NCPR News Staff: Chris Morris,
Tri-Lakes Correspondent

(05/21/12) A high school science teacher from Lake Placid wants to help the town of North Elba change the way it disposes of organic waste.

Tammy Morgan teaches biology and environmental science at Lake Placid Middle-High School. She recently delivered a preliminary report to the North Elba town board on a proposed project to install an anaerobic digester at the town-owned landfill.

As Chris Morris reports, some farms already use anaerobic digesters to process manure, but North Elba would become the first municipality on the East Coast to use this kind of technology to process food waste on site. more

(05/17/12) A crew from one of the country's most famous clothing companies has been at a historic Adirondack great camp this week to shoot photographs for its fall and winter 2012 catalog.

A crew of about 20 from L.L. Bean, based in Freeport, Maine, was at White Pine Camp on Osgood Pond on Monday and Tuesday. The rustic Great Camp was built in the early 1900s and served as the "Summer White House" for President Calvin Coolidge in 1926. Chris Morris dropped by the set. more

(05/15/12) The state Department of Transportation has modified its plan to repave the highway from Lake Placid to Saranac Lake this summer. The new design will widen the shoulders and accommodate cyclists a little better.

The department will now aim to leave as much room as possible along the shoulders of state Route 86. DOT officials say the changes were made following input from local officials and cycling advocates. Chris Morris reports. more

(05/09/12) Nearly 40 people gathered at Paul Johnson's home in Upper Jay on Saturday to draw attention to the ways climate change has affected peoples' lives.

The event, called Connect the Dots, was part of Climate Impacts Day, which featured hundreds of similar gatherings worldwide. It was organized by local members of the international climate action organization 350.org, started by former Adirondack writer Bill McKibben. Chris Morris was there and has this report. more

(05/01/12) The state has already said no to bike lanes on state Route 86 between Saranac Lake and Lake Placid. Now, cycling advocates are petitioning the state to create a usable shoulder when transportation crews repave the highway later this spring. Chris Morris reports. more

(04/26/12) A North Country native will take over as North Country Community College's sixth president. Steve Tyrell is from Mooers, in Clinton County. He's currently vice president for student affairs at Alfred State College. He will replace Carol Brown, who has served as president since 2009. Brown will retire on April 30 to spend more time with her family.

The Board of Trustees decision Tuesday came after a national search and in-depth interviews with the four final candidates. Chris Morris has our story. more

(04/16/12) Officials in the Tri-Lakes area want the state to build lanes for bicycles when state Route 86 is repaved this spring between Lake Placid and Saranac Lake.

The 8-mile stretch of the highway is one of the most heavily traveled roads in the North Country.
It's also popular among cyclists, both athletes and commuters.

But as Chris Morris reports, the state Department of Transportation says there are no plans to widen the road to include bike lanes. more

(04/11/12) The physical damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene has started to fade, but the emotional toll it took on the people it affected still lingers. A mental health program launched last fall aims to address those issues.

Project Hope is a program administered by the state Office of Mental Health, with help from the Mental Health Association of Essex County and the Research Foundation of Mental Hygiene. Its aim is to provide counseling services and build a support network for people whose lives were impacted by Irene, which devastated communities along the AuSable River last August.

Members of Project Hope met with town supervisors from Keene and Jay at the Keene Community Center last week. As Chris Morris reports, they're hoping to reach more people still struggling with the consequences of the flood. more

(04/10/12) House Republican leaders can't agree on funding levels for agriculture, and that could mean 2012 will come and go without an extension of the federal Farm Bill.

The House Agriculture Committee hosted the first of four hearings on the 2012 Farm Bill in Saranac Lake last month. The committee had planned to reduce federal spending on agriculture by about $23 billion from the current draft.

But since then, the House passed a budget plan put forth by Congressman Paul Ryan that aims to reduce farm spending by between $30 billion and $33 billion. As Chris Morris reports, that discrepancy could keep the House from reauthorizing the Farm Bill this year. more

(04/09/12) A bill introduced in the state Senate aims to make the possession and sale of invasive species illegal.

The legislation is sponsored by state Sen. Betty Little, a Republican from Queensbury. Little says invasives are a major threat to water bodies throughout the state. Her bill would strengthen current regulations and help prevent their spread. Chris Morris reports. more