Northern Light

(Jan 6, 2026) At the Upstate New York airport where the captured Venezuelan president Maduro was flown into the US, there was mixed reaction to the US incursion into the country; A luge athlete based in Lake Placid won her second gold medal of the season last weekend; and we hear the hundred year old hockey mystery of the Ontario man who replaced a legendary Montreal goalie during a NHL game, then never played again. 

(Jan 5, 2026) Political will and public opinion for a statewide universal childcare program are at an all-time high, but lawmakers are hesitant to embrace the price tag; the iconic theater at the New York State Capitol Complex, known as the Egg, is reopening this week after six months of renovations; and a longtime resident of the North Country shows us his trick for clearing off snow from the roof of his house.

(Jan 2, 2026) We hear a refresher on ice safety; Mt. Van Hoevenberg is keeping the full moon ski parties alive this winter after Cascade Ski Center closed earlier this year; and John Warren checks on outdoor conditions for the first weekend of the year.

(Dec 31, 2025) We hear from a State Farm Bureau official about how the change of farm overtime hours affects operations; a new SUNY program matches formerly incarcerated people with internships to help them with the difficult process of finding a job after they're released from prison; and we revisit one of our favorite stories of the year featuring local drag performers.

(Dec 30, 2025)

(Dec 29, 2025) Warren County has been a leader in reducing its use of road salt during winters; the death of a Saratoga County resident helped to inspire new statewide regulations on an over-the-counter herb that could have negative health effects; and a sociologist wants people to recognize that Ottawa is more than just Canada's national capital.

(Dec 24, 2025)

(Dec 23, 2025)

(Dec 22, 2025)

(Dec 19, 2025)

(Dec 18, 2025)

(Dec 17, 2025)

(Dec 16, 2025) The VA opened a food pantry at its medical clinic in Westport last week, the first in the state to offer food as rates of food insecurity rise; President Trump honored the 1980 Miracle on Ice hockey team at the White House last week with the Congressional Gold Medal; and astronomer Aileen O'Donoghue guides us through this month's night sky and reflects on a year in the stars.

(Dec 15, 2025) Some military members and their families around Fort Drum are struggling with food insecurity and the lasting impacts of the government shutdown; as the year winds down, Gov. Kathy Hochul is working her way through bills that still need her signature; and we talk to the man who has recreated his canoe journey from the headwaters of the Hudson River in the Adirondacks to New York City, after being the first recorded person to do it 35 years ago.

(Dec 12, 2025) For the last two summers, a woman from the Caribbean has been cooking up meals at a motel in Tupper Lake; we meet a young farmer in Jefferson County who is trying to make it in the industry; John Warren checks on trail and mountain conditions in the Adirondacks; and the 10th Mountain Division Band has two upcoming performances of "A North Country Carol."

(Dec 11, 2025) The House passed a bill to ratify the Mohawk land claim deal in the North Country; we ride along with social service case workers in Albany as they handle emergency calls;  and we'll find out about a few ways you can give back this holiday season.

(Dec 10, 2025) We speak with a filmmaker who has been interviewing incarcerated people around the state trying to help their clemency cases; advocates are calling on the governor to sign a prison reform bill, a year after corrections officers beat a Marcy Correctional inmate to death; and we'll hear conversation and music to preview the Orchestra of Northern New York's show, "Home for the Holidays."

(Dec 9, 2025) An unoccupied tour boat on Lake George was damaged by a fire on Monday morning; we head to Bradley's Lookout with reporter Amy Feiereisel for a short hike with a big payoff; a bill awaiting the governor's signature would ensure librarians across New York State can fight censorship within schools; and North Country writer Tim Brooks has been studying what's been happening to handwriting around the world in an increasingly digital society. 

(Dec 8, 2025) Bills are piling up on Gov. Kathy Hochul's desk as the end of the year draws closer; Democrat State Comptroller Tom Dinapoli is running for a fifth term in next year's election; and we listen back to a conversation with longtime friends and musical collaborators Barb Heller and Danny Gotham.

(Dec 5, 2025) The North Star Health Alliance says delayed reimbursements from the state threaten patients and over 1,700 jobs; a new study from the Adirondack Land Trust is helping people with disabilities navigate which Adirondack trails are truly accessible; and it's a big weekend for holiday celebrations throughout the North Country, and we'll hear about one for kids in Parishville.

(Dec 4, 2025) Two North Country community colleges had the highest enrollment gains among state schools in the region this fall; we hear about what it's like to work as a home health aide; and we have a conversation with the author and illustrator of a new children's book about how each of Santa's reindeer got their names.

(Dec 3, 2025) For the first time in years, SNAP work requirements will be enforced in the North Country; we sample the Tom and Jerry holiday cocktail at the Crystal in Watertown, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary; and Chef Curtiss Hemm joins us this morning for a rich and comforting recipe, full of melty cheese. 

(Dec 2, 2025) Amid one of this winter's first snowstorms, we head out with a young plow driver through Cascade Pass in the Adirondacks; a young family outside of Malone is determined to preserve their farmland by using sustainable farming methods; and NCPR book reviewer Betsy Kepes takes us out to her beaver pond to talk about a new book out of Vermont on beaver kit rehabilitation.

(Dec 1, 2025) A new state historical marker at Akwesasne Lake by Paul Smith's College is paying homage to its Indigenous history; NPR's Brian Mann sends an audio postcard from a wintry hike up Wright Peak in the Adirondacks; and we preview the Plattsburgh State Gospel Choir's Soulful Christmas concert this Sunday. 

(Nov 26, 2025) For some North Country communities, local food options are few and far between. This Thanksgiving, special food boxes connect families in the Indian Lake school district with regional farms; Gov. Hochul approved amendments to the Adirondack State Land Master Plan, which notably did not include a special provision for electric mobility devices in wilderness areas, and we continue the story of how the hermit thrush got its song with Mohawk artist and storyteller Dave Fadden. 

(Nov 25, 2025) After the state vastly expanded eligibility for childcare programs, funds haven't been able to keep up with demand, with over half of counties running out of money; delays in federal assistance and high food prices are making it a hard start to the holiday season for many in the North Country;  and we'll hear a Mohawk story about how the hermit thrush got its song.

(Nov 24, 2025) A new lodge at the base of Gore Mountain is ready to open, but is tied up in disputes between ORDA and the town of Johnsburg; Republican New York State Assemblyman Robert Smullen launched his campaign for the NY-21 seat last week, and he's playing up his connection to President Donald Trump; and an exhibit in St. Lawrence County explores how the work of three artists evolved after they developed Parkinson's Disease. 

(Nov 21, 2025) A village bill meant to protect immigrants in Saranac Lake sparked months of tension at board meetings and has left some locals questioning how their police force will respond to the growing threat of immigration enforcement; a federal jury in Rochester has awarded the largest wrongful conviction award in American history to the estate of one of the so-called Buffalo Five; and John Warren checks on trail conditions in the Adirondacks for this weekend.

(Nov 20, 2025) Assemblyman Scott Gray hosted two nuclear forums so locals could learn more about what it could mean to have a nuclear power plant in the North Country; today's North Country at Work story looks back in time to the creation of the St. Lawrence Seaway, and Ottawa musician Hannah Judge talks about how her chronic illness helped to inspire her band, fanclubwallet's new album. 

(Nov 19, 2025) The state plans to close Bare Hill Correctional Facility in Malone this spring; we talk with Jim Odato from the Adirondack Explorer, about how the sale of the 36,000-acre Whitney Estate has fallen through due to a deed restriction;  and Monica and Catherine try to stump each other with a sound quiz.

(Nov 18, 2025) As Elise Stefanik sets her sights on the governor's mansion, we take a look at her impact on New York's 21st Congressional District; the village of Potsdam is getting millions of dollars from the state to address flooding after months of community members working together to find solutions; and astronomer Aileen O'Donoghue guides us through this month's night sky.

(Nov 17, 2025) The Adirondack Park Agency is sending its first project in 14 years to an adjudicatory hearing; the Senior Planet Center in Plattsburgh will host an emergency preparedness training for North Country families tomorrow; and we head into the woods in Oswegatchie to track down a missing buck.

(Nov 14, 2025) Supporters and critics are weighing in on the state's decision to delay a plan to ban natural gas and other fossil fuels from most new homes and buildings; we talk with Whiteface's operations manager ahead of opening weekend; John Warrens checks on winter conditions in the Adirondacks this weekend, plus a winter sound quiz!

(Nov 13, 2025) An expert says the North Country's cold climate could prevent a widespread infestation of the invasive spotted lanternfly; one North Country worker says there's beauty in working the night shift; and we'll hear from the author of a new thriller set in the North Country.

(Nov 12, 2025)

(Nov 11, 2025) The government shutdown could cause a program that provides free preschool and childcare for low income families in Warren County to close at the end of the month; woters in the North Country are finding flaws in the candidates who are running to be New York's governor; and local PBS stations will host sneak previews of Ken Burns' much-anticipated docuseries on the American Revolution this week.

(Nov 10, 2025) Jimmy Vielkind and Andrew Waite from the New York Public News Network discuss Congresswoman Elise Stefanik's bid for New York governor; Assemblyman-elect Michael Cashman says he plans to make the North Country's voice heard as a member of the legislative majority in Albany; and today is the 50th anniversary of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald shipwreck in Lake Superior, and we have a conversation with the drummer on the song that sought to memorialize the tragedy.

(Nov 7, 2025) North Country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik announced her run for Governor of New York this morning; amid cuts to social safety net programs like SNAP, folks in the North Country are stretching their dollars even further; in today's North Country at Work story, we hear from a code enforcement officer who's responsible for a big chunk of Essex County; and John Warren checks on trail conditions ahead of a snowy Adirondack weekend. 

(Nov 6, 2025) Prop 1 was narrowly approved by voters, paving the way for a constitutional amendment to allow further development at a ski complex in Lake Placid; a house for sale in Newcomb represents a potential solution for affordable workforce housing; and we'll sit down with the head of a statewide sportsmen's group about why he wants hunters to forego lead bullets as much as possible.

(Nov 5, 2025) We have results for local races across the North Country; lawmakers in Essex County are pushing back against the Adirondack Land Trust's plan to rename a mountain near Westport; and Chef Curtiss joins the show for a quick and easy beer bread recipe. 

(Nov 4, 2025) In the North Country, the number of people who cast their ballots early is way up compared to the previous off-year election; we visit a small farm in Keeseville that's rethinking what it means to grow and share food; and we look back at a conversation on how St. Lawrence County fiddler Gretchen Koehler shares her project on North Country folk artists with students. 

(Nov 3, 2025) Ahead of Election Day, we have stories on two local races, the Canton town supervisor and the Clinton County clerk; New York could soon enter the national fight over redistricting; and we have a conversation with Matthew Algeo, the author of a book that details the history of New York's subway system.