Jul 08, 2010 — Administrators and school board officials in Saranac Lake are apologizing after it was disclosed that a young girl was the subject of a bullying campaign by other students that apparently went on for more than a year. The 12-year-old girl was harassed in part because of her race. Brian Mann reports.  Go to full article

Mar 02, 2010 — Protesters will gather in Albany tomorrow to try to save dozens of New York state parks and historic sites. Governor David Paterson wants to close the parks this spring as part of an effort to cut an $8.2-billion budget deficit. At least nine parks in the North Country are targeted. Historians and civil rights activists are especially furious over the plan to shut down John Browns Farm in Lake Placid. As Brian Mann reports, the burial site of the famous Civil War-era abolitionist has been a pilgrimage site and a symbol of freedom for more than 150 years.  Go to full article

Lake Placid, NY, Sep 10, 2009 — A poll released yesterday by Conservative candidate Doug Hoffman is offering a first snapshot of the congressional race to replace John McHugh. The survey, paid for by Hoffman's campaign, shows Republican Dede Scozzafava with 30% of the vote. That compares with 20% for Democrat Bill Owens and 19% for Hoffman. Brian Mann has our report.  Go to full article

Summerstown, ON, Jun 10, 2009 — Locals in the Akwesasne Mohawk community and in the Ontario city of Cornwall are pressing the Canadian government to begin talks aimed at reopening the Seaway International bridge. Officials from Cornwall were planning to travel to Ottawa today and a community meeting is planned for Friday. The route from New York to Ontario was closed nearly two weeks ago, after Mohawks protested a plan to arm border agents with pistols. Brian Mann was at the border yesterday and has our story.  Go to full article

May 08, 2009 — This year, communities across the U.S. will commemorate abolitionist John Brown. Brown was hanged 150 years ago, after his famous raid on Harpers Ferry in Virginia. The remembrances begin tomorrow in Lake Placid with events at the John Brown Farm State Historic Site. Later in the year, organizers hope to re-enact the funeral procession that carried Brown's body across Lake Champlain from Vermont and then through Elizabethtown to Lake Placid. Brian Mann first reported on Brown's legacy in 2002.  Go to full article

Feb 11, 2009 — A former student from North Country Community College in Saranac Lake remains behind bars this week, following his arrest in mid-December. Michael Odumosu traveled to the North Country from London, England, to play for the school's basketball team. He is accused of raping a young woman in a student apartment just off campus. The charges have also triggered an inquiry by Federal Immigration officials. As Brian Mann reports, Odumosu's supporters are raising questions about the way his case was handled, both by the school and by police.

Correction: North Country Community College officials did make an effort to reach NCPR before this story aired. Tomorrow during regional news, we'll hear from Ed Trathen, Vice President for Enrollment & Student Services.  Go to full article

Jan 21, 2009 — Governor Paterson was in Washington for the Inauguration. He spoke with reporters about the historic nature of yesterday's Inaugural and that of past presidents. Martha Foley has more.  Go to full article

Jan 15, 2009 — Yesterday, we reported on the dozens of North Country families that are traveling to Washington DC for the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama. But there's a debate underway over what Obama's victory means. Are we a post-racial society now that we have our first black president? What does it mean that blacks and whites still lead very different lives in this country? On Tuesday, that conversation spilled over into a surprising venue: a Rotary club luncheon in Plattsburgh. As Brian Mann reports, two prominent civic leaders wrestled for an hour with some of the thorniest and most controversial issues in our society.  Go to full article

Plattsburgh, NY, Jan 15, 2009 — The Plattsburgh Press-Republican and the Plattsburgh Rotary organized a public debate between two prominent civic leaders: JW Wiley, who teaches at SUNY Plattsburgh, and businessman Mark Barie. Their conversation on Wednesday, January 14, 2009 followed an exchange of opinion pieces in the newspaper.  Go to full article

Dec 16, 2008 — Pundits and politicians are still sorting out the significance of last month's election. One big question is the role of rural voters. Small towns were Republican territory four years ago. But there are signs that some rural counties, especially in the Northeast, are trending Democratic. Brian Mann spoke with journalist and rural policy expert Bill Bishop, who says Democratic-leaning towns tend to have more educated citizens and higher incomes.  Go to full article