Top Stories from NCPR
1,050 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 12 ratingsNCPR provides locally-produced news stories from around the Adirondack and North Country regions of New York State, as well as Western Vermont, and Ontario and Quebec in Canada. 010329
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Episodes
How one Watertown high school senior is dealing with life, interrupted
May 07, 2020 04:00 - 4 minutes - 2.07 MB(May 7, 2020) This is a really tough time for high school seniors. Instead of getting ready for prom or to walk across the graduation stage, the year was cut short, and they’re stuck at home. Benjamin Smith is a senior at Watertown High School. He says that while cancellations caused by COVID are stifling some major rites of passage, they also may be helping him grow up.
Most people newly hospitalized with COVID-19 were staying at home
May 07, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 851 KB(May 7, 2020)
Cuomo defends nursing home response amid growing death toll at care facilities
May 06, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 884 KB(May 6, 2020)
Health official: region can't ramp up testing without more supplies at both sites and labs
May 06, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 763 KB(May 6, 2020) The North Country’s public health officials are reacting to the state’s new guidelines for reopening the economy. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Monday that to qualify for reopening, regions will need to test three percent of their residents for COVID 19 each month. For the North Country, that will mean doubling its testing capacity.
An Adirondack food coalition is putting local farm products on the table for people in need
May 06, 2020 04:00 - 4 minutes - 2.21 MB(May 6, 2020) Access to food has been a major issue during the coronavirus pandemic. There was a run on essentials, problems with hoarding, concerns about going into grocery stores, and for thousands of people out of work or on furlough, just buying enough food has been tough. A local food hub and a non-profit in the Adirondacks are partnering to support farmers while delivering fresh, local food to people in need.
Chef Curtiss: a chuck steak that's plenty tasty
May 06, 2020 04:00 - 5 minutes - 2.65 MB(May 6, 2020) Chef Curtiss Hemm joins us every month to share a favorite recipe for the season. This month, he's prepping for the coming grilling season, with a recipe for chuck steak - packed with great flavors.
New York's plastic bag ban effectively on hold for now
May 05, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.52 MB(May 5, 2020) New York state’s plastic bag ban took effect on March 1, but like much of society, it is now on “pause” as supermarkets and retailers that remain open grapple with other issues related to the coronavirus pandemic.
Bike, walk, run to support North Country food pantries
May 05, 2020 04:00 - 4 minutes - 2.21 MB(May 5, 2020) Non-profits around the region are coming up with some creative ways to raise funds while also social distancing.
How North Country residents are coping in COVID-19 isolation
May 05, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.43 MB(May 5, 2020) Amy Feiereisel spoke with people across the North Country about the emotional impacts of COVID-19 on their lives, and how they’re coping with fear, uncertainty, and social isolation.
Hospital executives tell Stefanik they're suffering, but also cautious about reopening
May 05, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.42 MB(May 5, 2020) Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is holding a series of conference calls with North Country leaders. They’re part of her role as a member of President Trump’s Task Force To Re-Open America. Yesterday, Stefanik convened county health officials in the morning. And in the afternoon, she heard from North Country health care executives.
Cuomo: More coronavirus testing, contact tracing needed before North Country reopens
May 05, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 555 KB(May 5, 2020) The North Country needs to ramp up testing and contact tracing to qualify for a partial reopening on May 15. Gov. Andrew Cuomo released new reopening requirements at his daily coronavirus briefing today.
COVID-19 spread "like wildfire" in Glens Falls area nursing homes
May 04, 2020 04:00 - 6 minutes - 2.8 MB(May 4, 2020) A dire situation is playing out at nursing homes in the Glens Falls area.
Cuomo orders schools closed for the rest of the academic year
May 04, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 842 KB(May 4, 2020)
Cuomo and Bloomberg roll out "army" of contract tracers to reopen the economy safely
May 01, 2020 04:00 - 2 minutes - 1.11 MB(May 1, 2020) Governor Cuomo has said repeatedly the plan for re-opening the economy during the coronavirus pandemic will hinge on what he calls a “massive” system of testing and contact tracing. The goal is to stop new infections before they can spread more widely and cause hot spots.
Comptroller DiNapoli: North Country sales tax revenues were up last quarter (for what it's worth)
May 01, 2020 04:00 - 2 minutes - 1.04 MB(May 1, 2020) Governor Andrew Cuomo is making dire warnings about the state's financial picture, calling on the federal government to help state and local governments. Counties say they're falling off a financial cliff and projecting a 50% loss of revenues.
North Country unemployed: New transplants' struggle in Colton
May 01, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.47 MB(May 1, 2020) Derrick and Amanda White moved to the North Country last fall, from eastern Texas, where Derrick's family is. Amanda is 44 and a disabled veteran, and she wanted to live somewhere less hot and that had four seasons. The couple found a house to rent in Colton and made the move. Derrick, who is 51, jokes that if there's such a thing as blind love, that's what brought him so far north.
This weekend in the Adirondacks, May 1, 2020
May 01, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 927 KB(May 1, 2020) We’ve been getting some rain and heavy winds, especially at higher elevations, which will contribute to blowdown on area trails and back country access roads this weekend. Condition remain muddy, and snowmelt and rain will raise the levels of rivers and streams today, but they have been well below normal for this time of year and shouldn’t pose a problem.
Brian Mann on the art of the audio postcard
May 01, 2020 04:00 - 6 minutes - 3.1 MB(May 1, 2020) Over 21 years, Brian Mann has told us important newsy human stories about the Adirondacks. But he may be best known for his Adirondack audio postcards.
Cuomo casts doubt on Saratoga racetrack summer season
April 30, 2020 04:00 - 47 seconds - 375 KB(Apr 30, 2020) Governor Andrew Cuomo said yesterday Saratoga racetrack is unlikely to open this summer unless other large attractions open statewide.
IJC: Water levels on Lake Ontario, St. Lawrence River expected to peak 'well below' record high
April 30, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 503 KB(Apr 30, 2020) Water levels on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River are expected to peak well below the record high levels reached in 2017 and 2019.
More fish: good for the flowers, bad for the snakes
April 30, 2020 04:00 - 4 minutes - 2.26 MB(Apr 30, 2020) The complex web of species interaction is full of odd associations. Stocking a lake with fish cuts down on dragonflies, which helps pollinators, which helps the flowers bloom. Or it can cut down on amphibians such as newts, which is bad for garter snakes. Invasive flowering purple loosestrife is good for insects and birds that feed on them, but hard on plankton, which is at the bottom of the food chain for everything. Martha Foley and Curt Stager look an unintended consequenc...
Cuomo rails against GOP Senators for more funding
April 30, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 574 KB(Apr 30, 2020) The economic damage to local governments caused by the coronavirus pandemic is becoming clearer. Counties are falling off a financial cliff because of a loss in sales tax revenue and a potential 50 percent cut in aid
Cuomo permits much of upstate to resume elective surgeries
April 30, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 547 KB(Apr 30, 2020) Governor Andrew Cuomo says many counties in the state with low levels of the corona virus will be allowed to resume elective surgeries in the coming days, while in the regions hardest hit by the illness, the numbers of deaths and hospitalizations are declining at a very slow rate, with 330 deaths in New York from COVID-19 on Tuesday.
Ogdensburg City Council to vote on proposed layoffs for police, fire, parks departments
April 30, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 479 KB(Apr 30, 2020)
Art in Quarantine: North Country artist Jeff Davis brushes up on watercolors during his Florida lockdown
April 29, 2020 04:00 - 6 minutes - 2.91 MB(Apr 29, 2020) For Jeff Davis, this time under quarantine has allowed him to get back into watercolor. Normally he uses oils and pastels to paint in his studio in Trout Lake. These days though, he's down in Florida taking care of his mom, who is healthy and enjoying doing puzzles. Every day for the last month, Davis picks his bushes, pours water into a cup, and spends four to five hours painting watercolors based on one of the dozens of historical prints or photographs he's taken around th...
How North Country college admissions are being turned upside down by COVID-19
April 29, 2020 04:00 - 5 minutes - 2.35 MB(Apr 29, 2020) It’s the time of year when colleges and universities are in their final enrollment push; usually they’re holding open houses, doing tours, hosting accepted student days. But this year looks a lot different because of COVID-19. Admissions teams and higher education are facing a level of uncertainty unlike anything they’ve dealt with before.
E.R. visits are dropping as patients fret virus, and that worries this Canton-Potsdam Hospital doctor
April 29, 2020 04:00 - 4 minutes - 2.21 MB(Apr 29, 2020)
Cuomo says partial re-opening will likely not include the State Fair
April 29, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.39 MB(Apr 29, 2020) Governor Andrew Cuomo offered more details on what needs to be in place before portions of New York State can begin to reopen. But the governor says partial reopening for now likely won’t include major attractions like the State Fair.
More than 1,000 prison staff contract coronavirus statewide, 20 inmates test positive in Washington County
April 28, 2020 04:00 - 38 seconds - 306 KB(Apr 28, 2020) More than 1,000 state prison staff have tested positive for COVID-19 across New York.
New York to help farms get dairy products to food banks
April 28, 2020 04:00 - 45 seconds - 356 KB(Apr 28, 2020) Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a plan yesterday to help dairy farmers who are having to dump their milk for lack of a market. Cuomo said the state would coordinate an effort to move dairy products to market.
Bloomingdale's little food pantry amid a big crisis
April 28, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.69 MB(Apr 28, 2020) A Saranac Lake high school student is doing her part to provide her neighbors with a little extra food during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gillibrand calls for postal service funding and expansion of scope
April 28, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 489 KB(Apr 28, 2020) Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is calling for federal relief to help the U.S. postal service weather financial turmoil from the coronavirus. In a New York Times op-ed over the weekend, Gillibrand called the current federal approach to the postal service inadequate. She said she’s introduced a bill to expand its services to include banking.
Amid COVID-19 stay at home orders, North Country sees a surge in domestic violence cases
April 28, 2020 04:00 - 4 minutes - 2.13 MB(Apr 28, 2020) It’s been more than a month since New Yorkers were told to stay at home to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Social distancing efforts are working, but for some people spending more time with their partners or their families can be dangerous. In the last month, cases of domestic violence have been on the rise in parts of the North Country.
As he goes to NPR, Brian Mann reflects on 20 years covering the Adirondacks
April 28, 2020 04:00 - 7 minutes - 3.5 MB(Apr 28, 2020) After more than two decades as NCPR's Adirondack bureau chief, Brian Mann is moving on to work for National Public Radio as its national addiction correspondent. He'll still be living in the Adirondacks and connected to NCPR. Before his last day on Friday, Brian talks with David Sommerstein about 21 years of reporting here and what's next.
North Country Sanders supporters dismayed by cancellation of Dem prez primary
April 28, 2020 04:00 - 2 minutes - 981 KB(Apr 28, 2020)
Cuomo officials say without federal help, deep state budget cuts coming
April 28, 2020 04:00 - 4 minutes - 1.85 MB(Apr 28, 2020)
Country singer Brad Paisley crashes Watertown teachers' Zoom meeting
April 27, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 570 KB(Apr 27, 2020) Country singer Brad Paisley crashed a Zoom video meeting with teachers from Watertown earlier this week as part of the "Paisley Pub Crawl," he started during the pandemic.
Doctor Story: North Country physicians volunteer in a NYC COVID-19 hospital
April 27, 2020 04:00 - 4 minutes - 1.95 MB(Apr 27, 2020)
All NY voters will be mailed absentee ballot applications for June 23 primary
April 27, 2020 04:00 - 2 minutes - 1.12 MB(Apr 27, 2020) Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the state will send absentee ballot applications to all eligible state voters for the June 23 primary to give them the option of voting by mail if they don’t feel comfortable going to the polls in person.
Cuomo: Upstate infection rate nudges above Downstate, but reopening could start here
April 27, 2020 04:00 - 2 minutes - 1.26 MB(Apr 27, 2020) Governor Andrew Cuomo offered some mixed news for Upstate New York in his daily briefing Sunday.
NY Attorney General will investigate nursing home compliance during pandemic
April 24, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 631 KB(Apr 24, 2020) New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says he’s opening an investigation of the state’s nursing homes that might have violated rules regarding how to care for COVID-19 patients.
A drive-thru dairy in Lowville to help farmers and the community
April 24, 2020 04:00 - 4 minutes - 2.15 MB(Apr 24, 2020) The COVID-19 pandemic's impact on the economy is hitting farmers particularly hard. Communities across the state are purchasing dairy products to help get milk moving and support the price for milk and cheese to the dairy farmers.
About 14% of all New Yorkers, 3.6% Upstate have had coronavirus, initial survey results reveal
April 24, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 566 KB(Apr 24, 2020) According to initial results from a new statewide survey, nearly 14% of New Yorkers have had COVID-19. The state tested about 3,000 residents for the coronavirus antibody.
From three jobs to unemployed, a Saranac Lake woman navigates big life changes during pandemic
April 24, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.44 MB(Apr 24, 2020)
This weekend in the Adirondacks, 4/24/20
April 24, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 841 KB(Apr 24, 2020) We got another shot of snow this week, but it has melted off by now, and trails - and those back country access roads that are open - muddy and wet.
United Helpers reports COVID-19 outbreak at Lisbon group home
April 23, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 867 KB(Apr 23, 2020)
Bloomberg to head New York's new contact tracing program to help contain COVID-19 spread
April 23, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.39 MB(Apr 23, 2020)
Cuomo: Business and school re-openings are tied together
April 23, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 911 KB(Apr 23, 2020)
Really, really big bugs (and some tiny ones, too)
April 23, 2020 04:00 - 5 minutes - 2.39 MB(Apr 23, 2020) Martha Foley? - not a fan of bugs. And Curt Stager took a course on them to steady his own reactions. The Natural Selections team looks at the outliers on the spectrum, the largest and smallest of critters with too many legs. New Zealand's weta makes a real handful. The fairy fly is nearly invisible. Some prehistoric dragonflies were big enough to make off with the cat.
A tale of two snowbirds, one away and one back home
April 23, 2020 04:00 - 2 minutes - 1.34 MB(Apr 23, 2020) Amidst coronavirus lock-downs, quarantines, and travel restrictions, getting home has been a challenge for some of our listeners. For snowbirds - the folks that live here in the summer and fall, and head south for the winter and spring - they’re weighing the fear of bringing COVID-19 with them, or of getting it while they’re traveling.