Morning Newscast: April 25, 2008

Here are the top stories at 7:30 a.m.: Inspired by a Swanton teenager’s death last year, the Vermont House has approved a much tougher approach to drunken driving; The House has approved legislation that supporters say strengthens Vermont’s mental health parity law; Douglas plans to pick up trash along Interstate 89 today as part of State Employee Green-Up Day…

House approves tougher drunken driving rules

Inspired by a Swanton teenager’s death last year, the Vermont House has approved a much tougher approach to drunken driving. The owner of a car could be held responsible if he let an impaired driver use it. VPR’s Bob Kinzel reports.

Morning Newscast: April 15, 2008

Here are the top stories at 7:30 a.m.: A repeat drunk driver who killed a teenager in a wrong-way crash on Interstate 89 last year is going to prison; one year ago, a ferocious wind storm blew through Rutland, felling about 2,000 trees with winds of more than 60 miles per hour; Vermont’s maple sugarmakers say they’re having a good year;  Lyndon State College officials are planning a new student center and academic building…

Repeat DUI offender to change plea

A man accused of killing a teenager in a drunken driving crash will be back in court today, this time to changed his plea to charges stemming from a crash last November that killed a teenager from West Swanton.
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Family of teenager killed in drunken-driving crash want DUI penalties stiffened

Several hundred people traveled to the Statehouse yesterday and asked lawmakers to crack down on repeat drunk drivers. The group was motivated by the death of a Swanton teenager last November. The student was killed by a car that was traveling the wrong way on Interstate 89. The driver was a repeat DUI offender, and he’s been charged with being drunk in this case.