Story of the Day
1,081 episodes - English - Latest episode: 1 day ago - ★★★★★ - 18 ratingsGet 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
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Episodes
7/22/22: Affordable housing in Malone / Fort Ticonderoga sunset cruise
July 22, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 9.08 MB(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.
7/21/22: The Mexican skeletons of Jose Posada in Glens Falls
July 21, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.58 MB(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.
7/20/22: North Country tips for saving on gas
July 20, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.55 MB(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.
7/19/22: The future of Adirondack trailhead management
July 19, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.79 MB(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.
7/18/22: A summer hike along the St. Lawrence River
July 18, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.58 MB(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.
7/15/22: The latest from the Adirondack Park Agency
July 15, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.33 MB(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.
7/13/22: Au Sable Forks, a company town from the 1800s
July 13, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 9.14 MB(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.
7/12/22: A debate over the Saranac Lake 6ers
July 12, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.35 MB(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.
7/11/22: No, guns won't be illegal in the Adirondacks
July 11, 2022 04:00 - 8 minutes - 7.95 MB(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.
7/8/22: Early North Country feminism
July 08, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.98 MB(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.
7/7/22: Frederick Law Olmsted's legacy in Saranac Lake
July 07, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.56 MB(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.
7/6/22: A human donor milk bank helps North Country babies during formula shortage
July 06, 2022 04:00 - 8 minutes - 7.53 MB(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.
7/5/22: Hochul and the Supreme Court on concealed guns and abortion rights
July 05, 2022 04:00 - 8 minutes - 8.04 MB(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.
7/1/22: Reconsidering the meaning of Canada Day
July 01, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.33 MB(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.
6/30/22: Outside a Planned Parenthood in Plattsburgh
June 30, 2022 04:00 - 8 minutes - 7.43 MB(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.
06/29/22: Up against a glass ceiling
June 29, 2022 04:00 - 8 minutes - 7.93 MB(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.
6/28/22: How North Country moms are managing the baby formula shortage
June 28, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.37 MB(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.
6/27/22: Finally, a map of the places that still need broadband
June 27, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 9.14 MB(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.
6/24/22: Reaction to the toppling of Roe v. Wade
June 24, 2022 04:00 - 8 minutes - 7.69 MB(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.
6/23/22: New York's concealed carry law, struck down
June 23, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.85 MB(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.
6/22/22: A class for kids who excel in building stuff
June 22, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 9.08 MB(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.
6/21/22: Stefanik's strained pro-democracy ties
June 21, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 9.04 MB(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.
6/20/22: The voices of Juneteenth in Potsdam
June 20, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.48 MB(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.
6/17/22: A meditation on Juneteenth and freedom
June 17, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.97 MB(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.
6/16/22: Protecting Lake Champlain
June 16, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.66 MB(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.
6/15/22: ESL and community at Fort Drum
June 15, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.48 MB(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.
6/14/22: Better protections from invasive species in the Adirondacks
June 14, 2022 04:00 - 8 minutes - 7.89 MB(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.
6/13/22: A march in Potsdam for stricter gun laws
June 13, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 9 MB(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.
6/10/22: Potsdam police cleared of Nick Hillary's unlawful detention charges
June 10, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 9.06 MB(Jun 10, 2022) A jury in Albany found Potsdam police did not violate Nick Hillary's rights when they detained him in connection with the murder of Garrett Phillips in 2011. Hillary was found not guilty of the crime in 2016. Also: Hospitals are feeling the pinch because of the pandemic, and some are laying off staff.
BONUS episode: Nick Hillary's civil trial
June 10, 2022 04:00 - 11 minutes - 10.8 MB(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.
6/9/22: North Country lawmakers' voting on gun control
June 09, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 9.01 MB(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.
6/8/22: The first Democratic debate for Governor
June 08, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.43 MB(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.
6/7/22: Americade evolving
June 07, 2022 04:00 - 8 minutes - 8.13 MB(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.
6/6/22: Worker shortage and housing are slowing down tourism
June 06, 2022 04:00 - 8 minutes - 7.78 MB(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.
6/3/22: New York further tightens gun control laws
June 03, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.94 MB(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.
6/2/22: A Plattsburgh film festival in memory of a lifelong movie buff
June 02, 2022 04:00 - 8 minutes - 8.22 MB(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.
6/1/22: A commission for a longshot Lake Placid Olympics bid
June 01, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.83 MB(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.
5/31/22: Elise Stefanik and "critical race theory"
May 31, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.31 MB(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.
5/27/22: Recapturing the original meaning of Memorial Day weekend
May 27, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.9 MB(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.
5/26/22: The history behind the Adirondacks' lack of diversity
May 26, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.88 MB(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.
5/25/22: The debate over short-term rentals in Lake Placid
May 25, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.63 MB(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.
5/24/22: The dangers of social media for teenagers
May 24, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.36 MB(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.
5/23/22: Hochul's evolution on guns
May 23, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.86 MB(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.
5/20/22: Nurses at Plattsburgh's hospital win a new contract
May 20, 2022 04:00 - 8 minutes - 7.98 MB(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.
5/19/22: Obstacles to early childhood health in the Adirondacks
May 19, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 8.26 MB(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.
5/18/22: A Lewis County diner, gobbled up by the worker shortage
May 18, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 9.11 MB(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.
5/17/22: Elise Stefanik and 'replacement theory'
May 17, 2022 04:00 - 8 minutes - 8.07 MB(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.
5/16/22: NPR's Brian Mann on reporting in Ukraine
May 16, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 9 MB(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.
5/13/22: Is saying the Adirondacks are "overcrowded" sending a bad message?
May 13, 2022 04:00 - 9 minutes - 9.05 MB(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.
5/12/22: The story of a mysterious old wooden cross in Lewis County
May 12, 2022 04:00 - 8 minutes - 7.93 MB(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.