VPR Evening News October 5th, 2007

The U.S. auto industry will appeal a federal judge’s ruling in Vermont that said states could regulate greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles; Senator Patrick Leahy says he’ll oppose the nomination of Attorney General designee Michael Mukasey if the nominee doesn’t disavow the torture policies developed by the Bush Administration; A California company wants to launch a new methadone treatment center in Berlin; Vermont’s plan to use small rail cars on its portion of the Amtrak Vermonter route may have hit a snag; Vermont sportsmen are going to help maintain and improve some of the state’s wildlife management areas; Hunters can expect to find big deer this season, and commentator Olin Robison on the conflict in Myanmar.

VPR Evening News October 1st, 2007

Both of Vermont’s U.S. Senators say they’re concerned that the Bush Administration may be planning military actions against Iran; It may be a particularly good foliage season for businesses in Vermont; The Vermont ski industry is concerned that a change in federal law could resorts short of workers this winter; A former Vermont State Police trooper will serve time in jail after pleading no contest to charges that he assaulted a teenager; Construction is starting on the busiest section of Interstate 89; and commentator Olin Robison on what the outcome of the war in Iraq could to us, Iraq and Iran.

VPR Evening News September 25th 2007

Progressive Anthony Pollina is moving closer to becoming a candidate for Governor in 2008; Vermont students have outperformed their peers around the country in reading and math; Federal health experts will be in Vermont on Wednesday to hear concerns about chloramine; Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff will be in Vermont Wednesday to meet with Governor Jim Douglas; and commentator David Moats reflects on how seasons give definition to our lives.

VPR Evening News September 24th 2007

Lieutenant Governor Brian Dubie is under consideration for the top post at the Federal Aviation Administration; Former Vermont lawmaker John “Jack” Burgess has died at the age of 87; State officials say Vermont is entering the peak season for deer ticks; and commentator Ted Levin on how plastic bags affect the environment.

VPR Evening News September 21st, 2007

Congressman Peter Welch says Congressional Democrats should maintain a tough stand against the Iraqi War policies of the Bush Administration; The Vermont National Guard says 250 members of the Air Guard are returning this weekend from the Middle East this weekend; Fletcher Allen Health Care applies for state permission to build an electronic health records system; The state will spend almost a million dollars to help low income people who were inadvertently cut from fuel assistance programs; Governor Douglas accuses Democratic legislative leaders of being out of the mainstream; Vermont’s Medicaid program will get an infusion of $530,000 as part of a national settlement with a prescription drug maker, and commentator Mary Barrosse Schwartz is planning to visit her local farmer’s market for Eat Local Day.

VPR Evening News September 18th, 2007

A prominent Vermont lawyer who represents a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay,Cuba, is concerned that the federal government is tapping his phones, A new study concludes the price tag to repair the states roads and bridges is larger than previously projected, Governors are the country are concerned about federal funding for a children’s health insurance program that is due to run out by the end of the month, and Commentator Bill Shubart wonders if local lessons can be drawn from the exodus of Bush Administration officials.

Evening Newscast: September 17, 2007

Senator Patrick Leahy is ready to expedite Attorney General confirmation process; Ruling upholding auto emission standards could have implications for other states; Senator Bernie Sanders says Congress is about to pass legislation that could provide a record level of funding for veterans; Suburban sprawl group changes their name; Filmmaker returns lake artifacts to museum. Commentator Henry Homeyer on preparing plants for winter.

Weddings and High Drama

If you’ve attended more than your share of weddings this summer, you can be forgiven for feeling a little burned out on ceremonies, receptions and gift giving. But VPR’s Tim Johnson just came back from a wedding that left him feeling completely …. smitten.

Chainsaws and the supercell

Last week a series of powerful thunderstorms ripped through Vermont. The Champlain Islands were among the hardest hit. The storm peeled back roofs, ruined corn crops and provided a few minutes of terror for VPR’s Tim Johnson. The storm is also forcing him to confront some more lingering fears, as he reports in this essay.