Northern Light

Todd Moe talks with Brian Mann about the fate of hunting clubs and traditional camps on the former Finch Pruyn timberlands. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has spent much of his time in upstate New York these last few weeks. Colleges are using more digital tools that promote healthy eating and wellness to students. NCPR intern Conant Neville talks with Suzy McBroom, an employee of the St. Lawrence County Arts Council during the day, who in her spare time enjoys participating in Medieval reenactments. Todd Moe talks with Amy Ivy about the month of August. Theatre Critic Connie Meng reviews the new musical Funked Up Fairy Tales at the Depot Theatre in Westport.

Governor Andrew Cuomo showed up to the Bassmasters Elite Series in Waddington yesterday. This week, Adirondack Park Agency commissioners are meeting to determine how New York state should manage the former Finch Pruyn timberlands. The Franklin County Fair in Malone runs through Sunday, August 11. David Sommerstein covered the demolition derby in Hannawa Falls ten years ago. Those who treat people with gambling addictions say that the new casinos will likely result in more gambling addicts in the state. Todd Moe spoke with Charles Guerin, the new director of the The Hyde Collection art museum in Glens Falls. Connie Meng reviews "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" at the 1000 Islands Playhouse. John Warren from the Adirondack Almanack provides the look at outdoor recreation conditions around the Adirondacks this weekend.

Governor Cuomo signed into law home rule legislation that will allow St. Lawrence County to raise the sales tax by 1%. Test scores for third through eighth graders were released yesterday, and they show a dramatic drop in the number of New York students who received passing grades. The Adirondack Park Agency gathers for a two-day meeting that will focus on the new Finch Pruyn lands. The co-owner of the Northern Puppies pet store in Plattsburgh was arrested on misdemeanor charges. America's trucking industry's been experiencing a chronic shortage of drivers. When local legend in Africa spoke of an exploding lake, western researchers scoffed. In this week's "Natural Selections," Martha Foley and Dr. Curt Stager talk about the exploding lake, Lake Nyos. Todd Moe talks with director Kathy Recchia and some of the young cast of the new musical production of "Pride and Prejudice."

Governor Andrew Cuomo visits Waddington tomorrow morning, for the first launch of the Bassmaster Elite Series tournament. A coalition of New York State environmental groups filed a lawsuit against New York late last month objecting to a rule change for dairy farms. The co-chair of Governor Cuomo's Moreland Act Commission on public corruption, Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice, says subpoenas have been sent out and more public hearings are planned. Andy Flynn examines some historic artifacts at the Warrensburg Museum of Local History and has the story behind the spelling of the town's name in this week's "Adirondack Attic."

A developer with ties to Saranac Lake has announced plans to purchase and renovate the historic Hotel Saranac in the heart of the village. Plattsburgh city police say that a southbound freight train struck and killed a woman early this morning. The country's biggest professional bass anglers are scouting out their best fishing spots on the St. Lawrence River in preparation for the Bassmaster Elite Series competition. Central New York's Air National Guard wing will soon be flying its drones over the city of Syracuse for training missions. As part of the Prison Time Media Project, Natasha Haverty tells the story of George Prendes, who spent 15 years in prison for a low level drug crime. Brian Mann and Natasha Haverty join Martha Foley in the studio and talk about the Prison Time Media Project.

Governor Cuomo has been closing state prisons, which is part of a pattern that the governor has been quietly pursuing since he took office. A federal program dedicated to environmental restoration and clean-up of the Great Lakes has escaped a massive budget cut. Brian Mann looks at the role played by New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller in changing the way America thinks about drugs, crime and justice. Cooperative Extension horticulturist Amy Ivy has tips on squash and cucumbers, and the tomato-eggplant-pepper family in her weekly conversation with Martha Foley.

A Canadian company called Scotia Investments has been auctioning off parts of the old Newton Falls paper mill in southern St. Lawrence County. Governor Cuomo says it's now up to the voters to decide whether they want to expand gambling in New York State. Martha Foley and Curt Stager discuss the vocabulary of birds. David Sommerstein talks with Antique Boat Museum's communication director Mike Folsom about the 49th annual Antique Boat Show and Auction.

The Watertown Daily Times reports this morning that St. Lawrence and Franklin counties each received $1.8 million yesterday, gambling revenue withheld by the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe in a dispute with NY state. New York is considered a leader among the states for effectively using cost benefits analysis to track how tax dollars are spent. An organization that works to mediate boundary water disputes between the U.S. and Canada says a new study is needed to find ways to ease future flooding in Lake Champlain. Ecologists are spending more time at the computer because more data is being collected and analyzed online.The state ethics commission met Tuesday, and spent most of its time in a private session, as a key appointee of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver resigned from the board. In upstate New York, people are moving more towards the field of craft distilleries, and the state is seeing a comeback of the small, artisan liquor operations of the pre-prohibition era. David Sommerstein talks with Bridget Whalen-Nevin, the director of the Morristown Public Library and organizer of the Plein Air Festival.

New York's attorney general is helping Fort Drum soldiers returning from overseas retrieve personal vehicles. Correction officers are asking the legislature to rescind the prison closures that were announced last week. Gov. Andrew Cuomo calls Congressman Weiner's latest sexting scandal "summer political theater" in New York. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand says she voted against a recent compromise on student loans. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand touts a bill that will make it easier to redevelop brownfields. Ed Burkhardt, the chairman of the Montreal, Maine and Atlantic spoke with Brian Mann last week about his companies struggles since the disaster in Lac-Megantic. NCPR intern Conant Neville talks with business owner Dan Mullin in this week's "Heard Up North." Todd Moe talks with Tony Holtzman about Forever Wild, his third novel in his Adirondack Trilogy.

State Senator Betty Little says the loss of two state prisons in the North Country will mean a painful loss of jobs in Franklin and Saratoga Counties. Adirondack Health's Board of Trustees ended months of speculation last week when it voted to convert the around-the-clock emergency room at its Lake Placid hospital to part time. A coalition of environmental groups is suing New York state because of its new dairy size regulations. Sarah Harris sends an audio post card from a sailboat race with an international crew out of Plattsburgh. The City of Detroit's declaration of bankruptcy has left some in New York wondering whether any upstate cities will be next. Amy Ivy joins Martha Foley for their weekly gardening conversation.