Top Stories from NCPR
1,050 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 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
Advocates, Republican lawmakers clash over resumption of prison visits in North Country
August 06, 2020 04:00 - 57 seconds - 456 KB(Aug 6, 2020)
St. Lawrence County taps new social services commissioner at critical time for agency
August 06, 2020 04:00 - 2 minutes - 1.21 MB(Aug 6, 2020)
Mosquitoes are equal opportunity bloodsuckers
August 06, 2020 04:00 - 4 minutes - 2.08 MB(Aug 6, 2020) We continue a conversation about that bane of sunbathers, the mosquito. But it's not just our blood the female of the species lusts after. Other insects, birds, mammals - even reptiles - can be the target of her search for protein rich foods to help her create and feed the next generation.
From Massena to Eureka, border towns suffer from closed Canadian border
August 06, 2020 04:00 - 4 minutes - 1.89 MB(Aug 6, 2020) The border between the U.S. and Canada has been shut down to non-essential traffic since March due to COVID-19. And border towns from Washington to Maine and across the North Country have been suffering.
Superintendents await state approval for school opening plans
August 05, 2020 04:00 - 59 seconds - 469 KB(Aug 5, 2020) Schools across the North Country are scrambling to figure out all the issues for starting classes during the coronavirus pandemic in September. And they’re anxiously awaiting approval of plans they submitted to the state. Most include a hybrid of in-person and remote instruction.
Nick Hillary's civil rights case, and how it links to a broader moment of reckoning
August 05, 2020 04:00 - 9 minutes - 4.43 MB(Aug 5, 2020) It’s been nearly four years since Nick Hillary was found not guilty in the murder of 12 year-old Garrett Phillips in Potsdam. The trial gripped the region. Now, Hillary is pursuing a lawsuit of his own, against the law enforcement officials who charged him with Garrett’s death.
Chef Curtiss: Savoring a simple summer grilled flatbread with veggies
August 05, 2020 04:00 - 6 minutes - 2.83 MB(Aug 5, 2020) It's tomato season and the time to enjoy other summer herbs and veggies. Chef Curtiss Hemm shares a grilled flatbread piled with your favorites. It's quick and simple, and you've got the grill ready anyway, right?
Rhode Island added to COVID-19 travel advisory list; Delaware, DC removed
August 05, 2020 04:00 - 37 seconds - 295 KB(Aug 5, 2020) Travelers arriving in New York from Rhode Island will now have to quarantine for 14 days, while Delaware and Washington, DC travelers are now off the hook.
St. Lawrence University president to retire next summer
August 05, 2020 04:00 - 31 seconds - 247 KB(Aug 5, 2020) William Fox announced his intention to retire next summer in a message to the campus community Tuesday. Fox has served as St. Lawrence University's president in Canton since 2009.
Cuomo: Schools need to convince parents of safety before reopening
August 04, 2020 04:00 - 44 seconds - 351 KB(Aug 4, 2020) Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday that he will announce later this week on what terms schools can reopen during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. But he put the responsibility for the details back on schools, saying they need to better respond to the concerns of parents.
Lawmakers question Cuomo's health commissioner about nursing home policy
August 04, 2020 04:00 - 4 minutes - 1.87 MB(Aug 4, 2020) The New York State Legislature on Monday held the first of two hearings on the thousands of COVID-19 deaths among nursing home residents. Questions to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s health commissioner, Dr. Howard Zucker, focused on a controversial March 25 directive that required nursing homes to take back COVID-19 patients from hospitals.
Warren County reports another COVID-19 death tied to assisted living facility
August 04, 2020 04:00 - 31 seconds - 249 KB(Aug 4, 2020) Warren County Monday reported the 34th death tied to the new coronavirus since the pandemic began.
Canada begins rolling out COVID contact notification app in Ontario
August 04, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 627 KB(Aug 4, 2020)
The North Country is facing massive budget shortfalls without federal aid
August 04, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.68 MB(Aug 4, 2020) The North Country will face devastating budget cuts if Congress doesn’t send emergency relief to state and local governments. Officials in Albany warn of 20% cuts across the board if Washington doesn’t act.
Cuomo to issue school reopening guidance this week
August 03, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.5 MB(Aug 3, 2020)
Ogdensburg hospital lays off 35 employees
August 03, 2020 04:00 - 41 seconds - 326 KB(Aug 3, 2020) Another North Country hospital is cutting staff. Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center in Ogdensburg announced Friday it’s laying off 4% of its 850 person workforce. That adds up to about 35 people losing their jobs.
Cuomo says remote learning isn’t best for equal learning
August 03, 2020 04:00 - 50 seconds - 400 KB(Aug 3, 2020)
Massena march supports family targeted in racist attack
August 03, 2020 04:00 - 55 seconds - 440 KB(Aug 3, 2020) About 100 people marched through downtown Massena on Saturday afternoon in support of the local Black family who found a noose in their yard last week.
Separated by the border closure, with no end in sight
August 03, 2020 04:00 - 5 minutes - 2.55 MB(Aug 3, 2020)
String of racist acts across the North Country prompts hard questions for communities
July 31, 2020 04:00 - 5 minutes - 2.36 MB(Jul 31, 2020) Since June, there have been dozens of protests, marches and rallies held across the North Country in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and against systemic racism. Yet over this same period of time, a series of racist acts have drawn headlines and alienated members of the region’s small Black population. Now communities across the North Country are grappling with how to explain and address these incidents.
Audio Postcard: A summer swim in Tirrell Pond in Hamilton County
July 31, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.53 MB(Jul 31, 2020) It’s been a steamy summer in the Adirondacks. It’s also been a busy summer, with people packing trailheads and campgrounds, mostly in the High Peaks. To avoid the crowded trails Emily Russell headed into Hamilton County. She hiked into Tirrell Pond in the town of Blue Mountain Lake and sent this audio postcard
This weekend in the Adirondacks, 7/31/20
July 31, 2020 04:00 - 2 minutes - 1.03 MB(Jul 31, 2020) We’re looking at nice Saturday weather-wise before some rain begins to move in on Sunday, and there could be some moderate to heavy rainfall, especially in the Southern Adirondacks on Monday into Tuesday, and possibly some more rain after that. That’s going to be some much needed rain, but keep a closer eye on the weather starting Sunday.
Essex County DA says she never saw final police report on Elizabethtown incident
July 31, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 812 KB(Jul 31, 2020) Essex County District Attorney Kristy Sprague says she was surprised to learn New York troopers closed an investigation into possible criminal misconduct by an off-duty police officer in the Adirondacks without her knowledge. The case involves a white officer who allegedly fired his service weapon after a dispute with a group of Black kids in Elizabethtown in Essex County.
Jefferson County reports first COVID-19 death
July 31, 2020 04:00 - 42 seconds - 337 KB(Jul 31, 2020) Officials are reporting Jefferson County's first death related to the coronavirus.
Black family says St. Lawrence County feels "unsafe" after discovering noose in their yard
July 30, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 559 KB(Jul 30, 2020)
Back to first questions: Why do mosquitos bite?
July 30, 2020 04:00 - 4 minutes - 2.21 MB(Jul 30, 2020) Martha Foley returns to the first question she asked Curt Stager when the program (then called "Field Notes") began decades ago. Why do mosquitos bite?
Cuomo makes last-minute plea to Congress for aid
July 30, 2020 04:00 - 5 minutes - 2.44 MB(Jul 30, 2020)
GAO report calls for better communication efforts by the International Joint Commission
July 30, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 803 KB(Jul 30, 2020)
Officials condemn racist incident in Massena, Black Lives Matter march planned
July 29, 2020 04:00 - 42 seconds - 338 KB(Jul 29, 2020) Local officials are condemning racism after a noose was discovered outside the home of a Black family in Massena over the weekend.
Puerto Rico, D.C., 3 other states added to NY's quarantine travel advisory
July 29, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 564 KB(Jul 29, 2020)
Off-duty cop allegedly fires gun in confrontation with Black kids in Adirondacks
July 29, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.8 MB(Jul 29, 2020) An off-duty police officer from the Capital Region fired multiple shots from his service weapon during a confrontation with a group of Black kids in the Adirondacks in early June. That's according to new reporting in the Albany Times-Union. The officer, who is white, is not facing disciplinary or criminal charges following the incident in Elizabethtown. State police say they’ve closed their investigation into the case. Emily Russell spoke with Times-Union reporter Robert Ga...
$600 unemployment supplement evaporating for thousands across the North Country
July 29, 2020 04:00 - 2 minutes - 1010 KB(Jul 29, 2020)
String Fever COVID Diaries: Paul Schiminger, IBMA Executive Director
July 29, 2020 04:00 - 7 minutes - 3.34 MB(Jul 29, 2020)
Massena Police seeking tips for noose left outside family's home
July 28, 2020 04:00 - 47 seconds - 376 KB(Jul 28, 2020)
Sen. Betty Little named to ORDA board
July 28, 2020 04:00 - 25 seconds - 203 KB(Jul 28, 2020) State Senator Betty Little is one of the newest board members of the Olympic Regional Development Agency.
People with disabilities fight to leave group homes made dangerous by COVID-19
July 28, 2020 04:00 - 4 minutes - 2.17 MB(Jul 28, 2020) People with disabilities have been fighting for years for the right to live where they choose. Often, they’re housed in group homes or other institutions - places that have become the deadly during the coronavirus pandemic.
Cuomo warns Senate GOP stimulus plan would harm New York
July 28, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.47 MB(Jul 28, 2020)
Cluster of infections prompts new restrictions by St. Regis Mohawk Tribe
July 28, 2020 04:00 - 51 seconds - 404 KB(Jul 28, 2020) The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe is issuing new restrictions after confirming ten new coronavirus cases in about a week. A cluster of cases were linked to a gathering at a camp on the St. Lawrence River. But the two newest cases were not traced back to that event.
Stefanik leads Cobb in latest fundraising haul for costly NY-21 race
July 27, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.54 MB(Jul 27, 2020)
'The Marrow Thieves': a 'cli-fi' novel for young adults
July 27, 2020 04:00 - 6 minutes - 2.86 MB(Jul 27, 2020) In cli-fi, or climate fiction, writers speculate what will happen in the future if the Earth is devastated by climate change. Cherie Dimaline, a Metis writer from Georgian Bay, imagines a world where indigenous people are on the run.
Cuomo: Next two weeks will determine state budget cuts
July 27, 2020 04:00 - 47 seconds - 377 KB(Jul 27, 2020) Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sunday that, after several months of asking Congress for state aid, New York is now at the end of its rope and could be forced to make billions of dollars of cuts to its state budget if that funding doesn’t come through in the next two weeks.
St. Lawrence Health System cuts 46 more jobs as furlough ends
July 27, 2020 04:00 - 52 seconds - 413 KB(Jul 27, 2020)
Lost sales, disrupted markets, health worries: A majority of NY farmers negatively impacted by COVID-19
July 27, 2020 04:00 - 4 minutes - 2.03 MB(Jul 27, 2020) Farmers are used to unpredictability - in the weather, in markets, in the fields. But COVID-19 is throwing New York agriculture a much bigger curveball than what farms usually have to deal with. About two thirds of farmers in New York State say their business has been negatively affected by the coronavirus pandemic. That’s according to the New York Farm Bureau, which conducted an informal survey of over 500 of its members.
Coronavirus infection rate remains low among older inmates
July 24, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 644 KB(Jul 24, 2020)
St. Lawrence County sees double the number of new coronavirus cases in July. What could that mean for reopening?
July 24, 2020 04:00 - 2 minutes - 1.07 MB(Jul 24, 2020) The number of new positive COVID-19 cases in St. Lawrence County is increasing. So far this month, 31 new cases have been recorded; that’s about double the number for all of June. Jefferson County also saw an increase, related to boating parties along the St. Lawrence River. So we asked: Could these numbers imperil the North Country’s reopening?
Four test positive for COVID-19 at United Helpers Rehab and Senior Care in Canton
July 24, 2020 04:00 - 43 seconds - 343 KB(Jul 24, 2020)
Why New York is releasing so few inmates during the pandemic
July 24, 2020 04:00 - 9 minutes - 4.51 MB(Jul 24, 2020) Since the pandemic began, New York has released 1400 people, all non-violent offenders. But thousands of elderly people in prison aren’t being considered for release, because they’re in for a violent crime, even if they’ve served decades of their sentence and studies show they’re unlikely to reoffend. It turns out, that’s a stance even liberal politicians like Governor Andrew Cuomo so far aren’t willing to take.
North Country prisons emptying as New York's inmate population plummets
July 23, 2020 04:00 - 6 minutes - 9.38 MB(Jul 23, 2020) Since January, New York's prison population has plummeted by more than 6,000 people, a 13% reduction just this year. That’s a big deal in the North Country, where correctional facilities employ thousands of workers. “This is one of the largest businesses in the North Country, one of the largest employers in the North Country,” said Sen. Betty Little in 2013. But this year’s decline in inmate population is part of a decades-long trend, putting the future of North Country priso...