Jun 14, 2013 — People along the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario will get a chance to weigh in on a new water levels plan next month. It's called "Plan 2014". Regulators say it's better for Lake Ontario property owners than a plan released last year.  Go to full article

Jun 10, 2013 — Several hundred giant freighters slip through the St. Lawrence Seaway every year. They're guided by vessel traffic controllers from a squat building on top of the Eisenhower Lock in Massena.

The master control room looks straight out of Star Trek. Half a dozen big flat screens show computerized displays of real-time traffic along the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario.  Go to full article

Jun 07, 2013 — New York's bass fishing season kicks off on June 15, and North Country tourism and business leaders are banking on it being the biggest ever.

They've lured one of the ten Bassmaster Elite tournaments this year. They're the premiere professional bass fishing events in the country, televised nationally on ESPN.

The tournament is August 8 through 11 on the St. Lawrence River in Waddington.

Angler Don Meissner helped land the event as a part of St. Lawrence County's FISHCAP project. At a press conference broadcast on WQTK earlier this week, he said to expect the scale of a NASCAR race, except with fish and boats. He called it the St. Lawrence River's chance to have a "showcase for the world."

"I was down in Texas and I saw what this is about," said Meissner. "There were 34,000 people that came cheering and yelling and raving for their favorite anglers. This is a lot more than just fishing. This is our way to show the country and the world what we're really about here."

The St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce is offering local businesses advice on how they can capitalize on the expected influx of tourists.

Some 50 North Country anglers are getting a head start on the season in Vermont waters, where bass season opens this weekend. The Northern New York Bassmasters chapter will hold its first tournament of the summer Saturday on Lake Champlain.

A few summers ago, one Bassmaster made the mistake of inviting David Sommerstein to be his partner in a tournament on the St. Lawrence River. Here's that story:  Go to full article

Washington, DC, Jun 03, 2013 — A binational agency is poised to take another step towards revising the way water levels are managed on the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario.

The International Joint Commission says it "aims" to hold public hearings on changing the 55-year-old system as early as next month.  Go to full article

Clayton, NY, May 31, 2013 — A Thousand Islands based green group is using a 1950s era technology to protest a water levels plan from the same decade. Save The River is sending Governor Andrew Cuomo hundreds of telegrams urging him to change the way the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario are managed. David Sommerstein reports.  Go to full article

May 24, 2013 — A big redevelopment project is getting underway in the Thousand Islands village of Clayton. The first pieces of equipment are now at work on the former Frink snowplow factory site. That represents the beginning of an aggressive construction schedule that aims to bring the Clayton Harbor Hotel to life by Memorial Day, 2014.  Go to full article

May 24, 2013 — U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood's farewell tour swung through Massena yesterday. One of the few Republicans in President Obama's cabinet, LaHood announced he was stepping down last January.

Obama's nominee to replace LaHood, Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx, breezed through a Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday.

LaHood has overseen the St. Lawrence Seaway for four years. As David Sommerstein reports, he said the Seaway will always occupy "a niche" in the nation's infrastructure.  Go to full article

May 23, 2013 — On Tuesday, Governor Cuomo and the chiefs of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe announced a surprise deal in Albany. It grants the Mohawks' exclusive gaming rights in the North Country. In return, the tribe will resume sharing millions of dollars in casino revenue with New York State and St. Lawrence and Franklin counties. That after a three-year dispute.

Yesterday, the chiefs were back in Akwesasne, holding a press conference at their brand new hotel and casino expansion.

They called Cuomo "sincere". They said it was the promise of resolving the Mohawks' 31-year old land claim that made the gaming pact possible.
David Sommerstein reports.  Go to full article

May 22, 2013 — Mohawk tribal chiefs joined Governor Cuomo in Albany yesterday to announce a new deal on casino exclusivity.

They signed off on settling a long-running dispute over revenues from the Mohawks' Akwesasne Casino near Massena. In return, the Mohawks will get exclusive gaming rights in the 8-county North Country region.

David Sommerstein joined Martha Foley to sort out what the deal means for the North Country and the Mohawk land claim.  Go to full article

Massena, NY, May 21, 2013 — The federal trust in charge of finding a new life for the General Motors property in Massena say the process is more marathon than sprint. But as David Sommerstein reports, they're hopeful a lift from a railroad giant will help.  Go to full article