NCPR's Story of the Day

(Jun 23, 2025) Building a farm into a viable business is a huge challenge. Figuring out how to pass it on is another. A farm in the Champlain Valley wants to become a cooperative and help people access farmland and housing. Also: State lawmakers approved a new paid leave option for state troopers who experienced a traumatic incident while on the job.

(Jun 20, 2025) Officials in Plattsburgh are again calling on the federal government to take action on failing infrastructure at the former Air Force Base there. They say the costs and stakes are rising. Also: The race for mayor of Glens Falls will be settled in a Democratic primary on Tuesday. We have a profile of the candidates.

(Jun 19, 2025) New York state primaries are coming next Tuesday. In Watertown, eight candidates are vying for two spots on the city council. Many of them say they're running because they're tired of infighting within local government there. Also: A state bill that would require some social media platforms to carry warning labels about their health risks passed with bipartisan support.

(Jun 18, 2025) Well before June 19, 1865, when the last slaves were notified they were free, the North Country was a crucial step for slaves seeking freedom on the Underground Railroad. With the federal celebration of Juneteenth tomorrow, we look at our region's role in the quest for liberty for all. Also: The state has found a developer for a new solar project at the Benson Mines site near Star Lake.

(Jun 17, 2025) Ten years ago, two dangerous convicts made a daring escape from the state prison in Dannemora. What the three-week manhunt that followed was like for everyday North Country residents. Also: Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand visited Saranac Lake's hospital to push back against cuts to Medicaid in Republicans' budget bill.

(Jun 16, 2025) Thousands of people across the North Country took to the streets to protest President Donald Trump's administration Saturday. We hear from the "No Kings" rally in Canton. Also: Trump's budget and policy bill that's making its way through Congress could impact those who depend on Planned Parenthood for health care.

(Jun 13, 2025) Fewer people are following their local governments than ever before, even though those boards have a direct influence on people's lives. We report from a St. Lawrence County government open house, where local officials were showing what they do but few members of the public were there to listen. Also: Governor Kathy Hochul and Congresswoman Elise Stefanik sparred in a congressional hearing yesterday in a possible governor's race preview.

(Jun 12, 2025) Federal immigration raids across the North Country and the nation are fueling the debate over whether local police should cooperate. The possible deportation of two people accused of stealing groceries in an upstate New York suburb is the latest example that's led to bills from both sides in Albany. Also: A bill that would wean New York off fossil fuels is getting rebranded to help get it passed.

(Jun 11, 2025) After the Dannemora prison escape, the state's inspector general investigated the incident and published a report on what went wrong and how the prison system needed to change. We talk with today's inspector general ten years after the manhunt that captivated the North Country. Also: Democrats in Albany are backing ten bills that would increase oversight in New York's prisons following two beating deaths at the hands of corrections officers.

(Jun 10, 2025) The tiny town of Long Lake is getting a big gift, the proceeds from the sale of the $125 million Whitney estate. Locals and town leaders weigh in on how they plan to manage the huge windfall. Also: ICE agents were active at multiple sites in St. Lawrence County today in what the sheriff's office called a "victim-centered investigation."

(Jun 9, 2025) The end of May was Black Birders Week, an annual national celebration that's working to make birdwatching more accessible and welcoming for people of color. We pick up the binoculars and hit the trail with a group of beginning birders in Lake Placid. Also: Members of a powerful state legislative caucus are calling on lawmakers to pass a slate of prison reform bills before the end of the legislative session.

(Jun 6, 2025) Ten years ago today, the North Country woke up to the news that two dangerous criminals had escaped from the maximum security prison in Dannemora. NPR's Brian Mann talks about what it was like to cover the Dannemora manhunt when he worked for NCPR.

(Jun 5, 2025) In New York, the number of families using childcare assistance has nearly tripled in just three years. But the subsidy that's helped thousands of people is running out, and families are starting to lose the childcare they've come to rely on. Also: Some Democratic lawmakers in Albany want to restructure a state program that provides home care to people on Medicaid.

(Jun 4, 2025) A new report find winters on the Tug Hill Plateau are getting warmer and snowfall is getting more unpredictable. Also: North Country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is edging closer to a run for governor of New York next year.

(Jun 3, 2025) The Whitney estate, north of Long Lake, has long been considered one of the most prized tracts of wilderness in the Adirondacks. It's been for sale, and now a developer from Texas is set to purchase the 36,000-acre property to build a new luxury resort. Also: Gov. Hochul's lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado, announced he plans to challenge her for the state's top job.

(Jun 2, 2025) If you have a physical disability or use a wheelchair, you know how difficult traversing public places in the North Country can be. Saranac Lake has commissioned a study that's looking at ways to make the village's municipal parks more accessible. Also: New York is cracking down on the 'buy now, pay later' industry with new rules to protect consumers.

(May 30, 2025) We're kicking off our series about volunteerism in the North Country with a story about how volunteers in Schroon Lake power one essential community institution - their local library. Also: Democrats in New York continue to criticize the House-passed bill that slashes funding for social services. They say tens of thousands of people in the state could lose their health care.

(May 29, 2025) We remember Dana Fast, a Holocaust survivor who lived in the Adirondacks until her death earlier this month. Also: North Country at Work visits the only tattoo shop in Lake Placid.

(May 28, 2025) As part of his goal to reduce federal spending, President Donald Trump wants to cut funding for rural airports in half. What would that mean for the North Country, where all five regional airports are federally subsidized? Also: Clinton County is trying to make building new housing easier, in hopes of alleviating the region's housing shortage. We'll explain how.

(May 27, 2025) Two North Country students will compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which kicks off today. They don't see themselves as rivals, but they're both hoping to go deep into the national tournament. Also: New York food banks say more people are looking for food assistance, and that cuts to SNAP, included in the recently passed House budget, would make things a lot worse.

(May 23, 2025) Racing season kicks off tonight at the Mohawk International Raceway. Every summer, people and whole families bring race cars from all over the North Country, Quebec, and beyond to compete on the dirt track in Akwesasne. Also: This summer, two more Adirondack lakes will be treated with an herbicide to kill an invasive plant.

(May 22, 2025) The Plattsburgh city council installed a new police chief last week. But some residents are concerned about workplace misconduct allegations against him that still haven't been fully resolved. Also: Voters in most North Country school districts approved their school budgets Tuesday, including Watertown's spending plan that contains a controversial provision that upset the area's pre-K providers.

(May 21, 2025) In the 19th century, a hill in the Adirondacks was named after the settlers who lived nearby. But because they were Black, the hill was named for their race, not their family. Last weekend, that historical injustice was undone. It's now called Murry Hill. Also: Gov. Hochul called the residential boarding school system "sanctioned ethnic cleansing" when she apologized to the Seneca Nation yesterday.

(May 20, 2025) New York state and local leaders are warning that Medicaid cuts included in Trump's policy bill will have outsized impacts on the North Country. Republicans, including Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, say they're not cuts at all. Also: The major wind power project in the ocean off of Long Island is back on after President Trump reversed course.

(May 19, 2025) Biking is one of life's great pleasures. But it can be hard for older people to get on a bicycle. A nonprofit in Plattsburgh wants to bringing people of all ages and abilities together through the joy of cycling. Also: Governor Kathy Hochul is going to the Seneca Nation in western New York tomorrow to apologize for the state's role in a boarding school that tore apart indigenous families and culture.

(May 16, 2025) The Watertown City School District is at odds with the child care providers who run its pre-K program. Those providers are calling for residents to vote down the school's budget next week. Also: New York is making it easier for adult learners to pursue a free associate's degree at community colleges.

(May 15, 2025) The editor-in-chief of one of the North Country's daily newspapers retired last week after forty years in local journalism. Joe LoTemplio says he's grateful for his sources and Plattsburgh Press-Republican colleagues. Also: As Republicans in Congress move forward with President Trump's tax and budget bill, some New York GOP lawmakers are holding out over tax reductions known as SALT.

(May 14, 2025) President Trump's federal funding cuts are having impacts across the North Country, from arts to education to mental health. We talk with orgs that are having to adjust their programs and deal with uncertainty. Also: Some state lawmakers want Albany to better protect food safety as federal agencies are losing funding and staff.

(May 13, 2025) Science has documented the role downed logs play in capturing carbon in the forest floor. New research in the Adirondacks is looking at how decomposing logs in streams and riverbeds play their own role. Also: State lawmakers are holding a special hearing about New York's troubled prison system tomorrow, amidst increasing violence against both inmates and corrections officers.

(May 12, 2025) Business owners in Lake George are worried the young foreign workers they rely on every summer may get caught up in the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Why J-1 visa holders may get held up this summer. Also: Speaking with reporters in Ticonderoga Friday, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik voiced support for President Donald Trump's tariff approach, but said she wanted full funding for rural airports in the North Country.

(May 9, 2025) Volunteerism is down across the country, yet volunteers still play crucial roles in North Country communities. As we launch a series spotlighting the region's volunteers, we hear about some of the people our listeners told us to profile. Also: Federal cuts in President Trump's so-called "skinny budget" could eliminate popular North Country programs, including rural air service and heating assistance.

(May 8, 2025) Second homes and short-term rentals have gobbled up much of the available housing in the Adirondacks, leaving year-round families with few options. One couple is rehabbing homes specifically as long-term rentals for local Adirondackers. Also: A conversation with the chairman of New York's Republican Party, which is gearing up for a big election cycle in 2026.

(May 7, 2025) Some Akwesasne Mohawk students at SUNY Canton have been working on a project they hope makes campus more welcoming for Native Americans. It's been working, and they celebrated with an indigenous-themed trivia night. Also: The property in Massena left behind by General Motors has won a national recognition that could help it find a new manufacturer.

(May 6, 2025) What does welcoming and belonging mean for different people across the Adirondacks? NCPR and Adirondack Explorer asked that question to people at listening sessions this spring in North Creek, Old Forge, and Tupper Lake. We report back on what people said. Also: Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik and Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul are already trading barbs in what could be next year's race for governor.

(May 5, 2025) Weed's been legal in New York for a few years now. So what's it like to farm it? We visit a young couple in the Champlain Valley that's made cannabis a business. Also: All passengers on US airlines will need a REAL ID document to fly starting May 7.

(May 2, 2025) Lake trout disappeared from Lake Champlain by 1900, the victims of pollution, overfishing, and the invasive sea lamprey. Biologists have engineered a remarkable comeback, and now the fish are thriving on their own and stocking efforts are winding down. Also: Fort Drum generates almost $2 billion for the North Country economy, making it the largest single-site employer in the region.

(May 1, 2025) If you want to hike to Indian Head or climb Gothics or Upper Wolfjaw, you'll need to have a reservation starting today. The DEC says the system at the Adirondack Mountain Reserve is now permanent after a few years of evaluation. Also: Spring turkey hunting season and fishing for several cool water fish kick off today.

(Apr 30, 2025) The Adirondacks are home to a large number of New York's bears. We talk with a bear expert about why they're a fascinating and still mysterious animal, and how people can help keep them wild. Also: State lawmakers say there are still some loose ends to tie up in state budget talks, even though Governor Hochul announced a tentative deal Monday.

(Apr 29, 2025) It's been more than two decades since a Republican won statewide office in New York. With Congresswoman Elise Stefanik said to be considering a run for governor, we talk with a political science professor about her chances. Also: Gov. Hochul and New York state lawmakers have struck a tentative budget deal. We sort through what's in and what's out.

(Apr 28, 2025) Democrats in Albany are looking to close up to 5 more prisons in the next year, in part to alleviate the shortage of corrections officers. We talk to a researcher who studied why New York and two other states account for a third of all prison closures around the US in recent decades. Also: The section of Route 56 that connects Potsdam to Tupper Lake may reopen as soon as Tuesday. It's been closed for nearly 2 months after a sinkhole caused a major reconstruction of the road.

(Apr 25, 2025) Farms are getting busy as the temperatures warm and the Earth springs back to life. On sheep farms, it's lambing season, a time of rebirth and hope and tiny cute baby lambs. as Also: Glens Falls basketball star Jimmer Fredette announced his retirement from the sport this week.

(Apr 24, 2025) New York state is suing President Donald Trump's administration over its tariff policies. Those tariffs could raise prices in the state for everything from clothes to fireworks. Also: the decades-old Mohawk land claim could be settled for good if Congress ratifies an agreement between the Mohawks of Akwesasne and New York state.