Top stories developing across the region at the noon hour:
Springfield schools will be able to lower the tax rate while raising the budget, according to Business Manager Steve Hier; Democratic candidates for president are using long-form TV programs as well as televised debates and 30-second spots to get their messages out to potential voters; BankNorth economist Alan Day gives a year-end review of the regional economy, rating it 7.5 on a 1-to-10 scale.
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