March 23, 2005 – News at a glance

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Municipal cable TV service
The city of Burlington wants to become the first municipality in the state to enter the cable TV business. But its potential rival, Adelphia Communications, says it’s worried about unfair competition and potential subsidies from the city. The Public Service Board will hold a hearing on the case Wednesday night. (VPR)

Controversial “Buster” episode airs today
A controversial episode of a PBS children’s TV program that’s set in Vermont is airing Wednesday on Vermont Public Television. The “Postcards from Buster” episode created a national debate in January when U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings warned local stations not to air it because it featured children with lesbian mothers. (VPR)

Jeffords wary of intentions in Iran
Senator Jim Jeffords says he won’t be surprised if the Bush administration launches a war with Iran next year. (VPR)

Senate override vote
Senate Democrats say they have the votes to override Governor Jim Douglas’s veto of a bill that consolidates the operations of three state pension funds. The Democrats say their initiative will save the state three billion dollars over the next 30 years. (VPR)

Draft plan for national forest management
A draft plan for the Green Mountain National Forest recommends additional wilderness protection and allows all-terrain vehicles to use some public land. The document also sets out timber management goals for the 400,000 acre forest. (VPR)

DNA database leads to murder suspect
Vermont’s seven-year-old DNA database was crucial to helping police find the man they believe killed a Burlington woman. (AP)

Murder suspect missing from sex offender list
Some of Gerald Montgomery’s Burlington neighbors want to know why they weren’t notified they had a convicted sex offender living in their midst. The 33-year-old Montgomery is the man who was charged on Tuesday with raping and killing 31-year-old Laura Winterbottom of Burlington. Montgomery name is not among the 144 names on the Internet sex offender registry the state of Vermont started six months ago. (AP)

Newport mobile methadone
The company that is still awaiting final approval to bring a mobile methadone clinic to St. Johnsbury is setting its sights next on Newport. The state’s Public Oversight Commission is to decide on Thursday whether to recommend sites in the two Northeast Kingdom communities to be served by the mobile clinic. (AP)

Ski resort thefts
State Police have arrested three people as part of an ongoing investigation into ski and snowboard thefts at Bolton Valley this winter. Police have arrested 39-year-old Paula Dragon and 16-year-old Robert Loyer, both of Colchester, and 17-year-old Eric Crowningshield of Websterville. (AP)

Rockingham dam purchase
The town of Rockingham, which is trying to buy the Bellows Falls dam, appears close to settling on a plan to pay the village of Bellows Falls more than $650,000 in an annual payment in lieu of taxes. Rockingham officials say they want the village’s support as they go before regulators with plans to buy the Bellows Falls dam from its bankrupt owner, U.S. Gen New England. (AP)

Smelly sneaker contest
A Montpelier boy has some of the smelliest sneakers in the country. Ten-year-old Noah Nielsen has won the thirtieth annual Odor-Eaters Rotten Sneaker Contest. He says the secret of his stench is not wearing socks, ever. (AP)

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