Vermont News Archives

“Vermont in many ways never sees the booms and the busts in many areas”

While a slump continues to grip the national housing market, Vermont is one of two states _ the other is North Dakota _ that have seen prices increasing slightly in the past year, according to the Vermont ... via WCAX-TV Burlington

“We just make what we make, and any cost increase we experience we just have to pass on to the customer”

Whether making bread for a living or merely shopping for it at the supermarket, Vermonters are feeling the brunt of sharply rising prices for grains and other food products.

'I shop around. I look for deals,' said Pat Lesure, a state employee who was shopping at the Price Chopper in Berlin on Friday. 'But it's a struggle now. It really is.'

Food prices were up 4 percent in 2007 the largest jump in nearly two decades, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, after rising 2.4 percent in both 2005 and 2006. Read more

Debate on the fiscal 2009 state budget is expected to begin next week in the House. via The Brattleboro Reformer

Is prison food cruel and unusual punishment? Vermont's Supreme Court will soon decide. via WLBZ

The Vermont Transportation Agency is going to spend $3 million to repave some state and town highways damaged by this winter's extreme weather. via WPTZ.com

“It's really fun to come back and be breast-feeding again”

A Vermont Human Rights Commission investigator has found reasonable grounds that Freedom Airlines discriminated against Emily Gillette, the mother who was removed from a Delta/Freedom airlines flight departing ... via Burlington Free Press

A majority of Vermont residents -- 54% -- say they favor same-sex marriage, according to an unofficial survey taken March 11. via Advocate

A new report said home ownership continues to be out of reach for many Vermonters who don't make enough money to pay rent, never mind buying a house. via WNNE

“What has changed is the violence that has increased over the last few years.”

RUTLAND -- The scourge of cocaine, crack and heroin and the violent crime that often comes with them have reached into rural America, with communities like Rutland dealing with what was once a faraway problem, ... via BurlingtonFreePress.com

Vermont banks are taking action in response to a data breach by the Hannaford supermarket chain that exposed 4.2 million credit and debit cards to potential fraud. via WLBZ

“In the case of Judge Hayes, elemental concepts (of law) taken for granted by lawyers and our clients are lacking”

Vermont lawmakers voted overwhelmingly Thursday to retain five judges for new terms, and reappointed a sixth -- but by a much narrower margin. via Burlington Free Press

“Out of a regular order, we may get two to four from Iraqi Freedom in there”

In a noisy stone shed, far from the perfect rows of gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery, a dozen people carve the monuments to a nation's war dead.

Here, huge blocks of marble _ some extracted from a Danby mine, some brought from the state of Georgia _ are sliced into rectangular blocks by giant circular saws, the tops curved and then etched with the names of the fallen.

Most of the 2,000 to 3,000 stones carved each month at Granite Industries of Vermont are for veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam, or replacement markers for graves that date to the Civil War or the American Revolution. Read more

Gov. Jim Douglas on Wednesday signed into law a bill aimed at promoting renewable energy like solar and wind power, as well as new efficiency measures devoted to reducing Vermonters' use of oil and other ... via The Boston Globe

“I'm proud I'm a successful political columnist, but I began asking myself what I was losing because of that”

After more than two decades of observing and writing about Vermont politics and media, Seven Days' columnist Peter Freyne announced Wednesday that he is hanging up his hat. via Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus

“It's commonplace in other states as a way of providing nutrition in a mechanism that dissuades inmates from throwing feces, urine, trays and silverware”

When shooting suspect Christopher Williams acted up in prison, he was given nutraloaf - a mixture of cubed whole wheat bread, nondairy cheese, raw carrots, spinach, seedless raisins, beans, vegetable oil, ... via ABC News

“It is my understanding that he seeks the support of the Democratic Party”

Former Vermont Gov. Philip Hoff endorsed Progressive Anthony Pollina for governor Monday, giving the campaign a key boost as it continues reaching out to Democrats for support. via Rutland Herald

“Chasing smokestacks isn't it anymore. Chasing great big companies isn't the answer”

The population of half of Vermont's counties has declined, with the most significant drop in Windsor County, according to U.S. Census figures released Thursday. via North Adams Transcript

On the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, the commander of the Vermont National Guard said the force is preparing for a "large-scale deployment" to the Middle East within the next two years. via WPTZ.com

“We take the maple law seriously”

Henry Marckres is a cop with no gun or gold badge. The tools of his trade are his eyes, his taste buds and a hydrometer. via Santa Cruz Sentinel

ACCUSED: Matthew Hill AGE:30 CITY, STATE OF RESIDENCE: Eden VT VICTIM: Name withheld due to the type of assault VSP received a 911 call advising of a ongoing Domestic Assault in Eden VT. via Vermont State Police Department of Pu...

“They have a right to see them for free. Otherwise they're not public records. Government is only the custodian of the public's records.”

When Vermont's public records law was created in the 1970s, it contained 16 exemptions. via Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus

VIOLATION: Perjury, Subornation of Perjury, Attempt to Suborn, Obstruction of Justice ACCUSED: Adrian M. Dix AGE: 28 CITY, STATE OF RESIDENCE: Brattleboro, VT On March 11, 2008 Adrian Dix of Brattleboro was ... via Vermont State Police Department of Pu...

“We need to have some protection.”

The Vermont Senate on Wednesday gave preliminary approval to a bill calling for an independent inspection of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant before the state approves the plant's bid for a 20-year extension on ... via Rutland Herald

The month of March has the deepest snows and, generally, the best weather for skiing and riding, which makes it perfect for a road trip.

Many may agree on the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but it is very hard to agree on how to measure or record the dangerous gases that many believe are causing irreparable damage to the planet.

The House on Thursday gave initial approval to a bill that would set up instant-runoff voting for Vermont congressional elections with three or more candidates.

Few things are as fickle and unpredictable as March weather in Vermont, but lately, March seems even more fickle and unpredictable.

“Last year, the Taxpayer Information Line received over 100,000 phone inquiries. With both telephone and online options, we have further enhanced our customer service capabilities.”

MONTPELIER --Vermonters have a new way of checking the status of their tax refunds through an online service now available at the state's official Web site . via BurlingtonFreePress.com

The City of Burlington has been recognized as the best walking city in Vermont, as well as one of the top 50 Walking Cities in America, according to a recent survey completed by the American Podiatric Medical ...

MONTPELIER -- Gov. Jim Douglas decided Wednesday to jump-start the process to have an independent assessment of the safety and reliability of the Entergy Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant rather than wait for ...

brFree Press Staff Report Central Vermont Public Service Corp. reported earnings of $15.8 million for 2007, down 14 percent from the $18.4 million earned the prior year. 'Given significant increases in transmission costs and numerous major storms, including the worst in our history, we are pleased with our performance,' said Bob Young, the Rutland-based utility's president and CEO. Last year, the state's largest utility reported earnings of $1.49 per diluted share of common stock for 2007. In 2006, CVPS reported $1.66 earnings per diluted share. CVPS reported fourth-quarter earnings of $5.3 million, or 50 cents per diluted share of common stock. That's down from the $6.3 million earned, or 59 cents per diluted share of common stock, for the fourth quarter of 2006.

Sports director J.J. Cioffi of WCAX-TV in South Burlington said Wednesday he will step down this summer from what he calls one of the most coveted broadcasting jobs in New England.

The affordable-housing bill, H.863, moving forward in the House fails to go far enough to provide regulatory relief and incentives to encourage the construction of sufficient homes within the reach of working ...

The slowing national and regional economy helped boost Vermont's unemployment rate three tenths of one percent in January, a change the Department of Labor called "statistically significant." The January ...

Special Olympics athletes throughout Vermont are training for their the 2008 Special Olympics Vermont Winter Games this weekend at the Suicide Six Ski Area.

From Rutland Herald's Vermont lost 2,000 jobs last year : "New labor figures for Vermont may demonstrate the first effects of the national economic slowdown and the aging of the state's workforce.

Normally, this is a slow time of year for the Winooski-based Vermont Student Assistance Corp.

“At least we'll get people thinking with the question mark”

Clean air, wildlife habitat, scenic vistas. These are some of the environmental assets that many say are the reasons they live in Vermont. via WCAX-TV Burlington

George Dean Martin of Charlotte stands before Judge Helen Toor at Vermont District Court in Middlebury for his sentencing in the boating-related deaths of two Charlotte children in 2004.

MONTPELIER -- The House Health Care Committee, a lot of lobbyists and the Douglas administration all got their first look at this year's health reform legislation Monday, and eyes were popping at the breadth of ...

MONTPELIER -- The state has failed to enforce stormwater permits for construction projects, allowing tons of polluting sediment to spill into the state's waterways, an environmental group charged Monday.

When 17 Chinese government officials and dignitaries visited the United States recently to learn more about energy efficiency, their itineraries included stops in Los Angeles, New York, Washington, D.C., and ...

SOUTH BURLINGTON -- Ten leading Vermont high school scholar-athletes will be honored tonight during the awards banquet at the 13th annual Vermont State Athletic Directors Student Athlete Leadership Conference.

MONTPELIER - New federal sentencing guidelines mean two dozen Vermont inmates convicted of crack cocaine offenses could get shorter sentences or be released from prison.

More than three years ago we reported about a new way to treat cow manure on the farm -- without letting any of its toxic phosphorous emissions seep into Lake Champlain.

Those either for or against the license extension of Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon have a new resource to turn to.

The 5th Annual Broadband Properties Summit, April 28-30 in Dallas, will feature Timothy Nulty, director of the ValleyFiber project in Vermont.

Gov. James Douglas' proposed budget underfunds the state employees' retirement system for the first time in recent years, says State Treasurer Jeb Spaulding.

The historic University of Vermont Morgan Horse Farm in the Addison County town of Weybridge received the largest donation in its history last week from a Burlington philanthropist.

Vermont Yankee nuclear plant has formally filed its request to continue operating for 20 years past its scheduled 2012 decommissioning. via WCAX-TV Burlington

"MONTPELIER - The Vermont Supreme Court has upheld a Windsor Superior Court's award of $1.8 million in damages to a Woodstock family whose neighbor cut down their trees and harassed them for years.

Voters overwhelmingly approved their school budgets at town meeting this year, suggesting that school boards have done a good job containing costs, even as health care and fuel prices have strained budgets.

With the spring thaw comes one of New England's biggest treats, maple syrup. The sweet stuff is duly celebrated with a plethora of maple sugaring events this month.

Lots of people are replacing their old incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent ones.But what do you do with the old ones? A group in Essex found a creative solution -- target practice for paintball.

A Vermont District Court judge said he wants the trial of the man charged with the 2006 Essex school shootings to start on July 7. What remains to be seen is where the trial will be held.

More than two decades after the U.S. set the national drinking age at 21, a movement is gaining traction to revisit the issue and consider allowing Americans as young as 18 to legally consume alcohol.

The Vermont Supreme Court on Friday reinstated the negligence claim of a man whose hand was crushed when an acetylene tank fell on it, saying his acceptance of workers' compensation benefits from his employer ...

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission released its 2007 performance review of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant earlier this week.

Freedom of speech isn't exactly free. It cost the town nearly $5,000 to deal with the feared repercussions of placing a special article calling for the indictment of the president and the vice president on the ...

Slowly but surely, the progressive forces that control the power in the Vermont Legislature are doing what they can to weaken the quality of life that makes Vermont a unique place to live.

If there is supposedly a great outcry to cut school spending in Vermont, how come only nine school budgets in the entire state were rejected at this year's town meetings? In Windham County, every school budget ...

BELVIDERE -- It sounded like a truck letting off its air brakes Thursday in the boiler room of the Green Mountain Maple Sugar Refining Company.

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Peter Welch led a group of House members Thursday in pushing to overturn a controversial federal decision to deny Vermont the right to regulate the global warming pollution that spews from ...

The struggle of Carmencita Chie Abad -- and many other Chinese and Filipino women -- against The Gap Inc.

Advance Directives for Health Care are available in Vermont. These forms allow people to plan ahead and express instructions for their health care should they become unable to speak for themselves.

Governor Jim Douglas today released an advisory report showing that Vermont can meet the goal of generating 25 percent of its total energy from renewable sources, principally from farms and forests, by 2025.

COMMENT Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, January 16, 2008; Page A01 The federal government is asking a U.S. District Court in Vermont to order a man to type a password that would unlock files on his ...

BURLINGTON, Vermont : A group of Cuban-Americans living in Vermont is suing the federal government over its restrictions on traveling to Cuba to visit family.

By Lisa Loomis Green Mountain Power customers in The Valley who do not want to have herbicides and pesticides used on their property have a right to ask that alternative methods be used.

Vermont Life is sporting a slightly new look, along with some new features and other changes that "are designed to re-energize the magazine and ignite readers' interest in contemporary Vermont," as the magazine ...

Tuesday's primaries didn't sway most of Vermont's Democratic superdelegates. If anything, the results reaffirmed their support for the candidate they already had been backing.

Dear BFP, We totally are in agreement. This should extend to autopsy cases where criminal activity was involved and police reports as well.

The Vermont Air National Guard begins it's conversion to the next generation F-16 today with the arrival of a newer version F-16 that is being transferred to the Vermont Air National Guard from Great Falls, ...

MONTPELIER, Vt.-Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas said insured employers in the state will see a workers compensation rate reduction averaging 4.2% effective April 1. The change approved by Vermont's Department of ...

The Senate Institutions Committee will include money in the proposed capital budget to pay for renovations needed if the department reorganizes how it used some prison space.

Twenty-three years after raising the legal drinking age to 21, Vermont lawmakers are revisiting the issue, despite the threat of losing highway funding if they lower the age minimum.

I'd rather live the rest of my life in total poverty than know that I had to depend on fathead Leahy to bring home the bacon to Vermont.

With their presidential primary election suddenly relevant, Vermont voters are heading to the polls on a day when election officials expect heavy turnout.

A documentary film crew is in town to talk with people and observe the process leading up to Tuesday's vote.

Thomas Lathrop of Bristol says he loves what he does. "I love the smell of the wood when I walk in here in the morning.

Voters will face two contested races on the town meeting ballot Tuesday. A third race for a school board seat will be decided from among at least two write-in candidates.

“We try to encourage people to speak no more than 2 minutes, but democracy says you've got to be fair, so we let them go until someone raises an objection.”

When most Vermonters go to town halls and school gymnasiums to talk about budgets and new fire trucks, most voters in Brattleboro will stay home during Town Meeting, represented instead by 129 elected members ... via New York Daily News

“Some citizens in Auburn were complaining about gift cards and feeling like they were not getting the money out of them that had been put in”

Consumers who use gift cards often lose their change when they make purchases. A bill in the Legislature would change that. via Sun-Journal