Vermont News Archives

“The problem is not that local spending is high. The problem is that costs are high, and local school boards don't have control over those costs.”

A last-gasp effort to repeal a controversial school-spending law suffered a quick demise in the Vermont Senate on Tuesday, likely ending any opportunity this session to undo legislation that critics say will ... via Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus

“You can think of birds as sentinels of change, a kind of alarm system about what is happening to our environment”

A new survey of Vermont's bird populations shows that the state has breeding populations of 17 more species than it did in the late 1970s, but it also raises concern about the future of some species. via Rutland Herald

“That will allow an 20 additional years of growth and during that time fuel storage will be part of normal operating expenses.”

If Vermont Yankee is closed in 2012, Entergy will need to withdraw $157 million from the plant's decommissioning fund to pay the costs for spent fuel handling through 2017, according to a document submitted to ... via The Brattleboro Reformer

“If we don't have any protections, then an international company could come in and begin to extract water and take [it] without regard for the amount of resources available.”

With Lake Champlain, snowy peaks, and 40 inches of rain a year, the Green Mountain State isn't exactly parched. But don't tell that to Annette Smith.

Six years ago, a mining company pumped 2.7 million gallons of water from an underground well near her Danby, Vt., home. The local springs were so dry she had to spend more than $4,000 to dig a new well. When water eventually returned to the springs, the levels weren't what they once were, she says.

Such episodes have Vermonters so worried about unregulated water withdrawals that on Friday the state legislature passed a bill that establishes a water-permit requirement. Read more

“It eliminates several elements of the House bill”

The Senate passed a less restrictive version of a House-passed housing development bill Monday, while the House reduced the Senate's ambitions on a carbon-reduction bill, leaving some environmentalists upset on ... via Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus

“For us as officers, they offer a huge tactical advantage”

Vermont's four-legged deputies are in for a big treat. The Vermont Police Canine Association is establishing a hall of fame for police dogs, and will induct the first 14 - and their handlers - at a ceremony ... via Burlington Free Press

“I hope that I can be there soon when you will become, with the help of people in this room, the next governor of the state of Vermont”

House Speaker Gaye Symington got a rousing reception from Vermont Democrats at a party dinner, with former Gov. via Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus

“I don't think anybody will ever understand exactly what went down, but yeah, I think things could have been handled differently”

Friends and family of Darren Tufts, 41, gathered in Bradford Friday morning in an effort to let the public know a little bit more about their loved one. via WCAX-TV Burlington

They don't want the Vermont Lottery turned over to a private operator, they want Vermont Yankee re-licensed for another 20 years and they like the idea of eliminating jail time for people caught with one ounce ... via Burlington Free Press

“There is no question Vermonters are feeling the squeeze and I think we have an obligation to respond”

It was all about money at the Statehouse Wednesday, as lawmakers began considering what to do about a worsening state economy and also decided the decommissioning fund of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Plant needs ... via Rutland Herald

“This bill is about promoting new housing for working and middle-class Vermonters.”

Administration officials and for-profit developers say the Senate's version of a controversial housing bill will help alleviate Vermont's housing shortage and stoke a faltering economy. via Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus

“As a result of the troop surge, many of the service members participating in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom have had their deployments extended from 12 to 15 months”

Vermont soldiers who have completed their tours of duty in Iraq cannot get home because of flight delays caused in part by the recent bankruptcy of ATA Airlines, the Vermont congressional delegation said ... via MilitaryCity.com

“They did the research for this.”

A special commission appointed by legislative leaders to study same-sex marriage stopped just short in its final report Monday of recommending that the state become the second in the country -- after ... via The Brattleboro Reformer

“Jim's great strength is that he's a throwback to the old Aiken-Stafford kind of Republican - a fiscal conservative but a social moderate, a guy who's very affable, has great self-deprecating humor”

He's a Republican in a liberal state, a conservative governor in a place where Democrats make the laws, a political anomaly whose biggest strength may be his record at the polls. via New York Daily News

“Eventually, they'll talk to each other”

The federal Food Stamp program is "a very powerful tool - in many ways the first line of defense against hunger," said Cynthia LaWare, Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Human Services, who attended this week's ... via Rutland Herald

“They're talking about significant cuts, for example, in prescription drug and health-care program(s). It's going to be devastating for seniors if those cuts go through”

Just two days after Gov. James Douglas announced plans for a $100 million stimulus package, his only official challenger in the fall election unveiled his own proposal to rehabilitate Vermont's ailing economy. via Rutland Herald

“We've been discussing it over e-mail”

The long-awaited report to the Vermont Legislature on the possibility of expanding marriage rights to same-sex couples will be released Monday. via Rutland Herald

“If this is the debate in 2008”

Vermont's love-hate relationship with its lone nuclear power plant is coming to a head: Lawmakers have to decide next year whether to shut down the reactor in 2012 as scheduled or keep it humming for another ... via Times Leader

Higher education and help to the elderly in paying for their medicines could fall victim to the budget ax, according to a list of possible cuts state officials and lawmakers released Wednesday. via The Brattleboro Reformer

“There are more details to be worked out in terms of the scope of the investigation”

Federal regulators said Tuesday they will consider expanding the scope of their inspection of the Vermont Yankee facility in Vernon, but lawmakers and advocates said the promise does not ensure an adequate ... via Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus

LOCATION : Hogback Road, Cambridge DESCRIPTION OF VEHICLE: 2000 Jeep Cherokee DAMAGE TO VEHICLE: Totalled HOSPITAL: Copley SUMMARY OF CRASH: State Police are continuing their investigation into the cause of a ... via Vermont State Police Department of Pu...

“I'm not going to let my division chiefs take a hit and say I'm immune.”

It's unanimous: Vermont's statewide elected officials will forgo a salary increase next year, after being urged to do so by the Douglas administration in a budget-cutting move. via Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus

“Early diagnosis for cystic fibrosis is critically important because it gives every newborn a better chance for better health and a longer life”

Main Category: Cystic Fibrosis Article Date: 10 Apr 2008 - 0:00 PDT newsletters Illinois and Vermont have joined 37 other states and the District of Columbia in requiring that all newborns be screened for ... via Medical News Today

That's the name of an online campaign urging Vermonters to spend their economic stimulus checks locally on Vermont farms, businesses and nonprofits. via WPTZ.com

A new survey shows that half of all Vermont lottery players attended college, most graduated and some hold higher degrees. via The Boston Globe

Once again Gov. James Douglas has vetoed a responsible campaign finance reform bill, and once again the Legislature has a chance to override his veto. via Rutland Herald

Vermont's roads and bridges will continue to deteriorate, despite the $411.3 million transportation budget given preliminary approval by the House today. via WCAX-TV Burlington

“Hitting the 7,000 hour mark is really significant, because it is the first”

In the Vermont Air National Guard, they call it the 'Lethal Lady.'

Through a 25-year career, this F-16 has flown missions in Iraq, chased radar blips and unexpectedly added a section to the book of military tactics during its 7,000 hours in the air.

Soon, the longest-flying plane of its type _ aircraft No. 1165 _ will be grounded for good. Later this year, it is due to land at the 'Bone Yard' _ the Air Force's aviation graveyard, at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, where it will be retired or cut up for scrap. Read more

“It is a special interest bill, an incumbent bill.”

Gov. James Douglas Friday vetoed two election reform bills approved by the House and Senate, saying the bills did more harm than good to the electoral process. via Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus

“What happens is, the family on the right no longer has to make 52 paychecks to make the mortgage payment or keep the health insurance”

The American middle class is being threatened by the increasing costs of housing, health care and the loss of well-paying jobs, a Harvard law professor said Saturday during a town meeting with Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Elizabeth Warren, who has studied the economics of middle class Americans over the last generation, said families need to have two incomes to provide basic necessities and that means there is less room for economic disruption that can be caused when someone loses their job or a child or elderly parent gets sick. Read more

A hotel has been shut down by the state after tests confirmed it as the source for a case of Legionnaires' disease.

The Vermont Department of Health ordered the 96-room Cortina Inn closed Thursday because tests of water showed evidence of the bacteria Legionella pneumophila. It's not clear how long it will be closed.

State epidemiologist Dr. Cort Lohff said the state began examining the Route 4 hotel after three Legionnaires' cases showed links to it.

The hotel's telephone rang unanswered Friday morning. A woman at the front desk said Thursday the hotel was closed but would not comment on why. Read more

“This is a time to celebrate our gains and also to take a clear-eyed look at our challenges.”

Vermont remains the healthiest state in the nation, despite high rates of binge drinking among young people and all ages using marijuana at higher than national rates, officials said Thursday. via Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus

“Vermont is recognized globally as a green and sustainable place, green is our brand. Now, Vermont has the opportunity to build upon this brand and create economic opportunity for Vermonters.”

The Greater Burlington Industrial Corp. has a plan to expand Vermont businesses by building on 'a green economic sector' that will provide jobs for the next generation of workers.

On Wednesday, GBIC released a report called 'The Green Economy and Environmental Enterprises in Vermont: Opportunities for the 21st Century.'

Over the last nine months, the Snelling Center for Government helped the group write the 24-page report, which makes recommendations on creating, developing and sustaining a 'green economy.' Read more

“This bill is a big disappointment”

Republican lawmakers on Tuesday panned a health care reform bill aimed at expanding access to health insurance by easing eligibility requirements for uninsured Vermonters. via Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus

“We think the plant is well-run. I think the public is looking for reassurance that the plant is well-run”

The potential shutdown of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant could send electric bills soaring. via Rutland Herald

“If we get the wrong conditions we're going to have a serious problem”

Emergency planners in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, where the mountains hold similar snowpacks, know that in the next few weeks snow is going to melt, filling rivers and streams to the tops of their banks. via The Citizen