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NCPR News Staff: Joanna Richards
Watertown Correspondent
Joanna Richards grew up in Louisville, Kentucky but feels like a true north country native now that she owns winter boots rated for temps down to forty below zero. She worked for an alt weekly paper, as an associate editor for the NPR series This I Believe, and as a staff writer for an arts and entertainment weekly in Louisville, before moving to Watertown in 2008 to work as a reporter for the Watertown Daily Times.
She's thrilled to be working in radio again as the Watertown correspondent for North Country Public Radio and especially enjoys doing stories about intriguing local subcultures. Outside of work, she is a regional explorer, vegetarian cook, and regular volunteer for various community groups, as well as a voracious reader, aspiring pool shark and an orange belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. E-mailStories filed by Joanna Richards
The early stages of work on the former Frink Snowplow site. Photo by Martha Foley.
Riverfront redevelopment underway in Clayton
May 24, 2013 — A big redevelopment project is getting underway in the Thousand Islands village of Clayton. The first pieces of equipment are now at work on the former Frink snowplow factory site. That represents the beginning of an aggressive construction schedule that aims to bring the Clayton Harbor Hotel to life by Memorial Day, 2014. Go to full article
Farmer John Peck has a moment with a two-month-old calf on his Peck Homestead Farm in Champion, in Jefferson County. Photo: Joanna Richards
Farmers' property taxes rise as land values increase
May 24, 2013 — Agriculture is one of the most dynamic and innovative economic sectors in New York state. All this week, the Innovation Trail team is reporting on some of the current challenges and opportunities facing upstate farmers.
One of those challenges is property taxes. Agriculture is a land-intensive industry, so rising property taxes can mean much higher costs for farmers. And taxes have been rising, thanks mostly to increases in the production value of farmland. Go to full article
One of those challenges is property taxes. Agriculture is a land-intensive industry, so rising property taxes can mean much higher costs for farmers. And taxes have been rising, thanks mostly to increases in the production value of farmland. Go to full article
The Maple Ridge Wind Farm has brought millions of dollars to local governments in Lewis County and changed the landscape dramatically. Photo: David Sommerstein
Wind farm a windfall to Lewis County communities
May 15, 2013 — Wind farms are a touchy subject in the North Country. As the town of Cape Vincent wrestles with a potential project, in neighboring Lewis County another wind farm has been operating for seven years. The Maple Ridge Wind Farm has brought some big changes to its community. Go to full article
A homecoming ceremony at Fort Drum. NCPR file photo
For Fort Drum soldiers, frequent deployments "'til the end" in Afghanistan
May 06, 2013 — It's a busy time for Fort Drum, near Watertown. Even as the country prepares to leave Afghanistan, the Army post has parts of two brigades deployed. Its aviation unit is about to ship off for a nine-month tour. And the 10th Mountain Division is expecting more orders from the Pentagon soon. Go to full article
John Ferry, co-owner of Milk Street Dairy in Tylerville, in Jefferson County, shows off his new dairy barn. Photo: Joanna Richards
National Grid power upgrade grant helps Jefferson County dairy farm expand
May 06, 2013 — A Tylerville dairy farm, in Jefferson County, is growing, in part thanks to help from National Grid. The company awarded the farm a grant of $50,000 to increase its access to electricity. Go to full article
John Johnson Jr. looks through some clippings from the Watertown Daily Times's archive Wednesday at the newspaper's offices in Watertown. Photo: Joanna Richards
John Johnson Jr. steps down at Watertown Daily Times
Watertown, NY, May 02, 2013 — After a long career at the helm of the Watertown Daily Times, John Johnson Jr. is far from calling it quits. But he is stepping down from daily oversight at the Times and its parent company, Johnson Newspapers, helping to make way for a new generation of family leadership. Go to full article
State Senator Patty Ritchie speaks in support of Fort Drum at a community listening session hosted by the Army Thursday at Case Middle School in Watertown. Listening, from left, are Fort Drum Garrison Commander Colonel Gary Rosenberg, Fort Drum and 10th Mountain Division Commander Major General Stephen Townsend, and Army stationing expert Colonel Thomas O'Donoghue. Photo: Joanna Richards
Watertown community comes out to support Fort Drum
Apr 29, 2013 — About 200 community members turned up in a school auditorium in Watertown Thursday night in a showing of regional support for Fort Drum. The event was billed as a "listening session" for the Army, to inform a process of personnel cutbacks and reorganization currently affecting military installations around the country.
Leaders in local government, education, business, transportation, housing, health care and more turned out at Case Middle School to bolster the community's case for maintaining strong troop levels at Fort Drum. Go to full article
Leaders in local government, education, business, transportation, housing, health care and more turned out at Case Middle School to bolster the community's case for maintaining strong troop levels at Fort Drum. Go to full article
Chief Warrant Officer 5 Michael Mogg and Specialist Miranda Mogg stand in front of one their brigade's Kiowa helicopters in a hangar at Fort Drum. Photo: Joanna Richards
Father, daughter Fort Drum soldiers to deploy together
Apr 25, 2013 — An unusual pair of "battle buddies" is about to deploy to Afghanistan from Fort Drum. Michael and Miranda Mogg are a father-daughter pair of soldiers with the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade of the Army's 10th Mountain Division. Go to full article
Richard Chandler, director of business development for BP Wind Energy North America, gives a presentation on the proposed Cape Vincent Wind Farm project at a firehouse in Three Mile Bay. Photo: Joanna Richards
BP to push forward with Cape Vincent wind project
Apr 19, 2013 — Earlier this month, energy company BP announced its entire renewables division was up for sale. At a recent public meeting on the proposed Cape Vincent Wind Farm, a BP official confirmed the company will push ahead with the development anyway, and local leaders vowed to hire experts to help them fight the project. Go to full article
New York's Regional Economic Development Council regions. Image: http://regionalcouncils.ny.gov/
North Country economic council gets crash course on Fort Drum's impact
Fort Drum, NY, Apr 16, 2013 — The North Country Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) held its most recent meeting at Fort Drum last week. The idea was to give members from the region's seven counties greater insight into how the Army post interacts with the local economy. The council also took steps to implement a new program for water and sewer project infrastructure. Go to full article
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2013 North Country Public Radio, 
St. Lawrence University, Canton,
New York 13617 • phone: 1-877-388-6277 • email
radio@ncpr.org
NCPR is a proud affiliate of:
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Public Radio International
St. Lawrence University, Canton,
New York 13617 • phone: 1-877-388-6277 • email
radio@ncpr.orgNCPR is a proud affiliate of:
NPR • American Public Media • Public Radio International
