Top stories in developing across the region at the noon hour:
Governor Jim Douglas introduces a new health care initiative that targets improvements in efficiency and reductions in costs; Vermont still has some reservations about the International Paper Company’s plan to burn tire chips in its paper plant in Ticonderoga; it’s unlikely the owners of Vermont Yankee will get their request for an accelerated hearing schedule; power line crews are still cleaning up after the power outages caused by high winds.