SACKETS HARBOR, NEW YORK. Early voting begins across the North Country today. Jefferson Community College has opened a new advanced-manufacturing lab, and an Adirondack housing award is headed to Essex County. Here are five regional developments for Saturday, October 24, 2026.
Early voting opens across Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties
Early in-person voting for the November election begins Saturday and runs through November 1. Jefferson County voters can use the County Office Building in downtown Watertown or the Depauville Fire Hall from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on opening day. The Depauville site gives communities north of Watertown another option. County officials say hours change to noon to 8 p.m. on October 26 and 28, so voters should check the schedule for their chosen day.
Lewis County’s early-voting site is the Board of Elections building in Lowville. St. Lawrence County voters can use the Potsdam Central School Annex or the Dobisky Center in Ogdensburg. Opening-day hours reported for both counties are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Confirm current locations, eligibility and daily hours with your county Board of Elections before traveling.
Essex County awarded funding for 24 factory-built starter homes
New York awarded the Essex County Land Bank $7.26 million to create 24 homes through its MOVE-IN NY program. The award is part of nearly $20 million announced Friday for 61 homes statewide. The state says the program helps local organizations purchase and place prefabricated starter homes, then sell them below construction cost to eligible low- and moderate-income buyers. It addresses a North Country shortage of smaller, attainable houses.
The homes are designed to resemble conventional single-family houses. An award is a funding decision, not a claim that any of the 24 Essex County homes is already built or available for purchase. Local siting, construction and sales details will determine when buyers can act.
Jefferson Community College opens mechatronics lab
Jefferson Community College cut the ribbon Friday on a mechatronics lab in the renovated John Foster Dulles Building in Watertown. The roughly $11.5 million facility includes robotics, hydraulics and advanced-manufacturing training equipment. College and county officials see it as a route for North Country residents to learn skills used by semiconductor manufacturers and other employers, including future equipment-maintenance work associated with Micron’s planned operations near Syracuse.
Micron’s separate $750,000 award supports programming and staffing rather than construction of the lab. JCC has begun a free semiconductor bootcamp and hopes to start formal programs next fall. The lab is open while some longer-term academic pathways are still being developed.
Ogdensburg maternity-service closure plan faces a later state decision
North Star Health Alliance’s proposal to end labor and delivery services at Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center in Ogdensburg has not received state approval. Lawyers for the health system told a bankruptcy court this week that the earliest expected decision from the New York State Department of Health is December 17, later than the previously anticipated November 30 date. That is a delay in review, not a reversal or final decision.
The health system says it has discussed arrangements with Canton-Potsdam Hospital, where most St. Lawrence County births already occur. For expectant families and staff, questions remain about the state’s decision, continuity of care and how any eventual transition would work.
Clarkson pep band seeks support as travel budget tightens
Clarkson University’s student pep band says a tighter budget could reduce the number of away hockey games it attends this season. Student leaders told local reporters the group has grown while resources have shrunk, including an additional $8,000 cut this year. Travel, uniforms and instrument repairs compete for funds. Its presence at home games in Potsdam is a familiar part of the Division I hockey atmosphere.
The university says student-government allocations determine club funding and that leaders are reviewing support with students. The band raised about $8,000 during the college’s recent giving day, but members say those donations do not settle the longer-term concern. The season’s travel plans still depend on available funds.
Watertown forecast: The National Weather Service’s 3:57 a.m. October 24 update calls for patchy fog before 10 a.m., then sun with a high near 58°F. Patchy fog may return after 11 p.m.; tonight should otherwise be clear, with a low near 37°F. These are today’s high and the following overnight low.
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