Top Stories from NCPR

A winter storm is impacting the Adirondacks and will be with us through most of Saturday. 6 to 12 inches of heavy, wet snow are expected above about 1,000 feet in the High Peaks and Western Essex County. Hamilton and Northern Warren Counties could see over 7 inches of snow and sleet; with 3 to 7 inches in the Western Adirondacks. Western slopes and higher elevations will see the most snow. Expect whiteout conditions due to low cloud-cover and falling and blowing snow on summits. Trails will be largely unbroken on Saturday, and will require significant extra time and energy - expect to encounter blowdown. [full story]

Deals on some issues tied to the state budget are coming together as lawmakers rush to meet the budget deadline. Agreements on permitting ride-hailing services outside New York City and a measure to treat 16- and 17-year-olds as juveniles in the court and prison system, known as Raise the Age, were coming together Thursday. [full story]

A woman who was detained and apparently tased at a border patrol roadside checkpoint in 2015 is seeking $2 million in damages. A video of part of the incident was widely shared on social media. Jessica Cooke of Ogdensburg is suing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and two border patrol agents in U.S. District court. [full story]

The locavore movement tends to focus on local meat and vegetables - but what about booze? Gristmill Distillers is the answer to supporting your local economy through a stiff drink. They make bourbon, whiskey, and apple brandy from Adirondack ingredients. [full story]

An experiment in pop-up theater is bringing the arts into unexpected places in the City of Plattsburgh, and breathing life into empty buildings. It began last month, when a group of SUNY Plattsburgh students put on a play called Topdog Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks in a vacant storefront in the city. It’s a dark comedy about two brothers, named Booth and Lincoln, who live together in a tiny apartment and struggle to make ends meet. The unusual setting made the performance an intimate, hypnotizing experience. [full story]

Earthworms, friend to lawn and garden, are actually an invasive species in northern forests, which developed in the worm-free environment of retreating glaciers 10,000 years ago. Martha Foley and Dr. Curt Stager discuss their return, and the consequences for boreal soil, trees and wildflowers. [full story]

The major league baseball season gets underway this weekend. That's one bit of news. Another less happy thing is that an invasive bug called the emerald ash borer is creeping ever closer to the North Country. The Adirondack Almanack reported this week that the ash borer has infested the north shore of the St. Lawrence River in Canada and even some of the islands. That brings it within a mile in some places of St. Lawrence County. So this morning we're going to revisit Brian Mann's trip to a baseball bat factory in the southern Adirondacks where the wood supply is threatened by Emerald ash borers. [full story]

With lawmakers in Albany preoccupied with getting the budget done by week’s end, groups have to get creative to gain attention. Supporters of spending for public defense for the poor came up with one way: a “Wheel of Fortune”-style game staged right in the middle of the action.The New York Civil Liberties Union chose a busy corridor in the Capitol between lawmakers’ offices and the Senate and Assembly chambers to hold a contest featuring a brightly colored wheel styled after the one on the iconic television show. [full story]

Some of the best elementary and middle school art in St. Lawrence County is on display at the St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES center in Canton. More than 200 pieces from 16 school districts are part of the Third Annual Regional Art Show. At a reception on Tuesday night, each young artist was given a medal and awards were presented for some of the top art. The show includes a wide range of paintings, drawings and sculptures. [full story]

A softball pitch is one of the coolest athletic feats - the way the pitcher whips her arm, the way the ball explodes out of her hand. A pitcher can make the ball cut in or out on a batter with a screwball, or get the batter off her rhythm with a change-up. [full story]