Northern Light

(Oct 3, 2025) Two colleges in the region have lost funding for a federal college prep program; we revisit an audio postcard from a sailing trip with Potsdam's Jim Benvenuto, who died in a motorcycle accident a couple weeks ago; and ahead of this weekend's World Cup mountain biking races in Lake Placid, we listen back to a story about the races last fall.

(Oct 2, 2025) It can be tricky to earn a living while running a seasonal tourism business. A Schroon Lake couple is trying to make it work to be in a place they love; a "tree rodeo" is being held in New York, perhaps for the first time, and it's happening here in the North Country; as the fall colors are hitting their peak, we take a walk along the Bloomingdale Bog trail in the Adirondacks; we preview the adventurous fall lineup at Lake Flower Landing in Saranac Lake.

(Oct 1, 2025) We speak with St. Lawrence University professor Alexander Stewart about how Canton just had its driest summer on record; inflation rebate checks will start arriving in New Yorkers' mailboxes this week—and they'll have to pay federal income taxes on the money; and Chef Curtiss Hemm shares a recipe for an autumnal kale salad.

(Sep 30, 2025) As federal health care subsidies are set to expire in just a few months, many lower and middle-income families could start paying a lot more for insurance; the Newton Falls paper mill caught on fire Sunday; and we'll head to the Ogdensburg Public Library for a conversation with NCPR's book reviewer Betsy Kepes about a new thriller on a search and rescue effort.

(Sep 29, 2025)

(Sep 26, 2025) Police believe the Cohoes murder suspect is injured, but alive as the manhunt continues in the Adirondacks; below average water levels on Lake Champlain have led one ferry operator in Essex County to cease operations for the season; a 16-year-old in an attempted murder investigation in Jefferson County has been located; and, a preview of events around the region, including the Ottawa Latin Jazz Orchestra.

(Sep 25, 2025)

(Sep 24, 2025) We listen back to a profile on Mercy Care for the Adirondacks, a volunteer organization that tackles elder isolation with friendship that's currently seeking new volunteers; conditions inside New York's prisons haven't improved much for inmates and corrections officers since a three-week wildcat strike earlier this year; and News Director David Sommerstein joins the show to preview Adia Victoria's performance at St. Lawrence University this Friday titled “Skip James is My Analysis: An Evening On The Abyss,” which will feature a set of songs and a candid conversation about mental health and the blues. 

(Sep 23, 2025) After decades of trying to restore Lake Champlain's native salmon population, state and federal officials are using a new tool to figure out what stocking strategies are working; a museum in the Adirondacks is facing criticism after auctioning off more than a dozen historic boats; and a crime novelist's newest book focuses on a love story during the tuberculosis era in Saranac Lake. 

(Sep 22, 2025)

(Sep 19, 2025) Skier Jessie Diggins was training in the Adirondacks this week, ahead of World Cup finals in Lake Placid; NYS organizations and officials are preparing for the November election; Republicans claim the Democratic candidate in the 115th Assembly District race violated state law; Police say they haven't found any signs of the Cohoes murder suspect whose truck was found near Paul Smith's last Sunday; and, longtime community celebration Peru Applefest returns to the Champlain Valley!

(Sep 18, 2025) We head out to the woods with St. Lawrence County Public Health to survey mosquitoes following an increase in mosquito-borne illness reports; Republicans in the 115th Assembly District have officially nominated Brent Davison as the candidate they want to replace Billy Jones; and we preview today's talk by Akwesasne Cultural Center Director Justin Cree at the St. Lawrence University Brush Art Gallery exhibit titled "A Culture Is Not a Costume."

(Sep 17, 2025) State policymakers are considering whether closing some of the state's psychiatric hospitals could help close the state's budget gap; we speak with a reporter at the Adirondack Explorer about public school enrollment trends in the Adirondacks; and a conversation about Corning's ultra-low expansion (ULE) glass, which is made in Canton and is a finalist in the state Business Council's "The Coolest Thing Made in New York" contest.

(Sep 16, 2025) A local nonprofit has been leading an effort to train officers across the Adirondacks; Today's North Country at Work story starts in childhood, from growing up cleaning grounds and shucking corn for the family business;  and astronomer Aileen O'Donoghue guides us through what to look for in this month's night sky.

(Sep 15, 2025)

(Sep 12, 2025) The Adirondack Rail Trail is seeing steady traffic and boosting business in the Trilakes area; 2025 was a big summer for fishing tournaments in Massena, and it's becoming more nationally recognized as a fishing destination; and we drop by the Downtown Artist Cellar in Malone to talk with North Country artists Mary Woodcock Johnson and Angela Nephew.

(Sep 11, 2025) Democratic Assemblyman Billy Jones, who stepped down last week to take a job at a local community college, reflects on his nine years in office; as colleges and universities begin a new school year, many are grappling with how to implement and regulate the use of artificial intelligence; and we preview the Jazz at the Lake festival in Lake George this weekend.

(Sep 10, 2025) Gov. Kathy Hochul was in Plattsburgh yesterday to attend the grand opening of a bus manufacturer that helped save hundreds of local jobs and highlight funding for northern border security; federal officials arrested dozens of people at a food processing plant in Central New York last week; and North Words host Mitch Teich talks with Giles Blunt about his new book "Bad Juliet," which is set at a tuberculosis sanitarium in the Adirondacks.

(Sep 9, 2025)

(Sep 8, 2025) We have an update on the St. Regis Falls Central School District, a year after major turmoil; experts share how they think summer's drought will impact the colors changing this fall; and we have a conversation about the unexpected services that North Country libraries offer. 

(Sep 5, 2025) Students across New York went back to school this week, and this year, they'll have limits on using their cellphones at school; we head to Schroon Lake to meet someone working behind the scenes in the performing arts; and we'll venture to the starting line of this year's 90 Miler Canoe Classic in Old Forge.

(Sep 4, 2025) NCPR reporters Cara Chapman and Emily Russell preview the roundtable discussion they're co-hosting in Lake Placid on Monday; state lawmakers voted to study the standards and fees for annual motor vehicle inspections. It comes at the urging of service stations and car dealerships across New York; and, the Otis Mountain Getdown music festival is back in Elizabethtown this weekend. We listen back to a conversation with one of the 30 bands in the line-up, Petite League.

(Sep 3, 2025) Plattsburgh Town Supervisor Michael Cashman officially launched his campaign for an anticipated special election in the 115th Assembly District yesterday; we talk with the logistics coordinator of the 90-Miler Canoe Race about what it takes to keep everyone safe and everything running smoothly; and as apple season begins, Chef Curtiss Hemm shares a recipe for a quick apple cake.

(Sep 2, 2025) Despite the Trump administration asking schools to end diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, one local district says it has no plans of stopping; the chairs of the Democratic county committees in the 115th Assembly District say they're nominating Plattsburgh's town supervisor for an upcoming special election; and many hiking enthusiasts know the basics of the story, but the Adirondack History Museum in Elizabethtown put together a special exhibit to dive deeper into the history of the first 46ers.

(Aug 29, 2025) Sen. Chuck Schumer says the ROTC program at Clarkson University in Potsdam will not shut down, a reversal of a previous Army announcement; a volunteer who works with children who have been abused shares why the work is valuable to him; NY-21's Elise Stefanik addressed concerns that ICE recruitment would take away from local police hires; we tag along with Emily Russell for a trail run in the Mediterranean; and, a preview of the Northern Current Music Festival in Saranac Lake.

(Aug 28, 2025) After more than a year and a half of planning, moving and renovating, Clinton Community College started classes at its new campus this week; we stop by a state park where New York has been offering free swimming lessons this summer; and a conversation with artist Margaret Jacobs of the Akwesasne Mohawk community about her sculpture "Carrying Knowledge: Mint," now on permanent display at the Adirondack Experince: the Museum on Blue Mountain Lake.

(Aug 27, 2025) We remember John Cogar, a longtime veterinarian and former bobsled athlete in the Adirondacks who drowned in Lower Saranac Lake last week; an arts organization in Watertown is hosting an event for local music acts to get professional quality photos and videos of themselves; and North Country at Work tells the story of a Westport farm where horses get a second chance.

(Aug 26, 2025) U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand visited Saranac Lake on Monday, as she works to secure millions in federal funding for the Trudeau Institute amid the Trump administration's proposed cuts to scientific research; we follow along with one of the first users of the motorized wheelchair program at Great Camp Santanoni; and NCPR book reviewer Betsy Kepes talks about a new historical novel, The Jackal's Mistress. 

(Aug 25, 2025) Longtime friends from Richmond, Vermont (and now Portland, Oregon) drop a new EP September 9th

(Aug 25, 2025)

(Aug 22, 2025) A group of hundreds of North Country doctors and medical leaders is trying to figure out what can be done locally to minimize steep cuts to Medicaid; a former candidate for New York's 21st Congressional District plans to run for Assembly next year; after a month long closure, one of the Adirondacks' longest scenic train rides in back in service; NYS officials say they have strict rules in place meant to protect illegal immigrants who may be visiting the New York State Fair; and, Adirondack trail conditions and a visit to Camelot Island on the Canadian side of the Thousand Islands.

(Aug 21, 2025) North Country at Work takes us to the west end of Paradox Lake, where a series of summer cottages have played host to hundreds of families through several generations; though it's been 10 months since state and local authorities seized and killed Peanut the Squirrel, the effect on environmental enforcement in New York continues; and the founders of Abanakee Studios in Indian Lake are celebrating their 25th Anniversary this summer.

(Aug 20, 2025) Earlier this month, a group of locals and community leaders met in Essex to celebrate the legacy of civil rights activist Alice Green and continue a celebration she started; we preview the New York State Fair, which kicks off today near Syracuse; and Kitty O'Neil from the Cornell Cooperative Extension stops by to talk about how the hot summer has impacted North Country farmers.

(Aug 19, 2025) Congresswoman Elise Stefanik attended a dedication ceremony in Plattsburgh yesterday, following a rare public feud with local Republicans over selecting a candidate for an upcoming special election; a statewide program that allows college students to work on and off campus is helping them find their roots in the North Country; and astronomer Aileen O'Donoghue is in the studio this morning to guide us through this month's night skies.

(Aug 18, 2025) In the North Country, a group of local drag performers says every show is a chance to build acceptance for their art form, one local stage at a time; we look back at New York state's road salt shortage last winter, which was connected to the wording of a state law; and we preview this weekend's St. Lawrence County rock and gem show.

(Aug 15, 2025) We visit the man who owns a well known caboose on Route 11 between Canton and Potsdam; Plattsburgh is getting a new 24/7 crisis center to close a gap in local behavioral health services; New York lawmakers say the state should cancel plans to send taxpayer rebate checks with the state facing a big budget deficit; National Grid customers will soon see a higher electricity bill after the state Public Service Commission approved a rate hike; and, Adirondack trail conditions and what's up with those pesky deer flies?

(Aug 14, 2025) ICE agents' use of masks when arresting people in New York and across the country has set off a debate in the state about whether to ban them from covering their faces; North Country at Work profiles one of the people behind the magic at the Lake George Dinner Theatre; and a new photo exhibit at the Tannery Pond Community Center celebrates the people who created the North Creek Mosaic Project Mural.

(Aug 13, 2025) In the small community of Inlet, a passionate volunteer gardener has spearheaded the effort to turn a former elementary school field into a thriving community garden; the town of Canton is preparing residents for a townwide reassessment; and we speak with artist Nancy Brossard ahead of the Adirondack Plein Air Festival, which will take place next week.

(Aug 12, 2025) A new report from the state's chief fiscal officer highlights a shortage of health care providers in the North Country; the union representing New York State Troopers says they should get time off after shoot-outs and other stressful calls; and NCPR's Howl Podcast kicks off its newest season on Wednesday.

(Aug 11, 2025)

(Aug 8, 2025) A major ski jumping event in Lake Placid has been cancelled because of infrastructure issues; thousands turned out for Plattsburgh's first-ever Michigan Fest; Alcoa and NYPA are nearing a deal to keep the aluminum giant in Massena; Plattsburgh's town supervisor will run replace Assemblyman Billy Jones; and, teen theatre in Westport and local music in Potsdam!

(Aug 7, 2025) Activists are traveling across the North Country this week in a "car caravan" to rally support for migrant farmworkers; Residents at a mobile home park in Lake Placid are trying to stop the property from being sold; and A significant cluster of the invasive water chestnut plant has taken root in the St. Lawrence River near Ogdensburg.