Northern Light

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The U.S.-Israel War with Iran has restricted movement through the Strait of Hormuz, driving up fuel and fertilizer costs for North Country farmers; New York does its part to help birds migrate north safely by ordering all state buildings and offices to dim or turn off non-essential lights at night; John Warren checks on trail conditions for a cool spring weekend in the Adirondacks; and we preview an event in Clayton this weekend where kids can get their fill of big trucks, cranes and bulldozers.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

President Trump's endorsement of Anthony Constantino in the NY-21 congressional race goes against the wishes of most Republican county leaders; we hear from students at Clarkson University in Potsdam about how they use AI in the classroom; and NCPR general manager Mitch Teich breaks down how recent updates with NPR will affect the station.

The union that represents prison guards says the state's correctional facilities are in a "crisis;" we take a look at how artificial Intelligence tools like ChatGPT are impacting education in the North Country; and astronomer Aileen O’Donoghue talks about NASA's Artemis II mission and guides us through this month’s night sky.

New York's prison watchdog says it will have to cut staff and downsize efforts if lawmakers don't restore funding left out of the governor's budget; Gov. Kathy Hochul is proposing a tax on second homes in New York City; and we catch up with the Clarkson University crew team at a regatta in Saratoga Springs.

A pilot program in Johnsburg is helping the town's older residents make the accessibility upgrades needed to stay in their homes long-term; we go on a spring hike up Moxham Mountain near North Creek for spectacular views of the Adirondacks; and John Warren checks on trail conditions for the weekend ahead.

Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik was on CBS Mornings this week, where she defended President Trump's threat to wipe out the entire Iranian civilization; we speak with one in Lake George who's spent two decades building connections with his students; and the Adirondack Coast Craft Fair is back this weekend for its fifth iteration in Plattsburgh.

A new report recommends strict parking limits at popular Adirondack trailheads; the state is increasing what it charges some North Country communities for cheap hydropower for the first time in more than a decade; and quilters have an opportunity to show off their hard work at a North Country quilt show this summer.

North Country business and economic development leaders laid out their concerns about tariffs and the US's relationship with Canada during Governor Kathy Hochul's recent visit to Ogdensburg; we tag along with NCPR’s chief engineer Kurt Lanning on a spring trek up Lyon Mountain to fix a transmitter; we’ll learn more about an event in Blue Mountain Lake for artists who have thought about building a business but don't know where to start; plus, the sounds of springtime.

A woman from St. Lawrence County is on the team of software engineers who designed the systems for the Artemis II, the mission that went around the moon and back; new research out of Cornell shows Canadian wildfire smoke made some birds chirp and sing less., potentially exacerbating population decline; and a group in North Creek is commemorating President Teddy Roosevelt’s famous “night ride to the Presidency,” with a series of events.

Downtown Elizabethtown has a new bike shop, but it's not your typical retail space; Officials hope Utica's new Empire State Trail Towns designation will bring in more tourists; John Warren checks on trail conditions ahead of a warm and wet weekend; and we take a look at community events happening around the North Country.

Democrats in the state Senate want to create a tax on purchasing gold bars as another way to generate revenue; we take a look at what it's like to work in early intervention in Washington County, where a public health worker connects babies and toddlers with the resources they need to thrive; and we have a conversation about the book that follows the history of aviation in the Adirondacks.

The number of land surveyors who retire each year in the U.S. is about double the number who come into the profession, and New York surveyors want to turn that trend around; able-bodied veterans are no longer exempt from SNAP's work requirements under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that Congress passed last year; and an astronomer at Clarkson University shares how new studies of gravity have helped with NASA’s current mission to the moon.

Rural animal shelters in the North Country are worried new state regulations could put them out of business; Jefferson Community College in Watertown is the recipient of a grant to build an advanced manufacturing program, with the hope that Fort Drum veterans will take advantage of it; and we preview a concert this weekend in Plattsburgh by an award-winning Indian-Canadian singer.

As ski season winds down, we check in with the Olympic Regional Development Authority about the growth at state-run mountains; our Albany reporters break down why New York’s state budget is late for the seventh year in a row; and we take a look at a new book on Canada’s maple syrup history and do a little sugaring of our own.

The Adirondacks' only accessible campground for people with disabilities is set to close this summer as staff work to fix issues with the park’s drinking water system; weeks after an explosion injured several people and damaged the Abundant Life Church in Boonville, members say faith is helping them through; John Warren checks on Adirondack trail conditions; and NCPR’s chief engineer tries to stump Monica and Catherine with a sound quiz.

Policy disagreements and election dynamics are contributing to the state's budget delay; SUNY Chancellor John King visited SUNY Potsdam to promote efforts to meet students' basic needs, like housing, food, and transportation; and we tour the sugarhouse in Lake Placid, where Cornell University is studying and innovating maple syrup technology.

Democratic incumbent Kathy Hochul's lead over her Republican challenger for the governor's race has dropped over the past month; we go to Parishville in St. Lawrence County to meet a woman who's helping pass on the folk tradition of rug braiding; and Chef Curtiss Hemm joins us for a recipe perfect for this April Fools' Day.

Republican Anthony Constantino is under scrutiny for how he’s collecting petition signatures to get on the ballot for the 21st Congressional District race; we take a ride on the beautiful Amtrak Adirondack train that skirts right along Lake Champlain; and Ethan Shantie joins us for a preview of NCPR's poetry month contest in April.

Hundreds of people in the North Country rallied against President Donald Trump’s policies over the weekend; state lawmakers are pushing for more funding for New York's child care subsidy program; and we’ll look back at a conversation with photographer Nathan Farb, who died last week at 85.

After months of financial uncertainty, the company that runs the hospitals in Ogdensburg and Carthage got some good news about state funding this week; we head to Philadelphia in Jefferson County to meet a dedicated volunteer who is teaching sewing skills to kids; John Warren checks on trail conditions in the Adirondacks ahead of the weekend; and we have a preview of some Maple Weekend events.

We remember Mike Jaworski, who thru-hiked all 46 Adirondack High Peaks in ten days in the winter; we head to Chateaugay and talk with a third-generation farmer about her experience in the modern agricultural landscape; and Get Healthy North Country classes use science and research to help people empower themselves to treat and prevent chronic diseases.

Starting this month, more people will need to meet new work requirements to stay eligible for federal food assistance benefits; Nursing homes are competing with hospitals for funding during state budget talks; and Kitty O’Neil joins us to check in on how North Country’s farms are preparing for growing season.

As the Trump administration continues its nationwide immigration crackdown, we hear from a growing network of local activists working to protect immigrants across the North Country; the Department of Veterans Affairs is planning to eliminate 25,000 vacant positions and implement the largest reorganization of its giant health care system in three decades; and we hear about an effort to preserve the dark skies in the North Country.

We head to Lake Placid, where the most decorated cross-country skier in American history, Jessie Diggins, closed out her career on top at the World Cup Finals; state budget talks are underway at the Capitol, with top issues including changes to the state climate law and insurance policy; and we talk with a North Country painter about how he explores travel, faith and spirituality in his work, that's now on display at SUNY Canton.

It’s been almost four months since the use of wooden ‘timeout boxes’ was discovered in the Salmon River Central School District in Franklin County. Community outrage came to a boiling point at recent board meeting. Also, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul says the state is working to help the company that runs the hospitals in Ogdensburg and Carthage. And, we'll preview the Festival of the Local underway in Saranac Lake! Dozens of bands from the Tri-Lakes, Plattsburgh, North Creek and beyond are doing shows every day through the end of the month at the Waterhole Music Lounge.

New York State needs more power. Some developers want to build battery storage sites in the Adirondacks, but they're facing pushback. Plus, today's North Country at Work story is about a common profession - sales - and a salesman in Schroon Lake who's selling something pretty uncommon — medical devices for mice and rats. And, local kiddos have a new space to play and learn about the North Country. The Children's Museum in Potsdam recently added a whole new floor. We check out the new interactive activities about daily Amish life, Akwesasne Mohawk music, and community theater.

Thousands of people are expected at the Cross-Country World Cup finals in Lake Placid this weekend; snowmaking is trying to catch up. Gov. Hochul's budget proposes several cuts to programs that help people with disabilities live more independent lives. We preview a series of concerts at the Crary Mills Community Center in St. Lawrence County.

Three years after the Adirondack Mountain Club bought the Cascade Ski Center outside of Lake Placid, its leadership put the property back on the market. Gwendolyn Craig, with the Adirondack Explorer, dives into what contributed to the breakdown of the ADK's ambitious plans; plus, before April showers bring May flowers, February snowstorms bring lots of March potholes. We'll tag along with a public works crew in Saratoga Springs that's patching them as fast as they can; and, we've got a good chance to see the aurora borealis this week! Astronomer Aileen O'Donoghue is our guide through the morning and evening skies this month.

The village of Saranac Lake has scrapped a plan to install surveillance cameras on its streets after residents raised concerns over privacy and a lack of input in the process; a Glens Falls photographer has built a community space to connect to share her hobby with others; we’ll head to Clinton County, where a West Chazy couple has built a successful farming business around solar grazing.

Gov. Kathy Hochul visited Ogdensburg yesterday to announce that the city will receive $10 million to improve its downtown; a popular social media foodie, Eat Local New York, visited St. Lawrence County last week; a new novel out of Montreal takes a fresh tone to consider the role of A.I. in the arts.

Officials say they’re keeping a close eye on the region’s rivers as warm temperatures cause rapid snowmelt in the Adirondacks; there's growing momentum across Northern New York around tackling affordable housing for the local workforce; we'll talk with a former editor of Adirondack Life Magazine about his new Cold War spy novel inspired by the 1980 Winter Olympics.

Amid its ongoing financial turmoil and bankruptcy filings, the relationship between the North Star Health Alliance and a healthcare consulting group has come under scrutiny; prisons are still understaffed, family visits are limited, and inmates are enduring the consequences a year after the end of the illegal strike by thousands of guards; and we get a preview of the upcoming season of the Howl Story Slam events hosted by NCPR and the Adirondack Center for Writing.

The Firefighter Association for the State of New York is hoping to reverse a statewide decline in volunteerism with a new legislative package that incentivizes volunteering as a firefighter or EMS responder; we walk along SUNY Canton's footbridge for a nearly-spring adventure; and we get a preview of the 14th Annual Mountain Warrior Sled Hockey Tournament for para-hockey players.

The Adirondack Experience Museum in Blue Mountain Lake will debut a new permanent exhibit dedicated to the region's Black history next year; we head to the Champlain Valley for a snowshoe hike up Whipple Mountain Loop on the Twin Valleys property outside of Wadhams; and Chef Curtiss Hemm joins us to share a versatile vinaigrette recipe that can add vibrancy to any dish.