Canton, NY, May 28, 2009 — North County Congressman John McHugh fielded a range of issues at town hall meetings yesterday in Ogdensburg and Canton. He listened to border concerns and worries over a wind project in Hammond. There was also some talk of new economic potential in Massena and Newton Falls. A group of farmers came for help with near-record low milk prices. David Sommerstein reports.  Go to full article

Dec 12, 2008 — Last week we reported on an Adirondack artist who was detained at the Canadian border in Maine for having sketches of SUVs in her car. The incident was parodied on The Colbert Report. Now another unusual incident at the border, this time in Massena. The vice-chairman of the revived paper mill in Newton Falls was refused entry into the United States on Tuesday. Customs officers said he was working without a visa, even though he's paid by a Canadian company. David Sommerstein reports.  Go to full article

Aug 21, 2007 — The new owners of the Newton Falls paper mill say the plant in southern St. Lawrence County will resume production in two weeks. The plant has sat idle for seven years. Yesterday's announcement follows Governor Eliot Spitzer's decision to spend roughly $1.7 million in state funds to help pay for start-up costs. As Brian Mann reports, ninety workers have already been hired on at the mill.  Go to full article

Mar 26, 2007 — Word that rail company CSX might stop serving a stretch of track in the North Country caused concern last week among manufacturers, railroad operators and industrial development agencies. Martha Foley has more.  Go to full article

Mar 13, 2007 — Federal officials have removed a big stumbling block for the paper mill in Newton Falls, in southern St. Lawrence County. The EPA announced yesterday that it won't require the new owners of the mothballed plant to undergo a comprehensive environmental review before it starts production. As Brian Mann reports, backers now say the mill could be back in operation by this summer.  Go to full article

Jul 21, 2006 — A plan to re-open the paper mill in Newton Falls took a very small step forward this week. A board voted unanimously to support the site's inclusion in Potsdam's Empire Zone. That would make it eligible for tax breaks and low-cost power. A group led by Dennis Bunnell wants to re-open the paper mill as Newton Falls Fine Paper Company. The company wants to invest $20 million in the plant and hire 97 people. But after a year and a half of work, the plan is still preliminary. David Sommerstein has more.  Go to full article

Jul 28, 2005 — The shuttered Appleton Paper Mill in Newton Falls was on a list of regional impacts Congressman McHugh cited in his vote against CAFTA. Closure of the mill in 2000 only made matters worse for Star Lake, Cranberry Lake, and Newton Falls. They've struggled for years to reverse the impact chronic high unemployment has on their communities. People came together five years ago in a concerted effort to identify projects that would help. A follow-up round of revitalization meetings is wrapping up tonight in Wanakena. As David Sommerstein reports, many residents see a bright future. Many others can't forget the silent mill.  Go to full article

Nov 04, 2004 — Locals in Tupper Lake and Lake Placid hope to end electricity shortages by extending a power line from St. Lawrence County. State Senator Betty Little is supporting a plan that would build a new line from Newton Falls, down through Cranberry Lake, and on to Tupper Lake. As Chris Knight reports, organizers say more electricity would end black-outs that have plagued the area. They also say the line could boost economic development.  Go to full article

Sep 30, 2002 — A Canadian company will spend more than twenty million dollars refurbishing the paper mill in Newton Falls. The plan--which will mean roughly 120 job--was unveiled Sunday at a ceremony in the village. The economy in southern St. Lawrence County was devastated three years ago when the Newton Falls mill shut down. As Brian Mann reports, many locals say yesterday's announcement was the pay-off for years of hope and hard work.  Go to full article

Aug 08, 2002 — The Roman Catholic Church has been a powerful force in the North Country since the region was settled by whites hundreds of years ago. But the once-firm fabric of community parishes is under increasing strain. A shortage of priests has forced the Diocese of Ogdensburg to close churches, and move priests to serve more congregations. The process has continued through the summer and fall. Currently, one in four parishes in the North Country lacks a resident pastor. As Brian Mann reports, the crisis began long before the current sex-abuse scandals, and it's changing the work of the local churches.  Go to full article