An effort to have cell coverage along the entire stretch of the Adirondack Northway took another step forward as another cell tower was activated Thursday. It leaves only a 13 mile gap of coverage along the remote rural highway.
Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin says he supports a plan to bring F-35 fighter jets to the Air National Guard base at the Burlington International Airport. WAMC’s North Country Bureau Chief Pat Bradley reports…
Shumlin says Vermont should be honored to host the F-35. He calls it a commentary on the quality of the Vermont National Guard.
The Air Force is considering a proposal to base between 18 and 24 of the planes in South Burlington.
The Commissioner of the New York State Office For People With Developmental Disabilities met with members of the advocacy community in Plattsburgh this afternoon to explain legislation offered by Governor Cuomo to strengthen protections for people with special needs.
A public meeting by the NRC to discuss the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant took a bizarre turn last night as a silent protest disrupted proceedings and officials nearly stopped the meeting.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission holds annual meetings in Brattleboro to present its safety assessment of Vermont Yankee. Brattleboro Reformer reporter Josh Stilts covers Vermont Yankee for the paper. He says the meeting started cordially, but took an odd twist as it progressed.
Vermont State Police say human remains, including part of a skull, have been found on private property that was being excavated in Northfield. More from WAMC’s North Country Bureau Chief Pat Bradley......
Police say the skull piece and other skeletal remains found at the construction site will be sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation laboratory for further investigation.
The office of the Vermont chief medical examiner and a University of Vermont anthropologist determined that the bones are human.
Numerous museums across the region will participate in a program this summer that offers free admission to active duty military personnel and their families.
The state of Vermont is now a part of a federal program aimed at identifying illegal immigrants arrested and charged with crimes. WAMC’s North Country Bureau Chief Pat Bradley reports…
The Department of Homeland Security says its Secure Communities program went into effect Tuesday in Vermont.
The program shares the fingerprints of illegal immigrants charged with crimes with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security.
Vermont’s unemployment rate is down two-tenths of a percent this month. One group says state's job market isn't improving as fast as it might appear.
The Vermont Department of Labor reports that the state unemployment rate dropped to 4.6 percent in April, well below the national unemployment rate of 8.1 percent. Economic and Labor Market Information Chief Mathew Barewicz says it continues a trend.
Vermont U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders says he’s “extremely disappointed” that the chairman of the Federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission has announced his resignation. WAMC’s North Country Bureau Chief Pat Bradley has more….
Sanders reacted Monday to news of Gregory Jaczko’s departure by saying he has appreciated the chairman’s recognition that the NRC’s job is not to promote nuclear power, but to be a strong safety regulator.
The communities on both sides of the new Lake Champlain Bridge are holding a two day festival this weekend to celebrate the bridge that links their communities and two states.
The Adirondack Council and other conservation groups are criticizing New York State Senate passage of a bill that would change permitting and other policies at the Adirondack Park Agency.
The mail processing plant operated by the U.S. Postal Service in White River Junction will remain open, saving 245 jobs. WAMC’s North Country Bureau Chief Pat Bradley reports…
Senators Bernie Sanders and Patrick Leahy and U.S. Representative Peter Welch announced on Thursday that the postal service plant, which earlier had been threatened with closure, will remain open under legislation the Vermont delegation championed.
Sanders says keeping the center open will help ensure good postal service in Vermont…
Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin has signed into law the state’s next step in a multi-year effort to revamp Vermont's health care system and make it a single payer system similar to Canada's.
Vermont’s governor has signed into law the nation’s first ban on the natural gas drilling technique called hydraulic fracturing. WAMC’s North Country Bureau Chief Pat Bradley reports…
There's no drilling currently happening in Vermont, which is believed to have little to no reserves of oil or natural gas.
Lawmakers passed a preemptive ban on the practice and Democratic Governor Peter Shumlin signed the law Wednesday in a ceremony at the Statehouse in Montpelier…
Governor Peter Shumlin has signed into law the next step in a multi-year effort to revamp Vermont’s health care system and make it more like Canada’s. WAMC’s North Country Bureau Chief Pat Bradley reports…
The bill Shumlin signed on Wednesday calls for setting up a regulated health care marketplace — or "exchange" — in keeping with the federal health reform law passed two years ago.
The Governor says it helps the state as it tries to move to a single payer system…
Shortly after noon on Wednesday, Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin signed into law the nation's first statewide ban on the natural gas drilling technique known as hydraulic fracturing.
Governor Peter Shumlin signed H.464 to ban the drilling method. Lawmakers had considered a moratorium, but after testimony and debate, moved a bill forward to ban the practice. Governor Shumlin says it’s a critical move to protecting a critical resource.
The Plattsburgh Public Library kicks off its Summer Reading Program today. It’s part of a statewide effort to get more children to read.
The New York State Library is part of a consortium between most states that have pooled resources to create a summer reading program for children. New York State Deputy Commissioner for Cultural Education and Acting State Librarian Jeffrey Cannell says it’s critical that reading skills be maintained.
Vermont's top fiscal officer says the state's General Fund took in $10.6 million more than expected last month, making it possible for the state to end the fiscal year with a surplus. WAMC’s North Country Bureau Chief Pat Bradley reports…
Administration Secretary Jeb Spaulding said general fund revenues were 6.3 percent ahead of expectations.
So far this fiscal year, general fund revenues are four-tenths of one percent ahead of expectations.
Spaulding says the results were largely because of strong corporate income tax filings.
DOD Joint Strike Fighter Program / Department of Defense
The U.S. Air Force is considering five sites across the country to host their new generation of fighter jets. One of its preferred sites is the National Guard base in South Burlington, Vermont. Both supporters and opponents packed a hearing last night to voice their opinions on the plan.
The Vermont Attorney General's office has received approval to hire a special investigator to target child pornography cases. WAMC’s North Country Bureau Chief Pat Bradley reports…
Cindy Maguire of the attorney general's office tells the Bennington Banner that person will be devoted to building cases against people generating or sharing child pornography over peer-to-peer networks.
The FUND for Lake George has issued a report calling for mandatory controls to prevent the spread of invasive species into that Adirondack lake.
The not-for-profit group released the report Thursday calling for mandatory boat inspections and decontamination programs before allowing boats onto Lake George. The intent is to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species, according to FUND For Lake George Executive Director Peter Bauer.
Vermont's governor has allowed a ban on the use of tanning beds by young people to become law without his signature. WAMC’s North Country Bureau Chief Pat Bradley reports…
Governor Peter Shumlin said Wednesday that he did not approve of the legislation because of concerns about how it would be enforced.
Owners of establishments with tanning beds caught allowing people younger than 18 to use them would face fines.
