Interview: Dean in Canada
Steve Delaney talks with Governor Howard Dean about the regional environmental initiative. Dean is in Canada meeting with New England governors and premiers of eastern Canadian provinces. (Listen to the interview online.) (VPR)
Public nudity ordinance
Voters in Wilmington decide today whether they’ll keep a town ordinance banning nudity. Selectman passed the ordinance earlier this summer in response to complaints about behavior at a popular swimming area. Last night the Selectboard held a special town meeting to respond to questions about the ban. (Listen to the interview online or read the transcript.) (VPR)
Sanders departs for Middle East
Congressman Bernie Sanders is embarking on a weeklong trip to Saudi Arabia as part of an official congressional visit. Sanders says he wants the delegation to deliver a clear message to Saudi leaders about the need for political reforms in that country. (Listen to the story online or read the transcript.) (VPR)
Farm permit
The Hinsdale Farm in Charlotte has received a permit to construct a dam around a large manure storage pond. The project is just one part of a controversial proposal to expand the existing dairy herd to 2,500 cows. (VPR)
Heroin bust
A bail hearing is scheduled Tuesday for five Lamoille County residents indicted on charges of heroin distribution, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Burlington. Officials said police seized 90 bags of heroin, some cash and drug paraphernalia Monday. (VPR)
Wayward helicopter
Some high school soccer players in Crown Point, New York, had an unexpected visitor today. A wayward National Guard helicopter aiding firefighters in the Adirondacks set down on the athletic fields at Central High School in Crown Point. The craft was supposed to pick up supplies for firefighters battling several stubborn forest fires in the area. (AP)
Leahy on Iraq
Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy says President Bush should seek approval from Congress for any invasion of Iraq. Lawmakers are urging Bush to get their support before any invasion, even though White House advisers say congressional assent is not legally required. (AP)
Dean in Quebec
Governors from New England states and premiers of eastern Canadian provinces say traffic needs to be speeded up across the U-S-Canadian border. Vermont Governor Howard Dean is one of the leaders attending the 27th annual Conference of New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers. The two-day meeting in Quebec started yesterday. (AP)
Dean presidential campaign
Governor Howard Dean’s presidential campaign is continuing to pick up steam. The governor’s top political aide Kate O’Connor is leaving her job in state government to work full time on the governor’s 2004 campaign. The campaign offices are moving to Burlington. (AP)
VT gubernatorial fundraising
Republican State Treasurer James Douglas is the lead fundraiser for this year’s campaign for governor. Campaign finance reports filed at the secretary of state’s office show Douglas has raised more than $370,000 so far in the campaign. That puts him ahead of his two major rivals, Democratic Lieutenant Governor Douglas Racine and independent former Human Services Secretary Cornelius Hogan. (AP)
NH gubernatorial campaign
The head of the National Organization for Women is backing New Hampshire Governor Jeanne Shaheen in the U.S. Senate race. Kim Gandy says Senator Bob Smith and Congressman John Sununu have failed women on issue after issue. The state GOP says NOW is an extremist organization that does not promote mainstream values. (AP)
Waitsfield murder plea
A Moretown man is being held without bail after he pleaded innocent Monday to charges he killed his co-worker at the American Flatbread restaurant in April. Eighteen-year-old Isaac Turnbaugh turned himself in to police on Friday. Monday he appeared at Vermont District Court in Barre to answer murder charges in the shooting of 24-year-old Declan Lyons of Montpelier. (AP)
Slepian murder trial
The man awaiting trial for the 1998 killing of a doctor in New York state has been ordered to provide generic writing samples. James Kopp is accused of murdering Doctor Barnett Slepian, a doctor who performed abortions in the Buffalo area. Kopp is a California native whose last known address was St. Albans. (AP)
Plainfield burglaries
The Vermont State Police are asking for the public’s help in solving a string of burglaries in the Marshfield-Plainfield area. Police say a number of homes in the two towns have been broken into, usually during the afternoon. (AP)
Rutland fire siren
Four neighbors of the Rutland Fire Department want the city to stop sounding the fire horn at 8:50 p.m. every night. The neighbors argue the horn is disturbing the peace, is a public nuisance and violates their First Amendment rights to privacy. (AP)
Williston school crowding
About 80 elementary school students in Williston will start the school year tomorrow in the gym at the Allen Brook School. The gym is a temporary measure until mobile classrooms are ready. Williston is trying to come up with a long-term solution to the overcrowding. (AP)
Statue restored
A bronze sculpture of two frolicking children is back in its rightful place on Burlington’s Church Street Marketplace. “The Leapfroggers” was pushed over last month, breaking the statue off at the ankles. The $2,800 repair costs came from donations. (AP)