Border crossings and economic predictions were only some of the stories that caught our attention this week. Police said that drug-related crime was up, Dartmouth College hosted a national presidential debate and health officials heard from Burlington residents who believe water additives are making them sick.
Here’s a listen back to some of the voices in the news this week:
Public Safety Commissioner Kerry Sleeper on Vermont‘s increased crime rate
http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/77512/
(Public Safety Commissioner Kerry Sleeper) I’m quite confident that the majority of the increases we’re seeing are due to drug-related crime."
Report says Vermont‘s labor force shrinking
http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/77548/
(Labor Commissioner Melinda Moulton-Powden) "The trends are showing a reduction in the labor force which tends to fit with the demographic shifts that we’re seeing due to the aging of our labor force."
CDC officials hear complaints about chloramine
http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/77520/
(Dr. Donald Swartz, Vermont Health Department) "That doesn’t mean that people aren’t sensitive to something in the water. That doesn’t mean they’re not sensitive to chloramine. It just means that it’s very difficult to say that they are, and to prove that. So then the problem is, what do we do?"
Enhanced licenses contain computer chip for border crossing
http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/77522/
(Motor Vehicles Commissioner Bonnie Rutledge) "It will be a lot simpler a lot less expensive a lot faster for you to get an enhanced driver’s license if the only thing you’re going to want to use it for is to go to Canada or Mexico or North America actually."
Chertoff, Douglas sign agreement for enhanced driver’s licenses
http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/77521/
(Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff) "We’re balancing security with convenience and the reality of what life on the border is like. And I think it’s going to be a benefit for everybody."
Dartmouth prepares for debate
http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/77518/
(MSNBC host Chris Matthews) "Welcome back to Hardball. Less than 90 minutes away from tonight’s Democratic debate at Dartmouth College…"
(Campaigners) "Vote Obama! You know you really wanna!" "Hillary!" Hillary!"
Welch says he’ll oppose president’s war funding
http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/77538/
(Congressman Peter Welch) "I think this policy of relying on a military approach is going to get us nowhere. America has very difficult choices. And they’re reflecting the knowledge that common sense Americans know. That is that we don’t have easy choices in Iraq. It’s not as if you can just pull the plug."