Canton's community theatre troupe will present an original murder mystery dinner theatre production as part of the annual Winterfest. The Grasse River Players will perform "The Starlite Lounge and Murder Mystery," at The Club on Friday, Feb. 17, and Saturday, Feb. 18. Set in a 1940s nightclub, the show centers on The Boss and a rival gang leader. Todd Moe caught up with actor Derrick Conway and writer/director Mary Egan, who said even the audience is invited to dress in the style of the Jazz Era to complete the atmosphere. [full story]

When people in the 315-area code region pick up their phones to place local calls, they will soon have to start dialing all 10 digits. It's part of New York state's effort to deal with a declining number of available phone numbers in the area with the addition of a new area code. [full story]

Traditional Arts in Upstate New York hosts an opening reception on Saturday, February 11, 1-3 pm, for an expanded version of the traveling exhibit "Venerable Folks of Tug Hill." The exhibit celebrates the resilient population of the snowy Tug Hill region and its many villages, farms, and vast wilderness located between Lake Ontario and the Adirondacks. [full story]

Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s acting tax commissioner took heat Tuesday from Democrats and Republicans in the state Legislature over delays in the STAR rebate program. The hearing was interrupted by protesters who want higher taxes on millionaires. [full story]

Is it possible for poetry to provide comfort and predict our future? That's what Tracy K. Smith set out do a few years back with her collection, “Life on Mars.” The book made a huge splash, winning a Pulitzer Prize and fans of all stripes for its references to futuristic pop culture (think David Bowie and "2001: A Space Odyssey"). [full story]

North Country congresswoman Elise Stefanik won her second term by a comfortable margin just a few months ago. But the Republican already has a Democratic challenger. [full story]

Many people know the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team, which played its first game in Hinckley, Illinois on Jan. 7, 1927. Yet they may not be as familiar with another barnstorming basketball team that came to the Adirondacks in 1938 to play the North Creek team. The House of David basketball team was based in Michigan, about 100 miles east of Chicago, the home of the Globetrotters. [full story]

A North Country pharmaceutical company has secured a $1-billion contract to make drugs for hospitals and medical offices across the country. SterRx has been in Plattsburgh for about five years, and this is the biggest contract they’ve ever landed. [full story]

The New York Assembly moved Monday to establish New York as a sanctuary state, but the measure faces an uncertain future in the state Senate. Assembly Democrats are backing measures that would give the entire state sanctuary status for immigrants. [full story]

A St. Lawrence County lawmaker who posted a racist, Islamophobic message about Barack Obama on Facebook has been formally punished. Joel LaPierre, who is a Republican, was censured last night at a packed county legislative meeting. More than 100 people came - some to show their support for LaPierre and others to vent their frustration and demand he give up his seat. [full story]