Impact of War: Rutland demonstrators take sides
With casualties rising, Vermonters continue to be divided over the war in Iraq. This split is given voice every Friday in Rutland during two separate demonstrations just a few blocks apart. In the second part of our series on the war, VPR’s Susan Keese visits both rallies and finds that the issues are not black and white. (VPR)
Interview: Ralph Nader visits Vermont
Consumer advocate Ralph Nader is coming to Vermont this weekend as an independent candidate for president of the United States. No stranger to controversy, Nader is aware that his candidacy has some Democrats concerned that his presence in the 2004 election could take votes away from the presumptive Democratic nominee, Massachusetts Senator John Kerry. Mitch Wertlieb talks with Ralph Nader. (VPR)
Vermont National Guard mourns two soldiers killed in ambush
Vermonters are mourning the deaths of two members of the National Guard who were killed this week in Iraq. Six other members of their unit were injured in the surprise attack, but officials say they’re expected to recover. (VPR)
Sergeant Kevin Sheehan, 36, killed in Iraq
In Milton, Sergeant Kevin Sheehan is being remembered as a friend, father, and co-worker who wore a constant smile. The news of the National Guardsman’s death also hit hard in the Milton school, where some of the school children had exchanged letters with troops in Iraq. (VPR)
Specialist Alan Bean, 22, killed in Iraq
Bridport, the small town in the rolling farmland between Middlebury and Lake Champlain, is home to the family of Specialist Alan Bean. His parents described him as a man with a big personality – someone you wouldn’t forget. (VPR)
Pacifist David Dellinger dies at 88
Activist David Dellinger, one of the “Chicago Seven” and a longtime resident of Vermont, has died at the age of 88. Dellinger was one of the group of protesters convicted of conspiracy to incite a riot at the 1968 Democratic convention. (VPR)
Workers’ compensation law signed
Governor Jim Douglas has signed into law modest reforms to Vermont’s workers’ compensation insurance system. The governor highlighted some of the provisions of the law at a signing ceremony on Wednesday. (AP)
Auditor says state was overbilled for corrections services
A new report says the Corrections Department has been routinely overbilled by a private firm contracted to provide health care services to Vermont inmates. A report by Vermont Auditor Elizabeth Ready focused on the performance of Correctional Medical Services of St. Louis. (AP)