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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
Mayor's Race in Watertown pits long-time incumbent against City Council challenger
Watertown, NY, Nov 04, 2011 — The mayor's race in Watertown pits long-time incumbent Jeff Graham against a challenger with similar longevity on the City Council, Jeff Smith. Graham has said the city's doing well and he has the experience, knowledge and contacts to continue to keep Watertown on a good track. Smith says his candidacy represents new leadership and a new vision for the city. Both candidates for mayor have years of experience on City Council, and both are small business owners who say they're committed to fiscal discipline. Joanna Richards reports. Go to full article
The Samaritan Senior Village project will add both assisted living and nursing home space for seniors.
New elder care facility will fill urgent need in Jefferson County
Watertown, NY, Oct 27, 2011 — Ground was broken last month on a new elder care facility in the town of Watertown - the Samaritan Senior Village project. The facility will include both nursing home and assisted living beds for up to 288 residents. Community members say the project was badly needed to fill a gap, especially in assisted living space, for older residents. Joanna Richards has the story. Go to full article
Fort Drum troops say a ceremonial goodbye
Fort Drum, NY, Oct 21, 2011 — A ceremony was held recently at Fort Drum to mark the deployment of the 10th Sustainment Brigade. The brigade is made up of units with many different specialties, so it deploys in pieces rather than as a brigade to support war efforts wherever the units' different skill sets are needed. Joanna Richards attended the ceremony and has the story. Go to full article
Our challenges are not insurmountable … if we take them on as a team we can do this.
After 40 years, Children's Clinic looks toward a challenging future
Watertown, NY, Oct 18, 2011 — The North Country Children's Clinic celebrated its 40th anniversary last week in Watertown.
The clinic started as a volunteer organization with a few locations. It's now a major health care provider for uninsured and underinsured children in the region. It works from satellite locations, but now has a big home base on Arsenal Street in downtown Watertown.
Dozens of people gathered in the lobby there for the celebration.
But even as they shared cake and snacks, founders and friends worried about the clinic's future in a climate of governmental belt-tightening.
Janice Charles was a founder, and is a former executive director. She took reporter Joanna Richards all the way back to the beginning: Go to full article
The clinic started as a volunteer organization with a few locations. It's now a major health care provider for uninsured and underinsured children in the region. It works from satellite locations, but now has a big home base on Arsenal Street in downtown Watertown.
Dozens of people gathered in the lobby there for the celebration.
But even as they shared cake and snacks, founders and friends worried about the clinic's future in a climate of governmental belt-tightening.
Janice Charles was a founder, and is a former executive director. She took reporter Joanna Richards all the way back to the beginning: Go to full article
New unmanned aerial vehicles to be flown out of Fort Drum
Watertown, NY, Oct 13, 2011 — A Syracuse Air National Guard unit is about to begin operating an unmanned aerial vehicle, the MQ-9, out of Fort Drum. The 174th Fighter Wing already conducts MQ-9 flights in Afghanistan, flights which are controlled from an operations center at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse.
The partnership with Fort Drum will allow the unit to train Air Force and Air National Guard troops from around the country on flying the MQ-9. Joanna Richards went to an event last week at Fort Drum demonstrating the vehicle and has the story. Go to full article
The partnership with Fort Drum will allow the unit to train Air Force and Air National Guard troops from around the country on flying the MQ-9. Joanna Richards went to an event last week at Fort Drum demonstrating the vehicle and has the story. Go to full article
I don't talk about my life. I don't put pictures of my husband on my desk. I just leave them at home.
Fort Drum soldier talks about what it's like to be gay in the military
Watertown, NY, Oct 11, 2011 — Just after the repeal of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, we ran a story gathering a variety of Fort Drum soldiers' reactions to the policy change.
Some were comfortable serving with openly gay colleagues; others were not. But there was one group that was noticeably absent from that conversation: gay soldiers themselves. After the story ran, one soldier got in touch with reporter Joanna Richards and wanted to share his story.
He said because of the continuing stigma against gays in the military, he wanted to go unnamed. Joanna met with the soldier, who we'll call Ryan, and his partner, who we'll call Billy, in a diner near Fort Drum. Go to full article
Some were comfortable serving with openly gay colleagues; others were not. But there was one group that was noticeably absent from that conversation: gay soldiers themselves. After the story ran, one soldier got in touch with reporter Joanna Richards and wanted to share his story.
He said because of the continuing stigma against gays in the military, he wanted to go unnamed. Joanna met with the soldier, who we'll call Ryan, and his partner, who we'll call Billy, in a diner near Fort Drum. Go to full article
I mean, we have patients who will end up in emergency rooms. Many patients may end up in jail
Officials race to save Watertown mental health clinic
Watertown, NY, Oct 07, 2011 — A Watertown mental health clinic that recently changed ownership may close soon, and that has a lot of elected officials and community leaders worried. The Community Clinic, formerly known as Mercy Behavioral Health and Wellness, serves a large population of the poor with mental illnesses. As officials race to find funding to keep the clinic open, the worry is that the cost to the community of a closure would be far higher. Joanna Richards reports. Go to full article
WW II-era barracks being demolished to make way for new housing. Photo: Army Corps of Engineers
New construction on Drum will serve Guard, Reserves
Fort Drum, NY, Oct 06, 2011 — Senators Schumer and Gillibrand announced last week $46.4 million in funding for new construction at Fort Drum. The new facilities will help National Guard and Reserve troops with their training. Joanna Richards has the story. Go to full article
Almost 1,200 civilians work at the post now. The goal is to reduce that by 97 positions by Oct. 1, 2012.
Anticipating budget cuts, Drum culls its workforce
Watertown, NY, Sep 30, 2011 — As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan wind down and the federal government prioritizes reining in expenses, Fort Drum is anticipating a 10 to 15 percent cut in its budget in fiscal year 2012, which begins this October. To save money, the Army post is looking to cull its civilian workforce over the next year. Joanna Richards reports. Go to full article
It's pretty typical for us to drop way off in June of a school year and then get ready to receive 150, 200, 250 in September.
School district near Fort Drum sees rapid expansion
Philadelphia, NY, Sep 29, 2011 — The Indian River Central School District in Jefferson County is growing, fast. As the school year began this fall, the district received 90 new students in nine school days. Nearly 70 percent of the district's students come from military families, so numbers fluctuate with deployments and as housing is built on Fort Drum and in surrounding areas. Reporter Joanna Richards spoke with Assistant Superintendent Mary Anne Dobmeier about population trends at Indian River, and how the district is absorbing so many new students after the school year has begun. Go to full article
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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
