r e g i o n a l n e w s
NCPR News Staff: Julie Grant
Reporter and Producer
Julie Grant grew up on the north shore of Long Island, NY, and moved to the Midwest to attend Miami University. She stayed in Ohio to start her career as a public radio reporter, host, and news director. Julie covered city hall, the statehouse, and loads of political stories. She focused on education coverage for many years, and then turned her attention to environmental issues. Julie was Ohio correspondent for The Environment Report, and covered agriculture, wetlands, chemicals in everyday products, and many other issues.She has traveled to Egypt, India, and around the U.S. for documentary work and public radio stories, and has won many awards through the years. Julie is excited to be back in New York with her family--even though it's much further north this time! Email Julie
Stories filed by Julie Grant
Victory Mayor Jim Sullivan. Photo courtesy James Sullivan
Village of Victory votes on dissolution
Mar 18, 2013 — Residents in the Saratoga County village of Victory, New York, vote Tuesday on whether to dissolve the village government. Some North Country communities have recently considered dissolution, including Potsdam and Malone.
Victory has only 600 residents. They don't have police protection, so the major concerns are what happens to the fire department, garbage collection, and water rates.
30-year old Mayor James Sullivan ran on a dissolution platform four years ago.
He says if voters approve the dissolution, Victory will become part the town of Saratoga, and all those issues can be worked out over the next year or two. Go to full article
Victory has only 600 residents. They don't have police protection, so the major concerns are what happens to the fire department, garbage collection, and water rates.
30-year old Mayor James Sullivan ran on a dissolution platform four years ago.
He says if voters approve the dissolution, Victory will become part the town of Saratoga, and all those issues can be worked out over the next year or two. Go to full article
Border patrol arrests Pakistani for illegal entry to U.S.
Massena, NY, Mar 15, 2013 — A Pakistani man picked up by Massena Border Patrol agents earlier this week is being prosecuted for entering the U.S. illegally.
In a press release, the border patrol says it responded to a call for assistance from the St. Regis Mohawk Tribal police late Wednesday night, near Hogansburg, New York. The Tribal Police had encountered the man, who is a national from Pakistan, while on patrol in the Akwesasne community.
When border agents interviewed the man, they determined he was in the U.S. illegally. He was transported to the Massena Border Patrol Station for processing, and is now being prosecuted.
He faces federal court charges of the Entry without Inspection. Go to full article
In a press release, the border patrol says it responded to a call for assistance from the St. Regis Mohawk Tribal police late Wednesday night, near Hogansburg, New York. The Tribal Police had encountered the man, who is a national from Pakistan, while on patrol in the Akwesasne community.
When border agents interviewed the man, they determined he was in the U.S. illegally. He was transported to the Massena Border Patrol Station for processing, and is now being prosecuted.
He faces federal court charges of the Entry without Inspection. Go to full article
Photo: freefotoUK CC some rights reserved
Three St. Lawrence County schools consider merger
Heuvelton, NY, Mar 14, 2013 — Voters in a small southern Adirondack school district Wednesday rejected a proposal to merge with the Glens Falls City School District. The Glens Falls Post Star reports that voters in the Abraham Wing School didn't like the idea because it would have raised their property taxes.
The state is encouraging small, rural schools like this to merge. If Abraham Wing voters had said yes, the state would have given the merged district an extra $27 million over 14 years.
Meanwhile, three St. Lawrence County districts are looking at forming some kind of partnership, possibly a merger or a regional high school. They want to save money, while improving the student experience. Heuvelton, Hermon-DeKalb and Morristown Central Schools have chipped in for a $30,000 study.
Philip Martin is the former superintendent of Fayetteville-Manlius Central. He's doing the study, and has been presenting what he's found so far in the three communities. Go to full article
The state is encouraging small, rural schools like this to merge. If Abraham Wing voters had said yes, the state would have given the merged district an extra $27 million over 14 years.
Meanwhile, three St. Lawrence County districts are looking at forming some kind of partnership, possibly a merger or a regional high school. They want to save money, while improving the student experience. Heuvelton, Hermon-DeKalb and Morristown Central Schools have chipped in for a $30,000 study.
Philip Martin is the former superintendent of Fayetteville-Manlius Central. He's doing the study, and has been presenting what he's found so far in the three communities. Go to full article
Jonathan Putney, chair of the St. Lawrence County Legislature, in Waddington. Photo: Still from Putney campaign video
St. Lawrence County pushes to increase sales tax
Canton, NY, Mar 13, 2013 — St. Lawrence County legislators are pushing for home rule legislation, so they can raise the county's sales tax from three percent to four percent. They plan to use the additional money to reduce property taxes. But some don't think that's in the county's best interest. Go to full article
Zaccary Fargo, at NYSARC Habilitation Center in Canton. Photo: Julie Grant
Proposed developmental disability cuts worry families
Mar 12, 2013 — New York's government has proposed cuts of nearly a quarter of a billion dollars from programs for the developmentally disabled. That's got a lot of North Country families worried, as agencies that provide those services say they're going to have to make some cuts of their own if this goes through as part of the budget.
Daphne Pickert is executive director at the St. Lawrence NYSARC. She says her organization's budget was cut by nearly $1.3 million just a couple of years ago. They made adjustments, and were able to keep all staff and programs intact. But now the agency is slated to be cut by the same amount again this year. Go to full article
Daphne Pickert is executive director at the St. Lawrence NYSARC. She says her organization's budget was cut by nearly $1.3 million just a couple of years ago. They made adjustments, and were able to keep all staff and programs intact. But now the agency is slated to be cut by the same amount again this year. Go to full article
Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Photo: Zack Seward
Why there's less press access under Cuomo
Rensselaer, NY, Mar 05, 2013 — Governor Andrew Cuomo is keeping a firm grip over communication between state agencies and journalists, an Albany newspaper is reporting. The Times Union says that when reporters contact the state's various agencies and experts, the central office must approve the communication before they can respond.
Cuomo's media policies came under scrutiny when a Department of Transportation engineer from Essex County was recently forced to retire. Mike Fayette spoke with a reporter from the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, without first getting approval. Go to full article
Cuomo's media policies came under scrutiny when a Department of Transportation engineer from Essex County was recently forced to retire. Mike Fayette spoke with a reporter from the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, without first getting approval. Go to full article
Students from Canton's AP Government class, after an assembly last spring to explain state aid cuts to other students. Photo: Julie Grant
PRNDI Contest Entry: Continuing Coverage
Mar 01, 2013 — Public schools in New York's North Country had a tough year in 2012, as you can hear in our continuing coverage of the issue. We produced more than 20 stories following their plight, and have included a selection in this entry. Go to full article
A sapbucket at Newton's Sugarbush. Photo: Todd Moe
Sugaring season is underway
Mar 01, 2013 — It may not feel like spring outside yet, but it's coming. The days are getting longer, the sun is higher in the sky, and the sap buckets are out.
Jeffrey Jenness of Orebad Sugar Shack in DeKalb Junction says February was a slow month for sugaring. When he spoke with Julie Grant earlier this week, Jenness had only collected a couple hundred gallons of sap. For an operation like his, that's not enough to get the equipment dirty and start making syrup. He's hoping for better days ahead. Go to full article
Jeffrey Jenness of Orebad Sugar Shack in DeKalb Junction says February was a slow month for sugaring. When he spoke with Julie Grant earlier this week, Jenness had only collected a couple hundred gallons of sap. For an operation like his, that's not enough to get the equipment dirty and start making syrup. He's hoping for better days ahead. Go to full article
Photo: Sandy Demarest
State fines Price Chopper for "deceptive" coupon practices
Rensselaer, NY, Feb 27, 2013 — The state is ordering Price Chopper to clarify its coupon rules, and pay $100,000 in penalties and costs. And it's led to a war of words between them. Go to full article
Flooding has left this house on Lower Park St. in Malone uninhabitable. Photo: Julie Grant
Malone looks to buy out damaged homes
Malone, NY, Feb 27, 2013 — Lower Park Street in Malone has been reopened to traffic again. It's been closed numerous times this winter, because flooding has left the road impassable. It's also destroyed a handful of houses. Town leaders have been looking at getting the river dredged, to prevent future floods. But federal officials say it might make sense just to buy out the homeowners. 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
