NCPR: North Country Public Radio

Story of the Day

News EN ↓ 100 episodes

Get your daily dose of what's happening in New York's North Country, the Adirondacks, Vermont, Canada, and beyond. Host David Sommerstein presents the best stories from North Country Public Radio's award-winning newsroom. You'll hear the most interesting voices on the most important issues in the region. There's even a micro-newscast to keep you up to date. When you miss

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NCPR: North Country Public Radio

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News

Latest episode

Jul 10, 2026

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Episodes

6/4/26: Black Birders Week in the Adirondack woods 04.06.2026

(Jun 4, 2026) Black Birders Week is a time for people of color to stake their claim to the outdoors. We join a bird walk at John Brown Farm in Lake Placid for the Adirondacks' second annual recognition of the event. Also: New Yorkers can expect to see more speed cameras in work zones thanks to legislation included in the state budget.

6/3/26: Saranac Lake High School's weather balloon 03.06.2026

(Jun 3, 2026) High school students in Saranac Lake launched a weather balloon into the atmosphere earlier this spring. We talk with their teacher about the excellent data they got and what happened after it was found in a driveway in Vermont. Also: State legislators are poised to pass a one-year moratorium on new data center projects in New York before they leave Albany this week.

6/2/26: Republican Dan Stec on the state budget 02.06.2026

(Jun 2, 2026) Republicans are largely shut out of state budget talks in Albany. State Senator Dan Stec has a lot of criticisms of the new $268 billion package, but he praises a delay for schools to transition to all-electric buses. Also: Tens of thousands of motorcyclists gathered in the Adirondacks this weekend for Americade. We get a slice of the rumble of motors at a motorcycle stunt show.

6/1/26: Republicans on the attack, against each other, in NY-21 01.06.2026

(Jun 1, 2026) The two Republicans hoping to represent most of the North Country in Congress faced off in a debate last week. While they agreed on multiple issues, they verbally sparred throughout the live forum. Also: Tupper Lake was awarded more than $12 million in this year’s state budget to help fix its water system.

5/29/26: Thru-paddling the Northern Forest Canoe Trail 29.05.2026

(May 29, 2026) Two seasoned Adirondack canoeists are thru-paddling the 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail. We catch up with them on their way to Maine. Also: New York’s new state budget is already an issue in the gubernatorial election.

5/28/26: Soaring diesel prices are battering farmers 28.05.2026

(May 28, 2026) The spike in energy prices caused by the war with Iran is hitting farmers especially hard. We talk with an agricultural specialist about how farmers are managing soaring diesel and fertilizer prices. Also: The two Republicans running to replace Elise Stefanik in Congress will debate after all, tonight starting at 5:30pm on CBS6 in Albany and streaming on YouTube.

5/27/26: Akwesasne Mohawks against nuclear 27.05.2026

(May 27, 2026) New York State is moving forward with a plan to build a new nuclear power plant somewhere Upstate, possibly in Massena. But right next door, Akwesasne Mohawks are skeptical because they have a long and troubled history with industry polluting their environment. Also: Details on deals in the state budget, including pushing back a climate change goal and boosts to public pensions.

5/26/26: Nurses negotiating new contract in Plattsburgh 26.05.2026

(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. They held an informational picket late last week. Also: Canadian travel to the U.S. is down for the 15th consecutive month, hurting tourism regions including the 1000 Islands and the Adirondacks.

5/22/26: Revolutionary soldiers laid to rest, 250 years later 22.05.2026

(May 22, 2026) After 250 years, 44 Continental Army soldiers were buried with honors in Lake George, after their remains were found at a construction site. Also: State lawmakers are finally passing budget bills in Albany, but they're not finished.

5/21/26: A training for police, starting with their own experiences 21.05.2026

(May 21, 2026) A police training program in the Adirondacks is trying to build trust between officers and the communities they serve. It combines training in de-escalation and bias awareness with conversations about the emotional toll of police work. Also: Every year, restaurants and other businesses from New York City pack up their products and head to the state Capitol in Albany.

5/20/26: An incarcerated journalist on clemency 20.05.2026

(May 20, 2026) A man who has been incarcerated for 25 years in New York makes the case for clemency. John J. Lennon became a nationally recognized journalist from inside prison, writing for the Atlantic, Esquire, and the New York Times. Also: The state’s school districts had been set to begin a transition to electric buses next year. Now, lawmakers say a proposal to push back that mandate will be...

5/19/26: Keeping forest rangers safer in the Adirondack backcountry 19.05.2026

(May 19, 2026) New safety protocols are in place this year for assistant forest rangers. The changes came after the DEC lost track of an assistant ranger who was later found dead in the wilderness. Also: Democrats say they’re bullish on flipping a North Country congressional seat because Republicans are in the middle of a bitter primary.

5/18/26: Salmon River parents react 18.05.2026

(May 18, 2026) We hear from parents and community members around the Salmon River school, as they try to make sense of why educators confined children in wooden boxes as punishment. Also: With the state budget still unfinished, our Albany reporters take stock of what leaders still have to do.

5/15/26: State finds Salmon River confined children in boxes 15.05.2026

(May 15, 2026) The state education department found the Salmon River school district confined at least five children with disabilities in wooden boxes last year. But the state and the school board still haven't released the investigation's findings to the public. Also: Lawmakers had to pass another budget extender as state budget talks will stretch into next week.

5/14/26: Searching for Timbuctoo 14.05.2026

(May 14, 2026) The 19th-century settlement of Black pioneers near Lake Placid called Timbuctoo is now largely lost under dense Adirondack forest. A team of researchers is using drones and laser-mapping technology to search for archeological remnants to recover its history. Also: A new bill in Albany would give school districts in the North Country and across the state more time to transition to el...

5/13/26: A new campus for trade skills in Essex County 13.05.2026

(May 13, 2026) Since the COVID pandemic, there's been a 20% enrollment increase at community colleges that focus on trades. An educational center in the Champlain Valley wants to expand its campus to meet the rising demand for vocational training. Also: There was a record number of visits to Olympic venues in New York over the last year.

5/12/26: The full lowdown on the state budget 12.05.2026

(May 12, 2026) It may still be a week before lawmakers in Albany settle on a final state budget. Our Capitol reporter Jimmy Vielkind breaks down exactly what's at stake, what's the holdup, and what a late budget actually means for you.

5/11/26: NY-21 could be a crazy race 11.05.2026

(May 11, 2026) The race to replace Elise Stefanik in Congress could lead to an unpredictable four-way campaign by November. We get caught up on the politics and personalities with primaries in both parties coming up next month. Also: While Gov. Hochul and legislative leaders still differ on whether an overall budget deal has been reached, they appear to have reached a compromise on auto insurance...

5/8/26: What's next for the state budget? 08.05.2026

(May 8, 2026) First there was a state budget deal yesterday, then there wasn't. Our Albany reporters sort through a crazy day in Albany and look forward to what's next with the budget more than a month late. Also: We remember longtime Canton historian Linda Casserly, who died this week at 79 years old.

5/7/26: What's work as a water engineer like? 07.05.2026

(May 7, 2026) Gov. Hochul announced a deal on a $268 billion state budget, but the Assembly Speaker says not everything's finished. The potential agreement includes financial help for New York City and Buffalo, rebate checks for high utility bills, and an overhaul of state auto insurance laws. Also: We step into the shoes of a water and sewer infrastructure engineer in Watertown.

5/6/26: Climate change at Chimney Bluffs? 06.05.2026

(May 6, 2026) Climate change may alter our most beloved natural places. At Chimney Bluffs State Park with its clay pinnacles along Lake Ontario, researchers are trying to figure out how much climate change is accelerating a process of erosion that’s been going on for thousands of years. Also: St. Lawrence, Clinton, Essex, Warren, and Herkimer counties have all run out of their childcare assistance...

5/5/26: The J-1 visa, which drives the Adirondack summer workforce 05.05.2026

(May 5, 2026) As the Adirondacks gear up for peak tourism season, thousands of international college students will come to the region to work through the federal J-1 visa program. Local businesses say that workforce has become crucial to getting through the summer. Also: Lawmakers are discussing the possibility of rebate checks for high electricity bills as they continue working on the state budge...

5/4/26: Solar panels and farmland may get along 04.05.2026

(May 4, 2026) Solar panels are crucial to producing carbon-free electricity in New York. But they take up a lot of land. A new study from Cornell University shows that solar development may not be as detrimental to farmland as some people fear. Also: A sign in North Creek saying President Trump needs to be "neutralized" was vandalized. The FBI found it was not hate speech.

5/1/26: The case for dark skies for migrating birds 01.05.2026

(May 1, 2026) This is the time of year that birds migrate from their warmer winter homes back north. Lights at night can disorient and injured them. There's a movement encouraging people to turns off lights to protect the birds. Also: A North Country state lawmaker says after months of financial uncertainty, the North Star Health Alliance, which operates the hospitals in Ogdensburg and Cartha...

4/30/26: An Adirondack retreat for veterans 30.04.2026

(Apr 30, 2026) An Adirondack-based non-profit that hosts wilderness retreats for military veterans is closing in on opening a home base near Lake Titus. Its goal is to provide a safe place for veterans to heal in nature. Also: State lawmakers are close to prohibiting local jails from holding people for federal immigration agents.

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