Top Stories from NCPR

State officials say a former town official in Minerva in Essex County has pleaded guilty to charges that she stole thousands of dollars and also tampered with records. Jordan Green faces up to four years in prison.

A North Country police officer who's struggled with cystic fibrosis, a genetic lung disease, is going back to work. Aaron Heroux was a deputy with the Clinton County sheriff's department. He became so sick in 2013 that he had to retire early. Later he tried to return to work, but he had been away for more than a year, and under state law, his career was technically over.It's been a long journey for Heroux. He's had to lobby for a new law in Albany and battle his own body, and he almost missed his chance to get his job back.

The United States Senate plans to use procedural maneuvers to technically stay in session even when Senators eventually go home for the Labor Day recess. Their intent is to prevent President Trump from making any unwelcome recess appointments while they are away.In Albany, taking steps to keep the legislative chambers open is nothing new.

The Cranberry Lake Art Show this weekend will feature work by more than 50 artists in the northwestern Adirondacks. You'll find favorite pieces by painters, photographers, potters, fiber artists and woodworkers - all highlighting nature, culture and people.For nearly 40 years, Ashley's marina has been a landmark on Trout Lake, near Edwards in St. Lawrence County. And tucked away in one corner of the boathouse is a woodworking shop, with lathes and a wide assortment of tools. It's where most days you'll find Dick Ashley at work, turning a wooden bowl, or making baseball bats for his great-grandchildren.

Rivers are the lifeblood of the North Country. There's one in practically every town. They powered sawmills, farms, and other industries that built the region more than a century ago. They've also been polluted by those same industries. A not-for-profit from St. Lawrence University is starting a project to teach local people how to check the water quality of their rivers and keep an eye out for new sources of pollution. The project hopes to gather long-term data that everyone can use.

Summer is the season you see a lot of great cars cruising the North Country. Today we have the story of a 1957 Chevy Bel Air convertible that lives in Moriah in the Champlain Valley.

There's some good news and some bad news from the state comptroller's office. The state's nearly $200 billion pension fund is doing well, thanks in part to the booming stock market, but there are some worrisome signs for the future of New York's finances.

Researchers are trying to document the summer of high water on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. They're asking shoreline residents and local officials to fill out an online survey.

It has been another busy week for New York forest rangers in the Adirondacks. Rangers, local rescue squads and state police helicopter crews have faced a large number of search and rescue missions across the Park.

The former EPA regional administrator under President Obama says scientists who leaked the report on further evidence of climate change to the New York Times should be commended as "whistleblowers."