Circ Highway
Democrats say there’s some politics involved in the federal government’s help for a Vermont highway project. (Listen to the story online or read the transcript.) (VPR)
Fairbanks workers’ union
Unionized workers at the Fairbanks Scales Company in Saint Johnsbury have voted to reject the firm’s latest contract offer. (VPR)
Support for foster children
The chief justice of the Vermont Supreme Court on Friday urged state human service officials, judges and lawyers to work more closely together on foster care cases involving younger children. (VPR)
Court rules on Dean’s schedule
The Vermont Supreme Court says Governor Howard Dean must release his daily schedule that relates to his presidential campaign. But the Supreme Court sent the case back to a lower court to decide whether Dean can continue to keep the other parts of his schedule to himself. (Listen to the story online or read the transcript.) (VPR)
Douglas proposes Act 60 changes
Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Douglas is backing an Act 60 Reform plan that would sharply curtail the number of people who would qualify for tax prebates under the law. Democrat Doug Racine strongly opposes the plan. (Listen to the story online or read the transcript.) (VPR)
Champion lands
Governor Howard Dean signed an executive order Friday that he says will end the debate on a wilderness area in the Champion lands. In 1999, the state helped broker the purchase of 133,000 acres in the Northeast Kingdom from the Champion International paper company. But many sportsmen complained the original plan didn’t protect their rights to hunt, fish and trap on a 22,000 acre wilderness area known as the West Mountain Wildlife Management Area. Dean’s executive order sets up a citizens’ committee that will mediate future disputes about the use of the land. (AP)
Kingdom House races
A bloc of conservative lawmakers from the Northeast Kingdom is being targeted in the last days of election season. An upstart political action committee is trying to unseat the group of six Republican representatives with provocative radio ads. The nine different radio spots feature a couple named Earl and Arlene who lament the low wages and high unemployment in the Northeast Kingdom, among other problems in the region. (AP)
Milanese returns
A Randolph priest is returning from leave after an investigation into abuse charges. The Reverend John Milanese is due to celebrate mass at Saints Donatian and Rogatian Saturday. (AP)