Interview: Native American artifacts
The recent discovery of Native American artifacts in Colchester is changing archeologists’ conventional wisdom about some of the earliest human activity in Vermont. The spear tips and other tools found by University of Vermont archeologists suggest a thriving hunting camp was located on the property, where construction on the proposed Circumferential Highway is slated to take place. (Listen to the interview online.) (VPR)
Health care costs continue to rise
There’s some bad news for many consumers and businesses throughout the state. Most health care premiums are expected to increase at least fifteen percent this year, and the outlook for the future is just as bleak. (Listen to the story online or read the transcript.) (VPR)
Large animal vets needed
Farmers in parts of Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire are struggling to find large animal vets. Sue Moraska, executive director of the Vermont Veterinary Medical Association, says the number of vets willing to work on horses and cows is declining in some parts of Vermont. (AP)
Montpelier housing
A study says there’s a housing shortage in Vermont’s capital city. The study says Montpelier’s housing prices are too high for first-time buyers and for buyers with low incomes. The study was carried out by city planners using U.S. Census data, city zoning and building permits, and tax information. (AP)
High-speed train service
Many New England residents say they’d be interested in a high-speed train from Boston to Montreal, with stops in New Hampshire. But the project is moving slowly because of a lack of federal and state money to study the idea. The train would run through Nashua, Manchester, Concord and Franklin, then cross into Vermont near Lebanon. (AP)
Vermont Yankee hearings
The Vermont Public Service Board is due to resume hearings Monday on the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon. Vermont Yankee’s owners want to raise the power output of the 31-year-old nuclear reactor. They need both state and federal approval for that plan. (AP)
Fletcher Allen review
A citizens’ panel continues its hearings Tuesday on Fletcher Allen Health Care, Vermont’s largest hospital. Officials at Fletcher Allen are asking the panel for permission to finish the hospital’s partly built expansion. They say they’ve trimmed as much as they can from their large-scale Renaissance Project. (AP)
Schools battle mold
Mold is popping up in carpeting, ceiling tiles, books and bulletin boards in schools all over New England this year. Suzanne Condon, an assistant commissioner for environmental health at the Massachusetts health department, says she’s never seen mold grow so rapidly. (AP)
Duxbury State Farm
The state plans to sell the Duxbury State Farm, a complex that once produced food and milk for residents of the Vermont State Hospital. The farm’s buildings are now boarded up and unused. The property includes about 150 acres of land, including 117 acres that could be used for agriculture. It’s due to go on sale in October. (AP)
Homeland Security grants
The latest round of Homeland Security grants to local fire departments includes four Vermont communities: Glover, Grand Isle, Lyndonville and Newark. The money is for new equipment and safety and operations programs. (AP)
Burlington police chief finalists
The two finalists for Burlington police chief will be meeting with the community Monday night. Deputy Chiefs Thomas Tremblay and Stephen Wark are both vying to succeed retiring Chief Alanna Ennis. The mayor says he hopes to choose one of them by the end of the week. (AP)
Business receives WTO award
A Windham County company that promotes sustainable development, ecology and fair trade has been honored by the World Trade Organization. ForesTrade Incorporated was the only U.S. company honored with a World Summit Sustainable Business Award at a WTO conference in Mexico. The company provides spices and coffee from Guatemala and Indonesia to large businesses such as Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Ben & Jerry’s and Stoneyfied Farms. (AP)
Winooski burglary
Winooski police are searching for a pair of men who burst into a couple’s apartment early Sunday and fired shots. No one was hurt, but police say items were taken from the home. The identities of the victims haven’t been released. (AP)