Feb 11, 2009 — Last year, Fort Drum began posting the names and photos of soldiers who were arrested for drunk driving while intoxicated in the post newspaper. The unusual step was taken by Drum's commanding general when he was alerted to high DWI rates among his soldiers. Today, Major General Michael Oates says the situation has not improved. He's taken another unusual step: asking his troops for answers on his blog. Martha Foley and David Sommerstein revisit this story for our series, Story 2.0.  Go to full article

Sep 17, 2008 — Officials in an Adirondack school district have launched an anti-alcohol and drugs network. "Safe Homes" was unveiled at the start of the school year in Lake Placid and Wilmington. It gives parents a new way to build a network of home supervision for teens and their friends. Todd Moe has more.  Go to full article

Mar 18, 2008 — Late Friday night, a 23 year-old Fort Drum soldier injured seven pedestrians when he plowed into a crowd leaving a music club in Watertown. Kristopher Hendricks hit a parked car, then drove the wrong way down a one-way street. He was charged with drunk driving. Watertown police say all the people Hendricks hit are fellow soldiers. All but one has been released from the hospital. The incident came a week after Fort Drum's weekly newspaper began publishing the names and photos of soldiers arrested for DWI. The policy has touched off a debate over the best way to handle the misdeeds of combat veterans who have recently returned from Iraq or Afghanistan. David Sommerstein reports.  Go to full article

Mar 06, 2008 — Fort Drum's commander says an increase in drunk driving, drug use, and other crimes among soldiers is unacceptable. And he's using public pressure to deal with it. The base newspaper will publish the names and photos of soldiers charged with DWI. 3500 Fort Drum soldiers returned from Iraq last November. It was the second or third tour of duty for many of them. As David Sommerstein reports, substance abuse is often associated with combat trauma.  Go to full article

Mar 05, 2008 — Fort Drum's main headquarters is getting ready to take control of the south-central area of Iraq. Major General Michael Oates, the base's commander, will lead more than a thousand troops to Iraq in May. While they're there, three other 10th Mountain Division brigades will be preparing to deploy this fall. Yesterday, General Oates gave some members of the media a tour of a training war room that's a replica of the real thing in Iraq. David Sommerstein was there and has this report.  Go to full article

Nov 09, 2007 — The Franklin County Grand Jury is reviewing the circumstances surrounding the drownings of two Paul Smith's College students last May. A State police investigator says the grand jury could recommend that charges be filed against students who allegedly provided the underaged victims with alcohol. Chris Knight reports.  Go to full article

Aug 02, 2007 — An Essex County town and its fire department are facing a lawsuit that claims they illegally sold alcohol at a town barbeque last year to a man who later drove drunk and caused an accident that injured two people. At least one town official, however, says the allegations are without merit. Chris Knight reports.  Go to full article

Jun 20, 2007 — Paul Smiths College has drawn criticism in recent weeks, following the alcohol-related deaths of two students in May. But academic and law enforcement officials across the region say the problem of underage drinking is complicated, with few easy answers. In the final part of our series on alcohol and campus safety, Brian Mann reports that the debate often winds up in a legal and ethical gray zone.  Go to full article

Jun 19, 2007 — This week, we're looking at the issue of drinking and safety on college campuses. Franklin County District Attorney Derek Champagne announced last week that criminal charges are still possible following the alcohol-related deaths of two students at Paul Smiths College. Champagne says state police are still investigating the drownings of 20 year-old Sean Cornell and 18 year-old Lee Walker. The students died when their canoes overturned on Lower St. Regis Lake last month as they returned from a party. State police said drinking alcohol contributed to their deaths. Champagne said they're looking into how Cornell, Walker and other underage students at the party obtained alcohol. Yesterday, Brian Mann reported on the controversy surrounding Paul Smiths College, where five young people have died in the last three years. Brian spoke with Paul Smiths President John Mills, who says the school is working hard to keep older students from supplying liquor to friends who are underage.  Go to full article

May 18, 2007 — State Police say alcohol was a contributing factor in the death of two Paul Smith's College students who drowned earlier this month after their canoes overturned in Lower St. Regis Lake. Police, for the first time, are also providing details on what caused the accident. At the same time, police say alcohol played a role in the death of two young men in a car crash outside Lake Placid last month. Chris Knight reports.  Go to full article