NCPR's Story of the Day

(Jul 17, 2026) The North Country has slowly been building a public transportation network to help people without cars get around. The latest piece is a new bus system connecting Watertown to small towns across Jefferson County. Also: Emily Russell sends an audio postcard from Stewart Mountain in Chestertown.

(Jul 16, 2026) New arts venues can become hubs of the North Country's small towns. A community ceramics studio is opening in the Champlain Valley town of Keeseville Saturday, part of the Keeseville Community Arts Festival. Also:  A new report finds changes to federal food assistance in President Trump's massive policy bill will put New York taxpayers on the hook for more than $160 million.

(Jul 15, 2026) Many Indigenous traditions have been passed down for generations, but centuries of land loss and forced assimilation have disrupted that connection. We hear from a filmmaker in Akwesasne who's documenting the people working to bring those traditions back, ahead of her film showing in Lake Placid tonight. Also: Local activists say ICE detained two more workers in Lake Placid this week, after 21 were detained last month.

(Jul 14, 2026) Algae blooms have become a growing problem on Lake Champlain, closing beach areas and disturbing fish and wildlife. We join a group of researchers on a boat gathering data to try to find a solution. Also: Gov. Hochul has ordered a one-year moratorium on large data centers in New York, the first statewide temporary ban in the country.

(Jul 13, 2026) Indigenous communities in the Adirondacks have relied on plants for food, medicine and other uses for generations. We meet a local college student who's working to preserve the knowledge her Mohawk ancestors passed down about those plants. Also: Watertown passed a law last week with new safety requirements for e-bikes. It comes almost a year after a woman died in a biking accident in Thompson Park.

(Jul 10, 2026) Food insecurity is a real challenge in the North Country. The food bank in Albany is helping families over the summer when school's not in session. Also: An audio postcard from the Paddle for Betterment, a charity cruise for canoes and kayaks in the Thousand Islands. The 25th annual event is Saturday.

(Jul 9, 2026) The race to replace North Country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is set. We take a look at how the campaigns of Republican Anthony Constantino and Democrat Blake Gendebien are shaping up so far. Also: State Forest Rangers were busy last week with several water rescues across the Adirondacks.

(Jul 8, 2026) President Trump says he plans to abandon his own trade deal with Mexico and Canada. We talk with North Country officials about what the end of the USMCA would mean for our business ties with Canada. Also: A pending bill in Albany would provide a boost to New York State's pharmacies.

(Jul 7, 2026) JB Nicholas served nearly thirteen years behind bars. He's spent the last decade building a career as a prison journalist who's now based in Malone. Also: A new report says violence in New York state prisons was rising before the recent beating deaths of two incarcerated men.

(Jul 6, 2026) The blood donor center in Plattsburgh is scheduled to close on Friday. It's raising concerns about regional health care networks consolidating operations and reducing services in the North Country. Also: Opponents of a potential new nuclear reactor in St. Lawrence County rallied last week in Massena.

(Jul 2, 2026) Every July 4th in the tiny town of Nicholville in St. Lawrence County, one family holds its own parade. For the last 57 years, they've marched and sung across town and taken a picture in front of the post office. Also: New York celebrated the completion last week of a massive $1.5 billion upgrade in the state's transmission grid, with its hub in Massena.

(Jul 1, 2026) Homelessness has been on the rise in the North Country over the last several years, with the unhoused population doubling in some counties since 2022. We talk with some people who have been without homes, and their advocates, about the causes and what's being done to help. Also: Environmental advocates want Gov. Hochul to sign a bill that would require the state to track heat-related deaths.

(Jun 30, 2026) A proposed data center project in Massena could be put on hold if Gov. Hochul signs a one-year moratorium on data centers in New York. Assemblyman Scott Gray is calling on Hochul to veto it, but activists against the project say a year isn't long enough. Also: Homeless outreach teams who usually work in New York's cities are increasingly working in more rural areas like the North Country.

(Jun 29, 2026) The Adirondack Watershed Institute, a research lab at Paul Smith's College, was awarded $1 million in state funding. New York Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie came to deliver the good news in person. Also: The Plattsburgh YMCA's child care center is being sued for negligence over allegations of child abuse.

(Jun 26, 2026) A colorful new mural now covers the side of a historic theater in downtown Au Sable Forks. It's a small part of a years-long effort to transform the theater into a new home for the arts and a hub for the village. Also: New York and the federal government are engaged in dueling lawsuits over a new bill limiting New York's police agencies from working with ICE.

(Jun 25, 2026) A man moved to the Champlain Valley, thinking he would be a farmer. But his calling was far from the fields, serving up pizzas from a food truck. Also: After more than a decade of planning, three years of construction, and $800 million in taxpayer investment, the Buffalo Bills have cut the ribbon on their new stadium.

(Jun 24, 2026) Democrat Blake Gendebien and Republican Anthony Constantino will face off in November for the 21st district seat in Congress, but Conservative Party nominee Robert Smullen could complicate the race. Also: Elections are a time we think about the changes we'd like to see. We hear from voters in yesterday's primaries about what motivated them to get to the ballot box.

(Jun 23, 2026) Fifty years ago today, a tanker spilled hundreds of thousands of gallons of crude oil in the Thousand Islands stretch of the St. Lawrence River. A new documentary tells the story of the 'Slick of '76' in the words of those who lived it. Also: It's primary day, with big congressional races in both parties. Polls are open until 9 pm. Find profiles of each candidate at ncpr.org/election

(Jun 22, 2026) State officials say large-scale batteries are key to stabilizing the power grid and transitioning to carbon-free electricity. But when battery storage projects have been proposed in the Adirondacks, local residents have been pushing back. Also: The Republican primary for the North Country's congressional district, which is tomorrow, is turning into a test of President Trump's political clout.

(Jun 19, 2026) On this Juneteenth, we'll take a look at the abolitionist movement in St. Lawrence County. Also: we hear from a North Country woman who collects Schlitz memorabilia and says she has a tough decision to make as the company ceases production.

(Jun 18, 2026) Two Democrats are running in the primary for New York's 24th Congressional District, covering the Thousand Islands and Watertown. Both say they're focused on affordability. Also: the agency that monitors energy usage in New York is warning that there's less power in the system and more need than ever before.

(Jun 17, 2026) On today's Story of the Day, we go behind the scenes of a recent drag show held in the Adirondacks during Pride Month. Also: groups around the state are pushing Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign legislation that they say would improve the response to domestic violence calls.

(Jun 16, 2026) On today's Story of the Day, we hear about tomorrow's community food drive in St. Lawrence County. It comes amid rising food insecurity in the North Country. Also: highlights from the NY-21 Democratic debate.

(Jun 15, 2026) On today's Story of the Day, the state budget is $9 billion more than previously advertised. We hear from our state reporters about the now $277 billion spending plan. Also, a new state program aims to help combat algae blooms.

(Jun 12, 2026) On today's Story of the Day, we conclude our series on the primary candidates running to replace Congresswoman Elise Stefanik. Sticker Mule CEO Anthony Constantino, a Republican, says his business experience and endorsement from President Donald Trump are why he should go to the general election in November. Also: A new report says the state will spend $277 billion this year. That's $9 billion more than Gov. Kathy Hochul announced last month.

(Jun 11, 2026) On today's Story of the Day, we hear from one of the two Republicans hoping to succeed Elise Stefanik and keep NY-21 red. Current New York Assemblyman and military veteran Robert Smullen says his experiences make him the right guy for the job. Also: North Country at Work heads to Keeseville, where a couple is building community by offering a free weekly meal.

(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.