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New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Acting Commissioner Amanda Lefton today announced that the annual statewide ban on residential brush burning begins March 16 and runs through May 14. Since 2009, DEC has enforced the ban to prevent wildfires and protect communities and first responders during heightened wildfire conditions.
“Prevention is best, and after a dry and windy winter season, DEC is encouraging New Yorkers to protect themselves and their communities by complying with the State’s two-month burn ban that starts this Sunday, March 16,”Acting Commissioner Lefton said. “As the seasons change, melting snow leaves behind dead leaves and brush more likely to catch fire and put our communities and natural resources at risk. In addition to protecting land and structures, the burn ban keeps DEC Forest Rangers and other firefighters safe and ready to respond to emergencies.”
Even though some areas of the state remain blanketed in snow, warming temperatures can quickly cause wildfire conditions to arise. Open burning of debris is the single-largest cause of spring wildfires in New York State. When temperatures warm and the past fall’s debris and leaves dry out, wildfires can start and spread easily, further fueled by winds and a lack of green vegetation. Each year, DEC Forest Rangers extinguish dozens of wildfires that burn hundreds of acres. In addition, local fire departments, many of which are staffed by volunteers, too often have to leave their jobs and families to respond to wildfires caused by illegal debris fires. DEC continually updates a Fire Danger Map on DEC’s website as a resource for viewing local conditions.
New York first enacted strict restrictions on open burning in 2009 to help prevent wildfires and reduce air pollution. The regulations allow residential brush fires in towns with fewer than 20,000 residents during most of the year but prohibit such burning in spring when most wildfires occur. Backyard fire pits and campfires less than three feet in height and four feet in length, width, or diameter are allowed, as are small cooking fires. Only charcoal or dry, clean, untreated, or unpainted wood can be burned. People should never leave these fires unattended and must extinguish them. Burning garbage or leaves is prohibited year-round in New York State. For more information about fire safety and prevention in homes and communities, go to DEC’s FIREWISE New York webpage.
Some towns, primarily in and around the Adirondack and Catskill Parks, are designated “fire towns.” Open burning is prohibited year-round in these municipalities unless an individual or group has a permit from DEC. To find out whether a municipality is a designated fire town or to obtain a permit, contact the appropriate DEC regional office. A list of regional offices is available on DEC’s website.
Forest Rangers, DEC Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs), and local authorities enforce the burn ban. Violators of the State’s open burning regulation are subject to criminal and civil enforcement actions, with a minimum fine of $500 for a first offense. For search and rescue, reporting a wildfire or illegal activity on state lands and easements, call 1-833-NYS-RANGERS (1-833-697-7264). To report environmental law violations, call 1-844-DEC-ECOs (1-844-332-3267).
Clinton County had a slight decline of 0.02%. New York’s total population increased 0.66% last year to about 19.87 million. The state’s population grew in the second year in a row, but it’s still 1.18% (237,000) lower than in 2020.
3/13/25 ANNOUNCEMENT FROM WIRY RADIO STATION MANAGEMENT
To Our Loyal Listeners and Valued Advertisers,
It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closure of WIRY. After serving our community for 75 years, the challenges of an evolving media landscape have made it increasingly difficult to continue operations.
The rise of digital platforms and social media has changed the way audiences consume content, leading to declining traditional radio listenership. Coupled with rising music royalty costs, a shrinking media sales force, and decreasing profit margins, we have reached a point where it is no longer viable to continue broadcasting.
We want to express our deepest gratitude to our dedicated staff, advertisers, and—most importantly—our listeners, who have supported us throughout the years. Your loyalty has meant the world to us, and we cherish the memories we’ve created together.
Though our AM signal may soon go silent, the spirit of WIRY will live on in the music, voices, and moments we’ve shared. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your lives.
Widespread snowmelt will continue through the weekend with widespread rainfall expected Sunday and Sunday night. This will lead to sharp river rises and the potential for flooding. Now is the time to prepare, so be sure to monitor the forecast and river levels in the coming days.
The Peru Town Board has scheduled a Special Meeting for Tuesday, March 18, 2025, at 4:00 PM at the Peru Town Hall. The purpose of the meeting will be to award bids for a wastewater treatment upgrade and purchase a 2025 dump truck.
The article said its closure was due to declining readership and increasing costs, including an expected 25% tariff on newsprint. Seventeen employees lost their jobs.
PLATTSBURGH, NY (03/12/2025) –The Adirondack Regional Blood Donor Center, a program of the University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH) will hold a community blood drive at Mountain Lake Services, 100 Industrial Parkway in Keeseville on Wednesday, March 19. The event will take place from noon to 4 pm.
All eligible donors are encouraged to give. In addition to benefiting patients at CVPH, blood collected by the Donor Center also supports those in need at Alice Hyde Medical Center in Malone, Elizabethtown Community Hospital (including the Ticonderoga campus), and Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake.
Learn more about the Adirondack Regional Blood Center, giving blood and becoming a sponsor at UVMHealth.org/GiveBlood or call 518-562-7406.
Retired Educators of New York (RENY) is offering a $2000 grant to active educators in Clinton and Essex counties to assist them in their classroom endeavors. To be eligible for the grant, an
educator must be a full-time teacher, nurse, counselor, or administrator in a public school district in the RENY Northeastern Zone (NEZ). For a list of the eligible school districts, refer to the RENY NE website, httos://yorenynez.com
RENY (the statewide organization) provides the Hudson-Kramer Memorial Grant, which has been increased to $2000, to an educator in the Northeastern Zone. The grant honors Ross
Hudson and Florence Coulter Kramer, dedicated and devoted members of the New York State Retired Teachers Association, now known as RENY. The Northeastern Zone and four other RENY Zones will receive this grant every other year.
The grant is designed to assist academic educators in developing and implementing an innovative program or project. The grant is for the 2025-2026 school year. The application process will
begin March 14th, and conclude May 16th. The grant winner will be determined by the end of the 2025 school year.
Informational packets with directions and contact information will be emailed to the District Administrators by March 3rd, to be forwarded to staff electronically. Interested applicants may
review the list of eligible school districts in the Northeastern Zone and the 2025-26 grant application and rubric online at the Northeastern Zone website.
Grant proposals must be submitted electronically to the RENY-NEZ Award Committee by May 16, 2025. Applicants must use the 2025-26 Grant Application Form. Thank you and good luck!
Here’s our map of reported snowfall totals for the 2024-2025 winter season (December through February). Most places saw near-to-above-normal snowfall, with the highest deviations from normal concentrated in the northern Green Mountains and the Adirondacks.
“We are driving a dagger through the heart of the climate-change religion and ushering in America’s Golden Age,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal
If all goes as planned, the 7 Jenkins Street tennis courts will soon be private property. At its Monday, March 10 meeting, the town board declared the property surplus and will list it for sale as soon as the market value is determined. In 2016, residents proposed repairing the courts for pickleball; however, after receiving a $30,000 repair cost estimate, the board did not take action. In September 2022, the board discussed selling the property. Now, it’s moving forward.
Awarding bids for the state-mandated sewage treatment plant project should occur very soon; however, when the board opened general construction and plumbing bids a few days ago, no contractor submitted a bid for the mechanical (heating/air conditioning) phase. Monday evening, the board voted to readvertise that portion of the project. Board members want to know the project’s total cost and tax impact to determine its scope. The Water, Sewer, Parks Department would like to relocate its office, equipment & vehicle garage from Cross Street to the treatment plant. The department and the highway department would then use the Cross Street garage for storage and demolish an old River Road storage building that needs a new roof.
New York State approved reducing the Roadwell Road speed limit to 45 MPH from 55 MPH. The town will erect new signs when ground conditions permit.
Peru Girl Scout Leader Michelle Calkins and her daughter Olivia asked the board’s permission to set up several children’s activities at the Little Ausable River Park. They would include frog hotels, frog huts, bird feeders, birdhouses, a flower garden, a fairy garden, and a painted rock snake chain. The scouts would phase them in and ask for community support to maintain them. The board gave its blessing but asked Calkins to update them on what is happening with photos.
Verizon requested the Zoning Board’s permission to locate a communications tower at the Peru I-87 rest stop.
The Telegraph Road Bridge approval continues at a slow pace. Mike Farrell reported that DEC granted preliminary project approval, but he hasn’t heard from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Supervisor Craig Randall appealed to residents to complete the community survey online. The Planning Board is revising Peru’s plan for future development and is doing its best to seek public input.
In other actions, the board:
Reappointed Ashley Akey and Alexis Grennan to three-year terms as members of the Peru Youth Commission.
Approved purchasing a steam jenny for the highway department for $9,218. The department uses the steam jenny to thaw and remove ice from culverts.
3/12/25 – 5:31 PM – Correction made to the speed limit change reported. The state approved the reduction for the Rockwell Road, not the Rock Road.
Town of Indian Lake Hamilton County Snowmobile Accident: On March 4 at 11:30 a.m., Hamilton County received a 911 call about an unconscious snowmobiler on Indian Lake. Environmental Conservation Police Officer (ECO) Newell arrived first at the scene, followed by Forest Ranger Milano and an Indian Lake Paramedic. The 55-year-old from Hillsdale had hit an ice heave while snowmobiling and travelled approximately 150 feet in the air on the vehicle before being ejected and travelling another nearly 150 feet after bouncing off the ice a couple of times. The subject suffered a traumatic brain injury and injured his left arm. First responders and bystanders wrapped the snowmobiler in a hypo wrap and transported him in a snow ambulance. Indian Lake Fire and EMS carried the subject to a Life Net helicopter, which flew him to the hospital. Resources were clear at 1 p.m.
Town of Keene Essex County Wilderness Search: On March 8 at 4 a.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from the family members of two overdue hikers. The last known location for the 25- and 30-year-olds was the summit of Upper Wolfjaw Mountain. The pair from Queensbury had left an itinerary with their family members with instructions not to worry until 3 a.m. The pair were planning to complete five peaks of the Lower Great Range. Wolfjaw was their fourth peak with strong winds, whiteout conditions, and temperatures as low as –40 degrees with the windchill in higher elevations. At 6:30 a.m., Forest Ranger Lewis located the hikers’ vehicle at the Adirondack Mountain Reserve parking lot. Rangers hiked the Wedgebrook Trail and A.W. trail. As they were about to hike the south side trail of Johns Brook Valley at 10 a.m., Johns Brook Lodge called to report the two hikers were at the lodge and in good condition. The hikers had lost the trail and could only find the trail to Johns Brook Valley. They encountered other hikers in the morning who told them about the lodge. Rangers explained how the hikers could get to the Garden parking lot and at 12:30 p.m., the pair met up with Rangers and family.
The pair had multiple electronic devices for navigation, but the batteries all died. Rangers encourage hikers to always travel with a map and a compass.
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Acting Commissioner Amanda Lefton today announced that the annual statewide ban on residential brush burning begins March 16 and runs through May 14. Since 2009, DEC has enforced the ban to prevent wildfires and protect communities and first responders during heightened wildfire conditions.
The Peru Town Board has scheduled a Special Meeting for Tuesday, March 18, 2025, at 4:00 PM at the Peru Town Hall. The purpose of the meeting will be to award bids for a wastewater treatment upgrade and purchase a 2025 dump truck.
Retired Educators of New York (RENY) is offering a $2000 grant to active educators in Clinton and Essex counties to assist them in their classroom endeavors. To be eligible for the grant, an
Town of Indian Lake