beginning to mourn her loss and a memorial space has been set up for her in Hosmer Hall. Also, the return of cardboard sled racing in Canton.
(Feb 18, 2022) The womens' figure skating drama thrust Olympic mental health back into the spotlight. But athletes say an even bigger challenge is battling mental health issues after the Games are over. Also: A parent of Black children is filing a complaint against a St. Lawrence County school district for not handling racist bullying and other incidents better.
(Feb 17, 2022) Lake Placid photojournalist Nancie Battaglia has covered nearly every Winter Olympics since 1980, until Beijing. She talks about her favorite photos over four decades and what the Olympics mean to her today. Also: Senator Patty Ritchie's decision to retire is setting in motion a political showdown in the North Country GOP.
(Feb 16, 2022) Ottawa's police chief's resignation is the latest turn as anti-vaccine mandate trucker protests paralyze Canada's capital. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act Monday to deal with the trucker protests. NCPR correspondent James Morgan explains what that means. Also: Flood warnings are taking effect from the Adirondacks to Akwesasne as a mid-winter melt sets in.
(Feb 15, 2022) A changing climate means the North Country's ski resorts can no longer count on snow all winter. How snowmaking is now the new normal at ski areas across the Northeast and what that means for the future of the ski business. Also: Canton will host St. Lawrence County's first methadone clinic.
(Feb 14, 2022) Schools are on the front lines of a mental health crisis among young people. We get an inside look at how one school in Jefferson County is marshaling all its resources to keep students safe and get the help they need. Also: A Plattsburgh athlete debuted at the Winter Olympics in Beijing this morning.
(Feb 11, 2022) North Country athletes have had prominent roles in the Winter Games this week, especially in luge. But so has North Country journalist Brian Mann reporting on the Olympics from Beijing for NPR. Also: The province of Ontario declares a state of emergency as the trucker convoy continues to disrupt life there.
(Feb 10, 2022) Loons often wait until early winter to leave the North Country and migrate south. Sometimes they wait too long and get iced in. A recent loon rescue on Lake George. Also: Congress is moving towards prohibiting federal lawmakers from trading on the stock market.
(Feb 9, 2022) A few years ago, USA women ski jumpers successfully lobbied for suits that eliminated extra sewing designed to accentuate their bodies. But that win was only a small part of a movement for gender equality in the Olympics. Also: Gov. Kathy Hochul drops the indoor mask mandate for businesses, but not schools.
(Feb 8, 2022) Gov. Hochul has promised to overhaul New York's state university system, which has been underfunded for years. But the unions representing SUNY faculty and staff say Hochul's plans don't go nearly far enough. Also: The Republican primary for Jefferson County's new congressional district is already getting crowded.
(Feb 7, 2022) Because there are so few workers, group homes for people with disabilities are closing and merging into larger group homes. That terrifies advocates and families, who remember the painful history when people with disabilities were institutionalized in deplorable conditions.
(Feb 4, 2022) Some tourist towns in the North Country have been booming since the pandemic began. That's made navigating the worker shortage especially difficult in places like Lake Placid, where some tourists are losing patience. Also: Republicans blast the Democrats' new district maps.
(Feb 3, 2022) Many seniors and people with disabilities rely on home health aides to be able to live in their own homes. In our worker shortage series, how low pay and hard work combine to make long waiting lists to get an aide to help. Also: 200 soldiers from Fort Drum are heading to Eastern Europe and the stand-off with Russia over Ukraine
(Feb 2, 2022) The pandemic gave people time to think about what they really wanted in a job. Millions decided to quit and start their own business. One woman pursued her dream of opening a tattoo studio in her hometown of St. Regis Falls. Also: the worker shortage is giving potential employees more bargaining power.
(Feb 1, 2022) We assume an ambulance will come when we have an emergency. But a shortage of EMTs and first responders in the North Country is starting to raise questions about that fundamental assumption of health care. Also: The Winter Empire State Games are coming back to the Adirondacks this weekend.
(Jan 31, 2022) The pandemic is taking a grave toll on nurses and other health care workers in the North Country. For our worker shortage series, how low pay, high stress, and job dissatisfaction adds up to a severe demand for labor at area hospitals. Also: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced he tested positive for COVID-19 today.
(Jan 28, 2022) An independent, bipartisan panel failed to come up with new, fair legislative districts. Now the Democratic state legislature takes over, and good government groups are worried. Also: The North Country has the highest positive COVID-19 test rate in the state again.
(Jan 27, 2022) An 11 year-old boy went to a USA Luge "slider search" in Canton. Thirteen years later, Massena's Jonny Gustafson is on his way to Beijing to represent the U.S. in the Winter Olympics. Also: Fort Drum is moving to a higher level of COVID-19 safety as new cases of the virus remain stubbornly high.
(Jan 26, 2022) Congresswoman Elise Stefanik rose to the top echelon of Republican leadership this year, an ascendancy paved in part by her embrace of Donald Trump's baseless election claims. Part two of our special report on Stefanik's support for Trump’s “Big Lie”. Also: The statewide mask mandate is still in effect, as an appeals court reviews a judge's decision to throw it out.
(Jan 25, 2022) North Country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik has become one of the most high-profile politicians to support and amplify Donald Trump's false claims about the 2020 presidential election. We have the first of a two-part special report fact-checking Stefanik's statements about the election. Also: State education officials are telling schools to keep requiring masks, after a judge overturned the state's mask mandate.
(Jan 24, 2022) Millions of federal dollars to help New York parents afford child care hasn't been spent yet. Experts say that's because bad websites and complicated sign-ups make it hard for families to even know the aid is available. Also: Fort Drum's commander outlines how 10th Mountain troops could theoretically play into a deployment to counter Russia's threat of Ukraine. The Pentagon hasn't announced any official troop movements yet.
(Jan 21, 2022) Maple and birch syrups are favorite local ingredients for North Country brewers. But they're hard to make shine in a beer. One Lake Placid-based duo is experimenting to make new brews. Also: Gov. Hochul says the omicron spike has fallen dramatically over the last week, but New Yorkers should remain vigilant.
(Jan 20, 2022) For decades, a team of citizen scientists has been tracking ice formation on lakes and ponds across the northern US, including here in the North Country. Climate change is causing less ice, and that's altering the lakes' ecosystems. Also: About 50% of people are gaining weight, drinking more, and are more depressed and anxious, according to a new study of pandemic behavior.
(Jan 19, 2022) A new survey finds Americans across the political spectrum don't hate each other as much as we're led to believe. And people say it's politicians and the media - not individuals - who are driving the political toxicity. Also: The state budget doubles funding for a much-neglected school for Mohawk children in Akwesasne.
(Jan 18, 2022) Gov. Hochul wants to use a big state surplus to increase spending, cut taxes, and build up rainy-day reserves, all in the same budget. A recap of Hochul's $216 billion spending plan. Also: Lewis County's legislature says its sheriff violated policy when he wrote a letter supporting a January 6th rioter on official county letterhead.
(Jan 17, 2022) New York's wage board couldn't settle the issue in 2021 of whether farmworkers should get overtime pay after a 40-hour workweek. It's taking another shot starting this week. Also: Plattsburgh and Ogdensburg lose airlines; Saranac Lake gains direct service to NYC.
(Jan 14, 2022) Rep. Elise Stefanik said she couldn't vote in person due to pandemic-related health concerns. So someone voted as her proxy on the same day she was in a full room in Mar-a-Lago. Also: The APA's executive director is stepping down after a dozen years at the helm.
(Jan 13, 2022) The Adirondack Park Agency is weighing more than a thousand comments opposing the reopening of a 1920s quarry in Forestport. Also: Ogdensburg's airport is losing its only airline.
(Jan 12, 2022) The first half of the school year has been a lot of remembering what school is like for kids. In a fifth-grade classroom in Lake Placid, they’re picking back up socially quickly, but the learning skills have fallen behind. Also: Donald Trump hosted North Country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik at Mar-a-Lago in Florida last night for a multi-million dollar fundraiser.
(Jan 11, 2022) We depend on dry, bare roads to get around safely during the winter. But all that road salt corrodes the environment. One town near Lake George is trying to curb the addiction to road salt. Also: The omicron-driven COVID spike is starting to flatten in New York City, but Gov. Hochul predicts it'll be another couple weeks of soaring COVID-19 cases Upstate.
(Jan 10, 2022) The omicron variant drives new COVID-19 case records across the North Country, but businesses, schools, and most workplaces remain open. Across the border, Quebec and the city of Montreal have returned back to a near-total lockdown, including a curfew. Also: Gov. Kathy Hochul will lay out how she plans to pay for her election-year agenda in her budget, which is due next week.
(Jan 7, 2022) School districts are starting to send students home with COVID-19 test kits to help find positive cases before a child infects the rest of the school. But educators are teetering on the edge as they try to fill what's essentially a public health role. Also: St. Lawrence County wants to send more deputies into schools as resource officers.
(Jan 6, 2022) Environmental groups found a lot of specifics to like in Governor Hochul's agenda for the Adirondacks for 2022. Also: North Country Republicans said they were disappointed with Hochul's State of the State speech.
(Jan 5, 2022) A look back at how the North Country’s congresswoman, Elise Stefanik reacted to the events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Also, Governor Kathy Hochul gave her first State of the State address.
(Jan 4, 2022) Eight years ago, New Yorkers created an independent, bipartisan panel to redraw legislative district lines according to the results of the 2020 census. Yesterday, that panel succumbed to politics. Also: the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe loses its ambulance service to staff cuts.
(Jan 3, 2022) Congress came close to passing legislation requiring women to register for the selective service, the precursor to a military draft. Supporters of gender-neutral registration say they'll keep trying. Also: Gov. Hochul says the state is prepared to send out 37 million COVID-19 test kits to help keep kids in school unless they test positive.
(Dec 30, 2021) The story of Adirondack forest ranger Robbi Mecus, who came out as a transgender woman a few years ago and has become a role model for people who aren’t always seen or accepted by the outdoor community. Also: The COVID-19 surge is forcing the cancellation of New Year's Eve events across the North Country.
(Dec 29, 2021) Governor Kathy Hochul was in Plattsburgh today laying out her preparations for a January surge of COVID-19 cases. That spike is already well underway, as New York hit a new record for daily cases yesterday. Also: We revisit a high school musical that brought singing and dancing back after the pandemic had shut down school theater programs last year.
(Dec 28, 2021) Our education reporter Amy Feiereisel has been embedded in schools across the North Country since last summer. She reports back on what was supposed to be a "normal" year but was anything but. Also: Gov. Kathy Hochul is imploring parents to get their children vaccinated as more young people are ending up in COVID-19 hospital wards.
(Dec 27, 2021) There's a nationwide shortage of snowplow drivers. New York is in good shape for this winter, but says it needs to recruit more drivers after a wave of retirements. Also: schools, including UVM and Clarkson, are starting to require COVID-19 boosters for students to attend the spring semester.
(Dec 23, 2021) At Christmastime, some families get together for the holiday, sometimes from very different cultures. The story of an Amish and an "English" get-together that's become tradition. Also: Gov. Hochul is promising millions more at-home COVID testing kits as the omicron variant rages across the state.
(Dec 22, 2021) Sometimes the Olympics isn't the ultimate goal. A Lake Placid ski jumper has competed over over the world for almost two decades, and she's satisfied even if she doesn't go to Beijing in February. Also: Another wind farm with 20 industrial turbines just went online on the Tug Hill Plateau.
(Dec 21, 2021) Today's first-graders have never been in a "regular" non-COVID school setting. That's resulting in behavioral and learning problems that are taxing kids and teachers across the region. We visit Salmon River elementary in northern Franklin County. Also: The North Country's COVID-19 rate of new cases has plateaued for now, but health officials fear a new surge with the arrival of the more transmissible omicron variant.
(Dec 20, 2021) Ontario and Quebec are taking drastic measures to try to prevent the spread of the omicron variant of COVID-19. Kingston, Ontario had the highest rate of new cases in all of Canada. We talk with a reporter from the local paper there. Also: SUNY Oswego's president will be the interim chancellor of the SUNY system.
(Dec 17, 2021) It can be a long, dark, cold winter, especially if you're not into winter sports. So what to do to stay sane? A weekly music jam in Essex County brings people together for singing and storytelling. Also: Canada is reinstating its COVID-19 testing requirement for all incoming travellers, including vaccinated Canadians.
(Dec 16, 2021) Our Adirondack reporter Emily Russell went in search of the perfect Christmas tree, and made a serious commitment. Also: A Warren County teenager who was healthy but not vaccinated has died due to COVID-19.
(Dec 15, 2021) There's a shortage of health care workers across the country, especially in rural areas. We have the remarkable story of a group of teenagers who are running and staffing the ambulance service in Sackets Harbor. Also: A state labor board delays a decision over farmworkers getting overtime pay at 40 hours a week.
(Dec 14, 2021) Gov. Hochul defended her statewide mask mandate today, as about a dozen counties say they refuse to enforce it. Also: Some of the best games are the ones we make up ourselves. We meet a guy in Canton who invented a fun game called "relayball".
(Dec 13, 2021) The state’s mask mandate took effect today as COVID-19 continues to surge, with some places starting to require vaccine proof instead. Republican lawmakers pushed back against the rule, saying it will hurt businesses. Also: a retired pediatrician on why the vaccine is safe and why it matters to help end the pandemic.
(Dec 10, 2021) Gov. Hochul has reinstated an indoor mask mandate across New York State, effective Monday, as COVID-19 cases surge. A St. Lawrence County hospital CEO implores people to get vaccinated to avoid a health care crisis.
(Dec 9, 2021) The North Country is experiencing its worst COVID-19 spike of the pandemic, with hospitals saying they're overwhelmed with patients. Yet top regional elected officials have been largely silent and unwilling to impose rules that health leaders agree make people safer. Also: Tish James drops out of the race for governor. And SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras resigns.
(Dec 8, 2021) More North Country counties declared a state of emergency as the rising number of COVID-19 cases threatens to overwhelm hospitals across the region. But they stopped short of issuing mask mandates, instead "imploring" people to wear masks in public. Also: We meet the new Adirondack Coordinator, a new state position.
(Dec 7, 2021) SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras is facing pressure to step down. Documents were released in which he seems to be encouraging retaliation against a woman who accused former Governor Andrew Cuomo of harassment. Also: North Country Democratic leaders endorse Matt Castelli for Congress.
(Dec 6, 2021) Economists warn if Congress fails to raise the debt ceiling, it could be catastrophic. We unpack what the debt ceiling is all about and how it could affect your daily life. Also: The race for Vermont's congressional seat is underway after Peter Welch announced he's running for Senate.
(Dec 3, 2021) A new NPR poll found many working families are having to choose between childcare and working. The pandemic has made the child care crisis worse. A family in Clinton County knows that by experience. Also: A Paul Smith's College nordic combined athlete is competing at the Olympic venue in Beijing, with a chance to make the USA team.
(Dec 2, 2021) Dairy farmers are hurting from the pandemic, high gas prices, and the rollercoaster of milk prices. But they fear a new rule requiring they pay overtime after 40 hours a week could put some farms out of business. Also: Gov. Hochul said she won't impose new mask mandates statewide because she doubts people would comply.
(Dec 1, 2021) Despite all the poverty in the North Country, there are only a few homeless shelters in the region. Samaritan House in Saranac Lake has a track record of getting people jobs and back into their own housing. Also: The state education commissioner ordered a school near Saratoga Springs to drop its "Indians" mascot and logo.
(Nov 30, 2021) The North Country's spiking COVID-19 rates have county leaders scrambling to get more people vaccinated and wearing masks indoors. At Glens Falls' hospital, a wave of unvaccinated COVID patients is filling the facility's ICU unit. Also: New York has created a new job to coordinate the response to all the increased visitor traffic in the Adirondack Park.
(Nov 29, 2021) The U.S. hasn't hosted World Cup ski jumping in years. But that's about to change in December when Lake Placid hosts an Olympic qualifier, thanks to a big upgrade in its iconic ski jump infrastructure. Also: SUNY Potsdam's interim president died unexpectedly over the weekend.
(Nov 24, 2021) Businesses have gone through a lot over the past few years, especially smaller local ones but they aren't giving up. Also: A COVID-19 surge hits a regional hospital.
(Nov 23, 2021) Tens of thousands of North Country teens are back at school in person this year. They have a lot to tell the rest of us about that transition. Hint: It hasn't always been easy. Also: The conclusion of the NY state legislature’s investigation into former governor Andrew Cuomo.
(Nov 22, 2021) A new report proposes a vision for the Adirondacks 30 years from now. Also: The social infrastructure plan passed in the House of Representatives but its success in the Senate is less certain.
(Nov 19, 2021) The APA met yesterday and even though it wasn't on the agenda, people had a lot to tell them about a proposed granite quarry in the park. Also: A Saint Regis Mohawk tribal chief speaks at a White House summit.
(Nov 18, 2021) It's been over a year since school bands could play together. With some masks and protective covers, now, band is back. Also: Billions of dollars are coming to New York from the new federal infrastructure bill.
(Nov 17, 2021) Three school superintendents say the state has neglected the maintenance of schools in Native American territories. Now, they say it'll cost $60 million dollars just to get them up to date. Also: Gov. Hochul says people in high transmission regions including the North Country should get the COVID-19 booster.
(Nov 16, 2021) The longest-serving U.S. Senator in Congress, Vermont Democrat Patrick Leahy, announced his retirement at the end of this term. His decision sets in motion a generational shift in Vermont politics. Also: many North Country leaders welcomed the billions of dollars coming for roads, bridges, and broadband in the new infrastructure package.
(Nov 15, 2021) North Country public health officials are increasingly worried about another holiday spike in COVID-19 cases as people spend more time indoors and vaccination rates remain stubbornly low. Also: progressive Zephyr Teachout is running in the Democratic primary for Attorney General.
(Nov 12, 2021) The outcomes from the climate conference in Scotland could determine whether you go cross-country skiing in the North Country in 50 years. The future of winter sports in a warming world. Also: Massena votes to allow marijuana dispensaries.
(Nov 11, 2021) The story of one veteran on Veterans Day, an Adirondack man who spent much of his adult life in the Marines, where race and the mission in Iraq became heavy burdens. Also: The state denies a permit to a third party who wanted to take over the Adirondack Wildlife Refuge.
(Nov 10, 2021) Vaccinated Canadians began returning to the North Country on the first day they were allowed to cross the border. It may still take some time before border town economies see a rebound. Also: Ogdensburg's former fire chief is charged with slashing tires at the mayor's house.
(Nov 9, 2021) Reactions to news of new prison closures in Ogdenbsurg and Moriah reflect how race and geography paint very different pictures of incarceration in New York. Also: A new exhibit at the Hyde in Glens Falls highlights a Georgia O'Keefe painting from her time in Lake George.
(Nov 8, 2021) Some breaking news on today's story of the day: The state is closing prisons in Ogdensburg and Essex County, affecting almost 300 jobs. Statewide six prisons are closing as New York's inmate population continues to plummet. Also: a look at why the Adirondack Wildlife Refuge in Wilmington was shut down by the state.
(Nov 5, 2021) NCPR's retired news director used her legacy NCPR email for political purposes. Our Congresswoman, Elise Stefanik, pointed to it as an example of liberal bias. We hired an outside reporter and editor team to report on the controversy. Also: Jefferson County reported ten COVID-19 deaths just this week.
(Nov 4, 2021) Students at Queensbury high school near Glens Falls complained the school wasn’t talking bullying and harassment seriously. School leaders listened, and met with students. Also: Warren and Washington counties join forces to educate the public about the COVID-19 vaccine, as it becomes available for children.
(Nov 3, 2021) Even as the dust is still settling on election 2021, New York's political world is already looking ahead to the Democratic primary for governor next June. Governor Hochul and Attorney General James are already in the race, and more could be on the way. Also: local election results from Saranac Lake, Lake Placid, Tupper Lake, Ogdensburg, and Canton.
(Nov 2, 2021) In the early 20th century, Lake Placid was becoming a booming tourist destination. But few people had personal cameras to capture the memories. Enter professional photographer Grover Cleveland. Also: Gov. Hochul expands New York's paid family leave law to include siblings.
(Nov 1, 2021) For the second time in seven years, New Yorkers are being asked to alter the state’s constitution to make changes to the redistricting process. What you need to know to vote on ballot proposition #1. Also: Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, and Tupper Lake will vote on big leadership positions in Tuesday's election.
(Oct 29, 2021) New Yorkers will vote on proposals that would pave the way for same-day voter registration and universal mail-in voting. Voting reform groups like them, but the Republican Party does not. Also: The details of former Gov. Cuomo's sexual assault charges.
(Oct 28, 2021) Thousands of kids are quarantining to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks at school. But there’s mounting evidence that those kids rarely get sick. So are quarantines worth kids missing so much school? Also: Police defend SUNY Plattsburgh's campus police in handling an arrest that raised questions of racial bias.
(Oct 27, 2021) This school year was supposed to be mostly normal. But across the North Country, thousands of kids are missing long periods of school to COVID-19 related quarantines. And educators are scrambling to keep them learning from home. Also: More than 30 North Country people died due to COVID-19 in the last two weeks, most of them unvaccinated.
(Oct 26, 2021) A recent survey found Americans greatly overestimate how many veterans have PTSD. That misperception can have bad consequences for veterans who do, and don't, have PTSD. Also: Lake Placid plans to opt out of allowing recreational marijuana sales in the village.
(Oct 25, 2021) North Country economic leaders are taking stock as they try to guide our economy out of the pandemic. Lake George and the Champlain Valley are focusing on making everyday life better to give more people reasons to do business there. Also: the arrest of a Black SUNY Plattsburgh student is prompting an inquiry into racial bias by the campus police.
(Oct 22, 2021) We may be a little past peak fall foliage in the North Country, but there’s still a lot of great color in the woods. Our Adirondack reporter Emily Russell found great autumn views from a knob in Wilmington. Also: The race for Watertown's city council.
(Oct 21, 2021) The big political question in New York is whether Democrat Tish James will challenge Kathy Hochul for governor next year. A SUNY Plattsburgh political scientist weighs the political risks and rewards for another attorney general who might seek higher office. Also: John Ernst is the new chairman of the Adirondack Park Agency.
(Oct 20, 2021) Tearing down abandoned and blighted homes is an important way for towns to improve property values and community spirit. A project in Akwesasne is trying to do just that, while salvaging the family histories and cultural legacies that are left behind. Also: Oil and gas prices are spiking, just ahead of winter heating season in the North Country.
(Oct 19, 2021) Colleges across the North Country are struggling to convince their students they take sexual harassment and bigotry seriously. A group of students at Paul Smith's College is holding a walkout Thursday in protest. Also: The state is releasing new COVID-19 data, including the rate of breakthrough cases, which is only at around 1% statewide.
(Oct 18, 2021) COVID-19 has disrupted three straight school years now. Many kids have never been to their school during "normal" times, and it's showing in rising depression and anxiety rates. A school in Jefferson County is tackling mental health by making it central to the school experience. Also: hospitals aren't sure how to verify their workers' claims for religious exemptions to getting the vaccine.
(Oct 15, 2021) The Adirondack Park Agency had a lot on its plate at Thursday's meeting, including a solar project in Ticonderoga and a campground expansion at the wildly popular Fish Creek in the St. Regis Canoe Area. Also: New York State drops its challenge to a school funding lawsuit, and a special request to you podcast listeners for our fall fundraiser!
(Oct 14, 2021) The Democratic race for Governor is starting to take shape, with Kathy Hochul playing her cards right in her auditioning role for the job so far. Also: local leaders are hopeful the return of Canadians crossing the border will help out the fall and winter economy in the North Country.
(Oct 13, 2021) Rates of new COVID-19 cases have been high in the North Country for weeks, high enough that the CDC recommends everyone wear masks indoors. Yet county governments have a hodge-podge of masking rules in their own buildings. Also: Gov. Hochul is pushing back against a court ruling in favor of religious exemptions for vaccine mandates.
(Oct 12, 2021) People of color are much less likely to hike, ski, and paddle in places like the Adirondacks than white people, losing out on the many health benefits of being in the woods. A group at SUNY Potsdam is trying to close the outdoor recreation gap and diversify the Adirondacks. Also: A judge rules New York must grant religious exemptions to its vaccine mandate for health care workers.
(Oct 11, 2021) How a Plattsburgh-based musician found inspiration in the warm tones of the Fender Rhodes electric piano. Also: Plattsburgh's hospital postpones elective surgeries due to COVID-19 and staffing shortages; and public radio needs you!
(Oct 8, 2021) Students are playing some fall sports for the first time in two years. But the season is anything but normal, because one COVID-19 case can force a whole team home to quarantine. Also: Grape farmworkers on Long Island are the first in New York to unionize.
(Oct 7, 2021) There's only one place in the North Country that grows fresh cranberries. A visit to the cranberry bogs of Brasher Falls (and no, they're not actually bogs.) Also: A Glens Falls man pleaded guilty to participating in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last January.
(Oct 6, 2021) When you think of surfing, you might think of California or Hawaii. But a group of surfers catches waves year-round on Lake Ontario. Also: Gov. Hochul expanded the vaccine mandate for health care employees to include hospice and home care workers.
(Oct 5, 2021) Child care providers are pushing back against a rule by Gov. Hochul requiring toddlers to be masked all day while in their care. They say masking very young children is impractical, unsanitary, and won’t help slow the spread of anything. Also: A mother and son from Watertown are charged with helping to steal House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's laptop during the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in January.
(Oct 4, 2021) A decade ago, Hurricane Irene dumped a foot of water on the Adirondacks, flooding towns and roads. Today a group is re-engineering the Au Sable River to try to prevent it from surging over its banks again. Also: A freight train derailed near Old Forge last week.
(Oct 1, 2021) We all grieve a loved one, or will at some point. But we don't often talk about death or how to deal with it. A conversation about grief, and making it ok. Also: St. Lawrence University will become a training ground for new Peace Corps volunteers.
(Sep 30, 2021) Masks and social distancing have become the norm at schools across the North Country. For the youngest students, it's the only kind of school they've known. Also: New York Air Brake in Watertown cuts 125 jobs.
(Sep 29, 2021) Dairy farm workers have struggled to get COVID-19 vaccines. That issue is exposing the challenge farmworkers face in getting access to health care, even when it’s not a pandemic. Also: Congresswoman Stefanik asked military leaders questions about the withdrawal from Afghanistan at a House Armed Services hearing today.
(Sep 28, 2021) The number of ranger-led rescues in the Adirondacks is down from last year's busy pandemic summer. But so is the number of rangers. Also: The North Country's minimum wage will rise to $13.60 an hour in 2022.
(Sep 27, 2021) Gov. Kathy Hochul is making good on her word. She's signing an executive order to bring in the National Guard if hospitals end up short-staffed due to the vaccine mandate. The requirement for health care workers takes effect tonight. Also: Hochul says she'll appoint a new chairman of the Adirondack Park Agency, but she wouldn't say when.
(Sep 24, 2021) Akwesasne singer-songwriter Theresa Bear Fox says her music started coming to her when she was a child, but she didn't turn it into songs until later. Also: Kathy Hochul makes her first swing through the North Country as Governor, and lays out her economic plan for a post-pandemic recovery before the state Business Council.
(Sep 23, 2021) Northern Light hosts Todd and Monica take us for an early fall paddle on the Grasse River in Canton. Also: Governor Kathy Hochul says she's coming to the North Country to address COVID-19 rates that are the highest in the state, and former Governor Andrew Cuomo's health commissioner submits his resignation.
(Sep 22, 2021) The number of young people going into teaching has slumped for about a decade now. As the teacher shortage borders on a crisis, teacher training programs are trying to give the next generation incentives to get into the classroom. Also: A new statewide effort to address the needs of small cities came to Plattsburgh yesterday.
(Sep 21, 2021) Schools across the North Country are suffering through a teacher shortage they haven't seen in decades. It's forced some schools to suspend programs and hire underqualified substitutes. Also: New York and the Northeast need to stop deforestation to help reverse climate change.
(Sep 20, 2021) Protests against New York's vaccine mandate for health care workers have centered on a religious exemption. What the religious objections to the COVID-19 vaccine actually are, and how the battle over them is playing out in the courts. Also: The U.S. extends the COVID-19 travel ban for Canadians, even though Americans have been able to enter Canada for almost two months.
(Sep 17, 2021) Canada votes in a national election Monday, but Canadians are struggling to figure out why it's needed. A conversation with a Canadian studies professor at SUNY Plattsburgh. Also: A perfect end-of-summer hike up Castle Rock in Blue Mountain Lake.
(Sep 16, 2021) Family doctors have become part of the front lines for trying to convince people to get the COVID-19 vaccine. One pediatrician says listening and compassion are key. Also: parents in Canton want their school to mandate the vaccine for teachers and staff.