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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-mail

Stories filed by Joanna Richards

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We really have to look harder than we have in the past at where we're gonna spend our money.

Bridge closure tells of "new normal" for region's infrastructure

by Joanna Richards
Sep 27, 2011 — A bridge in the town of Wilna, east of Watertown in Jefferson County, was closed recently after a regular state inspection showed it was no longer safe for motorists. The bridge didn't get much traffic - fewer than 100 cars a day, according to the state Department of Transportation - but residents of the area will now have to get used to a five-mile detour. And, transportation officials said, closures like this one will likely be more common as the federal government reins in its budget for repairs. Joanna Richards has the story.  Go to full article
It's something that you're just gonna have to adapt to, and that's what the Army's good at - adapting.

Soldiers react to end of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

by Joanna Richards
Watertown, NY, Sep 23, 2011 — The military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy of dealing with gay service members officially ended this week. Now, gay soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen can serve openly without fear of being kicked out because of their sexuality. Around Fort Drum, some soldiers cheered the change, while others expected it to cause new problems. Joanna Richards reports.  Go to full article

DEC bands ducks to track populations

by Joanna Richards
Watertown, NY, Sep 21, 2011 — The north country is part of the Atlantic flyway, one of four major bird migration routes in the nation. Every year, thousands of waterfowl migrate north and south with the seasons along the route. And each summer the Department of Environmental Conservation traps and bands ducks as part of an effort throughout the northeast states to track populations. Reporter Joanna Richards went out with a crew from the DEC's Brownville field office to the shore of Perch Lake near Watertown to see how the process works.  Go to full article
We've learned over years to go to the places where people already trust.

Van to provide mobile HIV, STD testing in North Country

by Joanna Richards
Watertown, NY, Sep 15, 2011 — A new mobile testing unit for HIV and sexually transmitted diseases will offer confidential services for residents of Jefferson, Oswego and St. Lawrence counties. The Syracuse-based group AIDS Community Resources unveiled the van Tuesday at a news conference at the Thompson Park zoo in Watertown. Joanna Richards has the story.  Go to full article
It's hard, it's really hard. I mean, we gotta live. We gotta tell our children what happens and why daddy can't be here.

Ft. Drum soldiers, families reflect on the legacy of 9/11

by Joanna Richards
Fort Drum, NY, Sep 12, 2011 — Military families have carried a heavy burden since 9/11, with many military service members serving multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Ten years after the attacks, Joanna Richards spoke with Fort Drum soldiers and their families about their thoughts on service in the post-9/11 world.  Go to full article

Ft. Drum ceremony marks 10 years after

by Joanna Richards
Fort Drum, NY, Sep 12, 2011 — As the nation marked the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, yesterday, a formal ceremony was held at Ft. Drum to remember the victims and the 10 years of military action that followed that day's events.

The morning ceremony took place outside the post's Mark W. Clark Hall, where a monument memorializes 9/11. Joanna Richards was there and has the story.  Go to full article
Police officers cannot talk to highway road crews right now. These challenges are something we face on a day-to-day basis.

Jefferson County plans emergency communications system upgrades

by Joanna Richards
Watertown, NY, Sep 06, 2011 — Federal workers reportedly complained about the inability to communicate during Irene, and following the recent earthquake, when cell phone networks went down. According to the Washington Post, many felt they were left in the dark, and agency leaders couldn't disseminate key information.

The Federal Communications Commission and wireless carriers report that 65-hundred cell sites were down along the East Coast during Hurricane Irene. Forty-four percent of Vermont's cell sites were down. The Post reports that confusion and a lack of coordination has federal employees worried that the government is still woefully unprepared for emergency situations.

Here in the North Country, Jefferson County is planning big improvements to its emergency communications system. The legislature just named a committee to research options and report back to lawmakers on the issue. Joanna Richards has more.  Go to full article

Wind power educational forum set for today in Cape Vincent

by Joanna Richards
Cape Vincent, NY, Aug 31, 2011 — A group called the New York Wind Education Collaborative will hold a public forum on wind energy development Wednesday in Cape Vincent. Two companies have proposed wind farms in the town, and residents there have been divided for years over the issue. Reporter Joanna Richards spoke with a representative of the group about who's involved, why they're coming to Cape Vincent and what they hope to accomplish with the forum.  Go to full article
Nobody likes to see their taxes increase, but it's an essential service that we provide.

Two town of Brownville village fire departments urge consolidation

by Joanna Richards
Dexter, NY, Aug 31, 2011 — Small fire departments that rely on volunteers and local support are struggling to survive. Fire departments in the neighboring villages of Brownville and Dexter are urging residents to support a merger and a new form of governance. One fire chief says consolidating will make funding and firefighting simpler for the rural towns of Jefferson County. Joanna Richards reports.  Go to full article
It's a great forum for other young people to come together and express... what they're concerned about...

Young Thousand Islanders gather to create vision of region's future

by Joanna Richards
Clayton, NY, Aug 29, 2011 — The Thousand Islands Young Leaders Organization held a summit last Friday to gather ideas from young people about their vision for the future of the Thousand Islands Region. The group was founded in April 2008 to help improve quality of life for young Northern New Yorkers, and to get them more involved in their communities. Joanna Richards was at the summit and has this report.  Go to full article

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