Reporter Lohr McKinstry reports that Canadian Pacific Railway officials agree with Sen. Charles Schumer that DOT-111 tank cars should be taken off the rails. 

A staff report notes that Sen. Charles Schumer says a safety initiative between the U.S. Department of Transportation and American Association of Railroads doesn’t go far enough to protect northern New York against oil-tank car mishaps.
 

Reporter Matthew Turner reports that callers participating in Congressman Bill Owens’ telephone town hall meeting lamented the congressman’s impending retirement. 

Reporter Alvin Reiner reports that point-to-point narration on a new app aims to accompany travelers visiting the Lakes to Locks Passage.
 

Reporter Matthew Turner reports that Karen Bisso has announced her intention to join the race for the 115th Assembly District.
 

Reporter Michael Virtanen reports that Essex County led the entire state in sales tax revenue growth from 2012 to 2013.
 

Reporter David Sommerstein reports that one of the most prominent Democrats in the North Country confirmed yesterday that he will not be running for Bill Owens’ seat in Congress. 

Reporter John Warren reports that Rayonier Forest Resources has sold 130,659 acres of forest located almost entirely in the Adirondack Park for $57.5 million to a client of the timberland investment management organization Molpus Woodlands Group. The land is located in St. Lawrence, Clinton, Franklin and Lewis Counties. 

A staff report notes that Corrie Miller, executive director of the Ausable River Association has announced her departure.  Replacing Miller as executive director will be Kelley Tucker, long-time member of the AsRA board and co-author of the draft Ausable River Watershed Management Plan that is being prepared for public comment this year. 

Reporter Michael Craig profiles the performance, power, limits and expansive amount of political gamesmanship connected to New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman himself and connected to how he runs his office.

Reporter Michael Craig profiles the performance, power, limits and expansive amount of political gamesmanship connected to New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and how he runs his office. 

Reporter Matthew Turner reports that Saranac Lake’s Republican Party held a meeting at the Harrietstown Town Hall on Thursday night to endorse New York Assembly and Senate candidates. 

A staff report notes that U.S. Rep. Bill Owens, D-Plattbsurgh, announced he will hold a “telephone town hall” conference call with constituents at 7 p.m. Wednesday. 

Reporter Shaun Kittle reports that New York State Assemblywoman Janet Duprey visited Big Tupper Ski Center on Saturday to talk about progress in Tupper Lake.
 

A staff report notes that many Franklin and Essex county political officials are underwhelmed with the stated candidates for the 21st Congressional District.

Reporter Matthew Turner reports that as the New York 21st Congressional District race takes shape, local politicians and community members are weighing in on the candidates who have declared themselves so far.
 

Reporter Lohr McKinstry reports that Canadian Pacific will make a presentation on its emergency-response planning and preparedness for rail disasters on March 11.  The presentation is intended for municipal leaders but is open to the public. 

The Associated Press reports that Northern New York officials are reviewing their disaster plans in response to a dramatic increase in rail shipments of highly volatile crude oil from North Dakota to the Port of Albany.
 

A staff report notes that the Village of Lake George and the S.A.V.E. Committee have donated the proceeds of the village’s first annual “Festival for the Lake” to the Lake George Park Commission.

Reporter Lohr McKinstry reports that the Essex County Office of Emergency Services has cataloged 128 places throughout the county where hazardous chemicals are kept.
 

A staff report notes that the Village of Rouses Point, on behalf of Clinton County waterfront communities, has received an Environmental Protection Fund Local Waterfront Revitalization Program grant. 

Reporter Gordon Block reports that upon meeting her new rival for the Republican nomination for Congress, Elise M. Stefanik told Lewis County Republican leaders Thursday night that she looks forward to a “robust discussion of the issues” with Matthew A. Doheny.
 

Reporter Perry White reports that Matthew Doheny’s campaign for the 21st Congressional District seat has received a boost with the endorsement of the state Independence Party. 

Reporter Ellen Abbott reports that the new Farm Bill will increase funding to help conventional famers make the transition to organic dairy. 

Reporter Shaun Kittle reports that members of the Tupper Lake village board have differing opinions on how a vacant, village-owned lot on Woulf Avenue East should be used.
 

Reporter Shawn Ryan reports that Matt Doheny has announced his bid for New York’s 21st Congressional District seat and will seek the Republican, Independence and Conservative party lines for the Nov. 4 election. 

Reporter Thom Randall reports that leaders of the town and village of Lake George signed an agreement recently to consolidate some of their municipal operations. 

Reporter Dan Heath reports that space at Plattsburgh International Airport or even the former Pfizer facility in Chazy could qualify as tax-free Start-Up NY businesses.
 

Reporter Keith Lobdell reports that while Republican committee chairs of the 12 counties that make up the 21st U.S. Congressional District announced their endorsed candidate with a press conference and public introduction, the Democrats have been much more reserved.
 

Reporter Thom Randall reports that the controversial six-story hotel planned for downtown Lake George is now one major step closer to reality. 

Reporter Thom Randall reports that US Sen. Chuck Schumer is coming to Glens Falls today to announce that he is seeking a federal grant to help the city get $700,000 to clean up a variety of brownfield sites. 

Reporter David Sommerstein reports that  Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is joining the chorus of lawmakers calling for tougher safety rules for railroads carrying dangerous cargo.
 

Reporter David Sommerstein reports that the Green Party is headed towards a rare primary as St. Lawrence County anti-cancer activist Donald Hassig and Glens Falls baker and businessman Matt Funicello have both said they’re running as Green Party candidates. 

A staff report notes that Republican Matt Doheny has announced his bid for the 21st Congressional District seat. 

A staff report notes that New York’s ethics board has proposed a 90-day pre-election blackout on appearances in public service announcements by statewide officials and legislators who are also candidates.
 

Reporter Arthur Cleveland reports that a former town of Ballston supervisor plans to challenge a longtime state senator in November for his seat. 

A staff report notes that the Town of Lake George is now seeking two new members to serve on the town Planning Board.
 

Reporter Joe LoTemplio reports that Tupper Lake Mayor and Franklin County Legislator Paul Maroun is seriously considering entering the race for the 21st Congressional District seat. 

Writer Sarah Harris writes that Adirondack Meat Company, a USDA certified slaughterhouse opened in Ticonderoga earlier this month, offering a new solution for Champlain Valley and Adirondack farmers as previously the nearest USDA slaughterhouses were each a 2-hour drive away.

The Adirondack Daily Enterprise is conducting an online poll asking readers to vote on which declared candidate they would prefer to represent New York’s 21st Congressional District. 

Writer Peter Bauer writes that the DEC and Cuomo Administration need to make a much greater investment in combatting aquatic invasive species in order to protect the Upstate economy and environment as well as its quality of life. 

Reporter Shaun Kittle reports that the state Adirondack Park Agency will hold a public hearing before determining how to preserve two mountaintop fire towers. 

Reporter Shaun Kittle reports that as the Department of Transportation moves forward with plans to rehabilitate the Whiteface Mountain Veterans’ Memorial Highway, another state agency is making sure the project doesn’t negatively affect the environment..
 

A staff report notes that a state senator from Queens is trying to stop the slaughter of mute swans proposed by the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
 

Reporter Ted Booker reports that an AP article published earlier this month naming Oak Wilt disease as New York states "latest tree threat" stretched the truth. 

Reporter Shaun Kittle reports  that the plan to increase tourism marketing in Tupper Lake is rapidly moving forward.
 

A staff report notes that environmental groups and residents are trying to stop a project that they believe will make Albany a key hub in the transport of heavy crude oil from western Canada’s tar sands to refineries on the East Coast.
 

Reporter Thom Randall reports that the Warrensburg town code enforcement officer and its bookkeeper are collaborating in seeking grant money to make a number of upgrades to the town. 

David Sommerstein and Martha Foley discuss the race for the 21st Congressional seat now that the two main parties have chosen their candidates. 

Reporter Phil Brown reports that a final decision has been made to tear down the Marcy Dam. 

Reporter Shaun Kittle reports that the Tupper Lake town board has accepted a bid to appraise the 7-acre Setting Pole Dam parcel. 

Writer Steve Signell writes that he has created an interactive web map showing the new land acquisition and classification scheme for the former Finch timberlands. 

Reporter Lohr McKinstry reports that Essex County has been struggling to get National Grid to extend electrical service to the new communications tower that has been erected atop Belfry Mountain. 

Reporter Maury Thompson reports that area Democrats have said they are impressed with congressional candidate Aaron Woolf’s credentials .

Reporter Jon Campbell reports that a coalition representing thousands of upstate landowners will sue Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Friday in an attempt to force a decision on hydraulic fracturing for natural gas 

Reporter Matthew Turner reports that New York state Assemblywoman Janet L. Duprey will run for re-election in the 115th Assembly District, and challengers may not be far behind. 

A staff report notes that Judith Calogero, chairwoman of the Glens Falls Industrial Development Agency board, has said that Federal economic development and housing programs should be a topic of discussion in the 21st Congressional District race. 

Reporter Brian Mann reports that Democratic leaders in the North Country have chosen Aaron Woolf, a political newcomer, to seek the House seat in the 21st congressional district.
 

Reporter Joanna Richards reports that a proposal by the Department of Environmental Conservation to kill invasive mute swans isn’t flying with some animal lovers. 

Reporter Shaun Kittle reports that Franklin County Legislator Barbara Rice has spearheaded an effort to determine the need for more high-speed Internet access in the towns of Franklin and Harrietstown.
 

Writer Anthony Hall, editor and publisher of the Lake George Mirror, writes that Elise Stefanik, the Republican candidate for the 21st Congressional seat, is relatively unknown in the small community in which she claims residence and that he hopes a Republican who is who is a native of the North Country will enter the race.

Reporter Matthew Turner reports that Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Adirondack Winter Challenge has been postponed to a later date due to inclement weather. 

Reporter Maury Thompson reports that John Sullivan, a lawyer from Saratoga Springs, announced Tuesday that he will not seek the Democratic nomination for Congress in the 21st Congressional District, and instead will launch an initiative to reform the political process.
 

Reporter Kim Smith Dedam reports that area officials have been called by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to a Winter Challenge in Lake Placid. 

Reporter Brian Mann reports that Democratic leaders in the North Country say they’ll hold a daylong meeting today in Long Lake to review possible candidates for the 21st District House seat.
 

Reporter Thom Randall reports that a half-dozen people expressed opposition at a public hearing on Monday to discuss a proposed six-story Marriott Courtyard hotel in the village of Lake George.  Local residents are questioning the architecture of the development as well as its effect of traffic, village ambiance and sewage treatment output.

A staff report notes that the federal District Court for Northern New York collected millions in judgments in 2013, including $8 million in a suit between the U.S. and the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe versus Alcoa and Reynolds Metals in Massena. The settlement resolved allegations that Alcoa and the former GM central foundry plant in Massena released hazardous substances into the St. Lawrence River.

Writer Joe Mercurio, president of ARTA and resident of Saranac Lake, writes an open letter to Senator Betty Little describing his disappointment in the Senator’s opposition to the idea of a recreational rail trail on the Lake Placid-Old Forge corridor.

Reporter Kim Smith Dedam reports that the 12 county Republican leaders of the 21st New York Congressional District have chosen Willsboro resident Elise Stefanik as their candidate.
 

A staff report notes that the Democratic county chairs of New York’s 21st Congressional District plan to make an announcement sometime within the next 10 days on their candidate to replace retiring Congressman Bill Owens.
 

A press release notes that Gov. Andrew Cuomo has established two large motor-free areas on recently purchased public lands in the center of the state’s six-million-acre Adirondack Park.

Reporter Chris Fasolino reports that state legislators representing the North Country predict that this year’s budget will pass on time. 

Reporter Matthew Turner reports that a fourth Republican plans to run for New York’s 21st Congressional District, but not through the party chairs.
 

A staff report notes that Gov. Andrew Cuomo has approved the State Land Classifications for the former Finch timberlands. 

A staff report notes that a college president and New York City’s former comptroller are among three members appointed to the state board that will select casino operators.
 

Reporter Gordon Bock reports that Assemblywoman Addie Russell has announced that she will not be seeking the 21st Congressional District seat. 

Reporter David Sommerstein reports that Senator Patty Ritchie has said that she is still waiting for freight rail company CSX to provide more information about the hazardous materials being transported through villages like Canton and Potsdam. She is also calling for Gov. Andrew Cuomo to expand his investigation into rail safety to include the North Country.
 

Reporter Matthew Turner reports that Donald Hassig, a Green Party candidate for New York’s 21st Congressional District, will be giving a speech on fracking at SUNY Potsdam on Friday. 

Reporters Lohr McKinstry and Joe LoTemplio report that while a number of potential candidates for the 21st Congressional seat have chosen not to run, there are several still vying to replace Congressman Bill Owens at the end of his term in December.

A staff report notes that a new poll released this morning appears to show strong support among Republicans for Matt Doheny, the Watertown businessman who ran unsuccessfully for the North Country’s seat in the House of Representatives in 2010 and again in 2012. 

Reporter Ryan Delaney reports that Upstate New York’s successful bid to host one of the nation’s drone testing programs came with the promise of millions of dollars in economic benefit to the region, but money to establish and operate the site itself is still needed.
 

Reporter Jacob Tierney reports that a discovery made by a Clarkson University doctoral student has found that the village of Canton’s wastewater treatment lagoons could be used as a biofuel source. 

A staff report notes that Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced the launch of a new interactive Adirondack recreation planning tool to promote tourism attractions in the Adirondack Region and spur economic development opportunities. 

Reporter Thom Randall reports that the passage of long-awaited mandates to implement a mandatory boat inspection and decontamination program for Lake George are being hailed by local community officials and environmental organization leaders.

Reporter Rick Karlin reports that a high-ranking official at the state Department of Environmental Conservation publicly warned supervisors that they are expected to follow state civil service law when interviewing people for potential promotions or job openings. The reminder was being sent as the result of "issues that have been raised during recent promotional and critical fills."

Reporter Karen DeWitt reports that Health Commissioner Dr. Niray Shah provided few details upon being questioned by lawmakers at a budget hearing on his on-going review of the health effects of hydrofracking. 

Reporter Keith Lobdell reports that Randy Douglas has announced that he will not be seeking the NY-21 seat in the next election. 

Reporter Shaun Kittle reports that the Tupper Lake Chamber of Commerce held a meeting last Thursday to outline a new vision for Tupper Lake. 

Reporter Brian Mann reports that two of the Democratic Party’s top prospects for a run for the NY-21 House seat are bowing out of the race. 

An Adirondack Council news release notes that the Adirondack Council has offered thanks to the Adirondack Foundation for hosting an online-giving campaign that allowed the Council to raise funds toward establishing a mobile Conservation Field Station. 

Reporter Daniel Flatley reports that Democrat Scott Murphy has announced that he will not run for New York’s 21st Congressional District seat while former state Sen. Darrel Aubertine has not yet  reached a decision about running for the seat.

A staff report notes that the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation is seeking public comments on the recently released proposed resource management plan for the Kushaqua Tract Conservation Easement Lands in the northern Adirondacks. 

A staff report notes that the state Department of Environmental Conservation has completed plans to relocate and upgrade the Lake George Beach Boat Launch.
 

The Press-Republican editorial board writes that while major disasters caused by train accidents are rare, they can happen, and local residents need assurance that safety is a priority in the minds of railroad officials and government leaders.

Reporter Mike Lynch reports that the state Department of Environmental Conservation is proposing regulations that would restrict the transport of aquatic invasive species at state boat launches it oversees and is currently taking public comments on their plan. 

Reporter Dan Heath reports that the region has landed six professional bass tournaments for 2014.
 

A staff report notes that U.S. Rep. Bill Owens, who voted in favor of the farm bill that passed the House Wednesday, had three provisions included.
 

Reporter Suzanne Moore reports that a state grant is helping the Town of Saranac plan and make improvements at Picketts Corners Park, the town’s major recreational facility.
 

A staff report notes that farmers expressed relief this week that a long fight over federal dairy subsidies had ended with an overhaul that most thought would be fair and effective in keeping farms from going under during hard times.
 

Reporter Keith Lobdell reports that those in attendance at a gathering of local chambers of commerce in Westport Jan. 23 got the chance to see a first-of-its-kind app being developed for Lakes to Locks Passages. 

Reporter Karen DeWitt reports that the state’s health commissioner is scheduled to testify before the legislative fiscal committees Monday morning, where he’ll likely be asked about a long delayed health study on hydrofracking.