Story of the Day

(Mar 25, 2026) Starting this month, more people will need to meet new work requirements to stay eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP - what used to be called food stamps. We check in at area food pantries to see how people are adapting. Also: Nursing homes are competing with hospitals for funding during state budget talks.

(Mar 24, 2026) The Trump administration's immigration crackdown has triggered a backlash across the country. In the Adirondacks, a network of activist groups is growing to protect local immigrants. Also: Nonprofits in underserved communities across New York are hoping for another round of funding in the state budget.

(Mar 23, 2026) More than 35,000 people attended the Cross-Country World Cup finals over the weekend in Lake Placid, the largest sporting event there since the 1980 Olympics. Jessie Diggins, the most decorated cross-country skier in American history, retired and closed out her career on top. Also: The Watertown Airport is asking for community donations to support TSA workers who aren't getting...

(Mar 20, 2026) Another superintendent is gone at Salmon River as the school district deals with the aftermath of the disclosure that it used wooden boxes to discipline children. Many parents say they've lost faith in their schools' leadership. Also: New legislation would tighten the procedures for people who visit New York state prisons.

(Mar 19, 2026) Thousands of people are expected in Lake Placid this weekend for the World Cup finals for cross-country skiing. We get an update on how the venue is making sure there's enough good-quality snow for the races. Also: Saranac Lake elected its first female mayor yesterday in a landslide election for Democrats.

(Mar 18, 2026) Energy storage is becoming an increasingly important part of an electric grid that can help slow the effects of climate change. In the Adirondacks, there's been pushback to battery storage sites, even though they're safer than ever. Also: Saranac Lake voters will cast their ballots today for mayor and two seats on the village board of trustees.

(Mar 17, 2026) Just three years after the Adirondack Mountain Club bought the Cascade Ski Center outside of Lake Placid, it put the property back up for sale. We dive into why the ADK's ambitious plans for the property broke down. Also: More than two dozen community projects in the Adirondacks were awarded state funding last week, focusing on housing, accessibility, and planning.

(Mar 16, 2026) The company that runs the hospitals in Ogdensburg and Carthage says, without state funding in the very near future, it will have to take “drastic cost-cutting measures". But New York's health commissioner says North Star is in charge of restructuring itself, not the state. Also: An Indigenous cultural center in the Adirondacks is adding 600 acres of land to its property, o...

(Mar 13, 2026) Governor Hochul says the state needs more time to meet its mandated climate goals because of estimated costs to consumers. But experts argue the price of climate change may be steeper. We dig into the politics and the science behind New York's climate law debate. Also: The Saranac Lake village board approved a lease for the Adirondack Park Agency to move its headquarters from R...

(Mar 12, 2026) The village of Saranac Lake has voted to scrap a plan to install surveillance cameras on its streets. The decision comes after residents raised concerns over privacy and a lack of input in the process. Also: The state officially shut down one of three state prisons in Malone on Wednesday.

(Mar 11, 2026) A popular Upstate New York foodie on social media was making the rounds of restaurants in St. Lawrence County last week. We meet the guy in the mechanic shirt who's behind Eat Local New York. Also: Governor Hochul visited Ogdensburg yesterday to announce that the city will receive $10 million to improve its downtown.

(Mar 10, 2026) As momentum grows around building workforce housing, a new initiative aims to fill in North Country development gaps. Also: Saranac Lake has passed a resolution that limits cooperation between the village’s police department and federal immigration agencies.

(Mar 9, 2026) A year after the end of the illegal "wildcat" strike by thousands of corrections officers, prisons are still understaffed, family visits are limited, and inmates are enduring the consequences. We look at the crisis facing New York's prison system as taxpayers continue to pour hundreds of millions of dollars into paying the National Guard to step in. Also: The relations...

(Mar 6, 2026) Kelsey O'Driscoll from Glens Falls thought her days as an athlete were over when she suffered a broken spine in an accident. Today she's set to compete in skiing at the Paralympics in Italy. Also: As AI companies plan new data centers, one rural town near Ithaca has banned data centers.

(Mar 5, 2026) Fire chiefs across New York are raising attention about a dire decline in the number of volunteer firefighters. They hope a new legislative package will incentivize the next generation of firefighters and emergency responders. Also: A soothing audio postcard from the covered footbridge over the Grasse River in Canton.

(Mar 4, 2026) Next year, the Adirondack Experience museum in Blue Mountain Lake will debut a new permanent exhibit dedicated to the Adirondacks' Black history. We visit the museum and hear from the curator working to bring the show to life. Also: A New York state lawmaker wants to ease the state's liquor laws during the upcoming FIFA World Cup.

(Mar 3, 2026) This cold, snowy winter has provided many delights for those who love the season. It's been a great winter for the dog sled teams on frozen Mirror Lake in Lake Placid. Also: Gov. Hochul says the family of a blind Buffalo man who died after he was released by U.S. border patrol deserves answers.

(Mar 2, 2026) Saranac Lake is mourning the planned closure of an elementary school in a decision a district board member called "profound and painful." It comes amidst a long-term trend of declining student enrollment across the Adirondacks. Also: State lawmakers are advancing a package of immigration bills with new urgency after a blind refugee detained by federal agents was found dead...

(Feb 27, 2026) President Donald Trump tried to make his case to the nation in his State of the Union this week, as polls show many of his initiatives are unpopular with Americans. We check in with North Country voters on how they rate the President one year into his second term. Also: The Malone town council has appointed a Republican to fill a vacancy on the board in a move that's been contr...

(Feb 26, 2026) Champlain Area Trails recently acquired the Twin Valleys Outdoor Education Center in Essex County. The almost 700-acre property is now open to the public for recreation, and CATS has big plans for the space in the future. Also: A state trooper escaped serious injury when she was struck by an out-of-control car on a Franklin County highway.

(Feb 25, 2026) A New York Focus investigation found the state police has no clear standard for disciplining troopers, and troopers found guilty of misconduct were given lax or inconsistent treatment. We talk with the reporter who sorted through the documents. Also: Some state lawmakers, including Adirondack Senator Dan Stec, are questioning the continued use of the National Guard to help staff sta...

(Feb 24, 2026) The Essex County Land Bank was established just three years ago in hopes of alleviating a growing housing crisis in the eastern Adirondacks. We take a look at what a land bank is, and how any community can rack up some wins for affordable housing by starting its own. Also: The ICE immigrant detention center in Batavia is over capacity and at its highest population in months.

(Feb 23, 2026) After skepticism and debate, the Olympic Regional Development Authority got approval from its board to hire a consultant last week. That's to make a long-term plan for the authority's vast infrastructure, which officials say they don't know how to maintain. Also: we take a wintry stroll on frozen Mirror Lake.

(Feb 20, 2026) It's Black History Month. In Albany, Black lawmakers and other lawmakers of color in Albany used the occasion to highlight key priorities like more education funding, affordable housing, and sentencing reform. Also: The APA approved a new 22-unit housing development in Lake Placid at its meeting yesterday.

(Feb 19, 2026) New York has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the Olympic venues in Lake Placid in recent years. But the agency that runs them says it doesn't have a long-term maintenance plan. The board will vote tomorrow on to do next. Also: Civil liberties groups are pushing back on Governor Hochul's proposed ban on A.I.-generated campaign attack ads.