Top Stories from NCPR

Saranac Lake sled racer Chris Mazdzer made history of the weekend. He is the first American man to win an Olympic medal in singles luge. He also set a new track speed record on the course in Pyeongchang in South Korea. The win turned Mazdzer into one of the early stars of these Winter Games but his victory comes after decades of working and training far outside the spotlight.

Tops on Cooperative Extension's Amy Ivy's list are grow lights. You can assemble your own from common shop lights. Put them on a timer (16 hours of light a day), and be prepared to adjust the distance from the young seedlings.She tells how, and offers more tips on getting set to start seeds indoors.

Two city officials in Plattsburgh have suddenly resigned. One of them is city councilor Becky Kasper. She said that Mayor Colin Read has created a hostile environment for city officials and workers, and she doesn't want to be "complicit" in that. Kasper and Read are both Democrats. The other person who is stepping down had a major role in the city's revitalization plans.

Expect to encounter deep fresh snow. The Adirondacks received 6 to 10 inches of snow Wednesday; several inches yesterday in lake effect snow areas; and another several inches are expected to fall tonight and again on Saturday night.

Republicans are seeking political advantage in the federal corruption trial of Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo's former closest aide.

In this episode the poet Robert Bly reads his poem "The Resemblance Between Your Life and a Dog," and in conversation gives us an intimate view of the poetic image. There's also a story from Aesop about a dog who goes traveling with a friend.Story Traveler is an occasional series of five-minute stories told by Gioia Timpanelli, widely considered to be one of the world's foremost storytellers. Her unscripted stories, both contemporary and world folktales, come from everywhere and blend ancient and modern themes. They speak to the heart and the imagination.

While the sub-Arctic and the Sahara are very different environments, both present extreme challenges to large mammals that live there.Martha Foley and Curt Stager compare the camel and the caribou, which, while not closely related, have made similar evolutionary adaptations to survive in barren terrain.Both need coats that can insulate against temperature extremes, complex nasal equipment to preserve hydration, and digestive tracts adapted to handle a wide range of coarse and nutrient-poor foods.

The snow is back with a vengeance and that means great skiing, snowshoeing and fat-tire bike riding across the North Country. Today we're going to talk about a new map that's been created that identifies winter trails in the Saranac Lake-Lake Placid region.

Huge breaking North Country Olympics news. Erin Hamlin, the luge racer from Remsen NY, who trains in Lake Placid, has been chosen to carry the American flag in the opening ceremony at the Winter Games in PyeongChang.

In the midst of a national debate on immigration, the New York State Assembly this week passed a bill to give children of undocumented immigrants access to financial aid for college.