Democrats use convention to establish campaign themes
The Democratic National Convention opens in Boston today. For the next four days, Democrats will establish the major themes that they plan to use in this fall’s presidential campaign. VPR’s Bob Kinzel reports.
Howard Dean attends DemocracyFest
Howard Dean went to a reunion of some of his most ardent supporters yesterday on his way to the Democratic National Convention in Boston. Dean attended DemocracyFest, a gathering organized by people who worked on his campaign when he was running for president last fall. Dean dropped out of the race in February. (AP)
Bernie Sanders appears in two documentaries.
Vermont Independent Representative Bernie Sanders has small roles in two documentaries that explore corporate control of the media. One of the films, Orwell Rolls in His Grave, opens tonight in Burlington. The other film is Robert Greenwald’s Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism, due out next month. (AP)
Lyndonville police search for throwers of homemade bombs
Police are searching for a man they think threw two homemade bombs at a school in Lyndon yesterday morning. Nobody was hurt in the explosions. Police say two bottles were filled with gas and another flammable liquid were set on fire and thrown at Lyndon Institute, and another bomb was thrown downtown. (AP)
Politicians asked to leave leaflets at home
Politicians are welcome at Barre’s Homecoming Days parade next weekend, but they’re being asked to leave their leaflets at home. Organizers of the annual parade say leaflets and stickers create too much trash after the parade, so they’re asking politicians not to hand them out. (AP)
Women named in prostitution arrests, but not their male customers
The women have all been identified in court papers. Now the head of a Vermont women’s advocacy group wants to know, what about the men who were customers of the three Chittenden County spas where prostitution was allegedly taking place? The county prosecutor says he wants the men to cooperate in efforts to find the people who ran the spas. (AP)
Police investigate stabbing in Burlington
Police in Burlington are hunting for a man they believe stabbed another in a fight early yesterday and left the victim near death. Police say they’re looking for 31-year-old Enreko J. Tyler of Burlington. They declined to identify the victim, but said he is 30 years old and from Essex. (AP)
Vermont prison population leads the nation
The rate of growth in Vermont’s prison population led the nation last year. New statistics from the federal government say Vermont’s inmate population rose more than 12% between 2002 and 2003. The number of convicted criminals and detainees jumped from 1700 to 1900 in that time. That’s nearly five times the national average rate of growth. (AP)
Correctional facility holds its first high school graduation
The Southern State Correctional Facility held its first high school graduation ceremony Friday. Five diplomas were awarded by the Community High School of Vermont, which runs classes in several Vermont prisons. State Senator Edgar May delivered a speech to the graduates. He told them nothing can ever take away from them what they have learned in the high school program. (AP)
Fuel dealers holding off on pre-buy prices
Fuel dealers in Vermont and New Hampshire are holding off on sending out “pre-buy” winter fuel offers, waiting to see where prices are headed. Many dealers offer price-protection plans such as “pre-buy” plans to eliminate volatility in heating bills. They require payment in advance for expected usage. (AP)
Non-profit group plans to build affordable housing in Dorset
A nonprofit group called Housing Vermont plans to build a $4.5 million housing project in Dorset. The project would include four single-family houses and 20 apartments on about nine acres. A recent study found that Dorset badly needs affordable housing – which is defined by the federal government as housing that consumes a third or less of a family’s income. (AP)
Eclipse Teen Nightclub in Rutland is closing
The 17-year-old co-owner of a Rutland nightclub for teenagers says he plans to close the business this weekend. Josh Terenzini started the Eclipse Teen Nightclub ten months ago with help from his mother and grandmother. At first it drew crowds of up to 350 young people on Saturday nights. But attendance has dwindled since then. (AP)
Rainy July hinders haying season
July is usually prime hay-making season in Vermont, but frequent rains this month have dampened those efforts for farmers. Some farmers worry that hardships putting up feed now could make for a tough winter. (AP)