Northern Light

One big item caught up in gridlock created by the current budget debate with its "fiscal cliff" threat, is the federal farm bill. Canton town leaders were on the way to Albany at Tuesday morning to speak at the meeting of the SUNY Trustees. Joyce Morency, the long-time town supervisor in St. Armand near Saranac Lake, was 77-years-old when she passed away this week. A new poll finds that, in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, more than two thirds of New Yorkers say they now believe in climate change. A coalition of environmentalists and elected officials called on Governor Cuomo's health and environmental agencies to provide more information on a health review on hydraulic fracturing that they say has been shrouded in secrecy. Major General Stephen Townsend has taken over command of Fort Drum and the 10th Mountain Division following a ceremony at the post yesterday morning.And Martha Foley discusses astronomy with Dr. Aileen O'Donoghue.

Federal and Vermont state authorities say a serial killer who committed suicide in an Alaska prison Sunday is the man responsible for the abduction and murder of Bill and Lorraine Currier of Essex in June 2011. Governor Andrew Cuomo has committed New York state to buying nearly 70,000 acres of land that will be added to the Adirondack forest preserve over the next five years. The Cuomo Administration says it won't be ruling on whether to allow hydro fracking in New York until an on going health review is finished. To end the Bush-era tax cuts for the top two percent of earners in America, North Country Congressman Bill Owens says increased revenue is critical, but he says he's flexible on how that should happen. The Essex County Board of Supervisors is moving ahead with a resolution to increase the occupancy tax from three percent to five percent, but the proposal has some strong critics. Heard Up North: yoga for kids. Martha Foley talks with horticulturist Amy Ivy about evergreens. And Connie Meng reviews "The Number 14", running at the Great Canadian Theatre Company in Ottawa through December 16.

Essex County lawmakers say they will keep working to chip away at a proposed 26 percent tax hike currently included in the tentative 2013 budget. A legal expert says that the Cuomo Administration's decision to delay action on whether to allow hydro-fracking in New York for another 90 days makes sense while some health care professionals say reviewing the health effects of fracking is a sham.Someday your local weatherman may also be able predict the latest flu outbreak. Making a candy house brings some families together every year for something deliciously fun, but the history of candy houses has darker roots. And on Natural Selections: Camels' physiology and origins.

New York State's Department of Environmental Conservation confirms it will miss a key deadline and delay approval of hydro fracking in New York once again. People worry that the F-35, the Air Force's new fighter jet that may come to the Burlington airport, may be noisy and bad for the public health.SUNY Potsdam President John Schwaller made a surprise announcement yesterday that he's stepping down from his post, effective July 31st. The winter tourism industry in the Adirondacks is hoping to bounce back this season after last year's disastrously warm weather.Three women with the same attorney have filed lawsuits against the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department and members within it for allegations relating to sexual misconduct or harassment.And Long Lake Central School's community garden has been growing fresh food for the cafeteria for eight years.

A rafting guide from North Creek has pleaded guilty to criminal negligent homicide following the death of a client on a tributary of the Hudson River this fall. The U.S. Attorney General's office is defending the St. Regis Mohawks' land claim in its entirety. Governor Cuomo says Hurricane Sandy caused more damage than Hurricane Katrina, and is now asking for $41 billion dollars from the federal government. The highway project that will create a direct connection between Interstate 81 and Fort Drum's main gate is set to open soon. Danielle Garneau, a wildlife ecologist at SUNY Plattsburgh, says that we can learn a lot from road kill, and now you can track road kill on your smart phone. IBM has awarded a Clarkson University professor working on smart energy grid systems a $10,000 grant to help him continue his research, and develop coursework for students to train the next generation to use this hot technology.And 83-year-old Mertle Butterfield, a Canton great-grandmother, will earn her associate degree from SUNY Canton in a few weeks, and says she wants to continue her higher education.

St. Lawrence County will vote on the budget tonight. A report says consolidation is hurting farms and communities. The Syracuse-based Byrne Dairy hopes to open its facility in Cortland County by 2014, so that it can compete with other Greek Yogurt companies in the area.At a packed public meeting November 7 in Watertown, state environmental and health officials spoke with members of the public concerned about pollution on the city's north side with the New York Air Brake plant at the center of concern. The DEC is looking to streamline the frustrating management process.Martha Foley talks with horticulturist Amy Ivy about indoor gardening. And Connie Meng talks about the "Pride and Prejudice," a co-production of the National Arts Centre English Theatre and Theatre Calgary.

Eritrea is a small country in the African Horn. It's been at war on and off with neighboring Ethiopia for decades. And since 2001, the government has been sending thousands of its citizens to prison for being a part of any faith group that isn't on the government's approved list of churches. Jemila Saleh is sure she would have been sent to prison for her beliefs, if it hadn't been for a series of what she calls miracles.The climate of the Adirondacks is getting warmer and wetter, and the Park and its communities will likely experience more extreme weather events in the years to come. That's what Paul Smith's College professor and paleoclimatologist Curt Stager told state Adirondack Park Agency commissioners last week during a panel discussion on climate change.In recent years both the federal and New York State governments have been studying how best to re-introduce salmon to New York's Salmon River. That might come as a surprise to anyone who's ever caught one of the river's famous eye-popping sized fish.We're heading into some of the darkest days of the calendar year. It's an especially challenging time for people who have trouble adjusting to the increasing dark. The Innovation Trail's Marie Cusick explains that research into our individual cycle of sleeping and waking at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy may help.A busy jazz guitarist with North Country roots is releasing a new CD this week, and will be celebrating with a house concert near Potsdam tomorrow night.

Dozens of volunteers gathered in Lake Placid earlier this week to help pack, deliver and dispense Thanksgiving meals at the Ecumenical Food Pantry.Former North Country Congressman David O'Brien Martin died Tuesday night at age 68. The O'Leary Funeral Home in Canton says Martin was at his home in West Virginia under the care of hospice. The cause of his death was not released.At its best, Thanksgiving is about food, family, and community

In Ottawa, a Native American DJ collective is transforming traditional music to challenge stereotypes. In the process, they've built one of the hottest club nights in the city. A Tribe Called Red mixes electronic dubstep beats with pow wow singing and drumming, and a big dose of politics. David Sommerstein reports on the 'Electric Pow Wow'.Former North Country Congressman David Martin has died. Island View Funeral Services in Morristown says they got word of his death Tuesday night.With the outbreak of World War Two, the Army installation then known as Pine Camp expanded, to become Camp Drum and eventually Fort Drum today. In the process, it swallowed up several villages, including their cemeteries. Fort Drum researchers have created a database and new maps that will help family members of those buried at the cemeteries to find and visit their loved ones' gravesites, both in person and online.A film crew was in Saranac Lake last week to shoot scenes for a National Park Service film it's producing about George Washington Carver. Carver was a prominent African-American scientist and inventor best known for the many uses he devised for the peanut.Students, teachers and staff at Long Lake Central School celebrated Thanksgiving with a special lunch this week. Todd Moe joined the school in enjoying turkey and the usual side dishes: potatoes, stuffing, corn bread, carrots, and pies o'plenty for dessert.

The Route 11 corridor has seen a lot of wind development over the past few years. Developers have been busy securing sites, building roads, and trucking turbine materials in. In Clinton, there's a new wind farm in town called Marble River. They've just finished putting up 70 new turbines. Advocates for a minimum wage hike rallied at the state capitol, amid growing signals that there might not be a special session to deal with the issue, or any items at all this year.Looking for that local touch for your Thanksgiving table? Try cranberries, fresh from a bog in northern St. Lawrence County. Peter Paquin owns Deer River Cranberries in Brasher Falls.Part of a exhibition of Rockwell Kent's work at St. Lawrence University explores his literary side. Kent was one of America's most famous 20th century artists, and owned a dairy farm in the eastern Adirondacks. Two exhibits of his work are on display through December 15th in St. Lawrence's Brush Art Gallery and the Owen D. Young Library's Special Collections.