(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.