The Empire State. Accurately named for its strong emphasis on redistributing hard-earned wages as it sees fit. We pay taxes on the things we buy with that money. We pay taxes on our properties …

When I shipped off to college in fall of 2001, I didn’t take the traditional route. I lived off campus in an apartment with some close friends. Unlike most students moving away from home, I …

Lately I’ve been writing an awful lot about life lost too early. More recently, a close family member experienced an even scarier one. Fortunately we are both doing well, but all this has put time …

Although I was born in Ogdensburg, when I was just two months old, my family moved out to Washington. My parents purchased a small piece of mosquito-infested property on a river roughly two hours …

The Ogdensburg International Seaway Festival wrapped up this weekend and featured one of the best fireworks displays I’ve seen in St. Lawrence County. To all those who helped out, I appreciate your …

A good friend of mine, who I don’t get to spend enough time with, recently asked me to join him in the Rip Friot Canoe Race last weekend on the Oswegatchie River, which benefits the Frederic …

Public documents should be easy to obtain, but that’s not always the case. While New York’s Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) is actually pretty open in theory, in practice, it lacks teeth. …

The smell of bread dough mixes with barbecued something and fried onions as long lines form in front of any number of food trucks and live music pours out from a nearby pavilion. Across the street, …

I’ve never been homeless, though I once did share a two-bedroom apartment with eight people, which may technically qualify. Unfortunately, many people have been and continue to be in St. Lawrence …

St. Lawrence County was recently wrapped up one of the most heated primaries I’ve ever seen as Undersheriff Sean O’Brien and Sheriff’s Investigator Patrick ‘Rick’ Engle faced-off for the …

As a journalist I’m no stranger to criticism. People complain about what I report. People complain about how I report. People complain about what I don’t report. People complain about typos. …

Good people do bad things. Bad people do good things. Issues are rarely black-and-white and you don’t always have to pick a side. These seemed like simple and widely accepted principles …

After many months (five-plus where I live) of winter whiteness, it’s a relief to watch the snow melt at last. We’re always grateful, even though the loss of snow cover gives way to a …

There are some conversations most people dread having. Whether it’s an excited ten-year-old asking “where do babies come from?”, a heartbreaking “it’s not you, …

With Mental Health Awareness month behind us and summer settling in, I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight some big wins for the North Country. Canton, Ogdensburg and Waddington each …

It hits like a train coming off the rails -- smashing through your subconscious and leaving your feelings of joy, accomplishment, success and confidence in a pile of debris. Then it wraps around your …

Sadly, it’s a story that affects people of all ages, classes and races. Addiction doesn’t care how educated you are, how much money you have, or whether you are a respected member of the …