Commentary Series

Year enders

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While other journalists are reflecting on the biggest news stories of 2003, commentator Bill Seamans recalls a few that didn’t make the top ten list.
VPR News

Assisted suicide bill unlikely to leave committee

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Legislative leaders say it’s unlikely that a bill to legalize assisted suicide will pass this year. The chairmen of both the House and Senate Health and Welfare Committees are leery of the legislation. But proponents say the issue deserves attention in the Statehouse.
VPR News

Powerball revenues higher than expected

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State lottery officials say they’re very pleased with the performance of PowerBall in Vermont over the past six months. Tickets sales are higher than projections, largely due to several huge jackpots.
VPR News

Ban on downer cows impacts farm economy

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More impacts from the mad cow disease scare are being felt in Vermont’s dairy industry. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has banned sales of meat from so-called “downer” cows – animals that are injured or too sick to walk.
VPR News

Child dies of influenza

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The Vermont Health Department says a two-year-old Windsor County child died from the flu earlier this week. Officials say the child had a serious, pre-existing medical condition.
VPR News

Moonlight in Vermont rings in New Year

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It’s likely that somewhere on New Year’s Eve, when the lights dim on the dance floor, a Vermont musical icon will be played. In 1944, a new song gave the world an image of Vermont that included falling leaves, ski trails and the evening summer breeze. The 13-line song became a standard that is still sung today.
VPR News

Midday Report: Wednesday, December 31, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Howard Dean’s campaign is working toward a fundraising record for this reporting quarter, which ends today; Senate President Pro Tempore Peter Welch discusses the second half of the Legislative biennium; First Night festivities are gearing up in several towns around the state; more….
VPR News

Advice for New Year’s party givers

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Halifax resident Matt Maranian gained a reputation as the anti-Martha Stewart with his book, “Pad: the Guide to Ultra Living.” His latest book, “Pad Parties,” is a guide to home entertaining.
VPR News

Education Department backs three teacher conduct bills

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The Vermont Board of Education is hoping the Legislature will enact laws to help get bad teachers out of the classroom. Three bills are being drafted by the Vermont Education Department at the request of the state board.
VPR News

Midday Report: Tuesday, December 30, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the dean of the University of Vermont Medical School, Dr. Joseph Warshaw, has died of cancer at 67; Vermont is about to open a new kind of court to deal with addiction cases; an American Research Group poll shows that former Vermont Governor Howard Dean still holds a big lead in New Hampshire; more…
VPR News

Vermont officials say meningitis outbreak unlikely here

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Vermont health officials say they are watching the outbreak of bacterial meningitis in New Hampshire. But because the disease isn’t easily spread, there are no plans to take additional precautions. In the past week, there have been five reported cases of bacterial meningitis in New Hampshire, with one fatality.
VPR News

Cattle tracking system proposed by Brattleboro group

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A case of mad cow disease in Washington state has focused attention on the difficulty that investigators face in tracing cattle across the country. A Vermont organization has one solution: a national cattle identification system that allows researchers to accurately follow an animal its entire life.
VPR News

Midday Report: Monday, December 29, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Springfield schools will be able to lower the tax rate while raising the budget, according to Business Manager Steve Hier; Democratic candidates for president are using long-form TV programs as well as televised debates and 30-second spots to get their messages out to potential voters; BankNorth economist Alan Day gives a year-end review of the regional economy, rating it 7.5 on a 1-to-10 scale.
VPR News

Interview: Lost ski areas

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Meteorologist and ski enthusiast Jeremy Davis charts many of the lost ski areas throughout New England – once bustling ski mountain destinations now untouched by ski or snowboard. He talks with Mitch Wertlieb about the organization he founded, the New England Lost Ski Area Project.
Commentary Series

Peace through health

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It is the season of Peace, and commentator Nils Daulaire reflects that in order to live in relative peace, we must first be able to live in relative health.
VPR News

‘Wedding Song’ profits support community grants

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There was a time when folksingers had hit singles. In 1971, Noel Paul Stookey – the ‘Paul’ of Peter, Paul and Mary – released his first solo album. From it came a single called the “Wedding Song.” The record climbed into the top 25 in Billboard Magazine, and peaked at number three on the easy listening charts. After more than 30 years, the “Wedding Song” continues to have an impact.
VPR News

IBM reviews conditions on electric rate cut

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Officials at IBM, the state’s largest private employer, are taking a close look at a recent Public Service Board order that will reduce its electric rates. The computer giant is concerned that the board tied its rate break to employment levels at the Essex Junction plant.
Commentary Series

Peacemakers

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It is the Season of Peace, and commentator Barrie Dunsmore has been thinking about some of the people who have taken great risks pursuing peace.
VPR News

Midday Report: Wednesday, December 24, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: a flood warning is issued for the holidays; the flu season in Vermont will not reach its peak for another several weeks; officials at IBM are taking a close look at a recent Vermont Public Service Board order that will reduce the company’s electric rates; a New Hampshire Army National Guard unit headquartered in Jericho, Vermont, will be deployed to Iraq early in January; more….
Commentary Series

Peace and quiet

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It is the Season of Peace and commentator David Moats reminds us that achieving Peace is sometimes more a matter of “being” rather than “doing.”
VPR News

Polar Express brings children’s book to life

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The children’s book “The Polar Express” is widely read at this time of year. It’s a Christmas story about an eight-year-old boy who takes a train ride to the North Pole. And the book has inspired a Burlington event that brings the story to life for children.
VPR News

Midday Report: Tuesday, December 23, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Governor Jim Douglas announces that Wal-Mart will bring 400 jobs to Franklin County; the Public Service Board will allow an anti-nuclear group to test soil removed from the Vermont Yankee site to see if it’s contaminated; the Red Cross hopes a blood drive in Rutland will help the state’s blood supply; Howard Dean faces a deadline today to respond to a lawsuit that seeks to open his gubernatorial records.
VPR News

Landowners call for stricter ATV regulations

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A Vermont landowners group has called for stricter controls on the use of all terrain vehicles. The group says it will also oppose allowing ATV’s on state lands when the issue comes before the Vermont Legislature next year.
VPR News

Midday Report: Monday, December 22, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Orange Alert impacts Vermont airports; Douglas urges Vermonters to continue with holiday plans; the Vermont Chamber of Commerce identifies its top five economic initiatives for 2004; a Vermont Air Guard F-16 makes an emergency landing in Williston; Vermont Air Guard announces a big new construction project to replace Camp Johnson’s Kneeland Flight Facility.
VPR News

Union argues for State Hospital to remain open

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The union that represents employees at the Vermont State Hospital says it doesn’t make sense to close the aging facility until a more modern replacement is found. Some lawmakers and advocacy groups say the hospital should be shut down. But the hospital workers say the state will always need a place to treat seriously mentally ill Vermonters.
VPR News

Ski resorts lure visitors with luxury and convenience

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Holiday ski conditions should be excellent thanks to recent storms. But snow is only part of what’s needed to attract today’s skiers. Ski resorts across Vermont have pumped hundreds of millions of dollars into new developments that offer luxury, convenience and just plain more.
Commentary Series

Bullies in the schoolyard

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Commentator Jay Parini has been following the dispute over what countries will be allowed to bid on contracts for the reconstruction of Iraq and he says it reminds him of an experience he had in the fifth grade.
VPR News

Cummings says state’s long-term energy plan is lacking

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Senate Finance Committee Chairwoman Ann Cummings says she’s disappointed with a new twenty-year energy plan proposed by the Douglas Administration. Cummings say the plan downplays the role of conservation and doesn’t provide specifics about the state’s energy future. Governor Jim Douglas is defending the proposal.
VPR News

Officials says state can’t meet flu vaccine demand

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The Vermont Department of Health has upgraded the status of the state’s influenza outbreak from ‘local’ to ‘widespread’ as the number of reported cases increases. And state officials say they’ve been working on getting more of the flu vaccine.
VPR News

Sanders calls vaccine importation ‘hypocrisy’

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Congressman Bernie Sanders says a decision by the Bush administration to purchase additional flu vaccines from England clearly demonstrates that it’s possible to import safe drugs from a foreign country.
VPR News

Savoy Theater joins downtown union

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A small movie theater has become the first to sign a contract with the union seeking to organize Montpelier workers. The Savoy Theater signed the contract with the Downtown Workers’ Union.
VPR News

Midday Report: Friday, December 19, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the State of Vermont scrambles to find more flu vaccine as more cases are reported; this month’s heavy snowfall means that the Vermont tourism industry is looking forward to a brisk business over the holidays; more…
VPR News

Douglas earmarks money for teacher diversity program

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The Douglas administration is throwing its financial support behind a program that encourages people from ethnic minorities to become teachers in Vermont. The program is having some financial difficulties and Governor Jim Douglas has agreed to include $100,000 in next year’s budget for the organization.
VPR News

Upper Valley residents come together for holiday Revels

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When it comes to holiday traditions, the Christmas Revels is fairly new. Celebrating the holiday and the Winter Solstice, Revels started in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the 1970s and quickly spread to cities around the country. Revels North of Hanover is one of the longest running Revels in the country. Each year well over a hundred Upper Valley residents come together to make it happen.
Commentary Series

Gifts for gardeners

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Still looking for the perfect gift for the gardener on your list? Commentator Charlie Nardozzi says that there are some interesting new gardening products on the market that you might consider.
VPR News

Douglas opposes closing Vermont State Hospital

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Governor Jim Douglas says he’ll oppose any effort by the Legislature to close down the State Hospital in Waterbury. Douglas says the state needs such a facility and his administration is taking steps to regain federal certification for the hospital.
VPR News

VPIRG study says GE seeds contaminate organic farms

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The Vermont Public Interest Research Group has released a study that it says reinforces the case for a moratorium on the use of genetically engineered seeds in Vermont. An official with the biotechnology industry says the study and VPIRG’s conclusions are flawed.
VPR News

Midday Report: Thursday, December 18, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the third heavy winter storm in two weeks has brought down power lines in central and northern Vermont; VPIRG says genetically modified corn is contaminating the state’s organic corn crop; Governor Jim Douglas holds his weekly news conference within the next hour, and will comment on a recommendation that the troubled state mental hospital be closed; more…
VPR News

Mental health advocates warn of financial crisis

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Advocates warn that Vermont’s network of community mental health centers faces a worsening financial crisis. The advocates say that while needed attention has focused on conditions at the Vermont State Hospital, the rest of the system is also in trouble.
VPR News

New rules change party status in Act 250 appeals

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The Legislature has approved new rules that govern who can participate in Act 250 cases. The Douglas administration and business lobbyists pushed for the rule changes. But critics argued that the amendments will limit citizen participation and will do little to help developers.
VPR News

Brattleboro students vote to keep controversial mascot

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Students at Brattleboro Union High School have voted overwhelmingly to keep their controversial mascot. The Brattleboro Colonel – a cartoon figure of a Confederate colonel – has been criticized as a symbol of slavery and racial oppression.
VPR News

Officials break ground on next segment of Circ Highway

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The ceremonial groundbreaking for the next leg of the Chittenden County Circumferential Highway was held in Williston on Wednesday. Governor Jim Douglas was joined by Transportation Secretary Patricia MacDonald and a number of government and business leaders.
VPR News

Midday Report: Wednesday, December 17, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: groundbreaking takes place on phase two of the Circumferential Highway project; another 200 soldiers from Vermont prepare for mobilization to Iraq; Sleet, freezing rain and rain is slowing traffic on many roadways; Vermont community mental health leaders are warning of a brewing crisis in the system.
VPR News

Interview: Red Sox still dealing for A-Rod

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Mitch Wertlieb and sportscaster J.J. Chioffi dissect the potential trade between the Boston Red Sox and the Texas Rangers. The two baseball teams are negotiating a multi-mullion contract involving shortstops Alex Rodriguez and Nomar Garciaparra, and outfielder Manny Ramirez.
VPR News

Home-State Record: Wesley Clark

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Today in the conclusion to our series on the home-state records of the Democratic presidential candidates we look at General Wesley Clark. He’s never held elective office, never voted on a legislative measure and never signed a bill into law. But Dan Gorenstein of New Hampshire Public Radio, reports on another record: his leadership during thirty years in the military.
VPR News

Snow and rain conspire against flat roofs

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The Vermont Department of Labor and Industry is warning people to shovel snow off their roofs on Tuesday. The deep snow cover combined with heavy rains expected on Wednesday could cause roofs to collapse.
VPR News

Midday Report: Tuesday, December 16, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Microtechnology could bring new jobs to aid Bennington’s sluggish economy; Bradford residents hear details on a new drug treatment center; Vermont Yankee officials say soil tests at the plant show no contamination; Steve Jeffery of the League of Cities and Towns discusses bills that may impact Vermont municipalities; more…
VPR News

Home-State Record: Al Sharpton

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Today, as we continue our series on the home-state records of the Democratic presidential candidates, we look at the Reverend Al Sharpton. The Reverend Sharpton has never held elected office and trails in the polls. But as Jim Colgan from WNYC in New York reports, Sharpton has a history as a man who gets heard.
VPR News

Scientists question administration’s mercury policy

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The Bush administration on Monday backed away from mandatory controls on toxic mercury pollution in favor of a market based approach. Forty-eight tons of mercury are released each year by coal and oil-fired power plants. And new research shows that the heavy metal has contaminated many lakes in Vermont and New Hampshire. The scientists who conducted the research say they’re leery of the administration’s new mercury plan.
Commentary Series

Donating time at nursing homes

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If you have just a little free time during the holidays – or any time during the year for that matter – commentator Anna Jamieson has a suggestion for putting it to good use.
Commentary Series

Holiday blues

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For those of us who may feel overwhelmed instead of jolly this time of year, commentator Nils Daulaire has some practical advice for avoiding the holiday blues.
VPR News

Storm drops 2-3 feet of snow

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Between two and three feet of snow fell on northern Vermont on Monday in a storm that is one of the biggest on record.
VPR News

Midday Report: Monday, December 15, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: for the second week in a row, heavy snows hit Vermont, but this time early warning and cancellations have limited the traffic; Howard Dean is outlining a new post-Saddam foreign policy, after the capture of the former Iraqi leader; homeland security summit meeting that starts in less than an hour in South Burlington; Mississquoi Valley Union School District is the only district without a budget in the state – a vote is set for Friday.
VPR News

Drivers warned of wintry road conditions

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Extremely hazardous driving conditions have been posted since early Monday morning for every county in Vermont except for Washington, where conditions were labeled a notch less severe but alerts were posted for numerous roads.
VPR News

Home-State Record: John Edwards

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In a special series last week and this week, Vermont Public Radio reports on the home-state records of the Democratic presidential candidates. Today in our series, Julie Donnelly reports that North Carolina Senator John Edwards built a career on his success as a personal injury lawyer and big ambition.
VPR News

Federal energy bill impacts Vermont wind projects

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A deadlock in Washington over national energy legislation threatens wind energy projects in Vermont. Senate Democrats fought the energy bill because they said it was too generous for the oil and gas industry. But the bill also renewed tax credits that the wind industry says are essential for their projects to succeed.
VPR News

Paul Winter brings Russian folk music to students

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This week, the world got a little bigger for students at Newfane Elementary school – thanks to a visit from jazz artist Paul Winter. The Grammy-winning musician brought along a Russian performance troupe. The performers brought to life the music and dance traditions of rural Russian villages.
VPR News

Midday Report: Friday, December 12, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin of Montreal is inaugurated today; a Senate proposal may streamline Act 250 permit appeals; Melinda Wittstock of the Capitol Bureau recaps what the Vermont congressional delegation has been doing this week in Washington.
VPR News

Home-State Record: Dick Gephardt

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As we continue our series on the home-state records of the Democratic presidential candidates, we look at Congressman Richard Gephardt. Gephardt’s record from alderman to majority leader is a matter of home-town pride. But his challenge has been to balance his leadership role with the needs of his district.
Commentary Series

Deer in Winter

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Commentator Willem Lange is conflicted about deer. Out in the woods, they’re fair game; but the ones in his yard are members of the family. And it’s almost Christmas.
VPR News

Douglas angered by IPC developments

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Governor Jim Douglas is accusing the International Paper Company of deliberately withholding key information from Vermont officials concerning a test tire burn. IPC officials are baffled by Douglas’s remarks because all the information in question is on file at the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation.
VPR News

Panel makes progress on stormwater research

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A state panel reports some progress in trying to break a regulatory impasse over stormwater pollution. Last summer, the Water Resources Board brought all sides together to try to apply the best science to the problem. The work is not yet finished, but participants are hopeful a solution is in sight. They’ve started by agreeing how to measure stormwater pollution.
VPR News

Midday Report: Thursday, December 11, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the Vermont Army National Guard is receiving new battle tanks at northern Vermont armories; a new poll says President Bush would beat Howard Dean in New Hampshire; American Skiing Company reported on Thursday that it lost $41 million in the first quarter; more…
VPR News

Home-State Record: Carol Moseley Braun

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Today in our series on the home-state records of the Democratic presidential candidates we look at Carol Moseley Braun. As Jenny Lawton from Chicago Public Radio reports, Braun has been a symbol of both controversy and hope in Illinois.
Commentary Series

Eldercare

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The national debate on Medicare has reminded commentator David Moats of the many challenges we face in caring for our elders.
VPR News

Douglas won’t violate federal law on drug reimportation

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Governor Jim Douglas says he won’t follow New Hampshire’s lead and immediately seek to re-import prescription drugs from Canada for Medicaid patients. The federal Food and Drug Administration is opposed to these efforts and Douglas says he doesn’t want to break the law.
VPR News

Midday Report: Wednesday, December 10, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: a recap of yesterday’s events in the Democratic presidential campaign; Governor Jim Douglas marks the opening of a new substance abuse recovery center in Barre; an anti-nuclear group that wants to know more about a plan to increase power at the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant has signed a secrecy agreement to see documents in the case.
VPR News

Interview: Democrats debate in New Hampshire

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Mitch Wertlieb talks with John Dillon about Tuesday night’s debate between the Democratic presidential candidates. John Dillon attended the debate, which was held on the heels of Al Gore endorsement of Howard Dean earlier that day.
VPR News

Home-State Record: Joe Lieberman

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Today in our series on the home-state records of the Democratic presidential candidates we look at Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman. While many thought his name recognition from the 2000 election would put him near the top of the field today, his moderate history is not lighting a fire at home.
Commentary Series

Entergy’s used car deal

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Sometimes getting a great break on a used car leaves you feeling uneasy. Commentator Timothy McQuiston ways that’s the way the new owners of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant might be feeling these days.
VPR News

New Medicare law may reduce drug benefits in Vermont

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The Medicare bill that President Bush signed on Monday could force some Vermonters to pay more for their prescription medicines. The bill sets up a new, federal prescription drug benefit. But it’s less generous than an existing state plan. And there are estimates it could cost the state several million dollars to fill the gap in coverage.
VPR News

Banknorth continues Massachusetts expansion

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The Maine-based Banknorth Group announced today it has reached an agreement to purchase the parent company of Cape Cod Bank and Trust. The all-stock deal is valued at approximately $300 million.
VPR News

Midday Report: Tuesday, December 9, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: former Vice President Al Gore’s endorsement of Howard Dean’s candidacy is being interpreted as a critical step in consolidating the party’s inner guard behind the insurgent candidacy of Dean; Governor Jim Douglas is back from a day-long trip to Toronto, his first visit to the headquarters of Husky; all nine Democrats running for president will debate Tuesday evening in New Hampshire.
VPR News

Home-State Record: Dennis Kucinich

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Today in our series on the home-state records of the Democratic presidential candidates we look at Congressman Dennis Kucinich. The Ohio congressman is considered a long-shot in the race, but as Vincent Duffy from public radio station WKSU in Kent, Ohio, reports, Kucinich has faced long odds before.
VPR News

Rockingham visitor center launches Scenic Byway project

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State officials and community supporters from Rockingham celebrated the opening of a new visitors center in Bellows Falls on Monday. The center is one of ten proposed for the Connecticut River Valley in Vermont and New Hampshire. It’s part of a federally-backed Scenic Byway project that could benefit the entire region.
VPR News

Dean’s sealed records might take months to catalog

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The immediate future of Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean’s sealed gubernatorial records is still uncertain. Even if a judge orders Dean to release all of the documents, Secretary of State Deb Markowitz says it could take months for her office to index and catalog the 150 boxes of sealed information.
VPR News

Gore endorses Dean in Democratic race

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Former Vice President Al Gore endorsed Howard Dean for the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday morning. Gore said Dean is, “the only candidate who has been able to inspire at the grassroots level all over the country.”
VPR News

Midday Report: Monday December 8, 2003

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Top storeis developing across the region at the noon hour: Vermont is still cleaning up after a weekend of heavy snow. Governor Douglas is in Toronto meeting with officials from Husky, the Canadian industrial company that has a plant in Milton; the West Rutland town manager is trying to interest neighboring towns in creating a regional animal control office.
VPR News

Home-State Record: John Kerry

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In a special series today and over the next two weeks, Vermont Public Radio reports on the “home-state records” of the Democratic presidential candidates. In part one, Susan Kaplan from public radio station WFCR in Amherst, Massachusetts, reports that Bay Staters do not hear a central theme in Senator John Kerry’s campaign.
Commentary Series

Buy local, even in winter

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Many people are used to buying local produce during the summer and fall, but commentator Ron Krupp says that there’s plenty of good reason to invest your food dollar locally – even after the harvest is over.
VPR News

Dean launches media ads in two dozen states

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The campaign of Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean is planning to spend several million dollars on TV spots in a number of states that hold primaries the week after the New Hampshire election. Campaign manager Joe Trippi says the media effort, which will begin next week, demonstrates that Dean is running a national campaign.
VPR News

Colodny to head lake fundraising campaign

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Governor Jim Douglas hopes to tap a number of public and private funding sources to help pay for the clean-up of Lake Champlain. The governor announced that Ed Colodny, a former airline executive and hospital president, will lead the private fundraising efforts.
VPR News

Interview: Land of War Elephants

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Historian and Barnard resident Matthew Wilson was a member of the British Army living in Pakistan in the late 1960’s. Over the next 30 years, he and his family made a number of return trips to Central Asia, notably Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Neal Charnoff talks with Wilson about his new book based on his travels, “The Land of the War Elephants.”
VPR News

Midday Report: Friday, December 5, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Lieutenant Governor Brian Dubie recaps his trade mission to Quebec; a memorial service is being held for Marc Hull, the former commissioner of education; Chad Pergram of the Capitol Bureau in Washington reports on an active political week, despite current congressional recess; Two Wall Street bond rating firms downgraded New Hampshire’s rating slightly on Thursday in anticipation of an $80 million bond sale next week.
VPR News

Santa Land visitors weigh theme park’s Wild West future

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Back when billboards flanked Vermont’s highways, any motorist entering the state could see that Santa’s Land U.S.A. was a big attraction. In recent years, the 50-year-old Putney theme park has struggled to open weekends from May till Christmas. Now a Massachusetts business man wants to turn Santa’s Land into a Wild West Village.
Commentary Series

Remembering Marc Hull

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Commentator Nick Boke recalls the many accomplishments of Marc Hull, the former Vermont Commissioner of Education who died earlier this week.
VPR News

Dean raises $52,000 for congressional candidate

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The campaign of Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean says its pilot project to help raise money for a member of Congress from Iowa has been very successful. The campaign says that demonstrates that Dean’s grass roots support can be a factor in Congressional elections next year.
VPR News

Satellite and cable services vie for market share

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A satellite television company has gone on the offensive in Vermont in an effort to woo television viewers away from cable. As VPR’s Steve Zind reports, the stakes are high in a state where more than 80% of the households receive television through satellite or cable.
VPR News

Bio-diesel station opens in Connecticut River Valley

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When Rudolf Diesel invented the diesel engine he intended it to run on peanut oil. A century later, people are again looking to vegetable-based fuels. They see bio-diesel as a way to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and reduce dependence on foreign oil. A caravan of bio-diesel devotees gathered Wednesday morning to celebrate a small victory.
VPR News

Interview: technology in teacher training

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A new $3 million statewide technology project called “The Electronic Portfolio Collection” is being launched to help train future teachers in Vermont. Mitch Wertlieb talks with Joyce Morris of UVM, the project’s principal investigator.
VPR News

Midday Report: Thursday, December 4, 2003

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A new Zogby poll of potential voters in New Hampshire shows that Howard Dean has widened his lead over his closest challenger in next months New Hampshire Primary; two endorsements from former Democratic governors are being seen as a coup for Peter Clavelle’s run for governor in next year’s election; several people are indicating they will run for Senate seats from Chittenden County; the state of Vermont has decided to put a new drug treatment facility in the Orange County town of Bradford.
VPR News

Judicial Watch files suit against Dean

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Democratic presidential hopeful Howard Dean now faces a lawsuit over sealed records from his years as Vermont’s governor. The Washington-based group “Judicial Watch” announced it is filing suit in Washington Superior Court in an effort to win release of the records.
VPR News

School search yields no drugs

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Springfield High School officials say they’re happy a drug sniffing dog didn’t find any contraband in the school on Tuesday. But they won’t hesitate to bring the dog in again if it will help keep illegal drugs off school property.
VPR News

Midday Report: Wednesday, December 3, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Governor Jim Douglas is in Quebec on a two-day trade mission, joined today by Lieutenant Governor Brian Dubie; in the Bennington area, the employment news is both good and bad; Vermont’s First Lady is in New Haven to publicize a reading initiative; a panel discussion on land use permit reform began this morning in Montpelier, involving business interests, environmental groups and state government officials.
VPR News

Interview: VMS reviews vote on assisted suicide

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The Vermont Medical Society met in a closed door session Tuesday night, to further discuss a vote among its members from a few weeks ago on the question of physician assisted suicide. Mitch Wertlieb talks with VMS President Dr. James O’Brien about the results of the meeting.
VPR News

Environmental commissioner reverses Omya ruling

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A state environmental official says the possibility of groundwater pollution led him to change his mind about a waste permit for the Omya Corporation in Pittsford. Environmental Commissioner Jeffrey Wennberg recently reversed himself and ruled that Omya does need a state permit to dump mining waste. Local residents have been concerned that trace chemicals in the waste could contaminate their drinking water.
VPR News

Douglas sees merit in sealing gubernatorial records

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Governor Jim Douglas says that he doubts that Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean is trying to conceal any major secrets in the gubernatorial records that have been sealed for a 10-year period. Douglas says there’s a good reason why some records are taken out of public view for a number of years.
VPR News

Vermont soldiers called up to active duty

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More Vermont National Guard troops will be called up in January to support the war in Iraq. Adjutant General Martha Rainville announced today that about 200 Vermont Guard members will be deployed to provide security for other soldiers.
VPR News

Midday Report: Tuesday, December 2, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: About 200 Vermont Army National Guard members will be mobilized for 18 months as part of the U.S. operations in Iraq; the advocacy group argues that investigators erred in their report on a fatal police shooting two years; students at Brattleboro High School conclude a series of meetings on their mascot; the National Republican Committee chairman says Vermont will be competitive in the 2004 election.
VPR News

Dean defends sealed records

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Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean sealed his official records for a longer period of time than two previous Vermont governors. The secrecy received more attention this week with a report in Newsweek magazine. In an interview on Monday at Vermont Public Radio, Dean said he doesn’t know what’s in the sealed files, and that he followed the practice laid out by earlier governors.
VPR News

Douglas announces job growth plan

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Governor Jim Douglas has unveiled a new plan to stimulate job growth in different parts of the state. The governor is calling for the creation of special job zones that will offer new businesses expedited permit reviews and certain tax exemptions.
VPR News

Former commissioner Marc Hull dies at 61

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Former education commissioner Marc Hull has died. The 61-year-old Cabot resident served as commissioner from 1996 to 1999, when he left due to health concerns. Vermont Education Commissioner Richard Cate says Hull will be missed greatly.
VPR News

Freeman Foundation gives historic preservation grants

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The 183-year-old Pierce House and Store in North Shrewsbury will be getting a facelift, thanks to a historic preservation grant. The Freeman Foundation and Preservation Trust of Vermont are awarding $35,000 for general renovations at the site.
VPR News

Midday Report: Monday, December 1, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Presidential candidate Howard Dean pursues his long-running critique of President Bush’s management of post-war Iraq; Governor Douglas announces the second major job creation package of his administration; former Vermont Education Commissioner Marc Hull has died; Congressman Bernie Sanders assesses the new Medicare bill that passed in Congress last week; Marlboro College in Brattleboro announces a new president.
VPR News

Turnip redux

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The turnip, which adorned many holiday tables this week, is a source of pride in southeastern Vermont.
Commentary Series

Synergy

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This Thanksgiving weekend, commentator Jim Luken is thinking about current events from an unusual perspective.
VPR News

Interview: Ski Helmet use studied

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A new study conducted by the Snow Sports Research Team at Fletcher Allen HealthCare and the University of Vermont’s College of Medicine shows that ski helmet use is fairly common for kids under the age of 18, but the numbers drop sharply for young people over 18, and adults.
Commentary Series

Thanksgiving

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It’s Thanksgiving and Tom Slayton is here tell us the story about the origin of today’s National Holiday.
Commentary Series

Toast the season

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Should you toast the season along with your holiday turkey? Commentator Ruth Page describes how it may help your heart but emphasizes that drinking too much is far more dangerous than not drinking at all. Doctors never advise non-drinkers to “have a drink.”
VPR News

VT Yankee passes emergency drill

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Vermont Yankee has passed an emergency drill, but some area residents still are not happy with evacuation plans in the event of a true crisis at the nuclear power plant.
VPR News

Tire burn update

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It’s unlikely that a test burn of tires at the International Paper Company plant in Ticonderoga will be conducted this year.
VPR News

Interview: Homelessness not just seasonal

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Winter is starting to make its presence felt throughout Vermont, and with awareness of the increasingly colder weather comes a greater awareness as well of Vermonters facing the prospect of being literally left out in the cold. Mitch Wertlieb spoke with Rita Markley, Executive Director of COTS The Committee On Temporary Shelter, in Burlington.
Commentary Series

Not in Kansas anymore

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Commentator Philip Baruth recently spent a weekend traveling through New Hampshire that is, New Hampshire in the heart of primary season. It was a mind-blowing experience almost literally.
VPR News

Midday Report: Tuesday, November 25, 2003

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Stories from around the region developing at the noon hour: The Town of Windsor is deciding by ballot today whether to removed from office four of the five members of its Selectboard; VPIRG has released this year’s warnings about dangerous toys; a Littleton New Hampshire shopping center now being planned could create almost nine hundred jobs; more…
VPR News

VT develops wind tower policy

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State environmental officials will ask the public whether wind towers should be built on state land. Vermont is developing a policy that will govern how its ridgelines can be used for wind towers.
Commentary Series

Dean and MA

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Commentator Barrie Dunsmore says that the recent court decision in Massachusetts regarding same-sex marriage will challenge Howard Dean on the campaign trail.
VPR News

Midday Report: Monday, November 24, 2003

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News stories developing at the noon hour: the Douglas Administration launches a new initiative to combat homelessness in Vermont, especially among children; Brattleboro spruces up after a lot of downtown street construction, just in time for the holiday shopping season. A delegation from Windsor County was in Boston this morning to receive a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency; more stories…
VPR News

Interview: UVM poet wins emerging writer award

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South Burlington poet and assistant professor of English at UVM Major Jackson has received a Whiting Writer’s Award, one of ten recipients selected as an emerging writer of exceptional talent and promise. Mitch Wertlieb spoke with the poet…
VPR News

Interview: Heart-Side Up by Barbara Dimmick

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The new novel Heart-Side Up recounts a year in the life of Zoe Miller, a teacher who is attacked by a knife-wielding 18-year-old. Disfigured and anxiety-ridden, Zoe packs her Xanax and moves to Vermont, where she buys an isolated, half-finished house. Neal Charnoff talks with author Barbara Dimmick about her new novel.
Commentary Series

Our Best Friends

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Commentator Willem Lange regrets that, in the United States’ efforts to combat terrorism, it often forgets that what unites it with its neighbors is more important than what divides them.
VPR News

Midday Report – Friday, November 21, 2003

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Top stories developing around our region at the noon hour: Vermont’s Secretary of State is looking for old established businesses to honor; Middlebury College is a-twitter over a freshman’s adventures on the TV quiz program Jeopardy , more…
Commentary Series

Animals

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Recent events concerning bears, and the arrival of deer season remind commentator David Moats that the relationship between animals and people is complicated.
VPR News

Midday Report: Thursday, November 20, 2003

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Top regional news stories at the noon hour: The VT Law School’s founder is indicted in Federal Court on investment fraud charges; business interests and environmentalists cooperate on smart growth policies; VPR’s Steve Zind reports on a newly announced Federal/State initiative to apprehend people who possess guns illegally, more…
VPR News

Bullying

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For years, bullying was seen as a normal, if unpleasant, part of growing up. Despite efforts nationwide to take a hard line on bullying, many kids continue to be isolated and victimized by their peers.
VPR News

Newport student expelled

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A high school student in Newport has been expelled for taking a a small, unloaded pistol to school last week.
VPR News

Midday Report: Wednesday, November 19, 2003

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Top regional news stories at the noon hour: Fletcher Allen Health Care and the CIGNA insurance company have resolved a dispute over reimbursement rates. ; how would Howard Dean do in a one-on-one TV debate against President Bush?… more stories
VPR News

High speed rail study in jeopardy

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Plans to study high-speed rail service from Boston to Montreal are in jeopardy because one of three states participating in the study is having a hard time paying its share of the cost.
Commentary Series

Wind power (pro)

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The debate about developing wind power in Vermont has blown hot and heavy this year. Today VPR offers two views on the subject. The first is from commentator Bill McKibben, who believes that wind power is necessary as part of the solution to global warming.
Commentary Series

Wind power (against)

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The debate about developing wind power continues to blow hot and heavy in Vermont. Today VPR offers two views on the subject. This morning we heard from commentator Bill McKibben, who believes that wind power is a necessary part of the remedy for global warming. Now, here is Sam Lloyd, who continues to have serious reservations about the wisdom of generating energy with wind power.
Commentary Series

Wind power

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The debate about developing wind power continues to blow hot and heavy in Vermont. Today VPR offers two views on the subject. This morning we heard from commentator Bill McKibben, who believes that wind power is a necessary part of the remedy for global warming. Now, here is Sam Lloyd, who continues to have serious reservations about the wisdom of generating energy with wind power.
VPR News

Carving studio in Rutland

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At one time, some 700 quarries dotted the Vermont landscape, carving out ancient deposits of marble, slate and granite. Today, a unique school tucked in the hills of West Rutland is trying to revive that art.
VPR News

Midday Report: Tuesday, November 18, 2003

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Middlebury College President John McCardle is about to make what the college calls an announcement of major importance to the campus community; Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Vermont is having its annual conference in Burlington today; The Pentagon says it has uncovered remains in Laos that may be those of Howard Dean’s younger brother; more stories…
VPR News

Interview: P.J. O’Rourke

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There are plenty of commentators who rail against the excesses of big government, but no one does it with more humor and wit than political satirist P.J. O’Rourke.
VPR News

Wind energy developers moving quickly with VT projects

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A Montpelier company today formally filed for state approval for a project on East Mountain in the Northeast Kingdom, and an organization that represents the state’s municipal utilities says it’s looking at six potential sites to develop wind-driven power plants.
VPR News

Midday Report: Monday, November 17, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: The state of Vermont is launching a new initiative to fight obesity among young people; it’s election day in North Hero, where residents are deciding whether to authorize bonds for a new town office and community center, more stories…
VPR News

Interview: Middlebury College student on

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The answer in the form of a question is “who is Keith Williams?” The question being: This resident of Manchester Center, Vermont and freshman at Middlebury College appears tomorrow night in the semi-final round of this year’s “Jeopardy College Tournament.”
VPR News

Seven Days’ “I Spy” personals

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Each week, the newspaper “Seven Days” devotes a page to its “I Spy” personals column — a bulletin board of sorts for those who almost made a connection. Today, VPR takes a closer look at the column.
VPR News

Midday Report: Friday, November 14, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Governor Douglas has appointed legislators, lawyers and judges to a Commission to look into what needs to be done to relive problems in the Corrections Department; more…
VPR News

Dean unveils higher education plan

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Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean has unveiled a plan to make higher education more affordable for many low and moderate income families.
VPR News

State considers purchase of hydro power dams

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Experts hired by the state to study the purchase of a series of power dams on the Connecticut River say there’s a slim chance that Vermont could pull the deal off. But they also say that if the state could put all the pieces together in the complicated financial transaction, Vermont could save money on electricity in the long term.
VPR News

Interview: Medical Society votes on assisted suicide

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The Vermont Medical Society has taken up the controversial issue of physician assisted suicide, but a vote taken by its members on Wednesday produced two resolutions that appear to contradict each other. Mitch Wertlieb talks with Steve Larose, communications director for the Vermont Medical Society, about the results of the vote.
VPR News

Diocese hasn’t decided whether to make records public

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The Burlington Roman Catholic Diocese says it has compiled a list of all sexual abuse allegations against Vermont priests in the last 52 years under a mandate from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. A spokesman says the diocese hasn’t decided yet whether to make the information public.
VPR News

Midday Report: Thursday, November 13, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Governor Jim Douglas proposes a three-to-five per cent cut in the statewide property tax; Howard Dean lays out his plan for funding higher education; Vermont’s Power Acquisition Authority considers whether it is feasible for the state to buy a series of hydro-electric dams; more stories… Due to a technical error, today’s audio transcript is not available
VPR News

Physicians poll shows conflict on assisted suicide

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The Vermont Medical Society released a vote on Wednesday indicating that most of the state’s medical doctors oppose new laws for or against physician-assisted suicide. Still, advocates of assisted suicide had success with a separate resolution that calls for neutrality and allows doctors to lobby for legislation.
VPR News

Dean boosted by two union endorsements

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Leaders of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees have endorsed Democrat Howard Dean for president. The Executive Board voted unanimously on the decision, which was announced last week unofficially.
VPR News

FEED schools connect nutrition and learning

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One-hundred-fifty students, faculty and cafeteria personnel from Vermont schools are meeting in Montpelier this week. They’re learning more about a school nutrition program that brings food from Vermont farms to school tables.
VPR News

State auditor questions benefits of Yankee uprate deal

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More questions are being raised about the deal reached by the Douglas administration that may allow the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant to boost its power output. Vermont Yankee has promised to provide $20 million in benefits in exchange for the state’s support. But Vermont’s auditor questions whether the state has the authority to enter into the financial settlement.
VPR News

State may lose revenue in Internet tax moratorium

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The Douglas administration says a proposed extension of the federal moratorium on the taxation of Internet providers is too broad and needs to be changed. If the bill passes in its current form, Administration Secretary Michael Smith says the state could lose up to $25 million a year in revenue.
VPR News

Midday Report: Tuesday, November 11, 2003

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Tuesday is the 85th anniversary of the end of World War I, and there are Veterans’ Day observances all over Vermont; a World War Two veteran has finally received his high school diploma; Bennington Battle monument will be lit for the first time.
VPR News

Guilford classes carry on, school still closed

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Students from the Guilford Central School have been attending classes in some unlikely locations for the past month. Ever since a boiler fire raised concerns about possible carcinogens in the school, they’ve been waiting for someone to say it’s safe to return.
VPR News

Expert says underfunding hampers health care delivery

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According to a new report, Vermont’s hospitals and health care related businesses account for 11% of all jobs in the state. Hospital officials warn the stability of the state’s health care delivery system could be undermined by the chronic under-funding of medical services by both the state and federal government.
VPR News

Midday Report: Monday, November 10, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Democrats in the Vermont Legislature are calling for hearings into Governor Jim Douglas’s plan to eliminate the community rating system for health insurance companies; within the past hour Attorney General William Sorrell announced a new nationwide restriction on cigarette advertising in national newsmagazines; Martha Abbott was re-elected over the weekend as the chair of Vermont’s Progressive Party.
VPR News

Dean rejects public campaign financing

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Presidential candidate Howard Dean says he will reject public financing – and the federal spending limits that go with it. Dean says his supporters overwhelming urged him to abandon the public financing program. His opponents say he’s just trying to outspend them in the hard-fought primary campaign.
Commentary Series

Ethan Allen on politics and religion

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As VPR’s occasional exploration of the Great Thoughts of Vermont continues, commentator Nick Boke revisits the philosophy of Ethan Allen to examine his thoughts on religion and politics.
VPR News

Welch critical of effort to revamp community rating

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A major fight is brewing over a decision by the Douglas administration to seek changes to Vermont’s community rating health insurance law. Senate President Pro Tempore Peter Welch calls the proposal “the biggest mistake the governor has made,” and Welch says Senate Democrats will actively oppose the plan.
VPR News

FAHC and CIGNA resume health insurance negotiations

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Fletcher Allen Health Care and the CIGNA health insurance company are trying to resolve a contract dispute that threatens to leave thousands of people without coverage at the state’s largest hospital. The two sides began talking again after Governor Jim Douglas urged them to break the contract deadlock.
VPR News

Midday Report: Friday, November 7, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Darcy Petit will be Vermont District Court in Newport charges stemming from a shooting yesterday that left one person dead and another injured; Governor Douglas has spoken to Fletcher Allen Health Care and Cigna health insurance company, and told them to resolve their dispute; the Toxics Action Centerhosts their first annual environmental conference in Randolph this weekend; Melinda Wittstock recaps the week in Washington.
VPR News

Current FAHC employees may be investigated

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Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell says the investigation into criminal wrongdoing in the Fletcher Allen Renaissance Project is a complex case that will take time to finish.
VPR News

Committee will hold hearings on IBM electric agreement

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The Senate Finance committee plans to hold hearings on a plan by the Douglas administration to have residential customers of Green Mountain Power subsidize an energy rate reduction for IBM. Committee Chairwoman Ann Cummings says she has serious concerns about the proposal.
VPR News

Dean’s union endorsement delayed

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A big labor endorsement from the Service Employees International Union for Howard Dean has been delayed. The labor group is expected to make an announcement next week.
VPR News

Midday Report: Thursday, November 6, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the Vermont National Guard expects to learn tonight or tomorrow is troops will be called to the Middle East in the next U.S. rotation; the state agency that represents utility customers is endorsing a plan to boost power at the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant; the annual meeting of the Vermont Farm Bureau begins tonight in Essex Junction; “Adopt-a-Minefield” hosts its third annual “Night of a Thousand Dinners” fundraiser.
VPR News

Medicare cuts and rising costs put strain on doctors

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The Vermont Medical Society is warning that cuts in the federal Medicare program could drive doctors out of business. The Society says the federal government plans to reduce payments under the program, despite a recent study that shows that physician’s costs are increasing.
VPR News

Dean supporters asked to vote on public financing

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Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean is asking his supporters to decide if he should reject public financing for his campaign. The online poll will take place over the next two days and Dean says he’ll live with whatever decision his backers make.
VPR News

Midday Report: Wednesday, November 5, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the Vermont Medical Society warns that Medicare cuts could drive doctors out of business; Governor Jim Douglas says he wants to explore a commuter rail service from Saint Albans to Essex Junction; some Vermonters are taking part in a protest today against Sport Utility Vehicles; the monthly newspaper “Out in the Mountains” wants Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean to come back to Vermont to meet with gays and lesbians.
VPR News

Vermont near national average in home health care

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Vermont home health agencies performed near the national average in new figures issued by the federal government. Officials say the statistics indicate the state is doing well for a system that cares for more than its share of acutely ill patients.
VPR News

Wilmington and Whitingham vote to consolidate schools

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Whitingham and Wilmington have agreed to pool their resources in a new joint high school and middle school. The two towns, seven miles apart, have separate high schools and longstanding sports rivalries. But starting next year students from both towns will be going to school together.
VPR News

Legislators hear testimony on Corrections procedures

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The Douglas administration will work with key lawmakers on an independent investigation into the unusual number of deaths inside Vermont prisons. The call for an investigation came as a legislative oversight committee heard more allegations about a recent inmate suicide. Witnesses also told the committee that inmates and staff who complain can experience retaliation by corrections officials.
VPR News

Vermont commissioner asks for delay in tire burn

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Environmental Commissioner Jeff Wennberg says the state needs more time to review a plan by the International Paper Company to burn tires as fuel at its Ticonderoga plant. Wennberg says the delay will also give the state an opportunity to install new air monitoring equipment across the lake from the IPC facility.
VPR News

Midday Report: Tuesday, November 4, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: legislative committee members and representatives of the Douglas administration are halfway through an intense look at the Vermont Department of Corrections; voters in Whitingham and Wilmington are voting today on whether to merge their school systems; town offices in Colchester are being inspected for safety problems in the wake of a fire last week at Winooski City Hall.
VPR News

Interview: Power line upgrade discussed in Vergennes

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Monday night in Vergennes, residents and officials from several Vermont towns met to discuss and air concerns about the proposed power line upgrade by the Vermont Electric Power Corporation. Mitch Wertlieb talks with Craig Miner, chairman of the Vergennes Power Line Action Committee, who helped organize the meeting.
Commentary Series

Echidna, the weirdest critter

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There’s a creature that, with the platypus, form the order monotreme; they’re the only surviving monotremes. They branched off from mammals about 120 million years ago and the oldest of the 26 surviving mammalian orders. Commentator Ruth Page hopes they can be preserved from extinction.
Commentary Series

Fall cider

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In Vermont apples are as much a part of autumn as foliage and commentator Will Curtis invites us to toast the season with a glass of fresh cider.
Commentary Series

Textbook re-importation

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Cheap prescription drugs from Canada? How about cheap biochemistry textbooks from England? Commentator Allen Gilbert takes a look at how students are saving money through the re-importation of textbooks.
VPR News

Douglas defends electricity discount for IBM

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Governor Jim Douglas is defending a special power deal with IBM. Under an agreement between the state and Green Mountain Power, IBM would get a discount on its rates while residential customers would see a slight rate increase.
VPR News

Dean says helicopter attack emphasizes flawed policy

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Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean says the attack on an American helicopter in Iraq this weekend underscores the basic flaw with the president’s policies in that country. Dean says the Bush administration and members of Congress who support the war effort failed to consider the kinds of major problems that would emerge in post war Iraq.
VPR News

Midday Report: Monday, November 3, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Congressman Bernie Sanders says the United States will only get help in Iraq if it apologizes to other countries; Vermont toxicologist Bill Bress explains the effect of zinc oxide on the human body; the Community College of Vermont hosts a three-day online conversation among instructors aimed at improving students’ writing; San Jose State University in California is considering Judtih Ramaley in its candidate search for a new president.
VPR News

Theater performances enhanced for blind patrons

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There is much more to a live theater performance than words spoken by actors. Visual elements like facial expressions, gestures, props and costumes are also important. Thanks to a technology called audio description, blind and sight-impaired people are able to fully enjoy an increasing number of Vermont theater productions.
VPR News

Interview: Economic divide in Vermont’s computer use

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The number of Vermonters with computers in their homes has increased significantly in the past 10 years, but there’s still a digital divide when it comes to money and computer ownership. That’s the conclusion from the latest “Vermonter Poll” conducted by the Center for Rural Studies at the University of Vermont. Mitch Wertlieb talks with UVM Jane Kolodinsky about the survey.
VPR News

Midday Report: Friday, October 31, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: there’s a growing debate about whether the developers should be required to set aside money to take down turbine towers after the equipment wears out at some time in the future; thousands of people in Rutland prepare for the city’s famous Halloween parade; Melinda Wittstock recaps the Vermont congressional delegation’s week in Washington.
VPR News

Most state agencies face 2% budget cut next year

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The Douglas administration is asking most state agencies to consider a 2% cut in spending in the next fiscal year. The administration says the move is necessary because of slow revenue growth and required spending increases in the Human Services budget.
Commentary Series

Haunted Houses

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Commentator C.B. Johnson likes to poke around in old houses. It’s an activity that often leads to one particular question – especially right now.
VPR News

Sanders defends vote against Iraqi aid bill

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Early Friday morning, Congressman Bernie Sanders voted against the $87 billion Iraqi aid package. He said there are too many needs in the U.S. to spend that amount of aid abroad. But the chairman of the Republican Party in Vermont described Sanders’ position as a vote against American troops in Iraq. Sanders says the charge is ridiculous.
VPR News

Developers defend wind proposal at NEK forum

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A few weeks from now, wind energy developers will ask state regulators for permission to build a $10 million project in East Haven. But the developers still face a hard sell in the Northeast Kingdom. Opponents turned out on Thursday to voice concerns about the impact of wind turbines on remote mountain ridges.
VPR News

Dean attacks attacks Bush education programs

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Howard Dean used a presidential candidates child care forum in New Hampshire on Friday to continue his attack on President Bush’s tax cut and education programs. Dean said part of the money and the effort could better be used to invest in kids.
VPR News

Hospital visitation rules

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Sick visitors to Vermont hospitals are going to be asked to wear masks to help stop the spread of airborne illnesses. The program is being set up by the Vermont Health Department and the state’s hospitals.
VPR News

Environmental Board proposed Act 250 rule changes

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The Environmental Board will send new rules to the Legislature that change the way the public gets involved in Act 250. The rules set up several ways for the public to be heard in development review cases.
VPR News

Norman Rockwell’s portrait of Vermont

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VPR continues our Great Thoughts of Vermont series with a look at Norman Rockwell’s Vermont-flavored art. Rockwell lived in West Arlington at the height of his career and died in 1978. Here’s commentator Tom Slayton.
VPR News

Appropriations bill includes Guard health care plan

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Senator Patrick Leahy says he’s pleased that a congressional conference committee has agreed to include his plan to provide health care to members of the National Guard as part of the Iraqi Appropriations bill.
VPR News

Vermont researches imported drugs for state employees

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Attorney General William Sorrell is actively researching whether the state of Vermont can purchase prescription drugs from Canada for all state employees. If the plan is found to be illegal under federal law, Sorrell says the Douglas administration could consider challenging the law in court.
VPR News

Board endorses changes in Act 250 review process

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The Vermont Environmental Board has endorsed new rules that govern who can participate in the review of proposed development projects. But critics fear the rules will limit how the public gets involved in Act 250 cases. The changes fulfill part of Governor Jim Douglas’s promise to revise the environmental permit process.
VPR News

Coventry landfill seeks to expand

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A landfill in Coventry that takes the most waste in Vermont is seeking to expand. New England Waste Services of Vermont wants to expand from 240,000 tons to 420,000 tons a year.
VPR News

Midday Report: Wednesday, October 29, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the Vermont State Republican party has launched a new effort to persuade Democrats not to support Howard Dean’s presidential campaign; the lawyer for two plaintiffs in lawsuits against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington says his clients will not settle for “small sums”; there’s an all-day hearing in progress in Montpelier on the great northeast power blackout of last August.
VPR News

Interview: Proposed Act 250 changes sent to Legislature

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Fundamental changes to Vermont’s Act 250 may be on the horizon. The state’s Environmental Board has voted to move ahead with proposed reforms and has sent them along to the Legislature. Mitch Wertlieb talks with VPR reporter John Dillon about the porposed rules changes.
VPR News

Burlington diocese prepares for lawsuit payments

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The Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington is trying to set aside money to cover possible settlements in three remaining lawsuits over alleged abuse. But the lawyer for two of the plaintiffs says his clients will not settle for small sums.
Commentary Series

Affirmative action for boys

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As most parents who have a senior in high school know, it’s college application time. Commentator Cheryl Hanna is here to discuss a trend in the admissions process that has far reaching implications.
VPR News

Lieberman unveils health care plan in New Hampshire

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Democratic presidential candidate Joe Lieberman unveiled a plan to provide health care to all Americans Tuesday afternoon at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Lieberman wants to establish new federal insurance pools for people who can’t afford to purchase traditional private coverage.
VPR News

Shelter helps motel families find new housing

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Most of the families living at a White River Junction motel that will close next week have found new places to live. The Haven, the Upper Valley housing shelter, has paid nearly $14,000 in security deposits and first months rents for housing for the families.
VPR News

Delay requested in Rice murder trial

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Prosecutors have asked for a six-month delay in the trial of a man accused of killing two hikers in Shenandoah National Park. They argue that the physical evidence needs to be re-evaluated after recent DNA tests pointed away from the man accused of killing a Burlington woman and her companion in June of 1996.
VPR News

Man gets probation for Internet fraud

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A Rutland man who made more than $25,000 selling fake celebrity memorabilia over the Internet will stay out of jail. Prosecutors say John Landau falsely claimed the items he was selling had belonged to John Wayne, Lucille Ball, Joan Crawford and Ava Gardner.
VPR News

Midday Report: Tuesday, October 28, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the future of the Brattleboro High School’s southern colonel mascot is being discussed today; senior citizens in Vermont try to adjust to a new way of paying a share of Medicaid drug costs; Vermont Administration Secretary Mike Smith is speaking in favor of re-importing drugs from Canada, at a panel discussion today in Boston.
VPR News

Dean still struggles with public financing dilemma

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Howard Dean’s fundraising success presents a tough dilemma for the Democratic presidential candidate. Dean must decide whether his campaign will accept federal matching funds to continue the race next year. If he takes the money, he’ll have to sharply limit spending though next year’s Democratic convention. Dean says he hasn’t yet decided what to do.
VPR News

Brattleboro adopts emissions control plan

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The town of Brattleboro has endorsed a plan to significantly reduce emissions of greenhouse gases in town. It’s part of a growing grass roots effort to combat global warming and reduce dependency on foreign oil.
VPR News

Clean Air lawsuit filed against EPA

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Vermont is one of 12 states and several Northeast cities that is suing the Environmental Protection Agency to block changes to the Clean Air Act.
VPR News

Midday Report: Monday, October 27, 2003

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Top stories developing across the regionat the noon hour: the National Weather Service has posted a flood watch for the Adirondacks, northern and central Vermont; a new commuter air service is up and running in Rutland; International Paper hopes to work with the Douglas Administration to resolve air pollution concerns; two men are in critical condition after being burned in a propane explosion in Morrisville; Barre has new funding for an after-school program.
VPR News

Mammography registry advances breast cancer research

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Whenever a Vermont woman goes in for a mammogram, she’s asked to voluntarily provide information about her medical history. For the past decade the information and exam results have been used in the Vermont Mammography Registry – the nation’s only statewide breast cancer screening registry.
VPR News

Professional town jobs edge out volunteer leaders

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The fabric of community life in Vermont has been sustained for generations by the volunteers who step forward in every town to run for local office, or to serve on unpaid boards and commissions. In part three of our series on the public service jobs of Vermont, VPR’s Steve Delaney explores the civic duties that may not survive as elective offices.
VPR News

Wardsboro celebrates heirloom turnip

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The town of Wardsboro will honor its roots, on Saturday at the first Gilfeather Turnip Festival. The locally grown turnip, said to be sweetest after a couple of hard frosts, is a source of pride in this southeastern Vermont town.
VPR News

Kucinich calls Dean television ads untrue

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Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich is calling on Howard Dean to stop running a television ad in New Hampshire. The Ohio Congressman says the ad is untruthful. Deans says Kucinich is off the mark because the ad was meant to target just the top Democrats in the presidential field.
VPR News

Midday Report: Friday, October 24, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: International Paper in Ticonderoga, New York will go ahead with its plan to test-burn tire chips in its plant; UVM hosts a conference on stormwater runoff; Rutland’s historic Paramount Theater will soon have a new executive director; a recap of the week in Washington, D.C.
Commentary Series

Alcoholics Anonymous grown from Vermont roots

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Continuing our exploration of Great Thoughts of Vermont, commentator Mary Barrosse Schwartz examines a deceptively simple idea with the power to literally transform lives.Continuing our exploration of Great Thoughts of Vermont, commentator Mary Barrosse Schwartz examines a deceptively simple idea with the power to literally transform lives.
VPR News

Leahy asks Bush to improve Guard barracks conditions

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Senator Patrick Leahy says the Bush administration is treating many National Guard troops as “second class soldiers” because the troops are not receiving proper medical care after serving in Iraq. Leahy called on the president to immediately rectify this situation.
VPR News

Organic farmers protest state GMO policy

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Farmers opposed to the use of genetically engineered crops took their complaints to the Agency of Agriculture on Thursday. They worry that their products could be cross-pollinated or contaminated by the genetically modified varieties. They want Agriculture Secretary Steve Kerr to impose a moratorium, but Kerr says that’s not allowed under the law.
VPR News

NEXUS program may ease cross-border commutes

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Crossing the U.S.-Canadian border should get easier for people who move back and forth regularly. The governments of Canada and the United States inaugurated a center on Thursday where people can enroll in the NEXUS border crossing program.
VPR News

Midday Report: Thursday, October 23, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the planned test burning of tires in Ticonderoga New York is still an issue across the lake in Vermont; a retired ambassador talks about stresses between the U.S. and the U.N.; Vermont farmers opposed to the use of genetically engineered crops took their complaints to the Agency of Agriculture this morning; The Vermont Campus Greening Conference is underway at UVM.
VPR News

Legislator Dan Darrow remembered this weekend

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When Vermonters honor Dan Darrow this weekend, they’ll remember a dedicated public servant. They’ll also be honoring a family man, with deep roots in Vermont agriculture and the natural environment. Darrow, who died this week at the age of 75, was a former Democratic state representative from Newfane.
VPR News

New rules may attract more health insurance companies

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The Douglas administration will seek changes to Vermont’s community rating health insurance system in an effort to attract more insurance companies to the state. The provision will be part of the administration’s health care initiative that’s scheduled to be released next week.
VPR News

Circ critics raise new questions in Water Board hearing

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Opponents of the proposed Circumferential Highway want to know why the state decided not to study endangered fish species that may be affected by the project. The issue surfaced on Wednesday as the Water Resources Board heard an appeal of pollution permits needed for the next leg of the Chittenden County project.
VPR News

Midday Report: Wednesday, October 22, 2003

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Top stories developing around the region at the noon hour: the Water Board conducts a hearing on the stormwater runoff permit it issued for the Circumferential Highway in Chittenden County; state teachers hold their annual meeting Thursday and Friday in Essex Junction; a new poll says Howard Dean leads all Democrats in New Hampshire’s primary by 12%; the Vermont Council on Rural Development presents a forum on community development Wednesday night at St. Michael’s College.
VPR News

Testing compact may affect education standards

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Vermont will join a compact with New Hampshire and Rhode Island to develop new tests to meet the requirements of the No Child Left Behind law. New math and reading tests must be in place by 2005 and federally approved science tests by 2007. State officials say the regional collaboration will save time and money.
VPR News

Chronic illness costs rise dramatically

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Vermont Health Commissioner Doctor Paul Jarris says the state will be unable to maintain its current levels of health care access, unless changes are made in the way services are delivered to chronically ill people.
Commentary Series

Joseph Smith and the Mormon Church

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While researching Great Thoughts of Vermont, commentator Willem Lange found himself also contemplating the reason Vermonters seem to come up with so many imaginative ideas. And he thinks he found the answer – along with a topic for his next commentary.
VPR News

DC primary may boost Dean’s appeal to minority voters

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Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean plans to wage an active campaign to win a primary in the District of Columbia. The D.C. primary is being held six days before the Iowa caucuses and the Dean campaign is hoping that a win will show that Dean’s message is being strongly supported by African-American voters.
VPR News

Wennberg nears decision on Omya waste permit

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Environmental Commissioner Jeffrey Wennberg says he’s close to a decision on whether the Omya calcium carbonate plant needs a solid waste permit. Omya wants to expand storage for the mining waste left over from its rock-crushing operation in Pittsford. Local residents are concerned that trace chemicals in the waste could contaminate their groundwater. And they argue that the state has allowed Omya to operate an illegal waste dump for years.
VPR News

Dean leads in New Hampshire poll

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A new poll shows Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean with a 14-point lead over rival John Kerry, among likely Democratic and independent voters in New Hampshire.
VPR News

Midday Report: Tuesday, October 21, 2003

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Top stories developing around the region at the noon hour: an Orwell apple grower wants the state Supreme Court to reconsider “right to farm” ruling; business and political leaders are nearing the end of an economic development tour through East Asia; planners are getting into the fine details of a high-speed rail link between Boston and Montreal; female prisoners will begin moving into the prison in Windsor next week; doctors warn not to forget tetanus booster shots.
VPR News

Army Reservists feel burden of extended service

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When the Reserves of Rutland’s C Company were activated last winter, 85 weekend warriors suddenly became full-time soldiers. The unit had been in Kuwait six months when they learned that their tour had been extended. The news has left some Reservists and their families torn between the wish to serve and a desire to get on with their lives.
Commentary Series

Marsh’s innovation in college curricula

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This month VPR continues its occasional series Great Thoughts of Vermont – essays that explore the intellectual life of the state and the legacy that many of our neighbors left to both the region and the world. One such Vermonter’s innovative thinking revolutionized the way our colleges and univerisities design curriculum. Commentator Ruth Page has his story.
VPR News

Shumlin likely to enter gubernatorial race

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A Democratic gubernatorial primary is shaping up as a likelihood next year. Former state Senator Peter Shumlin says there’s a “99%” chance that he’ll enter this race and face a primary against Burlington Mayor Peter Clavelle.
VPR News

Burlington pursues drug plan, despite FDA warning

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Burlington Mayor Peter Clavelle says he’s willing to risk violating federal law so city workers can buy low-cost prescription drugs from Canada. The Burlington city council last week gave Clavelle permission to investigate buying drugs from Canada. But the Food and Drug Administration warns the plan is illegal.
VPR News

Midday Report: Monday, October 20, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Burlington Mayor Peter Clavelle says he’s willing to risk violating federal law so city workers can buy low-cost prescription drugs from Canada; Governor Jim Douglas visits Cabot to recognize an energy efficiency program at the Cabot School; a transcontinental pumpkin war brews between Keene, New Hampshire and Estacada, Oregon.
VPR News

Students raise money for Thai elephant hospital

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First it was pigs in Brandon. Now in Manchester, it’s elephants, 20 of them, made and exotically decorated by students at Manchester Middle Elementary School. The elephants stand about a foot high and can be seen in Businesses and stores around Manchester.
VPR News

Wind energy debate continues at Barton forum

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Opponents of wind energy development in Vermont are focusing their criticism on the projects’ potential impact on tourism. Ski resort operator Bill Stenger says wind towers on Vermont’s mountaintops could destroy Vermont’s image, and drive tourists away. Proponents counter that there’s no evidence from hundreds of sites around the country that the projects harm the tourism industry.
VPR News

Douglas awaits environmental data from tire burn test

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The Douglas administration is still reviewing a plan by the International Paper Company to conduct a two week test of burning tires at its plant in Ticonderoga, New York. Douglas says the state of Vermont won’t oppose the test burn if state officials conclude that the project will not cause environmental problems.
VPR News

Grant provides free gun locks to firearms owners

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The state of Vermont is working with the National Shooting Sports Foundation to distribute 60,000 gun locks over the next few weeks. The proposal, known as Project ChildSafe, is funded through a $50 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
VPR News

Interview: ‘Water Music’

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Neal Charnoff talks with photographer Marjorie Ryerson about her book, “Water Music.” Ryerson wanted to capture the essence of how water presents itself, and connect that with the musical rhythms of our lives.
Commentary Series

The Cows at Night

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Honorary Poet Laureat of Vermont, Hayden Carruth, often incorporates the images of contemporary, rural Vermont into his writing. From a VPR archive of readings held in his honor last fall, here is Carruth reading one of his best known poems.
Commentary Series

Renewable energy

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Last Week’s “Renewable Energy Vermont” conference in South Burlington coincided with the awarding of the Nobel Prizes in Oslo Norway. Commentator Tim McQuiston thinks there is a connection.
VPR News

Midday Report: Friday, October 17, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Paul Reiber is sworn in as the newest justice on the State Supreme Court; members at the Vermont Medical Society annual meeting hear from both sides on doctor-assisted suicide; American Red Cross says there is an urgent need for blood donations all across New England; recap of how Vermont’s congressional delegation voted this week.
VPR News

Improved services for chronic illness may cut costs

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Vermont is the first state in the country to launch a public and private collaboration to improve the delivery of medical services to people with chronic illnesses. The goal of the program is to provide more timely care to patients and reduce overall health care costs.
VPR News

Douglas wants legislative review of right to farm law

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Governor Jim Douglas is concerned that a recent state Supreme Court decision may make it harder for farms to survive. He says he wants the Legislature to re-examine the state’s right to farm law, which was designed to protect farms from lawsuits brought by neighbors.
VPR News

Historic roads create confusion in Chittenden

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Historic roads in Chittenden are causing a headache for some local residents. The town’s select board is trying to determine the status of more than 20 Class Four roads that they want to protect. In the process, they’ve denied a building permit to one resident, whose home they say sits directly in the path of a 200-year old turnpike. The uncertainty of where the roads are and who in town may be affected has some in Chittenden worried.
Commentary Series

Chez Gill

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Commentator Willem Lange and his wife usually celebrate their October anniversary with a trip to Canada, where they see very few tourists from the States.
VPR News

Midday Report: Thursday, October 16, 2003

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Top stories at the noon hour: Governor Jim Douglas introduces a new health care initiative that targets improvements in efficiency and reductions in costs; Vermont still has some reservations about the International Paper Company’s plan to burn tire chips in its paper plant in Ticonderoga; it’s unlikely the owners of Vermont Yankee will get their request for an accelerated hearing schedule; power line crews are still cleaning up after the power outages caused by high winds.
VPR News

Utility crews continue to restore power

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“An ugly night” – that’s how one utility company describes the havoc created by high winds that downed power lines and knocked out power to tens of thousands of customers across Vermont Wednesday night.
Commentary Series

Nosey Parker

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He wasn’t too excited about the last one, but commentator Jules Older went wild for John O’Brien’s newest Vermont movie.
Commentary Series

Spygate

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Commentator Jay Parini has been thinking about the most recent scandal in Washington and what it might be called in the history books.
VPR News

Interview: Winds cause power outages across state

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Electric power outages caused by high winds are being reported across Vermont on Wednesday. The Central Vermont Public Service Corporation says 18,000 customers lost power today in 500 separate outages from one end of the state to the other. Power has already been restored in many areas. Neal Charnoff talks with CVPS spokesman Steve Costello on the impact of the outages.
VPR News

Dean issues third quarter fundraising report

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The Internet remains a money machine for presidential candidate Howard Dean. About half of the $14.8 million that Dean collected over the last three months came from online donations.
VPR News

Circ Highway opponents file in court

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Environmentalists have gone to court to stop the proposed Circumferential Highway around Burlington. The suit was filed in federal court on Wednesday by four environmental groups and two Chittenden County residents. They charge that state and federal transportation officials have concealed the true environmental impact of the project.
VPR News

Jeffords votes to send EPA nomination to Senate floor

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Democrats on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and Vermont Senator James Jeffords have ended a boycott over the nomination of Utah Governor Mike Leavitt as head of the Environmental Protection Agency.
VPR News

Midday Report: Wednesday, October 15, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: strong winds have dropped trees on power lines leaving several thousand people in southern and central Vermont without power; Governor Jim Douglas releases the Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Study for 2003; Windsor deals with a recall effort directed at four of five select board members.
VPR News

Interview: Impact of VHAP changes

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Mitch Wertlieb talks with Vermont health care ombudsman about changes to the Vermont Health Access Plan. Critics say the changes could mean some of 36,000 low income Vermonters in the plan could lose their health care insurance.
VPR News

Edwards to vote against Iraq spending bill

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Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards says he’ll vote against President Bush’s plan to appropriate $7 billion for Iraq, when the measure comes before the full Senate in the near future.
Commentary Series

Candidate Dean

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Commentator Dick Mallary says that there’s a question making the rounds these days, to which he thinks there is no easy answer.
VPR News

Moody’s downgrades Fletcher Allen’s bond rating

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A credit rating company has downgraded the bonds issued by the state’s largest hospital. Moody’s Investors Service lowered the credit rating for Fletcher Allen Health Care because the hospital will need to take on more debt to complete its $362 million expansion project. The downgrade means Fletcher Allen will pay more in interest to investors.
VPR News

VHAP changes concern advocates for low-income people

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The Douglas administration is making some changes to its Medicaid reform plan that goes into effect on January 1. Critics of the proposal argue that thousands of low income Vermonters will lose their health care coverage when the new rules go into place.
VPR News

Midday Report: Tuesday, October 14, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: the Windsor Select Board meets Tuesday night to consider a petition for the recall of four of the board’s five members; Attorney General William Sorrell says a Minnesota telemarketing company will make money available to reimburse Vermont consumers who were charged for discount club memberships without their permission; John Kerry and John Edwards campaign in New Hampshire.
VPR News

Dean, Kerry comment on Iraq resolution one year later

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Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean is on the offensive over the congressional resolution authorizing military action against Iraq. Dean says his opposition to the resolution shows better judgment than his opponents in the race, who voted for the resolution. He says these candidates should admit to the American people that they made a mistake.
VPR News

Sanders seeks to repeal U.S.-China trade agreement

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Congressman Bernie Sanders wants to repeal a U.S. trade deal with China. He says the trade agreement has cost the country millions of good manufacturing jobs. Sanders held a news conference on Monday with Vermonters who were laid off recently because of low-cost competition from China.
VPR News

Bennington considers downtown conference center

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Officials in Bennington are mulling the idea of building a conference center in town. A report from the Better Bennington Corporation task force says a complex that could hold up to 400 people would help Bennington’s economy during the slow winter months.
VPR News

Midday Report: Monday, October 13, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Congressman Bernie Sanders announces a bill to repeal the U.S.-China trade policy; the Windsor Select Board reviews a petition that calls for the recall of four of the five select board members; an examination of how to teach Columbus in schools; officials in Bennington fear that the survey of traffic in the area will be under-valued because it will be compared to traffic congestion levels in highly urbanized Chittenden County.
VPR News

State urges lead testing for young children

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The Vermont Health Department is urging physicians and parents to step up testing of young children for lead poisoning. Officials say only a small percentage of children who are at a critical age for lead exposure are being tested.
Commentary Series

Potatoes!

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Digging potatoes may be one of the more mundate garden chores this time of year, but commentator Vern Grubinger says that the humble potato has a colorful past.
VPR News

Test results show disparity in education

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State officials say new school assessment results clearly show that students from lower income families score as much as 25% lower than middle and upper income students. Deputy Education Commissioner Bud Meyer says it’s an issue that the state is trying to address.
VPR News

Mill delays tire burn for environmental assessment

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A top state environmental official says a New York paper company should cancel a plan to burn tires at its mill near Lake Champlain if the procedure causes excessive air pollution. The International Paper Company wants to use the tires for fuel because the cost of oil has skyrocketed. But critics say there’s no safe way to burn the tires without harming air and water quality.
VPR News

Air Guard to patrol southeastern U.S. air space

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The Vermont Air National Guard has a new mission. The 158th Fighter Wing will patrol the air space above the southeastern part of the United States, and investigate suspicious aircraft that enter U.S. air space.
Commentary Series

Rereading Outermost House

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As hurricane season winds down once again, commentator W.D. Wetherell is reminded of writer Henry Beston. Beston built a tiny retreat like a ship’s living quarters on the easternmost tip of Cape Cod. There Beston wrote a book that has since become a classic.
VPR News

Midday Report: Friday, October 10, 2003

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Top stories developing around the region at this hour: the Vermont Air National Guard has a brand new mission; annual meeting to assess problems facing Lake Champlain; recap of congressional votes this week. (Click the link to hear the Midday Report.)
VPR News

Interview: Democratic candidates debate in Phoenix

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Mitch Wertlieb and Hamilton Davis discuss how the nine Democratic presidential candidates faired in Thursday night’s debate in Phoenix, Arizona. Davis is the former editor of the Burlington Free Press and a contributor to a forthcoming book on Howard Dean, a candidate in the race.
VPR News

Illuzi pushes for power dam purchase

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A state senator says time is short for Vermont to buy a series of hydroelectric dams on the Connecticut River. Essex-Orleans Senator Vince Illuzzi says the state can’t afford to let the opportunity pass by. And he says public power is the answer to chronically high electric rates in Vermont.
VPR News

Corrections Department bans prison smoking

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The Vermont Corrections Department plans to implement a ban on tobacco products in all of its facilities on January 1. However the head of the prison guards’ bargaining unit says he has a lot of questions about the policy.
VPR News

Midday Report: Thursday, October 9, 2003

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Top stories developing around the region at the noon hour: Fred Tuttle is laid to rest in Tunbridge this afternoon, a report card on smart growth in the state, and the lieutenant governor leads a Vermont trade mission to East Asia. (Click the link to hear the Midday Report.)
Commentary Series

Cedar Creek anniversary

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Vermonters were right in the thick of things during many Civil War battles, one of which is the subject of a large painting in the State House. Commentator Tom Slayton observes the October anniversary of the Battle of Cedar Creek.
VPR News

Lawmakers criticize Fletcher Allen settlement

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Critics of this week’s settlement between prosecutors and Fletcher Allen Health Care say they’ll ask a federal judge to reject the plan. They argue that the million dollar fine imposed against the hospital will be paid for by consumers and that “a culture of arrogance still exists at the facility.
VPR News

Author urges wind power at renewable energy conference

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A leading environmental author says Vermonters have a moral imperative to develop clean and safe sources of electricity. Author Bill McKibben told a Burlington energy conference on Wednesday that climate change threatens to disrupt the planet on a massive scale. He says wind energy will reduce greenhouse gases and that global warming is much more of a threat than the aesthetic problems posed by huge wind turbines.
VPR News

Farmers debate market regulations

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Vermont’s Agency of Agriculture is trying to find a way to allow small farmers to sell frozen chickens at farmers’ markets, while still protecting consumers.
VPR News

Midday Report: Wednesday, October 8, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Fletcher Allen Health Care may sue former executives involved in a scandal over the hospital’s expansion project; Governor Jim Douglas has spent the morning in Boston with the five other New England governors attending a regional anti-drug summit with U.S. drug czar John Walters; businessman Joseph Famolare has proposed making 1,000 acres of land in Brattleboro a foreign trade zone; lackluster leaves impact tourism and business.
VPR News

Analyst calls Dean frontrunner in Iowa race

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According to Iowa State University political science professor Steffan Schmidt, there’s no doubt that Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean has emerged as the front runner in the race to win the Iowa caucuses.
VPR News

Vermont goes forward with waste disposal payment

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Vermont will pay Texas to develop a nuclear waste dump, even though construction for the project hasn’t started. The Douglas administration says the state is obligated to pay the money under a 1993 contract. But critics say the state should renegotiate to strike a better deal.
VPR News

Midday Report: Tuesday, October 7, 2003

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Top stories developing around the region at noon: Legislators react to settlement with Fletcher Allen Health Care; all-in-one recycling program deemed a success; Douglas attends regional tourism conference. (Click the link to hear the Midday Report.)
VPR News

Clarendon health survey may hold answer to cancer rates

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A number of Clarendon residents were going door to door this week to encourage their neighbors to fill out a health survey. It’s part of an ongoing effort to address concerns about high rates of cancer in the community. Health officials say they’ll look into the use of pesticides on farmland, leaks from underground storage tanks and water quality in Clarendon.
Commentary Series

Red, red leaves

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The red color in autumn leaves has not been masked by green chlorophyll; leaves have to make it specially. Ruth Page describes recent discoveries of the ways in which this boosts plant health.
Commentary Series

Baby snakes

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This year we’ve had quite a bit of cold, wet weather – conditions that commentator Ted Levin says can be hard on some of our more reclusive wild neighbors.
VPR News

Fletcher Allen admits wrongdoing, pays $1 million fine

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The state’s largest hospital has agreed to pay a one million dollar penalty for misleading regulators over the cost of its expansion project. Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington has admitted criminal wrongdoing, but state and federal authorities have agreed not to pursue criminal and civil charges.
VPR News

Midday Report: October 6, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell and acting U.S. Attorney David Kirby hold a news conference about their investigation into cost-overruns and deception in the Fletcher Allen Health Care expansion project; the state health department is urging Clarendon residents to fill out a confidential health questionnaire about high cancer rates in the community; recap of a symposium on global warming and climate change.
Commentary Series

Dean’s challenge

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Commentator Allen Gilbert thinks Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean has met his biggest challenge so far — the entry into the race of retired four-star general Wesley Clark.
VPR News

‘Halfway houses’ may ease transition from prison

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The Vermont Department of Corrections says it’s working to help establish a series of halfway-type houses for offenders under Corrections supervision. Officials say the facilities will help address community concerns about former prison inmates who are living on their own.
VPR News

Dean makes campaign pitch to DNC

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Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean told members of the Democratic National Committee on Friday that his campaign is an effort to restore dignity to the United States. Dean says the time has come for Democrats to stand up for the core values they believe in.
VPR News

National Guard delegation returns from Macedonia

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A delegation of military and civilian leaders has returned to Vermont from Macedonia. The Vermont National Guard organized the trip to advise people in the Balkan country on developing their economy.
VPR News

Midday Report: October 3, 2003

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Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour: delegation of civilian and military leaders returns from a economic development trip to Macedonia; military officials deal with forfeited plane tickets for reservists whose leave was cancelled; recap of votes cast this week by Vermont’s congressional delegation. (Click the link to listen to the Midday Report online.)
VPR News

Planning begins for expanded wilderness area

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Vermont’s congressional delegation is working on legislation to increase the amount of federally designated wilderness in the Green Mountain National Forest. Staffers say a bill will probably be introduced before the 108th Congress ends next fall.
VPR News

Test tire burn raise controversy

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The Douglas administration says it has some concerns over a plan by the International Paper Company to burn tires for fuel at its Ticonderoga plant. The Agency of Natural Resources says it will closely monitor the results of a 30 day test burn that’s scheduled for later this month. But some environmental groups say the state’s response is not enough.
VPR News

Utility promotes energy efficient light bulbs

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Efficiency Vermont, the state’s energy efficiency utility, is urging all homeowners in the state to replace one incandescent light bulb with an energy efficient one in the next 10 days.
VPR News

Clark, Dean lead New York poll

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A new poll shows former general Wesley Clark and Howard Dean among the Democratic front-runners in New York state. The poll from Quinnipiac University found Clark with 18% support, while Dean had 17%.
VPR News

Midday Report: October 1, 2003

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Steve Delaney reports the tops stories developing across the region at the the noon hour: border retailers respond to increased sales tax, Essex County may share police service with New Hampshire, Pownal persues racetrack revival. (Click the link to listen to the Midday Report online.)
Commentary Series

Protecting children in chat rooms

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Commentator Dianne Lynch has been thinking about Microsoft’s recent decision to limit access to on-line chat rooms. The encounter she describes really happened. The on-line names are approximations to protect the teenagers.
VPR News

Some Vermont College buildings to be sold

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The Union Institute will be selling off part of the Vermont College campus in Montpelier. The Institute’s Board of Trustees has approved selling eight of the 19 buildings that make up the campus.
VPR News

Sales tax rises to 6% October 1

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The state sales tax will rise a penny to 6%with the start of business Wednesday. The extra money will go toward the state Education Fund – it’s intended to help reduce the reliance on the property tax.
Commentary Series

How the garden grew

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In answer to the perennial question “So How DID the garden grow?” commentator Edith Hunter says that, despite tropical weather in late July and early August, growing conditions were generally great.
VPR News

Stowe grapples with sewage smell

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The town of Stowe is considering legal action over a bad odor wafting from its new sewage treatment plant. The $19 million plant went on line in the spring, but neighbors have been complaining ever since about bad smells.
VPR News

Volunteers with expertise carry out town business

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In every Vermont town, a handful of elected officials are in charge of getting the town’s business done. But, those officials couldn’t do their work without the help of a far larger number of volunteers: the people who serve on the town’s boards and commissions, and do the community’s odd jobs.
VPR News

Web site to enroll eligible in food stamp program

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According to a new study, the number of people in Vermont who don’t have a sufficient amount of food is increasing. A campaign has been launched to increase participation rates in the federal food stamp program, because less than half of all Vermonters who are eligible for the program actually use it.
VPR News

Compromised reached on DET layoffs

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The Douglas administration and legislative leaders have reached an agreement about possible job cuts at the Department of Employment and Training. The proposal will save nine of the 29 positions that were scheduled to be eliminated.
VPR News

Pageant recalls Bennington’s fabled past

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Ethan Allen and the early settlers of Bennington will be brought to life by their modern-day counterparts this weekend. More than a hundred people will help the Bennington Museum celebrate the battle that bears the town’s name.
VPR News

Douglas begins search for lake cleanup funds

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Later this fall the Douglas administration will unveil new initiatives to clean up Lake Champlain. The plan includes an effort to find hundreds of millions of dollars to pay for new pollution control efforts. Officials are also discussing whether the state should accelerate the timetable to clean up the most polluted parts of the lake.
VPR News

State exempts OMYA from solid waste rules

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OMYA got good and bad news at a meeting Thursday night with members of the public and the state Environmental Conservation Department. OMYA wants to build a 32-acre above ground storage facility to hold mineral wastes created at its calcium carbonate plant. Because it’s a mining company, OMYA had asked to be exempted from Vermont’s solid waste law. They got their wish.
VPR News

Springfield prison celebrates official opening

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The Southern State Correctional facility in Springfield held its official ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday. But even as legislators and officials were exchanging congratulations, officials were contemplating an early expansion of the new prison.
VPR News

Inmates may be transferred to private prison company

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State Corrections Commissioner Steve Gold says there’s a good chance that Vermont will sign a contract with an out of state private prison company to house several hundred inmates. Currently these inmates are incarcerated in Virginia, but Gold says the state is looking at other options because Virginia officials are seeking more money for this arrangement.
VPR News

Study finds housing costs unaffordable for many

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According to a new study, it’s becoming harder and harder for many Vermonters to find affordable housing. The report, released by the Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition, found that nearly half of all Vermonters pay more than 30% of their income for housing.
VPR News

Interview: Problems at Vermont State Hospital

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The Vermont State Hospital’s recent troubles have been well chronicled following an inspection report that listed a number of deficiencies in treatment and staffing, and two patient suicides in the last month alone. Micth Wertlieb talks with Mental Health Commissioner Susan Besio about the situation at the state’s psychiatric hospital.
VPR News

Watchdog says Yankee withheld information from hearings

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A nuclear power watchdog group wants state regulators to halt hearings on Vermont Yankee’s plan to boost its power by 20%. Last week, the Vermont Public Service Board invited the opponents to recommend sanctions against Vermont Yankee because the company has failed to turn over documents in a timely manner. The opponents on Wednesday said they want the hearings halted for at least six months to give them time to prepare their case.
VPR News

Douglas resists federal control of power grid

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Governor Jim Douglas says he opposes a Congressional plan to give the federal government the authority to site new power lines if individual states don’t support these projects. Douglas, who supports an upgrade of transmission lines in northwestern Vermont, wants the state to determine the future of that project not the federal government.
VPR News

Commuter use of Park and Ride lots increases

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Transportation officials say that despite the recent increase in gasoline prices there hasn’t been a spike in the number of people who carpool to work. Instead, there’s been a slow but steady rise in ride sharing. And that’s put pressure on the state’s existing network of Park and Ride Lots.
VPR News

Jeffords to support EPA nominee despite Bush record

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Senator Jim Jeffords says it’s likely that he’ll vote in favor of President Bush’s new nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency. In the last few weeks, Jeffords has issued a number of blistering criticisms of the president’s environmental record.
VPR News

Residents renew opposition to Charlotte large farm

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A group of Charlotte residents has renewed its opposition to a dairy farm expansion. The Hinsdale family is continuing to seek a large farm permit for a new barn and a manure pit. But “Citizens for Safe Farming” has concerns about possible air and water pollution from the large dairy operation.
Commentary Series

Komodo dragons

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Dragons don’t have to breathe fire to be formidable. Commentator Ruth Page describes the world’s largest lizard, and why even it needs protection from human encroachment.
VPR News

Interview: Dean rallies supporters in Boston

By |
Neal Charnoff talks with WBUR’s Fred Thyce, who attended Howard Dean campaign rally in Copley Square in Boston Tuesday. Dean said his campaign is not about whether he’ll be the Democratic nominee, but who will protect the nation’s ideals from the Bush administration, and what he called the “extreme right wing”.
Commentary Series

Fletcher Allen Review

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Fletcher Allen Health Care has been under the microscope because of its huge “renaissance project.” Commentator Allen Gilbert thinks that the hospital’s troubles are a cautionary tale for all nonprofits.
VPR News

Vermont senators call for more military benefits

By |
Both of Vermont’s U.S. senators are backing plans to beef up spending on a number of Veterans’ programs. Senator Patrick Leahy wants to extend health care benefits for National Guard and Reserve units that have been called into active duty. Senator Jim Jeffords is supporting an effort to provide more money for the Veterans Administration’s health care system.
VPR News

Environmental groups weigh Douglas’ clean air plans

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Environmental groups are split over whether to support Governor Jim Douglas’s proposal to reduce air pollution. Last week, a leading environmentalist praised the governor for offering a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Vermont. But critics say the governor’s plan doesn’t go far enough.
VPR News

Guards say prison staffing risks public safety

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Corrections officers at several Vermont prisons say an increase in inmates and a shortage of staff have reached a critical point. Vermont’s corrections commissioner told representatives of prison staff this week that the department is working on solutions.
VPR News

State hospital to loose funds in decertification

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The Douglas administration plans to use some one-time money to offset the loss of more than a half million dollars in federal funds for the State Hospital in Waterbury. The administration expects the psychiatric hospital will be decertified by the federal government for at least nine months.
VPR News

State police says heroin arrests are up sharply

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The head of the State Police says the number of heroin arrests in Vermont has doubled. Speaking Thursday night on VPR’s Switchboard Colonel Thomas Powlovich said a new drug enforcement effort called “HEAT” is already producing results.
VPR News

Racine weighs gubernatorial bid

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Former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Doug Racine says he’s actively exploring another run for governor. Racine says the prospect of facing Burlington mayor Peter Clavelle in a primary will not be a factor in his final decision.
VPR News

Unemployment rate down slightly

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Vermont’s monthly unemployment rate edged down slightly in August. The Employment Department says the rate was 4%, down one-tenth of a percentage point from July.
VPR News

Coolidge impersonator on final tour

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Jim Cooke, the actor who’s portrayed Calvin Coolidge around the country for 30 years, is on his final whistle stop tour. This week he’s touring Vermont on the 75th anniversary of Coolidge’s last official visit to his native state. The trip was the occasion for the president’s famous, “Vermont Is A State I Love” speech.
VPR News

Senator asks E-Board not to act on permit reform

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A leading Senate Democrat wants the Environmental Board to hold back on permit reform to give the Legislature time to addresses the issue. The Environmental Board oversees the Act 250 development review law. Its proposed changes in Act 250 rules received mixed reviews at a public hearing on Wednesday.
VPR News

Book interview: Chet Raymo’s ‘The Path’

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Neal CHarnoff talks with Chet Raymo, author of “The Path – A One Mile Walk Through the Universe.” In the book, Raymo connects a familiar landscape of wildflowers, granite and weeds to the worlds of science, history and literature.
VPR News

Democrats, Bush hold even in California poll

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Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean has become the clear front-runner among Democratic presidential contenders in California. The poll also found that each of the top Democrats in the field placed even with President Bush in head-to-head matchups among registered voters.
VPR News

Misdemeanor sentencing may be reviewed

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Corrections Commissioner Steve Gold says he’ll ask the Legislature in January to review a number of state laws to help determine whether or not people who are convicted of misdemeanors should be sent to prison.
VPR News

Civil War walking tour examines Woodstock’s history

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For years, people have visited famous battlefields like Gettysburg and Antietam to learn about the Civil War. Now, the National Park Service has created a walking tour of a Vermont village to show how the war affected the attitudes and lives of the people who lived during that time.
VPR News

State promotes agri-tourism

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Vermont agriculture and travel officials have agreed to launch a number of joint promotions to help expand agri-tourism opportunities throughout the state.
VPR News

Douglas clean air plan wins broad support

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The Douglas administration won support from a statewide environmental group on Tuesday for a new plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Governor Douglas also repeated his opposition to the Bush administration’s proposal to relax rules for coal-fired power plants.
VPR News

Clavelle will run for governor as Democrat

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Burlington Mayor Peter Clavelle will run for governor next year. Clavelle was re-elected this spring as both a Progressive and a Democrat. He plans to enter the governor’s race as a Democrat. And the mayor says he won’t be deterred by a primary campaign.
VPR News

Rangers hold annual pre-season scrimmage at UVM

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The National Hockey League season begins next month, but fans can get a look at some of the game’s biggest stars Monday night. The New York Rangers hold their annual Blue-White intersquad game at the University of Vermont’s Gutterson Field House.
VPR News

Sanders praised by Library Journal

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Vermont Congressman Bernard Sanders is on the cover of the Library Journal magazine this month for his work against the USA Patriot Act.
VPR News

Dean and Gephardt tied in Iowa poll

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Howard Dean and Dick Gephardt are tied atop the list of Democratic presidential hopefuls in a new poll in Iowa. Each received 19% support in a television and newspaper poll.
VPR News

Interview: Artifacts reveal new findings

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Mitch Wertlieb talks with UVM archeology professor John Crock about the recent discovery of Native American artifacts in Colchester. The spear tips and other tools suggest a thriving hunting camp was located on the property, where construction on the proposed Circumferential Highway is slated to take place.
VPR News

Thermal pollution enters Yankee uprate debate

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A Connecticut River environmental group is worried about Vermont Yankee’s plan to boost the power output of the 31-year-old nuclear reactor. The Public Service Board holds additional hearings next week on the proposal. The Connecticut River Watershed Council is concerned that Yankee’s plan to use river water to cool the reactor could hurt aquatic life downstream.
VPR News

Gephardt compares Dean Medicaid stance to Newt Gingrich

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Democratic presidential candidate Dick Gephardt is highlighting his differences with Howard Dean on Social Security and Medicare. In a conference call with reporters on this afternoon, Gephardt compared Dean’s position on these issues in 1995, with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Dean says he’s disappointed that Gephardt is resorting to scare tactics and guilt by association.
VPR News

An apple pie goes to the fair

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For as long as there have been fairs, there have been prizes for the best pies. When the 132nd annual Tunbridge World’s Fair opened this week, there was no shortage of candidates for the coveted Judge’s Choice Award for pies.
VPR News

Dean sets high goals for September

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Howard Dean’s campaign is expanding its much-touted Internet organizing. The campaign hopes to mobilize its 450,000 online supporters to canvass voters in Iowa and New Hampshire.
VPR News

Four counties qualify for disaster relief

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Four Vermont counties are eligible for federal disaster relief from damage caused by flooding. The White House has declared Bennington, Orange, Windham and Windsor counties federal disaster areas.
VPR News

IBM announces new manufacturing contract

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IBM’s Essex Junction plant has landed a multi-year contract to make computer chips for a California company. IBM laid off 500 employees last month because of a worldwide slump in the semi-conductor business.
VPR News

Transportation Agency plans low-power radio network

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Several years ago the Federal Communications Commission invited community groups to apply for low-power radio broadcast licenses on unused FM frequencies. Thirty-two of the 61 applications from Vermont were filed by the Vermont Agency of Transportation. The idea was to pepper the state with informational radio channels for travelers on Vermont’s interstates.
VPR News

Artists open galleries and garages for ‘Art Hop’

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Burlington’s South End is an area that’s known for its warehouse space and artists’ lofts. Friday night, the neighborhood kicks off a celebration that reflects its character – the annual “South End Art Hop.” The event features more than 40 art openings, with 10 group shows and over 300 artists displaying their work.
Commentary Series

Water music

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Commentator Nick Boke says that a new book about water combines images and words with an unusual vision of stewardship.
VPR News

Leahy critical of extended Patriot Act

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Senator Patrick Leahy says President Bush’s new plan to expand the Patriot Act will erode some basic civil liberties of American citizens. Leahy says there much better ways to help protect this country from future terrorist attacks.
VPR News

CLF charges administration has relaxed water permits

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An environmental group says the Douglas Administration is not doing enough to reduce phosphorus pollution in northern Lake Champlain. The Conservation Law Foundation says draft permits for sewage treatment plants allows phosphorus levels above limits set by the U.S. Environmental protection Agency.
VPR News

Dean meets with Wesley Clark

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Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean has asked retired Army General Wesley Clark to support his presidential campaign, if Clark decides not to run.
VPR News

Dean tries to widen base, woo Hispanic voters

By |
Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean has surged past his rivals with his aggressive use of the Internet. But the supporters who’ve shown up so far for his rallies and campaign events are overwhelmingly white. Dean has yet to break through and connect with minority voters who are a core Democratic constituency. The former Vermont governor was in New Mexico last week to woo Hispanics.
VPR News

Edwards takes issue with Dean’s comment on race

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Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards says he plans to wage an active campaign to win the support of college students all across the country. In remarks to regional reporters, Edwards also unleashed his first strong criticisms of Howard Dean.
VPR News

UVM signs contract for Coca Cola distribution on campus

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The University of Vermont has received the first payment in a long-term agreement with Coca Cola. The contract grants the soft drink giant nearly exclusive rights to sell its products on campus. The agreement was signed this summer. It signals UVM’s entry into a business that is proving increasingly lucrative for many colleges and universities.
VPR News

Vermont AFL-CIO elects new leadership

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The Vermont AFL-CIO has a new leader. Ron Pickering, who was head of the labor group for ten years, resigned from the top job Saturday at the organization’s state convention.
Commentary Series

Revisiting September 11

By |
Commentator Nils Dauliare is marking the second anniversary of the September Eleventh attacks by traveling the same road he did on that day – with the same message.
VPR News

Waiver would permit home-based Medicaid care

By |
State officials want to offer more people a choice between nursing homes and long-term care at home. The state has applied for a federal waiver that will allow it to use Medicaid funds to pay for home-based care for the elderly and disabled.
Commentary Series

Monarch migration

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From the stalks of Vermont milkweed to a small forest in Mexico, commentator Ted Levin says that the amazing annual migration of the Monarch Butterfly is once again under way.
VPR News

VT upgrade a priority for New England electric grid

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Governor Jim Douglas says a proposed transmission line upgrade in northwestern Vermont has become a top priority for the New England power grid. But Douglas says he’s concerned the federal government might try to take over the project if the state’s review takes too long.
VPR News

State revenues show small improvements in economy

By |
The state’s new revenue report for August shows the Vermont economy is inching forward. But Administration Secretary Michael Smith cautions it could be months before there are any solid signs of recovery.
VPR News

ABC-22 closes news operations

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A Vermont television station is ending its news operation. WVNY-TV in Burlington has announced that it will stop its news broadcasts Friday night.
VPR News

DET commissioner answer lawmakers on staff cuts

By |
The Douglas administration has agreed to postpone until next month a decision to lay off 30 workers at the State Department of Employment and Training. A number of Democratic senators on the Joint Fiscal Committee were critical of the administration’s original decision to make the cuts.
VPR News

Leahy, Jeffords demand details on Iraq spending plan

By |
Both of Vermont’s U.S. senators want President Bush to provide details on the Administration’s plan to spend more than $87 billion in Iraq. The president says he’ll ask Congress to support the spending plan in the next few weeks.
VPR News

Vermont plans payment for nuclear waste disposal

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Vermont is expected to pay Texas $12.5 million next month, for taking in the state’s low-level radioactive waste. That payment is planned despite the fact that Texas has failed to win approval for a disposal site.
VPR News

Community copes with teen’s suicide

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Earlier this summer, a notice on the obituary page in the newspaper reported the death of Kyle Stone. The account was one of a vibrant and interesting teenager and it stood out for its openness. At 16, he had taken his own life. As they cope with this tragedy, the Stone family talked to Vermont Public Radio to help others understand teenage suicide. (Story includes related links and resources.)
VPR News

Interview: Economic and cultural ties to Canada

By |
VPR’s Mitch Wertlieb talks with Canadian ambassador to the United States, Michael Kergin, about economic and cultural ties between the two countries. Kergin is attending the Conference of New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers in Connecticut.
Commentary Series

Maleski for vice president

By |
Recently Howard Dean’s presidential campaign moved into overdrive. But with frontrunner status comes frontrunner problems, such as keeping vice presidential picks confidential. That’s when a campaign needs serious help. Here’s commentator Philip Baruth, with another of the many fantastic adventures of the Urban Troubleshooter.
Commentary Series

Off-shore outsourcing

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In the 1990s we heard what Ross Perrot called the “giant sucking sound” of blue-collar jobs leaving the U.S. for Mexico and other cheap-labor countries. In the first decade of the 21st century, a similar phenomenon may be taking place with white-collar jobs. Commentator Allen Gilbert looks at “offshore outsourcing.”
VPR News

UVM announces new education institute

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The University of Vermont announced Friday it will establish a national education institute. University officials say the goal is to teach school administrators how to support at-risk students, and to prevent them from failing in school.
VPR News

Jeffords appalled by Bush environmental policy

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Senator Jim Jeffords has accused the Bush administration of sacrificing the country’s environment to the demands of special interest groups. Jeffords says recent policy actions taken by the administration represent an unprecedented assault on the environment.
VPR News

Democratic contenders debate in New Mexico

By |
Howard Dean took criticism on his trade policies and health care plan Thursday night in the Democratic presidential debate held in Albuquerque, New Mexico. But Dean’s rivals for the nomination were mostly subdued in their criticism of the former Vermont governor, who is now considered a frontrunner the race.
VPR News

Interview: Democratic candidates prepare for debate

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Thursday evening in New Mexico, the eight candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination will meet in a debate for the second time. VPR’s John Dillon is in Albuquerque and reports on the preparations and expectations for the debate.
Commentary Series

Pictures

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Every so often we come face to face with our former selves in a way that inspires reflection. That happened recently to commentator David Moats.
Commentary Series

At the races

By |
This summer commentator Will Curtis spent a day in Saratoga, at the race track of Seabiscuit fame, where his wife Jane backed a winner.
VPR News

Governor announces heroin task force

By |
Governor Jim Douglas has announced the formation of a special undercover heroin task force to crack down on drug dealers in the state. Public Safety Commissioner Kerry Sleeper says the task force is needed because heroin is a major problem in every region of Vermont.
VPR News

Closed discussion begins on physician-assisted suicide

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The Vermont Medical Society is beginning a series of forums this week to give doctors a chance to discuss physician assisted suicide. This fall, the society will consider changes to its current policy on assisted suicide legislation. Lawmakers plan to consider a Death with Dignity bill when they convene in January.
VPR News

Leahy blames White House for Estrada impasse

By |
Vermont U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy says President Bush has no one but himself to blame for the impasse over the nomination of Miguel Estrada to a federal appeals court post. Bush is blasting Senate Democrats for what he calls the “disgraceful treatment” of Estrada.
VPR News

Dean urges supporters to mobilize

By |
Howard Dean took his presidential campaign to New Mexico on Wednesday and asked his followers to redouble their efforts to sign up new volunteers.
VPR News

Radio station returns to airwaves without license

By |
In Brattleboro, a radio station shut down by the Federal Communications Commission this summer for operating without a license, is back on the air. Radio Free Brattleboro says its authority to broadcast comes from the community rather than the FCC.
VPR News

Environmental hazards reduced in schools

By |
Three years ago, the Vermont Legislature passed the School Environmental Health Act. Last year the Health Department was criticized for failing to follow up on the legislation by implementing an effective program to help schools minimize the dangers posed by environmental hazards like chemicals, dust and mold. Now critics say the program is working and the Health Department says more schools are taking steps to cut down on environmental problems.
VPR News

Interview: Judy Dean focused on medicine

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For all of Howard Dean’s political life, his wife Judy has maintained a private profile. In the second part of Judy Dean’s conversation with Bob Kinzel, the wife of the former Vermont governor talks about the major influences in her life and the importance of her medical career.
VPR News

Interview: Rail to trails

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Mitch Wertlieb talks with a representative from Rails to Trails, an organization that converts abandoned railroad beds into hiking and biking paths. The group is studying the possibility of creating a new recreation path between Saint Albans and Saint Johnsbury.
VPR News

Vermont receives $8.1 million for bioterrism

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Vermont will be getting $8.1 million to prepare for bioterrorism and other public health emergencies. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson announced the funding Tuesday.
VPR News

Vermont Law School dean steps down

By |
L. Kinvin Wroth, the dean of the Vermont Law School, is resigning next summer. The school’s Board of Trustees is now looking for a replacement.
VPR News

Chamber of Commerce names new president

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The Vermont State Chamber of Commerce has concluded its four-month search for a new president. Duane Marsh of Midland, Michigan, has been chosen to replace Christopher Barbieri, who stepped down this spring.
VPR News

Interview: Judy Dean resists traditional campaign role

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Howard Dean’s presidential campaign is in high gear, and pressure could build on Judy Dean to be on the campaign trail; pressure she says she’d resist. Listen to Judy Dean’s interview with VPR’s Bob Kinzel about this issue and how she feels about the former governor’s presidential bid.
Commentary Series

Memories of Little League

By |
While Vermont summers are short, summer memories can last a long time. In our series “Summer Times”, VPR commentators reflect on the importance of the past and recall some unforgetable summer experiences. Here’s commentator Jay Parini with a baseball summer memory.
Commentary Series

Electrofishing

By |
Commentator Willem Lange was prowling the north woods recently and came across what appeared to be an alien invasion. But it was actually pretty prosaic.
Commentary Series

Summer flight

By |
In anticipation of Labor Day and the traditional end of summer, VPR commentators have been recalling “Summer Times” of the past that continue to have meaning today. Here’s commentator Libby Sternberg with memories of summer dreams.
Commentary Series

Back to school

By |
As the students and teachers head back to school this week, commentator and teacher Joe Deffner remembers one of his first teaching assignments.
VPR News

State asks why Adelphia hasn’t extended rural service

By |
State regulators are investigating why Vermont’s main cable television company has failed to extend service to rural areas as the state has ordered. Meanwhile, the state office that represents utility customers says it may try to revoke Adelphia’s license to operate, if the company continues to violate the state orders.
VPR News

Dean visits Verizon labor rally

By |
While former presidential press secretary Ari Fleischer was fundraising on one side of town Thursday, Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean was attending a union rally on the other side. Dean spoke to about 100 union workers in front of the Verizon Wireless store in South Burlington.
VPR News

Fleischer speaks at Bush-Cheney fundraiser in Vermont

By |
About a mile away from Dean and the Verizon picket, former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer told Vermont Republicans that he thinks President Bush will face a tough re-election campaign next year. But Fleischer said that Bush is the best person to lead the country in its war on terrorism.
VPR News

Interview: Viewing Mars

By |
Mitch Wertlieb talks with Gary Novak of the Vermont Astronomical Society about the approach of Mars. The event has stirred excitement among professional and amateur astronomers.
VPR News

State studies dam purchase

By |
A state panel has hired a consulting firm to study the possibility of Vermont buying six hydro dams on the Connecticut River.
Commentary Series

Haying with my grandfather

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As summer winds down and Labor Day approaches, VPR commentators are recalling “Summer Times” of the past that linger in their memories and continue to have meaning for them today. Here’s commentator Tom Slayton with his memories of haying in the Vermont of his youth.
Commentary Series

Migrating swallows

By |
The return of the swallows to Capistrano is a well-known sign of spring. Commentator Ted Levin says that here in Vermont, when the swallows begin their migration south, it’s a sure sign of fall.
VPR News

State says separate Yankee review unnecessary

By |
The state of Vermont does not support an independent federal safety review of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. Opponents of a plan to increase power at the plant by 20% say it makes sense to do a full, top-to-bottom study of the 31-year-old reactor. But Public Service Commission David O’Brien says the review is not needed, and could unnecessarily alarm the public.
Commentary Series

Einstein at summer camp

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While Vermont summers are short, summer memories can last a long time. In our series “Summer Times”, VPR commentators reflect on the importance of the past and recall some unforgetable summer experiences. Here’s commentator Madeleine Kunin, who met one of the greatest figures of the 20th century at summer camp.
VPR News

Dean weighs decision to take public financing

By |
Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean has reached his goal of raising a million dollars during his four-day campaign swing across the country. Dean’s surprising success at raising money is causing him to reconsider his pledge to take public funds for his campaign.
VPR News

Colgan Air flight crashes on Cape Cod

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A spokeswoman for Colgan Air says a plane carrying two crew members crashed Tuesday off Cape Cod. Colgan Air is a carrier for U.S. Airways Express and also serves the Rutland State Airport in Vermont.
VPR News

Brattleboro police contract may help retain officers

By |
Brattleboro wants to encourage local police officers to stay on, instead of joining the state police. The Brattleboro police department has long struggled over what to do about losing officers to the state police.
VPR News

Kunin to teach at UVM and Saint Michael’s

By |
Saint Michael’s College and the University of Vermont have collaborated to invite a former Vermont governor to teach classes. Madeleine May Kunin will serve as a distinguished visiting professor in political science at both institutions starting this fall.
Commentary Series

Summer barn dances

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As trees here and there begin to signal the end of this summer in Vermont, VPR commentators are recalling “Summer Times” of the past and reflecting on how those experiences continue to resonate today. Here’s commentator Frank Bryan with that staple of Vermont summers not so long ago – the barn dance.
Commentary Series

Summer Times

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Vermont summers are short, but memories of the warm season are long. This month, VPR commentators reflect on the importance of the past in our series “Summer Times.”
VPR News

Democrats and Progressives form tentative collaboration

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Democratic and Progressive Party leaders say they’re interested in working together on certain legislative and statewide races during the 2004 election. However Republican officials think the collaboration will present GOP candidates with a great opportunity to win more races next year.
VPR News

Fleischer to fundraise for Bush in Vermont

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President Bush’s former press secretary will be the featured guest at a political fundraiser in Vermont this week. Ari Fleischer will be the speaker at a luncheon Thursday at Vermont National Country Club in South Burlington.
VPR News

Springfield prison plans benefit before opening

By |
The first inmates are scheduled to arrive at the new Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield in early October. It cost $27 million to build the prison, and officials are now hiring staff and inspecting construction and security systems. Next month, they’ll be asking local citizens for a little help.
Commentary Series

Drug court

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Drug abuse is a growing problem in Vermont, but commentator David Moats says that there’s a new concept for coping with it that looks promising.
Commentary Series

On occasion

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Vermont summers are short, but memories of the warm season are long. This month, VPR commentators reflect on the importance of the past – in our series “Summer Times.” Here’s Vermont State Poet Grace Paley with a poem in which the past and the present come together in a summer garden.
Commentary Series

Summer with the Grateful Dead

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Here’s commentator Philip Baruth, remembering guitarist Jerry Garcia. Garcia died in 1995, and with him died an entire culture — a culture built around the very sound of summer itself. Baruth remembers the Pied Piper sound of the Grateful Dead, and regrets that he never completely answered its call.
VPR News

Federal review approves Circ Highway construction

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Federal officials have cleared the way for construction to begin this fall on a controversial Chittenden County highway. Governor Jim Douglas says the decision is good news for business growth in the region. But environmental groups may sue to halt the project.
VPR News

Baseball announcer Ken Coleman dies

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Ken Coleman, the legendary voice of the Boston Red Sox, has died. Coleman got his start calling baseball games in Vermont for the Rutland Royals in the 1940’s.
VPR News

Moose festival starts in Canaan

By |
On Saturday, if you find yourself in Canaan – Vermont’s northeastern-most town – you will hear the sound of the moose. But it will be the humans making the sound at the annual moose calling contest.
Commentary Series

Memories of summer camp

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While Vermont summers are short, summer memories can last a long time. In our series “Summer Times”, VPR commentators reflect on the importance of the past and recall some unforgetable summer experiences. Here’s commentator Willem Lange, who remembers childhood summers as a mixed blessing. Going to camp produced intense homesickness, but also amazing spurts of new growth.
VPR News

Leahy defends sunset provisions in Patriot Act

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Senator Patrick Leahy says he will actively fight any effort by the Bush administration to maintain key provisions of the USA Patriot Act that are scheduled to expire in about two years. Leahy says he’s concerned that Attorney General John Ashcroft is warning that allowing the provisions to be phased out could lead to more terrorist attacks in this country.
VPR News

Douglas resumes effort for permit reform

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Governor Jim Douglas says the recent job cuts at IBM underscore the need for Vermont to improve its business climate. The governor proposed on Thursday a six-point plan to improve the state’s economy. He also urged the Legislature to act quickly to overhaul the environmental permit process.
VPR News

Pelham appointed tax commissioner

By |
A state representative from Washington County will serve as Vermont’s new tax commissioner. Governor Jim Douglas announced today that he’s appointed Tom Pelham to the post.
Commentary Series

Chinese summer visitor

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Vermont summers are short, but memories of the warm season are long. This month, VPR commentators reflect on the importance of the past – in our series “Summer Times.” Here’s commentator Ruth Page, recalling the summer visitor who had lots of questions about America – and helped weed the garden.
VPR News

Interview: new CEO of Fletcher Allen

By |
Mitch Wertlieb talks with Dr. Melinda Estes, the newly hired CEO of Fletcher Health Care. Estes talks about the troubles facing the Burlington hospital, including financial scandals and compromised public trust.
Commentary Series

Summer inspired by Wordsworth

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Vermont summers are short, but memories of the warm season are long. This month, VPR commentators reflect on the importance of the past – in our series “Summer Times.” Here’s commentator Peter Gilbert reflecting on the power of childhood memories of natural beauty.
VPR News

Plan would split costs of transmission line upgrade

By |
Advocates for a big power line planned from Rutland to South Burlington see a good deal. They say that much of the cost of the Vermont transmission line will probably be covered by other ratepayers in New England. But critics say that the financial arrangement is not guaranteed and would cause other increases for ratepayers here.
VPR News

Douglas calls for transmission line upgrade

By |
Governor Jim Douglas says last week’s electrical outage in many parts of the Northeast demonstrates the need for the proposed transmission line upgrade. However some energy analysts think the governor’s approach may be shortsighted.
VPR News

State police increase patrols

By |
Vermont motorists may notice more state police cruisers on interstate highways. Lieutenant Bill O’Leary says a number of initiatives have begun in the past several months that have increased his agency’s ability to patrol roads.
VPR News

Sanders to work against three-way races

By |
Congressman Bernie Sanders says he plans to get directly involved in efforts to ensure that liberal Progressives and liberal Democrats don’t challenge each other in next year’s legislative and statewide races.
VPR News

College students warned of file sharing penalties

By |
As students prepare to return to classes this fall, colleges are taking steps to alert them to the consequences of illegally downloading copyrighted music. Recently, the recording industry has taken action against some colleges and students in an effort to stop illegal file sharing.
Commentary Series

Plymouth summer

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Vermont summers are short, but memories of the warm season are long. This month, VPR commentators reflect on the importance of the past – in our series “Summer Times.” Here’s commentator Alan Boye taking a summer stroll into the past at the Calvin Coolidge Homestead.
VPR News

Uprate opponents say Yankee nuclear plant not sound

By |
Opponents of a plan to increase the power capacity of the Vermont Nuclear Power Plant say they have new safety concerns with the project. Vermont Yankee officials are dismissing the allegations and say they have full confidence in the physical structure of their facility.
VPR News

Burlington residents seek end to street violence

By |
Residents of one Burlington neighborhood are hoping to stop recent street violence from becoming a pattern. The city’s Old North End has experienced two recent incidents of gun violence in the densely populated neighborhood.
VPR News

Bennington plans to light Battle monument

By |
The town of Bennington decided last night it will light the Battle of Bennington Monument. The Zoning Board made the decision at a crowded meeting after a lengthy discussion of the issue.
VPR News

Soldier buried in Brattleboro

By |
The fourth Vermonter to die in Iraq was honored with a hero’s funeral in Brattleboro Monday. Twenty-year-old Private First Class Kyle Gilbert, a Brattleboro native, was a paratrooper with the Army’s 82nd Airborn division.
VPR News

Douglas defends job growth efforts

By |
Governor Jim Douglas says officials at IBM have assured him that the company has a long term commitment to the state, even though IBM has reduced its workforce at its Essex Junction facility by roughly 8%.
VPR News

New cadet class arrives at Norwich

By |
The nation’s oldest private military college has enrolled its largest class in 20 years. Some 430 candidates for Norwich University’s Corps of Cadets arrived on the Northfield campus this weekend for early training.
VPR News

IBM lays off 500 employees

By |
The state’s largest private employer is preparing to reduce its costs, apparently with hundreds of layoffs.
VPR News

Southern towns seek relief after weeks of rain

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Federal Emergency Management officials have been in Vermont this week. They’ve been assessing damage from storms that have occurred over the past three weeks. Preliminary estimates already exceed the eligibility threshold of a million dollars in damages. But it’s still too early to say whether the state will qualify as a federal disaster area.
VPR News

Douglas gives support to massive Winooski project

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Governor Jim Douglas says he believes the proposed redevelopment of downtown Winooski can work. Douglas says he supports the project because it cuts down on sprawl, and creates affordable housing and hundreds of construction jobs.
Commentary Series

A thrifty watch

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How is a movie like a wristwatch? And how will Northeast Kingdom cheapness save the nation? Commentator Jules Older explains.
VPR News

VPR Backstage: ‘The Foreigner’

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“The Foreigner” by the late Larry Shue has been hailed as one of the most brilliant comedies of the late 20th century. VPR’s Susan Keese went backstage at the Dorset Theatre Festival production of the play that opened earlier this week.
Commentary Series

More troops

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Commentator Bill Seamans reflects on the continuing discussions in the Pentagon about how best to meet the growing manpower needs in the military.
VPR News

Vermont bargains for better drug prices

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The auditor of accounts says Vermont should strike a better bargain with a pharmacy benefits company that serves state employees. But the state says it recently won important financial concessions from the company and that more savings are possible.
VPR News

Judge Parker dies at 65

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Judge Fred Parker, a Vermonter who served on the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, has died. Parker was appointed to the federal bench in 1990. He was named to the 2nd Circuit in 1994.
VPR News

Fletcher Allen names Estes as new CEO

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Trustees of Fletcher Allen Health Care have picked a Florida physician and veteran health care administrator to lead the Burlington hospital. Doctor Melinda Estes will be the hospital’s new chief executive.
VPR News

State to apply for flood aid

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The state of Vermont will seek federal aid to repair roads and other public property damaged during last week’s flash floods. But it’s unlikely there will be any money to help private property owners.
VPR News

Protected sturgeons may make comeback

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A century ago, Lake Champlain sturgeon were sought after by commercial fishermen. Today the prehistoric fish is an endangered species. Biologists have been studying the fish for the last several years and as VPR’s Steve Zind reports, there are signs the sturgeon is making a comeback.
VPR News

Protected stugeons make a comeback

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A century ago, Lake Champlain sturgeon were sought after by commercial fishermen. Today the prehistoric fish is an endangered species. Biologists have been studying the fish for the last several years and as VPR’s Steve Zind reports, there are signs the sturgeon is making a comeback.
VPR News

Adelphia appeals Public Service Board order

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Vermont’s largest cable service provider has filed an appeal of an order by the state Public Service Board. A representative with Adelphia Cable Communications says the company filed its appeal in federal court on Friday.
VPR News

Children’s book art provokes nostalgia

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In 1947, Clement Hurd illustrated the popular and enduring children’s book,”Goodnight Moon.” That work now anchors a new exhibition at the Shelburne Museum called “From Goodnight Moon to Art Dog.” It’s a tribute to the talents of the late Clement Hurd, his wife Edith, and their son Thacher Hurd.
VPR News

Sorrell expects action soon on Fletcher Allen case

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It’s been a year since state and federal officials launched investigations into financial improprieties at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington. Governor Jim Douglas says he’s frustrated by the slow pace of the probe. But Vermont’s attorney general says he expects some developments in the next few months.
VPR News

State revenues up 10%

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Vermont’s fiscal year has started with revenues up almost 10% more than expected. But Administration Secretary Michael Smith says that it’s hard to make fiscal predictions for the full year based on July revenues.
VPR News

Fletcher Allen Health Care chooses new CEO

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Trustees at Vermont’s largest hospital have made their choice on a new chief executive. An official at Fletcher Allen Health care in Burlington hospital official says a formal announcement will be made as soon as an employment agreement is signed.
Commentary Series

Interview: Molly Ivins

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Steve Delaney talks with political writer Molly Ivins. Ivins – who is noted for skewering political targets – will be speaking in South Burlington this weekend at a Vermont ACLU benefit.
Commentary Series

Champ sounds

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No series about Lake Champlain and the Islands would be complete without mentioning Champ, the mythical monster said to be lurking in the lake’s chilly depths. Commentator Joe Citro has a Champ update.
Commentary Series

The Greatest Lake

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Commentator Frank Bryan wasn’t disappointed that a recent effort to designate Champlain as one of the “Great Lakes” failed – since he thinks Champlain deserves a category all it’s own as the “Greatest Lake.”
VPR News

Backstage: ‘Ragtime’

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This summer the Weston Playhouse is presenting one of its most ambitious productions. It’s a musical adaptation of the sweeping portrait of America at the dawn of the twentieth century by E.L. Doctorow.
VPR News

A view from the Islands: stormwater pollution

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One of the worst pollution problems in Lake Champlain is also the hardest to control. Experts agree that stormwater is one of the main culprits for the tons of silt and nutrients that have harmed the big lake. But controlling stormwater presents difficult scientific and legal challenges.
VPR News

Sanders says Congress should reject drug lobby

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Congressman Bernie Sanders says the world’s largest drug maker has declared war on America’s senior citizens. Those hard words from Sanders follows the move by drug giant Pfizer to block U.S. imports of lower priced Canadian drugs.
VPR News

Red Sox fans rally on Church Street

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An estimated crowd of 600 represented the Vermont contingent of Red Sox nation on Church Street in Burlington on Thursday to celebrate “Red Sox Day in Vermont.”
VPR News

Wildlife officials say people can discourage bears

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Fish and Wildlife officials say they’ve had a large number of calls about black bears this summer. The bears are raiding compost piles and destroying bird feeders in search of food. Officials say in some cases, people aren’t doing enough to discourage the bears and it may be time to change the law that permits landowners to shoot nuisance bears.
VPR News

Siss named to lead Vermont information department

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Governor Jim Douglas has named an Underhill woman to lead the state’s new Department of Information and Innovation. Robin Siss came to state government from IDX, a medical software company based in South Burlington.
VPR News

A view from the Islands: seasonal life

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For the long-timers and the newcomers, life on the Champlain Islands has special meaning perhaps because of the water, the weather, the fishing or the farming. VPR’s Neal Charnoff takes a look at an unusual melting pot in part three of our series, “A View from the Islands.”
VPR News

UVM considers fate of insect collection

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Vermont entomologists have launched a letter writing campaign because they’re afraid the University of Vermont might get rid of all or part of its extensive insect collection. But UVM says no decision has been made, and it’s still assessing the future of the collection.
VPR News

Episcopal bishops prepare for vote on Robinson

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Gene Robinson, the openly gay clergyman seeking to become an Episcopal bishop, has been cleared of the misconduct allegations that delayed a vote on his confirmation. But as the debate intensified in Minneapolis, Bishop Thomas Ely turned his attention to the more traditional role of pastoring the man who accused Robinson of inappropriate behavior.
VPR News

Interview: Paul Dean appears in court

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On Tuesday, the son of Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean appeared in Vermont District Court in Burlington. Last month, Police charged that 17-year-old Paul Dean was the driver for four of his classmates who were attempting to steal beer from the Burlington Country Club.
VPR News

Kirby plans hearings on wind projects

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Town officials in Kirby will hold a meeting this fall to gather public opinion about wind energy. The decision came after the select board was asked last night to sign a letter calling for a moratorium on all wind projects.
VPR News

Truck crash spills molasses

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Crews are working in Rutland to remove a tractor-trailer truck that went off the road and spilled 15 tons of molasses Monday night.
VPR News

Retired Judge Lewis Springer dies at 88

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The retired Vermont District Court judge who presided over one of the most racially sensitive cases in Vermont history, has died. Lewis Springer died Monday at his Danville home. He was 88.
VPR News

A view from the Islands: development pressures

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The Champlain Islands have long been known as a quiet and rural place. But now, Grand Isle has become Vermont’s fastest growing county, and its identity is changing. Where once there were farms and summer cottages, million dollar homes are taking root. In South Hero people are working to meet the challenges of growth.
VPR News

Vermont bishop received e-mail allegation

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A delegate to the Episcopal Church convention in Minneapolis says Vermont Bishop Thomas Ely was one of a group of bishops who received an e-mail alleging sexual misconduct by the bishop-elect of New Hampshire – and that Ely has been in touch with the person who sent the e-mail.
VPR News

Senator wants wind power moratorium

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A Northeast Kingdom senator who supports renewable energy and conservation says the state needs a moratorium on wind projects. Essex-Orleans Senator Vince Illuzzi says the delay would give officials time to determine where large wind turbines should be built.
VPR News

Mental health advocates hail court decision

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Some mental health advocates are praising a recent court decision striking down part of a Vermont law. They say Friday’s decision by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is a milestone in fighting discrimination against those with mental illness.
VPR News

A view from the Islands: Grand Isle history

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The five towns of Grand Isle County have a unique place in the state’s natural and human history. The region is home to an ancient reef, and the state’s only sand dunes. It’s also where Samuel de Champlain first stepped ashore. In the first in our series “A View from the Islands,” VPR’s Steve Zind looks back at Grand Isle County’s past.
VPR News

Dean begins campaign in Washington state

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Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean says his strong fundraising efforts in recent months will allow him to set up campaign organizations in a number of critical states after the New Hampshire primary. The Dean campaign is now focusing on the state of Washington.
VPR News

Beaches closed on northern Lake Champlain

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Public health authorities in Canada have closed beaches in northern Lake Champlain because of toxic algae blooms. In Vermont, officials are keeping a close eye on water quality but so far have not issued health warnings.
VPR News

Powerball revenues 50% above projections

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During its first month of operation, revenues from Powerball are running more than 50% above projections, but state lottery officials believe that things will settle down in the coming months. State Lottery Director Alan Yandow says the state has been very lucky during its initial experience with Powerball.
VPR News

Vermont firefighters campaign against Dean

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Vermont firefighters have contacted their New Hampshire counterparts to tell them that Howard Dean doesn’t have their support in his campaign for the Democratic Presidential nomination.
VPR News

Leahy accuses Bush of ‘religious McCarthyism’

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Senator Patrick Leahy is accusing the White House of engaging in “religious McCarthyism.” The administration claims Leahy opposes one of the president’s judicial nominees because the person is a Catholic. Leahy, who’s Catholic, says it’s the most outrageous charge that he’s encountered during his five terms in the U.S. Senate.
VPR News

Margaret Garland dies at 81

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Margaret Garland, former chairwoman of the state Environmental Board, civil libertarian, and aviation pioneer has died. Garland, who was 81, died today at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington.
VPR News

Concern for salmon habitat continues Clyde River debate

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Two environmental groups say a recent ruling by the Water Resources Board will harm salmon habitat in the Clyde River near Newport. The Vermont Natural Resources Council has asked the board to reconsider its recent decision that allows the utility to reduce stream flows. But the utility’s lawyer says the board’s decision goes a long way to improve water quality in the river.
VPR News

Edwards says president should seek UN assistance

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Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards is urging President Bush to seek the support of the United Nations to secure a lasting peace in Iraq. Edwards, a first term senator from North Carolina, made his comments in an interview with a group of reporters from Vermont and New Hampshire.
VPR News

River unaffected by gas leak

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Contamination from an abandoned gas station in Barnet doesn’t appear to be spreading to the nearby Passumpsic River.
VPR News

Schools sign up for milk vending machines

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Milk vending machines in Vermont schools appears to be an idea that’s catching on. Only Burlington, Bennington and Brattleboro schools had milk vending machines when school closed in June. This coming year, at least a dozen more school districts will add themselves to the list.
VPR News

A view from the Islands

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This week VPR takes you to Grand Isle County. We’ll explore life on the islands and the issues that affect Vermont’s fastest growing county and the lake that surrounds it.
VPR News

Public Service commissioner questions uprate benefits

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Public Service Department Commissioner David O’Brien says the owners of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power plant have yet to convince the state that an expansion at the facility is in the best interests of Vermont ratepayers.
Commentary Series

State budget surplus

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Who should get the credit for balancing the state’s 2003 budget, and having the year end with a small surplus? Commentator Allen Gilbert thinks it’s the state’s property tax payers.
VPR News

State archive deluged with requests for Dean records

By |
Secretary of State Deb Markowitz says there’s a lot of interest these days in the public papers of former governor Howard Dean, as Dean’s presidential campaign becomes more popular. Markowitz says she may have to add additional staff to deal with the growing number of people researching Dean’s past.
VPR News

VPR Backstage

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Vermont Public radio brings you backstage to explore the plays and musicals that are staged at playhouses around the region. In the VPR profiles we hear the voices of the cast and crew and sound from the show. Read the transcripts from the Backstage stories, or listen online.
VPR News

Family Connection Center closes for lack of funding

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A Chittenden County organization that supervises court ordered visits between children and non-custodial parents has closed its doors. The Family Connection Center hopes to reopen once it finds a new source of funding. In the meantime, the courts have lost one way to make sure some children can safely visit a parent.
VPR News

Ophthalmologist’s office searched

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Investigators from the Attorney General’s office have seized patient records from a Burlington ophthalmologist who was accused of performing unnecessary surgery.
VPR News

Justin Garvey buried in Fair Haven

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Army Sergeant and Vermont native Justin Garvey was buried today in Fair Haven. The 23-year-old was a member of the 101st Airborne Division, and he was the third Vermonter to die in Iraq since U-S troops began fighting there in March.
VPR News

Democratic leadership wary of Dean

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The Democratic Leadership Council says Howard Dean’d presidential campaign has generated a lot of excitement, but his stance against the Iraq war may hurt him in the long run.
VPR News

Low mortgage rates make home appraisers hard to find

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Record low interest rates have helped many people become first-time home owners. The low rates have also prompted thousands of people to refinance their mortgage – some several times. While lenders are still offering low rates, a shortage of appraisers is making it difficult for some Vermonters to take full advantage.
VPR News

Dean says gay marriage is state’s right

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Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean says he believes that every state in the country should adopt legislation that grants legal rights and responsibilities to gay couples.
VPR News

Sanders joins conservatives to oppose drug bill

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Vermont Congressman Bernie Sanders says an unusual political coalition was behind a recent defeat for the powerful pharmaceutical industry. The U.S. House voted to allow Americans to buy lower-priced prescription drugs from other countries. Sanders says the bill passed because conservative Republicans teamed up with Democrats and Independents.
VPR News

IBM cuts overtime

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IBM, Vermont’s largest private employer, will cut overtime for about 2,400 workers.
VPR News

Conference may lead to regional security agreement

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A two-day homeland security conference in Burlington may yield a mutual aid agreement between Vermont and Quebec. The conference was attended by high-level officials from those governments and Ontario. They discussed security risks that affect both sides of the border.
VPR News

Douglas asks lawmakers to address stormwater permits

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Governor Jim Douglas wants the Legislature to lift a deadline the state faces to clean up certain streams damaged by stormwater pollution. A recent ruling by the Water Resources Board rejected the state’s approach to fixing the pollution problem in four Chittenden County streams. Douglas has decided not to appeal the ruling. Instead, he’ll ask lawmakers to address the issue.
VPR News

Wind farm loses key backer

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A proposal for a wind farm in Manchester has lost a key player. Catamount Energy, a Central Vermont Public Service subsidiary and a partner in the project, has decided to withdraw.
VPR News

SIT trains Ford fellows

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Brattleboro’s School for International Training originated to train the first Peace Corps volunteers in the early 1960s. Recently the Ford Foundation asked the school to work with a new generation of idealists.
VPR News

IBM considers moving high-paying jobs overseas

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Executives at IBM say they need to step up efforts to move many high-paying jobs overseas. The computer giant is Vermont’s largest private employer – the company is considered vital to the state’s economy. And Governor Jim Douglas says his staff will raise the jobs issue with IBM officials.
VPR News

Douglas takes a turn as a Make A Wish tour guide

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A visitor to Montpelier got a special tour of the historic Statehouse on Wednesday with Governor Jim Douglas. Sixteen-year old David Underwood’s trip to Vermont was sponsored by the Make A Wish Foundation, which grants wishes to children who face life-threatening illnesses.
VPR News

Vermont company produces new spam filter

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A Vermont technology company has a new product to deal with the growing problem of computer spam. Network Performance Incorporated (NPI) of South Burlington, unveiled its new “SpamRejector” on Tuesday.
VPR News

Interview: Soldier thanks Newport helmet factory

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Steve Delaney talks with Army First Sergeant Colin Rich, who will tour the factory at MSA Gallet in Newport Wednesday. Rich was wearing a Kevlar helmet manufactured by MSA Gallet when he was shot in the head while on patrol in Afghanistan. Rich credits the high-tech helmet for saving his life.
VPR News

Power line opponents seek delay

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Opponents of a large power line planned for western Vermont want regulators to delay their review of the project. In a motion filed on Tuesday, the opponents argue that the power line developers have not done an adequate review of alternatives.
VPR News

Farm family produces ghee

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A central Vermont couple has found a new niche for their dairy farm. This year, they hope to become the first Vermont producers of a cooking oil made from milk.
VPR News

Gephardt critical of Bush policy in Iraq

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Democratic presidential candidate Richard Gephardt strongly criticized the Bush administration’s Iraq policy on Tuesday. Gephardt, who voted for a congressional resolution authorizing the war, faces a strong challenge in Iowa and New Hampshire from former Vermont Governor Howard Dean.
VPR News

Dean, Kerry, Lieberman tied in California poll

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A new poll finds former Vermont Governor Howard Dean among the top-three Democratic presidential candidates in California. Dean is in a statistical tie with Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts and Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut.
Commentary Series

Fly fishing

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Now that school’s out for the summer, teacher and writer Joe Deffner has time for summer’s more leisurely pursuits of reading, house projects, and of course, fishing and fishing companions.
VPR News

FAHC expansion costs rise by $6.5 million

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Costs continue to rise for a major renovation project at Vermont’s largest hospital. Fletcher Allen Health Care recently told state regulators that the final price tag of its Renaissance Project will reach $362.5 million.
VPR News

Baseballer Robin Roberts honored by Mountaineers

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The state of Vermont and Vermont’s new entry in the New England Collegiate Baseball League honored former Hall of Fame pitcher Robin Roberts at a special ceremony on Monday. Roberts won 286 games in a major league career that started in 1948 and ended in 1966.
VPR News

Vermont delegation seeks to overturn new FCC rule

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A Congressional effort to overturn a recent decision by the Federal Communications Commission is gaining momentum in both the House and the Senate. The FCC rules change allowed for a greater consolidation of media outlets by large corporations. Vermont’s congressional delegation is very involved in this issue.
VPR News

Rosie’s Girls learn trade skills and confidence at camp

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During World War Two, Rosie the Riveter was a symbol of the thousands of women who worked in foundries, warehouses and lumber mills to support the war effort. Today, fewer than 4% of people working in the trades are women. But a Vermont summer camp is designed to give young girls confidence about using their hands and teach them that there’s no such thing as “man’s work.”
Commentary Series

Supreme Court teambuilding

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Recently the United States Supreme Court has come close to open warfare, with the Justices rebuking one another from the bench. Commentator Philip Baruth feels the nine Justices may need some kind of intensive group therapy, and in his satirical commentary, they get it.
VPR News

Border crime may increase with Canadian marijuana law

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Public Safety Commissioner Kerry Sleeper says he’s very concerned that the decriminalization of marijuana in Canada will lead to a significant increase in smuggling across the Vermont-Canadian border. Sleeper says the state doesn’t have the resources to deal with this issue on a long term basis.
VPR News

Demonstrators protest USA PATRIOT Act

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Dozens of people gathered in Montpelier on Friday to protest the USA PATRIOT Act. Speakers say the sweeping federal law, drafted in the months following the September 11 attacks, weakens civil liberties and will do little to protect the country against terrorism.
VPR News

VELCO will notify landowners about new power line

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Developers of a major new power line project have promised to tell all landowners along the route about its plans. The Vermont Electric Power Company wants to build a 60-mile-long high voltage transmission line from West Rutland to South Burlington.
VPR News

Interview: Peter Forbes

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Steve Delaney talks with writer, photographer and conservationist Peter Forbes. Forbes is the key-note speaker at the Vermont Land Trust meeting in Tinmouth on Saturday.
VPR News

State dissatisfied with Adelphia’s overdue expansion

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Vermont’s main cable television company is already in trouble with state regulators for its failure to expand coverage to rural areas of Vermont. Now the state department that represents utility customers says it’s not satisfied with the latest offer from Adelphia Cable Communications Company.
VPR News

Vermont AARP critical of gaps in prescription bill

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The state’s largest senior citizens group, Vermont AARP, says it has serious concerns about a prescription drug plan being considered in Congress. The organization says it won’t support a plan to provide coverage under Medicare unless some key changes are made to the legislation.
VPR News

Northeast homeland security meeting set for Burlington

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The Vermont Department of Public Safety will host a meeting next week of homeland security officials from the Northeast and eastern Canada. The July 24 and 25 meetings in Burlington will be the latest in an ongoing series among officials from ten states and a number of provinces.
VPR News

Jeffords hopeful AmeriCorps funding will be restored

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Senator James Jeffords says he’s optimistic that Congress will restore funding for the AmeriCorps program in the next few weeks. A number of non-profit agencies in Vermont are watching this issue very closely because they depend on this program to help provide essential services to Vermonters.
VPR News

Dean attracts small contributions in large numbers

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Former Governor Howard Dean is third among Democrats for the money raised so far in the presidential race. But Dean leads the pack in the number of individual donors who have given to his campaign. Political observers say Dean’s use of the Internet – and his ability to reach out to small contributors – has changed the way campaigns are financed.
VPR News

Radio Free Brattleboro fights for space on the dial

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Last month field agents with the Federal Communications Commission shut down a small unlicensed radio station operating from a Brattleboro apartment. That action has raised questions about proper use of the airwaves, especially in light of the FCC’s recent decision to allow increased media consolidation.
VPR News

Brattleboro Retreat’s finances improve

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The Brattleboro Retreat says its financial picture has improved dramatically. The retreat provides out-patient and residential treatment for psychiatric and addiction problems.
VPR News

Interview: Bishop Angell nears retirement

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In the second of two interviews, Bishop Kenneth Angell of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington reflects on his career. At the age of 73, Angell is nearing retirement. At 75, Angell will be required to submit his resignation to the pope.
VPR News

Economic recovery still months away

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According to a new report, the Vermont economy will not show definite signs of recovery for at least another six months. The forecast says the recovery will be delayed because there’s very little new investment in the business community.
VPR News

Beaver dam washes out road

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Officials with the Vermont Transportation Agency say it will take two weeks to rebuild a road in the Northeast Kingdom that washed out when a beaver dam failed.
VPR News

Female prison population outgrows existing space

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The state Corrections Department wants to move about 100 female inmates to the Windsor prison. The plan is designed to relieve overcrowding at other facilities. Officials hope to make the move when the new, 350-bed Springfield jail opens this fall.
VPR News

Sanders says prescription bill is corporate welfare

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Congressman Bernie Sanders says a Medicare prescription drug bill that passed the House recently is little more than a cynical effort by political leaders to fool the public and reward the country’s largest drug companies. Sanders is hopeful that the proposal can be significantly improved in the coming weeks.
VPR News

Adelphia tries to curtail new service in rural areas

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Some Vermonters who’ve been waiting for cable TV to come to their areas may have to wait a lot longer. Adelphia Cable Communications is trying to trim back on commitments it made to the state two years ago to extend its service into some rural areas.
VPR News

Electric utilities hold rates steady till 2005

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Vermont’s two largest electric utilities have agreed to avoid rate increases for the next year and a half. The agreement was announced Friday by the Public Service Department, the state agency that represents ratepayers.
VPR News

Vermont’s beginning teacher salaries 46th in nation

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A report by a national teachers’ union says Vermont’s beginning teacher salary is one of the lowest in the country. The American Federation of Teachers conducted a state-by-state analysis of teachers’ salaries for 2001 to 2002.
VPR News

Dean misses two endorsements

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Vermont’s state poet and an Ohio labor union have chosen to endorse opponents of Howard Dean in the Democratic presidential race.
VPR News

IBM rejects proposal for shorter Circ Highway

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Vermont’s largest private employer has rejected an offer to negotiate a scaled down version of a controversial highway project. IBM has long supported construction of the Circumferential Highway in Chittenden County. An IBM lobbyist says the company isn’t interested in a compromise plan floated recently by environmentalists.
VPR News

Dean says Bush misled public, calls for investigation

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Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean says there’s no doubt that the Bush administration has misled the American public about the threat that Iraq posed to this country before the recent war. Dean says a special independent commission is needed to determine if the president deliberately manipulated intelligence information to boost public support for the war.
VPR News

Illegal ATV use discussed at public hearing

By |
Battle lines were drawn Wednesday in the debate over all terrain vehicles in Vermont. A group met in Montpelier to air opinions about how to regulate ATV use. While there was agreement that unlawful ATV riding is a significant problem, the solutions weren’t as clear.
VPR News

Power authority examines dam purchase

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The company that owns a series of power dams on the Connecticut River has filed for bankruptcy. A new state power authority is examining whether it makes sense for Vermont to buy the dams. The authority’s chairman says he wants the state to be represented in bankruptcy court.
VPR News

Supreme Court nomination search reopened

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The state’s Judicial Nominating Board has voted to reopen its search to fill a vacancy on the Vermont Supreme Court. The Board had sent a list of six candidates to Governor Jim Douglas for his consideration. But Douglas requested a new list because he felt that the Board had screened out a number of qualified candidates.
VPR News

Colleges plan big construction projects

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Vermont colleges are on what amounts to a summer-long building spree. Champlain College, the University of Vermont, Saint Michael’s College, Middlebury College and Lyndon State are all constructing new residential buildings this summer.
VPR News

NPR news story: Dean’s Vermont record

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In the national campaign, presidential hopeful Howard Dean is widely perceived as one of the most left-leaning of the nine Democratic contenders. But as John Dillon reported for NPR news, that’s not how everyone in Vermont remembers him.
VPR News

Fresh Air kids immerse in Vermont farm life

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Roughly 500 inner city kids come to Vermont each summer as part of the Fresh Air Fund. The children live for two weeks with volunteer host families. Tuesday, a group of Fresh Air Fund kids visiting central Vermont got a taste of farm life.
Commentary Series

Vitamin D sources

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With our short summers, are we in the North getting enough sunshine Vitamin D? Commentator Ruth Page suggests some ways to make sure you get enough of that essential vitamin.
VPR News

Medicare projected to stay solvent through 2006

By |
Vermont lawmakers on Tuesday got some good news on the state’s health care budget. A fiscal analyst says the state trust fund that covers the Medicaid program will be solvent through fiscal year 2006. A year ago, experts had predicted the program would be in the red. But then the federal government stepped in to help.
VPR News

Dean to expand campaign field offices

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Former Vermont governor Howard Dean’s campaign for president has gained momentum from recent fundraising success. Campaign Manager Joe Trippi says the Dean campaign may establish a more formal presence in Western states.
VPR News

Public safety fund discussed at Vermont Yankee meeting

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Public Safety officials traveled to Brattleboro Monday for a budget work session with towns in Vermont Yankee’s emergency evacuation zone. The purpose was to discuss how to spend $800,000 in radiological emergency planning funds included in the state’s 2004 budget.
VPR News

Grafton cheesemakers win national award

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The Grafton Village Cheese Company has earned an award from a prestigious cheese competition for the twelfth year in a row. The National Association of Specialty Food Trades hosts the annual competition to judge about 5,000 cheeses in 29 categories.
VPR News

Vermont starts up Amber Alert program

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State officials have launched a program to help law enforcement agencies deal with child abduction cases. The so called “Amber Alert” system will notify members of the public through radio and TV announcements of any details surrounding an abduction. A series of roadside electronic signs will also be placed on some of Vermont’s interstate highways.
VPR News

Dean’s online success

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Howard Dean’s presidential campaign has become an Internet cash machine. Dean raised $7.5 million in the last three months. About $3 million was collected online in the last week of June. The fundraising success stems from a number of factors, including a loyal core of young supporters, and the campaign’s skillful use of technology.
Commentary Series

Grace Coolidge: at home in Plymouth

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Grace Coolidge was a Burlington native who became First Lady when her husband Calvin Coolidge, a native of Plymouth, became the 30th President of the United States. Today, we hear about the love both Grace and her husband felt for their home state.
VPR News

Doctor won’t be prosecuted for patient’s death

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Attorney General William Sorrell says his office will not bring criminal charges against a Northeast Kingdom physician who was sanctioned by the Vermont Medical Practices Board on Wednesday afternoon for administering a life ending drug to an elderly patient who was terminally ill. Sorrell says the doctor made a bad decision that was well intentioned and the Attorney General says it would have been very difficult to win this case in court.
VPR News

Interview: Powerball in Vermont

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Steve Delaney talks with the director of the Vermont lottery, Alan Yandow, about the Powerball lottery game. After a lengthy debate, the state Legislature agreed to let Vermont join the multi-state lottery game. Tickets went on sale Tuesday.
Commentary Series

Grace Coolidge: youngest son’s death

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A collection of Grace Coolidge’s private letters has just been given by the family to the Coolidge Foundation in Plymouth. This year they are being made available to scholars and the general public for the first time. Grace Coolidge was a prolific letter writer and commentator Cyndy Bittinger says that her correspondence offers a wealth of detail about life in Vermont and beyond at the turn of the last century.
VPR News

Vermont in better fiscal shape than most states

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The state of Vermont has just closed the books on the 2003 fiscal year. Administration Secretary Michael Smith says there’s a good chance the state will meet its revenue projections for the year. It’s a sharp contrast to the fiscal health of many other states.
VPR News

Welch criticizes dismissal of Steinhurst

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The president pro tem of the Vermont Senate has sharply criticized Public Service Commissioner David O’Brien for dismissing his department’s longtime planning chief.
VPR News

CLF offers compromise on Circ Highway plans

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Critics of a highway planned for Chittenden County have offered a compromise. They say they’ll drop their opposition to part of the project that will lead to the IBM plant in Essex Junction. In exchange, the environmentalists want the Douglas administration to scrap the rest of the project and agree to measures that will slow the growth of suburban sprawl.
VPR News

Dean fundraises at rapid pace as reporting quarter ends

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The presidential campaign of former Governor Howard Dean passed a key milestone on Monday with the close of fundraising for the second quarter of the year. Dean hopes to raise about $7 million for the first six months of the year. Almost $3 million came in the last eight days.
Commentary Series

Grace Coolidge’s legacy in letters

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First Lady Grace Coolidge was a prolific letter writer. The director of the Calvin Coolidge Memorial Foundation, Cyndy Bittinger, says Coolidge’s correspondence offers a wealth of detail about life in Vermont and beyond at the turn of the last century. During a weeklong series on Morning Edition, Bittenger reads from Grace Coolidge’s letters.
VPR News

Powerball tickets go on sale in Vermont

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At 10:00 Tuesday morning Vermonters will be able to purchase Powerball tickets in this state for the first time. The Legislature this session passed a bill that allows Vermont to become the 26th state in the country to be part of the Powerball game.
VPR News

Circus Smirkus begins summer tour

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Every summer, a Vermont youth circus travels through New England, giving performances filled with juggling, tumbling, and tight wire acts. It’s called “Circus Smirkus” and the troupe put on its first show Sunday in Greensboro, kicking off a seven-week tour.
VPR News

Douglas asks for new slate of judicial nominees

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Governor Jim Douglas wants a new list of candidates to fill a vacancy on the Vermont Supreme Court. The governor asked the Judicial Nominating Board on Friday to reopen the application process. He’s concerned that the board gave him a list of nominees that was too limited.
Commentary Series

Alice Neel: Women drawn

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The artist Alice Neel’s drawings of women are being featured in a show in Burlington this summer. Commentator Lois Eby has some thoughts about Neel’s work and her contribution to contemporary images of women.
VPR News

Leahy cosponsors bill to restore media ownership rules

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Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy supports legislation that would restore federal regulations to control media ownership. Leahy has co-sponsored a bill that would roll back changes made recently by the Federal Communications Commissions. Leahy says the FCC action would limit the diversity of media voices around the country.
VPR News

Health officials warn of West Nile virus

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Vermont health officials are renewing their warnings about mosquito-borne West Nile virus. The virus can cause a range of reactions ranging from nothing to fatal brain swelling. It was first discovered in the United States in 1999.
VPR News

Vermont officials urge HIV-AIDS testing

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Vermont health officials are gearing up for National HIV and AIDS testing day on Friday. Officials say while the total number of AIDS cases in Vermont remains steady, the incidence of the disease among intravenous drug users continues to increase.
VPR News

Douglas dissatisfied with Supreme Court nominees

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Governor Jim Douglas says he may ask the state’s Judicial Nominating Board to provide him with another list of candidates to fill the current vacancy on the Vermont Supreme Court. Douglas says the board rejected a number of very qualified candidates for the vacancy and he thinks the board has inappropriately limited his options in this case.
Commentary Series

Grass fed beef

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Summer has arrived, and the cows are grazing on the green grass that Vermont’s climate and soils produce in such quantities. Commentator Ron Krupp says that some farmers are taking advantage of this abundance.
VPR News

Douglas opens discussion on teacher contract votes

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Governor Jim Douglas says he wants the Legislature to consider a plan to have all teacher contracts put before local voters for their approval. The governor says the proposal might be a good way to help contain education costs, but the state’s largest teacher’s union thinks it’s a terrible idea.
VPR News

IBM water permit draws fire from environmental groups

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The state Agency of Natural Resources holds a hearing Wednesday on a water pollution permit for IBM’s manufacturing plant in Essex. Several environmental groups say that the permit is too lenient, and that it allows the computer company to dump tons of waste into the Winooski River. IBM says its wastewater meets all state and federal standards.
VPR News

Clarendon residents present cancer cluster information

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A group of Clarendon residents discussed their concerns about a possible health risk in their community with local lawmakers. Clarendon FIRST stands for families Interested in Researching Sickness Together. The group formed earlier this year to look into what it believes is an unusually high incidence of cancer among townspeople.
VPR News

Old friends and new rally for Dean

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On Monday, old friends and new political supporters gathered on Church Street for Howard Dean’s campaign kick off. The crowd of several thousand included people who worked with Dean in his early days as a community activist in Burlington.
VPR News

Dean outlines campaign themes in announcement speech

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Former Vermont governor Howard Dean officially kicked off his presidential campaign on familiar turf on Monday. Dean told several thousand people gathered at the Church Street Marketplace that he’s running to help restore traditional values to the country.
VPR News

Youth turn out to support Dean

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Some of those drawn to Howard Dean’s presidential campaign are young people who learned about the former governor through the Internet. On Monday in Burlington, they were out in force to cheer on their candidate.
VPR News

Court to hear case on snowmobile access

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A dispute over snowmobile trails in the Calvin Coolidge National Forest is headed to federal court. Vermont Snowmobile Tours of West Bridgewater is claiming it was unfairly denied access to trails in the forest by the other groups.
VPR News

Record for staying under water unbroken

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A 23-year-old Dartmouth College graduate says he’ll try again to break the record for the most time spent under water. John Craven spent just over 24 hours this weekend beneath the surface of Lake Fairlee in Fairlee as he challenged the 72-hour world record.
Commentary Series

21st century hunting camp

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Commentator Willem Lange has been going to the same deer hunting camp for almost fifty years, and is intrigued by some of the recent changes.
VPR News

Sergeant Johnson memorialized in Bradford

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Services were held on Friday in Bradford for a Vermont State trooper who was killed in the line of duty last Sunday. Police say trooper Michael Johnson was killed when a car driven by 23-year-old Eric Daley of Lebanon, New Hampshire struck him on Interstate 91 in Norwich. Authorities said Daley was fleeing another police stop.
VPR News

Dean’s son cited as accessory to burglary

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Burlington police are confirming that former Governor Howard Dean’s son has been ordered to appear in court to face a charge of accessory to burglary. Police apprehended Paul Dean and four other Burlington teenagers early Monday. Police say they were burglarizing the Burlington Country Club and trying to steal liquor.
VPR News

Northeast Cooperatives moves to New Hampshire

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Dozens of former Northeast Cooperatives employees are preparing to move across the Connecticut River to take up their jobs in Chesterfield, New Hampshire. The move follows last year’s merger of United Natural Foods, based in Dayville, Connecticut, and Northeast Cooperatives of Brattleboro.
VPR News

Teenage extras wanted for Montpelier movie shoot

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A Boston-based movie company wants teenage extras for a murder mystery it’s filming in Vermont’s capital city. Coppermine Films has chosen Montpelier for “Right of the Meridian,” a film scheduled to be released in December through Paramount Picture Classics.
VPR News

Administration challenges Water Board ruling

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The Douglas administration wants the Water Resources Board to overturn its recent ruling on stormwater pollution. Two weeks ago, the board threw out several state permits for watershed improvement plans in Chittenden County. The board said the plans didn’t go far enough to clean up the water. The state has now asked the board to reconsider.
VPR News

Douglas says lawmakers should reconsider death penalty

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Governor Jim Douglas says he’d like the next session of the Legislature to debate the merits of bringing the death penalty back to Vermont for specific crimes. Douglas doesn’t oppose the death penalty, and thinks it may be an appropriate form of punishment for people convicted of killing police officers.
VPR News

Environmental Board to recommend Act 250 changes

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The board that hears appeals of the state’s development control law is taking up permit reform. The Environmental Board will suggest ways to change the way Act 250 is administered, including who can participate in the proceedings and to what extent.
VPR News

Expo presents history of Vermont’s copper mines

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An old railhead on the Connecticut River in Fairlee still bears the name of Ely, but the nearby mining town with the same name is long gone. Its history isn’t, though, and the days of the copper industry will come to life again at the annual History Expo this weekend.
VPR News

Act 60 reform signed into law

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Governor Jim Douglas on Wednesday signed the new Act 60 reform bill into law. The governor says the proposal is the first step in the effort to help reduce property taxes across the state.
VPR News

Vermont receives $715,000 in new tobacco settlement

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The Attorney General’s office announced Wednesday a settlement with several tobacco companies that will bring $715,000 to Vermont. The total settlement of $160 million is being shared among the 46 states that participated in the suit.
VPR News

Winooski passes town budget

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The city of Winooski has a budget for next year. Voters on Tuesday approved a $2.8 million budget. It was the third try since Town Meeting Day in March.
VPR News

Fishing derby boosts Lake Champlain economy

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About 5,000 anglers are expected to compete this weekend in the Lake Champlain International Fishing Derby. A study by the University of Vermont business school showed that the Derby injects about three million dollars into the area’s economy.
Commentary Series

National parks in peril

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Are you planning to take your children to visit some of our national parks this year or next? Commentator Ruth Page suggests you’d best hurry – they are headed downhill for lack of funding.
VPR News

Vermont Yankee retrofit might require plant shutdown

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Vermont’s nuclear engineer says the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant will experience a lengthy and expensive shutdown if it’s retrofitted to produce more power. The engineer testified on Tuesday as regulators review Yankee’s proposal to boost the power output by 20%.
VPR News

Equinox Hotel to repay $60,000 to preservation trust

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According to the Vermont Attorney General’s office, the owners of the Equinox Hotel in Manchester have agreed to refund over $60,000 to the Equinox Preservation Trust, a local environmental group. The attorney general said that the money was improperly transferred from the trust to the hotel in 1999, when the hotel was sold.
VPR News

Eric Daley captured in Pennsylvania

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The man accused of running into and killing a Vermont state trooper is now in custody. Police say Eric Daley was arrested Tuesday in northeastern Pennsylvania.
Commentary Series

Place and identity

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Commentator Allen Gilbert looks at the connections between place and identity — and wonders what sort of influence a state’s history may have on its political leaders.
VPR News

State trooper Michael Johnson killed

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Authorities say the man wanted in connection with the death of a Vermont State Trooper is still at large as of Monday evening. Police say 23-three-year old Eric Daley was driving the car that struck Sergeant Michael Johnson on Interstate 91 in Norwich on Sunday.
VPR News

Federal law may lead to statewide voter checklist

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A state plan to implement a new federal election reform law was adopted by Vermont officials on Monday. Secretary of State Deb Markowitz says Vermont will receive an additional four million dollars from the federal government as soon as the proposal is certified by a new Elections Board in Washington D.C.
VPR News

More veterans eligible to sue for Agent Orange illness

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A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling is good news for Vermont’s Vietnam veterans. The ruling allows veterans who became ill since 1994 as a result of Agent Orange exposure to sue the companies that manufactured the chemical.
VPR News

Stone wall revival

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Dry stone walling is the art of building out of stone – without mortar or cement. It’s a skill New England’s early settlers knew well. The region is crisscrossed with old dry stone walls crumbling from neglect, but interest in the craft is reviving.
VPR News

Dean makes house calls in New Hampshire

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Former governor Howard Dean has unveiled a new theme for his campaign to win the Democratic presidential nomination. Dean, the only physician in the race, is making “house calls” to health care centers to promote his plan to provide universal access to health care.
VPR News

Landfill contaminating Lyndon groundwater

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A closed landfill in Lyndon is emitting a plume of toxic groundwater contamination. Vermont Agency of Natural Resources officials are planning to change the groundwater classification near the Parker Landfill to keep people from drilling wells.
VPR News

Lawmakers want treated wood out of play sets

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Some lawmakers are asking lumber dealers to stop promoting children’s play sets made with arsenic-treated wood. Some lumber is treated with arsenic to make it resistant to insects and rot. But studies have shown that arsenic, which is toxic, can leach out of the wood.
Commentary Series

Father’s Day

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Commentator Willem Lange reflects on a trip back to his home town for Father’s Day, and the difficulties of an evolving relationship.
Commentary Series

Graduation Day

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Like many towns across the state, Thetford has had a hard time passing a school budget this year, but Commentator Joe Deffner says that for a couple of hours today all the debates will be set aside.
VPR News

Clarendon residents research possible cancer cluster

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A group of Clarendon residents wants to discover whether there’s a health risk in their community. The group calls itself Clarendon FIRST – for Families Interested in Researching Sickness Together. The group says there’s an unusually high incidence of cancer among townspeople.
Commentary Series

Walter Freed and Peter Welch: Dean’s prospects

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When the Legislature adjourned, VPR invited Vermont House Speaker Walter Freed and Senate President Pro Tem Peter Welch for a conversation in the Talk Studio. In the conclusion to this four-part series, they discuss the presidential prospects of former governor, Howard Dean.
VPR News

New concerns about uranium in Marshfield water

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There’s new environmental concerns about the uranium found in the Marshfield water supply. State officials are now worried the radioactive material has accumulated in the town’s sewage treatment plant. That could pose problems when the town disposes of the sewage sludge from the plant.
VPR News

Union supporters petition Brattleboro Reformer

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About a dozen supporters of a union drive at the Brattleboro Reformer went to the newspaper’s offices on Thursday, to present a petition signed by 750 people. The group wants the newspaper to reinstate reporter Eesha Williams.
VPR News

Lyndon water safe after vandalism

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Authorities in Lyndon say preliminary tests have shown no contamination in the town’s water supply, following vandalism at a reservoir early this morning. State police say the lock on the reservoir’s cover was pried off.
VPR News

Canadian marijuana bill worries some Vermonters

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Some people in northern Vermont are concerned about a Canadian proposal to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana. Under the measure, minors found with a half-ounce or less would face civil penalties rather than criminal ones.
Commentary Series

Tent caterpillars

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Early this spring commentator Edith Hunter noticed quite a few small white “tents” in her apple and wild cherry trees, so she decided to learn more about the life of the tent caterpillar.
Commentary Series

Walter Freed and Peter Welch: the next session

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When the Legislature adjourned, VPR invited Vermont House Speaker Walter Freed and Senate President Pro Tem Peter Welch to sit down in the Talk Studio and review the session. In part three of this series, they discuss the top priorities for next year’s legislative session.
VPR News

Congressional delegation calls for WMD investigation

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Senator Patrick Leahy is calling for a formal investigation to determine if the Bush administration manipulated intelligence information about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Senator James Jeffords and Congressman Bernie Sanders also believe this issue needs to be resolved.
VPR News

Douglas undecided on Supreme Court nominee

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Governor Jim Douglas says it may be several months before he makes a nomination to fill a vacancy on the Vermont Supreme Court. The vacancy occurred when Justice James Morse stepped down from the court in January to become the commissioner of Social and Rehabilitation Services.
VPR News

UVM names new basketball coach

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There’s a new head coach for the women’s basketball team at the University of Vermont. New coach Sharon Dawley has spent the past 10 years as an assistant coach at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire.
VPR News

Mount Anthony Union cited for fire code violations

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A high school in southern Vermont has been cited for 50 fire code violations. The state Labor and Industry Department Board says the findings at Mount Anthony Union High School could curtail use of classrooms, the gymnasium and the auditorium until problems are corrected.
VPR News

Money, support dwindle for Pride Celebration

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When the 21st annual Gay Pride Celebration takes place this Saturday, it will happen with fewer volunteers, fewer events and less money than in past years. Organizers say the event needs more support if it’s going to continue.
Commentary Series

Walter Freed and Peter Welch: permit reform

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When the legislature adjourned VPR invited Vermont House Speaker Walter Freed and Senate President Pro Tem Peter Welch to sit down in the Talk Studio and review the ups and downs of the session. Among the topics they discussed was the Legislature’s efforts to reform the permit process.
VPR News

Federal study says Circ Highway won’t create jobs

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Business and political leaders have argued for years that the 16-mile-long Circumferential Highway is essential to Chittenden County’s economic growth. But a new federal study that looks at the environmental and economic impact of the new road says the project won’t create more jobs. The study has provided new ammunition for opponents of the Circ.
VPR News

Youth voter registration

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Vermont Secretary of State Deb Markowitz is asking high schools to help students with another rite of passage during graduation: registering to vote.
VPR News

No Child Left Behind: financing the law

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President Bush says his “No Child Left Behind” policy will ensure all children receive an education – no matter what their background or needs. As part of the new law, each state sets its own standards and devises tests to assess how well children are meeting those standards. Federal law requires states to identify failing schools, largely on the basis of those test scores. The president promised historic increases in education spending to help states meet the new policy.
Commentary Series

Walter Freed and Peter Welch: education funding

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As the Vermont Legislature adjourned, VPR invited House Speaker Walter Freed and Senate President Pro Tem Peter Welch to sit down in the Talk Studio and review the session. Speaker Freed begins the conversation by grading how the Legislature dealt with school funding reform:
VPR News

Sanders’ bill would undo FCC rules change

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Congressman Bernie Sanders says he’ll introduce legislation in Washington on Tuesday that rescinds last week’s FCC decision. The decision allows one company to own a TV station and a newspaper in the same market. Sanders says the decision needs to be overturned because it’s bad for democracy.
VPR News

Bush official promotes anti-drug plan in Vermont

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White House Deputy Drug Czar Andrea Barthwell was in East Dorset on Monday to promote the president’s new anti-drug initiative. The program would create a voucher system to provide a wider choice of treatment programs, including faith-based programs.
VPR News

Clavelle attends U.S. Mayors Conference

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Burlington Mayor Peter Clavelle is in Denver this week for the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Clavelle, who runs Vermont’s largest city, says mayors are worried about the fiscal policies of the Bush administration.
VPR News

Nurses begin radio campaign for union contract

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A radio campaign starts Monday for the nurses’ union at Fletcher Allen Hospital. The advertisements discuss the nurses’ efforts to reach a contract agreement with the hospital. The nurses also have filed notice they could form an informational picket next week.
VPR News

Judge rules on Waitsfield murder suspect’s comments

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A jury at the upcoming murder trial of a Vermont man will be able to hear about statements he made to police. Nineteen-year-old Isaac Turnbaugh has pleaded innocent to a first-degree murder charge in the Waitsfield shooting of his former co-worker, Declan Lyons.
VPR News

No child left behind: making it work in a rural state

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Eighteen months ago, President Bush signed into law a sweeping educational reform plan called the “No Child Left Behind Act.” The president says he created the law to improve accountability for federal education dollars, give parents more choice, and ensure no child falls between the cracks.
VPR News

USDA redraws plant hardiness map

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For more than forty years, gardeners have used the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone map as a guide to tell them which plants can grow in Vermont. Now the map is being revised and some Vermonters could end up in a different zone.
VPR News

Governor’s veto calls Legislature back to Montpelier

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Governor Jim Douglas’s veto of a juvenile justice bill automatically triggers a “veto session” of the Legislature in about two weeks. Legislative leaders are hoping to limit how many lawmakers will actually have to come back to the Statehouse to consider the veto.
VPR News

Negotiations continue on nurses’ contract

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Contract negotiations are continuing today between the nurses’ union and Fletcher Allen Health Care. Fletcher Allen says the two sides have tentatively agreed on 12 of the union’s non-financial proposals.
VPR News

TSA to cut fewer airport screening jobs

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The federal Transportation Security Administration has decided not to cut as many security screening jobs at the Burlington International Airport as it had planned to. The agency will cut 23 of the 97 jobs. Last month the TSA announced plans to cut 35 screening positions.
VPR News

Clean up scheduled for Pownal tannery

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The cleanup of an old polluted tannery in Pownal is scheduled to start as early as next month. The Environmental Protection Agency has hired a company to oversee the work.
VPR News

Plane crash survivor in fair condition

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A Westford man whose plane crashed near the Magic Mountain ski area is listed in fair condition Friday. Forty-five-year-old James Smith of Westford is being treated for a broken leg at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire.
VPR News

Aspiring young writers learn the playwright’s craft

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For the past nine years, the Vermont Stage Company has given middle and high school students the opportunity to become playwrights. The annual Vermont Young Playwrights Project has worked with over 2,000 students. Each year, the project concludes with the performance of several plays created by these young writers.
VPR News

Vermont: No Child Left Behind?

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VPR reports on the "No Child Left Behind" education law and its impact on Vermont in two-part feature. (Monday, June 9 and Tuesday June 10.)
VPR News

Douglas says permit reform may stimulate job growth

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Governor Jim Douglas says it’s critical that lawmakers reach a consensus on permit reform this summer. Douglas says he’s encouraging a House-Senate conference committee to find a compromise in the coming months because he’s very concerned that the issue will become bogged down in partisan politics if it spills into next year’s session.
VPR News

Dean to make formal campaign announcement in Burlington

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Governor Howard Dean will formally announce his presidential candidacy in Burlington later this month. Deputy Campaign Manager Bob Rogan says even though Dean has been actively seeking the Democratic nomination for a number of months, the governor felt it was important to present Vermonters with a clear vision of his candidacy.
VPR News

‘Meet Up’ events draw Dean supporters

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In an effort to boost his run for president, former Vermont Governor Howard Dean has made extensive use of the Internet. Dean has raised over a million dollars online and, using a relatively new web site, he’s also raised his profile. More than 30,000 people signed up online to take part in Dean campaign events across the nation Wednesday night.
VPR News

New law addresses restitution paid to crime victims

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Governor Jim Douglas signed a bill into law Wednesday that makes significant changes in the state’s victim restitution program. Lawmakers acted on the bill after a report by the State Auditor’s office revealed that only 12% of all restitution awarded by the courts actually gets paid to victims.
VPR News

Douglas signs substance abuse law

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Governor Jim Douglas on Wednesday signed into law a bill to combat substance abuse in Vermont. The law provides nearly eight million dollars for drug treatment and prevention.
VPR News

Ben & Jerry’s to market organic ice cream

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Ben and Jerry’s Homemade is going to roll out a line of organic ice cream. The South Burlington-based ice cream company is going to start test-marketing four flavors in San Francisco and Boston next month.
VPR News

Past treasures fill Historical Society’s archive

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The Vermont Historical Society moved into its newly renovated home at the old Spaulding Graded School in Barre last summer, but much of the building is still a work in progress. Meeting rooms and display areas are still being refurbished. However, one important phase of the move has been completed and it’s something most members of the public may never see.
Commentary Series

Right to try

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These past few weeks have been exciting for women in sports, and commentator Cheryl Hanna shares some thoughts about what all the hype might mean.
VPR News

Congressional delegation criticize FCC rules change

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When the Federal Communications Commission loosened media ownership rules on Monday, Vermont’s congressional delegation was quick to condemn the action. The new guidelines would allow a company to own more than one television station in a single market. They would also permit a single company to own television and newspaper outlets in a market.
Commentary Series

Rock on, mini-nukes

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The Bush administration is exploring the idea of smaller nuclear weapons. Commentator Philip Baruth believes fervently in this approach. His only fear is that they won’t make these new bombs small enough
VPR News

Police, family search for homicide suspect

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The daughters of a man police are searching for Monday are pleading with their father to turn himself in. Hank Butson is suspected of fatally shooting Melvin McFarland and Karen Holderby in Danville on Sunday.
VPR News

Magazine labeles Vermont ‘hostile’ to wealth

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A financial magazine says Vermont is a state that’s hostile to wealth. The monthly Bloomberg Wealth Manager ranked the states based on how much families can keep of what they earn and what they own.
VPR News

Discover Jazz spotlights middle school musicians

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The 20th annual Burlington Discover Jazz Festival kicks off Friday. In the seven days of events there will be a range of jazz sounds, from the legendary Sonny Rollins to local performers. There will also be room for some budding young jazz musicians.
VPR News

Legislature adjourns, leaves permit reform for summer

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After five months in Montpelier, the 2003 Legislature adjourned last night. Lawmakers were unable to reach a compromise on permit reform, but Governor Jim Douglas is urging them to continue to work on this issue over the summer. If the House and Senate can agree on a plan, Douglas says he’ll call a special session to consider the issue.
Commentary Series

Mount Everest

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Today marks the 50th anniversary of the first successful climb to the top of Mount Everest, and commentator Mary McKhann says that it is still one of the toughest challenges on earth.
VPR News

Dean’s campaign settles into expanded offices

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For the third time in a year, Howard Dean’s presidential campaign has outgrown its offices. This week, Dean’s staff moved to larger quarters in South Burlington. The move shows a campaign operation that is now among the biggest of the Democratic field.
VPR News

Sanders wants tax cut provision corrected

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Congressman Bernie Sanders says he wants Congress to restore tax credits for low income working families – credits that were stripped at the last minute from the new federal tax cut law.
VPR News

Budget bill stalled at political impasse

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A political spat has bogged down budget negotiators in the Legislature. The House and Senate failed to agree Wednesday on the budget bill, and House Speaker Walter Freed told representatives not to come to work on Thursday. The impasse means the 2003 Legislature won’t adjourn until late this week.
VPR News

Deer ticks and Lyme disease appearing in Vermont

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Lyme disease is a potentially debilitating illness, transmitted to humans mainly by the deer tick. The vast majority of infections occur to our south, from Massachusetts to Pennsylvania. But now researchers have found more deer ticks in Vermont, and they’re concerned about the disease spreading northward.
VPR News

Douglas mulls over candidates for Supreme Court

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Governor Jim Douglas says he’s interviewed all of the candidates presented to him to fill a vacancy on the Vermont Supreme Court. But Douglas says he’s not certain that he’ll pick a candidate from the Judicial Nominating Board’s list.
VPR News

Clergy mandated to report child abuse

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Governor Jim Douglas has signed a bill into law that adds members of the clergy to the state’s list of mandatory reporters of child abuse. The bill does exempt information gathered in a confessional.
VPR News

Federal tax cut impacts state revenues

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Congress has passed a $330 billion tax cut, and state officials want to make sure Vermont doesn’t collect less in taxes as a result. Vermonters pay taxes based on a portion of their federal taxable income, so changes on the federal level have a ripple effect on the state.
VPR News

No adjournment for Vermont Legislature

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The Legislature was unable to adjourn for the year on Friday afternoon. Lawmakers found it impossible to resolve disagreements over permit reform, the minimum wage and the future of hydro dams on the Connecticut River.
VPR News

Endangered lake sturgeon spawn in local rivers

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The denizens of Lake Champlain are spawning in at least two Vermont rivers. Biologists with the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife say female endangered lake sturgeon have laid eggs in the Winooski and Lamoille rivers this spring.
VPR News

House underwhelmed by Senate permit reform plan

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Vermont Senate negotiators have tried to break a deadlock on permit reform with a proposal to consolidate certain environmental appeals. The Senate offer met with a lukewarm reception from business groups and House members. They have argued that more sweeping changes are needed.
VPR News

Internet fundraising profitable for Dean

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Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean has raised one million dollars over the Internet. The Democratic presidential hopeful has collected those contributions through his web site and through e-mail, at little cost to his campaign.
Commentary Series

Unexplored earth

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Having been reminded this spring of the challenges involved in exploring space, commentator Ted Levin finds himself once again contemplating the challenges we still face here at home.
VPR News

Federal tax cut could leave hole in state budget

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Governor Jim Douglas says federal tax cuts could cost Vermont at least $10 million a year. The governor says the Legislature needs to adjust Vermont’s tax law to protect the state budget. And if an easy fix isn’t possible before the Legislature goes home, officials say lawmakers may have to return for a special session to make the change.
VPR News

Douglas insists Senate has time for permit reform

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Governor Jim Douglas has sharpened his criticism of the Democratically controlled Senate. The Senate has passed a bill that streamlines local planning and zoning laws. But Democratic Senate leaders say they need more time to consider a House bill that changes the statewide permit process.
VPR News

Military waivers limited in Endangered Species Act

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Vermont Senator James Jeffords has won a victory in his attempt to protect endangered species. The Senate on Wednesday passed a Jeffords amendment to limit Defense Department exemptions from the Endangered Species Act.
VPR News

U.S. closes border to Canadian cows

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The discovery of mad cow disease in Canada has prompted a shutdown of the northern border to all imports of cattle, sheep and other ruminants. Vermont officials were notified on Tuesday. They say the border will be closed for the animal imports until further notice.
VPR News

Act 60 reform remains a challenge

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Legislative leaders say they’re making solid progress resolving budget differences between the House and the Senate. But finding a compromise Act 60 plan is proving much more difficult.
VPR News

Health Department encourages home radon testing

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You can’t see it. You can’t smell it or taste it, but naturally occurring radon gas can cause serious long-term health problems. One in six homes in Vermont has high levels of radon, and the state Health Department would like more people to test for it.
Commentary Series

Nature’s surprises

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Think little things don’t matter? Ruth Page has gathered a few unlikely ones that make a difference in the natural environment, from the air around us to Nature’s flora and fauna.
VPR News

Hunger Mountain members overturn February votes

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Members of a food cooperative in Montpelier have resoundingly voted to reverse plans to expand the building. They also voted to tighten member control of the thriving Hunger Mountain Cooperative.
VPR News

Lilacs bloom at Shelburne Farms

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It’s lilac time in Vermont, and one man who is very much caught up in the season is Charlie Proutt. On Sunday, as he has for the past decade, he gave tours of the Shelburne Museum’s annual “Lilac and Gardening Sunday.”
VPR News

UVM honors Marion Pritchard

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When the University of Vermont holds commencement ceremonies this weekend, Marion Pritchard of Vershire will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws Degree. Pritchard is being honored for her courage more than a half century ago.
VPR News

Legislature passes resolution against FCC rules change

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The Vermont Legislature has weighed in on proposed changes in media ownership rules. The House and Senate passed a joint resolution asking the Federal Communications Commission not to relax restrictions on broadcasting and newspaper ownership.
VPR News

Nurses question timing of hospital’s financial plan

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The nurses’ union at Fletcher Allen Health Care is questioning the timing of adverse financial reports by hospital officials. During a press conference on Friday, union officials also said a new financial improvement plan at the hospital would have a negative effect on patient care.
Commentary Series

Spenser revisited

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Commentator Jules Older figures he’d be a lot more productive if it weren’t for a certain Boston detective.
VPR News

FAHC lays off 50 employees in cost cutting effort

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Vermont’s largest hospital will cut 50 jobs and trim physician salaries in order to reverse an eight million dollar operating loss. The sweeping cost-cuts at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington were announced on Thursday by interim President Edwin Colodny.
VPR News

Legislators’ pay raise draws criticism

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Governor Jim Douglas says he thinks it’s appropriate for lawmakers to tie their salaries to the cost of living. But the governor says a decision by the House to boost their pay by 24% goes too far.
VPR News

Dean expands Iowa campaign staff

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Presidential candidate Howard Dean is expanding his Iowa campaign staff. The former Vermont governor is adding key communications and organizational staffers.
VPR News

Interview: Elderly home health care

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Steve Delaney talks with Robert Flood, commissioner of the Department of Aging and Disabilities. Flood is spearheading an effort to waive federal rules to allow Medicaid to cover home health care costs.
VPR News

House passes pay increase bill

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The Vermont House, by a two to one margin, has given its approval to legislation that includes a pay raise for lawmakers beginning in 2005.
VPR News

House and Senate confer on new tax plans

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The future of an Act 60 Reform plan is now in the hands of a House Senate conference committee. While the two chambers agree on several key parts of the bill, there are some major differences that will need to be resolved.
VPR News

Fishing licenses may promote lake tourism

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Governor Jim Douglas had fishy things on his mind on Wednesday. He traveled to the shores of Lake Champlain to sign a bill that allows anglers to use a fishing license from their home states to fish both sides of the big lake. The governor says the reciprocal license law will boost the local tourist economy.
VPR News

Douglas reviews candidates for open Supreme Court seat

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Governor Jim Douglas says he’s looking over a list of candidates to fill a vacancy on the Vermont Supreme Court. The governor says he could name an appointee within a few weeks to fill the first open seat on the bench since 1997. The vacancy occurred when Justice James Morse stepped down to take a position in the Douglas administration.
VPR News

Dean unveils national health care plan

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Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean has unveiled his own plan to provide health care coverage to millions of uninsured Americans. Dean says the proposal’s $88 billion price tag will be financed by rescinding part of President Bush’s tax cut.
VPR News

House approve 24% pay raise for legislators

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By a two vote margin, the Vermont House has given its approval to a plan to boost legislative pay by 24% beginning in January 2005. The vote on the measure was 69 to 67. It’s been eight years since lawmakers have taken action to adjust their salaries.
VPR News

Dairy merger falters

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A plan to merge two of the countries largest dairy processors has been withdrawn. Massachusetts-based H.P. Hood announced Monday that it will not pursue a proposed merger with National Dairy Holdings. The combined company would have been the second largest dairy processor in the country.
VPR News

Dental care need in southwestern Vermont

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Southwestern Vermont Health Care may open a dental clinic in Bennington County. The health care organization says more than 55%of southwestern Vermont residents do not receive regular dental care.
VPR News

Health workers resist smallpox vaccine

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The Centers for Disease control says 35,000 health care workers have volunteered for smallpox vaccinations in a national effort to prepare for an outbreak of the disease. That’s far short of the 500,000 the government had hoped to inoculate.
VPR News

Williston revists zoning rules

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Williston’s planning officials are looking at a plan to ban single-story buildings. Williston’s zoning regulations are being updated for the first time in seven years.
VPR News

Rutland honors military families

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About 40 family members of troops serving overseas were honored on Saturday as part of a “Pride of Rutland County” event. The day featured a reception acknowledging the sacrifice that families are making in having loved ones overseas.
VPR News

National dairy agreement may reduce milk supply

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Representatives of 60,000 of the nation’s dairy producers meeting in Chicago are expected to approve a new program that will enable them to raise milk prices. It’s the first time farmers have banded together to increase prices, which have recently dropped to historic lows.
VPR News

Kopp sentenced for Slepian murder

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An anti-abortion activist sentenced Friday for the 1998 shooting death of a New York state doctor says abortion providers are “murderers” who use “weapons of mass destruction.”
VPR News

Capital bill includes money to study dam purchase

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The Vermont Senate on Thursday gave preliminary approval to legislation that allocates nearly $40 million in state and local construction projects. The bill includes $250,000 to study the feasibility of having the state buy eight hydroelectric dams in the Connecticut River Valley.
VPR News

FCC rules change may prompt local merger

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If the federal government eases rules on ownership there could be dramatic changes in the Vermont media market. The Federal Communications Commission will decide next month whether to lift the rule that now prevents a newspaper company from owning a local TV station. Experts say if the FCC changes the ownership rules, some Vermont media outlets could change hands.
VPR News

Vermont center provides trauma resources

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As American soldiers return from Iraq, the news is full of images of joyful reunions with loved ones. But in the coming weeks, some military personnel will suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. When that happens, it’s likely they’ll turn to a Vermont center for help.
VPR News

Stowe expansion plan open to public comment

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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is taking public comments this week on a $220 million expansion at the Stowe Mountain Resort. The ski area plans to build a 35-acre ski village and 18-hole golf course at the base of Spruce Peak.
VPR News

Licenses will contain new security features

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The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles says driver’s licenses will soon be harder to counterfeit. The DMV is adding new security features to licenses, including a digital watermark.
VPR News

GMC will replace burnt barn

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The Green Mountain Club will demolish its charred 1837 barn instead of restoring it. The Club’s landmark red barn in Waterbury Center burned down in January.
VPR News

Southerners size up Dean’s chances

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For Howard Dean, South Carolina is an important early primary in his quest for the presidency. But the former Vermont governor faces low name recognition and a crowded field of Democrats in the South. It’s also a big question how voters there will react to Vermont’s civil union law, which Dean signed.
VPR News

Interview: Genetically modified seeds

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Steve Delaney talks with Brian Tokar, who coordinates the Biotech Project at the Institute for Social Ecology. Tokar participated in Tuesday’s lobbying effort in support of labeling genetically modified seeds.
VPR News

Senate and House unlikely to agree on Act 250 this year

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It now appears very unlikely that the Legislature is going to pass a bill this year that makes significant reforms to Act 250. The Senate has given its approval to a bill that deals with local zoning permits while the House has passed legislation that makes key changes to the current Act 250 review process.
VPR News

CVPS receives Governor’s Award for excellence

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Governor Jim Douglas was in Killington on Tuesday to honor Central Vermont Public Service Corporation’s efforts to protect the environment. He presented CVPS with two Governor’s Awards for Excellence at the utility’s annual shareholder meeting.
VPR News

Senate will change revenue provisions in Act 60 bill

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The debate over a compromise Act 60 Reform bill shifts from the House to the Senate this week. Senate President Pro Tempore Peter Welch says he likes the basic framework of the House proposal, but Welch expects the Senate will make some significant changes to the plan.
VPR News

Funding for Yankee evacuation planning in question

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In both the House and Senate versions of the state budget, there’s a gap that worries some neighbors of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant. A $300,000 increase recommended by the Douglas administration for emergency planning has been left out. But some officials are hopeful that the increase can be restored in the conference committee in order to plan for a radiological disaster.
VPR News

Dean tested in first national debate

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The stakes were high this past weekend for former Vermont Governor Howard Dean. He went into the first presidential debate in Columbia, South Carolina as a candidate who’s untested on the national stage. The viewers who watched the late night face-off saw some sharp exchanges between Dean and Massachusetts Senator John Kerry. Political observers in South Carolina say no clear winner emerged from the debate and that Dean may have benefited from the controversy with Kerry.
Commentary Series

Cult of the creemee

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After an extraordinarily long winter, the signs of summer re finally undeniable. For commentator Philip Baruth, no sign is more unmistakable than the re-opening of the creemee stand.
VPR News

Senate and governor at odds over state budget

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The Vermont Senate and Governor Jim Douglas are on a collision course over next year’s budget. The Senate on Friday gave its strong approval to a budget plan that will require a small tax increase. But the governor says he’s absolutely opposed to this idea.
VPR News

High school girls’ rugby takes off in Vermont

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This weekend, the Essex High School girls rugby team heads to New Hampshire to defend their New England championship title. The sport is played at five high schools in Vermont, and it provides a new language for most fans, with words like “scrum,” “ruck,” and “maul.”
VPR News

Early bottle bill passed 50 years ago

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This spring marks the fiftieth anniversary of Vermont’s passage of the nation’s first returnable bottle bill. The law was short lived, but as VPR’s Steve Zind reports, the legislation in 1953 was the first step leading to the passage of Vermont’s landmark returnable container law.
Commentary Series

Vermont Arbor Day

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Commentator Ruth Page reminds us that trees sustain abundant, wholesome, life forms of both plants and animals; and that ancient trees are complex castles packed with life.
VPR News

House approves Act 60 compromise plan

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A compromise Act 60 school funding plan won approval on Thursday in the Vermont House. The bill shifts some of the burden of the statewide property tax to the sales tax. The House defeated an effort to substitute an income tax surcharge for the sales tax.
VPR News

State moves forward on public utility authorization

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A key Senate committee is moving ahead with a plan that would allow the state to buy power dams along the Connecticut River. The proposal also won support from State Treasurer Jeb Spaulding. He says it makes sense for Vermont to be ready to buy the dams if the price is right.
VPR News

Senate passes state budget

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The Vermont Senate has given its O-K to the state budget for next year. The budget proposal increases overall state spending by roughly 1.7%.
VPR News

Former client sues defunct law firm

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A Vermont man convicted of bank fraud is now taking his former lawyers to court. Roger Lussier alleges that the now-dissolved law firm of Bailey, Fishman and Leonard represented him ineffectively in 1993 bank fraud case.
VPR News

Rescued cats need homes

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A family living with 65 cats in a third-floor apartment in Woodstock must be out by Friday. But 10 cats still need homes or shelter before then.
VPR News

Act 60 bill debated on floor of the House

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Thursday in Montpelier, the compromise reform of Act 60 will be debated on the floor of the Vermont House. The plan shifts some of the burden of the property tax over to the sales tax. It’s that part of the bill that isn’t sitting well with some Republicans and Democrats.
VPR News

Forest recreation raises environmental concerns

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Environmentalists want the U.S. Forest Service to regulate snowmobile use on federal land in Vermont. They say that snowmobile traffic has increased in the Green Mountain National Forest. Yet they argue that the Forest Service has failed to examine the environmental impacts.
VPR News

Douglas may go to E-Board for Act 250 changes

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Governor Jim Douglas says he’ll ask the Vermont Environmental Board to make some key changes to Act 250 through the rule-making process if the Senate does not pass a comprehensive reform bill in the next few weeks.
VPR News

Drivers register cars online

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Department of Motor Vehicles, Commissioner Bonnie Rutledge says 2,000 people used the online registration process last month and it will now be available for all new registration renewals.
VPR News

Utilities oppose public power authority

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Vermont’s privately owned utilities have raised questions about a proposal for the state to purchase large hydroelectric dams on the Connecticut River. Legislation to set up a public power authority is pending in the state Senate. But the utilities are lobbying against it. They say lawmakers haven’t taken enough testimony on the issue.
VPR News

Sanders voices opposition to tax cut

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Vermont’s lone congressman has stepped up his efforts against President Bush’s proposed tax cuts. Representative Bernard Sanders says it’s morally wrong to give tax breaks to the wealthy, while cutting health care, children’s programs and veterans benefits.
VPR News

Suspect arrested in fatal hit and run

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A Vermont man is facing criminal charges after a hit-and-run accident that killed a bicyclist. Police say they have arrested 52-year-old Edward Streeter of Springfield.
VPR News

Steelworkers on strike at Rock of Ages

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A strike by steelworkers has shut down the Rock of Ages granite quarries and manufacturing plant in Barre Town. The 34 members of United Steelworkers of America Local Number 4 rejected the company’s contract offer on Saturday.
VPR News

Dubie seeks expanded trade with Canada

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New political administrations in Vermont and Quebec mean new opportunities for strengthened ties between the two. As VPR’s Neal Charnoff reports, Lieutenant Governor Brian Dubie wants to expand the relationship.
VPR News

Housing shortage worsens in Rutland

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Rutland housing officials say homelessness is on the rise in Rutland and they’re worried it’s going to get worse. They say this past winter’s record high fuel prices, low temperatures and home fires have created a difficult situation.
VPR News

Volunteers usher salamanders to safety

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A rite of spring has been gaining attention around Vermont. It’s the annual mating migration of spotted salamanders and other amphibians to the region’s vernal pools and ponds. It happens on a wet night in April and it’s all about love.
Commentary Series

Equal pay for equal work

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April 25 marked the first year anniversary of Vermont’s Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, and commentator Cheryl Hanna has some thoughts about the wage gap and some pending legislation to close it.
VPR News

Altered seeds more common than previously thought

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Agriculture officials were surprised to discover that almost half the seeds sold to Vermont farm supply dealers are genetically modified. The technology is controversial, and there’s legislation in the Statehouse that requires the labeling of gene-altered seeds. The bill has cleared the Senate, but it faces opposition from the Douglas administration.
VPR News

Legislature approves emergency farm bill

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Legislation establishing an emergency financing plan for some of the Vermont’s dairy farms has been signed into law by Governor Jim Douglas. Both the House and the Senate gave their final approval to the legislation Friday afternoon.
VPR News

Internal report blames regulators in FAHC debacle

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Regulators should have responded sooner to allegations that Vermont’s largest hospital misrepresented the true cost of a major expansion project. That’s one of the key conclusions in an internal report prepared for Governor Jim Douglas.
VPR News

Norwich cadet dies in alcohol-related incident

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Norwich University officials say the student who died after falling out his dorm window early this morning, had been drinking. Nineteen-year-old Brendan MacDonald was from Norwell, Massachusetts.
VPR News

Senate committee passes clergy reporting bill

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The Senate Health and Welfare committee has given its unanimous approval to legislation that adds members of the clergy to the list of mandatory reporters of child sexual abuse. The bill does exempt information gathered a confession from the reporting provisions of the law.
VPR News

Governor, lawmakers debate beer tax

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Democratic leaders in the Vermont Senate want to raise taxes on alcohol to expand the state’s substance abuse programs. But Governor Jim Douglas says major improvements can be made without raising taxes.
VPR News

Study says Vermonters drive more, carpool less

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Vermonters are moving further away from city centers and spending more time driving to work. At the same time, they’re shunning carpools, according to data compiled by the University of Vermont Center For Rural Studies.
Commentary Series

One day of work

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Commentator Nils Daulaire says that in May, many young Vermonters will spend a day working – quite literally – to improve schools around the world.
VPR News

Douglas says health risk should affect insurance rates

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Governor Jim Douglas says he’s looking at a plan to make some changes to Vermont’s community rating health care law. The law, which was passed by the Legislature in the 1990s, prevents health insurance companies from taking an individual’s health risk into consideration when determining policy rates.
VPR News

French TV crew documents U.S. war opinion

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French television crew visited Bennington recently as part of a five-week U.S. tour. Their assignment was to document the American response to the war in Iraq. Their findings will air next month in a half-hour-long program.
VPR News

Mediator retires after 28 years and many long nights

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Federal mediator Ira Lobel is a familiar figure in Vermont labor disputes. For 28 years, Lobel has helped employers and workers reach agreements and avert strikes. In the last several months alone, he’s helped forge new teachers’ contracts in South Burlington and Milton. Now Lobel is retiring.
VPR News

Arguments begin over Legislature’s adjournment

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It’s the time of year in Montpelier when the leaders in the state capitol flex their political muscle. Adjournment is nearing and House Democrats are opposed to a Republican plan to send most lawmakers home while key committees work on bills.
Commentary Series

Morning in America

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As you may know, former Vermont Governor Howard Dean is running for the presidency of the United States. More and more pundits have begun to explore the possibility that Dean might go all the way leading commentator Philip Baruth to do his own mental exploring.
VPR News

Dean targets student voters in NH campaign swing

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Former Governor Howard Dean says his campaign to win the Democratic presidential nomination hinges on the support of young voters. Dean is speaking on college campuses and expanding his Internet web site to attract voters between the ages of 18 and 35.
VPR News

Grammy Awards Foundation honors Harward Union

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The Grammy Awards Foundation announced another round of music awards last week. These Grammys went to high schools that offer excellent music education. Among the 50 national winners is Harwood Union High School in Duxbury.
VPR News

Goodrich lays off 35 workers

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The Goodrich Corporation in Vergennes will lay off 35 workers this week. President Harry Arnold says the job cuts are in response to an economic slowdown in the airline industry.
VPR News

Interview: Dean campaigns in New Hampshire

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Bob Kinzel reports from Concrod, New Hampshire where Howard Dean is trying to turn the focus his campaign from war to the economy. Dean is a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination.
VPR News

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VPR News

Advocates seek privacy in online court records

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An advisory committee appointed by the Vermont Supreme Court is trying to decide which court records should be made available online. The group is trying to balance personal privacy with accountability.
VPR News

Propane Companies

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The Attorney General’s office has cracked down on four propane companies that charged customers an extra fee with each delivery. The four companies will collectively pay about $284,000 as part of a settlement in the case.
VPR News

Permit Reform

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It’s increasingly likely that the Legislature will not overhaul the state’s development review laws this year. Senate leaders say time is running out to consider the complex issue in this legislative session. But Governor Jim Douglas says there’s plenty of time. And he warns that the public will hold the Senate accountable if it doesn’t act this year.
VPR News

Opposition to Beer Tax

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Vermont’s brewers and grocers are urging lawmakers not to include a sales tax on beer as part of a compromise Act 60 reform package. However the chairman of the House Ways and Means committee wants to keep the beer tax in the legislation.
VPR News

Senate unlikely to pass permit reform bill

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It’s increasingly likely that the Legislature will not overhaul the state’s development review laws this year. Senate leaders say time is running out to consider the complex issue in this legislative session. But Governor Jim Douglas says there’s plenty of time. And he warns that the public will hold the Senate accountable if it doesn’t act this year.
VPR News

Beer taxed criticized as part of Act 60 reform

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Vermont’s brewers and grocers are urging lawmakers not to include a sales tax on beer as part of a compromise Act 60 reform package. However the chairman of the House Ways and Means committee wants to keep the beer tax in the legislation.
VPR News

Attorney general fines gas companies for illegal fees

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The Attorney General’s office has cracked down on four propane companies that charged customers an extra fee with each delivery. The four companies will collectively pay about $284,000 as part of a settlement in the case.
VPR News

Marron says Act 60 reform bill will lower taxes

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According to the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, Stowe Representative Dick Marron, a new compromise Act 60 reform plan will lower the average property tax bill in Vermont by roughly 30%. The committee this week is working out the final details of its proposal.
VPR News

Forum opens discussion on FCC ownership rules

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A member of the Federal Communications Commission says changes in media ownership rules could have disastrous affects. Michael Copps was in Vermont Monday night to discuss the proposed changes. Copps took part in a public forum held by Saint Michael’s College and Vermont Congressman Bernie Sanders.
Commentary Series

Fighting the wrong war

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Commentator Ruth Page compares spending billions of dollars on war to spending billions on the environment – and explains why she considers a “war” to protect the natural environment the one that should be pursued.
VPR News

Commissioner asks FAHC to justify expansion costs

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State regulators want the Fletcher Allen hospital to explain in detail how it could cut costs on its $356 million expansion project. The state last month told Fletcher Allen that it may withdraw approval for the work unless the hospital can show that all the expenses are justified.
VPR News

Coalition urges tiered income tax

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A coalition of human service, environmental and labor groups is urging the Legislature to raise the state income tax instead of implementing cuts to a number of critical state programs.
VPR News

Corporal Mark Evnin mourned in Burlington

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Hundreds of mourners joined state officials and a military honor guard for a memorial service in Burlington Monday for Mark Evnin. Speaking at Ohavi Zedek Synagogue, Evnin’s friends and family told stories of a generous and fun loving young man.
VPR News

Legislators compromise on Act 60

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The House Ways and Means committee and the Douglas administration have reached an agreement on an Act 60 reform package. Senate Democratic leaders say they think the package may provide a solid framework for a final deal.
VPR News

House forces Senate’s hand in permit reform

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Republicans in the Vermont House staged a political power play on Friday to force the Senate to act on a permit reform bill. But some permit reform advocates worried that the maneuver could actually delay passage of a bill this year.
VPR News

O’Brien completes Vermont film trilogy

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Vermont filmmaker John O’Brien’s new movie, Nosey Parker is the last in a trilogy of films set in O’Brien’s home town of Tunbridge. Like his two previous films, Vermont is For Lovers and Man With a Plan, O’Brien sets out to capture a disappearing breed of Vermonter.
VPR News

Emergency assistance package may save dairy farms

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Governor Jim Douglas urged the Legislature on Thursday to quickly pass an emergency financial assistance package for dairy farmers. The administration is concerned that hundreds of farmers could be forced out of business by the end of the year if they don’t receive some assistance in the near future.
VPR News

House passes bill to simplify permit review and appeals

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The House has passed a bill that overhauls the way the state reviews environmental permits. The bill attempts to streamline permit review and consolidates appeals to an expanded Environmental Court. On Thursday, lawmakers defeated an amendment that would have established a three-member appeals board to handle environmental cases.
VPR News

Vermont Yankee hopes to increase electric output by 20%

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State utility regulators will soon review a plan to boost the power output from Vermont’s only nuclear power plant. The Entergy Corporation wants the reactor to produce 20% more electricity, but it needs permission from the state Public Service Board.
Commentary Series

Students protesters and the Guard

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The news story about alleged harassment in Montpelier of a Vermont National Guard member has generated national publicity. Commentator Allen Gilbert thinks that the high school students being accused in the incident aren’t being treated fairly.
VPR News

Lawmakers make progress on Act 60 puzzle

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House leaders are looking for an Act 60 reform compromise that does not include a provision raising the state income tax. That’s because Governor Jim Douglas has told the House that he won’t accept a plan that includes the income tax.
VPR News

News archive special: Vermont History Expo

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Vermont’s past came to life at the Tunbridge Fairgrounds in June 2001. The occasion was the second annual Vermont History Expo. VPR’s Steve Zind visited with the local historical societies, re-enactors, speakers and musicians.
VPR News

Douglas pushes Senate to pass permit reform bill

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The battle over permit reform has intensified at the Statehouse. Senate President Pro Tempore Peter Welch accused Governor Jim Douglas of playing politics with an Act 250 permit reform bill. Douglas denied the charge and urged the Senate to pass out a comprehensive bill this year.
VPR News

Senate passes bill to label GMO seeds

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The Vermont Senate has taken a step toward making this the first state to require labels for genetically engineered seeds. The Senate gave preliminary approval to the labeling bill on Tuesday, which backers say will help educate the public about the new technology.
VPR News

Journalist Mike Wallace speaks on clinical depression

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Veteran broadcast journalist Mike Wallace says when he first suffered from severe depression he was too ashamed to seek treatment. Wallace, the co-editor of the CBS newsmagazine “60 Minutes,” was in Vermont on Monday as part of a conference designed to reduce barriers to hiring people with disabilities.
VPR News

Wheels suspends service

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The Wheels Transportation Services is no longer carrying passengers. Wheels serves 23 towns in Central Vermont and is the main mode of public transportation between Montpelier and Barre.
VPR News

Ways Means Committee deliberates sale tax proposals

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The House Ways and Means Committee is taking a serious look at a plan to impose the state sales tax on all Internet purchases as part of a compromise Act 60 bill. Backers say the proposal could raise as much as $70 million a year, but they acknowledge there are some problems with this approach.
VPR News

Resort will pay into fund for affordable housing

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The Stowe Mountain Resort has agreed to pay about a quarter of a million dollars to help develop affordable housing in the Lamoille County region. Stowe promised to make the housing payment during a recent Act 250 hearing that examined the economic impact of the resort’s $220 million expansion.
VPR News

UVM inaugurates President Fogel

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Friday was marked by pomp and circumstance as the University of Vermont officially inaugurated Daniel Fogel as its 25th president.
VPR News

Bill would require utilities to use renewable energy

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Renewable energy got a boost in the Vermont Senate on Thursday when a bill promoting alternative sources of electricity was approved. The bill passed overwhelmingly, despite concerns raised by some senators that it could impose additional costs on businesses and consumers.
VPR News

Group criticizes education fundraising

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Some Norwich residents want Attorney General William Sorrel to revoke the charter of private, non-profit fundraising groups in a number of property wealthy communities. The group charges that the fundraising undermines the foundation of Act 60 and has caused taxes to be higher in all other Vermont towns.
VPR News

VPR’s local war coverage

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VPR’s local war coverage includes news stories, interviews and commentaries on Vermonters who are serving in the military, protesting the war and following events in the Middle East closely.
VPR News

Douglas continues push for permit reform

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Governor Jim Douglas went on the road again Wednesday as part of his campaign to overhaul the state’s environmental permit process. Douglas asked a business coalition for help in pressuring lawmakers to pass permit reform in this legislative session.
VPR News

Dean campaign exceeds fundraising expectations

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The presidential campaign of former Democratic governor Howard Dean got a big boost on Wednesday when his campaign announced their fundraising efforts for the first three months of the year have far exceeded projections.
VPR News

War may impact U.S.-Canadian relations

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Canada’s decision not to support the U.S. war with Iraq will most likely not have a long term impact on the relationship between the two countries. That’s the opinion of UVM Canadian Studies Professor Andre Senecal.
VPR News

Vermonters serve on USS Constellation

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Seven thousand miles away from home, a half dozen Vermonters serve on an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf. They’re stationed on the USS Constellation, a ship that plays a key role in the war with Iraq. The Constellation leads a battle group that’s under the command of Rear Admiral Barry Costello, who’s from Rutland.
VPR News

Marshfield water system tests positive for uranium

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The state has warned Marshfield residents not to drink water from the village system because it’s contaminated with trace levels of uranium. Officials say the uranium occurs naturally in some rock formations. But the levels in the Marshfield water system exceed state safety standards.
VPR News

Dean picks up New York endorsement

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Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean’s presidential candidacy has picked up the endorsement of the outspoken former chairwoman of New York’s Democratic Party.
VPR News

House debates budget bill

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Next year’s budget kept the Vermont House occupied all day Monday. An effort to boost spending for state aid to education was defeated by a vote of 79 to 64.
VPR News

Rainville visits high school

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The head of the Vermont National Guard spent much of this morning with students and parents at Twinfield Union High School, in Plainfield.
VPR News

Wind energy in Vermont

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Review VPR’s news stories, interiews and commentaries on the growing debate over wind farms on Vermont’s mountaintops.
VPR News

Getting into the wind

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With world oil prices at high levels, energy developers in Vermont are turning to a local power source: wind. Vermont is in the midst of a wind energy boom with a half dozen projects planned for mountain tops around the state. Experts predict that large-scale wind generators could eventually supply 20% of the state’s electricity needs. But the wind boom has also raised concerns about development in high elevation areas.
VPR News

Proposed wind projects in Vermont

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A half-dozen wind energy projects are contemplated for upper elevation ridgelines around the state. Follow link for complete list and project descriptions.
VPR News

Doyle announces survey results

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The initial results of Washington County Senator Bill Doyle’s Town Meeting Day survey are in. The survey is not a scientific poll, but it indicates that Vermonters have strong opinions about a beer tax, medical marijuana and former Governor Howard Dean’s presidential aspirations.
VPR News

Leahy concerned about longterm plan in Iraq

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Senator Patrick Leahy says a U.S. military victory in Iraq will not have much meaning unless America is willing to take an active role in the reconstruction of Iraq after the war.
VPR News

More Vermont families seek help at food banks

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According to a new report, demand for the services at Vermont’s food shelves and community kitchens has risen 40% in the last two years. The report was released by the state office of Economic Opportunity.
VPR News

Douglas wants troopers reinstated in budget

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Governor Jim Douglas says it’s absolutely critical for the Legislature to support his plan to add 10 new state troopers in next year’s budget. Douglas says a recent drug bust in central Vermont involving out of state dealers highlights the need to increase the size of the state police force.
VPR News

Douglas lauds wounded soldier

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Governor Jim Douglas interrupted his press conference at the Statehouse Thursday to take a call from a 19-year-old Marine from Dorset who was wounded in Iraq over the weekend.
VPR News

Douglas seeks public support for Act 250 reform plan

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Governor Jim Douglas says he hopes to galvanize public support to convince the Legislature to pass a comprehensive Act 250 permit reform bill this year. Douglas says his comments are aimed at senate Democratic leaders.
VPR News

Youth campaign targets smoking in movies

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You’ve watched movie previews and even car ads while waiting for a feature film to start. And soon, a movie theater near you may be showing trailers that target smoking in movies.
Commentary Series

The Left and Iraq

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Commentator Libby Sternberg says that for those whose anti-war sentiments may be colored by their distrust of President Bush, there are other perspectives worth considering.
VPR News

House committee will pass Act 60 reform bill

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Despite the strong opposition of Governor Jim Douglas, the House Ways and Means committee is about to give its approval to an Act 60 reform plan that shifts the burden for paying for education from the local property tax over to the income and sales taxes.
VPR News

Youth lobby for underage drinking prevention funds

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A group of roughly 50 high school students urged lawmakers on Tuesday to support their plans to reduce underage drinking in Vermont. The students are delegates to a four-day Youth Summit being held in Montpelier.
VPR News

Jessica the cow passes away

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The Shrewsbury cow that famously attracted the love of a wayward moose almost twenty years ago, has died. For two-and-a-half months in 1986, she was unmoved by the amorous overtures of a moose that wandered into her pasture and just couldn’t tear himself away.
VPR News

College applications increase

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Applications to Vermont’s state colleges are up sharply this year. The increases range from eight percent at Johnson State to 25% at Lyndon State and the Randolph campus of Vermont Technical College.
VPR News

Farmers and politicians give predictions on sugaring

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Mild temperatures brought visitors by the thousands to Vermont’s sugarhouses this weekend for the second annual statewide maple open house. In colder areas, the sap that makes the syrup was running well-to-moderately. But in many parts of the state, sugar makers are worried that the warm weather, coupled with a late start, could cut the season short.
VPR News

House committee approve renewable energy bill

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The House Commerce Committee recently approved a bill that promotes development of renewable energy. Mark Young from Orwell is the committee’s chairman. He says the bill would allow consumers to buy some of their power from renewable sources.
VPR News

War protesters demonstrate in Burlington

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War protesters gathered in cities across the world on Saturday, and they were in Burlington as well. Peace activists from across the state marched through downtown Burlington for more than two hours, intermittently stopping traffic at busy intersections.
VPR News

Protesters demonstrate across the state

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For weeks, war protesters in Vermont have been planning to take action as soon as the hostilities in Iraq began. Thursday, demonstrators took to the streets in a number of Vermont communities to speak out against the war.
VPR News

School choice suit filed against Vermont

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A Washington-based education organization announced Thursday that its filing a lawsuit against the state of Vermont. The suit claims the state is discriminating against families who want to use public tax dollars to send their children to religious schools.
VPR News

House committee passes drug trafficking bill

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The House Wednesday afternoon gave its preliminary approval to legislation that increases penalties for people convicted of selling drugs. However the bill does not include a key provision that Governor Jim Douglas was supporting.
VPR News

Vermont deploys 30 National Guard members

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Thirty additional members of the Vermont Army National Guard are shipping out. They’ll be deployed with troops somewhere in Southwest Asia, North Africa or the Middle East. Its not known if any of them will be serving in the Iraqi War effort.
VPR News

Dean claims the ‘Democratic wing’

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Former Governor Howard Dean is emerging as the leading anti war candidate in a crowded field of Democratic presidential hopefuls. Campaigning in New Hampshire this week, Dean said he still believes the 2004 election will be a referendum on the state of the national economy and may not be dominated by foreign issues like Iraq.
VPR News

ANR investigators may be given police powers

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The Legislature may grant police powers to investigators for the Agency of Natural Resources. The Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony on Tuesday from environmental enforcement officers about the dangers they face on the job.
VPR News

Vermont officials respond to federal Orange Alert

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Governor Jim Douglas says the state of Vermont is working with the federal Department of Homeland Security to beef up efforts to protect critical infrastructure throughout the state from a potential terrorist attack. Douglas says he has no reason to believe that any site in Vermont will be targeted but he says the state must be prepared for terrorist activities.
VPR News

High school students stage antiwar protests

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As war with Iraq seems increasingly inevitable, opponents of U.S. led attacks have become more visible and vocal. From Essex to Brattleboro, Vermonters who disagree with Bush administration policy have taken to the streets to make themselves heard.
VPR News

Douglas prepares Act 60 reform plan

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Governor Jim Douglas says it’s very likely that he’ll present the Legislature with a comprehensive plan to reform Act 60 in the near future.
VPR News

Catamounts leave for Utah

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The coaches, players and trainers of UVM’s men’s basketball team left for the national championship tournament early Tuesday morning from Burlington.
Commentary Series

High school hoops

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Commentator John Morton says that from UVM’s trip to Salt Lake for the NCAA tournament to your local high school gym, basketball in Vermont has been exciting this year.
VPR News

Interview: state college budgets

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Steve Delaney talks with Robert Clarke, chancellor of the Vermont State College system. He’s asking the Legislature to authorize the borrowing of $40 million to pay for upgrading the campuses.
VPR News

Dean rallies anti-war support in New Hampshire

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Governor Howard Dean says he feels President Bush is making a mistake by sending troops into war in Iraq without the support of the United Nations Security Council. Dean, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, made his comments at several campaign stops in New Hampshire Monday afternoon.
VPR News

Carol Channing revisits Bennington College

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Carol Channing returned to Vermont Monday, more than 60 years after she first arrived. Channing is best known for her leading roles in the hit Broadway productions of “Hello, Dolly” and “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
VPR News

Catamounts head to Utah for NCAA Championships

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The University of Vermont men’s basketball team leaves Tuesday for Salt Lake City to compete in the NCAA tournament. It’s the first time the Catamounts have made it to the national championships in the history of UVM men’s basketball.
Commentary Series

Gender bending insects

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Sex is of course central to evolution. Some organisms have discovered that there’s no need to depend on original Nature. Commentator Ruth Page reports that they just alter others’ sex to suit themselves.
VPR News

Montpelier seeks new policy on police photographs

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This is a season of demonstrations, and nowhere in Vermont are they more plentiful than in Montpelier. Marches and protests are all in a day’s work for Montpelier’s police department. But the department has created a stir over the practice of taking photographs at demonstrations.
VPR News

VPR goes backstage with O’Carolan’s Farewell to Music

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Chances are that sometime on this St. Patrick’s Day, you’ll hear the music of Turlough O’Carolan, an 18th century Celtic harpist and composer. As part of the Burlington Irish Festival, Vermont Stage company is presenting “O’Carolan’s Farewell to Music,” a play which examines the life and music of this traveling troubadour
VPR News

Leahy speaks out against war, in support of troops

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Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy continues to speak out against a possible war with Iraq, while at the same time he calls for more support for the nation’s citizen-soldiers. On Friday, Leahy announced legislation that would help the families of men and women in the National Guard and the military reserves.
VPR News

Ben and Jerry’s festival won’t be at Sugarbush

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Ben and Jerry’s One World-One Heart festival, its annual party to celebrate music and social causes, won’t be held at Sugarbush resort this summer. The ice cream company posted a statement on its web site saying that the Warren ski resort isn’t large enough to host the company’s twenty-fifth anniversary celebration.
VPR News

Attorney general clears police in Rochester shooting

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The Attorney General’s office has cleared two Vermont state police officers in the shooting death of a Rochester man last October. State police went to Maurice Lizotte’s home to check on his condition after his family reported he suffered from mental health issues and may have injured himself.
VPR News

12th Women’s Film Festival opens in Brattleboro

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For the past 12 years, the Brattleboro Women’s Film Festival has been bringing independent films by and about women to the Brattleboro Area. This year’s festival started last weekend and will continue through March 23. The films are being shown in two Brattleboro theaters and the New Falls Cinema in Bellows Falls.
VPR News

Former ambassador warns of Iranian nuclear program

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A former Iranian United Nations ambassador says the United States will soon be forced to deal with Iran’s nuclear weapons program. Mansour Farhang says despite denials by the Iranian government, he’s certain the country is developing a nuclear bomb.
VPR News

Lawmakers debate four-year terms

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Supporters of a proposed constitutional amendment extending the governor’s term to four years say the future of their amendment may be tied directly to a plan to create four-year terms for lawmakers.
VPR News

LaRoche confirmed commissioner of Fish and Wildlife

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The Vermont Senate has given its approval to the most controversial of Governor Jim Douglas’ appointments. By a vote of 21 to 8, the full Senate supported the nomination of Wayne LaRoche to be the state’s new fish and wildlife commissioner.
VPR News

Douglas names Paul Jarris health commissioner

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Vermont’s longest serving commissioner has been replaced. Governor Jim Douglas has appointed Doctor Paul Jarris of Shelburne as Health Commissioner to succeed Doctor Jan Carney. Carney had served in the post since 1989.
VPR News

State receives homeland security grant

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Governor Jim Douglas says the state of Vermont will receive nearly $5 million in federal Homeland Security grant money to help provide additional training and equipment for local and state emergency response teams.
VPR News

Husky announces Milton expansion

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Husky Injection Molding Systems in Milton announced on Wednesday that it plans to expand its plant and add up to 100 new jobs. Husky officials plan to add onto the existing facility, and have already begun hiring for 50 new positions.
VPR News

Suspect arrested in Barre murder

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The father of the ex-boyfriend of Tara Stratton has pleaded innocent to aggravated murder. Alfred Brochu, 50 years old, was arrested Wednesday and appeared in court that afternoon in Barre to answer charges in the stabbing death.
Commentary Series

Women in combat

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As the U.S. mobilizes for war with Iraq, commentator Bill Seamans says that more women than ever are preparing to take part in ground combat operations.
VPR News

House rejects Senate Act 60 reform bill

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The House has rejected a Senate plan to include a school funding reform proposal in this year’s supplemental budget bill. Many House Republicans made it very clear they strongly oppose the approach taken by the Senate.
VPR News

State weighs benefits, costs of renewable energy

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Vermont lawmakers are considering a bill that would promote development of renewable energy. Advocates say the legislation would bring cleaner and more stable sources to Vermont’s energy mix. Others are concerned about the cost of renewable energy.
VPR News

Black Hawk helicopter crashes at Fort Drum

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Pentagon officials say an Army Black Hawk helicopter crashed in upstate New York Tuesday. Officials say nine people were aboard; at least three of them have been transported to an area hospital for treatment.
VPR News

State revenue report reveals economic concerns

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Administration Secretary Michael Smith says he’s concerned that a possible war with Iraq is having a negative effect on state revenues. Smith says a continued weakness in the state’s personal income receipts is a worrisome sign for the future.
VPR News

Lawmakers return from recess

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Governor Jim Douglas is calling on lawmakers to pass an Act 250 reform bill, a comprehensive jobs package, and a short-term plan to reduce property taxes in the next few months.
VPR News

Firefighters return from shuttle debris search

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Firefighters from the U.S. Forest Service in Vermont and New Hampshire are home after two weeks of searching for debris from the Space Shuttle Columbia. The 20-person crew spent two weeks near Lufkin, Texas, searching for debris from the space shuttle, which broke up over the region last month.
VPR News

Leahy says war may provoke terrorist attacks

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Senator Patrick Leahy says he’s concerned that the United States will be subjected to a brutal wave of terrorist attacks if this country takes military action against Iraq without the support the United Nations Security Council.
VPR News

Conference highlights shortage of nurses

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Health care workers will converge on Montpelier Saturday for a conference on labor issues and the state’s growing nursing shortage. The meeting at the Statehouse is sponsored by health care unions and the Vermont Worker’s Center.
VPR News

Vermont Constitution resists change

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More than 6,000 amendments have been added to the constitutions of the 50 states in the past 200 years. Vermont’s contribution to that number is a meager 53. Vermont has the shortest and least amended state constitution in the country.
VPR News

Hopeful outlook for Act 250 reform

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Members of the state’s environmental and business communities are expressing optimism that the Legislature will pass a meaningful Act 250 permit reform bill this year.
Commentary Series

Construction economy

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Legend has it that spring is just a fortnight away. But commentator Timothy McQuiston says, if winter decides to continue into April, it could affect the one industry Vermont can’t afford to have suffer.
VPR News

Governor proposes $6.75 minimum wage

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Governor Jim Douglas says he’ll urge the Legislature to increase the state minimum wage when lawmakers return to Montpelier next week. But some business groups say they’ll actively fight the plan.
VPR News

Douglas defends administration pay raises

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Governor Jim Douglas is defending his decision to boost the pay of many key members of his administration. In some cases, Douglas has raised the salaries of some cabinet members 20% higher than those paid to members of the Dean administration who served in the same position.
VPR News

Leahy’s web site wins award

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According to the “Congress Online Project,” Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy has one of the best web sites on Capitol Hill.
VPR News

Jeffords says Bush is ‘blinded’ by war priorities

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Senator Jim Jeffords said Wednesday afternoon that President Bush is ignoring the most important domestic issues facing this country because the administration is fixated on a war with Iraq. Jeffords urged the president to stop the war effort before it’s too late.
VPR News

Douglas signs first bill into law

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Governor Jim Douglas has signed his first major piece of legislation into law. The bill expands the authority of the state archivist in determining which public records should be saved for generations to come.
VPR News

Douglas urges Act 60 reform

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Governor Jim Douglas says the large number of school budgets rejected on Town Meeting Day demonstrates the public’s growing frustration with Act 60. Douglas says he’ll urge lawmakers to include a strong cost containment provision in any Act 60 reform plan that is considered by the Legislature.
VPR News

Towns vote against genetically modified foods

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Voters in 36 towns have gone on record against genetically modified foods. This year’s town meeting votes means 69 towns over the last three years have opposed genetic engineering of food and crops.
VPR News

Voters reject some school budgets, Act 60

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Town meeting voters were frustrated over rising tax rates and turned down more than 30 school budgets on Tuesday. Voters in some towns responded to calls to reject budgets in order to send a message to Montpelier about the Act 60 school funding law.
VPR News

Newsrooms work through the night

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Long after voters have cast their ballots and the meeting halls are closed up for the night, newsrooms across the state stay busy, gathering results from Town Meeting Day.
Commentary Series

Women’s history month

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March is National Women’s History Month, and commentator Cheryl Hanna reflects upon just how far women have come – and where they might be going.
VPR News

Valley towns pass resolution to withhold education tax

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School budget issues loomed large over many town meetings on Tuesday. In the resort towns of the Mad River Valley, voters expressed their dislike of the Act 60 school funding law. They supported resolutions that urged town officials not to pay a portion of the state education tax.
VPR News

Montpelier votes on contentious school budget

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In Montpelier, officials are expecting a close vote on their school budget. The school board is proposing a level-funded budget for next year, but it will require a nearly 10% increase in the city’s local tax rate to finance the budget.
VPR News

Island towns vote on high school supervisory union

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In the five towns on the Lake Champlain Islands, voters are deciding this town meeting day whether to form a school supervisory union. The vote is a first step toward building a high school to serve the towns of Alburg, Isle la Motte, North Hero, Grand Isle and South Hero.
VPR News

BBC interviews Rumsfeld

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VPR broadcast an exclusive BBC interview with U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. Hear it online.
VPR News

Voters use school budget to protest Act 60

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Dozens of school budgets are before voters Tuesday. And in many cases, the voters face sizeable tax increases, even though school officials have held the line on spending. The tax hikes have prompted calls to change the Act 60 school funding law. Act 60 opponents have asked voters in some towns to protest the law by withholding a portion of their school taxes.
VPR News

Rutland deliberates $300,000 in non-profit requests

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As Vermonters look over their ballots on town meeting day, they may see a variety of items in addition to budgets and local elections. On many ballots will be requests for money from groups like the Visiting Nurses, ambulance services, libraries and senior organizations.
VPR News

Norton clerk retires after 53 years of service

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When voters of the tiny town of Norton choose a new town clerk this year, it will be an unusual event. For the last 53 years, that position has been held by Miriam Nelson, who’s stepping down this year at the age of 81. As it turns out, the clerk’s job has been in Miriam Nelson’s family since the town was established.
VPR News

Montpelier library asks for funding increase

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Library trustees in Montpelier hope local voters are generous on Tuesday’s town meeting. Trustees of the Kellogg-Hubbard library have asked residents of Montpelier and surrounding towns for more support for the 100-year old library.
VPR News

Gilman mill to reopen

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The new owner of a paper mill in Gilman says he will probably hire about 100 workers soon.
VPR News

School van accident injures girl

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Vermont State Police in Middlebury say a crash in the town of Salisbury has critically injured an unidentified 12-year-old. The accident between a school bus van and a Chevy Blazer occurred on Route 7 at about 7:00 a.m.
VPR News

Annual Doyle survey polls Town Meetings voters

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Besides tax rates and local budgets, town meeting voters this week will also consider a host of statewide issues. Voters will make their opinions known in a questionnaire put together by Washington Republican Senator Bill Doyle. Doyle says the questionnaire has proved to be an accurate bellwether for Vermont politics.
VPR News

Resorts, police look to curb out of bounds skiing

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When extreme skiers and snowboarders push their sport outside of designated trails, they sometimes clash with search and rescue organizations. After several high profile searches this winter, Vermont officials and ski industry organizations hope to make those who act recklessly accountable for their actions.
VPR News

Bennington votes on mayoral system

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On Tuesday, Bennington voters will consider changing the way their city is governed. A non-binding question on the town meeting ballot asks voters if they would support a switch from a town manager system to a form of government headed by a mayor.
VPR News

Committee confirms Laroche, 4-2 vote

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A key Senate committee has approved Governor Jim Douglas’ choice for fish and wildlife commissioner. But the Senate Natural Resources Committee was divided over the nomination of Wayne LaRoche. Some senators questioned LaRoche over his recent strong criticism of environmentalists and their role in Vermont’s Champion land deal.
VPR News

Senators call for release of fuel reserves

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Vermont’s U.S. Senators called on the president today to release fuel from the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve. The fuel reserve is intended for use in case there’s a severe disruption in the fuel supply.
Commentary Series

Total Information Awareness

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Commentator Nick Boke has been thinking a lot lately about the new anti-terrorist domestic surveillance initiatives, and he’s decided to profile himself.
VPR News

Common Level of Appraisal scrutinized

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School budgets are expected to face close scrutiny this year as voters head to town meetings. In many instances, modest budget increases are triggering dramatic jumps in school property taxes.
VPR News

Douglas predicts tough meeting day for school budgets

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At next week’s town meeting, dozens of school budgets come before voters. And Governor Jim Douglas says he worried that voter frustration over rising property tax rates could lead to budget defeats. He says pressure on local taxpayers makes the task of reforming the state’s education finance system even more important.
VPR News

Dean gains in NH poll

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Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean has gained on Massachusetts Senator John Kerry in a new poll among likely voters in the New Hampshire Democratic primary.
VPR News

Instant runoff voting bill stalled in committee

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Supporters of instant runoff voting say that the Legislature has refused to debate the issue. So the election reform advocates went to the Statehouse on Wednesday and asked a Senate committee to advance the bill for a vote. But some lawmakers say they can’t take quick action, because they believe a constitutional amendment is required for Vermont to adopt an instant runoff system.
VPR News

Turtles show disinterest in Missisqoi Bay platforms

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A team of experts is trying to entice some rare turtles to sun themselves on platforms in Lake Champlain. Concerns about their well-being have delayed plans to replace the Missisquoi Bay bridge for two years.
VPR News

Interview: Islam in the U.S.

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VPR’s Steve Delaney talks with UVM professor Gregory Gause about Islamist movements in the United States. Gause is speaking on the topic Wednesday night in Woodstock.
VPR News

New permit reform plan introduced

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House Democrats have come up with their own plan to improve Vermont’s environmental permit process. Permit reform is a hot issue in the Statehouse, with proposals advanced by both Governor Jim Douglas and by business groups.
VPR News

Euthanasia bill introduced in Legislature

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Opponents of the so called “death with dignity” bill say they will mount an aggressive campaign to defeat the legislation this session. They’re concerned that the proposal will be abused by a patient’s family, their doctor or their insurance company, but proponents of the legislation say these concerns are being greatly overstated
Commentary Series

Still protesting

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After the recent anti-war rallies, commentator Allen Gilbert wonders if the way our leaders look at world politics has changed since the days of the Vietnam era protests
Commentary Series

Calmative misnomer

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Can researchers find a non-lethal drug that could be released into the air of a room or building, and that might knock out hostages and their captors long enough to save the hostages, who would soon recover? Ruth Page reports that some scientists think it will be possible.
VPR News

Senate passes Act 60 reform bill

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The Vermont Senate has given preliminary approval to changes in the Act 60 education funding law. The Senate plan would simplify Act 60 and would send more money to towns to pay for schools. The vote on Tuesday sets up a conflict with the House, which has passed a much different plan to provide property tax relief.
VPR News

McNulty steps down as education commissioner

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Vermont’s education commissioner announced his resignation Tuesday after just over a year on the job. Ray McNulty says he received an offer that he couldn’t pass up. So he’s leaving to work on education issues for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle.
VPR News

Dog mushers race in Mad River Valley

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When people think of sled dogs, they typically think of Alaska. But in Vermont, there are close to 100 dog mushers. Beginning in December, many of them will load up their custom-fitted dog trucks and make the rounds to nearly 30 races from Pennsylvania to Maine. More than 200 mushers and fans braved ice, sleet and rain last weekend in Waitsfield for what turned out to be an abbreviated running of Vermont’s largest race – the New England Regional Championship.
VPR News

New England governors’ conference

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Governors from the six New England states Tuesday elected Vermont Governor Jim Douglas as vice chairman of the New England Governors’ Conference.
VPR News

Sorrell, Douglas disagree on tobacco fund use

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Attorney General William Sorrell says the Douglas administration has shortchanged anti-smoking programs in next year’s budget. The attorney general says it doesn’t make sense to cut the programs just as they’re beginning to work
VPR News

Army recruiters focus on college students

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With war on the horizon, Uncle Sam is looking for a few good men and women – especially those with technical training or a college degree. The military has targeted college students in its recruitment drives. But recruiters say it’s not related to the military build-up for a possible war against Iraq.
VPR News

Rutland mentoring program highlights fitness

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How can communities help their kids succeed? One of the best ways, according to experts, is to make sure young people have at least one trusted adult they can turn to. Because mentoring works, and because the costs are relatively low, communities across the state are looking at ways to expand.
VPR News

Vermont Supreme Court upholds privacy ruling

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The Vermont Supreme Court has ruled that a police officer can’t ask a driver to get out of a vehicle unless there’s reason to believe a crime has been committed. The decision is seen as a victory by civil liberties advocates.
VPR News

Environmental Conservation Dept to cut jobs

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The Douglas administration plans to cut six positions in the Department of Environmental Conservation in next year’s budget. Jeffrey Wennberg, the new Environmental Conservation commissioner, told lawmakers that the department’s budget is not sustainable in the years ahead.
VPR News

Manchester poetry reading

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More than 500 people gathered last weekend in Manchester for an event billed as a poetry protest against a war with Iraq. Eleven poets read their own work, as well as poems by Walt Whitman, Emily Dickenson, Langsten Hughes and others.
VPR News

Douglas says heroin addicts need in state treatment

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Governor Jim Douglas wants heroin addicts to receive treatment in Vermont and not be sent out of state. Douglas Thursday announced that the state will seek bids for a new, 80-bed drug treatment center. He says the center is a key element of his program to fight drug addiction.
VPR News

Nurses attend bioterrorism conference

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State officials say preparations for a possible bioterrorism attack are going smoothly, but there’s much to be done before the plan is fully in place. Concerns about a terrorist attack were heightened recently when the government put the nation on the second highest level of alert.
VPR News

Reiner endorsement increases Dean’s fundraising power

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Howard Dean’s bid to win the Democratic presidential nomination got a big boost on Thursday when film director Rob Reiner announced his strong support for Dean. Reiner is very active in Democratic politics and the endorsement is expected to open a lot of new fundraising opportunities for Dean.
VPR News

Police say skier rescues divert time, money

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The Vermont State Police say their rescue efforts to find lost skiers are having an impact on their overtime budget and their ability to deal with other important matters. In the last two days, search teams have been called in three times to help locate skiers who left the marked boundaries of the Killington ski area.
VPR News

Peter Max brings color to the Grammy Awards

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It could be argued that the world’s most famous living artist is Peter Max. Max’s colorful images have appeared on everything from pillowcases to a Continental Boeing 777. This year Max is also the official artist of the Grammy Awards. On Thursday, Max will be in Manchester to open a new show and talk about the influence of popular music on his work.
VPR News

Perspectives on War: patriotism and Congress

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All three members of Vermont’s Congressional Delegation say it’s essential for the Bush administration to win the support of the United Nations Security Council before taking military action against Iraq. But Vermont’s congressman and two senators say they’ll support the troops if the president decides to go to war without U.N. support.
VPR News

Towns cited for waste water violations

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State environmental officials recently fined the town of Shelburne because its sewage plant released too much chlorine and other pollutants into Lake Champlain. The case is not an isolated incident. Other waste water plants in Vermont have violated state and federal pollution standards.
Commentary Series

Snow sports champions

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New England ski resorts are celebrating President’s Day with great snow conditions this year. Commentator Mary McKhann says that New England skiers are also celebrating at the World Championships.
VPR News

Perspectives on War

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What are people thinking, and doing, in our region as they prepare for possible war with Iraq? Stories include: a poetry protest in Manchester, an interview with a Vermont reservist, a look at Vermonters’ attitudes, positions of Vermont’s congressional delegation, thoughts from our Quebec neighbors, and protection of Vermont Yankee.
VPR News

Town celebrates opening of Island Pond Woodworkers

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Two hundred people joined a group of former Ethan Allen workers this weekend to celebrate the opening of an employee-owned furniture plant in Island Pond. The new business is a modest beginning in an effort to replace the jobs lost when Ethan Allen closed its doors 18 months ago.
VPR News

Douglas, Leahy to meet with IBM

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Governor Jim Douglas and Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy plan to visit IBM’s corporate headquarters Tuesday in Armonk, New York.
VPR News

Leahy says Bush is withholding information on nominee

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Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy is leading the Democrats’ fight against President Bush’s nominee to a key federal appeals court. Leahy is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. He says that the White House has refused to turn over documents on Miguel Estrada, the president’s choice for the U.S. Court of Appeals in the District of Columbia.
VPR News

FAHC board resigns; three members will remain

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Eight trustees of the state’s largest hospital say they’ll step down as soon as replacements are found. Board Chairwoman Louise McCarren said the trustees resigned for the good of the institution.
VPR News

Fletcher Allen trustees will step down

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VPR’s John Dillon reported live from Fletcher Allen hospital, where Thursday evening the chair of the hospital’s board announced that most of the trustees will step down.
VPR News

Housing program unites envirornmentalists, developers

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For years, developers have said that objections during the permit process stand in the way of addressing the state’s housing shortage. But now, environmental groups say they’ll endorse affordable housing projects, if the developments meet environmental standards and do not contribute to suburban sprawl.
VPR News

Legislators gather support for Powerball

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Backers of an effort to have Vermont join the national lottery game known as Powerball say they believe they have the votes at the Statehouse to pass their bill.
VPR News

Politics and permitting on the Clyde River

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The Douglas administration’s permit reform plan would give the state environmental agency more power in some permit decisions. But critics say that could make the process more political. The example they cite is the state’s recent review of a Clyde River water quality permit.
VPR News

VA clinic to receive $500,000

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Congressman Bernie Sanders has obtained a half million dollar appropriation to improve services at a Veterans’ Administration clinic in Chittenden County.
VPR News

Organic dairy industry predicts growth in Vermont

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Despite the hard times in the dairy industry, some farmers at a forum in Burlington Monday found reasons to be hopeful. Organic dairy farmers are paid almost twice as much as their conventional counterparts. And while converting to organic agriculture isn’t the answer for everyone, farmers say the market for organic milk is growing fast.
VPR News

Federal election reform may prevent voter fraud

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Secretary of State Deb Markowitz has convened a special committee to help the state implement a new federal election reform law. The legislation was signed into law by President Bush last November.
VPR News

Artists explore Iranian identity in Stowe exhibit

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The United States severed diplomatic ties with Iran in the late 1970s, in the wake of the hostage crisis. Since then, there have been exchanges between the two countries in areas like sports and science. Now, a touring exhibition of contemporary art from Iran has come to the U.S. The Helen Day Arts Center in Stowe is the only New England stop on the ten-city tour of the exhibit, called A Breeze from the Gardens of Persia.
VPR News

Sounds of Vermont: snowmobiles on the trail

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Snowmobiling has become a big industry in Vermont, but for many riders it’s a lot more than that. VPR’s Susan Keese took a backseat to learn through the eyes of one snowmobiler what it’s all about for our continuing exploration of the “Sounds of Vermont.”
VPR News

Mount Anthony Union damaged by fire

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Mount Anthony Union High School in Bennington is closed Monday while officials clean up damage from a fire. The computer laboratory in the Career Development Center adjacent to the high school was badly damaged by a fire on Friday.
Commentary Series

Fair taxes

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These days we’re all a bit uneasy about financial matters. Commentator Allen Gilbert thinks that in discussions about taxes, politicians are dodging the central issue of how to figure the fair share that each of us should pay.
Commentary Series

A good ‘Swift’ kick

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Commentator Philip Baruth finds the ever-present subject of Iraq disorienting in any number of ways. But maybe the strangest thing is the way that, when listening to Donald Rumsfeld or Paul Wolfowitz or Condoleeza Rice, Philip hears the voice of Jonathan Swift.
VPR News

Colodny asks formal permission for FAHC expansion

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The state’s largest hospital, Fletcher Allen Health Care, has formally asked state regulators to give their approval to the hospital’s controversial expansion plan. The Renaissance Project has more than doubled in cost since it was first approved, with a new filing that puts the final cost at $356 million.
VPR News

Environmental groups weigh in on proposed permit reform

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The Douglas administration has won mixed reviews on its proposal to reform the environmental permitting process. A key part of the plan would change the way environmental groups get involved in Act 250 cases. This part of the plan has won tentative support from one environmental organization, but others fear it would make the process more cumbersome for the public.
VPR News

Grace Paley named state poet

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Vermont’s next state poet is a writer and a political activist who has been an eloquent and strong voice for peace for many decades.
VPR News

Southwest Corner: rail and air services expand

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Officials in Bennington County say improving their transportation infrastructure will go a long way in helping to boost the area’s economy. While work on the bypass is ongoing, it may be years before it’s useable. Bennington may see more immediate results by upgrading it’s rail access and using what transportation assets they have more creatively.
VPR News

Committee supports medicinal marijuana bill

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The Senate Health and Welfare committee gave its unanimous approval Thursday afternoon to a medical marijuana bill. The proposal would allow people with chronic and debilitating illnesses to use marijuana for pain relief if their doctor concludes that it is the best option for the patient.
VPR News

Douglas outlines Act 250 reform plan

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Governor Jim Douglas has offered more details on his plan to overhaul the state’s environmental permit process. The governor says his proposal will make the process quicker and more predictable. But environmentalists worry that the public could be squeezed out of the state permit review.
VPR News

Utility warns of fraud

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Vermont’s largest power company has warned its customers to be aware of a potential consumer fraud. A spokesman for Central Vermont Public Service Corporation says a man who claimed to be a CVPS employee tried to deceive an elderly resident in Cornwall.
VPR News

Southwest Corner: Bennington bypass

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Officials in Bennington have been struggling for over 30 years to build a bypass around the city. The project is finally underway, but it’s still nearly a decade away from completion – if it gets completed.
VPR News

Permit reform plan upsets environmentalists

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A proposal from the Douglas administration to change the state’s environmental permit process has begun to circulate in Montpelier. A legislative draft of the Douglas plan has won support from business groups, but it’s criticized by environmentalists.
VPR News

Lawmakers send message to Bush: work with UN

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A group of 87 lawmakers have signed a letter to President Bush urging the president to seek U.N. approval before taking any military action against Iraq. The group says their letter is not an anti-war message, but rather reflects the need for this country to exhaust of all its non-military options before committing troops to Iraq.
VPR News

Pakistani immigrants await entrance to Canada

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Pakistani immigrants from the United States are crowding the Canadian border crossing north of Plattsburgh, New York. They’re concerned about an approaching deadline requiring many of them to register with the U.S. government.
VPR News

Sanders advocates for VA funding

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Congressman Bernie Sanders says a recent decision by the Bush administration to cut health care services to some veterans is an outrage. Sanders is working with other members of Congress to overturn the policy.
VPR News

Lawmakers consider changes to hospital oversight

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At least a half-dozen bills have been introduced in the Vermont Legislature to change the way hospitals govern themselves. Some of the bills also are hoping to change the way the state provides oversight to the hospitals.
VPR News

Advocates voice concern for gay students’ safety

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A group of advocates from several gay and lesbian organizations wants Governor Jim Douglas to help make Vermont schools safer for gay students. The group says many gay students are being harassed and in some cases there have been incidents of violence.
VPR News

Legislature to end Champlain Flyer

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The Douglas administration is shutting down the Champlain Flyer, the commuter rail project in Chittenden County. The train closes down at the end of February, and the decision is receiving mixed reaction at the Statehouse.
VPR News

Environmental group critical of Laroche

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Environmentalists are upset with Governor Jim Douglas’ choice for Fish and Wildlife Commissioner. This week, the governor named Wayne Laroche of Franklin to the high-profile post. Laroche has been critical of the state’s management of the former Champion timberlands in the Northeast Kingdom.
VPR News

Andy Warhol at the Fleming

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Over the next four months, visitors to the Fleming Museum at the University of Vermont will have a chance to see an extensive collection of work by Andy Warhol. Warhol gained attention in the ’60s and ’70s by blurring the line between commercial art and fine art.
VPR News

Leahy announces security funds for local services

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When the war on terrorism is fought at home, the country’s fire and police services are on the front lines. The effort is expensive – the National Governor’s Association estimates that states experienced a $7 billion increase in security costs last year.
VPR News

House bests Senate in milking contest

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One highlight of this week’s Farm Show was the annual milking contest between the House and Senate Agriculture Committees. In the lighthearted “political pull” competition, politicians face off to see how much milk they can coax from a cow within 30 seconds.
VPR News

Colombian worker warns of union violence

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Organizing a labor union can be a deadly venture in some parts of the world. That point was brought home to Vermonters this week as a union leader from Colombia visits the state. Hector Giraldo says American taxpayers are supporting a repressive regime in his country.
VPR News

Democrats criticize tax breaks in Douglas Act 60 plan

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Governor Jim Douglas is defending his plan to reduce the statewide property tax rate of Act 60. A number of Democratic lawmakers are critical of the proposal because they say it will primarily benefit wealthier Vermonters and the state’s business community. Douglas says his plan will reduce tax burdens for groups who are not protected under the income sensitive provisions of Act 60.
VPR News

Laroche named Fish and Wildlife commissioner

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An Enosburg Falls environmental consultant will become Vermont’s next commissioner of Fish and Wildlife. Governor Jim Douglas Thursday announced that he will appoint Wayne Laroche to head the department that oversees Vermont wildlife.
VPR News

Farmers talk business at the Barre farm show

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Every year, farmers from throughout the state make a mid-winter pilgrimage to Barre for the annual Vermont farm show. It’s a chance for farmers to look over new equipment, run into old friends, and check the pulse of the state’s farm economy. At this year’s 69th annual Farm Show, low milk prices have hurt other areas of the agriculture economy.
VPR News

Vermont submits federal education plan

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Vermont education officials are putting the finishing touches on a plan to implement key provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act. The plan has to be submitted to the federal government this week. State officials are more optimistic about the law than they were a year ago, but they still have serious concerns.
VPR News

Business owners testify to keep VOSHA

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A group of business leaders joined with several labor unions on Thursday to urge lawmakers to reject Governor Jim Douglas’ plan to eliminate the Vermont Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
VPR News

VPR series: Southwest Corner

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VPR is airing an impact series on issues facing southwestern Vermont, February 3-6. Special reports will examine transportation issues, recent job losses and socio-economic divisions between this region and the rest of the state.
VPR News

Advocates debate Instant Runoff Voting

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Supporters of the Instant Runoff Voting system say their plan will boost voter turnout in Vermont and remove the Legislature from the process of electing statewide officials.
Commentary Series

Traffic solutions

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Commentator Ruth Page has been observing all the energy that car makers put into new models; and says they should re-direct their efforts toward energy efficiency.
VPR News

Problem gambling enters into Powerball debate

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The head of the state’s committee on problem gambling sought more money from lawmakers on Tuesday. She wants funds for her program if the Legislature supports a plan to have Vermont join the national Powerball lottery game.
VPR News

Water board hears arguments on participation rules

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The fight over a new highway planned for Chittenden County has moved to the state Water Resources Board. Two environmental groups oppose the 16-mile Circumferential Highway and they’ve appealed state storm water permits for the project. The first legal skirmish was over whether the groups have the legal right to bring the appeal.
VPR News

Donath named to national museum board

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Vermonter David Donath will be joining the National Museum Services Board. Donath is the director of the Billings Farm and Museum in Woodstock and is president of The Woodstock Foundation.
VPR News

Cold weather should ease by weekend

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Vermont is coming out of one of the coldest periods the state has gone through in years. The lowest reported temperature in the state Monday night was in the Northeast Kingdom town of Sutton, at 35 degrees below zero.
Commentary Series

Greath thoughts: the Long Trail

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Great thoughts and philosophies from Vermonters have shaped our state and sometimes influenced the nation. Commentator Bob Northrup tells the story of how Vermont created – almost destroyed – the Long Trail.
VPR News

Burlington landmark changes ownership

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Burlington marked the end an era on Monday, when the historic Nectar’s Restaurant changed hands. Over the years, the eatery has been known as a political gathering place. It’s also been known for its fries and for Phish, the band that got its start there.
VPR News

Current use tax breaks spark debate

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Governor Jim Douglas wants to give farmers a break on their property taxes. But key lawmakers say they want to make sure the tax break doesn’t go to wealthy landowners that don’t need it.
VPR News

Senate prepares to confirm nominations

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Committees of the Vermont Senate are preparing to consider whether to confirm the key appointments of Governor James Douglas. Senate leader Peter Welch says he has instructed committees to move as quickly as possible on the nominations.
VPR News

Vallee says development would endanger wetlands

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A key Republican Party strategist is fighting a housing development proposed for the land next to his home, saying that among other things it would encroach on wetlands and wildlife corridors.
VPR News

Lawmakers debate Douglas tax cut plan

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House Democratic leaders say they’re disappointed with Governor Douglas’s plan to cut the statewide property tax rate for Act 60. The Democrats say most Vermonters will not be affected by the proposal and that the major benefits will go to second home owners, the business community and people with incomes above $80,000.
VPR News

New report recommends farm tax breaks

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Lawmakers are studying a detailed plan to revive Vermont agriculture. The plan was drafted over the summer and fall by a panel of farmers and farm experts. Their report recommends a tax break for farmers that already has the support of Governor Jim Douglas.
VPR News

VPR goes backstage with Lost Nation Theater

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Montpelier’s Lost Nation Theater opens its 26th season with two one-act plays celebrating the marriage of music and poetry. The first is a revival of the company’s signature piece, “Gunslinger” by Ed Dorn. The second is the world premier of Gary Moore’s “Beaver Falls”.
VPR News

Douglas says budget cuts needed to boost economy

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Governor Jim Douglas presented his first budget plan to lawmakers on Thursday. The proposal calls for a very small increase in overall state spending in the coming fiscal year, and many departments will experience cuts. Douglas says the measure is needed to help revitalize the Vermont economy.
VPR News

Legislators, Medicaid patients react to budget plan

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Key lawmakers say they’ll take a close look at how the governor’s proposed budget will affect low income people on state health care programs. Senior citizens are concerned that the planned cuts may make it harder for them to afford prescription drugs.
VPR News

Vermont nurses ask for delay in smallpox vaccinations

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The Vermont State Nurses Association has asked the state to delay its smallpox vaccination program for health care workers. The group says there are too many issues yet to be resolved. Two thousand doses of the smallpox vaccine arrived in Vermont this week. The health department says smallpox vaccination program is set to start shortly.
VPR News

December unemployment rate at 4.2%

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Vermont’s unemployment rate has slightly to 4.2% in December. That is slightly higher than November’s unemployment, but it’s still lower than it was a year ago.
VPR News

Dean criticizes Kerry, Gephardt

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Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean campaigned for the Democratic presidential nomination in New Hampshire Thursday. Dean criticized Senator John Kerry and Congressman Dick Gephardt over their positions on foreign policy.
VPR News

Rutland man indicted for $25,000 eBay fraud

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A Rutland man was indicted today on charges of eBay fraud. The U.S. Attorney’s office in Burlington said John Landau is alleged to have listed and sold fake “celebrity memorabilia” over the Internet.
VPR News

Governor Douglas’s budget address

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Governor Jim Douglas delivered his first budget address Thursday morning in the Vermont House of Representatives. Review the text of the speech and listen to the audio online.
VPR News

Smallpox vaccine arrives in Vermont

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Two-thousand doses of the smallpox vaccine have arrived in Vermont. The state is among the first to receive the vaccine. It’s intended for health care workers who volunteer to participate in a plan to defend the country against the threat of bioterrorism.
VPR News

House and Senate seek relief for farmers

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The Legislature has taken an early and intense interest in the crisis facing Vermont dairy farms. A resolution taken up by the House calls on the attorney general to investigate a planned merger between two large milk processors. And a bill introduced in the Senate would authorize teams of financial experts to help struggling farmers.
Commentary Series

Vermont manufacturing

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Commentator Tim McQuiston recently heard about a small manufacturer in Windham County who has realized that his company doesn’t have to be in Vermont; that it could, in fact, make more money by re-locating someplace where it’s cheaper to do business. And that’s the case for a lot of small manufacturers.
VPR News

Officials warn of Internet degree scams

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State education officials are warning Vermonters to beware of online degree scams. They say they’re receiving an increasing number of calls from people wondering about the legitimacy of college degrees offered over the Internet.
VPR News

House ready to vote on first bill of new session

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The Vermont House has given its preliminary approval to the first bill of the new session. The legislation increases penalties for people who attempt to elude a police officer while operating a car.
VPR News

Cold weather closes Jay Peak

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Most of the Jay Peak ski resort was closed Tuesday because of high winds. Winds of 30-60 miles-per-hour wind were forecasted at the summit. The National Weather Service forecasts wind chills of minus 35 degrees Tuesday night.
VPR News

Douglas pressured to review Champion land deal

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A coalition of hunters, camp-owners and loggers wants Governor Jim Douglas to repeal a November executive order that was signed by former Governor Howard Dean. But other conservation and sporting groups say Dean’s executive order finally settled the dispute over how the Champion timberlands should be managed.
VPR News

Extreme cold expected

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An arctic cold front will create bitterly cold wind chill readings Monday and Tuesday. The National Weather Service in Burlington says wind chill readings of 20 below zero or colder are expected in parts of the state.
VPR News

Francois Clemmons brings spirituals to Middlebury

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Each winter, the tenor Dr. Francois Clemmons teaches students at Middlebury College about the importance of traditional spirtuals. Dr. Clemmons has dedicated his life to preserving arrangements of the American Negro Spiritual for future generations.
VPR News

War protesters gather in Montpelier

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This past weekend, Vermonters raised their voices against a possible U.S. war against Iraq. In Montpelier, officials estimate that about 3,000 protesters braved very frigid temperatures for a rally at the Statehouse.
VPR News

Sears to pursue racetrack simulcasting proposal

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Key lawmakers who support the revitalization of the Green Mountain Race Track in Pownal say they’re disappointed to learn that Governor Douglas opposes year round simulcasting at the track. Supporters of the track argue the project will not be economically feasible under these conditions.
VPR News

Dairy woes detailed in crowded hearing

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The dismal state of the Vermont dairy industry took center stage Thursday night at the Vermont Legislature. An overflow crowd packed a joint hearing of the House and Senate Agriculture committees.
VPR News

Advocates question value of Medicaid cuts

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A coalition of consumer and health care groups warned on Thursday that cuts to the state’s Medicaid program would be devastating for many Vermonters. The group also argued that the cuts would hurt the state economy.
VPR News

Douglas administration appointees

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The newly seated Douglas administration is appointing new commissioners and secretaries to head up the departments and agencies of state government. Review the full list of appointees and hear the VPR intervies with top cabinet officers.
VPR News

Wolf migration studied in Vermont

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Researchers and volunteers are taking advantage of this winter’s snows to search for wolves. A study coordinated by the Montpelier office of the National Wildlife Federation is concentrating on the most remote areas of the region.
VPR News

Justice Morse retires to head up SRS

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Vermont’s lawyers and politicians are stunned by Supreme Court Justice James Morse’s decision to resign from the bench to become the state’s next commissioner of Social and Rehabilitative Services. The Morse appointment will be formally announced on Thursday afternoon.
VPR News

Farmers organize to leverage higher milk prices

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Dairy farmers in northern Vermont have formed a new organization that they hope will bargain for higher prices. About 100 farmers met Wednesday) in Derby. They say they eventually want to control about one-third of the state’s milk supply.
VPR News

Legislature holds farm hearings

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The Vermont Legislature is taking several steps to help improve the future of the state’s dairy farmers. Thursday night, the House and Senate will hold a special hearing at the Statehouse to examine the scope of the problems facing farmers across Vermont.
VPR News

Fogel to expand UVM enrollment

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University of Vermont President Daniel Fogel says increasing the number of students is one way to hold the line on tuition increases. UVM is among the most expensive public universities in the country for in-state students.
Switchboard

UVM President Daniel Fogel

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University of Vermont President Daniel Fogel is Steve Zind’s guest. They discuss the financial and academic challenges facing UVM.
VPR News

Leddy proposes alcohol tax to fund treatment programs

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Governor Jim Douglas says he will not support a plan to raise the state’s alcohol tax to pay for new drug treatment and prevention programs. Senate Health and Welfare chairman Jim Leddy says the tax increase is absolutely needed if Vermont is going to make a serious effort to reduce the use of heroin in the next few years.
VPR News

Non-profit may alleviate state prescription drug costs

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There’s a new effort to control the price of prescription drugs. The National Legislative Association on Prescription Drug Prices says it plans to establish a non-profit company to manage prescription drug plans in nine states, including Vermont.
Commentary Series

Standardized education testing

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Henry Chauncey was one of the most important figures of the last century in the development of standardized tests. Commentator Allen Gilbert reflects on the uses of standardized tests as we enter the 21st century. He wonders if the massive test effort of the new federal No Child Left Behind Act will succeed in benefiting kids.
VPR News

Douglas discusses e-government plans

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Governor Jim Douglas says he’ll follow through on a campaign promise to improve Vermont’s information technology. Douglas says he wants to create a new position in state government to oversee the state’s Internet and computer services.
VPR News

Legislators face decisions on Amtrak’s future

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In the next few weeks, lawmakers will need to make some critical decisions concerning the future of Amtrak’s rail passenger service Vermont. It’s likely that Amtrak is going to seek a larger state subsidy in the next fiscal year and that’s a request that could be difficult for the Legislature to meet.
VPR News

Omya chemical spill in Rutland County

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A chemical spill at an Omya industrial plant in Rutland County has some neighbors worried about the safety of their water supply. But a town official says he’s been assured that the local water supply is safe.
VPR News

Douglas says Medicaid reform key to balanced budget

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Governor Jim Douglas says the projected deficit for the state’s Medicaid program has grown significantly just in the past month. Douglas says it will be essential to reduce the growth rate of the Medicaid program if the state is to achieve a balanced budget in the years ahead.
VPR News

VPR backstage: the new Vaudeville

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All week long, eleven professional entertainers from around New England have been polishing their acts at a performers’ retreat in West Brattleboro. They’re here to celebrate vaudeville in its latest incarnation.
VPR News

Douglas outlines priorities in inaugural address

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The power of the executive branch of state government was formally transferred Thursday afternoon. Governor Jim Douglas was officially sworn into office and Howard Dean departed from the Statehouse for the first time in more than 11 years as a private citizen.
VPR News

Democrats react to Douglas’s speech

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Democrats say they’re ready to work with Governor Douglas to carry out the goals of his new administration. But in their official response to the new governor’s speech, Democrats warned that they may break with Douglas on school funding issues.
VPR News

Welch predicts cooperative Legislature

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Senate President Pro Tempore Peter Welch says he’s optimistic that legislative leaders will be able to work together this session to find compromise solutions to some of the critical issues facing the state.
VPR News

Governor Jim Douglas’s inauguration speech

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Governor Jim Douglas was sworn into office Thursday in chamber of the Vermont House of Representatives. VPR broadcast the ceremony live, with analysis by Bob Kinzel and Steve Delaney.
VPR News

Freed elected speaker of the House

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Wednesday morning at the Statehouse, incumbent Republican House Speaker Walter Freed was re-elected to a second term in office on the first day of the new Legislative session. Freed defeated Democrat John Tracy by a vote of 82-68.
VPR News

Governor Dean’s farewell address

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Governor Howard Dean delivered his farewell address in the well of the Vermont House of Representatives Wednesday afternoon. Listen to speech online.
VPR News

Interview: House Speaker Walter Freed

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VPR broadcasted this live interview from the Statehouse Wednesday at noon. Walter Freed was elected speaker of the House Wednesday morning when the Vermont Legislature convened for the 2003-2004 biennium.
VPR News

Woodworkers get contract from Middlebury College

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Island Pond Woodworkers hopes to fill the void left when the Ethan Allen factory closed its doors 18 months ago. The first job for the new business will be to manufacture furniture for Middlebury College. Company officials say the contract with the college was key to the creation of the worker-owned business. It’s also part of a larger effort to revive the wood products industry in Vermont.
VPR News

Dean receives warm reception in last Statehouse speech

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Vermont Governor Howard Dean delivered a warm goodbye Wednesday to the state he’s led for 11 years. The Democrat leaves office this week to step up the pace in his presidential campaign. In his farewell address to a packed House chamber, Dean said the rest of the country could learn valuable lessons from how Vermonters resolve their differences.
VPR News

Douglas will face tough financial picture

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Governor Howard Dean says it’s likely that the incoming administration of Governor-elect Jim Douglas will face tougher financial problems than originally projected. Dean says he has confidence that Douglas will be able to deal with this situation and Dean endorsed changes to some of the state’s health care programs as a way to reduce spending.
VPR News

Deal struck to remove Peterson Dam from Lamoille River

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A power dam on the Lamoille River in Milton will be removed in 20 years under a settlement agreement announced Tuesday. Governor Howard Dean says the agreement with Central Vermont Public Service Corporation will improve the environment of the river and Lake Champlain.
VPR News

Racism hotline opened for Vermont parents

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A statewide organization called the Vermont Anti-Racism Action Team has set up a telephone hotline for parents whose children have experienced racial harassment in Vermont schools.
VPR News

State distributes community development grants

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The state is distributing a round of community development block grants Monday. The federal program will support handicapped accessibility, low-income housing and economic development in Vermont.
VPR News

States settle suit with Pfizer

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Vermont and 18 other states have reached a $6 million settlement with Pfizer over the company’s antibiotic ads. Attorneys general in the states accused the company of misrepresenting the performance of an antibiotic by implying the medication was superior to similar drugs.
VPR News

Dean undaunted by widening field of candidates

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The field of possible Democratic presidential candidates is expanding. Last week, North Carolina Senator John Edwards and former House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt announced their intentions to run. And in the next few weeks, several more candidates are expected to join the race.
VPR News

‘Shareheat’ donations up over last month

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The new year brings some good news for an emergency fuel assistance program. “Shareheat” is a program run by Central Vermont Public Service, which collects funds from donors and matches those contributions.
VPR News

Douglas plans first 100 days

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Governor-elect Jim Douglas will be formally sworn into office a week from Thursday. Douglas says he has some very specific goals for the first “100 days” of his new administration.
VPR News

Economists predict gradual recovery in 2003

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After a year marked by a loss of high paying manufacturing jobs, and a dramatic decline in state revenues, Vermont economists say they’re optimistic that the state’s financial fortunes will improve in 2003. But they warn the upturn will be gradual.
VPR News

Moonlight in Vermont

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It’s likely that somewhere on New Year’s Eve, when the lights dimmed on the dance floor, a Vermont musical icon made an appearance. In 1944, a new popular song gave the world an image of Vermont that included falling leaves, ski trails and the evening summer breeze. The 13-line song became a standard that is still sung today.
VPR News

Arts council solicits sculpture for rest area

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Last year, when the state replaced an older rest area in Williston, the sculpture there was too fragile to move to the new welcome center. Now the Vermont Arts Council is soliciting designs for a new sculpture.
VPR News

DWI cases declining in Vermont

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State highway safety officials are encouraged that the number of DWI cases in Vermont is declining. They believe that higher profile law enforcement programs have played an important role in the effort.
VPR News

Nine states challenge federal clean air rules

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Vermont is among nine New England and mid-Atlantic states challenging the federal government’s clean air rules. The states say the Bush administration’s proposed changes to the rules will lead to more pollution in their region.
VPR News

Veterans Home imposes flu quarantine

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A voluntary quarantine has been imposed at the Vermont Veterans Home because of a stomach flu. Officials say the ailment is similar to what has been afflicting cruise ships recently.