Northern Light

(Feb 27, 2026) Following President Trump's State of the Union address this week, we're checking in on how people around the North Country feel about the president a year into his second term; we talk with a worker in the Adirondacks' hospitality and marketing industry about why it's not just pushing paperwork; and the consistently cold temperatures bode well for Lake Placid's annual ‘Ice Out' fundraiser. 

(Feb 26, 2026) Nearly half a million New Yorkers will soon have to prove they're working or looking for work to stay on federal food assistance benefits; Champlain Area Trails, or CATS, recently acquired a 700-acre property in Essex County; and we have a conversation with a Black gospel scholar about how the genre has evolved ahead of his visit to St. Lawrence University tomorrow.

(Feb 25, 2026) A reporter's investigation found the state police have no clear standard for disciplining troopers, and troopers found guilty of misconduct were given lax or inconsistent treatment; leaders of the state legislature's transportation committees are supporting more funding for upstate transit agencies; and NCPR's Chief Announcer, Shelly Pike, stops by to give a shout-out to three guys in Canton who pitch in and smooth out the ice on the community skating rink.

(Feb 24, 2026) The Essex County Land Bank was established just three years ago in hopes of alleviating a growing affordable housing crisis; New York state lawmakers and leaders are hyper-focused on addressing hunger at the state level after federal funding cuts to food assistance programs; a bookseller in the Adirondacks shares a few recommendations from regional writers; and Catherine tries to stump Monica in a sound quiz.

(Feb 23, 2026) The Olympic Regional Development Authority has voted to spend millions of dollars on a 30-year maintenance plan for its facilities; We head to the frozen Mirror Lake in Lake Placid, where local park officials clear space for people to skate and walk in the wintertime; and we have a conversation with an author of a new young adult spy novel, who drew inspiration from her time substitute teaching in Adirondack schools. 

(Feb 20, 2026) The APA approved plans for a new housing development in Lake Placid at its meeting yesterday; Black lawmakers and other lawmakers of color in Albany are highlighting key priorities, like more education funding, affordable housing and progress on issues like sentencing reform; and John Warren checks trail conditions in the Adirondacks ahead of a snowy weekend.

(Feb 19, 2026) The Olympic Regional Development Authority says it doesn't have a long-term plan to care for its facilities in Lake Placid; people living north of Syracuse are concerned about the wastewater that could come from the massive Micron semiconductor chip plant; and as the Winter Olympics wind down in Italy, we have a conversation with a filmmaker about his own portrait of many of the athletes in the years ahead of the games.

(Feb 18, 2026) Some residents in the village of Fort Edward are raising concerns about a proposal to allow a nearby incinerator process PFAS-contaminated soil; we venture to a snowy forest in Essex, where a young teacher says she's found her calling in a forest Kindergarten; and we have a conversation about a recent memoir that traces one woman's hard fought fight to rehab a derelict house in Indian Lake.

(Feb 17, 2026) Glens Falls first female mayor says she's focused on housing, development, and long-term planning; Utica is celebrating the reopening of a historic ski hill following a $2 million renovation of its snowmaking and lift equipment; and astronomer Aileen O'Donoghue guides us through the night sky.

(Feb 16, 2026)

(Feb 13, 2026) We hear from one woman about a lifetime of working with the skills that were passed down to her; a duo from the Plattsburgh area is sharing the stories of everyday Americans at their musical theater concert this weekend; and we have a conversation about the origins of Friday the 13th and why there's a lot more to superstition than what meets the eye.

(Feb 12, 2026) People with disabilities and their advocates are gathering in Albany this week to press state lawmakers on key priorities; New York schools are a year away from electric bus requirements, but school officials say it's going to be a challenge; and we get a preview ahead of the Empty Bowls fundraiser in Keene Valley this weekend. 

(Feb 11, 2026) The North Star Health Alliance is filing for bankruptcy after months of financial instability, employee layoffs, and the resignation of its CEO; Margot Ernst, a leader in the Adirondack philanthropic community and a passionate public radio supporter, died Sunday at 80 years old; and we'll check in with longtime NCPR reporter Brian Mann, who is in Italy covering the Winter Games for NPR.

(Feb 10, 2026) Gov. Hochul is proposing several initiatives for farmers who are feeling squeezed by tariffs, but lawmakers have questions about the spending; many bald eagles migrate south during winter to northern Pennsylvania, where eager birders try to get a glimpse of America's bird; and we'll check in with a snowmobile club in southern St. Lawrence County for more details on their poker run this week.

(Feb 9, 2026) A new state proposal could change how people with disabilities experience the Adirondack wilderness; Democratic state lawmakers are pushing the New York for All legislation, an alternative to the bill to limit federal immigration agents' authority; and the Twitchell Lake Association in the southern Adirondacks has spent months compiling the lake's social, natural, and even legal history, and are publishing it all on a new website.

(Feb 6, 2026) A small state park in Colton has become home to some of the best cross-country skiing in the North Country, thanks to some dedicated volunteers; local government leaders in Clinton County say they're optimistic about the economic outlook of the region; and we've got a preview of the Empire State Winter Games this weekend.

(Feb 5, 2026) A new statue in Lake Placid honors the legacy of Herb Brooks, the coach of the 1980 Olympic hockey team; we board a Saranac Lake school bus to learn about the unexpected perks of the essential job; and we have a profile of American skier Jessie Diggins, who is competing in her last Olympics before coming to Lake Placid for a World Cup competition.

(Feb 4, 2026)

(Feb 3, 2026) St. Lawrence County lawmakers voted to allow its sheriff's department to sign an agreement with ICE; Gov. Kathy Hochul says she wants to change New York State law to ban local enforcement from signing those kinds of agreements; and we learn more about what it takes to create a new Canadian English dictionary.

(Feb 2, 2026) Gov. Kathy Hochul says she's proposing legislation that would ban agreements between local police departments and federal immigration authorities; a skeleton race in Lake Placid has become the subject of intense controversy that could determine whether a US sledder can compete in the Olympics in Italy; and we talk about some sayings that help us get through the winter.

(Jan 30, 2026) Jefferson County's sheriff is warning residents to be prepared for icy roads and arctic cold after the lake effect dumped more than four feet of snow on the region; a high-tech event earlier this month honored the Miracle on Ice Olympic legacy in Lake Placid with hologram reenactments; and we tag along at St. Lawrence Nurseries' Wassail party, an ancient tradition meant to bless the orchards for the growing season.

(Jan 29, 2026) The DEC has updated its management plan for brook trout in Adirondack Ponds, in part to limit the threats from climate change and the use of live baitfish; we follow one archaeologist's journey to preserve historical objects while having a steady job; and folks at a bookstore in Lake Placid are hosting a low-pressure singles' night this weekend.

(Jan 28, 2026) A fraud case in Warren County has stirred up infighting and sparked a blame game within county government; We visit the New York State Talking Book and Braille Library to learn how it helps visually impaired people access reading materials; and we have a conversation with Canadian author Giles Blunt about his historical novel set in the Saranac Lake cure cottage era. 

(Jan 27, 2026) Advocates hope that recent policy changes will start to make a difference in New York's child poverty ranking; we talk to a longtime mariner who piloted freighters on the St. Lawrence Seaway and around the world; and we sit down with NCPR book reviewer Betsy Kepes at the Gouverneur public library to dig into the latest book from Adirondack environmentalist, Bill McKibben.

(Jan 26, 2026) David Sommerstein makes a sub-zero but sunny trek to Lampson Falls for an audio postcard; people in the western part of the North Country say they are continuing to struggle with affordability, according to an annual survey of communities; and as the Pentagon rolls out tougher fitness standards and punishments for troops who fall short, some advocates are criticizing approaches that emphasize discipline over support.

(Jan 23, 2026) The Adirondack Park Agency approved a battery storage site near Great Sacandaga Lake at its meeting yesterday; Clarkson University has owned a historic portrait of George Washington for decades, and it's being sold at auction today; and we'll get a preview of a storytelling event in Canton this weekend, hosted by NCPR and the Adirondack Center for Writing.

(Jan 22, 2026) St. Lawrence County is considering a partnership between the sheriff's department and ICE; Malone's town council is leaving a board seat unfilled; and we discuss farm and ag groups' policy priorities for the coming state legislative session with Kitty O'Neil.

(Jan 21, 2026) We meet someone who has found a home in a recently-completed workforce housing project in the high peaks of the Adirondacks; we listen as cold settles into the woods during an arctic front that's bringing frigid air to the North Country; and volunteers at the observatory in Tupper Lake are sharing an Emmy award with NASA for their coverage of the 2024 solar eclipse. 

(Jan 20, 2026)

(Jan 19, 2026) We break down reactions from the right and left following Gov. Hochul's State of the State address; Micron has broken ground in Onondaga County on what's billed as the largest private investment in New York history; and we remember NCPR's longtime theater critic, Connie Meng, who died last week at 86 years old.

(Jan 16, 2026) A group of anti-Trump protestors gathered at Canton's main intersection this week; we meet the newest generation of Jamaican bobsledders who are working to get to the Winter Olympics in Italy; and John Warren checks on weekend trail conditions in the Adirondacks. 

(Jan 15, 2026) People with disabilities and advocates are hoping for more progress on inclusive housing and higher wages for support professionals during the coming legislative session; officials in Jefferson County say a new transit system will start up this year; and an all-volunteer group of musicians is coming together in Potsdam this weekend to celebrate the everyday heroes in our communities. 

(Jan 14, 2026) We break down the biggest topics highlighted in Gov. Kathy Hochul's State of the State speech; the North Country's Republican lawmakers react to the governor's 2026 policy agenda, and we have a conversation with renowned bluegrass guitarist Jake Eddy, who is teaching a class and performing in Saranac Lake next week.

(Jan 13, 2026) Thousands of fans watched the top aerial skiers in Lake Placid over the last two days; the Trump Administration is restructuring the U.S. Army, and changes could affect the mission and actions of soldiers at Fort Drum, near Watertown; and astronomer Aileen O'Donoghue guides us through what to look for in this month's night sky.

(Jan 12, 2026) Ahead of Gov. Hochul's State of the State address, we talk with reporter Amy Feiereisel about preliminary details of a plan to expand childcare access; New York State is trying to find ways to keep vaping products out of the waste stream; and a conversation with the author of a new book about the New York City subway system's secret history. 

(Jan 9, 2026) The North Star Health Alliance says it can meet its payroll this week but officials say there are still financial challenges ahead; a new, free program at Clarkson University is training young adults for jobs in home energy efficiency; we hear about what it took to start a Glens Falls marketing firm that's making sure you know about every festival, artist, and small business the city has to offer, and John Warren checks on trail conditions in the Adirondacks this weekend.

(Jan 8, 2026) As lawmakers gather in Albany for the legislative session, some state officials are decrying the Trump Administration's freezing of child care funds; ships on the St. Lawrence Seaway are still stuck due to icy conditions, and it's forced the Seaway to extend its navigation season; and NCPR's station manager Mitch Teich joins us for a conversation about the end of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and for an update on NCPR's finances following the end of our federal funding.

(Jan 7, 2026) As ice forms on many of the region's waterways, we visit the East Branch of the Ausable River; Lake Placid is now hosting a World Cup ski event that was originally planned for Utah, after the Northeast's strong start to winter; and we have a preview of an artist exhibit in North Creek.

(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.