New England News

Opponents continued their protests at the Lowell Mountain wind project Tuesday, a day after six people were arrested as they stopped construction at the site for half a day.

No surprise for Northeast residents sweating out the summer after a winter barely touching their snow shovels: this is the hottest year on record in the region so far.

The Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University reported Tuesday that the average temperature in the 12-state region was 49.9 degrees from January through July. That's the warmest seven-month period since 1895, the year systematic record keeping began.
   
The second-warmest comparable period was 1921, when the seven-month average was 49.2 degrees.

The Vermont Supreme Court has ruled against a county sheriff who sued the city of St. Albans over providing police services to the town of the same name.

Last year, the town of St. Albans decided to replace its law enforcement coverage from sheriff's deputies with police patrols from the adjoining city.

Town officials wanted 24-hour coverage. They felt Franklin County Sheriff Bob Norris was asking for more money than the city was. Norris sued the city, saying the bidding process was so unfair that it killed any competition.

A review of a commercial wind project in Vermont says the project should not have used the same firm to monitor noise levels and perform compliance tests.

A Windam, Maine-based consultant doing the review of Sheffield Wind Project data for an environmental group says it indicates a potential for a conflict of interest.

The wind project began generating last fall. Its 16 turbines generate enough power for about 15,000 homes.