Top Stories from NCPR

Monday was the first full day of session in the New York State legislature, and lawmakers have a lot to contend with, including a multi-billion dollar budget deficit.

People have gotten used to parking for free in downtown Plattsburgh. Hundreds do every day. But the city won a $10 million state grant to revitalize downtown, and one of the big ideas was to replace the free, Durkee Street parking lot with a mixed-use city center. Now it's becoming a reality, and the total cost could be as high as $31 million, according to one estimate. That could mean no more free parking, or a lot less of it.

Deep cold and snow cover make life hard for wildlife. Birds cluster at the feeders. Deer come closer. Amy Ivy watched turkeys cruise her yard over the weekend. Martha Foley's cedar trees are full of chickadees, juncos, tree sparrows and more. Amy says now's the time to plan strategic plantings to provide food and shelter.

It's been a hard, cold start to winter. Freezing temperatures, wind. A lot of us are hunkering down, staying close to the woodstove. But for thousands of people here in the North Country, earning a paycheck means working outside on farms, on highways, doing everything from mail deliveries to construction to helping tourists at ski resorts. This morning, we profile some of the people who are still going to work each day despite arctic conditions.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, in his State of the State speech this week, floated the idea of converting the state income tax to a payroll tax to help reverse the new federal law that limits deductibility for state and local taxes. Many support the concept, but businesses say it's not so easy to make the change - and it could bring unforeseen complications.

The Marshall Island flagged Federal Biscay was finally dislodged from ice in the Snell lock near Massena around noon on Saturday. St. Lawrence Seaway crews, including three tugs, had worked for five days to move the massive international freighter. It was blocking passage for four other ships on their way down the St. Lawrence River to Montreal as the Seaway tries to close for the winter.

Everyone's talking about the cold, and it's only going to get worse before it gets better. Conditions on summits Saturday will be extreme with 35 to 45 mile per hour winds, blowing snow, and wind chills in the 6os below zero. Watch the weather closely, but Sunday should see more normal temperatures suitable for extended outdoor adventures.

2018 will be a year of criminal trials for former associates of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, as well as former leaders of the Legislature. Reform groups say they hope the lengthy court proceedings will spur lawmakers to enact some ethics reforms.

A commercial freighter is stuck in ice in a lock near Massena, and it's preventing the St. Lawrence Seaway from closing for the winter. The prolonged arctic cold is wreaking havoc on the maritime industry across the Great Lakes. Update to this story: Freighter freed from ice; ships on their way out of Seaway.

Martha Foley has never succeeded in keeping a nature journal long-term, but Curt Stager finds them invaluable in his work. He records his observations on paper, but also finds great data through researching the journals of past observers, from Samuel de Champlain to Thomas Jefferson, to ordinary little-known North Country folk.His hint - always put it on paper. Whatever became of all that stuff on your floppy diskettes?