Ottawa, ON, Jul 23, 2012 — All over Ottawa, you can spot clusters of red bikes parked on street corners. They're known as Bixi bikes; it's a bike-sharing program that's supposed to make it easy for tourists to get around the city. There are 25 bike stations all over the dowtown area. And the same model is used in Washington DC, Boston, Toronto and Montreal. But as reporter Karen Kelly discovered, there are a few challenges to mastering the Bixi bike experience.  Go to full article

Plattsburgh, NY, Jul 23, 2012 — Late blight, a windborne plant disease that can spread quickly and devastate potato and tomato plants, is on the move. Agriculture officials have been watching since late blight was identified on Long Island earlier this summer. Cooperative extension horticulturist Amy Ivy tells Martha Foley it's now been reported in Syracuse and in Dutchess County, south of Albany.  Go to full article

Jul 20, 2012 — John Warren, of the Adirondack Almanack, joins us Friday mornings with information about local outdoor and back-country conditions.  Go to full article

Lake Placid, NY, Jul 19, 2012 — Almost all the thousands of people who lost power during severe storms Tuesday have service back this morning. National Grid reported 16,000 homes and businesses in St. Lawrence and Franklin counties went dark at the peak of the storm. This morning, the utility's map shows about 50 still waiting for power.

Some of the worst damage was reported in the village of Potsdam. Village Administrator Dave Fenton says several buildings were damaged. The roof on a liquor store collapsed and the roofs of Sergis' restaurant and a hardware store were torn off. Fenton said the Sergi's building and two others, including a nearby apartment, have been temporarily condemned. Fenton said the village will soon begin adding up how much the damage will cost to see if Potsdam will qualify for help from the state.

Lake Placid is scrambling to clean up downed trees and other debris after a thunderstorm that struck five days before the Ironman triathlon. Tuesday evening's storm also damaged Lake Placid's Water Filtration Plant, and homeowners throughout the community were in their yards yesterday and today surveying the damage caused by heavy rains and high winds. Chris Morris has more.  Go to full article

Potsdam, NY, Jul 19, 2012 — Towering black clouds gave a dramatic warning of the storm sweeping toward Potsdam mid-afternoon Tuesday. Most alarming was a funnel-shaped cloud reported by eyewitnesses, and captured in photographs. Say "funnel" and lots of us think: "tornado."

But not all funnel clouds are tornadoes, even when they're apparently dropping down from a big, black cloud.

Martha Foley got an alternative explanation and another name, derecho, from Aileen O'Donogue, who teaches climatology as well as astronomy at St. Lawrence University. Aileen was on the ground watching as the storm came toward Potsdam. (Note: we'd love a high resolution picture of Tuesday's funnel-shaped cloud. E-mail images to: radio@ncpr.org)  Go to full article

Saranac Lake, NY, Jul 19, 2012 — The Village of Saranac Lake was crowded with bargain hunters from all corners of the North Country Saturday for the first annual Village Wide Garage Sale. The event was sponsored by a women's civic group; village residents paid $20 to get on the group's garage sale map.

Chris Knight took a drive through the village during the event and sent back this audio postcard.  Go to full article

Jul 17, 2012 — State forest rangers battled a small forest fire on an Adirondack high peak from the ground and from the air on Monday. The Sawteeth Mountain blaze in the Essex County town of Keene is one of more than a dozen forest, ground and brush fires reported in the Adirondacks so far this month due to the warm weather and lack of rain.

Chris Knight got a first-hand look at the response to Monday's blaze and filed this report.  Go to full article

Mexico, NY, Jul 17, 2012 — It's isn't officially a drought, but it's certainly been a dry summer so far. WRVO's Ellen Abbott reports farmers aren't pushing the panic button yet, but they are watching the skies.  Go to full article

Jul 16, 2012 — State officials got a big boost battling Adirondack wildfires when heavy rainstorms swept the region on Sunday. But a summary issued over the weekend by Conservation Department spokesman David Winchell reported 15 wildfires identified since July 1st in the Park. They have burned a total of 23 acres. Four of the blazes, covering roughly six acres, are still considered active.  Go to full article

Jul 16, 2012 — July has been hot and dry. But in the North Country, relief is usually nearby in the form of a swimming hole in a lake or along the bank of a river. Our Adirondack reporter Brian Mann has a favorite cool-off spot in the Dix Mountain Wilderness, a deep rocky pool in the Boquet River. He went swimming over the weekend and sent back this audio postcard.  Go to full article