New England News

The state law that legalized casino gambling in Massachusetts requires voters in a host community to approve the casino development in a referendum.  The law permits cities , such as Springfield, to hold either an at-large  vote or limit it to just the ward where the casino would be built.  WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports.

       Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno is adamant the voter referendum on whether there should be a casino built in Springfield will be held city-wide.

A former student at a Vermont military college is in prison serving a seven year sentence after he admitted smuggling at least 20 firearms into Canada where he traded them for drugs.

Court documents say most of the weapons smuggled by 22-year-old August Nommik, of Newport, were handguns, but at least three were assault rifles.

The documents say one of those weapons, a handgun stolen in Derby in August 2010, was recovered a week later in Quebec. The documents didn't say what happened to the other weapons.

The state of Vermont is notifying towns still struggling financially from Tropical Storm Irene repairs that it will give out payments early while those towns await federal reimbursement for repairs.

The accelerated payments are for town highways and payment-in-lieu-of taxes, which are normally given out in October; current use payments, which are typically sent out in November; and state aid to education payments, which are normally dispersed in December.

Public health officials in Massachusetts and a non-profit provider of mental health and substance abuse treatment are working to reduce underage drinking in the state’s third largest city.  A prevention plan has been  developed based on the results of a survey of 8th graders in Springfield to determine reasons for underage drinking.   WAMC”s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports.