Top Stories from NCPR

Candidates in the North Country's House race meet today for their first live debate at Mountain Lake PBS in Plattsburgh. The hour-long debate will be streamed live on-line this afternoon at 2 pm and then broadcast on television tomorrow and in the coming days on public television stations across the 21st congressional district.

Brian Mann will be one of the panelists questioning the candidates today.

The VA says 8500 requests for wheelchairs, artificial limbs, and other equipment have waited more than 30 days. That's down from 64,000 requests last year.

After weeks of wrangling, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his Republican opponent, Marc Molinaro, have agreed to a televised debate at 7 pm Tuesday on CBS2 in New York City. But not everyone is satisfied.

Maybe you've noticed mornings are getting darker? It's no wonder - the sun wasn't up until 7:25 this morning. As St. Lawrence University professor Aileen O'Donoghue says, we're gaining dark, and that means more time to enjoy the night sky.

Morning people get a break Nov. 4, when we set our clocks back to Standard Time. But that put sunset an hour earlier: 4:45, in what you could call late afternoon. All the better to see the evening stars!

One last note: the Hunter's Moon rises at sunset today, and sets tomorrow morning at sunrise. It's "full" at 12:46 pm tomorrow.

If you're careful and keep an eye on the weather, late autumn can be a gorgeous time to get out on the water. Brian Mann went sailing on Lake Champlain and sent an audio postcard.

If it's a matter of raking and disposal, the thick fall of leaves from your maples or oaks can be a real headache. But gardeners can turn that work to real advantage, as mulch and compost.

Cooperative Extension's Amy Ivy has lots of advice to turn the curse of those deciduous leftovers into a blessing for the gardens.

One of the North Country’s most influential and vocal newspapermen has died. Chuck Kelly worked at the Ogdensburg Journal for more than 50 years. He was 83.

A 14-year-old boy accused of stabbing a man to death near Plattsburgh appeared in court on Friday.

Hunter Welch allegedly killed Michael Zindler in the town of Black Brook on October 11. State Police say Zindler was stabbed in the chest, but they haven’t released further details about what allegedly happened.

According to Welch's defense attorney, Matthew Favro, the teen is being charged as an adult because of the severity of the allegations.

Leaves are coming down making some roads and trails slippery, but there is still plenty of peak leaf color in warmer locations, leaf color is peak in the Lake George and Lake Champlain valleys.

Traditional Arts in Upstate New York will celebrate 25 years of honoring some of the best traditional artists with a Folklife Fair on Sunday, October 28. From basket weaving to storytelling, TAUNY has honored 129 individuals, groups, places, and events, that make the North Country so special, with North Country Heritage Awards.

On Sunday, October 28. The Folklife Fair will include an afternoon of demonstrations, music, food, and hands-on activities shared by award recipients and others.

TAUNY director Jill Breit says the event will honor 25 years of traditional arts and recognize those carrying the region’s arts and skills forward. She says it'll be a reunion, of sorts.