Bode Was Bodacious
Contributing reporter Beth Schmidt is in Salt Lake City, where she’s an editor at the Olympic News Service. Steve Delaney and Beth Schmidt discuss New Hampshire’s Bode Miller who won a silver medal Wednesday. (VPR)
Hogan Will Run as Independent
Gubernatorial candidate Con Hogan has dropped out of the Republican primary and say’s he’ll run instead as an independent in November. (VPR)
Polina, Racine React to Hogan’s Candidacy
Con Hogan’s decision to run for governor potentially sets up an unprecedented four-way political contest in Vermont. Candidates Doug Racine and Anthony Pollina comment on how Hogan decision might affect their own election prospects. (VPR)
Cree Nation Signs Deal with Quebec
The Cree Nation has signed a major new treaty with the Province of Quebec. It would allow the construction of hydro dams and the development of other resources on Cree land. In return, the Cree people would have a greater say in future projects and a share of the revenues. (VPR)
Farm Bill Passes U.S. Senate
The U.S. Senate gave its strong approval Wednesday afternoon to a farm bill that includes a key provision for Vermont’s dairy farmers. The legislation establishes a floor price for milk and it calls for payments to farmers whenever federal milk prices drop below the floor. (VPR)
Libertarians’ Plan for Redistricting
The Vermont Libertarian Party has it’s own plan for redrawing the state’s legislative districts. The Party would like to create new districts in which a state senator would represent only 20,000 constituents. (VPR)
St. Johnsbury Prison
The Saint Johnsbury Select Board is worried that the state is trying to boost the population of the local prison. Legislators met with the Select Board earlier this week to discuss what’s going on with the Corrections Department. (VPR and AP)
High-Speed Rail
A study is underway to see if it’s feasible to run a high-speed rail service from Boston through Vermont to Montreal. The plan for a 90-mile per hour passenger train may be developed over the next ten to twenty years. (AP)
Machine Tool Industry
The once-mighty machine tool industry in the Springfield area seems to be moribund, with the closing yesterday of the last two shops. Fellows Corporation and Bryant Grinder Corporation closed the plant they shared, laying off 85 workers. Those two companies had 500 workers a few years ago, and decades ago employed thousands of skilled craft workers. (AP)
Death Threat
The FBI and other authorities are looking into a death threat sent to an Orwell man who’s suing a neighboring farm. George Trickett, who has sued Crescent Farm owner Peter Ochs for noise disturbance, received a note in the mail saying he would be tied up in a basement and starved until he agreed to drop the lawsuit. (AP)
Small Utilities Sell Nuclear Shares
Some of Vermont’s smaller utilities expect to save money next month when they start taking power from sources other than Vermont Yankee. Burlington and Lyndonville Electric Departments and the Vermont and Washington Electric Cooperatives have all sold their shares of Vermont Yankee. (AP)
Prescription Drugs
State Senate leaders anticipate a vote this week on a bill to lower the cost of prescription drugs. The law would raise money from the drug industry that would be used to educate doctors about generic versions of expensive drugs. (AP)