Amtrak
Senator James Jeffords says he’s confident that Congress will pass emergency funding to keep the nation’s passenger rail system in operation. Jeffords says shutting down Amtrak would lead to utter chaos in many parts of the country. (VPR)
Connecticut River Bridge
The single-span arch bridge over the Connecticut River between Brattleboro and Chesterfeld, New Hampshire, is a historic landmark. In 1937, the year it was built, the American Institute of Steel Construction recognized it as the most beautiful bridge of its kind. (Listen to the story online or read the transcript.) (VPR)
Yucca Mountain Plan
Both of Vermont’s U.S. senators say they have serious concerns about a plan to ship nuclear waste to a proposed repository in Nevada. The votes of Senators Patrick Leahy and James Jeffords could be critical when the Senate votes on this issue in the very near future. (Listen to the story online or read the transcript.) (VPR)
Yankee Decommissioning Fund
Vermont’s two largest electric utilities want state regulators to remove a condition they imposed earlier this month on the sale of Vermont Yankee. The two utilities are major owners of the Vermont nuclear plant. They hope to sell the reactor next month to Entergy Nuclear of Jackson, Mississippi. But the companies are worried that a recent regulatory order could kill the deal. (Listen to the story online or read the transcript.) (VPR)
Hogan Criticizes Partisanship
Independent gubernatorial candidate Con Hogan says he believes that the partisan bickering between the Republican and Democratic parties in Vermont is an obstacle to finding good solutions to many of the key problems facing the state. (VPR)
Dean Presidential Bid
Governor Howard Dean has chided President Bush for being too blunt in his call for the ouster of Yasser Arafat from the Palestinian Authority. Dean is campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination. (AP)
Vermont Amtrak Rails
Bernie Sanders has joined Vermont’s senators in calling on Congress to provide money to keep Amtrak rail service running to Vermont. (AP)
Retired Priest
The Burlington Diocesan office says it was unaware that a priest who retired earlier this year for health reasons is a trustee of the Ardmore Inn, a gay-friendly bed-and-breakfast in Vermont. (AP)
Adelphia
Vermont’s largest cable company, Adelphia, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Adelphia is seeking protection from creditors, and is trying to cover billions in off-the-books loans to members of its founding family. (AP)
Reservoir Security
Two Vermont towns say they’ll do more to safeguard their water supplies. Reservoir in Hartford and Norwich were vandalized recently, causing contamination alerts for both towns’ drinking water. (AP)
FAHC Union
Vermont political and religious leaders are lending support to a unionizing effort among nurses at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington. (AP)
Killington Expansion on Hold
The Killington ski resort has put an indefinite hold on its ambitious expansion plans, citing slow business growth and financial troubles in its parent company, American Skiing. (AP)