New England News

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Emails between top state officials show that a week before Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced last year that the state will build a costly and contentious bus-only corridor between Hartford and New Britain, federal transportation officials still did not know if he would support or kill it.

Vermont fire officials are trying to determine what caused an explosion that heavily damaged a Townshend, Vermont home, with parts of the house found over 200 feet away.

No one was home during the blast, reported about 3 a.m. Wednesday. Fire officials arrived to find the house off its foundation. They said the owner, identified as Carlton Smith, had been experiencing the smell of propane over the past several weeks.

Officials suspect a problem with a gas line. They do not consider the explosion suspicious.

Fairpoint Communications says regulatory reforms in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont reduce the potential penalties the company could incur by more than $31 million a year.

Fairpoint officials said Wednesday the benefits come from legislation in Maine and New Hampshire and the Vermont Public Service Board's approval of its four-year regulatory plan.

The changes in the three states reduce the penalties the company could face for falling short of service standards.

According to a recent report, capital investments in health care have fallen in Massachusetts, while investments in New York have made modest gains. WAMC’s Berkshire Bureau Chief Lucas Willard reports…

In a report released by venture capital database CB Insights, the numbers show that investments in the Massachusetts health care industry are down to a five quarter low in deals. CEO of CB Insights Anand Sanwal explains that investing firms target a large variety of sectors in the health care industry.