Conversations with candidates running for the state Assembly and a judgeship are featured on this week’s North Country Matters, the local public affairs video magazine produced by cable channel WCKN.

The first conversation with Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell, running to retain her 116th Assembly seat, is at 7:30 p.m. Monday and Thursday, Sept. 29 and 30.

NCM host Donna Seymour, a member of the St. Lawrence County Branch of the American Association of University Women, and Liam Hunt, Professor Emeritus of History at St. Lawrence University and a member of the League of Women Voters of St. Lawrence County, discuss regional issues with the Assemblywoman.

Russell talks about education: the Common Core and funding, the SAFE Act, women’s issues, NYS ballot items: redistricting and the education bond proposals, climate change, hydrofracking, oil trains and related safety concerns. You can see the interview on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Jdc3F-COkA.

The second show at 8 p.m. both evenings is a rebroadcast of the conversation with John F. Richey, the only candidate for the St. Lawrence County Surrogate Court judgeship. Richey explores the history and nature of Surrogate Court, the types of cases it hears, the kinds of county courts we have, and how judges are elected in New York State. The YouTube link for this show is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrpkarBJLvk.

Conversations with Candidates is a voter education series designed to introduce voters to some of the candidates running for public office. The non-partisan conversations ask each candidate to explain his or her positions, records, and ideas outside of the spin cycle of the 30-second campaign ad and the discussion constrains of the political debate format.

The NCM civic partners working to educate North Country residents about critical public policy issues facing our region include AAUW-St. Lawrence County, the League of Women Voters of St. Lawrence County, and Clarkson Media and Mass Communication students, who provide the technical expertise for the productions. The shows are filmed at the WCKN studio on the Clarkson campus.

This fall’s shows will feature more Conversations with Candidates, a look at the proposed Potsdam and Canton school merger, interviews with college presidents, and current education issues, among many other topics. The half-hours shows are broadcast on local public access TV as well as on YouTube for later viewing.

In addition to local broadcasts, the shows are also available on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/danieledullea. Check the websites for AAUW-St. Lawrence County (http://www.northnet.org/stlawrenceaauw/index.html) and the League of Women Voters of St. Lawrence County (http://slc-leaguewv.org/) for specific program links as they become available.