Top Stories from NCPR

Water levels on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River have remained stable for almost two weeks now, remaining at historic highs. When the waters begin to lower and by how much will depend on the weather.Keith Koralewski with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said, "If we have a drier scenario, we will certainly start to see it peak in the next couple weeks and then begin to go down. If it’s more the average scenario, it may take more like a three or four week time before the levels start to go down. And certainly if it’s a very wet scenario, like we experienced in April and that first week of May, there is still a possibility that water levels still could go up before they go down."Koralewski says regulators are releasing record volumes of water through the hydropower dam in Massena to help bring down the water level. The problem is, the Great Lakes, like Lake Erie, which empty into Ontario, are higher than normal, too. "And so there’s above average flows coming in to Lake Ontario. So it’s a matter of trying to have the outflows exceed the inflows," he said.Towns along the Thousand Islands and eastern Lake Ontario in Jefferson County have been scrambling to get their waterfronts in shape for tourist season.In the Rochester area, along the lake’s southern shore, flooding has damaged some businesses. Owners say it will take a long time to recover even after the floodwaters recede.

A rainy Memorial Day isn't perfect for picnics and parades. And it might be frustrating for a gardener itching to make progress with the vegetables or flowers. But it is just right for tender transplants.That and more about the TLC young plants need, from cooperative Extension's Amy Ivy

The budget released by President Donald Trump’s office last week proposes cuts in domestic spending in 2018 that are broad and deep. Among the targets are programs that many people in rural America rely on. Some have been zeroed out entirely; others, like food stamps, would be reduced drastically over the next 10 years.Rural advocates are responding to the budget with words like "dangerous," "indifferent" ... "slash and burn."

If you lived in Canton anytime between 1952 and 2011, you knew McCarthy's. It was a home-cooking institution located on Route 11 well known for its baked goods and big portions. But what most don't know is how the restaurant came to be.

Expect parking areas to fill early, and popular campsites and lean-tos to fill today. This would be a good time to visit less popular areas of the Adirondack Park. In the High Peaks, the Garden Parking Area will fill early each day, but the shuttle from the overflow parking at Marcy Field will be running from 7 am to 7 pm.

The downtowns in Plattsburgh and Glens Falls are about to get $10 million makeovers with funds won in a statewide competition last year.

Wait, mushrooms for breakfast? Hey, wild edible mushrooms are a treat at any meal. To celebrate the season, Martha Foley and Todd Moe sampled some sauteed shiitake and morel mushrooms found, or cultivated, at the Paul Smith's College campus.

The Wild Center's latest experience was created by a British composer who turned a pine forest into a choral sculpture.

Nearly four years after it was first proposed, a controversial plan to build a shoreline hotel in Saranac Lake has hit a significant stumbling block.The owner of one of the motels that would be replaced by the four-story, 90-room Lake Flower Resort and Spa has terminated his contract with the company behind the project.

It's morel mushroom season across much of the country. And most fungiphiles will tell you the tasty treasures are worth the time it can sometimes take to find them. A trustworthy guide is temperature and moisture, and it helps to head into the woods in the company of veteran morel hunters.