Plans to open a secure residential facility for people with mental illness displaced by Tropical Storm Irene may be delayed by a legal challenge. For the first time, the public will be able to weigh in on the state budget priorities before the governor presents his spending proposal to the legislature in January. Both the state and lawyers for Vermont Yankee now have filed written arguments to a federal appeals court as the legal battle continues over the future of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant. At this hour, Governor Peter Shumlin is holding a news conference to announce changes to his administration’s staff.