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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
NY Congressman Bill Owens at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Fort Drum's Warrior Transition Battalion Complex in May 2012. Photo: Army Medicine, CC some rights reserved
Owens: Fort Drum in good shape as Army considers cutbacks
Watertown, NY, Jan 29, 2013 — The U.S. military is in the process of cutting almost half a trillion dollars from its budget over ten years. The Pentagon says the cuts will lead to a more agile force with a new strategic mission. A new Army report weighs alternatives for restructuring that could affect Fort Drum. Under one scenario, the post could see an increase of 3,000 soldiers, but under another, it could lose up to 8,000 soldiers and 15 percent of its civilian workforce. Go to full article
US Army photo of women training for combat. Photo: www.army.mil
Soldiers welcome news on women in combat, with some reservations
Fort Drum, NY, Jan 24, 2013 — Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced Wednesday that a ban on women serving in combat roles in the military will be lifted over the coming years.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand called it a proud day for our country. She issued a statement, noting that she fought for a Defense Department feasibility report on lifting the ban.
She writes, "This decision finally opens the door for more qualified women to excel in our military and advance their careers, and obtain all of the benefits they have earned."
And, officially recognizing women in combat "will strengthen our country both morally and militarily."
Around heavily-deployed Fort Drum, soldiers generally welcomed the news - with some caveats. Go to full article
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand called it a proud day for our country. She issued a statement, noting that she fought for a Defense Department feasibility report on lifting the ban.
She writes, "This decision finally opens the door for more qualified women to excel in our military and advance their careers, and obtain all of the benefits they have earned."
And, officially recognizing women in combat "will strengthen our country both morally and militarily."
Around heavily-deployed Fort Drum, soldiers generally welcomed the news - with some caveats. Go to full article
Specialist Jacob Owens attended the president's second inauguration on Monday, Jan. 21, 2013. Photo: Fort Drum Public Affairs
Wounded Fort Drum servicemember at inauguration: "Wow"
Washington, DC, Jan 22, 2013 — More than half a million people gathered on the National Mall in front of the US Capitol to be a part of President Barack Obama's second inauguration. Among them were about 10 wounded servicemembers who have been recovering at Walter Reed hospital in Washington, D.C. Among that group were four Fort Drum soldiers. Specialist Jacob Owens was among them. Go to full article
Doctoral student Izabela Sokolowska demonstrates the mass spectrometer, one of the pieces of equipment the research team at Clarkson University uses to study proteins in autistic children. Photo: Joanna Richards
Clarkson team hopes for earlier autism diagnosis and treatment
Potsdam, NY, Jan 17, 2013 — About one in 88 children in America is thought to have some form of autism. The illness affects communication and social abilities.
It's usually diagnosed when children show slower language development than other kids. But a team at Clarkson University in Potsdam is hoping their research might make earlier diagnosis and intervention possible. Go to full article
It's usually diagnosed when children show slower language development than other kids. But a team at Clarkson University in Potsdam is hoping their research might make earlier diagnosis and intervention possible. Go to full article
Cody Baciuska, of Loomacres Wildlife Management, fires pyrotechnics into the sky to scare away Watertown's winter crow flock. Photo: Joanna Richards
Watertown scares away thousands of crows with pyrotechnics, noise
Watertown, NY, Jan 15, 2013 — It's an eerie sight: Every winter, around dusk each night, a flock of between 20,000 and 30,000 crows gathers in the trees around the Black River in Watertown.
They can be a neat sight against the white winter landscape, but the city wants them gone. That's because they squawk and poop and generally annoy a lot of city residents. The city has hired a wildlife management company to disperse the birds. Go to full article
They can be a neat sight against the white winter landscape, but the city wants them gone. That's because they squawk and poop and generally annoy a lot of city residents. The city has hired a wildlife management company to disperse the birds. Go to full article
Senator Charles Schumer announces the restoration of funding for low-volume and Medicare-dependent hospitals Friday at Lewis County General Hospital in Lowville. Photo: Joanna Richards
Schumer touts Lewis County rural hospital funding return
Lowville, NY, Jan 14, 2013 — Democratic US Senator Charles Schumer was at Lewis County General Hospital on Friday, touting the return of funding for New York's rural hospitals.
The funding had been suspended for three months by Congress, and Schumer worked with Republican Senator of Iowa Charles Grassley to reinstate the funding as part of Congress's fiscal cliff deal. Go to full article
The funding had been suspended for three months by Congress, and Schumer worked with Republican Senator of Iowa Charles Grassley to reinstate the funding as part of Congress's fiscal cliff deal. Go to full article
WW II-era barracks being demolished to make way for new housing. File photo: Army Corps of Engineers
North country housing market tight as Fort Drum deployments smaller, shorter
Watertown, NY, Jan 03, 2013 — Nearly all of Fort Drum's soldiers are at the post right now, not on deployments - and that's a first for the region since the installation's expansion in 2001. That has tightened the region's housing market, for soldiers, who have fewer choices, and for civilians, who don't receive housing assistance like soldiers do and are looking for affordable housing. Go to full article
One reason good nutrition is important to AIDS/HIV patients: a common side effect of antiretroviral medications such as Atripla is the loss of minerals from bone.
Nutrition program to help HIV/AIDS patients stay healthier
Syracuse, NY, Jan 01, 2013 — Advancements in AIDS treatment means that people with the illness are living longer than ever. That means they need to take better care of their long-term health. A new program for AIDS patients in the North Country focuses on improving their nutrition. Go to full article
I'm a shoe diva, as you can see, so I came down, and they're brand new shoes! For 10 dollars a pair! How can you go wrong?
Thrifty shoppers snag fashion finds in Watertown
Watertown, NY, Dec 28, 2012 — Fashionistas in the Watertown area got a treat recently: a stylish, and affordable, one-day clothing boutique at the Black River Valley Club, to benefit the Watertown Urban Mission. Go to full article
Dr. Dan Mitchell, a psychologist at the North Country Children's Clinic, demonstrates his practice's new electronic medical record system at the clinic's offices in Watertown. Photo: Joanna Richards
InfoTech project aims to improve health care in North Country
Watertown, NY, Dec 17, 2012 — While lots of industries turned to information technology long ago to improve efficiency, accuracy and collaboration, until now, health care has lagged behind. Now, a big project has aimed to leverage IT in the health care in the North Country. 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
