Northern Light

A state of emergency remains in effect this morning across much of the state. The national Weather Service has issued a wind chill warning until 4pm this afternoon across much of North Country Public Radio's listening area. Joanna Richards reports that soldier's housing allowances have increased by 5%, which could complicate the housing market around Watertown. Syracuse area residents are weighing in on the future of Interstate 81's path through downtown Syracuse. David Sommerstein tells about Titus Mountain's big comeback after years of neglect. Todd Moe takes an audio tour of the new $55-million Performing Arts Center, the first new academic building at SUNY Potsdam in decades. John Warren from the Adirondack Almanack takes a look at outdoor recreation conditions around the Adirondacks for this weekend.

Governor Andrew Cuomo says New York will activate its emergency center later this morning to prepare for a pair of winter storms that are expected to bring snow, wind and dangerously low temperatures to much of the state, but the North Country could face especially difficult conditions. Martha Foley and Brian Mann discuss the controversial SAFE act's constitutional ruling and what this means for the gun control debate in New York State. The federal trust in charge of redeveloping General Motors' property in Massena says its clean-up is on schedule, but it's not easy to sell real-estate that is still contaminated. NCPR revisits reporter Sarah Harris' story from last year about the unlikely partnership between the Amish and Agri-Mark. In this week's Natural Selections, Martha Foley and Curt Stager discuss the behavior of bacteria.

The new year brings new laws in New York, including tax cuts and a hike in the minimum wage. Assembly Speaker Sheldon SIlver wants the minimum wage to go up faster. An unusual additive is helping keep cars on snowy roads

Governor Andrew Cuomo visited a newly expanded snowmobiler lounge in Lowville Monday to unveil a new ad campaign to promote winter tourism upstate. NCPR news director Martha Foley discusses some of of the biggest regional news stories of 2013 with reporters Brain Mann, David Sommerstein and Sarah Harris. Historian Herb Hallas told Todd Moe about his new biography William Wheeler - Political Star of the North Country , the story of the Franklin county native who served as vice president under Rutherford B. Hayes.

The drone program through the Hancock field Air National Guard is receiving a boost with funding from the 2014 defense spending bill, which will go toward expanding a storage and maintenance facility at Fort Drum, not too long after a military drone crashed into Lake Ontario.For this week's Heard Up North, Zach Hirsch speaks with Catherine Matthews, the director of the Church and Community Program in Canton. Last summer, Farm Aid, a benefit concert that was started started to help farmers devastated by drought and a credit crunch, came to Upstate New York. Todd Moe spoke with Amy Ivy about caring for the cold season plants often given as holiday gifts.

Support for the Regional Economic Development Council in the North Country has been growing steadily, but questions remain about how effective the system has been in sparking new jobs and new private sector growth. Zach Hirsch brings us the story of Kelly Metzgar, who was born a was born a boy and has started living as a woman in her mid-fifties. While Governor Cuomo wants to cut taxes, some, including New York City Mayor elect Bill de Blasio, want to raise them; therefore, it can be assumed that one of the top issues of the 2014 legislative session in NYS will be taxes. Todd Moe spoke with Hollis Easter, ensemble member of the Vermont-based band Frost and Fire about their debut album Midwinter Spring. John Warren of the Adirondack Almanack takes a look at outdoor recreation conditions around the Adirondacks for the weekend.

Karen Dewitt reports on Governor Cuomo's anti corruption commission that has been appointed to investigate the legislature after a new wave of indictments against state lawmakers last spring. Dewey Mountain Recreation Center named three new trails after biathlete Annelies Cook who was recently nominated to the U.S. Olympic Team competing in the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Last summer, Sarah Harris took a 19th century voyage on the Lois McClure, a freight ship that's also a floating museum throughout New York State. Martha Foley and Dr. Curt Stager talk about the role of individuals once they are past fertility. Elders help hold communities together by acting as the living histories and resource libraries.

Updates on the aftermath of the weekend's ice storm: power is back in most of St. Lawrence County, but National Grid reports there are still about 500 people without power this morning. Utility customers in pockets of Watertown, Clayton, and Gouverneur had a dark and chilly Christmas Eve. Brian Mann sent an audio postcard from the Champlain Valley, where trees are still coated in a shimmering layer of ice. One tree farm in the Southern Tier is fighting a fungus with a resistant species of fir. Some holiday fun: we hear from a pair of brothers who have a one-way train ticket from Plattsburgh to California. And Todd Moe reads an original Christmas story by writer and college professor Paul Siskind.

After the ice storm that left most residents in the dark for some period over the weekend, the lights are coming back on in Jefferson County and National Grid says it expects to restore power to nearly all customers by midnight tonight. David Sommerstein went along as National Guard troops and state police went door-to-door to check on residents in the hardest hit parts of the county. Zach Hirsch checks in with some people who rely on food stamps who worry that 2014 will mean much harder times. Karen DeWitt reports that New York's food pantries and soup kitchens are feeling the strain of feeding the hungry, especially after two key benefit cuts from the federal government. New York's Attorney General is warning about price-gouging, reminding people that it's illegal for companies to charge "excessive prices" following an emergency. Todd Moe asks Vermont weaver, writer and teacher Libby Vanbuskirk to share one of her favorite Christmas stories from Peru.

Joanna Richards reports on the damage and response in Jefferson County after the ice storm this weekend. The weekend ice storm struck only a glancing blow in Clinton, Essex and Franklin Counties, as well as Quebec, avoiding serious accumulations of ice and few power outages. David Sommerstein compares this weekends ice storm to the devastation brought by the Ice Storm of 1998. North Country's congressman Bill Owens campaigns on his support for the Healthcare Act, saying the program is working for people in his district. Cooperative Extension's Amy Ivy provides tips on how to handle the ice covered limbs and branches in our yards.