Northern Light

Thirteen athletes with close ties to the North Country will be competing at the Winter Olympics. Brian Mann profiles the team of North Country journalists that will going with them to Sochi. State Department of Transportation commissioner Joan McDonald threw cold water on the idea of a rooftop highway linking Watertown and Plattsburgh. Governor Cuomo has issued an executive order calling on state agencies to review their preparedness for an oil spill or explosion from rail cars. Joanna Richards profiles a Syracuse professor who is currently investigating possible war crimes in Syria by president Bashar al-Assad's government. And Todd Moe speaks with Thousand Islands author Ellen Wiesman, who just wrote her second novel.

The bipartisan compromise version of the Farm Bill sailed through the House of Representatives yesterday, with 60% of lawmakers voting yes. North Country residents who use propane are feeling the effects of a nationwide snafu between supply and demand. A new report issued this week finds that overtime pay in New York's prison system continues to grow. Prisons are one of the biggest employers in the North Country. Sarah Harris has an update on the Canton-Potsdam school district merger. Cuomo's DEC Commissioner Joe Martens testified at a legislative budget hearing, saying the moratorium on fracking in New York will continue. Today on Natural Selections: the polar vortex in the arctic, which hasn't gotten nearly as much attention as the one that slammed North America. And banjo player Camilla Ammirati gives a preview of her upcoming performance at TAUNY.

David Sommerstein joins Martha Foley to talk about what the Farm Bill would mean for the North Country.Concerned lawmakers are complaining about the fast track adoption of the new national Common Core educational standards. And the NYS United Teachers Union withdrew its support of the new standards, and passed a vote of no confidence in State Education Commissioner John King. The Village of Potsdam's mayor, Steve Yugartis, calls Governor Cuomo's strategy for government consolidation "meddling," and he's worried about the state-local balance of power. Mohawks on the Canadian side of Akwesasne say they'll boycott Canadian customs if progress isn't made in talks with the Canadian government. And harpist, singer and songwriter Mikaela Davis played a few songs for us in the studio, and spoke with NCPR Intern Claire Woodcock.

Pete Seeger died in his sleep last night - in a hospital in New York City with family at his side. He was 94 and at the end of a career that changed folk music and changed lives. Today we rebroadcast a birthday tribute to Seeger from 2004. David Sommerstein speaks with Richard Ball, Governor Cuomo's nomination for New York agriculture commissioner, about the position. Mayors from around the state testified before the state legislative fiscal committees. In what's traditionally known as Tin Cup day, many asked for more money, while others asked for authorization to collect more money from their citizens. And Brian Mann sends an audio postcard from a rugged ski expedition on Hurricane Mountain.

In these final weeks before the Winter Olympics in Sochi, there's growing of anxiety about safety and the threat of terrorism in Russia. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has been pushing hard to reform the way the military handles sexual assaults. U.S. and Canadian agencies made an unprecedented joint call for tough new safety rules for train cars carrying crude oil. Another North Country athlete has qualified for the Sochi Winter Olympics, now less than two weeks away. Governor Cuomo faces the voters in November. His budget plan, with many of the major initiatives phased in over the next few years, can be viewed as a blueprint for the governor's own re-election. Tile drains are controversial. Farmers install the slotted pipes under their crops to drain water faster, extend the growing season, and increase crop yield. But environmentalists worry that the drains provide a direct route for harmful nutrients, like phosphorus, into a waterway. And Todd Moe speaks with Amy Ivy about some tips for handling garden catalog-induced temptations.

Canada opens a new bridge across the St. Lawrence River to Cornwall. Former North Country Assemblywoman and House candidate Dede Scozzafava says she's not ruling out another run for Congress, now that Democrat Bill Owens is stepping aside. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand says the nation's workplace policies are out of date and don't reflect increasing women's employment - and their roles as family caregivers. Governor Cuomo's newly formed Student Protection Unit has launched an investigation into the student debt relief industry. Cuomo also outlined a $10-million initiative to create a statewide police information database. Upstate glass manufacturer Corning Inc. has developed the first antimicrobial glass for our proliferating smart devices, lap tops, and TVs. And Todd Moe talks with Mike Farrell, director of Cornell's maple research field station near Lake Placid.

State transportation officials say they've yet to determine what kind of highway study they're going to do in the North Country, but they confirm $2.5 million has been allocated to analyze the Route 11 corridor. Yards in the northern half of Jefferson County are full of tangled branches from the ice storm last month, but there's a plan in the works to give them a new life as fuel. Business groups are happy with Governor Cuomo's budget, but educators are not. Jimmy Howard, an Ogdensburg native, is the starting goalie for the Detroit Red Wings and was also named one of three goalies on the roster for the USA hockey team. The North Country's contingent of Olympians heading to the Sochi Games continues to grow. Yesterday, singer-songwriter Mikaela Davis came to our studios for a brief recording session and reporter Zach Hirsch recorded her tuning her unlikely instrument: the harp. Martha Foley and Curt Stager take a little of the hype out of this winter's weather buzz-word: polar vortex. Todd Moe speaks with a few fiber artists that gather at the Waddington library every week.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is proposing an election year budget of $137.2 billion that he says keeps a tight leash on spending even as it provides business, property and estate tax relief. The budget increases school aid by $807 million this year, or just under 4 percent, which is a lot less than the $1.9 billion that education activists and over 80 legislators called for. Governor Cuomo made another mention of Route 98, aka the rooftop highway between Watertown and Plattsburgh, but did not clear up confusion about what that means.The Cuomo administration wants to spend another $9.4 million upgrading infrastructure at the Olympic Regional Development Authority, which operates sports venues in Johnsburg, Lake Placid and Wilmington, as well as in the Catskills. The spending plan for green projects that conservation Commissioner Joe Martens outlined in his presentation yesterday is already facing sharp criticism from across the political spectrum.Cuomo still plans to close four prisons later this year, but in his speech yesterday the Governor also spoke about putting more resources into programs to help offenders successfully return to society. Todd Moe talks with Martha Gallagher, an Adirondack Harpist about her year of concerts and recitals around the Adirondacks.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is set to present a budget proposal this afternoon detailing how he will pay for a broad program of tax breaks while maintaining funding for schools, health care and infrastructure expected to top $136 billion. David Sommerstein, Sarah Harris, and Brian Mann give the budget a North Country context. Governor Cuomo has regained some lost ground and now is viewed favorably by 66 percent of New Yorkers. Government reform groups are pleased that Governor Cuomo will put money in his new state budget to fund public financing of campaigns, as well as money for better enforcement of existing campaign laws. State Senator Betty Little confirmed yesterday that she won't seek the North Country's House seat. Sarah Harris profiles Art Sennett, a former ceramics professor at SUNY Potsdam. Joel Hurd talks with Grammy nominee Gregory Porter on The Bridge about his music, new-found fame, and how his art was influenced by growing up the son of a minister.

Elise Stefanik the Republican who hopes to win North Country's 21st congressional district seat won endorsements from former candidate Doug Hoffman and Senator Ray Meier. State Assemblywoman Addie Russell says that she will not be running for the 21st Congressional District seat. State lawmakers seem to be changing their minds over whether to call special elections for a growing number of vacancies in the legislature. Governor Cuomo releases his state budget proposal Tuesday and many are anticipating the outcome. Last weekend, skiers from all over the world gathered for the World Cup freestyle championships, which included mogul competition at Whiteface Mountain in Wilmington and aerial jumping at the Olympic complex in Lake Placid. In order to reduce the number of people getting sick from foods contaminated with harmful bacteria, the Food and Drug Administration is proposing new food safety rules for produce farmers across the country. Martha Foley and Amy Ivy talk about how the dry air in the house can harm houseplants.