The Home Front, Part 3: Children of deployed parents
Because of the war in Iraq, hundreds of Vermont children will be celebrating the holidays without their mother or father. Many of these kids are struggling with loneliness, fear, confusion and anger. VPR’s Nina Keck reports on what parents can do to help kids cope. (VPR)
Interview: Consumer fraud online
With the holiday season in full swing, shoppers are being warned about credit card scams, especially those appearing online. Laura Dolbos is a coordinator with the Vermont Attorney General Office’s Consumer Assistance Program. She says there has been a recent increase in credit card fraud on the Internet. (VPR)
Appropriations bill earmarks funds for train center
In the rush to finish up the 108th Congress, lawmakers passed an enormous domestic spending bill. Deep inside the bill was $1.9 million for a train transportation center in Bellows Falls. But the bill also contained a disappointment for Amtrak. (CHB)
Commission asks for statewide policy against American Indian school mascots
The Vermont Human Rights Commission says it will ask lawmakers to pass a bill that will prohibit the use of Native American images and names as sports mascots at schools throughout the state. The commission says a statewide approach is needed to convince local school boards to take action. (VPR)
Supreme Court hears arguments on stormwater permit
The Vermont Supreme Court heard arguments on Tuesday in a case that pits environmentalists against a big box development in Chittenden County. At issue is how much stormwater pollution Lowe’s Home Center can discharge into a stream that’s already polluted. (VPR)
Board rejects quarry proposal
The Development Review Board in Moretown has rejected a proposal for a quarry off Vermont Route 100B. The board’s 16-page decision cited concerns that the project would increase heavy truck traffic, be too noisy and possibly contaminate groundwater. (AP)
Vermont businesses win ethics award
Two Vermont firms are among five winners in Business Ethics magazine’s annual business ethics award. (AP)
Lilac blooms indicate earlier spring
A program involving University of Vermont scientists in the 1960s and 1970s now is showing that spring is arriving earlier in the Northeast than it used to. (AP)
Weapons contract for General Dynamics
General Dynamics has won a contract to manage and build a new weapons system in Burlington that’s designed to protect ships at sea. The $15 million contract for the Goalkeeper weapon systems will be managed at the company’s Burlington Technology Center. The weapons system is designed to guard against high-speed missiles and aircraft. (AP)
FAHC new trustees
Fletcher Allen Health Care has three new trustees. Rita Markley, executive director of the Committee on Temporary Shelter, Alan Charron, the former administrator of the Vermont Department of Health and Daniel Chirco, president of Bogner of America, have been appointed to the board. (AP)
Stormwater runoff utility
South Burlington may soon have a utility that would be in charge of managing stormwater runoff. Plans call for upgrading drains, catch basins, culverts, and detention ponds. It’s an effort to prevent flooding and improve water quality in Lake Champlain. (AP)
Disaster prevention plan
Chittenden County could be getting some extra federal funding to prevent damage from disasters. Emergency experts are putting together a regional plan that would help towns and the county manage disasters and prevent damage from future calamities. In return, the county could receive money to implement parts of the plan. (AP)
Central Vermont history project
Students at Harwood Union High School in Duxbury have produced a documentary on Vermont history. “Common Ground: The Stories from Waterbury and Warren” will premiere Thursday night at the school’s auditorium. (AP)
Vernon shooting indictment
A Brattleboro man has been indicted on a charge of second-degree murder for the shooting death last month of a Vernon man. Forty-year-old Timothy Grover, owner of Emil’s Pub in Brattleboro, is scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday. An 18-member grand jury indicted him on Tuesday in the shooting death of 52-year-old James Kellom. (AP)