The state's Drinking Water Quality Council has issued what it considers to be safe levels for exposure to toxic chemicals, including PFOAs and PFOS that have been found in high quantities in some of New York’s drinking water supplies.

Flowers get pollinated, bees get nectar; that's supposed to be the deal. Except that some plants cheat. Known as "food decepters," they advertise rewards they don't deliver. Orchids are notorious for variations on bait and switch, with fully one-third of species giving bupkis to the hard-working insects that help them to propagate their kind.

State officials say they are confident they’ll reach a deal that would keep Alcoa in Massena for years. The aluminum company and the New York Power Authority are negotiating the terms of a contract that would keep hundreds of jobs.

Lyon Mountain’s ore is some of the purest in the world - it was used to build the Golden Gate Bridge. The mine itself was one of the deepest in North America, with its deepest shaft reaching 3100 feet. The ore was first mined from the surface in the 1860s, then quickly went underground. The population skyrocketed to nearly 3,500 people at its peak, as small settlements sprung up around the mining operation. During World War II, it was the largest employer in Clinton County.

Airbnb has exploded worldwide. It offers travelers and vacationers rental alternatives to hotels and traditional bed-and-breakfasts. The online service can also provide extra income for property owners; people can rent out their spare rooms, apartments, houses - connecting directly with travelers.

There are AirbNb rentals all over the North Country, but it’s really taken off around Lake Placid, which is already vacation central for the Adirondacks.

The Cuomo administration yesterday unveiled its slate of Regional Economic Development Grants, with more than $70 million going to the North Country. Some of the biggest projects this year were in Jefferson County, in Tupper Lake and Glens Falls, and along the shore of Lake Champlain.

Governor Andrew Cuomo is hitting the pause button on plans to create an independent watchdog for New York’s prosecutors.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is beginning 2019 a little early. Cuomo, in a speech at the New York City Bar Association, outlined what he admits is an ambitious agenda for the first 100 days of his third term, which starts Jan. 1.

Update: A fugitive was captured in St. Lawrence County on Monday after a statewide manhunt. State police say Michael LaRock, age 37, may be involved in a murder in Ticonderoga in Essex County. He was taken into custody by Ticonderoga Police and New York state Troopers.

The APA commission voted Friday to open a public comment period on new guidelines that will shape construction and maintenance of cross-country ski trails in the Adirondack Park.