Northern Light

Governor Cuomo's top aides say they had "a positive conversation" yesterday with officials from Alcoa, but they repeated warnings that the aluminum giant has to honor its contract with the state. An intensive, nearly two-week search in the Adirondacks for a missing Australian soldier ended Wednesday when a state forest ranger found Paul McKay's body on Scarface Mountain near Ray Brook. On Monday, an ice jam in Wanakena caused floods, and severe damage to a historic footbridge which is effecting the community. State officials have decided not to repair and restore Marcy Dam, the iconic structure in the High Peaks of the Adirondacks. Thirty reform groups have written to the governor asking that his new state budget plan include funds for campaign finance reform, asking to put his money where his mouth is when it comes to campaign donations reform ideas like public financing and a new agency to police violations. There's continued dissatisfaction over the state's implementation of the new Common Core standards, which parents, students and teachers have complained has led to too much testing. Todd Moe speaks with View Exhibitions manager Corey Card at the View Art's Center about the works that will be presented at the exhibition. This is John Warren from the Adirondack Almanack with your look at outdoor recreation conditions around the Adirondacks for this weekend.

Alcoa announced Wednesday it will close the last two pot lines at its Massena East plants by the spring. On Monday, a beloved footbridge in Wanakena got hit hard when an ice jam came roaring down the Oswegatchie River and community residents are upset. Sled-racing will be one of the most exciting events at the Olympics, but the controversy in Vancouver is still sending shock waves through the sport. The New York State legislature now has eleven unfilled seats after one Assemblyman resigned over a sexual harassment scandal and another was expelled after being convicted of a felony and it could be another year before those seats are filled. Martha Foley and Paul Smiths College naturalist Dr. Curt Stager talk about the muskellunge or muskie, a popular fighting fish found in Northern waters. Todd Moe talks with last year's Adirondack cardboard sledding grand champion Bob Lewin.

In a shocking political development, North Country congressman Bill Owens announced yesterday that he will not seek reelection in November, which means fierce contention for who will hold that Democrats spot next. Hundreds of school children, parents and union members held a rally and sit-in at the state capitol to build momentum for more spending on schools in the state budget. On Saturday, Zach Hirsh went to Morristown as opponents of the SAFE Act law held rallies they called "the shot heard 'round New York," where they fired a symbolic gunshot in protest. The company that's buying the Watertown call center Stream says that the sale should make workers optimistic. Todd Moe spoke with the Pendragon Theatre's artistic director Karen Lordi Kirkham, who shares some playwriting tips and suggestions.

North Country Congressman Bill Owens is joining a bipartisan effort to require rail companies to retrofit tanker cars the federal government deemed unsafe years ago. State forest rangers are expanding the primary search area for an Australian soldier who's been missing in the Adirondacks for two weeks. Governor Andrew Cuomo has unveiled a list of programs that will receive a first round of funding to keep people out of prison. Patients with serious health conditions, came to the Capitol to urge passage of a bill to more fully allow access to medical marijuana in New York. A clinic in Watertown that serves many needy children is taking steps toward better financial health after nearly closing abruptly in October. Todd Moe spoke with Laura Foster about her new roles as director and collections manager of the Fredrick Remington Art Museum in Ogdensburg.

When Governor Andrew Cuomo made a brief but specific reference to Interstate 98 last week in his State of the State address, supporters and opponents of the idea were in favor of the rooftop highway. In order to save money and offer more opportunities to students, Canton and Potsdam school districts are continuing to consider a merger. In his State of the State speech, Governor Cuomo again called for a reform package to address corruption in the legislature. Amy Ivy shares some tips on how to plan for the upcoming planting season. Museum director Laura Foster gave Todd Moe a tour of the newest acquisition, the Addie Priest Newell Gallery piece to its permanent collection.

Auditors found that the Canton Central School District cannot afford to rely on its dwindling fund balance for much longer. The Reuters call center Stream in Watertown will change hands when its parent company is bought by a rival but the effects of this transition remain unclear for the 700 people who work there. Governor Cuomo officially called for limited access to medical marijuana but sponsors say that Cuomo's plan is outdated and will not work. Brian Mann looks at how the Adirondack North Country has managed to maintain its Olympic edge, decades after the last Winter Games were held in Lake Placid. As part of the Adirondack Attic series, Andy Flynn visits the Lake Placid Olympic Museum, and the Sonja Henie "Perfection on Ice" exhibit. John Warren from the Adirondack Almanack looks at this weekend's outdoor recreation conditions around the Adirondacks.

Governor Andrew Cuomo's state of the state speech returned again and again to North Country issues yesterday, talking about economic projects in upstate New York. In his State of the State message Wednesday, Cuomo suggested that I-98 become a reality for the North Country. Cuomo also highlighted a plan to cut the corporate tax rate and property taxes in a scheme that would hinge on local governments freezing spending and consolidating. Cuomo also said that the state prisons in New York are pulling back on the amount of people they incarcerate, but forty percent of the people released from prison still wind up back in prison. Through the storms that closed route 81 to travelers, North Country natives have been helping stranded travelers. Martha Foley and Dr. Curt Stager discuss Betsey Dexter Dyer's book, A Field Guide to Bacteria, and the distinctive traits of individual bacteria that are visible to the naked eye.

While Governor Cuomo has already introduced some of the key aspects of his annual State of the State speech, there are still some surprises that remain. A group of advocates braving the cold temperatures in Albany where Cuomo is expected to give his State of the State speech later today say that the governor has turned a cold shoulder to the state's struggling middle class and working poor. Governor Cuomo is expected to announce an executive action permitting limited access to medical marijuana in New York, but there are a lot of questions that remain about his plan. Governor Cuomo hosted Vice President Joe Biden to talk about new ways of rebuilding infrastructure after damaging storms. North Country writer and journalist Andy Flynn opens up about his personal struggle with obesity. Martha Foley talks with WRVO News Director Catherine Loper the weather at their home in Adams, NY. Todd Moe spoke with Ian Farthing about how the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival in Prescott, Ontario, has been chosen to host the world famous Globe Theatre for two productions of Shakespeare's Hamlet this summer. Betsy Kepes reviews Joseph Boyden's novel The Orenda, in which Jesuit priests come to live with a community of Wendat-Huron people at a time of change and disaster.

Karen DeWitt reports that Governor Cuomo unveiled a plan to cut business taxes and potentially freeze local property taxes for two years. Karen DeWitt reports that Governor Cuomo plans to introduce a limited program for medical marijuana in his State of the State speech Wednesday, but he does not see it leading to the legalization of the drug at this time. David Sommerstein spoke with Mark Stephenson, who directs the Center for Dairy Profitability at the University of Wisconsin, and Andy Novacovic, a professor of agricultural economics at Cornell University, about what the new year might hold for dairy farmers. Police in the Saranac Lake area are searching for 31 year-old Paul McKay, a missing Australian man who was last seen leaving a Saranac Lake hotel on Dec. 31. Physicist Amy O'Donoghue drops in to update us on what's happening up in the sky.

With Governor Andrew Cuomo running for re-election this year, he is faced with the challenge of balancing competing interests as he tries to win another term by a big margin. Brian Mann talked with biathlon racer Annelies Cook, who grew up skiing and shooting in the Adirondacks, about how she decided to return to biathlon racing for one more shot at the Olympics. Jenna Flanagan gives the rundown on what becomes of road salt after the snow melts. Amy Ivy tells Martha Foley a little bin of worms under your sink makes a great project for kids, as well as a supply of compost for houseplants and garden.