Top Stories from NCPR

Over the last couple of years, New York’s state prisons have faced new scrutiny and new calls for reform. Governor Andrew Cuomo says a contract deal with 20,000 corrections officers will help. [full story]

What is the best time to do each thing? Who are the most important people to work with? What is the most important thing to do at all times? These are the three questions explored by a King who thought that he would never fail if he knew the answers. Join Gioia in this parable to find out if the king's questions will be answered. Story Traveler is unscripted storytelling from everywhere in the world, stories for the heart to hear and the mind to imagine. [full story]

The Plattsburgh town planning board has again rejected the proposed Caron Place apartment complex, an affordable housing project that’s been stuck in limbo for more than a year. The complex would be home to about 40 people. The planning board’s decision is a win for local residents who don’t want the apartments or the low-income families who would move in. But the developer isn’t giving up. [full story]

The nation’s first offshore wind energy project just started operating in the waters off Rhode Island. Now developers are pushing ahead in another vast body of water: the Great Lakes. [full story]

If you like to geek out about all the waves and particles and frequencies all around us all the time, this story is for you. [full story]

Political fall-out grew over the holiday weekend following comments made by a top Republican in New York that Governor Cuomo described as "racist" and "ugly."Carl Paladino, a wealthy conservative activist from western New York, compared First Lady Michelle Obama to a gorilla and said he hoped that President Obama would die of a disease. [full story]

Supporters of a bill that would shift the costs of legal services for the poor are hopeful Governor Cuomo will sign it. Right now, counties pay for indigent defense, but some counties allocate more money than others. That can lead to an uneven playing field for legal representation. [full story]

Forty pound bags of sunflower seeds are a start, but winter birds need shelter and a perch, too. Cooperative Extension's Amy Ivy made her own bird habitat over the years at her farmhouse. It's a question of landscaping. [full story]

Winter conditions are the rule in the region. Several inches of fresh snow fell Wednesday night, and there is deep snow across most of the region, with a few fresh inches expected Saturday morning before the change over to mixed precipitation and possibly rain by Saturday afternoon. Some stream crossing are already difficult, and waters are expected to rise by late Saturday. Plan alternative routes if you plan to make stream and river crossings this weekend. [full story]

There has been a huge outpouring of sadness on social media about the passing of one particular red barn in the town of Keene. The barn sat at the intersection of Rts 9N and 73. It was one of the most photographed landmarks in the Adirondack Park. It was torn down last week by state officials, who say it was unsafe and beyond repair. [full story]