(05/22/12) The Potsdam Village Board opened a public discussion on the size of the police force last night.
Two positions have remained unfilled since one sergeant resigned last year, and another was promoted to chief. That's prompted questions about how big a police force the village needs. more
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Crime and Punishment
Failure to provide adequate resources is neither prudent nor acceptable
It’s my belief that the cost of the Potsdam village police force... is the major financial issue facing the village.
(05/21/12) Tonight the Potsdam Village Board will hold a public discussion on the size of the village Police Department. Potsdam has only cut its the department by one position, since former Sergeant Kevin Bates took over as Chief of Police, but that cut has sparked serious discussion about the future of the force.
As Tasha Haverty reports, this evening's session will help determine whether the village will restore the position, or take the opportunity to downsize and save money. more
(04/18/12) State officials say a forest and brush fire scorched six acres of state land in the Washington County hamlet of Comstock, near the Washington Correctional Facility.
According to DEC spokesman David Winchell, state forest rangers and local volunteer fire crews were on the scene battling the blaze yesterday afternoon. The fire was contained last night. more
(04/02/12) New York State has banned the sale of synthetic marijuana products. Marketed as "herbal incense" and sold under names like Spice and K2, the fake pot has been popular with people across the North Country, including Fort Drum soldiers. The post near Watertown recently announced it would ban soldiers from spending money at any businesses that sell synthetic pot. But as Joanna Richards reports, it now seems that won't be necessary. more
In 2008, a technician was found to be falsifying data at the State Police Forensic Investigation Center in Albany. He escaped detection for 15 years. Photo: Mike Melita, Innovation Trail
(03/05/12) There's a new effort in Albany to pass a bill that would bring about a major expansion to the New York's DNA databank.
Both prosecutors and defense attorneys agree that having more DNA can help solve more crimes, but not everyone agrees that this bill does enough to ensure justice. WMHT's Marie Cusick reports for the Innovation Trail. more albany ·
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NY's DNA databank is part of the national CODIS system
(02/02/12) The state Senate has emphatically passed legislation that would expand New York's criminal DNA database. The bill would require people convicted of all crimes, including misdemeanors, to submit DNA samples to the state's DNA databank. Currently, only someone convicted of a felony, or certain types of misdemeanors, is required to submit a DNA sample.
Senators voted 50-10 Tuesday to pass the DNA Databank Expansion Bill. As Chris Morris reports, the bill has a lot support, but it could be tested in the Assembly. 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
It wasn't as important for me to see my family and children as it was to get my next hook.
(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
Painkillers like OxyContin are widely abused.
(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
We’re seeing a sharp increase in copper thefts simply to sell it for the scrap value.
(12/28/11) The state department of environmental conservation is looking for help in finding the person or people who stole brass and copper tubing, pipes, fittings and other items from a St. Lawrence County petroleum contamination cleanup site.
The DEC discovered last week that someone had broken into buildings at the former Jones and Laughlin Ore Processing site on State Route 3 outside of Newton Falls. more
 Legal Affairs
May 24, 2012 — Even in states where medical marijuana is illegal, it's still not OK on college campuses. That's because marijuana remains illegal under federal law, and colleges don't want to jeopardize their federal funding by letting students use their prescription pot on school grounds.
May 23, 2012 — There's a persistent shortage of organs for transplantation in this country, and it's getting worse. Federal law bans financial incentives for organ donations. Is it time to reconsider? Some calls and emails from listeners illuminate the range of opinions on the controversial subject.
May 23, 2012 — One of the top candidates in the Egyptian elections is Amr Moussa, a former official in the Mubarak government. David Kenner of Foreign Policy explains his unlikely ascendancy, arguing that Egyptians are seeking candidates who represent law and order, rather than those embody last year's revolution.
May 22, 2012 — Stay-at-home mom Holly McCall says she manages her family's finances and has perfect credit. But due to a federal law, she was denied a credit card because she doesn't make an income. McCall wants the law changed, but Aracely Panameno with the Center for Responsible Lending says the law is necessary. Host Michel Martin speaks with both women.
May 22, 2012 — After their first meeting in 1989, legendary law professor Laurence Tribe was so impressed with the skinny first-year law student in jeans, a sweatshirt and an afro, that he made a special notation on his calendar. The student, Barack Obama, went on to become the first black president of the Harvard Law Review.
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