Ogdensburg, NY, Oct 31, 2012 — The winds and waves of Hurricane Sandy this week took down an 18th century replica sailing ship used in three Hollywood films. On Monday, the Coast Guard rescued 14 of the HMS Bounty's crew off the coast of North Carolina. Claudene Christian, a crew member, was found unresponsive in the ocean off the North Carolina coast Monday evening. She was one of two crew members believed washed overboard when the Bounty began taking on water. Authorities say captain Robin Walbridge is still missing.

Walbridge had sailed the HMS Bounty all over the world, including the Galapagos, Holland, and British Columbia.

Two years ago, Walbridge and his crew docked the Bounty at Ogdensburg, while on their way to the Great Lakes United Tall Ships Challenge. Walbridge told Todd Moe that sailing the St. Lawrence was a favorite trip.  Go to full article

WELLESLEY ISLAND, NY, Oct 24, 2012 — Construction of the giant hydropower dam near Massena in the 1950s forever tamed the once-wild St. Lawrence River. It allowed engineers to harness the river's natural ebb and flow for energy production and to protect homes and ports at the same time. But in the process, it hurt the indigenous plants and animals that depend on those highs and lows to survive.

The environmental group Save The River has been leading a charge to persuade the agency that controls water levels to return more natural ebbs and flows to the St. Lawrence. One way is by giving the younger generation of River residents a "hands-on" lesson.  Go to full article

Clayton, NY, Jun 27, 2011 — This spring's rain has left water levels on Lake Ontario well above normal--higher than the International St Lawrence River Board of Control is comfortable with.

To fix the problem, the board earlier this month started letting more water out at the Moses-Saunders dam in Massena. That means some areas of the St. Lawrence will be seeing low water levels. That has some worried about the boating season.

Nora Flaherty has more.  Go to full article

Flushing, NY, Jun 24, 2011 — The US Department of State said on Tuesday that Canadian Border Officials were "well within their rights" when they threatened to seize an American fisherman's boat and fined him $1000 in May. It said the officials were just enforcing their rule that boats entering Canadian waters - not simply in transit - must report in on special phones located in marinas and other locations on land.

But politicians on both sides of the border are lining up against the move.

If you are on the river and are in doubt about whether you need to check in with Canadian Customs, call 204-983-3500.  Go to full article

Ogdensburg, NY, Aug 07, 2009 — It's been an up-and-down week for an embattled North Country retail chain. Hacketts reopened its store in Massena this week. Its parent company finished paying off a $5 million debt. But new lawsuits against the company have emerged, including one from the family that is the retailers' namesake. David Sommerstein reports.  Go to full article

Mar 18, 2008 — Former Governor Eliot Spitzer will be remembered for his accomplishments cleaning up Wall Street. But Spitzer was also a national crusader for environmental causes. As Attorney General, he sued coal-burning power plants and pushed the Federal EPA to adopt stricter clean-air laws. In his first year as Governor, Spitzer approved a huge land purchase in the Adirondack Park and fought a controversial power corridor project. As Governor David Paterson takes office, environmental activists say he has big shoes to fill. But they also say the Harlem Democrat has a strong track record pushing alternative energy and other green causes. Brian Mann has our story.  Go to full article

Feb 05, 2008 — Last week, more than 1500 college campuses around the country joined in an effort called "Focus the Nation." The goal was to convince politicians and the public that climate change should be a top issue in this election year. As Brian Mann reports, students and faculty at St. Lawrence University agree that the planet is getting warmer and that humans are to blame. But they're still not sure what they or their leaders should do about it.  Go to full article

Feb 23, 2007 — Five centuries ago, the St. Lawrence valley, from Watertown to Quebec City, was ruled by a culture that modern anthropologists call "the corn people." When the first French explorer Jacques Cartier arrived in 1534, he found bustling towns and well-ordered fields. A few decades later, when Samuel de Champlain reached the same area, the corn people were gone. Their villages were empty. Their fields were abandoned. A new exhibition in Montreal explores the mystery of their disappearance. But as Brian Mann reports, some members of the Mohawk community say the scientists and historians have the story wrong.  Go to full article

Jul 12, 2005 — The House has slashed over half the funding for an anti-poverty fund called the Community Services Block Grant. The money funds neighborhood centers around the country. Experts say it would mean many of those centers would have to close. The Senate is expected to vote on the issue later this summer. The cuts would take effect in 2006. Gregory Warner reports from a neighborhood center and thrift store in Canton.  Go to full article

Mar 09, 2005 — The St Lawrence Renewal Center has received over $140,000 to buy and renovate its offices in Canton.  Go to full article