May 16, 2006 — Voters in New York have the opportunity to vote on their local school budgets today. Schools say extra aid from the Governor and legislature this year have helped keep costs down to property taxpayers. Karen DeWitt reports.  Go to full article

May 03, 2006 — As gas prices remain above 3 dollars a gallon across most of the North Country, lawmakers in Albany want to give drivers some relief. They've targeted the 4% state tax on gasoline. But politics as usual is getting in the way. David Sommerstein reports.  Go to full article

Apr 12, 2006 — A bill now being considered in Albany would ban the highest-risk sex offenders - level 3 - from living within a quarter mile of schools and day care centers. The bill has passed the Senate, but is still stuck in committee in the Assembly. One councilman in Ogdensburg says it's too important to wait. He's proposed a city-wide law, even stricter than the state version. It would bar all sex offenders from living within 2000 feet of schools, day care centers, and also parks and playgrounds--essentially restricting them to the very fringes of the city. It's not the first such law. Similar legislation has been passed in Buffalo, and Amherst New York, and around the country. But as Gregory Warner reports, the laws can have unintended consequences.

A warning to listeners: This story includes a brief description of violence against children.  Go to full article

Apr 05, 2006 — Over 40 'sexually violent predators' are currenly being civilly confined in New York - held by the state after their criminal sentences are completed.
Governor Pataki cleared two major hurdles in his effort to build a permanent civil confinement facility at the St Lawrence PSychiatric Center in Ogdensburg, as well as other sites around the state.
Lawmakers approved the measure in the budget. And last week an appellate court ruled that the legislation, similar to that in over a dozen other states, is legal.
The union that represents workers at St Lawrence Psychiatric Center has endorsed the project, as have corrections officer's unions. Even residents opposed to the plan agree the issue is settled.

Still, about 50 people came to a special town hall meeting in Ogdensburg last night to get their questions heard.  Go to full article

Mar 29, 2006 — Sex offenders may be effectively barred from living in Ogdensburg. A proposed law would prohibit all sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of a school, park, playground, or licensed day care center. Such "pedophile-free zones" are becoming more popular around the country, and similar laws have been passed in Buffalo, Amherst and Cheektowaga, New York. Now State lawmakes are considering a bill in Albany. Gregory Warner reports.  Go to full article

Mar 17, 2006 — Congressman Sherwood Boehlert announced today that he will not run for re-election. The Republican from Oneida County served in Washington for more than 24 years. Sherwood Boehlert was a moderate Republican who frequently clashed with the Bush administration. Brian Mann joined Gregory Warner live on All Before Five to talk about what this might mean for the region and both parties.  Go to full article

Mar 16, 2006 — Legislative conference committees have begun meeting on a budget agreement, due April 1. Most of the talk centers on restoring money to programs cut by Gov. Pataki. Karen DeWitt reports.  Go to full article

Mar 06, 2006 — Since 1998, Governor Pataki has proposed civil confinement legilislation that would enable New York State to civilly commit violent sex offenders after their release from prison. Republicans this year have pushed hard for such legislation this year, and lawmakers in Albany now seem close to a compromise bill. The governor's proposed budget provides $192 million for the project, the bulk of which would go towards capital costs to prepare 8 selected housing sites around the state to accept civilly confined sexual offenders as soon as October of 2006. One of those eight proposed sites is a building at St Lawrence Psychiatric Center, in Ogdensburg. As Gregory Warner reports, local residents aren't all happy about the idea.  Go to full article

Mar 02, 2006 — The New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) has introduced a bill they say would help students whose family incomes change radically in mid-year to make changes to their financial aid. Gregory Warner reports.  Go to full article

Feb 24, 2006 — On the last Friday of every month, at the US Federal Courthouse in Albany, there's a swearing in ceremony for naturalized citizens. This morning, 64 new Americans were there. One of them was Hye Chong Yi, from Potsdam.  Go to full article