Jeffords leads filibuster against energy bill
Senator Jim Jeffords says he’ll help lead a filibuster on a proposed energy bill, calling the legislation little more than a multi-billion dollar “giveaway” to the nation’s oil and gas industries.
State regulators impose restrictions on Fletcher Allen
Fletcher Allen Health Care will be required to try to recover damages from the people who misled regulators about the true cost of its $364 million expansion.
New initiative combats illegal firearms
There’s been a dramatic increase in violent crimes against women in the state, mostly committed with firearms. A new initiative will combat illegal possession of guns.
Legislative committee hearing on controlling education costs
A legislative committee that is studying ways to control the cost of education took testimony from the public last night. Dozens of people gathered for the hearing in the Vermont Statehouse. Many of the speakers were school board members or superintendents with ideas for keeping local costs down. (AP)
NY hunter convicted for shooting Vermont man
A 54-year-old hunter has been convicted of third-degree assault in the shooting of a Vermont man last year. Larry Burdo of Lake Placid, New York, was acquitted of second-degree assault yesterday. Burdo was hunting after hours when he mistook Bruce Woodruff of Sunderland, Vermont, for a deer and shot him. Woodruff spent two months in intensive care. (AP)
Lieberman losing ground to Dean in his home state
U-S Senator Joe Lieberman is the top choice among Connecticut voters for president, but a new poll shows his home-state support is waning. A Quinnipiac University presidential poll released yesterday found former Vermont Governor Howard Dean has narrowed the gap. He trails Lieberman by five percentage points among Connecticut Democrats. (AP)
Vermont Law School founder indicted for fraud
The lawyer for a New Hampshire woman who was allegedly defrauded by Vermont Law School’s founder says her client is vulnerable. Anthony Doria, a former Republican candidate for U-S Senate, is charged with taking more than 115-thousand dollars from widow Barbara Umbrecht. He’s been indicted by a federal grand jury for fraud. (AP)
Vermont, Adelphia agreement to bring service to 20 thousand customers
The state of Vermont has reached a settlement with Adelphia Communications that will require the company to bring service to about 20 thousand additional customers. The settlement, which needs Public Service Board approval, could end years of legal battles and repeated findings that the company had dragged its feet on extending its system. (AP)
Vermont power lines need upgrade says grid operator
The operator of New England’s power grid says transmission line work is needed in Vermont to prevent a blackout like the one that cut off power to about 50 million people in August. I-S-O New England’s board of directors approved a plan yesterday that’s expected to cost as much as three (b) billion dollars over the next five to ten years. (AP)
Lieberman attacks Dean’s economic policy proposals
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Lieberman says his rival Howard Dean is promoting — quote — “a vast new regime of government intervention and re-regulation.” Lieberman gave a speech yesterday at the Commonwealth Club in Palo Alto, California. (AP)
Corsones to preside over the Vermont’s first drug court.
Judge Nancy Corsones has been assigned to preside over the state’s first drug court. Although District Court judges serve on usually a two-year rotation among the various state circuits, Corsones will extend her stay in Rutland another nine months so she can start the drug court. (AP)
PSB to analyze Vermont Yankee proposal to boost output.
Members of the Public Service Board plan to visit the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant to analyze the company’s latest proposal. Plant owner Entergy Nuclear wants to build two temporary buildings near the generator that it could use to repair plant components needed for its proposed power increase. (AP)
Dean wants to double nation’s early childhood education funding
Democratic front-runner Howard Dean says he would double the nation’s investment in early childhood education by spending 110 (b)billion dollars over ten years. Dean, the former Vermont governor, wants to fully fund the federal Head Start program for children. He wants to offer preschool to every four-year-old and provide child care for another one-point-four (m) million children. (AP)
Burlington police reopening 30-year old murder case.
Burlington Police have reopened an unsolved, 30-year-old murder case. They’re following new leads and hoping that new technology will help them. They’re also investigating whether the 1972 shooting death of Lloyd Patrick Fitzgerald might be related to another killing. (AP)