Midday Magazine on WAMC

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 .

A study looking at the current and future state of agriculture in the Berkshires is already revealing some bad news. WAMC’s Berkshire Bureau Chief Lucas Willard reports….

A computer virus named Stuxnet has drawn the attention of security and utility experts around the globe over the past two years or so. The experts say the virus has the potential to knock out power grids, leaving millions in the dark. It has already been used against the Iranians to slow down their nuclear development programs. Dan D’Ambrosio, a business reporter for the Burlington Free Press has been researching the story of Stuxnet. He spoke with WAMC’s Brian Shields.

It’s been one year since Tropical Storm Irene came up the coast and into the northeast, leaving behind damage that most people and most communities had never witnessed before. One year later some the scars remain, but people have been slowly putting back their lives and towns. Dutchess County, in New York's Hudson Valley was hit hard by the wind, the rain and the flooding. Dutchess County executive Marc Molinaro spoke with WAMC’s Brian Shields about how the county has fared one year later.

The death camps were liberated almost seven decades ago. Auschwitz and Birkenau, Chelmno and Dachau-- the ABCD’s of the Final Solution-- have long been silent memorials to the mass murder of millions. But despite this passage of time, World War II and the Holocaust have remained popular topics for filmmakers.

If you are hoping to go apple picking this fall, you may want to call ahead to make sure your favorite orchard is open.

As reported by the Times Union, some capital region orchards will not be open to those looking for ‘pick-your-own’ this year due to heavily reduced crop yields following unseasonable weather over the last six months.

State funding is still available to residents of Western Massachusetts who were hit by last year’s June tornado, who are looking to rebuild and renovate their homes, and make them more energy efficient. WAMC’s Lucas Willard has more…

The state-sponsored ReBuild Western Massachusetts program is designed to help victims of the June 1st, 2011 tornado rebuild their homes and businesses with some upgrades to help save energy.