Northern Light

(Mar 20, 2026) 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.

(Mar 19, 2026) 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.

(Mar 18, 2026) 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.

(Mar 17, 2026) 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.

(Mar 16, 2026)

(Mar 13, 2026)

(Mar 12, 2026) 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.

(Mar 11, 2026) 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.

(Mar 10, 2026) 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.

(Mar 9, 2026) 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.