Rensselaer, NY, Dec 26, 2011 — Earlier this month, Governor Cuomo handed out nearly $800-million through his newly created regional economic councils. WMHT's Marie Cusick reports for the Innovation Trail about what comes next.  Go to full article

Indian Lake, NY, Dec 26, 2011 — A top official in Hamilton County is praising the Regional Economic Development Council process. Earlier this month, the state awarded the North Country more than $100-million to help boost the economy. Todd Moe has more.  Go to full article

Rensselaer, NY, Dec 09, 2011 — In a ceremony yesterday morning in Albany, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that seven counties in northern New York will receive more than a hundred million dollars in state grants over the next year.

The announcement drew cheers from the audience and sparked a celebration from Plattsburgh to Watertown. Business and political leaders say this money, and this vote of confidence from state officials, could help to spark an economic transformation. Brian Mann was in Albany and has our story.  Go to full article

Nov 29, 2011 — This week, as part of a partnership with WBEZ public radio in Chicago, Brian Mann is traveling in Ontario, talking about the very different impact of the recession north of the border. It turns out, workers living just a few miles away, in Canada, have experienced the economic downturn very differently than workers here.

While American cities along the Great Lakes like Buffalo and Rochester struggle and lose population, Toronto and Montreal are growing. They've even added jobs through the recession. Workers who do lose their jobs in Canada have a much more comprehensive social safety net and that may be helping to stabilize and boost the country's overall economy. Brian Mann speaks with Martha Foley from Toronto.  Go to full article

Kingston, ON, Nov 28, 2011 — This week we'll be looking in-depth at the very different ways that the recession has hit Canada. Over the last three years, communities and workers north of the border have fared much better than their counterparts here in the North Country.

Unemployment on the Canadian side of the lakes is far lower -- around 8% in Ontario and 7.7% in Quebec. In fact, through the Great Recession, Ontario and Quebec have actually grown jobs. And workers in those provinces who lose their positions can expect to be out of work for only half as long before they find a new job, when compared with workers in the US.

In a partnership with WBEZ public radio in Chicago, Brian Mann is traveling in Canada, talking with experts and workers. He spoke with Martha Foley.  Go to full article

Elizabethtown, NY, Oct 19, 2011 — A new organization created this year by Governor Andrew Cuomo is drafting an economic development plan designed to jump-start the North Country's struggling economy.

As part of that process the North Country Regional Economic Development Council is developing a list of priority projects that could draw as much as $40 million in state funding next year.

The plan will be finalized and sent to Albany in the next couple of weeks, but so far the Council hasn't offered any public details about what projects will be included.

As Brian Mann reports, the lack of information drew criticism last night at a gathering in the Adirondacks.  Go to full article

Tupper Lake, NY, Oct 03, 2011 — State officials now say roughly 175 people will lose their jobs in the North Country after the Public Employee Federation last week voted down a new contract.

Hardest hit were Franklin, Jefferson and St. Lawrence Counties, which each saw about fifty positions cut from the state payroll.

In all, the state will lay off 3,496 workers within the next three weeks unless the union and the governor come to an agreement soon.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo had been hoping for concessions from PEF's membership as the state continues to deal with a $10 billion budget deficit.

As political wrangling continues in Albany, Chris Morris reports that the pink slips are deeply personal to many North Country workers.  Go to full article

Niagara Falls, ON, Aug 11, 2011 — Employment numbers aren't good in western New York. But the Seneca Nation is bucking the trend. The Nation is working fast to fill jobs, especially those calling for highly-skilled workers.

There are enough jobs that the Senecas are looking outside of their own community to fill those positions. Case in point: Seneca Niagara Casino. The Innovation Trail's Daniel Robison reports.

Support for the Innovation Trail comes from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The Innovation Trail is a collaboration between five upstate public media outlets, reporting about New York's innovation economy.  Go to full article

Potsdam, NY, Aug 05, 2011 — Governor Cuomo's regional councils on the economy are holding their first meetings this week. Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy was in Syracuse yesterday and will be in Potsdam today. Martha Foley has more.  Go to full article

Buffalo, NY, Aug 02, 2011 — First Niagara Financial Group has purchased 195 HSBC bank branches, including 71 in western New York, and a dozen in the north country. Julie Grant reports that it's unclear what will happen to those northern HSBC branches, customers, and employees.  Go to full article