Winooski, VT, Mar 15, 2010 — Shipwrecked! is running at Vermont Stage Company in the FlynnSpace in Burlington through March 28. Resident theatre critic Connie Meng was at a recent performance and has this review.  Go to full article

Plattsburgh, NY, Feb 15, 2010 — A Canadian company hopes to build a massive new electric transmission line that will use the Champlain and Hudson Valleys to bring power from Quebec to New York City. Transmission Developers Incorporated, based in Toronto, is asking state regulators in New York to approve the use of a type of cable that can be buried underwater. As Brian Mann reports, the technology would mean fewer impacts on communities and landscapes in the North Country.  Go to full article

Port Henry, NY, Feb 08, 2010 — Republicans are hoping to stage a revival in the Northeast this year, inspired by the upset victory of Senator Scott Brown in Massachusetts. But here in northern New York, Democrats continue to make surprising gains, eroding the GOP's decades-long dominance. Democrats Scott Murphy from Glens Falls and Bill Owens from Plattsburgh both won House seats in the last year. The party is also making inroads at the grassroots level, capturing local government offices. Brian Mann reports from Essex County.  Go to full article

Feb 04, 2010 — Essex County farmer Salim "Sandy" Lewis won another round in court yesterday in his battle with the Adirondack Park Agency. According to the New York Times, a state judge has ordered the APA to pay all of Lewis's legal fees and expenses following a lengthy court fight. Brian Mann has details.  Go to full article

Jan 28, 2010 — Governor David Paterson was in the North Country yesterday, announcing that a new, temporary ferry will begin serving Crown Point and Addison Vermont as early as this weekend. The Lake Champlain bridge closed in mid-October after inspectors founds the concrete pilings were disintegrating. As Brian Mann reports, residents and business-owners in the Champlain Valley see the new ferry as another big step toward returning their lives to normal.  Go to full article

Jan 25, 2010 — People plan to rally Thursday afternoon at 4:30 in Port Henry, at the Knights of Columbus Hall, in support of Moriah Shock. Governor David Paterson has slated the prison for closure as part of his statewide budget-cutting plan. Moriah town supervisor Tom Scozzafava says closing the camp will cripple his town's economy and end one of the most innovative programs in the state's prison system.  Go to full article

Mineville-Witherbee, NY, Jan 25, 2010 — Even many prison reform advocates, who want fewer New Yorkers sent to prison, say the state's so-called "shock" program offers alternatives that can benefit low-level, non-violent criminals. Inmates from Moriah Shock have long served useful roles in the region as well, helping forest rangers battle wild fires in the Adirondacks. Over the weekend, they were among the volunteers building the ice palace for Saranac Lake's Winter Carnival. A decade ago, Brian Mann spent a day behind bars at Moriah Shock, attending a graduation, talking with the inmates and their families.  Go to full article

Addison, VT, Dec 29, 2009 — The Crown Point bridge across Lake Champlain was demolished yesterday morning, just after ten o'clock. The span had served as a major link between Vermont and upstate New York for eight decades. It became a part of the North Country landscape and lore. Deterioration of the bridge and its closure in mid-October have crippled the Champlain Valley economy, straining ties between communities on both sides of the lake. As Brian Mann reports, many local people hope that yesterday's massive explosion marks a first step toward getting their lives back to normal.  Go to full article

Addison, VT, Oct 09, 2009 — One of the most important land crossings between Northern New York and Vermont is in worse shape than once believed. According to transportation officials from New York, some of the most important steel girders and cement pilings that support the Crown Point bridge are deteriorating rapidly. The route is used by more than 3,000 vehicles every day. About half of those cars and trucks are driven by people going to work. The bridge is also an important route for tourists. As Brian Mann reports, state and Federal agencies say replacing or permanently repairing the bridge could take half a decade.  Go to full article

Jordan, NY, Oct 06, 2009 — The Forrence Family Orchards, in Peru, NY, will be given an award by Traditional Arts in Upstate New York, this month. TAUNY will hand out its annual North Country Heritage Awards on Sunday, October 18th, in Canton. The Forrence family can trace its farming roots back to the early 1800s in the Champlain Valley. In the 1940s, the farm switched from producing milk to apples as its main crop. Today, it is owned and run by third and fourth generation Forrences, who use state-of-the-art technology to grow and harvest apples. But they still maintain many of the farm's original 18th century buildings. Todd Moe spoke with Mason Forrence about this year's apple harvest and a lifetime in the orchard.  Go to full article