Sep 18, 2008 — A one-woman play this weekend in the Adirondacks celebrates poet Emily Dickinson. A recluse for much of her life, in The Belle of Amherst, Dickinson emerges as charming and vivacious, with a passion for words and poetry. The play opens Friday night (6:30) and continues Saturday and Sunday night at the historic Old Mill Art Studio in Elizabethtown. It's a benefit production for the Arts Council of the Northern Adirondacks. Todd Moe has this preview.  Go to full article

Jul 25, 2008 — Take a paddle or hike along a stream, or spend some time gardening and you'll likely hear the familiar click of wings or glimpse a flying glint of blue or green. Dragonflies are a familiar and favorite sight in the North Country. And now, during the summer months, excitement is high among "dragonfliers" whose calendars are extra full because this is the time of year when dragonflies are most commonly seen. But researchers say there are more questions than answers about dragonflies. This is the fourth summer that the DEC and Nature Conservancy have seriously studied dragonflies and their close relatives, damselflies, in some of the more remote parts of the state. With the help of volunteers, biologists are out to foster public interest in the conservation of the colorful, winged insects and their aquatic habitats. Todd Moe found that, for a hobby that includes searching for large bugs in swampy areas, it has a lot of followers.  Go to full article

Mar 18, 2008 — The New York Power Authority says electric customers in Lake Placid and Tupper Lake won't see a big surge in their bills. The Power Authority has promised to investigate mysterious surcharges that more than doubled electric costs in the villages. Jacob Resneck reports from Lake Placid.  Go to full article

Feb 08, 2008 — A key Adirondack Park Agency committee has signed off on two major expansions for Lake Placid's hospitality industry. Jacob Resneck reports.  Go to full article

Jan 08, 2008 — North Country Public Radio and a gospel broadcaster based in Rennselaer County may be close to settling an ongoing dispute over a Lake Placid radio frequency. The two stations had filed applications for the same Lake Placid frequency, 91.7 fm, during a rare window the Federal Communications Commission opened last fall for non-commercial broadcasters. NCPR has been broadcasting on 91.7 fm with a lower-power translator for more than 20 years. But it was the only possible frequency the FCC made available in Lake Placid. As Chris Knight reports, Northeast Gospel Broadcasting and North Country Public Radio are trying to meet a deadline imposed by the FCC.  Go to full article

Oct 11, 2007 — New welcome signs to the town of Malone have raised some eyebrows. It was discovered that the sightly dairy farm pictured on the signs is in Woodstock, Vermont, not Malone, New York. David Sommerstein caught up with Malone town supervisor Howard Maneely at the Local Government Conference Tuesday in Potsdam. He asked Maneely what happened.  Go to full article

Sep 27, 2007 — It will be at least November 2008 before a constitutional amendment can be approved to allow for the building of a new 46-kilovolt transmission line across state Forest Preserve land in eastern St. Lawrence County. But, officials are exploring ways around the delay so it doesn't hold up the project, designed to bolster the municipal electric systems in the Tri-Lakes region. As Chris Knight reports, the first version of the constitutional amendment had to be scrapped after several "typographical errors" were discovered.  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

May 08, 2007 — One of the North Country's most vocal leaders in local government stepped down unexpectedly last week. Colton town supervisor Hank Ford was known for his combative style and ardent support for private land, snowmobilers, and ATV riders in the Adirondacks. Ford was supervisor for almost 10 years. He's also the regional leader of the Conservative Party. He says he resigned due to health problems and to spend more time with his two grandsons. But Ford's critics have speculated that the reason's more than personal. Ford took heat when Colton dropped its two-year-old veto of the state's purchase of land owned by International Paper. Two months later, Colton got a million dollar state grant to improve parks and athletic fields. Some residents suggested the two were linked. Ford told David sommerstein the town lifted the veto because Albany agreed to drop a challenge to Colton's assessment of state land.  Go to full article

May 02, 2007 — The bacteria BTI is very specific. Aside from black flies, it can also be used to kill mosquito larvae in standing water. BTI was isolated in the 1970s in Israel, hence its name, Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis. It was first used to reduce mosquito- and fly-borne diseases. To learn more, David spoke with the leading authority on BTI in New York, Dr. Daniel Molloy. He's an aquatic biologist with the New York State Museum. He says BTI produces protein crystals.  Go to full article