Story of the Day

4/12/24: A nursing home on the edge

April 12, 2024 04:00 - 9 minutes - 9.06 MB

(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.

4/11/24: Serving slices to eclipse traffic

April 11, 2024 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.5 MB

(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.

4/10/24: Economic troubles in college towns

April 10, 2024 04:00 - 9 minutes - 9.13 MB

(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.

4/9/24: A break from work, for totality

April 09, 2024 04:00 - 9 minutes - 9.14 MB

(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.

4/8/24: It was incredible

April 08, 2024 04:00 - 9 minutes - 9.08 MB

(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.

4/5/24: How one North Country school district is going all out for the eclipse

April 05, 2024 04:00 - 8 minutes - 11.7 MB

(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 sh...

4/4/24: Emergency services agencies are plagued by issues with staffing and costs

April 04, 2024 04:00 - 9 minutes - 12.9 MB

(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.

4/3/24: NY prisons plan to keep inmates inside for the eclipse. Some are suing

April 03, 2024 04:00 - 10 minutes - 13.9 MB

(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.

4/2/24: NY is switching to electric school buses. Alex Bay is already getting started

April 02, 2024 04:00 - 9 minutes - 9.04 MB

(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.

4/1/24: Visa program for foreign doctors expands to increase specialists in region

April 01, 2024 04:00 - 8 minutes - 8.51 MB

(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.

3/29/24: Signs of spring, much earlier

March 29, 2024 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.47 MB

(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.

3/28/24: Who's going to fight the fires?

March 28, 2024 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.92 MB

(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.

3/27/24: What's in a name when people bully you for it

March 27, 2024 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.97 MB

(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.

3/26/24: An Adirondack rescue

March 26, 2024 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.62 MB

(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.

3/25/24: Asylum seeker fears in Lake George

March 25, 2024 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.94 MB

(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.

3/22/24: Two big headaches for education

March 22, 2024 04:00 - 10 minutes - 9.17 MB

(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.

3/21/24: Kids give Clarkson a Frozen Four send-off

March 21, 2024 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.67 MB

(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.

3/20/24: A mom visits her son in prison

March 20, 2024 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.72 MB

(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.

3/19/24: A journalist's life as a CO

March 19, 2024 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.86 MB

(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.

3/18/24: Where did all the COs go?

March 18, 2024 04:00 - 9 minutes - 9.08 MB

(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.

3/15/24: Who gets to take credit for federal funding?

March 15, 2024 04:00 - 9 minutes - 9.14 MB

(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.

3/14/24: Sexual assault and harassment claims at Clinton County's jail

March 14, 2024 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.67 MB

(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.

3/13/24: Lost dog? Ask a drone operator

March 13, 2024 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.96 MB

(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.

3/12/24: The ski to Great Camp Santanoni

March 12, 2024 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.9 MB

(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.

3/11/24: Calling for peace in Gaza from Saranac Lake

March 11, 2024 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.31 MB

(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.

3/8/24: On 'eclipse duty' in tiny Indian Lake

March 08, 2024 05:00 - 8 minutes - 7.58 MB

(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.

3/7/24: Lake Champlain after the floods

March 07, 2024 05:00 - 10 minutes - 9.24 MB

(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.

3/6/24: Twin rescues in the Adirondacks

March 06, 2024 05:00 - 8 minutes - 8.24 MB

(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.

3/5/24: Grooming snowmobile trails is getting slushier

March 05, 2024 05:00 - 9 minutes - 8.36 MB

(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.

3/4/24: A snowmobiling season on the Tug Hill without steady snow

March 04, 2024 05:00 - 9 minutes - 8.59 MB

(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.

3/1/24: A living history lesson at the Battle of Ogdensburg

March 01, 2024 05:00 - 9 minutes - 8.46 MB

(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.

2/29/24: The Democratic primary for Plattsburgh's mayor

February 29, 2024 05:00 - 8 minutes - 8.11 MB

(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!

2/28/24: The sounds of 1970's total eclipse

February 28, 2024 05:00 - 9 minutes - 8.31 MB

(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.

2/27/24: Discovering the story of the wife of '12 Years a Slave'

February 27, 2024 05:00 - 10 minutes - 9.17 MB

(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.

2/26/24: The magic of wild skating on the Cascade Lakes

February 26, 2024 05:00 - 8 minutes - 8.19 MB

(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.

2/23/24: Bearing witness to painful Black history in the Adirondacks

February 23, 2024 05:00 - 10 minutes - 9.24 MB

(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.

2/22/24: After almost half a year, library in Southern Adirondacks is set to reopen

February 22, 2024 05:00 - 9 minutes - 9.41 MB

(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.

2/21/24: Activist and author Alice Green says Adirondack childhood shaped life's work

February 21, 2024 05:00 - 9 minutes - 8.46 MB

(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.

2/20/24: How the KKK forced out most of St. Lawrence County's Black residents

February 20, 2024 05:00 - 9 minutes - 9.37 MB

(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.

2/19/24: History of Black settlement in Adirondacks goes back to before Civil War

February 19, 2024 05:00 - 8 minutes - 7.61 MB

(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.

2/16/24: The humans behind the migration crisis

February 16, 2024 05:00 - 9 minutes - 8.46 MB

(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.

2/15/24: The Saranac Lake confederate flag controversy

February 15, 2024 05:00 - 9 minutes - 8.55 MB

(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.

2/14/24: A love story on the shore of Heart Lake

February 14, 2024 05:00 - 9 minutes - 8.75 MB

(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.

2/13/24: Two small schools, one big price tag for a new building

February 13, 2024 05:00 - 10 minutes - 9.2 MB

(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.

2/12/24: Not enough foster care parents

February 12, 2024 05:00 - 9 minutes - 8.77 MB

(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.

2/9/24: The mayoral race is on in Plattsburgh

February 09, 2024 05:00 - 9 minutes - 8.94 MB

(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.

2/8/24: A spooky Valentine's Day love story

February 08, 2024 05:00 - 9 minutes - 8.9 MB

(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.

2/7/24: Fort Drum and the workforce shortage

February 07, 2024 05:00 - 8 minutes - 8.22 MB

(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.

2/6/24: The Adirondacks' iconic brook trout, in danger

February 06, 2024 05:00 - 9 minutes - 8.3 MB

(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.

2/5/24: 'Hold harmless' and the schools

February 05, 2024 05:00 - 9 minutes - 9.12 MB

(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.

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