June 23, 2004 – News at a glance

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Touch-Screen Voting
A decision by a number of states to use computerized voting systems for this year’s presidential election has become controversial because of the lack of security in the machines. Vermont lawmakers banned the use of these systems during the recent Legislature, and it’s possible that some smaller states may follow Vermont’s lead. (VPR)

Driver Shot After High-Speed Chase
Vermont state police trooper shot and wounded a driver Tuesday morning on Interstate 89 near Bethel after the man led police on a dangerous high speed chase. (VPR)

Senate Vote on Gay Marriage
In Washington, the Senate Republican leadership is planning a mid-July vote on a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy, a Democrat, wants to know what the rush is. The Judiciary Committee held its final hearing on Tuesday before the issue goes before the full Senate. (VPR)

Sorrell to Focus on Drug Prices
Vermont Attorney General Bill Sorrell says he wants to focus on the growing cost of prescription drugs during his tenure as president of the National Association of Attorneys General. Sorrell was named as the head of the organization last week at the association’s annual meeting. (VPR)

Re-enactors at Fort Ticonderoga
This weekend, hundreds of war re-enactors will gather in Fort Ticonderoga, New York, for the annual grand encampment and battle re-enactment. It’s the first of several major gatherings this summer that will highlight the 250th anniversary of the French and Indian War. (AP)

Cormorant Population
Vermont Fish and Wildlife officials have started shooting and trapping double-crested cormorants in an effort to control the population. (AP)

West Nile Virus
The Vermont Health Department has begun its annual summer hunt for dead birds. Bird deaths are considered a good way of tracking the West Nile virus to locations in the state where it is most prevalent. (AP)

Vermont State Hospital Inspection
Inspectors are back at the Vermont State Hospital to determine if the hospital has made the improvements needed to restore its federal certification. The review is one of several the hospital must undergo before regaining its certification – and millions of dollars in federal funding. (AP)

“Fahrenheit 9-11”
An independent movie theater in Montpelier has been caught up in the national controversy over Michael Moore’s latest film. “Fahrenheit 9-11” opens at theaters around the country this Friday, including at the Savoy in Montpelier. Theater co-owner Rick Winston says he’s been inundated with between 500 and 700 e-mails a day from around the country both supporting and denouncing the film. (AP)

Washington County Sheriff
The new Washington County sheriff will take office next month. On Tuesday Vermont Governor Jim Douglas appointed 38-year-old Sam Hill to fill the office that has been empty since former Sheriff Donald Edson resigned in April amid fraud charges. (AP)

Emergency Landing at Airport
There were some tense moments at the Burlington Airport Tuesday morning. Fire and rescue crews rushed to the airport to respond to an emergency. The pilot of a Delta flight reported trouble with the landing gear, but the plane landed safely. (AP)

Parking Garage Embezzlement
A city employee has pleaded not guilty to a charge of stealing money from a public parking garage where he worked as a cashier. Twenty-three-year-old Nathan Beaman of Burlington is facing one charge of felony embezzlement. (AP)

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