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
Advice on "hiking local" from an Adirondack forest ranger
April 10, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.44 MB(Apr 10, 2020) State officials are encouraging people to get outside to exercise and ease stress during the coronavirus pandemic. But they're urging people to hike, bike, and boat close to home. So what does that actually mean? Scott Van Laer, a State Forest Ranger and union leader, says you should be measuring your travel time to the trailhead, boat launch, or other outdoor sites in minutes rather than hours.
Sen. Betty Little gives Cuomo high marks for managing crisis
April 09, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 545 KB(Apr 9, 2020)
When domesticated animals return to the wild
April 09, 2020 04:00 - 5 minutes - 2.55 MB(Apr 9, 2020) What happens when certain species of domesticated animals like chickens and pigs escape to live and breed in the wild? According to Curt Stager and Martha Foley, after a few generations they start to look and act like their wild ancestors again.
As COVID-19 testing lags, Plattsburgh hospital says unless you're short of breath, stay home
April 09, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.79 MB(Apr 9, 2020) Testing is still really limited across much of the North Country. As of Thursday. only a few thousand people had been tested in counties across the region.
Drive-up testing site opening in Warren County
April 09, 2020 04:00 - 37 seconds - 299 KB(Apr 9, 2020)
Giving birth during a pandemic: what North Country maternity wards and expecting families are doing
April 09, 2020 04:00 - 5 minutes - 2.39 MB(Apr 9, 2020) Sunday Smith is a nurse-midwife based in Potsdam. She serves clients from Saranac Lake to Watertown. When the New York State on PAUSE order started in mid-March, she started getting a lot more calls than normal, mostly from pregnant women in their third trimester, saying:
Signs of hope and lessons to learn amid "almost unimaginable" death toll
April 09, 2020 04:00 - 40 seconds - 318 KB(Apr 9, 2020) Governor Andrew Cuomo says flags across New York will be flown at half-staff to honor those who've died during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cuomo voiced sorrow at the rising death toll yesterday during his briefing in Albany.
Governor's briefing: "a lot of pain again today"
April 08, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 482 KB(Apr 8, 2020) New York saw the single highest number of deaths yesterday than any other day during the coronavirus pandemic. At his daily briefing on Tuesday, Governor Andrew Cuomo said there had been 731 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Due to lack of compliance, St. Lawrence County pushes for stricter stay-at-home rules
April 08, 2020 04:00 - 10 minutes - 4.8 MB(Apr 8, 2020)
Governor's executive order softens language on ventilator redistribution
April 08, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.73 MB(Apr 8, 2020)
Cuomo says testing will be the key to recovery from COVID-19
April 08, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 675 KB(Apr 8, 2020) Cuomo says the next step in slowing the spread of coronavirus is increasing the amount of tests administered across New York.
Focus on hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 fight worries North Country mom with lupus
April 08, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.75 MB(Apr 8, 2020)
COVID-19 curve might be flattening in NY, but "not the time to be lax"
April 07, 2020 04:00 - 46 seconds - 371 KB(Apr 7, 2020) Governor Andrew Cuomo balanced grim news yesterday with some hopeful data as he announced that another 600 New Yorkers had died of COVID-19 over the last 24 hours. The overwhelming majority of those deaths occurred downstate in New York City and the suburbs. But Cuomo says there are signs that the pandemic may be spreading less aggressively.
Waterhole, Blind Owl Band not quitting the fight in Saranac Lake
April 07, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.5 MB(Apr 7, 2020)
St. Lawrence County COVID-19 case increase "very concerning"
April 07, 2020 04:00 - 55 seconds - 434 KB(Apr 7, 2020) The president of the St. Lawrence County Board of Health says the county has the fastest increase of coronavirus cases in the state.
Adirondack delivery worker on fears and hopes during pandemic
April 07, 2020 04:00 - 2 minutes - 1.21 MB(Apr 7, 2020) Right now, as the U.S. tries to slow the spread of COVID-19, most folks are either out of work, or working from home if they can telecommute. But those who have been deemed "essential" are still on the job. This includes healthcare workers and grocery store employees, but it also includes people who work in utilities.
How are you doing? Colton therapist has mental health tips for getting through coronavirus
April 07, 2020 04:00 - 5 minutes - 2.65 MB(Apr 7, 2020)
Minor parties say budget provision unfairly weakens them
April 06, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.47 MB(Apr 6, 2020)
CDC: Wear a cloth facemask if you leave home. We've got guides to make your own.
April 06, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.39 MB(Apr 6, 2020)
Stefanik leads opposition to Cuomo's plan to redistribute NY ventilators
April 06, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.65 MB(Apr 6, 2020)
St. Lawrence Board of Legislators to livestream regular meeting Monday
April 06, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 494 KB(Apr 6, 2020)
Hikes, hobbies, home time: how a Jay family copes with crisis
April 06, 2020 04:00 - 5 minutes - 2.48 MB(Apr 6, 2020) Jennifer VanBenschoten and her husband, Tom, moved to the North Country about twenty years ago. They fell in love with the Adirondacks during college, and settled in Jay. These days, the family is spending more time together. Stay-at-home orders mean their son Colden is home from school, and Jennifer, a jewelry artist is transitioning to selling her work online.
Joyful Noise: block printing in De Kalb Junction
April 03, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 921 KB(Apr 3, 2020)
This weekend in the Adirondacks, 4/3/20
April 03, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 488 KB(Apr 3, 2020) The best advice is to stay home. Recreate locally. Traveling into the backcountry at this time puts others at risk. Accidents can happen, and they happen regularly even among the most experienced people.
A Vermont luthier builds a violin for musicians in need
April 03, 2020 04:00 - 5 minutes - 2.45 MB(Apr 3, 2020) Vermont luthier Jacob Brillhart is volunteering to build a violin this month, as part of an effort to raise money for musicians hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
City of Plattsburgh enacts overnight curfew, asks public to wear face masks
April 03, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 509 KB(Apr 3, 2020) To encourage social distancing, there’s now an overnight curfew in the city of Plattsburgh. The city is also asking the public to wear face masks to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Bear goes sugaring and so should you
April 03, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.67 MB(Apr 3, 2020) Sugaring season will soon wind to a close. Before we let it go we want to tell you about a new children’s book. Maxwell Eaton III, a writer and illustrator working in the Adirondacks, has published a little volume called “Bear Goes Sugaring.” It’s a story for kids with lots of jokes and little adventures. It’s also a practical guide for people who might want to try sugaring for the first time.
How NY state's smallest hospital, Clifton-Fine, is prepping for COVID-19
April 03, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 887 KB(Apr 3, 2020) North Country hospitals have been preparing for an influx of coronavirus patients for several weeks now. Clifton-Fine hospital has arranged to send any COVID-19 patients an hour's drive to Samaritan Medical Center in Watertown, and take some of Samaritan's other, non-critical cases in return.
State budget passed, includes bail reform rollback
April 03, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.5 MB(Apr 3, 2020) New York state lawmakers passed a $177-billion budget Thursday, two days after the deadline. One area of contention was making changes to the state’s bail reform laws.
Cuomo cautions rural NY against "false comfort" in COVID-19 crisis
April 03, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 931 KB(Apr 3, 2020) Governor Andrew Cuomo said yesterday there's been another big surge in the number of New Yorkers sick with COVID-19, with dangerous hotspots still out of control in the suburbs near New York City.
Stefanik says help is on the way for businesses and workers, despite backlogs
April 02, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 656 KB(Apr 2, 2020)
Chipmunk cheeks, pelican pouches, bee baskets and other critter carryalls
April 02, 2020 04:00 - 4 minutes - 2.16 MB(Apr 2, 2020) Since animals do not accessorize, they need to find other ways to carry around what they need. Martha Foley and Curt Stager survey the various luggage compartments of the animal kingdom.
Lawmakers stay up late to try to finish overdue budget
April 02, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.46 MB(Apr 2, 2020)
Cuomo says coronavirus "battle" is coming as cases hit peak
April 02, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 537 KB(Apr 2, 2020)
"I don't want him to die in prison": Coronavirus fears grow in North Country prisons
April 02, 2020 04:00 - 6 minutes - 2.92 MB(Apr 2, 2020) Front-line doctors and nurses in the North Country are warning that a major outbreak of COVID-19 in the region's prisons could be "inevitable." Meanwhile state officials have declined to say how they plan to keep prison employees and inmates safe. Corrections officers and families of inmates say they're frightened and don’t feel like they’re getting the protection they need.
Grass roots effort in Lake Placid uses 3D printers to make doctors and nurses safer
April 02, 2020 04:00 - 2 minutes - 1.36 MB(Apr 2, 2020) Right now the state is funneling protective masks, gloves and other medical equipment to hospitals in New York City, where the coronavirus crisis is dire. That’s leaving some facilities in the North Country understocked. A grass roots effort in Lake Placid is using a network of 3D printers to make hundreds of face shields to fill the gap.
Chef Curtiss: a time for comfort food that's simple
April 01, 2020 04:00 - 5 minutes - 2.71 MB(Apr 1, 2020) Whether you call it "egg in a hole," "egg with a hat," or a "popeye," a fried egg in toast is having a moment. Chef Curtiss Hemm says it's a simple recipe with only three main ingredients - an egg, bread, and butter. But sometimes simple can be a challenge for experienced cooks.
Samaritan Medical Center demonstrates ventilators, the machine at center of COVID-19 fight
April 01, 2020 04:00 - 2 minutes - 1 MB(Apr 1, 2020)
Medical workers raise alarm about COVID-19 threat in North Country prisons
April 01, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 745 KB(Apr 1, 2020) Doctors and nurses in the Malone area have written a public letter warning that state prisons in the North Country aren't yet prepared to stop the spread of COVID-19.
New York puts off legalizing marijuana, for now
April 01, 2020 04:00 - 4 minutes - 1.98 MB(Apr 1, 2020)
Coronavirus spikes in Quebec and Ontario, provinces tighten restrictions
April 01, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.79 MB(Apr 1, 2020)
Cuomo looks for statewide and federal partnership in "staggering" crisis
March 31, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 838 KB(Mar 31, 2020)
Budget deadline down to the wire as lawmakers struggle with coronavirus fallout
March 31, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.61 MB(Mar 31, 2020)
Sobriety under quarantine: For many, in-person meetings are essential. Now what?
March 31, 2020 04:00 - 4 minutes - 2.24 MB(Mar 31, 2020)
NYS Prisons: 105 employees and 14 inmates test positive for COVID-19
March 31, 2020 04:00 - 50 seconds - 397 KB(Mar 31, 2020) Coronvirus continues to spread in prisons and jails throughout New York State. According to the state officials, 105 prison employees and 14 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus.
Adirondack tourist town issues COVID-19 travel advisory
March 31, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 619 KB(Mar 31, 2020) Despite Governor Cuomo’s request that people “stay home” to limit the spread of COVID-19, a growing number of travelers continue to come to the North Country. Some are staying at second homes. Others are finding short-term rentals including Airbnb.
North Country at Work: Grocers respond, adapt, and pivot in the face of COVID-19
March 31, 2020 04:00 - 4 minutes - 1.9 MB(Mar 31, 2020) While most small businesses are now closed, essential businesses, like gas stations, hardware stores, and grocery stores, are busier than ever, and trying to adapt to a rapidly changing environment.
What happens if you get sick with something other than COVID-19?
March 31, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.61 MB(Mar 31, 2020)
North Country sees spike in COVID-19 cases over the weekend
March 30, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 871 KB(Mar 30, 2020)