Top Stories from NCPR

Liz Bawden grew up in the suburbs in Massachusetts, and as an adult became an interpretive naturalist - that’s the person that gives guided tours and gives programs at parks and nature centers. She worked all over North America, from Connecticut to Texas, and Toronto to Ontario.

Now she’s a dairy farmer, and has been since the late 1990s. She’s been on the boards of two big organic farming organizations - NOFA (Northeast Organic Farming Association) New York and NODPA (Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance), and spoken in Washington about the experiences of herself and others in her industry.

The Senate and Assembly are due to release their own versions of the state budget this week. They come as Gov. Andrew Cuomo is demanding that a number of unrelated provisions be included in the spending plan. Without them, he threatens, the budget could be late.

Emily LaBrake grew up in a low-income family in Malone and fought for years against feeling that she was a failure. A couple years ago, though, she moved to Plattsburgh for a fresh start and has been piecing a life together ever since.

Some friends are worth the extra effort. Even if they nearly burn down the mess hall. Jim Howard told his poignant story of friendship and a school camp outing on stage at The Howl Grand Slam, December 1, 2018 at Pendragon Theatre in Saranac Lake, NY. The theme of the evening was "a fish out of water."

It's almost hard to believe we've had such a great winter for outdoor adventures. With all the snow pack with have, it will be some time before it's all over, but when it arrives, spring will come quickly this year. These next few weekends could offer the last of the good conditions we've been experiencing this winter.

A St. Lawrence County prosecutor says there's a new tip in the Garrett Phillips murder case. Phillips was the 12-year-old boy who was fatally attacked at his home in Potsdam in 2011.

Students in the public university systems rallied this week at the State Capitol to end what they say is a built-in flaw in the state's student aid policies.

The Our Town Theatre Group's spring main stage production of the gentle comedy, "Kodachrome," is this weekend at the Tannery Pond Community Center in North Creek.

Set in the small fictional town of Colchester, the play's tour guide is photographer Suzanne, who lets us peek into her neighbors' lives and loves.

"Kodachrome" opens tonight and continues Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.

Director Allison Studdiford says the story has something that most of the audience will relate to - love, nostalgia, the seasons, and how we learn to say goodbye.

Part ensemble love story and mischievous comedy, she says it's like Thornton Wilder's "Our Town" for the 21st century.

Birds and other creatures have a sly side and will use deceptive communications to create an advantage for themselves in finding food and finding mates. Blue jays can imitate the sound of a hawk, scaring other species away from the feeder. Some birds mimic the alarm cries of other species, making them think that another of their kind is warning them about a predator.

But they can't pull the trick too often. "Crying wolf" has the same consequences in the animal world as it does in the fairy tale. Martha Foley and Curt Stager discuss the "tricksy" side of birds, and of cuttlefish.

It is definitely a worker's market out there for labor. New York state's unemployment remains low, below 4 percent, and employers are having a hard time hiring.