NCPR News Staff: Chris Knight, Reporter

(02/06/12) Neighbors of St. Joseph's Rehabilitation Center in Saranac Lake are concerned about plans for a new treatment facility for veterans struggling with substance abuse addiction and post-traumatic stress disorder.

St. Joseph's wants to change the zoning of a vacant, 3-acre parcel of land near its main campus to accommodate the 10,000-square foot veterans' community residence. But neighbors say the zoning change, and the uses and activities associated with the project, would impact the character of the mostly residential area.

As Chris Knight reports, the two sides met late last week to talk about a compromise. more

(01/26/12) Earlier this week, Tom Curley announced his retirement after nine years as president and CEO of the Associated Press. The 63 year-old Curley spent his tenure working to transform the news cooperative for the digital era. Now that he's retiring, Curley said he plans to spend more time in the Adirondacks, where he owns a home on Upper Saranac Lake with his wife, Marsha Stanley. Chris Knight intereviewed Curley this week about the changing times faced by newspapers and what he sees as the biggest issues facing the Adirondacks. more

(01/23/12) A mistrial was declared Friday in a high profile rape case in Franklin County. Michael Scaringe was arrested in January 2010 on charges of raping a then 13-year-old girl while he was director of the Saranac Lake Youth Center. As Chris Knight reports, the mistrial was declared after Scaringe dismissed one of his defense attorneys. more

(01/18/12) Fifty years ago, in the early morning darkness of Jan. 16, 1962, an Air Force jet bomber slammed into the top of Wright Peak, in the Adirondack backcountry near Lake Placid. The four crewmen on board all died when the B-47 went down. Wreckage scattered across the mountain's summit. Twisted remains still mark the site.

Chris Knight talked recently to some of the victims' family members and people who were involved in the search for the plane. more

(01/13/12) State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is again pushing for legislation to create an online database to report and track the use of prescription narcotic drugs. On Wednesday, Schneiderman announced that his Internet System for Tracking Over-Prescribing Act, which he proposed last year, has bipartisan support in the Legislature. He also issued a report that details the growing prescription drug abuse problem in every corner of the state, including the North Country. Chris Knight has our story. more

(01/10/12) The lack of snow has been a big story for snow sports so far this winter, but there was some good news for skiers and snowboarders this past weekend in Saranac Lake.

A new ski lift at Mount Pisgah Ski Center took its first riders up the slopes on Saturday morning. The new T-bar was two and a half years in the making and was funded by a combination of state grant funding and community donations.

As Chris Knight reports, supporters say the project will help breathe new life into this small, family- and kid-friendly ski hill. more

(12/30/11) Yesterday we reported on an alarming trend across the North Country, the rise of prescription drug abuse. Today we hear a first-hand account of one woman's 20-year-struggle with addiction to these powerful narcotics.

Jennifer Smith's addiction severely strained her relationship with her family, forced her to quit her job as a nurse, lead to several stints in drug rehabilitation programs and eventually landed her in jail.

Smith, who lives in Port Henry, recently sat down with Chris Knight to talk about her addiction and how she eventually came clean. Jennifer Smith is not her real name. The interview took place at the St. Joseph's Addiction Treatment and Recovery Center outpatient clinic in Elizabethtown. more

(12/29/11) "Spiraling out of control." And, "Almost an epidemic." That's how police, prosecutors, doctors, pharmacists and drug counselors describe the rise of prescription drug abuse in communities across the North Country.

While increased narcotic drug trafficking across the border with Canada is partly to blame, the relative ease of getting these drugs from doctor's offices and emergency rooms is also part of the problem. As Chris Knight reports, experts say solving the problem won't be simple, and the key is heightened vigilance of both law enforcement and the medical community. more

(12/28/11) Sears Holdings Corp. said Tuesday that it plans to close between 100 and 120 Sears and Kmart stores across the country to raise cash after a weak holiday shopping season.

At least three Sears stores in the North Country are not on that list. But the fate of several other Sears locations, as well as a trio of Kmart department stores in the region, remains unknown. Chris Knight reports.

(12/19/11) Trudeau Institute in Saranac Lake was one of the big winners when it was announced earlier this month that the North Country has been awarded $103 million in state economic development funds.
The nonprofit biotech research center will receive $1.2 million to modernize its laboratory facilities and recruit additional scientists and research teams. But that wasn't all.

Tucked into the $62 million dollar award for the Capital Region was a $1 million allocation to the State University at Albany for a biotechnology corridor that includes Trudeau. Chris Knight reports. more