Here are the top stories at the noon hour.
The rumbling over whether to fire an old brass cannon is getting louder in Montpelier; a New Hampshire editor reassesses the value of political endorsements, on the day one is being touted; It won’t be a summer of love for former Vermont Governor Howard Dean. The Democratic National Committee chairman faces several formidable challenges; the village of North Troy is without a police department after both officers quit their jobs; the University of Vermont is unveiling a new air conditioner.