Northern Light

(Oct 20, 2026) Moratoriums on new battery storage systems are popping up in towns all over the North Country, but energy experts say they're crucial to upgrading New York's aging grid; in the upcoming midterm elections, Democrats are challenging Republican incumbents on St. Lawrence County's legislature; and astronomer Aileen O’Donoghue is in the studio this morning with a map for the stars overhead.

(Oct 19, 2026) Protestors gathered at No Kings rallies across the North Country over the weekend, with a focus on midterm elections; we dig into the race to represent the 114th Assembly District between incumbent Republican Matt Simpson and Democrat John Gunther; and we learn why squirrels come in all those colors in this week’s Adirondack Selections.

(Oct 16, 2026) In a recent poll for NY-21, 5% of respondents opted for a write-in candidate who's not on the ballot; the remains of Continental soldiers who died in the Battle of Valcour Island were laid to rest in Saratoga County, 250 years after the conflict; and we check out a spooky festival in the Champlain Valley, along with other events on the community calendar.

(Oct 15, 2026) Akwesasne Mohawk students recently won a big legal victory regarding their ability to get financial aid at colleges and universities in the U.S.; we meet a woman in Rouses Point who has found a way to give academically minded kids a competitive outlet; and we'll get a preview of how an all-volunteer theater company in North Creek plans to put on their comedic fall production this weekend.

(Oct 14, 2026) We have a conversation with Sticker Mule CEO Anthony Constantino, a Republican running for New York's 21st Congressional District; the candidates for New York governor met for their first and only debate, sparring over affordability, data centers and immigration; and we talk with one of the actors in "The Last American Newspaper," a dramatization of the Glens Falls Post-Star newsroom in the early 2000s.

(Oct 13, 2026) We have a conversation with St. Lawrence County farmer Blake Gendebien, a Democrat running in NY-21, who wants to flip the district; a group of community members and Indigenous elders are urging the governor to stand firm against federal efforts to greenlight a natural gas pipeline; and we have a conversation about art and science with poet Alison Hawthorne Deming, St. Lawrence University’s inaugural Environmental Scholar in Residence.

(Oct 12, 2026) President Trump held a rally for Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman in Syracuse last Friday night; we hear about the problems that happen when forest rangers and other environmental officers are stretched thin; and in this week's episode of Adirondack Selections, Emily Russell and Dr. Curt Stager explore the intricate ecosystem of his front yard.

(Oct 9, 2026) Republican Incumbent Dan Stec and Democrat Challenger Melissa Seale debated affordability issues facing the 45th State Senate District in Plattsburgh this week; nurses in Saranac Lake picketed outside the local hospital, demanding better health insurance; and we have a preview of this weekend's reenactment of the Battle of Valcour Island on Lake Champlain, featuring more than 20 replica boats.

(Oct 8, 2026) People in New York's rural communities worry there are few to no alternatives if their landlines are cut off; we go to Keeseville, where the co-founder of a local brewery says his community is a place for small businesses to thrive; and we dig into how the historic El Niño might lead to a milder winter in the North Country.

(Oct 7, 2026) A statewide moratorium on new data centers is currently in effect, but a massive proposed facility near the St. Lawrence River in Massena could be exempt; the price of heating oil has almost doubled from last year, and it’s hitting people in their pocketbooks; and Chef Curtiss Hemm of the Carriage House Cooking School serves up a recipe that takes advantage of apple season.