Top Stories from NCPR

"Marble Village" and "Marble City" were both nicknames for the town of Gouverneur, where marble was quarried, cut, and sold from the 1850s until the 1940s. Gouverneur marble can be found all across the North Country, in churches, banks, and private homes.

For U.S. troops in Vietnam, the "China Beach" surfing spot provided a rare recreational outlet during the war. Some still seek healing from the waves.

This is one of the busiest weekends in the Adirondacks, and will be especially so due to good weather expected for the first half of this Labor Day Weekend. Expect to encounter many people on trails and waterways, especially in the High Peaks and Lake George areas. Popular campsites will fill by early Friday evening and popular trailhead parking lots will reach capacity early in the morning. To avoid crowds, seek recreational opportunities in lesser-used areas of the Adirondacks this weekend.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has asked for a federal disaster declaration for 15 counties in central and northern New York hit by flash flooding, tornados and torrential rains during severe storms in late June and July.

There are now seven candidates in the North Country's congressional race all hoping to unseat incumbent Republican Elise Stefanik. That includes six Democrats and one Republican. The latest to join the race is an attorney from Queensbury, Democrat Ronald Kim.

Two of the sweetest traditions this time of year are the Farm2Fork Festival and Hobofest in Saranac Lake, now in its ninth year. They are must-see-must-taste-must hear experiences, pulling together some of the best local food recipes and roots music in the region. A big part of the weekend festivals is the place. Right along Lake Flower in Riverside Park with big white pine trees, a crowd of neighbors, their kids and great food and music. Peter Seward is a Saranac Lake artist and one of the organizers of HoboFest.

The village of Lowville has been under a mandatory conserve water order since late July. Villagers aren't allowed to wash their cars, water their lawns, and fill their pools. That's because the Kraft Heinz plant has ramped up its string cheese production lines. There's enough water, but because of the expansion, the plant is drawing water faster than the village can filter it.

What can take on the big agressive poisonous fire ants that invaded the U.S. decades ago? The tawny crazy ant, also an import from South America. This new "superorganism" is immune to fire ant poison, and they are displacing the previous invaders.Martha Foley and Curt Stager discuss a new addition to the invasive species list.

President Donald Trump announced last week that he plans to commit more troops to the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan to help train and assist Afghan soldiers. The Tenth Mountain Division was one of the first units sent to Afghanistan in 2001, and one of the last combat groups to leave.

Canton-Potsdam Hospital reports that it recently treated and released a patient who tested positive for West Nile virus.Clinton County's health department recently confirmed that West Nile virus was detected in mosquitoes in that county.