Northern Light

(Jun 23, 2026) The end of this year's legislative session saw the departure of more than a dozen state lawmakers, including some longtime Upstate lawmakers who have left their mark on the Capitol; a new documentary tells the story of the oil spill on the St. Lawrence River in the words of those who lived it; and we have a preview of today's North Country at Work event in Ticonderoga.

(Jun 22, 2026) The Republican primary for the 21st Congressional District is turning into a test of President Trump's political clout; State officials say large-scale batteries are key to stabilizing the energy grid, but small towns in the Adirondacks are pushing back and passing temporary bans; and we take a look at the schedule for a summer concert series at The Mill in Westport.

(Jun 19, 2026) On this Juneteenth, we take a look at the abolitionist movement in St. Lawrence County; We hear from a North Countrywoman who collects Schlitz memorabilia and says, with the company ceasing production, she has a tough decision to make; John Warren checks on trail conditions ahead of a wet weekend ahead; and we take a look at Juneteenth events around the region.

(Jun 18, 2026) Two Democrats are running in the primary for New York's 24th Congressional District, covering the Thousand Islands and Watertown; scientists hope a new research boat in Lake Champlain will help answer questions about the lake and larger bodies of water; and we have a conversation about two car shows set for this weekend in Saranac Lake. 

(Jun 17, 2026) Communities around the Adirondacks are celebrating Pride Month with drag performances and queens who are bringing their art form to local stages; the agency that monitors energy usage in New York is warning that there's less power in the system and more need for power than ever before; and we have a conversation about the art exhibit in Malone that features cast sculptures of the hands of men in the trades and crafts. 

(Jun 16, 2026) The two Democrats running to represent New York's 21st Congressional District talked about how they'd get things done for the North Country in Congress in a debate last week; the United Way of Northern New York is hosting its first community food drive in St. Lawrence County tomorrow, amid a rise in food insecurity in the North Country; we're days away from the longest day of the year. Astronomer Aileen O'Donoghue will guide us through what to look for when the stars come out.

(Jun 15, 2026) The state budget passed, but many are still figuring out how these policies will play out; New York's Department of Environmental Conservation wants to learn more about the harmful algae blooms that are fouling lakes around the state; and we have a preview of the Ottawa Jazz Festival that kicks off Thursday.

(Jun 12, 2026) Anthony Constantino, a businessman from Amsterdam, is running as a Republican to represent the North Country in Congress; we stop by the neighborhood of the only member of the Knicks who is a born-and-raised New Yorker ahead of another NBA Finals game; and John Warren checks on trail conditions ahead of this weekend in the Adirondacks.

(Jun 11, 2026) Assemblyman Robert Smullen is running as a Republican to represent the North Country in Congress; a husband and wife in Keeseville are serving up free dinners at a local church; and we hear from some of our most frequent contributors to NCPR's Photo of the Day.

(Jun 10, 2026) St. Lawrence County farmer Blake Gendebien is running for the Democratic nomination in New York's 21st Congressional District; we have details on how folks in Potsdam and around New York State are celebrating the upcoming World Cup tournament; and we have a conversation with a horror film writer from Ticonderoga whose love for the genre grew from a young age. 

(Jun 9, 2026) Stuart Amoriell, a restaurant owner in Lake Placid, is running as a Democrat to represent the North Country in Congress; a new program connects soldiers who completed their service at Fort Drum with local jobs, in the hopes of keeping them in the region; and NCPR book reviewer Betsy Kepes shares a book review of Canadian writer Miriam Toews' new memoir.

(Jun 8, 2026) We break down what happened in Albany after the New York legislative session ended last week; immigration officials detained more than 20 people during recent raids in Saranac Lake and Lake Placid; and we have a conversation about a concert series that's been bringing Grammy Award winners, international performers and local musicians to Norwood for more than 50 years.

(Jun 5, 2026) A new program in Clinton County trains current and prospective manufacturing employees at no cost; we follow the unlikely path of how a young woman from Lake Placid got her job in management through her side hustle as a babysitter; John Warren checks on trail conditions in the Adirondacks ahead of weekend adventures; and we take a look at the community calendar.

(Jun 4, 2026) We join a birdwalk in Lake Placid, where organizers say the second annual Black Birders Week celebration is helping more people of color feel welcome in the outdoors; a foster dog in Ogdensburg is in the national Pet Lovers Choice Awards competition; and we remember North Country musician Dan Duggan, who died last week at 69 years old. 

(Jun 3, 2026) Now that the Adirondack rail trail is complete, crews are working on adding amenities, including to the parking area on the Lake Placid end of the trail; high school students in Saranac Lake launched a weather balloon into the atmosphere earlier this spring; and as fresh strawberries will soon appear at farmers' markets across the North Country, Chef Curtiss Hemm shares a recipe that will make them shine.

(Jun 2, 2026) State Senator Dan Stec says the budget doesn't do enough to address rising costs for New Yorkers; we step onto the streets of Lake George, where tens of thousands of motorcyclists gathered for a block party and a motorcycle stunt show; and we have a conversation about an exhibit at an art gallery in Bloomingdale that celebrates the stuffed animals we used to love as children.

(Jun 1, 2026)

(May 29, 2026) Seneca leaders say the state has yet to follow through on the promises it made towards reconciliation; we head out for an evening paddle amid a chorus of spring peepers on Forked Lake in the central Adirondacks; we catch up with Adirondack paddlers who are through-paddling the 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail; and we take a look at the community calendar.

(May 28, 2026) Kitty O'Neil breaks down how North Country farmers are coping with rising costs due to the war in Iran; the North Country's newest assemblyman says the delayed budget will mean a less productive year for Albany; and we visit a small dairy in Keeseville. North Country Creamery has become one of the Champlain Valley's leaders in environmentally-conscious farming. 

(May 27, 2026) Some people on the Akwesasne Mohawk Reservation say they're skeptical about a potential nuclear power plant being built nearby after a long and troubled history with industry polluting their environment; tense relations between the US and Canada are continuing to affect American tourism and alcohol industries; and we have tips for turkey hunting before the season wraps up.

(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; over Memorial Day weekend, many people were remembering the losses caused by Agent Orange; and we'll take a short hike through the wetlands between the Grasse and Oswegatchie Rivers.

(May 22, 2026) After 250 years, 44 Continental Army soldiers are being buried in Lake George after their remains were discovered in a construction site; the Great Adirondack Garage Sale is this weekend, spanning more than 200 miles across the park; John Warren checks on outdoor conditions ahead of Memorial Day weekend; and we hear from local organizers about this year's Black Birders Week events in the Adirondacks.

(May 21, 2026) A police training program in the Adirondacks is helping law enforcement build trust with the communities they serve; each year, restaurants and businesses from New York City pack up their products and head to the State Capitol in Albany; and we preview the newest season of NCPR's storytelling podcast The Howl Podcast.

(May 20, 2026) A man who has been incarcerated for 25 years in New York and works as a journalist behind bars makes the case for clemency; Gov. Kathy Hochul is joining moderate Democrats in other states in securing new laws to protect immigrants after President Trump's crackdown; and talk with NCPR Amy Feiereisel on her last day at the station after a decade.

(May 19, 2026) There are new safety protocols in place this year for assistant forest rangers after the DEC lost track of one who was later found dead in the wilderness; State officials are proposing a fall hunting season in Saratoga Spa State Park as deer populations there are rising beyond sustainable levels; and astronomer Aileen O'Donoghue guides us through what to look for when the sun goes down.

(May 18, 2026) New York State wants to see sweeping reforms after the Salmon River School District admitted to putting children in wooden boxes as discipline; state budget talks are still ongoing, and Republican lawmakers say they're fed up; and we have a conversation about an ongoing exhibition in Plattsburgh that combines art and mental health.

(May 15, 2026) New York State is calling for sweeping reforms at the Salmon River School District after an investigation into how children with disabilities were confined in wooden boxes; Plattsburgh's community college will hold its first graduation tonight after a relocation that saved it from closure; and John Warren with the New York Almanac brings us the forecast for the trail conditions in the Adirondacks this weekend.

(May 14, 2026) Researchers are using drones and laser-mapping technology to search for traces of a long-lost Black pioneer settlement in the Adirondacks; a New York non-profit is tackling teacher burnout through collective mental health programming; and a new anthology showcases the poems, short stories and memoirs of many of the North Country's young writers.

(May 13, 2026) A record number of people visited Olympic venues in New York over the last year, as the state is starting to plan for how to take care of the facilities for years to come; we head to Sackets Harbor, where the library serves as a community hub for nearby military families; and we talk with a Glens Falls High School student who won a state culinary competition and is now training for nationals.

(May 12, 2026) We dig into the details of New York State's budget process with one of our New York Public News Network reporters; an educational center in the Champlain Valley wants to expand its campus to meet the rising demand for vocational training; and we have a conversation with a man who's graduating from college this weekend, 33 years after starting his studies.

(May 11, 2026) We get caught up on the dynamics of the New York 21st Congressional District primary races; Gov. Kathy Hochul announced she'd reached a deal on the state budget last week, but lawmakers said there's still a lot of details to iron out; and we have a conversation with NPR's Scott Simon about his new book that traces his life by way of the pets that he and his family have adopted over the years.

(May 8, 2026) The North Star Health Alliance has secured a $60 million loan from the state amid its ongoing financial turmoil; ahead of Mother's Day, we hear about the special bond between drag mothers and daughters; and one of the mainstays in the North Country music scene is out with a new EP today. 

(May 7, 2026) We hear from small farmers and advocates about a Farm Bill the U.S. House passed last week; a civil engineer who works on water systems across the North Country is building a network of young professionals in Lewis County; we'll visit the Fish and Game club in Saranac Lake for an archery lesson with a master archer.

(May 6, 2026) Several North Country counties have run out of their childcare assistance funding, and a possible solution could be in the state budget that's more than a month late; we take a look at erosion at Chimney Bluffs State Park on Lake Ontario; and Chef Curtiss joins us this morning for a recipe for a comforting sandwich, perfect for this rainy weather.

(May 5, 2026) In the coming weeks, thousands of international college students will pour into the Adirondacks to staff local businesses through the federal J-1 visa program; housing advocates want New York to expand its state law that ensures tenant protections to renters; and we'll go birdwatching in St. Lawrence County ahead of a couple of birding events in the North Country.

(May 4, 2026) A new study from Cornell University shows that solar development may not be as detrimental to agricultural communities as previously speculated; New York State lawmakers are inching closer to finishing the state budget; and we'll talk with a Crane School of Music grad who's blending styles and techniques to make experimental music.

(Apr 30, 2026) A non-profit based in the Adirondacks that hosts wilderness retreats for veterans is looking to establish a permanent home near Lake Titus; we take a look at how the cheese plant in Chateaugay has shaped the community for over a 100 years; and an exhibit at one of the region's most prestigious galleries is a celebration of young artists in the southern Adirondacks. 

(Apr 29, 2026) Both Prison guards and inmates say New York's correctional system is broken; scientists are predicting an early and heavy tick season; Kitty O'Neil joins us in the studio to explain how North Country farms are preparing for the growing season.

(Apr 28, 2026) The Republican running to be New York's Governor was in the North Country over the weekend; we go to SUNY Canton, where students are learning the art of blacksmithing in a new club; and NCPR book critic Betsy Kepes reviews "Before I Forget," a novel set in the Adirondacks.

(Apr 27, 2026) We hear from North Country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik about her new book on antisemitism and her future after politics; some Canton residents say they're concerned about rising property tax rates after recent re-assessment letters went out; and we have a conversation about an oral history project that's collected more than 400 stories in the Adirondack community of Keene.

(Apr 24, 2026) A Democrat running to replace Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is facing challenges to his petitions; the Pendragon Theater in the Adirondacks unveiled its new building this week; John Warren checks on trail conditions for this last weekend of April; and Canton's Repair Fair is back again this year with more fixers and opportunities to learn repair skills.

(Apr 23, 2026) MMR vaccine rates in St. Lawrence County lag behind the statewide average; we head to Lake George, where a parking meter enforcer says he's trying to be a "helpful busybody;" and North Country PBS stations and libraries are hosting screenings of a documentary about the national fight against book bans on Thursday.