Midday Magazine on WAMC

A new solar installation at the University of Vermont is targeting not only powering part of the campus, but enhancing Vermont’s statewide agriculture sector.

Republicans will end their national convention in Tampa tonight with a speech by their presidential nominee, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. The polls suggest that New York is well out of play for Romney, with the Obama-Biden ticket holding a strong lead in one of the bluest of blue states. Still it’s been a busy few days for the New York delegation in Tampa. WAMC’s Brian Shields spoke this morning with Jimmy Vielkind of the Albany Times Union, who is covering the Republican National Convention.

According to the latest numbers, the Massachusetts real estate market is showing the largest number of single-family home sales in years, with 13 straight months of year-over-year growth. WAMC’s Berkshire Bureau Chief Lucas Willard reports…

The Warren Group, a market-data research organization based in Boston, says that July of 2012 was the best July for home sales since 2005. Cory Hopkins, Editorial Director for the Warren Group, says that over the same time last year, the state-wide average for both single-family and condo sales, is showing a marked improvement.

Whenever a government charter is revised, elected officials pay close attention to determine how they could be affected by the changes. That seems to be the case in Ulster County, New York, where the charter revision commission has finished its work, and now it’s time for public hearings and a vote. One commission member issued a warning to the county legislature saying the charter revisions should not fall prey to political whims, but the chair of the revision commission, Cynthia Lowe, says that was just one persons opinion. She spoke with WAMC’s Brian Shields.

Bread and butter issues will undoubtedly be emphasized in this presidential campaign season. The unemployment rate, the need for jobs, the rapid growth in dependents, fiscal deficits and the enormous debt overhang will garner headlines in the weeks ahead. But there are other issues the nation must confront. While on some fronts the government cannot do much about them, campaigns are a venue for the airing of ideas, a time to educate and persuade.

Schoharie County in New York took perhaps the hardest hit from Tropical Storm Irene compared to any other upstate county. One year later, the recovery continues, but it could take another four years before all the damage has been repaired. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is one federal agency involved in the recovery, but it is local and state officials who have been on the front lines for the past year. For an update on Schoharie County, WAMC’s Brian Shields spoke to the chairman of the county board of supervisors, Howard Vroman.

The mayor of Springfield Massachusetts has outlined a process he intends to follow to evaluate competing proposals from casino operators anxious to build high end gaming, entertainment and hotel complexes in the city.  It’s a process that will lead to a binding voter referendum this Spring.   WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports.

The ancient Greeks had a word for it: “HYBRIS;”  their term for the sin of “excessive pride or arrogance.”  They believed it resulted from too much prosperity without ethical restraint.  This bred “nemesis” or public indignation that demanded punishment.  Today, we call it “hubris” but it still means the same and begets the same response.

Tropical Storm Irene caused damage or destroyed countless homes and businesses as rivers and streams became raging torrents. In Vermont, over 500 miles of state roads were damaged and 34 state highway bridges had to be rebuilt . Over 3000 local roads, culverts and bridges were damaged or destroyed. Towns were completely isolated and supplies were helicoptered to residents.  On this one year anniversary of the storm people in northern New York and Vermont are still rebuilding and many still need help.

One year ago today, Tropical Storm Irene moved into the northeast leaving flooding and destruction on a scale rarely seen in the region.

Homes and farmland were washed away, bridges and roads were destroyed, and trees and power lines were leveled leaving hundreds of thousands of people without service for days , and even weeks .