NCPR's Story of the Day

(Jun 10, 2026) On today's Story of the Day, we hear from the second Democrat seeking to replace Rep. Elise Stefanik in Congress. St. Lawrence County farmer Blake Gendebien says his campaign can transcend the political divide in NY-21. Also: Potsdam will be hosting World Cup watch parties, some of them outdoors on Fall Island.

(Jun 9, 2026) All this week, we're airing profiles of the four candidates seeking to replace Elise Stefanik in Congress. First up, Democrat Stuart Amoriell, a restaurant owner in Lake Placid. Also: SUNY's chancellor says the State University of New York system remains strong despite federal actions targeting higher education.

(Jun 8, 2026) Our Albany reporter Jimmy Vielkind sorts through what did and didn't get done in this year's legislative session, which ended last Thursday. Also: Immigration officials detained more than 20 people during recent raids in Saranac Lake and Lake Placid.

(Jun 5, 2026) Our side jobs can sometimes lead us in directions we never expected. A young woman from Lake Placid got her job in management through her side hustle as a babysitter. Also: We sort through what happened in Albany as the legislative session wraps up today.

(Jun 4, 2026) Black Birders Week is a time for people of color to stake their claim to the outdoors. We join a bird walk at John Brown Farm in Lake Placid for the Adirondacks' second annual recognition of the event. Also: New Yorkers can expect to see more speed cameras in work zones thanks to legislation included in the state budget.

(Jun 3, 2026) High school students in Saranac Lake launched a weather balloon into the atmosphere earlier this spring. We talk with their teacher about the excellent data they got and what happened after it was found in a driveway in Vermont. Also: State legislators are poised to pass a one-year moratorium on new data center projects in New York before they leave Albany this week.

(Jun 2, 2026) Republicans are largely shut out of state budget talks in Albany. State Senator Dan Stec has a lot of criticisms of the new $268 billion package, but he praises a delay for schools to transition to all-electric buses. Also: Tens of thousands of motorcyclists gathered in the Adirondacks this weekend for Americade. We get a slice of the rumble of motors at a motorcycle stunt show.

(Jun 1, 2026) The two Republicans hoping to represent most of the North Country in Congress faced off in a debate last week. While they agreed on multiple issues, they verbally sparred throughout the live forum. Also: Tupper Lake was awarded more than $12 million in this year's state budget to help fix its water system.

(May 29, 2026) Two seasoned Adirondack canoeists are thru-paddling the 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail. We catch up with them on their way to Maine. Also: New York's new state budget is already an issue in the gubernatorial election.

(May 28, 2026) The spike in energy prices caused by the war with Iran is hitting farmers especially hard. We talk with an agricultural specialist about how farmers are managing soaring diesel and fertilizer prices. Also: The two Republicans running to replace Elise Stefanik in Congress will debate after all, tonight starting at 5:30pm on CBS6 in Albany and streaming on YouTube.

(May 27, 2026) New York State is moving forward with a plan to build a new nuclear power plant somewhere Upstate, possibly in Massena. But right next door, Akwesasne Mohawks are skeptical because they have a long and troubled history with industry polluting their environment. Also: Details on deals in the state budget, including pushing back a climate change goal and boosts to public pensions.

(May 26, 2026) Nurses and other professionals at the hospital in Plattsburgh want safe staffing and limits on AI use enshrined in their new contract. They held an informational picket late last week. Also: Canadian travel to the U.S. is down for the 15th consecutive month, hurting tourism regions including the 1000 Islands and the Adirondacks.

(May 22, 2026) After 250 years, 44 Continental Army soldiers were buried with honors in Lake George, after their remains were found at a construction site. Also: State lawmakers are finally passing budget bills in Albany, but they're not finished.

(May 21, 2026) A police training program in the Adirondacks is trying to build trust between officers and the communities they serve. It combines training in de-escalation and bias awareness with conversations about the emotional toll of police work. Also: Every year, restaurants and other businesses from New York City pack up their products and head to the state Capitol in Albany.

(May 20, 2026) A man who has been incarcerated for 25 years in New York makes the case for clemency. John J. Lennon became a nationally recognized journalist from inside prison, writing for the Atlantic, Esquire, and the New York Times. Also: The state's school districts had been set to begin a transition to electric buses next year. Now, lawmakers say a proposal to push back that mandate will be included in this year's state budget.

(May 19, 2026) New safety protocols are in place this year for assistant forest rangers. The changes came after the DEC lost track of an assistant ranger who was later found dead in the wilderness. Also: Democrats say they're bullish on flipping a North Country congressional seat because Republicans are in the middle of a bitter primary.

(May 18, 2026) We hear from parents and community members around the Salmon River school, as they try to make sense of why educators confined children in wooden boxes as punishment. Also: With the state budget still unfinished, our Albany reporters take stock of what leaders still have to do.

(May 15, 2026) The state education department found the Salmon River school district confined at least five children with disabilities in wooden boxes last year. But the state and the school board still haven't released the investigation's findings to the public. Also: Lawmakers had to pass another budget extender as state budget talks will stretch into next week.

(May 14, 2026) The 19th-century settlement of Black pioneers near Lake Placid called Timbuctoo is now largely lost under dense Adirondack forest. A team of researchers is using drones and laser-mapping technology to search for archeological remnants to recover its history. Also: A new bill in Albany would give school districts in the North Country and across the state more time to transition to electric buses.

(May 13, 2026) Since the COVID pandemic, there's been a 20% enrollment increase at community colleges that focus on trades. An educational center in the Champlain Valley wants to expand its campus to meet the rising demand for vocational training. Also: There was a record number of visits to Olympic venues in New York over the last year.

(May 12, 2026) It may still be a week before lawmakers in Albany settle on a final state budget. Our Capitol reporter Jimmy Vielkind breaks down exactly what's at stake, what's the holdup, and what a late budget actually means for you.

(May 11, 2026) The race to replace Elise Stefanik in Congress could lead to an unpredictable four-way campaign by November. We get caught up on the politics and personalities with primaries in both parties coming up next month. Also: While Gov. Hochul and legislative leaders still differ on whether an overall budget deal has been reached, they appear to have reached a compromise on auto insurance reform.

(May 8, 2026) First there was a state budget deal yesterday, then there wasn't. Our Albany reporters sort through a crazy day in Albany and look forward to what's next with the budget more than a month late. Also: We remember longtime Canton historian Linda Casserly, who died this week at 79 years old.

(May 7, 2026) Gov. Hochul announced a deal on a $268 billion state budget, but the Assembly Speaker says not everything's finished. The potential agreement includes financial help for New York City and Buffalo, rebate checks for high utility bills, and an overhaul of state auto insurance laws. Also: We step into the shoes of a water and sewer infrastructure engineer in Watertown.

(May 6, 2026) Climate change may alter our most beloved natural places. At Chimney Bluffs State Park with its clay pinnacles along Lake Ontario, researchers are trying to figure out how much climate change is accelerating a process of erosion that's been going on for thousands of years. Also: St. Lawrence, Clinton, Essex, Warren, and Herkimer counties have all run out of their childcare assistance funding. An answer could be in the state budget, but it's more than a month late.

(May 5, 2026) As the Adirondacks gear up for peak tourism season, thousands of international college students will come to the region to work through the federal J-1 visa program. Local businesses say that workforce has become crucial to getting through the summer. Also: Lawmakers are discussing the possibility of rebate checks for high electricity bills as they continue working on the state budget, which is more than a month late.

(May 4, 2026) Solar panels are crucial to producing carbon-free electricity in New York. But they take up a lot of land. A new study from Cornell University shows that solar development may not be as detrimental to farmland as some people fear. Also: A sign in North Creek saying President Trump needs to be "neutralized" was vandalized. The FBI found it was not hate speech.

(May 1, 2026) This is the time of year that birds migrate from their warmer winter homes back north. Lights at night can disorient and injured them. There's a movement encouraging people to turns off lights to protect the birds. Also: A North Country state lawmaker says after months of financial uncertainty, the North Star Health Alliance, which operates the hospitals in Ogdensburg and Carthage, may have some hope for its future.

(Apr 30, 2026) An Adirondack-based non-profit that hosts wilderness retreats for military veterans is closing in on opening a home base near Lake Titus. Its goal is to provide a safe place for veterans to heal in nature. Also: State lawmakers are close to prohibiting local jails from holding people for federal immigration agents.

(Apr 29, 2026) Staffing levels at New York's prisons are low while the rates of violence and drug exposures are on the rise. Both guards and inmates are pleading with the state to fix what they say is a broken system. Also: Residents in Canton and across the North Country have been shocked by property reassessments that haven't kept up with actual property values.

(Apr 28, 2026) At SUNY Canton, students have started a new club to learn the art of blacksmithing. We visit the forge, where they pound their creations into reality. Also: Gov. Kathy Hochul's Republican opponent was in Clinton County over the weekend. Bruce Blakeman says he is better for New York.

(Apr 27, 2026) North Country Rep. Elise Stefanik is on a national tour to promote her book about claims of antisemitism at the nation's top universities. We talk with her about the new book and about her future after politics. Also: The Malone Middle School was on high alert last week after a man was seen inside the school for hours.

(Apr 24, 2026) A Democrat running to replace Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is facing challenges to his petitions. Stuart Amoriell says his opponent and party leaders are trying to get him off the ballot. Also: The Pendragon Theater in Saranac Lake held a ribbon cutting for its new $11 million home.

(Apr 23, 2026) Nobody likes getting a parking ticket. But writing them can be a pretty good side gig. We meet the meter enforcer in Lake George, who says he tries to be a "helpful busybody". Also: North Country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik says she's not going to endorse anyone in the race to replace her.

(Apr 22, 2026) Studies find 80% of college students report using AI tools in their schoolwork. But their feelings about those tools are mixed. We hear from students at Clarkson University in Potsdam. Also: School districts are getting closer to the deadline to present their budgets to voters, even as they still don't know how much money they're getting in the state budget.

(Apr 21, 2026) Artificial Intelligence tools like ChatGPT have become widely available to the public...and to kids. We asked people in the NCPR texting Club how that's affecting learning in schools. Also: President Donald Trump endorsed Republican Anthony Constantino today in the race to replace Congresswoman Elise Stefanik.

(Apr 20, 2026) Last year, Gov. Hochul delivered funding for new independent oversight of conditions in state prisons. But the money is gone from this year's budget, and the prison watchdog group says it will have to cut staff and downsize efforts if lawmakers don't act. Also: Volunteer firefighters across New York state are lining up behind Governor Hochul's push to reform auto insurance.

(Apr 17, 2026) Aging in place is a serious housing issue for the North Country, where a significant portion of the population is over the age of 65. We'll take a look at a Warren County pilot program hoping to help seniors stay in their homes longer. Also: new legislation could make solar power available to New York residents on a much smaller and more accessible scale.

(Apr 16, 2026) We meet a Lake George history teacher on a mission to inspire his students. Also: North Country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik weighed in on President Donald Trump's ongoing feud with the pope during an appearance on CBS earlier this week.

(Apr 15, 2026) People in the Adirondacks have been wrestling for years with what to do about the massive influx of hikers every summer. A new report recommends strict parking limits at popular Adirondack trailheads. Also: The state is increasing what it charges some North Country communities for cheap hydropower for the first time in more than a decade.

(Apr 14, 2026) Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney consolidated his power in yesterday's elections, riding his tough approach to President Trump. As the chill between the US and Canada continues, North Country business and economic development leaders say business without Canadian tourists has been difficult. Also: NCPR engineer Kurt Lanning hikes through rotten snow to get to an antenna on Lyon Mountain.

(Apr 13, 2026) A woman from St. Lawrence County is on the team of software engineers who designed the systems for the Artemis II, which just returned to Earth after a trip around the moon. We talk with Jamie Szafran, who grew up in Edwards. Also: State police are investigating three deaths of incarcerated people at the prisons in Malone, Ogdensburg, and Gouverneur.