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
Clinton County parties lead to a spike in cases
May 21, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 710 KB(May 21, 2020) In case the warmer weather is tempting folks to relax their social distancing, health officials in Clinton County have a pretty good bellwether for just how consequential that would be.
Forest Rangers make multiple rescues in the Adirondacks over the weekend
May 21, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 523 KB(May 21, 2020) There have been a number of wilderness rescues in the Adirondacks over the last week.
Audio Postcard: Hiking among wildflowers and woodpeckers above Cranberry Lake
May 21, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.71 MB(May 21, 2020) The Adirondacks are showing hopeful signs of spring, even summer these last few days. The air is warming up, the wildflowers are blooming and the birds are back in action. Emily Russell and Monica Sandreczki hiked up Bear Mountain overlooking Cranberry Lake in the northern Adirondacks. The two drove separately to the trailhead and kept a safe distance between them during their hike.
Coping with COVID: Adirondack Experience goes virtual
May 20, 2020 04:00 - 5 minutes - 2.57 MB(May 20, 2020) A couple of months ago, when museums, galleries and other cultural venues were forced to close due to the coronavirus pandemic, curators and staff had to get creative. Adirondack Experience released its digital edition this month, as the museum on Blue Mountain Lake expects to remain closed to the public this summer.
U.S. and Canada decide to keep border closed for another month
May 20, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 668 KB(May 20, 2020) The U.S. and Canada have agreed to keep the border closed to non-essential traffic through June 21. The ban was set to expire this week.
An infection specialist explains why you should wear a mask in public: "It's your responsibility to your community"
May 20, 2020 04:00 - 2 minutes - 1.21 MB(May 20, 2020) The North Country is now in New York State’s phase one of reopening, which means people are going out into public more. A big part of staying open is preventing the coronavirus from spreading in our communities. That means washing your hands a lot, staying at least six feet away from others - and wearing a mask when you’re out beyond your home "bubble."
Limited gatherings for Memorial Day, Capitol Region starts re-opening
May 20, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 675 KB(May 20, 2020) New Yorkers will have a little freedom to honor veterans this weekend. Governor Cuomo says the state is allowing Memorial Day ceremonies of less than ten people.
Will North Country summer camps be open this summer, and what might they look like?
May 20, 2020 04:00 - 4 minutes - 1.86 MB(May 20, 2020) The list of summer camps in the North Country that will not open this summer continues to grow. 4-H Camp Overlook in Malone and 4-H Camp Wabasso recently joined Camps Dudley and Kiniya in Westport in staying closed due to the coronavirus. However some camps are still hoping to have some version of a summer session, but they’re waiting on guidance from the state.
Massena drive-in among outdoor theaters preparing for a different kind of summer movie season
May 20, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.41 MB(May 20, 2020)
Cuomo: data will determine when regions can move on to phase 2 of re-opening
May 19, 2020 04:00 - 50 seconds - 398 KB(May 19, 2020) More of New York is slowly reopening for business. Western New York joins the North Country and other upstate regions today in phase one of reopening.
A friendly border disrupted, and families and businesses on both sides feel the pain
May 19, 2020 04:00 - 4 minutes - 2.15 MB(May 19, 2020) UPDATE 5/19/20 11:30am: The U.S. and Canada have announced the border will remain closed to non-essential traffic through June 21st. Grocery shopping on the other side of the border. Weekend trips and visits to Canada to visit family or friends. All things that used to be taken for granted in the North Country. They’ll all been halted since the U.S.-Canada border closed to non-essential travel in late March because of the coronavirus.
NY Labor Commissioner details backlog of unemployment claims, with $9B paid since March
May 19, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 543 KB(May 19, 2020)
Churches say they don't want to be among the last to reopen
May 19, 2020 04:00 - 4 minutes - 1.91 MB(May 19, 2020)
New Yorkers returning to work should get tested for coronavirus, Cuomo says, demonstrating himself
May 18, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 584 KB(May 18, 2020)
A new start for Saranac Lake's community garden
May 18, 2020 04:00 - 5 minutes - 2.58 MB(May 18, 2020) Volunteers with Common Ground Gardens, a community garden with locations around Saranac Lake, are hoping to reopen the Old Lake Colby garden site next weekend. The revamped site, with new fencing and garden plots, will be the sole site for garden plots this season.
Safety plans required for North Country businesses to re-open
May 18, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 584 KB(May 18, 2020) The North Country was cleared for the first phase of reopening its economy during the coronavirus pandemic. Construction and manufacturing businesses will begin cranking back to life this week. Ron McDougall of the Jefferson-Lewis-St. Lawrence Central Trades and Labor Council and a member of the North Country’ Control Room overseeing reopening says businesses will have to file safety plans before reopening.
The North Country began reopening this weekend. Here's what we saw.
May 18, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.8 MB(May 18, 2020) On Friday the North Country began what’s expected to be a long, risky journey to normalcy. The region was cleared for the first phase of reopening its economy during the coronavirus pandemic. Construction and manufacturing businesses will begin cranking back to life this week.
State to take closer look at group homes amid reports of COVID-19 outbreaks
May 18, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 690 KB(May 18, 2020)
New York to reopen beaches, including North Country lakeshores, for Memorial Day weekend
May 18, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 517 KB(May 18, 2020)
The prison where New York inmates are bottling hand sanitizer now has a coronavirus outbreak
May 15, 2020 04:00 - 5 minutes - 2.45 MB(May 15, 2020) Inmates at Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora are sewing masks and those at Great Meadow in Washington County are bottling hand sanitizer, but some critics and family members of inmates say New York State isn’t doing enough to keep prison workers safe.
This weekend in the Adirondacks, 5/15/20
May 15, 2020 04:00 - 2 minutes - 1.09 MB(May 15, 2020) It looks like we may have turned the corner finally temperature-wise and the long-range forecast looks more like late spring than it has. Although we’ll see temperatures mostly in the 50s and 60s this weekend, daytime highs on summits will remain in mid-40s.
Fort Drum commander talks phased reopening and response to the pandemic
May 15, 2020 04:00 - 4 minutes - 2.26 MB(May 15, 2020) Earlier this week, Fort Drum announced it would ease some restrictions as it slowly resumes more normal activities at the army base near Watertown. Reporter Julia Ritchey spoke with Major General Brian Mennes, the commander of the 10th Mountain Division, about what’s reopening and what precautions are still in place.
North Country and three other regions begin to re-open, cautiously
May 15, 2020 04:00 - 2 minutes - 1.02 MB(May 15, 2020) As of this morning - one minute after midnight to be exact - the North Country has entered the first phase of re-opening. Governor Cuomo yesterday urged everyone to remember that a phased reopening doesn’t mean the problem’s gone away.
Nature journals put the history in natural history
May 14, 2020 04:00 - 5 minutes - 2.63 MB(May 14, 2020) Martha Foley has never succeeded in keeping a nature journal long-term, but Curt Stager finds them invaluable in his work. He records his observations on paper, but also finds great data through researching the journals of past observers, from Samuel de Champlain to Thomas Jefferson, to ordinary little-known North Country folk. His hint - always put it on paper. Whatever became of all that stuff on your floppy diskettes?
Governor gives North Country green light to start re-opening, yellow light to proceed with caution
May 14, 2020 04:00 - 2 minutes - 1.13 MB(May 14, 2020) Governor Andrew Cuomo visited Watertown yesterday as the North Country was cleared for the first phase of re-opening the economy in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Fort Drum re-opening more quickly than rest of North Country region
May 14, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 746 KB(May 14, 2020) Fort Drum is starting to resume more normal operations at its base near Watertown. They're moving more quickly than the rest of the region.
Small businesses describe struggles at legislative hearing
May 14, 2020 04:00 - 4 minutes - 1.86 MB(May 14, 2020)
What's contact tracing, how does it keep us safe, and what does it look like in the North Country?
May 14, 2020 04:00 - 4 minutes - 1.95 MB(May 14, 2020) The idea of contact tracing is pretty simple. The CDC describes it as: the tracing and monitoring of contacts of infected people. Contact tracing helps slow the spread of communicable diseases, and it’s been used in public health and by public health departments for a long time.
Explore your inner world with yoga during isolation
May 13, 2020 04:00 - 2 minutes - 1.08 MB(May 13, 2020)
As the North Country nears re-opening, how will we know we're safe?
May 13, 2020 04:00 - 4 minutes - 2.28 MB(May 13, 2020) The North Country’s path to a phased reopening of the economy is being held up by one thing - testing. The region hasn’t met the state’s benchmark yet of testing 3% of its population per month for COVID-19.
What will the state's regional "control rooms" do? Mostly monitor data, businesses
May 13, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 710 KB(May 13, 2020)
The North Country needs about 500 more tests to begin first phase of reopening
May 12, 2020 04:00 - 2 minutes - 1.03 MB(May 12, 2020)
Stefanik: McConnell "walking back" opposition to aid for local governments
May 12, 2020 04:00 - 46 seconds - 365 KB(May 12, 2020) Congresswoman Elise Stefanik says Republican leaders in Congress are warming to the idea of giving direct relief to local and state governments hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
Glens Falls area seeks to align with North Country unpause
May 12, 2020 04:00 - 2 minutes - 1.26 MB(May 12, 2020) The Glens Falls area is often considered to be the southern gateway to the Adirondacks. But for the purpose of re-opening the economy during the coronavirus pandemic, the state includes it in the Capital Region.
Three regions of New York set to begin re-opening
May 12, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.69 MB(May 12, 2020) New York is poised for a first step in re-opening businesses, as Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday that three regions of the state have met his criteria to begin a slow re-open, starting with some construction and manufacturing businesses, as soon as Friday.
Cuomo extends Child Victims Act window until January
May 11, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 563 KB(May 11, 2020) Gov. Andrew Cuomo is extending a one-year look-back window for victims of childhood sexual abuse to file lawsuits for an additional five months, to mid-January.
How North Country schools are making the tricky transition to remote learning
May 11, 2020 04:00 - 4 minutes - 2.28 MB(May 11, 2020) Distributing breakfasts and lunches via school bus. Delivering laptops and wifi boosters. Doing wellness checks on families that aren’t responding to calls or emails. Meeting basic needs. This is what schools have found themselves doing since they were physically shut-down in mid-March.
Coping with COVID: sharing a love for running and reading
May 11, 2020 04:00 - 4 minutes - 2.15 MB(May 11, 2020) A mother and son running team is using their free time to raise money for gift certificates for needy families in Lake Placid. Kelsey Francis and her son, Colin, took to running together when schools closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cuomo on unemployment report: "The economics are devastating"
May 11, 2020 04:00 - 2 minutes - 1.09 MB(May 11, 2020)
Cuomo extends eviction moratorium to August 20
May 08, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 590 KB(May 8, 2020) Governor Cuomo announced yesterday that the state is protecting people who are struggling to make rent because of the pandemic for another 60 days.
Glens Falls Hospital will resume elective surgeries
May 08, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 510 KB(May 8, 2020)
This weekend in the Adirondacks, 5/8/20
May 08, 2020 04:00 - 2 minutes - 1.11 MB(May 8, 2020) We’re still seeing some cold temperatures, into the 20s in some places this week, and some snow is expected at higher elevations through the weekend.
Immigrants detained in Clinton County getting video hearings
May 08, 2020 04:00 - 2 minutes - 1.12 MB(May 8, 2020) Federal immigration authorities have stopped transferring detained immigrants from North Country jails to a facility in western New York. That’s after an outbreak of COVID-19 at the immigration detention center in Batavia.
'Caught between a rock and a hard place': Reactions split over reopening the North Country
May 08, 2020 04:00 - 4 minutes - 2.13 MB(May 8, 2020)
Businesses make plans with hopes of reopening soon
May 08, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.46 MB(May 8, 2020)
Joyful Noise: finding sweetness in quarantine
May 08, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 787 KB(May 8, 2020) We've got a sweet sound from Valerie White in Canton. We’ve been asking you to tell us what you’ve been doing at home to keep your spirits up, and White responded with this story of how, in the early days of New York’s stay-at-home order, she made jam on a rainy afternoon. She started with her inspiration.
Senate Republicans call for probe into nursing home policy during pandemic
May 08, 2020 04:00 - 1 minute - 545 KB(May 8, 2020) State Senate Republicans are calling for an independent investigation into the state’s handling of nursing homes during the pandemic.
Just how individual are animals?
May 07, 2020 04:00 - 5 minutes - 2.29 MB(May 7, 2020) We tend to think that dogs do this, and that cats do that. We think animal species have a recognizable set of behaviors that define the nature of their kind. But what about individual animals? Does each have something we could understand as a unique personality?
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.
Judge throws out NY presidential primary cancellation, voters to receive absentee ballot form
May 07, 2020 04:00 - 3 minutes - 1.74 MB(May 7, 2020)