(03/06/12) North Country congressman Bill Owens is praising a Canadian company for its plan to move forward with construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. Owens' backing for the controversial pipeline comes at a time when New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is also pushing a plan to import more hydro-electric power from Quebec.

Canada is already the biggest foreign supplier of energy to the US. And across the political spectrum, American leaders see Canada as a safer alternative to energy suppliers in the Middle East and Central America.

But there are growing questions about the environmental costs to Canada's energy boom and the debate is causing some Canadians to rethink their country's image as one of the world's most environmentally friendly societies. Brian Mann has our story. more

(03/05/12) It's a scene that was common-place in the early 20th century, horses out on a frozen lake cutting through the ice with bladed plows.

Ice harvesting may not be part of your family's plans this year, but for one rural St. Lawrence County family it's the only way to keep food cool during the summer. Trevor Alford visited the Douglass family farm outside Canton and has our story. more

(03/08/12) U.S. Representative Bill Owens says environmentalists shouldn't be concerned about his stand on a new water level plan for Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.

The International Joint Commission started controlling high and low water levels in the 1950s. While that's kept a stable water level, the agency now says it's bad for the environment. The new plan allows water levels to reach higher highs and lower lows.

The IJC has yet to release all the plan details. Congressman Owens recently wrote to the agency, urging closer attention to shoreline property damage along Lake Ontario. He says that damage could exceed $3 million annually. more

(03/07/12) Yesterday, we reported on New York's growing reliance on electricity produced Canada. A new project now in the works would pipe enough energy from hydro dams in Quebec to power a million homes in New York City.

The North Country has also seen a boom in energy production in recent years, with new wind farms, wood pellet plants, and biomass. But with more and more competition, and the lingering economic downturn, electric rates have plummeted.

That's putting pressure on small-scale producers of electricity, including companies trying to generate green, carbon-free energy. A biomass plant in Chateaugay, in Clinton County, laid off 13 workers last month. And many of the region's small hydro dams are also struggling.

This morning, Brian Mann profiles one dam operator in the Adirondacks who says without big regulatory changes, some green energy producers won't survive. more

(03/08/12) Church officials in Ogdensburg say Roman Catholic parishes across the North Country will lose roughly a third of their priests over the next decade.

The Diocese has expanded efforts to recruit new seminarians willing to serve as priests. But the rapid decline is forcing big changes in the way Catholic churches operate.

Brian Mann spoke recently with Bishop Terry LaValley and has this update. more

(03/07/12) President Obama has proposed a new mortgage relief program for membres of the military and veterans. Major lenders will review forecolusres or denials of re-financing. if wrongly foreclosed on, service members will be paid back their equity, and get extra compensation.

Service members are vulnerable to scams, bad deals, and complicated financing. Many are young and inexperienced in managing their finances -- and frequent moves can make them easy prey when they're feeling financial strain.

The problem is serious enough that an entire federal office is now devoted to protecting military families from financial fraud and abuse.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand brought Holly Petreaus, wife of CIA Director General David Petraeus, and head of to the new Office of Servicemember Affairs to Fort Drum last week. The office is part of the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
About 200 people turned out to hear about the office's work.

Joanna Richards was there and has the story. more

(03/06/12) Alerts went out this week about solar activity that could be a predictor of northern lights. In the studio this morning, St. Lawrence University astronomer, and physics professor, Aileen O'Donoghue explains the Sun's electromagnetic storms, and tells Martha Foley it's hard to predict the aurora for sure.

(03/09/12) John Warren, of the Adirondack Almanack, joins us Friday mornings with information about local outdoor and back-country conditions. more

(03/08/12) We all take thousands of breaths each day without thinking about it, yet it's one of the human body's most complex and interesting functions. Martha Foley and Curt Stager discuss what is actually happening when we breathe.

(03/05/12) Cornell Cooperative Extension horticulturist Amy Ivy tells Martha Foley it's time to get the pruning saw and clipper out. And she has advice on what to do first.

(03/07/12) Folk singer Lee Knight has spent much of his life collecting and recording traditional songs of the Adirondacks and the Appalachians. He grew up in Saranac Lake and now lives in North Carolina.

Knight returns to the North Country every now and then to continue his research. He'll be at BluSeed Studios in Saranac Lake Thursday night (7 pm) as part of TAUNY's Song and Story Swaps series. Lee joined Todd Moe in the NCPR studios this morning to share some Native American music.

(03/07/12) Cold nights, warm days, sunshine: chickdees are busy, and the sap is rising. It all adds up to maple syrup season. Whether your operation includes a bulk holding tank and miles of plastic tubing, or just a few buckets hanging off the trees in the backyard, it all starts the same way, with a strategically placed hole in a sugar maple.

And it's today's Heard Up North, produced by Martha Foley.

(03/09/12) One of Canada's top choirs celebrates its tenth season with a performance in Ottawa Saturday night. The Ottawa Bach Choir has performed its brand of Baroque music around the world and had its Carnegie Hall debut last May. Todd Moe talks with the ensemble's founder and Artistic Director Lisette Canton about Saturday night's performance of Bach's St. Matthew Passion -- an authentic Baroque concert featuring an array of Canadian and international early music stars.

(03/09/12) Veteran North Country Republican Teresa Sayward, who won't seek another Assembly term, says she's leaning toward voting for President Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential race. Sayward made the surprise statement during an interview on YNN's program "Capital Tonight."

Sayward has been an advocate of gay rights and supported same-sex marriage in New York, describing it as a "civil rights issue." During the interview with YNN, Sayward complained that Republicans on the national stage are pushing a religious agenda that, in her view, meddles too far in people's private lives.

Sayward, a former town supervisor from Willsboro, served 10 years in the Assembly as a Republican. A race is now underway to fill her seat, with at least seven candidates considering a run.

(03/09/12) Vermont's Champlain Islands are smack in the middle of Lake Champlain's northern end. Isle La Motte is the westernmost of those islands. It's isolated and rural. Living there, you might travel to New York State to see a doctor, or go to the grocery store.

But, Isle La Motte joins other towns across Vermont in town meeting day, when citizens come together to have their say on issues big and small. Sarah Harris spent town meeting day on the island and has our story. more

(03/09/12) Assemblywoman Teresa Sayward's announcement last week that she won't seek another term has potential candidates mulling their options. As of today, at least seven people have expressed moderate to serious interest in running for her seat.

The district includes Essex, Hamilton, Warren and part of Saratoga counties. Redistricting proposals could cut out Hamilton County in favor of Washington County. Chris Morris reports. more

(03/05/12) Lake Placid accountant Doug Hoffman says he's considering another run for congress. In an interview broadcast this morning on NPR, Hoffman said he was waiting to make his decision until redistricting lines are redrawn.

A Federal judge is now considering plans submitted by political leaders in New York state. Under one of those plans, Hoffman would land in the 20th congressional district, where he now lives. But under another plan, the 23rd district would expand to include Lake Placid.

Two years ago, Hoffman moved his residency to Saranac Lake while challenging fellow Republican Matt Doheny in the GOP primary.

Hoffman's two bids for congress drew widespread support from conservatives in the 23rd district and divided Republican voters, but he fell short against Democratic Representative Bill Owens.

The judge's decision on how to draw congressional lines in New York State could come within the next two weeks.

(03/07/12) The Adirondack North Country may be unified into one congressional district this year.

A federal judge has issued a map that would consolidate the region into a new 21st District.

The old NY-23 district, now represented by Democrat Bill Owens from Plattsburgh would be dramatically redrawn. Martha Foley has more. more

(03/06/12) Governor Andrew Cuomo's popularity has slipped a bit in a new poll released Monday, but with a 69% approval rating, it seems the governor does not have much to worry about. more