Episcopal Liturgy for Same-Gender Marriage
Vermont Episcopal Bishop Thomas Ely says the response to the diocese decision to create a liturgy to bless same-gender unions has been generally favorable. Two weeks ago the Vermont church established a formal ceremony for same sex couples. (VPR)
Interview: Replica Canal Schooner
More than 125 years have passed since a canal schooner was launched anywhere in the U.S., but that’s going to change Saturday when the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum sets sail with the replica schooner “Lois McClure.” Mitch Wertlieb talked with Art Cohn, Executive Director of the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, as the Lois McClure was going through its final stages of construction. (VPR)
Dummerston Strawberry Supper
Vermonters are rewarded in many ways for the long winters and muddy springs they put up with. One of those rewards comes during a few weeks at the start of summer, when Vermont is rich with strawberries. (VPR)
Douglas Comments on Murders
Governor Jim Douglas says the recent double-murder in Isle La Motte shows that Vermont is not immune from irrational violence. The governor has asked state officials to offer assistance to the small community as it copes with the tragedy. (VPR)
Leahy Senate Campaign
Senator Patrick Leahy formally announced his candidacy for a sixth term in the U.S. Senate on Thursday. Leahy is asking voters to send him back to Washington so that “Vermont values” are well represented in Congress. (VPR)
Thunderstorm Drops Rain and Hail
A severe thunderstorm watch was posted from Fair Haven to Canaan Thursday afternoon and, sure enough thunder, lightning, and hail up to an inch and a quarter in diameter jarred some residents of Clinton County, New York and northwestern Vermont. (VPR)
Monarch Butterfly Migration
Three monarch butterflies affixed with tiny tags last summer in Vermont have turned up 2,400 miles away in Mexico. The Vermont Institute of Natural Science has confirmed that one butterfly tagged in Plainfield and two tagged at the VINS Nature Center in Quechee turned up this winter in El Rosario, Mexico. (VPR)
Vermont Yankee Hearings Deadline
Federal regulators have set August 30 as the deadline for anyone who wants to request a hearing on the proposed power boost at Vermont Yankee. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering whether to permit a 20 percent increase in the power produced at Vermont Yankee. That would increase the electricity from 540 megawatts to 650. (AP)
AHS Restructuring
Restructuring has started at the Agency of Human Services. The number of departments has been reduced from eight to five. The reorganization is aimed at making it easier for clients to find and obtain services. One of the biggest changes is that mental health services have been moved to the Department of Health. (AP)
NH Hospital Named to Best 50 List
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH has once again been ranked among the top 50 hospitals in the country by U.S. News and World Report. Hospitals are scored based on factors such as mortality rates, nursing proficiency and availability of key technologies. Dartmouth-Hitchcock was the only hospital in northern New England to make the list. (AP)
Microsoft Lawsuit Settled
Settlement of a class-action lawsuit between Vermont and Microsoft Corporation could result in millions of dollars in computers and equipment for schools. The company was accused in a lawsuit of violating the state’s consumer fraud act. Under the terms of a settlement approved in Windham Superior Court, consumers who indirectly bought certain Microsoft products between March 31, 1995, and December 31, 2002, can apply for a voucher. (AP)
Dairy Farm Preserved
A grant from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board will help with the preservation of a dairy farm in Springfield. Francis and Dorothy Lockwood have agreed to sell the development rights on their 96-acre farm to the Upper Valley Land Trust. (AP)
Prostitution Ring
Local and federal authorities have raided three businesses in the Burlington suburbs, alleging that they were being used for prostitution. Eight women were taken into custody on a variety of state and federal charges. Many of them face possible deportation to their native countries because they may be illegal aliens. (AP)